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.

"God sometimes takes us to turbulent water, not to drown us, but to purify us."

As days went by, the relationship of Chris and Katerina grew stronger. The happiness on his face and the aura of satisfaction became evident on the captain of the B.S.A.A. some close coworkers even commented with him about the change on the man's vibe.

Katerina enjoyed her time home. She made sure to keep it impeccable every single day, and even after considering discharging Eliza from the cleaning – mostly due to her jealous -, now she thanked Chris' objection on the subject as she wasn't having the best of the mornings as her period decided to show up and become another reason of her concern – the camp trip on the weekend. Fucking cramps!

On those days, she felt like doing nothing. Actually she couldn't do much besides remaining lying in bed fighting the intense pain that incapacitated her mobility and lowered her mood. She did like some rough sex, but that type of pain had nothing to do with her womb being cut open, her guts twitching, and the intense flow of blood.

Being jobless now seemed to be a bless as she didn't need to poison herself with meds to go to work in vain as meds didn't seem to have effect on that pain. Another punishment life seemed to have given her.

She was lying on her sides, with a pillow between her legs, on Chris' bed – their new bed. Yeah, Chris did buy a new mattress the following day of her "complaint". Chris and his impulsiveness to solve things. While she had the impulsiveness to keep things "clean" as while he went to work, she made a more extent cleaning on all the objects of his bedroom, from tiny to large, with alcohol and cleaning products, being careful to not destroy any of it. It was a habit she always had since she was a child. On that organization and cleaning matter her mother never had reasons to complain about her – maybe she could complain about the excess of it from time to time.

But, when it was about "home", she couldn't stand the thought of the other's "germs" infecting her territory. She knew people didn't have the same level of cleanness she had, so she made sure to have an extra care when other people visited them by washing her hands after touching anything or after shaking hands with anyone. Of course she learned how to disguise it from the others to not sound rude, but she just couldn't stand feeling her hands "dirty".

Now in the new territory, the sense of clean and dirty were more dissipated as she was more adapted to the new room after bringing all her belongings to her side in Chris' closet. Slowly her ground was settled.

As a housewife, Katerina used her time to study, on domestic chores and reading Katarina's story peacefully.

"I finished the cleaning. Do you want me to make the lunch?" Eliza asked as she went to check on Kate

"Yes, please. I'm very unwell to do anything"

"Did you already take any medicine?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't work anymore. My only option is to be strong and patient while this lasts"

"Is your period long?"

"Sometimes…there are times it lasts a week or more, or just three to five days."

"I see…"

"I hope this time it will last only one day! I don't want it to ruin the trip with my love. I don't want to bleed in the jungle and have all the bugs on me as if I'm a dead corpse"

"Eww, that won't happen! Let's pray it will be over…"

"By tomorrow!" Kate completed her sentence – "I have another reason why I want this over soon, I have my man to please!" she thought

Eliza nodded in agreement, "If is there anything I can do for you, just let me know"

"Thank you…ahh, could you please give me my laptop before you leave?"

"Sure"

Despite her current condition, Katerina was not the type to get pitying herself and thinking or talking about her pain. It wouldn't diminish, so to distract her mind, even if in a slower pace, she continued reading her favorite story.

And that habit of keeping the pain to herself was something she had in common with her current muse of inspiration: Katarina O'Gregon.

In those days of pain, she didn't feel hungry and used to eat much less than the usual.

In the afternoon, her reading was interrupted by the call of Chris. He was concerned. He had never seen her in such agonizing pain before.

And during that call, it seemed her pain had vanished completely as the happiness of talking to him and feeling his concern for her made her feel loved, his warmth.

After the call, she felt a sudden drowsiness wave. Putting the laptop aside, she lied on a comfortable position and fell asleep.

"Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes." Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"It's been a week since Katarina told me about her pregnancy. A week that I still feel numb by the news… and concerned.

I know her father won't accept our marriage and constantly I think about running away with her and marry her in secret.

But whenever I consider this thought, a huge wave of fear takes over me. A fear of a tragedy. An announced tragedy.

Knowing her father's bad mood, I have no doubts that he could try to punish us somehow, and I don't my child to be punished by our mistakes.

I don't know why I have this thought that Katarina and I are not meant to be, despite we liking each other so much.

She makes me feel things I never felt before and among the good sensations she gives me and the "happiness", I don't even know how to name it…there it comes a huge sense of fear mixed with all the good things she makes me feel. I don't know what that means.

I don't think I love her now, as I believe love comes with the time, but I have no doubts I could love her. No doubts.

I know she loves me. I don't have any doubts of it either.

I tried to fight it, but I ceded, and now she's pregnant. With my child.

