Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

LOCATION:  ┃Raccoon City Police Department.
DATE:  ┃January 2nd, 1998.
TIME:  ┃5:01:58 PM.

⸺ . ⋆ ⼺☆⼺ ⋆ . ⸺

 It’s the end of Erica’s shift, and she’s currently gathering her things to place inside her purse. She grabs her keys off the surface of her desk, and they clink together as she clutches them in her hand. After sliding the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she starts heading towards the door to leave. She stops herself, pausing the action in favor of stepping towards Wesker’s office. She peers in and notices that he’s focused on something on his computer, and she gently knocks on the doorway. He shifts his attention in her direction, “Yes, Miss Slater?”

 “I’m heading out.” She gives a straight smile, gesturing towards the office door with her thumb, and he studies her. For the past two weeks, the face of this woman has been burned into his mind. He swears that each glance or gesture she expresses he has seen this woman before. From the way she looks at him, to the way her voice sounds, to the way she interacts with him — everything she does reminds him of someone . He can’t understand why he believes he’s seen her and even now, like the many times before, he decides to brush it off and nods before turning back to the screen. “Alright.” 

 The dry response causes her to purses her lips, and she turns to leave out the door. As her heels click and clack down the hallway, she wonders why Wesker always stares at her like that — like he’s trying to figure her out. It bothers her, making her worry if he knows who she is or not. There’s no way he could, but if both he and Chris somehow recognize her could it be possible? 

 Before she can start to entertain her pessimistic notions she steps into the lobby and spots Sherry from across the room, patiently waiting for her. The 11 year old girl is sitting in one of the waiting chairs, kicking her feet as she looks around. Erica is taken aback by this; don’t Sherry’s parents want to meet Erica before they trust her with their daughter? Why did they just drop her off? They mentioned letting her wait at the department after school, but she didn’t think it would be so sudden. This makes her feel a twinge of concern, and she starts walking over. Once the little girl’s eyes land on Erica, she’s quick to stand. Overcome with excitement, she rushes over to the young woman. 

 “Miss Erica!”

 A smile graces Erica’s lips when the girl runs up to her; the child's mannerisms and enthusiasm makes her feel a sense of joy. It’s nice to have someone excited to see you. “Hi, Sherry. How long have you been waiting?” She asks. Sherry doesn’t hesitate with her answer, beaming up at her with a grin. “Just a couple of hours. I didn’t  have any homework so I just drew a little to keep me busy.”

 “ A couple of hours ?” Erica’s eyes widen at the statement. “Have you been here since you got out of school?”

 Sherry quickly realizes what she said and jumps to her parents’ defense, waving her hands dismissively. “Yeah, but don’t worry! Mommy and Daddy said it was okay.”

 Erica frowns. “Okay…” She murmurs, reluctantly disregarding their blatant negligence for now and reminding herself that Sherry’s in her custody now. She’ll get all the attention she needs and rightfully deserves. “Well, come on then. Let’s get going.” 

 The ecstatic girl nods her head, and the two start walking towards the parking garage. Sherry has a skip in her step, something that Erica takes notice of. “How was school today?” She questions, curious to know how the girl’s day went.

 “Oh, it was okay.” Sherry shrugs, silent as they travel through the department and to the dark parking garage below. “How was work?” She asks, her voice echoing through the garage. “ Work . Boring stuff.” Erica jokes.

 Sherry gives Erica a look. “It can’t be as boring as school .” 

 Erica grins, “Trust me. It’s worse .” She says before closing the door behind the girl. She walks over to the driver’s side, opens the door, and gets inside. She closes the door behind herself and places her purse in the backseat behind Sherry. She then puts the key into the ignition and starts the engine. “How do you feel about pizza for supper?”

 Sherry instantly perks up at the mention of pizza. Her parents rarely ever order pizza, so she doesn’t want to pass up the chance of having the combo of bread, tomato sauce, and cheese. She’s eager but also curious as to what kind of pizza her babysitter has in mind. “What kind of pizza?”

