Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or any characters or materials taken from the video-game series. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: I love the Legend story arc and the first reboot game story, so this is the first part of my attempt to merge them. Also, I don't get why everyone seems to think Lara and Sam are a couple. Personally, I see their relationship as purely platonic, so that's how I write them. But that's just me I guess.
Chapter 1: A Friend Returns.
"Come on, Lara. You haven't eaten all day."
Lara ignored Sam and continued to watch the large plasma screen TV as the world news scrolled by. Sam reached over and turned off the TV. Lara grabbed the remote and flipped it right back on.
"Lara! Come on. You've been glued to that thing all day. You need to eat." Sam tugged at her friend's arm.
"Lemme alone, Sam. I'll eat when I feel like it," said Lara swatting Sam's hand.
"I can hear your stomach growling from here," Sam sighed. "Fine. If you won't come to the food, I'll have to bring the food to you," she muttered as she stalked back into the kitchen.
Sam leaned against the counter and sighed. It had been three months since Yamatai, and the barrage of news, press, and media had not had a positive effect on Lara. Her PTSD had her on edge, and something as simple as a camera flash was enough to make her go berserk. The gossips had had a field day with that; 'Lara Croft: Modern Day Amazon or Psychotic Killer?' Sam had taken Lara to a country house of her family's up in the mountains somewhere in Idaho. It was secluded and remote enough to where the media didn't bother chasing, so Lara had the peace and quiet she needed. But the damage had already been done. Lara was constantly pouring over Google News and watching the world news channel for stories on Yamatai and what happened there, according to the media. The stories only reenforced the negative opinion she had of herself and did more harm than good, but if Lara wanted to do something, Sam was powerless to stop her.
Sam sighed again and picked up the plate of beans on toast (Lara's favorite food) that she had just made. Sam personally found it disgusting. Beans and toast are great, but not together. She shrugged and walked back into the living room, setting the food down in front of Lara.
Lara actually seemed interested in the food once she got a whiff of it. The anti-depressant and anti-anxiety pills she was on for her dark moods and PTSD suppressed her appetite, so anytime she showed interest in food was a victory for Sam. She promptly grabbed a slice and took a huge bite. Just then a news special came on.
"A survivor of the expedition ship Calico, was picked up by a salvage wrecker two weeks ago and just got into Pacific port four days ago. We only recently received permission to use the film of the event," the anchorman announced.
A news reel played of a young woman about Lara and Sam's age, descending the gangplank of a rusty salvage ship. She had shoulder length wavy brunet hair, pointed ear tips sticking through it, red cat's eyes, and wolf fangs. She looked tired and worn and was guarded by two strong men on either side. As soon as she touched land, the press swarmed her like a pack of hungry wolves. She recoiled from having flashbulbs going off in her face and so many people trying to swarm her.
"Jo Pierce! How does it feel to be back in civilization?" one reporter asked.
"What can you tell us about the island?" shouted another.
"Can you confirm the rumor that there was a group of crazy psychopaths on the island?"
"Is it true you killed nearly three hundred people?"
"Is it true that you killed many of those people with your teeth?"
"Silence!" Jo shouted in a voice like thunder. "Silence. I cannot think with all this hubbub. You call this civilization? I think you are barbaric. I am weary and wounded and just want peace and quiet. Yet, I am bombarded on every side with questions to which you think you already know the answers and are biased against me. Even if I tell the truth in its simplest form, you will name me a murdering savage, because it suits your fancy and your pocket. I should not have to defend and justify myself before people who should know better, yet act like children; for they do not and cannot understand the pain and anguish I have suffered. And I don't just mean physical pain. I have wasted enough of my breath on you people. Just leave me alone." She swayed a little, suddenly unsteady. One of the men caught her and supported her as she was led to a car.
Lara almost spit out her mouthful of beans on toast, but she managed to swallow instead.
"Oh, my, gosh. Jo," she couldn't believe her eyes and ears.
Jo had been Lara's first real childhood friend. She had met the American mutant when her family spent some time in the States, and they had become friends at once. They had kept up correspondence until Jo came to the U.K. to attend college. That's when Sam had met her. At first Lara had been apprehensive that Sam and Jo might not get along, but the two hit it off at once. Jo was really good with anything mechanical or electronic and was always tinkering with one thing or another if she wasn't studying ancient texts and what have you. Her love of adventure and finding the truth of history, combined with her love of electronics and mechanics, gave her the perfect bridge between Lara and Sam's interests. Jo had majored in mechanics actually, with a minor in history and archaeology. She had wanted to sign on the Endurance, but her expertise in mechanics as well as archaeology was needed on the Calico. So, she was on an expedition headed in the complete opposite direction. After that, all Lara and Sam had heard when they got back was that the Calico had been lost at sea.
Now, seeing one of her best friends who, along with Sam, she loved like a sister, alive after three months of being presumed dead, now being persecuted by the media, awoke a deep feeling of protective rage in Lara.
She stood up, beans and toast forgotten. "We have to help her."
Sam was startled. Lara's eyes were blazing with rage and her muscles were tense. She was furious at how the media was abusing Jo and obviously wanted to protect her. Sam was upset too and wanted to help, but they had no idea where Jo was.
Just then the phone rang.
"Hello?" Sam inquired.
"Sam? Oh gosh, it's good to hear your voice! They're after me!" Jo sounded near hysteric.
"Who's after you?" Sam asked.
"The press! They follow me everywhere! I can't step outside my hotel without having a camera or microphone shoved in my face! I have no peace!" When Jo was really angry she sometimes sounded hysteric and Sam detected the warning signs.
"Alright, we'll come get you. Where's your hotel?" Sam grabbed a pen and pad.
