Chapter 3:

A/N: I don't know how things are gonna go down with Trinity, Cardinal and all that, so I'd rather not write about it so the story can stay close to canon, at least on that part.

Sorry for the late update, I got a new job and no energy to write when I come back home. I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter. Reviews make my day.

A couple of weeks later, the couple and Jonah traveled to find the man behind Trinity and Richard's death.

Their adventure was a blur, a mess of blood, pain and tears. Sam saw so many dead bodies that after a while, she had lost count. She fought alongside Jonah and Lara, as much as she could, as long as she could, until one day, Lara sneaked out of their camp in the middle of the night, leaving a note saying. 'This is a fight I must finish alone. Forgive me. If I don't come back, please know that you are my greatest love and I wish we had more time. Remember me. Yours, Lara.'

Sam was furious that Lara had left her behind once again. But then, anger slowly turned into sorrow when she realized that, for the first time, Lara's words sounded final, not like a goodbye, but more like a farewell, like her girlfriend knew she wouldn't make it out alive.

Worried, Jonah and Sam tracked Lara down but finding her took them more time than they had expected. When they finally found her, Lara was lying in a pool of blood, surrounded with bodies, her back leaning against the wall and her gun still aimed at the dead Trinity leader.

"Lara!" Sam gasped in horror at the sight, with all the wounds covering her girlfriend's body, it was a miracle that she was still alive. She rushed at her side as Jonah checked if the perimeter was secured. "You're alive." Her hands hovered over Lara's body, as if afraid a touch would make it worse.

"Just a flesh wood, love." Lara smiled lazily, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"You're stupid!" Sam exclaimed.

"Glad to see you too." The Englishwoman joked despite the pain.

"This is not funny, Lara." Sam chastised, trying to fight her tears. "You'd better stay alive because I'm planning on lecturing your cute ass so bad later, you're gonna wish you were dead. Do you hear me?" She sniffled.

Lara chuckled before coughing. "Can't wait…" She painfully reached out for Sam's hand, squeezing it before closing her eyes.

"Jonah, we need to help her now!" Sam urged as the man joined them back.

"We can't leave on foot, we'll never make it out to civilization in time." The ex-soldier pointed out.

"There's a chopper… not far from here…" Lara informed them, breathing through the pain.

Sam nodded, motioning for Jonah to carry Lara outside. "Okay, let's go." She stepped forward, weapon in hand in case a mercenary had survived.

"Sam?" Lara called as Jonah gathered her in his arms.

The older woman turned around. "Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry. I love you." The archaeologist said weakly.

"No, you stay with me Lara." Sam answered frantically. "Lara!"

Beeping noises, steady and regular, that was all Sam heard for a week. She had spent her days staring at Lara's chest moving up and down, the only sign that the love of her life was still alive.

Lara was in a bad shape after Yamatai but it was nothing compared to the state she was now. She looked so small in that hospital bed, battered, bruised and barely recognizable.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Lara finally opened her eyes, lazily smiling at her girlfriend as if she hadn't been close to death. Sam had cried in relief, holding her and kissing her before calling her stupid over and over again.

Lara wouldn't leave the hospital for a while, but she was alive and that was all that mattered, their talk could wait for another few days.

Sam and Lara were back at the manor. The nightmare was finally over. Trinity was gone and they were finally free to move forward without fearing for their life.

The couple had fought over what happened but they came to see each other's point of view and decided to move past it.

Lara was still recovering from her numerous injuries but at least she was out of the hospital where Sam thought she would never make it. Jonah and her were luckier but they also had their fair share of wounds and suffering.

As Sam helped Lara settle in bed for the night, the Englishwoman asked. "What do you want to do now that our fight against Trinity is over?"

"Well, we're gonna wait for you to feel better." Sam tucked the sheets under her girlfriend's chin and kissed her nose. "Then, I think we deserve some nice vacation somewhere peaceful."

"I would love that." Lara smiled. "And after?"

