Chapter Text
Lara sat in her office–or her late father's old office–on her computer, trying to write a report on the ruins in the Bahamas that she just visited. She stared at the blinking cursor, exasperation growing within her. Nothing she did compared to Paititi, all the people she helped, the jungle and the ruins called to her like nothing else.
The Bahamian ruins were interesting of course, archeology always was, but it didn't have the same feeling that Paititi did. Maybe she and Dr. Dominguez were codependent, when one died, the other had no purpose. She couldn't help thinking, irrationally of course, that maybe things would be better for her if Trinity had survived.
She wouldn't have traded the world she knew for anything, even the picturesque life that she led in the world the Box showed her, but she always felt that without someone fighting against her, somebody to despise and stand against, her life was empty.
She resigned herself to finishing the report, drawing in a slow breath and forcing herself to type, recollecting all the information about the mission into the document.
4 hours and 1 coffee break later, she was finished, her hands cramping from all the typing. She reclined back in her chair, noticing the world outside had gotten darker. Her phone rang, Jonah’s name flashing on the screen. She picked it up, her fingers swiping against the screen to answer the call. Jonah’s loud voice, tinged with excitement, blasted out of the speaker. She moved the phone away from her ear, wincing at the volume. “Lara, I did it!”
She furrowed her brow before the realization shot through her like a lightning bolt, “You did?!” Her face morphed into a wide smile, suddenly full of elation. Jonah and Abby had been dating for almost 3 years by now, since the day he decided to stay in Paititi. She continued, pestering him, “When’s the wedding?”
“Well,” he paused, seeming to be a little embarrassed, “It’s actually on Saturday.”
Lara suddenly choked on saliva, surprised at the quick turnaround. “I’m sorry, what?”
Jonah quickly tried to justify his decision, as Lara pulled up Google Flights, “W-well, Etzli offered to make it a massive celebration for Paititi, and I really couldn’t say no.”
Lara looked at the listings for the flights, gobsmacked at the prices, “It’s 2000 pounds for the flight! Couldn’t you have waited for like a week?”
Jonah in a sheepish voice added, “It’s really hard to say no to Etzli, he can be very persuasive when he wants something to happen, it’s what makes him a great leader.”
Lara sighed, “I was planning on going back to Paititi in a month or two anyway, a wedding is as good an excuse as any.”
“Great!” Jonah’s voice suddenly perked up, “I’ll pick you up at the airport on Friday then!”
The line suddenly went dead, signaling the end of the conversation. Lara put down the phone, the beam of her smile dimmed slightly as she scowled at the prices again. She begrudgingly took out her credit card, putting her information into the website. She looked at the reservation she made, before climbing out of her seat, stretching her cramped muscles. She walked slowly over to her bed, before she laid down, falling asleep with the hope that she could meet her best friend again.
-
A loud ding woke her up, the pilot’s announcement of their descent into Lima coming over the PA system. She peered out the window, taking in the deep teal of the ocean below her as the plane descended. Just before landing, the teal transitioned into a light sand with a port hugging the shoreline. The plane made the usually jerky landing on the runway, taxiing to the gate. Lara got off the plane, her person being followed by the gaze of curious and fascinated civilians. Her skin itched, feeling the stares on her, feeling like she was on display as she picked up her equipment from the baggage claim. She then waited for Jonah’s face to appear in the sea of people, holding the bag with her bow and climbing gear.
After a few false starts where she thought that she saw Jonah, she finally spotted the broad chested man with a sign that had her name on it. She exhaled silently, releasing tension as she made quick work of the distance between them before enveloping him in a hug. The hug was returned quickly, strong arms wrapping around her body. "Hello Little Bird.” was whispered into her ear. She unconsciously smiled at the moniker, the name comforting her, having heard it in person for the first time in a long time.
She let go, peering around him for Abby, before spotting her standing awkwardly quite a bit behind Jonah. She raised her hand in a wave before gesturing for her to come closer.
Lara shook Abby’s hand, feeling a bit unfamiliar around her. They had barely spent any time with each other, Jonah and her escaping on a vacation, not returning til she had left back to England. Even though she was a major help for them getting to Paititi, Lara just didn’t know her very well. “So, how’s the village doing? Your hotel still running well?”
Abby responded, happy to be given something to talk about, “Business is good, a lot of jungle tourists coming around here, wanting to be the next Lara Croft.” She laughed, but she grew serious for a minute, “Don’t worry about Paititi though, they’ve never been there.”
Their conversation continued as they approached the Jeep, complete with targa top and no doors, in the parking lot. They slid in, Jonah taking shotgun and Lara sliding into the back, putting her equipment in the seat next to her and strapping it in with a seatbelt. They drove through the city before getting on the highway toward the more remote villages. The roads transitioned from pristine asphalt making Lara feel like she were coasting along on a cloud, to pothole riddled dirt and mud roads, jostling Lara around like a ragdoll.
They finally approached Kuwaq Yaku (in a much better state than last time, the memory of the jaguar still haunts her skin). She took in the sight of traditional Inca architecture again for the first time in a while, still mesmerizing to look at. They pulled into Abby’s shop, now sporting a massive amount more tools than last time, clearly caused by the boom in tourism in the area.
Jonah and Abby ushered her to the guest bedroom, urging her to rest. She tried to protest, saying “We should probably go to Paititi.” and “I don’t want to intrude.” Jonah and Abby wouldn't have it however, the pair not backing down, making her give up eventually and succumb to the nice soft bed being offered to her.