Bela and Ethan walked all the way towards the R&R establishment hand in hand, raising more than a single eyebrow. Even though at this point there were likely rumors abound about them, such a shockingly direct display was still a surprising sight for the tired night crew.

Bela brought Ethan up to speed on their way, even as she wore that calm smile of hers. The man was imminently grateful not only for her impromptu first aid on him but also for the fact that the blonde woman carried him all the way towards their extraction point. Ethan smirked as he thought about all the time he spent in her arms lately. As long as he could swallow some of his masculine pride, that wasn't the worst position to be in.

The Dimitrescu daughter was light on details about what exactly faced them as they left the foreboding mines, but it was clear to Ethan that it was an uncomfortable topic for her, so he didn't press it. Instead, he was obviously overjoyed at the fact that Chris was there to bail them out, in the end. Bela made it clear that if it wasn't for the large captain, none of them would be here now.

Shortly before reaching their goal, the pair was stopped by a youthful-looking female crewmember. The shorter woman snickered as she approached them, before whispering something into Bela's ear. The tall blonde whispered back, as she swiftly passed the girl a pair of bills with the painfully familiar and unchanging visage of Benjamin Franklin on them. As the girl excused herself, giving Ethan a conspiratorial wink on her way, the man couldn't help but ask the natural question.

"What was that about?"

Bela only hummed in that enigmatic way of hers, before providing a playfully taunting response.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Ethan was most curious indeed, but he figured it was something that would come up later, so he didn't press the issue.

Moments later, the duo finally arrived at their destination; the familiar setting of this memorable place making the man grin. First he passed out right here - his body depleted after a spar with Cassandra. Then he almost made out with drunk Bela on that very sofa in the corner by the doorway. What pleasant/horrific surprise awaits this time?

Today, the bar held a number of interesting patrons, all of them basking in its soft reddish glow. The jazzy music was noticeably absent today, however.

Ethan immediately noted five people that he saw once before - on an aircraft that carried his family out of that accursed Romanian valley, two years ago. The four men and one woman all stared back at him and Bela, whose hand he still held, with vastly contrasting expressions: amusement, disgust, envy, apathy and curiosity - it seemed like Chris' ragtag bunch of misfits were as different in their personalities as they were in looks.

While the infamous Hound's Wolf Squad were all enjoying their beverages on a table they occupied by themselves, their brave captain sat on a simple short stool by the counter - with Cassandra as his company. The brunette daughter was proudly showing the large man her cell phone - no doubt filled with grisly pictures of her victims in the past two years: beast and man alike.

On another small table in a corner was a passed out form of Millie - her ebony locks and grey dress suit unmistakable. Ethan didn't take her for someone who would try to drown their sorrows like that; it seemed the last, particularly stressful, 24 hours that went far beyond ordinary left their mark on her, as well.

Finally breaking their handhold and pointedly ignoring Millie's slumping shape, Bela marched right up the counter and took a seat next to Cassandra; the sisters exchanging nods of greeting. Not missing a beat, the blonde woman ordered a small glass of red wine - which she then proceeded to down in a single gulp. Both Chris and Ethan raised a single eyebrow at that. Clearly the blonde Dimitrescu was not shy about her alcohol consumption practices. Cassandra just giggled, before noting: "Behold! Miss Manners in all her glory!"

Bela merely placed a hand on her temple as she grumbled out a reply.

"Shut up, Cass." The elder daughter glanced towards the barmen next, before curtly asking for another. Taking his own seat next to Chris, Ethan somehow felt that Bela was a bit more disappointed than she let on that their hallway encounter didn't turn into something...more.

As Ethan ordered a shot of whiskey for himself, Chris patted his back with brotherly firmness, before giving him a genuine smile. The father grinned back - truly happy to be in the large man's presence. This was the third time the B.S.A.A. captain bailed his ass out of the frying pan.

The friendly mood stuck, even as Chris clicked on a TV remote that was lying nearby - likely in search of some horror to show them. A large screen at the top of a corner to their right lit up, showing a game of American football in progress.

"Alright! Go Eagles!" A burly, bearded man - Charlie Graham, if Ethan's memory was correct - yelled out enthusiastically.

"Please. As if they got a chance in hell against the Giants." Immediately responded another - a redheaded man with a cocky grin. Dion Wilson.