Sam joined Lara under the cover, carefully pulling her closer so they could cuddle without Lara hurting. "I gave it a lot of thought and I want to create my own production company. I don't really talk to my parents anymore and even if I did, I wouldn't want to work for my father, I want to earn my success." She sighed. "Except after my little stay in a loony house and how they debunked the both of us after Yamatai, my reputation is pretty much ruined so…" She shrugged the shoulder Lara wasn't resting against. "It sounds like a good idea."

"I think it's a great idea." Lara said encouragingly.

"You think?"

"Of course. You are amazing at what you do, I see no reason why it wouldn't work out." The Englishwoman reassured. "And I'll be there every step of the way, you have my full support."

"I'm glad you say that." The filmmaker smiled cheekily. "Because it means I'm gonna have to follow you on your expeditions."

"Sam…"

"Maybe not the Trinity crazy type of level, because I doubt the BBC would appreciate men shooting at an archaeologist who then would throw a bomb, effectively getting rid of them and century-old vestiges at the same time. Although I hope we won't have any more of those…" Sam explained, knowing full well they would have to discuss the topic again. "But I can document mercenary free expeditions, just you discovering new places and nerding out about relics."

Lara massaged her temples with the tip of her fingers. "Why do I have the feeling we are going to fight about this in the future?"

"Because we are both stubborn but we're gonna have to compromise, you know that right?" Sam pulled away slightly to make eye contact with her girlfriend. "If we want this relationship to last, and I want it to, we have to be equal, partners. I won't stay behind while you risk your life somewhere to reveal another secret to the world."

"And what will you do when you can't come with me?" The archaeologist questioned.

"If." Sam emphasized. "If I can't come with you, I'll produce other documentaries." She shrugged. "I mean, I'll have to prove myself first but with you as my main star, I'm sure we'll have enough of an audience." She smirked at the sight of Lara's face before saying. "Although maybe not if you look like a Smurf like you do right now with the bruises but…"

Lara pinched Sam's thigh under the cover. "I don't like you very much right now."

Sam snorted. "I have proofs that say otherwise."

"Have you, now?" The Englishwoman asked amused.

"Mhh Mhh," The documentary producer hummed. "No take backs."

Lara chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it." They stayed in comfortable silence until she added. "I know I can be difficult but I'm trying. Please be patient and never think that I don't value your opinion or want to take your agency away. I just… I love you and I want to protect you. "

"I know that, sweetie and I feel the same way. We just need to talk to each other, like we're doing now and we'll be fine." Sam kissed Lara's temple lovingly.

A month later, Sam decided to clean up the studio, making it look more professional as she set up her new material. She was ready to start her own company and had filled most of the paperwork. She knew that later on, she would have to buy an office in the city and get an assistant but for now, it was perfect.

As she rummaged through some boxes on the little mezzanine, she found a picture of Lara's parents. They were in the Manor garden, standing close to each other as Richard offered a flower to a smiling Amelia. "It would make a great painting." Sam stated out loud when an idea popped into her head. She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her Facebook contacts. She had a friend in Uni, Chloe, who could draw anything and thanks to social media, Sam had discovered the woman had just opened her own gallery. She was the perfect person to paint Lara's parents and Sam knew her girlfriend would love the gesture, major brownie points for her.

Chloe was happy to hear from Sam and glad that she was finally with Lara. "About time you two stop being oblivious." was her first answer before agreeing to paint something for Lara. Two weeks later, the painting was in Sam's studio, wrapped around a sheet to keep it a surprise.

The next day, Sam went to Lara's study and smiled at the sight in front of her. The woman was reading a book, her feet on the desk as she leaned back on her chair. She was focused, squinting her eyes despite her reading glasses being right next to her because apparently, her girlfriend insisted that she didn't need them. Stubborn as a mule, Sam thought fondly.

"Hey sweetie, you're busy?" The documentary producer asked, breaking the silence.

