Chapter 6-3 Mia Winters

"Alice! Alice come on, pick up!" Redfield demanded as he kept calling for her over his earpiece. Him and Mia were halfway through the tunnel to get out of the Village, but Alice was left behind because the entrance to the caves had closed up. Even though Alice wanted them to continue, Chris was determined to reach her and make sure she was safe.

"Forget it Chris," Mia tried to persuade him. "Once she's made up her mind, she won't change it." She spoke with experience.

"We can't just leave her. I never leave any of my soldiers behind if I can-"

"She would want us to keep going!" Mia interrupted him. "You heard her, she can handle herself." The breaking in her voice proved that even she was having doubts, but at the same time even if they could go back, they wouldn't be able to open the door from their side anyways. Chris knew this as well, and since he needed to complete his mission, the Alpha had to get Mia and the samples to basecamp. As much as Redfield didn't want to, he would have to leave Alice to fend for herself. Howls kept crying out within the caves, meaning that they weren't alone. They needed to move.

"Come on, it's still a long way!" Chris ordered, marching forward with Mia following behind him. The path was narrowed and only went in one direction. The walls were jagged with rough edging, and it was pitch black. Thankfully, Chris had night vision goggles that he could see. Not too far ahead, but better than nothing. He also gave Mia a flashlight so she could use it to make sure she stayed close to her escort.

"Since we have time alone, can you explain to me what happened while I was gone? I think I'm owed an explanation." Mia questioned, as she followed Chris.

"It's a lot to explain. To give the basic rundown, the woman that captured you, Miranda, took your place in the house you and your family lived in. Disguise herself as you, apparently that's one of her powers." Chris began.

"Did she hurt Ethan or Rose?!" Mia asked in worry.

"No, not that we knew of." Chris answered. "Last night, we infiltrated the house and took down the transformed Miranda. We blasted her while trying not to get Ethan. But it turns out we didn't kill her." Chris admitted. "We forcefully took Ethan and Rose and tried to move them to a safe house. I didn't tell Ethan because I believe Miranda could have infected him."

Mia's eyes went wide as she heard that tidbit, biting her lip as if she wanted to speak but held her tongue. "So… how did they end up here?"
"Miranda managed to fake being a corpse, and came back. I'm not sure what happened but the vehicle they were riding in got attacked."

"Wait, are you saying you put Miranda in the same truck as my husband and daughter?! Are you insane?!"

"Like I said, we thought she was dead." Chris tried to defend himself. His voice lowered then looked back. "But that isn't an excuse either."

"Nor was it an excuse to keep my husband in the dark. Especially after you promised you would be honest with us. You should have told Ethan what was happening, or at least give him some basic information like: That wasn't your wife, Mia has been kidnapped and we're moving you and Rose to a safer location. Three sentences was all it could have taken."

"There wasn't any time." Chris argued. "And I didn't know Miranda would act so-" He was cut off, looking back at Mia as she gave him a stern expression. She didn't even say anything, but the look alone only proved to Chris how much he screwed over everyone. Many people kept reminding him of his failures as of late. "...I should have told him… Looking back, Miranda probably wouldn't even need to infect Ethan since she blended in so well."

Mia lost her sternness as they kept marching along. "I don't even know how long I've been gone… What… day is it?"

Chris turned back to her. "February 9th… but it should be the 10th within the next four hours though."

"Then… that was… I've been here for four days…" She was in disbelief as she came to such a realization. For half a week she had been trapped in that cell to be isolated and experimented on. Meanwhile neither Ethan nor Rose knew that the woman in the house wasn't actually her. Miranda must have been pretty powerful if she could have fooled them so easily.

