"My daughter! ...my EVA!"
Miranda's final words seemingly resonated across the valley, even though her physical body ultimately gave in to the overwhelming barrage of firepower Ethan had brought to bear for the last confrontation with the wicked priestess.
Panting heavily from his spot on the ground, Ethan observed Miranda's mutated shape rapidly crystallizing, even as the lone father attempted to fire one more round into her disfigured head… to no avail, since the gun he clutched onto for his dear life was empty.
But it didn't matter, as even without that last killing blow, Miranda's whole form hardened and soon enough - crumbled like dust, leaving nothing but shattered crystal fragments… as well as the familiar silhouette of a baby, behind.
Rose!
Letting the Wolfsbane magnum fall onto the mold-infested earth, Ethan leapt back to his abused knees, even as his whole body protested the gesture. Merely crawling a couple of feet to clutch his baby girl turned out to be almost more than he could handle.
The man was more than merely exhausted and badly wounded at this point. After all the trials and tribulations this accursed village hurled at him, Ethan wanted to do nothing else but to lay on the ground… and sleep… forever.
No human would have survived what he went through. Even going beyond all the near-lethal injuries he had sustained during his many confrontations with the mutated dwellers of this god-forsaken valley, Miranda herself had delivered what should've been a sure death blow. She had torn his fucking heart out.
Instead of dying, however, the man had merely learned the truth that he frantically avoided all this time - Ethan Winters was no human, but a creature of mold and flesh. And it was the last remnant of Eveline's essence who taught him the harsh truth. Moreover, while the ghost eagerly taunted Ethan about his stupidity and denial all these years, instead of letting the darkness claim him, the phantasmical girl overloaded his system with a burst of her own energy - sacrificing the final spark of her own unnatural existence to allow his molded body to compensate for the loss of that vital organ. Ethan could not afford to deny this unexpected gift from the bitter enemy of his past.
Having awakened from his dreamlike episode, against all odds, the lone father had found just enough strength to confront Miranda one last time… and prevail.
But now… with his nemesis slain and clutching his crying baby girl to his chest, the man felt like he could give no more. Even his unnatural molded body had no more reserves it could draw on. Empowered adrenaline no longer coursed through his veins - with nothing to power them, his limbs started to feel heavy… too heavy for the man to move even a single muscle.
Beyond mere exhaustion however, Ethan felt the simulacrum of a human heart that took place over his original one slowing down… about to give in. Moreover, sensing a strange feeling blooming in his right hand, the man glanced at it and saw his limb slowly turning pale white, with skin hardening and fracture lines appearing… as if his whole hand was about to shatter. Finally, feeling the energy being sapped from seemingly every cell in his body, Ethan slowly started to close his eyes, even as he knelt on the tainted ground, with Rose held close to his chest.
Surely, this was the end.
"..."
"Ethan! Come on, Ethan… wake up!"
Chris Redfield's voice was enough to shake off the deathly slumber that was about to take the lone father into its eternal embrace. Gazing inwards, Ethan sensed that there was still something left in that broken and exhausted husk of his, after all...
Perhaps it was that singular fact - that instead of gaining fatigue and injuries, the man receiving respite and treatment in Castle Dimitrescu - that made all the difference for Ethan, in the end.
The limit of Ethan's body was reached… but not exceeded. Using that final thread between salvation and damnation, the molded man fought through the overwhelming coldness that threatened to consume him whole, instead of merely succumbing to it.
Accepting Chris' help, the lone father barely managed to match the captain's brisk stride as they struggled to outpace the growing monstrosity of mold behind them. Every nerve ending that was still alive in Ethan's body felt as if on fire from this new challenge, yet the man persevered, nevertheless. Finding yet more strength in his beautiful baby girl that gazed at him with her tiny eyes allowed the father's will to survive to overpower the darkness that lurked at the edges of his sight.
