!SPECIAL NOTE! MAKE SURE YOU READ CHAPTER 18 OF AMOUR SOMBRE TITLED "A NEW BEGINING". "THE END" WAS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!

WARNING: THIS FAN FICTION IS RATED R (adult language, situations, violence)

DISCLAIMER: Alas, I own nothing. Leave me alone or I shall beat you with my already retarded keyboard! Stay back, humans! You've been warned!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I suggest reading my fan fiction Amour Sombre before reading its sequel. You may be a little confused...also...for those who may have forgotten (aka I'm just covering my ass) this story contains Angel of Darkness spoilers, Tomb Raider (the movie) spoilers, AND some Amulet of Power spoilers.

Right...now on with the story...

p.s. SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO GET UP ON

AMOUR SOMBRE II: THE BLACK PEARL

Sequel to Amour Sombre

by LadyFiend

Chapter 1: The Request

(A/N PLEASE READ ALL ABOVE INFORMATION!)

Lara Croft was a world famous explorer. She had survived more dangers then most people face in one lifetime. She survived being almost buried alive in a tomb! Not to mention being hunted by nearly every person in the Middle East and Africa afterwards. She was fearless and indestructible, right? WRONG! If there was one thing that Lara terrified above all else it was dinner parties. Ugh! The thought of wearing some gown and acting so primpy was enough to turn her stomach. It wasn't FAIR! What kind of birthday was this?

"Honestly, Lara, you'd think you were about to die," scoffed Connor, irritably.

"I have an idea. How about you wear this god awful thing?" she replied, pointing at the gown.

"All I'm saying is that you look wonderful. Is that so wrong?"

Rolling her eyes, Lara walked over to the mirror. Anger ripped through her. It wasn't even about the dress really. It was the party itself. And a certain person she really didn't want to run into. But she had to agree with Connor. She did look mighty nice. The blue ruched spaghetti-strapped dress was a perfect fit. It looked splendid against her fair skin. Her dark brown hair was pulled up in an elegant bun, curls falling gracefully in the back.

"Wow."

Kurtis Trent wasn't big on the fancy part thing, but Lara had begged him to accompany her. Okay, so "begging" might not be the correct word to use there. It was more of a threatened-to-bash-his-head-in-the-nearest-wall-if-he-didn't-come-with-her thing. Either way, he didn't really want to go. Then again, she didn't want to go as well. And frankly, Kurtis didn't blame her. Who would want to do something they hated on their birthday? Speaking of which...he seriously hoped she'd like his present. It was for her birthday and Valentine's Day.

So what was his present? Something Kurtis hoped would distract Lara from all that decision making that she was doing. She was narrowing down her list of job requests. So far she turned down three requests in France (no big surprise there), one in Japan, and another in Russia. Personally, Kurtis thought she should take the one in Japan. It paid good money and it was one place Lara hadn't been in a long time. Or so she said anyways. But it was completely up to her. The present was just something to pick up her spirits and hopefully get her to unwind a bit. She'd been in a bit of a bad mood lately. Kurtis figured it was the party.

Once he was finished with his tie, Kurtis headed out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. His hair was its usual adorable yet sexy mess. He wore a black suit with blue tie, which he was once again fixing when he looked up. His azure eyes widen with awe. She looked amazing.

"Wow," he said, smiling.

Lara spun around to face him. Her cheeks turn a light pink as she looked back at herself. "Like wise," she replied, looking at him through the mirror.

"Yes, I know. I'm quite a catch, if I do say so myself."

The first real smile that he had seen from her in days. And it made her look even more beautiful. Slowly, he walked over to her. His hand rested on the small of her back as she turned to face him. Dropping his head, Kurtis's lips were almost touching her cheek.

"You look spectacular," he whispered before planting the kiss.

Lara let out one of those you're-really-too-much sighs before placing a kiss to his lips. She turned back to the mirror, smoothed out her dress, and let out a deep breath.

"Right. Let's do this," she said with a nod.

