The characters from the game belong to Capcom. The OC's and story background belong to me.
A/N: I'm not english native speaker, so you might find some typos or grammar mistakes, I do apologize for that.
21st Century
"Where is it? Damn it!" Kate cursed searching her purse before leaving late from work
Chris was passing by on his way to the elevators and noticed the young woman. It was very late for her to still being there, maybe she was working for extra hours he thought. He got curious, but hesitant in asking any question, as she looked upset. He pressed the elevator's button.
"Do you think they will mind if I sleep in the dorm room?" she asked randomly
Chris looked to the side, "Are you asking me?"
"Yeah… do you see anyone else here?"
He made a face, "I don't think so… the dorm rooms are for the employees… any particular reason?"
"I can't go home. I'm locked here, maybe I'll have to move here until someone save me from my stupidity of forgetting my wallet home because I switched purses…" she murmured
He laughed. So dramatic he thought.
"It's not funny!"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help the way you spoke…"
"If Piers was here I'd ask for his help"
"How much do you need for you to take a cab?" Chris asked straight to the point after checking his watch
She made a face. A bit hesitant, "I live far… it will be expensive…"
He shrugged, "Yeah but a girl like you walking alone this time of the night can be dangerous as well to take a bus…"
"You don't have to do this… I'll spend the night here…"
"Kate… where do you live?"
She hesitated for a moment but finally answered his question, "You don't have to do that… I know you live in the opposite direction…"
"I guess this is your lucky night",
"Is it?"
He nodded, "My girlfriend lives to that side, it's my route so I guess I can give you a ride, if you want…"
She made a thoughtful face. She wanted that offer but at the same time, she was reluctant accepting it.
The elevator arrived.
"So, are you going with me or not?" he asked holding the door
She let out a sigh and took her purse, "Well…one day I'll have to go home, right?" she replied walking to his direction, "Thank you…" she said as they entered the cabin
"No problem"
They remained in silence all the way to his car. Uncomfortable silence. Her heart was so accelerated and she was so restless. She never felt so agitated near someone, some guy like she did at that moment. There was a strange aura about him. Between them. She wondered if he felt the same. She avoided looking at him.
It was nice from Chris Redfield to offer her a ride. He did save her ass that day as she couldn't afford going back home and he was right to think about her security that time of the night. A girl like her walking alone in the streets as she still depended on public transportation.
She sat on the passengers' seat and finally noticed how good his scent was. Obviously for his girlfriend. Wait a minute, Chris Redfield had a girlfriend? Lucky woman… or maybe not, as he used to spend so much time absent. Just like Piers…
A silent drive. That man and that girl didn't seem to share any mutual bond or whatever word would describe it. He was like unreachable in his silence and attentive to the traffic. She was restless and kind of backed off for the wall between them. He made a nice gesture but that was all. It was like she wasn't even there.
But she was. There was a girl at his side. In his car. A girl that wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't turn on the radio as the usual when he drove. That girl caused in him some disturbance. He knew she was cool and he also knew of Piers and hers proximity. He didn't care about their business. All he cared was to drive safely in the uncomfortable silence between them. He felt restless. He didn't regret giving her a ride, doing his charity of the day, but he didn't feel like bonding with her. He only cared of getting in Cathy's home for dinner and to spend the night as her son Zac was spending the weekend with his father.
Thirty long minutes of silence. Chris stopped his car in front of the building she said she lived.
"Safe and sound. Don't forget your wallet tomorrow"
"Or the days after tomorrow!" she spoke jokingly
"Yeah, you got it right"
"Thank you Chris…"
"No problem"
She left the car and passed in front of his car to reach the sidewalk. Chris waited for her to reach the sidewalk when suddenly she fell and heard her scream. Concerned he left the car and saw her sitting on the ground.
"Kate, are you alright?" he asked kneeling next to her
"Not a lucky day… the stupid heel broke and my ankle hurts…"
He checked it, "It looks like your ankle sprained"
"Great!"
"It doesn't seem serious." He spoke helping her stand up, "Can you walk?"
She tried again, despite the pain, but almost fell again
"I can take you to the hospital…" he said
"No, no… no hospital. It's not necessary. I'll be fine, thanks" she replied trying to walk alone again
He checked his watch again. Seeing her difficulty to walk, he exhaled and stepped closer to her to give her a help.
"What's your apartment?"
"17th floor. Apartment 1707"
He held her by the waist and was about to kneel to lift her up with his left hand
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to carry you…to preserve your ankle"
"No, it's not necessary… I can try to walk with your support"
"We'll take forever to get there…"
"Right! Sorry, I forgot your girlfriend is waiting…"
He made a face of confirmation and then gave her a piggyback. What a good scent he had! Dang!
He released her when they stood before her apartment's door.
