It's a me! Jack! Lara is back with another chapter to the adventure…. I must say this adventure is turning out to be MUCH longer than I expected when I set out. I hope you guys don't mind to much that it is taking SO LONG to get anywhere in this story. If it is annoy, I deeply apologize. Some of this just feels like it needs to be more flushed out and some of the story just seems to write itself… or I am a terrible procrastinator… which could be true too.

Anyway to my Favorite Part: REVIEW REPLIES!

NoirValor: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, the chapter was a much slower some might even say plodding take on the story. I like making more fun pieces, they cause me to smile and enjoy, yet this is a dark tale so trying to balance it is really hard on me. They are fighting to live… sometimes I'm not sure how the game got Lara out alive, (SPOILERS sorry…) let alone how I'm going to get her out of this all alive… :(

RedHood001: I know right! I was so happy about that! Too much fluff is not health… cotton candy is the perfect example of that. I really, really, really, don't want Lara to become this murdering machine with no conscience. So I'm truly glad that is coming across to you as the reader. I like the ideas that you mentioned especially with Roth. I want to add a few sections from other perspectives definitely. I'm just in the damned problem of having written 8k words by hand and when I transpose it to my laptop it becomes… SO LONG! Ugh… Anyway, stick with it. Thanks for writing reviews. I can't tell you how much joy it brings.

Once again I must say that I don't own Tomb Raider.

I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. Read and review and all that Jazz!

Chapter 13: An Unlucky Situation

Now they had arrived, bruised battered yet victorious into the broadcasting center… only for their hopes to be dashed like the Endurance on the shore. Lara had just sat down and cried, it was so unfair. All their effort, sacrifice and pain for nothing. The station was filled with ruined pieces of equipment that wouldn't have worked twenty years ago let alone now. The rusted metal almost seemed to mock her in her despair as the leaves rustled as Alex slowly, almost in disbelief walked from one terminal to another. The shock in his eyes and quick breathing telling her she was not alone in feeling betrayal from the pieces of metal and wire around them. The realization that they wouldn't be able to send the S.O.S for help caused a wave of hopeless to roll over her as she sat there on the dry leaves as the world blurred around her. It wasn't that she was crying she just stopped focusing on anything. She dimly heard Alex groan as she felt him sit down slowly next to her.

"Damn." His quiet voice sounded strange as the curse just filled the sinister silence that oppressively hung over them all.

"Damn." Lara swore just as gently in agreement. They sat there together looking around and observing the ruin around them. Fatalistically, Lara knew this was a big problem for them. One they would not be able to determine a solution too, and Lara understood the gravitas of it all. Roth and the others were counting on her; she had to find an answer before more of her friends died.

"It's all hopeless isn't it?" She stated deadly after the silence was too much for her.

"Not everything…" Alex slowly and softly spoke. "they say while there is life there is hope."

While she was normally eager for comfort and distraction from Alex, she was extremely not in the mood. She leveled a glare at him, but the nerd just couldn't take the hint.

"Hey Lara, we've maybe got a chance to jury-rig something with that generator we passed." His voice held the tiniest sliver of optimism that one could possibly possess, yet those words had the extremely unwanted consequence of adding to her dark feeling about herself. She glowered in on herself as she sighed heavily.

"The one I blew up?"

Silence reigned supreme between them as Alex let out a little "Oh."

That little noise was hard for Lara. Part of her just hated everything that was going on in her life, well except one thing, but she was morosely confident that even that thing would be lost too. The deck was stacked so greatly against them.

"It was necessary." As soon as the words left her mouth, Lara instantly regretted them. She felt her body tense as memories flooded through her. She was afraid she was always going to be reminded by those damn words. The last thing she wanted was to remember that argument they had. She stole a quick glance at Alex to see if there was a reaction from him and his face had a soft and sad, yet with none of the vitriol he had showed that night by the cliff side. Against her cold shoulder she felt his warmth seep from his hand.

"I didn't said it wasn't, Lara. I just forgot is all." The squeeze he gave her before withdrawing his hand from her was all she needed to know that while they had both just returned to the cliff in their minds it wasn't going to impact this current moment. Still she couldn't look at him because she dreaded to see her own defeat mirrored in his blood streaked face.

'He still hasn't told me about what happened with Zandar or what he swore on. Its concerning that something like that is burdened on him. He's taken so many of my burdens I wish we could have a mutual agreement about doing that for each other. '

"So what do we do now Lara?"