"Better four days than three years…" Chris muttered as he and Mia kept pressing forward. Mia and him continued in silence for a while. During that time, about four Lycan scouts crawled around from the caves, advancing towards them. They weren't a match for Chris though, with his semi-automatic mostly. Even though he had other weapons, such as bombs and larger guns, he decided that they wouldn't do much given the tight space they were currently occupying. After what felt like a long tread, taking many twists and turns, the pair found themselves exposed to an exit. Chris emerged first, being taken out to a mountain side. When he looked down, he could see the Village not too far from his stance, but it was still a long enough distance to not draw any attention. It was hard to see with it being night now, but at least they were far enough from the area where they wouldn't be in danger. Still, Redfield and Winters had a long way to go.

Mia came out next, then her eyes landed over to the Village below. She awed a bit as she saw how big the area was, mainly being taken up by some of the larger buildings like the castle and even factory. "This is… the Village?"

"What's left of it…" Chris answered. "All of the monsters and freaks that came out of here… it was all part of Miranda's life's work. Part of her experiment with the Megamycete… the mold colony."

"What was she… trying to do?" Mia questioned.

"According to the Doc, bring back her daughter." Mia stared at Chris as he answered that nonchalantly. Even though she had many other questions, she would rather save them and focus on getting as far away from this place as possible to be with her family again. Yet her eyes tried to scan what she could see, attempting to locate a small speck of black within the darkness, which was easier said than done.

"As much as I want to see my family… I can't help but worry about Alice… I know I said she can take care of herself but…" Mia trailed off, finally admitting her worry for her sister-in-law. "Ethan has lost so much already, I don't want him to lose his sister…"

Chris understood, being an older brother as well. If anything happened to his sister, he would never forgive himself. As sympathetic as Chris was, with part of him wanting to head down to get Alice out of the Village, he still had to complete the mission he was assigned by her. They came this far, and no one would be happy if they were held back. "As worried as I am, we can only trust that Alice is on her way. She managed to outmaneuver the Lords and Miranda up to this point. I doubt she'd let that streak be broken now."

Mia held herself, staring down at the small community, trying to envision where Alice was at the moment. Had she managed to get rid of that monster and was opening the mural wall now? Would it even be safe to wait for her? More howls in the night proved to Mia and Chris that staying put would only get them in harm's way. "Come on... Ethan and Rose are worried. At the very least, he'll be relieved to know you're alive." Mia couldn't disagree with that. She looked back at Chris, taking his hand as he and her began to head away from the Village.

"There's still something I don't understand… How did Miranda know about Rose, me and Ethan? I thought our identities were kept a secret here…" Mia questioned.

"I can't tell you that, but we can figure it out later." Chris promised. That was the last conversation they had before they jumped down and began to walk through the cold forest of snow and darkness. Leaving the Village, and Alice, behind them.


With how dark the area was, the camp had to be set up with fluorescent lights in order to get any work done. Even though there were only a few people operating the site, they worked endlessly 24/7. Chris escorted Mia through the thickness of the pitch black woods, guiding her from the forest and towards civilization. Alpha kept his gun at the ready, while making sure to keep Mia close to him. Thankfully, they hadn't encountered any more enemies in their travels, but there were suspenseful and paranoia moments where it seemed someone was watching them. Their feet crunched the snow, which soon turned to dirt as they were nearing the campsite. As they approached the entrance, they were stopped by an old man with dark skin and a patchy beard. "Hold up!" He aimed a gun right at them, keeping his eyes on the two. Mia jumped, instinctively raising her hands up. When they were in the light did he get a better look at the two. The man, Rolando Elba, lowered his weapon. "Alpha…"

"It's me, Umber Eyes." Chris reassured him. "Sorry I didn't contact you beforehand. Had to keep focus while we were traveling the mountain side, especially considering we were lost for a while."

Umber Eyes grinned as he looked at Chris. "You always were the type to see a mission done by your own hands." The playful tone in his voice showed that he knew Redfield enough to have made such assumptions. The man's brown eyes turned over to Mia, raising a brow. "This woman isn't Alice, so I'm assuming she's the other Winters?"

"Yeah, I was leading Mia back here after going in the route Dr. Anastasia told us about." Chris explained.

