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.
"Today is your birthday, I brought you flowers; your favorite ones. I hope you like it. I'm sorry I couldn't come last year, but things are not easy for me lately… But I promised to myself I wouldn't miss this year. I know you loved your birthdays and how much you hated when we didn't celebrate it "properly"."
There Chris Redfield was, standing before the gravestone of his ex-wife, Laureen Campbell.
What if he could go back in time knowing what was going to happen; would he be capable to change their fates?
If he could go back in time, could he be capable to change that woman buried under that big decorated gravestone?
If he could go back in time, could he save her from herself?
If he could go back in time, could he have his son back?
If he could go back in time, could he have his life back?
If he could go back in time, could he have his dreams back?
His peace of mind back?
If he could go back in time, he wouldn't be the man he is now. He wouldn't have what he has now. Nothing would be the same. Probably he wouldn't be so corrupted…
Flashback
He walked through the corridor, following the woman ahead of him to the yard. He heard some people screaming, others talking to themselves, others just lost in their own misery completely in silence. There was no different scenario from the final years living with Laureen Campbell; the girl from the tech department of the BSAA.
As he approached the bandstand, he noticed her playing with her hands and singing a lullaby
Our memories
Well, they can be inviting
But some are altogether
Mighty frightening
As we die, both you and I
With my head in my hands
I sit and cry
It's all ending
I gotta stop pretending who we are
I know you're good
I know you're good
I know you're real good
Oh, la la la la la la, la la la la la la
Don't, don't, uh-huh hush, hush darlin'
Hush, hush darlin' hush, hush
Don't tell me tell me 'cause it hurts
Laureen smiled at him when she noticed his presence. Nothing had really changed besides his lighter gaze. There had been a long time since she had last him look like that.
"Thank you for coming Mr. Redfield." She spoke with a friendly tone
Chris only nodded. A moment of a long silence.
She giggled, "I had a full script, but now is completely blank in my head."
"It's okay. Take your time."
Another long silence. Breaking the ice with someone you used to know would always be a challenge. Something so distant from the cocktail times or the casual meets at the BSAA corridors.
Chris observed the woman looking distantly in complete silence. So different from the girl he used to know. The girl that always had something to say and had a great power of persuasion. It was weird to face that mute Laureen that kept playing with something in her hands.
"Is the divorce out already?" she asked looking at the object in her hands
"Yes."
She bit her lips, "So that means you're free to marry again…"
Chris skipped the subject that would lead to Evana, he didn't want to trigger her jealousy, "I read your letter…"
"You did?" she looked at him
He nodded in confirmation
"So why are you here? All I had to say was in that letter."
"Your family insisted that you wanted to talk to me and since I had to give them the check… I decided to check on you."
"Is that so? People insist and you cede? Didn't know that side of yours…"
"So did they lie? You don't want to talk to me?"
"No they didn't lie. I said I wanted to see you one last time, but I didn't think they would take it for real."
Chris gave a shrug
"So, what check was that?"
"The sold house."
"The one we lived?"
He nodded
"Did they ask you for that money?" she said demonstrating surprise
"No. I voluntarily gave it to them."
"But I said I didn't want anything from you! I was clear I abdicated of my part!"
"It was my decision to give it to them. I'm sure they need more than me."
Laureen let out a deep sigh after a giggle, "You're good…" she whispered
Chris frowned after trying to understand what she had said
"Thank you for caring…" she turned to him with a sweet smile
Their gazes met; somehow, the bandstand seemed to simulate the balcony they talked closer for the first time and when back in the days Laureen used to demonstrate sweetness and innocence.
Chris cleared his throat looking to the side. Laureen giggled.
"It's funny the two of us being complete strangers now… and it was all my fault…" she spoke looking down. Her eyes started getting teary
"I killed Noah." She covered her face breaking in tears
"No you didn't, it was an accident."
"I killed him because I ran after you and fell off the stairs… If I hadn't been so impulsive he could still be here! So… I'm sorry for blaming you for so long for my own mistakes! No one has ever loved me as honestly and kindly as you… if you ever loved me… But I destroyed everything!"
