All characters belong to ND, which is probably for the best. God know what would happen if they belonged to me ;)

I've also included a nod to one of my favorite Uncharted fanfics, see if you can pick it out.

Present

"C'mon, Sully! That was years ago, am I never gonna live that one down?" Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan were marching slowly through a particularly narrow tunnel in a particularly remote part of Mexico. Sullivan, trying not to focus on his aching back, decided to annoy Nate as a distraction. Besides, it was fun to get the kid riled up. Hell, he shouldn't make it so easy, Sully thought.
"Sorry, Nate—but not while I'm still around." Sully scoffed.
"Jesus, Sullivan, it was my birthday, I'd just turned eighteen and you kept buying me drinks all night! How the hell was I supposed to know she was a hooker?" Nate sounded seriously pissed, but Sully knew better. He'd been teasing Drake about this embarrassing story every birthday since. Nate turned twenty-eight today. Has it really been thirteen goddamn years since I met the kid? They'd come a long way from that first awkward birthday all those years ago.

Flashback

It had been about ten months since Victor Sullivan had his wallet lifted by the young rogue Nathan Drake back in Columbia, then saved him from Marlowe's gunmen, and consequently become the kid's mentor. Nate'd already landed in jail once and just now had the crap smacked out of him by a client who didn't find his smart-ass remarks amusing. Sully had come through for Nate on both occasions—he'd bailed him out of jail within a couple days and retaliated against the client with a mean right hook. It'd knocked the bastard flat on his ass.

"Fired twice inside of a year. You're a bad influence, kid." Sully tried to joke as they walked away from the now ex-client, who was screaming at their backs. Sully stopped and turned long enough to smile and extend his middle finger. He saw the blood dripping from the man's nose. Probably broken. Karma's a bitch. He turned back around and realized Nate hadn't responded. "You alright, kid?"
"Yeah, I'm alright." He was gingerly feeling the left side of his face. "You know you didn't have to do that. I'm sixteen. I'm not a baby, and we could use the money." Sullivan bit back a laugh. He knew the kid wasn't a baby, but right now he sure sounded like a petulant child. Anyway, that asshole had been asking for it from the beginning—hitting Nate was just the icing on the cake. Who are you kidding? You swung without even thinking, Sullivan. The kid has gotten under your skin. His inner monologue wasn't cutting him any slack today.
"Sure, kid. Let's just get back to the hotel and put some ice on y—" When the hell did he turn sixteen? He thought. "Back up a minute. Sixteen?" Sully looked confused. "I thought you were just fifteen."
"I'm not frozen in time like a vampire, Sully. I turned sixteen a few weeks ago." Well damn, Sully thought.
"When was your birthday? And why the hell didn't you say anything?" Now it was Nate's turn to look confused.
"It was March 2nd. And why would I have mentioned it? It's not a big deal." Sullivan studied Nate out of the corner of his eye. The kid was telling the truth. He really thought it didn't matter his birthday had come and gone without a word…for some odd reason that made Sully's stomach knot up. Birthdays are supposed to be fun at his age, goddamnit. Sully, like the kid, didn't have a family…but he still had a few good friends that sent notes or small gifts on his birthday every year: like his goddaughter Jada and her father Luka.
"Nevermind, and we don't need his money that badly. Hang on a sec." Sully stopped the kid to look at his face. The left eye was already discolored and swelling. The client hadn't exactly been a small guy. "That's gonna be a daisy of a black eye. Let's go get that ice." As they walked back to the hotel Sully started forming a plan.

"Okay, kid. That oughtta help." Sullivan said, handing a washcloth filled with ice to Nate. They had made it back to the hotel in downtown Philadelphia without incident. The ex-client had booked them a room in an upscale hotel in old town, near Independence Hall. It was mid-morning, and Sullivan wanted to check out before the asshole called to cancel their reservation early. The man was well-known in the city, and could have them thrown out with only few words. "Now, we need to get out of here, before we're not-so-politely asked to vacate. You have all your stuff together?" Nate nodded glumly, feeling guilty for screwing up the job. Sully checked the room once more, even though neither of them really had a chance to unpack their bags. He grabbed his own well-worn travelers' bag, and then picked up the kid's too. Nate's bag was so light, Sully marveled for a moment—it held almost everything the kid owned in the world, and that wasn't much. "You ready?" Drake stood, picked up his leather satchel and threw it across his torso. Sully knew that this bag contained his most valued possessions—his notebook on Sir Francis Drake, his stolen wristwatch that was too big for him to wear, a dull pocket knife, and a few other odds and ends. Sullivan grinned, struck by sudden inspiration. He turned to walk out the door before the kid noticed the look on his face. Nate was good at reading people, and Sully didn't want to give anything away. He worked out the details in his head quickly, the plan fully formed by the time they reached the lobby desk. Once they exited the hotel and were out on the street Nate broke the (what he felt was awkward) silence.