The bald guy approached Mia, and though he was much taller than her, he didn't appear menacing. "How you doing, Mrs. Winters?"

Mia panted lightly before answering. "Mentally exhausted…" She told him truthfully.

"Well, I know your husband and daughter will be happy to see you in one piece. And you're safe now, in good hands. So you can rest easily." He reassured her kindly. Mia looked up at him, returning that smile he had and gave a nod. Despite them messing things up before, she knew they were more than capable of protecting them from those B.O.W's.

"Speaking of, where are they?" Mia asked.

"Ethan Winters and Rosemary Winters are sleeping in Dr. Anastasia's quarters. She looked over them and is currently waiting for the samples." Rolando explained.

Chris and Mia followed the man through the many tents, walking slowly as they could take their time to catch their breaths. All Mia could think about was seeing Ethan and Rose safe. But she still wondered how Alice was currently fairing. Umber Eyes must have been curious about that as well, as he asked his leader a question. "Say, where is Alice Winters? I'd thought she'd be with you."

"A giant Bio Weapon came in just as she opened the passageway. She decided to lure it away while I escaped with Mia and the samples. We got separated and haven't had any contact since." Chris explained. Mia listened, but remained quiet as she didn't want to interrupt their conversation. "Any word from her?"

"She hasn't contacted any of us, not even the Doc herself. But communication in the Village was always spotty, especially at night." Rolando told him.

"Can you track her on her communicator?" Chris asked.

"I can get Canine on it right away." Rolando offered. Chris nodded, giving him the command. He left, leaving Alpha to continue taking Mia through the site.

"Hopefully if we can track Alice, we can figure out where she is." Chris muttered, which Mia was able to hear. She would have suggested contacting her sister-in-law, but figured it was better they tried to do that as minimum as possible, or else the B.O.W's would find her more easily. Still, with how big that Village is, there might be some hiding places for her. Even if she got trapped there, she could probably hide out until morning.

Chris noticed another man nearby, one wearing a bandana over his head, along with a thick black beard. He had rectangular sunglasses, covering a few eye scars. "Alpha!" The man stood straight up, hands to the side as Redfield approached.

"At ease, Lobo." The leader looked at his subordinate. "Is Dr. Anastasia in her tent?"

"Yeah, she's looking over Rosemary Winters." Lobo explained.

"Is my husband with them?" Mia asked. She saw the man look over at her, and even though the sunglasses were blocking his eyes, she believed he was staring at her in question. With a nod from Chris, did Mia get an answer.

"He got up not too long ago and is helping Canine with some of our equipment. Said he wanted to be of use while he was waiting for any news on his sister." Both Mia and Chris looked at one another, worry written on their faces. Lobo noticed this and raised a brow. "Is something wrong?"

Chris looked back at his team mate and tried to not escalate the situation, especially with nothing but assumptions at the current moment. "We won't know unless we have more information. Where is Ethan and Canine now?"

"At the generator base next to Dr. Anastasia's tent. Said she was having trouble with the equipment and wanted them to take a look. Lot of our generators have been on the fritz lately. But we are using them 24/7, so can't blame the machines."

Chris nodded and headed towards the large tent with Mia in toe. All the female Winters was able to think about was how Ethan would react when they would meet up. She felt he would be disappointed that she survived, mostly with how she had been acting towards Ethan before she was captured. All the yelling, complaining and nagging to him, telling him he didn't understand anything, when she was the one still keeping secrets. She was a horrible wife and a bad mother. And an even worse sister-in-law with how she failed to try and protect Alice.

The two managed to locate the tent, and circle around it as they found two men standing next to a large machine. The one with glasses and a tan to his skin was standing and watching over the blond who was mixing some wires together before placing the panel back onto the unit. He wiped his brow, then looked up. "Alright, try it now, Dion." The one in the glasses nodded, stepping forward and pressing a few buttons before pushing up a lever. Ethan stood up as well as the two watched the screen light up, indicating that it was working.

Dion smiled as he turned to the other. "You were right, that Signal Modulator really does fix the main base. Can't believe we never used these before."

