Bound by Sins of the Past

by Hellraptor

Two years after surviving the events that had bound their fates together, Ethan and Bela are living in different corners of the world. Their newfound peaceful lives are about to be shattered by a mutual foe, bringing them together once again. This is a sequel to my previous story, An Act of Kindness. Slow burn Bela/Ethan, with plenty of violent action and hurt/comfort scenes.

48. Awakening to a New World

The world came into focus slowly, with Ethan having to expend an effort to be able to see his surroundings as something more than a blurry mess. It almost felt like he had grown unused of his own two eyes.

But just as surely as night gives way to a new day, so did the darkness eventually retreat from Ethan's sight, allowing him to take in the clinical-white walls of the small, sparsely decorated room he has found himself in.

Of course, the father couldn't care less about the color of this modest room's walls or the state of its decorations, not when the object of so much of his love and worry was right there in front of him.

Blinking his eyes furiously as if to make sure that this was neither a wishful dream nor a cruel illusion, Ethan couldn't help but let out the name of the one most precious to him.

"Rose…?"

Rose had visible signs of exhaustion plain on her face and Ethan's keen eyes could easily catch glimpses of dark red scratches on the exposed skin of her legs and arms; but otherwise the poor child appeared to be both healthy and even somewhat lively.

Blinking her own large eyes in turn, the girl craned her head to the side, appearing confused at the seemingly disoriented state of her father.

"Daddy..? Are you okay?"

The melodic sound of her voice - the most cherished sound in existence, as far as Ethan was concerned, was enough to finally ground Ethan back to reality. After getting through seemingly endless layers of nightmare that were the last several months, it was a real struggle to simply dare to hope that it was all over, that they were finally safe. He could only pray that this sweet hope would not turn into bitter disappointment if another threat would rear its ugly head to try and tear his family apart yet again.

Gazing into Rose's expressive orbs, filled with worry and affection for her father, Ethan found all the affirmation that he needed that his herculean effort was not in vain.

"Rosie…" Just one muttered word, yet Ethan managed to put all of his endless parental love and dedication into it.

In turn, Rose likely tried to reply once again, yet the father would not give her the chance, as he hurried to engulf her into a loving hug of a despairing parent."Mhph!" Like a photophobic insect exposed to the blinding light of the sun, that feeling of despair scurried off into the deepest and darkest hole it could find, allowing pure hope to bloom in its way.

Tears of genuine joy trickled down Ethan's face as he held on to his child for dear life. Tenderly rubbing Rose's back made the girl fully relax in her father's loving embrace, though she was likely unaware that the act brought even more comfort to Ethan himself. After his horrifying adventure through the depths of his own twisted mind, the line between reality and phantasma was far too blurry for Ethan's comfort. Even a minor physical contact brought an immense amount of solace to his weary soul as it served akin to an anchor to reality, not even mentioning the obvious - the respite a parent feels when reuniting with a long-lost child; it might not have been even a full day they were separate, but it sure felt like an eternity to Ethan.

"Everything's okay now…" Ethan was not sure if the empty platitude he spouted was directed more at Rose or himself. For the truth is, after everything he has gone through, he would not dare to declare themselves safe. Was the current crisis truly over - and even if it was, was the next one just around the corner? Perhaps it was a laughable notion that he, an adult man, needed reassurance just as much - if not even more - than his baby daughter, who was not even a three-year old yet.

It did not appear that way to Rose herself, however, as the keen girl took in her father's emotive features, "You're okay, daddy… I am so glad…"

Worried as he was about Rose, Ethan was momentarily stunned at the outpouring of vocalized worry towards himself. Naturally, the poor child was just as worried about her father - despite her tender age, she has already developed a remarkable level of empathy, something that not every adult would reach even. Knowing about that particular trait of Rose well, Ethan let out a subdued chuckle before placing a gentle kiss upon her tiny forehead.

"Of course I am okay, sweetpea." Leaning back a bit to gaze into her large eyes, Ethan could barely contain the joy he was feeling at this reunion. "How could I not be, when I see you safe and sound, my precious little angel…" the gently whispered words were barely audible, making Rose perk her ears in a bid to catch them. A beautiful smile, blooming on her tiny face, implied that the girl managed to do so.

In this moment, there was nothing as beautiful to Ethan as that little smile. Beyond the obvious joy of sharing happiness with your loved one, it served as a justification for all the horror and bloodshed he waded through, as well a validation of his duty as a father.

It was all worth it, in the end.

Unable to help himself, the father engulfed the tiny shape of his daughter into a hug once again. The girl did not protest the motion and her small hands did their best in wrapping around his own torso.

After his struggles in both the material realm and his own mindscape, Ethan was somewhat wary about potential threats lurking around in every shadow, yet recalling that it was Chris who had unknowingly led his, back then possessed, body towards this room, Ethan could only assume that they were at least somewhat safe here. That feeling of safety was a flickering one, yet for the moment it was enough as he held onto one most dear to him.

If time just stopped in this moment of raw affection that is possible only between a loving parent and their cherished offspring, Ethan would've been just fine with it.

Nevertheless, the river of time flows ever forward and soon their moment of tranquility was interrupted by a question Ethan dreaded.

"Will mommy be back?"

Ethan wetted his coarse lips as his mind pondered on how to properly answer the query. Rose, however, was not done and it was her voice that broke the silence next.

"She said that she is sorry and that she loves us. Can't you forgive her, daddy?"

Ethan immediately wanted to quip with the obvious that things were just not that simple, but the worrying implication was quick to overshadow it, "Mia said that to you? When?"

While Ethan was certain that Mia would be the last person to try and harm Rose, he was not quite free of the fear that the scorned mother would take the girl with her into the night; neither to be seen again. The implication that Mia somehow got into contact with Rose therefore sent a spike of anxiety down Ethan's spine.

In turn, Rose craned her neck as she peered at Ethan with a curious expression on her face - as if Ethan was asking something very obvious. It likely was; Ethan quickly realized that his misadventures in his own mindscape probably occurred concurrently with the passage of time in the real world. He was likely missing out a chunk of what exactly happened in between him succumbing to Fettel mind-control and their current situation.

Slowly standing up from his kneeling position, the father took a moment to glance around the small room, though to his chagrin, there was no clock that could help him regain his bearing. Meanwhile, Rose - naturally not understanding Ethan's predicament, continued on with her previous thought, "She hugged me and told me that she loves me…she said that she understood why you were mad at her and that she is sorry…"

Ethan said nothing, for he had nothing to say at the moment, instead simply gazing out the lone window. The night was almost pitch-black, with only the distant lights of the buildings somewhere far away providing some illumination, allowing Ethan to glimpse the rough outlines of dark clouds looming overhead. The torrent of water outside the window made the sight redundant, however, as the ceaseless pitter-patter of rain against the glass told Ethan all he needed to know about the conditions outside. It only added to his contemplative mood.

Ethan was not sure that the gaping rift between Mia and himself could be mended with regret alone, even if it was a good start.

On more than one occasion, Mia has chosen not to trust him. Not once during their lengthy relationship did she mention anything that could so much as a hint at her nefarious connections. Even after their wedding, she carefully concealed her background and true occupation. To top it off, it was still not enough for Ethan to have gone through hell and back in Louisiana to rescue Mia - even then she failed to reveal the full truth to him, only letting out a couple of non-incriminating snippets. As if that all was not enough, when the Connections came back for her in London, Mia still kept her secrets, culminating in her fading into the night with nary a goodbye.

But even if he was somehow able to disregard the enormous web of deceit she has weaved over the years - the endless lies she had spoon fed them both, Ethan was dubious that he could get over one particular trait his dear wife had come to possess.

That extraordinary ruthlessness that bordered on misanthropy - a quality Mia had festering in her for a long time. As a father who went to great lengths to ensure the safety of his child, Ethan could somewhat relate to Mia's extreme measures, taken to protect Rose. He could understand that desire to protect their progeny - but he was not sure if he would have been able to willingly submit to such evil for the fleeting promises of safety.

From glimpsing the surface memory of Fettel, as well as from Chris' summaries of their activities, Ethan now knew more about the Connections than he ever cared to. While they had no supervillain-esque goals of shaping the world in their image like the late Albert Wesker had, they made it their business to ensure that death and misery reached every little corner of it, nevertheless. Developing and peddling unfathomable bio-terrors, they didn't care who got hurt as they gleefully armed petty tyrants and terrorist organizations - as long as their profit margins kept increasing. The Connections was an international organization made almost entirely of depraved businessmen, their morally-bankrupt lackeys and unwitting pawns; a moral myopia on a scale too horrible to contemplate… and Mia - as Ethan only recently came to realize - fit only too well there.

