Here's to me actually making decent progress and timing - I have to admit my writing classes have helped me understand that checkpoints are super helpful things! The Uncharted and Tomb Raider series and any characters relating to them belong to their rightful owners.

Somewhere in the skies of Brazil

The plane ride had been rather calm. Sully and Sam had planned on going to a festival for a few days if only to give Nate his precious time with Lara. Now, as they edged closer to their destination, Sam leaned back in his chair in the cockpit and gave a soft sigh. He looked over to the older man, giving a playful grin.

"So, what do you think?" Sam asked.

"What do I think about what?" Sully replied.

"If Nate brings Lara around her, do you think it ends in a catfight?"

Sully wanted to roll his eyes but kept himself from doing so. Instead, he focused more on the task at hand, making sure their flight continued to go smoothly. He doubted there would be a 'catfight,' but he wasn't sure about there not being some kind of tension.

"Elena wants friends, remember?" Sully joked lamely.

Sam nodded. "Right, right… but I don't think Nate wants that."

"Then that wouldn't really be a catfight then, would it?"

"Eh… it would be if Lara caught wind of everything," Sam pointed out. "With all he's probably told her? I don't know. It just doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Entertaining, sure, but–"

"How much do you think he's actually told her?" Sully asked. He was curious, especially because Nate had barely talked about that relationship with them. He wondered if he really did tell Lara as much as Sam thought he did. He knew how the kid was; he never liked talking about things that brought the mood down. He usually tried to ignore it or eventually snap at somebody if whatever it was had eaten at him enough.

"Well, she already knows about the whole 'having a baby with another man' scandal, Pops," Sam snorted. "But I don't know… maybe he told her about Madagascar."

"Christ… Madagascar," he sighed, his grip tightening on the yoke. He could remember that trip well, considering it hadn't been too long ago. It was almost crazy to think it had been only a few years prior. He shook that feeling off.

Sam clenched his jaw. His eyes looked forward to see what sights were outside the window. Nothing too spectacular. He could see a lot of green below from the trees that covered the land. Both of them knew very well the reality of that past situation; Nate didn't.

"Yeah, Madagascar," Sam repeated.

Sully's eyes became dull. That trip, at least that moment of the trip, was one of the few things he still regretted. A heavy breath escaped him as he tried to keep himself focused. He knew where this was getting at.

"I know the damn kid's in denial, Sam."

"Because he trusts you."

"I know," Sully replied. "I just–"

"You need to just tell him. Maybe it'd relieve some tension between them."

"You sure about that?"

"He thinks she managed to find him somehow… maybe, I don't know… crazy theory here," Sam said, cracking up as he shook his head. He dug into his pocket to grab his pack of cigarettes and his lighter. The lighter, grey and engraved with his initials, was soon lighting a fresh stick. "Maybe he thinks she cheated on him for some kind of revenge."

"Kid's imagination is definitely big enough to think that."

"Now… do I think that'll help the whole baby thing? No," he explained. "But at least he'd know the truth about how Elena found him there."

"I don't think anything will help with the baby thing. Elena did that to herself," Sully sighed. It still shocked him to think that Elena had gone to France on business and came back knocked up. Nate had said it didn't bother him because they had 'lost their spark' almost two years before without ever wanting to mention it to one another. Even so, if Elena had felt the need to get affection elsewhere, then she should have spoken with Nate. Nate should've talked with her too if he had lost any and all romantic interest in her; they both lacked so much communication that Sully sometimes found it impressive they lasted as long as they did.

He hoped that wouldn't be an issue with Lara. He prayed that Nate did tell Lara everything about the divorce because that meant things were going better with her.

"Can't believe she's a single mom," Sam murmured.

"She'll be fine."

"I know," he nodded. Pausing, he glanced back at Sully with concerned eyes. With his brow furrowed, he took a puff from his cigarette and said, "You are going to tell him, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Sully let out. "I'll tell him."

Sam was pleased to hear that, Sully could tell. He knew that Sam thought his brother deserved to know the truth rather than being in a state of denial and blaming everything on the idea of Elena having massive trust issues. He knew Elena didn't really deserve that, considering it had actually been Sully just trying to look out for the two of them. Elena, although she had made a terrible mistake, was still a good person. He hated what she had done to Nate, and how sour their romance had ended, but he wanted her to have support considering everything she had helped them with. And now, with her new baby, she definitely needed that.

