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, New York, Chris's Apartment
Kate came home to find Claire playing with the twins in the living room. Both women greeted each other and hugged each other in comfort, while the small babies were oblivious to what was happening around them, after all, they were still very young to understand the seriousness of the situation.
Kate held back her tears as she watched her adorable children on the floor playing with some toys. She knelt next to them and took each on her arms and gave them a long tight hug. A mother's hug, a longing hug, a hug of strength.
Christian, the first-born, grinned as his usual and held his mother's nose, making her laugh. Even Claire laughed.
Christian was a very smiling boy since he was born, and his high energy, spread to all around him. He was a happy boy, and his happiness rejoiced his parents, his parents' friends, and even the visitors who occasionally visitem them.
Melissa was not as smiling as her brother, nor was she as restless as him, but she already proved to be a more sensitive, quieter and more whining girl as well. And unlike Christian who smiled to everyone, Melissa was more reserved and used to reject some people, and already showed a greater attachment with her father, Chris, and perhaps because of this attachment and sensitivity, the little girl demonstrated more to feel her dear father's absence, which ended up at giving more trouble to sleep.
"I'm sorry I stayed longer than I asked you to stay with them..." Kate said sitting on the floor with the kids on her thighs
"No need to apologize. It's a pleasure for me to take care of my them" Claire replied sitting on the couch staring Kate
"I do need to apologize... I didn't come back with your brother as I promised either..."
"Kate..."
"I came back empty-handed and defeated... I didn't want to admit it..."
"You are not defeated"
"Yes, I am!"
"Kate… listen to me. I fully understand how you feel. I already felt that way too, especially when I lost touch with Chris when there was the incident in
Raccoon City years ago. No matter how much I was used to deal with phases of silence from him. I really got worried with his long silence and not answering me, so I decided to go after him, and in the end, he was the one who found me because I was busted in a trap... And that was just the beginning of his long absences from me. I know there is no comparison, because it's different from when he goes on missions we know where he's going to and now we don't know…"
"What hurts me the most... is that now I'm the mother of his children. I was away for a few days and I already see some small changes on my babies... this phase goes by fast and Chris is missing it. They won't be babies forever, and I have no answer to their questions if Chris takes too long to come back..."
"I understand your concern... I really understand..."
"And the reason I feel defeated isn't because I know it's his routine to go on missions… My defeat is for not knowing how to enjoy the short time we had together. It was all so fast, and my cowardice in not opening up with him and the omissions and lies hurt him, and that drove us away... Our children unite us in a unique way, but our bond as a couple... that was too weak. I couldn't enjoy it our happiness, and when we were almost beginning to understand each other a little bit better... I lost to fate, and to make matters worse, I was forgotten..." Kate stared at the floor, biting her lips as she struggled not to let more tears run down her delicate face, "All my improvement efforts have been in vain..."
"It was not in vain..."
Kate stared at the redhead.
"I know I am no consolation to you, but I tell you that you have gained a friend! At the beginning I was against your approach to my brother and I knew he was already in love with you even though he denied it. I drew hasty conclusions about you and I let myself be taken by the opinions of others. I missed it! But Chris... He fought for you! He saw you better than everyone and didn't give up on you…"
"No?"
"No, he didn't! I know you feel the contrary, but remember that he didn't just forget you. He forgot about me too! I am his sister, I live with him my whole life! There are more than 3 decades he forgot... He even forgot who he is... I know it's hard but don't take it personally..."
"That's what I'm trying to do… And as for you, thank you for your support in everything. I'm glad that I got to change your bad perception about me, I really always wanted the best for Chris and there are times I still think I'm not the best for him since it seems like I only bring trouble to his life..."
"Trouble Chris always got on his own! It's not from now that he gets in trouble with people! You brought happiness and joy to him! You gave him company and a lightness that I haven't seen on him in a long time... It's been a while since he didn't really smile and didn't enjoy life anymore. I was sad about his loneliness and I was worried about the excess of work he took... I know I'm not much different for the very same reason as his, but I wished he could live the opposite of what I live... And so he began to break free thanks to you! You started bringing the old Chris before Raccoon back... and even a better version of him... thanks to you the Redfields won't be extinct either!" Claire joked
Kate let out a smile and looked at her beloved children who were leaning against her chest. The Redfield twins were the only ones who could make anyone smile in that delicate moment.
The two saddened women were silent for a while. Claire watched her sister-in-law play with the twins. She got up to prepare a snack for them.
Kate glanced around during Claire's brief absence in the kitchen, and in that brief moment the penny began to drop for the young mother. She had to get used to that emptiness at home. The apartment was no longer as tidy as it used to be before her pregnancy.
Her organizational craze was being replaced by the care of a high-risk pregnancy. She no longer could make any physical effort or to get too much stressed. The focus was on the welfare of the twins, and Chris cooperated with that. He arranged things on his way, and she had to learn to live with his way. He cooked most of the times, but he used to let the dirty dishes to be washed later, and that sometimes made her OCD scream inside her.
