The characters from the game belong to Capcom. The OC's and story background belong to me.
Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
A/N: I'm not English native speaker, so you might find some typos or grammar mistakes, I do apologize for that.
"Time moves in one direction. Memory in another." William Gibson
"I saw her.
I saw her…
The girl on the pink dress.
So beautiful. Outstanding. Glamorous.
The girl Christopher runs away from.
It's not the court.
It's her.
The reason why he doesn't want to return.
I can feel it. He won't admit it.
I have this feeling that doesn't go away. I could read the fear in his gaze. He couldn't disguise the fear of being caught – by her.
I always knew he had something to hide. I always wondered if there was a girl.
Handsome men like him don't seem to stay single for long. It's unlikely not having anyone crushing them.
Either ways, I seem to have discovered a secret of his. I'm not really surprised. It's too good to be true, me, this pathetic girl, being the only girl in a handsome man's life.
For now I enjoy his company and love. I'll live things I've never lived before. but one day…
One day I know there won't be me by his side.
It doesn't matter how much he denies it…I know, I feel it… I'm not His one.
Now after seeing the pretty girl… I feel worse…for loving a forbidden man for me.
This tale was too good to be true and eternal…"
Sitting alone in the middle of the night in her office, a tear cored down Angelina's face as she dig more the past and read the personal archives of Angelique in the flash drive Lionel left for her among other secret files she still hadn't had the courage to read.
At that point of her life, Angelina was starting to relate even more to the famous 18th painter.
Despite the smile she always kept on her face and the non-problematic life she had, inside, she didn't feel that way. Inside, she was a mess.
She wasn't even 30 and she had already travelled the world. She wasn't 30 and she was already a mother. She wasn't 30 and she had a good domestic partner. She wasn't even 30 and her artistic career was rising in Edonia and Bohma. Her talent at times was compared to Angelique's. She wasn't 30 and she had accomplished many things most people don't in a lifetime. Though she had so many doubts and at times she felt locked in chains. Especially about her mother and George…
She often felt bad for feeling that way about them. They were good people and they were good to her. They always gave her support in everything she wished and achieved. Yet, at times she felt suffocated by their presence. She was ashamed for feeling that way and hated herself for feeling like an ungrateful person and selfish for wanting a freedom she couldn't name.
But she had Olivia, a toddler that depended on her, and the little light of her life. She felt bad that her selfishness could affect the little girl in staying away from her carrying grandmother and father if she ever tried to seek the so wished "freedom".
She had a dream family. Supportive and peaceful. Not perfect of course. Yet, they couldn't give her what she wanted.
Her dilemma got worse the day she learned of Lionel's death. Her heart was still in grief. At the Lake House and at his company she felt – free. He never judged her and always listened to her attentively and warmly. His jokes and his positive energy always eased the dark inner aura she felt at times. She missed him and felt orphan of his advices.
In those two years she had the chance to spend hours talking to him about everything, she finally felt understood and not judged, or like to not have to keep people's – her mother and George – expectations. She felt empowered to live the life she wanted. To seek the truth she needed. To live the adventures she didn't. To feel the "love" she didn't.
Lionel knew about it. He knew how attracted she was to Chris Redfield and how ashamed she felt of herself for thinking of a man that wasn't George.
A forbidden love. A forbidden adventure.
And now, more than never, Angelina could relate to Angelique. Chris/Christopher was forbidden for her because of Kate/Katarina.
Yet, she felt more like a "coward", different of Angelique that had the guts of living that forbidden love and enjoy the adventure as much as it lasted and live all the consequences it had.
She still couldn't forget that almost kiss they had…
Knowing the past served as a big break in her impulses. She just couldn't repeat the same "mistakes" of the past.
The more you know the more you owe.
And she knew too much. She didn't know all – yet – though she knew enough to not repeat the cycle that had to end. A cycle she knew existed in the least since the 14th century when "she" had a contribution on Christian and Katherine's separation and eventual deaths.
Gathering all the strength she didn't know she had, she sacrificed her own wishes – again – and told "her man" to stay with the pretty-jealousy girl she couldn't stand.
