Chapter Text
Sleep came surprisingly easy afterward. As soon as Ethan's head hit the worn pillow, he was gone to the world. His body still tingled with leftover endorphins that chased away the fight-or-flight response, allowing Ethan to finally sleep. Automatically, he snuggled up to Rose and curled his body around her to keep her safe, keep her close. He didn't dream anything; his body and mind were too exhausted to process anything besides the sweet bliss of being able to lie down. Ethan didn't know how long he slept, but he was sure if Rose hadn't started crying, he would have slept for days.
The high-pitched sound of Rose's crying was a blessing and a curse all wrapped into one. It reminded Ethan that she was still there, still alive and in one piece, as he opened his eyes and lifted her up, cradling her to his chest. He gently hushed her and rocked her from side to side with one arm as he rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the fog from his brain.
"Easy, baby. It's alright," he gently cooed at her, but she didn't stop. Her cheeks were red and her little fists were clenched in displeasure. Usually, Mia would have rolled over by this point and fed Rose, but there was no Mia and no baby formula or anything else needed to keep a baby alive. And Rose's cries made it painfully obvious.
"Can't you get her to stop?" Eveline asked and glared at Rose like that would make her stop crying faster. She sat on the bed, her legs crossed and the worn blanket wrapped around her shoulders. In her lap was an open journal that she had been reading. The handwriting looked oddly familiar, but right now, Ethan had bigger things to worry about than what Heisenberg's journal was doing in a worn-down cabin in the middle of the mountains.
"She's just hungry," Ethan explained and crawled out of bed to pace around the room while he gently bounced Rose up and down, hoping it would distract her a bit.
"She's loud." Eveline closed the journal with a dramatic sigh, like Rose had deliberately ruined her reading time.
A soft chuckle sounded from the other side of the room. Heisenberg sat leaned back in one of the armchairs, his feet propped up on the table, legs crossed at his ankles, chin dipped towards his chest, making Ethan believe that the former lord had been sleeping himself. His fingers were laced together and rested on his stomach. Ethan had never seen him so relaxed before.
"She's right, Papa. The drills on my Soldaten were quieter than her," he muttered and sank further down into the armchair.
"What's wrong with her?" Eveline asked and crawled to the edge of the bed to get a better look at Rose as Ethan continued to bounce her up and down while rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Is she dying?"
The hopeful tone in her voice forced Ethan to take a deep breath to keep himself from losing his temper. He ignored Heisenberg's amused chuckle. Fucking prick. "No, Evie. She's not dying; she's just hungry," he explained as he looked around the dusty cabin, searching for anything useful, even though he doubted he would find anything. Up until now, he had been so focused on getting Rose back in one piece that he hadn't really thought about what he would do after. In his battle for survival, he had only been able to think about the next step, but now, after the dust had settled, he was finally able to think past just surviving until tomorrow. The mountain cabin wasn't suited for a baby and a ten-year-old. They needed proper supplies. They needed a plan to get out of there.
"I'm hungry too," Eveline agreed, which was understandable but not very useful.
Ethan looked at Heisenberg over his shoulder, watching as a smile crept across the lord's features. It wasn't his usual cocky smirk or the hungry grin he'd witnessed outside. This was warmer and more genuine. Ethan ignored how it made his chest flutter and his cheeks warm up.
"There's a town about twelve kilometers from here. I haven't been there in decades, but I suppose it's still there," he offered. "It's worth a shot."
Ethan licked his lips as he thought it over. He wasn't an expert in the metric system, but it still sounded far, especially given their current situation. But what choice did they really have?
"Relax, Winters," Heisenberg said and pushed out of the chair with a groan. "All of us have survived way worse than a brisk walk in the snow," he drawled and walked closer. Ethan tensed on instinct and turned his upper body away from Heisenberg, shielding Rose.
