Hey all!

Here's the next chapter for this story.

Enjoy.

Chapter 2: The Party

Kelly Residence, 6:25 PM Wednesday 31st October 2018, Los Angeles, California, USA

Once they made it past the security at the front door, Ethan and Eveline were lead into the foyer. There were separate parties going on in two different rooms. The adults' party was going on in a ballroom while the children's party was being held in the recreation room. And even though the doors to them were closed, they could hear the music blaring out through them.

"Now remember, Evie, if anything happens or you need something, don't hesitate to call and I'll come as fast as I can." said Ethan, gesturing to the phone in her hands.

"I gotcha, Dad," smiled Eveline, "Don't worry. I'll be hanging out with my friends and doing fun Halloween stuff. You just get going and tell Samantha off like you said you would."

Ethan chuckled, ruffling Eveline's hair. "Will do. Now go and have fun, jellybean."

Not long after Eveline, disappeared into the recreation room, Ethan let off a sigh.

Even after watching Eveline disappear into the recreation room, Ethan could not help but feel a great deal of worry for the little girl. And this wasn't just now. It was when she was at home or at school.

During their time at the Blue Umbrella facility, Ethan insisted that wherever Eveline went, he went with her so she could be safe. Even though Chris agreed to let Ethan adopt Eveline, Ethan wasn't certain the man was going to keep his word when he said nothing bad would happen to her. And when they were released, they were informed that some agents were going to be deployed in their neighbourhood to keep a watchful eye on them until they deemed Eveline to not be a threat. From what Ethan knew of Chris from their training lessons, he was a man with trust issues.

Entering the ballroom, Ethan was greeted with a wild sight. Loud music was blaring compliments of a DJ, multicoloured lights blared from the ceiling, a dance floor packet with costumed dancers, drinks being served at a pop-up bar and tables where snacks were being served. The guests were dressed in a wide variety of costumes from different forms of media. He saw vampires and mummies; knights and zombies; and even some fictional characters like Isaac Clarke from Dead Space and a homemade Space Marine from Warhammer. But there were also ones that leaned towards the more provocative side such as hot nurses and semi-nude devil women. Ethan scoffed. They must be the guests without children. After all, what child would want to be seen with a half-naked mom?

Realising he was thirsty, Ethan walked up to the bartender at the bar to place an order. "Lemon, lime and bitters, please."

While he waited for his order, he took a moment to survey his surroundings. Everyone looked like they were having a good time in their own ways. While the costumes and decorations and costumes gave off the impression of a Halloween theme, this place felt more like a rowdy nightclub than a Halloween party. People were dancing with their partners or showing off dance moves. Some were at nearby tables, trying to see who can down the most shots. And just then, he saw a vampire lady lead a guy dressed as Superman to who knows where for who knows what.

"Great. Not even five minutes and I'm already bored," muttered Ethan, "Hopes Evie's having a better time than I am."

"Order up!" the voice of the bartender came up behind him.

Removing his mask, Ethan took a sip of his drink, relishing the cold, lemony beverage.

'At least the drink is good.' thought Ethan.

"Ethan! Glad you can make it!" a chirpy, if slightly slurred, voice called out.

'Oh, god.' thought Ethan, frowning.

Coming up to him in what can be best described as a perverted Maleficent costume with a martini in hand was none other than the last person he wanted to see tonight.

Samantha Kelly.

Ethan didn't really care for her appearance at first, but the costume she wore did back up Eveline's statement of 'having a lot done to her'. The costume was hugging her post-motherhood body tightly and lifting up her hefty bosom, but something told Ethan that was her goal for this evening.

"Hello to you, too, Samantha," said Ethan in a half-excited tone, "You've really gone out on organising this party."

"What can I say? Being a divorcee and fashion designer really bring in the green." said Samantha, "You enjoying the party so far?"

"Eh, I just got here actually. I really like the whole aesthetic and décor you've got going on," said Ethan, "It's alright, but feels more like a nightclub than a Halloween party. Good selection of costumes, though."

"I know, right? I think some of my designs are in this crowd," said Samantha, leaning on the bar and taking a swig of her martini, "Not your costume, though. Who are you dressed as?"

"Corvo Attano. From the video game Dishonoured," said Ethan, "And you're supposed to be Maleficent?"

