"Nice and early, I like that." Thomas said when Lara and Sam walked up to him. "I see that you're getting much use out of the camera" He said after seeing Sam pointing her camera at the museum building.

"Yeah, she hasn't put it down since we left our flat." Lara answered.

"It's the best way to preserve memories" Lara turned to see Dr. Harris walking towards them holding four water bottles.

"That's exactly what I say" Said Sam who had shut her camera and stood next to Lara

"Dr. Harris it's good to see you" Lara said.

"You too Lara and please call me Emily" Emily replied. She handed Lara and Sam each a water bottle. When she got close to Sam she noticed the mark on Sam's neck. Emily knew what it was and she could tell that the makeup wasn't doing a very good job covering it up and wasn't applied with much concern for covering it up. "That's quite the mark on your neck, Sam. I wonder how you got it."

Lara blushed and Sam just smirked.

"Let's go inside" Thomas said grabbing Emily's hand before she could torment Lara anymore, since clearly Sam was enjoying the torment and wasn't going to help her girlfriend.

"That's a great idea" Lara agreed and followed Thomas in the building.

Both couples walked through the door of the massive museum. Lara had been here several times. She had come when she was a little girl and while she was in university. Each time she came she was more amazed and learned more. Lara looked at her girlfriend and saw that she had taken her camera out again and was now completely consumed in filming everything she saw.

"Why are we here?" Lara asked Thomas. He led them into the Asia section.

"You will see" He replied.

He led them pasted the Asia section and to a stairwell.

"Sam I'm going to need you to turn off your camera" Thomas said when they entered the stairwell.

"Okay" Sam turned off her camera and put it back into the case that hung from her shoulder.

"Thank you" Thomas then led them down the stairs to the basement. They walked down a long hallway until they got to the end of it. There were three doors; they entered the door on the right after Thomas swiped a card through the card reader that was on the side of the door. In the room was a security area that was separated by glass. Lara could see two security guards sitting on the other side of the glass. Next to the security area was another door.

"Sergeant " Said one of the security guards when they walked in. Both guards had stood up and saluted Thomas.

"As you were" Thomas relied. The guards sat back down and continued to do what they were doing.

Thomas walked up to the door and placed his palm against one of the tiles on the wall. A green light scanned his hand, when he pulled his hand away the tile slid down and out came an eye scanner. Thomas put his eye on the scanner and another green light scanned his eye.

"Welcome Sergeant Walker" an automated voice said.

The door opened and Thomas gestured for everyone to go in. The open door led to another stairwell that they went down. When they got to the end of the stairwell there were two large double doors.

"There are a lot of doors" Sam whispered n Lara's ear.

"Shh" Lara replied.

Thomas stood in front of the door and turned to Lara and Sam.

"Welcome to IAA of England" He opened the door and Lara saw a huge wide open space with tons of people walking around. It looked like a huge cafeteria but there were desk scattered around, and there were doors along the walls leading to other rooms.

"Wow" Sam said.

"This is the common area, where all the employees can get together to discuss things, whether expeditions, new information or where to get drinks. The other doors led to science labs, the medical rooms, the artifact room and the library." Thomas led them around the place pointing to each door and telling them where they led too. "This whole facility is underneath the museum and also goes down even further which are where the library and artifact rooms are located."

"This is amazing." Lara said.

"I can't believe this is below the museum" Sam said.

"Now follow me to the security section and we will get you your I.D.s and put you into the employee database so you can get passed the eye scanner."

Thomas took them to the end of the common area and through a door. Inside the security area was computers all along the walls and also a weapon area. Lara could see security camera footage on the flat screen that was on the wall on the opposite side of the room. There were at least eight men and women in the room doing various things.

"Sergeant, we were wondering when you were coming." Said one of the female guards. She was wearing a dark blue army uniform similar to the one Thomas was wearing when Lara first met him.

"Specialist Jones. I have Lara Croft and Sam Nishimura who need to get their I.D.s and employee access.

"What is there level of clearance" The specialist asked.

"Seven. When you finish bring them to the medical area to Emily. I'll be in the command room."

Thomas turned to Lara and Sam.

"They will take care of you and when you are done with everything I want to introduce you to a few people." Lara nodded. Thomas turned to the door and walked out with Emily.

"I'm Jones" said the specialist. She shook both Lara and Sam's hands. "The first thing we are going to do is scan your hand print." She led them to a computer that had a scanner attached to it. Each of them put both of their hands on the scanner. When the scan finished, their prints showed up on the computer with a blank face image and all their personal information next to it.

"Now we have to take a picture to make you your I.D.s"

"Is the picture just a face shot?" Sam asked the specialist.

"It's from the neck up." Jones replied. She was setting up a digital camera and connecting cords to the computer.

"Do you have a bathroom?" Sam asked. Lara smirked. Sam was smug about the hickey earlier when Lara was being teased but now that she had to take a picture she wasn't so smug.

"Yes, it's that door right there."

Sam grabbed Lara's hand and pulled her into the bathroom.

"Help me cover this up better" Sam said.

"I thought you were proud of it" Lara teased.

"I am not going to have my I.D. show a hickey on my neck every time I present it."

"You didn't seem to mind walking around with it earlier" Lara grabbed the cover up from Sam's camera case and started to apply it to Sam's neck. "It's different when the embarrassment is on you, isn't it."

Sam just glared at her. Lara laughed.