Far from being a mere associate employee, an unwitting caretaker to Eveline like she had told him, Mia Winters had taken a much direct role in research and development that would see innocent children turned into Bio-Organic Weapons, to be sold to the highest bidder - only to be then set loose to wreak havoc on their enemies - and all the innocent bystanders in the way. The whole scheme was unspeakably callous, making Ethan sick just from thinking about it.

For several tense moments, Ethan was lost in his inner turmoil as he contemplated his long relationship with Mia and her behind-the-scenes activities. A powerful lightning bolt sheared the dark sky in half, momentarily providing the illumination for the surrounding area. A fearsome thunder roar followed soon after.

A tiny hand clutched at his own, allowing Ethan to recall that Rose was frightened of such untamed displays of nature's wrath - much like he himself was at her age. In a way it was funny, for they lived in a world where being eaten by a half-dead zombie or falling prey to a rampaging bio-weapon was a likelier scenario than being struck by an uncaring bolt of lightning, but Ethan was not the kind of father who made light of their child's fears.

"It's alright, honey, I am here." Even as the gentle words left his mouth, Ethan's hands worked at bringing the small girl up to hold her close to his own heart.

"Do you think mommy is alright..?" Rose's faint words did not fail to tag at Ethan's heartstrings, just like her unerring gaze out into the darkness of the night. Mia was somewhere out there, and against his better judgment, Ethan found himself genuinely hoping that she was alright.

"I am sure she is, love."

Despite the calamitous breakdown of their relationship that culminated in Mia quite literally trying to kill Ethan, the man himself was still eminently grateful to his wife. Not for her atrocious crimes, her endless lies or the attempt at his life, of course, but for the many years of blissful relationships they had had together. Ethan was grateful for the baby girl that was the culmination of the love they felt towards each other, once upon a time - there was no doubt in his mind that that love was genuine on both ends. Perhaps it could not overshadow the evil she caused, but Ethan was not so swift to dismiss the good, either. In a way, he envied Rose, who in her childlike innocence could not hope to fully grasp the scale of tragedy Mia helped to cause.

For Rose, Mia was her beloved mother, and everything else was secondary. As if to prove that point, the girl lightly tugged at Ethan's shirt collar to attract his attention, before letting out a meek plea, "Do you think you could forgive mommy..?" Ethan's first instinct was to dismiss it as an impossibility, for no matter how happy they have been together, there was just no future in which they could reconnect. "...for me, daddy?" Rose seemingly knew exactly what to say to melt Ethan's hardened heart. He could not simply refute such a heartfelt plea, even if he could not outright agree to it.

Ethan gulped as he gazed into his child's large eyes, "...I'll try, Rosie…" Before he even let the name out, Ethan realized that it was more than an empty platitude, it was a genuine wish. They might not ever get together again, but Ethan had no desire to spend the rest of his life hating someone who was so integral for such a large part of it. More than that even, Ethan wondered if he would be truly able to avoid making Mia's mistakes, were he placed in her position; he wondered whether he could have done more as a boyfriend and a husband.

Perhaps her downfall was a gradual process that he could've had a hand in. Perhaps, early in their relationship, she was desperate for a hand to help pull her out, but he was just too damn blind to notice anything wrong. With another gulp to reflect his inner turmoil, Ethan realized that there were hints all over their lengthy relationship as he peered into the past. A little inconsistency here and there, flimsy excuses for missed dates, poorly-explained week-long disappearances; all signs that he could've chosen to investigate. Maybe, if he had just dug a little deeper back then, everything could've gone differently… How large a part his negligence and willful ignorance played in the way things unfolded - the chaos in Louisiana, the mayhem in Romania, the cat-and-mouse game of the last months - could it all have been avoided, if only he had only done something back then..?

Before he could fully descend down the endless spiral of depression such thoughts summoned forth, a simple but happy smile from Rose, directed his way, made Ethan discard his dark musings. Giving the child a smile in turn, Ethan realized that there was no sense in dwelling in the past and would-have-beens. He could not go back in the past and change anything, he could only go forward. Moreover, nobody could guarantee that if he had chosen to dig deeper back then, things would've changed for the better. Who knows, perhaps he would've been unceremoniously murdered and his corpse dumped into the river and that would've been the end of Ethan Winters.

Finally, looking back, Ethan couldn't claim that things were ever only just bleak. True, it has been a perilous and twisted path he had walked, but he could not dismiss the many unexpected friendships he had forged along the way.

After all, if he had not gone to Romania, he would not have encountered Bela… the very notion sent an unpleasant tingle down his spine, as well as a gulp down his throat. But even beyond that beautiful connection he had managed to establish with the blonde Romanian vampire, Ethan could not forget to note the other peculiar acquaintances he had met along the way.

Cruel and aloof outside, but surprisingly caring and full of life Cassandra.

Kind-hearted and mischievous Daniela; fearsome when in the grips of her uncontrollable rage.

Naturally, he could not forget their mother - a formidable countess that had once stood against him, yet now Ethan was certain that Alcina of today would not hesitate to place herself between his Rose and any threat that might seek to imperil her.

It would be amiss to fail to note one Karl Heisenberg, of course. The eccentric lord of metal turned out to be a stalwart and reliable ally, as well as a knowledgeable and amusing conversation partner who could liven up any bleak situation with his bombastic speeches.

Of course, Chris Redfield was a staunch friend who did not hesitate to lend Ethan a hand when he needed it most, even though there was really nothing in it for him. Of all the people he had met, Ethan probably admired the B.S.A.A. Captain the most. To dedicate oneself to protection of one's family was a respectable decision, but hardly something truly out of the ordinary; Chris' dedication to protecting those who could not fight back themselves truly broke any and all bounds an average person would be able to reach. Chris sacrificed his personal life and happiness in his fight against bioterrorism, even though he could have retired long ago, leaving someone else to fight the good fight. Truly, in Ethan's eyes, Chris' undying commitment to the cause was nearly as supernatural as mold-based powers or telepathic abilities he had the misfortune to come across.

But even beyond these bright personalities, there were so many others who had lent Ethan a hand during his long journey. Enigmatic yet helpful Duke, as well as his two lieutenants: reliable Millie and easy going Tom. Without their aid, neither Winters nor Dimitrescus would've ever been able to leave their compromised residences and reconnect.

The Hound Wolf Squad members, who followed their captain into the jaws of hell itself in a bid to aid Ethan - and three of them paid for it with their lives: Charlie Graham, Emily Berkhoff and John Perlman all made the ultimate sacrifice to make the world a better place.

Just like the many others, Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine have also proven their selfless natures and vast combat experience during the showdown in the French safehouse. Ethan had no illusions about their chances of survival in that massacre without these two's help.

Finally, there was one name that caused bittersweet feelings to swell in Ethan's chest. Joy of a father who had gained an unexpected yet beloved child… and the despair of a parent who had lost his offspring.

Eveline.

Unable to help himself as powerful feelings washed over him, Ethan placed his free hand over his heart - no sooner than he did so, Rose's tiny hand gently laid itself over his. Sharing a sorrowful look with his darling baby girl, Ethan understood that even without any words exchanged, the keen child knew that his current misery was caused by Eveline's painful absence.

From a bitter enemy, Eveline came to be a daughter-like figure to Ethan, but her connection with Rose was even stronger, for Eveline revealed herself to Rose from the very start of her ongoing formative age. For all intents and purposes and despite her immaterial state, Eveline was Rose's sister in the latter's eyes… and perhaps the former's as well.

And now Eveline was gone, leaving behind only a void that ached terribly in both Ethan's and Rose's souls.

"Evie is gone…" Rose's feeble voice did not fail to convey her sorrow, though Ethan did not get a sense of finality he was expecting from it. Recalling his encounter with Eveline's empty shell in his mindscape, the father was not going to lie to his child just to avoid the emotional damage of their predicament.

"Yeah…"

Gazing into his gray eyes, Rose's own light green ones flickered with a look Ethan knew too well - that fierce defiance against fate he has seen more than once in this long journey of theirs. With firmness that brooked no argument, Rose let out a sentence which both surprised Ethan as well as radiated enough hope to finally make him believe that everything was going to turn out alright, in the end.

"... she will be back one day, daddy. And when she does, we will both tell her how much we love her, right?!"

The girl appeared nearly frenetic in this moment and Ethan found her unbridled joy to be infectious. Letting out a gentle chuckle, the father ruffled the girl's messy hair while lovingly gazing into her wide open eyes, "That's right honey. That's absolutely right."

