Later that day, Lara stood at the Pillars saying good-bye to Kain. He had promised that with Moebius out of the way, no more vampires or demons would be coming through the portal to terrorize Earth. It wasn't quite ready for that full of a connection yet. Ariel floated solemnly nearby.

"All that is well and done, but how do we close the portal?"

"You cannot," the ghost intoned quietly. Lara and Kain looked up at her. "The two main Guardians have met, the Wielder of the Reaver is bound to both, and the connection between this world and yours is solidified. There is no way to separate them, but at least Moebius can no longer use it to his advantage. I'm sure Kain will make sure nothing comes through the portal."

Kain nodded acquiescence, said good-bye a final time, and teleported away. Ariel vanished back to wherever she stayed when she wasn't materialized. It was almost time to go. Lara looked around, knowing she had one other person to say good-bye to. She found herself almost afraid to speak with Raziel. She wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want to deal with the emotional good-byes, or because she didn't want to think it would be the last time she would speak to him. She gritted her teeth, spotted him standing on the hill not far from the Pillars, and headed over to him. They stood quietly for a long while.

"It was good to meet you," Raziel finally stated in a carefully neutral tone.

"The feeling is mutual."

Another painfully long silence fell between the two. Neither looked at the other, knowing it was time to let go.

"Raziel . . ." Lara began hesitantly. "Thank you. For everything. … Especially for that night in the tomb."

Her commented evicted a short laugh from him. "Oh, Lara, is was a pleasure for me, as well."

They both turned to look at the portal.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye."

"I guess it is." Raziel took her hand gently, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed her one last time, pressing into her as if they'd melt into one another. Lara couldn't bring herself to break the lock.

'It's not good to hang on like this. A clean break heals faster,' she told herself, but another part whispered back, 'Of course, but just one more moment, please, I won't get to feel this ever again . . .'

When he released her, she walked swiftly down the hill, her back straight and head high. She rubbed her eyes slightly. She was not crying. Her allergies were just getting to her, that's all. Must be those damn light glowy bugs. She turned once before stepping in and saw Raziel wave her a mournful good-bye. She waved back and stepped in. Raziel sighed. She was gone.

Lara stepped out of the portal and was blasted by the familiar England air. Jials was suddenly running out to her shouting, "You are alive!"

"Of course, Jials, of course." She smiled at him and Jials noticed a strange . . . glow around her, a happiness tinged with sorrow that hadn't been there before. "The portal has to stay open, but nothing will be coming through it anymore."

"Wonderful! You must tell me everything that happened! But first, I want you to get a check up with the medic. You know, to make sure you won't spread anything to the normal mortal society."

She nodded vaguely, her mind already drifting back to the planet she had just left. He led her into the building and down a few interconnecting halls. He finally stopped at the medical bay. The medic on duty calmly told Lara to sit down and began running a few tests. The whole process took about half an hour, and to Jials' surprise, she didn't complain once. She had a kind of far away look in her eyes. Jials would almost have said she looked like she was deeply in a crush, perhaps even in love, but he shook his head and shoved the thought away as preposterous. Lara? In love?

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft whirring and a click as the medbay's doors opened and the medic came back in. Lara blinked a few times and focused on the medic, knowing what he said would mean her getting out of here and going home or not. He walked somewhat slowly toward her, looking at his clipboard, with a kind of bizarre expression on his face.

"Well, Miss Croft, I have some good news for you. Aside from the wound on your side, you're at top level as always. You'll have a scar there, but nothing too harsh. You're in perfectly good shape. In fact, better than ever. There's only one different thing about you."

"And that is?" Lara inquired out of polite curiosity. She wasn't too worried. Long ago when she had been about to go on one of her earlier escapades, she was diagnosed with minor lung scarring. Nothing too compromising, but aggravating none-the-less. Strangely enough, when she had come back, they were gone completely.

The medic looked up at her, then back at the clipboard and gulped. "You're pregnant."

The End