She knew too much about them and somehow she had the obligation to let them live their complicated cycle.
And he obeyed to her suggestion. And her heart crashed the moment she saw the picture he had been tagged and the love declaration on the caption confirming their relationship just like Angelique's did when she saw Christopher and Katarina getting married.
And just like Angelique, she sunk in all the words she couldn't say, all the dreams she couldn't have, and tried to focus on what she had: her art and family.
Some cycles remain the same…
.
.
.
"The past is never where you think you left it." Katherine Anne Porter
Flashback
"What are you doing here this time of the night?" said Christopher in surprise for seeing Katarina at his door when it was already night
"We need to talk!" she replied coming inside without even be invited yet
"You shouldn't have come this time of the night. Your parents will get mad if the notice you're not home"
"I had no option. I could not take the risk of coming earlier and be seen this way" she said taking off the long black cloak she was wearing
Christopher frowned confused as he watched the back of the brunette. She was wearing a black dress, but from his sight position he hadn't seen any difference to what she could be referring.
"You have no idea how terrible my new routine have been as I live isolated in my bedchamber without letting anyone to see me completely, but Lucy. Not even my sister knows about this"
"What are you talking about?"
She let out heavy sigh and slowly turned around to face him as her hands we crossed at the level of her belly.
His lips parted. His eyes couldn't hide the shock on his face expression. The thin Katarina O'Gregon had a belly bump disguised by the larger frontal shape of her dress.
"It is getting more and more difficult to hide it… our baby"
"What? Our baby?"
"Yes! Why do you think I am here almost forcing you to listen to me after all these months you have avoided me?"
"It was just one time, Katarina!"
"No. it was just one nightstand but with several rounds!"
"Still!" he almost yelled in incredulity
"Still nothing! It is your child!"
"How can I be so sure? You were not a virgin. You bedded Charles!" he yelled, "And whoever else that only God knows…" he spoke with a smirk and immediately feeling a sharp pain on his face as a result from the hand of Katarina who slapped him
"Do not talk to me like that! Not you! I am not the whore you just implied and you know that!"
Regretted, "Pardon me…it's just that…"
"It is just nothing! I am telling you this child is yours and no one else's! Why would I lie about that?"
He shook his head remaining in silence. He still couldn't believe this was happening.
"I admit I bedded Charles only once! And it was a long time ago and I so regret it! And since then I have not bedded anyone else but you five months ago!"
"You should've told me before!"
"I have tried all the long, Christopher! You went to that campaign and stayed there for several months. You responded only one letter of mine in many I have sent you and what did you tell me in that stupid letter? It was a mistake what happened between us and that I should forget it…tell me now how can I forget it when I see daily the growing consequence of that delicious "mistake" of ours?
He bit his lips as he frowned. Thoughtful. Stunned.
For minutes they remained in silence. She sat on the couch as she waited his response.
"It will be a scandal…" he spoke with an unsteady voice
"I know and that is the reason why I need you by my side Christopher. My family is too traditional and I cannot be disgraced for being a single mother…I need you by my side to face them, my family…especially my father"
"Your father hates me."
"But you are the father of our child! You fight wars. You face enemies. You can face my father and stand up for our family. Is not family important to you like you said? I need you to take responsibility on your part in my condition. I did not do it alone and much less I did force you to sleep with me…"
"I know and certainly family is an important matter to me but…I don't think your father consent this marriage"
"If he will not, so we run away…"
"I can't do that!"
She gasped, "We marry in secret. He cannot force the divorce knowing I am already expecting our child. He will not want to be bad seen in the society for this particular detail and having a single mother and divorced daughter. It is better a knight than a disgraced reputation"
He looked down with a sigh. He wasn't against her idea, but still needed some time to figure things out and take his responsibility on the matter. He did say their nightstand was a mistake, but still he couldn't forget it. Katarina described it right. It was a delicious night. For a moment when they were loving each other he thought he was loving the woman of his dreams, but that would be too good to be true.
Maybe marrying her wouldn't be such a bad idea. He was single and free. It wasn't the marriage for love he always wished for deep inside him, but he wasn't the man to run away from his duties.