Hearing his acceptance of her plan, Rose gave a swift but resolute nod before turning her tiny head to gaze into the stormy night, while mouthing one more statement that would sound more like a delusional plea, if not for all the fierce passion of her tone.

"That's right! So come back soon, Evie!"

Ethan gazed down upon his beloved child with nothing but pride and joy. Even after so many challenges and losses the Winters family had suffered through, Rose still radiated pure hope. He couldn't help but wonder what it is that helped her get through it seemingly unscathed.

The horror she had been through would've been enough to break many adults he had known, but this tiny girl - not even three of age - managed to persevere in the face of evil and depravity that threatened to engulf her. Was it merely her immature mind helping get wade through the filth of their world, or was it the unyielding inner strength that has already bloomed despite her tender age? Or… perhaps it was Eveline who subtly prepared Rose for the potential horrors ahead, even before he had learnt about her continued existence?

Such thoughts made Ethan follow Rose's gaze out the window and even though he still felt the deepest of sorrows at Eveline's fate, somehow he was unable to resist the suddenly good mood that was evoked by the radiant joy that was the little girl he still held close to his chest. His Rose, for who he braved through hell and back… multiple times. And if the cruel fate willed it, he would do so again with no hesitation.

For several minutes, Ethan and Rose simply stared into the closed window and the larger world out there, content in their position. Both of them knew that things could've been better, but both of them knew that things could also have been much, much worse. But most importantly, now that they were finally reunited again, both of them could not help but hope for a brighter tomorrow. For a future free of grief and misery, a future where they could freely love and be loved in turn.

Perhaps even nature itself shared Ethan's and Rose's optimism.

Steadily, the staggering downpour out there slowed down to a more manageable drizzle, increasing visibility significantly. Accompanying the fading rain, the impenetrable black clouds in the distance parted slightly, allowing the duo to experience one of the most beautiful and uplifting of natural phenomena - that of a summer sunrise.

Far in the distance, the rays of the warm sun reached out from just beyond the horizon. Akin to primeval hunter-gatherers who had just received Prometheus' blessing of fire and sought to best the deadly predators that challenged humanity's very existence, these rays of light pierced through the darkness and gloom of the overcast sky.

As he stared upon the unbound beauty of his world, Ethan felt breath being caught in his throat for a second. Like a radiant halo, the first glimpse of the life-sustaining sphere itself became visible to his wide-open eyes. Majestic by its very nature, the golden brilliance of the star was made all the more stunning by the parting dark clouds it shined through. Like a spear of light, it carved its way through the heavens and neither the dark void of cosmos nor the shrouded atmosphere could hope to stop it.

Ethan could not even begin to imagine just how many people throughout history found the inspiration or the strength to go on from this majestic sight, but he was proud to be counted among their numbers. Like nothing else, this was hope itself made manifest; a sign that sometimes all it takes to dispel the deepest darkness is but a single source of light.

"It's so pretty…"

Rose's innocence and childlike wonder were reflected in her voice and despite his mature, and at times cynical outlook on life, Ethan could share in it fully.

"Yeah…"

The glorious break of dawn before his eyes and his beloved daughter secured in his arms combined proved too much for Ethan's jaded outlook on life. His bleak attitude was a natural product of a seemingly unending chain of strife and it served the purpose of a shell that kept him alert while protecting him from disappointment that so frequently wore the guise of hope. It could not withstand the radiant joy of this exceptional moment, and for the first time in a long while, Ethan allowed himself to feel hope untainted by fear of uncertainty.

It felt good to let go of the many burdens that were heaped upon his weary shoulders.

Beyond providing an endless source of solace, however, the break of dawn also helped to indicate the current time. Ethan could recall that it was late evening when Cassandra performed that fateful shot and Fettel took over his body. The following horror of navigating his own mindscape must have taken at least six hours and it was a true miracle that Fettel was unable to cause any irreversible harm in such a timeframe. Of course, such morbid thoughts dissipated into the back of his mind swift enough, letting the joy of the situation take over completely.

To hear the satisfied little hum out of his precious angel; to feel the steady beat of her tiny heart - that was the greatest of rewards Ethan could ever ask for. Or so he thought, before the door to their private room was open with a gentle tug.

Unlike the vast majority of surprises Ethan lived through, this unexpected intrusion was hardly something the father found unpleasant, especially as the familiar melodic voice of a person, also precious to him, rang out, "Ethan! They have finally let you out!"

Turning around to gaze at the owner of the voice, Ethan felt yet another weight being lifted from his weary heart. The knowledge that she is safe and sound was liberating.

"Bela!" Ethan's eyes widened for a moment as he took in her bruised form. Even though she must have had a change of clothing, complemented by a revitalizing shower, the signs of struggle were unmistakable all over her frame. "You're alright!" Considering her beat-up the state: the heavily bandaged left shoulder, with some dark red blood still seeping through the cloth; somewhat swollen nose and a black eye - indicative of multiple strikes against her face; a bit of a hunched posture that spoke volumes about the strain of the last day, 'alright' was an overstatement. Exhaustion was even more visible in her eyes than it was in Rose's.

But Bela Dimitrescu was alive and after such a bloodsoaked day it was already a victory. It was enough for Ethan and he felt his lips shifting a joyous smile. Bela's typically graceful bearing was nowhere to be found and her natural beauty was marred by a dozen cuts and bruises, yet for Ethan there were very few sights more gorgeous than this Romanian vampire who had found herself so very far from home.

Likewise, a beautiful smile bloomed on Bela's face as she took in the intertwined forms of Ethan and Rose. The stress-induced contours of her face momentarily melted into a loving visage that Ethan could stare at for hours. In this moment of time, it was incredible to Ethan how this brilliant creature, who has gone through so much misery and loss herself, was still capable of radiating such kindness and empathy.

For a couple of seconds, none of those present made a motion or spoke a further word, as all were content in simply gazing at each other. As Ethan must've passed Bela's visual inspection, however, the blonde woman's own expressive orbs sparkled with joyous mischief.

"As alright as I can be, considering the circumstances."

Beyond her slightly playful notes Ethan could still discern the hints of relief. It was plain that she was worried for him - just like Rose was - and that made Ethan consider the fact that he must have missed out quite a bit during his detainment in his own mind. Still, despite his rising curiosity, Ethan spoke his next words straight from his heart.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that, Bells."

Another gentle smile was directed his way, followed by a grateful nod. Ethan felt a burning need to envelop Bela in a possessive embrace of affection, but at the same time, he also did not want to let go of Rose.

Before he could decide on his next course of action, Rose herself beat him to it, by letting out a large yawn, before promptly covering her mouth with her tiny hands, as if ashamed. The latter notion appeared ridiculous to both Ethan and Bela and the blonde's smile morphed into a slight frown as she noted upon it, "Rose has been up all night waiting for them to release you…" Thinking for a second, she added, "We all have been…"

"Ish okay…" mumbled out the girl, clearly embarrassed about her own weariness. It appeared that her exhilaration of being reunited with her father had run dry, paving way for raw exhaustion to take complete hold of her tiny body.

Letting out a light chuckle at Rose's cute antics and suddenly becoming imminently aware of his own aching muscles and creeping weariness, Ethan was swift to reassure the girl that her current state of sleepiness was more than deserved.

"Get some sleep, sweetpea." The father's soft words were followed by him helping Rose get out of her dress and into a tiny nightgown that lay on a nightstand nearby. Respectfully, Bela has averted her eyes as he did so. "Growing girls need their rest." Everyone needed their rest, but naturally nobody was as important to Ethan as was his own child.

After getting his baby girl comfortably tucked in and making sure she was snugly and not too hot, Ethan placed another loving kiss upon her forehead. Rose had her weary eyes already closed and it was obvious that sleep beckoned her, but she still mumbled out a goodnight, "night daddy…mommy…"

Ethan couldn't help but wonder who that last term was directed at, considering those present in the room. Naturally, it was Mia Rose thought of as her mother, yet it was hard not to notice how close Bela and Rose got over the recent months. Likewise, a curious spark flashed in Bela's amber eyes, implying that a similar thought process commenced in her own bright head.

Deciding not to dwell too much on that for a moment, Ethan merely let out a loving, "Sweet dreams, honey," before standing up and making a motion to leave the tidy room.

Leaving her spot at the windowsill, Bela followed the man along, though she did forget to treat the child with a loving glance and a farewell of her own, "Rest well, little one."

