( The Dominatio Era is Latin for The Lords Lady)(Dominatio Exercitus Academy is Latin for Lords Army Academy)
Perfectly formed snowflakes twirled and swirled their way around buildings; some of the unlucky ones hitting windows, signs, and the walls of buildings, melting in to water or building up on the streets and window panes. People walked by on the sidewalks, bundled in their warm thick coats and clutching their bags of pre-wrapped presents as they rushed home to turn up the heat and drink hot chocolate while watching the local news. Oddly on this night no cop cars could be seen around, not parked outside of Reggies Diner or Benny's Pastry and Coffee Shop or even prowling the streets for crime; though several rookies were walking the streets and sitting in the warm buildings owned by Reggie Davis and Benny Miller wishing that instead they were at Raccoon City Hall enjoying the Christmas party that cold December nineteenth. Only one man despised the idea of going and only that man had to keep up pretenses by having to go. The idea of cheerfulness only made him feel sick to his stomach; how could anyone be cheerful when the world was being controlled by an organization that they trusted so completely? The thought of even being involved in that power made his blood race, but that power was not his own. It was that of the evilest man that he had ever had the pleasure of knowing and think of as father. Oswell E Spencer. This man was standing in a corner glaring into his glass of brandy trying to think of a way to escape without drawing to much attention.
"Captain! Captain Wesker!" The man forced himself not to cringe. That would be easy if his team would stop drawing attention to him in his dark, secluded corner. With great regret he lifted his head in the direction of the annoyingly familiar voice. The man heading over to him, practically jumping over chairs and throwing his superiors out of the way with his redish brown hair bouncing and his dark blue eyes gleaming, was one of the youngest men on the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team, Chris Redfield. The man glanced down at his ninth glass of brandy before looking back at Chris, thinking that maybe he should slow down on the drinking.
"Redfeild, can I help you?" The man asked, his voice colored slightly with slight annoyance and a small pinch of amusement at Chief Iron's annoyed face.
"Barry, Jill, and I were wondering if you would like to come sit at our table. I know you said no before...but we really think that it could be fun." Chris smiled his crooked carefree smile at his Captain with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Forest is using a spoon to mess with Brad."
Wesker looked Chris up and down, raising an eyebrow up over his black shades. Chris Redfield, if he wasn't gunning for Jill's attention Wesker would have sworn that the man had an unnatural obsession with him. Now if only Doctor Ellen had that Wesker would be set; he could see her, talking to Annette Birkin with ease and a stern smile on her face. Something about her annoyed and enticed him, her dull blue eyes fixed on Annette's while she brushed a lock of her short dark blond hair behind her ear. Smart, leggy blonds. A small half smile appeared on Wesker's lips, just his type.
"Uhmm," Wesker's eyes snapped back to Chris who was still standing there, waiting for an answer with an awkward crooked smile on his face. "Captain?"
"I'm afraid that I will have to take a rain check on that, Redfield." Wesker's smile faded as he answered. Chris nodded, still standing in front of him. Wesker waited a moment before he raised his eyebrow again. "Can I help you with anything else?"
"Uh, yeah. Yeah I think you can." Chris replied, looking directly at Wesker, admiration in the twenty-three year old's dark blue eyes.
"Aaaannnnd that would beee?" Wesker asked, forgetting about his cold, distant mask for a moment deciding to mess with one of his team members.
"Could you, maybe, you know...can me, Chris?" Chris suddenly looked like a little child sitting on Santa's lap asking for an expensive nearly unattainable toy or gift and wait to be told that he wasn't good enough or worthy of it. Wesker held back a small laugh as he looked Chris up and down.
"Hmmm," Wesker pretend to think about it, already knowing that he was wasted enough to promise Chris that he would call him Elvis. "I believe that can be arranged, Chris."
"Thanks, Captain!" Chris smiled brightly, even his eyes lighting up brighter then before. "I'll see you later."
Wesker nodded his head slowly and indifferently as Chris ran off to the table where the rest of the Alpha team sat, watching Forest prod Brad lightly with a spoon before Brad would cringe away from it until he fell out of his chair. Jill looked up at Chris as he walked back over to the table, her face glowing as soon as she caught sight of him. Wesker scoffed into his glass as he took another sip of his brandy.
"What's so funny, Al?" Wesker turned his head sharply to the side to see a man about five inches shorter then him with recently washed short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Wesker gestured indifferently to Jill and Chris who were now tossing back shots.
"Those two should get a room." Wesker then took another sip of his brandy before looking back at the other man. "Although I should be asking how you got in here, William. But I must admit, as soon as I saw Annette over there I knew you couldn't be far."