Even so, the two had a peaceful and at the same time strange coexistence, so much alike when she lived at his house for the first time. She had her room. He had his.
Since then, a lot has changed. His room became their room. The furniture was all changed. And her room waited for her return. A return in a triplicated way. And for a month it had been quadrupled when Henry O'Gregon Reed joined them.
How much she missed Henry! Things might be less painful if he were still there with her.
Then the circumstances with Douglas Fleury and Henry made them move to Bohma, and Katarina's house became their temporary home.
Bohma was a nostalgic place and she needed to get rid of this nostalgia if she intended to overcome the difficult phase and move on. But that didn't seem so simple, for as she looked at the coffee table, she spotted the old Redfield's photo album.
Claire arrived holding the tray and served the snacks and started talking about the old photos.
It was inevitable to compare the twins' physical traits with baby Chris. Mainly Christian who had the shape of his head, forehead and eyebrows. His nose was from Kate and the lips were a mixture of both. The light skin tone was his mother's too. His hair was also more like his father's. And the eyes color that were still in definition looked like they would be more like Kate's. But the smile was all Chris's.
Melissa had also inherited her father's features, head, face, nose, and eyebrows. Her skin was also clear like her mother's. Her lips were more like Kate's as well. The eyes color was a mixture of her parent's, they didn't look like they would be as green as Kate's, but not as dark as Chris's. And her hair color was light brown, which was a shade lighter than Chris's and darker than her mother's natural color. As a matter of fact, Kate, was actually a natural blonde, but she liked dying her hair black.
Claire commented on the photos, remembering the good times of childhood. It was nostalgic.
Kate laughed at the stories her sister-in-law told and commented when they saw a picture of baby Chris naked in a funny position.
"The first time I saw this picture, Chris tried to stop me from seeing this" Kate commented
"He is very ashamed of this picture, even of me" Claire said
"Yeah, and he even grunted on how his parents had the courage to take a picture of him like that. I said I didn't see anything bad, but he was very ashamed of it."
"He already tried to rip this photo, I didn't allow it"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"It's cute to see that strong and muscular guy so different..."
"Thin?"
Kate laughed, "I had seen pictures of him younger, and really he was thin, but seeing him as a baby is so different... he was so innocent..."
"Innocent, but displaying everything he hides under his clothes… except from you who surely have seen all that looks different nowadays"
Kate bit her lips holding back a laugh, and just nodded in agreement, "Quite different..." she commented making a face
As they got lost in the memories of the past, time went on and on.
Claire remained in the apartment assisting Kate with cleaning and household chores until night.
And after locking the door when the redhead left, Kate returned to the living room that was empty, because the twins were already sleeping.
The blues of loneliness and the feel of the empty nest.
It would not be so difficult and lonely to spend the day at home with the children, because this routine she had already while Chris goes off to work.
The real difficulty was going to be at that moment when the night was out and it would be in vain to look at the clock waiting for the noise of the door lock when Chris came home from work. There won't have either his noise as he greeted her and their children, nor the scent of his shower that exhaled from him before sitting at the table for dinner.
This was the first night the lock would not be turned. The dinner haven't been served. The noise of the television, or the radio, or his guitar would not echo in the walls. Much less the fragrance used in his shower was going to spread around the house, and all that reigned was the silence and the winter cold in New York.
Kate looked down the hall and at the end the corridor where his bedroom was - the "forbidden" place. She didn't have the courage to walk in there for now.
Even in his absence, the energy he had left throughout the house, especially in the bedroom made "Him" still very present. They had many stories and dreams lost in that room.
The young brunette went to her and the twins' bedroom and saw them sleeping soundly.
"Well guys... it's just the three of us now..." she said in a sad tone and sighed heavily and lay on the bed.
It was just the beginning of long, lonely, and restless nights.
It was just the beginning of the crazy routine dividing her at the tasks of motherhood, home, and work that she had a partnership with Lucy.
(**)
Efret, Spring
"Are you sure you really have to go?" A beautiful brunette woman with black hair asked while sitting in an armchair near a window
"You know so"
"Until when?" She asked getting up clearly upset
"As long as necessary"
"Do not you think you are getting too old for this?"
"I agree, but they still need me. I'm not a man to leave my men behind"
"But you are a man to leave your wife and children..."
"Kat, don't talk like that..."
"It is the truth..."
"I do it for you and our children too… I want you to have safety…"
"Safety is something I do not feel when you get away... It is hard to comfort the children and deal with their questions about their father taking too long to return home..."
"I know it's hard, but one day they will understand..."
"And I ask, how long will I have to wait for you?"
The young man hugged his beloved woman who was hiding her face over his chest as he gave her a tight hug.
