Normal = present

Italics = Past

Thank you to Reviewer x-Artichoke-x for suggesting this

As Sherry Birkin sat by her desk whilst twiddling her fingers softly on the strings of her new violin, she couldn't help but wonder about the past. Was it really fifteen years ago now? Fifteen years by this exact date when her life changed forever? She couldn't help but laugh slightly; it was true life did fly by the older you got. When did the innocent twelve year old school girl become the twenty seven year old secret agent of the US Government? It certainly wasn't on her list of careers back then, she never even thought about, it was possibly every kid 'super cool' dream to be a secret agent like the ones you saw in the movies…but not Sherry.

She was a quite girl who preferred to be alone most times. It was all she knew back then as both of her parents: William and Annette Birkin, worked for the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. Their schedules were very full and she grew use to not seeing them much, though this didn't mean she didn't miss them, she missed them both terribly and she would have rather pick a warm family dinner than the mostly awkward ones she spent with her nanny. She did like her nanny but as Sherry continued to blossom she found they actually didn't have much in common, at some supper times she found herself eating extremely fast just so she could go back the haven of her room.

"Tuesdays…" she remembered illuminating another small smile

Yes, Tuesday's was their day…her and her violin, which her parents brought her on her sixth Christmas. She learnt other instruments too such as Piano and Flute, but the Violin was her favourite. She would practice for hours and hours in those days, Tuesdays were practically special because during after school hours she would have a session with her Violin tutor and those were also days she would most likely see one of her parents. This being her father, whilst her mother would usually appear on either Thursday's or Saturdays (sometimes even both!). It was thankfully common to see both on Sunday's, though this changed as 'that' day became closer and closer.

She remembered clearly the last Tuesday she saw her father. It was around two weeks before it all happened and it was the last time they actually spoke…

"Crap…" she quietly cursed to herself as she began to regret buying this new violin

She didn't know what suddenly came over her, she had walked by the music shop a numerous amount of times and only every now and then did she back an eye lid to it. She knew this Violin in practically was also nothing new. It had been hanging at the back of the store along with the other Violin's just barely visible to the public's eyes for good few years now. She admitted the few times she did look into the store it caught her eyes straight away, but it was only today did she decide to make the next move of entering the shop.

A sweet ringing of a petit bell echoed through the shop as Sherry emerged from the outside alerting a much older gentleman who seemed to have been reading some sort of magazine.

His white bearded face smiled at the presence of the young woman "Welcome young lady! How may I be of service today?"

Sherry hated when this happened, that moment when you walk into a store for the simple pleasure of nosing around and then letting the employee down for making no sale with them, it was worse knowing she was the only person in the whole store but the gesture is unavoidable.

"I am fine thank you, just having a look around." She smiled back and received one in return

"Okay, just let me know if you need something."

"Thank you sir" and with that she began her stride around the shop, even though she only wanted to see the violin originally she assumed she might as well have a gaze at everything else the small music shop had to offer, after all she had no idea when she would actually return, it wouldn't surprise her if she never did.

At first she thought there was a lot missing but then she quickly came across some basement stairs with sign pointing down to "Percussion", solving the mystery of the other and bigger instruments. Even though she liked most instruments and the Piano's would be below she had no real interest of exploring, so decided to head to the back of the shop where the prize was.

Immediately her eye's caught sight of the violin that captured her trails every so often, it was even more pleasing when placed in front of her. She gently stroked the dark polished wood making it swing ever so slightly. She hated to admit it but now that she has seen the instrument in person she found herself actually wanting it. She missed the light weight on her shoulders, the print the strings left on her fingers after a long day of playing and the bounce of the bow, such simple things that she learnt to forget and now yearned to remember.

She turned her head to see the old assistant (or maybe even shop owner for all she knew) back to reading his magazine.

"Excuse me?" she asked immediately catching his attention "I was wondering about this violin and if it was possible to hold?"

