Tomb Raider: Regenerated
Prologue
Wimbledon, England
Lara stared down at the Chirugai, her finger's running over the cold blades. After many years of storage, it was the first time tonight that she had seen it since Kurtis's death, packed away in a box she had mistakenly opened while searching for a few lost things of hers. Staring into the box, memories of her old life crept back. Pictures, weapons, paperwork, and, of course, the Chirugai. It was all there, lined in water marks and damage from a leaking pipe overhead, which she was sure to mention to Winston later. But being often curious, she prowled and rummaged, hoping to find something interesting about her life she had tried to forget. The only thing that seemed at all appealing was the Chirugai, now rusting a bit at the edges. Cold to the touch, she picked it up, turned it over several times in her hands, and decided it wasn't worth bringing the past back. She had so much more now. She had Zip, and Alister. Not to mention, she was on the brink of finding her mother. It wasn't worth getting her hopes up that one day he would return, that he wasn't really dead...but then again, what would hurt to believe once in a while, something she had forgotten to do.
"Ms. Croft," Winston called into the storage room. Lara jumped, hitting her head on the low ceiling. A few water droplets splattered into the box. Frustrated and in pain, she turned, rubbing the bump that was already forming. "Um, pardon me for interrupting, ma'am, but there's someone waiting in the library for you. They say it's urgent."
"Yes, well, serve them a cup of tea, and I'll see to them in a moment," Lara responded back. Winston did as he was told and left her to tend to the guest. Lara turned back to the Chirugai, and then to where Winston had stood and then back again. "Sorry, Kurtis, but business calls," she muttered to it, as if he could hear her, and gently placed it back in the box. "We'll see to it later, then." With that, she made her way out of the musty storage room, glancing back at the box only once, and sealed the door behind her. At that very moment, however, the box in which laid the Chirugai, began to violently shake, a mysterious glow erupting from inside like a volcano ready to spew the contents from it's smoking chambers. Yet, Lara was already making her way to the library, unable to hear the commotion bubbling up inside that small room.
Busily removing debris from her clothes, Lara did not take one slight interest at observing her visitor as she entered the room. "Let's cut down on the small talk and get straight to business, shall we," she said, pulling a spider web from her clothes, and, with direct attention, looked up.
Her visitor had no intention of his own to give impression of her being. Back turned to her, he stood before the fire, hands folding at his chin. Lara realized it was neither Zip nor Alister. It was someone she had never seen stand in her library before. Embarrassed by her bad manners, she apologized. "Oh, pardon me. I thought you were one of my knuckleheads." She felt herself blush.
"Don't bother apologizing," he said, bowing his head. His voice was chilling and cold and... familiar. "It doesn't sound much like you, Lara, if you do." Lara's eyebrows knitted.
"Have we met?" Lara asked, a little confused.
"Yes, as a matter of fact we have," he said, his head coming back up.
Lara opened her mouth in disbelief, her head shaking. It couldn't be, not now. She tried to find her voice. "Kurtis... y-you're suppose-"
"...to be dead, yea I know." He turned to her, a smile creeping up his face. "It's so great to see you again. I see you fancied yourself a new outfit."
Lara could hardly breathe. He was looking as good as ever... too good. "You're an imposter," she said, drawing her guns. "The Kurtis I know is dead."
"But I'm not dead. See. I'm all right here." He pinched his skin, pulled it up and let go as if it was convincing enough. "Now put down the guns, Lara. I promise you I'm not an imposter."
Lara's lip began to tremble. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to believe he was back, but then again she didn't. She had started another life, hired Zip to keep her company on her adventures (something she had gotten use to when her and Kurtis were together.) and brought along Alister for research. Her life was getting so much better. She didn't want the old memories ruining it for her again. "Then where have you been all this time?"
"Hiding out. Waited for the whole thing to settle before I came and saw you again. I thought you'd be happy." He looked at her lovingly. "I thought it was the right time."
Lara bit her lip. "Well you were wrong."
"Oh." Kurtis was confused. "Then when would of been a good time?"
"N-never," Lara stammered, the tears forming. "Never, Kurtis."
"Never?" Kurtis asked. His heart sunk. "So there's another, I see."
"Another...heavens no." Lara lowered her guns. "It's just I don't need you anymore. I found other places to go, other people to meet. I don't need my past blowing up in my face every time I think about it."
Kurtis stiffened. "But I've needed you. Every night while I was in hiding, I thought of you. I thought about you and I, and the future we could have saving the world." He sighed. "If you didn't really care, then why are you crying, huh?"
Lara quickly brushed her eyes. "I'm not. I had something in my eye."
Kurtis smirked. "Lara, I know you better than anyone else. You can't pull that trick on me." He slowly, made his way towards Lara, but was stopped by the click of her gun. Kurtis held up his hands in peace.
Lara aimed the pistol. "What do you want from me, Kurtis? Your Chirugai? "
"No, Lara," He said softly.
"Then what?" She could feel the tears coming back. "What is it?"
Kurtis smiled. "I want you to tell me you love me. I want you to admit to it."
Lara gripped her guns. "What! I'm not gonna say that."
"Why not?" Kurtis asked, starring into her amber eyes.
"Because it's not true, that's why." She sniffled. She could feel emotion boil up inside her.
"Yes it is, Lara. I know you still love me." He raised his eyebrows. "Admit it."
"Why is it so important to hear me say it anyway?" Lara gulped in air, her body shaking.
"Oh, Lara, don't you see?" Kurtis gave her another loving look. "I'm madly in love with you. You're everything to me. Ever since we met, I've gone crazy for you. All I need is for you to tell me you love me too."
She placed her guns in their holsters, and folded her arms. "Fine, if it'll keep you happy, I'll say it." She drew in a deep breath, and softly said, "I Love you too, Kurtis." She grinded her teeth, the words echoing back as she said them, and added, "You happy know?"
Kurtis chuckled, and shrugged. "That's a start, I suppose. But it looks like the old Lara is back."
Lara, herself, even smiled. "Yea, I guess." She felt his stare cut into her like a knife. She couldn't stand the sudden silence. "Why don't you come over here, you big goof, and give me a hug." Kurtis didn't hesitate to do so. She quickly wrapped him into a warm hug. She couldn't believe what she was actually saying and doing, but she felt it was right, even if it was a past she didn't want to be apart of no longer. "I've missed you," She whispered into his ear, holding him tighter.
"I've missed you too," he whispered back. It was the start of something big, they both knew it.