Still, it took every ounce of energy he had left to not collapse before reaching the B.S.A.A. helicopter… and the waiting arms of… Mia!?
"Ethan! You're alive!"
Too shocked to even speak, all Ethan could do before the darkness finally claimed him was to gently place Rose into Mia's outstretched hands and offer his miraculously alive wife a genuine smile of affection.
Only Chris' strong arms prevented the father from collapsing right then and there, but now, with safety in sight and his family reunited against all odds, Ethan finally allowed his ultimate fate to be placed into somebody else's hands. His job was done… even if his story may yet continue...
"Mia…take care of Rose…"
Four years later…
February 22th, 2025
Saturday, 6:00 a.m.
"Ethan? Wake up, honey…"
"Mhm… five more minutes, love…"
Mia's melodic voice struggled to reach the exhausted father through his slumber. He had worked his ass off yesterday, thanks to his bastard boss declaring an unscheduled overtime in a bid to reach the project's unreasonable deadline.
"I've got a plane in two hours, baby…"
Oh. That's right. Mia was going on one of her work trips again. Two years ago, his dear wife had resumed her career with her old trading company and was frequently absent from his life due to her erratic schedule of international trips of various lengths as the company's representative. While Ethan absolutely loathed having to part with his beloved paramour for such long periods of time, he would've to admit that her paycheck was good… way better than his own joke of a salary. Moreover, Mia had assured him that after a couple more years she would save enough money to retire for good, allowing them to live the rest of their lives in joy and prosperity… just the three of them. Maybe four, if Mia's talk about wanting a boy would take root.
Suddenly, the man's sleepy haze was dispelled as if a gust of wind blew on it, when he felt the familiar outline of Mia's slender fingers pulling down his boxers and starting to play with something down his waist.
"Mhmm... Mia..."
"Don't you wanna say a proper goodbye to your hard-working wife, mister?"
Ethan did want to do that. Waving off the rest of his exhaustion and not caring about the fact that it was 6:00 a.m., Ethan opened his heavy eyelids to gaze at the love of his life. Mia Winters, clad in just her undergarments, was as beautiful as ever, with her long, wavy hair; smooth, glistering skin and mischievous eyes. Seeing these gorgeous brown orbs of hers lowering down as her pleasantly warm mouth engulfed his hard member forced the man to slam his head back on his soft pillow as waves of pleasure started to radiate throughout his tired yet sensitive body.
Perhaps as a way to say sorry for her long absences, Mia always performed a truly amazing fellatio before leaving the man's bed unbearably cold and lonely for weeks to come.
"Ah! Mia…"
Panting from an incredible orgasm, Ethan was quick to return the favor, by swiftly pulling her panties down and assaulting her waiting and eager cunt with his own mouth. Knowing full well that they had little time for foreplay, the man's skilled tongue immediately set to work on her most sensitive parts, forcing Mia to bite her lip, lest she'd let out a scream that would wake their little Rose.
"Oh, baby… yes… yes!"
With her juices spilling freely, Mia's last heated 'yes' was quite loud, making both parents quiet down in an effort to mask their activity at this ungodly hour from their beloved daughter.
"I love you so much, baby…"
Lying next to each other now, Mia gazed into Ethan's eyes with undiluted affection.
"Not as much as I love you, honey."
Whispering his own words of affection, the man proceeded to gently caress Mia's soft cheek with his three-fingered hand, while the woman let out a light scoff, before giggling and making a peculiar quip.
"That's not fair of you to say, considering I was never given a chance to save you from murderous cannibals or a deranged priestess…"
Ethan's good mood immediately evaporated, as it always did whenever she would mention these horrible events. For some reason, the husband found it extremely grating on his nerves that Mia was able to recall these harrowing memories with such an air of nonchalance. As if she was not even bothered by the fact that all this crazy shit had happened to them.
Letting out another giggle at seeing his now-grumpy expression, Mia simply pecked his cheek with a kiss, before once again raising his mood.
