Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or any of its characters nor do I profit from the writing of this story.

A/N: Hi all, I'm back with a new story. I'm writing all different kinds of stuff right now except for papers for school like I'm supposed to, but oh well. The idea for this story hit me the moment I finished the game. I read all of the Lara/Sam fan fiction and browsed all of the fan art and I just felt compelled to write this. I hope you like it!

Chapter 1: The Rescue

The wind had long calmed and the air around them was completely still. It was not as cold as it was mere moments ago, but Lara felt a shiver run down her spine for a very different reason. Sam had passed out a little while ago, presumably from the stress of her encounter with Himiko. Lara allowed her hazel eyes to glance back down at her best friend and her breath caught in her throat.

She had been so close to losing her. Lara's chest tightened, causing a pain greater than from any of the numerous wounds that marred her body. The thought of never being able to see Sam's beautiful face ever again was unbearable, but she didn't need to think about that anymore…Sam was here…Safe.

So lost in thought, Lara didn't even notice that Sam's eyelids had begun to flutter open and now dark eyes gazed up at her tiredly. At the sound of Sam's soft, strained voice Lara's eyes snapped to the face that rested in her lap.

"Are we home yet?" Sam joked, with a small, exhausted smile. Lara let out a small laugh, mostly out of relief that Sam was awake finally. In order to see Sam's eyes better, Lara adjusted carefully so as to not to hurt the other woman.

Tentatively, Lara reached her hand out and gently placed it over Sam's to offer whatever comfort she could. Sam returned the favor with a hand of her own on Lara's arm. As good as the gesture felt, Lara knew that they shouldn't hang around here much longer. After everything they had through, Lara knew that if they didn't leave soon she wouldn't have the energy to get down the mountain.

"Not quite…," Lara responded gently, then after a long pause, "Sam?" Her eyes searched the dark eyes below her for permission to continue, but the other woman gave her a quizzical look before replying.

"What is it Lara?"

She could tell from the subtle deepening of Sam's voice and the way her forehead creased a little that Sam was concerned. She didn't mean to worry the other woman but this was important.

"Can you stand?" Lara asked, slipping her rough, bloodied hand more securely into Sam's soft one. Sam glanced up at her; more awake than a few moments ago, and nodded slowly.

"I can try," she told Lara, giving her a look of determination before she used her free hand to push herself up into a sitting position next to Lara.

Lara slipped her free hand behind Sam, helping her to sit up, watching her carefully for any signs of pain. Not seeing any, Lara stood slowly and offered Sam her other hand to help her up. The dark eyed woman took the offered hand and began to pull herself up, aided by Lara.

As soon as Sam was standing, Lara could tell that there was absolutely no way she was going to be able to walk down the mountain on her own. Her mind was already planning on how she was going to carry Sam down to the boat where Jonah and Reyes waited…hopefully.

She could feel Sam's shaking through the thin material of the ceremonial dress that Mathias had forced her to wear. Her mind assaulted her with images of Sam being forced to take her clothes off in front of those strange men. This caused an unexpected fire in her chest that caught her off guard.

Her anger dissipated quickly though as Sam stumbled a little and Lara threw her arms quickly around the smaller woman. Sam had gripped her shoulders to prevent herself from falling back down and Lara could feel the pressure digging into the cuts and scrapes there. It hurt, she couldn't lie, but she would rather die than show Sam her pain.

It didn't matter though. Once Sam had regained her balance, Lara looked down and watched as those dark eyes began to water.

"Oh, god, Lara…," Sam was never one to hide her emotions and Lara could see the grief in her eyes as she stared at the wounds all over her upper body for the first time. Lara held her a little tighter trying to reassure her, but it was too late.

The tears left wet trails down Sam's smooth cheeks and all Lara hated herself for being the cause of her best friend's pain. Sam's face tilted upwards and her red rimmed eyes finally met Lara's own, causing her heart to pound in her chest.

Sam lifted her hand up to Lara's face but hovered cautiously over her skin, not quite touching. It was as if she was afraid to touch her… afraid to hurt her. Lara could feel her heart clench even tighter in her chest and her breathing becoming uneven.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Sam's fingers opted for the stray locks of brunette hair that had escaped her hair tie. A strange sensation fluttered in her stomach, and Lara unconsciously gripped Sam a little closer to her. She could the warmth from Sam's skin through the flimsy fabric of the dress under her fingertips. No longer in control, Lara's eyes slid closed of their own accord, and she couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of Sam's delicate fingers running through her hair.

