The next morning I got up and ran my hands through my hair. It was a new day, yet the conflicting emotions of yesterday were still permeating my mind. Hopefully a run would clear my mind. I quickly changed and plugged in my earphones. I checked on my brother and on Piers, both of whom were still fast asleep. I couldn't help but notice that both men looked about ten years younger.
I found that my daily run of nearly ten miles did nothing to clear my mind. So I simply headed back home to take a shower and fix breakfast since I didn't think that either of the two men would be awake yet.
When I walked in I was pleasantly surprised to find that Chris was in the kitchen making fresh strawberry crepes. I smiled; my brother knew that crepes had always been my weakness. He had been feeding them to me since I was a very small child.
"Go take a shower, you stink," Chris teased. I scowled, and flipped him off before heading up to my bathroom.
When I came back down after my shower to eat I found Piers sitting at the breakfast bar. He shot me his dazzling smile, his blue specked silver eyes danced in the fluorescent lights. I sent him a mirror smile, flipping my hair back over my shoulder.
"How are you feeling this morning?" I asked.
"Much better," Piers replied genuinely.
"Yeah, he didn't even need my help coming down here!" Chris teased, setting two plates on the table, one in front of each of us. Piers laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I snorted, almost choking on the delicious breakfast my brother had made.
"Have you heard of the annual BSAA Christmas military ball that is going to be held in New York?" I asked, looking between the two.
"No," both men replied in unison.
"It is being held as a way to raise money for the mission. Any service member available at that time is responsible for going, to participate and gain the people's interest," I explained.
"Sounds like a lousy fundraiser to me," Chris shrugged.
"The more people who have an interest in what we do, the more money is given to the cause. More money means better weapons and better training for when we return," I countered.
"It's still a lousy fundraiser," Chris replied crossly. "I don't do dances."
"Come on, it won't be so bad, Captain," Piers interjected. "Worst comes to worst, we'll be standing in the back, beers in hand."
"Fine, dammit! I'll go!" Chris exclaimed in exasperation, throwing his hands up. "I'm clearly not going to win this argument." Piers and I cast each other a knowing look and I burst into a fit of giggles.
"Shall we go into town then?" I asked.
"Do we have to?" Chris asked in horror. He knew what going into town meant for me with the BSAA ball approaching.
"…I guess not," I replied, my voice falling. I knew that Chris hated shopping with me, but I hadn't seen him in so long I had hoped to use this as a way to simply be around him.
"I'll go with you," Piers replied gently. I shot him a sunny smile, just to annoy my brother.
"I am going to the range today," Chris said firmly, standing up to take his dishes to the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and finished my breakfast.
Piers and I climbed into the jeep and I drove us into the adorable little town that had settled not long after the Redfield Manor had been established some many, many years ago. I had to be very careful to keep from skidding on the icy roads. It wasn't a large town, but it was quaint and it had everything I needed. I pulled up beside the old house that had been converted into a dress shop.
"Here we are," I smiled. Piers made his way slowly into the shop, with some assistance. The lady at the counter smiled brightly when we entered. It had been a long time since I had been in this shop, but she had always known me as a great customer. I had never been shy to spend our money here.
"Sierra! What a nice surprise to see you, honey!" the old lady greeted enthusiastically. "It has been a long time!"
"It has been a long time Mrs. Harroway!" I replied, returning her hug.
"And who is this handsome gentleman that you have brought with you?" the lady asked, beaming at Piers.
"This is Piers; he is part of my brother's squadron. He is staying with us," I answered, chuckling at his red face.
"Of course, of course," Mrs. Harroway replied, winking at me. This time it was my turn to blush, I felt slightly guilty about the way I felt.
"So what kind of dress are you looking for my dear?" Mrs. Harroway asked, dragging me by the arm into the next room. It was lined wall to wall with dresses of all sorts.
"I need something elegant, something to wear to a military ball," I replied, looking around.
"I have just the thing!" Mrs. Harroway exclaimed. She hurried over to the far corner and pulled a dress off the hanger.
"Get in the changing rooms!" she said shooing me. Piers laughed at how easily a woman of high military standards could effortlessly be commanded by a short, plump woman with a gown in hand. I flipped him off as I pulled the curtain shut and began to undress.
"Here," Mrs. Harroway said, handing the dress to me. I quickly slipped it on, unsure of how it would look on me. The only thing I could see was it was an A-line gown of violet satin and an overlying layer of black lace. It was a tight sweetheart top that flared out from the belt of ruched flowers.
"How does it look?" I asked, looking at Piers. I stepped on to the platform and looked at my reflection. The dress looked much better than I had imagined it would. It accented my curvaceous body in the most flattering way, and it went well with my auburn hair.
"It's beautiful," Piers replied, his mouth agape.
"Really?" I asked. "You think it'll be good for the ball?"
"It's perfect!" Piers exclaimed. Though I agreed that I looked fantastic, I still wanted to make sure I had not picked the wrong dress, so Mrs. Harroway pulled a few other dresses for me-nearly ten! None of those felt as right, or comfortable on me, much to Piers' annoyance. Finally I went to try on the purple one again.
"This is the one!" I laughed, nodding at Mrs. Harroway.
I changed back out of the dress and handed it to Mrs. Harroway, "I'll take it." She nodded, hung it up and rung up the price. I paid in full, thanking her. She pulled me into another hug, thanking me for my service. She then turned to Piers.
"You take care of her now! She doesn't always know what's good for her!" she said sternly, the ghost of a smile hinting about her lips. I rolled my eyes and drug Piers out, much to the amusement of the elderly lady.
