Lara woke up early the next day. She had barely slept, too anxious about what their meeting with Pythagoras would bring. Since the sun hadn't completely risen yet, she decided to lay on her side and enjoy the sight of her wife sleeping. Sam had felt better after resting but Lara was still worried the pain would come back inexplicably.
"I can hear you thinking from here…" Sam sleepily mumbled as she stirred awake.
"Sorry, love. Go back to sleep." Lara smiled lazily at her wife's cute sleepy face.
"S'okay." With her eyes still closed, Sam patted the bed to touch her wife. She frowned when she realized Lara was laying far away from her. She cracked an eye open. "Why are you so far?"
The archaeologist smiled sheepishly. "I didn't know if you were still cross with me so I didn't want to assume you would want to cuddle…"
The producer sighed. She finally opened both her eyes and propped herself up onto her elbows. "I'm starting to doubt Dr. Zuller is responsible for my state. It could just be the animus… I can understand why you didn't want to worry me more than I already am, but you should have said something. It's my life and I am entitled to know if someone or something threatens it."
"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't change anything but I genuinely thought Dr. Zuller didn't release the content of the syringe into your arm."
"But what if he had, I…"
"Then we wouldn't be here right now." Lara interrupted firmly. "I would have triggered the safety switch and…"
"Flip your shit on them?" Sam finished for her. She knew her wife well and she was aware that if anything were to happen to her because of some evil organization, Lara would set everything on fire - not caring about her own safety - to avenge her.
"Well, I mean, maybe, yes."
"Oh, definitely yes." The filmmaker chuckled as she pulled her wife on top of her. "Kiss me."
Lara huffed a laugh before smiling, relieved that their fight seemed to be over. "Yes, dear." She leaned closer to Sam's mouth, brushing her lips against hers. "I love you."
"I love you too." Sam closed the gap between them and kissed Lara's lips fully as she ran her fingers through her hair. After breaking the kiss, she felt Lara move to settle more comfortably, resting her head against her chest. She heard her wife sigh contently. "Comfy?"
Lara laughed. "Yes."
The producer lightly scratched her wife's back for a moment before moving her hands to Lara's ass. "Mmmhhh, better." She squeezed it.
The archaeologist chuckled lowly. "Well, that escalated quickly…" She lifted her head and captured Sam's lips again, moaning as she slipped her tongue into her mouth.
Sam pulled Lara closer and slowly started rocking her hips. She tugged at her wife's sleeping tunic, trying to touch her skin. "Off…"
Before Lara could move, Phoibe barged into the room. Both women yelped and pulled away. "Phoibe!"
Sam hastily tried to compose herself. "Phoibe, you should knock!"
"Sorry!" The girl looked at them sheepishly. She took a step back and knocked on the door loudly. "Kyra is leaving, come and say goodbye!" She stated before scrambling away.
Lara puffed some air out between her lips and groaned. "Why do people have children again?"
Sam chuckled, kissing Lara one more time before standing up. "You love kids."
"Yes but…"
"But not when they are interrupting our makeup sex?" The filmmaker said amused.
"No!" The Englishwoman covered her face with the blanket. "Yes…" She huffed in frustration.
Sam laughed. "Well, at least she's not ours, fewer responsibilities. But it's good practice for when…" She cut herself short, as if not daring to hope they could have a child someday. She cleared her throat. "Raincheck, I promise."
Lara removed the cover from her face. "Tease!"
"Come on, get dressed horny Croft, we have things to do!"
Lara groaned once again but stood up nonetheless.
Kyra was standing on the dock, ready to embark the ship that Myrrine had so kindly lent to her. She had already said goodbye to the matriarch and she was now hugging Sam. "It was an honor to meet you."
"I'm going to miss you," Sam stated sadly as she pulled away from the hug. "Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?"
Kyra nodded. "Yes, it's what's best for now. Besides, I have things to attend to."
The producer glanced at Kassandra who was gloomily standing close to the ship. "Please, don't close the door completely, Kassandra is..."
"I gave her several chances." The Mykonos leader cut her off.
"I'm aware of that and you have every right to protect yourself, but things are complicated right now and Lara and I are not making things easier. You love each other, it should count for something." Sam paused. "She is lost and thinks that she doesn't deserve happiness. Lara used to be like that but then, she made peace with herself and look at us now. She could surprise you."
Kyra smiled sadly. "It is out of my hands now."
Lara stepped closer and hugged Kyra. "I hope things will look up for you."
"Thank you." The leader then turned to Phoibe who was looking at her with tears in her eyes. She opened her arms. "Give me a hug."
"I don't want you to go…" Phoibe sniffled as she held her tight.
"This is not farewell, little one. You can come to visit anytime but don't sneak behind Kassandra's back, okay? Ask her first." Kyra kissed the girl's forehead before walking toward the ship where Kassandra was waiting for her.
"Kyra, I…"
"I want to be mad at you." Kyra cut her off. "But somehow, I understand. I just wish the Gods could be kinder to us."
Kassandra stared at the ground, dejectedly. "I'm sorry."
"I can't wait for you forever."
The mercenary looked up with sadness and understanding in her eyes. "I know."
"But I do love you." Kyra reached out and squeezed Kassandra's wrist, trying to convey her feelings.
"I…"
"You don't have to say anything." Kyra leaned closer and kissed her lover's cheek. "Goodbye, misthios," She murmured into her ear before embarking the ship.
As Lara and Sam made their way back to the house, Kassandra and Phoibe stayed on the dock, watching the ship disappear into the distance.
"Are you mad at me?" Phoibe asked suddenly. "For telling everyone about the staff."
Kassandra sighed wearily. "I was at first… but then I realized, what is the point of saving the world if you can't save the ones you love?"
