Nicolette woke early the next day from a sweet dream. It was just a dream of her and Wesker at the beach, Wesker still wearing his usual black attire minus his jacket. Nicolette could almost smell the sent of the ocean, hear the waves crash in time almost like a heartbeat, and feel the sand beneath her toes. When she woke up she almost regretted it, wishing she was still a sleep until she heard the warm, steady sound of a heartbeat. Nicolette's eyes opened slowly and she looked around herself. Then she remembered. Nicolette's heart sped up as she felt Wesker's chest, which she was resting her head on, move up and down as he breathed. She craned her head and looked up at Wesker, her heart froze when she saw him. Wesker looked innocent, so innocent that Nicolette would have sworn that the man in her bed wasn't her husband, it was an angel. He looked so beautiful that Nicolette actually felt her heart break. Nicolette lifted a hand off of his chest and placed it on his face, touching it gently. Before she could move her hand away she felt Wesker's arms tighten around her, crushing her to his body as his eyes opened into slits.
Nicolette laughed loudly, a huge smile spreading on her face. "Did I wake you up?"
"Mhhhmm." Wesker looked down at her. "A little."
"I'm sorry." Nicolette replied, pulling herself into a sitting position, wrapping the silky sheets around herself. Wesker let his arms slide off but caught a hold of her at the waist.
"Where are you going?" Wesker asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he pulled her closer. Nicolette looked down at him and rolled her eyes, pulling away and flopping on the other side of the bed. Wesker reached over, placing a hand on her hip.
"I'm staying right here." Nicolette replied as Wesker loomed over her. "Why? You think I was going to run away from you?"
Wesker looked at her unemotionally. Instead of responding he leaned down and kissed her. Nicolette lifted a hand and pressed it against the side of his face as he pulled away.
"Your not hungry?" Wesker asked, his voice businesses like.
"Not really." Nicolette replied, her eyes meeting his. "Why, are you?"
"I could go for a bagel." Wesker responded, his breath billowing against Nicolette's skin. "Or donuts."
Nicolette smiled back at him. "Hmm, well...sausage does sound nice right now."
Wesker flashed her his signature half smile as he kissed her again, sliding under the blanket. Nicolette pulled away momentarily, her forehead resting against his.
"So...does this mean no breakfast?" Nicolette asked jokingly, her smile growing. Wesker smiled at her and growled faintly as he kissed her again.
/~/~/~/
Nicolette felt her breathing return to normal and felt Wesker's arms hold her closer. Nicolette had an arm around Wesker's neck, holding his face close to hers. This was the most blissful moment she could ever think of experiencing. Not even Wesker's emotionless eyes could break into her happy glow and force her smile to fade. Instead it made it glow brighter, her mind whirling, she still couldn't believe this was her husband. That she was no longer, Nicolette Holiday, she was Nicolette Wesker. Nicolette's smile grew brighter as she thought about it. Nothing could ruin this moment for her. Nothing. Then a spark of interest flashed in Wesker's eyes. Nicolette imitatively regretted jinxing the moment as Wesker pulled away moved to hover over her slightly.
"Don't." Nicolette breathed, her eyes begging him to just leave the moment be.
"Don't what?" Wesker asked, a half smile tugging on the corner of him mouth.
"Don't start telling me that I'm horrid in the bedroom." Nicolette glanced away from him, looking at the closed window on the other side of the room.
"What makes you think that I would say that?" Wesker asked, his voice void of any emotion as he cupped her chin and turned her head to face him. Nicolette still looked in a different direction.
"Wesker." Nicolette sighed and looked deep into his eyes, taking him by surprise. "What else would you say?"
"That I," Wesker looked back at her, trying to figure out what she expected of him. She confused, did she want him to be what the world had created him to be? Or the man she thought she saw in him? But as Wesker looked back into her eyes Wesker felt the twinge return, way more painful then any before. "I rather enjoyed it. It was better then being in a lab all day."
Nicolette raised an eyebrow and looked at him skeptically. "Is that good or bad?"
Wesker looked back at her and raised an eyebrow. "You've known me for nearly four months and you have to ask?" Nicolette laughed and shook her head.
"I didn't pay any attention to you unless I wanted to annoy you."
"I'm going to have to teach you how to lie better." Wesker replied, releasing her face and pinning her down. "Your not very good at it."
"Or maybe, you just can't handle the truth." Nicolette snapped back playfully at him. "I don't lie often."
"Well then, answer me this." Wesker leaned down, his breath billowing against his wife's face, mixing with hers. "How was it for you?"
Nicolette tried to calm her pounding heart while trying to come up with a suitable answer. "It was...outstanding." Nicolette forced a playful smile before pulling away and sliding out of bed with the thick blanket wrapped around her body.
"Outstanding?" Wesker repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly and his cold tone returning. Nicolette glanced back over her shoulder and almost fell back on to the bed. Wesker was leaning on his elbow, watching her, his face expressionless again, his lower body covered only by the sheets.
"Yes." Nicolette smiled brightly at him before turning away and heading to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. Do you think that you could make breakfast." Nicolette paused at the doorway of the bathroom. "I'm actually pretty hungry."
Nicolette didn't wait for a response, instead she walked into the room and shut the door quickly, her heart pounding in her ribcage almost making it hard for her to breath. Nicolette locked the door and walked past the huge tub to the shower and turned on the water. It took her a few moments to realize that all she had with her was a blanket. Nicolette shook her head and climbed into the shower, dropping the blanket by the sink. Nicolette leaned against the cold marble wall and began taking deep breaths. She couldn't tell Wesker anything like this, he wouldn't take it well...he doesn't take anything well. Nicolette shook her head under the water and began to hurry up. No way was she going to let him just storm in on her while she was in the shower. Nicolette couldn't even deny that Wesker would break down the door if she didn't appear soon. A sigh built up in her chest, why couldn't he trust that she wouldn't run away now? Wasn't it enough that he was now her husband? Did he really think she was lying to him about everything? Still? Nicolette stepped out of the shower and caught herself before she slipped across the floor. She took a deep breath to steady herself and nearly started laughing.
"Ah, I've gone insane." Nicolette whispered to herself as she picked up the blanket again and wrapped it around her body again, smiling her reflection as she passed a mirror. She looked like she was trying to make a dress out of her parents' blankets. The thought of parents froze her. Chris and Jill? Her parents? Nicolette wanted to dismiss the very thought but one thing held her back...it made sense. Nicolette had always wondered were in the world she got her nose and her mother, or Aunt Edana, had always said it was one of those genetic things that skipped generations. Looking at it now she couldn't believe how much it resembled Chris's, and how much she looked like Claire. Nicolette remembered back when she was nine, she had asked Jill and her mother why her eyes weren't green like Royal's, why they were light blue and not the same color as ether of her parents. Why they looked more like her aunts. Nicolette's neck burned as she remembered how easily she had bought the whole, genes can be passed that way, bit. Nicolette shook her head and glared at her reflection. What did Chris and Jill expect? That she would run to them, crying, and screaming that she loved them? They have no idea what she went through those first few months. What right do they have to drop in on her wedding day and tell her that they are her parents. Nicolette turned away from the mirror and opened the door, pushing the thoughts from her mind. When she opened the door there was a pile of clothes on the bed. Nicolette shook her head as she reached them. The 'clothes' were just a sexy black nightgown and a slinky bathrobe. Nicolette sighed. "I really have to start shopping for myself."
Nicolette looked around the room, making sure she was alone before she dropped the blanket on the floor and slipped the nightgown and the robe on before heading down the small spiral staircase, following the smell of bacon and eggs. Nicolette got lost twice before she finally stumbled into the kitchen just in time to watch Wesker slide toast onto the plates. Nicolette walked up behind him and waited for him to notice her before she reached forward and hugged him from behind. Wesker's entire body was tense as she hugged him, but it didn't bother her much. Nicolette let go of Wesker and turned to the table that was set with knifes, forks, cups, and a pitcher of orange juice. Nicolette slid into her seat and poured herself a cup of orange juice as Wesker placed the plates on the table. Without a second thought Nicolette bent her head and began to pray silently to herself, ignoring the scrapping of Wesker's fork against his plate. When she muttered amen she snatched up her fork and took a huge forkful of eggs, shoving it into her mouth. Nicolette's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she chewed, unable to describe the perfect taste of the eggs.
"I had no idea you could cook!" Nicolette exclaimed after she swallowed, looking over at Wesker with her large strange eyes. Wesker looked at her, or at least it looked that way, he had his glasses on again and he was some what dressed, his silk black boxers covering the area that she last saw covered in soft sheets.
"I'm full of surprises." Wesker replied, irony mixing with his usually emotionless tone.
"It would seem." Nicolette smiled at him as she lifted another forkful to her lips. "These are outstanding!"
In that moment Nicolette felt all the warmth in the room freeze and she almost heard a audible cracking and snapping sound as the universe, or rather hers, shifted dramatically.
"Outstanding?" Wesker repeated coldly through clenched teeth.
"Um, yes?" Nicolette watched Wesker intently enough to know when to get out of the way, a moment later the entire table hit the wall, food, glass, juice, and fragments of porcelain lay in a heap amongst splintered wood. Wesker's eyes were redder then Nicolette had ever seen, it would've scared her if she was any other person but herself. Wesker reached up, grabbed his glasses and tossed them to the side. Nicolette flinched as they hit a nob on a drawer and fractured, breaking into several pieces. Nicolette looked st Wesker a split second longer before dodging his first attack, ignoring the sound of screeching metal, and headed for the honeymoon suit. Nicolette couldn't fight the sudden urge to get out of Wesker's way, something inside her was just nudging her to move as fast as she could without hurting herself. Nicolette had barely made it to the staircase before she heard Wesker shouting her name, she knew she didn't have long to try and save herself. Nicolette made it up the stairs and stood by the bed trying to figure out what to do. Just when she had started to think of a plan she felt herself flying through the air. Nicolette curled into a ball as she hit the wall and sprung to her feet before she hit the floor. Wesker came at her again, his fist pulled back angrily. Nicolette's hand flew up and caught it, the force knocking her into the wall.
"Stop." Nicolette whispered, her eyes wide and clueless. Wesker pulled his fist back, pulling her with it before slapping her and watching her crumple to the ground, her hand on her face. Wesker watched as Nicolette slowly shook her head and looked up at him, her eyes wet, narrowed, and full of hatred. "What did I do?" She choked out angrily, flinching away from the innocent twitch of his hand.
Wesker keeled down next to her, his eyes still burning red. "You compared intercourse with me to eggs."
Nicolette's eyes flashed angrily. "That's why you hit me?" Nicolette pushed herself to her feet and walked away from her husband. "Because I made a mistake? We all make mistakes, Wesker, it doesn't mean that you get to go around hitting people."
"My mistake was marrying a whore." Nicolette whipped around at Wesker's words, tears brimming from her eyes.
"What?" Nicolette shook her head and tried to hold back the tears, thinking of something else before she fell apart. "What am I?"
"I suspect that you slept with several men prior to this-"
"Wesker, for once, stop thinking I'm like you." Nicolette whispered angrily. "And admit that, not for the first time, you were wrong."
"I'm not-"
"WESKER!" Nicolette shouted over him, tears flowing slowly and silently down her face now. "I'm not a whore! Last night was..."
"Was what? Your first time?" Wesker asked angrily as Nicolette turned her back on him. "That you were a-"
"-Virgin, yeah." Nicolette bent her head and let her light blond hair fall in front of her face, wrapping her arms around herself. Wesker took a step towards her but stopped when she threw herself on the bed. Wesker could hear her cry into a pillow and felt an odd, stabbing flash of pain spread through out his body. Before he knew what was happening Wesker was sitting next to her trying to figure out how to fix her. Without thinking, Wesker placed a hand on her back. The crying subsided and Nicolette rolled over, knocking his hand away from her, glaring full force at him.