Lara looked up, her face brightening up, as always, as soon as she noticed Sam. "For you, I can always find the time." She pulled her feet off the desk and stood up.

"Smooth talker." Sam chuckled. "Come on, I have a surprise for you." She offered her hand, Lara taking it as soon as she was close enough.

"Where are we going?" Lara questioned, following her girlfriend down the hallways.

"To my office, Miss Croft."

Lara chuckled at the answer. "Oh, aren't you all professional, Miss Nishimura?"

Sam laughed. "That would make a good opening for a low budget porn."

"Sam!" The archaeologist shoved her with her shoulder. "You're incorrigible!"

"Don't speak too fast, you might want to thank me after what I got you!" Sam wriggled her eyebrows.

"Now I'm scared." Lara declared as they reached the studio.

The producer let go of Lara's hand and moved next to the covered painting. "So, I was cleaning up the place a bit to make space for my new cameras and stuff and…" When she saw Lara scan the room, she rushed to say. "I mean, I haven't touched most of your mother's stuff, don't worry."

"You can, this is your office now, love, I won't mind." The Englishwoman reassured. "There are enough rooms in the Manor to keep her things."

"I know but…" Sam waved around the room. "I like to have some of her paintings around, it's like being connected to her even though we never met…"

Lara smiled softly. "I'm sure she would have loved you."

The older woman smiled back. "She made you, so I'm pretty sure I would have loved her too."

The archaeologist stepped closer and kissed her girlfriend. "When you say things like that, it's hard not to love you."

"Why?" Sam frowned. "Are you insinuating that it's hard to love me sometimes?"

"Well…" Lara trailed off, fighting a smile at Sam's affronted face.

"Hey!" Sam slapped Lara's arm. "Do you want your gift or not? Cause I can take it back!"

"Can you even carry it?" Lara raised her eyebrow playfully.

The documentary producer gasped. "You did not."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Lara kissed her girlfriend once again. "I'll behave. Please, show me."

"Fine, you're lucky I love you!" Sam stepped away from Lara and took a step toward the painting. She grabbed the sheet and yanked it off. "Tada!"

"I… How…" The Englishwoman stared at the painting, at a loss for words.

"Like I said earlier, I was cleaning up the room and I found some boxes, a picture of your parents was in one of them." Sam pulled the picture out of her jeans pocket and gave it to Lara. "I asked Chloe, you know my friend from Uni who was always doodling on everything, well she painted it and yeah, here we are…" She scratched her neck nervously. "What do you think?"

"I… This is amazing." Lara stood in front of the painting, her fingers hovering over her mother's face. "I don't know what to say..." She tore her eyes away from the canvas to smile at Sam.

Sam smiled back, happy that her gift was on point. "Chloe said she'd like to grab a coffee with us and she offered to paint a family portrait if we ever have kids someday…"

The archaeologist blinked. "Kids?"

"Yeah, why not? A kid would be nice…" The filmmaker shrugged. "Anyway, you sure you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you." Lara turned her attention back to the painting. "I could put it in my study…"

A few weeks later, Sam was wandering around downtown London, looking for some video equipment when she received a text from Lara. Her girlfriend had decided to stay in the Manor to work but they were supposed to meet for dinner. Sam unlocked her phone and checked the message. 'I don't mind you taking pictures of me anymore, but years ago, it was another story… Meet me where everything started for us.'

"Cryptic much, Lara!" Sam stared at the text for a moment. They weren't supposed to meet for hours and as romantic as Lara could be with her cute love letters, her texts were often straight to the point. She didn't know what her girlfriend was on but Lara really needed to stop reading her riddle and mystery books. She read the brain-teaser once again. "Where everything started…" She supposed Lara wasn't talking about "us" as a couple but as friends so it would me UCL. But why would Lara want her to go there? She was definitely intrigued. She pocketed her phone and looked around to hail a cab. Her afternoon just got ten times better.