"Yep. Homemade with my own personal touches to it." said Samantha.

"Good job." Ethan said simply, hoping the lack of attention to her would make her go away.

"C'mon, Ethan. You've been so distant lately. What's – hic – up?" asked Samantha, hiccupping halfway through because of the booze in her system, "How about we go up to my room and get our freakiness on?"

Ethan sighed. He originally didn't know what to say to her if she was sober. But he knew that whatever he would say would set her into a rage and attract unwanted attention. And if he didn't speak up now, he was never gonna get another chance at this. But now that she was drunk, maybe she would take it in easier with all the alcohol.

"Samantha, I know what you've been trying to do these past few months. The flirting, the invites to your place and the looks you've been giving me?" said Ethan, getting her attention, "I'm just gonna spit it out. No. Just no."

"Whaaaa?" slurred Samantha.

"It's got to stop. I'm not the kind of person who is looking for a one-night stand like some lonely loser. As a matter of fact, I'm staying away from the whole romance scene after what happened," said Ethan, "And you're not my type, to be honest."

That last one seemed to get her attention, putting a frown on her face. Putting down her martini, she looked up at Ethan with a glare.

"Oh, what? You've been so long with a bookworm like Mia Hansen that you can't tolerate a party girl like me?" asked Samantha accusingly. Luckily, the party in full swing and the music was blaring, so nobody took any notice.

But Ethan was surprised by something else. The fact she just mentioned Mia's full maiden name was a first for him. He only referred to Mia as his wife and never by name. And he was absolutely certain he never used her name in from of Samantha of all people.

"How do you know Mia?" asked Ethan, raising a brow.

"We were college roomies back in the day. I was the cool hot girl while she was, as mentioned before, the bookworm, but we were still friends. We kept in contact after graduation and she would mention you from time to time," explained Samantha, "I was surprised when I heard she got married to you. And when I saw you in your wedding photo, I thought you were kinda cute."

Ethan blinked for a moment, surprised. Her thinking he was cute answered his question on why she was interested in him in the first place, but something told him there had to be something more to this.

"And what's wrong with me anyway, Ethan?" asked Samantha, accusation present in her voice, "Don't you like me? I thought we were friends."

Ethan knew she was trying to guilt-trip him, but he had a counter for that.

"Honestly, that's all I want us to be. Friends. But I've got new responsibilities now. Eveline, after all the things that happened to her, needs my full support in adapting and moving on from her traumas," said Ethan, "I want us to be just friends. But I'm sorry. After what happened between me and Mia, I'm out of the market for now."

Details surrounding the Louisiana Incident had been greatly obscured to the general public when word of it got out. Chris and Blue Umbrella saw to that and kept Ethan and Eveline out of the situation. Even if they were reluctant with Eveline, knowing she was the reason for the whole outbreak. As far as the world knew, Mia Hansen was the only survivor of the tanker that had made its way into the bayou, along with the 'unnamed bioweapon'. And Lucas Baker became involved with Connections researchers that came to observe the bioweapon's work, being offered to work for them in exchange for a cure and a large sum of money later once the bioweapon was deemed a liability. Through the influence of the bioweapon, Jack and Marguerite, along with a pretending Lucas, were responsible for the kidnappings and murders over the past three years. And the BSAA, having found evidence from one of their raids, managed to find the Baker House and deal with the outbreak swiftly.

No mention of Ethan or Eveline was ever made. And Zoe, who Ethan kept in contact with, was relocated to New Orleans for a fresh start. Luckily, she was able to explain how she resisted the influence of the bioweapon and was not trialled. Last he heard, she got a job with the local paper.

"But what about a mother, huh? Don't you think Eveline needs a mother in her life?" asked Samantha, "I can be the mother figure that she needs."

But Ethan knew better. Eveline had become less interested in having a mother in her life after all the crap Mia put her through. Even expressing this to therapists hired by the BSAA, who were surprised that she lost interest in having a mother. And Samantha's personality was starting to rub off on Winona; something he didn't want Eveline exposed to in fear of reawakening her old self.

"Regardless, I'm not interested in pursuing a relationship with you. One-night stand or not," said Ethan firmly, not wanting to drag this on any longer, "And you being a mother figure to Eveline? Your materialism and elitist attitude would be a bad influence on her, so no way!"