 “Well, I was thinking of a pepperoni for you and a meat lovers’ for me. What do you think?” Erica puts her seatbelt on after the question slips past her lips. She glances over at Sherry before advising her to do the same thing. “Seatbelts, please.” She says, and Sherry promptly buckles her seatbelt before she responds about the pizza. “Can I get cheese instead of pepperoni?”

 Erica smiles. “Sure thing.”

 “ Yesss! ” Sherry excitedly remarks as they pull out of the parking garage, causing a laugh to leave Erica’s lips. ‘This babysitting thing should be a piece of cake.’ She thinks to herself.

⋆

LOCATION:  ┃Birkin Residence.
TIME:  ┃10:49:12 PM.

⸺ . ⋆ ⼺☆⼺ ⋆ . ⸺

 Later on that night, Erica is sitting on the couch in the Birkin’s living room. She’s flipping through channels on the television, and she has been for the past two hours after she put Sherry to bed. After they ordered and picked up a couple of pizzas, they returned to the Birkin residence and decided to draw and watch a movie. Sherry passed out around 8:30, and since then Erica’s been all alone — surfing through different channels in hopes she’ll find something to entertain herself with. She considered snooping around the house, but she isn’t entirely sure if there are hidden cameras or not. She doesn’t even know if Umbrella is listening in on the house or not, either, and she doesn’t want to risk exposing herself. So far she hasn’t had the impression that she’s being watched, but she isn’t given enough time to think about it more when the sound of keys being put in through a keyhole removes her from her thoughts. She turns the television off and straightens her clothes as she stands. She quickly steps from around the couch, meeting the face of Annette Birkin as she passes through the front doorway.

 Erica approaches to hold out her hand, “You must be Mrs. Annette Birkin.” 

 Annette glances at her with what looks like confusion before taking her hand into her own and shaking it firmly. She’s been so busy at the labs she almost forgot she hired a babysitter for a second. She nods before letting go of her hand, “Yes, yes, Miss Slater. Is Sherry asleep?” 

 Erica clasps her fingers together once she retracts her hand from the other woman. “Oh, yes, ma’am. She fell asleep over two hours ago.” After hearing this information, Annette nods and waves her hand dismissively. “Thank you. You’re free to go home now. My husband should be inside any moment to pay you.”

 The response causes Erica to start walking over to the kitchen counter to collect her things. It was a short exchange, and she's happy that it was. She likes it short and simple; it makes things less complicated than they have to be. As she’s standing there putting her stuff together, she can hear two people approaching the home’s entrance behind her. Wait, didn’t Annette say only her husband was supposed to be coming? Why does she hear someone else?

 “Miss Slater?”

 Erica feels a rush of anxiety shoot down her spine, and she turns around to see Wesker who’s ogling her with what she can only assume is a look of confusion. It’s hard to tell sometimes.

 ‘What is she doing here?’ Wesker ponders, eyeing the woman in front of him. It’s not as if he doesn’t want her to not be here, but he finds it odd to run into her at this time and place of all things. He never would have thought he would run into one of his S.T.A.R.S. subordinates after work, much less at the Birkins’ residence. What exactly is her reasoning for being here? What does she have to do with William and Annette?

 Erica looks at him in surprise and annoyance; what is he doing here? Shouldn’t he be busy committing crimes against humanity somewhere else? Or is he stalking her now? It’s not like she shouldn’t have expected him to show up here at some point; he and William work together so it would only make sense they would carry their work into after hours, including to William’s own home. She knows she should get used to seeing more of him if she’s going to follow through with her plan, but looking at Wesker at work always leaves a sour taste in her mouth. Even now looking at him has the exact same effect, and Erica gives an awkward smile. “Captain Wesker… hi .”

 “Hello…” He replies. 

 Before he can question what she’s doing there, William steps into the room and closes the front door behind him. His eyes make contact with Erica and he pauses for a second before he holds out a hand for her to shake. 

 “I take it you’re Sherry’s new babysitter?” 

 She promptly shakes his hand, “Yes, sir. I am.” She replies.

 Wesker raises a brow at the exchange. “Babysitter?”

