A/N : I don't know how many of you are still reading this, since I didn't get a lot of feedback on the last chapter but writing is therapeutic so here we go…

There are a few time jumps in this chapter. I know some of you would like me to take the time to write all the scenes but it would be way too long. Like I said in the summary, this fic is full of Sam and Lara's relationship milestones and I want to develop the ones that we see less in fanfics and since I wrote the engagement scene in details, I didn't want to repeat the same things for their wedding.

Not Beta, all mistakes are mine.

Chapter 4

Things had been going well for Sam and Lara for the past few months. Sam had created her production company and hired Kaz as her assistant to manage everything while she was away and Lara had found a new unrevealed legend to obsess about.

They decided to go on an expedition together, to look for some old ruins, something that could almost sound boring after Yamatai and all the adventures that had followed but it wasn't unwelcome. It was the perfect trip to get back in the game, since Sam was slowly going back into filming and producing and Lara was rediscovering archaeology in a more peaceful and academic way, with no threats to her life.

They traveled for almost a month, giving Sam enough footage to produce a documentary and enough time for Lara to satisfy her curiosity. To Sam's surprise, she was able to sale her short film to a new streaming on-demand film service. It wasn't much and she was pretty sure it was due to Lara's name and their past more than anything but it was a start.

Months later, Sam and Lara got married in a small ceremony, with their closest friends and even Sam's parents, who had reconnected after the couple's engagement and had learned to tolerate Lara for their daughter's sake.

The small room was filled with pictures of Lara's parents, of Roth and all the people that should have been there, on this special day, if tragedy hadn't struck them. Both brides teared up as they said their vows, promising to stay together, always, for better or for worse.

After the ceremony, the couple and their guests went back to the manor and enjoyed the day in the garden, laughing and sharing stories.

It was one of the happiest days of the women's lives.

The next couple of years were filled with expeditions, documentaries, conferences, and projects. With time and a lot of work, Sam and Lara had been able to steer away from their bad reputation and get recognition from peers in their respective field. They were known as the Crofts and they were proud of it.

They had also made some enemies along the way, jealous treasure hunters, secret societies or even critics who were questioning the authenticity of their work but despite the bumps, in their professional as well as their private life, Sam and Lara made it through, as always, together and more in love than ever.

One day, after Lara returned home from a tiring trip on her own, Sam found her wife gloomier than usual and asked her what was wrong as soon as they settled in the comfort of their bedroom.

The archaeologist sighed tiredly, putting on her PJs before sharing her thoughts. "When I arrived in Israel, I forgot to remove my wedding band and when I realized it, I was somehow annoyed."

"Why were you annoyed?" Sam asked as she slipped under the cover. "It happens."

"I wasn't annoyed that I forgot to put it around my necklace, I was annoyed that I had to remove it at all. It was the first time I was traveling alone since our wedding and it felt wrong not to wear it." Lara said, joining her wife in bed. "I know it's silly and a ring doesn't represent my love for you but I don't know, I wish it could be engraved on me somehow…"

Sam grinned, eyes sparkling with love. "You Lara Croft, know how to make a girl swoon."

The Englishwoman laughed. "Try to remember that in 10 years when we start driving each other crazy, I mean, more than we do now."

"I had my trip to crazy town, you know, been there, done that." The producer shrugged. "You shouldn't worry about that, we love each other too much to turn into the kind of couple that goes at each other's throat."

"Sam, I didn't…"

"I'm joking, Lara, relax," Sam reassured, scooting closer to her wife. "It's pretty much water under the bridge now."

"Good," Lara kissed Sam's forehead. "Because I don't know what I would do without you."

"Get yourself killed, probably." The filmmaker stated, half serious.

Lara chuckled. "Probably, yes…"

Silence settled as the couple cuddled together. After a while, Sam's face lit up. "Oh, I have an idea, why don't we get a tattoo? I could do a little arrow and you, a little camera or something. It can be small but somewhere you can see like on your wrist, like that you can hide it with your watch and it's not lame like the name of your spouse." She said excitedly. "And you know, if I need a new wife, I can just hunt down your Sisters of Artemis." She turned serious, pretending to be deep in thought. "What was the name of that cute blonde again? Alyson? "

The archaeologist disentangled herself and swiftly grabbed her pillow to hit Sam with it. "You're such a prat!"