"Oh now Al, don't tell me you didn't want to see an old friend and co-worker. You might as well stick a syringe in my heart." William replied, flashing a smile at Wesker before lifting his margarita and taking a sip.
"Only if it was filled with your precious G-virus." Wesker replied, glancing around the room to be sure no one was paying attention or eavesdropping. "What did you two do with Sherry for the night?"
"Babysitter." William replied with ease as he nudged Wesker. "I must be honest, Annette wasn't too happy to hear that Sherry would be fine being babysat by Miss Durbin again, especially after I attempted to calm her down by saying she's always with Miss Durbin."
"She threw that hand painted bowl again, didn't she?" Wesker asked with a dark chuckle.
"Yes, I believe you bought her another for Christmas." William replied taking another sip of his drink.
"Let's just say I foresaw this for the fourth time." Wesker faked a sigh and took another sip of his brandy. "Your going to have to control her eventually, Will."
"The day you stop coming by just to annoy her with the uncle-niece relationship you have with our daughter." William replied with a laugh. "Annie always goes into a fit when she relizes how close Sherry is to us, her father and godfather, then her own mother."
"Does she still get upset over that?" Wesker asked, his drunken slowing his thought proses down slightly.
"Over what? Our relationships with Sherry? Well, not as much as usua-"
"No, no, no." Wesker shook his head slowly. "That you all but forced her into making me Sherry's godfather?"
"I think she's over it." William looked up at Wesker with a slightly insane smile.
"Ah, well," Wesker drained the rest of his brandy and led the way to the bar as William followed finished his margarita. "It's actually refreshing not to see you in a lab, grungy and dirty after weeks of working or even near your 'precious G-virus'." Wesker held up two fingers to the bartender and gestured to the empty margarita glass William had just set down. William shifted uncomfortable, glancing at a pocket inside his dark brown dress coat. Wesker rolled his eyes behind his shades. "A sample's in the inside pocket of there, isn't it?"
"Now, what would be the point of hiding it if you keep figuring out where it's hidden?" William asked in huff. "I mean really, Al."
"Ah, knew you would find him, Willy." Wesker glanced over his shoulder to see Annette walking towards them in a floor length pastel dress. Wesker turned back to the bartender and motioned for a shot of whiskey. "Oh, no thank you Albert, I'm afraid I'm driving tonight."
"Oh, that's quiet alright." Wesker picked up the shot of whiskey and tossed it into the back of his throat, enjoying the burning sensation inside his mouth as he swallowed. "I was not sure if you would enjoy in anyway."
"Right." Wesker could see that she was painfully holding back the urge to roll her eyes and held back his smirk with ease. "Well, I was told that you both haven't met the newest addition to City Hall." Wesker finally noticed the man standing next to her, about three inches taller then William with short curly, black hair and dark gray eyes. "This is James Holiday, the mayor's right hand man."
"Mr Holiday." William held his hand out with a strait, stern face. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I believe the pleasure is all mine, Mr-"
"Birkin, William Birkin." Annette smiled brightly at James Holiday and nodded. William on the other hand glanced at Wesker before grabbing his margarita and turning back to James Holiday. "And this handsome fellow next to me is Albert Wesker, an old friend and schoolmate of mine. He's our daughter's godfather."
"Fantastic to meet you, Mr Wesker." Wesker shook James' hand stiffly before he turned back to William and Annette. "You have children as well?"
"Just a daughter, she's about ten." Annette replied slipping her arm around William's shoulder. "Do you, Mr James?"
"I have two girls, six and five." James smiled brightly at them pulling a picture out of his wallet of what looked like two little girls, one with blond hair and bright blue eyes the other with black hair and green eyes, both in red dresses. James pointed at the blond one first. "That's my oldest baby, Nicolette, but she prefers to be called Niki, and that one," James pointed at the other. "Is my baby girl, Royal, but she loves to be called Roy. My wife and I believe it's because Niki didn't want to have a baby sister, that she wanted a baby brother instead."
"Their beautiful." Annette whispered looking at the picture adoringly. "Did they come tonight?"
"Only my wife, Edana, and Roy. Niki is at some fancy selective boarding school." James laughed happily. "It's her second year there and oddly they only let her come home two days before Christmas, can you believe that?"
"It's better then Al's old boarding school." William replied smiling, glancing over at Wesker. "He never got holidays off, isn't that right, Al?"
"No, I had holidays off, I just had to stay at the school." Wesker responded before taking another sip of his brandy. "What sort school does she go to?"
