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.
Bohma, Lake House
It's only after Angelina agreed to help Chris out with getting answers for stressing queries and allowed him to stay over for till they figure out stuff, that she realized that she didn't have the food to sustain both of them for too long. The weather in Bohma could get worse any instant and she didn't want to end with an empty fridge in the middle of a snowstorm with a hungry Redfield.
"I'm going to do the groceries", she declared to her housemate checking the time on her phone.
"Do you want me to come along? I can help you carry them", he made a suggestion.
"Thank you, it is not necessary. Plus you can't go outside, remember?", she declined to bring him along with a very valid reason.
"Oh it's true... those soldiers are still out there, looking for me", he agreed with her.
"Yes, ah, but before I go, I'll show you the house so you can feel more comfortable and if you need anything, you'll know how to handle some things in my absence if the need be", she thought it best to get him re-acquainted with stuff as Christopher Reed.
"Sure", Chris said with an evident enthusiasm. All this time he had been winging it with all the advancement but for the change, he would like to learn a thing or two about these new machinery.
Their tour started with the kitchen and Angelina more of cautioned him with the appliances there; the last thing she wanted was for her returning to a burning cottage. Then she taught Chris how to work the TV, moving to show him the bedroom and a bathroom. She taught him how to use it.
Chris couldn't help but be surprised from being surrounded by so much modern equipments of different kinds. Automatic stove, refrigerator with freezer, dishwasher, washer and dryer machine for clothes. Everything had become quite convenient to use and handle. No cooking over the wood fueled hearth or storing edibles in baskets and drinkables in earthen jugs.
The little tour ended with Angelina telling him she was using the guest room as hers, before they headed to the library, which used to Christopher's room in the 17th Century.
"So many books!", Chris couldn't contain his surprise seeing all the walls being lined with high bookshelves filled with hundreds of book, "I didn't know you liked to read", he commented to the young woman.
She laughed, "They are not mine. They belong to Mr. Lionel; he was a man of many interests but it seems he prefered texts on biology and chemistry over other themes"
"I don't remember you mentioning him to me...", Chris spoke raising his brow at her, "How do you know him", he questioned.
She laughed nervously, as how to answer that question. A simple question with a complex answer, even more so for a man as skeptical as Christopher.
Angelina let out a nervous, unsure how to answer that seemingly simplistic question. She didn't want Chris to have any weird ideas or misinterpret her answer, given he was currently living the skeptic persona of Christopher.
She cleared her throat, "He was like a grandfather to me..."
"Oh, so you met him after I left?"
"Something like that..."
"I see…"
With that she led him through other rooms on the second floor.
"Like I told you before, there are several rooms but I have been using them as galleries. However, this room on the left is available for guests, which will be your room while you stay here."
"And why don't you sleep up here?"
"Ah because I got used to being down there... and by being alone I think it's easier to get away if something happens..."
"Oh I see...makes sense…"
"Yah, so at the end of the corridor there is a toilet that you can use at will."
"Okay"
"And now I'm going to the market, if you want you can take off that coat and wear something more comfortable. The heating system of the place maintains the normal temp despite the cold outside. Some rooms have a fireplace and I assume you know how to handle, right?"
"Yes for sure! But I only have these clothes... I left the hotel hurriedly and forgot the bag with other clothes there..."
"Ah... I see", she spoke in realization, "I'll have to buy some new clothes for you then."
"No need... I'm used to being comfortable in my room. I promise I will not leave for anything and will not embarrass you with some unexpected vision..."
She laughed till her face turned rosy, "Oh, what embarrassment? It's not like I've never seen any naked men in my life..."
He laughed, too, scratching his head, "I know we've already seen each other naked and we've been fornicating, but... it's different now... I just fornicate with my wife and you with George."
"I don't sleep with George any longer!"
"I understand, but I promised Kat that I would not get involved with any other woman and that's what I'll do, and to do that I'll avoid temptation and stand naked in front of you and be respectful of her."
She nodded in agreement, though inside she did not like to hear it, "That's why I'm going to buy new clothes for you! Not only to avoid seeing you in your birthday suit, but also to make you feel more comfortable when it is warmer or sleep time..."
"I understand."
After Angelina left, Chris stayed in the house and went upstairs to the room he was staying in, but before entering the room, he looked down the hall where the stairs were to the attic. He was curious and went to the place, but the door that gave access was locked. It being locked intrigued him even more; thinking about what the beautiful redhead could be hiding in that place that she kept it sealed away like this.
Instead of going to the room allotted to him, he went down to the library, where he spotted a book and a black box – laptop - on the desk. He took the book and read the name on the cover: Forbidden Love and began to read the introduction.
"Everybody knows who Katarina O'Gregon was and what she represented in her time. As a governor she really did good things for the population, but that was not her real triumph.
Katarina was more than a governor and was the best among the best that Bohma had. She was not any woman. She lived across her time.
Though with so many qualities, she was her own worst enemy. Her greatest enemy. She represented many things, including her own downfall.
Katarina was unique in a world of men. She was the two sides of the same coin.
No wonder why people love to hate her and they hate to love her.
She was on a level that no ordinary woman could reach. There was nothing ordinary about Katarina O'Gregon.
She was blessed with the physical perfection that didn't need makeup. She didn't need wigs as she had the perfect hair. The perfect skin. The perfect features. She was thin with perfect curves. Perfect female height. Perfect teeth. The best scent.
