Looking out her large window, Lara beams at the sight below, it's been a couple of months since she was here. There are the usual tents up, the buildings have been rebuilt, and everything else looks the way she remembers it. This time there are kids playing around the buildings and there is a designated landing patch of grass next to the waterfall, a group of people are waiting there, she can't make out the faces yet but she can recognize the red hair of Sofia over everyone else.
As she gets closer she can see Jackie, Martha, Brock but none of the other faces are familiar. This doesn't surprise her as it's not as if she got to meet everyone. Feeling the helicopter hum as is descends to the landing spot, Lara watches anxiously as the tree branches nearby blow away and the grass is flattened with the force of the chopper blades.
Finally she feels the small bump of the helicopter touching down, almost like being in an elevator, the feeling of slightly lifting just after touching down. Looking down at the leather satchel between her legs, she looks up at Jonah whose been reading during the ride smiles at her, he's been looking forward to coming back as well. He hadn't been with the village for nearly as long as she had and to see the inhabitants again was a real treat. No technology, no cell phone towers, to be completely off the grid was something he actually enjoyed.
She reaches down and unbuckles her three point harness before opening the side door and in the corner of her eye watching Jonah unbuckle his own harness. Lara slings the strap for the harness up and over her head, opening the door she smiles as the blades slow down gradually and she smiles at the sight of Sofia. Instantly smelling the mountain air, the trees, water, some fish being cooked in the distance and wood burning.
Stepping down she crouches on instinct and walks to the group of people awaiting their arrival, "Good morning!" Lara greets and is enveloped in a hug by Sofia right away, smelling cedar and oak in her hair with a hint of smoke from what's being cooked no doubt. Just like camping, Lara hugs her tightly in return and takes in the feel of her body pressed into her own. The warmth and the leather as well as her braided locks of hair that tickle her face.
"I've missed you Lara," Sofia whispers and finally pulls away to look at her at arm's length and Jonah walks up from behind smiling at her.
"It's good to see you're in good health," Jonah comments, referring to Lara's nightmares and Sofia smiles back at him.
"You as well, we have fish being cooked in the tent area just up there," Sofia says and can feel Brock and Martha staring at the back of her head, Jackie is standing there smiling at the two girls.
"How long will you be staying for?" Martha asks and Jonah puts on a smile, he remembers hearing about how she and a few others were at the meeting.
"Not long, half an hour tops, we've got to get back to the air field," Jonah answers and watches as Brock's upper lip twitches.
Folding her arms across her chest, Martha looks at Lara disapprovingly, "I certainly hope you won't be giving a speech on taking away more of our villagers to join your world," she comments and Sofia feels the hairs on her back of her neck raise.
Had Sofia known she'd be so snooty, she wouldn't have agreed to have her there for the greeting; she feels her face get hot with anger but Lara steps towards Martha and Brock. "No, I actually came to see Sofia because I missed her and wanted to see her before I go off on my next adventure. Thank you for allowing me to come and visit for a short time," she smiles and looks at Jackie who is beaming at her. "It's wonderful to see you Jackie; I hope all went well with the documentary crew and other archaeologists."
Clasping her hands together, Jackie nods, "it did, and it was so nice to have eager ears listening to the old tales I could recite. It's good to see you again," she smiles and steps aside knowing that Lara must have some important business with Sofia.
Lara looks back at Sofia and they head off to the Observatory, once they're inside Sofia closes the doors behind her and once she turns back to Lara she kisses her. Lara kisses her back in return, Sofia's hands moving up to cup Lara's cheeks and enjoy the feel of her soft, smooth skin, while she feels Lara's right hand on the back of her neck cradling it gently.
Pulling away from her lips slowly, Sofia opens her eyes to stare into Lara's eyes, "you have no idea how much I have missed waking up next to you and watching you sleep soundly… and knowing you've been having these nightmares about me doesn't help. I want to be able to comfort you."
Smiling in return, Lara stares into her eyes, "seeing you and everyone else safe and sound is all I need. Maybe now the nightmares will end, the one thing they managed to do was make me miss you more," she leans in and kisses her once more for a few seconds before pulling away. Her face changing a little to being on a serious note. "If you aren't comfortable with what I'm about to ask you to do, say the word."