Once she arrived, Sam tried to call Lara to know where her girlfriend was exactly but when she didn't answer, the producer started to walk around the campus. She stopped her walk in front of the spot where she had introduced herself to Lara all these years ago, a fond smile on her face. To this day, it was still one of the best decisions she had ever made. Back then, she had spotted Lara from far away, a beautiful girl with her nose buried in a book and no one to keep her company was almost a crime so she approached her.

Her reminiscence of the moment was interrupted when her eyes fell on a box of Jaffa Cakes. "What the…" Sam looked around in confusion. Lara wasn't there but what were the odds of someone else putting it right there after her girlfriend had texted her. What was going on? She reached out for the box and opened it. There was a Polaroid of Lara and her and behind it, a note. 'I will never really know what pushed you to talk to me that day but I will forever be grateful you did. You changed my life for the better. Thank you. With Love, Lara. Ps: your next clue: If my first is German, it won't agree. My second is French and is a beauty. My last is where you go when you're thirsty.'

"Okay so definitely cryptic…" Sam mumbled. "If it won't agree, it could be no? So no is Nein." She started thinking out loud. "Beauty and French. Thank you Disney, that would be Belle…" She smiled as she realized where Lara wanted her to go. "Nine Bells Bar. Good one." She grabbed her phone and texted Lara. 'Nine bells Bar, is it where you want me to go? What's going on?' Once again, Lara didn't answer.

She sighed and looked around, making sure her girlfriend wasn't there before exiting the campus. If Lara wanted to play a little game, who was she to say no?

The place was practically empty at this time in the afternoon, so it didn't take long for Sam to realize Lara wasn't there either. Confused, she made her way to the counter and sat on a stool, hoping to see Lara's former boss. When he emerged from the back room, she smiled at him.

"Hey stranger, long time no see." The man said as a way of greeting.

"I know, things have been… complicated since Uni." Complicated was an understatement, a nightmare would be more like it, at least for the year that followed Yamatai but Sam didn't want to share that with him. Lara and her had both been called crazy by the tabloids, they didn't need another person thinking they had gone off the deep end.

"So I've heard. " He nodded, wiping the counter with his towel. "But I've known you and Lara long enough to know that's rubbish. You're good kids."

"Thank you. Speaking of Lara, have you seen her? We were supposed to meet here." Sam asked, hoping Lara was just running late.

"No, but she asked me to give you something." The bar owner set two coasters on the counter, a regular one where he put a full glass of wine on and another one with a Post-it note on it. It had a heart doodled on it. Sam smiled. She remembered it well since she drew it herself before it ended on their fridge in their shared flat. She thought Lara had thrown it away when she moved out but it warmed her heart to see Lara cared about the little things they had shared. She traced the red shape with her index, memories of all the small gestures they had done for each other flashing in her mind until she felt the corner of the note peel off. Intrigued, she pulled on it to reveal another Post-it under it. 'Congratulations, love, you made it to our second spot. When I think about my time here, I can't help but think of you, sitting at your usual table, waiting for me to finish my shift despite the late hour, just to be sure I'll come home safe. You always smiled at me when I looked your way, and I would just feel warm inside, more at peace, for a few seconds, just because you were there. This feeling hasn't changed since. Keep looking for clues, you have our next spot to find. Lara X' Sam chuckled before glancing at her drink. "What's in the glass?"

"It's a bottle she ordered specifically for you." The man answered, grabbing the bottle and putting it in front of Sam. "She never does things halfway this girl." He shook his head almost fondly.

Sam hummed distractedly as she read the label on the bottle. "Cabernet-Sauvignon - The Brick lane…" She had never heard of it so she decided to take a sip of it first. It wasn't the best wine ever but she guessed Lara had chosen it for the name and for how it was supposed to help her figure out this little enigma. She noticed the label wasn't completely glued so she peeled it off and saw the sketch of a front door drew behind it. Alright so it was definitely a scavenger hunt. Lara was making her go to all the places that meant something to them but why? Oh, could it be… No, she didn't want to get her hopes up. She should just enjoy this adventure and try not to get too excited about what would happen at the end of this little game.