"Well, they can be tricky for first timers. Took me a week before I even got the basics down." Ethan admitted. "I can show you sometime." He offered with a satisfied grin. He seemed cheerful, full of life and optimism where he stood. Despite what happened to him nearly a day ago, he was acting like nothing bad had occurred during that time. To Mia's honesty, she was glad to see Ethan standing strong during such a time, making her belief that he was safe accurate.

"Sure! I think we could use these devices to save us time." Dion agreed, shaking Ethan's hand as if it was a done deal. Chris, needing to interrupt this conversation, coughed to gain their attention. The two men turned and saw the legendary Redfield himself. "Alpha!" Canine greeted.

"Chris… you're back." Ethan looked over at the taller male, who turned his attention to the blond and green eyed Winters.

"Glad to see you're doing better." Chris gave a small smile towards Ethan. He quickly turned back to his team mate. "Umber Eyes is looking for you, Canine. Report to him. I need to talk with Ethan." Dion nodded, excusing himself from Ethan and headed out to find his crew mate. Once he was gone, Chris went back to talking with Winters. "I would have thought you'd be resting after everything you went through."

"Tried to, but my mind wouldn't shut up with all these thoughts." Chris nodded at Ethan's words, emphatic to what he was feeling. Looks like he was still trying to process the events of the last twenty-four hours, so he was trying to keep busy in order to make the time go faster. Most likely to get any information about the progress with his sister. "So, how is Alice do-" Ethan wasn't able to finish his sentence, since his eyes wandered behind Chris and saw the other woman standing there. Mia's brown eyes looked up at Ethan, they were wide and cautious, while staring at the man that she had married almost a decade ago. Ethan fell silent as he stared at her, taking a step forward.

"E-Ethan… I…" Mia tried to speak, but the words would not come out. There was so much she wanted to say, and at the same time she was at a loss for how to say them. Swallowing non-existent bile in her throat, she kept her doe eyes down, afraid to even look at the man she betrayed. "I'm sorry for everything. All the lying, all the yelling… I know you have been suffering just as much as me, and you've done everything to support your family. I've been a terrible wife, and I admit that. But believe me when I say I never wanted you to get hurt in-" Her sentence was cut off as she felt herself being embraced by her husband. His arms were wrapped around her, a tight hug as he kept her against his chest. She was stunned, not sure how to respond.

Ethan did the talking for her. "I thought I lost you again… I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner." He apologized to her. His tone, while low, was displaying sympathy and guilt. It was clear that he blamed himself for not realizing that the Mia he had been with the last few days wasn't the same woman he married. Mia herself was still speechless. Ethan pulled away from the hug but held her arms as their eyes met. "I let Rose get taken because I was careless and let my guard down…"

"Ethan, no." Mia retorted. "None of this was your fault. You didn't know what was going on. I still don't understand this either."

The couple were staring at each other, both blaming themselves for the mess they were founded in. Chris could tell that the stress of the situation was affecting them, he knew that it would come down to this. Redfield approached, interjecting with his own comments. "You two weren't informed about Miranda and the Village because we didn't want you to be involved. Especially with the Mold being connected with the Baker Estate, and the fear that Miranda would have gone after you three. However, the incident happened and we can not change the outcome of events, both in this country, and back in Louisiana. What matters now is we are going to finish this mission and get you out of this location to a safer one." He promised, one he was determined to keep to make up for his failure.

Ethan and Mia looked at him, as the veteran had a stern, but protective appearance. As much as Ethan hated him from before, he would put his faith in Chris and the team. They knew more about this situation than him, and he would rather not be involved unless there was a personal reason. He had enough B.O.W's and freaks for a lifetime. He just wanted to be with his family.

"Redfield!" The three adults turned to look behind Chris, as an older woman with short brown hair, a wooden cane with a nightingale was walking with a stroller. Dr. Anastasia met up with the group, her expression neutral like always.

