AN at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does. I just play around with her characters. No copyright infringement intended. I also don't own Tomb Raider.
Important note: Tomb Raideris an adopted rewrite to the story Bella Swan: Tomb Raider. Next Generation.The original writer of this story encountered a lot of drama in the fandom and quit FF, leaving her stories abandoned. After I found it and expressed interest in it, she was gracious enough to let me adopt it and gave me the chance to rewrite it and give my own twists to the story. I thank her for this opportunity. All credit for the story idea goes to her.
Swan Manor was an impressive estate. Surrounded by twenty-seven and a half acres of lush forest ground and even a private lake; the house stood in complete privacy from the rest of the world.
The house itself was incredibly large. Eighty bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, a library, a computer lab, an indoor pool, large training room, a simulation room, and a garage large enough to house Lady Swan's impressive car – and weapons – collections. At the back of the house, was a shooting range and a second, outdoor pool.
Out of the many properties her family owned; Lady Swan, or Bella as she was lovingly nicknamed by her friends and family, considered this one to be her home. It had been her father's favourite, even though her mother had had little love for it.
Her father was Lord Charles Swan, renowned as an archaeologist and revered, feared even, as a tomb raider. It was him that taught her everything she knew, him that raised her to be a tomb raider.
Her mother had been vastly different. She preferred a quiet life, tending after her roses in the yard, keeping her home and raising her child in as much love and innocence as possible. But life was unfair, even for Lord Charles and Lady Renée Swan and their daughter.
When Bella was barely eighteen, her parents were murdered in their sleep. It had been a dark time. Lord Swan was working on a case for the FBI, tracking down the location of a unique and priceless manuscript before one of the largest criminal organisation of the world could get their hands on it. What the manuscript entitled, Bella didn't know, but it was important enough for the FBI to ensure that no one would ever find it again.
They burned the manuscript and killed the only person who had ever laid eyes on it. Lord Swan. Bella's mother had been collateral damage. It was her parents' murder that fuelled Bella's fire to fight day-by-day.
Bella's bedroom consisted of three circular, separate areas all connected by one circular main section. The room was decorated with soft furniture and earthy colors. Along the back walls were long, arched windows with stained glass. In her sleeping area stood a large oak poster bed. Along the wall, several TV monitors were mounted. They functioned as both security monitors as well as regular TV's.
Bella slowly woke up as the sun crept through the stained glass windows. She stepped out of bed and pulled on a robe over her sleep shirt. Stuffing her feet into a pair of soft house-slippers, she made her way out the door and into the corridor. She looked down onto the living room downstairs as she made her way towards the stairs.
She walked down the stairs and through the living room. Next to the computer lab was the large, cozy kitchen. Bella was greeted by a smiling Esme.
"Good morning, love," Esme said, getting up from her chair to get some coffee for Bella.
"Good morning," Bella replied.
Although Esme was only ten years older than Bella, she had an air of maternal love around her that made Bella automatically gravitate towards her. Esme was her parents' most trusted and beloved home keeper before they died. After their death, young as though she was, Esme stayed and picked up the pieces of Bella's broken heart.
Bella shuddered to think of how she would have turned out if it hadn't been for Esme.
Esme placed a mug of coffee in front of Bella, just as Rosalie stepped into the kitchen. Rose and Jasper were an entirely different story. Their mother died giving birth to them and their father, crushed by grief at the loss of his wife, turned to alcohol to deal.
As the twins grew older, their father grew more violent. Bella's mother was a volunteer at the children's hospital and when the twins were 9 years old, their father had beaten them within an inch of their lives.
The father was arrested and it was Bella's mother that convinced her husband to take them into their home. To lovingly nurse them back to health. He was easily swayed and Rosalie and Jasper became a part of their family instantly.
Bella smiled at Rose as she sat down and she was rewarded with a wicked scowl. Rosalie was a right bitch in the mornings; it amused Bella to no end.
"Sleep well, dearie?" Bella taunted.
"Bite me," she grumbled back, downing her coffee in one mighty pull.
Jasper soon joined them and the four ate their breakfast in quiet companionship. After they ate, Bella showered and got dressed in her full gear. She always trained in full gear. That meant her somewhat heavy combat boots, her guns and backpack with extra ammunition. This way she wouldn't be weighed down by the extra weight on a mission.
