Chapter 17: Epilogue

I don't own anything. Resident Evil belongs to Capcom and Tomb Raider belongs to Core Design, Crystal Dynamics, and I think Square Enix. The only thing I own is the changes made to the stories of the Tomb Raider games/comics and Resident Evil games/comics/CG movies, the person that has taken over Kathrine Warren's life, and Rose Warren. This story also will be bloody, violent, and have cursing. It's rated T for Teen.

Country: Philippine Sea, State: South of Japan, City: Dragon's Triangle, Place: Rescue Vessel, Area: Outer Deck, Month: August, Day: Friday 22nd, Year: 1998, Time: 6:15 AM…

Reyes, Jonah, and Sam sat together on some cargo. Conversing and talking about what they wanted to do when they all got back to their homes. Lara and Kat however were at the rails of the ship. Lara leaning on it with her back braced and Kat looking out at the horizon by leaning on her stomach, Sat phone to her ear, waiting.

"Nice cold mango smoothies." Jonah said smiling at what he wanted once, they hit landfall.

Reyes smiled. "Alisha making me waffles before her ballet class."

"Need anything?" A shipmate asked Lara and Kat.

Lara shook her head as she looked to the others from her journal. Kat shook her head smiling slightly before pointing at her phone.

"Don't rightly know what happened to you on that island." The crewmate said leaning on the railing and eyeing Lara and Kat's wounds. "An' judging from those wounds and that look in your eyes, I'm guessin' I don't wanna know." Lara looked down and away from him as Kat stepped away looking down. "Anyway, we'll be home soon." He then turned and walked away from them.

Lara looked down at her journal, to a page with a map. "I'm not going home." She stated simply then looked to the rising sun.

Kat then heard her phone connect. "Chris?"

"Oh my god! Kat, are you okay? You've been missing for four days and the last thing I heard was you were getting off the island. What happened?" Chris breathed sounding both panicked and relived.

"In a manner of speaking, yeah." Kat nodded looking at her bandaged hand. "We got off the island two days ago. Been at sea since then." She sighed going to the railing.

"Tell me what happened. I need to know everything." Chris demanded. "Wait, have you called your dad?"

"Yeah." Kat sighed as she rubbed her locket. "He and Rose are going to meet me at the airport once I'm cleared for travel…from a hospital in Japan."

"What the fuck happened that you need to go to a hospital?" Chris asked.

"A lot, Chris." She told him looking to Lara who was watching her. "My own Mansion incident."

"What?" Chris asked sounding like he was horrified.

Kat told him everything. From the first storm to blowing up Himiko. She took a breath before explaining about all the notes and evidence she had found.

"Umbrella was there, Chris." She told him. "They were working with a group called Trinity."

"You're sure it was Umbrella, Kat?" Chris asked his tone serious.

"I was born and raised in Raccoon, Chris." Kat told him. "I know the Umbrella logo when I see it."

"So, you have evidence? What kind?" Chris asked.

"Yes. A diary, a mission order, and a telegram." Kat reported her tone as serious as his.

"Keep it to yourself as long as you can. When you get the opportunity, get it to Jill. She'll know what to do with it." Chris told her. "So…we need to talk about the other thing you mentioned. The memory thing."

Kat lowered her head as Lara joined the others by then. "I'm not lying, Chris. I'm not joking either."

"Okay. Zombies and ghosts are real, why not weird memories of the future gained because of reincarnation." Chris stated, and although he phrased it like a joke, his tone was anything but joking. "How far ahead do these memories go?"

Kat closed her eyes a moment trying to remember then opened her eyes. "The year 2022."

"Shit…" Chris breathed. "That far?"

"Yeah." Kat took a breath looking to the group. "I know a lot."

"Damn…" He paused as if contemplating. "Look, I'd ask you more about what you know…But after what you went through…I won't press anything. But talk with Jill as much as you can." Another pause. "I'll write down my questions and wait for you to call me when you're ready to answer them."

Kat bit her lip. "Chris…" She looked down. "Wesker's alive."

A long pause.

"And I had my reasons for going on this expedition…other than adding to my resume." Kat said. "The T-virus gets released on accident in Raccoon on the 23rd of September."

"What? Back up. Wesker's alive? How? He was stabbed through the chest and back!" Chris asked shocked at that.

"I can't quite remember; I don't have my timeline journal on me. It's in my room at my dad's." Kat told him. "From what I remember, he injected himself with something prior to being killed. It brought him back with Viper eyes, enhanced speed, and strength. Probably more than that, I think agility, durability and balance. Basically, he's a vampire now but without the blood drinking and burning in the sun."

She heard Chris groan. "That sounds so stupid."

"I know." Kat nodded.

"Okay, Raccoon…" Chris sighed. "T gets released there? On the 23rd next month?"

"And the outbreak goes on until the 1st of October. When they nuke the city." Kat told him.

"Get your daughter and get out of the city." Chris told her.

"I can't do that…" Kat told him. "Dad said the moment I get back I'll be under surveillance. I will not be allowed to leave the city." She took a breath. "I will also not leave Sherry there or…"

"Or?" Chris asked sounding ticked with Kat's father. "Or what, Kat?"

"Claire comes to the city on the 29th. She's looking for you because you'd been radio silent and didn't tell her you left." Kat looked down. "And if I tell her when I call her…she'll probably come to the city for me."

Chris growled. "Then don't tell her anything except that I'm on vacation."

"Did you not hear me, Chris?" Kat asked as Lara looked over. "You know how close Claire and I are. All three of us are like siblings. If I tell her that you're on vacation yeah, she might believe it, but the moment I lose contact with her in the outbreak, she'll come to the city for me and Rose."

