Indy: Tis The Season is discontinued until I can figure out a decent ending for it. Which might take a while. But you never know. I did write a new ending for Sisterly Love.

Jennifer Jolie: Er, don't write in English class unless your teacher doesn't care. Mine couldn't care less, since I have a 99% in the class.

JooH & DarkeyedStranger: I still don't get all the Anti-Alex sentiment, but I'm not above having someone beat the crap out of him. Death seems a bit extreme though.

Lara awoke feeling refreshed and vibrant. She rolled over, wrapping herself in the clean sky blue sheets and breathed in the scent of wild flowers. The digital clock on the wooden nightstand beside the bed told her that it was almost nine. She wondered if Alex was going to wake her up himself or if she was supposed to met him downstairs for breakfast. Lara sat up and looked around the room. Her formal dress lay over the back of a chair by the matching wooden desk. She had discarded it last night, since she had no night clothes with her, she indulged in her latest habit of sleeping nude.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lara looked up.

"You decent?" Alex asked through the door.

"Good morning to you too, Alex." Lara smirked. "And I'm afraid I'm not decent and my clothes are in the trunk of my car. Would you be a love and get them for me?"

"Do I get to keep a pair of your panties?"

"I don't think my knickers would fit you, Alex." Lara chuckled.

 Alex sighed. "I'll take that as a no."

"Very perceptive. Now, run along and grab the black bag in the trunk of my car." Lara paused. "Oh and that's the black bag without the AK-47 sticking out of it." She added.

"Yes, dear. Do you want me to bake you a cake while I'm at it?"

"No thank you, I prefer eggs for breakfast."

***

By the time Alex had retrieved the bag from Lara's car, and rummaged through it, looking for an extra pair of her underwear and not finding any, Lara had already showered and combed through her waist length hair and styled it in its usual braid. Alex knocked on the door, half expecting Lara to answer it wearing nothing but her smile. She was not at all shy with her body and didn't care who knew it. Unfortunately for Alex, Lara had a towel tucked around her nude form as she took the duffle bag from him and murmured a quiet thanks.

She closed the door and tossed her bag onto the bed. She unzipped and bag and sighed. Alex had obviously been rummaging through her things. The neatly packed clothing that Hillary had folded and carefully arranged himself, were strewn together. Lara dumped all of the bag's contents out onto the bed and selected her clothing.

Lara dressed quickly, wondering what the day would bring. Alex's school was a mystery for her. The media only reported on the screw ups and mishaps that happened at the school, never on the classes or instructors. But apparently, Alex had invited Lara's old nemesis, Von Croy, recently returned from the loony bin to be an instructor. However, he had declined the offer and even threatened Alex with bodily harm if he ever asked Von Croy about tomb raiding again. From the way Alex talked about his school, it sounded very successful. However, Alex's confidence would make a Westlife concert sound good.

Once Lara had dressed, she packed the duffle bag and gently folded her dress and tucked it inside. She ventured from the guest room that Alex had placed her in and wandered down to the dinning room. Alex was sitting there by himself, reading a news paper. He was already dressed in his normal, casual style, with his shirt buttoned this time. Alex looked up from the news paper and smiled at Lara.

"Good morning, sunshine." Alex said, he gently kissed her hand.

"My, aren't we being chivalrous, today?" Lara asked, sliding into the chair beside him.

"I thought it was a nice touch." He smiled. He glanced at his wrist watch. "Well, we better get over to the cafeteria if we want some breakfast."

"We're going to eat with the students?" Lara asked, genuinely surprised.

"Of course we are." Alex said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Don't worry, Lara. I recently taught them how to use forks." He finished, sarcastically.

***

The cafeteria was already filled with students by the time Alex and Lara arrived. Students, ranging from teens to people in their late twenties, were standing in line for food, seated at the long tables, talking, laughing, eating and gossiping. Lara looked around. Above all, the students seemed happy. A group of teenagers were playing poker at a table, one was desperately trying to keep a poker face.

"Right this way." Alex said, gesturing to a line for food and offering Lara his arm. Lara looked at Alex's arm, looked at him, then walked ahead and got into line. Alex laughed as her caught up with her.

"Well, Lady Croft," Alex smiled, he handed her a plate from the stack at the end of the table and took one for himself. "What would you like for breakfast? We have cereals, doughnuts, juice, coffee, tea, things like that. Then we have omelets that our lovely chefs make. That's in the other line. See, I warms things are on one side and cold things are on the other."

