Kate and the twins were sitting at the bench waiting for Nicholas who had left to buy water to refill the twins' bottle and for himself to take the pill for his migraine.
She looked up the sky, noticing the clouds forming, then, the thunder announcing the rain.

Restless with the forming rain, she looked to the sides searching for Nicholas, and for some safe spot if the rain started first.
For her, the tour was over, and all she wanted was to return to the hotel where they'd be safe, dry and away from any possible flooding as the sea was too close.
That was her irrational fear.

Distracted, she didn't notice the twins playing with her necklace again, and only focused on Nicholas coming their way seemly afflicted, probably due to the pain, she thought.

"We should hurry to the hotel. It's going to rain" he said almost in a dry tone

"Yeah, I know! Why did you take so long?" She asked as they walked to meet the tourist guide and wait the leaving schedule

He didn't answer as he seemed distracted.

"Nick?" she asked noticing his behavior

Nicholas often looked to the direction of the plaza, and didn't reply her to her so promptly.

"Nick? Are you okay?" she asked again starting to feel anxious for no particular reason. Her heart started beating faster and stronger. She felt watched.

"You know. We should go first. This is taking too long" He replied pushing her gently by the back

A thunder and lightning. Kate screamed startled.

"You two, go to the bus. You have babies, this weather is not good for them" the tourist guide told them

Rapidly, they hurried to the bus and waited inside for the regrouping of the tourists. Nicholas closed the window's curtains of their seat. Both were restless.

Trying to keep her cool, Kate placed her hands over her chest, focusing on her breathing, softly massaging her chest.

"Oh my god!"

There was terror in her voice tone. Nicholas looked to the side startled with her reaction, wondering if she had somehow spotted Chris around.

"My necklace…" she said searching everything, "It's not here"

"It must be somewhere"

"I need to find it!"

"The twins were playing with it, they might have dropped anywhere, Kate"

"I'll go find it"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"It's important to me. It's Chris' necklace side!"

"Chris is gone! Snap out of it. Didn't you say it last night?"

"I know exactly what I said last night, but I never said I'd throw it away. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine! But you insist in keeping him even at the stupid necklace"

"Fuck you, Nicholas! You don't understand"

"I do understand, but here we are discussing over a necklace"

"I'm not discussing you are! And the necklace is MINE! I'll go find it"

"Kate…"

"Please, don't be the moron now. I need to find my necklace and I'm wasting my time with you when I could be there searching for it"

"It's going to rain"

"Fuck the rain! You watch the kids, I'll be quick"

"Kate! Damn it!"

Nicholas let out a heavy sign, resting his back abruptly against the armchair. He closed his eyes recomposing. He thought of the twins who stared at him with scared faces.

"Sorry…I'm sorry…" he whispered feeling bad for it

He didn't mean to scare them. He just didn't want to miss the only and last chance he was having with Kate, but that chance was escaping his hands like sand since he spotted Chris at the hostel bar.

(**) (**)

I know to be there
When and where, I'll be there
You know what's to be said
We said out loud, we never said
My premonition of the world comes to me
A sun in your eyes from the middle life
Says I'm alright

Following Ron's advise, Chris searched the meeting point of the tourists near the fountain. The closer he got to the spot, the faster his heart beat, getting him even more anxious.
Could he trust his memories? He thought as he felt he was failing the search, though, the moment he gave a second look from across the view at the fountain, he spotted the green-eyed man next to a young blonde woman seemly restless looking to the sides.

Though that wasn't his attention anymore as his eyes finally focused on the restless young woman. She was carrying twins. He felt like losing his balance when he saw her profile for a brief moment.

"Katie?" he whispered starting to tremble and his breath choking

Images invaded his head like in a turmoil.

Thunder and lightning.

Dizzy and confused, he searched for a bench, losing the track of the couple who hurried elsewhere. Unable to follow them, he looked to the sides holding his chest as a sharp pain started out of sudden, yet, he refused any help, for believing he'd recover soon, as it was just a wave of disappointment seeing his Katie with the merchant.

"I can't believe it…" he whispered looking down with his arms on his knees

So many things bombing his mind. Bombing his heart. Bombing his body. Was that the end? Almost 6 months apart, and she shows up with his rival?
What kind of a stupid trick life was throwing at him?

There was no home. He thought.

As he stood up, he heard a noise of metal at the bench. He looked down and saw a coin necklace at the ground. He grabbed it. He observed it.

