A/N: And here's the next chapter ^_^ I really love writing this you know! Now, a big thank you to, drum roll please *drum roll*:

gyikhu: XD Yep! And here's another (though again, not much happens, this is more a chapter where you see things from Doppie's point of view, as we've seen what everyone thinks except her. More should happen in the next chapter)! Thank you ^_^ Maybe…. But then again… maybe not. XD. Yea I see what you mean

Also guys, I would love it if you would check out 'Just Friends', my latest TR fanfic which is set before this story and is considerably lighter and funnier than any of my other TR FFs.

Also, I still don't have anywhere near enough endings for my TR one-shot 'Ten Seconds' to crown the winner of the 'Most Satisfactory Ending Writer' Award… lame name I know XD

Also, if you like King Kong, Star Trek: The Next Generation or Inkheart, please take a look at my other FFs. For the King Kong fans, I would LOVE it if you joined my forum :) That would be AWESOME!

The last chapter saw Lara becoming lucid, or so we believe… but is everything as hunky-dory as it seems? You'll just have to hang around and see ;)

Disclaimer: Alas, no, I do not own Tomb Raider. If I did, I'd be a millionaire… and… well… I'm not XD

Chapter Ten: 'I had no choice'

Gritting her teeth, the lean, darkly clad figure raised the pistol she held in her hand.

It's not fair. She thought narrowing her eyes and staring at the metal, which held some metallic beauty as the watery morning sunlight frolicked upon it inappropriately merrily, shining in her eyes, leaving her with dancing spots of different colours marring her vision.

It never will be fair. Does she have any idea how I feel? How she's made me feel? The woman shifted her grip on the pistol which was slick with her sweat. Sweat that certainly wasn't caused by heat on that bitterly cold morning. She checked one last time that the muzzle of the gun was pointing at the exact point she wanted to hit. Then, finally, with a roar of anguish and of anger, she gently squeezed the trigger.

Bang.

Winston knelt down by the dying fire, and poked one of the smoldering logs with a long, ornate metal poker. This action set sparks flying and the fire slowly began to become lively once more. Winston gave a small, sad smile. He hoped that bringing Lara to life would be that simple. That if they goaded her with a new, ancient relic she'd be as good as new.

The old man straightened up and passed a hand over his tired face. His eyes felt as they were being held down by weights. Sleep had become a chore lately, what with Lara's… challenging behavior. Even before she had gone 'mad', she had been irritable and depressed and tired. It seemed that a cloud of gloom hung over her head like a curse… and not only did it weigh her down, but those around her also.

Several times Zip, with his short temper and sensitive nature, had had an argument with Lara and had threatened to leave, and it had been up to Winston to keep everyone together…. To keep everyone as calm as possible in those tough times. He had been there for Lara to listen to her heart wrenching words that poured from her lips and to assure her that it wasn't her fault Alister died. He had been there to listen to Zip's worries about Lara. He had been there to assure Doppelgänger that the past was the past, and couldn't be changed and that the blame for Alister's death could hardly have been put on her in the first place. He had been there for them all… and it had been tough. He felt responsible for them all, it was as if he was mothering them… and he knew that somehow this situation needed to be fixed, for his sake, for Lara's sake, for everyone's sake. It…

Bang. Winston's head snapped towards the front door in an instant, the sudden noise breaking his from his thoughts. He gasped, as he wondered if his worst nightmare had been realised…

Doppelgänger brought up the second pistol automatically and shot the next target which sprang up from the ground on a metal bar. It was a crude targeting practice system… but it worked. The bullet shot from the gun, sliced through the bitter winter air like a knife through butter, and embedded itself in the wooden target with a thud. Almost immediately five more targets shot up from the ground.

Bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang. Again, the bullets hit the exact middle of each and every one of the targets. More sprung up and she shot them all with frightening precision. And with each shot, she roared the words her heart had held inside for far too long.

"It's not my fault!" She screamed, ignorant of the fact that Zip was probably still in bed.

"Why can't you forgive me? I didn't have a choice!" She gritted her teeth and fired round after round still screaming hysterically, fueling each shot with her anger. Everything became a blur, as each word was roared and as each bullet hit the targets with deadly accuracy.

Winston ran across the hall, his slippers making a shuffling sound against the stone flagged floor. He unlocked the door and ran out to the lawn, ignoring the fact that the frost was soaking his feet and needless to say, chilling them as if his feet were stuck in a bucket of ice. He could hear his feeble old heart pounding in his chest and the blood rushing round his head. Both sounds seemed louder than the explosions of myriads of grenades and blocked out all other sounds. He then came across the familiar training grounds, where towers coated with climbing walls loomed into the sky. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the source of the gun shots. Doppelgänger was training. His expression of horror and shock melted away, and was soon replaced with warm concern as he heard Doppelgänger's words. He sighed.

A pang of sorrow hit Winston's old heart. He loved Doppelgänger, not as much as Lara, but he loved her nonetheless. Her naïve, curious nature. Her frankness. The way her eyes lit up at the most simple gift. Of course he knew she had a dark side as well. A ruthless side. A side that had been brought up in hardship. A side that held the qualities which allowed her to fight as well as she did and to hit the targets with the dangerous accuracy that she did. The mysterious side. However, Winston realised that Lara was exactly the same, except brought up in a way which dispelled the innocence and replaced it with a charm that only the most aristocratic held. Brought up in a way which dispelled any easily attained joy that only those who have suffered deep and terrible things cannot find, and in a way which allowed her to cover her dark side. Yes, Winston knew that Lara was ruthless. He did not hide this fact, neither did she for that matter. No-one doubted that the woman would do almost anything to have what she wanted.

The butler gasped as he saw Doppelgänger drop to her knees and curl up in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. He rushed towards her and laid a wrinkled hand on her shoulder's which were shaking with silent sobs. She looked up briefly and saw him. He had never seen such sorrow in those amber eyes before, and he hoped he would never see it again.

"I tried so hard Mister." If it hadn't been for the situation, Winston would have smiled that she still called him 'Mister', despite the amount of times he had told her to call him Winston. Her voice was wavering and choked, and as usual was mechanical and inarticulate.

"I tried to see how Lara was…" She paused to find the right words.

"… How she was seeing it… and how it hurt. And I tried to help her see that I was sorry and that it was Natla's fault I did what I did… I thought she understood… but hurt has made her… has made her not see clearly." She broke off, unable to continue, and her golden tears continued to run down her pale skin. Winston stood as still as a statue with his hand on Doppelgänger's shoulder. If there was one thing he had learnt in his long life, it was that people such as Lara and Doppelgänger often just needed someone to listen. They didn't always need advice and reassurance, though at times they did.

Neither Winston nor Doppelgänger were sure how long they had spent on the front lawn. All Doppelgänger knew was that her knees were raw from the biting frost and all that Winston knew was that his feet were drenched, and so cold he felt they might fall off at any moment. Winston's voice suddenly broke the silence, like a pebble dropping into a ripple-less pool.

"Come, Miss Doppelgänger, before you catch your death." Doppelgänger stood shakily and gave him a tired smile. Her next words were dripping with heartbreak and grief, betraying the darkness over her heart, which she had hidden so well with her mysterious smile.

"What would be bad about that?"

There you go lads! That should keep you going XD As usual, please review, and then I'll give you a cookie! It's a win-win situation *thumbs up* *creepy smile*

Also, even though I do not own Tomb Raider or any said characters, for paranoia reasons:

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