A Long Fifteen Minutes.. (Feat. Lara Croft and Terry Sheridan)

Real smooth, Sheridan..-why had he call himself by his last name in his thoughts he wasn't sure, maybe he was just so used to only using his surname normal it didn't make a difference. Shoulders rolled slightly, and his form moved backwards until his knees were at the foot of the bed and he allowed himself to fall backwards onto it. "I'll let 'er know..talk to you then, Sara." He hung up the cell and let it fall besides him on the bed before pushing himself up to look at Lara and he motioned some. "Close the door and sit down.." now elbows rested against his legs while hands clasped together, "It's always funny 'ow complicated my life gets when your around." He watched her for a moment "Even when you walked back into my life to get me out of prison, even if it was only for my skills and knowledge." He shifted once again "Well, that's always good to know isn't it. But I was never on any side of a coin..I can't be. Living a life based on lies, it doesn't work like that." He sighed once more and leaned forwards on his elbows "I'm not going to say though that I didn't 'ave my thoughts about Jackie. I know you an Sara were mates, but she plans on taking 'im down. For murder." His head shook slightly as he unclasped his hands running one back into his hair. And then he rose to his feet moving towards her "I can't just act like nothing ever 'appened between us Lara. It would just be another lie." His shoulder dropped back against the wall as he crossed his arms watching the Tomb Raider. "..But I can't compete with Jackie. Right I mean..'e bloody brought you back to life for god's sake. And I'm just a spy. Maybe that was part of the reason I came 'ere..stayed 'ere." His shoulder rolled as his form turned pressing his back against the wall. Breath pulled from his lips as his chest fell while he exhaled deeply. "Can you blame a guy?" his head shook slightly.

Sara was drunk, Lara could hear her voice through the phone she was practically yelling indeed. The brit shook her head at her words about Jackie," Rather a bit of a hypocrite isn't she? Afterall I murdered Kenneth Irons." A satistifactory smile crossed her lips," And I enjoyed putting a bullet to his brain." She patted the gun on her hip," You know me and wildcard stunts." Lara was rather proud of herself and that moment of tripumph when she killed Irons. Sure she never got to see him fall, but still she knew he died because of her.Always that nagging question however, was he really dead? Time would only tell. Her loose auburn hair fell over her shoulders softly in iron straight casscades, Lara had decided to keep it loose more often then not now. She liked it, it made her feel free. Without asking she shut the door and sat down, her long legs crossing at the knees and hands resting clasped in her lap. There was a strange calmness about her as she followed Terry with her glowing jade orbs,"Yes, that's true." Lara smiled," Have to admit you had fun on that little jont." It seemed she found that she had atleast. The Brit hardly moved she sat almost like a statue save for the steady rise and fall of her chest as she exhaled and inhaled," I don't compare you Terry to anyone. I can't you're different then Jackie and Alex." She gave him her full undivided attention," Just like I'll never compare them to you or them to eachother either." A bit of a nod," Yes he brought me back to life, but would you have done or wanted any different?" Lara went on to answer for him," Of course not, even Sara wouldn't have she would rather me be alive and her enemy then helping to plan and attend two funernals."The auburn headed woman shook her head," No. I don't blame you for anything in all honesty Terry I blame myself for alot." She could almost feel his emotions, she allowed herself to become atuned to him now,"You said here before things got really mucked up you had some questions you wanted to ask me, something tells me that you still do. Why don't you ask them now, I got all night." And she wasn't kidding either.*

"I'm not one to judge..I had a license to kill, had the opportunity called." He licked his bottom lip slightly and there was a slight roguish grin pulling at his lips "What do you think? Locked up in prison, or run around with the Tomb Raider. Which would you 'ave chosen?" but soon the grin had faded as he looked back towards her. And form pulled from the wall moving towards her "I would 'ave rather you stay where I 'ad you. But it wasn't about what I wanted..so it doesn't matter anyway." Hands moved pulling a chair away from the small table and turning it around as he sat down backwards on it arms down folded and draped over the back of it. Another breath drained from his lips "What's done is done." Shifting on the chair he looked up towards her and shook his head "I -had- being the operative word, in that sentence. Questions about Gabriel..and things that might 'ave 'elped with the going ons. No ruddy use asking them now." Form shifted once again as he stood from the chair. Boots moved over the floor as he stopped just before her, lowering slightly before leaning forwards, "I won't say I'm not sorry things 'appened as they 'ave. with everything. Maybe it was just me all along. To get too close to someone makes things risky..especially for someone like me. You get worked up, emotions get dragged in to it. You make mistakes." Leaning forwards he allowed his lips to brush across her lips, kissing her for a moment before pulling back. Mistakes. Yes, the spy had plenty of those his life was full of them. he stood and moved slightly away from her "Maybe you should go.."

She listened to him, she payed attention to him, she studied him as he moved and as he talked. Old habits do indeed die hard. Esspecially the comfortable ones, the ones you know you should let go of and forget. The ones that can get you into trouble. Terry Sheridan was indeed all those things when it came to Lara, and once again despite Jackie professing his love for her and her's for him that almosy ago old fight began to play merry-go-round in her mind again. Jackie, Terry, Jackie, Terry. Eyes closed a moment, cutting of the eerie green glow," Hm. No I supose not." She ran her hands through her hair forcing the strands to fall behind her shoulders now. The glowing jems remerged and stared at Terry intently," Nobody's perfect. We're all just human in the end." She shook her head, eyes now glued on his," It wasn't you." When his lips touched her's a sigh exhaled. Please don't do this to me she wanted to say, but the words just would not form on her tongue. With a flash the eerie glow dissapeared once more behind thick lashes as she tilted her head up slightly into the kiss. Indeed his kisses still held that hunger that she always remembered, that desire of wanting more then what he took. After a moment Lara's eyes remerged into the world," In a way Terry you'll always be right here." A slender index finger pointed to her own heart location," And here." The finger tapped the side of her head. She stood now, almost eye to eye with the man. Lara's men and them being always just slightly taller than she," In a way I still care for you. I'm not sure what to call it, but I know I care." Her long arms moved gracefully coming to slip about his neck," I want a real kiss if this is goodbye Terry Sheridan and even if it's not." The boldness of the ballsy Brit seemed to have doubled as she tilted her head to one side meeting her lips with his, slender fingers resing in the dark curls of his hair. It was a kiss of passion, it was a kiss that would last a lifetime plus. It was indeed a kiss to remember. Slowly she pulled away from it, eyes openning once more," Yes, prehaps it is best I go." Her arms slowly slide off his shoulders hands lingering a moment against his chest," Take care of yourself, if I leave New York I'll let you know. But for now it is best I call it home." This time she pressed a soft kiss aganst his cheek her arms coming about him again like a hug," Hm." A sad smile and tears once more," You know with me it's never really goodbye. We will meet again." She moved back now, one hand coming to caress his cheek," Don't break too many hearts." With that she turned and walked towards the door," Goodnight Luv, I'll be watching til you leave." A pause, hestitation. Lara almost reconsidered walking out the door and disapearing into the night, but that was where she belonged now, the night as an Angel of Darkness and so as her new nature went she did indeed disapear into the depths of the shadows for the night.

The End...