The producer giggled. "Oh, don't be jealous, sweetie, you know I only have eyes for you. And it goes both ways you know, if I die, you can just find someone in my photography class or, an Instagram enthusiast."

They laughed before Lara rolled on top of Sam, smiling wickedly. "You won't get rid of me that easily Mrs. Croft."

Sam smiled back. "Good to know, Mrs. Croft."

"But it's an idea, we should think about it." Lara concluded before kissing her wife.

A few months later, Sam and Lara were finishing dinner when the atmosphere slowly changed. Sam started fidgeting as she tried to formulate what was on her mind. "Hum, we need to talk."

Lara's eyes went wide as her mind quickly went over all the bad things that could come out after that sentence. "Oh?!"

"Oh God, no, that's a terrible start," Sam rushed to say, reaching out to squeeze her wife's hand in reassurance. "I'm nervous, I'm sorry. Please, don't be scared, it's nothing bad, at least I hope it's not."

"Okay…" Lara answered, unsure. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, we'll figure it out together." She added, trying to be supportive.

"I…" The filmmaker took a deep breath before blurting out. "I want to talk about kids."

The Englishwoman blinked. "Kids?" She repeated slowly.

"Or kid, just one. I know we mentioned this a few times in the past, keeping things open," Sam continued. "But I'd really like to talk about having a child seriously."

The archaeologist looked around, clearly hesitant. "Now?"

"Yes, now. Trinity is history, we've been married for more than two years now and I think it's the right time to ask ourselves if we want to expand our family at some point or not. So…" Sam trailed off a bit. "What's your thought on the subject?"

"I… hum, we… uh…" Lara opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if she couldn't formulate an answer. She hadn't expected the topic to be brought up, even though they had mentioned it in passing. She never really thought she would live long enough to find love and happiness and now that she did, she hadn't taken the time to stop and plan a future further than her current life with her wife.

"Very interesting, what else?" The producer joked, trying to lighten the mood when she noticed Lara turning paler.

"I… I just don't think it's the right time." Lara finally replied, standing up and grabbing their plates to put them in the sink in a desperate need to keep herself busy. They had worked on their communication, she was better at sharing her feelings but this particular topic made her feel uneasy, as if she was torn between what she wanted and what was the safest for them.

"When is the right time though?" Sam prodded gently. "I'm not saying let's have a baby now, I just want to know if it's in the pipes for the future."

Lara sighed, turning around and leaning against the sink to look at her wife. "I don't know, Sam. I have a lot of things to take care of on top of you, I can't add another person into the mix."

Sam crossed her arms and scowled, clearly unhappy with the answer. "I'm not asking you to take care of me, I'm a big girl thank you very much. But you have to admit, now that Trinity is gone, it's a lot safer."

"I'm sorry, it came out wrong." Lara bit her bottom lip, trying to find the right words. "It's just, other people could come after us, and some already did. You are my wife, of course I will protect you but…"

"Just like I'd protect you." Sam cut her off. "But after all this time, I thought we were done with you trying to coddle me. We're wives, we're equals. So be honest with me if you don't want a child, which, don't get me wrong, is your right, I can understand that, it's not for everyone, but please don't give me lame excuses."

Lara sighed once again, running her hand through her ponytail. "In a perfect world, I would love to have a child with you, a symbol of our love, another generation of Croft but…"

"But what?" The producer stood up and walked in front of her wife.

"Sam please, you know the life we live, we can't..." The archaeologist retorted, painfully aware of the risks the people in her life had to face because of her sometimes.

"Your parents had the same life and they still had you." Sam pointed out.

The Englishwoman shook her head. "It's different."

"How?"

"Look where it got them, they're dead!" Lara exclaimed in a heated way. "I had to grow up without my parents and I don't want to do that to a child."

"I know." Sam softened, knowing full well how much Lara suffered from her parents' absence in her childhood despite never really saying it out loud. "And I grew up with both of my parents and I still felt alone for most of my life until I met you. We're not our parents, we have our own choices to make. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, raising a child isn't anyway, but I don't want our life to be just about our jobs. I'd like to see a bit of you in a child, I…" She grabbed Lara's hands in hers. "I want to fill this house with love and laughter, not that it's not already the case but… I'd like to leave my mark in this world, and I don't want it to be just a few documentaries... I don't know, I have so much love to give..."

"Then give it to me." Lara answered, almost childishly.

