Chapter 1: Partners In Crime

London, England

11:55 A.M.

Lara felt excited, a giddy sort of nervousness having overtaken her as she scrambled around her father's study, stacking certain books in piles on the floor and reshelving others that she no longer needed, which had been written on a plethora of subjects - Egyptian mythology, Egyptian curses, Egyptian legends, and that was only one country's collection of tales - by Richard Croft and other scholars as well. Being that it was her father's study, more of his own works were located around the room while most of his other books that had been written by others were shelved in the library's stacks just down the hall.

Thanks to the windows she'd opened, the study felt pleasantly chilly, even more so since she'd tossed her hoodie and leather jacket hanging off the back of her father's desk chair and all she had on was a navy blue tank top and her favorite pair of cargo pants that had become a little worn - not that she was willing to admit it or part with them yet.

For now, she was simply biding time, occasionally sparing glances at her wristwatch while rearranging the books that sat scattered around the study, packing up any last essentials she would need for the trip if her meeting went well, and of course, doing research because she didn't want to go to Sam Drake empty-handed.

"Jonah!"

"Going somewhere?" Jonah asked as he strode over to where Lara stood at the desk with a backpack in front of her ready to be packed with essentials for travel, which included her passport and several books and charts, by the look of it. It definitely wasn't enough for a trip to some foreign land, that was for sure, but the sight of her red pickaxes on the table worried him.

"I'm meeting up with a client."

"For what?"

"A job. Treasure hunting, to be specific," she explained and moments after she did, Jonah's smile faltered before being replaced with concern.

"Are you sure about this, Lara?"

"Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"If you don't count Yamatai, you've never gone treasure hunting before."

"I don't count Yamatai. And besides, there's a first time for everything, Jonah, and Sam Drake's proposition seems promising enough."

"But how do you know you're not walking right into a trap? Trinity could have sent him to kill you!"

"I checked up on this Samuel Drake," Lara reassured him. "He isn't some Trinity agent and even if he was, I seriously doubt he would try to kill me in broad daylight. It would draw way too much attention that Trinity doesn't want."

But despite her confidence, Jonah didn't seem convinced, as evidenced by the scowl on his face. He looked more apprehensive than a five-year-old about to take a leap from the diving board at the pool on their first day of swim lessons and she quickly realized that no amount of reassurances could possibly convince him otherwise but at the same time, she couldn't be swayed, either.

"Aren't you tired, though?"

"Of what? Traveling and adventuring? No, never!"

"Lara, if you don't, your next expedition could be your last!"

"Jonah, don't say that!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't lose any more friends! You're risking your life for things that aren't worth it!"

"Trinity is still a threat but I can't just put my life completely on hold because of them! I need to figure out a way to make money. I think Roth would-"

"They would have wanted you to stop, too!"

"If he was still alive, Roth wouldn't have stopped! And besides, I swear that Sam Drake is clean. He's just looking to partner up with me for a job, nothing more."

"That's what you're chasing after? Money?"

"It's not just money but Jonah, what's the big deal? Weren't you the one who wanted me to stop chasing after Trinity? That's what I'm doing so what's the problem now?"

"You're still running off to strange places and risking your life! When are you going to stop?"

"I'll stop when I feel like it!" she snapped with a tone of finality, which effectively silenced Jonah but also left the atmosphere in the room feeling choked, silent save for the sound of birds chirping just outside the open window.

Lara also found herself glaring daggers into Jonah's forehead, his steely gaze matching her own as they tried to stare each other down to see who would look away first, but the look of disappointment in his eyes made her heart sink deeper and deeper into her stomach with every passing second until she was sure it would tear a hole in her gut to escape. The silence was so deafening that Lara knew a gunshot would have sounded like an explosion and every moment that passed by was more maddening than the last.

And then, after what had felt like an eternity, Jonah sighed heavily as he said,

"Lara, if you're not going to stop while there's still somebody there to catch you, then I'm not going to be there when you fall. I'm sorry."

"Jonah, wait!" she called after him but nothing she said could convince him to look back at her, leaving her with a sinking feeling in her chest as she watched her friend trudge out of the study until he disappeared from sight and the front door slamming announced his exit from the manor.

"Damn it!"

Disappointed as she was, Lara forced herself to snap out of the reverie she'd inadvertently slipped into, vision quickly refocusing on the map that was in front of her so that she was no longer staring off into space. She hadn't expected Jonah to storm out just like that but she forced herself not to dwell on what had transpired, refocusing her attention on her notes and the map she'd marked up as it was more important at the moment.