"C" he whispered the letter carved on it and a pin in the centre

He took his own necklace, it looked exactly like the one in his hand, though it was carved K, and there was a small hole. Together they plugged perfectly, making it just one necklace.

"We are two sides of the same coin…" he repeated the voice in his head as he recalled parts of the memory about those necklaces

He separated the necklaces, putting on his, and then, he kept Kate's in the pocket and let out a heavy sigh as he thought of her.
As he turned around to return to the hostel, he listened at distance, to a particular female voice. He looked back recognizing the voice, and a smile escaped his lips, and a relief for seeing the young blonde Katie back, seemly looking for something.

"Are you looking for this?" he asked loud enough for her to hear his voice, and making her paralyze and widen her eyes at his sight

You said you don't have to speak
I can hear you
I can't feel all the things you've ever felt before
I said it's been a long time
Since someone looked at me that way
It's like you knew me
And all the things I couldn't say

Together, to be
Together and be
Together, to be
Together and be

"Chris!" She yelled in surprise.

Was that for real? Was it really him?

Tears escaped her eyes, her legs trembled, her hands sweating cold. She could feel her heart racing, almost as if it could explode in emotion.
She could see the man staring back at her, showing her something, but her blurred vision couldn't figure it, but his build structure was definitely Chris'.
She blinked once, twice, three times. She needed to be sure it wasn't something made up by her mind.
Clumsy, she stumbled as she ran towards him, and quick in the reflex, he prevented the young woman to fall to the ground, and the warm encounter of their skins confirmed they weren't hallucinating. They were real people.

He held her with one arm.
She looked up at him.
He wiped her tears.
The pain and angst ceased.

"You ARE alive!" she caressed his face with a mix of feelings, and relief. The agony of the uncertainty was over.

The voice escaped him. All he could do was to feel her so close to him, which made him smile. He felt…Home.

You're rushing through me
(Like water from Heaven)
I feel you moving through me
(Like sand in the sea)
And now I feel so alive
(I know that there must be something here)
So alive

There no more blindness
When I cry, I'm smiling
You cured me from dying
And I know with you I'll keep on living

It's not enough (Enough)
Just holding on (Holding on)
Before I met you I was lost
Now that you're standing here
I don't want you to go
Cause I know that your love keeps me alive

As it was announced, the rain started to fall over the paralyzed couple that still remained in silence into a long embrace.

A strong lightning and thunder made Kate yell and hide her face onto his chest.

"I think it's getting worse. I'm at a nearby hostel"

Without hesitation, Kate nodded in agreement, and both ran together holding hands until they entered the location.

Ana greeted them, and quickly delivered them clean and dry towels.

"Well guys, I hope you don't mind if I take Kate with me to the suite room"

"Is this Kate, who is Katarina, and Katie?" Ron asked in a joking tone due to all the names there were given her

Kate couldn't help the laugh.

"Yes, my wife!"

Upon hearing that word, Kate turned her face to Chris – surprised, and flattered.

"Oh, that's so beautiful Bear, you finally found her. Welcome Kate! Chris spoke highly about you" Ana said with a friendly tone

"Thank you, I hope there were good things"

"Definitely! All he kept saying was he needed to find you and your children"

"We missed him a lot"

"I'm sure you did, but now I'll let you go. You must have a lot to talk about, though if you need anything, just give me a call, will you?"

"Thanks Ana. Ron." Chris replied leading Kate to his suite room

As they entered the room, Kate took her cell phone, but as soon she did it, Chris took it from her.

"What are you doing?"

"What's that for?"

"I need to tell Nick he can go to the hotel with the twins, they're waiting for me, but I'll catch up with them later"

"So your boyfriend is the new father to my children?"

She gasped, "What?"

"You replaced me pretty fast, didn't you? Or maybe the rumors about your relationship with him were true…"

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you together."

"He's my friend"

"You mean, boyfriend…"

She gasped incredulous with Chris' sudden jealousy behavior, "No, he's my best friend. He's the one giving me support all this long, and especially when their father is absent"

Chris bit his lips nervously, "I think you should choose better your friends then"

"Come on, Chris! Who do you think you are to tell me this? It's nearly 6 months since I don't have a single news from you. You denied a proper treatment so you could stay at your love interest's house!"

"That was not like that. You have no idea what I've been through all these months…"

"Oh yeah, so tell me! I'm not going anywhere under the rain after all"

"I wasn't even supposed to be here!"

