Disclaimer: I do not own anything in regards to the Tomb Raider franchise. This story is for the utter amusement and entertainment of the fans who appreciate Lara as being one of the best games in the world!

Author Notes: I like getting into the part of the characters that you do not see. What happens 'in between' Lara's excursions? How does she interact with the people in her life when it is not over her headset? Read on and (hopefully enjoy my imagination). Love it or hate it, I'm still Batman! (That's right...I'm BATMAN ^o_o^ )

~~Sorry I have posted in a while. My job demanded more of my rear end than a toilet seat. I almost forgot I had a home LOL. Well, back to it! (Reviews are welcome; it inspires one to write more. I am sure it works for you as authors/readers as well)

Chapter Seven: Crawling

It was a rather turbulent ride on the plane back to England, Valkyrie and Lara felt every movement of wind that pressed against the aircraft. It was a private jet belonging to an old friend of Lara's that she had arranged for the pilot to meet them at an airstrip in India. Lara was feeling the small aches and pains of her injuries still, she had decided to rest for a month in that hotel room as she took care of dividends and errands over the phone or computer, but the idea of what Valkyrie had said about Amanda trying to get Excalibur rang into her mind repeatedly. Amanda probably already assumed that Lara grabbed that FIRST and then made no effort to go to Croft Manor to gather the artifact. More than anything Lara assumed that Amanda was waiting for Lara to make her move now.

The flight seemed to take forever, but when it finally did end they were both grateful to get back to work. By now Zip had taken all of the stuff they had in Saint Francis's Foley and brought it back home. She and Valkyrie agreed that they were a great team and thus she was more than welcome to share her home. Zip had no argument other than that at least there some of the stereo equipment was actually HIS and there was some kind of warning about touching things that belonged to him that somehow involved a shoe vanishing into a backside in some kind of fashion. Valkyrie and Lara were not paying him much mind.

Lara's front door was opened for her by a beaming Winston who smiled from ear to ear with pleasure of her return to a now completed home. "Welcome back Lara!" he bowed professionally and then smiled at Valkyrie also "And welcome home to you as well Lady Valkyrie." He inclined his head politely to her as she passed nodding back to him. It was a new thing for her to be welcomed somewhere and Lara had asked Winston to greet her as such from henceforth.

Zip waved from behind his computer screen "Welcome back my favorite twins of carnage, Evil Knievel and Evil Lynn have entered the building." He bowed in a funny mockery of a conductor before his orchestra. "So?" standing up again and folding his muscular arms while taking a deep breath followed by a cluck of his tongue "What now, where to?, And what for?"

Lara smiled at both of the men; she hugged Winston and kissed his cheek, and gave a soft laugh towards Zip's comments. After putting her carry bag down she tilted her head to him and smiled "And who exactly pray tell, are you referring to as Evil Lynn or Evil Knievel? Which one of us are you directing each of those 'glorious' titles to?"

Valkyrie looked over at Zip and just dropped her bag absently and stared at him dead pan expressionless. She STILL had every intention of changing his password after his surprise light display in China. She still was annoyed by the brilliance of that damned flare! Now this interjected comment about some kind of evil plucked her nerve further. What would it be now? Wash something crimson in his white clothes? Or perhaps 'fix' his radio so that it only played 'Spice Girls' songs and locked it that way until he begged for her to stop! All this brought a most devious, yet perplexing grimace across her face a she simply seemed to smile wider at Zip which unnerved the shit out of him. "You don't know evil yet…." She grinned.

Zip's eyes widened, he did NOT like the way she said that, but being the smug guy that he was he stated what he shouldn't have "Does it matter? Like there is really a difference between the two when it comes to you two." He was smiling from ear to ear himself until he took a really good look at both of the women's expression on him, identical quirk of the brow and accusing eyes. The smile fell off his face instantly, and a knot appeared in this throat. It was probably the shoe he just placed in his mouth. "I mean, um….you know I was joking….right?" he stuttered as he looked back and fourth.

"2 minute start." Lara spoke suddenly with an even calmness as she walked over casually and took twin curved swords from an Arabian culture that crossed over a shield. She tossed one over to Valkyrie who masterfully whipped it around in circular motions and then started checking the weight of the sword in her hand. "Nicely made. Is it durable?" she looked over at Lara.

"Oh yes, most certainly" she pronounced boldly "It's not sharp, but it is quiet blunt on the edge. You know…these were once used to break rocks or stone that would be used for buildings or carvings. It's strong enough to crack even the toughest nut (A.N./nut=cranium) with the right swing." She paid no mind to Winston who seemed to have made an abrupt departure from the room with utmost haste.

Zip started waving his hands and arms in criss-cross motion in front of him "Whoa! WHOA!! Lara! Val! Look okay, I was kidding! KIDDING! You two are the most beautiful, courageous, and beguiling women I know!" pointing to Lara "You are Alpha!" then to Valkyrie "And you are Omega!"He smiled nervously looking between the two; he did not want to have inflicted migraines.