Jonah was, too, but she found herself a little more preoccupied with getting results to show Sam Drake - and for herself - to worry about her friend. There would be time for that later, after the expedition was over.

That was the attitude Roth had, placing priority on the job rather than falling back on his emotions when things went wrong, but two tours with the Royal Marines and a lifetime of treasure hunting had shaped him into the man he had been up until he died. And upset as she was, Lara found herself leaning on that mindset - Roth's mindset - to focus on what truly mattered at the moment.

Jonah would just have to wait.

Straightening her back, Lara set down the pencil she had used to mark up the map with a few more potential spots that could lead to the location of the scepter that belonged to the Queen of Thorns, an enigma to history, and spared a quick glance at her wristwatch after double-checking her calculations with her notes.

One more hour until I have to go meet with Sam Drake. I might as well get going so I can get there on time.

An hour wasn't a lot of time, after all, and she still had to make the journey to their meeting place, a coffee shop located in the center of London, and be there on schedule as time was of the essence. She wasn't sure if Sam Drake was the impatient type but being late to anything never set a good impression, which was why she found herself circling around her father's desk and slinging her backpack onto her shoulders as she hurried out, grabbing her keys and hopping on her bicycle before she'd even left the manor grounds.

Even though it was midday and there was noticeable traffic, Lara noticed herself cruising around cars and across busy streets, sometimes slowing down but mostly pedaling faster than normal as she passed street after street, which had her leg muscles burning as a result. It wasn't a bad feeling, though, and when she arrives at their agreed meeting spot with fifteen minutes to spare, she locks her bike at the rack located a few strides away before shucking off her leather jacket, feeling gratitude for the cool air that hits her bare skin and for having only worn a tank top underneath.

With fifteen minutes to spare, she figured she could take a few moments to cool down before going to meet with Sam Drake, not wanting to be a complete sweaty mess when she approached her potential business partner.

That shit might be acceptable in Yamatai but certainly not here, Lara thought, scolding herself even though she hadn't done anything wrong. Still, she was sure it had something to do with being a little too self-conscious with returning to a normal life after the madness that was Yamatai.

Now, if only the newspapers that continued to call her 'crazy as her father' would fuck off, Lara thought as she strode into the cafe, deciding that she'd dawdled long enough.

"I regret to inform you that all of our tables are full so if you'd like, I can try to seat you somewhere after I take your order," the barista suggested when it was her turn to order.

"Thank you, but I'm here to meet someone. I'm sure he's already here."

"Alright, then. Ready to order?"

"Let me have a small coffee," Lara answered after having quickly scanned the menu, not wanting to appear like a rude patron who expected to be able to sit in the cafe without having purchased anything. Surely, that would have put an abrupt end to her meeting with Sam before it even began and so, rather than draw unnecessary attention to herself, Lara paid for her small coffee without so much as a complaint and gratefully took the cardboard cup that was given to her a few minutes later.

Almost as soon as she turned around, scalding hot coffee in hand, she locked eyes with a man sitting at one of the cafe's outdoor tables with a cigarette perched between his lips and there was something about him - she wasn't sure if it was his blue Hawaiian shirt or the way he seemed awfully relaxed despite sitting all by himself - that tells her she's found Sam Drake.

"Sam Drake, I take it?" she asked as she approached the man at the table, holding out her hand to shake when he smiles at er.

"The one and only. Lara Croft, right?"

"Yes, that's me. Should we discuss why we're here?"

"Yeah, let's get down to business," Sam agreed. "Can I get you anything before we start?"

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Lara said as she sat down in the empty chair across from Sam, gesturing to the small coffee that sat in front of her.

"Alright, then. Since you're here, I'm assuming you're interested in working with me?"

"Yes, I am. And actually, after you reached out to me, I did some preliminary research on the Queen of Thorns and based on the information you gave me, I believe I'm close to finding the exact location of the scepter. I'm confident that we'll have it soon."

"Now that's what I like to hear! You know, with your… expertise, I figure we could come across a pretty big payday. How does that sound?"

"I'm interested," Lara reassured him, although she couldn't blame Sam for being apprehensive that she would consider him 'crazy'. From her own experiences with every known newspaper calling her 'insane' after Yamatai, she knew how that felt.

The world had more mysteries than answers to offer but after Yamatai and Kitezh, she found that she couldn't quite ignore the yearning for adventure she felt whenever she returned home, having found herself craving everything from treasure hunts to archeological digs and nothing could truly ever sate her for long. Drama-hungry newspapers and yellow journalists be damned.

"Okay, good. So you're willing to work with me?"