Bela closed the door behind her with that same silent tenderness she had opened it with, determined not to disturb the lone occupant left in the room. Not a second passed after the vampiric daughter turned back towards Ethan as she found herself in a warm embrace that was maybe just a little too tight considering her many acquired cuts and bruises.

"Ah! Ethan!" The woman's muffled gasp did not prevent her own arms from swiftly coiling around Ethan's torso. She missed this contact dearly and the minor physical discomfort of her sore body was but a sour note in an ocean of rapture and solace.

Heedless of any risks that might accompany such a close proximity to a vampiric creature, Ethan brought them even closer together, with Bela's face ending up nuzzling against his delectable neck. On most days, the sensation of living pulse through such a thin cover of skin would've played against her worse nature, forcing Bela to resist the allure of fresh man-blood.

Fortunately for the both of them, Bela had no such impulses driving her up against the wall with bloodlust at this moment, even with her lips lightly grazing against the delicate skin of his neck. While the events of the previous evening were horrible beyond words, there was a silver lining in them. Bela felt no shame for feasting upon those who dared to harm her family or friends and so she was still quite satiated for hours to come, allowing her to experience the full joy of this simple human contact, without her cursed cravings getting in the way.

This embrace offered more than a simple feeling of security. As Bela, with her eyes closed in this moment of bliss, reacquainted herself with the scents of the man she had grown to love, she felt loved in turn as she sensed Ethan getting a lungful of her own messy blonde hair. She found herself hoping that he would not be disappointed, as she naturally lacked access to her preferred shampoo and had to settle for the cheap utilitarian analogue that was offered to her during her five minutes of bliss in a hot shower.

The gasp of delight coming from Ethan's mouth caused the corners of Bela's lips to raise in a smile. Just like she was satisfied with his unmodified earthly scent, so was he fully content with that of her own. The affection they had for one another transcended the shallow constraints imposed by their preconceptions. Bela had learnt to love the scent of Ethan, and the man in turn found himself in love with that of Bela.

"You don't even know how much I missed you…" mumbled Ethan while trying to bury his face in her long blonde locks. A small frown momentarily took the place of the smile as Bela considered his statement. The notion of missing someone after a mere day apart did not appear laughable to Bela - she could relate to that sentiment fully - it truly felt like she had to endure an age of his absence. Something else had drawn a modest amount of her ire, however.

It was a little inconsiderate of him to presume that she was not as fiercely desperate for his soothing presence during the chaotic events of yesterday as he likely was of hers.

Taking a step back, Bela felt Ethan's immediate resistance - he did not want to let her go. Neither did she want to part from her beloved man, but a small lesson was in order, "Don't I?"

They still stood close together, with outstretched arms around the other; but not as close as either desired. Bela's amber eyes connected with Ethan's delightful mix of gray and green. The confusion in them did not last even a second as his mind swiftly connected the dots and realized the presumptuousness of his last statement. Before he could correct it, however, Bela went on the offensive even as her hands held tightly to his forearms.

"There were very few things I desired as much as you by my side as I made my way across this damn city, Ethan."

The flash of regret in his expressive eyes signified that this verbal diversion had run its course. While Bela naturally wanted her partner to be considerate of her feelings, she was hardly petty enough to make a real issue out of something like that.

Her forgiveness took the form of a swift and savage kiss as she slammed her lips against his own. Ethan was just as swift to reciprocate, as his needy hands roamed across her back; her own mirroring the gesture.

The kiss was brutal in its intensity, but it was not mere lust that fueled its passionate synthesis. Instead, both parties to the kiss experienced a burning need to physically feel their significant other, to make sure that they were really here, that they were not going to vanish into thin air.

The fact that it was a conscious longing that was driving the passion behind the kiss instead of an instinctual lust did not make it any less intense.

Only once they both were out of air did they dare to interrupt it.

Gasping more from the sheer delight of the situation than his breathless state, Ethan once again allowed his eyes to roam across Bela's bruised yet still gorgeous face. She licked her lips at him.

A peculiar thought flashed across his mind, and he was swift in giving voice to it, but not before wetting his own lips in turn, "If we ever take part in a military operation again-"

"Never, ever again…" came Bela's instant interruption, though a spark of amusement glimpsed in her eyes, "...though, for the sake of curiosity, do continue your thought, Ethan."

Appearing slightly sheepish, Ethan proceeded to gently rub Bela's back as he finished his sentence, "...I'll definitely make sure we are doing it side-by-side."

Once again, Bela could fully share that notion. She would not go looking for trouble, but if trouble came to their doorstep, she would not want to meet it head-on without the stalwart and reliable presence of Ethan by her side. Not that she would admit it outright just like that.

Bela's chapped lips morphed into a mischievous smile as she suddenly found herself in a playful mood, "Oh? Don't tell me you've found my dear sister Cassandra's company to be less than perfectly agreeable?" A look of mock hurt completed the act, though before Ethan could even respond Bela wondered if she had gone too far.

True, Cassandra and Ethan had made considerable progress in moving past the first impression they've made on each other, but Bela knew well that Ethan still had plenty of reason to despise her cruelty-prone sibling. And while Bela naturally wanted for them to get along, she was not callous enough to jest about Ethan's predicament at Cassandra hands, all these years ago. At least she hoped that she wasn't.

Luckily, it appeared that Ethan was completely unbothered by the sentiment and his easy-going response put Bela fully at ease.

"Why, how could you even think that, Bells." This time a spark of mischief flashed across Ethan's own eyes as he continued, "The company of your beautiful brunette sister is nothing short of enchanting..."

Inspecting his neutral face carefully, Bela found herself both happy at the apparent fact of Ethan and Cassandra letting bygones be bygones, as well as somewhat… jealous at the genuine fondness in Ethan's voice as he spoke about Cassandra. It resonated with one of her own deeply-rooted insecurities, the one that envied Cassandra's natural beauty. Even though the middle sibling - unlike her sisters - scoffed at most aspects of beauty products and make-up, she could still easily appear radiant to the point where Bela had several times caught their maid's gossip about Cassandra's angelic appearance and demonic character alike. That effortless beauty was something Bela secretly envied, though it was not something she ever mentioned to anyone.

As if reading her like a book, Ethan gave Bela a charming smile before finalizing his thoughts, "...though there was a certain other Dimitrescu sister I wanted to see even more."

And just like that, Bela's every insecurity and fear faded into nothingness, dispelled by his beautiful smile and the unmistakable hint of desire for her in his eyes. Now lightly nibbling on her lower lip, Bela sensed her own desire rising - it did not help that Ethan was gently moving his palm across her rear. She needed this man all to herself, and if they could find some privacy, she would have him.

A high-pitched voice that belonged to neither of them put a damper on her growing arousal.

"Oh, Ethan! That is so sweet of you!"

Before Ethan could turn around to address the person behind the playful voice he felt a pair of slender but strong hands coil around his midsection and, an instant later, a warm body pressing against his back and a soft nose burying itself in his neck. The identity of this person was obvious enough, though before Ethan could address her, she continued speaking in her sing-song voice herself.

"I knew you couldn't possibly live without Daniela in your life but I had no idea you were that desperate to see me!" the playfully conceited words were immediately followed by that familiar joyful giggling a certain redhead was famous for.

Bela didn't question how exactly Daniela managed to sneak up on them in this open corridor, though she did let out an amused chuckle at her stealthy sibling's childish antics. On another day the elder daughter might have been a bit cross with her younger sister's interruption that would inevitably lead to her taking the spotlight, but today she was just too damn happy that they were all alive and together once again.

"Hey, Dani." Likewise, Ethan did not appear too distraught about their little moment being interrupted, as he likely was also worried sick about the youngest Dimitrescu daughter. Still, the man gave Bela a questioning and slightly sheepish look, as if to ask if it was okay for him to turn his attention elsewhere. Receiving a nod, Ethan had the decency to mouth a silent apology as he rotated around to take Daniela into a proper hug - the one she enjoyed immensely, if her almost cat-like purring was any indication.

Taking a step back as she observed the happy reunion between her hellion of a sister and a man she has grown to love, Bela caught a stray thought that coursed through the back of her mind. Somehow, in this moment of platonic affection, Bela couldn't help but vividly imagine that if things turned out differently, Ethan might've very well ended up with Daniela… or even Cassandra, for that matter. It was not hard for Bela to see that Ethan's caring and joyful side resonating with that of Daniela, while his protective and fierce streak complimented Cassandra's ones splendidly.