"If anyone married the whore it's me." She spat angrily, her wet eyes flashing. "How many times have you tried to sleep with a girl before me?"
"That's irrel-"
"Irrelevant." Nicolette muttered interrupting him. "I hate it when you say that!"
Wesker looked at her for a moment, anger mixing with a second emotion, before he acted on the strongest one. Wesker grabbed Nicolette by the arms and crushed their lips together. Nicolette's eyes widened but she couldn't fine the energy to fight him. Instead she let him pin her to the bed, his hands already slipping under her nightgown and her hands tangled themselves in his hair.
/~/~/~/
Nicolette smiled happily at the ceiling, all thought of the incident before temporarily pushed to the back of her mind. Wesker lay next to her, his mind, for the first time, completely blank.
"Your a virgin?" Nicolette's smile faltered a bit and she sighed.
"Was Al, I was a virgin." Nicolette rolled on to her side and watched his blank expression. "I would think after everything that just happened you of all people would know that."
"How did I not know?" Wesker muttered coldly.
"Well, your not my gynecologist so I think that would explain a lot." Nicolette replied, still watching him.
"That doesn't help, Niki."
"Well.." Nicolette racked her brain for the perfect thing to tell Wesker, to make him feel slightly better. "I bet Christopher will flip when he finds out."
"Hmmm," Wesker's eyes darted to meet hers. "There's a bright side."
"You live to ruin his life, don't you?" Nicolette asked curiously.
"In a way." Wesker responded, his gaze still blankly latched on her.
"Do you mind," Nicolette moved a little closer to Wesker. "If I ask why?"
"It's a long, unimportant story-"
"Don't lie to me." Nicolette sighed irritatedly and rolled her eyes. "Nothing involving you is unimportant, including your decade long grudges."
"It's not a decade long." Wesker replied coldly, looking away from Nicolette.
"Wesker," Nicolette shook her head. "I may be blond, but I do know that you were first reported dead when I was eight."
Wesker entire body tensed up. "How do you know that?"
"Files." Nicolette replied innocently, flashing a smile at him. "I just had to do the math."
"When-"
"The day before the wedding. Now stop changing the subject!" Nicolette pushed herself up, still holding the blanket against her body, looking down at Wesker. "What happened between you and...my...father?"
Wesker made an odd noise. "Lets just say, he ruined everything for me."
"What does that mean?" Nicolette put a hand on Wesker's chest. "What did he do?"
"He and your-Jill ruined my plans to take information to the media about what Umbrella was doing." Wesker answered her, his gaze darting down at her hand before looking away. "I was already planing on my 'death' and Chris's too. I knew the tyrant would turn on me, I planed on it. The one thing I didn't plan on was Chris surviving. Ever since then he's been constantly destroying any plan I come up with."
Nicolette looked down at Wesker, her eyes soft for the first time as she gazed at Wesker. "Why do I feel like there's more to the story?"
"Don't push your luck." Wesker replied darkly, his hand taking hers as if he were going to pull it off his chest. Instead he held on to it and looked up at her, his eyes dead. "Now I realize why I don't care much for your nose."
Nicolette looked blankly at him before laughing. "You don't like my nose?"
"It's your...father's nose."
"Al, do I look much like my-" Nicolette took a deep breath and forced out the word. "-father?"
Wesker looked at her for a moment longer. "Thankfully, no. You look more like his sister."
"Isn't that a little weird?"
"Not entirely." Wesker released her hand and pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Some genes can be transferred like that."
"Ugh!" Nicolette let herself fall backwards on the bed, her feet resting in his lap. "When have I heard that before?"
Wesker chuckled darkly as he watched her. "Well, I can see why they kept it a secret." Nicolette craned her head and looked questioningly at him. "I wouldn't let Jill join S.T.A.R.S. if she had an infant."
"I wasn't a baby!" Nicolette retorted. "I was six, and what do you mean you?"
"Nicolette, it doesn't matter." Wesker replied coldly. "None of this does. It's done. Your mine."
"Should that make me happy? Or should I be upset with the idea that according to you I'm a possession?" Nicolette asked, her old stubborn tone back in her voice, coloring her words.
Wesker looked Nicolette up and down. "I really don't care right now." Nicolette raised her head and looked at Wesker.
"Why don't you care?" Nicolette asked before she paused and remembered who she was talking to. "Oh, right."
"What?" Wesker's eyes narrowed down at her.
"Well. It's strange that you tried to care at all." Nicolette rested her head back against the soft, silky sheets on top of the mattress.
"Why is that?" Wesker moved her feet off of his lap and leaned over her, his hands on ether side of her.
"Your Wesker." Nicolette whispered, reaching up to hang her arms around his neck. "Your my husband, my Al." Nicolette smiled up at him. "No matter how much I want you to not be, you are. I just want you to be you. Asshole, douche bag, and all."
"What did you call me?" Wesker growled, his face inches from hers.
"What I always do." Nicolette replied sweetly, her eyes sparkling playfully. Wesker let his body rest against hers and growled. "You know, I love it when you growl." Wesker growled again, deeper this time as his hands slipped under the sheets. "You know, I'm starting to think this is all you want from me." Nicolette's gaze met his fleetingly and saw a fleeting emotion in his.
"Do you want an answer to that?" Wesker asked distantly. Nicolette shook her head slowly, her eyes wide.
"No, Al, I was teasing you." Nicolette sighed, trying to sit up strait. Succeeding only by almost falling off the bed. "Besides, I have something for you." Nicolette slipped under Wesker's arm and slid off the bed, Wesker watched as she looked around the room animatedly before turning back to him with an eyebrow raised. "Wesker? Were is my suitcase?"
"Do you need it right now?" Wesker asked, coldly distantly, his gaze burning into her skin.
"I want to give you your present." Nicolette replied sharply, rolling her eyes. "You know what? Forget it! I'll find it myself."
Nicolette was half way to the door when she felt something soft hit the skin of her back making her freeze. Nicolette turned and saw a pile of black cloth laying right were her heels had been.
"You might want to cover up." Wesker's voice was cold and efficient as Nicolette looked down and grabbed the nightgown, slipping it over her head. Nicolette smoothed out the black silk and glanced over at Wesker to see him laying back on the bed, his head resting on a pillow, and the sheets covering part of his body. "It's cold outside this room."
"Whatever." Nicolette turned on her heels and left the room looking for any place Wesker would've put her clothes. The hallway she entered the moment she descended the staircase was dotted with doors. Nicolette sighed in agitation and stormed over to the first door, dark brown stained wood like the others, turned the curved old fashioned nob and tugged it open angrily. Inside there were a few couches, a table covered in dust, and a book hanging out of a bookshelf. Nicolette looked around the room, her irritation rising as she stalked around the before tossing herself onto one of the couches, ignoring the dust that rose up from the impact, and glared around the room before her gaze fell back on the book hanging out of the bookshelf. Nicolette pushed herself to her feet and walked over to the bookshelf. It took her a few moments to struggle with the urge to jam the book back into the bookshelf without reading the title first. Finally she sighed and looked at the title of the book. The Grimm Farytales by the Brother's Grimm. Nicolette's anger softened as she pulled the book all the way out of the bookshelf. Memory's of her childhood with her sister, their father chasing them around the house on Halloween dressed up as a big bad wolf and telling them the true stories of the fairytales as they went to sleep. Nicolette felt tears prick at her eyelids as she remembered her father giving her the book the day before he went back to Raccoon City, ignoring her mother's protests. That day the warm brown worn leather of the book never left her hands, she held it close to her body and never let go thinking about how her father had read it to her every night. How he had always put his daughters first. Nicolette's chin trembled slightly as she remembered how he had always called her his little Cindy. Roy had always flip flopped between Belle and Jasmine, but Nicolette was always his little Cindy, his Cinderella. A tear slid slowly down her face. Did he even know the truth? Nicolette couldn't help the tears that started to slide down her cheeks as she held the book tight to her chest, she didn't want to believe that Chris and Jill were her parents. That they had willingly given her up just to peruse a life that she was born to be involved in. Nicolette shook her head. All Chris had ever given her was his DNA, Jill had given her more. Jill had been almost like a second mother to Nicolette and Roy, now she knew why. They were only her biological parents. They had no claim to her besides the DNA that resided in the cells of her body. Besides that she couldn't think of them as anything else. James and Edana Holiday had raised her like she had been their true blooded daughter, treated her just like her sister. Nicolette's eyes widened as Royal popped into her mind. Did that mean Royal was her sister? Nicolette's birth certificate had said Nicolette Joyce Holiday, but did that make her an adopted daughter? Was Royal even her sister any more after what Nicolette had done yesterday? After Nicolette married the major enemy of practically the world. Nicolette couldn't imagine Royal understanding.
"What are you doing?" The cold, distant voice didn't scare Nicolette, she knew that Wesker would have found her eventually, she just wished that she hadn't been crying over three people that she loved. Nicolette's stubborn side kicked in, annoyed that she hadn't made it past the first room before breaking down. How was she ever going to convince Wesker that she could stand on her own two feet. Nicolette peeled the book off of her chest and pushed it back into the empty slot in the bookcase before quickly drying her her eyes with the back of her hand, disguising it by moving a chunk of hair out of her face.
"Nothing." Nicolette replied steadily, blinking her eyes several times before turning to see Wesker standing in the doorway, wearing a pair of black boxers and his black three quarter collared shirt. Wesker was fixing his cuffs, his gaze on this fingers. "Just got a little distracted."
"I should have known," Wesker didn't bother to look up from his sleeve, turning his gaze instead to his other cuff. "You always get easily distracted."
"No, I don't." Nicolette replied crisply. "You get easily distracted."
Wesker finally looked up at her just in time to see her breeze past him. Nicolette closed her eyes briefly before she wrenched open another door.
Wesker sighed. "Your going the wrong way."
Nicolette stopped, her hand still on the handle. "Your lying."
"Have I lied to you so far?"
"Uh, yeah." Nicolette glared at him over her shoulder. "All the time."
"Would you believe me if I took you to your suitcase?"
Nicolette slammed the door shut and turned on Wesker, anger radiating from every pore. "So now you want to help me?"
Wesker looked at her calmly. "It would take you longer then you expect to find it."
"Fine! If you think that I'm so helpless that I can't even breath right without your help then I guess your right!" Nicolette snapped at him her eyes flashing. "I guess I can't do anything by myself, can I?"
Wesker's face was a mask only broken by an arching eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"
"No! What in the world would make you think that?"
"Good." Wesker turned away from her, walking to the next set of stairs. "Follow me."
Nicolette felt anger build up inside her body, causing her hands to tremble. A thought came to her, why follow? Why not stay here and forget about giving him the gift she had gotten him? What would it matter to him? He probably never got anything before in his life so why would this bother him? Nicolette froze and felt her heart pound as she realized the horrid truth. Nicolette could help but want to hug him. What child never got a present? Nicolette followed him down the hallway, forcing a little bit of annoyance in to her expression and attitude as the turned into a parlor like room. Nicolette immediately spotted her suitcase and slipped past Wesker before falling to her knees in front of it and unzipping it. It took her only a few moments to find the box she had wrapped in black wrapping paper with a silver bow. Nicolette got to her feet and turned around, nearly slamming into Wesker, who was standing in front of her holding a silver wrapped box with a black bow.
"What's that?" Nicolette asked, pulling her gaze off of the small box he held in his hands to his guarded eyes.
"A...gift."
"For-for me?" Nicolette couldn't hide the disbelief in her voice. Wesker held the box out to her.
"Take it before I decide you don't want it."
"Pushy, pushy, pushy." Nicolette mumbled, taking a hold of the box and pressing the one she got Wesker into his hands. "You should enjoy these. They reminded my of you."