"My sweet Kate, I know it's painful when I have to go to the sea and I do share the same feeling as yours while having to stay away from you, but currently we're on the high season and I can't help assisting my dad and the others... but I promise I'll come back to you soon"
"And when is it soon?"
"I will try to come back in 2 or 3 months..."
"This is a long time..."
"I know love, but you can be sure I'll be back and if all goes well I'll come with my dad so he can talk to yours about our wedding!"
"Do you promise?" The young girl smiled hopefully with a wide smile that made the boy feel very special
"I promise to come back, but I can't promise to bring my dad this time, but I swear I will try!"
"We could run away if my dad says no" the young girl with light brown hair said with a suggestive tone
"What?" The young boy replied surprised
The two looked at each other and the young girl's hair changed to black
"We could run away if your father says no" a young knight spoke suggestively
"What? Are you serious?" The young black-haired girl answered in surprise but full of hope
"Would you do it?"
"Christopher… For you I do everything! None of this interests me but you! Not all the world money, not all the gems in the world would make me stay except you, because this is all ephemeral except you or my love for you!" she replied with a determined tone
The couple hugged each other for a long time and their appearances changed, the young knight took the form of a more robust and older soldier while the girl took the mixed form of the young girl with the hair color of older woman.
"I know this would be our first family Christmas together, but I promise you that this will be my last mission on the field, and when I return I will deliver my request for retirement. I'm already convinced that the world will continue to be world after the my retirement but our children's world will be better with me being with you more closely, and consequently my world is already better to have you in that! And for that I am grateful to you Kate. I was blind, and you make me see more options and taught me to have another vision of my surroundings because not everything is just work and I can also have a family and being normal..."
"Did I give you a new meaning in life?"
"No, you didn't give me 1, but 3!"
The girl smiled in delight.
Chris moved closer to her and caressed her cheek and gently placed the front of her hair behind her ear, exposing her face and her emerald eyes even more which enchanted him so much, "After last night, I feel like we're not broken and that we can still fix our impasses and be happy as a family. We already we went too far to simply give up that much in a first fight..."
"I was wrong in not telling you all about Douglas and my past..."
"No... I was the insensitive one who didn't think of your side and all the trauma you went through and so I reflected on you the shadows of all the people who let me down or betrayed my trust"
She looked down, "I just bring you trouble..."
He raised her face gently, "Did you hear what I just said now?"
"That you were insensitive to my story?"
"No... the part where I said you make my world better and you have given more meaning to my life!"
"I turned your life inside out..."
"And it was inside out that I always wanted to be!"
She smiled at him, "And after all you've always been my type!"
He laughed, taking her to him in a tight hug before kissing her longly.
"Do you promise to come back soon from fishing and while you're there you will always think of me and you will be faithful even if some other peasant or beautiful young woman appears in your way?" said the young peasant girl while they were in the woods by a turquoise and clear crystal waters lakeshore where there was a small wooden cottage in the other tip east of where they were
"Yes. I promise my sweet Kate! There will never be another woman in my life besides you my love!"
"Do you promise to be very careful and return safe from this campaign and that you will be faithful to myself even if other sluts try to seduce you even if they are prettier and more attractive than me while you are away from me?" The imposing black-haired woman in a red dress asked while they were in a castle garden
"Yes. I swear to you my beloved Kat that I will never sleep with any other woman that is not you until the end of my life!"
"Do you promise that you'll return from this mission as soon as possible and that you will never forget me no matter how busy you are?"
"Yes, Kate my love, I promise! And don't you ever doubt that you're unforgettable to me and that you will always be my biggest reason to come back from wherever I am!"
(*)
In the hospital room, Chris showed agitation even though his eyes were still closed. In between moans, he whispered what appeared to be names.
Charlize watched the patient closely and noted the possible names he repeated while sleeping.
The good news was that the mysterious patient finally seemed to be recovering the unconsciousness. The words uttered were confusing and the doctor kept an eye on his vital signs.
Anxiety ran through the doctor's veins who couldn't give in to the pressure of the emotional waves she felt. That patient was the most complicated case she had to deal with so far. Yet, her efforts and her stubbornness finally seemed to be working, as for at a place of a few resources, even the hospital director had already reported that case as lost and the waste of resources used in him seemed to be in vain.
But Charlize stood up against everything and everyone and managed to get her will prevail, even if its deadline was expiring, although that deadline had already been expired previously and she managed to prolong it.
Even though she was a doctor, Charlize internally had faith in something bigger than medicine and science could explain, so she used to keep an open mind to many things that seemed to be inexplicable. Maybe there could even exist a mystical side in her as it happened to Bohma's inhabitants, a country she had mixed feelings about and avoided visiting because it caused a lot of internal discomforts.
"Kat, Kate, Henry, back, love..." These were the words the patient repeated more and this made Charlize began to formulate theories of who the people were and that probably there were two women and one man, Henry. Back, love, among other murmured words, suggested that the mysterious man was American due to his accent
Chris Redfield finally opened his eyes, revealing the hazel color, and clearly confused. He looked around without moving his head, and then looked at the woman with long straight and medium-blonde hair wearing a white coat, standing by the bed staring at him.
