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.
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places
Worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere
Going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression
No expression
A few months passed. Christopher Redfield was now a retired man, but that didn't stop as he still worked as an advisor for the BSAA, but he surely enjoyed spending most of his time at the comfort of his home.
His birthdate was getting closer and he couldn't tell if the current vibe he was living was due to the lack of high adrenaline spent on field or if it was just the aging approaching. He wasn't really going to focus on that and just wished that everyone he met will be present at his birthday party. Surprisingly, that year he really wanted to celebrate it. There was a lot to celebrate and moments to share with his close friends. A new style of life.
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen
Sit and listen
Evana, Claire and Jill organized everything for the special celebration that would start at lunchtime. Evana made sure that Piers, Yana and their children will be present, not to mention how much she missed her long time and best friend – her soul sister.
Jill asked Leon to watch their children while she helped Evana and Claire with the final adjustments for the party start.
Evana was finishing organizing the silverware when her sister in law approached her.
"How is he doing?" Claire asked her nearly in a whisper being careful that no one else would listen or pay attention to them
"He's good. There were a few occasions that he complained of headache, but he took analgesics and it remained like that since then."
"He should go see a doctor!" the redhead spoke in concern
"Yes, I know. I told him that, but look at his size and mine… I can't really obligate him" the blonde shrugged
Claire gave a shrug letting out a sigh. She was aware that Chris could be very stubborn about going to hospitals and doing exams that weren't part of the military routine.
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me
No one knew me
One by one, family by family entered the rented party salon where the party will be thrown. Evana was thrilled when she saw Yana entering the room and how grown up her children were. The soul sisters hugged for a long time and tried their best not to mess up their makeup so early. Piers greeted Chris. His hair was short again, but he still kept the beard.
They all drank and talked loud – listened to music, surely everyone was having a good time. Some in small groups, but Chris made sure to give attention to all the guests. He could tell that in all those years of his life that one was the biggest party he ever had – after his wedding party of course.
Certainly that was a happy day and that hopefully more celebrations like that will happen with more frequency as the others eventually will retire as well and have more time to live a more normal life. They deserved that.
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me
Look right through me
It was already evening, Chris was looking his reflection in the mirror of the bathroom as he waited the painkillers to make effect. He had a terrible migraine, but he made sure to not let it be evident to the others. He hated to worry any of them.
After some time, he left the bathroom and was on his way back to the salon. From the distance, he watched his guests talking happily and that gave a sense of living the right thing mixed with another feeling he couldn't really tell. He couldn't name it. There was still a vacuum in his chest – a persistent vacuum that never left him – or he was never capable to fill.
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow
No tomorrow
No tomorrow
He was walking closer to the couch where Piers was talking to the others around him when he looked briefly at the entrance of the salon and spotted Laureen holding Nathan's grip looking at them.
His heart raced and at the same time, he felt a sharp pain in his head. Soon after, he fell on the ground as the last people his eyes witnessed were Evana and Yana at a distance and Piers screaming his name.
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
His eyes opened abruptly. Confused he looked around to realize he was in a hospital. He looked to his left and saw Piers sleeping on the couch. He frowned, there was something different about his second in command man. He remained staring him trying to discover what was the difference about him.
After some time, he sighed in defeat and moved on the bed to stay in a more comfortable position. The noise made was enough to make the other man to wake up.
"You're finally awake!" the young operative spoke in relieve as he stood up from the couch and stepped closer to the bed
Taking a better look, he could confirm something was very different with the second in command appearance. He didn't have scars on his face, his hair was short, he looked younger. Way younger! Was it another effect of the virus in his system?
Chris' POV
"Who are you?" I asked thinking of the other option – that that man was somebody else
"I'm Piers Nivans, I work with you at the BSAA" the man replied calmly
"What happened to me?"
He thought for a second, "There was an accident. You got injured and I managed to save us…"
"When that happened?"
"Yesterday"
I stopped questioning to think and search my memories. I really do remember feeling a strong headache and falling on the ground during my birthday party.
"Where's everybody else?" I asked. I noticed the strong signs of reluctance on the man who introduced himself as Piers. Something is very wrong here, "Where's Eva?"
Piers frowned seemly puzzled, "Who's Eva?"
I gasped, "What do you mean who is Eva? I'm the one who beat the head and you got the amnesia?"
"Sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about."
"Eva… Evana, my wife! Remember now?"
Piers looked to the side frowning and shaking his head, "I don't know…"
"Is she taking care of the children?"