"Mhhhhhmhhhhm." Wesker glanced at her through narrowed eyes before turning to the side to begin ripping into the paper carefully. Nicolette couldn't help but think of how hard he must be working not to look or act too excited. A smile pulled across her face before she looked down at the gift in her hands. Without thinking her fingers slipped under the edge of the paper, ripping it off in one fluid moment. The paper fell away reveling a flat black velvet box. Nicolette tried to rid herself of her shaking hands as she opened it. Laying inside of it, nestled into to the cream colored satin was a beautiful diamond necklace. Nicolette felt her jaw drop. Did he always have to out do her? What's with that? Nicolette glanced over at Wesker to see him standing in front of a mirror, his back to her, slipping on a pair of custom made black sunglasses that she had been lucky enough to snag at the mall several days ago. Just a few moments ago she had thought they where the best gift she could get him, now...Nicolette shook her head. No way would she ever be able to beat him, a diamond necklace? Nicolette continued to watch Wesker as he adjusted his new sunglasses.
"I'm sorry it's not, you know, perfect-"
"They are." Wesker replied, his normal cool facade gone. Wesker slipped then down the bridge of his nose and looked at her, his eyes looking at her with a content expression. "Thank you."
Nicolette raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing." Wesker slipped his glasses back into place and turned full towards her, he lifted the necklace out of the box and walked behind her. "Move your hair." Nicolette rolled her eyes and lifted her hair up with both of her hands. Wesker moved his around her neck, letting the cold silver of the necklace rest against her skin as he clasped it. "There."
Wesker moved away from her as she let her hair fall down her back, her hand touching the necklace. Nicolette turned and looked up at Wesker.
"Your not fair."
"What ever gave you the idea that I was?"
"Ass." Nicolette breathed as she walked slowly over to Wesker.
"Mrs Wesker." Wesker replied as he sat on the old red Victorian couch. Nicolette smirked as she slid on to his lap.
"What now, Mr Wesker?" She asked coyly, Wesker smiled a slightly cruel smile as he pinned her down to the couch.
"I believe you know the answer." Wesker growled, his glasses slipping down his nose reveling his narrowed eyes.
/~/~/~/
Leon looked down at his polished oak desk at the BSAA HQ. Sitting in the middle of it were two files, both on the Holiday sisters. Leon sighed and shook his head. Only now was the government about to give them full access to both sisters, only when one of them had been taken so fully from the ranks that she had served since she was young did they hand Leon her file like it was a flier to some down town carnival. It was insane, but what was the point in handing out Royal Holiday's file? What was hidden amongst her history? Leon didn't know his partner to well, it was rare that any BSAA members applied to work for the US Government and got accepted, even rarer that agents got paired up with new comers. Leon couldn't help but think that he was the only one to get ether of the sister's files and that the information on the desk was more valuable and important then anyone could fathom. Leon's hand grazed the tan folder marked authorized personal only, knowing automatically that this was the file that Wesker would do anything to get his hands on. Even though Chris, Nicolette's biological father, wouldn't acknowledge it, if only to keep his sanity and his hope alive, Albert Wesker had married his daughter to prevent the government and the BSAA from taking her easily. At least that's all Steve Burnside would say before he tried to disappear several times, not even twenty four hours ago he had succeeded and Claire had gone after him. Leon felt a strange twinge of sadness, Claire had always been a good friend to him. It took her only a few months to check up on him after Raccoon City, she had stopped him from firing at tick or treaters dressed as zombies, and she had poured out her heart and soul that night about what happened at Rockfort island...and about Steve. Leon looked down at the files. There was no point in denying that at one point in time he had been attracted to Claire, the moment she had told him about the whole escaped at Rockfort he started to feel the emotions melt away like a snow cone on a hot summer day. Leon flipped the file open and read the name on the top of the file. Nicolette Joyce Holiday. Leon sighed and slumped into his brown chair. Without really thinking about it he pulled the second folder off of the desk and opened it. The name at the top made him smile. Royal Maria Holiday, the name almost implied some sort of softness to the person, instead Leon remembered how she had attacked him with the door of a car before she had climbed out and started yelling at him. Royal was something else, threatening him and scaring Sherry half to death. Leon slowly shook his head. There was just something about the black hair and green eyes that just made him notice her a little closer that day, well, aside from the last name and the death threats. Without warning the door swung open, jolting Leon out of his memory and back to the present. Leon's head snapped up from the file to see Chris and Jill walking in.
"I don't see what the big deal is-"
"Chris, Barry is in his fifty's, you can't ask him to help us get Niki back." Jill rolled her blue eyes in agitation and her tone sounded like they've had this conversation before. "I would love it if he could help us out, but Chris, he has his own family to think about. He's lucky he got out of all this and moved on with his life."
"He's a special ops officer in Lincoln City. The only thing he got away from was Wesker."
"Chris, I know he's your friend-"
"I would do anything for him." Chris dropped the heavy black box on Leon's desk, Leon's eyes grew wider as he tried not to exist at that very moment. "And if Barry knew I had a daughter I know he would be here helping me plan how to get her back and the right way to blow Wesker's head off instead of telling me how irrational and idiotic I'm being."
"You are acting irrational and idiotic!" Jill fired back, dropping a handful of papers on top of the box. "You can't see how Wesker is trying to get back at us!"
"Yes, I can! He's using my only daughter, oh wait! Correction, my only child as a way to get to me! Do you really think I can't see that, Jill?" Chris was on the verge of losing it and his face told the tale of lost sleep and coffee filled days. "I barely had my daughter and I lost her to a psychopath who is most likely going to dangle her in front of our faces until he gets bored with her and decides to kill her! Do you expect me to walk away from it nearly as unfazed as you? I'm sorry Jill, but I love my family. Not knowing for years about my having a child, well lets just say I don't know how you expect me to deal with that. And then losing her? Twice? How exactly do you expect me to act? Like I couldn't careless? I can't Jill."
"What are you saying, Chris?"
"I'm saying..." Chris took a deep, unsteady breath as he raised his eyes to Jill's. "I don't know if I'll ever get over it. I don't know if I can ever forgive you for what you did."
"I did it for us, so that we could live our own lives. So that you wouldn't be forced to give up your plans just because-"
Chris shook his head cutting her off. "You didn't do it for me, Jill. Or for us. You did it for you."
"I did not!"
"Jill, you gave her up to the mercy of Spencer. Do you know how lucky you are that your sister adopted her before she turned out like Wesker? Do you?"
"Chris," Jill was on the verge of tears as Leon shift awkwardly in his chair. "Chris, he only trained her. You know I made sure she went to my sister first."
"Jill. You gave up our baby girl." Chris shook his head, trying to rid himself of his emotions momentarily. "You gave her up. That alone cuts to the bone. Everything else? It's just add on to it. Trying to strip me clean. You practically threw away the one good thing I could have had in this world, you know that? If I had known she existed, I would never have joined S.T.A.R.S. or the air force. I would have lived like a normal person. I would have had something that didn't involve a man named Albert Wesker or a job that threatens my life ever time I turn around. Jill, I could have witnessed her first laugh, her first smile, the first time she tried to stand. It breaks my heart every time I see her as a baby and your late brother-in-law is cradling her in his arms, knowing that could have been, should have been me."
"Chris, I-" Jill reached out to him but Chris simply brushed her hands away.
"I can't handle this now." Chris replied stiffly as he stalked out of the room. Jill looked after him, heartbroken, while Leon tried to think happy thoughts and contemplate on whether or not to break out his 'happy pills'. Jill slowly walked to the door only to turn back to Leon who froze like a deer in the headlights.
"You understand why I had to give her up, right?" Jill asked, her voice soft and sad, her eyes full of tears. "She had a better up bringing with my sister then she ever would have had with me." Jill then lowered her eyes momentarily. "But Chris has a point. She would have been better off with him. They could have been a real, blood family." Jill looked back up at Leon, her eyes latching on to his. "Do you think I did the right thing? Giving my daughter up?"
Leon shifted unconformablely, trying to break eye contact but failing epically. "I'm not good at this sort of thing."
"You took in Sherry after the whole Raccoon incident, didn't you?" Jill asked, her voice still soft.
"Yes." Leon replied hesitantly, repressing a shudder. "She tried keeping in contact with both Claire and I, but somehow she only got a hold of me half the time."
"In your report, you had written something about her and her mother."
"Yes."
"That her mother had told her something."
"Yes..."
"What was it?"
"That-that she had to escape...and that no matter how bad a mother she had been...she had always loved her."
Jill nodded, a few silent tears sliding down her face. "All mothers think alike." Jill slipped out the door, leaving Leon alone in the awkward silence. Leon closed his eyes for a moment, trying to repress what he had just witnessed. After a few moments he gave up and opened a desk drawer, pulling out an orange bottle with a white top and a white piece of paper on it. Leon popped the top and shook two small red capsules into the palm of his hand. Taking a deep breath her tilted his head back and brought his hand to his mouth, tossing the capsules into the back of his mouth before he swallowed.
"Ahhh." Leon rested his head against the back of his chair. "The moment people go missing is the moment everything goes to hell."
"Tell me about it." Leon rolled his head to the side and saw Royal in the door way.
"Roy?"
"Mind if I come in, partner?" Royal asked, already shutting the door behind her. "I didn't think you would, but after all that yelling...God help us. I think Chris is losing it."
"Well, just be happy he hasn't turned on you yet. Your a little too upbeat for someone who's sister was just some how forced into a marriage that she wasn't completely forced into to a man who is the number one most wanted man in the world after the majority of the world's organizations declaring her dead by virus infections."
Royal smiled at Leon a little sadly and proudly. "I think you know by now. Niki is pretty bad ass at times. Wesker found a way to make it harder for us to take her, not impossible. And I'll bet you this, if Wesker try's to kill her there is going to be one pretty epically amazing fight. Boy, would I love to be there for that."
"You really think that Niki could take Wesker?" Leon asked skeptically.
"Did you see the way he looked at her before they disappeared? I don't know what you think, I'm betting Wesker started training her himself." Royal sat on the corner of Leon's desk, closer to his chair, crossing her legs.
"But why would he do that?"
"Would you pass up the chance to enhance something that was the best of the best already? Think of it this way. Niki was amazing as a human, right? Without any viruses. Now she has several viruses swimming around and fused to her cells, right? So that makes her about two hundred times better with some pretty cool, boarder line comic book ability's that might have even surprised Wesker. Who wouldn't want her working for them and being better at what she's doing?"
"You have a point." Leon admitted, blinking slowly.
"The only thought is why Niki is playing along. Why did she marry a man that only thinks of her as a pawn?"
"Well, what if she's not?" Leon asked jokingly, opening his eyes slowly.
Royal's eyes lit up. "That's it!"
"What's it?" Leon sat up straight in his chair, tossing the file from his lap onto the desk. "Don't tell me you think-"
"She's more than a pawn!" Royal smiled brightly at Leon, her eyes sparkling.
"Roy, I was joking."
"I know. But look at it this way." Royal leaned in closer to Leon. "Niki most likely thinks she is far from being just a 'pawn', or she is-" Royal cut herself off, her mind racing.
"What?" Leon moved closer to Royal, surprised she had suddenly stopped talking, "What is it?"
"What if this is more...simplistic then we thought?" Royal asked softly, her eyes focused on the wall. "What if it makes all this more complicated than it already is."
"Roy, what do you mean?"
"I think..." Royal finally met Leon's steel blue gaze. "I think my sister...is...in love with an insane man."