But those were mere stray thoughts of another life, another world and they could bring Bela no discomfort. The passion that she just saw in his eyes - the passion for her, and only for her - existed here and now, and Bela was determined to further foster them. That's why seeing Ethan embrace Daniela so warmly now produced nothing but joyous feelings in the elder sister.

In turn, Ethan momentarily focused his attention on Daniela, though he was not entirely clueless to Bela's possible thoughts. Gazing down at the perky red head that dominated his view, Ethan gently rubbed her back with a slow circular motion. Even though he didn't get a good look on Daniela's face, he could plainly see a myriad of scars and scratches that marred her once-pristine skin - indicating that yesterday was not easy even on the youngest of Dimitrescu sisters.

That very notion sent a spike of protective anger coursing through Ethan, making him cease the calming motion with his hands in favor of simply holding the redhead tight - a gesture she reciprocated fully. Ethan knew full well how fragile the girl in his arms was. Despite the unnatural power that accompanied her from the moment of her rebirth, Daniela was repulsed by conflict and strife - far more than either of her sisters. The youngest Dimitrescu sibling craved love and affection above all else, and in this moment Ethan was determined to provide just that, while hoping that it would make up for at least a modicum of agony Daniela indubiously went through yesterday.

"It's alright, Dani…"

Not even Bela, who stood mere feet away, could hear the tenderly whispered words that were meant just for Daniela. Of course, with her keen senses second to none, Daniela herself had no issues whatsoever in deciphering the barely-audible murmur and was swift in responding.

Moving her head slightly back in a way that finally allowed Ethan to glimpse at her predictably bruised face, Daniela gave him a slight but charming smile, before mouthing, "Now that we are all finally together again… it is." That earned the redhead a genuine smile from Ethan. He was quite happy to see that Daniela fully shared his newfound optimism about a better tomorrow.

Still, with intense emotional reactions of reuniting with his loved ones slowly drying up, Ethan had one more worldly affair he was quite curious about.

"So, where exactly are we?"

That simple question caused Daniela to tilt her head to one side while opening her mouth in a cute 'O' shape - which remained in that shape for a few moments as the woman clearly struggled to come up with a proper response.

Thankfully, Bela was still right there behind them, "What do you mean, Ethan? We are still in the detainment center."

That honestly created more questions than answers for Ethan. Detainment center? Frowning and gently detaching himself from Daniela, the man turned around to face Bela; the gears in her bright head were working furiously judging by her contemplative expression, as she likely hastily ran through various scenarios which would permit for Ethan to not possess this - obvious to her, information.

"Detainment center?"

Bela merely nodded, unsure as to what could cause what she could only see as a lapse in memory in Ethan.

Agile as a cat, Daniela snaked around Ethan, having no issues to do so even in this narrow corridor, and took her spot next to Bela, only to furiously whisper something that Ethan could hear just fine.

"They held him for so long! Maybe they have messed up his head or something?! Those bastards!"

Bela nibbled on her lip in worry as she responded, "They promised it was just tests…"

A measure of worry about their current predicament started to crawl its way out of the forlorn depths of his mind. Still, Ethan knew full well the true reason for his lapse of memory of the latest events. 'They' - whoever they were, were hardly responsible for a certain psychic bastard taking over his mind.

The man nibbled on his own lip as he took in the worried faces of the women that gazed at him in turn. It was obvious that all three of them were plagued by uncertainty at this moment, though it was Ethan who decided to act first.

While he was naturally afraid to sound like an unhinged lunatic who spouted delirious stories, the man was resolute as he connected his gaze with Bela's amber orbs.

One of his utmost desires was to build a relationship with this enigmatic creature that has taken possession of his heart, but an even bigger desire was for that relationship to be based on both trust and love. He knew that only by working in tandem, these feelings could lay the foundation of something truly beautiful… something lasting. One without the other would eventually lead to nothing but disappointment and misery - his experience in life taught him that much. Therefore, Ethan was determined not to conceal potentially important information from Bela, even if it was deeply uncomfortable to reveal.

Ethan wetted his lips, acutely aware of just how parched his throat currently was.

"Do you know who Paxton Fettel is and what ultimately happened to him?" Ethan was actually aware - due to the weird mind-connection they've briefly shared - that Fettel was there to imperil Rose directly and that notion alone made the man want to resurrect that bastard, so that he could choke him to death with his two hands.

Bela blinked her eyes and Ethan didn't miss how her lips connected into a thin, angry line. Likewise, Daniela turned her gaze away, suddenly uncomfortable and more than a little afraid. Even though Fettel was dead - at least as far as any of them were concerned, the mere mention of that bastard's name was enough to evoke powerful negative emotions of hatred and fear even in these long-lived vampiric siblings. Ethan felt a tinge of remorse for bringing that horrible man's name once again, but they wouldn't exactly get the full picture with him omitting it.

"I…" Bela appeared somewhat distraught and more than a little uncertain as she attempted to respond to Ethan's quarry, "...I am not exactly sure how, but Cassandra managed to blow that fucker's brains out…"

"Through the wall." Helpfully added Daniela.

"Through the wall." Confirmed Bela with a nod. This was definitely a topic they had discussed during Ethan's sleepwalking-like state, though it was obvious that they were not exactly sure what made Cassandra perform that peculiar shot. Neither did Ethan, of course, though he knew that it was not the end of Paxton Fettel, despite the demise of his physical body.

Ethan's lips were unbearably parched.

"I need a drink..."

---

Unfortunately for Ethan, the canteen of the facility he had found himself was a bleak place with chipped tile walls and nary a flower pot for decoration. Likewise, the best he managed to procure in its nearly depleted stores was some horrid coffee. Nevertheless, the strong caffeine served him just as well as he was about to have the blanks in his memory filled up.

"So much for Uncle Sam's famed hospitality…"

Karl Heisenberg was clearly not overjoyed by the cup of tasteless coffee as he took a sip from it. Ethan did not comment on the aforementioned observation as he himself had little faith left in most current political or economical institutions, instead he took a glance at the speaker himself.

The scruffy Lord of Metal appeared to be in a remarkably better condition than when he saw him last, though the exhaustion was visible on both his facial features as well as in every pained movement of his muscles. It would probably be a while before the formidable ferrokinetic would be swinging enormous hammers around.

Regardless, he was quite patient with the fact that Ethan suddenly needed to be caught up on the recent events. While not exactly sure of what was going on, it did not take him, as well as Bela and her sisters long to fill the blanks in Ethan's memory.

Not long after the fateful shot by Cassandra put an end to Fettel's physical body, the B.S.A.A. reinforcements had arrived to relieve the besieged occupants of the HQ.

With their command structure in tatters and having suffered heavy casualties among their rank-and-file, the remaining Bloodfang terrorists had either surrendered, fled or gone out in a blaze of glory. With the chaos caused by the outbreak, there was little to be done about those who escaped and they would certainly resurface to plague the B.S.A.A. and regular people alike, eventually - but that was a problem for another day, and Ethan hoped - for someone else to deal with, for once.

While the Biohazard platoons of National Guard begun the process of reclaiming the city, the survivors of the joint anti-Connections operation were rounded up and relocated to various quarantine facilities where the professionals could determine whether or not any of them were infected by the insidious C-Virus or some other infectious ailment. An understandable and unfortunately necessary precaution.

The not-quite-human moldy gang and those closest to them were placed in a blacksite detainment facility some distance away from New York as the higher-ups thought of a best way to deal with them. There was simply too much of a mess for them to be let go to the four winds. Too much attention has been drawn to them for that to be an option.

Truth to be told, Ethan was a bit surprised that such powerful individuals like Heisenberg and the Dimitrescu sisters would even allow themselves to be detained like this, especially after they were promised freedom and a blank state for taking part in this operation in the first place. Surprisingly, it was Cassandra who had claimed that Chris would definitely not leave them hanging and find a way for them to yet receive their official pardons. Moreover, Karl had claimed that he was sick and tired of being either an exile or a fugitive, and even a chance of finally becoming a truly free man was worth it. And so they all sat tight, awaiting the verdict.

The revelation that Mia took a direct part in the crisis was neither surprising, nor truly unexpected to Ethan. Neither was the fact that Mia turned on her former ally the moment she realized that Fettel wished to harm Rose herself and not merely Alcina. Both of these strong women were mothers first and foremost and they acted accordingly, which likely made them predictable to certain exploitative figures. What was shocking to Ethan was the way Bela described Mia saving her life - and the way Bela then proceeded to let Mia escape with her freedom once the B.S.A.A. showed up. It was a bit unnerving to know that Mia was still prowling out there, but Ethan would lie if he claimed that he felt no relief about the continued life and freedom of the former love of his life.

