***
"Alex? Are you alright?" Sam asked, kneeling down next to where Alex sat on the floor.
"Sam?" Alex asked. "I didn't hear you come in." He looked up at his friend.
"Dear God Alex, are you crying?" Sam asked.
"Yeah." Alex muttered wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Go ahead, make fun of me. I can't possibly feel any worse now." He said.
"I don't believe it." Sam said, sitting down next to Alex. "Lara Croft made you cry." He glanced at his friend. "You really do love her, don't you?"
"Yes."
"So, what are you going to do?" Sam asked.
"I don't know." Alex ran his hands through his hair. "I've got to get her back, Sam. I can't live without her."
"Uh, Alex? She just used you. Why would you want her back?"
"She was probably upset about me and Bryce getting into a fist fight or how I didn't tell her that I was leaving or she might have been mad about that stupid note that I left."
"That didn't answer my question."
"I don't even know, Sam. But she is the only woman I've ever met that I just like to be with. You know, just to talk to and be around. There's just so much shit going on and I haven't actually talked to her. So many people have been interfering and their making the situation worse. I just want to be with her. Everything was so less complicated over Christmas."
"That's because it was a fling. Look me in the eyes and honestly tell me that you were thinking about the future at any time when you were with her. It was good while it lasted so you didn't question it. Then when the opportunity arose you left and terminated the fling. However, after the relationship was over, you realized that you had real feelings for her."
Alex laughed. "You would make one hell of a shrink." He chuckled.
"Why thank you." Sam smiled.
"But, I think Champagne might have talked to Lara before she came over."
"Champagne was here? Good God, is she still after you?"
"Yes, unfortunately."
"That woman scares the living daylights out of me." Sam rubbed his eyes.
"Me too. And did you see her new boobs? I mean, damn. I don't think the doctors can put much more silicone into them."
"She got another boob job? But getting back to what you were saying, are you sure Champagne talked to Lara?"
"Not really. But she might have."
"Hmmm, well, I don't know what to tell you, my friend. This is much more complicated then I know what to advise for."
"Well, thanks for trying." Alex said.
"Hey, no problem. And if you ever need a best man, I'm there."
"I'll keep that in mind." Alex smirked.
***
"Okay." Alex said to himself. "I've tried, e-mailing, snail mailing, going in person, telephoning, sending telegrams and even a singing telegram and no answers to any of them." He flopped back onto his couch. "I might as well get one of those air planes that spell out words in the sky." Alex suddenly looked around. "And I'm talking to myself. Great. Now I've really lost it."
It had been over a month since Lara had come to visit Alex and he still hadn't been able to contact her. Champagne finally got the hint that Alex didn't want anything to do with her and left for the states. While Sam was doing all that he could to help out even though nothing was working. Alex had started sending him out to the newsstands every morning to check the tabloids if there was any mention of Lara. So far Lara had been photographed taking Donnica back to the vet for a spading operating and Bryce had gotten into the papers for one of his mechanical creations. But Alex was out of ideas to get Lara back into his life.
"Hey Alex!" Sam called as he walked through the door to Alex's apartment. He raced into the living room where Alex was sitting and shoved a newspaper into his face. "I found this, this morning!"
LARA CROFT TAKEN TO HOSPITAL, DOCTORS FEAR IT MAY BE FATAL!
The headline screamed. Alex snatched the paper from Sam's hands and began to skim it.
"Oh no. . . Sam I've got to-"
"Your car is unlocked." Sam said.
"Thank you, so much!" Alex grabbed his jacket and his keys and ran outside.
"Hey, Alex! Don't forget this!" Sam called, he tossed Alex a small black velvet box.
"Thanks! Bye Sam!" Alex called as the door closed after him.
***
Alex arrived at the Croft manor around ten that day. He looked down at himself before getting out of the car. He was in an old faded pair of jeans and a dirty tee-shirt. He had only had time to grab his old worn sneakers before he left the house. No shining armor, but it still should do the trick. . . Alex mused.
He hopped out of his car and ran to the front door of the Croft manor. He rang the bell, then slid against the wall, out of view. Hillary opened the door only a crack and when he didn't see anyone, he opened it wider and looked around. Alex shoved past Hillary and made a break for the stairs.
"Wh-What!? Alex West!" Hillary shouted from the bottom of the stairs as he watched the Tomb Raider leap up the stairs three at a time.
"Nice to see you too, Hilly!" Alex shouted as he ran down the hall.
Bryce removed his gaze from his computer monitor only to see Alex dart into Lara's bedroom and shut the door behind him. "Cor, what the bloody hell was that?"