Piers shrugged shaking his head in denial, "I really don't know…"
"Piers, right? I don't recognize you! What the hell is going on here? If you are playing a prank on me I tell you this is not funny!" I spoke starting to lose my temper
"I'm not playing any prank! I really don't know where this Evana is… I didn't even know you're married again and have children!"
"What the fuck you didn't know I'm married?! You were my best man! You even married her best friend, Yana! You have two children with her! Don't you remember her either?"
Piers gasped shaking his head in denial, "What the hell are you saying? I'm not married! And I don't have any children… as far as I know!"
"Stop playing with me Piers! This isn't funny!" I shouted
"It's not funny indeed! I have no idea what you're talking about. This is the first time you tell me you are married and have kids! We never talk about personal matters."
"What the fuck is going on here? You are not who you say you are!" I protested trying to leave the bed, but I'm still too weak to do that and Piers ended up helping me to stand up and carried me to the couch. I noticed the doctors running to all the sides in a hurry outside at the corridor.
"Chris, you beat your head very strongly and lost your conscience. I'll call the doctor to examine you because you are not making any sense to me."
"You are the one not making any sense! Where are we?"
"We are in a hospital"
"Genius I can see that!"
"We were in a mission until yesterday."
"Where?"
"Edonia"
"So you're saying we are actually in Edonia?" I frowned finding it very weird
"Yes."
"So that means that the others are in the United States…"
"The others who?"
"Friends and family! Don't I have friends and family?"
"Well… yeah…I guess… There's Claire…"
"Piers… what's wrong with you? Did something bad happened between you and Yana. Did you find out her children are not yours or something?"
Piers shook his head puzzled, "I'd better call the doctor right now!"
"No, you won't! You don't even look like yourself the last time I saw you! You owe me an explanation of what's going on here!"
"The last time you saw me was yesterday and I look the same! I only changed my field clothes."
"No, you don't!" I shouted, "You had scars on your face, long hair and beard! Oh, well, last time you had short hair and beard!"
"I hate long hair and beard! But I do have some scars because it's a natural thing in our work style"
"This is not making any sense! I remember very well being that it was my birthday party. Everybody was there. Eva, Yana, you, Jill and the others, everyone's children… Even Laureen and her son were there!"
"Birthday party? Laureen and her son?" he looked surprised
I couldn't stand that play anymore and once again stood up abruptly from the couch, "Get out of my way. Eva might be outside with the children waiting for me or in her house in Bohma or wherever we are…" I spoke pushing him away.
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody
I felt him trying to hold me by the arm, but I used more strength and managed to release myself. I opened the door of the room. It looked like rush hour. A big thing happened in that place. So many injured people in the corridors, so much blood, so much despair. More people arriving.
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody that
I was raised in a deep dark hole
The prisoner with no parole
They locked me up and took my soul
Shame though what they made
I ran in a hurry through the corridors without even knowing where I was going. All I could see was the warzone of mutilated people. I ran more. Faster.
What the hell was that place? Where the hell was I? The people's screams affected my already aching head. I ran more and at the other entrance, I saw what seemed to be more bodies on stretchers arriving and being taken to an opposite corridor blocking my way. So many corpses. That seemed to be the morgue corridor.
"Those are the victims from the hotel from the nearby town" I heard a voice speaking at distance
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody that
And then I saw it… the sheet falling off from the stretcher and so I felt like a bomb had hit me. I couldn't not believe my eyes. My vision spinning. My body consumed in a lacerating pain. I looked around to the other uncovered corpses. There weren't enough sheets at that point. There was no balance to what I was in fact seeing…
I called him and he will come
She'll answer him like he is the one
His arms outstretched but when she's done
He'll be torn apart!
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody
Go tell Aunt Rhody that
Everybody is
Everybody is
Everybody is
Dead…
TPOV
"NOOOOOOO!" He screamed. "Evaaa!" He screamed louder. His legs weakened. "Wake up!" Tears cored like rivers on his face as he held the blonde's cold hand. He sobbed and felt someone holding him as his legs gave up supporting his weight, his pain. His grief.
He continued staring the corpses of those six people he had so vividly in his memory as he was carried away by a few doctors and Piers. His voice failing as he was screaming incessantly their names. He was in denial. He could not accept that fact. His soul ached as he screamed nonstop for the corpse of the blonde woman to wake up. The intense emotion slowly deactivated his senses and his body was taken back to the room by the doctors.
Piers stayed in the morgue corridor staring at the partially exposed corpses. They did look familiar. All of them were innocent victims of the Edonian War. He stepped closer for a better look. Some of them were covered by dust such as the brunette woman who he recognized to be a waitress – Emma -, the muscular bartender – J.D- and the thin man – Stan - who was the manager of the hotel pub their squad spent the night prior to the day they arrived at the mission location.