Lara played her sword in circular motions as she looked at Valkyrie "What do you think? Should we forgive him?"Lara smirked deviously at the bit of fun they were having at him.

Valkyrie shown no such smile and shook her head back and fourth "No." she said and Zip's face paled a bit. She lifted her blunt sword and pointed it at him "No. for TWO reasons. 1-He never really cleared up which of us Evil Lynn or Evil Knievel, you know we women do not being called names then referred to another woman for any reason, and 2-He called me Val. He dies."

Zip turned tail so quickly he knocked over his own desk and two of his monitors as he screamed over his shoulder "LARA! Keep her away from me! HELP! She's CRAZY! Winston!!! Help man!!!" he jumped over her coffee table in front of her fire place and burst out the door wildly. His dreads were as if someone was pulling them back behind him he ran so fast.

Lara was covering her mouth with he empty hand and choking on her laughter. She thought that Zip would know that she and Valkyrie were messing with him, but she did not expect THAT kind of reaction from Zip. "That was BRILLIANT!" Lara held her hand between her breasts as if trying to keep air in her lungs from her laughing so hard.

Valkyrie shrugged and walked around Zip's desk and leaned over his keyboard and typed with her open hand. "Let's see. I'll change his password to this…and then…." She was typing with one hand, but her hand was a blur. Lara was at a loss as to what she was doing to Zip's computer. Valkyrie stood back and winked at Lara with that smile again. She then brought the sword back over to her so that Lara could put them both back on the display.

Lara not able to stand it anymore asked "Alright, what did you do? I am burning with curiosity!" she grimaced from ear to ear with anticipation of the answer.

Valkyrie's eyes narrowed with her wolfish grin "Changed his password of course. I changed it to 'I like boys' and then I left him a hint. The background on his desktop now has a boy band on it with hearts behind them. It's not fair to leave him out of the puzzle solving after all. WE do all the work. Then I replaced every song on his IPOD with classics like 'It's a small world after all' and other favorites I know he will just adore." She giggled a bit and walked off. "I'm in need of a hot bath; I'll meet you within the hour in the main foyer."

Lara watched her twin walk off and walked around to look at the computer screen. She put the password in and waited. She thought the new password was cute after all. She then looked at Zip's playlist and had many family oriented songs and many more teeth grindingly annoying songs that would make even her pull her braid out after time. Lara closed her eyes and sighed extensively "They are going to kill each other at this rate." She smiled but shut down the computer with short giggles the more she thought on it. After going upstairs and taking her own bath she came back down to find Valkyrie sitting in a chair with her feet up on a stool smirking behind a magazine she was flipping through while Zip was going off in a tangent behind his glass protected wall where he worked. He was trying his best to get into his computer, and after hacking into his own system (he was NOT going to type in what his password was changed into. To hell with that!!!! He thought) was outraged at the songs that were playing on a fixed decibel that he could not turn down. His fingers were flying on his keyboard and out of sheer frustration he ripped his speakers out the back on his hard drive as he was trying to delete the song lists. Lara looked from him to Valkryie, then to Winston who was standing nearby with hands clasped in front of him with obvious earplugs in. She smiled at the aged butler and he smiled back. Lara looked over at Valkyrie and huffed in a most amused manner "Can you end the torture now? I need him to work my deviant twin."

Valkyrie's eyes were now seen as she lowered the magazine she read and sighed because he fun was ending. She held up a remote and clicked it once and the last remaining lock she had on his PC was removed. His songs lists reappeared and his password would be able to be reset back to normal. She had set everything up to be in her little device, when he turned the music down, she turned it back up which was confusing him and when he changed songs she started another annoying one. "Always going to be for a laugh, that one is." Referring to Zip over her shoulder."

Zip was watching Lara now and as Valkyrie displayed her 'power point control tactic' he held his hands to both sides of his head and moaned lowly. "Damned evil ass bit---WOMAN" he caught himself. He was not surprised to see Lara quirk a brow and Valkyrie turn around in her seat to stare at him, almost daring him to finish what he wanted to say. After several awkward moments of silence he held up a hand "My bad, I'm just upset and that was uncalled for." He cleared his throat and turned back to his work.

Lara and Valkyrie looked at each other and Valkyrie was given a look from Lara that she explained that Valkyrie went a little too far in the defense of Zip. Valkyrie nodded and turned back around and stood up leaving the room for a moment, and came back with one of his favorite drinks. She placed it as his right on his desk and patted him on the back apologetically which he responded with a nod and a thanks. They then started talking about what the next move was in regards to Lara's new directive.

Lara looked over at Winston who was now removing his earplugs and smiled as she said "Kids." With a roll of her eyes and a returned roll of his as well back to her they went back to business.

6 hours later

Lara after going through what they found so far was comfortable with her current plan in regards to going back to Nepal. Zip had his own arguments about her re-opening something that she has found closure on already and Winston was concerned about her in the simple fact that she would be going back to the thralls and inwardly hoped that upon seeing those horrid creatures again would not be reminded of the fate that befell her mother.