"Who are you?" he asked with a husky voice
"My name is Charlize Hübert, I am the doctor in charge of your case"
"Doctor... where am I?"
"In a hospital in Efret"
"Efret?" he frowned thoughtfully as quick images formed in his mind with the mention of place
"Yes."
"Where's Kate?"
"Who is Kate?"
"My wife"
"I have no information about her. The fishermen had found only you in the boat"
"Boat? What boat? We were in the... it was raining. We were crossing the bridge and the river level was rising fast, but Kate was bleeding from the recent labor of our children. I told her to stay and meet me later, but she insisted on coming with me... We thought they were born dead so I ended up accepting her to come with me... I shouldn't have done that! I knew she needed to rest and recover... but the pain of loss of our children didn't let me think... and we ended up going to the bridge, but she didn't walk, so I carried her... and that's when I heard the forest witch from a distance calling us. I looked back and saw her waving, but I didn't understand everything she said because of the noise of the water and the thunder... I tried to go back, but a wave came and threw us into the river. Kate clung tight to me... I felt like I was going to die, but I wanted save Kate. I didn't want her to die with me because I wanted her to go back to our children because I think that's what the witch had said...that they were alive... but it was all so fast, it was very cold and dark, and I couldn't warn Kate of nothing and that's when I felt something enter my chest... Please doctor, find her! I will never forgive myself if something bad happens to her and my children... they are me responsibility and I failed watching them..."
"Of course I'll help you find them, but you need to tell me where you were..."
"I...I don't remember..."
"Can you tell me your name and any reference to where you were?"
"My name?" more confusing images still bombarded his mind. Wars images, weird creatures images, various people. Disturbed, Chris covered his face with his hands and his breathing was fast. He could not answer any more answers.
"Don't try so hard, sir. It's normal in cases like yours when the brain has run out oxygenation to have some damage. You just woke up and you're still very weak. I'll call a medical team to evaluate you while I will sign the alert that your wife and children are out there. I promise I will help you find them!"
As promised, Charlize approached the fire brigade and police to inform them about her patient's testimony. A very detailed account that she had no doubt had happened, but instead of finding support in reality she found unbelief.
"There hasn't been raining in Efret for months" said the firemen chief
"He is not from Efret. He is a foreigner."
"Unfortunately I can't send search teams to something that wasn't in Efret."
"Are you denying help?"
"No ma'am, but as I told you, it hasn't been raining in Efret for months, so the case of this search is not part of our jurisdiction. The police might try something, but your patient to give more specific details about the locality to the competent authorities can work on it"
"He was found in Efret, it is your jurisdiction! You cannot deny help since there is the possibility that his wife and children are somewhere here too!"
"We would know as well as we knew about him. Efret is as big and as small enough to the news spread fast. Now please, excuse me"
Charlize couldn't believe what she had just heard, and she wondered how she would explain that to her patient who was hopeful waiting for news about his beloved wife?
And upon receiving the result of the tests done on him, she decided to omit the help refuse because his brain lesions were bigger than she expected, as it had affected the part of his memory. And for him to continue accepting the treatment, she just said the search for Kate was going on but she didn't tell him that the search was being made only by her and the little support from the local police who investigated his case without giving credibility to his testimony as they were inconsistent with the local reality or from any neighboring country.
As the days went by, Chris became suspicious of the delayed news about the search about Kate and he didn't react well after discovering the police's searches had ended. No other body had been found anywhere else in Efret.
Disconsolate, Chris blamed himself for the death of Kate and all the people who appeared in flashes in his mind or his dreams. And so, ignoring any and all treatment to regain his memory, Chris started the drunken routine to try to forget those images and all the guilt he felt.
(**)
Chris had awakened from his coma and had been the reason of concerns for Dr. Charlize. The intriguing man's awakening had been just the beginning of the journey.
A few days after being discharged from the hospital, Bear - as he was known in town - proved to be beyond a patient who had been difficult to be brought back to life, but also he was a man of a difficult temperament, aggressive and an explosive nature.
Bear was rude and unmindful, but he loved to spend his time drinking at the bar - his favorite - Dora's Bar.
Due to the strange invisible bond that connected Charlize to the unknown patient, she had become more than just the doctor that saved his life, but she became his main contact with the local people after all she understood the local dialect, although they did know some English.
Charlize and "Bear" weren't friends, and despite his rude answers at times, he still allowed some conversations with her, after all, he knew he needed her help with a few things.
The winter chill was over, and the new spring season that brought a sense of hope with the flowering woods and the color diversity of the flowers and the juicy fruits of the trees, and a warmer climate made people leave their homes more often and enjoy the small town atmosphere.