Something flashed across Heisenberg's features, too quick to register properly. Whatever it had been, it was quickly replaced by a nonchalant huff and a shoulder shrug. Heisenberg changed direction and instead walked toward the window, leaning against the countertop and looking outside.
"We'll have to move at some point, Winters. Unless you want to stay here and wait for Redfield's team to pick you up?" he said and glanced at Ethan before he looked out of the window again. "Of course, you're free to do whatever you want, but I'm not staying and risk ending up as another lab rat."
Eveline's breath hitched, and Ethan saw how her eyes widened, and her face paled, like she was about to pass out. Instinctively, he placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. He glared back at Heisenberg, annoyed that he would mention something so casually like that in front of Eveline. That girl had spent her entire life in a lab.
"No one is going to end up as lab rats, Heisenberg," he hissed and shot the man a sharp glare, hoping that he would get the hint despite the former lord's shitty ability to read social cues.
Heisenberg hummed and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "If you say so, Papa. Then please do tell, what's the pla--" Heisenberg paused mid-sentence. His smile dropped, and his attention turned toward the window once more, his grey eyes scanning the surroundings. His body tensed, and the air shifted as he used his powers, which made worry settle deep in Ethan's stomach.
"What's going on?" he asked and handed Rose over to Eveline. He shot her a sharp look when she opened her mouth to complain. Now was not the time for her sibling jealousy, not when their potential survival was on the line. Ethan picked up his discarded gun from the table and made sure it was loaded. Heisenberg kept looking out the window, his brows knitted together in concentration.
"What is going on?" Ethan repeated when the former lord didn't answer. "Karl"
His first name felt so strange on his tongue, even more intimate than having the man pushing inside of him. But it did the trick. Heisenberg tilted his head and looked in Ethan's direction with a raised brow and a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. But other than that, he didn't comment on the sudden change. Instead, he licked his lips and nodded towards the window.
"We have company," he drawled, the gravel in his voice dropping lower, like a warning. It made Ethan's body tense up, slipping into fight or flight. He gripped his gun harder.
"Redfield?" He asked and moved closer to the window, peeking out in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the intruder.
"No," the word came out as a deep rumble from within Heisenberg's chest as he narrowed his eyes, "someone far more annoying." He sighed and shook his head, his smile turned cold and unamused. "Of course that fucking cockroach survived the blast."
Ethan blinked several times, not at all following Heisenberg. He nudged the engineer's shoulder when Heisenberg made no move to explain himself.
"The Duke," Heisenberg finally clarified, "it feels like that bloody merchant has set up shop around here. I felt the metal in his wagon when it appeared."
"Appeared?" Ethan asked, unable to keep the confusion out of his voice.
Heisenberg huffed and grinned at him. "Oh, come on, Winters. Don't tell me you haven't wondered how you conveniently stumbled upon his little shop everywhere you turned, even in my damn factory. How would he be able to move from one spot to the next so fast and without anyone noticing?" He asked, giving voice to the very things Ethan had wondered himself but had pushed to the back of his mind.
"What exactly is he?" Ethan asked, feeling some of the tension leaving his body again, now that he knew they weren't about to be surrounded by the entire Hound Wolf Squad closing in on the tiny cabin.
Heisenberg chuckled and glanced at Ethan, "I'm sure even he can't answer that, Ethan. He's been here for even longer than I have." He pushed off the counter and stretched his back, groaning as something popped in his neck.
"But that doesn't really matter right now," he said and glanced toward Eveline and Rose, who continued crying. " I'm sure that greedy bastard will have just what you and the girls need."
The way he worded that, keeping himself out of the equation, made Ethan wonder what it was Heisenberg needed. Maybe he had already acquired it when he'd fucked Ethan. But then why stay? Why go back inside the cabin and sleep in the uncomfortable armchair?
"I want to see the merchant too," Eveline said, talking louder to be heard over Rose's crying.
"No," both Ethan and Heisenberg said at the same time.