Finally, the last point that Ethan was curious about was the fact of his own prolonged detainment. While everyone else, including the Dimitrescu family and Heisenberg passed the decontamination process rather swiftly with no abnormalities of note present (other than the ones they were born with - the expected ones), Ethan himself was kept in isolation for many hours as the local B.S.A.A. personnel kept running various tests on him.

The very notion was deeply unsettling to him, but it was clear that the experts on Bioterrorism found Ethan more potentially dangerous than the family of vampires or the Lord of Metal. They provided no explanation and for now all Ethan and his friends could do was to await the verdict as they kept guessing at the nature of Ethan's current condition. Privately, however, Ethan found himself exceptionally happy about the way events had turned out. After all, if not for his prolonged detainment, it was quite possible that Fettel would've been able to carry out his gruesome plan to absorb Rose's essence. Instead, that bastard had no choice but twiddle Ethan's own thumbs as he sat in an isolation cell, while Ethan himself slowly made his way through the mental maze. In a particularly twisted way, it seemed that his inhuman biology made all the difference, once again.

Now that Ethan was up to date on the latest events he had 'missed', it was time to satiate the curiosity of his friends that had to put up with his inexplicable episode of forgetfulness. After making them promise to let him speak his piece without interruption - as the story was simply too wild to be recounted with constant questions, Ethan began.

To their credit, the members of his small audience did not immediately try to express their disbelief with words, though Ethan's keen eyes did note signs of incredulity in their facial features as he spoke of his mental misadventure.

On the other side of the table, were the three Dimitrescu sisters, now reunited before Ethan's gaze. They listened without interrupting, but it was obvious that they ached to do just that as their burning eyes locked themselves on Ethan's own - which was hardly surprising, considering all the unbelievable madness his story of lunacy and delirium contained - or at least it would appear that way to an ordinary sane person. Of course, all of those present were intimately familiar with the fact that there were forces in this world that were simply beyond their comprehension, so that helped a lot with their suspension of disbelief.

Therefore, they listened to his ludicrous tale with bated breath and all of them showed signs of being barely able to restrain themselves from launching into a barrage of questions - all in their own ways. Bela listened quietly, though her eyes glittered with both curiosity and wonder alike. Cassandra attempted to feign indifference by lazily tilting her head to the side, though Ethan did not fail to note how her ears perked from time to time. Daniela, however, was unable to sit straight as she fidgeted on her seat and fiddled with her fingers; a restraining glare from Bela would make the particularly burning question die before it would manage to flee from Daniela's open lips.

In particular, the girls' interest was clearly piqued by mentions of their own mental avatars, who had been there to aid Ethan in his final confrontation with Fettel. The awkward mention of the gems and their ultimate metamorphosis into a singular pistol made the Dimitrescu siblings trade amazed glances, piquing Ethan's curiosity in turn.

Of course, once his tale was told, the dam that held their curiosity was breached and Ethan was assaulted by three different mouths interrogating him, though it was not long before their combined interest converged on their own representations.

"I bet Ethan was so happy to see us lend him a hand even in his strange dream adventure!" Daniela clapped her hands together as her eyes glinted in delight.

Cassandra scoffed at that, before folding her arms and mumbling out something that had a far too affectionate tone to it to be properly classified as a mockery.

"Poor little man-thing, needing a woman's help to fight his own battles."

Before Ethan could come with a retort, Bela was nearly instantaneous with rebuking her own sister, "Even as a jest, it is a particularly poor one, considering all Ethan had gone through… fought through…"

Ethan gave Bela an appreciative glance. While he naturally had no need for anyone else to speak for him, it still felt good to have someone else recognize his many hardships and respect his formidable kill count. He might be a reasonably good-natured man, but he sure could kick some serious ass when push comes to shove.

Surprisingly, Cassandra relented quickly from Bela's rebuke, shrugging her shoulders and mouthing a slightly begrudging acknowledgement, "I suppose that's true. Ethan has proven to be remarkably adept at both inflicting and…" the sadist licked her lips while giving Ethan a wicked smirk, making him involuntary shudder from her next words, "...taking pain."

The implication of pain was never welcome, yet Ethan still saw the compliment for what it was, "Wow, thanks for the compliment… I guess."

Adopting a pensive expression with her index finger around her chin, Bela returned the conversation back to its previous point, "I can't help but wonder how exactly the three of us were able to make our appearance in your mind… without our own knowledge of it, of all things!"

Bela sounded incredulous, and Ethan couldn't help but share the notion. He had assumed that their aid was not exactly intentional - seeing as none of them had any idea about the last stand of Paxton Fettel before he told them of it, but it hardly made any more sense, regardless.

"None of you remember anything weird happening during that time interval? Nothing at all?"

The three headshakes were the response to Ethan's inquiry, though after thinking for a couple of seconds Bela offered something slightly more tangible.

"I suppose we were quite worried about you, since the soldiers kept you in detainment far longer than the rest of us…but I can't see how exactly that would allow our mental avatars to manifest inside your mind."

"Simple, really."

Everyone present had almost forgotten about the fact that Karl Heisenberg was still sitting at the table with them, quietly sipping on his coffee. Two words, spoken with confidence, were enough to remind them about him.

"Simple, Uncle?" Bela tilted her head to the side in curiosity. She was probably unused to the feeling of not being up to speed in any given situation.

Heisenberg smirked as he leveled an even gaze towards Bela.

"Dearest niece, it appears that you're still not fully aware of the nature of your existence…"

Karl started his monologue sounding like a condescending jerk but his tone quickly shifted towards remorseful.

"We were an experiment." Bela's lips were a thin line after she let out her swift response. The elder daughter was quite aware of what she and her beloved sisters were to Mother Miranda. "A failure," she added with an air of finality of one who had accepted the grim truth long ago. Cassandra and Daniela said nothing, but their pained faces spoke enough. This was not a topic any of them enjoyed.

Not thinking twice, Ethan outstretched his right hand to take hold of Bela's slightly smaller palm. The man gave it a comforting squeeze, receiving a grateful smile in return.

"Indeed…" Heisenberg responded to Bela's outspoken revelation with similar levels of resignation in his tone. "Though, not necessarily because of what you may think."

Bela tilted her head in curiosity as she considered the peculiar ending to his sentence. "It's the cold, isn't it? Has to be…" Daniela nodded along, also certain that their crippling vulnerability to cold was the reason for Miranda considering them a failure.

Heisenberg just scoffed, before explaining, "Your unfortunate weakness to cold certainly played a part in Miranda's little tantrum back then, but the hard truth goes even beyond it."

"Beyond it?" Cassandra had an unmistakable hint of incredulity to her tone, which was likely shared by all present.

"It's not something she liked to discuss - the bitch Miranda didn't like dwelling on her mistakes, despite being surrounded by them for decades." Karl scoffed, showing his own disdain for the priestess that had once kidnapped him from his family in a bid to produce a superior mutant. "Cadou came in many different breeds. The three of yours had a certain gene in them."

"A certain gene?" Bela's curiosity could no longer be contained.

"A cute one, I hope," offered Daniela, while giving her signature awkward giggle.

Ignoring his youngest niece, Heisenberg merely nodded, before continuing. "A little offer from Miranda's old acquaintance, a fellow by the name of Harlan Wade."

Ethan's blood chilled in his veins, for that name was quite familiar to him after his encounter with Paxton Fettel. A mad scientist if there was ever one, and a father to Alma Wade - a psychic prodigy who turned out to be simply too dangerous to control or even contain.

Seeing the shock in his eyes, Kart nodded Ethan's way, "That's right. I wouldn't be surprised if that Alma you mentioned was connected to that Harlan fellow."

"Miranda was quite frustrated when she showed me their shared research notes, years later." Karl waved his hands overhead to underline the notion, "wasted potential, scientific dead-end, pompous American wash-outs."

"What the hell are you talking about, Uncle?" Cassandra was getting annoyed, with an angry scowl quickly marring her otherwise beautiful face.

"Psychic abilities - telepathy, telekinesis, all the good stuff." Karl let out another tired sigh as a number of confused eyes tracked his every motion, "You were among the first to be born in this world with the nascent psychic gene. Perhaps the first."

A moment of silence passed, with the three sisters and Ethan staring at Karl with open mouths.

Surprisingly, it was Daniela who broke the sudden quiet, with a particularly high-pitched shriek too.

"Wait, what?! Why had nobody told me that we can do stuff like that?!"

