Croft Manor cast a long shadow this evening. The moon stood high in the sky, looking over the grounds through dark clouds. What light filtered past the vapor welcomed its way into windows, illuminating the splendors within. Moonlight danced across ornate rugs and warm stone, polished wood and antiques. The air was still throughout the halls, every room quiet save for one.

Lara sat at the desk in her library, wordlessly pawing through the muddle of books she had brought down from numerous shelves. Several had notes sticking out, others cast away towards a small book cart. A globe on the corner held many pins, tabs attached while a laptop nearby sat running updates.

Leaning back in her chair she sighed. Several tomes had perked her interest, and it didn't seem possible to just pick one. This wasn't the time to bite off more than she could chew, certainly. The open pages before her were wonderful explanations of Croatian myths, the book underneath a fascinating collection of South American folklore. "What to do, what to do…" She muttered.

A soft knock on the door was a welcomed distraction. "Come in."

Winston came in slowly, a tray of cups and a teapot in his hands. Lara caught the faint aroma of bergamot. "I thought perhaps you would care for a nightcap?"

Lara stood, smiling while moving a few books from her desk. "That would be wonderful, Winston."

He motioned for her to stop. "Now, no need to disturb your work area, Lady Croft." He chuckled when she wrinkled her nose at the title. "There is room plenty on the table in the upper office."

Briefly Lara felt an urge to object, but reconsidered. She had spent countless hours at the same damn desk, milling through text after text. Any longer and she pondered if her eyes would cross.

"Thinking I should take a break?" She said. Looking up she spoke warmly, "Perhaps it would be a good idea. Care to join me?"

"I would be delighted. Shall I prepare?"

"Sure. I'll be up in a minute."

He turned, taking the stairs to the top floor of the library. After piling a few papers together in a last ditch effort to organize, Lara jogged up the steps to the landing, walking along the path overlooking the library until at its end. At the end of the walk a doorway opened to another work space; two walls covered in books and a roaring fireplace on the farthest wall that Winston had just brought to life. An elaborate Persian rug reached corner to corner, topped only by the rich wooden paneling of the walls and the ornate carved scroll on the desk within. Winston stooped over a low coffee table, humming to himself whilst pouring out two mugs of tea. Lara walked over to the three rectangular windows to her right, looking out to the garden she had turned into a regular haunt. She rested a palm on the glass of the first window, those cold hands of night chilling the windowpane. Turning her head she watched Winston as he set the table; she was pleasantly surprised to see a small plate of shortbread cookies and a little saucer of lemon wedges. He certainly never disappointed.

Once he was done, Lara sat in a plush chair to the left of the fire, himself in the chair on the right. The crackling of fire and faint clinking of china were all that resounded through the room. Lara sipped her tea slowly, enjoying the warmth of the fire while eyeing the numerous books on the wall before her. Winston noted her expression and chuckled.

"Your father was always the collector. As I recall he had this room stockpiled with volumes for two years; before the final restorations of the library, of course."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Lara said lightly. "If only the library was meriting an easier time for me."

Winston made a nod of agreement. "It is certainly an overwhelming amount of knowledge within these walls. But you've known that since you were a little girl."

Lara's hand found a shortbread. "I suppose I didn't have as much appreciation of that fact until now."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, posh. You've always been very mindful of the world around you, Lara. I daresay your father would agree."

Suddenly Lara felt very tired. "There's a lot I wish I could have asked him."

"I imagine you will always feel that way, as we all do at some point in our lives." Winston sat his cup down after a hearty nip. "But while in the past may lie regret, it's best to live with none."

She blinked at him. "That's quite pensive."

"And it is true."

Lara eyed him curiously. "How do you know?"

"When you become my age, I assure you… Time is a fair teacher."

She let out a short laugh. "Yes, I suppose it would be."

The fire spurred a sharp crack, flames eating away at the wood. Winston stood, poking at the logs until satisfied. As he sat back down Lara spoke.

"Do you think he would have supported me doing this?"

"Truly, I can't say you've told me what it is you're doing." He said, amused.

"Oh." She took a nibble of her cookie. "In light of… past circumstances, I've been looking about for myths that strike me as potentially true."

His voice showed concern. "Are you certain that is something you want to encounter? Again, I might add?"

After she ate the cookie, she sighed. Her voice was firm. "It's just something I know I have to do."

"I hope no one has shanghaied you into that thought, Lara." Winston said dryly. He held a hand up. "I apologize."

"No, no. I do welcome your opinion." Lara said softly. "But you must understand. I feel like I gained something on that island, even through all the loss." Roth came to mind first, and she shook her head. "I don't know. And I have to know if other places hold any truth. I have to know."

"You sound just like your father. Very ambitious."

"After Yamatai… I just know that he was right, Winston. He always used to say that myths are often based on some form of truth."

"What do you think he was on to?"

"I don't know." Lara stated flatly. "I think I'm stuck."

"Are you looking for somewhere in particular?"

"Yes and no. I'm looking for places he visited, which could be about anywhere. On the flipside, I'm looking for any correlation between certain spots and notes he'd taken. Hoping he found something that might put me on the right direction."

Winston regarded Lara with warmth. "You want to prove him right, don't you?"

"Well, yeah. But it's more than that. I want to prove that history isn't just old ruins and forgotten culture. I know that the potential for disaster is out there; I certainly witnessed it. But I intend to find out firsthand." Lara took another sip. "I'm not losing it, Winston. Though, if I don't do this, I feel like I might." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm going absolutely stir-crazy."

"You certainly have my support, should you need it."

"I know. Thank you."

With that, Winston stood and began to clear the table. As he did, Lara let her mind wander, gazing at the volumes decorating the walls. Vaguely she wondered if her father would have had a set location in mind already. 'Of course.' She inwardly sighed, bringing her drink to her lips. 'All of these journals and books, there are bound to be a few….' Abruptly she halted the cup before it touched her mouth. "Bound to be a few…" She murmured.

"I beg your pardon?"

She sat the teacup down, turning to Winston in excitement. "Dad, did he… Well, I know he kept journals. But did he ever mention a particular collection? Maybe future travels, revisits?"

Winston looked up from the serving tray. "If memory serves, he had a specific array of journals whose contents I never knew of." He smiled knowingly. "Then again, a vast majority of Lord Croft's works never came past my eyes. It would have been improper."

Lara let out a laugh. "I'm certain he shared some with you."

"Oh, that he did." Winston said. "But I cannot say I recall seeing any of his work regarding future plans. Certainly not in plain view, at the least."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Do you know where might be best to look?"

"Hm. Perhaps in the desk?" He motioned to the desk not far from Lara.

She stood. "Could it really be that simple? It's… him."

"Ah, Lara. Of course not. However I would check behind the desk. I believe your father made mention of a faux panel within the desk at some point." Winston's brow furrowed in thought. "To be frank, however, it may not be this desk."

"What?"

"When the library was almost completely restored, the original desk was on the lower level. An unfortunate chandelier travesty rendered the desk a mess. It's likely still in storage."

"It was never repaired?"

"It was, but as the antiquity it is, Lord Croft kept it away from any future accidents. It is possible some old papers are within…" Winston made his way to the fireplace, toying with the wood until the final flame died.

Lara grabbed the serving tray. "I think I'll do that."

"I'll be happy to procure a flashlight for you."