Ethan raised both brows at Heisenberg. The former lord inhaled sharply and looked away, pretending to look at something interesting outside the window. Ethan looked at him for a moment before turning his attention back to Eveline, who did not look happy about being told off by both of them. She narrowed her dark eyes and glared at Ethan, making his stomach turn into a tight knot. His body remembered the last time the child had looked at him like that and the pain he'd suffered afterward. But this wasn't like back in Louisiana. He wanted to protect her, not kill her. And sometimes protecting her meant saying no.
Ethan reminded himself of that as he took a deep breath to settle his nerves. "I need you to stay here with Rose," he explained in a calm tone. "I don't want either of you out in the cold," he explained and offered her a warm smile, which she didn't return. She didn't complain either, so Ethan counted that as a win.
---
After having spent the last few hours in a somewhat warm cabin in a bed, stepping outside felt like a slap in the face. The wind was cold and ate away at the warmth that had just started to settle into Ethan's frame. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself and set his jaw tight to keep his teeth from rattling. How he'd managed to walk around the village soaked to the bone in blood and water without dying of hypothermia was beyond him.
"Where is he?" He asked Heisenberg as he glanced around the forest. His breath came out in small white clouds.
"He should be just up ahead." Heisenberg gestured for Ethan to follow him as he led them further into the forest. Ethan walked close behind Heisenberg, mirroring his footsteps through the snow to prevent his feet from getting wet for as long as possible.
Ethan had seen the Duke shops in many unusual spots. So far, the most ridiculous one had been inside the elevator in Heisenberg's factory, but this was a close runner-up. The Duke's wagon was tightly nestled between two tall pine trees, bending the trunks ever so slightly, like it was really jammed in there. Ethan scanned the ground surrounding the wagon, but there were no signs of footsteps or tracks. It really was as if the merchant had just appeared out of thin air. The Duke sat in his usual spot, naked feet kicking lazily back and forth and his big belly hanging out. He put down his little notebook when Ethan and Heisenberg approached.
"Ah! My most unconventional pair of patrons return," the Duke greeted, his voice booming and cheerful like he hadn't even noticed the carnage that had been going on around him. "And victorious, it seems. Though I daresay you both do look a little worse for wear. I might have just the right solution for that."
Ethan exhaled and shook his head in disbelief and fondness. Seeing another familiar and friendly face was nice, although said friendliness came with a price, of course.
"It's good to see you too, Duke." Ethan offered the man a smile, which the Duke repaid with a tip of his head and a small hand gesture. His rings flashed in the afternoon sun.
"Let's cut the small talk," Heisenberg grumbled and lifted his chin, and looked at the Duke, "We need supplies for a baby and a child."
Ethan didn't miss the way Duke's smile widened at the word we, and how he glanced between Ethan and Heisenberg. Ethan swallowed around a lump in his throat and looked away.
"My, my. Isn't this an interesting development? An unexpected partnership and an additional child," he summed up and chuckled, his wide belly wiggling with the sound, "Mr. Winters you do seem to have developed a habit of picking up strays," he mused, which earned him a growl from Heisenberg, who glared at the merchant, his grey eyes narrowing to slits.
"Merchant," Heisenberg growled in warning, his tone leaving no room for argument. The Duke seemed unfazed. He simply smiled and nodded.
"Efficient as always, I see, Lord Heisenberg. Or would that be former lord, now that Miranda is no longer the unofficial ruler of the village?" He asked and looked at Heisenberg with a polite smile and a gleam in his eyes. "Such an exciting development, so far from anything you've known before. I'm sure the world has changed a great deal since you were last a part of society. I can only imagine what kind of uncertainty that would arise in lesser men," he continued, keeping his tone steady and pliant, without dipping into condescension or mockery, which seemed more fitting for the words. There was something about the casual way in which the Duke spoke that left Ethan with a feeling that the merchant was ruffling Heisenberg's feathers on purpose.