Valkyrie was unaffected by this for she was the most anxious to tear those things apart, and if she was lucky, she may have the opportunity to throw Amanda's ass down into the eitr in a returned favor of what Amanda tried to do to her. Amanda was a pain to work with, and Natla amused Valkyrie to no ends, well as much as Natla could stand to look at her anyways. Both women hated Lara and both failed each time they tried to kill her. Quite frankly the two of them together were still outmatched by Lara's quick wit. She said nothing after her birth 'until' Lara asked questions of her underneath Croft manor. Valkyrie had to admit, she was in awe a bit of Lara, the one she was a copy of. She watched patiently, and listened to how she handled things, what none of them knew was that like Amanda who stole a headset long ago she too had grabbed one and listened in on the conversations. She laughed inwardly as she got to know Lara and how she operated. Amanda bitched about Lara constantly, but Lara thought not much about Amanda until she was confronted by her. Natla hissed at mention of Lara's name and yet it was not until Natla's name was tied to Alister's death, that she paid the Goddess of Atlantis any attention until then. By then all Lara really wanted was the belt and hammer of Thor in order to kill Natla. Valkyrie was very pleased Lara allowed her to exist to see today. She was learning so much and having a genuine blast.

Zip was calling out a check list as Lara was checking her things and making sure other ends were met and in order as well. Winston was helping her go through it all and Lara was already wearing Excalibur on her back, she was sure that from here on Amanda would attack her on sight and unexpectedly. She had to be ready for that, but not loose focus on her objective. If even she lost one artifact upon getting Thor's Hammer back everything could be jeopardized! "Well, looks like everything is in tip top condition!" she rested her hands on her hips and nodded more to herself than to them. Lara was wearing a white long sleeve button up shirt and tight black khaki pants with her favorite hiking boots. "Alright Valkyrie, no need to waste anymore time, my wounds from China are going to get better along the way. We cannot afford any more time wasted." Adjusting Excalibur on her back absently and picked up her travel bags.

Valkyrie nodded and picked up her own things. Zip patted her on her shoulder as she passed and whispered for her to take care and watch out for Lara. Valkyrie nodded, that is definitely something she could do. She followed Lara outside to her Lincoln Navigator that she had favored when she was going long distances, she would have it shipped to other countries if she needed to carry extra baggage and if anyone knew Lara Croft, they knew she meant her arsenal back up. Valkyrie sat in the passenger side and grew more excited the more the front gate to Croft Estate grew closer, and when the gates parted and they left her heart seemed to never slow down. She sighed just for the sake of doing so because she wanted so much to continue the adventure. She looked over at Lara who was making phone calls to old friends and some woman named Anya to provide some connections while in Nepal. Valkyrie took out her dual pistols and started checking them over, she unlike Lara found out that most people named their weapons, so her left pistol she named Irony and her right Pistol she named Fate. She was rather fond of her given names to her pistols. She thought they fit the guns and her self quite well. "So when we get to Nepal and go through this gate…we will be…where exactly?" she asked with a strong curiosity.

Lara keeping an eye on the road replied "Well, considering I have only come back from it once and never actually gone through it, I believe we will arrive back to the very place where upon I 'thought' I finished Natla with Thor's Hammer." Turning the radio down so that the two of them could talk, Lara was rather enjoying this.

"And how do you intend to get back? Coming back through the same portal to this temple in Nepal you told me off seems quite a bit of trouble. We appear there 'again' and then we go from there back to the airport and then to your next destination?" she was more than a bit skeptical.

Lara smiled and shook her head, not in disdain of Valkyrie, but in genuine surprise that she did not see what she was doing "Elementary actually. How did you get back and take Natla to this birthplace of yours?" she looked over at her and grinned playfully "I was hoping you would be able to show me how the hell you got out. Amanda and I barely made it last time. I thought she was going to leave me. I KNOW you won't, well…you better NOT anyways." Her eyes smiled at Valkyrie who returned the playful show of the eyes with a glint and sneer.

Valkyrie kicked herself inwardly and again the Croft woman was a few steps ahead of her. Not that she minded because it was refreshing that she could not figure Lara out completely. She found Lara a puzzle that she needed time to figure out and piece together, and not to mention that doing so was so bloody fun! Valkyrie nodded and looked out the window. "So, by plane then is it? Then by foot?"

Lara laughed a bit and patted Valkyrie on the thigh as she drove "What fun would that be? I have arranged for some of my favorite motorcycles, two in fact so we can have a bit of sport as we get on about it. I am just sure that Amanda is watching me right now and for all the love that is gold and rare, I hope she updated her insurance policies. She AND her men will be using their healthcare plan to great expenses. I did not fancy getting shot and I do so much want to return the favor." She smiled narrowly to herself at the thought of what happened in China. Valkyrie now saw a quelled fire that Lara held within from them all, and she was basking in it as if she was a phoenix. Valkyrie could not wait to see how THIS would play out.

End Chapter 7

AN: Starting in Nepal and things start getting interesting!!! Thank you to those who have added me as a favorite. I hope you enjoy where this will go!