"I'm unsure, the equipment is ruined." She looked over and saw that Alex was distracted by something next to her. Finally reaching up he tucked that damned strands of hair back behind her ear. If Lara wasn't so defeated she would have felt flustered, but all she felt was a dull ache of what could have been. Lara stared and felt ultimate discouragement as she observed her despair mirrored in his eyes.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." There it was, the ugly truth that was there between them. What Lara would give to have it not be the case. Even though the words were spoken with a softness, Lara felt the dull ache become an open wound. 'Alex would be safe in London, with Aliyah and not here stuck on Yamatai dying with me.' She shot a quick glance at his face through her rebellious uncontrollable bangs and the gleam in his sapphire eyes gave her pause.

"I would be dead LC." His hand again tucking the strands again behind her ear with such a gentle tenderness in his voice and motion that she quickly inhaled. 'Maybe he doesn't hate us.' Her psyche spoke in the stillness of her mind. Yet, Alex was not done. "I'm only alive because of you." His words solemn and resolute continued. "I've got a plan, and I'm sure you are not going to like it at all."

Closing her eyes as she gave her heart and mind the time to come to grips with the words that had just been uttered and acknowledge them in her soul as truth. She wanted to lock this memory away that Alex did not blame her. Sure, he had said it before. However, she needed to believe it and trust with all the confidence she had in him that he was not lying to her now. There was a peace and a calm that came against the deep desire she had in hating herself for doing this all to him. Yes, it was good. Very good to hold on to the truth and keep it as the truth no matter if it was light or dark. It had the benefit of being the truth and she loved it and him. 'There are you happy now?! I love him. I wish that he wasn't here because he should be save and loved by someone not broken like me!'

'Is that what you really want though?' Her psyche for the first time since she could remember was gentle and kind. Do you really wish he wasn't here to be with you?'

'Yes, no, yes. Agh!' Lara was frustrating herself over the contradictions running through her mind. 'No, because with him here I am more complete than I have ever felt since my Dad died.'

'I know.'

'But, yes because I love him and I don't want him hurt anymore then he already is. I want him to be save and not here with me in this ruin.'

'But is that love?'

The thought dangled there before her, she knew Alex was talking about this plan, which she knew they needed one. Yet, the conversation in her own mind was one of much greater significance to her. It was the deciding factor of her future. Should they survive, this was what she faced in that glorious future. One where a little boy ran around the old garden mazes with his sister watching over him as she herself had done so many years ago in a happier time. The old house alive with laughter and friends causing her to return to a place she had long tried to forget and hide from since that was where so much hurt and loneliness rested.

But… they could change that! They could make the hurt and pain lessen, it would never truly go away but they would be able to build on the loss and sorrow and replace with new memories of life, joy and happiness.

But… that was a distant future and they knew that those futures might never be. Wishing never did anything except make people distraught because what they wished for never happened. There was no fairy godmother and she was not Cinderella. 'Thank God!' Lara thought to herself, 'I couldn't sleep at night if I was her with her little mice running around underfoot and thinking that they were talking with her.'It was a good story for children to behave and that cheating never pays good rewards.

Reality was a bitch though and walked all over her precious dreams. It had been a bitch when her mother died, a bitch when her father killed himself and a bitch now that she was going to die, with something better than memories to keep living for, it was going to stay a real bitch… 'That's why they call it reality.'

Still, though Alex was droning on about his plan. Closing her eyes Lara just waited… there wasn't any plans that she liked right now. Of course, though she knew they needed a plan. The problem was she had at some point when looking at all the broken equipment with its promise of broken dreams or hopes; she had become resigned to her fate. Which in itself was a terrifying dilemma to find herself. She was tired, and despite the brief sleep on the cliff side she hadn't really slept in… 'sixty hours? Could that possibly be right? Has it really only be sixty hours since the Endurance ran aground and tore itself in half? Only sixty hours…'

"So what do you think?" The question jarred her from her tired depression and mental fog. Sixty hours of Hell had really messed with her psyche. Mind scrabbling to remember with absolutely no success. Lara realized that there really was no point in pretending; still, she had an image to maintain.

"Sure, Alex, whatever you say."

She jerked as Alex's laughter belted out of him only for him to then grab his damaged ribs. His laughter continued in a more wheezing fashion. Just as he would start calming down then he would glance at her sour glare and start his wheezing laugh again.

Finally, he stopped and taking off his glasses wiped the tears from his eyes as Lara's own kept throwing daggers in his direction. "I knew it! You weren't listening in the slightest!"

Huffing in embarrassment, Lara groused. "Whatever." She knew though that under normal situations, she would have just laughed it off with him but… those dark thoughts still hovered over her like ominous clouds. "What is your plan?"

