The characters from the game belong to Capcom.
A/N:I'm not english native speaker, so you might find some typos or grammar mistakes, I do apologize for that.
BSAA Main Headquarters, Conference Room
"Thank you commanders, chiefs, family, friends, fellow maintainers, and members of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, BSAA for coming to my decoration ceremony. It's an honor to stand before you here today. Each of you have continually teach me what taking care of people and the mission is all about. I'm not sure of how phenomenal you made me sound, I'm kind of thinking about just taking a bow and ending this ceremony right now. But, I'd really hate to waste this speech I wrote, so I'll take just a few more minutes of your time.
A special thank you to our master of ceremonies, Willie White, who was instrumental in making this happen and also a great friend. Willie is the future of the senior enlisted core. Also, thanks to Clive O'brian, Parker Luciani, Sheva Alomar, Quint Cetcham, Keith Lumley, Josh Stone, Nadia, D.C, and all the personnel and not cited people otherwise I'll never stop mentioning each and everyone here! My special friends and teammates Barry Burton, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Rebecca Chambers and in memory of all the heroic deceased mates, especially my second in command Piers Nivans. I wouldn't be here if there wasn't for any of you!
And before I get too far along, thank you to my loving wife Evana for supporting me these seven years 1month and a half. Thank you Charlotte, the Redfield twins, my three awesome children and a special tribute to my deceased son Noah. Yana Chorvat and Claire Redfield, two of the strongest women I know. Claire is kind, smart, and hilarious. I couldn't have asked for a better sister.
It would take me longer than time allows me to thank everyone that has made positive impacts on my life and career. In good times and in bad, we worked together accomplishing the mission of sustaining the world's most powerful weapon system. Thank you to each of you.
Over the course of the last 22 years only fighting against the Bioterrorism, I have thrown my body, mind, and my heart into getting the job done. My experiences over the last 28 years of military life taught me a great many things.
I was inspired to join the military by watching my grandfather. Although he died many years ago, his unmatched work-ethic and love for our country are infused within me. My grandfather spent 20 years into the Army. He always said if I join the military to choose the Air Force, namely because they have better food!
Have you ever had a supervisor who was a jerk? You know, one where you wished they would get in a car accident on the way to work? Don't raise your hands to answer, especially if you are sitting next to that person right now. Well I have. I didn't want them to get injured too severely, just bad enough where they couldn't come to work for a while. That way I could get a vacation from seeing their faces and from their toxic leadership. In the end, I left the Air Force because I just couldn't adjust.
Throughout all these years I've been on field against the Bioterrorism, I've gone through all types of missions, but some marked me more than others because of the emotional impact such as when I lost my longtime partner and best friend Jill Valentine in 2006 and the greatest one that put me down for a long time in the Edonian War in 2012.
Whatever happened in those missions with my team were defining moments in my career. Later I learned that I was emotionally immature. Dr. Stephen Covey, the author of the 7 habits of Highly Effective People, defines emotional maturity as the balance between courage and consideration. As a leader, I learned that I need to be courageous enough to hold people accountable and to speak up when something is wrong. We have plenty of emotionally courageous leaders. These people are usually great at getting the bottom-line results. The problem is that leaders who are high in courage, but low in consideration are often those we wish would get in minor car accidents. Courage must be balanced with consideration. Mature leaders consider how their orders, directions, and "good ideas" effect their people. Later in my career, I began practicing emotional maturity in my daily interactions.
I was able to build trusting and respectful relationships. One thing I firmly believe is that trust is THE vital behavior for accomplishing the mission. The hardest part of leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done. Let me say that again, leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done. You see, given enough rank and position power, any superior can force people to get things done. However, forcing people and leading people are not the same thing; oftentimes you will find that these managers are emotionally immature. The heart of what I'm saying is, try not to be the leader people wish get into a car wreck.