Giving a tired sigh as if dealing with children, Chris switched the channel. The group were treated to a fashion show of some kind next, immediately drawing Cassandra's attention. As the captain tried to switch the channel once more, the brunette stopped his motion with a firm hand of her own, even as she spoke; a mischievous spark in her amber orbs.

"Oooh! Look at that dress, sister! I think it would fit you just right."

That brought Ethan's own attention to the screen. On it, a model was strutting around the podium in a truly majestic-looking dress. It was a beautiful maroon color; with a low triangle cut, partially exposed shoulders and an asymmetrical hem that bared quite a bit of thigh on its right side. Blood was quick to rush to Ethan's face as he vividly pictured Bela in this gorgeous and revealing dress - highlighting her curves and natural beauty.

I have to agree with Cassandra here...

Bela's favorite fruity wine did the trick as her mood was once again uplifted. Leveling her scrutinizing gaze at the screen, the blonde daughter hummed in thought.

"You think so, dearest sister? The hue is most enchanting, indeed, but doesn't it look a tad revealing to you?"

Cassandra laughed loudly, even as she fought Chris' fingers for the control of the remote.

"Ah, you and your love of mystery! It is a crime to hide those legs of yours all the time, I say! I am sure Ethan agrees with me, here! Don't you, Ethan?" Cassandra purred out his name that same menacing way she did when they were… less friendly towards each other; a shiver ran throughout his body.

No shit

As much as that was exactly what the man wanted to respond with, he tried broaching the subject with a more diplomatic approach.

"Ahm, well...nothing wrong with a little mystery, I think. It makes the eventual reveal all the more sweeter."

At that, Bela started lightly blushing herself, fidgeting with her empty glass meanwhile. As both Chris and Cassandra were leaning forward on their stools, Ethan had a clear line of sight at Bela's face. The light pink tint gracing her normally pale cheeks was simply adorable to his gaze. Cassandra did not let him enjoy the beautiful sight of the object of his affection for too long, however, as she scoffed in annoyance, before speaking her mind at his response.

"Ugh! Eventual reveal? If you want something, you take it... " Cassandra's grip on Chris' hand tightened as she hissed out these words. The large man himself visibly tensed from the increased pressure on his hand - though whether from discomfort, feeling threatened or some other emotion - was only for him to know.

Seeing his reaction, Cassandra licked her black lips hungrily; her similarly black-painted fingernails scratching Chris' own fingers, hard - drawing specks of blood. The captain shuddered just slightly at that. Not from pain - Ethan knew that it would take far more than a mere scratch to make that man flinch. The father could only stare at this bewildering display in silent fascination. What exactly was going on here?

What am I seeing…? Is CASSANDRA hitting on CHRIS? This world has officially gone crazy.

The brunette witch finally took her hand off Chris' own - only to slowly, sensually lick her fingertips. Apparently, even mere drops of his rich vital fluid was enough for her to get a taste for it, as she let out a small moan of delight.

"Mhmmm… exquisite…"

Chris remained silent and stoic through it all; the man calmly resumed scrolling through the channels. Likely annoyed by his lack of reaction, the brunette scoffed and returned to the previous topic of conversation. Glancing at Bela, who was staring back at her in thinly-veiled curiosity, Cassandra spoke in a self-assured tone of a person who really knew what's what.

"That said, I suppose it makes sense why you two nerds can't keep your eyes off each other. Mystery, my ass." The brunette thought for a second and grinned evilly, before continuing. "...Or his ass? You think I miss all the glances you're shooting dear Ethan's rear when you think he isn't watching, dearest sister?"

Bela was almost as crimson as that dress they just saw now. Ethan himself was doing only moderately better at the implication. Nevertheless, the man still felt the need to defend their blooming relationship verbally. Perhaps the words his flushed mind produced were not the wisest.

"Lay off, Cassandra. What Bela looks at in her spare time is none of your fucking business. As is our whole relationship, by the way."

Bela hid her face behind her palms now, while Cassandra let out another booming laughter. The brunette roughly patted both Bela and Chris with her respective limbs, as she responded in a mirthful tone.

"Oh, dearest Ethan! Again you're making me regret not taking that crass tongue of yours during our little spar! You keep using it for the wrong purposes!" The brunette witch hummed in thought as she stood up, making Ethan himself shudder as he knew that her threats were no mere bluff.