Hillary opened a the bottom drawer of Bryce's file cabinet and pulled out two handguns. He tossed one to Bryce. "Come along, then." Hillary said. "No time to lose."
"Right."
Meanwhile. . .
"Lara!?" Alex asked frantically as he looked around Lara's bedroom. He closed the door after him and began searching for her. Alex threw the covers off of her bed only to find nothing underneath them. He looked out onto the terrace. Suddenly, the lady in question padded out of the bathroom, clad in only a white terry cloth bathrobe and a towel around her damp hair and a look of confusion on her face.
"Alex?" She asked. "What are you-" That was all Lara got out before Alex practically tackled her in a hug.
"Oh my God, I was so worried." Alex said, before kissing her lips.
"Worried about what?" Lara asked after the kiss was broken, her wet hair tumbled out of the towel.
"About you!" Alex said. "The tabloids said that you had been admitted to the hospital two days ago, they thought it was fatal."
Lara chuckled. "I'm fine. I accidentally dislocated my wrist while training, but the doctors just popped it back into place and sent me home."
"Thank God! I thought I lost you. Again." Alex added.
"Do you mean to tell me that you drove to the estates, without even getting properly dress all because you were worried about me?"
"Yes." Alex murmured. "God, I love you." He said, holding her tightly.
The two stood in silence for several seconds before Hillary broke the stillness of the moment.
"Lara!?" Hillary shouted through the door to her room. "Are you alright?!"
"It's okay, Hillary. I've got him in a sleeper hold!" Lara called back. "He's just about to loose consciousness! I'll be out in a second with his body!" She laughed and turned back to Alex.
Alex took her hands in his a very serious expression on his face. "Look Lara, before we do anything else I just want you to know that I love you and I never used you, I'm just not a good writer and I didn't know how to say that I had to go back to work and I tried calling but Hillary wouldn't let me talk to you and I sent you about half a million letters and everyone kept interfering and-"
"Slow down, Alex. What about your fiancé?" Lara asked, a frown creasing her face.
"I don't have one. The girl I think that you talked to was an ex-girlfriend who was trying to get back with me. But after being with you, no one can even come close."
"Alex, I-"
"No, don't say anything, not yet. I have to tell you this. Lara, you are the only woman that I want to be with for the rest of my life."
"Alex. . . What are you saying?" Lara asked.
Alex got down on one knee and produced a small black velvet box from the back pocket of his jeans. "Marry me, Lara." He murmured opening the box. Inside sat a simple but elegant diamond ring. Lara gasped as tears began to well in her eyes.
"Alex, it's beautiful." She murmured. "But you're not upset about last month?" She asked, not having entirely forgiven herself for her actions that night.
"No, not at all. It's in the past Lara and I don't want to dwell there."
"Alex, there's something that I need to tell you before we get engaged though." Lara said. She slowly pulled her terry cloth robe apart, placing her hands on the prominent swell of her stomach.
"Lara. . . When?" Alex murmured, practically speechless. He had noticed Lara's increasing waist line a month previously, but he knew better then to ask a woman he was making love to if she had gained weight.
"Over Christmas, Alex. I'm about four months now." Lara said. "Are you sure you want to continue this proposal of engagement?"
"Of course." Alex took the ring from the box and slid it on to Lara's ring finger. He smiled at her as he gently kissed her lips. "I love you, Lara Croft." He murmured.
"I love you too, Alex West." Lara said, smiling back at him.
Suddenly, Hillary and Bryce burst through the door with their pistols raised. Lara pulled her robe around herself and tied the white belt around it.
"Lara, dear, are you alright?" Hillary asked, eyeing Alex with disgust.
"Yes, Hillary. In fact, I'm more then alright." Lara showed him her ring. "I'm engaged!" She said.
"Bryce, aim for his head." Hillary said, cocking the gun. Lara gave them both an annoyed look before taking the handguns from both of them. She looked over Bryce's gun.
"Bryce, you didn't even have the safety off. If you're going to try and kill someone you might want to do that first."
"Lara, have you lost your marbles?" Bryce demanded.
"Come along, Bryce." Hillary said. "We promised Gwenavere that we wouldn't meddle." He took Bryce by the collar and began to drag him out of the room.
"Oh sure, forget that when Alex bursts in here and suddenly remember when I try to clean his clock. Hillary! Let go of my shirt, this is the only clean one that I have!"
Lara closed the door after the two and turned back to Alex. "You know, it's a bit stupid how we both kept listening to other people and having everyone interfere in our relationship when all we needed to do was talk." She said, slipping her arms around his neck.
"I will never take anyone's advice ever again." Alex murmured.
"Well, do take some advice and wash up before lunch." Lara smiled. "You smell horrible."