When she finished the hickey was no longer visible. Sam checked it in the mirror and took the cover-up and put it away.

"Come on." Sam walked out the door with Lara following.

"Ready" Jones asked. Both girls nodded.

The picture process was easy for Lara but Sam wanted her picture redone every time because kept finding something wrong with each one. Lara finally picked one that she thought was really great and wouldn't let Sam take another one. The I.D.s were printed and connected to a lanyard I.D holder. The I.D.s showed their picture, there name and a four number code. After getting their I.D's, the girls got their eyes scanned and were taken to the medical area.

In the medical area they saw Emily filling out paperwork at a desk.

"Dr. Harris they are all yours." Emily turned to them and smiled.

"Thank you Jones." Jones turned and walked out the door.

"I see that your mark healed very rapidly." It was Sam's turn to blush.

"She didn't want it on her I.D." Lara said. Emily just smiled and nodded her head.

"Okay, I am going to ask you guy some medical questions and run some test."

"What for?" Sam asked as Emily led them towards a secluded area.

"To have on file just in case something happens to you and you need medical attention. The test will allow us to know your basic information like blood type, or previous illnesses. It's all just a precaution."

Emily sat them down on the single bed and began to take blood and ask them questions. The whole process took about a half hour. Emily also checked on Lara's injuries and had Lara do some breathing test to see how her ribs were healing.

"Your ribs are healing faster than expected." Emily said. She was gently touching Lara's chest to see where she flinched. "In a few more weeks they should be fully healed. But I still want you to stay away from straining activities and heavy lifting." Lara nodded and flinched when Dr. Harris pushed at her right side. "Your other injuries have healed quite nicely and your stitches have almost all fallen out. Sam, you did a good job taking care of Ms. Croft."

Sam smiled, she was proud of herself. Lara was shirtless except for her sports bra; Sam could see all of her injuries. The wound on her left side where she cauterized it was the most prominent scar. Her other injuries would leave scars but most of them would disappear. Sam desperately wanted to feel each of those scars the more she looked at them. But she didn't think Emily would appreciate Sam feeling up Lara while she was trying to work.

"Would you like me to pull out the rest of the stiches?" Emily asked.

"Yes, please. They are really itchy."

Emily pulled out the stiches one by one; Sam couldn't help but shiver as she watched. It was weird to watch but also exciting at the same time.

"Just look away, Sam." Lara said after noticing her expression

"I can't, it keeps luring me back." Sam replied.

"You can record it if you want" Emily allowed. Sam immediately took out her camera. Lara just groaned. Sam zoomed in really close to the stiches.

"This is what happens when you fight evil." Sam said to the camera

"This is what happens when your girlfriend gets captured by crazy men." Lara muttered. Emily chuckled. Sam ignored the comment and continued to film.

When Emily finished Lara put her shirt back on and Sam closed the camera. Emily put away her tools and threw away the stiches. She then wrote a few more notes before leading them out of the medical area and into the command room.

"Dr. I have orders to follow, but it doesn't mean I don't agree with you." Lara heard Thomas say when they walked into the room.

"Peter needs to understand what could possibly happen if she got her hands on the S-"

Emily cleared her throat. Both men turned to the girls and their conversation halted.

"Lara Croft…Wow…you look just like your mother." Said the Dr. He walked up to Lara and grabbed her hand and started to shake it.

"Lara, Sam, this is Dr. Weston. He is one of our top archaeologists." Thomas said. He had an expression of frustration but it was slowly fading away as he spoke. "He will be working closely with you and answering any questions you have."

"I worked with your parents for many years before you were born, but then I was station at the facility in the U.S."

Dr. Weston looked to be about sixty but still in good shape. He had gray hair and a goatee. And he had a huge smile on his face.

"You worked with both of my parents?" Lara asked.

"Yes, I did. And I am very happy that I'll be working with you too. I hope you will see me as a friend and a mentor. If you ever have any questions don't ever be afraid to ask." He went into his pocket and pulled out a card that had his number on it. "I have to run; the wife is expecting me for dinner. But before I go, I want you to have this." He handed Lara a journal that looked like the one Thomas had gotten her, but this one was worn done and had pages sticking out. "It was your fathers. I figured you might like to take a look at it. But I do ask that you bring it back tomorrow so I can continue my work."

Lara nodded and flipped through the pages. She saw her father's elegant hand writing and his descriptive drawings. Dr. Weston walked to the door and turned towards Thomas.

"Thomas-" he began

"Mitchell, I will talk him and see what I can do." Thomas interrupted.

Dr. Weston turned and left. Lara had a feeling that she was going to like him; she could tell that she going to be working with him a lot. She was curious to know what Thomas and he had been discussing that they had not wanted anyone to know about. It sounded really important.

"Let's go get something to eat and we can discuss what you are going to be doing tomorrow." Thomas said.

"I'm starving" Sam replied.

Lara nodded. She clutched her father's journal and followed them out the door. She couldn't wait to read it and she wondered if she could figure out what Dr. Weston was talking about with Thomas since he said that he was using her father's journal to do his work.

"Sweetie" Lara looked at Sam. She was holding out her hand, Lara grabbed it and laced their fingers together. She would think about everything later, right now she was going to enjoy dinner. Tomorrow she would ask Dr. Weston about it, since he did say he would answer any of her questions.

That was chapter nine. Please review.