Efret was a place that was known for the renowned fishing village that dated from medieval times. The reserved population still retained much of the traditional customs, despite the modernity advances and automobiles circulating on the small streets, though the city's main source of income was still the local fishing.
Efret was also a place aside from the rest of Edonia's and had its own dialect that even the Edonians needed help to understand.
Chris, when sober, he used to spend his time off the places that weren't too crowed. He enjoyed staying alone and admiring the simple landscape. The loneliness was his company. Usually he spent a long time sitting at a rock at the top of a hill looking out to ocean. The waves hitting at the rocks and wet lines formed at the shore of white sand. Several small and medium sized boats were always sailing in the immensity of the blue waters.
Chris watched them in appreciation. The water was his refuge. Looking at that calmed his inner turbulence, a turbulence that was accompanied by strange images that usually formed in his mind. Images of an old wooden boat. Images of a bearded, with a muscular structure middle-aged man. A man of white skin and compassionate look. Although, there were some times the same middle-aged man wore modern clothes and carried a weapon, but his look remained the same, compassionate.
However, the images that intrigued him the most were of a brunette young girl with wavy hair, green eyes and a wide and captivating smile. She had a kind personality. Yet, sometimes she also showed some serious and imposing composure, but generally she was a cheerful an infatuated girl. Infatuated for him, infatuated for life, and for two babies. In his dreams he had heard her name - Kate - but sometimes "he" used to call her Kat at the moments when she acted more intensily. Either ways, her sweet voice always called him Chris. So he supposed that his name was Chris. But he kept it to himself and for the locals and Charlize he said he didn't remember it. As a fact, he didn't care about being called Bear. In a way, he even felt more respected that way, because some people feared him.
He had a certainty he and Kate had two children, and that haunted him, because he didn't know how to return home. He wanted to stop suffering for the other images of dead people and strange creatures, but it was torturous to know that Kate was waiting for him at home with their children, but where was his house?
So he drank. He drank to forget the demons. And drank to sleep and remember more details to be able to return home.
In dreams he had also seen a young redhead who, despite showing a gentle and serene face, she also had a mysterious look and she loved to paint. He could tell she was a more reserved person who didn't show much how she felt, but she loved the nature and simple things just like him.
"I knew I would meet you here"
Charlize's delicate voice interrupted the silence he enjoyed
"What do you want?" He answered rather rudely
"I came to check on you"
"Babysit me, you mean?"
She giggled a little, after weeks dealing with his moody way, she was getting used to his dark sense of humor, "Actually I got the day off and I thought of inviting you to come with me to the local museum"
"Not interested"
"I assure you there are interesting things there"
"I told you, I'm married and a family man!"
"I'm not interested in you, and I value and respect your loyalty to your family, it's admirable..."
"So?"
"So why not?"
"Those boats and the ocean are interesting enough..."
"I bet you'd like to know about the local history and all the fishing background involved, mainly about two famous local fishermen, Barry and Christian dated from the 14th century, who started the lineages of Bohma's two most important families during the middle ages"
Chris raised an eyebrow, "Barry and Christian?"
"Yes..." she replied noticing his face change "Christian was the father of the twins Henry and Melissa... they were the ones who started Bohma's growing golden period..."
"Henry... Melissa?" He frowned, those names were somewhat familiar to him
"Yes! Didn't I tell you that you would be interested in what I have to show at the museum?" she teased poking his arm
Driven by the curiosity, Chris accompanied his only "friend" in that city that was also strangely familiar to him. A town that had a picturesque Bavarian, Gothic and Baroque architecture. The streets filled with many trees and small plazas at corners. The houses were generally colorful which gave a lively vibe to the small town that bordered another country.
Efret, though part of the territory of Edonia, was a place short of that. Efret was not a tourism town, despite all the historical context involved.
The population was much more reserved and only few inhabitants could speak English, which made Chris's life difficult, and it was with Charlize's help that Chris got some jobs temporary as bodyguard.
Despite their proximity, Chris and Charlize weren't exactly friends. Charlize felt a need to assist him - since she met him - even more so when she saw him bottling up nonstop and causing trouble in town due to his misbehavior.
On the other hand, Chris at times grew suspicious of the doctor who had saved his life, despite thanking her for all the support. He did not know why, but he always kept one foot behind about her.
She wasn't a bad person from what he saw, but he didn't like being around her for so long.
Upon arriving at the local museum, Chris was surprised by the hidden artistic arsenal from the tourists. If Efret opened up to the world, it would surely stand out for the artistic beauty that it hid. Texts, diaries, statues, personal objects of important local figures among other things. Although what struck him the most was the hidden treasure at the end of the back garden of the property: The ruins of a small medieval house.
Chris's heart sped up at the sight of it, and a nostalgic feeling consumed him, causing his hands to shake and various scenes to appear in his mind.
As they walked to the small stone house, which was very well maintained for its historical value.
Chris felt somewhat... home.
Longing.
"I remember this house..." he whispered
"What?" Charlize replied confused.
