Two months later. . .
"Victoria!" Lara said, happily as she hugged her friend.
"Hello!" Victoria Beckham said, hugging Lara, then leading her into the sitting room of her house. Lara looked around at the immaculately clean house, then sat down on one of the familiar couches as Victoria carefully sat down in a straight backed chair.
"It's so nice you could stop by for tea." Victoria said. "I've been going batty being inside all the time."
"Why are you staying inside?" Lara asked, crossing her legs. Victoria had called earlier that day to invite Lara over for tea and a chat. Lara gratefully accepted, glad to finally have a female friend to talk to.
"The bloody paparazzi, of course." Victoria said, rolling her eyes. "I don't know how you don't end up in the papers so much."
"The paparazzi and I have an agreement." Lara said, smiling secretively.
"What's that?"
"They don't take pictures of me, I don't use them for target practice. It's worked quite nicely."
Victoria laughed. "How ladylike."
"I thought so." Lara smiled. She looked around the house. "Where are the boys?"
"Oh, they're out at the football field. Male bonding, you know."
"Ah."
"So, how are you doing? I saw an article about Alex West's tomb raiding school in the papers a day or two ago. Are you still feuding with him?"
"Currently, yes."
"Still upset with him about the prayer wheels?"
Lara frowned. "No, I've move on from that. Now I'm upset that he sold my Eye of Odin."
"That prat!" Victoria gasped.
"My thoughts exactly. However, when I found about the Eye, I was in bed with him."
Victoria's eyes widened. "You didn't!"
"No. I didn't. We were about to."
"I thought you hated him."
"I do. I just. . . ." Lara trailed off.
"Ah, it's one of those hate relationships." Victoria said, giving Lara a knowing smile.
Lara raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"Come off it, Lara, you know what I mean. You make the perfect couple. I think you could actually be quite happy together. If he stopped selling your things, that is."
"I don't understand him." Lara said, sighing in frustration. "For a while, I thought he had changed. I mean, I spent the entire day with him and he was so charming and funny and. . . and I honestly enjoyed myself. Everything was going so perfectly, we were having dinner, then he told me that he loved me."
"My, my, my. He finally used the 'L' word." Victoria smirked. "Congratulations, Lara. You're the first that I know of."
"But that doesn't make any sense. You don't love someone if you turn around and sell their artifacts to the highest bidder. Sometimes I think he cares about money more than actual people."
"Melanie C said that." Victoria said, thoughtfully. "She dated him for a while. Said he was a total wally."
"He is. He just happens to be a dead sexy wally. . ."
"Well, maybe if he sorts out his priorities. . ."
"I don't know, Victoria. I mean, this isn't the first time he's hurt me like this. I. . . I don't feel that I can trust him anymore. Even if he does change, I don't want to give him another chance to use me." Lara buried her face in her hands. She hated talking about her emotions.
"It's okay, Lara." Victoria said, comfortingly, placing her hand on Lara's shoulder. "There are plenty of other men in the world. I'm sure you can find a good one and stop worrying about Alex the prat."
"Thanks, Victoria." Lara said, smiling at her friend.
"No problem." Victoria winked.
"So how are things with you?" Lara asked.
"Good. Well, family life is good." Victoria patted her swelling stomach. "I'm due in September. I can hardly wait! I hope it's a girl this time. I would be nice for Brooklyn to have a little sister. Musically, not so good."
"What's wrong?"
"Virgin Records, that's what wrong. Bloody record company." Victoria glanced at Lara. "Have you ever thought about being a popstar?"
Lara laughed.
"No, no, I'm serious!" Victoria smiled. "You'd make a great popstar. I bet the lads would buy your singles just to look at the picture of you on the cover."
"Well, that might make up for the fact I can't sing." Lara laughed.
"Lack of singing ability never stopped a popstar!" Victoria declared.
Before Lara could answer, her cell phone rang. The girls stopped laughing as Lara pulled out her small cellular phone and pressed the 'talk' button.
"Hello?"
"Lara? It's Alex. We were supposed to met at the Ivy at noon. Did you forget?" An annoyed voice asked.
"I didn't forget. I just didn't go."
'Who is it?' Victoria mouthed.
'Alex.' Lara mouthed back.
"Look, do you want me to pick you up?"
"Not particularly."
"Lara, where the hell are you?"
"Beckingham Palace." Lara smirked.
"Where?!"
"Never mind. Look, I'm having tea right now. I'll met you at the Ivy at five, alright?"
"And how do I know that you're going to show up this time?"
"You don't. You're just going to have to come to the restaurant and see." Lara hung up.
"Did you stand him up?" Victoria asked.
"Well, yes." Lara said, looking a little embarrassed. Victoria gave her 'the look'. "But come on, he didn't say why he wanted to met me and after what he's done, he can deal with being stood up."
"And you wonder why you don't have a boyfriend." Victoria laughed.
Lara shrugged. "Besides, I'd much rather have a nice girly chat than listen to Alex whining about how we don't get long."
"Well, then let's go have a spot of tea and talk about men." Victoria said, getting up.
***
Lara walked into the manor from the garage door, hanging up her leather jacket and taking off her sunglasses. Hillary, carrying a tray filed with empty cups, crisp wrappers and various plates, walked into the kitchen. Must be cleaning Bryce's computer area again. Lara thought, with some amusement.
"Welcome home, Lara." Hillary said, placing the tray in the kitchen as Lara walked in. "How was tea with Victoria?"
"Wonderful." Lara said, opening the door to the refrigerator.
"Alex West called."
"Oh."
"Eight times. I had to give him the number to your cellular. I hope you don't mind."
"No, it's alright. He called me when I was at Victoria's."
"Didn't you have an appointment with him for lunch?"