Reaching for the satchel, Sofia opens it and pulls the beautiful crystal wings out, "the Wings of Light," she almost whispers it, enchanted by it every time she sees them it seems. She looks back at Lara, "I have no issues with hiding your artifact here, you're sure no one else but you and I know it's come here for safe keeping?"
Nodding and walking towards the center of the Observatory, "yes, I had Liam turn off all of the surveillance, if someone sees the cameras and tries to find footage on what I'm up to they'll come up empty handed. Where do you want to put it?" She looks around the large room and places her index and thumb onto her chin as her left hand goes onto her hip in thought.
Watching Lara, Sofia keeps her mouth shut for a moment on a question she's had floating in her mind for a couple of weeks now. She shakes her head and looks around and straight up to the center where there is an opening, the circle used to let light in before on the Atlas. "What about up there? Like angel wings they'll have the sunlight flood through them, they'll look like a pretty decoration and no one will be the wiser," she smirks and watches Lara's eyes travel up.
Immediately Lara's eyes travel around the room and she can tell she's working out the puzzle of how to get it up there and how to secure it. Going into her satchel she rummages in it, "I wasn't sure what the situation would be like so I brought a few things… but I think this should work," she pulls out fishing line, "it's 60LB fishing line, but ultra thin, you'll only be able to see it if you're looking really hard," she looks at Sofia whose now quite intrigued about the concept.
"Okay… I take it you'll use the chains to climb up?" Sofia offers and Lara nods.
"Exactly," Lara answers and Sofia puts the artifact back into the satchel while Lara takes the closest set of chain to the center and climbs. "I must say, it is not as easy as it looks," she comments as her boots now and then slip as her feet are trying to give her body the support she needs to keep climbing.
Grinning to herself slyly, Sofia watches from below her, "oh I've got a great view from down here," she says coyly and Lara feels her cheeks blush crimson, just past the half way mark.
"That isn't helping!" Lara calls down and finds her body swinging to the inside, looking up at her destination, her hands getting a little sweaty but she knows she's had it worse. "Just one more bit, just a little further," she says to herself as she climbs the last couple of feet to the top. Looking around herself she moves her right foot around the chain a few times to secure herself as best she can before taking out the fishing wire.
The question keeps nagging at Sofia, as she watches Lara start to reach up to the centre, some tiny iron brackets there used to helping to hold the golden ring to the ceiling, Lara loops the line around each one and extends herself to the max to grip the ring and dangle from it. Planting her hands around the curve her legs swing around as she gets to a second chain and uses the soles of her boots to give herself stability again and loop another bit of fishing line.
"What are your thoughts on Liam?" Sofia calls up, this confuses Lara a bit as she glances down, after zip lining and climbing up high in trees so much, being really high up isn't an issue for her.
"What do you mean?" Lara asks, and then again gets herself to dangle from the ring above her and manoeuvres herself to the next chain, doing the same action with her feet for stability.
She watches her and can't deny, she likes watching Lara work, moving like a monkey, "what do you think of him?" Sofia asks as she watches Lara loop the third bit of fishing line.
"He's a nice guy, after he saved my life I feel he has changed from what he once was. I respect him and I can trust him, since then he's never done anything to prove otherwise," Lara answers and is now on the fourth length of chain, looping the fishing line and looking at her handiwork. Wanting to be sure it'll be good and secure she wraps the line a couple more times and then moves herself to the second chain length to wrap the line around a couple of times there.
Tapping her index finger to her chin in thought, she is still curious and decides to delve deeper, "you don't think he's cute? You told me every time you've woken up from your nightmares he's come into your room to talk you through it. He sounds devoted," Sofia adds and Lara pauses at the first chain length, having looped the fishing line around the hook and looks at the third one.
She thinks about what Sofia is saying, she hadn't actually thought about it in all honesty, every night her mind was on the Wings of Darkness and on Sofia. Lara hadn't thought about Liam being there for her, "yes… he's cute," Lara says, a little uncertain as to where Sofia is going with this. "I don't know about devoted… he's just doing his job," Lara says and goes to the center ring again to get to the third one and loop the fishing line around it.