And that's it. That is my wisdom after over 28 years. Take what you like and leave the rest. I've had a lot of moments in my career, many more that just these few I've shared. But when you really boil it down, here are my key gems of wisdom:
1. Keep your promises, even when things get messy
2. No matter what task you're doing, do it the best you can
3. Each generation must kindle the flame of freedom
4. Don't be the leader people hope get into a car wreck
And
5. Trust is the key ingredient to effective relationships and mission accomplishment
It's difficult to capture the feeling of being in the field in my age, I'm not in my twenties anymore! So I announce to you that my time in the military career is coming to an end. But it's already just the beginning of the next chapter of my life. This summer my family and I plan to move to Atlanta, Georgia. Evana will continue to practice her skills, and I hope to land a job as a corporate learning and development manager, but before all that I'll take a long vacation and quality time with my family and friends. 8 years ago Evana and I had no idea of the journey we were about to undertake, only that we wanted to do it together. There is No One I would rather have had by my side and I am so looking forward to having you by my side for the rest.
I love you now more than ever.
Now, let's eat cake and party harder for a while!
Christopher Redfield
(**)
The crowd applauded their Captain's speech and came near him to congratulate or greet him. No one was expecting the official retirement announcement and this time everyone could see he was taking it seriously. Some people even congratulated the Redfield couple and admired the solid relationship they had. They didn't miss Evana's beauty and classy way, not to mention her impeccable reputation every time she accompanied her husband in parties or cocktails; she always had a loving and gracious way.
"I'm going to the toilet room" the blonde whispered on his ear
"Okay, I'm going to my cabin. I need to get a file there"
"Alright, I'll meet you there"
Matthew and Laura Lamonte arrived at the BSAA Main Headquarters shortly after the announcement of Chris Redfield had ended. Laura, wearing sunglasses to disguise her apprehension, told him she needed to go to the bathroom. Soon after, Matt encountered the representative of the Tech and Field Department at the main lobby. They began the conversation.
Chris left the conference room after greeting a bunch of other people. He was on his way to the elevator when the representative called him and waved to him. He introduced the man and explained Matt that Chris would be the best one to tell him specifications and needs of the field better than anyone would while he would go to his file room.
They greeted amicably shaking hands. Matt frowned making a thoughtful face, "I think I've seen you before… Have we met?" he asked politely
Chris made a face thinking on the matter, "You're familiar for me too…"
"Oh, now I remember. We met at the White's wedding party many years ago"
"Yeah, right! You are Mr. White's cousin"
"That's correct! I remember that Cathy had a friend that happened to be your wife."
"Yeah, so, what exactly do you need my help?" Chris said changing subjects
Laura entered the bathroom in a hurry. She had a good disguise. Her body had changed significantly since the last time she was seen at the BSAA. She had aged a bit and had done some plastic procedures on her lips and breasts. Her body was more fit since she started doing gym. She had the wavy blonde wig and the green lens. Her clothes style were different from the ones she used to wore back then. Wearing sunglasses inside the building would be too suspicious.
She looked in the mirror and the worriedness was evident on her face expression and body language, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" she murmured looking at her reflection in the mirror while she washed her cold sweaty hands in the sink.
She heard a noise in one of the toilets' doors. She heard the high heels steps coming closer to her. She looked briefly to the side. Her eyes widened when she recognized the blonde woman wearing a lavender dress length to knees coming to the sink area.
Laura removed her hands right away from the water and went to the hand dryer. The blonde looked in the mirror and saw the other blonde drying her hand. Their gazes met through the reflection. Both women's hearts paced fast. Immediately, Laura turned her face and left the bathroom.
Evana frowned facing the mirror. There was something familiar about that woman. Her time at the bathroom turned out to be longer as her phone buzzed. It was her friend Yana calling from Germany.
Laura hurried through the corridors trying to disguise as much as she could her discomfort and despair. She was suffocating in that place. Her old memories were tormenting her. Every corner brought her memories she wish she could forget forever, but her torture wasn't over when she arrived at the main lobby.
She paralyzed and the panic was starting to take over her. She couldn't allow it to consume her. She had, she Needed to be strong and keep her emotions under control. But Chris couldn't disguise his reaction as from his position he could see her in the corridor. And to make things worse, Matt noticed his reaction and looked back, spotting her. He smiled and waved at her to join them.