/~/~/~/
Nicolette straitened her dark smoky gray knee length dress and slipped on a pair wedge sandals before she walked down the stairs. Wesker was standing at the bottom of stairs in a black suit holding a black coat over one arm and holding another black coat out to her. Nicolette took it and slipped it on. It had taken her nearly the entire month that they had been in this castle like home to convince him that she needed to get out of the house, with him of course. Like she could ever go anywhere without him, he would never allow her to. But she didn't expect him to agree to go were she wanted to take him. Wesker led the way out of the front of the house and to the car. It turns out that the small castle like building had a little hidden pathway big enough for a black Volkswagen 2012 Eos convertible, Nicolette was a little surprised that she honestly didn't care about it being kept a secret from her, Wesker much have some sort of abandonment issues that he needs to work out, at least that's all Nicolette could come up with. It was also the only thing that she could except at that moment, her mind still whirling about every detail that she had learned at her wedding. Who her parents really were and some new things about her psycho husband. Nicolette smiled as she thought over what Wesker had told her only a few weeks ago, not about his hatred for her biological father but about what he had planed to do at the mansion almost twenty years ago. Nicolette climbed into the car her mind processing what she had not yet been able to fully process. With out full registering it she watched the dirt road and the blur of trees fade into gray pavement and the blur of people. Still lost in her thoughts she almost forgot where they were going until Wesker pulled into the parking lot of an old dark gray towering church building. Nicolette smile burst across her lips as she scrambled gracefully out of the car. Wesker watched her coldly from the drivers side, trying not to be even slightly amused by her child like behavior as he threw the car into to park, taking the keys, and got out of the car to stop her from going in with out him. Wesker caught Nicolette by her wrist before she had a chance to bolt towards the door.
"Yes?" Nicolette turned on her heels and focused her light, strange eyes on his face. "What is it?"
Wesker felt a spark of amusement as he realized she was trying to be nice to him. Fighting the urge to say something to set her off on a tangent, Wesker merely reached into his thick black high collar coat and pulled out a pair of black sunglasses. Without a second thought he brushed her hair out of the way and slipped the glasses on over her eyes. "You wouldn't want them calling you a daemon, would you?"
Nicolette huffed and Wesker could imagine her rolling her eyes at him before she slipped her wrist out of his grip and started walking to the door of the church. Wesker stayed were he stood, watching her stalk off in the direction of the building. Within moments Nicolette stopped and turned to face him.
"Are you coming?" Nicolette asked, her entire form was set stubbornly and Wesker could tell by the set of her mouth that she was glaring at him. Wesker couldn't help his amusement as it spiked with her attitude.
"I assume that I will have to protect you from being forced to drink wine?" Wesker commented as he slowly walked towards his wife. "Or do you want to see if I'm going to burst into flame the moment I cross through that doorway?"
"Stop it." Nicolette's lips twitched as he paused a few feet away from her. "What's with that coat?"
Wesker lips pulled up in one corner. "Lets just say, I can never lose it."
"Why did you wear it to church?" Nicolette asked as she and Wesker walked slowly to the church doors. "It's not entirely church appropriate."
"Niki." Wesker breathed as they reached the doors. "Does it look like I care?"
Nicolette giggled before Wesker opened a door and let her sneak past him inside following her in shortly after. The organ music could be heard from the behind the second set of double doors and Wesker glanced at Nicolette before holding his arm out to her. Nicolette smiled as she linked her arm in his and he lead them to the doors. Wesker opened one of the doors and they both slipped inside just as the music stopped. Wesker froze for a moment, at a loss at what to do. Nicolette smiled at the people who turned to look at them as the door shut and then looked up at Wesker, taking the hand that was hanging on her side and placing it comfortingly on his arm. Wesker glanced down at her through his glasses and then started to walk her to the farthest slightly empty pew from the front. Luckily that pew was only a few feet away. As he lead Nicolette over there he started to hear the other church goers begin gossiping about them.
"Mommy?" Wesker hear a little boy's voice whisper. "Mommy is that a vampire?"
Wesker heard the mother shush him halfheartedly.
"Hey, Lil? Don't they look like FBI agents?" An annoying girlish voice whispered giggling.
"No Ange, I mean, who died around here that's worth investigating?" Another pipped in. "I mean, look at them. I mean, come on! FBI? Please! My bet is with Jan's baby. I mean, vampires are awesome."
Wesker shook his head slowly.
"Well, another two people to please." Wesker glanced up to see the preacher standing at his podium. "That man sure doesn't look to happy to be here ether."
Wesker sat down with Nicolette, watching to see if she could hear the congregation whispering about them. Instead she rested her left hand on his leg and leaned her head on his shoulder as the Father started preaching. Wesker looked down at her, his eyes widening. It took him a few moments to recover from Nicolette's sudden show of affection and then a few more to stiffly place his arm around her shoulders and place his chin on the top of her head possessively. The Father went on and on for nearly an hour about being saved and how much Jesus had loved the men and women that her had died for, Wesker on the other hand let his mind wander, thinking up new experiments to run when he got back to the lab and trying not to pay attention to how Nicolette was reacting to the sermon. When the entire congregation repeated amen after the Father Nicolette started to shift and Wesker immediately removed his arm from her shoulders and lifted his chin off of her head. Nicolette got to her feet without turning her head in his direction.
"I'm going to go find some girls to talk to." Nicolette whispered softly. "Are you going to be okay?"
"What makes you think I won't?" Wesker asked darkly.
"Good." Nicolette sighed before smiling brightly. "I'll see you in a few moments."
Wesker sighed the sort of sigh that sounded more like a growl then a rush of air leaving the lungs. Wesker closed his eyes momentarily breathing in deeply through his nose before opening them to see two teenage girls leaning over the back of the pew in front of him and giggling. Wesker sighed deeply.
"What now?" He whispered under his breath as the girls started giggling again.
Nicolette on the other hand was standing in a small circle of girls in the middle of the church. Already the girls were talking about how amazing it was that a new guy had come to the church. Nicolette covered her mouth with her hand to hide the sneaking smile on her face. One girl, a dark haired dark blue eyed thirty something year old, was gossiping nonstop about him.
"That blond man, you know the one it that strange high collar coat? Did any of you manage to get his name?" The woman's eyes were darting around the group.
"No, but I heard that he's in town to keep the police in line...at least, that's what Charlie said." A woman with dyed orangeish red hair replied with a flutter of her eyes. "And Charlie is never wrong."
"Does Charlie know if he's single?" The first woman asked her eyes latching on the other woman's. "Because that is one thing I would love to know."
"Well, he did come in with that girl." A third girl whispered rather loudly to the first, jerking her head in Nicolette's direction. Immediately Nicolette felt a bit of a spark in her chest as the first woman turned towards her with a strange smile on her face.
"Oh, you came in with him. Well then, maybe you can tell us if he's available." Nicolette turned her head slowly in the girls' direction, a small smile creeping back on to her lips.
"First, what's your name?" Nicolette looked the girl up and down, from her dark hair to her pink heels and tried not to laugh. Wesker would've snapped her in half on the first day.
"Danni." The first girl replied, her blue eyes igniting in some sort of indignity as she realized that Nicolette was privately laughing at her.
"I meant your full name." Nicolette rolled her eyes behind her glasses and trying to stop her smile from growing any bigger.
"Danni St Claire." Nicolette bowed her head for a brief moment to stop herself from a burst of laughter. "What's so funny?"
"It's just...your name is not entirely...well let's say, in his taste." Nicolette tried to explain calmly, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Danni asked angrily, moving across the circle to get in Nicolette's face. "He doesn't like modern names?"
"From what I've learned he doesn't like overly modern names." Nicolette replied simply.
"Yeah, and what's your name?" Danni asked standing right in front of her, her posture set angrily.
"Nicolette."
"How is that-"
"It's French, and older then Danni. But besides that, well, my name is an heirloom of sorts." Nicolette could feel anger and jealousy mix in her system as Danni glared down at her. "Besides, that man you're talking about has a name as well. Albert Wolf."
"Wolf. I like the name." Danni quickly looked Nicolette up and down. "Are you his sister or something?"
"I'm his something alright." Nicolette smiled at the girls in the group.
"And what would that be?"
"His wife." Nicolette smiled smugly at Danni as she wiggled her left hand.
Wesker glared at the two teenage girls in front of him from behind his glasses. So far they had only stood there, watching him, the red head was breathing heavily while the blond was trying not to drool. A sudden urge to use them as pawn gripped him, making his mind whirl with some control that they could bring him to this place. Then reality set in, what use could they be, just watching him like that. Wesker prided himself on never showing emotions or letting any emotions actually find a way to get the best of him. But the creepiness of the two girls was starting to get on his nerves.
"Hi." Wesker looked blankly at the girls as the red head spoke.
"Girls, leave that poor man alone!" An elderly woman had shuffled up behind them, her brown eyes oddly friendly. The two girls barely glanced at the woman or each other as the scrambled five feet away. "I'm sorry about that, Mr..." Wesker glanced past the old lady in the direction of Nicolette just in time to see a dark hair woman standing a few inches away from her in a tense position. Wesker felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him, his mind reminding him that she was his possession and on one was allowed to go near her. "Not very talkative, are you young man?"
"Can I help you?" Wesker asked coldly, his gaze latched on Nicolette's form.
"Your name would be helpful."
Wesker sighed angrily and glanced at the old lady. "In what way would my name help?"
"I enjoy collecting the names of new comers." The old lady smiled at him. "Newly weds are my favorites."
"What make you so sure we are newlywed?" Wesker asked darkly.
"You're a little more protective then the other men around here about their wives." The old lady moved forward and sat next to him as his eyes latched on Nicolette's form again. "Now, your name?"
Wesker was close to ether discreetly killing the woman or telling her to go do something along of fucking off when he heard Nicolette's voice. Albert Wolf. What in the world made her think of Wolf? Wesker glanced over at the woman who was watching him carefully. "It's Albert Wolf."
"Mr Albert Wolf, that's a wonderful name. What is you wife's name, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Nicolette." Wesker nearly growled.
"Ah, Nicolette Wolf." The old woman smiled. "Beautiful. I'm Johanna Derbin, I help with the choir."
"Interesting." Wesker kept hit possessive gaze on Nicolette.
"You're very lucky you know." The old woman, Johanna, went on not getting the nearly life threatening hint to leave as fast as possible. "You have someone who loves you very much."
"What makes you think she….cares for me so…strongly?" Wesker asked his voice tense and pitched a little lower.
"Well, your Nicolette could hardly stay focused on the sermon, and I highly doubt it was because Father Charles was staring openly at the two of you." Wesker mentally cursed himself for that small public display of cowardly holding Nicolette closer to him for safety. How could he have let himself act in such a way with anyone, let alone Nicolette Holiday. Then, the situation settled into his brain. Nicolette was no longer a Holiday or a Valentine, or even a Redfield. The moment that he had slipped the ring on her finger and claimed her as his she was a Wesker. Nicolette Wesker. The names mixed together sounded odd to him. Most likely due to his main goal, to only keep around those who preform a service for him, who keep themselves important and top priority. Even then he had let them fend for themselves, strangely Wesker couldn't find it inside himself to leave her alone for five seconds with out finding out she had tried to run or she had caused some catastrophic melt down of the world. Wesker focused back on Nicolette. "Though, he's as harmless as a fly. His gaze is set more on uncommitted woman in the usual congregation. But, your lucky young man. You've found yourself a keeper; don't you ever let her get away, you understand?"
"What makes you-"
"Boy, don't sass me!" Johanna got to her feet and looked down at Wesker, her eyes full of some long lost memory. "Just remember what old Miss Derbin told you. Don't let the one you love go, cause they wont come running back to you. They will move on." Johanna glanced over at Nicolette, a small smile on her face. "And that Nicolette of yours is barely out of high school, isn't she? My, my."
"What are still going on about?" Wesker asked dismissively.
"Just remember young man." Johanna turned and walked away. "That girl of yours can move on. It's you everyone should worry about."
"Is that an omen?" Wesker mutter darkly under his breath. "Or a horrid fortune cookie."
Wesker got to his feet, ignoring the sudden feeling of eyes burning holes into him, and walked over to his wife, who was getting a very unfriendly look from the group of woman she was surrounded by. Nicolette heard a familiar sound, like a man clearing his throat, and glanced behind herself to see Wesker standing there holding his arm out to her. Nicolette smiled briefly before focusing on the woman in front of her, who was now looking open mouthed over her shoulder. Nicolette focused on looking innocent and tilted her head to the side.
