The characters from the game belong to Capcom. The OC's and story background belong to me.
Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
A/N: I'm not English native speaker, so you might find some typos or grammar mistakes, I do apologize for that.
United States, Chris' Apartment, January 2013
Katerina was breastfeeding baby Christian while talking to Eliza who was 7 months pregnant with a girl and held Melissa who had just finished nursing on Kate.
"Liz, another tip, when you finish breastfeeding your baby, you have to put them upright for a while to avoid reflux which can be very dangerous and they might end up drowning and the worst will happen"
"I'll keep that in mind!"
"So tell me, how are things going between you and Piers this far into your pregnancy?"
"We are anxious, but I guess I'm more than him since he already has Kyan, but we're looking forward to have our Karolina in our arms soon"
"I'm sure he's anxious to meet his princess too despite having a prince already, but just like you I'm also looking forward to meeting her!"
Eliza smiled caressing her belly, "I'm writing down all your tips, but I confess there are times I feel so scared..."
"That's absolutely normal sis! I feel scared even nowadays, after all, there is no manual on how to be a parent!"
"Not really... But you don't seem to get scared of being a mother... you always look so confident and you're always able to guess what the twins want..."
Kate giggled, "It's a natural ability I have, not to show some of my deepest insecurities... but it's not always that I guess right what they want. It's a matter of trying and test everything until you get it"
"I see… Another thing I'm still so scared is of the labor…"
"I was afraid of it too! Even more for being twins!"
"You really were born for this Kate… I'm pregnant with only one child and I'm so scared to death, I can't how terrified I'd be if there were two or more!"
"Liz, the truth is that I was only capable of doing it thanks to Henry. I was capable of delivering my children naturally and healthily only because of him..."
"I know that, but you were pregnant before his help, were not you?"
Dingdong
The bell rang interrupting their conversation.
"I'll answer it" Eliza said
"No, you stay there. I'll answer it"
Kate rose from the couch as she continued to nurse Christian and headed for the door. She looked through the peephole and smiled before opening the door.
"Nick!" She greeted him with a friendly smile
"Hello, Kate. Are we disturbing you?"
"Of course not Nick, you're always welcomed!"
"Hi, Auntie Kate!" A duo of children greeted the young brunette cheerfully
"Hello kids, what a wonderful surprise to see you!" Kate greeted them back with a broad smile and invited them in.
Nick and the children greeted Eliza as well.
"What do I owe to your sudden and wonderful visit?" Kate asked after offering some tidbits to the guests
"Daddy was worried about you..."
Nick raised his hand to his hair in distress with the honesty of his firstborn girl.
Kate looked at him who tried to disguise his embarrassed face which made her laugh at his reaction.
"Kids, what do you think of me helping me get little Melissa to sleep in her room?" Eliza suggested realizing that Kate wanted to stay alone with Nick
The children looked at their father who consented them to help the young pregnant girl.
They watched the children and Eliza disappear into the hallway so Kate made a comment, "Nick, I gotta tell you, I love your kids! They're so adorable and fun!"
"I love them too despite they putting me in embarrassing moments"
"They are children Nick. They are pure and innocent, they don't do it to embarrass you"
"I know that, but they don't have to be so slip tongued..."
"Did they lie?"
"No"
"So relax Nick. Not everything is pure discipline as in the life of the military and please take a sit"
He sat on her side, "Agreed, but tell me. How are things going? I heard that Chris had an accident last month"
"Yes he did"
"How is he doing?"
"He's still recovering in Edonia"
"Oh I see. He's a tough guy, I'm sure he'll get over it soon, and so will you"
"It's true... I'm taking life as it is... There's nothing I can do but take care of the house and my children while waiting for some news about their father"
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Your concern and your visit with the kids was a great idea to distract me. Thank you Nick!"
"You know I hate to see you sad and I know that despite that smile on your face, I know that inside you are desolate"
"You know me too well, Nick..."
"I just learned to look between your lines, Kate..."
"As a great observer you've always been!"
"That's what happens when you love someone..."
"Nick..."
"Kate, don't get me wrong. I didn't come to try to get your heart out knowing that Chris is away. I just couldn't help commenting that this was what I did with you when we had our chance when we were dating"
"I haven't misunderstood you, Nick. Just as you know me I also know you and I know of your feelings for me and I've told you that you were the best part of my adolescence! It was the best 3 uninterrupted years I've ever lived to this day!"
"It would have been more if it had not been for the damn job!"
"Nick, we've talked about this..."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm not helping you by talking about the past..."
