Sorry, I know it's been a while since I put chapter one up! To my lovely reviewers:
Shauniwritesit – "Wowie" – hehe, that was cute, I'm flattered. Thanks for the ideas! hands you Tim Horton's cookies, of which you must not get a lot of in Holland
Random-Battlecry – Yes! It will be done! After all, Terry is by far gorgeous enough to have his own AU. Speaking of which, I love your TR story, it's the perfect tonic for a depressing day! Cookies for you too :D
ITALIAN BELLA – Do you always type in upper case, or were you that excited about the story? (The latter, I hope! Thanks!)
And to the rest, I have run out of anything remotely witty to say, so thank you for your reviews! Keep 'em coming!
And now without further ado, chapter two! (I'm sorry, it had to been done :D)
Chapter Two
My resolve melted completely as he laid his lips to mine. I forgot the inner monologue for a moment, basking in the contentment I felt in his embrace. This was the Terry I loved – why couldn't he always be so endearing? We hadn't kissed since that night in Shanghai, and then, I hadn't allowed myself to think of the warmth of his arms, or the gentle way he caressed me; I had been concerned only with the box.
Pandora's box. The bloody nuisance.
Sighing inwardly, but still pretending to move in pleasure that was no longer there, I set about taking the relic from the man holding me. Slipping my arms around his neck, I lightly pushed at the shoulder straps of the bag on his back. But once I had moved them so that they were nearly off his shoulders, I realized the flaw in my impulsive plan: there was the predicament of the very obvious change in weight he would feel once the bag fell to the ground. While pondering this problem, I felt my pulse quicken as Terry's mouth moved from mine to travel down my neck and to my collar bone. Damn the box, I thought, as he started to pull me to the ground. "Croft…" he murmured again, reaching around to cradle my head. I realized belatedly what he was planning, when he began pulling at my shirt. While the thought was not completely disagreeable, I couldn't help thinking of how uncomfortable I was on the rocky ground. And the issue of the relic we'd just found was still in the back of my mind. However, the first matter was the more pressing, as his movements became more persistent.
"Terry" I struggled to get the words out, "we're in a cave." He removed his lips from my neck and looked at me for a moment.
"You always were one for observations, Croft," he said, leaning back slightly. A smile pulled at his lips, softening his features. "But I know what you mean – maybe we should wait for another time?" He leaned over me, his lips claiming mine again, and I doubted the sincerity of what he'd just said.
"A good idea, I think", I said, pushing him away with some difficulty. I knew what had to be done next, and the thought of his all-too predictable reaction didn't thrill me. "But Terry … you - you know we can't take the box." I felt his body tense over me and tried to move from under his heavy form.
"Dammit Croft", he hissed, grabbing my arm as I tried to get at his bag. "Why can't you ever, for once, stop thinking of everyone else?!" He pulled me roughly to my feet, pinning my arms by my side. I tried a few clever ju-jitsu moves I had learned recently, but he knew my tricks. "Forget it. I'm taking it with me. I wanted to take you too -" He uttered a string of curses that were lost in his thick Scottish accent, but I got the general idea as he reached for his gun. Summoning up the last of my nerve, I stared insolently at him.
"Take me too? Oh, don't worry yourself, I'm quite capable of leaving on my own. But you will not leave, not without putting that box back." How dare he, especially after just having been so intimate! I hadn't thought him to be this arrogant. Allowing myself to become exceptionally annoyed at the thought, I carefully executed my next move. Taking advantage of the surprise I had provoked with my defiant words, I shoved him roughly, forcing him to loosen his grip on me. With my free arm, I grabbed his gun and flung it into the pool of acid behind us. Having mentally noted earlier that he had had just the one weapon, I then looked around for the only gun left between us.
Never more than a beat behind me, he was already searching for it. We both reached for the gun where it had been lying on the ground, only to realize that it was no longer there. But before I had time to hunt for it, a shot rang out, echoing through the caves.
Looking back, I saw a stunned expression on Terry's face as his right hand went to clutch his left shoulder. I stared, horrified at the amount of blood that began oozing through his fingers. Before I could turn, I felt a powerful blow on the back of my head, sending me crumpling to the ground. Hazily, I watched Terry fall as well, still holding his shoulder and trying to stem the flow of blood. I vaguely saw the outline of a man stoop over him and lift Pandora 's Box from the bag. Wondering dimly why the pain in my head hadn't killed me yet, I slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
A/N: I know, I'm an evil, evil girl! Don't worry though, no one's dead…but that's all I'm saying! Please review!!! :D