Her training started off with running. She ran the track her father made in the woods behind the house. It took her up and down small, steep hills, through small rivers and over rocks. She jumped over tree roots, dodged tripwires, ducked underneath overhanging branches and shot targets that came shooting out from behind the trees.
She was sweating by the time she had circled back to the house but her training was not done yet. Slipping back into inside, she went straight for the indoor pool. Once there, she took a running start and dove elegantly, fully dressed and armed, into the water. Her guns and backpack were waterproof.
Her boots were heavy in the water and she had to fight not to let their weight pull her down. This is how she liked to train, pushing herself to the edge. She was halfway through her fifth lap across the pool when Esme stepped into the pool room with a nervous smile.
"Bella, love," she called out. Bella responded by picking up her speed towards the edge of the pool and climbing out, dripping wet.
"Yes?" she asked, walking around Esme and getting a towel from a cabinet.
"You have visitors."
~*TR*~
Edward Cullen was staring at the agent next to him in the driver's seat. He smirked as the agent fidgeted with the collar of his shirt the closer they got to their destination. Agent Barren was visibly nervous about meeting with Lady Swan and the thought entertained Edward something fierce.
Edward's home was in Chicago, Illinois. Agent Barren had approached Edward there with a case that instantly intrigued him. As a raider, it was cases like the one that Barren presented that made the job worth the dangers that came with it. Edward remembered how he had felt a rush of adrenaline reading about it.
But his excitement was dampened considerably after he had told the agent that he and his team would take the case. Barren was adamant that Edward teamed up with Lady Isabella Swan. Although Edward knew Lady Swan by reputation and respected her for it, he did not work with others. He had told Barren so, that he absolutely refused, but Barren had thrown it back in his face with the absolute worst thing you can do to an intrigued raider. He told Edward he would take the case to another raider if Edward wouldn't cooperate.
Instantly agitated, Edward looked out the window of the moving car and tapped his fingers on the door handle. He had met Lady Swan before in a brief moment. It was at an exhibition of ancient Asian weaponry at the Smithsonian Institute last year. She was a cripplingly beautiful woman, deceptively small and delicate. For the exhibition, she had worn a midnight blue satin off shoulder gown that hugged her body in all the right places. Edward had walked around with an uncomfortable problem in his trousers all night.
He looked at Barren again.
"What's got your panties in a bunch, B?" he said with a mocking grin.
"What? No, nothing," Barren responded with a suspiciously high voice. "I'm fine."
"Uh huh," Edward chuckled. "Liar."
"Shut up."
He grinned wider, gazing back out the window. England really was a beautiful country. The woods and hills were incredibly green and welcoming, with just the right amount of mystery to make Edward feel home. He certainly wouldn't mind if he had to live there for the rest of his days.
After another ten minutes of driving, Edward noticed a sleek black BMW behind their car. Looking at it suspiciously through the side view mirror, he realized that the car was following them. With a clenched jaw, Edward told Barren about it.
"That's Agent Coulter," Barren answered off-handedly.
"Agent Coulter," Edward responded suspiciously. He never knew about another agent involved and he didn't like it. Edward was known for his need to know every single thing about a case.
"Yeah," Barren whispered. "He's MI5. He's here to help us...erm...talk to Lady Swan."
With a raised eyebrow and a baffled chuckle, Edward gazed at Barren in disbelief.
"Are you really that fucking scared to talk to her?" His chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. "Oh man, this is too good. Big, bad FBI Agent Barren is scared to even talk to Lady Swan!"
"Shut up," Barren hissed, taking a barely visible exit from the road and slowing down as they came closer to a very large, very safe iron gateway. The BMW followed them down the exit and Edward had trouble keeping in his giggles as Barren got out and pushed the intercom button of the gate.
After Barren introduced himself to whomever it was that responded to the buzz, he came back to the car and took the wheel again, waiting for the large gates to open. Edward couldn't help but gape open-mouthed at the fucking castle that came into view as they drove down the pebbled drive way. Everything about the mansion just screamed wealth and history. He could easily see why a raider would love to live here.
Barren and Coulter parked their cars in front of the mansion and, with a deep breath, Barren got out of the car. Edward followed suit, with another chuckle and a shake of his head.
"Good morning, gentlemen," called a deep voice from the doorway. Edward looked over at the man and smiled at him, giving him a two-fingered wave. Walking up to him, he extended his hand and started to introduce himself.