"I need to take a shower before my flight… care to join me?"
You bet I do.
After fucking twice in the shower and bidding his dear wife a heartfelt farewell, the man returned to his bed, eager to catch an extra hour or two of sleep. Thankfully, it was Saturday, so he could get a proper rest and the whole two days without seeing his disgusting boss's filthy mug.
Therefore, when he finally woke up again, Ethan was not too disappointed to see his watch proudly proclaim the current time as 12:00 p.m.
Smacking his lips, the father proceeded to get up from his comfy, king-sized bed - only to leisurely stroll towards their large and well-decorated bedroom's balcony. Gazing out into the breathtaking vista, Ethan felt like he would never get tired of this majestic sight that was now open to him.
The simple but eye-pleasing architecture of the neighboring houses; the gilded, sun-soaked beaches in the distance and the all-encompassing, crystal clear and enchanting azure waters - stretching as far as an eye could see - only to eventually merge with cloudless blue sky.
After the seemingly perpetual gloom of their Romanian house, the Winters family was moved to London by their B.S.A.A. protectors - exchanging one bleak view for another. It didn't last too unbearably long, however. Almost as if a happy coincidence, the B.S.A.A.'s protective custody was deemed unnecessary soon after Mia reached out to her old trading company, and the family was free to move to this awe-inspiring city of Valencia, far away from the doom and gloom of their past lives. Using Mia's impressive savings, as well her reinstated salary, the family was able to settle in one of the nicer neighborhoods, buying a delightful two-storey house - just for the three of them.
By all accounts, the Winters family had come a long way from barely clinging to survival and fighting against implacable foes. Life was finally good, with them wanting for nothing and the prospects looking even better than their already sunny present. Despite all that however, while Ethan would love nothing more than to say that all the horror was firmly left behind in the past, he would not be entirely truthful if he did that.
The nightmares still haunted the father, often making him wake up - covered in a sheen of sweat as he recalled the horrible abominations chasing after him. Moreover, despite his right hand fully healing and returning to its soft human shape after a month of intrusive treatment, Ethan would still occasionally glance at it, only for his appendage to flash as that pale and cracking imitation that was forever ingrained onto his mind. Blinking his eyes, Ethan would then proceed to see his hand as healthy and rejuvenated… but the unease would stay with him for hours to come. The painful reminders of his...less than human nature were unrelenting, driving a spike of existential anxiety through the father's regenerated heart.
Ethan knew well that it was only thanks to Chris' compassionate nature he was not being dissected in a lab somewhere. Still, sometimes, Ethan could not shake the notion that he was living on borrowed time, that it was just a question of when, not if - some dark suits in sunglasses would come knocking on his door.
But then, he would lose himself once again in the boundless love his growing daughter and caring wife shared with him, and all the existential despair and anxiety would leave him be… for a while. He loved them both so much, Ethan was more than sure that he would've sacrificed his life twice over, if it meant protecting them.
Glancing at a night table where he knew his heavily-modified LEMI pistol was keeping its silent vigil, Ethan mentally reaffirmed his unvoiced promise that he would keep his family safe, no matter what.
Finally, even beyond his crippling uncertainties about the future… there was something… someone from the past Ethan simply could not forget. A certain redheaded bloodsucker, the man had spent twenty minutes with. Despite the trivially brief acquaintance, the intensity of that encounter was unforgettable. As if they had met yesterday, Ethan could still vividly picture her grinning face - those inviting lips and depthless amber orbs, so full of passionate emotions. Not to mention that last thing she spoke to him, before heading off to confront her monstrous mother to receive a punishment she incurred for his sake.
Save Rose, get out of here and live your life to the fullest - for both of us!
How could a monster express such a sentiment? No… whatever Daniela Dimitrescu was, she was not a mere monster. Not to Ethan.
