A/N : So I wanted to post this new chapter before the release of the game, just to be safe... If you read my other author notes, you know my opinion on Shadow...

Let me know what you think, reviews always improve my day.

A few months later

Lara and Sam were having a late dinner, talking about their day, when the bell rang. They heard Winston make his way to the front door and greet people.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Are we expecting someone?"

Lara shook her head. "No, not at this hour."

Winston soon joined them in the kitchen. "Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura are waiting for you in the foyer."

"You're kidding me?" The producer looked at the butler with wide eyes.

"I'm afraid not, Lady Sam." Winston replied apologetically.

"What are they doing here?" The archaeologist murmured half in shock.

Sam shrugged. "Don't ask me."

"Should I bring them tea?" The butler inquired, unsure how to proceed with their new guests.

"Yes." "No." Lara and Sam said respectively.

Lara looked at her wife pointedly. "Sam, we have manners."

The filmmaker waved her hand childishly. "You maybe."

The Englishwoman chuckled at Sam's antics. "Sam…"

"Fine," Sam rolled her eyes, standing up from the kitchen stool. "But if my mom starts bitching, I'll let you handle it while I call them a cab." She finished before heading toward the foyer.

"What?" Lara rushed after her wife. "Why? They're your parents!"

"And I'm your wife, which by extension make them a part of your family too." Sam reminded her with a sweet smile.

Lara stopped walking abruptly. "Oh, God…" She groaned, burying her head in her hands.

Sam giggled and took a step closer to her wife. "I know, sweetie, but we said for better and for worse." She grabbed Lara's hand and dragged her down the hallway. As soon as she saw her parents, her hold on Lara's hand tightened. "Mom, dad, what are you doing here?"

"Samantha, if I didn't know better I would think you're not happy to see us." Sam's mother said bitterly.

"Of course I am." The producer forced a smile, letting go of her wife's hand to give her parents a quick hug.

Lara nodded in hello. "Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura."

"Miss Croft." Antonia greeted back.

Sam frowned in annoyance. "It's Mrs., you should know by now, you were at our wedding."

"Yes, I was…" Antonia trailed off.

"Typical..." The filmmaker shook her head in disbelief. She might be on speaking terms with her parents but it was far from being easy. She had made good progress with her father, calling him once a month but she still hadn't forgiven her mother for almost disowning her. She noticed Lara subtly move closer to her and smiled to herself.

"Excuse your mother, we had a long trip." Hisao said, sensing the tension.

Sam turned toward her dad. "What are you doing here? And why didn't you call first?"

"Can't we visit our own daughter?" Antonia asked almost offended.

"I guess you can," The producer crossed her arms as if bracing herself for a potential fight. "But a little heads up would have been nice."

"Can I offer you some tea, Mr. and Mrs. Nishimura?" Winston offered as he set the tray on the coffee table and motioned for them to sit on the couch.

"Thank you, but we are quite tired." Antonia smiled politely at him. "Could you, please, show us our room?"

Sam made a choking noise. "Because you're staying?"

"If that's alright with you." Hisao tilted his head to the side, waiting for an answer.

"Well, now that you're here…" Sam looked at her wife and when Lara wordlessly nodded in approval, she called the butler's attention. "Winston, would you mind showing them the guest room? The one at the far end of the East wing, please."

"Of course, Lady Sam." Winston bowed his head.

The filmmaker thanked him before wishing her parents a good night. "We'll talk more tomorrow." Her parents nodded before leaving the room. Once she was sure they couldn't hear them, Sam said to her wife. "See, told you tea wasn't necessary."

Lara reached for Sam and wrapped her into a tight embrace. "Are you okay?"

"As long as you're here…" Sam mumbled into the crook of her neck.

"Always."

Later, as the couple settled in bed, Lara listened to Sam complain about her parents. Once her wife was done, she voiced her own annoyance. "I don't get why your mother keeps calling me Miss."

"I think she's still mad I took your last name." Sam shuffled closer on the bed so she could talk face to face with Lara. She gently started drawing patterns on her wife's arm.

Lara frowned. "I never asked you to, I told you it was your choice."

"And I know that. It was my decision, and I told her many times that it was a statement. She threw so many threats when I chose to get together with you, I don't see why I would have kept my name if my family refuses to accept my choices." Sam sighed tiredly, trying to push away the bad memories. "Besides, I wanted to set my mark and prove my worth, not because I was the daughter of a media mogul, but because I have talent on my own."

The Englishwoman raised an eyebrow. "So you chose my name out of pettiness?"

The producer swapped her wife's arm. "No silly, I chose it because I love you and I want to help you make the name Croft shine bright again."