"Nick, at least we have a beautiful past to remember this time... And everything was so beautiful and wonderful between us, and we're still lucky enough to be here right now. You know you do me so good and I'm very happy to see you after such a troubled year. I thought I would never see you again after that day in my bedroom in Hanover..."
"I needed a time to sink in everything, but I made a promise, did not I? I'm fulfilling it, or at least part of it, since I came to break Chris's face because making you cry..."
She bit her lips in an attempt to keep her sadness but it was in vain as she burst into tears on his shoulder.
Flashback
Hanover, December 25, 2011
It was Christmas morning, Kate was at home with her mother. The young brunette had woken up very unwell, nauseated and dizzy, and still remained in bed.
"How are you feeling today, daughter?" Olga asked, entering the room and sat in the chair next to her daughter's bed.
"I'm still sick mom, it looks like I'm in hangover. Could it be for yesterday's wine sip?"
"I don't think it was the wine. This is not the first time you complain about being tired, dizzy and nauseous"
"But today is worse..."
"Kate, you need to eat more. This may be due to malnutrition"
"But I eat..."
"Very little Kate. That is not right"
"I can't eat more if I'm not hungry, and if I get hungry I feel bad...it's hard dealing with this!"
"That's because you're still thinking about that bastard!"
"Mom! Don't talk like that about him"
"I do talk about him, it's the truth! It's his fault that I'm losing my girl"
"What a drama! I'm not dying!"
"You are... inside."
"I love him…"
"This is not love. It's obsession"
"They're all the same to me..."
"They're not! And I thought Douglas was a problem..."
"Don't ever compare him to that disgusting Douglas! There's no comparison between them!" Kate shouted
"True, they're tarred with the same brush!"
"Mom, please, you're not helping me!" Kate grunted and picked up the cell phone that was ringing over the nightstand.
Olga left the room letting out a long and heavy sigh. It didn't matter how much she tried to avoid criticizing her ex-son-in-law, there were still moments she could not avoid speaking out her dislike for him, especially when she saw her daughter looking sick and thinner than usual.
Olga knew her daughter was the type to lose her appetite when she was stressed, but that crisis was lingering longer than she wanted. The woman had even been hopeful that things would get back to normal when she learned that Kate had decided to give Nicholas a chance of reconciliation. In the first week everything was fine, but for the last three days Kate complained of sickness, which coincided with Nick's trip to visit his children for Christmas.
Kate rose from the bed and went to take a shower to get ready to meet Nicholas who had just arrived from the trip, as he had promised. He was keeping the promise of spending the 25th with her and the New Year's Eve as well.
The young brunette did not give much satisfaction to the mother, just told her that she would go out to spend the day with Nick.
As Kate passed by the room where Olga was, the older woman watched her daughter wearing a black top attached to her body and black leggings. Kate's clothing was drawing the girl's body and it was only on that day that Olga noticed an extra curve in her daughter's silhouette. A subtle curve, but that in Kate's lean body was evident. It made no sense for Kate to have a tummy when she barely ate.
Sitting on the couch, Olga rested her head on the elbow-bent hand on the arm of the couch as she thrashed with suspicion.
(*)
Nicholas took Kate to a restaurant and sat chatting on the porch waiting for the order.
"So you argued with your mother again?"
"I may have had problems with Chris, but that doesn't give her the right to speak so badly about him, much less compare him to the disgusting Douglas!"
"I understand her... she's a mother and she cares about you. It's very painful for us parents to feel so helpless before the suffering of our children"
"I understand her concern, Nick, but she should be more sensitive to my pain as well. Criticism doesn't help and only makes things worse!"
"I know Kate. I understand you, too."
"I know you understand me and that's why I feel so good with you..."
"You can be sure that her critics are not really to hurt you"
"But it hurts and she knows it!"
"Love, each person deals with frustrations in a way. Each one deals with the pains in a way. Each one deals with fears in a way."
"Why can't she be like you? I know you don't like Chris, but you don't talk shit about him that ends up in hurting me even more..."
"Kate..." he grabbed her grip in support
The young brunette felt a slight dizziness, "Nick... let's stop talking about it. It's not making me feel good"
"All right, love... let's talk about good things..."
Kate's discomfort passed again, and the couple continued to talk about his trip to see his children who lived in Baltimore.
After the meal, the couple walked to Nicholas's car when Kate felt unwell again, and this time the young brunette lost consciousness. Nick managed to prevent his girlfriend from falling and held her, and then took her to the car to take her to the hospital.
As he tucked her into the passenger seat, Kate regained consciousness and opened her eyes wide as she seemed to be seeing Chris running toward the car.
"Chris!" She whispered
Nick frowned in confusion, "I'm Nick..."
Kate looked to the side, not to look at Nick, she recognized him, but to see the muscular man behind him.
