A/N For those of you who are confused about Lara's father being alive let
me explain. I am trying to keep the characters from the game in the
picture more than being true to the movie, in the game her father is very
much alive and appears in the FMV sequence at the beginning of chronicles,
along with her mother. I used Alex from the film as he is a universal
character who is easily recognised and he had the kind of personality I
needed for the story to work. So on with the show. xXx
Lara picked up the pieces of glass gently from the floor and threw them in the bin that was in her bathroom before picking up a few of her scattered clothes that overtook the floor on one side of the room. She changed quickly and looked around her appalled by what she saw, her moment of madness had certainly done a lot of damage and the thought scared her that she had actually hurt herself. She hadn't intentionally put her fist through the mirror, but as she had looked into it she knew that her reflection would very soon change and she hated change. Shaking the angry feelings away she headed downstairs to see Hillary.
Hillary looked up from reading the paper as she walked in to the impressive kitchen and hated having to admit to himself that Lara looked terrible. Her long hair hung around her like a cloak but failed to conceal her eyes which used to be so bright and full of life, now they were red from crying and looked nothing but confused and scared. Even what she was wearing was a giveaway as to how she felt, faded and washed out jeans that had long ago seen better days adorned her long slender legs, one blue and one black sock covered her feet and a large black hooded sweatshirt concealed her frame, the colourings of the fabrics not helping to disguise how pale she was.
Pulling a chair from under the table she sat down on it and looked up at Hillary who folded the paper away from her view and sat opposite her, his eyes interrogating her and his face betraying no emotion but support. Gently she leant across the table for his hand something she hadn't done since she was young and Hillary reached over to her and let her grasp both of them noticing the cuts on her palm. She sat looking at his hands as if to turn them into something else then with a shaky voice she whispered the words that he had never heard her say before.
'Help me' immediately he stood up and went round to her side of the table and knelt in front of her, she leant over and began to sob uncontrollably on his shoulder as he stroked her back in a comforting way. It was frightening in the very least to see her this way, normally she had such a strong and hard personality that it took nothing short of a death to bring her close to tears, Hillary wiped away a tear of his own as his head was buried in her hair.
'I'm in trouble Hilly, and I mean serious trouble. For once I can't get out of this. What the hell am I going to do?' She asked 10 minutes later when she had clamed down a bit still he sat in front of her.
'Lara, there is always a way out. So what is the trouble you're in? Maybe I can sort it out for you?' he asked hopefully.
'I wish you could but unless you are a qualified surgeon you can't help me that way this time.' She said with an edge of sadness in her voice.
'Lara?' he asked carefully holding her hands in his.
'You would have to know sooner or later Hilly,' she looked him in the eye, 'I'm pregnant, or at least I'm sure I am' she moved to hug him again.
'God Lara. Is Alex the father?' he asked quietly. She looked up at him confused.
'Of course he is. Why do you ask that?'
'I know the two of you had an argument this morning and I thought maybe it was about the pregnancy, either he took it the hard way or he wasn't the father. Lara I knew he was I just had to make sure.' She smiled the first genuine smile of that day and hugged him for a second time.
'We should get this confirmed with the doctors. Let me take you so I can throw the press off this time.' The moment he said this he knew he had given away the fact the press knew. He had intended to keep this away from her for at least a little while.
'The press know?!' Lara exclaimed shocked.
'Yes they do, it's over the front pages of most of the papers. Lara they have photographs too.' He watched as she jumped out of her chair and grabbed the paper from the table and opened it.
'Oh my god. What am I going to do if Alex reads this?' she scanned the pages quickly, 'Oh god, what if my father finds out? What am I talking about? Of course he's going to find out, he's going to go insane!'
'Hang on a moment Lara, you mean Alex doesn't know about this?'
'Hillary I wasn't in my right mind this morning, when I found out myself I couldn't take it all in! When Alex got here I was confused, I needed time on my own to think this through. I started the argument so I could work out what I was going to do. I did the wrong thing didn't I?' she questioned him as she read the text.
'He has a right to know Lara.'
'I know that.'
'I'm sorry to sound patronising but this is going to change your life. Do you really want to bring this child up without a father? You know how hard that is yourself, is it fair to let your baby go through the same?' he knew that would touch a nerve with her and watched as she visibly shook at the thought.
'To be honest Hillary I don't know if I'm even going to keep it.' She said, her voice trembling slightly.
'But Lara-'
'I would never make a good parent Hilly, I'm too selfish for that. A baby would hardly fit in with the lifestyle I have would it? Besides Alex is totally irresponsible and ups and leaves me as and when he likes with no explanation I don't want to end up a single mother.'