After seeing it and feeling it moving gave a new sense to my life.

But it also gave an extra addition to this fear of mine.

It's a forbidden fruit that came from a forbidden love.

Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve love… I don't know why…

And lately I can't stop thinking about that famous tale of the Drowned Lovers…

I don't want to have their fate…

But it's what I feel about my union with Katarina…

I fear our union will bring the tragedy just like the drowned lovers did. And they lost it.

I always dreamed of having a family. And now that I'm close to have it, I feel I don't deserve it.

Running away is not a solution. I don't want my child growing up with fear of being caught.

Rules exist to be obeyed.

And obeying rules is what I do for a living.

This crossroads between love and fear is driving me insane.

Katarina is fearless and that trait is something I admire about her. She's willing to fight for our love and face all the consequences…while I'm not so sure this is so necessary when our child's safety is involved. But I also don't want to lose it.

The rules of this society seem to separate us anyways. And I don't want it.

I want to see my child being born, growing up. I want to be part of his life – as Kat thinks it's a boy. Boy or girl, it doesn't matter. I already love him or her.

I don't know how Kat manages to hide it from everyone. I know it's not easy, especially when she looks so radiant than the usual and so beautiful pregnant with My child, My son!

I never thought Kat could get more beautiful than she already is. I don't know her secret to this, but I know I love it. Her hype infatuates me. Her femininity enchants me. Her touches melt me.

I thought love was supposed to makes us feel like flying and radiant.

Not fearful…"

(*)

Flashback

It was night. Christopher woke up with the loud knocks on the door and Katarina screaming his name. He put on a robe and climbed down the stairs to open the door.

He had barely unlocked the door when she pushed the door hurriedly.

"Change your clothes. We have to leave now!" she said in between chokes

"What?"

"Move Christopher! We do not have much time!"

"What the hell is going on?"

"Christopher just do it please. I do not feel well and much less for questionings. Now please, let's go!"

"I'm not going anywhere! Now tell me what's going on!"

She rolled her eyes impatient as she let out a heavy sigh, "We do not have much time. I fought with my father"

"Again? I told you I will to talk to him tomorrow"

"It is too late. He would not listen to you"

"I need to take the shot…"

"I am telling you, he will not…"

"Why not?"

"Because he arranged my marriage to Fleming"

"What?"

"We have to go Christopher! The Fleming's will arrive tomorrow and my father already arranged the announcement party for the day after tomorrow behind my back!"

"I can't leave anywhere Kat. I can't break the king's trust on me. He just promoted me…"

"We marry and we return. I already asked Lucy to arrange everything!"

"Kat… you're pregnant! The moron Fleming won't marry you like that"

"But our son's life is in jeopardy!"

"Your father still don't know?"

"Of course not! I would be dead by now! it was dark already and the darkness disguised my black dress, so he did not see it yet"

"Kat… I don't think we need to run away. Your father won't force you to marry another man when you're already pregnant with someone else's child. It's illogic!"

"That is where you are wrong my love. The deal my father made with the Fleming's is coming above anything! When he learns about my pregnancy two things might happen: he kills me or he gives our son to adoption. Either ways, our son is danger and so is our love! And I cannot live without our son! I am facing hell for him, so could you please do the same if you really care about our son? I think he deserves more your loyalty than the king…"

He frowned for a few seconds, "You're right! We run, we meet the priest to make our union official and then we return, right?"

She nodded in confirmation still not feeling well due to a backache that was increasing.

The pain became more intense. Katarina couldn't hide it anymore as they walked to the stables to take Christopher's horse.

The animals were restless as if they reacted to the energy around them.

Christopher tried to aid Katarina as he could.

"No…it is too soon…" the young girl spoke in between sobs as she realized the cramps were in fact contractions and the amount of blood loss confirming that their baby was about to be delivered and with no chance of surviving at just 22 weeks.

Christopher watched their premature son come out from her. He took the tiny being quickly in his hands without minding about all the blood on him. Miraculously he still breathed, yet with a lot of difficulty.

Katarina had a mix of feelings if she wanted to see him or not, but in the end she asked to see him while he still breathed.

"He has your lips…" she spoke in sobs while she caressed the struggling baby

He was so tiny and thin. The cramps ceased, however the biggest ache was just getting started.

For 3 miraculous minutes they had their son Christian with them. Their first-born.

For 3 minutes they were parents to a baby boy. She was always right about her feeling.

For 3 minutes the fruit of their love lived.

For 3 minutes they felt a hope that faded away with Christian's last breathe.

The 3 minutes rainbow boy died in his mother's hands, against her chest.

After saying goodbye to her son and taken over by the intense sadness Katarina lost her consciousness for 3 minutes as well.