"I'm sure of it…"

"You don't seem like you believe me"

"How can I believe you? I just found you, and we're already arguing over Nick and your absence!"

"It's because all this long I went through hell, and you quickly ran to your "best" friend's arms" he spoke with a mock

"I didn't run to his arms! But I can't tell the same about you and the perfect Angelina…"

"Bullshit! Who's Angelina? I don't even know her! You're already finding women to me…as the usual?"

Taken aback, Kate recalled Piers informing about Chris' amnesia and believing he was Christopher Reed. Then, she recalled the welcome reception and Ron's comment about Katarina.

"Oh boy…I'm arguing with the wrong person…" she spoke to herself, but not silent enough

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…I just need my phone back, and listen to your story. Please?"

"Can't you just call anyone else to watch the children?"

"No. There's only Nick here. The others live home…in New York in the United States"

"So it's true what Pierce said about the United States and the whole Chris Redfield thing…"

It wasn't a question.

"It is…but I'm sure all this confusion will pass, and you'll be alright"

"Yeah…I just need more time. I know I'm not Christopher Reed, and I don't recognize Chris Redfield… All I know I'm Chris…It doesn't matter the last name" he let out a sigh as he made his way to the window

"You can have all the time you need, but you can do that home"

"You don't get it. There's no Home for me, expect for when I'm with you. But going back with you means that I'll go back to everything that haunts me, and I'm not ready to face that"

"We can stay here. I don't care where we'll live. I lost you once, I'm not losing you again! All I want is to be with you and our children"

Watching the pouring rain, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and a lighter. When he was about to lighted it up, Kate took it from him.

"Please, don't. You never smoke near me and the children"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot…"

"It's okay."

He looked at the mini bar and thought of taking a glass of whiskey, and then he looked at Kate, "May I have a drink?"

She couldn't help the laugh with the question, "Of course you can drink, but don't get wasted"

"Nah… I wanted to be sure I'm not crossing the line in your presence again"

"I drink too, not as much as I did before…"

"Oh, so do you accept a glass too?"

"Sure" she replied sitting at the bed nervously observing him

As she waited, she noticed the armchair by the window. A habit he had home as well.

"So tell me, what have you been up to all these months without trying any contact?"

"I couldn't contact you, I had no idea where I was. I didn't know anyone, and the ones I thought I knew, I found out they were all deceased. I was completely lost." He said as he sat at the armchair

"Why did you leave that way? Everyone thought you were dead…but me…tell me what happened that day at the dam accident, do you remember that?"

"I do remember that. Like I said I was confused and scared. You have no idea how frightening is you opening your eyes in a world you don't recognize. The objects, the people, yourself! All you have is a shattered memory and the answers you get don't fit the reality, and then you have more questions and you get out of reach.
You have no idea how it feels like to wake up with the mind of another era, and then when you look in the mirror, it's not that person your mind recognizes. Nothing fits the memories you have…"

"You could've trust your friends, you knew things were different"

"I couldn't even trust myself, how could I trust the strangers? For me I was in the enemy's territory"

Kate took a moment in silence, thinking in a way to relate to him, "I see… maybe I can relate in a portion to you… when I woke after going totally wasted at the night of the festival." She said looking vaguely out at the window

"Night of the festival…" he repeated as if searching in his memory the event

"I knew things had happened, but I had no idea of what really happened. That was the worse hangover I've ever had in my entire life, and since then I stopped drinking heavily. My body ached, I had marks on my body, I had weird images in my head, but nothing made sense to me. Then I searched for answers with you, but I got more questions than answers from you."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that maybe I asked the wrong person at the time…"

"Night of the festival?" he asked again

"I'm not asking you to remember that. I'm just telling you that I can relate to the feeling of not recognizing yourself when the mess is made and not trusting the obtained answers, and feeling them like they're lies"

"I didn't mean to lie to you…but I…you…I didn't want to hurt you or scare you…" he shook his head struggling with the images in his head

She stepped closer to him and caressed his shoulder, trying to tranquilize him, "It's okay Chris. I don't blame you and never did. You don't scare me and the truth is that I don't remember what happened, and it doesn't make a difference anymore. knowing it or not knowing it wouldn't change my feelings for you. I was already in love with you deep inside, and my struggle later was to stop myself in wanting more with you and keep the memory!"