Thankfully, the middle sibling took her spot behind Bela instead; her powerful hands starting to massage the elder sister's shoulders with clearly well-practiced motions. The blonde daughter leaned into the gesture eagerly, her tense muscles begging for relief - Ethan could hear the smallest moans of pleasures coming from Bela. The brunette woman continued her previous thought in that taunting voice of hers even as she worked on her elder's sore shoulders.

"Look how tense and rigid my poor big sister is! Perhaps, instead of spewing all that nonsense about mysteries and shit you should put that little man-tongue of yours to a proper use - helping our beloved Bela relax and unwind from all the unpleasantness of late."

At that, Bela finally found her voice back, even as she made no motion to get out of the impromptu massaging session.

"Cassandra!"

Despite the indignity of her tone, Bela's hazy amber orbs flashed with hunger at the spoken implication. The mere thought of that act made wetness start gathering in her nether regions.

Ethan could clearly see the dreamy expression on Bela's red face - it made the man himself flush with desire. More than that, it made him feel ashamed for not noticing how physically stressed and exhausted the woman was, despite her spirited exterior.

Damn it… I am not the only one who's been through a lot. Bela's own body is probably running on fumes with all the worries and stresses of late, and still she just keeps it all to herself… always eager to provide comfort to others, but not to herself. I am sorry Bells… just give me a little time and I'll make it up to you, I swear.

"Aha!"

Seems like Chris finally found the channel he was looking for, as he straightened himself up, once again obscuring Bela's beautiful visage from Ethan.

"There we go - they were looping this shit all day. Perfect timing too. I recommend that you watch this carefully - all of you."

The two sisters and the lone father did so. The TV screen showed some kind of a news broadcast now. A pair of anchors - a man and a woman, spoke at them with clearly faked passion.

"Thank you, Bill. It's truly a horrible world we live in. Fortunately with B.S.A.A. ever vigilant, simple folks like you and me can still find some rest during the night."

"Too true, Amanda. I dread to think how many more innocents these vile terrorists would've claimed if not for the timely intervention of our stalwart guardians! Mauritanians, as well as the world at large owes them a debt of gratitude for that selfless and courageous raid on the bioterrorists' lair!"

"Indeed; we would like to pass the next word to the man in charge of the raid himself. Captain Dane Wolfe - hero of the hour!"

The screen changed to show a man in desert fatigues. Fitting, since a dune of sand was right behind him. The man was cleanly shaved; with short, military-cut dark hair. A B.S.A.A. badge was clearly visible on the right side of his uniform. The man's voice was gruff and uncompromising, and more than that - it was cold, completely dispassionate - almost robotic.

"Thank you, Bill, Amanda. The hidden bioterrorist facility has been a thorn in the side of this region for a long time and I am happy to fulfill my duty and finally end this menace. It is with great regret that I have to admit that several terrorists managed to escape our raid, however. They have been ID'd and we, working in tandem with Interpol, will do our best in bringing these criminals to justice. You have my solemn pledge that they will not escape us for long."

The screen cut back to the anchors in their comfy studio. The woman adopted a comically serious expression as she spoke.

"Again, let us offer our most heartfelt gratitude to the brave men and women of the B.S.A.A. - risking their very lives on a daily basis! Now, let us look at these dangerous criminals - remember, if you see them, do not attempt to approach or to try and take them down yourselves, instead immediately dial the number you can find below."

The screen cut to a line of text and a series of mugshots that made Ethan's blood chill in his veins. This was a monumental occasion, a life-changing one, even.

'Interpol's Most Wanted - Class 'A' terrorists, to be taken dead or alive'

Bela Dimitrescu

Cassandra Dimitrescu

Daniela Dimitrescu

Ethan Winters

Millicent Stout

A beat of silence passed as the moldy gang took this blood-curdling revelation in.

"Meh. I look fat in this photo. What a horrid angle, too. Are my cheekbones really that pronounced?"

Cassandra appeared absolutely unbothered by the fact that the whole world wanted to hunt her down now. She merely continued massaging Bela's back as she scowled at her own mugshot. Chris himself shot her a moderately surprised glance, genuinely impressed that the woman was so nonchalant about her predicament.

Ethan himself had a million thoughts running through his head, Bela's own expression mirroring his. The man rambled out a barrage of questions.