"Yes. But I forgot I was meeting Victoria for tea. Besides, his ego could use a little deflating." Lara closed the fridge, then stretched.
"Lara, what exactly is your relationship with Mr. West right now? I have an awful time keeping up with you too." Hillary admitted.
"Well, currently, I'm angry with him because he sold the Eye of Odin that I rightfully won back from him after he stole it from me." Lara explained, leaning against the counter.
Hillary sighed.
Lara glanced at her watch. "Well, I better get going if I want to get some sparring in before dinner. Come along, Hillary."
***
Lara stood at the front of the Ivy and looked over the restaurant. She spotted Alex, sitting by himself in a corner of the room, stirring a cup of coffee. He was dressed in his normal outfit of jeans and a white button down shirt. His hair was mussed, although, from where Lara was standing, he looked much older than he was.
"Miss? Table for one?" A waiter asked, snapping Lara from her thoughts.
"Oh, no, I'm with him." Lara said, gesturing towards Alex.
"Ah, right this way then." The waiter lead her to where Alex was sitting and set a menu on the table. Alex rose and helped Lara into her chair. The waiter raised his eyebrow at the two, then pulled out a note pad.
"What would you like to drink, miss?" He asked, politely.
"Cosmopolitan, please." Lara said, after looking over the drink menu.
"Certainly." The waiter scribbled down Lara's order then walked off. Lara opened the menu and began to look over the entrées. She glanced at Alex.
"Well?" She asked, briefly taking her eyes off of the menu. "You asked me to come here. Now what do you want?"
"Oh nothing. Just wanted to bask in the glow of your heavenly light." Alex said, propping his elbows up on the table and starring at her.
Lara shrugged. "Well, you are buying me dinner. So bask all you like."
"Look Lara. I'm not exactly in the best of moods here."
"How's that my problem?"
"Well, first of all, I asked you to met me here for a serious meeting. I wait for two hours, then find out that you're having tea with Baby Spice-"
"Posh Spice." Lara corrected. "Emma Bunton is Baby Spice."
"Whatever!" Alex said, sharply. "Lara, this is very important."
"Then stop whining about you day and tell me why the hell I'm here."
"Well, first, I have something for you." Alex said, reaching into his small backpack that lay beside the table.
"Aww, it's not even my birthday." Lara said, mockingly.
"Here." Alex glowered, setting the Eye of Odin on the table in front of Lara. The female tomb raider raised an eyebrow.
"Was this one made in Hong Kong too?" She asked, not giving the Eye a second glance.
"It's the original." Alex said. "I bought I back from the guy I sold it too. . . For three times the cost. . . Lara, I never would have sold it in the first place, if I knew how much it meant to you."
Lara shrugged. "It's just an artifact. It wasn't that important to me, anyways."
"Then why did you break my nose over it?" Alex said, touching his still healing nose.
"I'm not sure." Lara said sarcastically. "Maybe because you lied to me, used me, sold my artifact, told me you loved me, then attempted to sleep with me."
"I wasn't lying when I said that I loved you." Alex said, quietly.
"I find that hard to believe, seeing as just about everything else you've ever told me was a lie." Lara said, harshly.
"Look, I didn't come here to bicker with you about the past, okay?"
"Yes. You'd lose."
"Goddamn it, Lara!"
"Don't raise your voice to me, Alex."
"Lara, look, I love you."
"Don't start up again." Lara said, rolling her eyes.
"You don't have to believe me and I really don't expect you to, but it's true. I love you, Lara Croft. I always have."
Lara slammed her menu down on the table. "If you don't tell me why the hell I'm here, I'm going leave and go have dinner with Atomic Kitten."
"Fine." Alex muttered. "I'm here because I need your help."
Lara gave him an odd look and watched as he blushed.
"You want money, I suppose." Lara stated.
"Yes, actually. After you interfered in another one of my student's missions, my sponsors backed out. Coupled with the fact that my brother and my sister-in-law recently died in a car crash and my parents are expecting me to foot the bill for the funeral. So, if I don't get another sponsor, or a very generous donation by tomorrow, I'm going to have to close the school."
"Then close it."
"Lara!"
"I'm not giving you anything, Alex West."
"Please, Lara, I wouldn't be asking you if I wasn't desperate."
"You've always been desperate, Alex."
"Lara, I'm sorry about our past, but there's nothing I can do about it now, you can't hold that against me."
"Actually, I can and I will." Lara smiled sweetly.
"Oh really, well, now what is Angie going to do? Huh? She just had her baby last week."
"How lovely, boy or girl?"
"Boy, but think about it, Lara. How are they going to support themselves. They've got no job training and they'll never make enough money to support both of them and a new born baby."
"Well, it's a harsh, cruel world, Alex." Lara said, trying to sound unremorseful, even though she did feel bad for Angie and her husband.
"This coming from someone who has her own butler." Alex snapped.
"What are you on about now?"
"You're a pampered brat, Lara. And I seriously thought that maybe, just maybe, you could actually care about someone other than yourself for a change, but I guess that was asking too much, wasn't it?"
"And are you in love with me now, Alex?" Lara asked.
"Go to hell, Lara." Alex snapped. He got up from the table and stormed out of the restaurant, shoving past several of the guests.
Lara shook her head and looked back at the Eye that was laying on the table. She carefully picked it up and flipped it over. There was no 'Made In Hong Kong' stick on the back of the artifact. Instead a scrap of paper was taped to the back. Lara slowly pealed it off, then unfolded the scrap. There was a small paragraph in a practically illegible crawl written across the bottom of the paper.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice, In the church, where a wedding has beenLives in a dream
All the lonely people,
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people,
Where do they all belong?
Lara folded the piece of paper back up and reattached it to the Eye. Then left the Eye on the table and walked out of the restaurant.