"Now what?" He asked Sully meekly. Okay, show time. Make it convincing. Sullivan tried his best to look annoyed.
"Now I go make travel arrangements and you just try to stay out of trouble!" The kid flinched at his harsh tone and Sully almost gave up on his scheme then and there. It'll be worth the surprise, and the kid will forget all about me being an asshole once it's said and done. I hope. "Do you have some money?" Nate looked confused.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Because I won't be done with my business until this evening, and I can't have you starve while I'm gone. You're so skinny if you miss one meal that might be the end of you." Now Nate looked really confused.
"I'm not going with you?" He said trying not to show this bothered him. Seems the kid is kinda attached to me…like I am to him. This made Sully feel better about his plan.
"No, I don't need you following me around all day like a hurt puppy with its tail between its legs. There's plenty around here to keep you occupied. Independence Hall is just two blocks that way. There's some restaurants and other museums within a couple of blocks. I'll meet you outside the Liberty Bell exhibit about five. Think you can be on your own without screwing up something else?" Sully had pushed a little too hard, and now the kid was angry.
"I don't know who you think you are, but this is just a partnership of convenience and I don't owe you anything." Sullivan watched the angry youth storm off. If he's angry he won't be curious enough to follow me. The kid never wants to stay put. Besides, the payoff will be worth it. Sully reassured himself.

Nate sat on the grass of the mall just outside the Liberty Bell exhibit. He could see the bell through the glass wall, and was sketching it on the back of a flyer some volunteer had given him. His temper had cooled less than ten minutes after he'd snapped at Sully. Nate understood why Sully was pissed—he had ruined the job, and it could have been a profitable one too. So, he sulked for a bit then did as Sully suggested. Drake toured Independence Hall, and then saw the Liberty Bell. He walked a few blocks away and ate at some hole-in-the-wall pizza place. Nate even went to the National Constitution Museum and killed some time there.
Now it was past six. He was starting to get worried. Sully should have been back by now, and he's not usually late. Drake started running through various scenarios in his head, trying to figure out what might have happened to his mentor. These ranged from plausible to totally ridiculous. Maybe he met a woman and is busy trying to woo her over dinner. Or he could be three sheets to the wind in some bar, and lost track of the time. Both these possibilities make Nate smile a little. He wouldn't put either past Sully. Or what if our ex-client was angry and went looking for Sully? He could be in trouble. Nate tried to squash the worry he felt. Sully is smarter than that asshole, and he can take care of himself. The guy will never even find him. Nate took a deep breath and put the idea out of his head. He went back to his drawing when a new thought occurred to him. What if he left without me?
Nathan Drake felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He started replaying that entire morning in his head, looking for any missed signs or indicators. Sure, he was pissed. But he wasn't THAT pissed. Was he? Nate thought about his last words to Sullivan, and how his mentor hadn't responded, but simply turned and walked away. Crap. The pencil fell from Nate's hand unnoticed. He actually left me behind. Drake felt like throwing up. He looked at the clock tower of Independence Hall. It was almost seven now. Nate tried to control his emotions, he felt like screaming. You've been on your own before. You can do it again. Now-
"Hey kid, are you alright? You're whiter'n a sheet. Is your head still bothering you?" Nate looked up to see Sully standing over him, concern making him frown. Nate just looked up, not answering. The relief he felt was immense. "Nate? Look if you're angry I'm late, I'm sorry. My running around took longer than expected." Nate seriously felt like an idiot.
"No, it's nothing. Just tired I guess." That wasn't a lie—the powerful conflicting emotions and rush of adrenaline that accompanied his mini-panic attack had left Nate suddenly feeling exhausted. Sully looked…disappointed?
"Not too tired for some dinner? I got our plans worked out and our plane leaves in the morning. I got us a room in a decent place right on top of a good restaurant." Sully offered the kid a hand up, and Nate took it, smiling.
"Sounds good."