 “Yes, sir.” Erica responds to Wesker as she withdrawals her hand from William. She glances between the two of them and grabs her keys from the counter while sliding her bag’s strap over her shoulder. “Well, I’ll hurry up and get out of your hair.” She walks around them and grips her car keys in the palm of her hand. She’s only a few feet from the door when William addresses her, “Miss Slater, I think you’re forgetting something.” 

 She turns around, confused as to what he might mean. What is she forgetting exactly? She thought she had everything, so what’s missing? Is it something else? Is he on to her? Is this the moment she’s exposed for what she is? 

 Noticing her confusion, William holds up a small wad of cash. “Your payment?”

 “Oh…” Erica walks back over and gently takes it from him, sheepishly smiling as her anxieties quickly fade away as fast as they arrived. “Thank you.” She says, snatching another glimpse at Wesker who’s still staring her down. “You gentlemen have a nice night.” She adds as she looks back at William.

 “You too.” Wesker says, and she exits the front door, closing it behind her.

 As soon as she’s out the door, Wesker turns to William. “What exactly made you hire a babysitter?” 

 William starts inspecting one of the pizza boxes, hoping there’s some leftover pizza. He doesn’t usually eat this stuff, but every once in a while he likes to indulge himself if he’s working late in the labs. He sighs when he realizes his only option is cheese. Damn . Oh well. When he registers what Wesker just asked him, he chuckles a little. “Sherry wouldn’t stop pestering us about her.”

 Wesker is even more dumbfounded now. That didn’t answer much. How did Sherry come to know about Erica? Why was she so intent on having her hired as her babysitter? “How so?” He folds his arms, expecting William to elaborate more.

 “Sherry said Erica saw her walking home from school and offered her a ride. I questioned Sherry why she took a ride from a stranger of all things, and she told me Erica told her she works at the RPD in the S.T.A.R.S. division. I called the front desk to check if she was employed there, and lo and behold she happens to work under you.” William explains, pulling out a plate from the cabinet. “I knew if she was under your authority I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, and she seems nice enough.” He gives Wesker a sly grin as he places the plate onto the counter, “Not a bad looker, either.”

 Wesker listens intently to his colleague’s explanation. So Erica offers Sherry a ride out of the kindness of her heart, and miraculously Sherry takes a liking to her? He’s not exactly surprised; he’s noticed how Erica interacts with everyone at the office. She’s sweet and bubbly, happy to do her duties or help someone else fulfill theirs and more. She’s never like that towards him, but it’s admirable to see her so devoted and obedient. He secretly feels like there’s more to her than that, believing that there’s no way someone can be that kind and generous without a deep secret hanging over their head. Sometimes he catches her watching him — as if she’s observing him or keeping her distance. It’s odd but so far he hasn’t gotten any sign of malice or alternative motives from her. The only strange occurrence is his deja vu, and he starts to wonder if William might feel this sense of deja vu as well. It wouldn’t kill to ask. “Is there anything about her that stands out to you?” He implores, and William turns around just as he finishes putting the pizza in the microwave.

 “You mean her massive — ” He gestures towards his chest, and Wesker deadpans, interrupting William before he can continue. “You know that is not what I mean — ”

 “ Oh …” William lowers his hands. “Sorry.” He clears his throat. “Now that you mention it, she did look like she was afraid for a moment when I offered her payment. It was like she was expecting something else.”

 Wesker sighs, “I’m not talking about that, either, but you do make a good point.” 

 William genuinely does make a good point; he didn’t even meet the young woman until tonight — so why did she appear to be afraid of him? Has she met him before, or at the very least, heard of him? He decides to hold that thought for later, instead deciding to get back to his original point. “Does she look familiar to you?”

 “No, not really. I think I’d remember her if I saw her. She’s pretty hard not to notice, Al.” William takes his pizza out of the microwave, “Why do you ask?”

 “I have a strange sense of deja vu whenever she’s around. It’s as if I’ve seen her before, but I don’t know where or why .” Wesker sighs, “It’s been eating at me…”

“Never thought I’d see Albert Wesker let someone get under his skin.” William snickers, taking a bite out of one of his slices of pizza. ‘ Eh . It’s not fresh, but it’s still good.’ He thinks as he chews.