"Thank you a bunch Chris…and I'm sorry for delaying you so much…"
"It's alright. I was born to help people…"
"Yes, you definitely did" she said opening the door and turned on the lights
From the door, Chris could see how organized her condo was. Everything so clean, and modern design and perfumed. A contrast with someone that didn't have a car. Maybe she was afraid to drive, he thought.
Giving her an extra help, he carried her to the couch and laid her on it.
"Oh, my damn wallet!" she said grabbing it
"Where's the kitchen?" he asked
"There" she said pointing out
Quickly he headed to the kitchen and carried a fabric and a bowl with water
"You'd better put ice on it and you could also switch putting it in a hotter water because the differences of temperature help. That will diminish the swelling and stuff…"
"Okay."
He was still holding her ankle when he looked around, "Do you live alone?" he asked casually
"Yes"
He made a face, "Congratulations. You have good taste and seems to be a neat freak" he said jokingly
She laughed, "A little bit… maybe that's what happens when you know the furniture won't clean themselves or the dishes wash alone…which would be creepy…"
He laughed a bit, "Yeah… poltergeist…in my case I guess the poltergeist actually keeps my condo messy if it wasn't for my house cleaner."
"Men usually are poltergeist by nature, that's why sometimes they need a woman to keep it clean"
He made a face, "There's some logic in what you say" he checked his watch again and inhaled, letting out a long sigh, "Now I have to go"
"I know…and once again, thank you a bunch! I owe you one!"
"Nah, you don't owe me anything… things like that happen"
"I won't forget my wallet anymore! I've learned my lesson" she said pointing to her ankle
"Yeah… take care Kate and put a bandage around it and keep your ankle high, move your toes and do soft stretching to better the blood circulation in the area and the movements"
"I will do that, thank you doctor"
He laughed, "I'm no doctor, but I can relate to that stuff"
"I'm sure you do!" she smiled friendly
"Good night Kate"
"Good night Chris"
Katerina watched the muscular captain leave. His perfume still lingering in her clothes, in the air. She couldn't stop smiling and was glad they had broken the ice.
Chris arrived in his girlfriend's condo and it didn't take long for her to open the door for him.
"I'm sorry for the delay…" he spoke apologetic and greeted her with a kiss
The woman made a face as he passed by her and frowned, "Why did you take so long?"
"I left later than the usual… I was doing some paper work"
"Only paper work?" she asked to test him. Since when papers were so perfumed? She thought.
"Yeah, and then I helped Kate by giving her a ride home"
"Kate the receptionist?" Cathy asked raising an eyebrow
"Yeah, the one"
She knew very well that perfume fragrance, and wondered what kind of "help" he gave at her home as she could smell the bitch's perfume that was impregnated in all over his clothes.
"Dinner is already cold" she spoke dryly
"I don't mind…we can warm it up…" he said grabbing her by the waist with a seductive expression as he leaned to kiss her
She turned her face to the side, rejecting him
"You still mad for my delay?"
"No"
"So for what?"
"You should've had taken a shower…"
"I was about to…" he said
"Before coming home with the bitch's scent all over you" she murmured with her arms crossed
He rolled his eyes and laughed, "You're jealous of her… it's not what you're thinking"
"And what am I thinking?"
"For your jealous, it's obvious that you think I was with Kate in another way… but it's not like that!"
"You're smelling her!"
"Yeah, I gave her a piggyback. She almost broke her ankle after I dropped her by her building apartment"
"So you're saying that if I go to your car and smell her scent in it is because you gave her a ride and that's all?"
"Yeah, and then I gave her a piggyback until her apartment because she couldn't walk and refused to go to a hospital"
The woman looked at him with incredulity. She knew men crushed Kate in the BSAA. She was young, beautiful, communicate and apparently funny. A bubbly soul. A girl still in her twenties and lover of adventures. Piers had fallen to the girl's charming. She was a threat to men's relationships. Sophie Home was a victim of bubbly Kate. Her relationship with Piers seemed to go worse day by day.
And Chris? Well… he was a man. A cranky man. A grumpy man. Still… a man! He didn't mind getting laid with some of his coworkers and despite saying he loved her, he still kept their relationship under covers.
Kate was a player! Women knew that. Women tended to dislike Kate and her bubble. And Cathy was no different. She started to see Kate as a new and imminent threat.
Kate and her ankle was just the start…
18th Century
Katarina smiled. Cynically. As Christopher stared at her with a serious expression.
Jealous. She could see the evident jealousy in his eyes.
"It is not what you are thinking…" she spoke calmly
"What am I thinking?"
"Piers and i… behind your back…"
He shook his head in denial, "No… I don't think you have done anything behind my back"
"No?"
"No… You've done anything right into my face!"