He turned to the side and looked to the other bodies on the stretchers. They looked more preserved. He recognized the bodyguard – Nico – and next to him the blonde hostess whom Chris had apparently spent that night, "Evana?" he thought, "I wonder if she's the woman he dreamed about and asked about… but as far as I remember she introduced herself as Scarlet…"
Then he walked closer to the impaled redhead woman on the stretcher close to the blonde's. He stayed more time looking at her recalling their short but good time they spent that unique night, "Yana Chorvat… fly like a bird now…" he whispered saddened
Chris' POV
"I never thought I would meet you in a place like this"
"I told you I was from a small town" she spoke smiling softly
"Right! I remember that when we met in London at that flower shop a couple of years ago."
"That's correct! I was temporarily living in London with Yana because she was taking care of her brother. Do you remember her?"
"Sure, the redhead who approached us. It's kinda hard forget that hair color and her gypsy way to be!"
She laughed in agreement, "I also remember you were at the shop to buy flowers to your girlfriend… you were going to propose to her, did she say yes?" she spoke a bit reluctant
I sighed in sadness, Laureen's memory was still painful for me, "She said yes" I replied looking down
"What girl would say no to you?" she spoke and it was somewhat evident the disappointment in her voice tone
"I don't know about girls, but I'm sure life does give me lots of no!" I took her grip, she looked at me with such a genuine gaze. Her icy blue eyes and sweetness captivated me, her transparence. She made me to want to stay there with her. At that moment of my life, I was hopeless about love. I had doubts if I deserved to be a normal guy with a family after spending so many years dedicating my life to work, to the battle, with no weekends or holidays spent with friends, or baking barbecue, or travelling for fun or just at home with a wife and children... I've abdicated of that and when I tried to live a bit of it, life - through the war - took my wife and child from me… and I still struggle with the empty hole they left in me. I did everything to save Laureen, my sweet Laure… but I failed miserably.
Flashback
"Stay with me Laure, stay with me!" I pressed the big open and bleeding wound
"My love, do you remember… when… I told you I… I only had boys' names?" she spoke in between sobs
"Yes, Noah and Nathan. What about it?"
"You can't save me... But you can save him… I know he's… he's a fighter!" she was squeezing my arm
"No, I'm going to save you both!"
"Noah or Nathan?" she spoke starting to lose the fight, the despair in her eyes
"No, Laureen! Don't leave me! Don't leave us! Noah needs you!"
"Noah… I like it… take care of him…I love you forever…" her head fell to the side as her eyes closed
"Noooo!" I yelled from the top of my lungs, desperately trying to revive the woman I most loved.
End of Flashback
The rescue came too late and Noah lost the fight too. A part of me died that day forever. Forever haunting me. Destroying me little by little. I couldn't go home anymore, everything reminded me of her, of them, of us.
Laureen, my beloved Laure never let go of me until her very end, when she died in my arms. She was my responsibility since she was 19 years old, when our story began in the corridors of the BSAA. I didn't care about our age difference. Her religious parents trusted me and I failed…
I never overcame that winter night… that cold night. The fog took my wife and son from me. The war took them from me. The war was taking everything from me…
I just wished I could know all that and go back in time to make different choices and change fates.
I wished with all my heart to have my sweet Laure and Noah back.
So I found that stunning blonde woman at a snowy place on my way to the war and I don't know how, but she made me feel comfortable enough to tell a bit of my tragic story. She told me hers too.
And there was me facing that lovely woman once again in my life. Destiny united our paths in different circumstances, as now I'm a free man, yet by passage in her hometown. It doesn't mean we can't meet again when my job will be finished. It's evident we are attracted to each other, so why not give it a try?
So we kissed, shyly at first. It had a quite a while since I didn't feel someone else's touch against my skin. It didn't take long to our fire to increase and then we made love. The first person I ever allowed to give myself and to touch me since Laureen died.
"We had a special bond…
And I wished… I wished we could meet again and build our own story after my mission… I so wish…"
Piers returned to the room where Chris was sleeping once again. He stayed there until Chris wakes up. He informed the HQ that Chris had woken up, but he had apparently lost his memory. When he wakes up again he must be examined to check the level of his amnesia.
The minutes were passing. Piers could not relax after Chris' episode at the morgue corridor as he was sitting on the couch, "Evana…so that was her name? I didn't know Chris knew those girls and had a history with the blonde" he gasped, "They pretended very well not to know each other when we arrived at that hotel" he spoke to himself. He sighed and looked at the sleeping Chris, pitying his condition and also all the innocent victims of that tragedy.