She heard him sigh as Lara walked over. "Kat…"

"I'll keep Claire safe. But she can hold her own." Kat assured gently.

He sighed. Kat knew that he knew how stubborn the three of them were. "Okay, then tell me this. If Claire, as you've implied, gets out of the city, what happened to you?"

Kat swallowed as Lara put a hand on her shoulder, knowing the slight fear on her face. "I died. In every version of the timeline. I died."

"What? Then what about Rose?" Chris asked sounding worried.

"She wasn't born…it was just me." Kat told him as she rubbed her locket.

"How…how did you…?" He didn't know how to ask.

"Irons kills me." Kat said with venom. "That's part of why I was scared of him."

"Was?" Chris asked as Kat looked to Lara and then the horizon.

"Now? Now I will kill him, Chris. He sent orphans to Umbrella for their experiments. He has been eyeing me like some sick fuck since I was 12. I know he's responsible for way more dark shit than just all that." She gritted her teeth. "After this Island…I'm done being afraid of him."

"You can't kill him, Kat." Chris said as she felt Lara tighten her grip on her shoulder. "But start building a case against him."

Kat sighed as she loosened her grip on her phone and looked down. "Yeah…I know."

"I'm going to let you go. Call once you've been cleared from the hospital." Chris told her.

Kat nodded. "Okay. Bye." She hung up and leaned on the railing. "This is so tiring."

"Come on. Get some rest." Lara told her.

Kat sighed and nodded as she joined Lara with the others. Once seated, the others looked to Lara, Sam, and Kat.

"So, what are you guys plans for when we get home?" Reyes asked.

"I'm going to take a long bath. With scented candles and bubbles." Sam smiled.

"That sounds amazing." Lara nodded. "But I think I'll look into my father's research."

"Hug my daughter. Maybe take her to the zoo." Kat said smiling a bit.

Smiles all around, but then Lara's fell.

"So…the 23rd of September?" Lara began making everyone else's faces fall. "What's your new plan?"

Country: Japan, State: Okinawa, City: Chatan, Place: Naval Hospital Okinawa, Area: Hospital room 06, Month: August, Day: Saturday 23rd, Year: 1998, Time: 7:16 AM…

"…stay in the city. No matter the reason, Kathrine! Do you hear me?! You will not be allowed to leave until I deem you are trusted and able!" Michel Warren yelled sternly at Kat as she sat in her hospital bed. "Say it back to me so I know you're listening!"

Kat nodded. "When I get home, I am not to leave the city until you deem me stable of mind and body." She stated almost robotically. "Dad, I don't care about that. I just care about holding Rose close. Keeping her safe."

He sighed. "I know. You know I care. Rose has been beside herself with worry. You called every day for a lullaby or story. When it was two days without one of either, she started thinking that her mother was on an adventure and would call the next day to tell her all about it. Then you didn't and she got very scared, and she started crying the day after." He explained again making Kat feel worse. "So, when you called from getting rescued and told her a very concise story…she wasn't crying but doesn't want to talk to me anymore."

"Dad, I get it." Kat told him calmly as she looked at her IV on her bandaged hand. "I know. I was scared too. Don't you get that?" She asked as her grip tightened on the phone she held with her good hand. "The whole time I was on that rock, getting hurt, attacked, and surviving, do you know what kept me going? Rose. The thought of her not knowing what happened to her mother, the thought of leaving her alone like my mom scared me to death. So, I fought for her. I survived for her." She took a shaking breath. "As a parent, I'd assume you'd get that it's our kids the keep us fighting."

She heard a deep intake of air. Then she heard it release. "I do. Kathrine, I get it. You were scared too. But I still believe that you never should've gone on that expedition." He told her.

"I know, dad. But please stop punishing me. I and my daughter have gone through enough torture." She told him as she loosened her grip on the phone. "Now…please, let me talk to my baby."

He sighed as if it was a small chore. "Fine. You're right. She's your child."

Kat heard the sounds of walking then her father's muffled voice saying, 'It's mommy in Japan.' Then the sound was muffled before a tiny voice that sounding exited came on.

"MOMMY!" Rose's little voice rang out. "Are you really in Japan now!? Like where Pokémon is!?"

Kat chuckled and nodded smiling with joy at hearing her daughter. "Yes, where Pokémon comes from, Rose." She told her feeling tears of joy in her eyes.

"I wanna hear everything! Tell me! Grampa's been boring and mean!" Rose called sounding both annoyed and exited.

Kat smiled as she gripped her locket tightly. "I'll tell you everything when I get home. I promise."

"Okay." Rose's voice seemed to pout. "Are you going to bring back things for the memories like you said before?" She asked sounding curious.

Kat smiled. "Yeah. I will. What would you like?"

"A lucky cat!" Rose beamed. "A cute black kitty!"

Kat laughed and smiled. "Well, we can't have a real cat right now. But I can get you a really cute stuffed kitty."

"YES!" She heard Rose call out. "I love you, mommy! And I miss you!"

"I miss and love you too, Rose. I'll see you at the airport." Kat told her seeing a nurse come in.

"I'll make the best welcome home sign ever! It'll have glitter! And puffy paint! Just like you showed me how to make!" Rose called and then hung up in her excitement.

Kat chuckled as the nurse smiled and came over.

"Was that you daughter?" The nurse asked smiling with heavily accented English.

"Yes, it was. She's very happy to know I'll be home soon." Kat smiled to her.

"She shouldn't have to wait too long. The doctor told me that you and the others in the clear." She informed Kat. "You and Miss Croft had the worst of the injuries and I'm very shocked that neither of you got an infection."

"That's good to know. Once we were safe, I was worried about that." Kat admitted nodding.

Hello! Thank you to all who've read and reviewed. This has been a good one. The story will continue in…The Outbreak!