"Wait, what!? We are the terrorists? And that facility was our lair? How the hell could they spin in that way? Are B.S.A.A. actually working together with The Connections? What the hell do we do now?"

Chris gave a deep sigh at that, even as he flicked the TV off. Pinching the bridge of his nose and downing the rest of his whiskey, the large man started his explanation.

"Welcome to the shitlist, Ethan. B.S.S.A. does not work with The Connections in an official capacity - obviously - yet there are plenty of crooked officials within. When our 'friends' realized that your little raid on their regional HQ and R&D facility, as well as the bloodbath beforehand, would expose their dirty laundry - they called in a favor or two."

Bela, with a pensive look on her still slightly blushing face spoke next, in a curious but not overly alert tone. Ethan supposed that being an enemy of humanity was nothing new for them, even if the scale of enmity was quite different this time.

"So...they just called in your soldiers on their own base? What about their personnel and material possessions?"

Chris responded without missing a beat.

"They evacuated what they could. Everything else - razed to the ground. No witnesses. As far as that Replica commander we just saw was concerned, he executed a legitimate operation against a bioterrorist hideout, based on a tip from a reliable source."

Cassandra had a dark look on her face as she asked a question of her own.

"What about our mom? Why is she not on the list with us?"

Chris pondered on that query for a moment, drumming his fingers on the counter as he did so. Finally, he gave a quick shrug as he responded.

"I am not one hundred percent sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say that they want her alive - perhaps her value to them is too great to simply discard? I can tell you for sure that you four will be shot on sight from now on - nobody will attempt to bring you in alive."

The brunette's daughter finally stopped the massage. Her burning eyes narrowed to vicious slits as her hands clenched into fists that were itching to pulp organs and pulverize bones. Her voice was a low growl as she spoke a threat that might have sounded childish or overly dramatic, but Ethan knew that she meant it all with every fiber of her being.

"I will tear out the heart of every worthless maggot that would dare to come after mom. This I swear... I'll bathe in their fucking blood."

Even Chris was seemingly taken aback at the venom in her words. The captain stood up and gently placed a palm on her shoulder - just for a few moments, as he spoke in a quiet yet reassuring voice.

"Quite extreme there, Cassandra. But I can share the sentiment. We will stop them."

The brunette daughter still had fury in her eyes, yet she gave Chris a curt nod, showing her appreciation for his gesture. Bela was the next to ask a question, genuine surprise in her voice.

"How is that even possible that they can do all of that? Manipulate the information to the point where we are the bad guys and they remain in the shadows?"

Chris gave out a deep, tired sigh at that. One could see the depthless exhaustion in his faded blue eyes. The unending strife that was his life took its toll on the man. He answered with resigned grief plain in his tone.

"The world of ours is rotten, Bela. Two decades of bioterrorism saw to that. One crisis after the other collapsed the public trust in national governments. Millions of victims and God only knows how many displaced refugees made borders little more than scribblings on a map." Chris took a moment to order another drink, a thousand yard stare in gaze all the while. With a cough, he continued.

"International institutions such as megacorporations have all the economical power nowadays. Moreover, as individual governments failed to confront the ever rising threat of bioterrorism, more and more power was transferred to a global political organization - the United Nations. All it achieved is that corruption and organized crime levels are higher than ever. Incompetence and greed are running rampant."

Somehow even Cassandra was able to feel the extent of pain the captain felt as he mumbled out the depressing tirade. In an uncharacteristic act of compassion, the brunette gently patted his back with her own palm, this time. Her voice sounded unsure for once, no trace of its typical cockiness found.

"Come on. It can't be all that bad…"

Chris responded with a small smile at the comforting gesture from the most unexpected of people, but soon scoffed as the dark thoughts returned.

"It's worse. Warlords and mercenary gangs control vast territories in most underdeveloped countries. Criminal syndicates took over entire sectors in the so-called First World countries. Honestly, I am not even surprised that The Connections got so powerful. The conditions for scum like them to thrive couldn't be better. The clients, eager for the filth they traffic are rich and plentiful; the local governments where they operate are malleable and pliant."

Ethan was aware of much that was said by Chris, but having led a sheltered life for the last years, and being middle class in the U.S. before that, he was mostly shielded from it. Bela and Cassandra were almost completely isolated from the larger world, living in their Castle and then solitary manor in Cuba, with personal caterers to serve their every need…

"Sounds like a fun world…" Cassandra tried to say something positive, but Chris was not amused.