Flashback
Chris's squad received orders to intervene in the Edonian War. They had a local guider to help them camp in a nearby town before getting in the field.
They arrived in that town in an evening around 5PM after long hours of flight, so they needed to stay in a safer place to study their plan of action and rest from the long trip.
They were walking the narrow streets on their way to the location they were going to build their camp.
They looked at the simple structure of the buildings, the small town atmosphere. It seemed to be a cozy place and so different of their home. It was an inviting place to relax.
"I'm thirsty and hungry. We should get something drink and eat, what do you think?" Chris commented
"Sure." Piers and the others agreed
Their guider told them some of the options in town while they walked.
Chris was looking at the buildings when he spotted a blonde woman wearing a lavender dress tight dress and a redhead woman wearing a red short and tight dress at the entrance of a building that seemed to be a small hotel with a public bar. The women waved inviting them to the location.
Chris poked Piers on the arm.
"You want to go there?" Piers asked
"No, I was just showing those girls who are so different of the closed locals"
"Oh, yeah, and they're pretty too" Piers commented
"That's a good place to stay. It's cheap, have good food, drinks, music. It's a famous hot spot in town." The guider commented
"Really?" Chris said
Piers and two other team members were caught by the redhead woman that approached them with a friendly expression. Piers poked Chris who turned around to see the woman.
"Good evening boys"
"Good evening" they replied simultaneously
"My name is Ditta, I saw you guys passing and I noticed you're foreigners, so I wondered if you are hungry or thirsty. With this card you will have special discounts at that pub" she spoke with a friendly smile and teasing tone, looking more at Piers
"Special discounts at anything even for a large group like ours?" Piers replied
"Sure!" she replied, "Come on guys, I can see you need a good time and with special discount, why not?" she insisted using more her femininity power
The men exchanged gazes with a shrug and then followed her.
At the entrance, the blonde woman greeted them politely. Chris was the last one of the line; his eyes didn't stop following the blonde's moves. She was a stunning woman, yet with a simplicity, he could tell in her behavior. As the last one, he had more time to study her and then when it was his time to pass by her, she smiled at him, which made her even more beautiful.
"Good evening Sir. Welcome to our pub, here is the Menu."
"Good evening, I think I have seen you, have we met?" he replied smiling back at her
Her brows lifted as she recognized him and accompanied him in.
Their time at that place proved to be the right move to be done. Nice food, drinks and fun. Those women were great hostess, but unfortunately they couldn't stay for a longer period. But all of them did enjoy every minute spent with them before their duty called the next morning.
Piers and Yana were still in their room. He was finishing putting on his clothes.
The ginger he had spent the night with, came from behind him and hugged him planting kisses at the back of his neck.
"Unfortunately I have to go" he spoke after a sigh
"Time flied…"
He turned to face her, "It did! Thank you for the great time" he whispered in her ear giving her a hug
"If you want more fun you know where to find me" she enlaced her arms around his neck and spoke on his ear, then gave a quick nibbling making him smile, "By the way, my name is Yana…proudly Yana Chorvat!" she added looking in his eyes with a large smile
"I'll proudly remember that!" he spoke giving her a soft goodbye kiss and then they left the room and headed to the lobby of the small hotel where the squad waited for their captain to join them
As soon as the second in command alongside his night partner arrived at the lobby, they saw two people climbing down the stairs. Their Captain accompanied by the beautiful blonde woman.
"Now is time for me to go back to my usual routine…" Chris spoke turning to his beautiful companion before joining his squad
She sighed making a sad face, "You take care then, Handsome" she spoke in a voice tone that only him could listen
He laughed, "I'll get back when I'm done" he said with a determined face expression
"Will you?"
He nodded in confirmation, "I promise!" he whispered pulling her to him and then kissed her
"I'll be waiting then…" she smiled a heavenly smile
"Alright Eva, be safe!"
"You too, Chris"
End of Flashback
Piers exhaled as he returned from his thoughts back to their sad reality.
"Those girls were good people…" he said after a sad sigh as he remembered their fate, "They should've had been evacuated! That was the damn order for all the nearby towns!" he murmured affected by their presences in that town
He continued looking at his superior wondering the extension of his amnesia. Apparently, he didn't remember their recent mission and the real cause of his head trauma. He had mentioned Laureen and the only Laureen he had knowledge was the one who used to work at the Tech Department until the previous year when she died in a mission.