"It was raw and wild!"

"I'm sure of it! I trusted my body's signs"

"Trust in my body and not in my memories…that's something I learned these past months"

"So why did you run?"

"I left you a letter explaining my reasons. I asked Angely to deliver it to you"

She gasped rolling her eyes in frustration, "That bitch…you trusted her but not me…"

"You weren't there"

"I was home with our children, as the usual, but Piers was in charge for watching you, so I waited, impatiently, but I waited like I always do, until you were gone off his radar, but the redhead bitch lied, like always! Yet, you trusted her, as the usual…"

He looked out the window in distress. So many thoughts and feelings running into him, but none of them served the answers needed. The real fact was unchangeable.

"So you didn't receive my letter?" there was disappointment in his tone

"No, I didn't! But would it change the fact that you almost died in Arthena?"

"No… but maybe you wouldn't be waiting for me all these long"

"Chris, why don't you get it? I will always wait for you! always!"

"I don't want you to…"

"Why not? Do you want a second chance with the ginger bitch?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! This is just between me and myself, it's not personal with anyone else, but no one get it"

"It'd help if you explained"

"I can't explain what I don't understand either, I'm figuring it out"

"Okay, so what about your children? Do you have any idea how old they are now? They turn 1 year in a month and plus. They were 5 months old when you disappeared"

"I know. But you got them a father already"

"Their father is you! Don't you care about them?"

"I do care about them! But I can't stand seeing you with that merchant! I can't stand knowing he's touching you! having you…"

"Snap out of it! Nicholas is not my boyfriend, I'm not sleeping with him!"

"He acts like a boyfriend. He wanted to take you from me"

"But won't. I'm not letting go of you!"

"So you'd better tell him that, because he ran when he saw me. He knew I was after him, and he made sure to hug and my children, to show me you belong to him"

"He did what?"

"You don't believe me? Ron and Ana saw him too"

"I do believe you when you tell me things, different of you…"

"Anyways…he saw me when he came to the bar, I took a while to recognize him, but I knew he was familiar to me, and when Ron was certain that he was a tourist, I went after him. I saw you near the fountain, but you didn't see me because he made sure you wouldn't."

Kate made a face recalling that moment. She did find weird Nicholas' behavior, "He's in very bed sheets now! He'll listen to me when I meet him"

"I told you not to trust him!"

"Right, and your precious ginger is no different either. Not an angel"

Chris let out a sigh, "And we always come to this point. When will this ever stop?"

She looked out the window in distress.

"I'm with you, and not her…"

"We have trust issues" she replied nearly in a whiny tone

"Yes we do! Won't this ever stop either?"

She exhaled looking at the pouring rain, "My wish…"

A lightning cut the sky, followed by a thunder. Startled, Kate lost her balance, falling on Chris' lap. Like a protector, he embraced her tight but gentle.

"I'm here with you" he whispered on her ear

"I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too"

They exchanged gazes, as they caressed each other's faces.

"Blonde?" he spoke a little surprised as he cared her hair

She smiled, "Yeah. Once you mentioned being curious to see my real hair color…you didn't know I'm actually natural blond, so I stopped dying black and let it grow. I only cut the black part. You don't like it?"

"I do like it, but I took a little longer to recognize you as in my mind I usually saw you with long and dark hair…but I guess that was mostly Katarina's image I had in mind, though she used to dye it black it too…so I don't know. You're still beautiful even with rainbow hair"

She laughed, "Don't give me ideas!"

More relaxed, she realized she was taking too long on his lap, as for she felt like it was "inappropriate".
It wasn't "her Chris".

"Well…uhmm, I need another drink" she looked to the sides and poked him so he could let go of her, though he didn't obey, which made her stare at him with a questioning look

He smiled looking kindly back at her, "It's been a while since we're not this close…I missed this… I missed you"

"I missed you too. I still can't believe this is actually happening"

"What if we're dreaming?"

"If it's a dream, then I only miss the children with us, and when I woke up, there will be the four of us at home"

He smiled enjoying the scenery, but then his face expression changed to a serious one, "I still can't go back to your home"

"I heard you, but I didn't mean our home in the United States. I'm living in Bohma now"

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's so much to tell… but when I say home, I mean we can go anywhere you want. There's a side of mine that also don't want you to go back to that routine, and you mentioned planning to retire…And I've been waiting since then…"

"I see…well, before coming here, I was living in Efret"

"Efret?" she said surprised

"Yes."