"Kate..."
Nick looked frightened back at the loud, masculine voice, and faced the strong, muscular man in a black coat and black pants.
At the sight of the man Nicholas felt a sharp pain in the head.
At the sight of the man Chris his hands trembled involuntarily.
"So you're Chris?"
"So you're Nicholas?"
"How did you find us here? Were you following us? "Nicholas questioned staring at the captain of the BSAA.
Chris took a deep breath and remained silent, turning his gaze to Kate who was staring at him from inside the car. It was quite obvious that he had followed them.
"I'm going to take her to the hospital. If you want to know what she has, just follow us..."
"The Kennedy mark really runs in your veins"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're petulant!"
"And you an asshole!"
Chris gritted his teeth and frowned at Nick.
The pair of emerald eyes and the pair of hazel eyes stared up in a silent duel.
Internally, Nicholas did not feel that he owed respect to the former commander. To him, Christopher was his tormentor and the same old fool.
Internally, Chris was restrained by the remorse of the mistake, but he couldn't help feeling jealous for the young man whom he judged to be inferior.
Old rivals in love were reunited after nearly a three centuries gap.
Kate was astonished to watch her lovers, "Guys... please, don't fight"
"We're not fighting, honey." Chris responded
"This is man's talk, love"
"I'm not really feeling well right now..." she replied to them holding her head
Without further ado, Nicholas drove to the hospital and Chris followed his car.
While Kate was being treated by the doctor, Nicholas and Chris waited at the reception. An embarrassing mutual silence reigned between them. The meet of the ex and the current boyfriend of Kate.
Katerina's two loves side by side.
Two men who had so much to say to each other, but their huge masculine pride prevented them from opening up.
In silence they remained, consciously ignoring one another's presence.
The doctor in charge of the young brunette called them to know who was responsible for her.
"I am" the two spoke at the same time
The doctor made a face and asked a new question, "Who is the boyfriend?"
"I am" Nicholas replied
Chris let out a heavy sigh rolling his eyes.
"Are you Chris?" The doctor asked Nick.
"No. My name is Nicholas Kennedy, I am the boyfriend and responsible for her."
"Ah I see. So you're Chris, her ex-boyfriend, right?" The doctor turned to Chris
"Yes I am. How's Kate doing?" Chris asked
"She is fine"
"Can I see her?" Nick asked.
"You can see her, but first I need to talk to you both"
"What happened?" Chris asked in concern
"Come to my office, I'll explain there"
The two men looked at each other sharing the same feeling and curiosity and followed the doctor.
"Before we begin, I'd like to ask if you two have a courteous relationship with each other or would you rather talk to me separately?"
"Is it that bad?" Nicholas asked worried.
"It's not serious, but I want to make sure I can avoid a scandal between alpha males"
"I can control myself. I'm not temperamental man" Nick replied with a slight sarcasm.
Chris took a deep breath, "Me too..." he said almost sharply.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Lady, with all due respect, don't worry about us. We won't break each other's faces in here, the priority is Kate's health. So please, let's get to the point! "Chris said impatiently
The doctor closed the office door after the men sat in the chairs in front of her desk.
"After examining Miss Göbel and after performing the preliminary clinical analysis, I decided to perform some preliminary tests on her and asked her to take the urine pregnancy test even after she reported about the physical conditions of her uterus"
"And what was the result?" Nicholas asked apprehensively.
"Positive"
"Positive?" Chris repeated in surprise.
"Yes"
"And who's the father?" Nicholas asked.
"That's the reason for our conversation. After urinalysis, I asked for a blood test, but even it may be inaccurate, so as part of the beginning of her prenatal care, we can only be certain about the gestational age after the first ultrasonography in which I will measure the size of the fetus, it may add some error in the accuracy of gestational age for two weeks or less two weeks in a pregnancy of a woman with normal cycle, but as Mrs. Göbel reported the fact of the long menstrual irregularity, then most likely we will only be sure about the paternity after the DNA test if you two have had sex with her in close periods"
Chris played with his fingers nervously. Nicholas's moved his feet nervously. Their hearts beat fast. The two men were stunned by the news of Katerina's pregnancy, but only one of them would have the DNA being carried in the uterus of the beautiful young brunette.
As Nicholas listened to the doctor's explanation, he could intuitively feel that the most likely fatherhood of Kate's child was Chris – for his frustration.
Intuitively, Chris sensed that it was his DNA being mixed with Kate's, even though his mind tried to sabotage him and make him think it was Nicholas'.
"I'm not sleeping with her for that long."
"For how long are you sleeping with her?"
"Two weeks"
"And you?" The doctor looked at Chris.