By now, a few people were beginning to take notice of the argument going on. Some were turning their heads to catch the exchange of words while some gave either side confused looks. Samantha's face, on he other hand, only expressed anger on being rejected.

"Well, fuck you, too, you asshole!" spat Samantha, "I don't wanna be around some orphan from Loserville anyway! You and that brat are mea-"

All of a sudden, Samantha was clutched her stomach, feeling a sense of queasiness coming up. Predicting what was about to come next, Ethan took a few steps back. Just in time to see her puke up puddle of vomit on the floor. Obviously, the alcohol was working its magic in making her sick.

"Oh, but we ain't done here, Ethan. We ain-" Samantha tried to finish that sentence, but soon felt another round of vomit coming up, enticing her to run towards the exit in search for a bathroom. Ethan watched on with a frown on his face.

'Bitch. Not the way I intended to end it, but I think she got the message.' thought Ethan before he noticed the small group of people gathered to see what went down.

"What the hell was that, man?" asked one of the guys.

Ethan sighed, "She made another attempt to get into my pants, I said no to her and she ended up insulting my daughter."

"Harsh, dude," said another as he looked at the vomit, "But that'll teach her."

Needing a break from the action, Ethan grabbed his mask and drink, making his way down to the nearest table for a rest. He relaxed once he took a seat on the chair, relishing in the comfort of the cushion. But this peace, despite the loud music surrounding him, only lasted a few minutes before another voice entered his ear space.

"Is this seat free?" asked a female voice with an European accent.

Looking up from the table, Ethan came to see a most peculiar sight he couldn't tear his eyes away from.

There was a woman dressed in what appeared to be black feathered robes. It surrounded her body like the robes of old English monarchs with some gold trimmings done on the edges and the. There was a black ribbon around her neck with more gold detailing that seemed to be fading like it was worn many times or it was just very old. She wore what appeared to be black ceremonial clothes underneath the robe, which also had a black fabric hood covered in black feathers. But her most distinguishing feature was her mask. It appeared ornate dulled brass with some pearls attached to the top and the sides. The section that covered the eyes looked like one of those old Italian masks and the mouth covering was in the shape of a beak. It was fashioned in bars, which revealed a bit of her moving mouth. A pair of pale blue eyes peeked out from behind.

Ethan wasn't sure what it was, but there was just something so mesmerising about this woman. The mask? The eyes? Or the whole costume? He wasn't sure how long he was looking at her until she spoke up.

"Hello? Hello?" the woman said, trying to get his attention.

"Um, sure. Make yourself comfortable." said Ethan, finally getting out of his trance.

The unknown female took a seat next to him, setting down a glass of lemonade. She then proceeded to remove her mask and hood. It revealed a beautiful feminine face. She must have been roughly in her mid-thirties. She had fair pristine skin, pink lips and those blue eye looked clearer now without the mask. Her blonde hair ran down the back of her neck. She took a sip of her drink, apparently oblivious to Ethan's stare. When she put the glass down, he removed his gaze from her.

"Was Samantha giving you a hard time?" asked the woman.

"Yeah." replied Ethan.

"Her words really know how to get all the men she slept with wrapped around her finger, but you're the first one I've ever seen to reject her…Ethan, was it?" asked the woman.

"Yeah. Ethan Winters. What's your name?" asked Ethan, suddenly finding himself interested this stranger.

"Miranda. Miranda Müller. Nice to meet you, Ethan." said Miranda, shaking hands with her new companion, "From the way she was interacting with you, I'm guessing her daughter invited your child just so Samantha can get to you?"

"Something like that, yeah," said Ethan.

"Thought so," said Miranda, "I just hope our children are having fun in the other room. I, for one, just came to make sure nothing happened to my Eva. Other than that, I have no desire to be in this place, especially around that

"Same here. Besides being with my daughter, I wanted to stop Samantha from harassing me like this," said Ethan, before a thought clicking in his mind, "Wait, Eva? My daughter said she's best friends with a girl named Eva."

"Really? What's your daughter's name?" asked Miranda.

"Eveline. Her name's Eveline." said Ethan.