Turning towards the redhead, Ethan observed the peculiar sight of Daniela focusing her intent on a gray ceramic cup next to her. As if underlining her herculean effort, a corner of her tongue was peeking from her mouth, with the rest of her facial features frozen in concentration.

The cup didn't move an inch, causing Daniela to grunt and swat it away in frustration, in turn causing it to shatter against the tiled floor. "It's not working!"

Apparently, nobody else at the table shared her ire as a collective laughter rang out.

"Good ol' Red never fails to amuse," Heisenberg mumbled what everyone was thinking, before explaining, "That's the point - you don't have any pronounced powers - as if you three didn't cause enough messes without being able to move stuff with your mind alone, hah!"

Before anyone could question him, Karl continued, "That, however, doesn't mean that you're entirely bereft of psychic abilities." Seeing that he had their full attention, the scruffy lord cleared his throat and dropped the bomb on their entire existence.

"Miranda was absolutely sure that your swarm forms are a manifestation of your latent psychic abilities - even when your human bodies fully disperse into a multitude of flies, your consciousness lingers. Your mental capacity remains largely the same - spread around the grain-sized brains of your flies, but only thanks to that overarching consciousness that transcends the limitations of the material plane."

"Even without a functioning human brain, all your memories, your thoughts, your feelings remain - kept afloat but that intangible force that connects your every little fly into a single super organism. It directs your buzzing swarms to act according to your will instead of their basic instincts." Taking off his shades, Karl gazed around those present, noting the incredulity on their features.

"What did you think allowed you to do the feats you were able to achieve?"

"Pheromo-" tried Bela, only to be brushed off with a wave of Karl's hand.

"Mere pheromones would have never been able to achieve the levels of precision and control you've repeatedly demonstrated. They could never hope to explain the lingering intelligence behind your swarms."

Bela did not try to argue any further. If she was being honest with herself, she never truly had a clue about the mechanisms behind her swarm shape or the way she could control it so flawlessly - as if every single insect was merely an extension of herself - always connected. But to think that the truth transcended the limitations of the material plane itself…this was a lot to take in.

But Karl was not yet done, as he finished his cup of coffee and spoke in a somewhat lighter tone, "But even more than that, Miranda has theorized that you were also connected among yourselves to a lesser degree."

"She even tested it once." Karl's light tone turned grim once again as he addressed Daniela. "Remember Olga?"

Ethan couldn't possibly fail to note a violent shudder that shot through Daniela's frame at the mention of that name. The girl nodded, though shied her eyes away from the speaker. This was clearly an uncomfortable topic for her, and Bela did not hesitate to attempt and shield her by responding herself, "Of course. What about her?"

Cassandra's fists clenched tight. Whoever that person was, it was someone who did not win any favor with the three Dimitrescu daughters.

Karl clicked his tongue with derision, but responded, "It was not by chance that day little Olga decided to ignore Alcina's rules and crack open a window with Daniela in the room, nor was the fact that Bela was summoned to attend a ritual on the other side of the village, despite the cold."

Seeing confusion in Ethan's eyes, Karl clarified that last point, "She had to wear a lot of cloth. And I mean a lot."

The Lord of Metal did not relent in his verbal tirade, immediately shifting his attention back to Bela, "but you could feel it back then, didn't you? Daniela's agony was your agony, muted perhaps, but yours, nevertheless."

Bela gulped in discomfort, but nodded tersely, "It was like an echo… I could tell its direction and its source… but not much beyond it. I just knew that Daniela was in trouble."

Karl nodded, satisfied. "That, 'I have to go' was more telling to Miranda than you could've guessed back then. She was testing the limits of your connection, after all."

Bela appeared to be deep in thought about that, allowing others to voice their questions.

"So what happened to that Olga?" Ethan couldn't help his curiosity, even though a part of him knew the answer to that question already. The evil glint in Cassandra's eyes spoke even before she did.

"What do you think? She had to be punished for her transgressions. I handled it." Cassandra hissed her words with unmistakable venom and sadism, implying that not only that she found the grim procedure of torturing a human being to death pleasant but deeply personal, in that particular case. Knowing well how personal she took her position as a guardian to her sisters and mother it made sense to Ethan, even despite all the underlying cruelty. Though he still did not quite expect what happened next as he gazed upon the brunette sister.

Her fists unclenched and her head dropped low as she stared at her feet. Suddenly it appeared that all the fight had left her body as she mumbled out in a voice that hinted of remorse, "So it was Miranda's orders all along Olga had followed back then…?"

"Indeed."

A moment of silence ensued after Karl's confirmation. Looking at Cassandra, Ethan dared to assume that perhaps that was a moment of silence for the unjustly slain maid.

Bela placed a gentle arm around Cassandra's shoulders in a bid to lift her spirits up a bit. The middle daughter always acted in the interests of the family, though often the path she took was unnecessarily cruel. After the fall of Miranda and the Dimitrescu family trying to start a new life, all these cruelties suddenly became a heavy load upon Cassandra's slender shoulders. A load Cassandra did not share with anyone, yet it was something Bela was all too aware of. Her blazing eyes were directed at her uncle as she hissed out, "is there a point to it, Uncle?"

Exasperated, the man dramatically raised his hands over his head.

"The point is that your latent psychic abilities connect you to each other, allowing a sliver of vital data to be shared among you, regardless of distance." The man glanced at Cassandra, before setting his gaze on Bela.

"You mentioned how you were angry like never before just before Cassandra shot Fettel without actually having a line of sight of him or even being aware of him?"

An uncertain nod from Bela was followed by an inspired 'Ah-ha!' from Karl, who then clicked his fingers and focused his gaze on Cassandra next, "You probably felt your sister's rage to the point where it clouded your mind, haven't you, Cass?"

Blinking her eyes in surprise, Cassandra merely shrugged her shoulders, before letting out a noncommittal grunt.

"I'll take that as a yes." Karl was undaunted, "Bela's burning need to destroy slash protect was so powerful that through your psychic connection it became your need to destroy slash protect, Cass… even without you having any solid idea about what it is you wanted to destroy or protect. Good thing you had a tool on hand that was up to the task."

This conversation was as weird as it was enlightening to Ethan, yet Heisenberg was not done.

"But even going beyond your existing connection, Miranda has theorized that you were capable of forming new connections with the others." Then, Karl motioned a hand at Ethan while still looking straight at Bela, even as lecherous smirk formed on his lips, "Forgive me for prying, dearest niece, but you did get quite close and…ahm, personal to Mr. Winters over here, didn't you?"

The beautiful blush coloring Bela's already gorgeous pale cheeks pink was probably enough on its own to evoke a mirroring reaction on Ethan's own face, the aforementioned implication of intimate moments notwithstanding.

"That's none of your business, Uncle!"

At that, both Daniela and Cassandra burst into a subdued fit of giggles; the previous forlorn atmosphere gradually fading away, to be replaced by one of joy of their newfound freedom to love whoever they damn well pleased.

Chuckling in an affectionate manner, Karl nevertheless concluded his point, "So there you have it. Bela is connected to our dear Ethan here, and through her, so is Daniela and Cassandra."

"You were worried about him during his overly-long decontamination procedure, you say?" Three nods were his response, to which he nodded himself, satisfied. "That worry, through your latent psychic powers, was able to manifest itself as a quite tangible force inside his own mind, when it was needed most."

"Ultimately, Miranda had come to the conclusion that your gifts were next to worthless and had focused on a more material line of research with her Cadou, but today, without even realizing it, you've used your powers in a way she surely never anticipated."

The scruffy lord appeared overly happy with that notion - as if it was one more act of defiance against Miranda - one more time she was proven wrong.

"It might have been just a sliver of your focused will and desires, but it was just enough to lend Ethan a hand and ultimately tip the balance in his favor. I am sure he appreciates it."

All this was far too insane for Ethan's liking, yet he could not help but agree, nevertheless, "Yeah…I really do…" Still, there was some lingering curiosity that now burned with a new flame, now that he knew all the delirious details about his mental adventure. "I get the gems, but what about that old German pistol?"

Indeed, the importance of their gems to the Dimitrescu siblings was quite telling - considering that they wore them even in this very instant. The gun was a different thing entirely, and Ethan had no clue about its origins or importance, though a shared look among the sisters implied that it was not the case for them.

Apparently, it was not something they often talked about, but Bela still did not hesitate in revealing the episode from the family's dark past - at least in the way she knew it.

"The mother had shown it to us, once." Suddenly, the two sisters at her sides had grown solemn and quiet. Even Daniela's fiddling had ceased as she side glanced at Bela with silent reverence.

