Crystalyna du Starrvan; I love me some William.

So I might also be working on a potential sequel to this already. Granted I don't really know how this story will end but I do know how the prequel will start regardless (or it could not be a sequel but an entirely different story, who knows just yet, we'll see).

Also if you guys want to be part of the story (aka want another character to be involved) you're welcome to message me concerning them being added into future chapters (I'm halfway into chapter 12, it's being a little delayed mostly because I've started working additionally on this potential sequel [or separate story? idk yet which it'll be]).

Either way enjoy the story! Thank you to all the readers, followers and whatnots, you guys are awesome, enjoy!

The starting song lyrics are from My Shadow by Smash Into Pieces. Another really good band. Definitely check them out. I love Rise Up by them.

Didn't know how I could save you, the darkest part of me

You've been hiding in the darkness, I need to set you free

I'm running, I'm running away losing hours

I'm running, I'm running away from myself

I've been down, I've been up, in and out, there's no way I can let go

Take you out in the light, in my heart I embrace my own shadow

Step by step with my friend, you're a part from within

I can't let you go, you're my shadow

For lack of a better word I suppose I enjoyed the presence of her. I had been so consumed with work, with finding a balance to my system and an end to my weakness, with recreating T from the ground up, from creating something greater.. that perhaps I had forgotten the little things. William's sharp tongue was the only one I ever really tolerated. If such insolence came from literally anyone else heads would roll. I don't tolerate disrespect or unnecessary back-talking as it wastes time.

But.. perhaps with Dear Heart it was different. She had such a tenacious nature I found myself amused rather than irritated by her antics. She had long since become the only other I'd humor without beating her to death in the process.

I never would have expected I'd find myself enjoying another's presence as much as I have been. She was blunt but didn't lie, she was fierce but stubborn. She was resilient yet compassionate. She was so many things that countered and often withered in my world that it was refreshing. She wouldn't be beaten into submission nor would she allow herself to stoop to concepts like greed or malice. Sure, she had a sharp tongue like my friend and colleague and it got her into more trouble than perhaps worth but I respected that. I respected someone that in the face of a gun could still be herself.

It was why I had slipped and called her Dear Heart.. but now that I truly evaluate that word it fits her and her alone, no one else I could ever dare to utter that affectionate nickname for.

Dear Heart.. I had read the name in my youth and I recalled that very poem I had read.

Dear Heart of Mine

Dear heart of mine that lives within my chest

I apologize for the hardships you've endured

I can't take away the scars but I'll do my best

I've hurt you so but please, rest assured

That you, my dear, are my dearest of heart

You can survive it, don't fool me to grieve

I keep you close, no matter how far apart

Only through my dear heart can I believe

I felt a small smile flit across my lips for a moment before it slipped away. My cursed sentimentality.

I brushed aside these thoughts, feelings and memories, discarding them as unnecessary. I couldn't let her distract me. I wasn't a man to swoon over a mere woman, I couldn't allow myself to indulge in such frivolities. I had ambitions and goals to see to fruition.

I grit my teeth as I moved to my next thing on the list, finding myself standing behind the cursing mercenary I kept on my payroll. He was seated cross-legged in the office chair, angrily typing away at his keyboard. He directed his gaze to me, giving me a glance of the youthful man seated below me, his gasmask laying by the monitor on the desk.

"We have a big issue, Wesker." He pushed away from his desk, swiveled his chair and got up, starting to pace. "You said to take care of it and I tried, but whoever they have on payroll isn't just some kid with a toy gun, they've taken down the different teams I sent in." I could hear the frustration in his voice. He had a deep frown as he folded his arms against his chest, pacing intensifying.

"Then it's time you handle it yourself. Take Velt and Linul with you." I coolly said. He paused in his pacing, staring at me before giving a deep sigh.

"Alright." He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to both mercenaries to come to his office immediately for mission prep.

My shielded eyes flicked to the monitor, taking note of just what was splashed across the screen. Probability results? For what, exactly? I nodded my head towards the screen and he followed my line of sight.