"Oh, what's the matter?" Nicolette asked sweetly. "Is there something behind me?"
Wesker cleared his throat again, only this time Nicolette could've sworn she heard the combination of annoyance and the slight hint of amusement.
"Oh, don't tell me. There's a spider, isn't there?" Nicolette let a shiver run down her spine. "I just hate spiders. There isn't one behind me, is there?"
"Nicolette." Wesker's voice was distant and commanding , causing Nicolette to turn slowly with a small smile twisting the corners of her lips up. "It's time to leave."
"Oh, alright." Nicolette turned her head and looked over her shoulder at the woman still standing in awe as she linked her arm through Wesker's. "I'm sorry girls, I've got to go. You know how men get."
Nicolette looked away from them just in time for Wesker to stop short and look down at a dark haired, dark eyed little boy. The idea of a little boy of her own popped into her head once again uninvited. A baby. A sweet innocent little baby to tie her and Wesker together. The entire idea was enough to make her world spin and her heart speed up a bit. Wesker, hearing the slight acceleration in Nicolette's pulse, took it in the oppose, thinking that she felt under attack. Thinking this Wesker let one corner of his mouth curl up into his usually rare half smile. The little boy looked them both up and down and then turned to Wesker.
"Are you Carlisle Cullen?" The little boy asked his dark eyes full of innocent intent and honest interest.
"Who?" Wesker asked, the faint smile fading back into his cold hard mask. Nicolette on the other hand cover her mouth to stop from a fit of laughter.
"Its just a vampire from this book, Twilight." Nicolette whispered after she had calmed down a bit. Nicolette turned her head in the little boys direction with friendly smile. "No, I'm afraid he's not. You see, my Al here, he doesn't sparkle."
"Oh...are you Cinderella?" The little boy asked turning his dark eyes on her.
"Now, why would you think I'm Cinderella?" Nicolette asked with a a laugh.
"Because, your too nice to be Rosalie." Nicolette laughed again and shook her head.
"No, I'm not ether of them. Sorry sweety." Nicolette felt a tug on her arm and looked up to see Wesker watching her stonily, his cold distiant mask still in place. With a sigh she smiled down at the boy and let Wesker continue to walk her out of the church, passing women with gaping mouths and men with unblinking eyes...and oddly enough two teenage girls squealing. Nicolette was wisked out of the church and was brought to Wesker's convertiable, the moment she slid into her seat the smile on her face melted away leaving her entire face blank as she turned her head to look out the window, glad that Wesker had given her a pair of glasses to shield her eyes. Wesker started the car without a glance at his unsually quiet wife.
'Maybe I'll get some peace for the first time in months.'
They made it a quarter mile down the road before Wesker glanced over at her. Wesker noticed how she had contiued to look out the window the entire time, her face tilted away from his and still from that veiw point he could see a single silent tear trail down her face. Wesker snapped his eyes back to the road, trying to figure out why he suddenly felt a sharp pain deep inside. Wesker closed his eyes brifely.
"I'm sorry." Wesker muttered clearing his voice of every and any emotion. Nicolette jolted, her head snapping in Wesker's direction.
"What?" Nicolette felt her heart stop beating.
"I'm sorry." Wesker repeated, focusing on the road.
"For-for what, exactly?" Nicolette fought to keep some sort of control on herself, knowing that, at the moment, she was somewhat emotional.
"Whatever I did to upset you." Nicolette couldn't help but grab onto the doorhandle.
"Who the hell are you?" Nicolette breathed, her heart begining to beat double time.
"Albert Wesker."
"Did you hit your head?"
"No." Nicolette took a deep and steading breath.
"Then why...?"
"I'm sorry for anything I did to upset you."
"That's a tall order." Nicolette brushed the stray, cold tear on her cheek away. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"You were...crying. I just-"
"-You thought you caused it!" Nicolette shook her head slowly. "No Al, you didn't."
"Did someone upset you?" Wesker asked darkly, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
"No...just, you know...myself." Nicolette turned her face away from Wesker looking out the window.
"What did you do now?" Wesker asked his voice unemotional.
"I just thought how nice it was being around people again. I just took it for granted all those months ago, going to church, meeting new people, and sometimes making friends. I just..." Nicolette shook her head and pushed the sad emotions away. "It's nothing uber important. Just my being sentamentle."
Wesker glanced over at Nicolette again thinking over what she had just said. Though Wesker had never thought of anyone else in his entire life he couldn't help but think about Nicolette's life so far. Stuck inside a HQ of an orgaization for months at a time, having few people to talk to, and being restircted to never being far from Wesker's side. From Wesker's veiw point her life was easy and simplistic, but the idea that the woman he was now bound to was a soical type of being bothered him slightly. Nicolette would need people to talk to, ways to comunicate with the world outside of Wesker's dark, comforting lab. Wesker narrowed his eyes and pushed the thought away, she would just have to live with it. A sniffle from the other side of the car changed his mind slightly. Maybe there was another expliantion to why she was upset.
"You just what?" Wesker propted, ignoring the fact that she had tried to let the topic die.
"Al, just let-"
"You just what?" Wesker asked his voice darkening.
"You should know by know Wesker, you don't scare me." Nicolette replied strongly, turning her body away from him. "I just wish I had normal human contact."
"Normal." Wesker repeated, keeping his mask in place and his voice unemotinal.
"Yes. Just like going to church on sundays."
"That's not normal."
"Maybe not to you." Nicolette replied glancing over at him. "But you tried to take over the world with viruses and hybreeds. Your not the person who should be cosulted on the matter of normality."
"I believe you are not ether." Wesker said calmly, his posture relaxing. "Your parents were your aunt and uncle, your aunt is your mother, your sister is your cousin, your father is an idiotic ape, you are now a target for anyone who has a grudge against any side of your family-"
"My best friend is a scientist who works for my husband trying to harness the power of the Veronica Virus and is controled by a spider-like remote control on his chest, and my husband is a sociopathic on the number one most wanted list in the world and is hell bent on destroying it and is in complete denile about it. I do say, none of that is my fault." Nicolette tilted her chin up.
"I'm not destroying the world, I'm saving it."
"There! Right there! That is what I'm talking about!" Nicolette sighed heavily turing back to look out the window. Wesker glanced back over at her and sighed.
"How about we do some thing 'normal' tonight?" Wesker asked through his teeth, regreting the words the moment they left his lips.
Nicolette light up, smiling brightly at him. "Really?"
"I don't have much of a choice now do I." Wesker growled under his breath.
"Can we go to a club? Please!" Nicolette slipped the glasses off of her face and leaned across the the car to put her hand on Wesker's leg.
"Are you, or are you not, only twenty?"
"So now you care about rules?" Nicolette teased, her eyes sparkling. "Since when have you actually folowed any?"
"There where and are times."
"Well, now isn't one of them." Nicolette replied moving back to her seat. "I mean, why not have some normal human fun."
"You forget, we are not part of humanity." Wesker muttered.
"Wesker, just...give me one night." Nicolette's voice suddenly became cold and distant. "One night to be wild. Just so I can try and accept that I may never walk into a club or bar ever again. Can you give me that?"
"I'm not sure you can handle it." Wesker held his cocky half smile off of his lips with ease.
"Al, if I can handle you, I can handle anything." Nicolette glanced out the window and spotted something that caused an almost cat-like smile to grow across her face. "But I don't own anything that I could wear to a club."
"I knew this would come someday." Wesker growled under his breath as he pulled into the parking lot.
"Oh, suck it up." Nicolette replied, rolling her eyes before climbing out of the car and sliping the glasses on over her eyes. Wesker glared out the windsheild fighting the urge to punch it. One night, one night and then he can snap the whip and make her obay him. That's all it was going to take. It was all he could tell himself as he climbed out of the car. This girl had no power over him. No way could that be posible, even taking into concideration his relization the first night of their married life. To him Nicolette was an important project of sorts, an experiment if you will, that kept his busy. Lying was always easy for Wesker to do, thanks to his upbringing by Spencer, due to that upbinging he began to lie even to himself. Normal he could pick them out imideatly and alow himself to be slightly deluded, this time he didn't know if he was or wasn't. Wesker slowly got out of the car and locked it, alowing Nicolette to smile and wave at random people in the parking lot. Wesker felt his stomache turn; this was a side of Nicolette that he had not yet had the plesure of meeting. Even though it was sick Wesker felt a slight yerning for the anger and passion that he felt everytime they fought. Without even thinking about it he knew that deep down, she was that girl, that woman, that had tried to knock him down when they first met and that fire that had burned to brightly in any emotion was just under the surfas. Wesker mentally shook his head stopping himself from his odd and useless rambling. The thoughts melted away, forgoten as Nicolette started walking to the entrence of the mall, a bookstore by the name of Barns and Noble. Wesker caught up to her, his stride long and faster then hers. When they entered the store Wesker felt claustrophobic and, suddenly, Sanguivoriphobia. Every where in the store were teenage girls, and is somecases, teengae boys, in shirts with the name Twilight on it and screaming. Wesker kept his composer as a girl ran by him, nearly knocking Nicolette sideways in suprise. Nicolette caught herself and glanced around the store before jolting her arm out and grabbing a box set of the Twilight books and handed them to Wesker.
"What are these?" He asked darkly looking at the cardboard encased books.
"AL, what ever happened to not questioning-"
"I can question you when ever I please, Nicolette." Nicolette looked over her shoulder at Wesker before she smiled that cocky, slightly evil smile.
"You'll find out." Nicolette brosed the book selection, attempting to find several other books that she could settle for. Wesker watched her impatintly.
"Are we, or are we not here to get you suitable attiare for tonight." Wesker demanded quietly as Nicolette brushed past him for the fifth time. "I believe that you have selected enouph reading matirial for a year in solitude."
"Hmmm, really?" Nicolette held the last Harry Potter book in her hands. "Only a years...I go through that in three months. Damn." Nicolette glanced back at Wesker with a sly smile. "Fine, then lets go find me an outfit for tonight."
"What do we do with these?" Wesker asked uncaringly as he set the rather large pile of books on the counter. The man behind it glanced a both of them alarmed before starting to scan the books.
"You can hold on to them for me, can't you?" Nicolette looked over her glasses at Wesker with a quick smile before sliding them back into place.
"And what makes you think that I shall do so?" Wesker asked, his tone stripped of any emotion as he stared down at Nicolette.
"Do you want to go to the car and leave me in a mall by myself?" Nicolette replied as the man scanned the last book. "Besides, I'm stocking up for those months that you'll be working. Do you want me bugging you because I'm bord out of my mind?"
"Sir?" Wesker turned to the man behind the counter who had all of the books in a plastic bag. "Would that be cash or credit?"
Wesker reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slightly worn black leather wallet. "Credit I sopose." Without a second thought he slipped it out and handed it to the clerk. Nicolette felt her heart begin to pound, wondering what he was playing at. Why did he just give the man his actual credit card. The man glanced down at the card and then held his hand out for ID, which Wesker handed over very calmly. The man then charged the card and handed the bag and the card back with the recite.
"Thank you for shopping with us, Mr Jackle."
Nicolette fought to keep from letting her jaw drop or letting her head snap in Wesker's direction, instead she looked at the exit in to the mall watching a woman go by with a stroller. A small little flutter in Nicolette's heart caused her to avert her gaze back to Wesker, who was watching her. Alteast that's what it looked like, he was facing her with his face still set in his usual cold mask. Instead of letting it get to her, Nicolette just turned away from him and headed to the exit.
"You ready to go shopping?" Nicolette asked not bothering to look over her shoulder. Without having to even think about it she knew that Wesker wouldn't let her out of his sight for a moment. Right before she reached the exit she felt a large hand grab a hold of her wrist tightly, imidiatly Nicolette looked down at her wrist only to see a black glove wrapped tightly around her wrist, her skin turning slightly red.