Back in New Orleans

Nate's hands ran through Lara's wet hair, trying to get the last of the conditioner out of her brown locks before finally finishing. He pulled his hands away and ran them under the showerhead. "I was trying to be romantic and not say anything," he said. "But you shed like a dog."

Laughing, the other stepped to the side so he could get any of the hair off of his hands. She would have to clean the drains before she left, she realized. She would feel awful if she didn't.

"I know." She continued giggling, grabbing his hands when she saw they were free of her hair. "Sorry."

He looked down, his eyes locking with hers. Something had always drawn him into them. Maybe it was the way the light bounced off them. Maybe it was how she held every emotion in them. He wasn't sure, really.

"It's okay," he smiled. "I guess I can forgive you."

Lara let go of his hands and turned around, grabbing the body wash she had bought a few days ago. It smelled like citrus, which was a smell she had always loved, especially considering her mom used to have citrus trees at the estate when she was a child. She began to lather the body wash onto his skin, starting with his chest. She leaned forward, taking in the vague scent of the fragrance.

"The park was nice by the way," she told him. "Everything there was amazing. Really."

"I'm glad you liked it."

Her hands started at his shoulders and arms then. He kept still for her, more relaxed than anything as she focused on her task at hand. Her skin glistened, the water continuing to hit her backside as she shielded most of the water from him until he would need to rinse off.

"I was wondering," she said softly. "Have you been looking into any new expeditions?"

"No, actually," he admitted. "I, um… I've been too sidetracked. I was too focused on this."

"Really? On me?"

"On us," he corrected her. He didn't feel he had any time for anything when he knew she had been coming. He was too busy looking forward to her rather than trying to research anything. He didn't regret it.

She pursed her lips into a smile, leaning into his chest as her hands ran down his stomach. She still felt oddly strange in all of this; she hadn't ever thought she would actually be in a relationship. At the end of it all, she thought she would possibly die alone with a cat or two. She didn't think anyone would want anything to do with her unless they were crazy enough… it was similar to her parents, she realized.

"'On us,'" she repeated softly. The line seemingly swooned her as she continued to lather soap on his skin. She began to think back, a laugh bubbling from her chest as she looked up at him. She was almost shocked about their circumstances now when she put them into perspective. "I guess that makes sense."

He placed his hand on her cheek, smiling at how happy she seemed to look before his mind flooded with questions. Soon she would be back in England. He wasn't sure when they would be planning another trip like this, especially because he didn't know if she had anything planned for her own expeditions. She always seemed much busier than him.

"What do you think about me coming to England?" he asked.

"Oh, we should figure that out," she muttered. She suddenly dipped down, trying to reach his legs for the soap. She wasn't really sure when they should do this again, though she knew she wanted it to be soon. She wanted this to work out as well as it possibly could.

Nate shifted a little, glancing down at her. He hadn't actually stayed in her manor. He could remember how grand it was, how beautiful and almost fairytale it seemed. It would be fun to play around in such a big home, he thought, as silly as he knew that was.

She came back up, pressing herself against his chest again. The warm water that ran down their skin felt rather nice. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave his lips a peck.

"The sooner, the better," she let out.

His hands rested on her hips. He could agree with her sentiments, considering he definitely wanted to do the same thing. He would try to hold off just a little, but he knew he wanted to go to England as soon as possible. If they were going to be long-distance he would have to make it work, even if he had never really had a relationship like that quite before. He smiled, "Good thing I can get a flight whenever."

Lara started pecking at his lips once more, seemingly caring more about giving him affection than speaking more about something that they could worry about later. He returned the favor. His hands now moved and began to explore her body, taking in her deep kisses.