Somehow, whenever Mia would temporarily fade from his life, such thoughts about Daniela would resurface in Ethan's mind - filling his head with uncertain questions, to which he did not want to know the answers… yet could not help thinking of them, anyway. Today was not an exception.
But more than merely recalling that truly unique woman, Ethan would often find himself musing about her unenviable predicament… as well as her ultimate fate. Sometimes, Ethan would rack his brain for ideas about how he could've helped her… but always come with a blank. As much as he appreciated Chris for his compassion and humanity, Ethan could not trust the captain to not perceive the redhead as just another B.O.W. that needed swift extermination. Naturally, the rest of the B.S.A.A. was even less trustworthy in that particular regard.
One time, on a nightmare-filled and Mia-less night, Ethan considered a particularly brazen idea of arming himself to the teeth and returning to their accursed castle himself - and then winning her freedom with blood and lead. And while the man was not lacking in bravery to embark on such a foolhardy errand, more than one issue was quick to rear its ugly head during the brief planning stage. Firstly, about a thousand things could go horribly wrong at any point of such an endeavour. Secondly - and even more importantly - Ethan was a husband and a father… his own life was not his to gamble.
Ultimately, there was simply nothing Ethan could do for that erratic woman… Nothing but keep his mouth shut about the fact of her existence. To share that magical moment with nobody - not the authorities, for the obvious fact of their desire to exterminate her and her monstrous family. Not his new friends or colleagues, for fear of being made a laughing stock. Not even Mia - his own wife… for she would not understand what exactly had transpired between them…
Perhaps… one day he would confide in Rose about that one person who had helped them all so much… one day.
A tender knock at his bedroom's door interrupted his grim reverie and the meek voice that soon followed filled the father's regrown heart with nothing but adoration and love for his progeny.
"Daddy… are you still sleeping?"
Feeling his lips morphing into a loving smile that only a proud father could possess, Ethan briefly reaffirmed the present state of his boxers being where they belonged, before opening the door and beholding his precious angel.
Now 4 years and 6 month old, Rosemary has grown to be a beautiful and, uncharacteristically for that age, calm child. Thankfully, due to her tender age back then, the girl had no memories about the horrific events she had gone through. No ghosts of the past haunted her and every medical examination Mia would take her to revealed her as nothing but a healthy young girl. Defying Ethan's worst fears, it appeared that his baby daughter was free to grow up as a happy and normal girl. And he couldn't be any happier for that.
Giving his angel a warm smile, Ethan gently placed his hands around the girl's tiny body.
"Hey, honey… seems like your old man slept in today, huh?"
Bursting into happy giggling as soon as her father swept her up, Rose affectionately coiled her tiny arms around his neck in return.
"You must be starving…" noted Ethan, while tenderly caressing his baby girl's back. She was quick to refute the notion, however.
"Miss Laura made a tasty omel… a tasty egg-meal for me!"
"It's omelette, honey. And Laura is here, already?" A tender kiss on her forehead followed the question, making Rosie smile up at her kind dad.
"Ome-lette," repeated the girl, ever quick and eager to absorb new information, "uh-huh."
Satisfied with the knowledge that he didn't fail his fatherly duties too miserably due to presence of their trusted nanny - likely called in by Mia in advance, Ethan placed his precious angel back on the solid floor, before gently ruffling her blonde locks - eliciting another pleased giggle from the girl. Suddenly, as if recalling something unpleasant, the girl's happy smile morphed into an uneasy frown - which immediately found reflection in the father's own visage.
"Something wrong, honey?"
"Roxy ran away again…"
Hearing that, Ethan could not suppress the desire to click his tongue in mild annoyance. Roxy was their family's dog, which they had bought soon after settling in Valencia. An energetic but normally well-mannered beagle, the now three year-old beloved pet brought no shortage of joy to the family… as well as hassle - with her tendency to occasionally chase unfamiliar scents around - sometimes getting into minor trouble with the neighbors and strangers alike.