She frowned not knowing what to say
"I always knew he had feelings for you. I always knew you liked the attention he gave to you… or any man's. You never hid that side of yours from me! So nothing was behind my back… plus I gave you permission, right?"
"A permission I never enjoyed! I have been faithful to you all this marriage long!"
"Yes, I know. We have discussed that"
He stepped closer to her, grabbed her firmly by the waist and whispered on her ear, "In order to continue 'faithful' to me, stop teasing him and start to respect your sister!"
She turned only her eyes to him. She had an indecipherable smile. A mix of seduction and mischief perhaps.
Footsteps getting closer. A female silhouette walking in the corridor.
"You know how excited you got me now…" Katarina spoke with an unreadable tone, grabbed firmly his forearm, and turned her face to him. Slowly. Seductively. She pulled him by the neck and kissed him.
The female stopped.
Christopher kissed his wife back and turned her body to him. They kissed passionately. He was excited as well.
Katarina kissed him with tongue and opened her eyes to stare the woman paralyzed watching them. saddened. Affected. Katarina made sure to let the woman watch them seemly to start a makeout. She provoked the woman's jealousy with her tongue and Christopher's dancing in their mouths. In their wet kiss.
The provocation took eternal seconds for Cathlyn to handle. She knew Katarina was doing that on purpose. To inflict her damage for still having that man at her side. Desiring her. Katarina was proving her she managed to make him forget the widower duchess.
Cathlyn only felt his lips once and she still remembered how it felt like. They didn't have a wet kiss, but they kissed. She was close to a threat to the grand duchess in the past. Yet, she still envied the stunning brunette. Katarina had him all. She didn't. She was definitely jealous for seeing them together and he oblivious to her presence at that corridor. He didn't care if anyone could be watching them in such an intimate moment.
Katarina loved the attention and she loved even more to let the other women know how crazy men – that man – got for her. Unable to leave her.
Cathlyn walked to the nearby corridor, fighting her tears. She didn't want the brunette woman to witness her weakness. However, a brief thought came to her, making her stop pitying herself. In the past, she had the chance to have Christopher in her arms. In the past, they kissed and definitely, he would want more. She was close to a threat to the imposing brunette. She was capable to make him cede and surrender to his desire for her. He wasn't exclusive of Katarina, yet at that moment Cathlyn smiled because… Katarina had Christopher's body and had a part of his heart… However, the triumph didn't belong to any of the brunettes. The real triumph belonged to the redhead girl that still lied in Christopher's soul.
Katarina and Christopher stopped kissing. She smiled largely to him.
"You do not need to be jealous my love…"
"It wasn't jealous… I had only asked you to be discreet! Imagine if it wasn't me catching you!"
She laughed, "You were so jealous! But I like it… it shows you care and that you really love me!"
"I love you Kat, but showing respect to other's marriages is good too"
"You are absolutely right! Forgive my bad move…I just wanted to have some fun and not take it for real…"
"What happened to your dress?" he changed subjects
"Ah… the painter bumped into me, accidentally" she leaned close to his ear, "Will you help me undress?" she spoke seductively
"What painter?"
"The girl… Maddy's teacher" she replied trying to lead him to their chambers
He widened his eyes, "You know her?"
"Yes. I just met her…But forget it…" she smiled trying to seduce him
"Where did she go?"
"I do not know and I do not care! Shall we go to our chambers?"
"You have Lucy to help you with that. I have other things to do…"
Katarina held him firmly by the grip and stared at him.
Christopher looked into his wife's eyes and could see the anger forming in it. He let out a long sigh in defeat. His other subjects could wait and somehow it was better keep Katarina calm for as long as he could. With no further resistance, the couple headed to their chambers and released their fire on each other. Also, Katarina deserved to be "punished" for her misbehavior.
Green Hills, Talbot's Manor
She ran. She so ran! She ran just like the old days when she reached the limit of the abuses and mistreats. She used to hide in the Lake Manor and in the safety of her mother's embrace. Her support. She so missed that! Her advises. Her words of wisdom. Her presence…
Now she ran to another manor – her husband's. She didn't have her mother, but had Maggie. She didn't want to feel ungrateful, but her mother-in-law couldn't fit that role she so needed. The safety she needed. The safety from her own dilemmas. The courage to face her final decision.
Seeing Christopher so close, made her ground shake like an earthquake. He still had so much impact in her. She wasn't ready for that confrontation, much less at the presence of his prestigious wife.
Everybody knew Katarina's temper when opposite.
She wasn't ready to face two storms at the same time. So she ran… she ran for her own safety. For his own safety. For their own safeties.
Maggie was in the living room while she watched her newborn grandson. That was her new favorite activity, taking care of her so expected grandson. A child that took almost 10 years to be born. A child that the young girl she once saved her life and of her unborn child's, gave her with her eldest son. A great surprise. The best wedding gift.