She took a few deep breathes on her way to them.
"Mr. Redfield, I'd like you to meet my wife, Laura Lamonte" Matt spoke with a proud smile
From long experience, Chris could tell she was terrified. But they didn't know how to act like they haven't met before. That moment was too unexpected.
"Hi" Chris greeted her, forcing a faintly smile
"Hi…" she replied with failing voice
Matt looked at the couple and made a face, "Have you met?" he asked in confusion
Chris cleared his throat while Laura scratched her hair, "Yeah…We met at… the Mikro Company incident. Right?" Chris said as he had noticed her secretive life from Matt and decided to her help with the story
"Yeah, true. We met there, yeah…" she nodded her head several times in agreement
"Oh, Redfield... so you must be Nate's superhero. I guess I should thank you for saving my wife that at the time was my fiancé!"
"No, you don't have to. I was just doing my job, but I might admit that Nathan is a lovely boy"
"Surely he is! But he really became a fan of you!" Matt agreed
Chris smiled with a mix of feelings, avoiding looking at tense Laura. The BSAA representative rejoined them after taking the contract the organization had with the Lamonte's. Matt took advantage of Laura's presence and asked her to talk to Chris about the field needs while he would take care of the contract matter.
Laura had no other option but to agree with her husband's request and simply nodded. Chris watched their interaction and waited the male Lamonte to leave them.
"So you finally found someone that bosses you…" he commented with a smirk
"Shut up!" she replied rolling her eyes
"Let's go to my cabin"
"I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"Yes you will or I tell everybody who you are and look around… you are in my field!" he said with determination
She sighed in defeat. With no other option, she followed him to his cabin.
During their walk, they remained in silence. Chris walked in first, and Laura followed in behind. He waited her so he could close the door. Laura took a glimpse of the cabin, nothing had changed much. The same décor, the same furniture position. The same view for the training camp where the rookies started their military lives – a reminder to Chris of how he himself started decades ago – a reminder for him to keep his humility.
"So now Mrs. Lamonte, you still owe me an explanation"
"I don't have to give you any explanation. Your wife is dead, I mean, your ex-wife is dead!"
"I'll go straight to the point, I know what you did at the clinic... Will you still insist you don't owe me an explanation, Laureen?"
She swallowed in distress, yet, remaining in silence.
"It's funny how deliberately you became Laureen and a wife again after accepting to give me the divorce… was a child the price for my freedom?"
"You are picturing things in a way that is wasn't..."
"No? So explain to me because that's what it looks like to me"
She turned her face to look at the large window remaining in silence.
He sighed annoyed with her long silence, "Alright, if that's your explanation, I'd better stop being too good to you and let you be punished for your criminal actions" he spoke walking to his desk and grabbed the phone on his desk
"It wasn't about you" she finally broke her silence
He turned his eyes to look at her
"It wasn't about you… Chris"
"What was it about then?" he asked as he placed the phone back
She sighed looking down, "Me"
He looked at her attentively waiting for her continuation
"It was about my grief, my pain, my cure. You knew how wounded I was but you still chose her… so I did what I thought was best for me… right or wrong? Who's to say what's right and wrong?"
"Stealing and faking is wrong!"
"And so is cheating!" she yelled
"I didn't cheat on you! I had a severe amnesia!" he yelled back
"And so was I out of my common senses! You and anyone else who knows this will only see your side! What about me? My pain? My loss?"
"You're not the only one who lost a child!"
"I lost more than a child! And you still can't see it!" she yelled fighting her tears
"What did you want me to do? To continue living a lie with you, both of us unhappy?"
"It wasn't a lie… it was my dream… my only good dream that turned out to be a nightmare!"
"Everybody goes through deceptions, but not all of them go harm other people because of that!"
"You're picturing it wrongly!"
"No, I'm not! You're a spoiled person who is used to anyone not telling you no! And when someone does, you harm them! You take your revenge!"