Her uterus was still cleaning everything that once belonged to baby Christian.

Heartbroken, she watched devastated Christopher return with his dirty clothes after burying their son somewhere in his land.

A very special location in his land.

Their souls now were connected by the loss of their first-born rainbow son.

End of Flashback

(*)

Sadly, Christopher's feeling was right too. Their union was haunted by tragedy (ies).

Baby Christian became the eternal scar that never really healed completely and became the reason of separation and not of union for those two broken souls.

Baby Christian became the biggest secret Christopher and Katarina had, more than of Christopher's real status.

Nobody really needed to know they had an angel for five months.

Katarina never let go of that loss. Christopher never let go of the guilty for not had prevented it when he ignored Katarina after the return from his campaign.

Katarina tried to be strong for three – yes, she always included Christopher in the math. For 22 weeks she managed it. But she failed in the end. The emotional outbreak due to the fight with her father was too much for her already fragile body due to malnutrition to bear.

Maybe things could've had been different if Christopher hadn't "abandoned" her when she most needed him. He should've had accepted the "mistake" for bedding her. He should've had faced that fear with her.

Maybe things wouldn't have been so different if all those precautious moves had been taken since the beginning. Life is drawn is twisted lines that we may not understand its course, but in the end all the way serves as a lesson.

Sadly those two souls corrupted by the loss allowed that pain to live on between them. Crystalized into them.

Christopher lived with the eternal grief of the guiltiness and fear, until he met Angelique who helped him restore hope, and that made him try to battle the hell in the attempt of not repeating the same mistake of the past with Katarina. And even after marrying Katarina later, guiltiness consumed him in another way, then towards Angelique.

That part of the story everybody knows: Christopher's emotional obsession with Angelique's memories. And Katarina's increasing internal insecurity that led her to some jealousy attacks and obsession with him.

Somehow, they owed each other something...

Unfortunately, baby Christian's blood was not the only on their hands.

Katarina's hands became dirtier when she almost killed Cathlyn, and even more when she stabbed and pushed down the cliff a pregnant Angelique and Christopher.

That was one root of the future cleaning and organization compulsion she developed over the years.

Her soul was dirty…

.

.

And not necessarily the objects in Chris' apartment.

Kate woke up broken into tears. For no apparent reason she couldn't stop playing with her hands. Struggling with the need to wash it "properly".

Chris returned home feeling slightly different. The first thing he did was to check on Kate who was crying in his bedroom.

He didn't ask any questions, he simply lied by her side and embraced her.

William Gibson, a famous science fiction writer, said that time moves in one direction, memory in another.

Often people are so saddened that they get stuck in the past; in the past where nothing new happens, where the scent of apathy, decadence and lost opportunities surround everything.

Somehow we get stuck in our own networks after a disappointment or a serious problem. When we become discouraged, will and strength diminish; although we continue getting up every day, we move like rusty skin automata because of internal tears. In these situations, there is always someone who, with all their good will, tells us: "Don't worry, because time heals everything".

However, it is not as easy as it sounds. Whoever is wounded doesn't advance, they remain trapped in anger, in the roots of bitterness and in the veil of resentment; they remain in a parallel dimension, where it does not matter that three, six months or even a whole year goes by.

One thing we must always remember is that time does not heal, what truly heals is what is done over the time.

(**)

Thank you Pin for the review! :D

The chapter was short, but for me it had lots of emotional background and some secrets of the past revealed.
Maybe some of you remember how complicated Christopher and Katarina's relationship used to be, and it has always been implicited that there were things between them that hadn't been showed, nor explained properly. Especially Christopher's battle to understand his feelings for her, and how Katarina admittedly loved his shadow.
Now we can understand her obsession with him. In her mind, he owed her. In his mind he owed her. However, there is another deeper root to that, and that root will be revealed very soon.
Now we can understand better why Christopher avoided his own land. Memories...
Now we finally understand one moment Katarina reacted to the stable when they moved to that land. It was not only about the girl at the stable...
Now we know why is easier loving Angelique than Katarina. That aren't deep scars with her. It's earier loving someone less complicated.
Isn't there a proverb that says? : "Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it."

The 18th still has its secrets, we know their middle trajectory, and now their early trajectory. Once upon a time, Christopher wasn't against marrying Katarina and being a family with her, however the loss of their first child affected him immensily and we saw what was made of him after that.

And soon we will learn another very important moment of the 18th that has been designedly skipped.
A brief resume has been shown with Lionel's tale, however there is always more that hasn't been spoken. And that section of revelations will be cut in two parts. One will be revealed very soon, but the other just more up ahead.

So thank you all for staying with me all this long and as the usual...

Stay Tuned!