Sofia starts to walk around on the bottom, watching Lara the whole time as she wants to be able to catch her if she slips and falls without warning. "Just doing his job? I dono Lara, I think he has a thing for you, when I last saw you he was watching you, I know he respects you and I and he'd never overstep. But I think that he cares for you more than he's letting on, yes he's doing his job but it is more than that."
Lara looks down at Sofia as she pulls out the artifact and rests it carefully on the crisscrossed fishing line, "what are you saying? He has a crush on me but won't act on it because I'm his boss and it would be overstepping his position?" she asks and reaches out to start wrapping the fishing line in a figure 8 around the Wings of Light.
Folding her arms across her chest, smirking a little as she knows how Lara gets with her work, "Lara have you been so occupied with your current mission for the Wings of Darkness and worrying over me that you haven't seen the signs? Or is it only me?" Sofia enquires and Lara grabs a hold of the golden ring to move around to get to the other side and starts to wrap it around the top, then the bottom, then the top and then the bottom again of the artifact.
Wanting to be sure no wind or possible tremors are going to knock it down by accident, swinging herself to the first chain she inspects her work before sliding down to the bottom and wiping her hands on the bottom of her shirt. Looking at Sofia, she frowns, "I admit it, I've been obsessing over you and your health as well as the Wings of Darkness that I haven't noticed how Liam is around me," she looks down, frowning some more and feeling a little ashamed. "He has been taking good care of me late at night after the nightmares… I've been taking it for granted that he's up in the night watching over me."
Walking to her Sofia listens and uses her right hand to lift Lara's chin so she'll look at her, a smile and a look of understanding in her eyes. "Hey, when you get back thank him… I'm not there to comfort you or anything in the way he has been. I know you feel loyal to me Lara, just as I feel loyal to you, we both have needs, and he's the only one with a pecker," she winks to cause Lara to blush at the name. "Since I've been with you I have been with no other… other than myself," she winks again to make Lara blush crimson again.
"You are a workaholic, and you deserve to have fun as well," Sofia adds, she knows Lara and wants her to hear it. Lara stares at her and takes in what she's saying which she knows is true.
"Sofia… I don't view Liam in that way," Lara says and Sofia nods.
"You didn't before, but you might now that I've opened your eyes to it," Sofia reminds her and Lara sighs and nods at well.
"I would never let anything happen between Liam and I," Lara adds and Sofia leans in to her, her hand still under her chin and she kisses her. Lara returns the kiss and cups her left cheek.
Pulling away from the kiss slowly, Sofia rests her forehead on Lara's, her eyes staying closed, "what I'm saying is… before you consider committing to me… enjoy the real thing between your legs before you could be stuck with my fingers and tongue," Sofia says which makes herself blush just a tinge at the memories that come flooding in quickly.
Lara opens her eyes and looks at Sofia to see Sofia open hers and their eyes lock on one another, "are you sure?" Lara asks with uncertainty. She didn't expect to have this kind of conversation with Sofia when she came to visit.
Smiling, "yes, now give me that tongue before we go back out there," Sofia gives a small command and Lara doesn't hesitate, she kisses her with her lips parted and Sofia does the same. Sofia places her hands onto Lara's waist, holding her body parallel to her own and she feels Lara suck on her tongue so she lets her and moans in enjoyment. Missing being this close to her, breasts touching Lara are through their clothing just a bit for a total feeling of being in bliss.
A knock comes to the door and they pull apart as Jackie pokes her head in, "sorry ladies, Martha and Brock are getting impatient, I stalled for as long as I could," she opens the door wider. Sofia and Lara stand side by side and hold hands as they walk to the open doors.
Lara smiles at her and places her right hand onto Jackie's left shoulder, "I wish I had a Grandma back at home like you," and Jackie in return hugs Lara. Sofia watches the sweet moment and let's go of Lara's hand so she can hug her in return properly.
"Call me your Grandma anytime sweetie, your just as much a part of this village as anyone else."
To Be Continued…
I wanted to show the level of trust and commitment between Lara and Sofia in this one, to show an opening that could occur later on. It may or it may not. Please give me your thoughts! Review!