"Sure, if you're a warlord or a C.E.O.. The divide between the rich and the poor was never wider. Most folks struggle to make ends meet nowadays, having to pay outrageous taxes or protection fees. Anyway, enough of that. We can't save the world from itself, but we can still bring down The Connections, so let's focus on that."

Everyone was intrigued at the spoken notion, as nobody present wanted to leave that loathsome organization standing. Chris gave everyone present a small smirk, before speaking.

"Thankfully, there is still some justice left and a lot of good people in this world. The Connections were hoping to have their dirty laundry buried in that facility. But the items recovered by the Duke's woman over there," Chris pointed towards the slumping and unconscious form of Millie. "combined with data on the flashdrive you got from their HQ, as well as info the mercenary prisoner provided and what we ourselves got over the years…" Chris made a dramatic pause, as if savoring the moment.

"Well, that's enough to bury these fuckers if it ever gets into the right hands. The hands we will hopefully deliver these to, soon."

"The Duke's contact in France?" Ethan inquired, receiving a quick nod and a brief response.

"An old acquaintance of mine. Someone I know well and trust to do the right thing." Chris finished his drink, as he pondered on the next issue. With a sigh, he passed Ethan a photo. Cassandra's tattooed forehead creased in rage at the sight of it, as her fingers started erratically twitching - eager to inflict nothing but death and misery to the object of her ire.

The photograph had ten small kids of various races and genders on it. None of them looked to be older than five. A young woman of an Asian descent stood behind them, on the left. His wife stood on the right. The date on the photo was a mere week ago.

Ethan felt a dread feeling pooling inside his stomach. He could already guess what this was about. Still, the husband pointed a questioning glance Chris' way. The captain gave another self-hating sigh before answering an unvoiced question.

"Did Mia ever tell you anything about her past with The Connections? Anything to imply that she was more than a mere caretaker?"

"No… we barely spoke about it. She asked me to trust her that it was all behind her…" Ethan struggled to remember anything else, but any time he broached the subject, Mia was tight lipped about it as she did her best to change the direction of their conversation. If he ever tried to press it, she would get annoyed and either childishly ignore him or start a vicious argument that inevitably led to a lengthy discussion about his own shortcomings as a father or a husband.

Cassandra looked at Ethan with frustration and disbelief in her narrowed eyes. Her mouth opened wide, likely to start a vicious argument of her own - about how blind/stupid he was, no doubt - only for it to die in her throat as Bela's own hand found its way to the brunette's shoulder. Exchanging a brief glance with her elder, Cassandra limited herself to an indignant "Hmph."

Creasing her own forehead in troubled thought now, Bela moved to stand behind Ethan, her hot breath sending shivers down his neck. The blonde pointed towards the photograph with a single digit. "Who are these kids...?"

Chris was quick to provide an answer, looking at Ethan as he spoke, however.

"Mia's latest test subjects, apparently. Remember Eveline from Louisiana?" Ethan had to suppress a gulp at that; just nodding meekly, instead. The large captain continued.

"So, every single kid here is an abducted orphan, which is a horrifying fact on its own. What's truly scary, however, is that every single one of them is a potentially new Eveline. A new and improved version, even. Mia clearly had quite an interesting backstory she withheld from all of us." Chris finished his monologue with particular bitterness. "Shows me what I fucking know when I vouched for her, five years ago."

Ethan was aghast at the notion that his wife - his caring and loving Mia - was responsible for experimenting on abducted orphans, making yet more monsters out of them. The husband felt a spike of regret shooting through him, for not pulling the trigger on his own wife yesterday. How could one excuse such villainy?

Before he could stew in his own misery, a pair of warm hands wrapped themselves around his chest. In spite of himself, the man smiled. Bela was always quick to offer a comforting touch or word whenever he felt down lately. She truly was an empathetic individual. Almost like his own personal guardian angel...

"Don't be so hasty in blaming yourselves. None of us is a perfect judge of character. And...I am no mother, yet I can imagine that I would do anything for my child's safety… I am not saying it justifies everything Mia did...but… it makes her actions not that incomprehensible, does it not?"