"Oh of course dear, let me just give you hand there." He said scurrying to her side and gently handing her the instrument "Do you play?"

"I use to…" she said dishearten slightly as she placed the instrument on her shoulder like she did many times all those years ago "This feels nice" she smiles

"Let me just get you the bow" he said opening a midnight blue case nearby

"Oh sir, it's been so long I rather not." She explained

"But I would love to hear." He smiled handing her the bow anyway "Just give it a little play, it should be in tune. Honestly you would be surprise at what the mind can remember"

She nervously gazed at the man who gently smiled at her, encouraging her to continue. She took a deep breath and decided to play the first song she ever learnt as a little girl. Twinkle twinkle little star, soon echoed through the small shop, it is a very basic song but it felt right after fifteen years to do so. The sound soon stopped and she blushed at the still same gently smile given to her by the old man.

"Sorry, it was all I could think of" she giggled rather embarrassed

"That's fine dear, it was lovely. When was the last time you played?"

"Around fifteen years ago"

"That is a while ago, but it's never too late to pick it back up. If you don't mind me asking why did you stop?"

She paused at the question. She learnt long ago whilst being kept by the government to never let it lip that she was a Raccoon City survivor, she always had to stick to the orphan story and that her parents died in a car accident when she was very small, though for this circumstance she didn't need to go into detail "I just lost interest…" she smiled

"That's a shame." He sighed "Would you ever pick it back up?"

He was right, it was a shame. If she had her way Sherry would have never quit. She gazed at the violin in her hand, contemplating on the question. Would she? When? Maybe once she was old and retired she could go back? Then again what hobby did she really have now?

She gazed up at the old man who waited patiently for an answer and asked "How much is it?"

And here she was now back to twiddling her fingers on the delicate strings. It felt like such a good idea at the time but now that she was alone in her room she didn't like the building feeling of recall that was taking over her mind as her old room soon engulfed her:

The wallpaper was a pink striped pattern, with polished wooden floor and a huge soft rug was in the middle. As she grew older she remembered not being to fond of the pink anymore but her parents were to busy to change it and looking back she guessed it was rather cute. The rest of the room was filled with furniture and knick knacks you expected to find in any young girls room. She soon set eyes on a small blonde girl by one of the corners of the room playing a dark wooden violin; she strangely couldn't hear any music being played though.

She walked closer to her past silent self, more and more memories continued washing in as she closed the gap. When she was finally close enough she saw the score and in fine print at the top it had written "Bach, Sonata No.3 in C Major". It all came back to her now...she knew exactly where she was.

When she opened her eyes she was twelve year old girl again who was still in her school uniform even though it was past dinner time. She was frustrated and nervous, the piece that stood before was one she has practiced an awful lot these last few weeks but she always messed up on some notes. She wanted to cry, she had to play this solo piece alone in front of hundreds of people in the next two weeks and she was far from prepared, be this mentally and physically. Her eyes began to water as her bedroom door creaked open revealing her father.

"Sherry what are you doing in your school uniform…Sherry? What's wrong?" he asked closing the door behind

She dared not to gaze up at her father, she didn't want him to see her cry, she was twelve years old and was close to sobbing like a baby "Nothing…" she whispered

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me. Come on you can tell me." He gently said kneeing before her, making her feel like a baby even more

She gained the courage to gaze into his dark blue but tired eyes; his whole face was so sincere. She didn't see it often but when she did she treasured it "It's the recital…I-I don't think I can do it…"

William gave her a quick disbelief look but quickly generated another comforting smile for his daughter "Why not? Your good at the violin Sherry and you know it."

"Maybe…but, I have practiced this piece for months now and just can't seem to get it right…What if? I don't…I don't want to make a fool of myself in front of everyone. Mrs. Willows is counting on me and I don't want to let her down." She explained

"Well…" William said standing up again and making his way to the end of Sherry's bed "If Mrs. Willows gave you such a responsibility she must believe you can do it. Come on Sherry, me and your mother both know you have wanted a solo piece for so long now and you deserve it so…do it for yourself?"