Lara was busy blow-drying her hair while Nate walked into the attached master bedroom. The room, featuring a California king bed, was certainly much more of a bedroom than what he had back at his apartment. It was nicely decorated; a large abstract painting hung above the bed, showcasing multiple colors in slashes and splatters. Sure, he didn't quite get abstract art, but it was still nice to look at. The furniture in itself could even be considered some form of art when looking at its form and aesthetics. He grabbed his bag from the floor and started to dig through his clothes, searching for something to wear since they would be going out later. In the back of his head, all he could think about was the fact he could barely fit his full-sized bed, nightstand, and small desk all into one room. Here, even with the enormous bed, there was still plenty of space.

He hated to think how much the rental cost per night.

Pulling out some clothes, he quickly slid out of his towel to put on the outfit he had managed to get together, yet was interrupted while he was buttoning up his jeans due to the ring from his phone. He hesitated on answering, thinking he could possibly just let it ring and ignore whoever it was. Though the more he thought about this, the more he suddenly needed to know who was calling. Sighing, he gave in to his curiosity and grabbed his cellphone from the nightstand of the side he had been sleeping on.

Flipping the phone open only revealed Chloe's name. He decided to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey there. Long time, no talk," the other end responded.

"Yeah, I know," he said. He grabbed a pair of boots that sat by the bedroom door with his other shoes with his free hand, walking back over to the edge of the bed and sitting down. He might as well continue getting dressed, although he knew his shirt was far more important than his shoes. "Is there a reason you're calling?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something," Chloe replied. "It's important."

"Important?" He slipped a foot into the boot, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear as he began to tightly lace them up. "Important how?"

Chloe groaned on the other line. "As in money. I'll even let you have a cut."

Money sounded promising, though he wasn't sure what it was she needed. He pursed his lips as he thought for a moment, silent as he continued to tie the boot up. He didn't really want to pass up on an opportunity that could definitely financially benefit him.

"Am I your second-best this time?" he joked, moving on to his other boot.

"You were never my second-best. I couldn't ask you when you were… chained up."

"Married, Chloe."

"Same difference."

"You say that now," he smiled, finding the way she spoke about it rather amusing. He finished up with his boots and held the phone in his hand again, laying back on the bed as he looked up at the ceiling. There was nothing fancy about the ceiling, which almost shocked him considering how elaborate this house felt. "Until Cutter steals an engagement ring for you."

"Oh, please, Cutter isn't cut out for heists."

"Who says it'll be a new ring?"

"If I'm getting an engagement ring, it better not come off some dead girl's finger," Chloe explained jokingly, laughing a little before he could hear her shifting around on the other end, obviously moving. The line was quiet for a moment until she changed the subject. "So, what do you say?"

"I'd like more details," he said.

"Okay. Fair," she replied. "It's in Spain, something about Saint George. I know you're… sort of an expert on things like that."

Nate closed his eyes as he listened to her. He could vaguely hear the blowdryer in the bathroom still going and he smiled more, thinking about how Lara was probably already frustrated about how long it was taking to dry her hair. "You have my attention so far."

"Alright… well, there is one more thing you should know."

"What's that?"

"You'd be working with me and Nadine. I know how that all went, I figured I'd go ahead and tell you so I wouldn't have another incident–"

"Nadine?" he asked, shooting up into an upright position. How did Chloe know Nadine? Why were they working together? "What are you talking about?"

"I… assumed your brother would've told you."

"About what?"

"Okay," Chloe sighed. "You have a little chit-chat with your brother and then get back to me, got it?"

Nate gave a heavy breath in return. He wanted to know everything now but he knew how Chloe was. Besides, he would be leaving soon anyway. He didn't really have time for such a lengthy discussion over the phone. Defeated, he responded, "Okay."

"Stay open, alright?"

"I'll try. Bye," he simply said, hanging up the phone and closing it shut. Of course Sam would forget to mention something like Nadine somehow being involved in anything. The last time he had seen her, she had been on a Shoreline helicopter going god knows where. Part of him wondered how her mother was. He knew she was most likely passed.

He set the phone on the bed and snagged his shirt, pulling it over his head as he thought more into it. He couldn't figure out something that made sense. Nadine had been in charge of an army-for-hire, why was Chloe possibly partnered with her for?

The background noise of the blow dryer he had been listening to this entire time finally stopped, being replaced by nothing but silence. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took in the nothingness, his head trying to get away from the strange call. He shouldn't be worrying about that, he thought, there were more important things to think about.