He remembered very well how Chris suffered with her death. She was pregnant with Chris' child and because of Quint's absence that time, she was covering up for him at the temporary intelligence base for that mission. No one expected the long distance base to be infiltrated by a rebel Russian Agent named Vlad Savchenko, whom killed all the personnel there, which culminated in her death as well.
Piers remembered that when he reached their location thanks to the help of another Italian agent named Gianni Fillipo Larssen who was in the chase of Vlad and after killing him, managed to contact the field soldiers informing them about the base attack.
When he reached the base, he spotted Chris trying to revive her incessantly but his efforts were all in vain, as she had succumbed to her injuries and died in his arms. He was late to help them and the rescue team was late to reach them.
That day he confirmed that the rumors were right. Chris and the tech girl used to be more than just friends for years despite their age difference. Until that day, he couldn't be so sure of their "secret relationship" since Chris used to be very discreet and reserved about his private life leading some people to believe that he was actually taken by Jill Valentine. That day he witnessed their broken promises and pitied them. That day he witnessed how much Chris loved that woman and just couldn't let go of her memory and of their lost son.
The time was passing and the hunger starting to increase. He checked his sleeping friend and left the room to use the toilet room and to get him something to eat.
Chris' POV
I still cannot open my eyes. My body is all about pain. My head is spinning to all sides. It feels like I was hit by a truck or something. My eyes are reluctant to open, "Where's my beautiful dream? The good side of my story? Don't I deserve a life like that? To have a lovely wife, beautiful children, friends? For how long can I support losing my people? Innocent people? Can't I have a normal life? I don't even remember how it feels like being normal! And I wake up to find out all I 'lived' was a lie? A dream?
What kind of dream is so real like that? It was all elements of my fertile imagination? How could my brain create all those people and their stories and me live as if I was the star of all them? I can't believe none of them aren't real! Laureen/Laura, Noah, Nathan, Eva and our children, Yana and their friends and even our foes, Matt? If I don't know them, who are they in fact? If they never existed, why did I see some of their dead bodies? This doesn't make any sense to me!
My body hurts, but my soul is completely dilacerated. I don't want this anymore! I want to forget it was all a lie! A beautiful lie! I want to forget my awful and painful reality! I don't want this life anymore! It's enough! I'm done! I need to find a new way, a new path! A new me! Happiness! Love! Family! Friends! All that I don't have! I want to get the hell out of this place, I can't deal with those screams and loud noises in the corridor! I can't do this anymore! I can't lose more people, I'm not that strong! I'm no hero!
(*)
Soon after, Chris started regaining his conscience and slowly opened his eyes. He seemed calmer or maybe doped. He turned his face to the sides and didn't see Piers anywhere in the room. With many difficulties he stood up from the bed and changed his clothes, he couldn't take the risk to be recognized as a patient.
The hospital corridors still had an intense rush. No one was really paying attention at him and that was a good thing for him. He could no longer stay in that place. His darkness consumed him and all he needed was to stay away from anyone and anything that reminded him of that.
Piers returned to the room and didn't see Chris anywhere. He hurried to the toilet room and nothing. He called the security to help him find the hazel-eyed man. Some people at the reception near the entrance had told they had seen him leaving the hospital alone some time ago and one of them saw him entering a truck.
"Damn it!" Piers cursed and immediately taking his phone, "HQ, this is Piers Nivans reporting in from Edonia. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Captain Redfield has gone missing. I repeat captain Christopher Redfield has gone missing. I request permission to assemble a search team and look for the Captain!"
The End…
Well...Well...Well... so we finally reached the end of this journey. It's been an incredible path that lasted..humm..I don't know how long xD Sorry about that, but you might be used to my inability to be set in the time-space xD
I have to give a very special thanks to HerpDerp, Xaori and silver scropion for sticking up with me until this very end since the very beginning in Forbidden Love! You guys have a special place in my heart :D
I really don't know what else to say besides it's been an honor to have dedicated myself to this amazing saga, but I really need to learn how to let go of our beloved characters. They deserve to rest too.
Don't hate me for ending things this way, but you also might know how I'm used to stick to the canonity ofthe game chronology :-(
But well... I really had serious doubts about how to give a proper denouement. But well, you will always have the alternate version right? You can feel free to be like, no i don't accept this ending! xD I really am up to the open ending, but well...every good thing might come to an end and this was a way to do that.
It was real, don't doubt that! XD We are real! xD
So well... I might take a while from RE fics (or maybe until NaH comes out because I always get inspired with new stuff!), but well, I know I'll be busy with real life as well and so, yeah..it's better take a time for me and my education :D
Everyone be safe and all the success to you :D
it's so weird not to say... Stay tuned :O