"Edward Cullen," the man said with a chuckle. "I'm aware. We met at the Smithsonian last year."
"Oh," Edward said sheepishly.
"Well," the man said with a grin. "I believe you were too preoccupied with Lady Swan's bottom to notice anyone else."
Edward barked out a laugh, his ears tinting slightly red at the very tips. "I like you."
"Jasper," the man introduced himself, shaking Edward's hand. Edward smirked at him just as Agents Barren and Coulter came up to them.
Coulter was a short, broad man with a square shaped face and a goatee. The general vibe coming off him was that he had a short fuse and wasn't afraid to kick your ass if he felt the need to. Barren looked like a terrified child next to him. It was made worse by the fact that he had broken out in a sweat.
"Jasper," Edward said. "These are FBI Special Agent Barren and MI5 somethingAgent Coulter."
As he introduced them, Edward observed Jasper's reaction and was astounded to see real fury light up in his eyes at the mention of Barren. In return, Barren's face twisted into a sheepish, frightened mask.
"You should not be here," Jasper hissed, pointing directly at Barren. Edward tried to intervene but was ignored completely.
"Agent Coulter and I wish to talk to Lady Swan," Barren squeaked. "It's a matter of great importance."
Jasper's eyes narrowed. "Then I wish you the best of luck, Agent Barren, for Lady Swan will not be cordial to you. I can assure you of that."
Barren swallowed uncomfortably and nodded shakily to which Jasper turned, shooting Edward a small apologetic smile, and led the men into the house. Inside, the house was just as impressive as the outside but it was warmly decorated and it was obvious that it was kept by a loving hand. Jasper walked over to a shorter woman who looked to be in her thirties. She was beautiful and had a loving air around her. Jasper leaned into the woman and whispered in her ear.
The woman's eyes widened slightly, a sharp grimace crossing her face as she looked over at Edward and the agents. Edward was starting to really regret coming here with Barren.
"Gentlemen, please follow me to the office," Jasper said as the woman slipped away through one of the many doors that lined the living area.
Edward nodded, gesturing for Jasper to lead the way, which he did. They silently followed Jasper up a flight of stairs, to the right and down a long corridor.
"Nice crib," Edward said, hoping to alleviate the tension that swirled around like thick fog. It worked, briefly. Jasper grinned at him.
"Thank you. It's Lady's Swan pride and joy."
"I don't blame her."
Jasper led them through a door that revealed a large library. Mahogany bookcases lined all the walls, except for the back wall which was entirely made out of leaded windows. A huge desk stood in the middle of the room and there was a comfortable looking lounge set in the corner.
Jasper chose to seat the guests in front of the desk instead of the less formal lounge.
They had only just sat down when the door was swung open with force and a very wet and a very pissed off Lady Swan stepped inside. At first glance, Edward couldn't help but appreciate how she looked. In all honesty, he felt like kneeling in front of her and licking off every single droplet of water that was slowly dripping down her legs.
Shaking his head briefly, he watched as she stepped further into the room. Her one hand was pointing at Barren, the other hovering over her gun. The smirk on Edward's face slipped a little. He wasn't particularly fond of Barren but he wasn't going to allow Lady Swan to physically hurt him either.
"You," she hissed, shaking with absolute fury. "Get off my property!"
Edward could only guess as to why Lady Swan was so angry, but Barren had told him before that the relationship between the FBI and the Swan family was strained. Barren got up, holding his hands up in a disarming way.
"Lady Swan," he pleaded and Edward had to admire the man for keeping his voice while being stared down by what could possibly be the biggest ball buster in Europe. "I wouldn't have come here if it wasn't a matter of utmost importance."
Lady Swan narrowed her eyes at Barren, to which he dug a case file out of his briefcase and held it out for her. With a sharp tug, she pulled it out of his hand. Edward fidgeted a little. It was like Lady Swan had no idea he and Coulter were even in the room and it was something he wasn't used to.
As if he had read Edward's mind, Jasper leaned in and whispered: "Just give her a minute to calm down a little."
Tense silence filled the room as she read the file, her eyes zipping through the pages and narrowing at the pictures. Edward saw a familiar spark of excitement fill her eyes. It was the same spark he had.
She looked back at Barren, a little less cold but no less bitchy. For the first time, she looked around the room. Her eyes landed on Edward and spark of recognition passed through her mind.