"Kat…" he whispered
"Chris…" she whispered back with a smile as she took him by the grip and guided it to her belly
His eyes widened and a smile escaped him, "What was that?"
"It is him moving"
"Him?"
"I feel it is a boy"
"A son…" he whispered emotional feeling the little life forming beneath her skin, moving nonstop as if reacting to daddy's presence
"Yes, a son! Christian…"
"Christian is the name is the name you picked for him?"
"Yes, the first name. you can pick the second or the first if you do not like Christian…"
"I loved it… Christian Henry"
"Henry?"
He nodded in confirmation, "I always thought of naming a son Henry"
"I loved it! Both names."
"Yeah…and what if is a girl?"
"I doubt it…I really feel I am carrying a boy"
"Well, I won't doubt a mother's intuition, but if it happens there is a girl, I have a suggestion"
"What is your suggestion for a girl's name?"
"Katherine"
End of Flashback
Chris Redfield woke up looking to the sides as he recognized he was in the guest room of his apartment. Astonished. That was a new dream. A new crazy dream.
He looked down to see Kate sleeping, lying on her side. He stared her for some time. He thought those dreams had stopped, but now they seemed to have returned with a "new face", Kate's. The woman in black had her face features, despite at moments they didn't look like at all.
Letting out a sigh and trying to ignore it, he laid next to Kate in spoon. Gently, he passed his hand on her belly – still impressed by the dream. Unconsciously he searched for any omitted bump as he had the realization of the non-protected sexual activity he had with Kate. They never used one, and he often came inside her.
30 days unsafe.
Despite having an irregular cycle, she still had cycles. She should be close to a cycle soon, right? He thought making a math he had no sharp knowledge. Since they started working so close, he had only heard her complain of cramps once and he recollected her comment that she only had cramps the month she had a cycle. That was nearly 3 months ago.
She should be close to have a cycle, no?
Why was he so worried about it?
Just because the woman in the dream hid her pregnancy for five months, it didn't mean Kate would do the same, right?
Wait. Kate can't have children. Isn't it what she told him? No, it wasn't. She explained better to him her condition during the month they have been together. Despite the high possibility of not getting pregnant, it didn't mean she could never get pregnant. Though, most likely she couldn't carry it to terms as it would end up in miscarriage due to her womb's deformation.
So there was a chance of her getting pregnant with his child? Or even Piers' child…
He hoped to hear about a cycle very soon. He wasn't sure he could raise Piers' child.
"What the hell!" he snapped shaking his head for having such thoughts
The snap made Kate wake up with a start. She looked at Chris, "Are you okay?" she asked recalling from the light scare
"Yeah…Sorry for waking you up…"
"What happened?"
"Nothing…"
"You yelled"
He gasped, "Yeah, but don't worry about it… it was just a dream…Let's get back to sleep" he said lying on his sides
Even suspicious, Kate laid next to him, facing him.
"Kate…"
"Hum"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure"
"Why don't we sleep in my bedroom…in my bed?"
She swallowed thinking of the answer, "I knew this day would come…"
"I'm not complaining…it's just that I was wondering why you don't sleep there"
She bit her lips as she thought of a plausible answer without hurting him, "You know…how I think of starts, private places, and fresh stuff, home…"
"Yeah, you commented about something of that"
"Yeah…the apartment is yours but the moment I stepped in here, and especially when we decided to start our own story together…something in my head was triggered and I didn't know how to tell you this. It may sound stupid and shallow of me, but this is our home, despite not being my apartment, but it's here our private and special place that we can be who we are and do whatever we want despite the neighbors hearing things they shouldn't…" she started to laugh
He laughed too, "It happens…we hear them too sometimes…"
"Yeah, but probably is their revenge" she joked
He giggled, "Silly"
"Continuing…so this Our place. Our hide. Our home. Our nest, Our intimacy…but the thing that comes to my head is that your bedroom is Your bedroom. It's Your bed…and there is your spot where you…you shared yourself with others. In there you made plans with others. There you shared yourself with others…and in my head we are starting our own thing, our own plans, our own shares…and in your bed, that is such an intimate and private place, their energies still seem to lie in that…different of this bedroom that usually was empty, you even told me you had never slept here or even fucked here…I don't want to insult you or anything, nor judge you or your past until here, but…it's a thing that is in my head and I'm working on it to get over this stupid thought…"
"Wow, I thought you'd only it's your OCD"
"You can blame it as well…but I don't want you to get me wrong and don't think I'm telling you to buy a new place or a new bed…"
He laughed, "I was already planning of buying a new mattress"
"Are you mocking me or something?"