"Ah, uh, you have your quirks, I have mine." He gave a smirk. "I judge missions based on probability. Granted it doesn't factor in the unknown factors, unexpected surprises and human weaknesses during missions, it's just based on the skillset of the team members and their compatibility together as a unit."

I gauged the number of the recent team, noting the 54% that flashed at the bottom. "You expected them to have half the chance of success?"

"That is surprisingly a decent number for missions." He gestured to an area that read 'RESOURCES' and to the number beside it. "This is the main factor in calculations. If resources deplete it lowers the overall chance of success."

He removed his ball cap and ran a hand through jet black hair, heaving another sigh.

"You are an amusing man, HUNK." I said offhandedly, taking a seat in his office chair as he started to pace again. A few minutes of silence passed before the door cracked open and then the room had two more occupants.

Velt was in his favored camo uniform with his gasmask shielding his face. He carried a rifle slung across a shoulder, a pistol hugging his hip while a wicked knife shined from his left arm just beneath the shoulder.

Linul, however, was the polar opposite. I suppose out of the trio he was the more eccentric one. He had tics while HUNK had quirks.

Tics were a sudden, repetitive, non-rhythmic motor movement or vocalization. His tic personified as making bird noises and deep growls, which made it odd to converse with him. Quirks, however, were more of a behavioral habit that was odd or uncommon.

Linul, though, was dressed quite uniquely. He wore a white turtleneck that had it's inside stitched with a layer of kevlar. His pants were similar with the included kevlar but were mere white slacks. He wore black boots with goggles resting in his wild chestnut hair that is shoulder-length. He didn't have any weapons presently but I knew he'd gather them as soon as they were about to head out.

"So's.." Linul started, the first to speak. "I hears we've got'a mission, mess'a cleanup. Nottin' be rude but I 'un suppose ya got 'ny smokers?" He made a face of distaste towards HUNK. HUNK pulled out his extra pack and tossed it to his colleague. "Thank'en." It was always strange to hear the variety of accents all mashed together in one man.

While he drew one out a cigarette I could see HUNK preparing to discuss the plans he had already been mentally creating. The man was nothing if not tactical.

Wesker being around always made me nervous. Not because of who he was or what he was but because I always felt a sense of pride welling from the man in regards to my accomplishment under his employ. I knew he had selected me for my decorative portfolio and efficiency. Hell, I wouldn't deny money was a big reason I kept my employment with the man. The man's wallet was thicker and deeper than the other jobs I was offered and so I always chose that. Now that I was closer to the man as one like me could get I didn't want to ever betray the trust we had built in regards to tasks.

I knew too much.

So he kept me close by necessity.

Not that I minded it, honestly. I admired the man, respected him and actually enjoyed his company. Unlike with others he wasn't all sarcasm and subtle hostility hidden behind backhanded politeness. He was just himself and I was just me and we co-existed in our functions as allies.

I didn't dare disrespect the man and he knew my more humble nature would hold my tongue. Though at times I was still frank with the man, especially when it concerned a job.

My computer beeped and it was the perfect time for the Intel to come in.

"Velt, Linul, you are already both aware of the issues stemming from Viztec in relation to the disregard of innocent human life in their experiments." The men nodded to my statement. "We're heading there to clean up the man responsible."

I turned to my monitor, keyed in a command and it shifted tabs to pop up our target's information I had just received.

"Isaac Sin." I gestured to the photo of the man, studying him for myself. Damn he had the very definition of a portrait of a psychopath with too much money and gun power.

The man was easily early 40s, oddly scarless face, tan skin, hard grey-green eyes. He had a lift to one corner of his mouth while his eyes sparkled with what I believed to be mischief. He had short snowy hair swept to the left side, reaching down just beneath his chin. He wore a grey shirt that seemed inconspicuous at first until I realized a thin wire trailing along one shoulder from the chest to the back. What did he have under that shirt?

The photo was dated last year.

His portfolio, though..