She was naturally what Hollywood stars pay high for nowadays.
I have no doubts that if she could she would teach the sun how to shine!
Katarina always kept a bright smile on her face. Her gestures even if firm were always gracious and millimetrically calculated. She always wore the best silk fabrics and make-up to enhance her natural beauty. Her high etiquette and courtesies were too far ahead of that time. She was always available to people's claims.
She was a woman that belonged to the future.
However, all that said, Katarina had everything to have become the epic woman of the time, if not for her only flaw: Christopher Reed.
He was the tenuous division of the same coin of Katarina which made all the difference in the switch of sides.
All her brightness had become darkness.
She was all that but more. She was lust.
Katarina knew how to abuse her femininity to get what she wanted.
She had a keen intelligence and an outstanding emotional control. She made sure to take advantage of that and combine it with her female persuasion, especially with Christopher Reed.
As a clever strategist she used to make people – men – believe they were in command. She was a great bluffer, and despite shining like a star, she was capable and smart enough to become invisible in the control.
No wonder why men crawled at her feet. She was the true personification of femininity. Something like an incarnated goddess and certainly they loved to believe they had her in their possession because an imposing woman like her was not the type to kneel to anyone, except when that was convenient and mostly when she was an imposing goddess of love demonstrating her power of seduction for conveniently becoming submissive, by kneeling or facing down as a kind transference of leadership to the men.
It must have been mind blowing for mere mortals to believe they were taking a goddess. It must have been entertaining to watch them kneel for her seeking for her elixir.
For some she was the elixir of life. For some she was the elixir of madness.
However, there was only one man that made the goddess fall from grace: Christopher Reed and for him she had become the elixir of death.
Despite being the power couple of their time, Christopher and Katarina's intensity always led to death: whether it was people close to them or people they had no relations with.
We all know their story. We all know how they ended. Badly.
So I ask you: What if Christopher Reed had chosen Angelique? What if Angelique had not assented for their divorce?"
He frowned and was thoughtful. The book was a "what if" version of his story with Katarina if he had chosen Angelique over the brunette, and despite agreeing to the divorce, Angelique still had feelings for him, but he did not seem willing to reciprocate the redhead's feelings.
United States, Chris's apartment
After the conversation with Nicholas, a week passed and Claire visited Kate after receiving a call from her the night before. It seemed urgent, so Chris's younger sister was soon to make time to visit her sister-in-law.
The two were no longer strangers to each other and had overcome the first bad impressions they had on each other; after all, Kate was the mother of the Redfield twins and a good mother.
She was not perfect but seemed to do Chris well, despite all the problems they had before the reconciliation. Knowing that Kate had entered her brother's life to stay, Claire decided to take a different stance with the sister-in-law and began to have a more friendly relationship, which in fact turned out to be a good thing for both of them, and also for Chris who stopped feeling like he was in the middle of their crossfire.
"I couldn't sleep much thinking about the urgency of the matter," Claire commented as she sat down on the couch next to Kate.
"Well... And I don't know what sleep is like for a long time! Especially since Chris's accident..."
"I understand, I have not been able to stop thinking about him either..."
"So I decided I'm going on a trip."
"Really?"
"Yes, and that's why I need your help."
"Sure!"
"I want you to take care of the twins during the trip. I thought about taking them, but it's a long and stressful trip for them and they are still so small. Eliza agreed to assist you just as she does with me. I'll store more milk for them, hopefully that will be enough during my absence, in addition to the baby food they can already eat. I'll leave everything tidy."
"Wow, okay... and where are you going to travel?"
"I'm going to see Chris."
"What?"
"I can't stand to wait for news or wait for a miracle. He needs my support and that's what I'll do!"
"So you mean Piers already found him?"
Kate gasped, "What do you mean 'found him'?"
Claire bit her lip nervously, knowing she had said too much.
"Is there something you're hiding from me?"
"Kate..."
"Claire, start explaining now, please for god's sake!"
"I will! Now that I've already let it slip, I'll tell you everything."
"I'm waiting!"
Claire took a deep breath and went straight to the point.
Kate was shaken to hear about Chris's disappearance and did not have a good feeling about that situation.
"They're doing their best, but Chris without his memory is like a lost dog..."
"If he really believes he's Reed, he's definitely going to try to go to the places he knew."
"Piers thought the same and already visited the places you visited."
Kate laughed shaking her head in indignation, "Christopher Reed knows a lot more places than me and Chris did! He can be in any of those places!"
"I'm sure Piers..."
"He's an incompetent!" Kate growled irritably not letting Claire finish the sentence, "That's why Chris wasn't found! You're underestimating Christopher! Bunch of incompetents, one more reason I should've had gone to Bohma a long time ago!"
"..." Claire remained silent listening to Kate's complaints. She did not have much to contend with in that case.
"I'm heading to Bohma and I'm going to find my husband or I my name is not Katerina!"
The next day Kate flew to Bohma.
Piers was stunned to see Kate when he bumped into her at the BSAA temporary base in that country.
"Kate, what are you doing here?"
"I came to find Chris"
"Do you know where to find him?"
"No, but I can't stay just waiting your incompetence to bring him home"
The young soldier let out a long and an annoyed sigh after the brunette's insults, but out of respect to the situation he remained in silence and only let her see him rolling his eyes.
Thank you McTamale for the review! And special thanks to JennaWilliams for the enhancement.
Tell me your thoughts on the chapter so I can improve on the next ones.
Stay Tuned!