Sam frowned. "Aren't I already?"

"Yes, of course but…" The archaeologist pursed her lips. "I don't know, isn't that enough?"

"You know it's not the same." The filmmaker replied gently. "I understand your point of view, really, but you can't stop living because you're scared of what could happen."

"It's… I…" Lara growled, frustrated with herself and her inability to share her fears.

"Tell me what's on your mind, what's really bothering you?" Sam asked as she dragged Lara back on the kitchen chair, pushing her gently to sit before settling on her lap.

Lara hugged Sam tightly, burying her face into the crook of her wife's neck. She was so grateful for Sam's patience and ability to read her so well. "I almost lost my mind… Years ago, when I thought I had lost you forever because of Himiko, because of my bad choices and my fears. I don't want to turn into my dad." She confessed into a whisper. "I'm scared that if we bring another life into this world, another person that I love as much as you, that losing them would make me go crazy for good, just like losing you would."

"Lara," Sam pulled away, just enough to force her wife to make eye contact. "You have to promise me something. If we ever have a kid and something happens to me, I need you to keep going, for our child's sake. Break the circle, don't make them suffer when you know what it feels like to be neglected because of someone's obsession."

"I can't even fathom a life without you, how could I…"

"Promise me, Lara."

Lara stared at Sam for a long minute before sighing heavily. "Fine! I'll beat to a pulp whoever is responsible and then, I'll come back to our hypothetical kid, yes."

Sam's jaw fell open in shock. "Come on!"

The Englishwoman shook her head stubbornly. "That's the best you'll get from me."

The producer rolled her eyes. "Fine… Butthead!"

Lara smiled charmingly. "Isn't it why you love me?"

"Mmhh mmhh, whatever rocks your boat, babe." Sam kissed Lara's nose.

The archeologist chuckled before turning serious again. "If I promise to move forward, you have to do the same. Kids or not, if one day I don't come back from an expedition, please don't look into it, even if it's suspicious. Just move on, be happy for the both of us."

"You don't think my wrath could rival Himiko's?" Sam raised an eyebrow. She knew that she would never have Lara's amazing skills but, if someone ever tried to hurt her wife, it wouldn't end well for all the parties involved because she sure as hell wouldn't get down without a fight.

"I do, that's why I want you to promise me to let go." Lara insisted. "Don't risk your life for something that you cannot change. I don't want you to stop smiling that beautiful smile of yours because of me. And maybe later on, you could find someone new who…"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Just like Lara, Sam didn't want to imagine a life without her wife and even less falling in love with someone else. "I can promise you not to go all Kill Bill and get myself killed but don't talk to me about loving someone else, okay?"

"Sam…"

"No! No… and it wasn't even the topic of this conversation." The filmmaker reminded her, wanting to stay away from that particularly upsetting subject, as if losing the love of her life wasn't already a constant fear of hers. "So let's refocus. Like I said, it is your right not to want a child and I don't want you to compromise something that important for me, or because of society, but whatever you want, I need to know where we stand. Just think about it, okay?"

Lara nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you." Sam kissed Lara's cheek before standing up. "I have to call Kaz for work, I'll see you in a bit."

Lara watched her wife leave the room with a heavy heart. She liked kids well enough, she had even met some during her expeditions that made her wonder what it would be like to be a mother, but she knew that death and suffering were close friends of hers and having a child wouldn't come without a price, one she might not be ready to pay.

Deep into the sea, Lara was drowning, and she couldn't help but think that she was starting to make a habit out of it. But unlike the previous times, no one was there to help her. Her wife was filming a documentary in England and Jonah was on their boat with no way of contacting her after she had lost her radio in an explosion.

Her lungs were burning and her brain was screaming for air. No matter where she was looking, she could only see water and no exit. She was far from the surface and the relic on her back, on top of her wounds, was making it hard to swim. She had no material, no contingency plan, and no escape. Although it wasn't the first time, it definitely looked like it would the last. Her mind was getting fuzzy and strength was slowly leaving her.

Lara had always known she wouldn't die of old age, but she thought she would have more time, more time with Sam, with her friends, more time to build a future… She could hear some faint clicking and whistling noises but she couldn't focus. Sam… It was her last thought before everything went dark.

The next thing Lara remembered was waking up on her boat, spitting water and gapping out for air.

"Easy, Lara." A familiar voice told her.