Heisenberg tensed and pressed his lips together in a thin line, seemingly at a loss for words. His nostrils flared as he exhaled, and tension rose in the air around them. So that was what happened when someone not only went off script but changed the rules altogether.
"A lesser man, yes," Heisenberg echoed and dipped his head in agreement, his lips lifting into a dangerous smile that lacked any warmth or fondness. His grey eyes were fixed on the Duke, who met his gaze head-on. The silence stretched on, growing heavy and thick like the air before a thunderstorm.
Ethan stepped between them, quickly guiding the conversation back on track. "As he said. We need supplies for a baby. Formula. Bottles, clothes, diapers, whatever you have. And some warm clothes for a ten-year-old girl," he listed, very aware how unusual his request was compared to his usual demands for bullets and gun upgrades.
The stare-off between the Duke and Heisenberg ended, as the Duke redirected his attention to Ethan's request. He chuckled warmly, with just a hint of sincerity thrown into the mix.
"I may have anticipated this request. A merchant must stay ahead of… market trends." He reached behind himself into the back of his wagon and withdrew a wooden crate filled with baby essentials, including a very familiar stuffed monkey. The sight of the stuffed toy made Ethan's stomach clench. It felt like years ago that he had tucked Rose into bed with Mr. Monkey to watch over her.
"How did you…" Ethan trailed off and looked from the stuffed animal to the Duke.
The large man lifted a brow and smiled as he shook his head. "It's just a part of my first-class customer service, Mr. Winters. You and Mr. Heisenberg have been two of my most... profitable customers, " he added and chuckled, his belly vibrating with the sound.
Heisenberg huffed, but Ethan ignored him, too focused on the crate's contents. This was perfect. With all of this, he could take care of Rose and make sure all of her needs were met.
"This is perfect," he said as he felt the thick but soft material of a jumper with little mice on it.
"And that is not all I have in stock," The Duke said, sounding ever so pleased with himself as he shifted his weight around, retrieving four burgundy red booklets. On the front was a golden stamp of an eagle, along with golden words that Ethan didn't recognize. But he knew the shape and the overall look, although his own had been blue.
"Passports," he said and the Duke nodded.
"Along with four new identities Mr. Winters, or should I say Herr Hoffman?" He offered the passports to Ethan, who quickly took them and flipped through each of them. His own, Eveline's, Rosemary's, and even Heisenberg's.
Heisenberg moved closer as well and looked at the passports over Ethan's shoulder. He was so close Ethan could hear his breath hitch when Ethan opened up his passport, revealing a picture of him without his hat and glasses and with the same last name as Ethan's fake identity. Ethan handed him the passport and watched as Heisenberg turned it over in his hand, dragging his fingers over his photo. His eyes narrowed slightly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed.
"Since I figured you would be traveling together, I took the liberty of assigning Heisenberg as your husband. Two spouses traveling through Europe together with their kids is far less suspicious than your current constellation," the Duke stated casually like he was commenting on the weather and not speaking of going on the run under the cover of being a married couple.
For a brief moment, Ethan was sure Heisenberg smiled, small and subtle enough that it could easily have been the light.
Heisenberg handed the passport back to Ethan. "Your call, Papa."
Ethan looked down at the four fake documents and the implications behind them. Once again, Heisenberg was offering the choice to him, letting him be the one to decide the next step. Ethan glanced at him, and as their eyes met, Heisenberg looked away, redirecting his attention to something inside of the Duke's wagon, but Ethan saw the tension in his body and the stiffness of his movement, revealing the nerves behind the nonchalant attitude.
Ethan wet his lips and turned the four passports over in his hands, trying his best to keep his thoughts in order. They had each delivered on their part of the deal. Rose was safe, Miranda was dead, and Ethan's itch had been scratched, for now at least. There was nothing else left forcing them to stay together, not promises or veiled threats. So why was Ethan even entertaining the thought of traveling together? Why was the Duke even offering it in the first place? Did he know something Ethan didn't know? Or was he just sowing seeds of chaos just for the fun of it? Ethan wasn't sure.