"I'll go find her right away, sweet-pea. Let me just get dressed, unless you want your daddy to run around the city in just his boxers, huh?"
Rose giggled again at the peculiar imagery, before nodding and vacating the bedroom.
While a welcome change from being chased around by flesh-eating monsters, family life presented no short amount of its own unexpected pitfalls. Still, Ethan would always navigate through them with an enviable amount of gusto, something that only a person who had once almost lost it all, could possess. Today will not be an exception, and the father swiftly got through his morning routine. Done with that, putting on a pair of simple jeans, a navy blue shirt and a couple of sneakers on, the man was ready to embark on his next journey - to discover their missing pet… for the eleventh time.
Getting down the stairs and exchanging amicable greetings with Laura - a sweet 16-year old neighborhood girl with long ebony locks and a sunny disposition - Ethan was soon out of the house.
Their particular high-income neighborhood - providing stark contrast to the otherwise densely-populated city with tightly-packed buildings - consisted of several orderly rows of well-maintained and evenly-spaced houses; not unlike a street in an American heartland, if a bit more modern-looking and region-appropriate.
"Roxy! Come here, girl!" Eliciting no response, Ethan proceeded to blow into an ultrasonic whistle - only to be met with deathly silence, though several passer-bys did gaze at him with a measure of annoyance - likely evoked by his use of his native tongue.
Ignoring his stuck-up neighbors, the man continued his search by walking around the nearby houses, occasionally blowing into the whistle or letting out a loud call. After a couple of minutes of fruitless activity, Ethan was finally rewarded for his efforts by a happy bark the next time he used the whistle. To the man's frustration, however, the bark came from the house at the very edge of the neighborhood - the one Ethan knew to be fully furnished but not yet occupied.
Clicking his tongue, the man proceeded to gaze at the bleak, undecorated house and its open, yet not exactly inviting, entrance.
"Roxy! Come out, girl! I got some nice snacks for you here!" That was a lie, of course, but Ethan was sure not looking to enter some strange, seemingly unoccupied house uninvited, yet again. God knows it didn't end particularly well the last several times the man had done that.
"..."
Is it trespassing if the property in question is not yet settled?
Letting out a resigned sigh, the man carefully glanced around and seeing no witnesses to his potentially unlawful act, cautiously entered the foreboding house.
The first thing that drew his attention was a couple of large wooden crates, placed right in the entrance room - which implied that someone had recently moved in, making the man gulp in anxiety. Ethan's previous experiences in life that included invasion of private property quickly came to the forefront of his frantic mind, causing his trembling fingers to suddenly miss the comforting weight of his LEMI firearm.
Despite undergoing lengthy and regular therapy sessions, the father had been quick to realize that no amount of quality time with a shrink would fully erase the horrors of his past. And now, that realization was completely justified as the heavily-traumatized man was confronted with a scenario that was so painfully alike to his experience in Dulvey.
"Roxy… where are you, girl..?" Ethan's voice was but a whisper, as the unnerved father frantically glanced around the seemingly-empty house. Gaining a bit more courage by trying to rationally remind himself that his blood-soaked past was over and done with, and that whoever owned this dwelling was, in all likelihood, a perfectly sane and perhaps even pleasant individual, the father tried again - in his less than fluent Spanish.
"¿Alguien en casa? Estoy buscando a mi perro..."
"..."
Cursing under his breath, Ethan briefly considered a tactical retreat.
Perhaps I'll just go to the nearest pet shop instead. Could just buy another beagle. Maybe Rosie won't even be able to tell the difference…
Funny thing about the human psyche - while some people would reasonably conclude that Ethan would be completely fearless after everything he had gone through, the sad truth was more prosaic. Ethan was fucking terrified of repeating his past experience. And now that his senses were confronted by sights that were reminiscent of so many traumatic memories, his damaged mind was quick to conjure the rest. Jack was surely hiding behind the door to the living room - spade at the ready to bash his brains out. A Lycan was no doubt getting ready to leap at him from the wardrobe to his left - eager to chomp the rest of Ethan's fingers. With certainty, Cassandra was waiting down in the basement - preparing to drain the father of every last drop of blood.