"The last time I slept with her was in the first week of November"
"I see. Miss Göbel said that she only had sex with you two, so one of you…"
"I'm sorry for interrupting you doc, but even with so little time, would it still be possible to be mine?"
"Yes, but honestly there is a remote possibility of detection in such a recent pregnancy through urinalysis since implantation of the embryo occurs about 2 weeks after fertilization"
"So the highest probability is that it's his child?" Nick asked moving his head without looking at the man at his side
"Yes"
"But could she not realize she's pregnant all this long?"
"Yes. This happens more often to women with long periods of irregular menstruation"
"But what about the symptoms? She should've felt something different, no?" Chris questioned.
"She had no classic symptoms, only recently did she start to feel sick more often, but because she's eating too little since your break up, we all thought that's the cause of her malaise" Nick explained.
"Did she stop eating?" Chris asked startled with the news
"Yes. She loses appetite when she gets very tense or stressed"
"Could this be a problem for the pregnancy?" Chris asked, starting to be very concerned about Kate's delicate condition
"Yes, especially at this early stage when the baby's main system is being developed"
"Dammit..." Chris cursed covering his head with his hands, feeling some remorse for being so reluctant to see Kate before
Again he was not there with her at such a crucial moment in his and Kate's life, and a dreadful fear consumed him by thinking that because of him Kate could not fulfill her biggest dream, and lose the child because of the stupidity of his proud.
While Chris was immersed in emotional remorse, Nicholas was plunged into the pain of losing Kate forever. He was so close to being back with her, but now he felt they were so far away, and even without the confirmation of the DNA test, he could sense Redfield's DNA fusing to Kate's and uniting them for the rest of their lives.
After discovering the pregnancy, a swirl of feelings invaded Kate and her focus was all in the gestation.
The year of 2012 was just beginning, and Kate's tests indicated that she might be having multiple pregnancies or the pregnancy was more advanced than she thought.
To Kate's surprise - and everyone's - she was 11 weeks pregnant and with twins, and this accelerated and intensified the care for the young mother's high-risk pregnancy.
A twin pregnancy alone was one to worry about in a woman with normal uterus, but a woman with Kate's uterus pregnancy became even more at risk and all about rest, constant care and stress prevention were needed for the success of pregnancy .
January 7, 2012
Kate was in the room packing her belongings. She and Chris had talked and with the discovery of the pregnancy the focus of the conversation stayed more on his apology and his suggestion for her to come back to New York for him to give her a better assistance, but that did not mean they had reconciled as a couple, after all, there were still some things they had to discuss, but that should wait because of her fragility.
She agreed, but she was not going back to New York before arranging her and her mother's life, and without resolving her situation with Nick.
Nicholas had already sensed that he had lost her on December 25, 2011, but that did not make it any easier to face the definitive ending of their relationship, since it was already obvious that Kate still loved Chris.
While Chris had to return to New York due to work, Kate and her mother set a date with Chris to move on January 7.
Knowing that Chris was not in town yet, Nick decided to visit Kate that Sunday morning, and before heading to the young brunette's bedroom, Nick and Olga talked for a while. Olga was sorry that things were like this, and she did not hide that she still preferred him as a son-in-law instead of Chris.
Kate was seated resting on the bed when she heard someone knocking on the door. She smiled faintly at Nick as she greeted him, but the sadness of his defeat in love was on his countenance again.
"How are you?" He asked, breaking the ice.
"We are fine. We are resting... as the usual"
"Do you need help with something?"
"Not for now, I'd rather talk to you"
"Our last conversation?"
"Don't talk like that... I'm just moving to New York - again - but that doesn't mean we should stop talking..."
"I'm sorry Kate, but I don't think the brute will let you keep having contact with your ex-boyfriend"
"He doesn't have to allow anything, he doesn't boss me"
"He won't like to know that"
"Who decides what I like is me and not him. It's not up to him to decide who I keep in touch with or not, besides, I'm not coming back to him. The change is only for my children and I have better health assistance"
He chuckled, "I know that, but it's pretty obvious that you guys will reconcile... you still love him..."
"Are you giving up on me that easy Nick, again?"
"I'm not giving up, but I know my limits to endure the suffering of another amorous delusion...with you…"
"Disillusionment is not just yours, it's mine, too."
"But you will be very close to the one you love. I won't..."
"So close but so far Nick..."
"As in?"
"Did you know that I'm now allowed to be "touched" until at least my birthday this year because of pregnancy and postpartum?"
"I figured when the doctor said the pregnancy was risky..."