"The Dominatio Era Academy I believe." James replied with a smile.
"I've heard of the school. They only very rarely take and students." William glanced at Annette before looking back at James. "We attempted to get Sherry in to it but did not succeed."
"Ah, I attended the Dominatio Exercitus Academy." Wesker replied observing the look between William and Annette before glancing at the clock on the wall. "It's almost twelve. I should be heading home."
"Al, you can't drive in your condition." William glanced over at Annette smiling slightly before looking back at Wesker. "Just wait half an hour and you can go with us."
"Will, I don't think that's a very good idea." Wesker downed the glass of brandy and nearly slammed it on the bar. "Besides, don't you and Annette have work do tonight? I'll just be in your way."
"No, you wont! You've always there when we are working." William smiled at Wesker, his blue eyes sparkling. "Besides, it's been a while since you've been over and I can't let you drive home drunk. Isn't that right Annette?"
William didn't even bother to glance over at his wife for her answer, his eyes were glued to Wesker.
"I guess not." The annoyance and irritation could clearly be heard in Annette's voice. "Well, James, please introduce me to you wife and youngest daughter before my husband, Mr Wesker, and I have to leave."
"Gladly." James glanced from Annette to William to Wesker his expression one of complete confusion. "They are at our table. Er...follow me."
Mr Holiday and Annette left William to continue to watch Wesker. Wesker glanced over out of the corner of his eyes before looking away again.
"Your starting to creep me out William."
"How?"
"Stop looking at me like that." Wesker glanced in William's general direction ignoring the odd look in his eyes. "I think you've had too much to drink."
"And how would the way I'm looking at you indicate how drunk I am?" William asked, sluring slightly on the word drunk.
"Your looking at me like I'm Annette. It's slightly unnerving." Wesker lifted his left hand and began to fix the black fingerless S.T.A.R.S. issue gloves.
"No I'm not." William snapped his gaze away from Wesker and he looked down at his margarita taking several sips in the long slightly awkward silence between them. Everyone else around them was laughing loudly and drunkenly joking about each others lives. William finished his margarita and then looked up at Wesker. "I'm guessing Annette isn't to happy."
"I wouldn't bet anything that she is feeling the holiday spirit right now." Wesker smirked momentarily before seeing William's hopeful face fall. "It is, in some way, my fault."
"No, Al. This time, all me." William placed the glace on the bar and glanced around the room. "I guess I just haven't been treating her the same way I did when we first got married."
"How do you get to that conclusion?" Wesker asked.
"It's just what she keeps telling me." William replied with an evil, drunk smile. "It must be true."
"So does that make me 'the other woman'?" Wesker asked, for once in a long while actually laughing in amusement. William glanced at Wesker in surprise before smiling and laughing along.
"I guess it does." William pushed away from the bar, wobbling back and forth trying to ketch his balance. "Lets go find my little wife and go home, shall we?"
"You know, I told you that marring her wasn't the smartest idea." Wesker replied out of the blue, following William without a single faltered. "Annette wasn't exactly your type."
"What does that mean?" William asked, turning to look at Wesker who could have sworn he saw a small glint of hope in his friends eyes.
"You need a woman to keep you in line. She just lets you run wild." Wesker smiled faintly at his friend. "That's not an entirely smart idea. You being able to run free will be both of your ends."
"Ominous, Al, very ominous." William brushed the comment off laughing as he tried to lead the way to Annette before he started to trip sideways over his own feet. Wesker grabbed him, letting William throw his arm over Wesker's shoulder. Wesker held most of William's weight up as they both looked for Annette. Wesker spotted her within moments talking with brown haired and green eyed woman who looked slightly like Jill. Wesker shook his head chocking the resemblance up to the alcohol goggles that he was sure at this point he had on under his shades. Wesker walked over to Annette, nearly dragging William's dead weight with him and tapped her on the shoulder. Annette glanced at him before rolling her eyes at the woman.
"Yes, Al?" Annette asked turning to look Wesker in the face only to stop when she saw William. "What the-"
"I think he had one to many." Wesker shifted William's weight on his body as part of his arm started to go numb. "It might be best to-"
"Leave. Yes, alright." Annette smiled apologetically at the woman and got on William's other side trying to help Wesker. When they reached the elevator in the hallway Wesker shifted William's weight back onto his own body. Annette looked at him sharply.
"Someone has to push the buttons and drive." Wesker said softly nodding to the elevator doors. "I don't think I'm up for it and your upper body strength isn't what you think it is."