Then Sam suddenly stopped her actions and rested her hand in the lightest of touches against Lara's cheek. Before she was able to force her eyes open, she could sense Sam's closeness and felt her warm breath caressing her cheek. After a moment Sam rested her forehead gently on Lara's and a million thoughts were racing through her mind.

"Is this really happening?" Lara thought to herself. She could feel Sam's tears wetting her own cheeks and all she wanted was to wipe them away.

Lara parted her lips to say something, she didn't know what, but she never got the chance.

Sam's soft lips pressed against hers in a gentle kiss. Lara's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, it was beating so hard.

Lara could taste the salt from Sam's tears as she returned the kiss, losing herself in the feeling of being this close to Sam. This moment was so perfect, Lara never wanted it to end.

She could feel Sam's thumb caressing her cheek as she slowly pulled away. Her eyes fluttered open and immediately fell onto Sam's. They were still tinged with red, but now they held something else, something Lara couldn't quite discern.

"Sam…," Lara's voice broke the silence that had descended between them, but she still had no idea what to say. This was new for her. Sam was her best friend. Almost from the moment they met Lara always felt comfortable telling Sam everything. She still did, but she could feel that something had changed between them on this island.

Dark eyes averted away from her, and Sam slowly let her hand fall from Lara's cheek. She missed the warmth immediately, but she needed to focus. There were a million emotions swirling around in her, but now wasn't the time. She only had one thing she needed to concentrate on at the moment…get Sam to safety.

"Lara…I don't think I can stand much longer," Sam admitted. Lara could see the shame in the other woman's eyes, but even more the confusion that was plain on her beautiful face.

Lara could feel Sam beginning to weaken in her arms, so she reached down and carefully lifted her legs. A sharp intake of breath from the other woman caused Lara concern so she searched Sam's eyes for pain, not seeing any she decided to ask just in case.

"Did I hurt you?" Lara asked worriedly, but Sam just shook her head slowly.

"No. I'm fine, Sweetie. You just surprised me is all," Sam responded in her usual American accent. It was funny before she had met Sam Lara had always thought Americans had such a crude way of speaking. Sam's voice was soft and almost musical; there was nothing crude about it at all.

Lara mentally refocused herself and nodded at the woman in her arms, before carefully beginning the long trek down the mountain. Her steps were cautious and measured; she needed to get Sam down to the boat safely and she wasn't going to let a careless misstep stop her.

They both remained quiet during the trip, both lost in their own thoughts. There would be plenty of time to discuss what had happened between them, but here, on this awful island, didn't seem like the place.

Her arms burned with the effort of carrying Sam for hours and her legs strained against the rocky terrain, her knees feeling like jelly. She was certain the wound from the metal rebar had reopened with the strain and it felt as though she had a couple broken ribs from the first time she tried to rescue Sam, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her moving.

There were times that Lara needed to rest, but she refused. During the trip, Sam protested a few times, insisting Lara stop and take a break, but she wouldn't stop until Sam was safely away from this evil place.

Luckily, it was still light out as they neared the inlet and she easily spotted the boat. Lara watched as Reyes and Jonah pointed at them in disbelief. They probably thought she wasn't going to make it out of there alive, much less with Sam after all of the friends they had lost during this nightmare. She could hardly believe it either.

As she approached, Jonah reached across the gap and lifted Sam out of her arms. A small part of her didn't want Jonah to take her. She knew he was a hundred percent trustworthy but she couldn't help it. The large New Zealander placed Sam gently on the back of the boat.

"What happened up there?" she could here Jonah asking her as he stood up fully.

"It's over…We can go now," was all she could muster as she stepped into the boat. So much had happened in the last couple of days… there would be a time to tell everything…just not now.

"All right…Let's get the hell out of here," Reyes agreed, walking straight up to the controls and starting the boat.

As they hit open water, Lara sat down beside Sam, who had passed out cold once again from exhaustion. As carefully as she could, Lara gently lifted the other woman's head and set it on her lap as it had been hours ago on top of the mountain.

As they plowed through the waves, Lara forced herself to stay awake and glance around. The weather around the island had become nonexistent. Clear blue skies surrounded them and it wasn't long before they spotted a cargo ship.