Ten minutes later they hopped out of a cab on the other side of town. Sullivan and Drake stood facing a slightly sketchy looking bar called "Maggie's Place".
"This is the restaurant? Where's the hotel?" Nate looked at Sully, who just laughed and walked past him into the bar.
"Did I say restaurant? Oh well, the food is good and the owner is an old friend. She's a sweet little lady, pretty too. The room above the bar is for rent, and she said we can stay the night, charge free. C'mon, you just gonna stand there in the street?" Nate followed, shaking his head. Sully really does have friends everywhere. Once inside they were greeted by a woman about Sullivan's age, but who was shorter than Nate. He wasn't kidding when he said 'little'.
"Hi again Sully, this must be the boy you told me about. Nate, right? My name's Margaret, but friends call me Maggie." She extended her hand, smiling. Nate took it and started to say hello when she pulled him in unexpectedly for a kiss on the cheek. "You're going to be a handsome sonuvabitch one day. I can tell." Nate turned bright red, and Sully laughed again. Before he knew it Maggie had ushered them to a couple of chairs at the far end of the crowded bar. "I'll be back with some drinks, you two figure out what you want to eat. On the house of course." She smiled and darted to the other end of the bar.
"She's something, isn't she? How's your head feeling?" Maggie came back with a beer for Sully and a soda for Nate. She took their dinner order and disappeared into the back. Sully took a big gulp of his beer and turned to Nate, waiting for an answer.
"Fine. Just a bit sore."
The rest of the evening passed quickly and pleasantly. The food was good, and Maggie was good company. She and Sully swapped stories, and Nate chimed in whenever Sully got details wrong, or flat-out lied to make the tale sound better. It was midnight before he knew it. He started to yawn.
"You must be tired, Nate. I'll go turn down the beds and turn on the heat upstairs. It still gets chilly at night this time of year." Nate was exhausted. A few minutes later he was walking up the stairs fighting to keep his eyes open. Sully walked behind him, with a steadying hand on his shoulder. He opened the door—
"Happy Birthday, Nate!" Maggie stood in the room, holding a cake with several lit candles stuck in it. What the hell?
"Happy birthday, kid. I know it's a bit late, but like they say 'better late than never.' Go ahead, blow 'em out." Sullivan was grinning ear to ear. Nate blew the candles out in one go, once again wide awake, and completely caught off guard. Then he noticed the small pile of packages wrapped (rather poorly) in newspaper. Is all this for me? "I'm sorry I was such an ass in the park. I wasn't angry about what happened with the client. I just needed you to think I was so you wouldn't follow me, or the surprise would've been ruined. Am I forgiven?" The words were said jokingly, but now it was Sully's turn to look shamefaced. Nate couldn't believe it. The old man wasn't abandoning him—he was buying him presents for crying out loud! Drake hugged Sullivan without a word, still too stunned to speak. Sully was startled, the kid wasn't big on contact, but after a moment he hugged back. It was awkward at first, but somehow still felt right. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. You going to open the stuff?" Nate practically sprinted to the small table beside the bed. He sat down and held the first one in his hands.
"I can't remember the last time someone bought me a birthday present." He looked up at Sully. "Thanks for all this. Both of you." Maggie smiled.
"Honey, you haven't even opened the gifts yet. Sully bought and wrapped them himself, so God knows whether you'll like them or not." She smiled at Sullivan, who was doing his best to appear wounded by her words. He failed miserably. Nate grinning and opened the first package—it was a leather notebook similar to the one he had now. He flipped through it, the pages were crisp and clean and the binding tight.
"Your Sir Francis journal was looking a bit full." Nate nodded in agreement and quickly opened the next present, now getting into the spirit of things. It was a set of expensive sketching pencils and a mini-sharpener.
"This is awesome, Sully." The next package was a small waterproof flashlight. The next after that was a new pocket knife. The next to last was a leather pouch that would hook onto his belt.
"That old bag of yours is pretty worn out. Figured you could use something to keep the essentials safely stowed when we're on a job." Then he came to the final package. He opened it slowly, as if savoring the experience. Nate held the gift in awe. It was a wristwatch. The band was a wide leather cuff, and the watch itself was silver.
"So, do you like it, kid? The back of the watch has an engraving; damn thing took longer than I thought, so I was late meeting you." Nate looked on the back. It read: ND –Fluctuat Nec Mergitur. Then at the very bottom in smaller script were the letters VS. "The Latin means 'tossed by the waves but never sinking'. It was my ship's unofficial motto in the navy. She was a proper piece of scrap metal ready for retirement, but she never let us down." Sully paused for a moment, hesitant to continue. "I guess it reminds me of you because…well, even though you've been dealt a crappy hand, you don't let it get you down. When life gets tough, just remember, you're tougher. Okay, kid?" Nate nodded, appreciating the words more than he could say. He put the watch on, it felt a bit heavy, but fit perfectly. "I picked out a band with plenty of extra strap. So, when you finally stop growing taller and fill out it will still fit."
"Thanks, Sully. It's perfect." Nate was obviously thrilled by the watch and other gifts. Sullivan felt content, something he hadn't felt much of in recent years. It seemed he needed the kid in his life as much as Nate needed the him in his, and that was alright by Sully.
"So, old man, when's your birthday? Only fair I get you something in return."
"Not a chance in hell I'm telling you, kid." Nate looked to Maggie, who smiled mischievously.
Aw goddamnit, Sully thought.