"Doc…" Chris breathed as he saw the lady come over, Rose in her hold as the baby was cooing and giggling, despite how late it was.

"And here I thought you were still out scouting for some more targets to punch. Considering how much of a brute you tend to be in your combat." She mocked. He didn't respond to that, rather he kept his lips shut. Ethan however, went over to the stroller where his daughter was. Without a second thought, he picked her up in her swaddle and held her in his arms. He smiled down at his healthy daughter, as she cooed upon seeing her father. Ethan then brought her over to Mia, and though the female Winters was hesitant, her eyes softened as Rose was giggling up at her now. She had shaky hands at first, but with the help of Ethan to ease her, Mia was able to swaddle her baby and bounce her lightly in her arms. As she looked into her daughter's eyes, her guilt and shame started to melt and it was replaced with content and hope. Knowing that her child and husband were both alive lifted a huge weight over her head.

"I just finished changing her after she woke up with a stench. You Winters have a habit of finding yourselves in messes, but this child takes the cake, or what else she had eaten recently." Anastasia noted. "I heard commotion outside and figured you were finished with the generator." She told Ethan.
"Y-yeah… all up and running. Thanks for looking after Rose." Ethan told her.

"Well, I do have a soft spot, despite what Redfield and the other Hound members might have informed you." The doctor then turned her attention to Chris himself. "Speaking of, it appears you managed to locate and retrieve Mia Winters as well. Any word on Alice and her mission?"

Upon the mention of the woman, Ethan perked up and looked around. When he didn't see the other Winters, he began to grow worried. His green eyes went over to Chris, as he had to ask. "Where's my sister?"

Redfield bit his lip, looking away for a moment. He didn't speak, and that only made Ethan panic. Mia knew that Chris didn't want to say anything to Ethan, in case he would blame the leader or demand to go find Alice himself. Still, Mia didn't want to lie to him. Not anymore. "We got separated… a giant mutant came in as we were heading through the tunnel. She distracted it while Chris and I went through. By the time she defeated it, the tunnel had closed and she was trying to find another way out of the Village."

"You mean she's still in the Village?!" Ethan questioned, getting worked up.

"She was fine last we contacted her." Chris stated. "She should be heading out now, but needs to get the puzzle settled. We're locating her right now to see how far away she is." Ethan still didn't seem convinced, but as he felt Mia's arm on his, he could see how worried she was as well. He kept his mouth shut, hoping that Alice was at least safe for now. Redfield approached Dr. Anastasia, holding up the case that Alice handed to him before he left with Mia. "She managed to give me the samples of the Megamycete roots and heart before we were separated. They're all here."

The Doctor grabbed hold of the case, opening the lid and checked the contents. She removed one of the vials and looked them over. A smile spread on her salmon colored lips. "At least something good came out of this news. I must admit, I had my doubts about handing such a delicate mission to Alice Winters. But it appears that such thoughts are disproven given how she was able to accomplish something your teammates were not able to comprehend." Chris didn't respond to that, as the scientist put the vial away and closed the case. "Now that we have the samples I required, we can move on to make preparations for phase two."

Ethan stepped forward to the older woman, as he wanted to know what was going to happen. "And what exactly is this phase two?"

"That's classified information only for-"

"Only for the Hound Wolf Squad, yes." Dr. Anastasia interrupted Chris. "However, given that your sister has worked with us and you yourself helped her as well and being involved in this situation, it is only fair we keep you up to date with the current events. I won't bore you with the details, but I will give you the basics." Anastasia walked over to her tent, gesturing for Ethan and the others to follow. Being given no choice, they went over to her shelter and walked through the tarps. Pictures and diagrams were hanging on white boards. A table decorated with papers and equipment, and one especially with monitors and computers. As they entered, Dr. Anastasia was doing a recap of the events.

"As you may be aware, there is a fungal colony underneath the Village where Miranda resigns. We call it the Megamycete, and it's been living under this soil for many centuries. What's more, this colony was used to create bio-weapons by the organization known as 'The Connections'."