"It's a beautiful name. And both our daughters' names sound similar? What are the odds?" laughed Miranda, causing Ethan to chuckle as well, "Eva told me she had a friend named Eveline. And what are the odds of that?"

"It was bound to happen eventually," said Ethan, taking a sip of his drink, "So I've been meaning to ask – who are you dressed as? I've never seen a costume like this one."

Miranda looked down at her robes before looking back at Ethan.

"It's not really a costume. It belonged to my grandmother. It's a ceremonial garb she wore at a pagan cult group she belonged to that worshipped the earth. Believed in nature's spirits and how one day they would rise up to cleanse the earth of its impurities." said Miranda, "I thought it was silly, but the nature part did get me into medicine."

"It's really beautiful. Did she make it herself? And the mask?" asked Ethan.

"The mask was made as a show of metallurgy skills by my great-great grandfather, who was a metalsmith. My grandmother made the outfit by hand, though. But apart from photos, this is the only other thing I have left of my grandmother. I loved her a lot, so I just couldn't leave it behind when we relocated." said Miranda, looking down sadly.

"Relocated?" asked Ethan, concern present on his face, "Did you move away from home?"

Miranda suddenly put a pause on her words, like she started a conversation that she should not have started at all. Ethan picked up in this, getting a worried expression on his face.

"If you don't want to continue, you don't have to," said Ethan calmly, "We can talk about something else."

"No. I was told that talking was a good way to deal with problems. I just don't know who I can talk to without getting judged," said Miranda, "And how I can tell a story without people getting the wrong idea."

"I, for one, won't judge. I promise." said Ethan.

Miranda smiled.

"You asked me if I moved away from home. Something like that,", said Miranda, "Are you aware of the bioterror attack some years ago on Edonia?"

Ethan looked at his hands. He had a feeling that he knew where this was going to go and Miranda was reluctant to speak about it at all. But if his predictions on her next words were going to be correct…then this conversation could turn out good or bad for him. Good because it showed that the two of them had something in common; both being victims of bioterrorism. And bad because if he told her about his recent 'adventure', it could put her on edge.

But on the subject, Ethan was well aware of the Edonia attacks from six years ago.

"Yeah. It was all over the news for a while," said Ethan, "Something about black market bioweapons and civil war. Neo Umbrella had a hand in it somehow."

"That's right," said Miranda, "Before the attacks, I lived in a small town in Edonia with Eveline and my husband, Erik. I worked at the local clinic, Erik worked at the bank and little Eva was just about to start preschool. It was a simple, but fulfilling life. Until…"

"The attacks began?" asked Ethan.

"Yes," replied Miranda, "We found our town suddenly besieged by the Edonian Liberation Army. It was so swift and fast that the town barely had any time to react. They had deployed their soldiers and bioweapons. I saw them. Monsters the size of buildings and weapons that can topple governments."

"No kidding. Bioweapons these days just seem to get bigger and badder all the time." said Ethan before Miranda continued.

"Luckily, it was a weekend, so we were all together at home. When we heard the first sounds of weapons in the distance, we retreated to our storm cellar so we could wait out the attacks," said Miranda, "For the next two days, we sat and stayed in the cellar together, hoping and praying that someone would come to save us. Poor Eva was scared out of her mind and I was greatly worried for her."

"What happened after the two days?" asked Ethan.

Miranda looked down for a moment, like she was in a state of trauma, before she hung her head back up. "As time went by, the sounds of battle died down more and more. Likely because the Liberation Army was moving more inland towards the capital of the country. When it finally became quiet, Erik decided that it must have been safe to go out and look for help. He told us to stay put in the cellar in case there were any insurgents or bioweapons still roaming around nearby."

Hearing this, Ethan couldn't help but think back to when he was navigating the lower levels of the Baker House. Being in the basement that had been converted into a crematorium and a slaughterhouse had been one of the more agonising moments of his time in the estate, namely due to all Eveline's Molded roaming the halls and seeing all the blood that came as a result of the outbreak. Then his first confrontation with Jack that ended with Ethan's victory was the highlight of that part of the house. Like himself, Miranda must have been scared out of her mind if something happened to her or Eva. And while Ethan had to constantly move whereas Miranda had to stay put, they were both in scenarios where monsters could find them at any time.