'Listen to me, you don't have to do as I say but at least listen. You are 31 years old next month and that is considered old to start a family. Say you do have an abortion, what good will it do? You can't keep adventuring forever and I'm not the first to tell you that. In 7 maybe 8 years from now you will realise you really are too old to have children and what sort of legacy is that going to leave? Who are you going to pass all of that knowledge you know onto? You would make a brilliant mother, I've seen the way you care for members of the museum, the way people take to you and I know there has to be some type of maternal instinct in you somewhere. As for Alex, Lara he loves you, the problem you two have is you both like to be the dominant one in the relationship. That causes friction and he leaves to get some space that's all. I mean he always comes back doesn't he?' happy at seeing the smile his last sentence caused he carried on. 'Both of you would make fantastic parents, and if things do go wrong I'm always here for you. No matter what. Lara it will be good having a baby in the house, just you watch.'
'You just want a new project don't you?' Lara teased him.
'Maybe.' he teased back holding his arms wide inviting her into his arms. Smiling she wrapped his arms around him.
'Ok, you have convinced me. You are right Hilly, when I found out I was really shocked but now I've thought about it. I want this child.' Hillary beamed proud of himself.
Just outside the manor on the driveway Alex swerved the car as the blood on the steering wheel made it difficult for him to get a grip on it and control the vehicle. Just pulling it around before he hit the fountain he pulled on the handbrake and fairly jumped out of the car, slamming the door to the point it could have come off of it's hinges. He tried the door to the manor and was surprised to find it open so ran into the foyer of the manor and shouted for Lara. Both her and Hillary walked through the kitchen to meet him and he just stood where he had stopped, his face a picture of unasked questions.
'Lara, the papers, the rumour, so is it true?' he asked quickly. The phone rang and Hillary went to answer it leaving the two of them alone. She looked at him with the same intensity he did her.
'Yes.' She said simply. Alex's features lit up as he raced over to her picked her up in his arms and twirled her around in the air. Lara laughed as he put her down and kissed her passionately.
'God, I can't believe this, I'm going to be a dad. I am aren't I?' he asked and the look on her face was all he needed to be told. Hillary walked into the room carrying a cordless phone in his hand, the other covering the receiver. 'Hillary I'm going to be a dad!' he shouted to him in his excitement, Hillary nodded and held the phone towards Lara. She looked up at him puzzled.
'Lara, it's your father. He says it's important he speaks to you.' She glanced at the phone knowing what was about to come, taking Alex's hand she turned around and led him upstairs leaving Hillary with the phone. On entering her bedroom she heard him say; 'I'm afraid she's unavailable at the moment sir, can I take a message?'
Lara picked up the pieces of glass gently from the floor and threw them in the bin that was in her bathroom before picking up a few of her scattered clothes that overtook the floor on one side of the room. She changed quickly and looked around her appalled by what she saw, her moment of madness had certainly done a lot of damage and the thought scared her that she had actually hurt herself. She hadn't intentionally put her fist through the mirror, but as she had looked into it she knew that her reflection would very soon change and she hated change. Shaking the angry feelings away she headed downstairs to see Hillary.
Hillary looked up from reading the paper as she walked in to the impressive kitchen and hated having to admit to himself that Lara looked terrible. Her long hair hung around her like a cloak but failed to conceal her eyes which used to be so bright and full of life, now they were red from crying and looked nothing but confused and scared. Even what she was wearing was a giveaway as to how she felt, faded and washed out jeans that had long ago seen better days adorned her long slender legs, one blue and one black sock covered her feet and a large black hooded sweatshirt concealed her frame, the colourings of the fabrics not helping to disguise how pale she was.
Pulling a chair from under the table she sat down on it and looked up at Hillary who folded the paper away from her view and sat opposite her, his eyes interrogating her and his face betraying no emotion but support. Gently she leant across the table for his hand something she hadn't done since she was young and Hillary reached over to her and let her grasp both of them noticing the cuts on her palm. She sat looking at his hands as if to turn them into something else then with a shaky voice she whispered the words that he had never heard her say before.
'Help me' immediately he stood up and went round to her side of the table and knelt in front of her, she leant over and began to sob uncontrollably on his shoulder as he stroked her back in a comforting way. It was frightening in the very least to see her this way, normally she had such a strong and hard personality that it took nothing short of a death to bring her close to tears, Hillary wiped away a tear of his own as his head was buried in her hair.
'I'm in trouble Hilly, and I mean serious trouble. For once I can't get out of this. What the hell am I going to do?' She asked 10 minutes later when she had clamed down a bit still he sat in front of her.
'Lara, there is always a way out. So what is the trouble you're in? Maybe I can sort it out for you?' he asked hopefully.
'I wish you could but unless you are a qualified surgeon you can't help me that way this time.' She said with an edge of sadness in her voice.