"Yes, and that's why I'm already preparing my psychological frame to handle seeing Chris using his "freedom", while I'll be "cooking" his children in my womb and then adjusting to motherhood. Until then, nothing will stop him from falling in love with another woman, living his adventures or even continuing his mom and dad play with dull Cathy..."
"A true idiot will be him if he uses this "freedom" when he was the one who got you like this..."
"Would you wait having the permission of loving me with no sex like that for a year?"
"Absolutely! It would be a wait for a beautiful reason. It would not be a sacrifice to wait the mother of my children to generate them in her womb and give life to two parts of us... and alias, for me, love and sex are not the same, although they complement each other. And I also know there are other ways you can give pleasure to those who wait. Sex is not just about penetration..."
"I know that... but that's not only the reason why I tell you that I'm not reconciling with him, we still have issues that we'll solve only next year..."
"Why only next year?"
"Oh, well, I don't know... For me this year belongs to my pregnancy! Honestly I don't have the mod to discuss relationship with him... I know I love him, but I think we're very worn..."
"Worn out with only 3 months of relationship?"
She laughed, "See, Nick? You make me laugh like an idiot and I love it! He doesn't do this to me for sure!"
He sat down next to her and hugged her, and then stroked her belly, "So you're asking me to wait for you?"
"No... I'd never ask you to wait, because I have no guarantees to give you and I understand you need your time away from me, but I am asking you to stop this farewell talk and do not abandon me when he makes me cry... but if what I ask is too much for you, I beg your forgiveness for me for not being able to choose you forever..."
"If he makes you cry I'll break his face, I promise you that!"
She laughed out loud, "And you already have my permission! Just do not leave him unrecognizable, okay?"
(*)
Even heartbroken, Nicholas had the strength to face the rival as who was standing in front of his car with his arms folded over his chest in front of Kate's building.
"I hope you save forever and in a very special place of your memory the last kiss she gave you" Chris spoke with sarcasm
Nicholas laughed contemptuously, "Were you spying on us as always?"
"No... I just had a bad-timing, but I decided on the welfare of my children and my fiancé to not cause unnecessary stress"
"She is not your fiancé"
"But she loves me"
"Yes, she loves you, but if I were you I would not have it for granted... thanks to you bastard manners you're managing to lose her, and you'll lose her for good! She started to move on and with me! And she asked me not to abandon her, although she did not have to ask for it, because I'm not the scoundrel you are, and unlike you I have a word and I promised to never abandon her and break your face if you made her cry!"
Chris sensed the teasing and came closer to Nick and glared at him, "Listen to me, idiot, I have respect for your brother, but none for you! So I'm warning you in a friendly way, stay away from Kate!"
"Or what Chris? Will kill me? You can be sure that if anything happens to me the first suspicious name on the list will be yours!" He replied by pushing Chris away
"I'm not going to kill you, but I'm going to break your damn face too!"
"So do it Chris! Break my face!" Nick provoked him gesturing with his hands without being intimidated, "Show who you really are. A wild beast! Let everyone see how aggressive you can be and the bullshit hero you are!"
"Shut up!"
"I won't shut up! Just as you have no respect for me I have none for you either! For me you should disappear from the life of Kate and everyone's, because you only cause pain and suffering for those who love you! You are a selfish and stupid bastard for not giving value to your friends, to your family! I pity those children carrying your blood and not mine!"
Chris squeezed his fingers tightly to keep control of himself so as not to react against Nicholas physically, but his will was to get his hand on the younger Kennedy's face and teach him a lesson.
"I'm not going to waste my time with you, and I hope Kate and the others have seen how sneaky you are! For every explosion of mine there is a provocation of someone else"
"I'm not provoking, I'm just speaking the truth!"
"Your truth!"
"Am I lying Chris Redfield? Am I lying when I say that you don't value the people around you? That you are a selfish, cowardly and scoundrel who plays with the love of your partners? Am I lying when I say that people die because of you or are debilitated because you are useless and need others to sacrifice themselves for you? Have you forgotten what happened to my sister-in-law? Or others who I won't mention the name?"
"Get the fuck out of my face or I won't respond for myself!" Chris shoved Nick past his shoulder as he headed for the entrance of the building
"I respond for myself and you can be sure that I won't leave Kate's life as you wish just to make her suffer! I will always defend her from you and I'll never abandon her as you always do!"
End of Flashback
Katerina lifted her head from his shoulder after feeling more relieved. Nicholas had the gift of cheering her up in the worst moments and this was one of them. She realized that her son had stopped breastfeeding, but he was still wide awake, so she placed him against her shoulder to prevent the reflux and massaged his back.
