Out of Character

Stiff legged and mentally fatigued, Lara never wanted to sleep in her own home so much in her entire life. The plane was a welcome rest from the days of being a fugitive that preceded her flight. Lara's thoughts wandered to a hot shower as she stretched her legs, which were marked with cuts that had ceased their bleeding and formed protective skin. She could almost feel the warmth of the water cascading down her back when she felt a tap on her elbow. She looked over to the French officer who had accompanied her and he eyed her with a smile.

"So sorry mademoiselle," the officer, named Jeçois, apologized to Lara for bumping her "accidentally". Lara smiled coyly at him and lifted her hand to nudge his chin away.

"Eyes forward," Lara told him quite seriously and removed her hand. Why must she always be paired up with juvenile men? Lara did not feel she needed to be escorted, but Zetti had implored.

'Zetti…I wonder what he's up to right now?' Lara thought. Those eyes had stuck with her…those blue eyes, that handsome face, his strange demeanor…

'He lied to me.'

An abrupt shake on the shoulder from Jeçois directed her attention back to the lovelorn attendant.

"We are about to land mademoiselle. I shall arrange for a taxi," Jeçois announced. Lara's thoughts quickly came to a halt.

"What about Winston? Hasn't he been contacted?" Lara inquired. Jeçois took Lara's hand, which she quickly withdrew, much to his dismay.

"Repeatedly. There was no answer," Jeçois said with solemn eyes. He thought Lara to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was so puzzled as to why she was not married. If he ever had a chance at a woman like that, he'd never let her go. He knew that she did not care for him and thought of him strictly as a French officer she would see once in her life and never again. But he could not help but feel the way he did about her. He wondered if she cared for anyone romantically or if he would ever see her again. Deep down he knew he never would.

Lara looked confused at the news of Winston.

'Why would he not answer? He was so strange on the telephone last time I spoke with him…it's not like he knew I was coming back now…perhaps he was away when they were calling…'

The flight set down while Lara and Jeçois prepared to exit. It was raining outside, the drops falling in Lara's eyelashes. She and Jeçois made their way to the front of the airport and Lara waited patiently while he hailed a taxi. Jeçois came back and stood beside Lara in the rain. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and saw Lara's profile – she was tired and still so pretty. He savored the last few moments with her as she got into the taxi. He leaned before her.

"It was an honor to accompany you mademoiselle," Jeçois said so very sweetly. Lara, oblivious to his gentility, smiled quickly at him and closed the door. The cab sped off into the gray distance and Jeçois was left standing in the rain alone, with visions of a goddess dancing in his mind.

Lara arrived in front of her manor a half-hour later – she had forgotten what it looked like in a matter of days. She stepped out as lightning flashed and thunder clapped.

'Home again.'

The taxi drove off and she was standing in the mud gazing upon her home with thoughts of comforting sleep ahead. She punched in her gate code and made her way to the front door. Zetti had returned her keys, among other belongings, to her that had been taken by the rabid rottweilers in previous days. She unlocked the massive entrance and looked around to find things just as she had left them.

"Winston! I'm back!" her yell echoed throughout the high ceilings. She received no response. The rain pounded on the rooftops. She walked to look at the mail she had missed during her expedition and found a note laying on the top.

Lara,

I hope you found your way home in one piece. I've left things as you like and I will be out for a few days, as there are some things that I need to attend to. Forgive me for my absence. I shall return on Thursday evening.

Winston

Lara placed the note back down and looked over at her calendar.

'Today is Thursday. I suppose I'll see him later,' Lara thought and proceeded upstairs to take a long, hot shower.

She dried her long hair with a towel and decided it was best to retire until Winston returned later that day. She lay down upon her soft sheets in the darkness cast by the weather and closed her tired eyes. She drifted into sleep immediately.

Lara walked back into the police station in Paris and saw all the familiar officers, even poor Jeçois. She was back in the wretched hell for further questioning. She entered the room she knew all too well and sat down. Zetti stood before her in a different uniform – this time he had a gun on the table. He moved his forefinger and motioned for Lara to come to him. She strangely agreed, motivated by something other than her own will. She stood up and took a step closer. He inched forward until his handsome face was thisclose to her own. Should she kiss him? He was so close to her, right there…so close and yet she held back. Zetti held up a document and handed it to her. There were some scrawls of words written in Czech and the distinct names John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. It was the hospitalization paper written by the doctor she had spoken with in Prague. Lara's face became flushed – she knew what was coming.

"Who is he Lara?" Zetti whispered in her ear. She felt the humidity of his breath against her skin and her heart began to quicken. Lara closed her eyes and leaned into Zetti.

"I can't tell you Maurice…" she whispered back. He put his hand onto her shoulder and came even closer.

"Just tell me who he is," Zetti beckoned ever so sensually. Lara began to feel the full force of his body against her own and felt a weakness in her that she never felt before.

"I don't know much about him…only that he's a Lux Veritatis…" Lara broke the long silence. Zetti pulled away from her and she opened her eyes.

"Where is he?" Zetti asked rigidly. The sexually inclined voice from a moment ago vanished. Lara immediately knew she had made a mistake.

"I honestly don't know Maurice…" she replied with sincerity. He grabbed her and threw her against the wall violently. Somehow, Lara was powerless.

"WHERE IS HE!"

Lara awoke from her nightmare and reminded herself that she was back at home. A dream where she was completely out of character? Lara hated dreams sometimes. Always showing you the subconscious crap that she could care less about.

'No man would ever have an affect on me like that…I'd never divulge information under pressure…never.' Lara reassured herself and laughed aloud.

'But…why am I protecting him? It's not like I owe him anything…not like I have loyalties that lie with him…' Lara speculated about herself. She had only been sleeping a few hours and decided to go downstairs and make herself some tea. On her way down she passed her mail again and doubled back. She grabbed Winston's letter with vigor and read it again. Something clicked inside of Lara. She looked behind her and saw the front door was slightly open, rain being blown inside. Lara's eyes narrowed and adrenaline pumped through her body.

'Winston didn't know I was coming home…and he never writes letters.'

Lara knew something wasn't right and moved stealthily around in her home. Could the slams of her body against the wall in her dream have been intruders in her home instead? Lara desperately needed to get to her firearms. She made her way to the kitchen first, since it was closest, and grabbed one of her many knives for protection until she was able to get back upstairs. She crept around her rooms listening for footsteps and voices and looking for any sign of footprints. She neither heard nor saw anything. As she stepped lightly through the dark house, thunder booming overhead, she began to change her mind.

'I may have left the door ajar…maybe Winston did write a note…maybe he left it just in case I did come home…I'm overreacting,' Lara thought and eased her stance after she had found no further evidence of a prowler. She journeyed over and closed the front door, locked it, and made her way back to her room, knife still in her hand. She smiled at how she always turned everything into an attempt on her life. It wasn't as if she were crazy or paranoid though – there had been several attacks made on her premises. Yet, she was still on edge after fleeing for what seemed like an eternity. But Lara still couldn't help but wonder…

She pounded her way back up the staircase and entered her darkened bedroom once again. She was about to reach for the light when a voice startled her from behind.

"Glad to see you're alright Lara."

Lara's reflexes were called into action and she spun and threw the knife in the direction of the unwitting voice.

A/N: HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT! PLEASE REVIEW!