"But for three days…three agonising days…we were sitting in the cellar, waiting for Erik to come back. Waiting for him to come to us and take us away from the ruined town," said Miranda sadly, "There were times where I wanted to go out there and search for Erik, but I knew that if I went out, I probably would never come back. And Eva would have been left an orphan, with nobody to care for her."

At the word 'orphan', Ethan's mind thought back to Eveline. The girl had been an orphan from the moment her biological mother was killed off by the Connections and remained so, even under their and Mia's care. Mia lied to her when she said they can be a family, a lie that made her already mentally unstable even more fragile. And even though he was appalled at what she had done during her time at the Baker House, Ethan understood the circumstances that had made Eveline what she was. A lack of love and direction in a child's life can lead them down dark paths. When Ethan promised to adopt her back then, he knew he was taking a hell of a chance to put an end to what she had done and put on the right track in her life. And by a miracle, it had worked. Fast forward a year later and Eveline was thriving in a positive environment. And she was an orphan no more.

"But by some miracle, we were found by TerraSave agents. I had high hopes that Erik was with them, but when I looked around for him, he was nowhere to be seen," continued Miranda, "One of their workers, Claire Redfield, told me that they had found him on the edge of town the previous day."

Ethan had heard of Claire from Chris' tales, but put it aside for now. "What did she say?"

Miranda took a deep breath and then exhaled, like she was preparing to say something critical. "They found him mortally wounded from an encounter with some remaining insurgents. Before he succumbed to his injuries., he directed them to our location, which is how they found us."

Miranda looked down again, but not before he noticed a tear straining down her face. Thinking quickly, Ethan grabbed a nearby napkin and handed it to Miranda, who proceeded to wipe it away. She looked up again to meet his eyes.

"Miranda, I'm sorry." said Ethan, "I don't really know what to say."

"It's better that you don't, Ethan. That whole 'I can't even begin to know what you are feeling' thing is kinda crap." said Miranda, cracking a small smile, "After we were brought to a refuge centre for decontamination, we were allowed to see Erik's body. Needless to say, it was a very horrible sight. Eva didn't want to leave his side for the whole time that night, but relented after some time. While we were in a temporary shelter, a mass funeral was held a week later. We watched as Erik was buried with the rest of the townspeople who had lost their lives. And we gave our final goodbyes."

"It's just a bummer to know that he didn't live to see you two by his side. He would have been relieved to know that you had survived." said Ethan.

"I knew that deep down, he knew we would be safe no matter what. Later, thanks to TerraSave's Bioterror Victim Relocation Program, Eva and I settled here in Los Angeles with their help. We received some financial support, a new set of identity documents and a new home. It was a difficult transition, but after some months of much-needed therapy, I began work at the hospital downtown and Eva started kindergarten. And everything that's happened since then has brought us up to now."

"Even now, do you think you've completely settled in to a new life in America?" asked Ethan, "I mean, are you holding up well?"

"Well, I've made it work so far. For Eva's sake, I got her into a good school near home. And whenever I had to work nights, there is a nice lady next door who babysat Eva and cooks meals for her," said Miranda, "It's not been easy, but I'm willing to go to great lengths for my Eva. I've never talked to anyone about our situation, since people are weary of those who have been to biohazard areas, thinking they brought back a contagion with them."

"That's understandable. But I know what you mean. I've got the same thing going on with Eveline. She's still adjusting to a new life and I greatly worry for her all the time." said Ethan.

"Oh? What do you mean by 'a new life' with you?" asked Miranda, intrigued.

At this, Ethan fell silent, suddenly realising he had said something he should not have.

And there's chapter two.

I'll bet nobody was expecting Miranda to appear in this fic. This is an alternate version of her who has no powers whatsoever, no connections to the valley and where Eva is alive. I've referenced the events of RE6 to give her a backstory so she can relate to Ethan in a way. And it looks like she is aware of Claire. The costume she wears is her Village fit, but imagine is it less organic and more like it was handmade.

I took this opportunity to explore a universe where Eveline and Eva met each other since I've never seen such a scenario in any other fanfic. And unlike Winter's Howl, there will not be as much romance between Ethan and Miranda given how they have just met and this fic focuses more on trauma, recovery and family.

Until next time,

DeltaRaptor out!