"Edward Cullen," she said, walking over to him and extending her hand to shake his. He took it with a grin.
"Lady Swan," he said with a nod. "It's good to see you again."
"Yes," she agreed. "Though your company is less joyous to meet."
Edward chuckled a little, looking over her shoulder to Barren who looked like he could tip over from an aneurysm any moment.
"I'm curious what brings you here, though," she continued.
He took a breath. "The case, Lady Swan," he started but he was interrupted by her.
"Please," she said holding his hand up. "As a fellow raider, please call me Bella."
"Bella," Edward tried with a smirk and a tilt of his head. "Agent Barren here gave me the case."
Confusion marred her beautiful face and she walked around the desk – ignoring the agents – and sat down. "I ask again," she said. "Not that you're not welcome here, but why are you here."
It was Coulter that spoke up, his voice ringing loud and clear and full of authority.
"The case is of such importance that MI5 and the FBI feel strongly that it should be handled by the two best archaeologists in the world," he said. "We believe those two to be you and Mister Cullen."
Bella raised a perfect eyebrow. "No."
"See?" Edward told Barren. "I told you. Our kind doesn't work together."
Barren and Coulter looked at each other in a baffled moment. Edward took that moment to take the case file from Bella's desk and closed it.
"I'll take the case," he said, a little too cheery.
"What?" Bella called out, her voice getting close to a shriek. "No, I'll take it!"
"I don't think so, Princess," Edward chuckled, making his way to the door. "Finders keepers and the case was first presented to me so... Ta!"
Bella shot up from her chair and was on the other side of the room in front of Edward within a second, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.
"I believe I would be best to take this job on," she hissed.
"Really?" Edward asked sarcastically to which she nodded with fervor. "Well, I think that I would be best to take the case."
Jasper, who had been standing silently in a corner of the room, watched the two raiders with a barely restrained laughter bubbling up in his chest. This was going to be interesting. Barren and Coulter both opened their briefcases and took official looking letters out.
The bickering between the raiders continued even as Coulter and Barren stood next to them.
"Excuse me," Barren said, clearing his throat.
"Shut up!"
The two raiders stood at an impasse, glaring each other down in their fight for the case. This was the kind of case that people like Edward and Bella dreamt of. It was such a legend, such a mystery, thrown into their laps straight by the Gods of the olden days.
"Lady Swan," Coulter said and something about his tone made her break the staring contest she was holding with Edward. "I implore you to take this case on."
"And I will!" she shouted.
"Like hell you will," Edward retaliated. "It's my case!"
"Well, these gentlemen here obviously don't trust you to do it on your own! Otherwise they wouldn't have dragged you here!"
Edward's eyes narrowed dangerously, the emerald green turning into dark slits.
"Both of you!" Barren shouted exasperated. "Shut up!"
The two raiders turned to him like one to glare at the man. But the man who had been so scared of Bella no five minutes ago, surprisingly held his ground.
"Edward," he said, taking a deep breath and handing him the letter in his hands. "This case is of such significance that the President himself requested your collaboration with Lady Swan."
"Well," Edward scoffed. "The President can kiss my a-"
"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you," Barren warned matter-of-factly.
"Abnormally handsome cheek," he finished anyway with a cheeky grin. Barren just grunted at him.
Coulter spoke now, handing a similar letter to Bella. "Lady Swan, in name of the Queen, MI5 requests you work with Mister Cullen on this case."
Bella sagged a little, bound by some weird sense of loyalty.
"Fine!" They both exclaimed. They reluctantly turned to each other and shook on it. Jasper, who was still standing in the corner, looked on in utter disbelief. Never before had Bella worked with someone else. He wasn't sure whether to be in awe of this moment or deathly afraid.
I've been completely blown away by all the hits, alerts, favorites and reviews the prologue alone generated. I can't really believe it. Every single one of you have made me smile. Thank you so much. Please don't forget to review this chapter if you liked it.
Special thanks to my wonderful Beta Smmiskimen. She's truly an amazing woman. Check out her own work!
Also special thanks to the girls over at the Alternate Universe Fanfiction Recommendations on Facebook. Without their encouragment, I wouldn't be rewriting this story.
I know this chapter is a little short but I needed to cut off where I did. Next chapter will be all about the case and the two teams getting to know each other.
Kisses from Pixie.