 “I didn’t say that.” Wesker retorts, and William shakes his head before he offers a suggestion with his mouth still half full. “Have you looked into her background? Maybe see what skeletons are lurking in her closet? I thought you would’ve done that when you hired her.”

 Wesker hums in thought, “Perhaps I should.” 

 “Great.” William says, walking around the counter and towards the staircase. He’s ready to complete these data sheets already so he can go to sleep. “Should we head to my office now?”

 “ By all means .” Wesker nods.

⋆

LOCATION:  ┃Birkin Residence.
DATE:  ┃January 5th, 1998.
TIME:  ┃7:45:29 PM.

⸺ . ⋆ ⼺☆⼺ ⋆ . ⸺

 It’s a calm and quiet evening; citizens are relaxing in their homes, spending time with their families, or even returning home from a long shift at work. A warm fire is burning in the fireplace of the Birkins’ home, heating Erica and Sherry up as the two are making hot chocolate together. The little girl is eagerly waiting for her warm drink, ready to have a sip of chocolatey goodness.  Just as Erica is finished pouring Sherry’s mug of hot milk, however, her stomach growls loudly. The two of them look at each other before they burst out laughing. 

 “Sounds like I need more than some hot cocoa.” Erica jokes, which prompts another giggle from Sherry. Erica finishes Sherry’s drink by ripping open a small pouch and pouring in a powder, mixing it until the drink turns from white to brown. She then adds some marshmallows she picked up at the store earlier before sliding it over to the girl. Once Sherry has her drink, Erica pours her own mug of hot milk and mixes her cocoa mix before she steps towards the refrigerator. She opens it and grabs a container that contains some kind of substance Sherry can’t make out before taking out a small piece and eating it. When Erica closes the container and places it back in the fridge the young girl can’t help but ask a question. 

 “What’s that?”

 Erica doesn’t say anything at first, anxiety traveling from her head to her toes at the question. She ignores it, instead choosing to respond as if the little girl was referring to something else as she reaches for her mug. “It’s hot chocolate, silly.” She mumbles before swallowing. She shudders and takes a sip of hot chocolate to wash it down.

 Sherry makes a face. She knows better than to believe that; Erica absolutely knows what Sherry is talking about. “No, I mean in the container. What is that?” She casually takes a sip from her mug as she waits for Erica to answer.

 The older woman goes silent again, quiet until she speaks something that would hopefully turn Sherry’s interest away. “You wouldn’t like it.”

 Sherry purses her lips. “I didn’t ask that — I asked what it was , silly.”

 Both of them stare at each other after this, waiting for the other to answer. How can Erica explain this without freaking Sherry out? Why did she even pull it out in front of her anyways? She mentally scolds herself, but she reminds herself that a child’s curiosity can’t help it. Plus, it’s either Sherry asks questions or Erica’s hunger becomes a problem. The choice is pretty obvious. Erica clears her throat, sucking in an anxious breath. “Well…it’s a, uh, kind of food that I eat for health reasons.”

 Sherry sips from her mug, curious as to what this type of food is. It looked disgusting, so how could it be healthy for you? “What kind of food is it?”

 Erica swallows nervously. “Well…it’s kind of like a pudding but it’s made from pig’s blood. In some places it’s called Pork Blood Curd or Blood Jelly.” She watches Sherry, apprehensive about this entire conversation. 

 Immediately the girl scrunches her face up in disgust, grossed out by the information she just learned. Blood jelly? That sounds nasty . It makes her feel sick just thinking about it. Is it really made from pig’s blood? If so, why would Erica eat something like that? 

 “Ewww…” She covers her mouth, “That’s gross.” She comments, and it ignites a laugh from Erica. “I think it’s gross, too.” 