"What is it?" Nicolette asked keeping her gaze on Wesker's black glove trying to ignore his sudden closeness, knowing that his mouth was only inches away from her ear.
"You never walk away from me." Wesker growled quietly in her ear, his breath stiring her hair and tickeling the skin on her neck. "Is that understood?"
"I thought you never asked questions, you only gave orders." Nicolette breathed back, her heart beating slightly faster.
"Is that understood?" Wesker tightened his grip on Nicolette's wrist causing her to gasp in pain. Nicolette's eyes shot up from behind her glasses amd narrowed at the side of Wesker's face.
"Are you going to try and use pain against me, Wesker?" Nicolette whispered, holding back the pain. "You should know better. We both were trained by Spencer. You know, pain was unevertable."
Wesker gripped her wrist tighter. "Never. Walk. Away. From. Me."
Nicolette's eyes narrowed into slits. "Will it help you sleep at night to know that I won't be running away from you, in a mall, in the middle of nowhere, while your a super powered ass?" Nicolette yanked her wrist slightly, trying to free it of Wesker's hand. "If it does then fine. i wont walk away from you right now." Wesker released her wrist and took a step forward so that he was a foot in front of her.
"And don't lag behind."
"Fucking asshole." Nicolette muttered under her breath as she followed him out of the store. "Make up your mind. What the hell do you want me to do? Behave and obay?"
"Is that or is it not what a wife does." Wesker replied as she cought up.
"Maybe back when men thought they ruled the world, now well, women can do what they want." Nicolette shot back calmly tryin to figure out how he had heard her.
"Not my wife," Nicolette flinched at the cold way he refured to her. "My wife is to be like it was planed to be between man and wife. She will do as I say when I say."
Nicolette scoffed and rolled her eyes as they stepped out into the mall. "I guess you picked the wrong female for that job. I'm not the obaying and behaving type. Even Leon had trouble with giving me orders."
"What does that imply?"
"That the majority of people listen to Leon ever since Raccoon City and rescuing the presedents daughter. I was just to suborn to listen to the way he wanted me to shoot the gun or how I should react in a certin situation." Nicolette glanced around the mall, looking for stores that sold night clubbing clothes. "But it's not like you care. You want the perfect, obidiant wife. Just thought I would warn you that I'm just not cut out for that career."
"Your not cut out for a career of waiting until I tell you to do something?"
"Wait, do you think wives are drones?" Nicolette glanced away from the shop signs and looked at Wesker. "They don't just sit around and wait for you to come home to issue orders."
"Then what do they do?"
"Some have jobs, some work from home, but they all usually have kids." Nicolette turned her gaze away from Wesker as she uttered the last word. Wesker's mind froze for a moment in shock. Children? Not a single bone in his body wanted one. The thought oddly had never occurred to him that a woman that he had somehow ended up with would want one. Nicolette had not come off as the mothering type, she had come off as the type of woman that could attempt to keep up with Wesker himself. Almost like the perfect tool to any plan and keeping Chris and Jill at bay when it comes to a battle. The family aspect was never what he had anticipated. Wesker's mind cleared and he noticed that Nicolette was tugging on his arm.
"I think I cound a great store!" The excitment in Nicolette's voice pushed the idiotic idea of childern out of his mind. There was no way that she could actually be thinking of having an infant. What would she do with it when a B.O.W. was tracking her down in one of the corporations buildings if, heaven forbid, the sientists screw up for the millionth time? Throw it at the creation? Wesker smirked at the thought; but when he saw the store next to it his smirk faded and he felt something in his chest sink a little bit. Right next to the strore that Nicolette had picked out was Baby Earth, a very pro baby store. Women with strollers were strolling right in, not even batting an eye at Wesker and Nicolette as she dragged him near it. The moment they had been about to pass the entrence to Baby Earth Nicolette froze. Wesker felt a shift in the relationship, knowing that what he had suspected was completely true. Nicolette stood out side the entrence watching all the women walk in holding their little babies in their arms or pushing them in their little carriges feeling a little hole open up in her heart. Without thinking she took two steps to the entrence before she felt a warm, soft, strong hand on her wrist. Nicolette didn't have to look behind her to know who had a grip on her. What suprised her was when the hand let go. A rush of emotions swelled in her heart as she walked into the door with her poker face husband right beside her.
Babies where everywhere, on the floor playing, in their parents arms, in their strollers cooing at new rattles, and walking around pulling toys off of the racks. Nicolette felt like picking up one and cudding it to her chest, knowing the whole time she would want to take it home with her. Wesker right beside her felt put off by the bright colors in the room and the loud high pitched laugher of a baby. He glanced at Nicolette from behind his glasses, she really wanted this? Nicolette smiled as she looked around the store, only to meet the eyes of a woman with light brown hair and dark brown eyes who smiled back and waved her over. Nicolette smilled back noticing that the woman was holding a baby in her arms. Without looking backwards at Wesker who was watching her stonily she walked over to the woman.
"Hi." Nicolette held her hand out to the woman.
"Hello, I'm Pheobe Cross." The woman smiled and shifted her baby to shake Nicolette's hand.
"Niki Jackle." Nicolette glanced over her shoulder at Wesker before rolling her eyes. "Nice to meet you."
"Same to you." Pheobe glanced just behind Nicolette before looking back with a bigger smile which was looking slightly more forced. Nicolette looked behind herself only to find Wesker standing there with his arms crossed and his face expresionless.
"Oh, and this is my husband-"
"Hector Jackle." Wesker replied cutting Nicolette off and ignoring her quiet silent glare. Nicolette forced a bright smile and looked back at Pheobe who was starting to wonder what the hell she had gotten herself into. Nicolette stepped forward to distance herself from Wesker.
"Anyway, what a lovey baby." Nicolette looked at the little bundle in Pheobe's arms. "He's so cute."
"Do you want to hold him?" Pheobe couldnt believe what she had just offered to a complete stranger and after watching 'Hector' flinch she couldn't help but want to run away but the look on Nicolette's face caused her to stay. There was something there.
"Really?" Nicolette gasped her eyes widening. "You don't mind?"
"Uh...no." Pheobe smiled at Nicolette's exitment, remembering how she had acted back when she was Nicolette's age, the idea of a baby was majical. Pheobe placed the baby carefully into Nicolette's arms. Nicolette felt her heart melt. "Your glowing."
"Awe, he's so cute." Nicolette looked up from the baby boy. "What's his name?"
"Adam, after his daddy." Pheobe glanced at 'Hector' before looking back at Nicolette. "Do you have any childeren?"
"No, I wish." Nicolette smiled down at Adam who was cooing in her arms. "We only got married a month ago."
"Ah, newly weds." Pheobe sighed her lips pulling into a natural smile. "I remember that stage."
"Stage?" Nicolette repeated unable to look away from the baby to Wesker's horor.
"In marrige." Pheobe sighed. "What happens afterwards isn't so much fun."
"What isn't so fun?" Nicolette asked finally glancing up from the baby.
"Pregnacy, starting a family, babies, having no time for eachother." Pheobe rolled her eyes. "Let me tell you hunny, a baby keeps a woman busy."
Wesker froze as what the woman had just said sunk into to his fast thinking brain. A baby keeps a woman busy? Really? Wesker looked over at Nicolette cradling the infant male. Was it worth it? Wesker mentelly shook his head. He had one more card up his sleeve, all he needed to know was when to play it.
Nicolette looked at Pheobe in awe. "You miss being a newly wed?"
"Well, yes. Every woman does, its the most romantic times of a marrige." Pheobe sighed again, lost in memorys.
Nicolette looked down at the baby and then at Wesker. Taking a tentive step towards him with a hesident smile she held the baby out a little away from her body.
"Hold him Wesker?" Nicolette whispered, her expression suddenly hidden away. Wesker looked at her silently for a few seconds before looking away.
"I don't know how to handle an infant." Wesker replied coldly looking off into the middle distance. Nicolette let her eyes burn into his skin through her sunglasses.
"Wesker, just hold your arms out." Nicolette whispered sweetly and Wesker felt a slight disturbence in the fabric of his life.
"Will it quiet you?" Wesker mutter holding his arms out stiffly.
"Yes, after you bend them into a cradle." Nicolette replied with a roll of her eyes. Finally Wesker had his arms in position Nicolette slipped Adam into his cold arms. Nicolette took a small step back and nearly felt her heart break. It wasn't their baby, Wesker didn't look happy, but the image made her too happy. Nicolette looked away from Adam and looked up at Wesker holding back the tears pricking at her eyes. "Wesker, I know this might be the last thing you would ever want. But I'm aussuming that I wont ever be free, not that I entirely care, but I've always wanted childeren."
"I am not sure we can reproduse." Wesker replied continuing to look off into the distance.
"Because of the viruses?" Nicolette whispered leaning closer to him, Wesker turned his head to look at her.
"I would have to run tests."
"So...there is one thing you don't know." Nicolette teased a small smile appeared on her face. "You didn't think to run tests like that?"
"I never thought that anyone would have the position you have." Wesker said calmly still looking at her. "There was never a female that bonded with any virus, let alone two. No tests were needed."
"So theres a chance?" Nicolette's face lit up.
"Perhaps." Wesker looked away from her knowing that there would be no chance the moment he was back at expirements. One way or another he would find something that would stop her from consiving a...whatever it would be. Wesker watched her turn around and look through the baby outfits and toys with a small speck of what humans would call guilt spark up inside. Was a baby that important to her? Wesker didn't care for them, all they would do is wast time and get in the way. Wesker looked down at the male infant in his arms named, what was it? Allen? It doesn't matter, maybe this Allen is the one she wants. With the idea in his mind Wesker turned to Pheobe. "Mrs-"
"Mrs. Cross." Pheobe replied finally snapping out of her memorys to see Wesker holding her baby.
"Yes, Mrs Cross." Wesker's strait face unseatled the woman deeply. "I would like to purchuse, this, for my wife."
"You...what?" Pheobe's eyes sprang open.
"This infant." Wesker glanced at Nicolette out of the corner of his eyes. "My wife wants one."
"Can't you make your own?" Pheobe asked lookng Wesker up and down quickly before relizing that he still held her baby. "I doubt theres something wrong. You've only been married a month."
"If anything is wrong its with her." Wesker replied calmly. "I'll give you a thosand dollars for little Alec here."
"A thosand dollars?" Pheobe laughed and took a step forward to take her son away. "Adam is my son, he's coming with me."
"One million dollars." Wesker offered watching Pheobe faulter slightly before pulling the infant out of his arms.
"A baby is a small part of her and a small part of you." Pheobe looked Wesker over again before noticing the other mothers in the store looking him over too. "It's an expression of love. You can't just buy that."
"Is that what she wants."
"It's what a lot of woman want in their lives." Pheobe rocked her baby back and forth. "A family."
"Hmmm." Wesker looked over at Nicolette to see her holding an organic purple teddy bear. A family? Knowing how messed up her family, now his inlaws, were he couldn't help but wonder if she had started to lose her mind. A family with him? Chris a grandfather? Chris related to any offspring of his, even if he wanted them, made him sick. God had a sick twisted sense of humor putting Nicolette, Chris's long lost only child, in front of him and causing him to lust after her. Lust. The word didn't fit but no other word would come to mind. Nicolette turned to him clutching the teddy bear, her lower lip dipping down slightly. Why would she want a child when she alrady acted like one? Wesker couldn't help but find it annoying and yet strangly amusing that she could slip into any mood with ease. Wesker, still holding into the bags of books he had just bought to keep Nicolette off his back, followed Nicolette to the counter and handed over his credit card. They finaly left the store, only to walk into a second store to get Nicolette's outfit for the night.
Wesker sighed heavily. This was going to take forever.