"I'm honored." Lara's eyes sparkled with love and admiration. "But I have to admit, I fought monsters less scary than your mother."

"Oh, poor baby." Sam cooed, kissing her wife's nose. "Don't worry, she'll come around eventually. And you know, I'm a Countess now, it's way more chic." She grinned proudly.

"Sure is." Lara snorted. After a pause, she added. "Your father is easier."

Sam hummed in agreement. "He's a shark in business but a bit of a puppy at home. I'm pretty sure he likes you but he doesn't want to show it too much and suffer my mother's wrath."

They cuddled for a moment in comfortable silence until Lara spook again. "So why are they here anyway?"

"I guess they miss me and a monthly call to check up on me is not enough anymore." The filmmaker shrugged. "They're probably just trying to fix things."

"They have a weird way of showing it." Lara declared. "Coming to their daughter's house and insulting their spouse isn't the best way to go at it." Her eyes went wide as a thought popped into her head. "Oh my god, are they going to be like this all weekend?"

Sam made a face. "Probably..."

"Urgh," Lara groaned, burying most of her face in her pillow. "Is it too late for a last minute dig? Or maybe we could stay with Jonah and Kaz?"

"Nope," The producer chuckled, realizing her brave and badass wife was afraid to face her in-laws. "You're stuck here with me Croft."

"I still don't get why now, though." The archaeologist insisted, trying to understand why Sam's parents would decide to give them a friendly visit when the relationship between them was still rocky at best.

"Uhh…" Sam's eyes darted everywhere but at Lara's face.

Lara looked at her wife suspiciously, she knew that guilty look well. "Sam?"

Sam pulled away and sat up on the bed. "I think I know why but don't panic, okay?"

"It's the last thing you should tell me if you don't want me to start panicking." Lara mimicked her wife's position.

The smaller woman smiled sweetly. "Please?"

"What did you do?" Lara slightly glared at her.

"Fine," Sam rolled her eyes. "I might have let it slipped that we were thinking about having a child, maybe…" She said sheepishly.

"Sam! This is none of their business!"

"I know, but it just slipped out, okay?!" Sam rushed to explain. "My dad was talking about my cousin, and how she's so successful and has such a cute family and how she was pregnant for the second time. I could feel the anger rising because I have a family too. My wife is a hot and successful archaeologist and I have my own kick-ass production company. We even got rid of our public image of crazy women so I told him all that and then I added, we were talking about having a child too… So I guess he told my mom and here we are…"

"So let me get this straight," Lara ran her fingers through her hair. "They came all the way here to mend things with us so they can be in the life of our hypothetical child?"

"It's not hypothetical," The filmmaker stated. "We are seriously doing this and we've even started looking for information on the subject. I really want a mini you running around the manor."

Lara chuckled. "You know I feel the same, although I'd rather a mini you."

Sam winked. "Charmer!"

The Englishwoman shook her head fondly before turning serious again. "Thanks to the advancement of science, we can have a child that is part you and part me but it's a long procedure, the last thing we need is your mother breathing down our neck while you're trying to get pregnant, no offense."

"None taken. We'll both get grilled about it this weekend but…" Sam sighed. "I've been thinking about this since I told my dad and I want our kid to have grandparents. You know, even if we don't get along that much, they look like they want to be a part of the journey or they wouldn't be here. So, maybe they could have a second chance, if not for us, for our future baby."

"I suppose you're right." Lara said after a while. "I'll make an effort but if she calls me Miss one more time, I can't promise you anything." She warned. "You are my wife, not my roommate anymore."

"Damn right, you liked it and put a ring on it." Sam wiggled her left hand smugly.

"Sam!" Lara breathed out a laugh. "I'm serious!"

"I know, sweetie, I just love it when you get all possessive like that." Sam cleared her throat and imitated Lara's accent. "She's my wife, mate." She swiftly avoided the pillow Lara threw at her and giggled. "What? It's hot!"

Lara pulled Sam closer and pinned her on the bed, lying on top of her. "Really?" She smiled wickedly at her wife, darting at her lips.

Sam smirked, her pupils turning dark. "Mhh Mhh…" She lifted her head and captured her wife's lips hungrily.

"SAMANTHA!" They heard Antonia called.

"Oh my god, is she for real? It's late…" Sam growled, pulling away. "Unbelievable, she just arrived and she's already cock-blocking me in my own house!"

"Who said I was about to give it to you?" Lara raised an eyebrow, amused.

The older woman scoffed. "Please, have you seen this booty?"