 “Well then why do you eat it?” Sherry questions, searching Erica’s eyes. What does Erica say? What is she supposed to say? How does she explain the odd choice of food? She doesn’t want to tell Sherry confidential information about herself and risk the little girl questioning her parents. It’s not like she would intentionally be putting Erica into danger, but when a kid is curious sometimes things will slip out. “I uh…” She draws out, trying to come up with a believable excuse that won’t cause concern. “I have a really rare medical condition. My body has to rely on a different form of protein than everybody else, and this stuff has the protein I need. I can still eat regular food, but from time to time I have to eat this so I don’t feel sick.” The lie is somewhat truthful; she does have a rare medical condition, and she does have to eat certain proteins in order to prevent feeling sick — both of these being “bioweapon” and “flesh and blood” respectively.

 “Oh, okay.” Sherry responds.

 “Yeah, I don’t really like to talk about it.” Erica adds, hoping the statement will deter Sherry from talking about it from anyone else. She feels guilty being so secretive, but she knows if she wants to keep things going smoothly she needs to make sure everything is under wraps. 

 Although Sherry finds the whole thing weird, she doesn’t question what Erica says. She understands when people are uncomfortable, and she also understands when people don’t want to share certain things. “Okay.”

 “Why don’t you find us something to watch, hm?” Erica asks, diverting the conversation elsewhere.

 Sherry forms a straight smile. She’s really glad to have Erica as her babysitter. She’s so awesome — who cares if she eats blood jelly? It’s not that big of a deal. As she turns around to walk over to the couch and grab the remote, Sherry can’t help but think to herself. It’s probably none of her business, but what kind of condition does Erica have exactly that would make her have to eat blood jelly? How long has she had it for? Is it contagious? She probably shouldn’t ask, so maybe she can ask her mom or her dad whenever they get home — they might be able to tell her what it is.

⋆

TIME:  ┃9:55:29 PM.

⸺ . ⋆ ⼺☆⼺ ⋆ . ⸺

 A few hours pass by, and Erica has already gone home for the night. Her parents sent her off and are now getting ready for bed, but not before her dad comes in to tuck her in. Sherry is internally fighting herself, wondering if she should inquire to her dad about what Erica told her. It’s not that important, but in the back of her mind she’s fighting herself to ask. As her dad is tucking her into bed, she musters up the courage to say something and peers up at him. “Hey dad?”

 Pausing from tucking the blankets underneath his daughter, William looks down to his daughter’s expectant face. “ Yes ?” Her eyes are filled with curiosity and intrigue, but her stomach is filled with anticipation and anxiety. ‘Just ask the question, you scaredy cat.’ Sherry mentally tells herself before she opens her mouth to speak. “Is there a condition that makes you have to eat blood?” 

 A puzzled expression spreads across her dad’s face. Did his daughter seriously just ask him that? “What in the world are you talking about?”

 She doesn’t answer her dad right away after this, remembering earlier Erica said she didn’t like talking about her condition. With this in mind, Sherry feels like she should explain her question in a different way or use a different scenario, so she does just that. “Today I overheard one of the other kids on the playground talking about a rare medical condition that makes you eat blood. They said it only happens when your body has to rely on a different protein than everybody else. I wanted to know if it was a real condition or not.” She explains.

 William searches his daughter’s face, unable to place exactly what she might be talking about. If her classmate had mentioned the name of said condition, maybe he’d be able to find an answer for her. “Do you remember what it was called?” He asks.

 She shakes her head. “No, sir.”

 He furrows his brows before he starts to stroke his chin in thought. What kind of condition would require the human body to rely on blood? He’s never heard of much less even imagined such a thing; things like that only occur in fiction, but who is he to say there isn’t a disease like that out there? They’re discovered all the time. “Hm. Surely I would have heard of such a thing. Do you know the name of the student who said this?”

 Sherry, still refusing to implicate Erica, shakes her head again. “No…I don’t have any classes with him.”

 William sighs and rises from Sherry’s bed. “Well, I wish I could tell you, sweetheart, but I don’t know what it is. I’d have to do some research for you when I have the time.” He leans over and kisses her on the forehead. As he does so, a frown forms on her lips. ‘You never have the time…’ She thinks as he pulls away and starts walking towards her door. He places his hand on the lightswitch and turns to take one last glance at her, “Goodnight, Sherry.” He smiles.