"Of course! What's the pay going to be like?"

Even back when they had first set sail in search of the now not-so-fabled island of Yamatai, Roth had always insisted upon one thing: to discuss payment up front so that everybody knew what cut they would be getting of anything valuable they found, considering money to be the most important topic of discussion before they had embarked. Money had been the reason - or the lack of it - why they nearly didn't embark for Yamatai and looking back, the journey hadn't been worth it, Lara thought.

Roth's death, for one thing, was something she still felt every day and maybe, just maybe, they all would have been better off if they - she - hadn't found Yamatai.

Try to focus on what matters, Lara, she reminded herself as she focused her attention back at Sam just in time to see him take out a cigarette from the box sitting in his shirt pocket.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked her around the cigarette that was perched between his lips and she shook her head, which was all it took for the stench of smoke and nicotine to ignite the air but she didn't mind as much because as the wind picked up, the gentle breeze ended up pushing the stench of cigarette smoke away from her. Instead of irritating her, the orange glow from Sam's cigarette had her mesmerized, gaze flickering between the smoke wafting from the butt of the cigarette and Sam's face.

"So when you plan on heading out?"

"How does tomorrow morning sound?"

"I like the way you think," he chuckled, tapping on his cigarette to rid it of the excess ash that clung to the butt. He looked up at her, dark eyes glimmering with what looked like excitement and for the first time in so long, Lara felt she could also feel excited, finding herself able to grin at the man sitting just across the table from her.

"One question: what's the pay going to be like?"

"Fifty-fifty-fifty of whatever we find," Sam explained. "I know buyers who would pay handsomely if we brought back relics from the Setica Dynasty."

"Or even better, evidence of the kingdom's existence."

"Whatever works for you. Partners?" he asked as he held his hand out for her to shake, which she did without missing a beat.

"Partners."

The Chánson Mining Basin

Chánson, France

4:33 A.M.

Stepping out of her cabin from below deck, Lara was met with the smell of warm, salty air and the first rays of sunshine peeking out over the horizon and while the air felt somewhat cool, it wasn't freezing nor was Lara worried about the temperature, knowing that it would only get warmer as the day went on. As for sleep, she definitely missed her bed back home but she couldn't bring herself to complain about the level of hospitality Sully's salvage boat provided, having found it just cozy enough that she had been able to get a decent few hours of sleep, even more so because the time zone difference between France and the UK was only an hour.

It was a nice change from the usual jet lag and out-of-whack sleep schedules she normally had to endure on her adventures but Lara quickly reminded herself not to get used to it since she wouldn't always be so fortunate. Still, it was too good of a feeling not to relish in, Lara figuring that she could enjoy it for as long as it lasted until her adventures delivered her to another far-off corner of the world where she would be able to get reacquainted with jet lag once more.

It almost feels like I haven't left home, not that I've ever felt homesick. Being on this boat does make me miss Roth even more, though.

The thought of Roth, her dear mentor and the closest thing she ever had to a father, made her wish he was still alive and sailing around the world in a sailboat with millions in his retirement fund and not a care in the world. Instead, all she had left of him were his twin Remington 1911 R1 pistols to remember him by but even that wasn't enough.

I still remember climbing aboard the Endurance like it was yesterday. All that shit we went through makes me wish we'd never found Yamatai. I think I could have lived with myself if we hadn't found Yamatai but it's been really hard dealing with Roth's passing. If anything, I'd rather have him around than fame… or rather, notoriety. But I guess there's no point in dwelling on the past when doing so won't change anything.

"Hey, you're up early!" Sam yawned as he stepped out on deck, armed with his trusty lighter and box of cigarettes, which was no surprise since it seemed that he was always in possession of a pack of smokes.

"Good morning to you, too," Lara hummed in mild amusement.

"Yeah, it's always a good morning when you start it with a cigarette and a treasure hunt."

" That's a normal morning for you?"

"Yeah, usually. How about you? Earl grey tea and… archeology?"

"More like a bottle of vodka and shooting down helicopters," Lara chuckled lightly.

"Sounds like fun. Tell me that story sometime?" Sam requested as he motioned her over to the map of Europe that they had rolled out inside the cabin of Sully's boat, where it was safe from the elements and could be marked up as they saw fit.

"Of course, another time," Lara agreed. Then, as she looked over the map, she found herself double-checking her calculations and felt herself getting excited with every passing minute. "According to the charts I've been studying, we're very close to finding the Queen of Thorns' burial chamber."