Bela's dainty hands and soothing tone diffused the anger Ethan felt in a heartbeat. He couldn't help himself as his own digits once again intertwined with hers. Mia's actions, whether justifiable or not, took a backseat once again. The man's thoughts turned towards the foreboding future next.

"So… Chris. What do we do exactly? Pass these items along to the contact and what? Remain on the run for the rest of our lives as international fugitives? I don't feel like going under Class A terrorism charges. That's like what - a life sentence?"

"A death sentence, actually. They amended the law last year."

"Oh, that's even better…"

Cassandra just giggled at that - apparently in a good mood once again - before noting in a sarcastic tone: "Well, technically we've lived under a death sentence for sixty-five years - we had our fair share of torches and pitchforks, you know. Join the club, Ethan."

Chris couldn't suppress a smirk of his own at the brunette's upbeat attitude. He'd almost hated to break her little bubble.

"Afraid that being a local boogeyman is quite different from a target for international manhunt, Cassandra." The reckless daughter only stuck her tongue at him, undaunted. Chris himself thought for a few moments on their predicament, before offering a solution.

"That said… If you keep your heads down for a while and if we can bring down The Connections in the meantime, as well as nail their accomplices up in the U.N., there is a good chance for us to overturn your charges as unlawful, given enough time."

"That's a lot of 'ifs'..." Bela didn't miss the anxiety in Ethan's voice. Her firm hands gently brought him closer to her own body, with his head almost laying in between her breasts. Despite the unenvious predicament the man suddenly found himself in, for the moment he felt nothing but heavenly comfort. The blonde Dimitrescu's voice was as soft as silk as she delivered a simple yet heartfelt reassurance.

"We'll get through it, all of us - together."

A solid slap to his own chest, courtesy of Cassandra gave strength to comfort.

"That's right. Stop making such a pity-party over every little thing! Wanna go spar with me? That will man you up nice and proper!"

Even Chris gave a hearty chuckle at that display of the most unexpected of comraderies. His next words evoked both dread and resolve within Ethan and Bela both.

"Make no mistake, once we reach the shores, The Connections will do everything in their power to locate and destroy us, with the assistance of their puppets. This will likely be the most dangerous part of your little adventure... There is a good chance none of us will make it, truth to be told. But if we keep our cool up and our heads down, we might yet prevail in the end."

"I've yet to truly pay these bastards for what they did to mom." Cassandra's fist was clenched hard as she hissed the words out.

"You mean we have yet to, sister dearest?" Bela joined Cassandra in her sentiment. Again, the man could only be astounded at the amount of spite the normally pleasant and calm woman exuded in that short sentence. The malice in her tone was palpable. He suddenly remembered that her dainty arms, still around him, could likely snap a man's neck without too much effort, if she wanted them to. That passing thought hardly brought Ethan any discomfort, however, as he knew that one really had to deserve it to receive such a treatment from Bela.

"It's more than just you who were wronged by these people. Their list of crimes and the trail of victims left in their wake would leave even your precious Mother Miranda blushing."

After saying that, Chris slowly turned away from the counter and started walking towards the exit. "I think we're done here for now. I'm gonna go catch some Z's if you don't mind."

Cassandra obviously did mind, since she bolted to the large man's side, her hand clutching his biceps. "Now wait just a second, big guy. What about our little fight? Are you chickening out on me?"

Chris, not missing a beat, stopped dead in his tracks, before swiftly rotating to face the brunette woman and giving her a cocky grin that wouldn't have been out of place on a man twenty years his junior. A certain savage glinting sparked in his deep blue eyes, returning some life to the otherwise dulled orbs.

"Not a chance, little fly. I think a good and honest spar with a fresh partner is exactly what I need. Today, twelve PM."

Cassandra gave him a stunningly wide smile of her own at that response, showing off her pearly white teeth.

"Oooh! Excellent! I am so looking forward to kicking your sweet ass!"

Chris, gently but firmly detached her vice-like grip on his biceps with a free hand, grinning all the while. "Likewise. Good night, princess."

The middle daughter playfully snapped her teeth at him. The gesture was undeniably cute, especially with her jovial facial expression and mirth plain in her wide eyes. Nevertheless, Ethan couldn't help but shudder at the sight and sound of that little motion. He could only imagine how many people… men… met their ends at the sharp edges of these fangs.

Chris simply chuckled, before giving a nod of farewell to his squad and finally vacating the area. The Hound's Wolf group stared at this whole display with barely-disguised shock.