"Nevermind..."
The two stopped in front of the house and Charlize began to enthusiastically tell the importance of that place to the local population and that despite so many centuries past, everyone were strongly convinced to keep the memory of that place alive, yet untouched.
"That's where Christian Greencamp lived most part of his short life."
"Short life?"
"Yes... he passed away at the age of 17 in Bohma along with..."
"Kate..." he whispered
"That's right. Katherine, aka Kate, his..."
"Spiritual wife..."
"Exactly!" She said surprised, "You do know a lot of details about it...it's impressive for a foreigner!"
Chris pursed his lips. He simply remembered all those details, mostly from dreams. He knew that house inside was simple and had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a dining room, a pantry that was used to store food and utensils, a bathroom, and a room for storage of the professional objects of the Greencamp's.
"Back in the days people were allowed to visit the interiors, without touching anything, but for prevention this kind of visit was suspended, but the diaries and some belongings of Christian and his father are kept in safety at the main building" Charlize said admiring the location
Chris remained silent, just staring the "old home".
"Just in a note of curiosity, the curator of Bohma's Museum recently returned personal effects to Efret found in a historical discovery..."
"The curator of Bohma's museum?"
"Yes, Mr. Lionel. A very special and a kind man" she answered with a sigh
"Lio..." Chris frowned making a face
"He was such a genuine soul...he helped a lot of people with his kindness and attention, but nevermind, I must be boring you with this babbling of someone you didn't know..."
"No problem, I know Lionel was all that."
"Did you know him?"
"Yeah..." he said making an obvious face of confirmation
"Oh...you must've had...that explains why you know so much about our history..."
"Well...I could only count on him..."
"I can relate...In fact everybody looked for his support"
"Yeah. He was good at taking care of people...especially Katarina..."
She made a face recalling that Mr. Lionel always demonstrated a special fondness for the noble woman, though sadly he didn't live on enough to see her fame turning into admiration once again by the population of Bohma.
"Come on, let's go inside so you can see the unique effects Mr. Lionel returned to Efret and so you can see that Bohma and Efret have more in common than just the Greencamp's, we also have a painter icon as well!"
Chris looked one last time in goodbye to "his" old home before being gently dragged by the arm by Charlize who looked enthusiastic.
At a first glance, the location didn't seem to catch Chris' attention as he expected. Surely there were interesting art, but nothing that did cause impact on him as they walked by the sections.
As they arrived at a gallery, Chris looked at the details of some pictures that caught his attention. One was the portrait of a young, thin, brownhaired teenage man next to an older bearded man. Both wearing brown pants and white long shirts holding simple fishing rods. In the background there was a small wooden boat, and a turquoise green lake. The man and the boy looked happy.
"Those are Barry and Christian Greencamp" Charlize spoke noticing Chris's interest
"I know..."
"You do...?" she left her sentence in hang as she reflected to observe him more
"Well..." Chris cleared his throat, "I must have read about them somewhere..."
"I see..."
Chris continued staring the portrait.
Longing.
"You know...It's interesting that even from an old portrait like that is visible they seemed to get along"
"It's true. Maybe it has to do with the fact that Barry raised him alone most part of Christian's life since his mother passed away when he was still a child"
"I see..."
Chris stepped away and came across Christian's solo painting. A young boy with a kind and smiling - innocent - look, a boy who even being motherless showed a certain lightness in his expressions.
He was a young man with few empirical scars of fate.
"This kid...barely untouched by the pain...Why does fate separate people who love each other and at such tragical ways? I'm sure if this kid could go back in time he'd do things differently if he knew that was going to be his last day... He would've loved more. He wouldn't allow the suicide of the love of his life...His kids would have a mother...He'd make his father proud..."
"I can assure you Barry was a proud father...And Christian was very proud to be his son"
"But he left responsibilities that weren't Barry's!"
"Barry never complained of that...his diaries prove that"
Chris gasped, "Barry's a man of a giant heart! He'd never let you know how messed he is in the inside...just to see you happy. He's capable of anything for the sake of his family!"
Charlize didn't know what to say, those words seemed to be so personal and not exactly related to the Greencamp's although it did fit Barry Greencamp's personality as well, so she let him vent.
"And if Angeline were a better sister, the twins wouldn't be motherless...everything would be so different!" Chris spoke out with a tone of resentment
Charlize's observed him. It was interesting to see an outsider knowing so many historical details of local people yet he didn't know his own. That was intriguing.
"You know? That's interesting about you..."
"What?" he almost snapped
"You do remember our local story, but you don't remember your own..."
Chris didn't respond and remained silent and thoughtful. Her comment made sense to him, and her words touched him internally, which started some symptoms of anxiety which he didn't demonstrate, so he walked away to another session of the Greencamp's gallery until he came across the section dedicated to Angeline O'Riley, "Why does Angeline have a section here?" he said perplexed
"Because some of the paintings that were found related to the Greencamp's and the O'Riley's were painted by her"
"So she's like Efret's Angelique Stafford?"