An hour passed. Angelique was still alone in her chambers when Maggie came to check on her.
"Angely?"
The redhead remained in silence staring the window
"You saw him, didn't you?" the woman had an exclamation tone
Angelique nodded in confirmation, "How do you know?" she asked turning to the woman
"Because only he has that strong effect on you"
Angelique let out a sigh, "Am I that transparent?"
The woman nodded, "About him yes"
"He's Olly's father…"
"And is also your first love…"
The redhead looked down and turned to stare the window once again
"I'm not judging you, sweetheart. I don't judge you. I know you'd never try to hurt me or my son, but I know Christopher was an important figure in your life. Remarkable… and you two share a bond."
"He thinks Olly is George's son… how can he be so oblivious to their resemblance?"
"Men are slow for those details…"
"He spends time with Olly! Teach him things and has become an inspiration to him… how can't he feel their connection? That it's his blood in Olly's veins?"
The woman stepped closer and placed her hands on the redhead's shoulders in support, "I know it's not an easy decision for you… I know it's hard to face such a painful past and deal with the truth…"
"I don't think he deserves it!"
"Do you still think he abandoned you deliberately?"
Angelique remained in silence
"Didn't his friend told you other things?"
"He could be lying! He didn't tell me where to find Christopher that day seven years ago just to protect Katarina!"
"True, but the things he told you about Christopher and you don't seem to be an act of her protection…"
"He's a player! I don't believe him and I won't believe Christopher either… those three are the same scum for me!"
"So that means you'll break your promise to Olly? That you'd try to find his father?"
"Olly's father is George!"
Margareth Talbot remained in silence. Angelique had been punctual about her position on the matter… Angelique was still too resented with that man…the man she still loved. Her resentment was equal to the love she tried to suppress…the man that took her innocence away.
Unknown Location, Bohma
"Here I take the first step to the throne, a throne that wasn't intended for me, but as the people's desire…" Christopher announced, "Together to the end. For our relatives. For our children. For Bohma" he added
"The plan basically comes down to: infiltrating the castle, kidnapping the king and his family. I have already provided weapons for the invasion" said the army commander Pierce Northman
"And make him sign the renunciation of the throne in favor of Christopher" Katarina added
"And what are we going to do with the king afterwards?" asked Leonard Keane
"I propose that he'll be exiled" Christopher replied.
"This can be a problem! An exiled prince of the crown or a bastard can always reclaim the throne" Katarina said
"This is a non-negotiable condition. I will not have the blood of any sovereign in my hands." His life must be preserved, plus, everybody knows the king of Edonia doesn't have live offspring by now" Katarina's husband spoke determined
"What about the queen? What are we going to do with her?" A rebel asked
"We are fighting for justice, we are not murderers. She shall be exiled too" rebuffed the grand duke
"As soon as we leave the castle with them, Christopher has to be proclaimed the new ruler of Edonia. It is essential to calm the people and gain the support of all" said Pierce
"As soon as the day dawns, I will bring to the people a convocation for his official pronouncement" Katarina replied
"What about king Charles?" a rebel asked
"He is on our side… this is actually for him" Katarina replied almost dryly
.
.
.
The 10th anniversary of Katarina and Christopher's marriage was just an excuse to reunite all the people involved in the invasion of Edonia. After years under the domain of Edonia, leading Bohma to a state of decadence. Charles' diplomatic demeanor and fragile health made him a weak king and unable to free Bohma from the influence of Edonia.
Thank you Pin for the review! :D
A/N: I changed Katarina's name in the 21st from Katherine to Katerina. Her surname will be changed too.
.
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Dilemmas and more dilemmas. Christopher ascending to a throne and Angelique still fearing her past. These two continue postponing the inevitable future. The inevitable truth. The inevitable encounter. They can postpone as much as they want, but the wheel of time always turns.
And sometimes, postpones can cause or bring unnecessary pain...
"Destiny is a sequence of cycles
Nothing truer. When cycles are closed inside you, soon others start. You change your pattern and life changes the answer.
This life-wheel of life always brings pleasant surprises, whose essential purpose is to fulfill destiny.
Destiny can be considered "what comes next," when you are ready for that "after", and prepare for what comes next.
Some would like to call this a lucky destination, but it's nothing like that. Luck is a narrow concept word for this theme. Destiny is life putting you where you did not expect, nor imagined. Destiny is the opportunity that life gives you to use everything that was the fruit of your preparation.
Just change your inner pattern and there it comes, life, fagging and even nearly frightening, inviting to learn something new through unexpected, pleasantly unpredictable ways, designing your personal destiny.
Book: Paths to self love"