"No! I'm serious. Now you just gave me the final blow so I can provide it"
"Are you sure you're not mad at me?"
"Of course not. Why would I?"
"Because I may sound to be selfish and stupid…for wanting things just of our own, fresh things. A fresh start..."
He took her closer to him, "I understood your reasons. It's not something I'd think but I can see the sense of hygiene behind it, so I'm not surprised hearing that from you"
She hugged him back with a smile, leaning closer to him, "Thank you for understanding me. I hope to be reciprocate at the same level for you"
"You are…I never thought I'd say that but you have been one of the best things that happened in my life and the best of this year!"
"Really?"
He nodded in confirmation.
"Your words are mine…I don't believe I'm saying this as well"
"Our mismatch is a match"
"I guess it is"
They kissed.
"Can I ask you something else?"
"Ask me"
"As you I took some days off that will start next Monday, but I'm thinking of spending a weekend on a campground. Would you come with me?"
She made a face, "Camping?"
"Yeah"
"On the ground, with bugs and all…and a river?"
He giggled, "Certainly there will have bugs and river, but no ground as I intend to make a reservation of a bungalow because of you"
"Ahh, thank you for the consideration. Now I like better the idea"
"So will you really come with me this weekend?"
"This weekend? I thought you'd make a reservation…"
"I did, I just need to confirm it for two"
"Ahh, so you already had this planned with or without me, huh?"
He laughed, "Sort of…"
"And all the romanticism went down the drain…" she spoke with a whine
He laughed louder, "No, it didn't" he said rolling over her and kissing down her neck
She pretended to fight it and play the hard one, "Really? Prove it"
"I will, but not now…soon…" he said making a mystery, and getting back to kiss her
She didn't fight anymore. His touches always melted her whenever and wherever he touched her. She kissed him back and opened her legs wider so he could fit perfectly his body onto hers. Soon after they were locked on each other as one.
.
.
"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined - to strengthen each other - to be at one with each other in silent unspeakable memories." George Eliot
Fleury Labs Main Office
"How's the expedition to the cavern?" said a grey-haired and middle aged man, wearing a black suit, as he was on a video chat conference
"Nothing good, sir"
"Why?"
"We lost all the men that entered that cavern"
"How?"
"I couldn't see it properly, but I heard on the radio one of the men saying about traps inside of it that someone must have put in there to avoid anyone's entrance"
"So, are you saying those trips killed all those agents?"
"No sir…but The Creature did…"
"Creature? What creature?"
"I don't know sir…it's what I heard on the last transmission."
The middle-aged man frowned thoughtful, "So we can assume that a mysterious creature lives in that cavern and someone is covering it up, that's why the use of traps…"
"That's what it seems, sir"
"Alright… Take more men there to investigate it, I want to know what creature is that!"
"But sir…"
"It's an order!" the grey-haired man shouted turning off the connection
He rested his elbows on the desk and enlaced his fingers. A plaque indicated his name and position in the company: President Douglas Fleury.
Thoughtful. Intrigued. Many thoughts crossed his mind. It was said the Black Herb didn't exist anymore, but something inside him didn't believe it. As a pharmaceutical business man, he needed to find it for his researches before other "colleagues" could find it, but the recent report was a surprise for him as he didn't expect a cavern would have a security: The Guardian of the Black Herb.
Thank you Pin for the review! :D
It's a Resident Evil fic after all xD Now we will get into that more and more.
Guardian of the Black Herb...whaaat? O.O
Chris Redfield more and more infatuated...aww so cute xD
Angie feeling the blues :(
And Kate starting her thing xD
Stay Tuned!