 Sherry gives him a straight grin. “Goodnight, dad.”

 William flicks off the light and pulls the door closed behind him, and once he does he pauses. What was Sherry talking about? What child would have that kind of condition? How come he has never heard of such a thing? He isn’t sure, but maybe when he has the chance he can ask Albert if he has any knowledge of such a condition.

⋆

LOCATION:  ┃NEST, beneath Raccoon City.
DATE:  ┃January 7th, 1998.
TIME:  ┃12:08:01 AM.

⸺ . ⋆ ⼺☆⼺ ⋆ . ⸺

 A couple of days later, Wesker is in one of the labs going over some blood samples for the 1,000th time, inspecting each individual one for their reactions. So far he has come up fruitless, leaving him a little agitated. The past few weeks of data have been incredibly lackluster, and this continuation of failed results is taking a toll on his patience. The hiss of the door echoes through the lab when William enters, and Wesker doesn’t acknowledge who it is at first — partly due to wanting to be left alone. William walks over to his colleague, and Wesker continues his task even as William approaches him. ‘What could he possibly want? Doesn’t he have duties elsewhere?’ Wesker asks himself. “Yes?” He inquires to William, keeping his attention on his vials of blood.

 “By any chance have you ever heard of a condition that makes you eat blood?”

 The question takes Wesker aback, and he faces William just to make sure he isn’t losing his mind. Did he hear that right? He’s positive that’s just what came from William’s mouth, and the sincere look on William’s face confirms that he definitely heard that right. Why would William ask him such a thing? Why would anyone in their right mind eat blood? Unless they were a vampire or some kind of fetishit, he can’t think of any reasons someone would willingly participate in something like that. “...You mean vampirism, right?”

 William shakes his head, “No, no, that’s not what I mean.” He clears his throat. “I mean, as in, a medical condition that forces your body to rely on the consumption of blood.”

 Wesker stares at him, unsure of what to say. Is William playing some kind of trick on him? “I’ve never heard of someone eating blood apart from a vampire. …And if I recall, they do not exist .”

 William rolls his eyes in annoyance, believing Wesker is pulling his leg for shits and giggles. “Well, neither have I, and yet here I am asking you about it.” He sighs out of agitation, running his clammy hands through his disheveled hair. “Sherry said one of her schoolmates has a condition that makes them eat blood. She didn’t tell me who made the claim or what it was called, but it’s been boggling my mind ever since she asked me.”

 Wesker leans back and folds his arms, his curiosity now piqued. Who ever heard of such a thing? What kind of medical condition would require the body to consume blood? Of course the only logical answer is vampirism — he knows that — but what is something that could exist in the real world and not a fictional one? 

 “Do any of her classmates actually have this condition?” He starts to stroke his chin.

 “No,” William leans against a nearby counter, “I individually searched through her entire school system’s medical records for any possible matches and nothing came up. I even had the parents’ medical backgrounds searched, but none of them had what she described.”

 “Hm…It could be possible she’s lying to you.” Wesker proposes, and William furrows his brows, confused by the accusation. “Why would my daughter lie?”

 “Maybe she’s trying to hide something from you. All children hide things from their parents eventually.” Wesker says, but William protests. “No, I know Sherry. She wouldn’t lie. She knows better.”

 “Hm. Well, if you believe her then if I were you I would start with researching possible parasites. There might be a blood eating parasite that affects the host in the same regard.” Wesker explains, hoping the answer will get the man off of his back. He turns back to the blood samples he was focused on before William interrupted him. He doesn’t have time for dilly dallying around theorizing about fictional medical conditions and arguing with William about his daughter’s integrity. William purses his lips before he turns. “Thanks for the tip.” He replies, exiting the lab and heading towards the file rooms. Wesker can’t help but wonder what William was talking about after he leaves. What could the condition be? How could such a thing be possible? It’s plausible it’s all part of Sherry’s imagination, but why would she state she overheard a classmate talking about the condition, much less lie about it? 

 ‘How strange…’ He muses before continuing his sample testing, alone with the silence once again.