Moments later, Cassandra was still standing in the middle of the bar, giggling uncontrollably - much like a lovestruck teenager and not a sixty-something murderous cannibal.

Ethan himself finally stood up from his place at the counter, Bela detaching one of her arms from him to accommodate the motion. Another was still wrapped tight around him however, even as the woman herself gazed at her younger sister with amusement and affection.

Almost dancing on the balls of her feet, the giddy brunette gave them a curt wave before leaving herself, mumbling happily all the while.

"I think I'll take over Dani now. Otherwise the ditz won't leave mom's side all night. Ciao."

This whole scene was completely bewildering to Ethan, as well as everyone else present, excluding Bela - who just observed it all with a serene smile gracing her fair features. Humming to herself, the elder daughter fluttered towards the doorway herself. Due to the fact that her arm was now wrapped around Ethan's, the man had no choice but to follow.

"Come with me, Ethan, I wanted to show you something…"

The father was quite distraught by the latest horrifying revelations, not to mention still quite sore from the numerous wounds that were still not fully healed, so he simply trudged along.

"Aren't we being a little mysterious Bells? It's dead of night."

The woman gave a playful giggle at that and proceeded forward, without stopping.

"Exactly."

A barrage of worrying implications rushed through Ethan's mind as he helplessly followed the object of his affection along. While the thought of doing that with Bela aroused no shortage of positive emotions in the man, he simply felt not ready to commit to such a serious relationship, not with the ghost of Mia still lurking behind his shoulder.

Before he could voice a no-doubt feeble protest, Ethan mentally noted that they were not going towards either of their cabins. Instead, they were going up - Bela clearly knowing her way as she directed them towards a staircase with firm and steady steps.

As they finally left the bowels of the ship, the father couldn't help but let out a small but audible gasp at the serene setting that greeted them. They were at the very top of the yacht - on a small observation deck - just the two of them and the infinite sky, stretching above. Deep in the international waters, far away from the lights of civilization the nightly scenery was truly majestic.

Being an urban dweller for most of his life, Ethan never really knew how beautiful a cloudless night sky could truly be. With the last week being a hectic and chaotic struggle for survival, he had little time to simply stop and admire the natural beauty of the world. Bela clearly aimed to rectify this situation.

The man was momentarily struck motionless by the sheer amount of sparkling stars that were gazing back at him. For a minute or two the couple simply stood there, arms entwined, as they beheld the incalculable motes of light.

"I loved stargazing for as long as I could remember. From the window in my room during the winter and the ramparts of our castle during the summer. Care to join me in it tonight?"

Ethan regained a semblance of responsiveness at hearing Bela's dulcet voice. Glancing down from the sky, he noted a pair of blankets further ahead, as well as what looked like a small picnic basket.

Did Bela ask that girl from before to prepare this for us in advance?

The man didn't even try to hide the mirth and affection in his tone as he answered.

"I'd love to…"

The blonde Dimitrescu let out a small but undeniably cute giggle at his response, before humming in satisfaction and walking towards their little spot for the night. Kicking off her white sneakers - revealing no less white, warm-looking socks - the woman momentarily broke their arms apart to sit cross legged on the blanket.

Ethan took a moment to remove his own shoes before placing himself on the second blanket, his arm quick to wrap around her shoulder this time, pulling them both in a warm embrace - eliciting a soft sigh of delight from the woman.

For a few more minutes they just sat like that, in perfect comfort and contentment as they held each other with nothing but affection and saw nothing but the breathtaking majesty of the cosmos. In this moment, in the face of such a grand sight, their own issues appeared infinitesimal.

With some worry, Ethan noted that Bela was growing quite cold to his touch. Moments later, the woman started shivering slightly, confirming his suspicions. The man himself felt only the slightest chill, but he suddenly recalled that the Dimitrescu girls were much more vulnerable to coldness than an average person.

"Excuse me for a second..."

Bela gently broke out of his arms to rummage in the basket at her side, producing another warm-looking blanket that she promptly put over herself. The next item her nimble fingers reached for was a small thermos, from which she promptly took several sips. Ethan's nostrils twitched at that unmistakable irony smell, suddenly in the air. The man only smiled down at the beautiful blonde vampire, so thoughtful in her preparations for this surprise event. To his own shock, Ethan found himself utterly unbothered by the act of blood-drinking, not anymore.