They threw down a rope ladder for them after Reyes had maneuvered the small boat close to the side. Jonah grabbed a hold of it, keeping the boat from floating away from the large ship. Lara was busy trying to figure out how they were going to get Sam up the ladder in her weakened state.

"Do you feel strong enough to hold onto me?" Lara asked Sam, who had been awakened by the large vessel. The dark eyes staring back at her were determined and their owner nodded her affirmation.

Reyes climbed up first and once she was safely over the edge, Lara helped Sam stand up, turning around so the smaller woman could grab her around her shoulders. She could feel Sam trying her best not to choke her and Lara lifted Sam's legs up and around her waist. The feeling of Sam's body flush against her back caused something unfamiliar to stir inside of her, but she shook it off quickly. She really needed to focus.

"I can take her, Lara," Jonah offered but she declined his offer politely before taking a hold of the flimsy rope ladder. Gathering every ounce of strength she had left, Lara pulled herself and Sam up onto the wooden rung and began her ascent. She had climbed many mountains with heavier loads than Sam, but never with this lack of sleep and with literally hundreds of injuries, but that didn't stop her.

Taking her time, Lara pulled herself up one rung at a time until she could feel her hand wrap around the cold metal of the ship. Crewmembers were there instantly, lifting Sam from her back and pulling her over the guard rail. She wanted to protest but they were already carrying Sam off somewhere.

"Holy shit, lady. What the hell happened to you?" one of the men asked her, and she gave him the deadliest glare she could muster and shrugged off his hands. After her experiences with the men on Yamatai, Lara wasn't rushing to trust these guys. She knew they probably just wanted to help but she needed to make sure Sam was okay.

She followed where she saw them carry her off while some of the crew followed, ignoring their concerned voices. Before she made it though, an older man in a skull cap stopped her.

"Captain Smith. How do you do?" He introduced then thinking better of his question, continued.

"We are turning back to port immediately. It looks like you need some serious medical attention. We should reach Yokohama by tomorrow morning. I'll make sure they have ambulances waiting. Try to get some rest. Braddock will show you where you all can sleep," he told her, his eyes glancing at her injuries sympathetically before walking away.

For the first time, she noticed a younger man in similar garb that had been standing beside Captain Smith and nodded in his direction.

"You all can follow me. We already took your friend to her room," the blonde man said, turning to walk down into the ship. Reyes, Jonah, and herself followed the man down the labyrinth of passageways until they reached a metal door.

Lara couldn't stop the flashback that assaulted her mind. The way her body had slammed into the desk and onto the floor of her room on the Endurance. Struggling to break free from the hatch, convinced she would drown…

"You survived..," Lara told herself, shaking these thoughts as best she could from her mind. Braddock held the door open for her, Jonah and Reyes so she stepped in, glancing around. There were two sets up bunks on opposite sides of the room, four beds total, but her eyes snapped to the figure on one of the bottom bunks.

Sam laid there, still in that white, ceremonial dress, fast asleep already. Lara stepped up to her sleeping form quietly so as to not disturb her and knelt beside the bunk. She knew in the back of her mind that Jonah and Reyes were standing right behind her, but Lara could care less at the moment.

She reached her hand out, and gently swept Sam's bangs to the side so she could get a better look at her familiar face. If she was honest with herself, she had always thought Sam was gorgeous, but she never thought anything of it…until now.

Now, she knew what it meant… She had feelings for this woman…strong ones. Against her will, images of Sam tied up and about to be burned flooded her brain. She crushed her eyelids closed but the mental picture was burned into her brain. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest and she struggled to breath against the memory. That feeling of being completely helpless… that she had failed to save her…

"Lara? Are you all right, Little Bird?" she heard Jonah's voice behind her, but she couldn't bring herself to turn and look at him or Reyes' faces. If she did they would see the tears that had begun to silently slide down her cheeks, cutting through the blood and grime that clung to her skin.

She simply nodded her head; afraid her voice would crack and give her away. A moment later she could hear Jonah and Reyes discussing who got what bunk, before she heard the sounds of them getting into bed.

Lara shifted to a more comfortable sitting position on the floor with her side leaning against Sam's bunk. It hurt her ribs to sit like this, but she needed to stay close to Sam. She reached her hand to cover the other woman's and lowered her head to rest on the side of the bed.

