Soz there hasn't been an uppie for ages, exam week is coming up and I was
also working on my other fic Ancient History. Please check it out. Anyway,
please keep up the reviews – if you don't review I don't know that people
are enjoying it and my ickle creative flame goes 'phut' (ICKLE? PHUT? Where
the hell did that come from? Good Lord I'm going mad. Must come from
standing behind that stoner in HMV...). Anyhoo (Christ!), onwards with the
story!
Joining Forces
Chapter 15 – Confrontation
Lara sat on the sofa and watched TV, twirling her loose strand of hair between her thumb and forefinger. Lara heard footsteps and looked up.
"Lara? We need to talk." Kurtis' accent was not quite as noticeable to her anymore.
"What about?" She asked, pressing the 'off' button on her remote.
"Something is wrong. Really wrong. I think Karel is still alive."
Lara was a little stunned. "I watched him die. It was a very big explosion. It would take months just to scrape him off what is left of the walls. He can't be strong enough for you to notice his presence – surely?"
He considered her point a while. "Whatever is happening, I can't risk it. I've gotta go back home." He said the word 'home' grudgingly. Lara picked up on it, as well as his use of 'I' instead of 'we'. She supposed he was a little bitter that she finished off Eckhardt rather than him. After all, it was what he was bred for.
"Well 'we' can go and check it out soon. But you and I have been through a lot. We could at least give it time to rest." He didn't look satisfied.
"I don't want you to come with me to my house."
For some reason this made Lara snap. She started shouting: "For Christ's sake! I'm sorry I did your job for you and killed Eckhardt. But remember that you sent me to do it! I understand you wanted to avenge your father but-"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING! Eckhardt took a whole lot more from me than my goddamned father! I hated him anyway!" He roared. For the first time in a long while, she was scared of another human being.
"Then why do you care so much? What are you hiding from me?" She felt hot tears pricking in her eyes. She cared for him. She was confused and it hurt her.
"That is none of your business." He swung out an arm. The arm connected with a sharp glass figure that was on the side table. It fell to the floor and smashed, but not before carving a deep crimson wound down the length of his forearm.
"Oh my god." She felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she whispered. "I am so sorry." He said nothing. Instead he turned, clutching his blood-drenched limb and exited the room. Lara fell to her knees, the anguish of the last months piling on her at once. She had been amazed at how brave he had seemed. At once she saw it was just an act. For her? Somehow she didn't think so.
No, it had a far deeper and disturbing meaning than that. She couldn't know just how soon she would find the truth, and just what it would lead him to do.
Joining Forces
Chapter 15 – Confrontation
Lara sat on the sofa and watched TV, twirling her loose strand of hair between her thumb and forefinger. Lara heard footsteps and looked up.
"Lara? We need to talk." Kurtis' accent was not quite as noticeable to her anymore.
"What about?" She asked, pressing the 'off' button on her remote.
"Something is wrong. Really wrong. I think Karel is still alive."
Lara was a little stunned. "I watched him die. It was a very big explosion. It would take months just to scrape him off what is left of the walls. He can't be strong enough for you to notice his presence – surely?"
He considered her point a while. "Whatever is happening, I can't risk it. I've gotta go back home." He said the word 'home' grudgingly. Lara picked up on it, as well as his use of 'I' instead of 'we'. She supposed he was a little bitter that she finished off Eckhardt rather than him. After all, it was what he was bred for.
"Well 'we' can go and check it out soon. But you and I have been through a lot. We could at least give it time to rest." He didn't look satisfied.
"I don't want you to come with me to my house."
For some reason this made Lara snap. She started shouting: "For Christ's sake! I'm sorry I did your job for you and killed Eckhardt. But remember that you sent me to do it! I understand you wanted to avenge your father but-"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING! Eckhardt took a whole lot more from me than my goddamned father! I hated him anyway!" He roared. For the first time in a long while, she was scared of another human being.
"Then why do you care so much? What are you hiding from me?" She felt hot tears pricking in her eyes. She cared for him. She was confused and it hurt her.
"That is none of your business." He swung out an arm. The arm connected with a sharp glass figure that was on the side table. It fell to the floor and smashed, but not before carving a deep crimson wound down the length of his forearm.
"Oh my god." She felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she whispered. "I am so sorry." He said nothing. Instead he turned, clutching his blood-drenched limb and exited the room. Lara fell to her knees, the anguish of the last months piling on her at once. She had been amazed at how brave he had seemed. At once she saw it was just an act. For her? Somehow she didn't think so.
No, it had a far deeper and disturbing meaning than that. She couldn't know just how soon she would find the truth, and just what it would lead him to do.