"Yes, not as talented as Angelique of Bohma, but here she was the best local painter"
"Local painter? Didn't she live in Bohma?"
"Yes, but after the death of Christian and Katherine, she fled here with the help of a merchant who lived in the same village as them"
"A merchant?"
"Yes, a boy she was very much in love with but it is not known if he corresponded to her... although in some of her diaries there are reports that he seemed to be attracted to Katherine and this started the rivalry between the sisters..."
"I thought their rivalry was because of Christian"
"Indeed, but the sisters rivalry was a matter of time, because at some diares that were found, Angeline always demonstrated a feeling of envy for Katherine, even though she is the oldest daughter."
"Sibling's jealousy is a normal thing"
"True, but..."
"So the one in the middle of the crossfire was Christian..."
"Is this how you see their story?"
Chris didn't answer, because his attention was all over the picture of the beautiful young smiling girl, "Kate ..." he whispered, walking toward the painting on the other side of the room.
Charlize followed him.
"It's her..."
"Who?"
"My wife…"
Charlize made a face, "Katherine?"
"Yes... my Kate..."
The doctor laughed incredulously, "Bear, I know you're still recovering, but I'm sorry to inform you, but that's impossible for Katherine to be your wife... She lived in the 14th century."
"My wife is very much like her... The smile when we're together, that sweet look when it's just me and her or our children... Her natural hair is this color, but she insists on dying it black, and her eyes... those emerald green... but you're right, this one is not my wife because taking a better look, my Kate has a different expression sometimes, but the delicate features and smile are almost identical with this Kate..."
"So I must say your wife is really beautiful"
"She is, inside and out. She brightens my life with her spontaneous way, her joy, her clumsiness at times. And that's funny because it contrasts with her serious and imposing persona when we're in public or when she's angry..."
"Is it like two people in one?"
"Well, not exactly...she's not crazy or bipolar, in public she wears a mask to maybe get some respect since some people think bad things about her and some used to say that all she has is beauty. Others think she's shallow , but they are very wrong, she is an ocean of intensity. Nothing in her is shallow. The joys and the cries, the happiness and the passion are all intense...like about Kat of Bohma..."
"Kat... do you mean Katarina..."
"Yeah..."
"Do you know her story?"
"I know a few things...and My Kate looks like her when she's upset or off home...now seeing this Kate...I tell you my Kate is the combination of those two iconic women of the past, in personality and beauty..."
"Wow... if your wife really is the mix of these two beautiful women, I must tell you she's extremely beautiful!"
"Yes she is! I'm very lucky to have her by my side, always. She would never leave me and I'm sure she must be suffering from my absence... She was always distressed when I had to travel... She often asked when this routine will end...She was always worried about my safety, but she always welcomed me home cheerfully."
Charlize let out a long sigh upon hearing that from him, "Cheerful...Katarina had been a cheerful girl once upon a time..." she thought starting to tremble and feeling some anxiety symptons. She recalled her bad dreams of a man who hurt Katarina, and because of those dreams when she still was a child, the doctor had to do therapy for long years to overcome the bad feelings and sensations those nightmares gave her, and some answers just seemed to make some sense after she met Mr. Lionel.
In their long conversations, Charlize told him how much she despised that man of her dreams. She despised his attitudes and who he represented. She despised Charles of Bohma. And she confessed to him she now knew how bad Katarina felt because of that monster...she had been abused as well when she was a teenage. But her questionings were...after all the badness that monster had done to her, why did Katarina kill Angelique and not Charles? Why did Christopher take so long to stand up against Charles? Did they ever know that Charles was the one responsible for keeping them separated for 6 months?
"That's why I really need to go home...I miss my girl...I miss family... that's why I drink...in hope I'll remember my way back home..."
"I swear to you I will help you on that, Bear! It's my oath!"
(**)
Lake House, Bohma
Angelina's life turned upside down after Kate's departure back home and her plans to deliver Chris's letter to Kate had been postponed.
As soon after the mysterious fall of the barn and having to wait for Jerry's visit to help her remedy the situation, she looked for Piers to ask Kate's address, but he refused to tell her since he feared another fight between them since their rivalry was intense. She tried to insist, but Piers never gave in.
She considered about texting Kate on her social network, but upon recalling the brunette's volatile state, Angelina chose not to do it so immediately, and so the drama in her personal life started after her own daughter Olivia became very ill and she had to return to Edonia to give all the support for the little one. Her recovery took longer than she expected, and consumed by the guilt for leaving her daughter so frequently, she left aside her plan to deliver his letter to Kate personally, and soon her mind was occupied by her mother duties.
Two months have passed since Chris's accident, Angelina returned to Bohma to check the property as she was planning to accept the government's deal for the property. She no longer wanted to live by the past's callings, she had accepted Chris had chosen Kate and she was ready to move on with her life.