The Post-it, the brick lane and the drawing of the front door, all the clues were pointed at their old flat. She grinned, Lara was definitely on her A-game and she couldn't wait to arrive at her next spot. She gulped the rest of her wine and thanked the owner.

"That one is on the house, of course!" Sam heard while rushing through the door.

When Sam stepped out of Nine Bells, a cab was already waiting for her. She smiled, Lara had planned everything. Despite the late hour of the afternoon, the trip didn't take long and soon, she was standing in front of their former apartment building. There were also so many memories in this flat, it was the first time she had called a place she was living in her home. She had traveled so often with her parents in the past that she had never really stayed long enough to have a sweet house to come home to. But this flat, despite not being big or fancy, was hers and she was sharing it with Lara, so it was everything.

The filmmaker walked toward the stairs and tried to open the building door but it was closed. She frowned before looking around for a key or another clue. She spotted a package addressed to her next to the staircase and went to get it. Once it was in her hands, she sat down on a step and eagerly opened it. The first thing she saw was a note.

'Sorry, love, I wish I could get you a key so you could reminisce of the past but since there is a new tenant it was a bit complicated. I still wanted to bring you here. Why? Because this place reminded me what it was like to have a home and it was all because you were there with me, sharing my ups and downs as we made our way through Uni. Thank you for all the memories, the support and the love, you are the best thing that happened to me. I love you. Lara. Ps: Look around, your ride should be here soon to bring you back to me.'

Sam looked up but there weren't any cars around so she went back to her package. There were some sweets she liked to eat when she was stressed or feeling down, a few Polaroids of them, her favorite wine, some trashy magazines she liked to read sometimes, candles and a lot of other little things. It was so sweet and she could tell Lara knew her well, even though she had never doubted that. What caught her attention next, was the camera at the bottom of the box. She grabbed it and switched it on but was disappointed to see there wasn't any memory card in it.

As if on cue, a car pulled over and soon, a man stepped out of the vehicle. Sam smiled when she recognized Jonah in a nice suit walking toward her.

The producer whistled. "Hello handsome, are you my Uber?"

"You could say that." Jonah chuckled. He handed his friend a rose with an SD card tied up to the ribbon. "I hope this will help you leave a nice review!"

Sam beamed at the flower, smelling it before looking at Jonah with a smirk. "It depends, is what I think is happening is happening?"

"I'm not allowed to tell." The tall man patted her shoulder before moving to open the rear door for Sam. "Please, my lady."

"I love you but you suck," Sam replied as she sat at the back of the car. As soon as Jonah was on the driver's seat, she added. "Please go as fast as you can."

"I'm pretty sure Lara wants you back to the Manor in one piece." Jonah pointed out amused.

"But I want to see her!" The producer whined, plumping down into the backrest. She knew she was acting like a petulant child but she had been waiting to see her girlfriend all afternoon and now she was dying to get back to their home.

"Then check your camera, kiddo, it should keep you busy during the ride." Jonah told her as he drove off. "And put on the outfit next to you."

Sam stuck out her tongue at her friend before grabbing the camera and putting the SD card in it. Without missing a beat, she pressed play and her heart melt at the view of Lara focusing on the camera until she was sure it was working just before she started talking.

'"Hey, love. I knew you'd be impatient to come home so I decided to record this video, despite feeling awkward, to somehow keep you busy and share with you a few of my best memories with you, some big, some little, all the things that I hold dear to my heart. I know I don't always share all of my feelings but I hope this journey down memory lane will show you how much I care about you, how I love you, so much that I can't even find the right words to express it sometimes…" Lara smiled, almost shyly as if she wasn't sure if it was too much before clearing throat. "Anyway, here's my first memory…'"

When Jonah stopped the car in front of the Manor, Sam was dressed and still half crying, half laughing from the video Lara had recorded. She couldn't believe Lara remembered so many little things they did together. God, she loved that woman so much and she couldn't wait to tell her that.

