Lord Henshingly Croft looked down at the paper before him and buried his head in his hands. His daughters pregnancy had been confirmed and the thought that he had finally lost her circled his mind continuously, he knew it was his fault why she hated him and he didn't blame her. When her mother died when Lara was very young he did his very best to help Lara though it but as she got older she began to look more and more like the late Lady Elizabeth Croft and it started to physically hurt the Lord to face his daughter. Everything about her was the perfect image of her mother, from her dark long hair to her height, only one thing showed she was his. Her eyes. She definitely had her father's eyes, wide and deep and very intimidating, and many a time the two had tried to stare each other out on one of their many arguments and it was always interference that stopped it. It was those very eyes that stared at him now from the sheets of paper in front of him only her eyes were bright and sparkling and radiated a happiness he had never seen from her before. Pulling his eyes away from the picture he looked down at the journal he kept on his desk and looked at the writing he had put in, it was for the hired hit man he had called only days previously. Could he put Lara through the pain of losing someone dear to her again? Would it push her further away from him? Shaking his head he poured himself a glass of whiskey and sat looking at the photograph of when she was a small child.

Lara sat on the small reclining couch that was in her pool room and smiled at Alex who was currently swimming through the crystal clear turquoise water towards her. He got to the edge and smiled back at her.

'What?' he questioned her.

'Nothing, I just got to thinking how perfect this really is. I mean maybe not completely perfect but as close as I could get it to be.'

'It seems pretty perfect to me honey. We've got everything now. A big house, cars on the driveway, a brilliant career, well you have the brilliant career and now a baby on the way.'

'Don't you mean I HAD the brilliant career?' she asked him with her head cocked to one side quizzically.

'Lara, just because you are going to be a mother doesn't mean that you should give up what you are good at!'

'Yes it does, I can't go out and be careless with my life if I have you and a baby to look after can I?'

'I guess not, but don't think about that just yet, think about that when the time comes. Besides we have a lot more pressing things to talk about at the moment such as names, colour schemes for the nursery, classes etc.' Lara laughed gently at him.

'You love this don't you?' Alex nodded his head enthusiastically.

'Hell yeah I do, this is all I'm going to talk about for the next 7 months.'

'6 months and two weeks actually.' She corrected him. He shot her a yes I know look.

'Ok then 6 months and two weeks.' He said getting out of the pool and wrapping a towel around his waist and sitting next to her.

'You want a boy don't you?' she asked him smiling.

'I really don't mind what we have Lara.' She gave him another smile and winked at him. 'But yes I admit I want a boy. I could teach him how to play soccer, take him to baseball practice and play catch with him at night when he gets home from school.'

'Teach him how to lie, cheat and steal?' She asked.

'Lara.' He caught the look of amusement on her face. 'Well yeah I guess he would have to learn that if he is going to be the lady killer his dad is. Joke!' Lara smirked at him.

'And if we have a girl?'

'Once again honey, I don't mind but I could still teach her to play sports and stuff.'

'No I mean will you be teaching her to be a lady killer too?' She laughed. Alex leant over and kissed her gently.

'Don't be sarcastic.'

'Or you'll do what?' she asked standing up and putting her hands on her bikini clad hips. He stood up also.

'This.' He pulled her towards him and kissed her passionately, as she succumbed to his kiss he ran his hands down her back, over her hip and down onto the table that stood at waist height and took some ice out of the ice bucket that held a chilling bottle of champagne. Taking the ice cube he ran it across the warm skin of her back causing her to jump at the shock.

'Alex you have really blown it now!' she shouted at him as he laughed like a madman as he stood by the window just out of her reach. She leant over and took a handful of ice from the bucket and threw it at him, the first few pieces missed but the rest were perfectly on target and hit him on his muscular stomach. He stood up and looked at her.

'This means war Croft!' He said to her politely as he stepped towards her, picking up the entire bucket of ice. Lara stepped towards the shallow end of the pool where the water was only an inch deep and got deeper as you stepped into it as it does on a beach. Gently she took steps back until she was in the water up to her ankles then Alex charged at her. She turned around and ran into the water and just as she hit the water up to waist height Alex threw the entire contents of the bucket at her causing her to scream as the freezing ice hit her toned body. He had followed her into the water and he himself was in at up to his waist so Lara then proceeded to splash him mercilessly as he did her. Hillary walked past the room and looked in through the marble arch that provided the entrance to the room to see what all the screaming was about. Smiling at the sight before him he heard the telephone ring and went to answer it.

Lord Henshingly Croft sat listening to every high pitched tone that the phone emitted as he waited for the person to pick up the phone their end and connect the line, and as per usual after 5 rings a familiar voice was heard on the other end.

'Good afternoon Croft Manor.'

'Good Afternoon Hillary, I was wondering whether it was possible for me to speak with my daughter.'

'I'm afraid my Lord that Lady Croft is unable to come to the phone right now.'

'She is there though?'

'Yes my Lord but she is currently in the middle of something very important. Would you like me to pass on the fact you called and perhaps a message?'

'No, I need to speak to her directly, but if she will not talk to me then I'm hoping that you can help me.'

'I will try Sir.'

'Tell me, is she happy Hillary?'

'Why yes sir she seems to be very happy.'

'I mean is she happy with the situation, I have heard a lot of bad things about this Mr West and even though she thinks that I do not care for her I am still her father and want her to have the best she can have. I know she hates me.'

'My Lord she does not hate you, the two of you just have many differences that is all.'

'I know she hates me Hillary, she has done ever since I turned away from her after Elizabeth died. It was hard for me back then, I couldn't bear to lose Lara as well and I don't want to live out the rest of my days only knowing my grandchild's well being through the news and papers.'

'I understand that things were tough my Lord but it has left an effect on Lady Croft, I think she feels as though Alex sorry Mr West is her last chance for happiness.'

'Does she not realise that I could make her happy? I could be there for her, help her and comfort her. I mean she obviously can't love this American.'

'Sir he is also a man, regardless of his state of origin. Lady Croft has found her own path and I do truly believe that she does love him.'

'And does he carry the same feelings for her? I will not have my daughter being used as some sort of toy.'

'Mr West has proved his love for her on a number of occasions and she is the one in the relationship who most definitely wears the trousers as they say.'

'Will you do me one thing Hillary? If nothing else at least try and talk to her. This is a time where she needs her family around her and I want to be part of that.'

'I will talk to her my Lord but I will not interfere with her life. It is up to her if she contacts you.'

'Fine, I will call again tomorrow. Thank you Hillary.' The lord put the phone down and sat feeling confused, he loved her yet he hated her for putting him through this. His anger overtook his rational thought and he called the number in his journal to arrange for the final date for when Alex West was going to pay for taking his daughter away.