Authors Note: Thank you, Mog-everthing, for reviewing, it means a great deal to know someone likes my story. This instalment is a little later than usual but that's because I went to my first concert, which just so happened to be my favourite band, Weezer. Kicked ass, by the way.
Disclaimer: Tomb Raider and its characters are the property of Simon West, Paramount Pictures and Eidos Interactive. This story is strictly for my own personal pleasure. Any similarities between this story's plot and any others is purely coincidental. No plagiarism is intended. The lyrics of O Girlfriend belong to Weezer, as well as this chapter's title.
I miss you, and I wonder how you feel about me too.
Do you miss the way we would play, and waist our time away?
Suddenly we're apart and I can't see you every night,
Though we fight I love you so much now I can't feel your touch.
O Girlfriend, that's the end, and I'm lost without your love, oh love.
In your arms I was happy as a little boy could be,
Taking pills and mellowing out, now I just want to shout
For your love 'cause I'm drifting further from you everyday.
Driving by your place every night, I used to feel all right.
O Girlfriend, that's the end, and I'm lost without your love, oh love.
Eating fancies every night, without you to be all right, oh love, oh love.
O Girlfriend, that's the end, and I'm lost without your love, oh love.
In your arms I was happy as a little boy could be,
Taking pills and mellowing out, now I just want to shout,
Now I just want to shout, now I just want to shout….
Chapter Four: O Girlfriend.
Near White Chapel street, South-East London, present.
They had found a café on a corner two blocks away. Café Nero. The noise from the traffic outside was subdued this morning, it being a bank holiday weekend and a major football game just starting had most people indoors or roaring raucously at the television screens at the local pup, pint in hand with stale peanuts and packets of crisps. Large slightly tainted windows and warm tables and chairs of dark wood separated by chest high partitions of earthy colours gave the café an almost paradoxical air of safety and secrecy. Taking a table near the window where wall met wall, they sat opposite each other and a staring match ensued, each waiting for the other to speak. Near at the same time they realized how childish they were behaving and shared a quiet laugh, a small amount of their camaraderie returning. Straightening in her chair, Lara waited while a short overly-thin waitress approached and took their orders: two black coffees. Frowning at the fact that they still had a great deal in common despite the deep fissure that had developed in recent years, Lara cleared her throat and made to speak, but to her annoyance was beaten to it.
"So Lara, I heard about the whole fiasco with Pandora's Box. Sorry about that Terry guy, I was informed the two of you were close," Alex's eyes revealed nothing as he sipped his scalding hot coffee. He had a damn good poker face when he had need for it. Seeing the tightening of her jaw, Alex smiled inwardly. It was time for a little pay-back for her recent treatment. He had decided that before she could get anything out of him he would get all he could out of her. Besides, he was genuinely worried about her well-being, whether she chose to believe so or not.
"That is none of your business, Alex," she ground out through gritted teeth, annoyed that he had already crawled underneath her skin and was slowly making plans to burrow deeper. She had to stop this before it could really start. "My dealings with other men are of no concern to you. As are my archaeological discoveries."
"Come now, Lara. I'm just showing an interest in your- uh," cough "love life. It has always intrigued me. Besides, I'm pretty sure you weren't the one to discover that particular item. It wasn't through your own original research, anyway." He was really burrowing today. I must have ticked him off, Lara thought idly, recalling that on the way up here he had swung his arms at his side in the standard pissed-off-Alex fashion. Deciding to turn the tables, Lara decided to bring up a topic that had just come to her attention through the routed pathways of an old friend.
"Speaking of our love lives Alex, I heard you broke up with Joe around the time of the prayer wheels. What did you do? As far as I can gather it involved cheating on your part." She smiled at Alex's discomfort. Lara had been vaguely aware that Alex was involved two years ago, but, because he was never one to kiss and tell, she had known very little about her. Keeping their partners secret had been easy at the time because they were both swamped with work and rarely managed to see each other. This was also around the time various news papers had started printing articles on some of Alex's scandalous affairs. She never would have expected it of him a few years ago, but with all that had come to light recently she wondered how she had never seen this side of him. The description of a greedy unscrupulous sell-out seemed to fit him perfectly, his reticent and geeky exterior finally shed to let the hideous creature that lied beneath come out for some air. Finally registering her last words, Alex leaned over the table quickly, nearly spilling his coffee, and grasped her arms roughly.
"Who said I cheated on her?" Alex's barely controlled anger surprised Lara.
"The newspaper, for one. You know, the one you gave all those personal details about me to, labelled us 'tomb raiders'?" his grip tightened if possible, she could feel his short nails biting through the long-sleeved denim shirt she was wearing, but before Lara could force him to he let go. Drawing his hands back so his palms gripped the edge of the table, Alex remained leaning forward as he realized how far Lara thought he had fallen. He didn't know if he should shake some sense into her, though he would probably end up with a knee between his thighs and a black eye, or just get up and walk out. Deciding that honestly he could never hurt her or leave her in a huff, he went for the direct approach.