Nicholas watched the 5-month-old boy looking at him and smiled. Nicholas smiled back at him. Looking closely, there was no doubt that the Redfield gene ran in his veins, and he recalled that he thought it was ridiculous that Chris had asked for a DNA test to confirm the obvious paternity. The baby had dark hair like his parents, Kate's skin color. Physically he was a mixture of both. The shape of the head was Chris's. The forehead and nose were Kate's. His eyes and lips were a mixture of both.
Kate noticed that Christian and Nicholas were playing and it made her smile too.
"He likes you"
"I like him too!"
"It's not because he's my son, but Christian is a great baby. Did I tell you he was born smiling?"
"Yes, you told me"
"Christian is a happy baby since birth"
"What about Mel?"
"She's a good girl too, but she's more serious than him"
"Is he the oldest?"
"Yes, he's the big brother"
"I can see he has a lot of energy too"
"Tell me about it! I don't know what sleep is anymore"
"That's the price for being a parent" he said playfully
"Yeah I know and I'm not complaining, actually they give me the strength to endure this moment. Luckily they're too young to understand everything that's going on and so they don't absorb the sad atmosphere around them, and I try to take that as a motivation to not let my kids see how much worried I'm for Chris"
"You're right doing that, as you know that stress can affect the production of your milk"
"I know"
"If I can help you with anything, just let me know, will you?"
She smiled at him nodding in agreement, "You always worried and taking care of me, huh!"
"I care about you"
"I know... and that's why sometimes I find myself wondering what things would have been like if circumstances had been different... If I had chosen you... If I had not gotten pregnant..."
Flashback
It was a winter afternoon, Katarina was alone in her room playing the piano to occupy her mind and divert her disturbing thoughts while Christopher was with their children in the castle garden playing with the snow.
Katarina was so engrossed in the exaltation of feelings by her fingers that she had not realized there was an "audience" watching her, and it was only after she stopped playing that she noticed Nicholas's presence.
"It's a beautiful song, but with a sad melody..." he commented.
"It is called 'Somewhere in Past'"
"Do you have a sad past?"
"Actually it is the opposite... it is in the past that my happiness lies..."
"And what keeps you from being happy in the present? Your Highness has everything..."
"That money can buy..." she completed his sentence, "But there is something money cannot buy..." she said as she walked to the window and looked at the children playing in the snow with their father. The children looked so happy. Christopher's countenance also showed joy.
"What cannot money buy?" Nicholas asked even as he imagined the obvious answer.
"Love. Freedom..."
"Freedom can be bought"
"A freedom based on sacrifice and tears... longing, is worse than a prison..."
"And why do you keep stuck in your unhappiness?"
"I am not totally unhappy. I am happy with my children"
"What about your husband?"
"You know the answer"
"That's why I ask you, is it worth keeping yourself in solitude at two?"
"I know Christopher loves me somewhere there deep in him..."
"And you will live forever waiting for this improbable bloom?"
"That is what we do when you love, is not it?"
"Not necessarily... beautiful gardens need constant fertilization and care, dedication. You do it all and yet look at what you reap... an ever more infertile soil... just in the name of a faint hope..."
"Faint hope and 4 children!"
"You're the mother, you can take them with you wherever you go"
"And he is the father!"
"In our society the children are responsibility and always stay with the mother"
"Christopher may have failed as a husband, but he is an excellent father!"
"That's just excuse you tell yourself to not leave him... nothing would stop him from visiting them, just like I do with mine..."
"And where would I go with my children? How would I live with my children always asking for their father? How would I react when my children missed him?"
"You know, ma'am... I honestly don't think you should make such an extreme decision, but you could take time just for yourself away from him, and enjoy your freedom... some people need to feel that they have lost what they had for granted..."
Katarina smiled at his suggestion, "Like a scare?"
"Yes, as a scare..."
"I have done this before at the beginning of our marriage. It definitely was not planned, but it worked...He came after me."
"It could work out better now due to your brilliant strategic mind..."
"That is what I like about you Nick... You understand me, you listen to me and give me great ideas!"
He smiled, remaining silent.
"I will need your help to do that"
"I am always at your disposal"
She smiled largely, "It is Christopher's turn to feel the loneliness I have felt all these years. It is time for him to feel like he is losing me forever!"
Disregard they were being watched, Christopher only listened to the end of their conversation.
End of Flashback
Lake House
Angelina immediately knelt down next to Chris and tried to wake him uselessly. The man did not respond and the preoccupation took over the redhead.
Outside, a mist was beginning to form, and Angelina's heart raced as she heard footsteps approaching the barn.
"Love and fate go hand in hand." A middle-aged woman with dark hair curled up to her shoulder, wearing a black medieval-style tunic said as she entered the location walking slowly
Angelina quickly recognized the mysterious woman who had always appeared at crucial moments since ancient times, and was known as Moirai.