"How did you…?"

"That's the part you didn't let me finish when you got jealousy over Angelique"

"I can't stand her existence!"

"Well…you should get over it. I'm over her long time ago!"

There was so much conviction in his tone and face expression, that for the first time she actually felt she could trust his words. She could trust him and his feelings.

"When I left the Lake House, I was looking for answers because nothing made sense to me. I realized I was at the wrong place and Angeline wouldn't help me find my home the way she said she would. I realized her true intentions and I rejected her, but there was Pierce out there looking for me and all I felt was I couldn't let that happen again, and so I went out of myself again and something made me go to Arthena, and I followed it. When I got there, I was damned again. I had little time to admit to myself that I had to accept that anything I was looking for did exist. I had to accept that I wasn't anyone I thought I was, but how could I be someone I had no memory of? I couldn't trust myself… all I had was crazy memories and a turmoil of emotions, and the only feeling that someone was waiting for me…and so the loud broke through the forest and I only tried to escape whatever was coming, but it was faster than me and I was dragged by the wave…and honestly I don't know either how I survived it. Then the last thing I remember about that day was that everything was numb and freaking cold, I was looking up the sky and my only thought was that someone was waiting for me and I apologized for not making it back home, and so I saw an old couple into a wooden boat. The old woman looked at me with such an intense and deep look as if she could see through me and said "Not this time brave boy" then I was already inside the boat, vaguely I saw them talking but I couldn't focus on it, and when I actually woke up I was already at a hospital in Efret. Since then everything is flashes of random images and I realized I couldn't trust my memory because I don't know where it belongs, but surely they are my memories whoever I think I am…"

The anguish was stamped on his face. She was convinced he was telling the truth and that moved her. It must be rough not knowing who you are or what to trust.
But he could trust her.

She finally stopped the internal struggle she had for being so close to him, when that was all she wanted in the world. She had been waiting for him for so long, and that was longer than just those nearly 6 months. She had been waiting for him since their break up.

With her left hand, she gently caressed his face noticing he didn't reject her unexpected touch, "I wish I knew what to say that would console you in all you have been through lately, but one thing I can tell you with all my heart… you can always count on me! I'm not going to distrust your feelings anymore, and whatever you need, I'll give you. I believe all this is temporary and soon all the pieces will stick together and you won't be so lost anymore. And the truth is that I don't care what your name is, all I know is that I love you forever and we'll learn how to work on that amnesia because it's definitely a challenge talking to you about things you don't remember and you expecting me to be who I'm not anymore…and I'm not talking about Katarina. I'm speaking in general"

"People change…"

"Yes they do"

"I have changed…I'm just not sure if it's for good"

"You're good to me. to our children. To your friends…workmates. I think you push too hard on you"

A soft laugh escaped him, "Look who's telling me that…the one who used to push so hard on herself as far as I remember…"

"Exactly! I'm speaking for my own experience. It only led me to anguish and made me lose everything I ever wanted"

"So you're saying there's still light for us?"

"Definitely"

They stared for a few seconds. The smile on her face expressed the hope she had that this time things will be alright and they could finally stay together.
Chris had no doubts of his feelings for Kate, and all those months apart only confirmed his fidelity to her memory as the woman he truly loved.

He smiled back at her and gently caressed her face. He longed for that touch on her skin. He needed to be sure the messy memories in his head had something right.
He let out a breath when the delicate skin touch of her hand caressed his face as well, making him close his eyes feeling it so powerful than any of most living memories or dreams. That moment was real.

That was Their moment and the wheels of time turning its cards uniting their longing lonely souls.

A tear escaped her eye at the bliss of the moment of seeing her Chris and all their walls down. He was back and to her. She so longed for his presence and confirming that all she had felt was right: he was alive all that long. She had no doubts she could feel him no matter how, no matter what, no matter the distance.

Succumbing to their genuine feelings, in synchrony they hugged, enjoying the warmth of their bodies. They exchanged deep gazes demanding more proximity before finally sealing their lips into a longing and gentle kiss full of love, ignoring the storm outside.

Progressively their kiss was increased by the passion they had for each other. Their hearts beating so fast and the heat emerging in their bodies. Their hands exploring each other's bodies freeing their skins from the tissues that covered them until they were fully naked, and consumed by the desire to become one, in the love making they longed in about two years since they split.