It didn't take long for her to drift off now that the adrenaline had completely left her blood stream. The last thing Lara remembered was the feeling of Sam's hand gently squeezing her own.

Lara awoke to a searing pain in her side and a twinge in her neck from the uncomfortable way she had slept. But she looked up and saw that Sam was still there and her pain was quickly forgotten. Sam was awake, sitting up in the bunk, watching her and Lara felt a little self-conscious which was a strange feeling for her.

"Wakey, Wakey, Chicken Bakey," Sam said in a sing-song voice and Lara couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. American expressions were so strange, but only Sam could make them sound cute.

"G' morning to you too," Lara replied tiredly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes so she could see Sam better.

"The captain came in a while ago and said there was breakfast waiting for us in the galley," Sam informed her while swinging her legs over the edge of the bed next to Lara. She noticed for the first time that Jonah and Reyes were no longer in the room.

"Why didn't you head up with Jonah and Reyes?" Lara asked her, lifting herself up from the cold, metal floor. She turned to offer Sam her help, but the dark haired woman was already standing.

"I didn't want to leave you to wake up alone," Sam told her shyly. That was strange…Sam was hardly ever shy about anything…

"How's your ankle?" Lara asked, instead of addressing what Sam said. The truth was her heart had swelled with affection when the other woman had said that. It was so sweet. She was really happy that Sam hadn't left her.

"It's all right. I think I can hobble up there," Sam joked, testing her left foot gingerly. Lara watched with concern. She knew Sam didn't want to appear weak but it was more important that she didn't aggravate her wound.

"At least let me help you?" Lara practically begged. Sam was trying to hide the discomfort, but lines of pain were beginning to crease her forehead. Lara could handle her own wounds, but seeing Sam in any kind of pain was more than she could bear.

"Fine, but no funny business," Sam quipped, giving her a playful, but strained smile as she allowed Lara to slip an arm around her waist. Sam lifted her left arm and placed it across Lara's shoulders to help steady herself Lara presumed.

Slowly, but surely they made it up the stairs and to the galley where Jonah and Reyes as well as a few crewmembers were eating breakfast. Lara's insides were clawing with hunger but she made sure that she had seated Sam before she went over to get some food for the both of them. She gratefully took the offered bowls of… something…from the cook before sitting down next to Sam and across from Jonah and Reyes.

"The captain says we should be at port in Yokohama within the hour. Apparently, Yokohama is pretty close to Tokyo," Reyes informed them. It was evident that she was anxious to get back to her daughter, Alisha. She was probably already thinking about how she was going to get to the nearest international airport.

Lara nodded her affirmation before starting on her breakfast which was some kind of mix between oatmeal and grits, as the Americans would call it. She could really care less what it tasted like at this point, at least it wasn't something she had to kill herself.

When they were all done, they made their way together up to the deck where crewmembers stopped what they were doing to ogle at them. It was obvious that they were curious about these mystery people with haunted eyes and gnarly wounds, but who could blame them?

Once the novelty had worn off, the crew members went back to their tasks and Sam, Jonah, and Reyes all made themselves comfortable on nearby crates. Lara decided to hang back, choosing instead to listen to their conversation from a distance. As much as she wanted to be close to Sam right now, she just needed a moment to collect her thoughts. She found a spot a little higher, leaning against the guard rail. Gentle wind whipped her hair around her face and it felt so refreshing after the awful, supernatural wind of Yamatai.

Her thoughts were cut short by the captain of the ship once again approaching her cautiously.

"Need anything?" The captain asked as he approached her. Lara simply shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

"Don't rightly know what happened to you on that island. An' judging from those wounds and that look in your eyes, I'm guessin' I don't wanna know… Anyway, we'll be home soon," he continued glancing at her, but she refused to make eye contact.

Without another word, he walked away and Lara looked down at her journal for a second, then her eyes drifted over to Sam. The other woman was having a relaxed conversation with Jonah and Reyes about what kind of food they were going to eat when they got home. Her dark eyes met Lara's for a moment and a smile graced her beautiful features. Lara couldn't help but think to herself…

"I'm not going home." At least not the home she once knew…

Howdy! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Let me know what you think. I am debating about whether to just keep this as a one shot or expand. I certainly have plenty of ideas, so it really depends on the feedback I get. If you want me to continue just let me know! Thanks for reading!