The archaeologist coughed, recognizing Jonah as she tried to catch her breath. "What happened?"

"You almost drown. If it wasn't for your friends over there, you'll be at the bottom of the sea right now." Jonah informed her, his voice still full of worry.

Lara followed her friend's line of sight and saw a small group of dolphins. "Oh, so that explains the clicking noises." She stood up, not without difficulty and leaned over the back of the boat to touch one of them. "Thank you, mate." She smiled tiredly. "Sam would have loved this, you should record it."

"I'm not sure she would be happy about the part where you almost died, though." Jonah pointed out before getting his phone out to record Lara petting the dolphins.

"Then don't say anything to her, I don't want to worry her more than she already does." When Jonah didn't answer, the Englishwoman turned around and saw the disapproving look on his face. She sighed. "Don't worry, I will tell her but…"

"You're getting more and more reckless, Lara, this is a dangerous path you're taking. One I thought you were done with." The tall man warned, clearly still shaken after seeing Lara's lifeless body emerge from the water. "You got lucky, once again, but one day your chance might turn. You need to more careful, I don't want to bring you back to your wife in a body bag."

"I know, I made a mistake. I will try to be more careful, I promise." Lara knew that brotherly act so well by now and she also knew Jonah wasn't trying to be condescending, he was just looking out for her and for Sam no matter if they didn't always like what he had to say. She loved to push the limits, the thrill she got out of a dangerous situation, but she also realized that now, she had things to lose. For once, her near-death experience might force her to rethink a few things in her life.

Lara was back in London, more excited and nervous than usual to be home. She put her bag on the floor and called for her wife. "Sam?" She heard a door slam then hurried footsteps, before finally seeing Sam rushing down the stairs.

"Lara!" Sam leaped into her wife's arms as soon as she reached her.

"Hey!" Lara hugged Sam as tight as she could without hurting her. "I missed you."

"And I missed you." Sam pulled away after a moment. "Are you okay?" She scanned her wife's body for injuries.

"I'm okay." The archaeologist answered.

"Are you sure?" The producer didn't seem convinced.

"Hum…" Lara cursed herself for being so out of it. She knew Sam could read her like an open book but she thought she would at least have a bit more time before sharing her thoughts.

Sam frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I need to tell you something…" Lara bit her bottom lip nervously.

Sam's frown deepened. "You're being weird, it's freaking me out. Is it bad?"

"It's not a bad thing, I promise." The Englishwoman reassured. "But I need to tell you now before I lose my nerve."

"Okay…" The filmmaker replied, unsure.

"I…" Lara stopped herself, looking around the room. They were standing in front of the stairs and she didn't feel like making her big announcement there. "Let's have a seat." She grabbed Sam's hand and led her to the couch in the foyer. Once they were seated, she continued. "I almost died during my expedition…"

"What? What happened? Why did you say you were alright?" Sam questioned frantically.

"Because I am now." The archaeologist said calmly. She saw Sam open her mouth, clearly ready to argue, so she held her hand to stop her. "Before you start lecturing me for being stupid and taking unnecessary risks, I want you to listen to what I have to say."

"Okay, but you better tell me what happened after." Sam insisted, already picturing the worst scenario.

Lara smiled, knowing full well her wife would want all the details as soon as possible. "Yes, I will."

"So…" The producer trailed off, waiting impatiently for her wife to say what she had to say.

"Like I said, I almost died and..." Lara took a deep breath. "For the first time in a long time, I didn't see the ghosts of my past, my parents, Roth but just you. I saw you and the life we could have had and I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and spend more time with you."

"Good." Sam nodded, trying to gauge her wife's reaction. "I mean, it's good, right?"

"It is." The Englishwoman squeezed Sam's hand in reassurance. "And when I was on the boat, safe and sound, I realized that, although I want to leave my mark in this world, I don't want my legacy to be just about archeology. I want to be remembered for making people's lives better and I want the Croft name to keep on living, not only in books but with a true descendant."

"Okay…" Sam slowly smiled, almost not daring to hope. "Just to be clear, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I want to have a child with you." Lara smiled back fondly. "I'm still scared to death of what could happen but with you by my side, I believe we can do it."

Sam squealed in joy, tackling her wife on the couch and peppering her with kisses. "Oh my God, oh my God, I love you."

Lara laughed freely at her lover's joy. "I love you too."