"The specs on this man." Velt whistled, sizing him up with folded arms pressed tightly against his torso. "Special forces? Secret service? A fucking spy?" He gestured a gloved hand to one sentence in particular. "Won a sniping competition in the fall of '99. Color me impressed."

"Not'n special 'bot 'im." A bird whistle and the words caused me to glance towards Linul, who seemed disappointed.

"Are you a sniper?" I sarcastically asked. I knew the answer, I just wanted to fuck with the asshat.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I clear'n close. I 'ont fut' with 'em snips. Spade ova' dis'tuns." Sometimes it was hard to understand him. I think he was trying to say 'speed over distance' was his preference.

"A pretty resume. But HUNK's is far more impressive. Most of his stuff remains in the past." Wesker's voice drew my attention to the man seated quietly close by.

"True. It says the last 5 years have been marked 'inactive' but I'm sure that just means he's been in a corporate's pockets for the duration." I carefully said, taking note of the gaps in his life where nothing of note seemed to be happening. "My guess is that he'd been on someone's payroll for the better half of his life."

"'Bot that 'ont mean e's e'say mark. Inactive 'ont be wasted tame." I had to agree with Linul on that. He'd have utilized his time wisely given how intelligent the man must be.

The coordinates came in just then for our next target, given to me by my inside source. I smiled at my phone before nodding to the pair. "It's time to head out. Wesker-" I paused, turning to my employer. He arched a brow at me despite his eyes being hidden by those inferno shades. I knew why he wore them; I was one of the few that knew his viral state. "-once we take care of this Mr. Sin we'll clean up the labs of Viztec."

He gave a deep smirk, merely tapping his fingers against the armrest. "See that it's done swiftly."

I nodded before turning to my two allies. "Let's head out."

Le Tressel wasn't what I had been hoping it was. I was expecting a very innocent, perhaps even nerdy store but this place? It was like a fancy Spencers (that 'adult' store you find in many American malls) mixed with like a JC Penny (lots of clothing). There were sections of elegant dresses, prom dresses, suits and summer wear. As we walked around I picked up a thin red thong, made a look of disgust before placing it back down onto the rack, following after my friend.

Sherry seemed to be content to scan the shelves, searching for whatever seemed favorable to a woman of her taste. What taste that was I was still discovering considering she seemed on the more proper reserved type but gauging her expression towards the frilly two piece swim wear I couldn't even fathom which was more accurate, proper or not.

I had been saving money for a vacation but if I were being honest despite the circumstances concerning Jill this had been essentially my vacation. The island was set up to provide for all who lived on it, even guests such as me it seemed.

Wesker was sure shelling out a lot of money or some benefactor? I didn't know.

I was brought back to a gasp as Sherry had found something that caught her attention and she was bringing it over to me with a bounce in her step. "Look, Claire!"

She held up the dress, the glittery material making it shimmer when the light caught it. It was a murky green, the dress itself being black but the shimmer effect casting that deep green that seemed to suit the woman if I were being honest. It was strapless and there was a slit down both legs on the outside from the knee area down. The dress was almost floor length and had a sort of dark grey sash adorning the waist.

"I'm gonna try it on! Find you a dress, you'll need one." She didn't give me time to respond before she slipped into the nearest changing room.

I'd need a dress? For what? I was left confused as she changed, which didn't take long. She came back out wearing the dress, shifting on her feet to show me different angles. "Wow, that's gorgeous on you!" I was being honest. It was loose enough to be considered stretchy yet it still hugged her hips to show her curves.

"Uncle Al didn't tell you?" She furrowed her brows, tilting her head a little. I shrugged and arched a brow for her to explain. "There's a party day after tomorrow. It must have slipped his mind. Well, I say party, but it's more of a formal event that's loose enough to drink and dance for those not there for the actual meeting itself."

No, Wesker hadn't mentioned that at all. Neither did Birkin.

"Dad's not much for formalities so he's always 'sick' and usually down in the labs during these kinds of events unless Uncle Al is firm about him going, then he goes reluctantly." She giggled before going back in to change out of it.