As she walked by the rooms, she found Chris's letter in the agenda she had left behind before going to Edonia. She knew Chris was still missing, and she recalled she still had that letter to give to Kate. Maybe she was too stubborn to accept doing it by mail, she wanted - needed - to meet Kate and put an end to their rivalry.
She was aware that she couldn't obligate Kate to believe her, but she could in the least try a more amicable approach and not fight back Kate's outbursts. They had been capable of sharing the same room when she watched Kate at the hospital. Okay, that most probably happened because Kate was arrested...yet, even after being released, Kate didn't try to attack her, so maybe that was the start of some evolution.
Those moths completely dedicated to Olivia made her reflect on her life. Her choices. Her dilemmas. She recalled Mr. Lionel's advises and the recent dream about a certain merchant of a beatiful pair of green eyes made her remember a comment Mr. Lionel had made long time ago when she mentioned something about the love of her life and soulmate, so he said: "Not always the love of our lives are our soulmates. There's a thin difference between them and often soulmates live separately giving space to several "love of our life" to join our road"
Back at that moment, that didn't seem to make much sense as she was so focused on Angelique's tales and she was sure Christopher Reed had been the love of Angelique's life despite she had been married to George Talbot after their separation.
Christopher Reed had been the love of Angeliques' life, and for a long time she (Angelina) had considered him as her soulmate, but as she rationalized on things, in the end, he didn't seem to see her as his soulmate, and now even her had that doubt despite knowing they had shared a lifetime together somewhere in the past.
And after spending a week with "Christopher Reed" made her see things Angelique didn't. Even after trying to seduce him in several occasions, he was irreducible to fall to her enchants. He always rejected her and kept physical distance from her. He demanded to sleep at the second floor bedroom, and most of his time he spent staring at the lake or at the barn, or even standing next to Christian and Katherine's grave.
She saw there was some kind of obsession of him about Katarina for good or for bad. He didn't have doubts of his feelings for his "wife". She saw he really got into her during their "marriage" which made her realize that it wasn't really so hard for him to be with Katarina yet it seemed really hard for him to be away from her.
The days at the lake were gone for him.
After living with him for that brief week she started seeing the story told with a different eye and all his doings for Angelique after her death were more a fruit out of resentment for Katarina. It was his battle with her. To elevate Angelique was his way to struggle with Katarina's legacy...at his side.
Whatever she did was alongside him. Whatever she did was for him - them. Whatever she did, he was there.
Elevating Angelique was his way to his internal denial to make him feel better about himself so he could live on.
Denial.
He had always been in denial, even before falling in love with Angelique.
And Angelique noticed that and noted in her diary the very first time she saw the girl in pink at the Peasants' Village.
Christopher denied things, his involvement with Katarina. And he kept denying anything related to Katarina. Until he couldn't run away anymore from her - from their fate together.
Now less involved in her infatuated feelings Angelina could see all that which Angelique could've had stopped to lead herself on with her own fables and her silent competition with the girl in pink.
Angelique's death wasn't all the fault of Katarina after all... Christopher assisted when he denied things even knowing Katarina's explosive temper.
Angelique's death wasn't all the fault of Katarina after all... When she chose to be his secret even knowing about Katarina's outstanding jealousy temper.
Christopher underestimated Katarina's fury.
Angelique poked Katarina's fury with her silent rivalry. - sly Angely.
"This has to stop! I don't want to be this person anymore! I can't compete with a memory, these chains are keeping us in pain and I can't fight it anymore..." The redhead spoke taking the letter and keeping it in her purse and then she headed to her office to take the deal contract and add some clauses of her own if they really wanted the famous property
As she walked out of the house - no tears - she admired the landscape one more time, setting free from that vortex that kept the frozen moment of those two young couple at the lakeshore.
No fear.
Then she headed to Christian and Katherine's grave and closed her eyes. A cool breeze passed on her skin as two lights followed her. She started praying just like Angeline did a long time ago. When she opened her eyes she startled with the spirit of Henry staring at her as he was standing up next to his parents' grave.
He remained silent but his eyes spoke so much...his deep green eyes.
Yet, he no longer kept the albino look he had the last time she saw him.
They stared at each other for a couple of minutes before he wslked in the direction of the lake. As he stepped into the water he looked back and smiled faintly at her before disappearing.
That touched her deeply, which made her legs tremble and her heart accelerate.
Msybe she interpreted it wrong, but she felt like he was going to be there with her the day she decided to meet Kate personally - the payback day.
She was nervous but she felt she wss finally on the right path and doing the right things.
She inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh...
Of freedom.
Okay... I know I took forever but I'm still here!
Concealing work, tiredness and inspiration with lack of time is not so easy, but I'm not giving up, i just need more time to arrange things.
That said I thank everyone for still read my work! And special thanks to my koko sis Mctamale for being so patient with me hahaha :-D
Stay tuned!