"I need help, he's unconscious!"
"He is fine"
"He's not fine at all. He does not know who he is!"
"You have a great opportunity at hand..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He is not in this condition by chance. There are issues he has to face and stop running from his own responsibilities... just like you"
"Me?"
Moirai stared at her in silence. She was not the one to explain their fate and the choices they made, and its consequences.
The mysterious woman looked at the unconscious man and knelt beside him and touched his forehead, then looked at Angelina, "What will you do this time? Will you do the right thing? Will you be selfish? Or both?"
Angelina felt her heart throb in her chest as if it were leaping into her throat as she felt the brown eyes of the woman staring at her with a serious and deep expression as if she was reading through her soul.
"To whom much is given, from him much is expected..." Moirai whispered before disappearing in the blink of an eye of Angelina when noticed Chris waking
Angelina searched for Moirai uselessly, and so she turned her attention to Chris who seemed to be in astonished.
"I need to go home!" He said standing up quickly.
"The guards are still out there" the young woman replied.
"I'll take another route... But I cannot allow Katarina to run away with her lover!"
"What?"
"Angely... Lend me the boat. I'm going home by the river"
"This is impossible..."
"Please Angely, my children need their mother! I know I haven't been one of the best husbands, but my children don't have to pay for my mistakes!"
"But Chris..."
"Angely..." he whispered and took her arms, feeling her skin icy.
And at that moment when he felt Angelina's cold skin, another confused memory was activated. The memory of the moment Angelique had died in "his" arms. The quick sequences of images made him look startled again at the redhead before him.
Who was she in fact? Surely there was something different about her, but she so resembled Angelique.
"Chris... I don't know how to explain this to you, but your family…the one you know is not where you think they are. Your house is no longer where you think it is... and neither you are who you believe to be..."
"I'm not the Chris Redfield guy! My name is Christopher Reed! I am Arthena's regent and Katarina O'Gregon's husband!"
"No you're not"
"Yes I am!"
"You're not..."
"And who are you?"
"Katarina is dead... everyone is..."
Chris felt a sharp tightness in his heart at the words, but still refused to believe her, "You're lying!"
"I'm not... Just look around you. Don't you realize that things are different? Don't you realize that the world you knew is no longer the same?"
Chris nibbled his lips and shook his head in denial.
"There's none so blind as those who will not see..."
"I'm not blind. I see things very well!"
"But you don't accept them"
"There are only two explanations for this. Either I'm dreaming or there really is life after death..."
"You're not dreaming"
"Then I died"
She made a face, "You're not so wrong about this..."
"So if I really am dead, just like Katarina and everyone, then that means I can find them! And you came to receive me because of our history..."
"Yes I did receive you, but..." She looked down leaving the sentence in hang
Christopher was waiting for an answer, and the redhead's reluctance seemed to give him another, and finally he could see some things had changed, including himself.
For many years into his marriage to Katarina, he had been handcuffed to Angelique's ghost and all the brief sweet tale they had had. It had been very easy to love her when there was no one else to disturb them. It had been very easy to love her when it was all about just the two of them and the Lake House. There was no society between them or around them. There were no obligations because the whole routine was limited to the lake and the house. There was not really much disturbance for them to face. It was easy to flow when they only had each other and their own tale.
Or simply when Katarina was not around.
Christopher realized that Katarina was the real ghost he could not deal with when he was alive, and not even now, and Angelique had been a haven for the storms he didn't want to face about him and Katarina.
Now he saw more clearly how much Katarina had strongly endured all the barriers he placed on her, which made her make several wrong decisions in the desperation to make him see her.
Lies and betrayals do not unite anyone beautifully, and those were their real faults. And these were the causes of their tragedies.
And now, before Angelique's "ghost", he saw more clearly how much he had changed as well. Here he was talking about Katarina to her, something he did not do while they were together. Consciously he stayed with the young redhead, but in the dreams or when he was alone he allowed Katarina to enter the Lake House, or more exactly its barn.
Though he had also lied about Katarina to her when she once asked about "the girl in pink". The difference was that Angelique did not question him much. Katarina questioned him in everything so she knew about things, and then she got irritated about his answers.
And Angelique, what if she had to live with Katarina's ghost?
That's what he wanted to find out now. Live the opposite way.
He looked out and saw snow beginning to fall, and it was when he finally noticed the redhead's dress and without thinking, he draped his coat around her shoulders.
He looked at the falling snow flakes then to the red head standing before him. She was rubbing her bare arms in a poor attempt to keep herself warm. He removed his coat and draped it around the woman's shoulder and she mumbled a thanked him with a smile.