The dance hall was decorated with fancy red and gold trimmings. A large red banner hung above the Hall's entrance, proudly displaying 'Happy Birthday Lara' in shimmering gold letters. Speaking of the tomb raider, she was surprised to find out that she was actually having a good time. She and Kurtis danced a couple of times before sitting down to eat. They talked, making jokes and discussing where they would rather be instead. And it was nice to see some old friends. Everything was actually going smoothly until he had to ruin it.

"So when are you going to open the presents?" asked Kurtis, taking a sip of his wine.

"Soon I hope. The quicker I get through them the quicker we can go home," she replied with an amused smile. She raised her own glass to her lips, letting the smell intoxicate her before taking a sip.

"Always quick to get away. Eh, Croft?"

Lara chocked on the wine. She knew that voice. Of course he'd be here. He enjoyed torturing her after all. Why couldn't he let her be in peace? The coughing stopped. She raised her eyes from the table to Kurtis. He gave her a worried glance before looking at the person standing beside their table. She followed his gaze. Oh, how she wished she hadn't! But she did, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Alex," her voice was a lot shakier then she would have liked.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you," he replied, pulling a chair over to the table and seating himself down.

Again, Lara looked at Kurtis. His eyebrows were raised in puzzlement. "Alex, this is Kurtis Trent. Kurtis, this is Alex West," she said gesturing to the two men at the table. They nodded to each other. A polite, but cold gesture.

"So how do you know our lovely Lara, Mr. Trent," asked Alex.

Lara dropped her fork, it clattered against her plate. Why was she so shaky? Because the last time you were in the same room with Alex West, you both became a little more the colleges. More then friends. No!, Lara screamed at herself. No way. That was just in the heat of the moment. It meant nothing. Completely nothing! We both just almost died because of Powell and that stupid Triangle of Light. It was nothing more then pent up adrenaline. It meant nothing. This is Alex West for god's sake. Mr. I'm-in-it-for-the-money. Mr. I-don't-care-about-anyone-but-myself.

"What do you want, Alex?" she asked before Kurtis could answer.

"Nothing. I was just trying to make conversation. We've known each other a long time and I've never heard you mention a Kurtis Trent. I was just curious how you both met, that's all," he replied.

Lara narrowed her eyes. "Spare me, Alex. I know you, remember? Now, what do you want?"

"Okay. Okay. Relax. I'll swing by the Manor after the party. We'll talk then." And with that he stood, nodded at Kurtis, and left.

"An old friend?" asked Kurtis, an amused smile plastered to his face.

"Hardly the word I'd use. More like a former annoyance that won't seem to go away. But I suppose we were friends at one point."

"What happened?"

Lara looked back down at her plate. How could she explain this without revealing too much? "In short? He revealed his true colors, which happen to be that of a traitor."

Kurtis wanted to ask her to go into further detail, but decided against it. No point in getting her all riled up. It could wait. For now. One thing was for sure, there was more about this Alex West that Lara wasn't telling him. Exactly how close of "friends" had they been?

Dressed in a pair of white satin pajamas, Lara was busy brushing her hair. When finished, she pulled it back into a low, loose ponytail. Kurtis was lying on the bed, wearing his black pj bottoms. He was reading a book, American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Must have been good too, it was the second time she had seen him reading it. She was getting ready to ask him if it was indeed good or not when the telephone rang.

"Hello?" she asked, holding the receiver to her ear.

"Sorry to disappoint you, love, but it looks like I can't make it to the Manor tonight. How about I swing by tomorrow?"

"Alex, if you wish to leave the UK in one piece I suggest you never call me that again. Do I make myself clear?"

"As a glass, Lara. See you tomorrow then."

Anger ripped through Lara as she slammed the phone a little harder then she meant to. "That man is infuriating! 'As a glass'. It's crystal, idiot."

"I don't think he can hear you anymore," said Kurtis, putting his book away.

"I know that!" she snapped in reply. Guilt washed over her the moment the words left her lips. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's alright. What happened?"