"Firstly, you know I don't even read news papers, let alone give interviews. That wasn't me," she conceded the point. Alex never had taken any interest in the outside world. He was selfish in that respect, he just didn't care about anyone but himself and the people around him. The rest of the world was background noise not pertaining to his life and so of no interest to him. Lara had wondered about that, but she wasn't going to let him know she had doubted it, she was delighted that she had him so worked up. His knuckles were white, he was gripping the table so hard. "Secondly, my 'scandalous affairs' was a bunch of b. s. as well. You, of all people," he was pointing in her face now. "Should know that I wouldn't just sleep with some broad to get my kicks. Goddamn, Lara, what do you take me for? Make a few mistakes and suddenly all the truths of a person go out the window. I haven't changed dramatically over the past few years, ya know. I may be preaching to the choir and all that, but you have changed far more. "
"And what is that supposed to mean Alex?" but he barely heard her, still caught up in his tirade.
" And I did not, I repeat did not cheat on Joe." He took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of calm. Lara could see him struggling for self-control, and was now beginning to regret bringing up the topic. She had a feeling the wound was still very raw, and having just lost Terry she could appreciate his anger. She tried to remind herself that he had started this.
"So tell me, Alex. What happened to Joe? I heard you were only engaged to her for two weeks before she left you, " oh, she was twisting that knife deep. Alex thought back to how he had proposed to Joe. They had gone to the theatre to see her favourite show, Phantom Of The Opera. It had still been early when it had finished so they had gone to Hyde Park and settled down under a large oak for a picnic. While opening the bottle of wine for her- he still didn't drink- he asked her to marry him. She had been shocked for sixty-three of the most agonizing seconds of his life before saying yes and wrapping her arms around his neck. All thoughts of food were rapidly forgotten as they kissed, the now cork less bottle leaning against the tree.
"She didn't leave me," he said so quietly Lara almost didn't hear him. His grip on the table edge had loosened and he was now leaning back low in his chair, arms folded, head bowed. He wasn't angry anymore. Instead, his gaze had turned inward.
"So what happened, Alex?" Lara was no longer trying to get a rise out of him, but was now genuinely interested. He wouldn't look at her as he spoke.
"This guy broke into her apartment. She wasn't supposed to be there. Her business meeting had been cancelled, so she was in the kitchen when he snuck up behind her." His voice dropped lower so that Lara had to lean forward to hear him. "I had been driving past and saw her car parked outside. We had had an argument the night before over something that's so unimportant now that I can't even remember it. I was due to leave to go and search for the prayer wheels in a few days and I didn't want to leave things as they were. I decided to go in and see her, but halfway up the stairs to her door I heard her scream. She had just seen him. When I entered the kitchen this guy had just taken the knife on the kitchen counter and stabbed her in the gut. Before I could do anything he ran past me and disappeared. I was focused on Joe's bleeding form at the time. She was laying on the floor giving these little gasped cries of pain. I don't think she even knew I was there," his voice cracked on the last sentence. "By the time the ambulance arrived she was already dead."
Lara leaned over to put her hand on his arm. A silent offering of comfort. He had been acting strangely when he arrived in Tibet. The whole plane journey he had sat in his seat looking dejected and humming a tune she didn't recognize….
On route to Tibet, two years previously.
Lara pulled up outside Gatwick airport in her Bentley, leaving Hilary to drive it home. After pulling two equipment bags out of the boot, she said good-bye to her butler and friend, smiling as he bid her take care and scowled at her choice of clothes. She still wouldn't wear a blasted dress for him. She was decked out in tan skin-hugging pants and a black tank top, black coat draped over her left shoulder. She took off her sun-glasses and looked around the airport. Definitely prefer Stanstead, she thought, watching the crowded terminal for any sign of Alex. People bumped and jostled each other, the broken rattle of luggage wheels on the smooth floor. The restaurants were virtually empty for once, except Burger King, from which four long lines of queuing customers tapered off into the eating establishment beside it, a sandwich bar franchise, Benjy's. That should keep Alex happy, he loved to eat at the one on Oxford street. Whenever he got to choose where to go for lunch on their little shopping adventures to that busy little street (did I just say little?), he would without a doubt pick there. She preferred the Japanese noodle bar or that little Italian place, herself.
Speak of the devil, Alex had just emerged from the crowd, dragging a large grey and navy sports bag behind him. He was wearing well worn denim jeans and his favourite black leather jacket, which had two stripes of red and brown on the shoulders. To top it off he had a large pair of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses, nose bridge included. The only thing out of place was the t-shirt: reddish-brown with a picture of Sesshomaru on the front, from InuYasha. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he saw Lara, and he made his way over.
An hour and a half later they were seated on the plane to Tibet, Alex taking the window seat because Lara wanted to stretch her legs on the long flight. Alex had been quiet so far, and it was not lost on Lara. Any attempt at small talk was soon abandoned as it was obvious he wasn't in the mood, Alex preferring to sit in silence eating the complimentary peanuts. The usual comments on the melancholy of flights, with their uniform neatness that somehow still seemed untidy, despite best efforts at minimizing difference was not forthcoming. Very unusual from the most cynical man in the world.
"Are you alright, Alex?"
"No, I'm fine," he smiled slightly, remembering a conversation they had had in their teens on how paradoxical that statement was. How could you be fine and yet not be fine? It usually meant the latter. He knew Lara would press the subject, but he really didn't want to talk about it and didn't know how to deter her without being rude. She would know something was really wrong if he snapped or refused to answer.
"Are you sure? You don't look fine." He sighed in away that told her he was about to change the subject. He didn't disappoint.
"So, after we arrive at the hotel do we go straight to the site or take a look round the local settlement?"
Authors Note: I got a little side tracked. Plot finally appears in the next chapter, which will be longer than this. Instalments will be weekly from now on as I have school. Thank you for reading.
Kai.