"Smart ass." Annette snapped pushing the button and letting him drag William first before following.
"What's wrong, Annie?" Wesker asked, looking over William's drooping head. "What's with the sudden and intense hate?"
"We both know, we never really got along." Annette replied stiffly not bothering to look over at her husbands only, oldest, and closest friend. "Why he likes you is beyond me."
"My sense of humor." Wesker lied as they exited the elevator into the parking lot letting Annette lead the way to the dodge. Annette laughed shallowly as she unlocked the door and opened it.
"Not the idea I had, but it makes me feel better." Annette watched at Wesker got William into a seat and buckled him in before climbing in himself. "The way he acts around you worry's me."
"What's there to worry about?" Wesker asked uncaringly as Annette shut the door and climbed into the drivers seat.
"Nothing." Annette forced herself to focus on the road as Wesker closed his eyes and enjoyed the ride. Just as he was about to let the waves of sleep envelope him Wesker felt someone jab him in the side. Wesker's eyes flew open behind his shades and his head snapped to the side to see Annette watching him. "Let's get him out of the car, alright?"
"Fine." Wesker climbed out of the car and pulled William out with him. Annette was already at the door, unlocking it and disappearing into the house. Wesker reached the door just as an older woman left smiling at Wesker and William before walking to her own car. Wesker maneuvered William and himself into the house and shut the door before walking William into his and Annette's room. He left William to sleep fully clothed on his bed and walked back out into the living room. Annette was just putting a thick blanket on the pullout bed as he walked in. Wesker pulled off his shades and tossed them onto the coffee table before sitting down on the edge of the pull out bed to unlace his boots. Annette didn't so much as glance at him as she headed to her and her husbands room.
"You know I don't hate you." Wesker said clearly his voice pitched a little lower then usual.
"I know." Annette glanced over her shoulder at him. "But to be honest, it's really hard to tell sometimes."
"I can't change who I am." Wesker placed his boots next to the coffee table and slipped off the S.T.A.R.S. issue gloves, vest and jacket placing them neatly on coffee table next to his glasses and above his boots before turning to look at Annette, his blue-green eyes nearly glowing.
"I know." Annette looked away and walked into her room leaving Wekser alone in the room. Wesker laid down in the bed wearing his baggy S.T.A.R.S. and a black tee shirt pulling the thick blanket over his muscular form as his eyes closed.
/~/~/~/
A gun shot echoed across the grounds of an old slightly over grown castle in the woods of Cantobre, France. Inside the castle servants jolted and scattered, wounding where the shot had come from and what it had hit, only a millisecond after the gun was shot a pricing shriek penetrated the air. In side a library a gray haired old man sat in a red velvet chair near a roaring fire, his gaze focused out of the huge wall like window several feet away watching snow fall. The door opened on the other side of the room, calmly but quickly and he heard the soft click of leather shoes on the stone floor before they stopped just a few feet behind him.
"What is it?" The man asked, not waiting to be addressed.
"Lord Spencer, I regret to say your...project has been put in some immediate danger." A strong yet soft male voice replied.
"In what way, Alex?" Sepncer turned and looked behind the chair at the tall dark haired man just a few steps away. The mans dark blue-black hair hung down to his shoulders and his gray-green eyes where narrowed in concentration on his stunningly attractive face.
"She has been shot in the leg." Alex replied, keeping his face blank and his eyes focused on Spencer.
"How bad?" Spencer asked turning his attention back to the window.
"It might be smart not to send her back yet." Alex glanced out the window wondering what was so interesting before looking back at his boss. "Then again, that new virus of yours that you've been feeding her could speed up her heeling."
"I haven't been feeding her anything."
"Then what-"
"Do you have something against vitamins, Alex? Should I not keep my 'project' as you call her healthy?" Alex bowed his head and nodded.
"I shall make sure she recovers, Lord Spencer." Alex bowed before turning around and walking to the door.
"Alex." At the sound of his name Alex froze his hands on the handle of the richly en carved door.
"Yes, my lord?" Alex felt an odd thrill in his spine as he waited for a response.
"Don't get too attached to the girl." Alex felt anger start to bubble up in his chest as Spencer continued to talk. "You never know what could happen to a six year old little girl in this business. If her training does not progress and get better I believe Birkin would love to have a test subject and you might get some new scenery."
"I understand." Alex bowed his head as he wrenched the door open and slammed it closed behind him. He stood out side the door, glaring down at his feet. 'It's not like I care what you do with her. Nicolette Holiday is nothing but a project...and a little girl.'