"So humble of you." Lara jested. "You know if we have a child, you should get used to interruptions."

"Shit, I take it back," Sam joked. "I'm not sure I want a kid anymore."

"Samantha!" Antonia shouted again.

"I'm coming!" Sam yelled back.

Lara snorted. "No, you're not…"

"Urgh, don't be cheeky, not the time." Sam whined pathetically.

Lara chuckled. "Sorry." She kissed her wife before moving to the side of the bed. "Let's hope they'll leave on Monday."

"We can agree on that."

Sam's parents stayed longer than the couple first expected. It was clear they were trying to make up for lost time with their daughter although Sam was still on the fence. At least, they were kinder to Lara.

In a desperate attempt to get away from Sam's parents for a few hours, the couple had agreed to go on a last minute conference in London and were now making their way back home.

Once they got out of the car and reached the manor, Sam pushed Lara against the front door and kissed her senseless. "I know you're not comfortable having sex with my parents in the house, even though they're literally in another wing but I need to make love to my wife like, yesterday," She kissed her again. "They're running errands so we should have an hour before they're back, please take me to our room."

Every objection Lara could have disappeared when her wife started biting that special spot on her neck. "Okay…"

Quickly, they found themselves stumbling inside the manor, hands roaming over each other's body. As Lara pushed Sam against the side table in the foyer, they heard someone clear their throat. They broke apart and saw Sam's parents sitting on the couch, sipping tea.

Lara hastily put Sam back on the floor and stepped away, wide-eyed. "I… this is not what it looks like…"

Sam looked at her before bursting out laughing. "As if…"

"Sam!" Lara glared at her.

"What?" Sam said, trying to calm down. "We're not 16, we're married and this is our house, I think they know that this is exactly what it looks like."

Lara turned bright red. "You're really not helping." She whispered-yelled.

"I assure you, this is awkward for all the parties involved." Hisao finally spoke.

Antonia cleared her throat. "Sam, could we talk?"

Lara glanced at Sam to see if her wife wanted her around but the woman shook her head. "I'll be in my study." She said, more than happy to make a quick exit after what happened.

"No, you too Mi…" Antonia stopped herself when she saw her daughter's glare. "Mrs. Croft."

Sam kept glaring. "She has a name you know."

"It's alright," Lara took Sam's hand and led her to the couch opposite the one her in-laws were sitting on. "What did you want to talk about?"

"We know our visit was… a bit of her surprise." Antonia started.

"Understatement of the year." Sam muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Samantha, please." Her mother chastised.

"Fine, go ahead." The producer waved for her to continue.

"Thank you. We have to go back to Japan but we wanted to talk to you both before we go." Antonia stopped as if looking for the right words. "After spending a few days here, we can see that you two make a, well…"

"A beautiful family." Her husband offered for her.

Sam smiled gratefully at her dad but turned to her mother with a scowl. "Is it so hard for you to say it?"

Antonia sighed. "I'm trying."

"Then try harder. The filmmaker snapped.

"We just want a second chance." Sam's mother said almost pleadingly.

"And I think it's up to me, to us, to decide if you deserve it or not. You've criticized my choices my whole life. You've been awful to Lara since we got together and you want a second chance?" Sam's voice raised. "Why? Because you've dodged that question all weekend. Am I not a disappointment anymore? Are you here for me or just because I could give you grandchildren?" Her hands were shaking with anger and sadness. She knew a part of her still wanted her parents' love, but they would have to work for it. She refused to go through that type of heartache again.

Antonia opened then close her mouth a few times. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it does." Sam sniffled. "I refuse to act as if we are a perfect family anymore because we never were in the first place. I'm a grown-up, I'm married and I have an awesome job that I'm great at. If you can't support me then I don't want you in my life and certainly not in our child's if you're just gonna disappear as soon as you disagree with our parenting style."

Lara moved closer and put a comforting arm around Sam's shoulder. "Say the word and they're out." She whispered, letting her wife know that she didn't have to do this if she didn't want to. Sam shook her head but smiled at her gratefully.

"We made mistakes in the past but we are trying to make amends." Hisao jumped in.

"Lara hurt you and yet you forgave her, why would it be different for us?" Antonia argued. "We are your parents."

"Oh no, you better not go there." The producer growled warningly. "Being my parents doesn't give you the right to control me."

"If I may," Lara finally decided to speak up. "I know that I hurt your daughter in that past too."