Lara moved away from the vanity mirror and crawled into the bed beside Kurtis. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She let her ear rest on his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. She really loved him. A smile crossed her features.

"Nothing. Alex was just being his usual self."

"Well, I think I have something to cheer you up."

She looked up at him in time to see one his wicked smiles. "What?" she asked him.

"I'll be right back," he said, getting out of bed. He walked out of the room and didn't return again for several minutes.

When he did comeback, he was holding a big yellow box with a blue bow. He set it down on the bed. Lara blinked, did the box just move? She glanced at Kurtis. He was watching her with excitement. With unsure hands, she lifted the lid and looked inside the box. Two big, light-blue eyes stared out from a mass of blue-gray fur. It was the most adorable kitten Lara had ever seen.

"Awww. It's so cute," she said, holding it to her chest. It purred as she stroked its silky fur. It was the sweetest thing she had ever received.

"I'm glad you like him," replied Kurtis, running a finger along the kitten's back.

"I love him. Thank you," she said, kissing him on the lips.

"Don't mention it. Happy birthday. So what are you going to name him?"

"Hmmm. That's a good question. How about Angel? Yeah, I like that."

"Angel it is. I'll get him a collar tomorrow."

Lara had to admit that (with the exception of Alex) her birthday had been pretty damn good.

Dull aches were starting to form in her arms, but still Lara continued. She spun, connecting with a roundhouse fist to the punching bag. Ignoring the sweat that stung her eyes, she shifted her weight and brought her leg up. With almost unnatural quickness, Lara landed a perfect kick. The bag swung back at her from the force. Crouching low to the ground, she dodged it just in time. Upon standing up, the adventurer delivered two right hooks followed by a left uppercut. She'd been going like this for almost three hours. Each breath setting her lungs on fire. But that wasn't something she was paying much attention to. Infact, she was so immersed in her training that Lara didn't even know she was being watched.

Alex, having been let into Croft Manor by Connor, was fully enjoying himself. Watching Lara in full Amazon mode was one of his favorite hobbies. In his opinion, that was when you were seeing the best of the tomb raider. God, how he missed seeing that look of concentration on her face. That look of passion when she was working. He missed gazing at her almost poetic movements when in the heat of battle. Her graceful walk and sharp tongue. Just being there, watching her, Alex felt better then he had in a while. It always managed to make him feel alert. Like taking a hot shower when you first get of bed in the morning. And he would have loved to continue looking at her, but this wasn't a social call. This was business and he needed her help.

"Careful there. You don't want to rip the bag, now do you?" he asked.

Lara shot a glare over her shoulder. How long exactly had he been standing there? That was just like Alex to sneak up on her. And who the hell let him in the Manor anyways? Of course. Connor. She would have to have a chat with him about that.

"Alex," she replied with a roll of her eyes. She refocused on the bag, suddenly envisioning a certain person in its place.

"It's nice to see you to, Lara. I'm fine! Thanks for asking! And you?" he said sarcastically.

Against her better judgment, she smiled. Facing him once more, Lara motioned for him to sit down at a small table. They took seats across from each other.

"What's this all about?"

Alex let out a sigh before answering her. "I have this job that's proving to be more difficult then I originally suspected."

Well, that got her attention. "No, wait. Let me guess. You want my help?"

"Bingo."

Lara shook her head. Again she smiled. This kind of felt like old times. "First, what's the 'job'?"

"Right. I was hired by a man, Eugene Barone, to locate an artifact that no one but a select number of people know about," Alex replied, suddenly looking tired.

Lara's brows knitted in thought. "Eugene Barone. I've heard that name before..."

"He was a friend of...of Malcolm Oliver. A former private safari owner. He lives in Rome now."

She felt her throat tighten at the mention of Malcolm. How long ago had been his death? A sharp pain was forming at the base of her neck. She should have taken a break earlier. She overworked herself.

"Lara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring him up. I know you're still-"

"Yes, now I remember. Barone. He's a collector of sorts now, correct?" she said, cutting him off. There wasn't a reason to be sorry. Besides, Lara didn't feel like talking about it.