Finally, the lady of the evening brought out a small wine bottle as well as a pair of glasses. At her questioning gaze his way, the man only gave a small nod and a loving smile. To his minor chagrin, Bela poured the wine herself - that should be something I should've done - and the couple enjoyed their drinks.

Bela's arm found itself snaking around his back as Ethan's own once again wrapped around her shoulder, snuggling them close to each other.

Experiencing indescribable comfort, the man's gaze turned skyward once again. Following his eyes, Bela momentarily produced her right arm from the warmth of the blanket to point at the brightest star that she saw as the one that caught Ethan's fancy.

"Arcturus. Only thirty-six light years away from us…"

"You sure know your astronomy, Professor Dimitrescu."

The woman giggled at his playful tone, before replying in kind.

"I know a lot of things, Mister Winters. Would you like to know more about astronomy, or perhaps... anatomy is of more interest to you?"

Bela's cheeks tinted pink at her own spoken innuendo. Ethan just chuckled joyfully.

"Mhm, a lesson for another night?"

"Count on it."

Saying that, Bela let out a sigh of contentment, as she snuggled her blanket-covered body even closer to his. Ethan was only too happy to accommodate. He couldn't miss the way she hungrily licked her lips, either. That anatomy lesson was sure to be an enlightening one...

The peace and quiet that ensued didn't last too long, as Ethan felt the now-familiar but barely noticeable presence emerging in the back of his head.

Rose asks where the hell are you? Oh...I see.

Ethan had to suppress a wince as he didn't warn Rosie in advance that he would be late today.

Ugh… I am sorry… is Tom still with her?

Sure is! Don't worry, enjoy your time! I'll tell Rosie that you're with 'Auntie' Bela. See ya later daddy!

Eveline's presence receded. The man could only say a prayer for Thomas. Truly, that man was a lifesaver. If they ever get out of that whole 'international terrorists' mishap, Ethan would invite him to a grill party one day.

"Something wrong, Ethan?"

Apparently, his inner dialogue didn't go unnoticed, as Bela's amber orbs were now staring into his brown-gray ones in curiosity. Giving one more lie, the father resolved to tell them all the truth - soon. Bela, Cassandra, Daniela and Chris all deserved to know it.

"Nah, everything's fine, Bells. Just being astonished at the… uhm… astronomical turn of events in my life lately."

Bela gave another beautiful giggle - truly, Ethan couldn't get enough of her melodic laughter - before lightly pecking him on the cheek. After a moment, her joyful mood shifted to somber, as she mumbled out the things that gnawed on her own mind.

"We've been through a lot together, already. And yet more dangers await… But moments like this make it all worth it in the end, don't they?"

Ethan returned the favor by gently kissing her on her tattooed forehead, before replying.

"I suppose...I'd still rather have more moments like this one and less life-or-death struggles, personally."

"Me too…"

This time the silence remained unbroken as the moldy couple continued to share their affectionate embrace, the soft starlight illuminating them in the darkness of night. The salty ocean air; the calming sound of waves beating against the hull; the gentle breeze added to the serene setting. The troubled past and foreboding future was temporarily forgotten in the face of the awe-inspiring present. The majesty of this moment ensured that neither Ethan nor Bela would ever forget it.

As tranquility claimed his battle-weary body, Ethan found himself drifting off to a peaceful, restorative slumber. For the first time in the last week, he did not dream of Mia. Someone else occupied his dreamscape completely that night. And she would tolerate no competition.

Author's Note:

So I wanted to do that world-building segment for a while now - I do imagine RE universe to be a more crapsack version of our own, if you can believe it with all the latest stuff that's been happening. That said, it might not be as shitty as Chris himself here portrays, since I do want to show his character as a burned out veteran, resolved to do his best, but simply no longer seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He sees the worst humanity has to offer on a daily basis, so that colors his perception of the world, as well. In a way, he is also addicted to danger (how could he not be, really?) and is somewhat of a thrill-seeker by now - that's why he is intrigued by Cassandra's intense personality. Hope that whole part was entertaining :D

As always, I greatly appreciate each and every comment you guys leave on my little story! If you have any questions, theories or suggestions, always feel free to express them, and I'll do my best to answer and I can proudly tell that I've implemented more than one suggestion in this story already :D