"How close, would you say?" Sam questioned, peering over her shoulder at the map spread out on the table, complete with triangulation markings that had narrowed down their area of search quite considerably, to Sam's relief.

"If I had to give you an estimate, I'd say we're within range, give or take fifteen kilometers north of here."

"That's not bad… but how much is that in miles?"

"That's ten miles," Sully answered before Lara could, looking awfully smug.

"Oh, hey, Victor. Wasn't expecting you to be awake for a few more hours, at least," Sam teased and Lara had to bite down on her tongue to keep herself from laughing at the very obvious old person joke that had just been made.

"No time to sleep when there's treasure to find," Sully commented without missing a beat.

"It's still a lot of ground to cover but we're within range, I'm sure of it," Lara stated confidently, hoping to turn their attention back to the matter at hand and thankfully, it wasn't that difficult because the thought of treasure had Sam and Sully both turning their attention to her within seconds after ending their banter.

"Leave it to you two to go looking for the goddamn Queen of Thorns."

"You came along so what does that say about you, Victor?" Sam chuckled lightly.

"If we find it, the payout is going to be real pretty," said man chuckled around the unlit cigar that had somehow found its way into his mouth. "That's the only reason why I'm here."

I'm surrounded by smokers, Lara thought, mildly amused but also a little irritated all the same.

"Only interested in the climax, as usual," Sam snorted.

"Reminds me of somebody I know," Lara commented, only to quickly correct herself by saying, "knew."

"What, like an old partner or something?"

"I suppose you could say that, but he was more than that to me," Lara shrugged. Quickly realizing how cryptic her response was, she adds, "his name was Conrad Roth. He hunted for treasure and made a living smuggling artifacts."

"Conrad Roth, huh? I knew him, once upon a time," Sully commented. "Good guy and reliable treasure hunter. He also talked about you a lot."

"He did? Then I'm assuming that's how you knew to contact me?" Lara guessed after Sully nodded.

"We heard about Yamatai, too," Sam added, albeit a bit hesitantly, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Saw the newspapers and we figured you were the best person for this job."

"I see."

"It's a shame Roth didn't make it back. Sorry for your loss, kiddo," Sully said albeit regretfully.

"Thank you," Lara muttered gratefully.

Rather than dwell on her grief, she quickly suggested that they look over their charts one more time, to which Sam and Sully both agreed without needing much convincing. It was a welcome attitude, which she favored over Jonah's apprehension and Dr. Whitman's - may he burn for eternity - annoying flightiness, which she was sure had just been a ploy to steal all the credit when the opportunity arose. She couldn't be sure, seeing as Whitman had justifiably met his end back on Yamatai, but she wasn't willing to give him any credit even in death.

"Treasure hunting, anybody?" Sam interrupted, which was all it took for Lara and Sully to crowd around the map on either side of him so they could double-check their coordinates one final time and discuss their plan of action while they were still on dry land.

"We're wasting daylight, after all."

"This is like trying to find a bride in a brothel but I'll give you both props if you actually manage to find the Queen of Thorns' resting place," Sully commented. Smoke wafted from the cigar perched between his thumb and index finger and Lara couldn't help but smile wide.

"Is he always like this?" Lara asked, an amused smile stretching across her mouth as she stepped into her wetsuit and zipped it up after she'd adjusted it so it sat comfortably against her skin.

"Yeah, but you get used to it," Sam chuckled, zipping up his own wetsuit as well, which was identical to Lara's save for the fact that hers had a thick, yellow stripe running along the seams on either side and over her sleeves. Lara could only grin, feeling quite amused herself by her partners' easy-going attitudes and ultimately finding it a nice change from her usually stress-filled escapades.

"I bet."

"So that's Lara Croft. Any relation to that psycho Richard Croft?"

"She's his daughter."

"Huh, that's interesting," the hired assassin muttered under his breath, setting aside the binoculars he had held in order to remove his gun from its holster, quickly loading in a new clip before holstering it once again.

His fingers twitched with excitement just from having reloaded his gun, mild desperation setting in as a result of being perhaps a little too trigger-happy but when it came to Lara Croft, she was a target with a bounty that was too good to pass up.

"I'm surprised she's survived this long. I heard she once took down a helicopter all by herself in Pripyat and if that's not insane, I don't know what is."

"The rumors about her are true but don't let yourself be intimidated. She's still no match for Trinity… and once she's outworn her usefulness, kill her."

"Roger that."

A/N: Hello! I'm just cross-posting this over from my AO3 account because I love Sam Drake and Lara Croft as a ship and I think they're cute. More to come soon! And if you liked this chapter, leave a review. :)