He looked back at her with a compassionate gaze, "It was not all your fault…"
"But I was the one who made the biggest mistakes…"
"It's past… It's pointless torturing yourself because of something that cannot be changed."
"I live in the past because it's the only place I can find you anymore. My memory loves you; it asks about you all the time, but I can't have you anymore. Maybe I never did have you, but I loved you so much that it got sick. My love for you got sick and I lost you without ever knowing if you could love me… just a bit… but the sickness destroyed any chance I could have to prove that I did really love you above material things."
"You did prove that."
"Did I? I still lost you… you love that woman that is surely less complicated than me, right? She's giving you the dream I dreamt for both of us… she's giving you everything I lost because of my own mistakes and that's why I got so mad!... I'm so sorry for that!"
"I know. I read the letter."
"But nothing has changed!"
"It's changed."
"In what?"
"I'm here… Standing before you, talking to you after everything we have been through… We lived 8 fucking intense years together! And my silence and stubbornness destroyed us too… I gave you reasons to doubt me, to feel insecure, to get mad." He spoke staring deeply in her eyes, "To not feeling loved." He whispered
Laureen's lips parted as she had a bewildered expression. Seconds felt like eternity and would be forever in her mind of Her Chris. He was back in those seconds their gazes belonged to each other.
"You kept the letter..." She whispered. Her body trembled. Her emotions in a vortex that kept her paralyzed. Unable to reply.
"Things don't have to be so complicated Laure… It was 8 years and not 8 days. I would like to thank you for your company, for everything you taught me and for what we learned and discovered together. Because if I'm sure of one thing, is that you made me a better person. Thanks to you, I started to discover myself and connect with myself differently. And this is invaluable. Maybe I never said all this...There are things I've never told you. So many that I could not even translate them into words. Feelings, lovely things, affection and nostalgia, that everything that we feel inside... and now I'll say everything that I never told you, but that you probably knew and respected… or expected."
The brunette continued motionless. Only her emotions and his words were working. She squeezed her hand as long as she heard his unspoken words and that she had craved for so long. Oh how she wished she could go back in time and fix things. Make better choices… But she didn't have that time anymore.
"There's only one thing I need to know…"
"There is…" he nodded in agreement as if he could read her mind
She parted her lips hesitantly before getting courage to speak, "Did you ever love me?
Chris held his breath. The time seemed to stop for them in those long seconds before words would come out. Before the truth would be out, but a truth that wouldn't change what had been done. He gave a single nod "Yes, I did love you. In my own weird way, but I did."
She closed her eyes biting her lips, fighting in vain the tears coring down her face. She could feel his sincerity. The pain of the truth and the realization that she lost. A truth that wouldn't bring the past back, but could definitely build a new future. A future that wouldn't belong to them together. A cycle that had finally come to its conclusion.
"I was crooked… But all I did was for love." She held herself in attempt to comfort herself as a broken little girl
It hurt in him seeing her like that and something in him changed after finally opening up his heart to that woman. Helplessly, he took her in a long embrace as she cried out in his chest, holding him tightly.
"I'm so sorry Laure… You were right about so many things... I just can't stop caring."
Laureen looked up and he wiped her face, gently with his thumbs. There was still caring between them. There was still connection. She released her arms from around his waist and cupped his face in her delicate hands, "You still care…" she whispered
He nodded taking her grip noticing she was wearing her wedding band on his left finger and his wedding band on her thumb, finally realizing what was the object she was playing with earlier.
"That's all I have of you now…" she spoke in tears
"I will always care…somehow…" he whispered
A sad smile escaped her lips. The time once again started rolling in slow motion. She stood on the tips of her toes cupping his face once again. Her lips met his. The time froze. Forbidden Love.
They opened their eyes. The fresh cold from the release of their warm lips.
"Can you hear the song?" she spoke smiling beautifully
"What song?" he asked intrigued. Noticing his sweet Laureen fading.