What kind of a father I am if I am too fucking scared to look for my kid's goddamn dog?
Nervously licking his lips, it was with no short amount of mental effort that Ethan was able to dispel the phantoms of the past and make the first step inside the house. No monstrosity was there to imperil him for his act of bravery, emboldening him further.
"Roxy..?"
Almost at the kitchen, the sudden noise of a creaky floorboard made him jerk in a motion to bolt back to the exit, before the man realized that it was his own foot that was responsible for the noise.
"Jesus… I am really fucking jumpy, aren't I? Probably nobody here but some old and deaf grandma, eager for a peaceful retirement…"
Entering the kitchen with cautious steps, Ethan's nostrils were immediately struck by a mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked casserole, to which his eyes were soon glued, as well. The delicious-seeming, pasta and ground meat-based dish swiftly reminded the father about the fact that he had last eaten around 18 hours ago. Still, ignoring his suddenly rumbling stomach, Ethan had to consider the fact that casseroles were not known to bake themselves. Someone was definitely here. Moreover, judging by the hot smoke coming from the dish, as well as the fact that the oven itself was warm to the touch, that someone had prepared the meal mere minutes ago.
"Hello..? Buenos dias?
"..."
Now thoroughly unnerved, Ethan slowly started backing towards the entrance room, while acutely aware of how sweaty his palms had become. What if the owner of this house was a homicidal psychopath who was now lying in ambush? Or a deranged cannibal, salivating at the prospect of a free meal? Worse yet, a perverted sexual maniac, soon to enact unspeakable depravities upon him?
Overwhelmed by many faces of his potential grisly demise, Ethan took several more steps backwards, only to bump into something solid, causing the breath to be caught in his throat and the rest of his frame ceasing all motion. It could not be the wall, since Ethan was pretty sure that the doorframe leading out of the kitchen was right behind him, moreover the object was a bit more pliable than a wall would be…a bit softish even… almost... like a person…
Before Ethan could amass enough courage to turn around and confront whatever or whoever it is he bumped into, an eerily familiar, chirpy voice shattered both the deafening silence the house was engulfed in, as well as the remnants of Ethan's own sanity and composure.
"Well, hello there, neighbor! Fancy meeting you here!"
Author's Note:
Well, no magical daggers to bail Ethan out this time, but I do hope the notion of him surviving by the skin of his teeth due to an hour of respite in Castle Dimitrescu was not too anti-climatic. I've left the fates of other village lords intentionally vague, as not only they won't make an appearance here, but I also did not want to repeat an Act of Kindness too much; still, I did not want to have them killed outright.
While writing this chapter, I've actually researched the subject of Mia's and Ethan's relationship quite a bit, and came to a startling revelation - Ethan Winters had no fucking idea about Mia's true identity throughout ALL of their relationship - up until his death at the end of Village. Mia did not send the message that warned him to stay away and confessing that she lied, at the start of the RE:7. Past RE:7, Mia convinced B.S.A.A. to keep her identity a secret from Ethan - likely some kind of plea deal where she would feed them inside information, in return. So, yeah, while in my Act of Kindness story Mia did step forward and revealed a 'part' of her past, here she will keep her job for the Connections a complete secret, with Ethan none-the-wiser.
Also, I hope my depiction of Ethan's PTSD was somewhat believable. Even after four years of therapy and peaceful live, he still suffers from it, especially when confronted with certain stimuli... Finally, while Mia's and Ethan's relationship now appears almost idyllic, there are more than a few cracks in it, which will be apparent soon enough...
Hope you've enjoyed this world-building chapter and are excited for the things to come next! Have a great weekend! :)