'Lara?' he asked carefully holding her hands in his.
'You would have to know sooner or later Hilly,' she looked him in the eye, 'I'm pregnant, or at least I'm sure I am' she moved to hug him again.
'God Lara. Is Alex the father?' he asked quietly. She looked up at him confused.
'Of course he is. Why do you ask that?'
'I know the two of you had an argument this morning and I thought maybe it was about the pregnancy, either he took it the hard way or he wasn't the father. Lara I knew he was I just had to make sure.' She smiled the first genuine smile of that day and hugged him for a second time.
'We should get this confirmed with the doctors. Let me take you so I can throw the press off this time.' The moment he said this he knew he had given away the fact the press knew. He had intended to keep this away from her for at least a little while.
'The press know?!' Lara exclaimed shocked.
'Yes they do, it's over the front pages of most of the papers. Lara they have photographs too.' He watched as she jumped out of her chair and grabbed the paper from the table and opened it.
'Oh my god. What am I going to do if Alex reads this?' she scanned the pages quickly, 'Oh god, what if my father finds out? What am I talking about? Of course he's going to find out, he's going to go insane!'
'Hang on a moment Lara, you mean Alex doesn't know about this?'
'Hillary I wasn't in my right mind this morning, when I found out myself I couldn't take it all in! When Alex got here I was confused, I needed time on my own to think this through. I started the argument so I could work out what I was going to do. I did the wrong thing didn't I?' she questioned him as she read the text.
'He has a right to know Lara.'
'I know that.'
'I'm sorry to sound patronising but this is going to change your life. Do you really want to bring this child up without a father? You know how hard that is yourself, is it fair to let your baby go through the same?' he knew that would touch a nerve with her and watched as she visibly shook at the thought.
'To be honest Hillary I don't know if I'm even going to keep it.' She said, her voice trembling slightly.
'But Lara-'
'I would never make a good parent Hilly, I'm too selfish for that. A baby would hardly fit in with the lifestyle I have would it? Besides Alex is totally irresponsible and ups and leaves me as and when he likes with no explanation I don't want to end up a single mother.'
'Listen to me, you don't have to do as I say but at least listen. You are 31 years old next month and that is considered old to start a family. Say you do have an abortion, what good will it do? You can't keep adventuring forever and I'm not the first to tell you that. In 7 maybe 8 years from now you will realise you really are too old to have children and what sort of legacy is that going to leave? Who are you going to pass all of that knowledge you know onto? You would make a brilliant mother, I've seen the way you care for members of the museum, the way people take to you and I know there has to be some type of maternal instinct in you somewhere. As for Alex, Lara he loves you, the problem you two have is you both like to be the dominant one in the relationship. That causes friction and he leaves to get some space that's all. I mean he always comes back doesn't he?' happy at seeing the smile his last sentence caused he carried on. 'Both of you would make fantastic parents, and if things do go wrong I'm always here for you. No matter what. Lara it will be good having a baby in the house, just you watch.'
'You just want a new project don't you?' Lara teased him.
'Maybe.' he teased back holding his arms wide inviting her into his arms. Smiling she wrapped his arms around him.
'Ok, you have convinced me. You are right Hilly, when I found out I was really shocked but now I've thought about it. I want this child.' Hillary beamed proud of himself.
Just outside the manor on the driveway Alex swerved the car as the blood on the steering wheel made it difficult for him to get a grip on it and control the vehicle. Just pulling it around before he hit the fountain he pulled on the handbrake and fairly jumped out of the car, slamming the door to the point it could have come off of it's hinges. He tried the door to the manor and was surprised to find it open so ran into the foyer of the manor and shouted for Lara. Both her and Hillary walked through the kitchen to meet him and he just stood where he had stopped, his face a picture of unasked questions.
'Lara, the papers, the rumour, so is it true?' he asked quickly. The phone rang and Hillary went to answer it leaving the two of them alone. She looked at him with the same intensity he did her.
'Yes.' She said simply. Alex's features lit up as he raced over to her picked her up in his arms and twirled her around in the air. Lara laughed as he put her down and kissed her passionately.
'God, I can't believe this, I'm going to be a dad. I am aren't I?' he asked and the look on her face was all he needed to be told. Hillary walked into the room carrying a cordless phone in his hand, the other covering the receiver. 'Hillary I'm going to be a dad!' he shouted to him in his excitement, Hillary nodded and held the phone towards Lara. She looked up at him puzzled.
'Lara, it's your father. He says it's important he speaks to you.' She glanced at the phone knowing what was about to come, taking Alex's hand she turned around and led him upstairs leaving Hillary with the phone. On entering her bedroom she heard him say; 'I'm afraid she's unavailable at the moment sir, can I take a message?'