"The song that played in the cocktail… our favorite song." She spoke finally starting to look distant
The compassion once again took over him seeing her like that.
"Chris, you are a great man, but there's someone waiting for you at home..."
He took a deep breath in agreement and to recollect himself.
"I just wanted to say goodbye. Many things have happened and it is so difficult to continue… I do not know if you will forgive me. I'm sorry for not had told you what I feel before, but I could not see your beautiful jade eyes and be well again after this goodbye."
That was the last time he would ever see Laureen, his sweet Laureen. Some tears cored down on his face, admitting and facing the raw past was the last thing he had to solve about their own twisted story.
End of Flashback
"Five years have passed since you're gone and I still keep your letter to always remind me of not making the same mistakes again… they cost lives… so many things have happened. So much shit too! Today I visited so many graves your memory was too vivid for me to ignore. I hope you and Noah are in a better place… I hope everyone I lost are in a better place… Happy birthday Laureen."
Chris put the bunch of flowers on the grave and left the cemetery driving back home.
(**)
He parked his car in the garage of the lavender house. He entered the house and couldn't help the large smile on his face when he saw his daughter Charlotte rushing to him to welcome him happily with a hug after he spent a few weeks off home due to work.
"Hello Kyan." He greeted the little boy who was watching TV with his daughter
"Welcome back uncle Chris." The boy replied friendly
Chris nodded in acceptance with a smile and turned to his girl in his arms, "Where's mommy?"
"In the bedroom. She said she was tired."
The man entered the bedroom and was welcomed by the very pregnant Evana with a long and passionate kiss.
"Welcome home my love." She spoke with a large smile
"It's great to be back! How are you and my babies?" he smiled back caressing her belly
"Demanding from my back, but we are all fine."
"I'm glad I'm back before your due."
"Yeah, me too."
"Now I'm going to take a shower. I paid a visit to the cemetery before coming home." He said removing his clothes
"Oh… I see. Would you like something to eat?"
"Sure, anything that won't demand too much from you."
Evana smiled with a nod giving him another kiss before leaving the bedroom carrying his dirty clothes to wash. Chris didn't take too long in his shower and then joined Evana, Charlotte and Kyan in the dining table.
The End
Thank you Xaori, HerpDerp, silver scropion, DerrickValore and Likarian
We have finally come to the end. It was a journey that started on Oct 28, 2016. It was nearly 8 months with your constant company and support. I wouldn't be capable to do it without you guys! I'm grateful for everything that has happened, including the blocks haha. I'm even more grateful for the friends I made because of this story, this is surreal sometimes! It's funny how people get into our lives and connect with us in so different levels. I'm happy that I got friends!
I'm really going to miss my power couple Chris and Eva. I never imagined that she would become this loved character and I'm happy that I could write her story alongside so many other characters. I gave my best in every chapter. I cried, I laughed, I cursed my blocks, I felt the love.
I confess that I feared her acceptance and I was surprised with your caring words to her. I'm sure you guys made her life better with all the support that she didn't receive in so many years of her life.
And Chris? Well, I hope I gave him some happiness among all the mess that Capcom gives to him xD Actually I hope I gave some happiness to Capcom's characters a little bit hahaha (Damn, I can't spoil Vendetta xD)
Chris and Eva were the protagonists and it's fair that the story ends with them, almost like in the way everything started in the first chapter.
They have been through a lot and I'm sure a lot is happening in their lives. The end is never the end in life, but what I had to tell about them I did. In their name, I thank all the reviews and comments you gave :D
Damn...I'm so holding my tears right now T_T I so hate goodbyes!
I was supposed to retire after this fic (and the sailor moon I kept in hold due to another huge block), but I'm not sure if I'm capable to do that. I might not write long sagas like these ones, but I do have plans to write some minor stories. Maybe or maybe not related to Forbidden timeline xD But let's see. Stay tuned!
Once again in my name and in name of all the characters, THANK YOU Everybody!
I wish you all the best!
Oh and once again, Stay Tuned! xD
Merch out...
PS: THE SEQUEL IS CALLED SECRETS WITHIN