/~/~/~/
Steve paced back and forth in the main hall of the old Spencer Castle, renamed by Wesker mear days after he inheareted it to Baystead Castle. The main hall was being decorated in a way that both Wesker and Nicolette would enjoy and an entrence to the underground Umbrella/Ticelle Corporation bulding was being built into the walls and floors of selected rooms chosen by Wesker himself. Steve couldn't believe that they had little over two days to finish putting the finishing touches onto the entire castle. He was also confused on the set up of Nicolette's room. Apperently she shared a room with Wesker and then down the hall and, ironicaly, in a tower was a second room for her. Almost like she would be locked up in there to keep her out of the way. Steve shook his head. His room was on the other side of the castle, apperently Wesker still trusted him enough not to kill him yet. That was a good sign. The sound of a private jet flying over head startled him.
"Oh," Steve took a deep breath and closed is eyes. "Atleast that fucking prick is gone."
/~/~/~/
Nicolette turned this way and that infront of the mirror, trying to find out if she liked the short red dress well enough to wear it tonight or if she only liked it in theory. Without turning away from the mirror she turned to darastic mesueres.
"What do you think?" Nicolette asked out loud still modling the dress. "Al?"
"It's aceptable."
"Thats what you said about the other ten dresses." Nicolette turnedaway from the mirrior and glared at him through her sunglasses.
"What is it you want." Wesker was sitting up strait on a velvet couch checking files and updates on his phone.
"I want to get a dress." Nicolette folded her arms knowing that she was starting to act a little childish in the middle of a very high end store.
"That's why we are here, Nicolette." Wesker replied not looking up from his smart phone. "Go find one."
"It's not that simple." Nicolette felt a little put off by Wesker, almost as if he didn't have time for her. She shook her head. No way was she going to allow herself to become a clingy little trophy wife. The path seemed almost natural and easy but it was in no way Nicolette's cup of tea. She didn't even drink tea. Nicolette moved away from the mirror and made her way back to the dressing room. None of the dresses in the store had been what she was looking for, too short, too long, too sexy, too conservative, when would she win? Nearly all of the dresses in the store had been discarded, this red one the most resent to be ignored. All she wanted was a dress that would get Wesker's attention, something that was just right. But with Wesker...ugh she didn't even know what was with him. Being around him for several months had only given her a deeper look inside the man who is Albert Wesker, she has yet to actually crack into his essence.
Just when Nicolette was about to give up she noticed a dress she hadn't before. A black dress that went off one sholder and exposed part of her back and a good portion of her legs. Nicolette slipped off the red dress and slipped in to the black feeling the silk against her skin. Nicolette slipped the black pair of heels back on and stepped out of her dressing room. Imediatly the air changed. Every man with in eyesight froze and watched her make her way back out the Wesker, causing anger and annoyence with the other woman in the store. Nicolette ignored the mirror and instead walk right over to Wesker, she moved the phone out from infront of his face and slid right into his lap with a sly little grin on her lips. Wesker glanced her over once before the corner of his mouth twitched.
"I am assuming we are done here." Wesker's coment made Nicolette's smile grow bigger.
"So, what club are we going to?"
/~/~/~/
Nicolette could feel the exsitement pulse through her veins as Wesker walked her to the velvet rope of Puala's Room, a newly opened Club in town. The only club open on a Sunday night. The bouncer walked over the velvet rope and looked Nicolette up and down, much to Wesker's slight annoyence, before he unclipped the rope and let her walk by him. Wesker followed her closely only to be brifely stopped by the bouncer.
"Damn." The bouncer breathed, still watching Nicolette who was at the door waiting for Wesker. "That your sister or somthing man?"
"Wife." Wesker replied forcing himself not to look at the bouncer.
"Hot damn." The bouncer whistled. "Your one lucky man."
Wesker brushed past him and caught up to Nicolette. Without noticing what he was doing he put his arm around Nicolette's waist and held her closer then usual. Nicolette glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye feeling slightly annoyed with they way he was acting. Nicolette rolled her eyes behind her glasses chosing not to chalenge it yet. Inside the building was dark light only by flashing lights of green, yellow, purple, blue, and red. The bar hugged the long side of the wall with no barstools in sight, even with the cluster of dancing boddies standing in front of them. The rest of the building was just a huge room with bathrooms in the back, the dance floor covered eighty percent of the floor and a stage with a pole was against the other wall with two others spread out on the floor. The DJ was set up center of the room blasting the latest music while bodies moved along with the beat.
Nicolette couldn't believe her eyes, it was better then she had imagined. She felt Wesker's grip on her waist tighten as she took in the entire club. It wasn't a lab or a training room. It was a place to have fun, a place she felt like she could let her wild side rage freely. Without a second thought Nicolette slipped out of Wesker's grip and headed for the bar. Wesker felt a flash of anger as she walked to the other end of the bar turning heads the entire time. Wesker caught up to her and fell in a step a head of her until they reached the end of the bar on the other side of the room. Nicolette turned and leaned against the bar, her elbows holding her up looking at Wesker with a content smile on her face.
"Can I get you two anything?" Wesker looked away from Nicolette to see a bartender with dark hair leaning over the bar with a rag in his hands.
"I'll have a scotch on the rocks." Wesker replied his unemotional voice causing the bartenders smile to fade.
"And for the lady?"
"Sex on the Beach." Wesker's head snapped in Nicolette's direction.
"Alright then-"
"Not now." Wesker muttered in her ear.
Nicolette's eyes widened. "Wesker, it's a drink."
"Get something else."
"Fine. Instead of a Sex on the Beach, I'll have a..." An idea poped into Nicolette's head as an evil smile spread across her face. "Give me a Srceaming Orgazim, would you?"
"Coming right up miss." Nicolette looked up at Wesker, fighting a smile until she saw his head reaching into his pocket for his gun. Nicolette froze in shock, would he realy try to shoot the man just because she asked for a drink? Nicolette mentally slapped herself. Ofcourse he would, the sociopath took his 'ownership' very seriosly. Not even in the mood to roll her eyes Nicolette's hand darted out to stop Wesker from taking the gun off of safty and aimming it at the man. With a quick look at Wesker she forced herself to smile at the man.
"I'm sorry, I'll need to change that again." With a daziling smile she chased away any of the mans annoyence. "I'll have a Sapphire Sin and a Green Frog then."
Nicolette looked away from the bartender to see Wesker standing just a few inches away from her face, his gun safely back in his jacket.
"What now?" Nicolette asked, unable to hide her irritation any longer.
"Do you feel need to intake two drinks at once." Nicolette felt sick at the way he was talking to her as if she were a dog that had done something wrong. Her stomach churned inside as the bartender placed the drinks in front of them.
"As long as your here, yes." Nicolette shot back, grateful that she had sunglasses to hide her eyes. She saw the corner of Wesker's mouth twitch as he took a long sip of his brandy. Nicolette almost regretted what she but she couldn't fully with her mind still stuck on how sick she felt about what he had said. Without hesitation she picked up her Sapphire Sin and took a hasty sip to try and wash away the sickening feeling. If anything it grew a little more.
"You are not able to go anywhere without me." Wesker whispered calmly in her ear as she quickly chugged her drink trying to settle her stomach.
"Is that meant to make me feel better?" Nicolette asked placing the glass down before leaning on the bar, trying to repress the sudden dizziness. Wesker leaned closer to her, his glasses slipping down low enough for her to see his narrowed red cat like eyes. In her dizzy gaze they swirled menacingly at her like an active volcano exploding; if her stomach hadn't been doing acrobatic flips she would've been compelled to throw her arms around him and tease him about being uptight. Instead she narrowed her own eyes and took a sip of her Green Frog.
"Just don't damage yourself tonight." Wesker growled as her slammed the bills on the bar in the bartenders direction.
"Why? Are you afraid that if I get hurt you'll have to find someone else to do your dirty work?" Nicolette rolled her eyes at him from behind her glasses. "Please. I can take care of myself."
"Yes, that's why you are where you are now." Wesker took another long sip of his brandy before fixing his glasses. "So I believe you'll understand if I don't think you can take care of a hangnail let alone yourself."
Nicolette angled herself away from Wesker and took a long pull of her drink. "This coming from a man who couldn't kill his enemy's only child."
"I foresaw opportunities." Wesker replied simply. "The usefulness of having a Redfield and a Valentine child under my control-"
"Was too tempting for you to pass up." Nicolette intersected, her stomach churning faster and faster. "I can't shake the feeling that I am only useful until my expiration date."
"A date that has, as of yet, not been appointed."
"Have I ever told you how romantic you are?" Nicolette asked sarcastically. "I feel like I am talking to Casanova half the time."
"That term holds no merit for me, if you care to insult me do speak normally."
"You are such a Ja-" Nicolette froze mid-word as her stomach lurched suddenly and painfully. Her hand on the bar tightened its grip as she swallowed painfully, trying to force the action into nonexistence.
"You really should finish your sentences, we wouldn't want anyone knowing I... attached myself to a lowly civilian." Wesker was looking down at the tablet that he had pulled out of his coat. "It's bad enough having them know your parentage, I do not need rumors to add to it."
Nicolette had a half formed insult swimming in her head, at least until her stomach lurched again, this time causing her to drop the glass in her other hand and cover her mouth. Within the three seconds it took for the glass to hit the floor and shatter into pieces, the pupils of Nicolette's widened briefly and then narrowed into nearly invisible slits. Within the last two seconds Nicolette subconsciously located the bathroom and rushed inside it with such speed that it ruffled Wesker's gelled back hair.
Wesker's eyes widened slightly behind his sunglasses as he felt the breeze rush through his hair, ruffling it as the glass hit the floor and shattered, an irritating sound that only he was able to hear over the loud booming music. Wesker closed his eyes briefly before turning off the tablet and turning around to see what Nicolette had done this time only to find that she wasn't there. Wesker felt a feint and nagging surge of adrenalin fused with slight panic.
'Where the hell did she go?' Wesker's eyes narrowed as they swept the room when out of nowhere he heard a choking like noise coming from the bathroom by the bar. Wesker felt himself tense up as he recognized Nicolette's irregular breathing, he didn't pause to think as he moved to the bathroom door and busted in. Wesker was prepared to face anything from between a licker to a zombie to a nuclear explosion but what he witnessed was not something he expected or ever would have thought to expect. Nicolette was curled up against the wall near the toilet, shaking, her hair falling in front of her face as she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked up at him helplessly through her long curly blond strands of hair.
"Please, shut the door." Nicolette's voice was weak and soft for the first time ever. Wesker could not believe that this was Nicolette. Slowly he shut the door and locked it not sure quite how to proceed.
"Nicolette?" Wesker took a step towards her before she scrambled back on to her knees and pulled herself over to the toilet. Wesker immediately regretted the action as the sounds of Nicolette vomiting caused a small spark inside his chest. He took a few steps toward her before long he was standing over her. "Niki, are you al-"
"Go away." Nicolette moaned, her voice sounded like she was choking back tears. "Just, please, go away and leave me alone."
"What have I told you?" Wesker's cold, unemotional voice as he slowly got down to his knees and pushed her hair out of her face. "You can not order me around, I own you. I tell you what to do."
Nicolette looked up at him for a moment before her stomach lurched again. Wesker pulled her hair back, trying to sooth her and make her stop. Something had to make her stop. Wesker subconsciously stroked her back as he thought about any cure that had been used on him when he was a young child in the capable hands of efficient scientists at one of Spencer's many lavish homes. Wesker couldn't think of one that hadn't ether made it worse, given him another sickness, or that he could put together on the spot. Soon the sound's of Nicolette vomiting faded into silence. The next thing Wesker knew his hand was hanging in the air and he heard the faint sounds of shuffling. Wesker let his hand drop and than turned to look for Nicolette only to find her curled up against the wall again, her body shuddering and shaking. He sighed inwardly and moved to sit next to her.
Wesker looked down at his black gloves unsure on what to do. The only thing he could think of was to return her so a sense of normalcy. "I believe you are the only person to get sick after a drink and a half."