"She had called it the tool of death, but also of liberation. It was there when the Dimitrescu family perished and it was instrumental in its rebirth, for it allowed Mother to finally break the shackles to her old life."

Bela paused for a moment, gathering thoughts, before continuing, in that same respectful voice, "I am not sure exactly, but the way she spoke about it, I think it forever stuck in our minds as a symbol of Strength."

"...and Vengeance…", "...and Freedom." swiftly added Cassandra and Daniela, respectfully.

Now it made sense to Ethan. The old German pistol was an unconscious manifestation of power that was shared among the three sisters. This is why their unique gems merged into it when they had unknowingly lent him a hand in his confrontation with Paxton Fettel.

"I see…"

The silence that ensued for a few seconds did not last, as Karl let out a chuckle before giving voice to the notion that everyone was feeling.

"I think that's enough technical mumbo-jumbo for one night."

The giggles, laughs and yells of agreement were their united response to the Lord of Metal's statement. The serious conversation was over, replaced by small talk of jokes and short, amusing stories.

The rest of the early morning in the bleak detention facility was spent in the atmosphere of joy and camaraderie, which only further increased as more of its occupants joined the gang in the canteen; the beautiful morning sun bathing them in its warm golden rays.

---

Hours later, the tiny canteen was filled almost to capacity as every detainee inside the facility gathered in it. Most of those were the anti-Connections operatives who worked directly with members of the so-called moldy gang and now had no choice but to share the quarantine facility with them. But there were some others that were more familiar to the company of unnatural freaks at the table.

First, Ethan, Karl and the three sisters were also joined by the Dimitrescu matriarch as well as a small child at her side - Sarah - a Eveline-like bioweapon developed by Mia and later rescued by Daniela during their ill-fated New York operation. The tiny girl appeared despondent; a special collar around her neck ensured that she would not use her mold-powers for the foreseeable future. To her credit, Alcina did everything she could in an attempt to cheer up the mutated girl, though her efforts met only partial success. Sarah did not join any conversation and ignored every question directed her way, though she did express her gratitude with a barely audible whisper when offered food and water - which she then proceeded to devour with remarkable ferocity.

Tom followed along shortly after and Ethan couldn't help but chuckle as the young man appeared all too eager to take a spot opposite of Daniela, with the aforementioned redhead quickly shooting him a flirty smile that was instantly reciprocated. Alcina did not appear too amused at the exchange, though she abstained from commenting.

Blind to her mother's ire, Daniela eagerly clapped her palms together as she addressed the newest member of their company.

"Any news?"

Tom shook his head gently, but before Daniela's spirits could plummet he was quick to attempt to comfort her, "The Duke has assured me that while our situation got that much complicated due to the viral outbreak, he is still certain that the best possible outcome is within reach." Addressing everyone now, the man finished in a tone that left little doubt about his own faith on the subject, "The Duke is determined to do everything in his power to make it so and I have not once seen him fail to deliver."

The increased complexity of the situation made sense to Ethan, since before the outbreak the little moldy crew was operating behind the scenes with very few individuals privy to the true nature of their existence. The outbreak made it all come to light. But still, Ethan had faith in both the Duke and Chris to get them out of this mess.

"The Captain is working on it with Mr. Kennedy, as well." Dion Wilson's cheerful voice resonated across the canteen, making its occupants redirect their attention towards the newest arrival, who waved a hand in greeting, "I wouldn't worry too much, folks - everything gonna turn out just peachy."

Chris and Leon both have amassed a formidable reputation and established a great many influential connections over the years, and now they spoke on their behalf against the many voices that likely sought to either consign them to a life of a lab-rat or exterminate them outright. While naturally a worrisome predicament, Ethan couldn't help but believe that everything would turn out alright. Moreover, the father was also overjoyed to see Dion here among them. Even though his status as an elite Hound Wolf operative would've surely allowed him to avoid being stuck with the freaks here, the good-natured man chose to stay with his comrades, regardless of their natures. The firm handshake they shared in the next moment spoke volumes about the respect both men had for each other.

Next, in came a brunette woman Ethan was personally not acquainted with, but someone at their table clearly was, and moreover, was quite happy to see her.

"Cathie! You're okay!"

Daniela's chirp cry was immediately followed by the buzzing of flies as the energetic redhead assumed her swarm form to fly around all the obstacles that were between her and the woman in question.

The sight of the onrushing swarm of bugs was no doubt a fearsome one to the uninitiated and the woman's face momentarily tensed in fright, though it was swift to relax in amusement as Daniela's swarmform shapeshifted back into her human form as the redhead coalesced to embrace her friend in a warm hug - a gesture she politely declined by putting her palms forward.

"Easy, Dani! That clone bastard's baton broke a couple of my ribs!"

Daniela was undaunted, however, and still leapt upon her friend with a hug. For a second there Ethan was even afraid that the overly-emotional vampire would cause damage to the still-healing body of the human woman, but he quickly wisened up as he gazed upon the duo. Despite her sometimes goofy attitude, Daniela was far from being stupid or inconsiderate and her hug reflected that - it was done with a tenderness one would employ when transporting a crate of delicate china or fragile glass figurines. Experiencing the gentle treatment firsthand, Catherine's face lost its remaining signs of worry, instead adopting a peaceful and joyous expression as she slowly returned the hug. "I am really glad you're okay as well, Dani…"

"You bet! My sisters will never let any bad guys hurt me!"

The remark was justifiably directed towards both Cassandra and Bela and both of them glowed in pride at the acknowledgement from their little sister. For Ethan however, the sight was wholesome beyond words, as the man found himself eminently happy to see the cheerful redhead finally able to connect with other people. As far as he was concerned, few deserved a chance at happiness as much as Daniela, who truly was a victim of cruel science and unfathomable circumstances and who never wished to harm another living being. To see her make such good friends with Tom and Catherine caused pleasant warmth to spread in his chest - a feeling that was fully shared by her own family as well, judging by their smiles of contentment.

The next hour flowed by, with amicable conversations being shared freely between the humans and the freaks among them. There was little enmity left between them, as their combined efforts had achieved much.

While it would take some time to learn the true extent of damage they have managed to inflict upon the Connections, one thing was certain. Without their aid, the scale of the unexpected catastrophe that befell New York City would've been far larger. That knowledge, that humans and mutants working together managed to save so many innocent people created a bond among those present in this bleak facility.

As he excused himself to go pick up Rose, who has likely recovered enough and now ached to join them herself, Ethan once again sensed that overwhelming, radiant hope pooling in his heart.

Surely they've left the worst behind them and things will only be looking up from now on.

That silly optimistic notion would've made the man let out a bitter chuckle a month ago, but today he felt it earnestly.

On his way back to the canteen, with his beloved daughter in his arms, there was not a shadow of doubt in his heart that everything would turn out okay.

Whether by chance or design, a new face was there to greet him and Rose.

A face of a friend, though once thought a bitter nemesis, who had come to bail his ass out of the fire more than once.

Chris Redfield, his whole body marked by signs of recent strife - yet unbroken, smiled at the wholesome sight of Ethan and Rose. It was not an exhausted smirk to convey fake reassurances, but a genuine smile of true friendship and stalwart comradery.

Bela Dimitrescu stood next to Chris, though her attention was now fully on Ethan and Rose as she demonstrated a lovely smile of her own. There was no more tension or worry in her frame, only unbound hope for a better tomorrow. A tomorrow with a man she came to love.

Ethan Winters smiled back at both of them, a wide, happy smile of a man who knew that all the horror and tragedy was finally behind him.

A new dawn awaited.

---

Author's Note:

I am really sorry about how long it took for me to put this chapter together... :/ Thankfully, some of my IRL stuff have cleared up a bit so I'll be likely able to update faster from now on.

Anyway, this is not exactly an epilogue but more of an aftermath - we still got an epilogue to go through but I wanna give a HUGE THANKS to everyone who stuck with this story for so long - its more than a year old by now, holy shit! Know that it would've never been possible without your support, my dear readers!

As for the chapter itself, I hope my psychic mumbo-jumbo wasn't too otherworldy, but I personally really feel that its the best possible explanation for Dimitrescu daughters swarm abilities, and so I took the liberty of expanding it just a bit :) Also, the gun is a direct reference to the previous story in this series - Alcina's backstory from 'Haunted by the Past' (for those who didn't read it) I might have been a bit heavy-handed with that reference, since I feel like most readers didn't quite catch it and got confused from it, and for that I am sorry - I'll try to have a bit more clarity to my work from now on.

As always, any comments are appreciated; regardless, thanks for reading and have a splendid week!