I suppose I could go if only to see just who they associated with. She tugged me over to the dresses and I humored her as we dug through the ones on the rack.

She suggested two different dresses, a red and a silver. The silver didn't feel like my kind of style so I decided to go with the red. It was knee length with white rose petal stitching on the edges at the bottom. It had straps and a decorative little splash of white and silver adorning around the breast area. The back was low-cut, revealing to about the middle of the back with criss-crossing sections.

Of course Sherry was ogling me to try it on to make sure it fit so I did. Yes, it did fit, a bit snuggly. Not done on her quest Sherry led us to the shoe area to find matching heels.

She selected a pair of black strappy two inch heels and I chose red ballet flats mostly because heels and I had a long time disagreement and I preferred manageable dignity over breaking an ankle.

Afterward I decided to also go the full length. I bought a matching set of red panties and a bra along with white stockings and some new hair bows and hair ties.

Sherry promised she had appropriate makeup and so I didn't purchase a new set yet, eventually I'd need some. I did, however, grab some foundation and a hairbrush.

With the day drawing to a close we headed to get some ice cream at a local little sweets store before heading back to my room. She wanted to hang out for a few hours and when it was time for bed she gave a yawn and plopped down onto my couch.

I couldn't convince her to go back to her room and so I tossed a blanket over her snoozing curled up body. I smiled sweetly at my sleeping friend before heading into the hallway. I needed a smoke.

I walked outside and into the garden, sitting at a bench to feel the cool night air.

"Smoking is bad for you." An amused voice said as I had just removed a stick. I hadn't even lit it yet. I turned to see Wesker striding toward me. "Did you have a fun day shopping with Sherry? She can be quite the handful if not used to such energy."

"You're telling me but I love being able to spend time with her, she's grown up a lot. And I'll smoke if I want to." I scoffed before lighting the cig and pressing it between my lips. "Sherry mentioned a party in two days."

"Ah, yes, I meant to tell you but Birkin informed me you had gone out with Sherry. I assumed she would tell you before I could." He chuckled as he sat down beside me, leaving some space between us. He folded his gloved hands into his lap. Tonight he wore a black turtleneck and slacks, his gloves and glasses on. "I wanted to ask if you'd accompany me to it though I'm sure Sherry had already made you feel as if you must go-"

"William- he gave me permission to call him by name -said to give you a chance to prove yourself." I interrupted him. I could see his head turning to study me despite his shades concealing his eyes. "So yes. I'd like to go, plus I'd get to see who all is involved."

His lips twitched into a smirk. "Of course you'd find an advantage to rationalize it. Ever logical, Miss Redfield." He laughed but the sound and tone wasn't mocking or patronizing, just amused. "Good. I will come pick you up. I'll text you the details in regards to timing tomorrow to give you time to prepare."

"Thanks."

A silence broke out as we sat. He was studying me while I was peering thoughtfully at the sky. Night time always reminded me of Chris. When we lived together he'd come into my room and wish me goodnight, tell me he'd see me in the morning and that he loved me.

Without Chris lately my life had felt a little hollow, like a void had been left. It had healed a little bit when discovering Jill was still alive, but.. Chris was still out there, alone, choosing to suffer in the dark. That made my heart hurt.

I took a shaky breath.

Wesker seemed to sense the dam starting to break because he moved to stand and was turning. "I'll leave you to your habit, goodnight Miss Re-"

"Can you stay for a few minutes?" I found myself asking without giving it deep thought.

He paused and I flinched at my own question. He turned his head back, peering at me over black lens. "Are you sure?"

I nodded and he spun, sitting down once more. I peered down at my lit cig before putting it out into the little ashtray trash can beside the bench. I stuffed the pack back into my pocket with the lighter. I sighed and leaned back, resting my head against the back railing of the bench.

"Do you ever wonder if there's actually life out there?" I asked softly.

He seemed curious about my question. He threw his arm against the back of the bench, fingertips mere inches from my ponytail as he shifted his body to be more angled toward me, as if giving me his full attention at that moment.