"Yup. That's him."

"So what's the artifact?"

"The Black Pearl."

It took everything Lara had not to jump out of her seat in excitement. She had heard of the Black Pearl when she was just a girl. It was one of the first treasures she had ever been told about. It was supposed to be damn near impossible to find. But maybe...just maybe...with Lara AND Alex working together...

"I'm in," she said with a nod.

"Just like that, eh?"

"Just like that."

They both broke out in smiles. Alex knew she was going to say yes. He remembered her telling him that the Black Pearl was one of the few things that she's been infatuated with since childhood. The moment that Alex got the job, he could think of nothing else, but getting Lara to help him. And it had been Barone who suggested it from the get go. This was exactly the kind of thing that could finally fix some of the damage between the two of them. Alex missed having Lara as a friend.

"So how did you and what's-his-name meet?" he asked, innocently.

Lara cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "I'm guessing you mean Kurtis? We met at The Louvre in Paris. Well, his gun met the back of my head. It's a long story."

"I've got all the time in the world. Feel like getting something to eat and catching up a bit?"

"Sure. As long as you understand one thing. Kurtis is the real thing for me and I'm actually trying to salvage the last shred of friendship we have left so no funny business. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now let's go already. I'm starving."

"That's because you're a pig. Give me twenty minutes to clean up. I'll be back in a little while."

Alex nodded as she left the room. Lara took the stairs two at a time before slipping into her bedroom. Quickly, she took a shower and changed into a pair of jeans and deep green sweater. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, a few strands falling near her eyes. After slipping on her boots and socks, she went down to the kitchen. There, Lara found Connor and told him to give Kurtis a message. Alex was already waiting for her in the main hall when she got there.

"What's the Black Pearl?" asked Kurtis.

They were both on the bed, Lara sitting up against the headboard. The room's only light coming from the full moon shinning through the window. He was sitting in between her legs, his head resting on her chest. The softness of his brunette hair felt nice between her fingers, as she ran them through the dark locks. Kurtis was managing to send subtle shivers throughout the pale-skinned beauty, his thumbs making small circles on the exposed flesh of her legs. Angel was curled up at the foot of the bed, asleep.

"It's this large, almost baseball sized, black pearl. Technically speaking, it's called the Ebony Pearl, but most just call it the Black Pearl. Supposedly, it was found by a King who wanted to marry a girl by the name of Ebony. Repeatedly she refused him until he presented her with the Pearl. It's said that the gift was so beautiful that Ebony couldn't say no in fear of losing such a treasure. For years it was in the new Queen's possession until the day she died, and then it was buried with her. The problem is that no one knows who this Queen Ebony was and if she ever truly lived, but there are too many mentionings of the Pearl for it not to have existed. But there lies the problem, where does a person start looking for the tomb of a person that might have never been?" She replied, letting out a sigh.

"And this Barone guy knows where to look?"

Lara shook her head. "No, but the Pearl has been his life's obsession. He has more information on it then anyone. Hopefully, with the two of us helping Alex, something will come up."

Kurtis titled his head until he was looking at her upside down. She could see a grin spread across his face in the darkness. "Did you say 'the two of us'?"

"Of course. Who knows how long this might take. And besides, you have talents that Alex and I don't. Not to mention that I'd like to avoid a repeat of what happened last time we were separated for an extended period of time."

Shifting so that he was now facing her, Kurtis pushed Lara down on the bed. Their lips met gently before he pulled away, lying down next to her. His arm wrapped possessively around her small waist, pulling her closer. She smiled, nestling her head against his neck. Her chestnut orbs hidden beneath thick lashes. Sleep came almost instantly to her peaceful form.

A/N OY! Here's the first chapter all done! So what do we think of the sequel so far? The basic plot has been revealed already, but trust me...there will be PLENTY of drama...hahahaha! Okay, so I hope you all enjoy this! Ciao! LF

p.s. MAKE SURE TO READ CHAPTER 18 OF AMOUR SOMBRE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!