Present

"You're just lucky I had the extra cash to pay her off in the morning." Sullivan started to laugh, but then choked on a bit of dislodged dust.
"Nothing happened! She—"
"I know, kid. You passed out before anything happened and she was just greedy." Sully started to laugh again as he felt a jab in his shoulder.
"Damn right. Now can we just let it go, and focus on what we're doing?" He laughed a little bit more then stopped. One of these days he'd tell Nate the girl was a good friend of his, just doing him a favor. Sullivan didn't want Nate getting into trouble with some bar hookup on his birthday, so he'd asked her to take the kid home, put him to bed, and keep an eye on him. She came up with the "hooker" story on the fly the next morning. Cassie always had a twisted sense of humor. Who knew it would turn into his favorite running joke?

"Sure, sure. How much further you think we gotta go?" The passage had begun to open back up, and Sully stopped for a moment to stand tall and stretch his back and shoulders. They had been walking stooped over for a good fifteen minutes, and his body was protesting loudly.
They were looking for the burial chamber of Aztec ruler Chimalpopoca's infamous queen. When she died she was buried in a remote part of the Aztec empire in a lesser tomb, but she would still have been interred with her jewelry and most valued possessions—as was her right by virtue of rank. Nate, through some miraculous digging, had found a half-rotten map that he believed would lead them to the tomb's location. Sullivan hadn't been too keen on the venture at first. It was a long shot at best and a total waste of time and money at worst.

"I know that neither of us are working jobs right now, and it doesn't take long to get restless…but are you sure you want to spend your birthday on a wild goose chase in a Mexican jungle instead of on a quiet fishing trip with a tired, old man? Beer's on me this time." Nate was not to be deterred however.
"I love a good fishing trip as much as the next guy, Sully, but this is too big to pass up! Besides, you're not that 'tired' and 'old'. Leastways that wasn't the tune you were singing when you told me about that young nurse you met last weekend. What was her name? Tammy? Tamara?"
"Theresa." Sully said with a fond sigh. Nate made a face that was a cross between 'gross' and 'yeah right' before continuing.
"Anyway, it's my birthday, and I want you to come with. I'll pay for airfare, you pay for supplies. It should only be a couple days. We come up empty handed we'll go fishing when we get back, and the beer's on me. Whaddya say, Sully?" Sullivan knew halfway through Nate's speech he would say yes. He always had a hard time saying no to the damn kid.
"Alright, I'm sold. When do we leave?" Nate grinned and started outlining the itinerary for Sullivan. He sounded like an excited kid talking about the possibility of Christmas coming early. Usually it hard not to be infected by the kid's enthusiasm, but instead Sully felt a small wave of unease wash over him. Stop acting like an old lady, Sully thought.