"Of course. If Earth can sustain life, who is to say there aren't other planets or rocks that have life beyond our galaxy. Perhaps they aren't like us, perhaps they are." He offered his answer seriously.

I turned my head, staring at him. "Do you ever stargaze?"

He arched his brow, smiling a little. "I rarely have time to waste on such simple pleasures."

I frowned deeply. "Mom, dad, Chris and I used to stargaze. Our parents had this telescope and we'd look at a planet or star on some weekends. When they passed away it was hard to do things we did with them. But I remember the cool crisp air, gentle breeze, glittering stars, stories about comets and astrology."

"Sounds like a time you fondly miss." He noted with interest.

"Yeah. When I find Chris I'm going to make him watch the stars with me again, I might even save up for a telescope." I turned my head and looked up, watching little clouds that hid away sections of the sky.

I could see him stiffen just barely. I lifted my head and squinted at him. "What's wrong?"

"Your dear brother has come out from wherever he's been hiding." He was gritting his teeth. I nodded, waiting for him to continue. "One of our California facilities was destroyed, all personnel killed by him and his men."

I blanched, blinking rapidly. Killed? Were they innocent? Wait, no, that didn't sound like Chris regardless. "Like.. he killed a building full of people?"

He reached into his coat. "I was debating how long to keep this from you since it doesn't directly concern you." He passed the envelope to me.

I accepted it and quickly opened it, discarding it into my lap as I sifted through the various photographs taken from what I presumed was a security camera's perspective. It was grainy, some shots weren't clear but one thing was undeniable. It was my brother in every photo. They showed several bodies littering the hallways and Chris there with uniformed men. Government agents? Part of the B.S.A.A.? But the B.S.A.A. hadn't been active as of late.. no big outbreak had happened that I was aware of.

I doubted Wesker would be here being pleasant company if an outbreak happened somewhere in the world. His truth meant that he didn't want there to be leaks or unnecessary deaths connected to the viruses.

This didn't make much sense. Chris was decked out in full combat gear, a pistol in his hand in some pictures. In a few of the last photos it almost looked like his left hand, the one not holding the pistol, had been covered with blood since it seemed like something dark had splattered on him.

The date marked on the back of a photo said a few weeks ago, roughly around the first week I had arrived here.

"Since those photos he's hit several other facilities along the west coast." He folded his arms against his chest. I put the pictures back into the envelope, a shaky exhale slipping out as I held it out to him. He tucked it into his trench coat before studying me intently.

"Are the people he's killed all scientists?" I needed to know.

"No. Security guards, research assistants, a few doctors, many scientists and some residents in various buildings. Even relatives that just happened to be visiting were not excluded from the killing."

I pressed my fingers against my mouth, trying to grasp what I was hearing. Chris was killing people? Why? Why?

"I need to wake up Jill."

Jill hadn't been responsive in the month since I'd been here. She'd twitch but that was about it. I needed something big.

"The sooner you get her awake the sooner she can return to her partner." He coolly said. "Lest I find myself snapping his neck for the loss of time, resources and men he's killed."

I frowned deeply, glaring at him now. "If you kill my brother you know I'd hate you."

"I'm supposed to let him destroy what he wants and kill who he wants, hm?" He snarkily asked, his face hard and unreadable.

"No, of course not." I folded my arms against my chest, the cool night air finally getting to me.

"Do you plan to stay out here long?" His question threw me off. I nodded carefully and he stood, removing his trench coat and draping it against my back because I was leaning forward a little since the photos.

"Uh, thanks." I wasn't sure what else to say.

"Return it tomorrow." He turned and began to walk away.

"Um, hold on."

He paused but didn't turn to acknowledge me but the fact he froze meant I had his attention.

"Thanks for.. y'know. Keeping me company and showing me what my brother's been up to." I wasn't sure if I trusted the pictures yet considering the man was known for manipulating but until I found out the truth I could at least thank him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Dear Heart." With that he left me alone to my thoughts.

First view is Albert Wesker, then HUNK, then it goes to Claire.