"You mean Eveline…" Ethan breathed.

Dr. Anastasia set the case down on her desk with the tubes, microscopes and dishes. "For the most part… I assume Alice informed you about the rest if you know that much?"

"Yeah… Miranda was trying to find a vessel to bring back her daughter." Ethan stated.

Dr. Anastasia kept her eyes on the male Winters, impressed he was able to retain such information. She reached over to a small walkie talkie at the end corner of the table and spoke into it. "Tundra, come to my tent immediately." She ordered, then hung up and turned to Ethan as she spoke again. "Alice's mission was to collect samples from the roots and heart of the Megamycete. With these, I plan to create an antifungal formula that we can use to destroy the colony."

"How long will it take for you to make it?" Chris asked, looking at the doctor.

"I already created some formulas in mind from the beginning, but with the samples I have now, I can put them to use. As long as I obtain the resources and management at my disposal, we should have those anti-weapons either by the end of the month, or the first week of the next month."

"So we'll have to wait before we can move in…" Chris noted with a bit of annoyance.

"Winning a battle takes guts and strength, but to win a war, strategy and patience is key. This is not about preventing the spread of the Megamycete. Miranda's goal was never to infect outside of the Village. In other words, no civilians will get hurt unless they are idiotic enough to stumble upon the area." Dr. Anastasia pointed out. "We have waited three years in order to locate the source of the mold colony. I'm certain we will not die waiting another month just to end it. Unless of course you decide to do yet another foolish act based on trauma."

She yet again was attacking Chris personally, but Redfield remained silent at her words. He looked down at the floor, while Ethan was the one to ask another question. "So… what about us? Mia, Rose and myself?"

Dr. Anastasia looked at the male Winters as he asked his question, then responded. "For now, we will be sending you and your family to live in a safe house until this matter has been settled. You will have to be relieved of work, but I have already contacted your boss to inform that you will be excused for the time being. Do not worry about furniture, foods and other supplies such as entertainment and clothing. It will all be provided by the Hound Wolf squad. I even took the liberty of choosing the house myself and ensuring that your personal belongings are stationed there."

"That… sounds like a lot…" Mia muttered.

"Well, you have suffered quite a bit due to this Mold situation. I will also check in on you via video or calls to monitor how you are adjusting. I refuse to allow the Winters to be accommodated in a shelter that is not up to their standards. I have also made Tundra be your personal body guard to keep me up to date in your location." Anastasia added.

On cue, the flaps of the tent were lifted as the female HWS member came in, wearing her uniform. "Dr. Anastasia." Tundra bowed to the scientist.

"You may escort the Winters to their new estate. Get them settled in and report back to me when you are done."

"Yes Doctor." Tundra agreed, as she went to Ethan and Mia. "We better be going. It's a seventy mile ride to your new house from here."

"That far?" Ethan questioned. Though he understood since the further away from the Village, the safer they would be. Tundra began to escort Ethan out, only for him to turn back to see his wife.

Mia shook her head and handed him Rose. "You go get settled in, I want to ask Dr. Anastasia a few more questions. I'll meet up with you in a few minutes."

"Mrs. Winters…" Tundra seemed like she was about to force Mia to go with them.

"I'll bring her out when she is done." Anastasia reassured the blond. "Get the truck ready."

Tundra still wasn't convinced, until she looked over at Redfield. Chris gave her a nod, signaling her to follow the orders. She escorted Ethan out of the tent as he carried Rose with him. It was only Chris, Anastasia and Mia now.

"I suggest asking me your questions now so you can be with your family." The doctor recommended as she pulled out the mold-filled vials and started to set them in a rack.

Mia turned to look at the older woman, her tongue still in her mouth as she was having trouble trying to even form a thought. Still, she needed to know. "What about Alice?" Mia began. "Will she be staying with us as well?"

"Your sister in law and Ethan's sibling?" Anastasia asked.