"It was-" Nicolette shook her head and took a deep, shuttering breath. "Shut up."
"Ahh, music to my ears." Wesker relaxed a little against the wall. "I could get used to this."
"I am going to regret doing this, but I'll bite." Nicolette muttered lifting her head slowly up to look at Wesker. "What are you going on about?"
"My winning an argument without needing to hear you rant and rave about how evil and diabolical I am."
"And you don't think your evil?" Nicolette asked weakly, resting her head against the wall. "Your subjecting your wife, who was just sick, to ridicule."
"That's not evil, that's insensitivity." Wesker smirked at her. "It looks like your tutors never taught you the definitions of the words you throw around so casually."
"So what are you going to do? Teach me what to call you?" Nicolette raised an eyebrow at him before she smiled briefly.
"If I must."
"You never give up, do you?" Nicolette asked picking up the glasses that had fallen off of her face when she had fallen to her knees earlier.
"No. I don't believe I ever have." Wesker reached up and pulled his glasses off. "I don't believe that I ever even thought about it ether."
"And you really don't see that you could be considered evil and diabolical?" Nicolette felt a flicker of surprise inside her chest as the words left her lips. It took a moment to registrar that Wesker wasn't angry or upset, for the first time he was indifferent.
"Do you want the truth?" Wesker's eyes met hers causing her heart to skip a beat.
"A-are you going to give it to me?"
"Right now, yes." Wesker closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I never considered myself a criminal. Or even a 'bad guy' to put it as simply as possible. I see myself as an... outcast if you will. Someone they don't yet understand. You see, the evil and diabolical, they have no reasons for doing what they do. They do it to kill and to cause panic."
"Why do you do things the way you do?"
"In the beginning it was only to expose Umbrella and to get away with everyone believing I was dead, that way everything would go smoothly. Than Chris came-" Wesker shook his head. "The T virus, when it bonds to you it causes some of your traits to become more prominent, my hated for Chris grew and as did any other trait some people may or may not have liked. My anger, my insensitivity, and everything else that some call the foundation for evil. They look at that and not what is actually going on."
"Wow." Nicolette looked up at the ceiling. "That's-that's a new way to look at everything. It make's the BSAA sound a little evil."
"In our world they are."
"Our world?" Nicolette's head snapped to the side to look at him.
"You are my wife, doesn't that make you a part of me?" Wesker's eyes locked on Nicolette's. "If that is true, anyway they harm me they harm you. They are evil in our world in that sense, are they not?"
"They would hurt me?"
"Are you always this selfish?" Wesker muttered rolling his eyes. "Yes, they most likely than not think that you are under my control."
"But, I thought..." Nicolette lowered her eyes, realizing her own stupidity.
"They wont hurt you that badly." Wesker smiled at her, his eyes blank of any true emotion. "They would only try to rid you of my control."
"I don't see how they could." Nicolette tucked a few stands of hair behind her ear. "I don't have any device attached to me."
"I know." Wesker sighed his smile returned to it usual thin line. "Try explaining that to the BSAA, they don't even listen to an explanation on making the world better."
Nicolette moved away from the wall and placed her head on Wesker's lap looking up at him, her silver eyes burning into his red-ish yellow. She couldn't fight the urge to lift her hand and place it gently on his face. They stared at each other for a long while before Nicolette broke the silence.
"I'm sorry." Wesker's eyes faintly widened in surprise.
"What for?"
"Being mean earlier." Nicolette could feel a soul searching moment coming on but fought it back, she could see how unsettled Wesker was already. "I wasn't feeling to well."
"Obviously."
"I'll let that one go this time." Nicolette replied her eyes burned warmly into his. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Will it allow us to leave?" Wesker asked lifting his sunglasses attempting to place them back on.
"After one dance." Nicolette grabbed his hand and pulled his glasses out of his grip. Wesker glanced blankly down at her.
"What is it?"
"Do you actually intend to kill me?" Nicolette felt Wesker's entire body tense as the last few words left her mouth. Even knowing it caused him discomfort she couldn't regret asking. Death wasn't something to look forward to, but enjoying the time she had was something she could. Roy was right about few things when it came Nicolette but she was right about her sister's need to make the best of a bad situation.
Wesker felt his heart twinge as he looked down at Nicolette's calm face. She looked as if she were waiting to be told the time that a meeting was going to start. It unsettled him to see her acting like that, almost as if... Wesker felt the twinge again.
"Why is that a concern at this moment?"
"I want to see where I stand in your plans." Wesker was taken back by the response. "I know I must be a burden at times, but I am also a smart political asset."
"One day, that thirsty mind of yours will stumble upon arsenic instead of wine." Wesker whispered, resting his hand on her face. Without a second thought his hand grabbed her chin tightly and Wesker leaned down until he was almost nose to nose with her. "As for my killing you, that all depends on you."
"What does that mean?" Nicolette asked conscious of his grip on her chin and his breath billowing on her face.
"Just listen to me and I won't let anyone get near you."
"And," Nicolette breathed. "If I don't?"
"Your too far in to start thinking about disobeying now." Wesker smirked. "I own you, mind and soul."
"You say that like I should be afraid." Nicolette smiled up at him. "But I have to say, I think I am the only one to ever get this close to the real Albert Wesker."
"You act like that is a good thing."
"Just admit you like me." Nicolette whispered her eyes burning into his.
"Your tolerable." Wesker replied simply.
"And I am the only person that can keep up with you." Nicolette's smile grew wider.
"You are too full of yourself."
"That is priceless coming from you." Nicolette laughed her nose touching his his. "Do you think that we might be here right now for something bigger than just us?"
"Bigger than us?" Wesker repeated questioningly. "How big are we?"
"A nuclear explosion."
"So our arrangement has been fated to stop all nuclear war?"
"No, I am just trying to think outside of my own world." Nicolette whispered her mind whirling with the possibility's.
"Don't." Wekser released her chin and moved his face way from hers. He took his glasses out of her grip and slipped them back on, with her hand still clinging to his wrist. "What is the point of thinking of others?"
"I always-"
"There is none." Wesker forced her into a sitting position. Nicolette watched him get to his feet her mind whirling with the information she had just retained. It surprised her when a hand appeared in front of her face. Nicolette's eyes darted up and saw Wesker looking down at her through his glasses. "Let's go and take care of that dance. I want to get out of here."
"Such a romantic." Nicolette smiled and took Wesker's hand allowing him to pull her on to her feet. Wesker lead her out of the bathroom to hear the beat of a drum and a whisling noise. Wesker pulled her into the thick of the mob thrashing back and forth. Wesker held her close to his body as they paused near the center. "Do you know this song, Al?"
The corner of Wesker's mouth twitched upward as he spun Nicolette away from himself, caught her hand and than pulled her back, her body slamming into his.
Than he whispered. "Oh yeah!"
Nicolette felt her heart stop and couldn't breath. Wesker let go of her and started to dance, moving his hips in time to the beat. Leaving Nicolette to watch him in shock.
"Just shoot for the stars, if it feels right." Nicolette snapped out of it as Wesker ran his hands down her waist. "And aim for my heart, if you feel like, And take me away and make it OK." Wesker leaned forward, his breath billowing in her ear. "I swear I'll behave."
A chill ran down her spine as she pulled away until she was a few inches away from him, trying to fight the urge to jump at him and rape him.
"You wanted control, so we waited. I put on a show, now I make it." Nicolette took a few more steps back and started dancing, trying not to look at Wesker. It was hard since he followed her. "You say I'm a kid. My ego is big. I don't give a shit. And it goes like this."
Wesker grabbed a hold of Nicolette's waist and dipped her down, smiling evilly down at her. "Take me by the tongue, and I'll know you. Kiss me 'til you're drunk, and I'll show you, all the moves like Jagger.
I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger. I don't need to try to control you, look into my eyes and I'll own you, with them moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger."
Nicolette slipped out of his grip and flashed a quick smile at him before slipping off into the crowd with her heart pounding.
"Maybe it's hard, when you feel like, you're broken and scarred, nothing feels right. But when you're with me, I'll make you believe, that I've got the key." Nicolette couldn't help the laugh that escaped her chest as she hurried through the crowed before bumping into a group of girls surrounding two very hot men. One had dark, blue-ish black hair and the other had brown. The first's gray-green eyes flashed, looking her up and down before his hair fell in front of his eyes. Nicolette looked at him for a moment a little confused before she felt a pair of hands grab a hold of her. "Oh! So get in the car, we can ride it, wherever you want, get inside it, and you want to steer, but I'm shifting gears. I'll take it from here. Oh, yeah, yeah. And it goes like this."
Nicolette could feel the other woman look her up and down before looking at Wesker with an interested look in their eyes. Nicolette's eyes narrowed as she reached backwards and wrapped her arm around Wesker's neck.
"Take me by the tongue, and I'll know you. Uh. Kiss me 'til you're drunk, and I'll show you, all the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger." Nicolette slowly moved away from the group with Wesker urging her away. "I don't need to try to control you. Oh, yeah! Look into my eyes and I'll own you, with them moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger."
"Yeah, yeah." Nicolette whispered, throwing her arms around Wesker.
"I've got the moves like Jagger."
Nicolette smiled and leaned forward until she was nearly nose to nose with Wesker. "You wanna know how to make me smile, take control, own me just for the night. And if I share my secret, you're gonna have to keep it, nobody else can see this." Nicolette moved away from Wesker and jumped on the nearest stage with a pole and climbed on it. "So watch and learn. I won't show you twice. Head to toe, oooh baby rub me right! But if I share my secret, you're gonna have to keep it. Nobody else can see this." Nicolette jumped off of the stage into Wesker's arms. "Ay! Ay! Ay! Aaay!"
Wesker placed her on her feet and then dipped her. "And it goes like this, take me by the tongue-"
"Take me by the tongue."
"And I'll know you. Kiss me 'til you're drunk, and I'll show you-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
"All the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger."
"Oh, yeah."
"I don't need to try to control you. Look into my eyes and I'll own you, with them moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger." When Wesker lifted her up they where nose to nose both breathing heavily, with both pairs of sunglasses on the floor.
Nicolette couldn't help wondering where this Wesker had been hiding. He wasn't the man that she had somehow fallen for, instead he was fun and full of energy. The smile that was actually on his face was far from condescending. Without meaning to she could feel herself draw closer to her husband. Than without a warning an earsplitting scream erupted in the club. Nicolette glanced away to locate the sound only to see one of the women she had bummed into running towards the door as one of her friends pointed at Nicolette's face.
"Her eyes!" The woman screeched as she hobbled backwards in her stelletos. "Her eyes!"
Nicolette look back at Wesker to see all of the slight happiness that had been on his face so plainly before disappeared and his cold mask had taken it's place. Nicolette's heart sunk as the room evacuated and the bouncers ran towards the two of them. Wesker gripped Nicolette tighter before letting go and lifting her arms off of his neck. Wesker's eyes surveyed the bouncers quickly before dodging in between all of them, striking them all until they fell to the floor. Nicolette's gaze flickered from on strange face to another trying to find some sign of life. The sound of shattering glass caused her to jolt. Standing behind the bar was the bartender from before his eyes latched on Wesker's face.
"Your-your Albert Wesker." The man whispered his eyes wide and full of terror.
"And your a dead man." Nicolette saw Wesker pull out his magnum and hold it up to the level of the mans forehead.
Nicolette rushed forward and gently placed her hand on Wesker's arm. Wesker turned his head, prepared to glare at her and shake her off when Nicolette slowly shook her head.
"Please. Just walk away." Nicolette whispered putting slight pressure on Wesker's arm. "Lets just get out of here before anyone shows up."
Nicolette watched, her heart pounding, as Wesker's hand slowly placed the gun back into it's holster. Nicolette smiled as Wesker grabbed her and lead her out of the club. Without looking back they headed to their car several blocks away.