"Revenge?" she frowned in shock
"Yes! I didn't give you what you wanted, I walked away and you couldn't deal with it. So you're taking revenge on me!"
She gasped, "I'm not revenging on you! But that's what happens in your twisted mind, right? You only see your side! You only think it's about you! Your needs!"
"My twisted mind? I'm not the one who kidnapped a pregnant woman, jumped in front of a car, forged my death and have a double life!"
"Oh, you don't have a double life? You can tell that bullshit to your precious bitch, but not for me! This is bullshit! I know what you have done as well and I could make you pay for that!"
He gasped, "You're picturing it wrong! You have no idea about my life anymore!"
"I know enough!"
"So what Laureen? Is that your game? Let's compete who has and keeps the other' dark secrets? Is that your new way to have me again?"
"I don't need you anymore!" she said giving him her back and headed to the door
Chris immediately ran after her and pulled her by her arm, "You're not going anywhere."
"Let me go!"
"This conversation isn't over yet!"
She looked at his hand on her arm, "Let go of me. You're hurting me!"
"You owe me an explanation!" he spoke with firmness staring deep into her eyes
"I don't owe you anything! You're the one who owed me!"
"Yeah, so you're punishing me? You stole my sperm, got a new life, a wealthy husband that clearly doesn't know about your dirty secrets and that's it?"
"If you feel punished is not my problem and as I've kept saying, you're picturing everything wrongly! You made your choice and I moved on! I overcame the deception of loving you! Or are you jealous that your pretty young doll now belongs to somebody else?"
He laughed, "I'm not jealous! I'm happy for you." he said releasing her arm
"Are you?" she replied with a mock
"Yes, I am! The point is that you're saying that I should stay quiet and forget that you kept a part of me?"
"What part of you Chris? I'm married!"
"Only for a couple of months! Nathan is way older than your prestigious marriage!"
She laughed, "Don't need to be married to make babies Chris, you know that right? Our beloved Noah…"
"Just tell me the truth Laureen! I did the math of your last procedure that was in the end of November of 2014. I searched the records and Nathan was born in August 3rd of 2015. He's only registered in your fake last name. The math matches!"
"He's not yours!" she shouted
"Are you sure about that?"
"I slept with Matt that time too!"
"So why didn't he register him since now you're married? Mr. Perfect is not noble enough to register his child? Considering he's the father…" he pressed her more
"Because Nathan is MY son!"
"Bullshit! You didn't do him alone! Who is Nathan's father?" he asked staring deep in her eyes
Chris and Laura heard a noise in the door, looked simultaneously at the same direction, and saw Evana opening the door.
The blonde woman stared them who were facing each other. They couldn't disguise their proximity and the strange atmosphere between them. She could sense something important was going on between those two. She recognized the woman to be the same from the bathroom.
"I'm sorry to interrupt" she said after clearing her throat
Laura smiled taking her cell phone, "Well Mr. Redfield, thank you for your time and I took notes on your needs. I'll pass everything to my husband and to the responsible department. Have a nice day and good bye" she spoke with a calm tone then she look briefly at the blonde, "Excuse me" she said politely and passed by the blonde
Evana with a serious expression turned to her husband and looked at him attentively to read every sign in his behavior, "Will you tell me what was going on here or will you tell me it was just work and never mind?" she spoke with a defiant gaze
Chris took a deep breathe. Unconsciously he was thinking fast about the answer he would give to his wife. The truth or a half-truth? He feared Evana's reaction if she learned about Laureen still being alive and worse, she possibly had a child of his.
However, he was also aware that omit such important matter wouldn't be good either and maybe could even cause more damage than the whole truth.
Thank you HerpDerp for the review.
Yes, the drama is starting and we have a few good things to happen before the saga comes to a final end. They are def more mature :D
I have a mix of feelings about that!
I'm giving my all to this story and hopefully I'll make a good job, almost like I did in Forbidden...
According to my not so sharp math xD The story might end in the 10th chapter, so we are basically near the final countdown T_T
Thank you all for the support and patience.
As the usual, Stay Tuned!