"The whole reason she came here was to finally see us. And Ethan will be worried about her if she doesn't come back with us." Mia pointed out. "Alice might be the only other thing to help him get through this…"

The doctor looked over at the woman as she spoke her mind. "Given what the two siblings have been through, it makes sense they would see one another as an emotional support pillar. Rest assured, when Alice reports back here, I will have her be sent to your family. She is a Winter's after all, and the location is a safehouse for said family. Not to mention I am certain she would want a break from B.O.W activity."

Hearing that made Mia smile somewhat. Even if the house might be a bit full, at least they would have someone else they trusted to be with them. And it would be nice to catch up with Alice, even if she may be telling Ethan off for having no contact with her all these years. Well, that would be made up. It was something Mia was actually looking forward to out of this mess they found themselves in.

All of that was lost when Canine came in, adjusting his glasses as he was huffing from shortness of breath. "Alpha! Doc!" He rushed into the tent, going to the members of the squad.

"What is it, Canine?" Chris asked, not liking how he rushed in here.

"I tried locating Alice Winters, as you requested." He began, showing up a small device with a screen.

"Did you get a reading?" Anastasia asked.

"That's the problem… her tracker isn't operational. I can't track her movements now." Canine explained.

"What?!" Chris's voice was of horror and anger as he was given this information.

"What does that mean?!" Mia demanded to know. "Is Alice dead?!"

"Let us not jump to any conclusions." Dr. Anastasia stated. "The tracker is connected to her head set with the communicator. Either it was destroyed or she lost it, that doesn't necessarily mean that she herself is dead."

"But if we can't track her, we won't know if she's inside or outside of the Village." Canine stated.

"And if she doesn't have her headset, we won't be able to talk with her either." Chris added.

Mia was hearing this, and her hope was falling apart by the second. If Ethan finds out about Alice going off the grind, he would only assume the worst and demand to go in and get his sister out. She didn't want either of them to be killed, but she also didn't want her husband to have to leave after they were just reunited. "You need to find her!" Mia demanded.

"Mia-" Chris went over to her, in an attempt to calm her down. What he got was his chest being grabbed at to have her doe eyes stare right into his.

"You listen to me! Ethan has been through enough! I have been through enough! The last thing any of us wants is to lose Alice! You sent her on this mission, you have to be the one to get her out! If anything happens to her, Miranda and the rest of the Village will be the least of your worries!" She grew more upset with each sentence. "I know I kept Ethan in the dark, but you have done just as much damage as me! And if you don't get Alice back… Ethan will never forgive himself!"

Chris didn't even try to pull away, nor did he attempt to defend himself. At this point, he was taking the damage without a fight. Perhaps because he knew he screwed up and it escalated to this level, or maybe he just didn't care. Either way, the leader should bear the responsibilities of the team's failure.

"Mia Winters," Dr. Anastasia walked over to the woman, her expression calm and collected. Yet her voice held sympathy as she kept eye contact with the other female. "I understand your anger, but going about blaming people will not get Alice back." She reached over, pulling the hand away from Chris and got in between them. For once, Anastasia was helping Redfield, which surprised even him. Mia's face softened, as she let the scientist explain. "Alice is more than capable of defending herself. Even if she ends up being alone, she has the survival skills necessary to outmaneuver the Lords and Miranda."

"But you said she was-"

"We will give her another day or two before we panic. There are other routes of entry in and out of the Village, I am certain she can find them. At the very least, if she can escape into the wilderness, she might have a chance. Until then, we need to plan and begin our counter attack on Miranda. That is our main priority. I assure you, if we hear any information about Alice and her whereabouts, we will relay the message to you and Ethan."