"Lara, you don't have to justify y…"

"No, let me." The Englishwoman interrupted her wife gently. "There isn't a day that passes when I don't try to make it up to her. Your daughter is beautiful, smart, funny and loving… She is an amazing woman and I hope one day you'll see that. I feel the luckiest woman in the world to have her in my life and I promise you I will always love her and take care of her. But Sam makes her own choices, I've learned that a long time ago. She chose to be a part of my life and you have to respect that if you want to be a part of her life and our child's future."

Hisao nodded. "We understand. We'll give you some time to think about it."

"We will." Sam assured him as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"But…" Antonia started, ready to plead her case.

"Antonia please," Hisao stood up and motioned for his wife to do the same. "We asked for their forgiveness, now it's up to them to give it to us or not."

Sam's mother sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. "Alright." She stood next to her husband.

"We should get going, we have a plane to catch." Hisao walked toward Lara and extended his hand. "Take good care of my daughter, Lara."

The archaeologist shook his hand with a small smile. "I will, sir."

Antonia stepped in front of Sam, opening her arms for a goodbye hug. Sam rolled her eyes but quickly sighed when she noticed the pain in her mother's eyes, the first crack in her jaded mask in all weekend. She gave her a quick hug.

"I know I don't show it but I am proud of you." Antonia murmured in her daughter's ear. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am, I just need you to see that." Sam answered, pulling away. Antonia then turned toward Lara, ready to shake her hand when Sam pushed her closer to her wife. "You can hug her too, she's not contagious."

"No I don't think, it's necessary, we can…" Lara quickly argued.

Antonia hugged her awkwardly, long enough to whisper "I'll keep an eye on you until I'm sure my daughter is safe with you." and for Lara to reply. "Likewise."

A few seasons later

Sam and Lara were staring at a pregnancy test, nervously waiting for the news that would change their life.

Finally, the answer appeared. "It's positive." Sam whispered, tears of joy filling her eyes.

"It's positive?" Lara asked, wide-eyed, wanting to be sure.

"It's positive, I'm pregnant." Sam squealed in excitement. "We're gonna have a baby!"

Lara carefully twirled her wife around in a circle while she held her in her arms. "Oh my god, we're gonna be parents."

They kept hugging each other for a while, crying and laughing in joy.

The couple waited almost 3 months, to be safe, before inviting their friends to dinner and give them the news.

When it was time for dessert, Sam cleared her throat. "So, we have some news to share!"

"Oh my god," Kaz faked the surprise. "You two are finally together."

"Ah ah, very funny." Sam deadpanned.

"I had to do it," The blonde chuckled. "You two were just too oblivious in the past for us not to tease you about it now."

Sam stuck her tongue out at her friend. "We're married now, that's all that matters."

"Sam is expecting, we're gonna have a child." Lara blurted out to her surprise. She had stopped her wife from sharing the news a few times, wanting to be sure everything was going well but she needed to talk about it with her friends now.

"Hey," Sam pouted. "We said we'll say it together."

"Sorry." Lara smiled sheepishly. She would have never thought she could be so nervously excited about having a child. "I couldn't hold it anymore."

"I'm gonna be an uncle!" Jonah exclaimed full of joy before standing up and hugging his best friends tightly. "I'm so happy for you, lovebirds."

"Can I be the gay aunt if the kid's parents are two women? Maybe I can be the cool vodka aunt?" Kaz wondered after hugging the couple.

"No alcohol!" Lara quickly answered.

"Look who's already all protective, chill mama bear, I'm kidding! Mostly…" Kaz said, amused, as everyone laughed.

Later in the evening, they all settled in the greenhouse for tea. Lara was lovingly staring at her wife from her spot on the couch while Sam and Kaz were sitting at the table, animatedly talking about a possible baby shower. After a while, Jonah joined her.

"You're gonna be a great mom." He declared as he sat next to her.

"I don't know about that, Sam for sure but…" Lara trailed off.

"What's on your mind, little bird?" Jonah asked gently.

"I…" The Englishwoman sighed before confessing. "I'm still terrified of messing things up or putting Sam and our child in danger. I know I could never forgive myself if anything happens to them."

"Kaz and I will be there for you two and for the kid." The tall man promised. "You are not alone and you both deserve to be happy, don't let your fears take over."

Lara nodded. "I know you're right but it's not always easy."

Jonah patted her shoulder. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, more than I thought possible." Lara answered without hesitation. "Although, it's a bit bittersweet to know I can't share the news with my parents, or Roth…"

"I'm sure they would have been proud of you, just like your kid will be proud of their moms." Jonah smiled before kissing her forehead.

"Is it weird to love them already?" The archaeologist wondered. "It's such a weird and new feeling."

"It's not." Jonah chuckled. "Don't worry too much, Lara, everything is going to be alright."