Now here they were, a hundred feet or so underground in the middle of Nowhere, Mexico. Nate was pouring over the map in silence.
"Hey, Nate. What's the map say?" Nate looked up quickly, as if just realizing that Sully was standing there waiting for an answer.
"Honestly, Sully, it doesn't say much. It talks a little about the entrance of the tomb…but the rest is too faded to read. Your guess is as good as mine. Let's keep going, but carefully. The Aztec's aren't as well known for their booby traps as the Egyptians, but that doesn't make them any less deadly." Sully rolled his eyes and continued walking.
"I know the drill, kid. I wrote the book on ancient tomb robbing, remember?" He scoffed. Now it was Nate's turn to roll his eyes. They continued forward, and despite his words, Sully did so more cautiously. The passageway grew wider and the ceiling higher after a few hundred feet. "About damn time." Sully grumbled. He stopped once again to stretch his knotted muscles. Nate edged around him quickly. He thought he saw something reflective ahead.
"Sully, look at this—"
"Kid!" Nate had forgotten his own advice as he rushed down the passage. He stepped on a slightly raised stone, but in his haste didn't feel it move under his foot. Sully saw it rise after Nate stepped off. He was only a couple paces behind Nate, and had sprinted to push the kid out of the way of whatever was coming. Nate tripped and hit the ground rolling—he was back on his feet in a split second. He turned just in time to see a net weighed down by stones land on Sullivan and knock him to the ground. "Goddamnit." Sully cursed loudly.
"Are you hurt?" Nate was trying to disentangle his friend from the net, but the material was heavy, and there was quite a lot of it. He grabbed Sullivan's arm to help him to his feet…maybe it will be easier to just cut him out of this mess. However, as soon as he touched the man he hissed and shrank away from the contact. "Sully, what's wrong?"
"Goddamn rock hit me on the way down. I think my shoulder is dislocated. Let's just—" They both heard the loud clicking and grinding beneath their feet. Apparently there was more to this particular trap. "Run, kid!" Nate didn't get a chance to respond. The floor collapsed beneath them. Nate threw himself backwards purely on instinct. Sully alone plummeted through the darkness. After a second Nate heard a splash. He moved with lightening speed back to the edge of the hole. It was filled with water. If the pit wasn't too deep and if he moved fast enough he might still be able to save his friend.
Nate hit the stopwatch button on his wristwatch, thinking and moving frantically. Sully can hold his breath for about three minutes underwater. It's been about fifteen seconds. If he drowns I have about four to five minutes to revive him. Drake had pulled out his small waterproof flashlight and held it between his teeth. His pocket knife was open and in hand. He checked the water level; it wasn't so low he would need a rope to climb out. After a couple deep breaths he jumped in after his mentor. Thirty seconds passed.
Luckily the water was only about fifteen feet deep, and the pit wasn't very wide; he found Sully within seconds of diving down. The old man was on his feet, his own knife in hand, sawing away at the net. Nate joined him. One minute passed. Nate focused the light on the section of the net they worked together to cut. The material was thick and difficult to sever, it was slow work. One minute thirty seconds. They had made an opening big enough for Sullivan's head to fit through, but not his shoulders. Two minutes fifteen seconds. Fuck! This is taking too long! Nate screamed in his head. He noticed Sully had stopped cutting, and was holding his mouth and nose closed instead. He wouldn't be able to hold his breath for much longer. Nate motioned for Sully to hang on, and kicking hard off the bottom he rocketed to the surface. Nate took several deep breaths, holding the last one in. He swam back down to Sully, who was thankfully still conscious. Nate grabbed him and pulled his head through the opening in the net. Sully moved his hands away from his face allowing Nate to desperately smash their mouths together. Sullivan inhaled as Drake exhaled. Bought us a couple minutes. They continued to work furiously. Three minutes forty-five seconds. There!
Nate pulled Sully clear of the net and wrapped an arm around his chest, kicking once more for the surface. They broke through both gasping for air. Drake held Sully's head above water as he hacked and coughed, struggling to take a deep breath.
"Take it easy, Sully." Nate still had one arm holding his friend in a death grip, the other held onto the ledge of the pit. He took a moment to calm down and catch his breath. Christ, that was too close. Sullivan had yet to speak a word. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Seems you were paying attention when I taught you about underwater rescue procedure all those years ago. Huh, coulda fooled me." Sully was trying to lighten the mood, but he could tell from the man's tone that he was as shaken by the experience as Drake.
"You've told me so many damn navy stories over the years some of it had to stick." Nate maneuvered so Sully could hold onto the ledge while he climbed out. Then he helped him out, careful not to pull on his injured shoulder. "Okay. Let's go home." Nate started leading Sully by his good arm back the way they came.
"Wait, what about the tomb, kid?" Drake didn't slow down as he responded.
"Forget it. We can come back some other time, but for now it's a wash." They walked in silence for a while.
"Thanks for that back there, kid." Sully coughed, his voice hoarse.
"You pushed me outta the way, remember?" They walked in silence some more.
"You know, I still haven't bought you a birthday present." Sully said suddenly.
"Forget about it. How about you take me on that fishing trip and we'll call it even?" Sully laughed.
"Sure, kid. But you're still buying the beer."
"Deal."

END

I hope you all enjoyed it! The story is unbeta'd, so please forgive any typos on my part. Comments are always welcome!

Thanks for reading!

-M