Lara had come out of the bathroom by then, walking over to the bed and lugging her suitcase on top of it so she could pick out her own outfit. Twisting around, he put his sights on her and offered a gentle smile. She was still in her towel, of course, having it wrapped around her torso.

"Decided to join me?" he laughed.

"After having a long battle with my hair, yeah."

She tossed a pair of pants on the bed, digging for what shirt she wanted then. He watched as she did this, somewhat curious about what she would be wearing out. A bra and a pair of underwear were on the bed before a shirt, which indicated to him that she just didn't know what she wanted yet. Usually, she wasn't so picky.

He leaned over a little, grabbing onto something and playfully showing it to her. "Why don't you just wear this?" He realized he had grabbed a crop top, which he actually thought would look quite nice on her. It was a nice surprise if she agreed.

She glanced over at it and snatched it out of his hand with a smile, "If you insist."

She set the suitcase back in its rightful place, walking back over to the bed, yet was abruptly grabbed by Nate before she was able to start putting any clothes on her back. He looked up at her with a grin, "I don't really care what you wear."

His hand tugged at her towel until it fell onto the floor. Now that she was bare, he pulled her down on his lap and began planting kisses on her jaw. "If it were up to me, we would stay here," he whined jokingly. "But you want to go bowling so bad."

"I haven't bowled in years!" she said, defending herself as she found herself giggling then. She rested her arms on his shoulders as she relaxed in his lap. Her eyes focused on his face for a moment before she added, "You look like there's something on your mind."

He shook his head, forcing a chuckle out of himself. "What? Me? No," he replied. "Nothing's on my mind."

"Come on," she murmured, leaning her forehead against his. "What is it, Nate?"

He took a deep breath, releasing any tension that was building up in his shoulders as he suddenly slouched. "Chloe called."

"Chloe?"

"She helped with Shambala and Iram," he told her, refreshing her memory about such stories. He knew he barely talked about the people involved unless they were people Lara knew. He had described Chloe as "an old friend" when he told her about his trips. Admittedly, he never really brought up their dating history. "She called earlier. About a job."

"Are you going to take it?"

"Depends," he sighed. "She's working with Nadine."

Lara perked. She looked just as confused as he had felt about the situation. She scrunched her face up as she tried to connect the dots.

Nate took notice. "I know, yeah. I don't know either," he said. "She thought Sam would've told me about it… whatever that means."

"Sounds like Sam forgot to mention something rather important," she mused. It did seem weird to not mention, though they both knew Sam was a little airheaded sometimes. At least when it came to stuff like that. "Your friend has that type of money?"

"No. She wouldn't hire Nadine."

"Do you think Nadine mentioned anything about us?" she asked.

"Good question."

Lara shrugged. There wasn't much else to say. She decided to grab either side of his face, giving him a smile. "You'll just have to ask Sam then," she told him, a lighthearted tilt in her voice. "You need to focus on your game strategy."

He snorted, rolling his eyes at what she had suggested. He guessed she was right considering he hadn't really gone bowling in a long time either. They both probably weren't going to be getting very good scores that night. He leaned into her touch as his hands ran up her sides.

"I'll just wing it."

"Like you do everything else?" She patted his cheeks and shook her head, pulling his hands away from her then. He watched her stand up to put her clothes on, in which he knew for sure they would definitely be going and not staying in. He stayed silent for a little before he decided to tease her.

"I wouldn't mind you staying like this. Unless it counts as interference," he smirked, leaning back on the bed. "Does bowling have rules against distractions?"

"I'm sure the bowling alley does," she replied, laughing as she stood up. She grabbed her underwear and slipped into them. Nate kept his eyes on her. He would try and focus on what she had asked him to; bowling night. Although, the back of his head certainly held thoughts of everything else.

"Okay, so when I win, are you going to stay an extra week?" Nate asked. He was sitting down, watching Lara grab her ball. They were at a newer alley, one he had never been to before, and it was certainly different from the ones he remembered going to in his past. He could remember the older bowling alleys he had gone to, out-of-date and decorated with funky primary colors. You were told your scores with box TVs and poorly animated 3D models. He always remembered the older arcade machines there that no one ever played collecting dust. Here, the end of the lanes were lined with projections on the walls, playing music videos from artists he definitely didn't know. Instead of harsh yellow lighting, the dim area was lit with nice hues of blues and purples.