"I see." Lara said, she looked around, trying to decide which looked safer. "Hm, well, since your chefs have never ended up in the papers for poisoning anyone, I think I'll try an omelet."

"Your confidence in me is inspiring." Alex quipped. He took her hand and lead her to the line for omelets.

"Hey, Alex!" Alex looked up. A student pushed their way through the crowds and raced over to Alex.

"Hey Travis." Alex greeted. "Oh, I'd like you to meet Lady Lara Croft." Alex said, gesturing to his companion.

"Wow!" Travis's jaw fell. "THE Lady Lara Croft?" He asked, in an American accent.

"I wasn't aware they were two Lara Crofts." Lara said, honestly, wishing to God that this student would stop gawking at her.

"Well, Alex, I finally got the computer systems up and running on the secure server. Now all I need to do is move the website onto the new server and everything will be will fine."

"Great, good work Travis."

"Thanks Alex, I've got to go now, see you later! Bye Lara!" Travis ran off in the same direction that he had arrived. Lara glanced at Alex.

"How much caffeine does that man have a day?" She asked him.

"He drinks two pots of coffee, just to start the day." Alex said, shaking his head. "I told him that it'll stunt his growth, but he doesn't listen. . ."

"Alex? Sweetness, wake up!" Alex jumped and glanced in the direction of the call. He was the next in line for an omelet. The impatient and pregnant chef was holding her spatula in a menacing position.

"Right, sorry, Angie." Alex gestured for Lara to go in front of him. "Ladies first." He said, smiling.

Lara cast him a weary look then approached the chef.

"Hello love, what would you like?" Angie asked.

Lara looked over the wide variety of choices for her omelet. "Hm, I'll keep it simple, how about bacon and cheese?"

"Sounds great." Angie pour some uncooked egg from a bowl into her small pan.

"Angie, how's the little one?" Alex asked.

"I think I got about ten minutes of sleep last night." Angie said, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Lara. "This baby has to be a boy. I know a girl wouldn't be this much of a jerk."

Lara laughed. "How far along are you?"

"Seventh month. Only two more to go." She said. "Then I might be able to get a decent night's sleep."

"Wait until you have three AM wake up call." Alex smirked.

"Oh, I don't have to worry about that. I explained it to my husband, and since I've had nine months of discomfort, he has the first nine months of getting up to take care of the baby." Angie explained.

"Nice how she passes her pain on to others, eh?" A man carrying a tray off waffles and a small bowl of coffee creamer said, walking by.

"Who was that?" Lara asked, watching the man replace the empty tray of waffles and set the coffee creamer out next to a group of students that had been waiting.

"Richard. Angie's darling husband." Alex said, as Angie flipped Lara's omelet.

Richard walked past Angie, giving her a quick kiss on the lips and left again. "Next time bring some more eggs!" Angie called after him. She laughed. "Hectic life here." She told Lara.

"But it's a great time." Alex added, winking at Lara.

"Well, I should say so, I got pregnant here." Angie laughed. "Good thing too. After both my husband and I got jobs here, we were finally able to afford a baby. We've wanted one since ever since we got married. All thanks to Mr. West." Angie said, winking at him.

Alex blushed. "Yeah, yeah, I think your estrogen levels are on the fritz again."

"So gentlemanly." Angie laughed, transferring the bacon and cheese omelet to Lara's plate.

"Why don't you find a seat, I'll be there in a second." Alex said.

"Hurry, go before I find those baby pictures Alex's mum left here!" Angie called.

"Baby pictures?" Lara laughed.

"Go, shoo." Alex said, pushing her towards the tables. He turned and glared at Angie. "Did you HAVE to bring up the baby pictures?"

"Of course. You were so adorable!" Angie laughed.

"Look, I'm trying to get her invest in the school, can you behavior yourself, please?"

"You're no fun, Alex." Angie said, playfully.

"And if you show Lara those baby pictures, I swear I'll make you clean the bathrooms in the dorms."

"Now that's just wrong, Alex." Angie gasped.

"Then behave yourself."

"Fine, fine. Now, you go get your investment. Good luck, Alex." Angie said, winking and handing Alex his plain omelet.

Alex sighed. He was going to need all the luck he could get.