Alex must have sensed some of her dark considerations because he reined in his humor so only his eyes still glinted. Curtly he nodded as his tight grim smile stayed on his face. "I was saying, we should each sacrifice a limb to the goddess and mighty sorceress Himiko for safety and success! I volunteer my left arm, since it's damaged anyway."

Two pairs of eyes met and Lara could not, for all the dark thoughts and evil omens in the world, have stopped her giggle from escaping her lips as those twinkling sapphire eyes danced with mischief. "That won't work at all!" She shook her head feeling her ponytail dance behind her. "And here I thought you had a real plan!"

"A real plan?" If they were not complete covered in blood, gore and filth Lara would have laughed loudly at his incredulously innocent face.

"Yes!" Lara grinned at him. "I'm not giving up any of my body parts to a dead memory of a woman."

He tilted his head in consideration for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly and nodding in a sage like manner. "Fair enough, I can't contemplate a body part of yours that would be okay for you to sacrifice anyway."

"Whatever, you crazy American." Lara sagged back down next to the nerd. "What are we going to do now?" From her peripheral vision she saw Alex's eyes narrowed as he furiously glared at the equipment around them. The long pause did wonders for Lara though, as she stopped and thought. A moment was good to breathe and take the time to be grateful that even though they were in a rough situation they were at least very much alive. Which could not be said for the people they had left behind in the dark corners of the building on the way here. Six more dead bodies, six more souls that would never escape the dreaded island with its evil whispers and dark memories. Yet, Lara felt more… at peace than in that village a day ago and she knew that she could lay most of the credit on the young man next to her. It was slightly concerning how much influence he had on her delicate psyche currently… shoot! Who was she kidding? Probably for the rest of her life if he would let that happen.

"Nothing has changed…" her obsession's voice broke in on her as her gaze returned to the young man. He had his chin resting on in his hand pondering. He gave her a sideways glance briefly before waving with his left hand at the tower they could see above them through the ruined concrete ceiling. "We need to send an S.O.S. message and… to do that… we now need to climb that damn tower."

Lara frowned looking up at the red light flashing monstrosity above them. There was nothing they could do though surely… Since they didn't have the right equipment. "How so Alex? What's the point in climbing the tower?"

Wheezing a sigh, Alex gestured toward the tower's light. "The tower still has power. Given such information, we will just have to hijack that said power and reroute it so you can broadcast the S.O.S. with a modified radio."

"And we could send the S.O.S.!" Lara grinned, feeling elated.

"Exactly!" Alex's murmured.

Lara's elation soared to new heights until she realized she was the only one soaring. Reality, like the bitch she was came back. 'There is always a 'but'.'

"What's the catch you're not telling me Alex? You don't seem very excited right now."

"You're the smarts of this group." Alex nodded slowly and then pointedly looked down and his ribs. His voice was bitter as he softly continued. "You'll have to go alone, Lara." The sapphire blues rose to hers and she promptly snapped her mouth shut. "With my ribs, I'll not be climbing again for a long while. You know it. I know it." He gestured at the dead leaves around them. "Even the leaves know it."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, she smiled at the man in front of her. 'Leave it to Alex to make a joke out of shed arboreal compost's knowledge to lighten the mood.'

The problem was he was right and regardless that didn't make Lara happy about their situation. She slowly got to her feet as Alex tried as well and yet failed to follow her as he hissed to himself in pain. Steel-like resolution came over her as Lara gazed down on the brown head bent in suffering before her. She would succeed if she had to fight Hades himself and snatch this man from the long voyage to the empty bottomless pit.

"Fine! You win Alex." The twin intense pools with their dark deepness she longed to lose herself into gazed with an emotion that caused her heart to hurt with so many feelings and fluttering of thousands of butterflies taking off. "I'm… I'm not leaving though until I bind up your ribs again better."

He didn't resister her, in fact he didn't say anything as she scolded him about what he could and couldn't do while she was gone and that he would have to stay in touch with her. She knew that she was rambling and it was annoying. She was turning into one of those sappy hormonal teenagers she had never liked and never would have thought she would be personally. Yet, now on Yamatai, those girls were not so silly anymore. They understood they wanted to feel, to be fully known and loved anyway. They wanted to be loved and cherished….

…and…

She now wanted that too.

Nevertheless, she did not want just anyone; she wanted, no needed, this someone. However, the only someone she wanted did not desire to be with her. In fact, he might abhor who she really was, the person who had left that village. That type of someone who any sane person would find utterly despicable. She dreaded that future awakening. Her heart wanted something that was improbable, and her heart was demanding what it felt like it was due. She hated that feeling. Because while she desperately wanted him, she realized, no, deserved that blame and rage. And yet… the heart wants what the heart wants…

"Now," she finished the final touches to the bindings. "keep in touch with me through the radio. I'll need your help and advice once I've reached the top."