Her eyes began to water again "I want to…I want to so badly, but I just can't." she whimpered a little

The room was soon filled with the small sniffles of Sherry, her father sat there rather awkwardly for moment thinking of what to do, Annette was always better at these things. He sighed and lifted him self of the springy bed end and went back over to his crying daughter.

"Sherry" he whispered catching the attention of his small distressed daughter "If you can't do it for yourself then…do it for me?"

The request surprised Sherry out of tears, she knew her father supported her in everything she did but she honestly couldn't remember the last time he actually attended any of the concerts she took part of. Her mother appeared at all of them and even her nanny came along sometimes, but the last time William attended was most likely when she just started attending the orchestra which was a good three years ago now.

"Only if you promise to attend, promise?" she begged

"I promise." He smiled kissing her gently on the forehead "Now you and me both have a lot of work to do, so you get practicing and I'll finish up what I need to do so I can see you shine like a star." He winked and began to leave the room

"Thank you daddy." She smiled "I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't. Goodnight dear."

"Goodnight!" she waved knowing her father had retreated to his office for the night

That was also the last night she ever had a real conversation with her father. He began to show up less and less, hardly even saying hello each time and as time ran on he stopped coming home completely and the judgement day of Raccoon City feel into place. She never even got to play at the concert even though she remembered finally perfecting the piece only days before.

She found herself back in her own small office space, violin sitting on her lap as she digested the memories biting her bottom lip to lock in the emotions inside.

"To late…" she thought "…to late to cry over now"

Placing her attention back on her violin she knew she only brought this certain one because it reminded her of the few normal times she did have with her parents and also the encouragement he showed her. The instrument was practically a double of the one she had back then also. Cursing she now considered a possible refund again. Not being able to look at it anymore she neatly placed it and the bow back into the velvet and leather box and would decide what to do with it in the morning.

She never did take the instrument back…in fact she did the complete opposite. That morning she strolled back to the music shop and purchased a load of violin sheet books filled with old and new classics of different genre's and found herself practicing nearly every night even after a long day of training, the gentle pushing and pulling of the bow that serenaded the sweet notes soothed her mind and body. She was also thankful and surprised at how quickly she picked it all back up again.

One of the books she brought was a "Bach" collection which contained "Bach, Sonata No.3 in C Major". At first she ignored it immediately but soon found herself practicing the piece more and more until she found herself in the position she was tonight.

With the stand in front of her with the score on, violin in hand, she took a deep breath and began to play and imagine the night that should have been. A seated crowded in front of her, conductor seated beside and her fellow orchestra behind. Amongst the crowd are her parents smiling at her, proud at how their young daughter could achieve such a task. She played it with all her heart as she dedicated it to not just her father but for everyone who was lost, every pull of the bow revealing a memory of things that could have been, from happy family dinners to high school with new friends. As the sonata began to close everything began to vanish around her and the clear faces of her parents decayed into the darkness last and her desk light soon illuminated reality.

She surprised herself, she was sure she would have broken down at some point but instead found herself pouring tears of joy. It felt like some weight was finally off her shoulders, not to long ago she didn't even realise she had this regret but now that she achieved this she was happy she could live knowing she did it, she played the song for them all to hear.

After a few moments of silence she wiped the few remaining tears and decided it was time to wash up and get ready for bed, a meeting containing some information for her first mission was coming up tomorrow and she wanted to be in best shape, it was time to create some new memories and dreams.

Authors Notes

Decided to have a small break from my major Transformers fanfic and fulfill my urge for a Resident Evil one xD I have been a Birkin family fan since RE2 so you could imagine the joys I am feeling knowing little Sherry is all grown up now and returning to us in RE6!

This is my first one shot so I hope it's okay. Please do review as they mean alot to me and you never know I may (most likely) return with another RE story one day! Take care and hoped you enjoyed!