"When?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, I'm sort of leading in case you haven't noticed."

"That doesn't mean you're going to win," she replied, turning towards the lane. Nate leaned back as he watched her try to get a good form, tapping his foot somewhat. The lighting bounced off her skin beautifully, he sometimes wished he knew how to paint so he could incorporate colors into the things he doodled. Maybe he should try colored pencils, he thought, his mind straying away from the game.

He had gotten more invested in his drawings than in previous years. When he and Elena had separated, he realized how often he found himself sketching in journals and notepads, and for the first time in his life had bought a proper sketchbook. He had filled it shortly after, finding himself going back to the local art supply store and buying more sketchbooks. It eventually became a normal occurrence, oftentimes getting distracted by the various supplies that he had never really used before. He had never been to an art store before any of that. The professional-level pencils, the markers, the liners, they all were interesting things that he wanted to try. He made a promise to himself he would try them out one day, but he had to admit some of them were rather pricey.

Fingers snapped in front of his face. He jumped, his eyes shooting up to see his date.

"Nate? What country are you in?" Lara asked playfully.

"Oh, sorry," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was… thinking about something."

"Well, it's your turn," she informed him, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of his seat.

He stepped forward and tried to pull his mind back into the present, reaching for a bowling ball. He turned to the face lane, although his eyes shifted over to the group next to them; a small family, whose little boy was about to roll a ball. Pausing to let the boy go, he smiled somewhat while watching him. He was small, probably only seven years old at the oldest, and held the ball to his chest with every ounce of effort that he had. The family had their gutter guards up, so when the kid had rolled, the ball slowly made its way down to hit two pins.

Focusing back on their own game, he went ahead and took his own turn. Not a strike, but having two pins standing wasn't bad either. He grinned and turned to Lara, walking over to her.

"You never answered my question," he said, looking down at her as she sat down. "Are you going to stay another week?"

"I'd have to cancel my flight… and find another one," she replied, groaning as she made a face. Nate gently flicked her forehead in response, making sure he didn't actually hurt her in any way, before he leaned down be eye-to-eye with her. She smiled. "Okay, fine… if you win."

"Well, I'm going to, so…"

"So, what happens if I win?"

He took in a deep breath as he tried to figure out what would work for her. He could offer anything, really. He stood up straight again and put his hands on his hips, grinning a little as he shrugged. "I don't know, what does Lara want?"

"You buy me a drink?"

"That's it?"

"Mhm."

"Well… I guess I can do that," he replied. He figured she only said that because she knew he would win anyway.

Stumbling into the house had made Nate happy that Lara wanted to get an Uber there. After their game, which ended in his win, he had decided to still get drinks for her. Luckily, the bowling alley was located near a popular strip that wasn't a bad walk, which ended in them finding a bar. He had ordered them both drinks, which eventually led to a little more than what they should have gotten.

He closed the door behind them and locked it out of habit, walking Lara to the bedroom. He was the more the sober of the two, though definitely not sober enough to drive. When they had reached the bedroom, Lara sat down on the bed and started to pull her shoes off. Laughing to herself, she said, "Thanks… for still buying me the drink."

"Drinks," he corrected her. He kneeled down in front of her and started to help her with her shoes. He could tell she was tired even though she was giggling so much. He unlaced them and got them off her feet, setting them on the ground.

Lara began to pull her shirt off. She was quick to get out of her clothes, throwing them onto the floor before getting under the covers. Nate sat at the edge of the bed and started to slip out of his own shoes.

"I guess I'm staying for another week," she mumbled, smiling. He could feel her eyes on him and he knew that meant she was waiting for him to hurry in bed next to her. After he had kicked off his shoes, he stood back up, stripped down, and turned the lights off.

When he got into bed, Lara cuddled up to him, resting her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her. He was just happy he managed another week.

Here's to hoping I can keep up the good pace. Thanks for the read.