This idea sprung up on a whim-don't hate me too much please. I don't own Resident Evil- (Sadly) cause if I did they wouldn't be only on Game Cube-send all money to capcom-and all heartfelt thanks.
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The office was spacious-done in glass and tinted steel. The young woman noted a flat screen computer-next to a white Oleander. How odd that nature and man's cold creations should look so perfect side by side!
"Mrs. Reyes, I hope you can forgive the late meeting." The lawyer was a small-weedy man who had contacted her several weeks ago. Her occupation-Journalist for the New York Times-did not allow such late meetings-
But this was important.
"Not at all sir." She said, lying through her teeth, "I'm anxious to hear about what you've managed to find."
"Well to be perfectly frank it wasn't much." The lawyer sat down behind his glass desk and folded his hands, "Umbrella forced its employees to sign a strict non-disclosure agreement. Everything-from their family assets-to their personal files would have been kept under lock and key and distributed at the employee digression."
"But…"
"But," the man smiled cheerfully here, outside the bright lights of New York were shining, "But-Since the company's filing for Chapter eleven, all of its files have become public record." The man beamed at her, his smile was like yet another neon sign added to the cornucopia that dotted the outside landscape, "And I was able to find this."
He passed her a large manila folder, thick with papers. She took them, trying to keep her cold composure. Her pale face was lined with concern-and her dark brown hair was draped with sweat…
"Your father's files." The lawyer said quietly, "They're yours of course. I didn't open it…so I can't tell you how much your family's estate might be worth…"
Before she could open it any further-a typewritten paper fell from it and fluttered like a lost feather to the floor.
She picked it up gently the paper was light and yellowed with extreme age. It had probably been kept in some corporate storage room-along with thousands just like it…
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Dear Sherry,
I'm writing this to say one thing, and perhaps to explain my motivations that have led me to this particular state. If you read this-I am departed this mortal coil. There is no other way to put it. No other way to soften this grievous blow-obviously-to your life and mine. I'm leaving you everything I had and ever will have-save my legacy, although I suppose that will be yours also. I feel a need now, that I have passed on-to explain my actions to you. My Raison d' etre, and perhaps shed some light on who I was…so you will not think too harshly of me in your life.
I was sixteen when I first encountered Umbrella. Sixteen, young, naïve-and prepared for anything. You cannot imagine how they fed our egos-our arrogance! We were the crème of the crop to them, and they played us like fools. Alas, Albert and I only saw too late what Mr. Spencer-and the management of the board had planned for us. I-saw it later then he…
I am responsible for the deaths of the scientists at the Arklay Research Faculty. I am responsible for my friends and colleagues-people who I once despised-but now consider equals. Albert and I manipulated them to our own means-both intending to quit Umbrella for HCF…at least that was the plan…
Or the plan that Albert had conveyed to me at our meetings. He was a quiet one, indeed he was perhaps the only friend-and I use the term loosely-I've ever had. I did not want to leave yet. I had to think of my research.
As I write this, I realize that in the end, my research will be my downfall. I do not dare compare myself to those who stand on the scientific citadel- Copernicus, Galileo-and others-yet it was important to me. And whatever plans I had for it I cannot think of them now. It was simply enough to have it, to hold it like a child in my hands…
It is hours after I received the knowledge that a UBCS team is coming to destroy me. I do not intend to give up without a fight, they shall rue the day that they ever attempted to destroy me…
Sherry…There is nothing that I can give you to make up for all the sorrow that I have caused you. No gift of time or energy can make up for the fact that I betrayed you and your mother-all in pursuit of this thing, which has damned me to my current state of affairs. I will not apologize-I cannot because no one can possibly understand the higher state of glory that I intended-intend to achieve through this.
Instead I will say the words I rarely say to anyone. I am a proud man Sherry Birkin-and it is difficult for me to say…I'm sorry, even to you.
I'm sorry, I failed-please forgive me. Please forgive me and recall what little time we had together fondly. Understand-that deep down-I love you.
Your Father,
William Birkin
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Sherry Birkin Reyes looked down at her father's signature-signed with a flourish-and wiped a tear from her eye.
"I'll take over these affairs now Mrs. Reyes." The lawyer smiled and removed the folder from her grasp-ignoring her attempts to hold onto it, "You should go home-and get some rest."
Sherry could not bring herself to stand. Suddenly everything-the good times-and the bad times-came rushing back to her in a violent tempest of anger, happiness-and fury.
"Yes," she stood slowly, "Yes."
"I'll call you later in the week."
"Thank you Mr. Murashikibu."
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She arrived home to her townhouse late.
She strode in through the door ignoring her husband-her two daughters, her son-to the kitchen where she put her head down on the counter and cried. She'd kept up the habit of dying her hair brown-even when it had been no longer necessary-to hide from the officers of HCF that were looking for her once she had escaped.
"Honey?"
Sherry lifted her tear streaked face to the door where she saw-like the rock of her strength-her husband staring at her.
"Did you go to the Lawyer's office?"
Dumbly, she nodded. She heard one of her children yell something as her husband came foreword, wrapping his arms around her.
"Honey…"
"Mommy?"
Her youngest daughter, Claire-appeared out of nowhere. At six-Clair was a bundle of wonderful energy-and Sherry loved every minute of being with her.
"Mommy is you okay?"
"Are you okay, dear."
"Are you okay mom?" Her son, and his twin sister-appeared out of nowhere, " Did you go to the Lawyer's office?"
"Yes William." She said his name in a strangled voice. Her son stared at her-with his husband's dark hair and her eyes and-
She reached for him and drew him into her grasp. His twin-Annette-appeared in the doorway. Clair grabbed her mother around the waist, while Annette joined the hug as well.
"My children." She looked at each of them, "I want you to know I'd never leave any of you, do you understand? I love all of you so very much-my three joys in life-"
Here her husband coughed-and she laughed, "Four Joys."
Michael Reyes wrapped his arms around his wife, "And we'd never leave or hurt you either babe-you're stuck with us-for life!"
William and Annette led their sister back to the dining room as Michael studied his wife's tear-streaked face.
"Was it bad?"
"Yeah." She hugged him again, "Michael-don't do anything crazy for your work-please Michael-"
"Honey." Michael lifted her face to his, "I'm a police officer- I catch the bad guys-I'm not one of them-remember?"
"Just like your uncle."
"Hey." Michael lifted his hands, "At least you knew my uncle Leon. Sometimes I can't help but think that you married me as a poor substitute…" his tone was playful as Sherry came foreward and kissed him.
"And about the other appointment I had today…"
"Oh?"
Sherry smiled, "Something very important."
"Oh?" Michael turned to the counter to get a plate for his wife, "Honey-speaking of important-you'll never guess what happened today-"
"What?"
"Well-" he smiled the same lopsided grin that Leon had had, "You go first."
"Alright. I'll give you a hint."
"A hint?" He frowned-pretending to concentrate, "Hmm…as a detective I should be able to go on hints-"
"We're going to name him Leon."
The truth slowly sank in for Michael-as he wrapped his wife in yet another hug. She smiled at him again-and the house was brimming yet again with love.
"God's in his heaven and all's right with the world…" Michael whispered. William Reyes peaked into the kitchen and immediately retreated. A calm sense of peace settled over the house…
And over the mortal souls-two-that had been watching over it.
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Did you like it? Was it thrilling? Fluffy RE fanfiction! You know you love it! *poke *
Just a bit of a break piece from my big RE epic-coming soon! :)
Note- Murashikibu was a Japanese novelist.