Alex looked at her quizzically. "Lara, what do you think you're going to find up there? A Radio Shack?"

She blinked in surprise at him. "Uh…what?"

He groaned as he tried to rise to his feet only for her to stop him with both hands forcing him back down. "Stop it! You are supposed to rest! Dr. Crofts orders."

"Yes ma'am." His dry voice responded. "However, we need somethings before you go."

"Like what?"

"A second radio that has be modified so you can connect it easily to the tower…" He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "It's not like you can connect to it via WiFi. Its technology from the 40s."

Lara despite the blush gracing her check laughed. "Okay Nerd. What do we need?"

"I need you to go back to the last body…" Alex's eyes were serious in spite of her attempts to lighten the mood. "Grab his radio and bring it back here. I'll do the rest."

"Okay." Lara turned and jogged off quickly looking for the body of the man that unfortunately had crossed their path.

She returned around fifteen minutes later to Alex on his knees ripping wires out of the old modules and controls in the room. He had not spent the time idle like she wanted… His radio was in his hands as he continued his conversation with what sounded like to be Grim. Seeing her, he straightened with wires dangling down to the floor.

"Lara! Good. You're back right on time."

Lara looked at all the few tools Alex had salvaged up and the workbench he was currently converting. "Yeah," she held the radio out to him. "Looks like you have been busy."

Returning to his task, he kept ripping wires and stripping them. "What can I say? No rest for the wicked."

Lara groaned as she sat down placing the radio on the 'workbench'.

It was a short matter of time with Alex muttering to himself as he took the radio and started messing with its internal components. Lara just watched a little in awe as he quickly and methodically started to splice wires together and all the while with a constant muttering commentary on the crappiness of his equipment or the impossibility of the task or the potential solution he might have discovered.

Finally, after over twenty long minutes of Lara observing him he snatched up his own radio as he called through. "Okay, Grim. Give me the emergency broadcast channel number again, over."

Lara's heart clinched in joy as she heard the graveling rough voice growl over the static of the radio. "Laddy, I still be thinkin' ya's daft and balmy to be there considerin' this line of action."

"Grim, what is the frequency?" Alex's voice took on a stern quality as the steel entered into his eyes.

The long sigh could be felt though unheard, but they both knew the grizzled captain was rolling his eyes under his bushy brows at Alex. "Frequency is 156.8 MHz."

Alex noted it and nodded briskly. "Thanks Grim, Alex over and out."

Lara stared as Alex calmly started connecting wires to the new radio and quickly the screen went blank before showing 156.8. He turned to her and held out the new handheld. Wires trailed it and Lara noticed quickly that the ends had these tiny metal hooks.

She could only smile though at the beaming face Alex presented her full of pride and satisfaction. "This should do the trick Lara. What you are going to do is place this at the radio box at the very top of the tower. Place these wires," He held up the long thin strands. "by using these hooks. Strap them to the main wires to the antenna and squeeze the hooks. That will give you the connection. And the radio is all ready set to the emergency channel. All you need to do is connect and send the S.O.S.!"

Lara just nodded as the words she wanted to say got stuck for some reason in her throat. She did not want to leave him, he was injured and vulnerable and might not be alive when she got back. "Okay." That was all she could manage.

"Very well."

"Very well." She echoed his quiet words. She moved away but her aching heart forced her back for one last good look at him.

"Lara."

"Yes."

She looked at him as he slowly walked to her. He gently took her face in his hands and the callouses rough against her checks as with such tenderness he caused her to melt into the soothing calm of his touch. She was still astounded at the effect his gentle touch had on her soul and body.

"Lara, this isn't the end. You're going to conquer this tower like the badass you are and going to get this S.O.S. out. And when you're done we will meet up at the base of the tower and be amazed with how easy you make everything look."

The wide happy grin on her face at the bubbling feeling his words caused vanished instantly as he leaned toward her to kiss so tenderly her forehead. She missed what he said as the blood pounded loudly in her scarlet ears, but she made out. "Now go get them Lara Croft."

He was the first to reluctantly pull away because there was no way in HELL Lara would be. So… she left, everything insider her telling her to forget the tower, forget Yamatai, forget being a famous explorer, forget the emotional war inside her and run… run back into those arms and give into all she wanted… 'Not today.'

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Did y'all get the unlucky situation - chapter 13? I was quite happy with myself about it.

-Jack