"Holy hell! It's 2:30!" I shouted. "How the hell have we been in there for four hours?!"
"You were trying on dresses!" Piers' laughed.
"You must be starving" I exclaimed. As if on cue, Piers' stomach grumbled, causing both of us to laugh. We went to a small little dinner to eat. I had blackend tilapia over rice while Piers had steak, again. We ate in silence for the most part, simply enjoying the company, but every once and a while we would comment about something.
After lunch Piers and I agreed to head back to the manor for a while. He wanted to rest and nap for a while. I understood, he was still healing from his latest adventure. So we paid and hopped back into the jeep and I drove us back to my home. Piers headed straight for his room when we returned. Even though he was doing better, he was still weak. I watched him, careful to make sure he was going to be alright, but he was fine.
Bored, I went in search of my brother. I found him in the living room, watching television. I curled up beside him, resting my head on his shoulder like I used to when I was younger. Chris simply patted my cheek in greeting. He had never really been a man of many words.
"Can we watch a movie?" I asked.
"Sure," Chris shrugged. I picked out one of my favorites, Sherlock Holmes-A Game of Shadows, and started it up. Pressing play, I hurried back to the couch, resuming my seat as the movie began.
"Captain!" Pier's strangled call came from the dining room about halfway through. Chris and I raced back into the other room. Piers was doubled over in his chair, clutching his arm which was sparking electricity.
"Come on soldier!" Chris shouted. "Damn it Piers, you can pull through this!"
"Move!" I said, pushing his large frame out of my way. I crouched down to the man before me.
"Look here!" I commanded. Hearing the same authority in my voice that he was used to hearing from my brother, Piers looked up and his silver eyes locked on mine.
"Now breathe," I said a little more gently. Piers nodded and sucked in his breathe. I led him through several different breathing exercises until the pain had passed and the electricity stopped sparking.
"It is dangerous for you to keep that sort of force within yourself," I explained. I helped him up and led him outside. I took his hand and placed it on to the soft grass, saying "When you feel an episode coming on, find a solid patch of ground and release it there. Another way to release this sort of energy is to learn how to control it. Train with it in controlled situations and you will be able to use it in battle, but only as a last resort. It will drain you greatly, both physically and mentally."
Piers stared up at me from where we were crouched on the ground. His battle hardened face was softened by his expression. I couldn't help but blush, the way he was looking at me was so intense. I pulled away and left the men outside, racing up to my room. My heart was pounding, it had been a long time since a man had looked at me like that and I wasn't ready for that yet. I couldn't forget Maverik.
I sat on my bed, my knees pulled up to my chin. My curly auburn hair fell in waves down around me. I knew that my brother and Piers would undoubtedly have questions for me now. Questions that I knew I could never answer.
A knock sounded on my door. It was gentler than the knock I associated with my brother. His was heavy and obnoxious, this knock was lighter.
"Come in," I replied, not looking up. The door opened softly and Piers walked in. He shut the door behind me and walked over. He sat down on the edge of the bed and there we sat silently for a few minutes.
"I remembered where I have heard of you before," Piers said softly. I looked up in shock. "You are the reason we know about the anti-virus."
I hung my head. Memories surged through my brain and I felt the tears well up, and my eyes burned as I tried to hold them back. I did not want to see this brave soldier see me so weak, but of course as is my luck, my body betrayed me and two huge tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Hey, hey," Piers whispered, wiping away my tears.
"I'm sorry," I sniffed, choking out a laugh.
"There is no need for that," he replied. "I have you to thank for even being able to be here."
"If you knew the whole story then you wouldn't be so happy," I snapped, pulling away. I scooted away and stared out the window. Piers sat there for a moment, starring at me, trying to figure me out. "Maverik was in my squad for several years," Piers said gently. "He was a good guy." A sob escaped my lips. "I remember when we learned of his death. There was not a dry eye in the base. I can't even imagine having been there."
"He died in my arms…" I replied, still not looking at Piers. "I watched the light go out of his eyes. After that Wesker caught me by the waist and injected the C-virus straight into my heart. Ada was actually the one who saved me. The anti-virus had been completed the day before and had never been tested, but she wasn't gunna let me die there. She injected it only seconds later, while Leon attacked Simmons, driving him back just far enough to get me out of there. I don't remember much of that next week as I fought off the deadly virus and many people thought I was going to die."
"Sierra!" Piers gasped, his mouth widening in horror. He reached for me again, but I shied away. If he did, I would burst out sobbing. That day was so painful to remember.
"I fought through it, we Redfield's are a strong bunch, but the virus still lives inside of me. It is a struggle I must face every day. Some days I want to just give in, but I can't. It would kill my brother," I finished. I finally raised my eyes to his. "I tell you this because you are the only one who could ever understand."
Piers crossed the distance between us and wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me close. I rested my head upon his chest, breathing in his scent. I felt safe in his arms, even though I could feel the electricity running under his skin. He rested his head atop mine. Fat tears streamed down my face, staining his shirt. His callused thumb brushed them away.
"What is going on here?!" Chris asked, barging into my room. I looked up from Piers' arms up into the furious face of my brother.
"He was helping me, Chris," I defended, pulling out of the embrace.
"Sure, with what Sierra? How to be intimate one-oh-one?!" Chris shouted.
"You could never understand!" I shouted back. "Piers and I have something in common!"
"Like what?!" Chris exclaimed.
I let out a scream of frustration and stormed out of the room. Of course Chris had to come in and ruin our moment. Piers stayed back to talk to Chris, but I hid in my favorite place since I was a child- the laundry room. There were so many places to hide there.