Mia stepped back, taking a breath before she felt her eyes looking at the ground. "You need to be with your family. You are going to need to support one another now more than ever." Anastasia urged. "Please… go home. Ethan and Rose need you." She wasn't demanding, it was a suggestion. In the end, the younger brunette knew there was nothing she could do. Ethan and Rose needed her, and she needed them. As worried as she was for Alice, all Mia could do was wait for any news on her sister-in-law and be there for her husband. With a defeated expression, Mia walked over to the exit of the tent. "And one more piece of advice," Anastasia called out looking at Mia. "Be honest with your husband…"

Those words struck Mia to the core, but she understood them on an emotional level as only she knew what the doctor meant. Without saying a word, Mia headed out of the tent and walked through the camp. She kept her focus on locating her family and Tundra. She didn't have to go far, as she saw the woman Hound Squad member in a large black SUV. Ethan was helping to settle Rose into her booster seat, making sure the straps weren't too tight, but wouldn't let her move around. Ethan heard footsteps behind him, turning to see Mia approaching. "I just put Rose in her seat. She's pretty out of it. I wouldn't be surprised if she slept during the ride to our new house." Ethan tried to make light of the situation.

Mia wanted to find the strength in her to speak up, even laugh at such a remark. Yet her brain wouldn't allow her. Ethan noticed she wasn't staring at him, keeping her eyes anywhere but him. He grew worried and took a step towards her. "Hey, did something happen in that tent?" Ethan asked. "Is it Alice? Is she coming back soon?!" He sounded desperate for answers, not that Mia blamed him. She looked up at her husband, seeing how concerned he was. His eyes wavered, and for a moment, Mia wondered if he was going to cry. She wanted to deny she didn't know about Alice's situation. Only for Dr. Anastasia's warning to echo in her mind. Lying to him would only cause more problems, as it had in the past.

"They…" she began, trying to find the right words to speak so as not to make him panic. "They… lost communication with her." She finally admitted. "They can't reach or track her… but they think she will be able to get out of the Village soon enough."

"You mean she's still in there?!" Ethan gasped as he was hearing this.

"We don't for certain…" Mia reassured him. "But… they're limited in what they can do. So, they'll wait a few days and see what they can do. But they promised that if any news about her came up, we would know. For now… we need to settle down." Ethan was speechless. Mia didn't blame him. His sister had not returned, and god knows what was happening to her. There was no way to tell if she was dead or alive, surviving or suffering. The male Winters ran a hand through his hair, the stress was beginning to build up in him once more.

"Hey…" Mia approached, placing a hand on his shoulder. This time, her eyes met his. "What was it you told me? Think positively? I know you're worried about her, so am I. But Alice has been through far worse. She can handle herself, like you have been doing this whole time." Ethan's arms fell to his side, as he listened to her gentle tone. "We've been through a lot, and we're both tired. Let's head to our new place and rest… I know it isn't ideal but after what we've been through… I think we can both use it." She wasn't wrong. And it wasn't as if worrying would do Ethan or Alice any good.

"Hey, we better head out if we plan on getting you to your new place before the sun high." Tundra stated as she opened the door to get into the driver seat. No other words were exchanged as Ethan and Mia opened the doors and got into the vehicle, either parent on one side of Rose. Once they were buckled up, Ethan looked out the window and sighed.

Mia looked over at him, reaching his shoulder. "At least we get one moment to breathe…"

"It's just…Being taken by the BSAA, wandering into the Village, meeting up with Alice, getting attacked and having to get Rose back. It-"

"Happened so fast?" Mia finished for him. The blond nodded slowly, as Mia had sympathetic eyes. "I wish I could say that everything will be fine. But I can't promise that."

Her confession only made Ethan recall what Miranda had said to him before she was gunned down by Chris. How she reassured that everything would be fine… of course she wasn't talking about Ethan's new life, but rather her own daughter's wellbeing. Even though he knew the context, part of him wished that everything would work out. That somehow, it would piece together like it did before. However, there was more comfort to Mia's version. Since it meant he wasn't the only one suffering from all of this. It made the pain a bit easier.

Tundra started the engine, turning the key before the vehicle began to move. Ethan kept his eyes looking out the window, staring at the scenery as he watched the tents passing by. "Please be safe, Alice…" He whispered while praying that his sister would come home.