"It's the Bay View Inn on Maple st. Hurry, they're about to break down my door!" Jo exclaimed.
Sam jotted down the address and said, "On our way," before hanging up.
"Was that Jo?" Lara asked.
"Yes. We need to go." Sam led the way to the car.
As they drove around to the back parking lot of the hotel, Sam glanced up and saw Jo climbing out of a fourth story window.
"Oh, crud. I guess she wasn't kidding about the press breaking down the door," said Sam as she pulled into a spot as close to the window as possible.
Jo clambered down the side of the building and dropped the last twenty feet. She dashed over to the car and got in.
"Drive," she commanded as she buckled her seatbelt.
Soon they were back at the house. Fifteen minutes later, Jo was shoveling down as much food as possible as quickly as possible.
"You might want to slow down. You're shoveling that down like you haven't eaten in days," said Sam.
"I haven't. I've been trapped in my room by the press for three days. I'm hungry," Jo said with her mouth full.
"Why didn't you order room service?" Sam asked.
"Couldn't afford it." Jo continued to eat ravenously.
A few minutes later however, she pushed her plate back and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. For the first time since she got back, she was relaxed, content and happy. Now that her stomach was full and she felt safe and secure, she was rapidly beginning to fall asleep. Jo dragged herself out of the chair and staggered into the living room, only to collapse onto the couch. She was out cold before she hit the cushions.
"Poor Jo! She must have been through a heck of an ordeal on that island," said Sam.
"I know. I know how she feels. She's been through her own Yamatai," said Lara, a distant, brooding look in her eyes.
Lara stood and went into the living room. Sam followed and found Lara sitting next to Jo, having covered her with a blanket and tucked her in. Jo was curled up in the fetal position, snoring softly. Sam came over and sat down next to Lara. For a long time they sat there watching their weary friend. As they watched, a peaceful expression came to Jo's face as her emotionally and physically drained body completely relaxed.
Sam yawned and decided to go to bed. She bid Lara goodnight and headed for her room. Lara continued to watch Jo, but her mind was far away, on an island, surrounded by crazed cultists and undead warriors. Blood, fire, water, wind, pain, gunshots, screaming, death, all intermingled into a chaos and noise that made no sense. A blur of color, noise and feeling. Chaos. Absolute chaos. Lara felt lost in it, she had no strength to fight it, it was consuming her.
Lara's head hit the edge of the couch with a bang. She jolted awake rubbing her bruising forehead. She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep and off her chair. Lara shook her head and crawled under the blanket with Jo. She was too tired to go to her own room and she didn't want to be by herself anyway. She wrapped her left arm protectively around Jo and fell asleep.
Sam walked into the living room the next morning to find Lara and Jo asleep on the couch. Lara's arm was still clutching Jo protectively as the two weary and wounded women slept. Sam smiled and shook her head. Poor Lara. She was in worse shape than she let on. The poor woman was losing her mind and only Jo could help her out of this nightmare.
Some might misinterpret Lara's actions towards Jo as those of a lover, but Sam knew that both women, like herself, were straight. At any rate, Sam let them sleep. They needed it. They both woke up about ten minutes later anyway. Hunger was the alarm that kept Jo from sleeping too long and Jo getting up was what woke Lara up.
"Good morning, sleepyheads. Breakfast'll be ready in a few minutes," said Sam as she flipped pancakes.
"I have to admit guys, I feel like I'm losing my mind. That island, the horrors I saw there…" Jo shivered.
"There, there. Try not to think about it," said Lara, putting her arm around Jo.
"You're wrong, Lara. I have to think about it and talk about it. Otherwise it'll just eat away at me 'til there's nothing left of my sanity. It's human nature. I have to talk about it. We both, have to talk about it," said Jo, looking right into Lara's eyes.
Lara was the first to look away. She had forgotten Jo's piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate to her very heart. No one could withstand her gaze for long, but to Lara, it seemed that even though she could bear it longer now, there was something else in that gaze. Something that hadn't been there before. A looming madness. This thought gave Lara pause and caused her thoughts to turn inward. As Lara looked deeper and deeper into her mind, she like what she saw less and less. Then it hit her like a thunderclap. She was losing her mind as well. The noise! The chaos! It was overwhelming! It was dragging her down, down into madness, down into that pit from whence there is no return.
"LARA!" Jo's voice boomed like a thunderclap.
Lara was jerked out of her mental free fall back to the present, back to reality. She opened her eyes and gasped for breath, like a diver who's been under a bit too long. She looked at Jo gratefully. Jo looked concerned.
"I fear for your sanity, Lara. You are a strong woman, though you didn't know that at the beginning of your journey. But, the survivors' trial by fire is a hard trial even for a mutant to bear. You and I are alike in more ways than one, Lara, for we have both passed through the fire. Now comes the hardest part, the healing. Will we choose to heal and become stronger for it? Or will we choose to succumb to our wounds and become less than human? Become raving, violent lunatics? I for one choose life and healing! I will not succumb to the harshest of wounds without a fight! No one is going to be able to say Jo Pierce didn't give it her all before the end! I've never backed down from a good fight and I'll die before I do!" Jo's eyes blazed with unhealthy fire as she fought violently with her mental demons.
Lara and Sam both feared that their friend was going to lose this fight, but soon the fire went out of Jo's eyes and she slumped into a chair with a tired sigh. Sam got breakfast on the table and they all ate in silence. After breakfast they all went into the living room and sat down. Jo looked awful, but the worst of it was the feverish fire that continually burned in the backs of her eyes. The fire of looming madness. It was smoldering now, just sleeping, but Lara and Sam both knew that it could flare up at any moment.
Jo sighed and broke the silence. "Guys, I have to tell you everything," she said wearily.