The little girl bit her bottom lip worriedly, as if she wasn't sure she should say something. "Is Kyra gone forever?"
"I don't know…"
Phoibe leaned against the mercenary's arm. "You will meet again. Like Odysseus and Penelope, you are destined to reunite eventually, even if it takes years."
Kassandra put her arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her closer. "A lot can change in the meantime," She answered carefully, aware that things were complicated but not wanting to crush the girl's hope of a happy family.
"Trust me, I have a good feeling about this."
The mercenary chuckled. "Who am I to disagree, oh wise oracle Phoibe?" She tickled her.
"Stop it!" Phoibe giggled. "I'd rather be a misthios like you."
"It is a very lonely and weary life… It might be too late for me, but you are young, you can be everything you want."
"It's never too late."
Kassandra ignored the comment. "Come on, let's go back inside, we have things to do."
Sam and Lara were ready to sail toward Thera to meet Pythagoras. They knew that it was their last chance to gather information on the Caduceus before going back to the present and fight the Templars. As they made their way to the kitchen, they could hear Kassandra and Phoibe fight.
"Why can't I go with you? It's not fair!" Phoibe yelled.
"Phoibe, please." Kassandra almost begged. She was so tired of being the bearer of bad news. She knew the girl needed a break but she would have to say goodbye to her new friends first.
"No!" The girl stomped her foot. "You said it should be a safe trip so I don't see why I can't come."
"Strangers are not welcome there," The mercenary reminded her gently. "It won't be easy to get in with Sam and Lara so I can't bring you…"
"Then I can wait for you on the ship." Phoibe cut her off. "And after we can all come back and…"
"They are not coming back." Kassandra said softly.
The girl frowned. "What do you mean?"
"After this, they… they have to go back to their time."
"But… But can't they stay a little longer?" Phoibe asked with misty eyes.
Sam's heart broke for the poor girl so she decided to jump into the conversation. "Phoibe, we…"
"No…" The girl shook her head and sniffled. "I already said goodbye to Kyra today, I can't…"
"Come here." Sam opened her arms and beckoned Phoibe to come closer. The girl rushed into her embrace. "I'm sorry, sweetie." She looked at her wife and motioned for her to join in.
Lara hesitated for a second before moving behind Phoibe and hugging her and her wife. After a moment, she spoke in a whisper. "Darling, do you remember our conversation on the roof?" She felt Phoibe nod. "We are not from your time. The thing that brought us here is dangerous and …"
"You could die, I know…" The girl mumbled into Sam's belly. "I… I'm just tired of seeing everybody leave."
Lara was at a loss for words. She knew very well what it felt like to lose all the people you loved, especially when you were too young to understand that, it didn't have anything to do with you. She was also sad to leave because she had come to care for these people and it hurt to think that they would never see them again.
Thankfully, Sam answered for her. The filmmaker pulled away and knelt down. She gently cupped the girl's cheeks. "You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. Sometimes, people go, not because they want to, but because they have to. We come from so far away, we should have never met, and yet, against all odds, we did. We should be grateful for that, I know I am." She thumbed away a tear on Phoibe's cheek and paused as she felt her own tears rise in her throat. "We'll never be completely gone, you want to know why?" She smiled gently when Phoibe nodded. "Because we'll always be here." She touched the girl's forehead lightly. "And here." She moved her hand on top of Phoibe's heart. The girl put her hand on top of Sam's and smiled sadly. Sam brought their two hands over her own heart and said with a wobbling voice. "You'll be in mine."
"And in mine." Lara wrapped her arms around Phoibe's shoulders and squeezed gently to convey her feelings.
"I will look at the stars and think of you," Phoibe said as she whipped her tears away.
Sam smiled at her as an idea popped into her head. She knew she couldn't bring anything back with her, after all they were in some kind of simulation, but she could leave something behind. She removed the bracelet that Kassandra had offered her and put it around the girl's wrist. "Here, something to remember me by."
"Thank you, adelfí." Phoibe lowered her head and closed her eyes when she felt Sam kiss her forehead.
Inspired by the gesture, Lara rummaged through her purse and pulled out the t-shirt she was wearing when they first arrived here. "It should fit you in a couple of years."
Phoibe recognized the shirt Sam was holding when Lara had disappeared and smiled. She hugged the woman once again. "Efaristo."
Lara pulled away from the hug. "I know it's hard for you to look at the bright side right now, but you are not alone. You have Kassandra, you have your… grandma?" She looked at Sam.
Sam shrugged. "Sort of?"
"Well, you have Myrrine, and Kyra isn't gone, she said you could visit."
"I know," Phoibe said.
"Good." Lara kissed the girl's cheek. "It's gonna be okay."
Sam hugged Phoibe one last time before saying goodbye to Myrrine and the people in the house. Once they were done, Lara and Sam walked toward the Adestria with a heavy heart.
As soon as they were on board of the ship, Sam sat quietly at the bow, staring ahead while Lara and Kassandra stayed at the helm, watching her from afar.
"Is she alright?" The mercenary asked.
"As much as she wants to go back to the present, some things are hard to leave behind."
Kassandra nodded in understanding. "Goodbyes are never easy." She let the silence settle for a moment before speaking again. "We don't have to discuss Pythagoras right now if you want to join her…"
"Not yet, I think she needs a moment alone."
"She was very good with Phoibe," The Misthios stated.
"She was." Lara tore her eyes away from her wife to answer her friend. "Well, she is good with people in general but there is a softness when she talks to kids, like she wants them to feel seen and listened to, the things she didn't have when she was young…"
Kassandra smiled. "You did well with Phoibe too. Thank you for stepping in, I didn't want to break her heart once again."
"Take care of her, she's precious."
"I will." The Spartan woman swore.