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Dancing	By : fayzalmoonbeam Category: S through Z > Tomb Raider Views: 3365 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Dancing
- 2-Chapter 2
- 3-Dreaming
- 4-Existing
- 5-Battling
- 6-Union
- 7-Tearing
- 8-Reunion
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter
7: Tearing

Summary:
The paradise that Lara and Hillary reached in Chapter 6 is just about to go
sour...but fear not, there will be a happy ending, I promise! Get your tissues
ready, folks!

***

Later
that evening, too tense to eat, Lara prowled the house. Since his rapid
departure from the cellar three hours ago, she had seen neither hide nor hair of
Hillary, who had made himself particularly elusive. Lara desperately needed
reassurance that his feelings for her hadn�t changed, but every time she tried
to find him, she was told by Mrs Bainbridge that he had gone out. The kindly
cook�s eyes shone with sympathy for her young mistress as she saw her
confusion, but she could not offer Lara any further enlightenment as to
Hillary�s whereabouts.

How
can he bloody well have gone out?
Lara thought, her emotions a mixture of panic and despair. She wanted to talk to
Hillary so much that even the thought of her imminent adventure in Peru was not
enough to distract her. Mindlessly, she looked over the last minute paperwork
that Jacqueline Natla had faxed through, but after ten minutes of looking at the
same page she gave in. Eventually, at around ten in the evening, she could bear
it no longer and she ventured down to Hillary�s private rooms. She knew her
presence in the lower regions of the house was highly irregular, but she was
past caring for protocol.

�Hillary!�
Lara called as she wandered down the stairs to where Hillary resided in his
small suite of rooms. She could tell that Mrs Bainbridge had long since gone
home as the main kitchen was in darkness, and there didn�t seem to be anyone
else around.

�Hillary!�
Still no answer. She called again. Nothing still. Hesitantly she padded down the
corridor, passing the small kitchen annexe where Hillary cooked for himself and
then the slightly larger study and sitting room where she imagined he spent his
evenings. Eventually he came to the bedroom. Still no sound from within. She
knocked gingerly, calling his name once more.

Slowly,
trying not to feel like an intruder, Lara pushed open the door to the bedroom.
It was immaculately tidy, as she had often imagined it would be, and the
furniture was simple but elegant. But that wasn�t what caught her attention.
The open suitcase on the bed and Hillary sat next to it, his head in his hands,
made her heart lurch instantly. His shoulders were hunched, and he looked
totally oblivious to her intrusion.

�Hillary?�
Lara questioned softly, still hovering in the doorway.

Finally,
Hillary seemed to hear her.

�Lara.
Was there something you needed?� His voice was tired, strained, and as he
lifted his head, Lara noticed the dark lines under his eyes and the grey pallor
to his skin. Was she imagining it, or did she see his hands tremble as he placed
them firmly in his lap? He didn�t stand to greet her.

�What�s
the matter?� She asked him gently.

�Everything�s
fine,� Hillary smiled wanly. �I�m merely packing my things before I leave
tomorrow.�

Lara
convulsively gripped the doorframe for support. This couldn�t be happening.
She felt her heart leap straight into her mouth and a sick feeling beginning in
her stomach. �I�m sorry, Hillary,� she finally managed. �Did you just
say what I thought you did?�

Hillary
stood up, and for one blissful, misguided moment, Lara thought he was crossing
the room to take her in his arms. But alas, not: he was merely taking a few
things from the chest of drawers to the right of her. �A position has opened
up at Lord Montague�s residence in Hampshire. I begin in two days time.� His
voice had the self-consciously steady edge of someone who was trying desperately
not to lose his composure. �I was going to write you my resignation note while
you were out in Peru, so you wouldn�t be entirely shocked to see another
butler in residence when you got home.� He placed the few possessions from the
top of the chest of drawers into the suitcase and reached back over for the
final thing-an ancient hairbrush. �After all, I do feel it�s better for both
of us this way, don�t you?�

Lara
was aghast, and suddenly angry. �So you were going to just leave and not tell
me?� she demanded. Marching to Hillary�s side, she tore the hairbrush he�d
picked up out of his hand. �Don�t mind me, I�m only your employer!� She
threw the brush into the case. �Or were you just planning to disappear into
the night? I mean, you�ve only served my family for what, fifteen years? No
reason to speak to me at all.� She was in full flow now, all of the
frustration and anger she had kept pent all afternoon and evening spilling out
of her. She knew it was totally irrational to pull rank on Hillary after their
experiences in the cellar, but, as she felt the ground begin to shake underneath
her, it was all she had left.

Hillary
turned towards her, unsmiling. �Lara, you must have known that, after all
that�s happened between us it wouldn�t be fitting for me to continue as your
servant. There are lines that should not be crossed, and I made an error of
judgement.� His voice was softer now, but there was no placating Lara.

�An
error of judgement?� Lara shouted. �Is that what you call it? It�s good,
at last, that I know where I stand, and what I mean to you!� She turned angry,
tear filled eyes upwards towards the man in front of her.
Reflexively, quick as a flash, she tried to slap his face.

Just
as quickly, before Lara�s hand could connect with his cheek, Hillary grabbed
it. There was a pause that felt to both of them like an eternity. Lara could
feel Hillary trembling, his hands giving away whae cae carefully composed
features did not. �Lara, please, don�t do this.�
Their eyes met, and the electricity between them was almost palpable. As
Hillary released her hand, she let it drop to her side. It was all she could do
to prevent herself from collapsing into his arms and begging him to stay.

�I
don�t understand,� Lara whispered. �Why are you leaving me now? I need
you. Hilly, please.�

�I
must go,� Hillary said. �I�ve abused your trust and my own position. What
we did was unforgivable; it broke every rule in the book.� He looked away from
her, blinking furiously.

�Oh,
sod the bloody rule book!� Lara replied. �I don�t care if what we did was
enough to send the thing up in flames. I love you, Hillary, don�t you see?�
She turned desperate eyes towards those of her friend and lover, forcing him to
look at her once more. And then she knew. She did love him, and the
thought of his leaving was enough to send her into a blind, and angry, panic.

Hillary�s
already pale face looked even more drained. �Lara, you don�t know what
you�re saying,� he said softly. �What we did was unforgivable; there�s
not one single piece of protocol left standing. My role in your life was merely
to serve, as I served your father. I should never have allowed things to
progress so far between us.�

�No,�
Lara said, her voice trembling. �I won�t let you take responsibility for
this. I want you, Hilly, and we both knew exactly what we were doing. I
can�t believe that after everything that�s happened you�re just going to
run away from me-from us.�

�There
can be no us, Lara,� Hillary replied. �I�m sorry. I must go.�

Stunned
by his blunt response, Lara allowed Hillary to escort her from his room. She
slowly mounted the stairs back to the main part of the house and, still reeling
from the shock of Hillary�s imminent departure, she wandered back into her own
sitting room, sat on the chaise lounge and sobbed.

*

In
the recesses of Croft Manor, James Hillary continued to pack his suitcase, but
his own tears, as they fell silently, threatened to soak his immaculately folded
clothes.

Chapter
8
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Dancing