Jonah opened the door for her and she stepped out of the car. "So what now?" The producer asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Just go inside and figure it out." Jonah said with a wide smile.

The small woman groaned, bumping her head against his arm. "I'm freaking out, you're not helping…"

The tall man engulfed her in a hug. "Relax, you'll be fine, only good things will happen tonight."

Sam broke the embrace, nodding to herself. "Yeah, okay, yeah…" She knew he was probably right but if Lara was ready to propose like she thought, her life was about to change and it was a big moment, no matter how much she wanted it.

Jonah kissed her cheek and pushed her gently toward the entrance. "Good luck." He said, his thumbs up.

Sam waved at him before opening the front door. "Lara?" She called as she dropped her stuff on the side table in the foyer, a habit she had taken soon after moving in.

"Sam, you're home."

As the producer turned around, her eyes fell on Lara standing at the end of the staircase, dressed in a beautiful dress she had never seen before, a huge but nervous smile on her face. "You are breathtaking…"

Lara blushed. "So are you."

"I know." Sam looked at the dress she had put on in the car, it was one of her favorites and Lara knew it.

The Englishwoman chuckled as she made her way to her girlfriend, taking her hands in hers as soon as she was in front of her. "So… I'm still alive…"

Sam raised an eyebrow, amused and confused by this opening. "You are."

"And you haven't come to your senses and run away." Lara continued.

"I haven't…" Sam smiled, slowly remembering Lara's confession from a few months ago.

"So I guess it's time for me to keep my promise." Lara took a deep breath before getting down on one knee and opening a jewelry box to reveal Amelia's ring.

"Oh shit, oh God," Sam's eyes went wide at the action. "I figured this is where we were going but actually seeing you get down on your knee… Oh my God, I love you."

"Are you okay?" The English woman smiled softly, squeezing her girlfriend's hands in comfort.

Sam inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. "Yes, please just ask. I mean, go ahead, continue."

Lara chuckled. "Someone is eager!"

The older woman nodded enthusiastically. "You bet!"

"I have to admit I almost popped the question quite a few times already, at the most random moments but I thought you deserved better." Lara confessed.

"I wouldn't have minded." Sam assured her, knowing very well that no matter how Lara would have asked, she would have said yes. "But to be honest, you do grand gestures like nobody else. So please keep going, the suspense is killing me."

Lara laughed. "Alright, I had something prepared but, I'm more nervous than I had anticipated so hum…" She scratched her neck nervously before clearing her throat and locking eyes with her girlfriend. "I was just a regular student in UCL, somehow unaware of the world surrounded me until some day, you crashed into my life, changing it forever with an awful pickup line and a beautiful smile."

"Hey!" Sam pretended to be offended before smirking. "It worked, didn't it?"

"It did." Lara smiled fondly. "Meeting you was unexpected but definitely not unwelcome. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you. I've started to believe in a lot of things along the years and perhaps this is not farfetched to say that meeting you was fate. You have stayed with me no matter how many times I tried to push you away, in spite of my stubbornness, broodiness and despite my doubts, you stayed and you kept loving me day after day. We've been through hell and back together and there is no one else I'd rather have by my side for this adventure that is life." She stopped, taking a deep breath to reign in her emotion. "You are a light in my life, an infallible support, a force that pushes me forward. You inspire me to be a better version of myself and I want to be the same for you, I want to be your family, your home, the one that you can count on no matter what. I want to love you for the rest of my life. So please, Sam, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" She removed the ring from the box and put it close to Sam's ring finger.

"Yes," Sam practically shouted in excitement, tears gathering in her eyes. "Oh my God a million times yes, I love you."

Lara slid the ring around her new fiancée's finger and stood up. "I love you too." She said, her voice hoarse from emotion as she moved closer to kiss the love of her life.