"We better go inside and there you can update me about things as you seem to know more about me than myself…"
Together they walked into the main house. It was a two-storey stone house, and from the outside there were already some differences in the windows and doorway. And inside everything was even more different. The color of the walls. The decor with modern objects and furniture in different places caught the attention of Chris. Surely it was not the way he remembered that house.
"Would you like tea, coffee or hot chocolate?"
"Coffee please"
"Make yourself at home. I'll be right back"
"Sure"
Christopher remained in the living room and found it intriguing how the fireplace was dim, but the room was warm. He kept watching every detail of the "New Lake House." Electric lights. Lilac colored curtains. The dining table was now small and round with four chairs. The set of sofas was very comfortable and wine-colored.
While preparing the coffee, Angelina sniffed at Chris's coat and smelt the scent of Chris's cologne on it which was the same one he'd wore at their date. She was never able to forget how fragrant Chris was despite the somewhat sloppy appearance.
She put the cups of coffee and a bowl of toasts on a tray and headed to the living room, where she noticed Chris studying the place. And his behavior made her giggle. It was funny to see that image of a modern man with a medieval soul.
They sat at the table and began to talk.
"Is the house too strange for you?"
"Honestly, it is... it looks very different..."
"I decided to make a change after Mr. Lionel transferred the property to me. He kept everything original as far as possible, but I decided to add my taste"
"You have a peculiar taste... I guess it's an artist's thing…"
She laughed, "Is it that bad?"
"It's not bad, it's just different from what I'm used to…"
"I see… actually I'm still tidying everything up. There's still a lot of work upstairs, even more so after Christopher built more rooms even in the attic because of his children and the many grandchildren he had..." She covered her mouth, realizing what she was talking about and to whom, "I'm sorry..."
"Did I have many grandchildren?"
"Yes you did, don't you remember?"
He let out a sigh, "I don't know what I remember... It's all very confusing for me..."
"What do you remember?"
"I'm not sure about the order of events... I do remember my whole life until the end of Arthena... After that there are a lot of holes and inconsistencies..."
"Do you remember all your children?"
"I remember 4 of them… actually 5 if I count Christian..."
"Christian?"
"Yes, he was my first son and Kat's, but he was born before the time...so..."
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
"Yes... I should have told you about him... but it was very difficult to deal with the death of my first child, especially for being a boy... I had to bury him... it was very painful to do…"
"I can imagine your pain...I'm really sorry about it"
"And it was mainly due to the bad memories about his death that I kept running away from Kat..."
"But why did you run away from her because of his death... should not you have done the opposite and give her all the support for sharing the same pain?"
He took a deep breath and looked out the window and the frozen lake, "I really should have done it. I really should have married her even against the will of her family and stood by her side even if it was only the two of us against everyone... But when I realized my succession of mistakes and tried to do right things, but it was too late... we were already too poisoned for each other... That's why I want to go home and stop abandoning her, stop hurting her... but now I have to accept I can't go back... home... And again I only have you..."
"You do have me Chris, and you should have told me that before..."
"I know and I'm sorry for not telling you... I'm a man full of flaws and I'm not the great hero they say! I'm really am not and it torments me!"
"You may not be the hero they say, but you're not only made of flaws, Chris... You have a good heart too..."
"What's worth to have a good heart if I only get people hurt? People cry and die because of me!"
"You demand too much from yourself... It's definitely not like that..."
"Isn't it? Did you know that if I had not been a coward with Kat and fled as we had planned, Christian could still be alive? I mean he could have been born at the right time and healthy?"
"I can relate to your pain Chris, I really do... The loss of a child becomes a hole in the soul that never closes..."
"I've lost too much Angely... I lost my parents, I lost my children and my wife, I lost you... I lost my life! I don't know who I am or what to do..."
"I'm sure there's a reason you're like this..."
"Relive my pains?"
"Solve your pains..."
"And are you going to help me? I only recognize you and I only trust you..."
Angelina overlooked the window and stared at the frozen lake and remembered Moirai's words. Her heart was beating like a drum. She turned her face with a faint smile and looked at the man who was looking at her with an expression of hope.
"Sure!" She nodded. An invisible contrast with her noisy soul and cold hands of nervousness.
Three feelings. Three dimensions. Three persons in one woman.
Thank you McTamale for the review! And special thanks to JennaWilliams for the later enhancements on the chapters.
Tell me your thoughts on the chapter so I can improve on the next ones.
A/N: The song Katarina was playing on piano is called "Somewhere in Time" and it's theme of a movie and you can google to listen the original version and the piano covers
Stay Tuned!