"How much. For all of it," Ethan heard himself asking, going on instinct rather than logic. The Duke smiled knowingly, looking like he'd expected Ethan to say that. Heisenberg, on the other hand, wasn't fast enough to hide his raised brows and widened eyes before Ethan noticed, probably too used to hiding behind his shades. Ethan ignored the engineer.
"It is fine and rare wares, and the price will reflect that," the merchant explained, not sounding very sorry at all. Ethan hadn't expected any less from him.
"Fair enough," Ethan muttered and emptied his pocket for what little Lei he had left after their last stop at the shop. Digging deep into his pockets, he also managed to find a crystallized skull. He threw that on the table as well. Knowing that it was far from enough, Ethan sighed and reached for the gun holster, ready to offer up his weapons at the chance of a new beginning. He unclasped the holster and gripped the gun, but it stayed firmly in place when he tried to pull it out.
"We're probably going to need those, " Heisenberg drawled as he lowered his hand slightly, glancing from the merchant to Ethan. "Stay here. I'll be back in a moment." Turning on his heels, Heisenberg retraced their steps back to the cabin, leaving Ethan alone with the Duke.
The Duke waited until Heisenberg's back disappeared behind the trees. "Well, I must say, Mr. Winters. I am quite surprised to see the two of you still working together," the Duke said casually, like he was just making conversation, but Ethan could clearly see the curiosity in his gaze, "I had thought that alliance ended with the death of Mother Miranda."
Ethan sighed and turned his attention back to the crate. "You and me both. But here we are."
The Duke chuckled, the sound warm and inviting. "You already sound like him," he pointed out, making the tip of Ethan's ears burn red.
"It's not like that," Ethan muttered, focusing on the label on the baby formula like he would be able to understand any of it.
"Like what?" Ethan didn't need to look up to know that the Duke was smiling. He could hear it in his voice. Maybe he should have followed Heisenberg.
"We're just sticking together because that's what makes the most sense at the moment. From a survival point of view," he added and bit the inside of his cheek, unsure if he was defending his decision because he wanted to convince the Duke or himself.
"Of course." The Duke leaned back, his rings glinting in the cool air as he waved a dismissive hand. "Though I did notice he didn't let you pawn your gun. How very thoughtful of him."
Ethan's grip tightened on the crate's edge. "He's just being pragmatic."
"Pragmatic," the merchant echoed, savoring the word like fine wine. "Yes, I'm sure that's all there is to it," he chuckled, making the items in the back of the wagon sway. "Still, it is a rather curious sight. The most dangerous of Miranda's four lords settling debts on behalf of someone else, leading them to a place very dear to him and asking for nothing in return. Very strange indeed," he mused, and Ethan felt the merchant's gaze settle on him like heavy weights, making him shift his weight from one foot to the other.
"If you got something to say, Duke, say it. I'm tired of games," he snapped and looked away, squeezing his eyes shut when he was met with another joyful chuckle.
"My dear Mr. Winters. I deal in many things-- weapons, secrets, the occasional family heirloom-- but never in free advice. However..." He leaned forward, the wagon creaking with his movement. Ethan couldn't help himself and leaned closer as well. "When a man who usually deals in direct threats and medical malpractice suddenly develops a habit of... let's call it unexpected caretaking, even a humble merchant takes notice." The Duke tapped his chin thoughtfully and looked at Ethan, his lips stretching into a knowing smile, letting the silence stretch on between them like he was giving his words time to sink into Ethan's mind.
And sink in they did, and they struck a chord deep within Ethan, resonating with his own thought pattern and considerations.
"Pragmatic or not, whatever change you have encouraged in Mr. Heisenberg, it does seem to be for the better. I do believe I caught a hint of a smile for a second from him."
Ethan huffed and looked up at him, daring to smile himself. "Don't let him hear you say that."
"Great advice," the Duke agreed and then gestured behind Ethan with his hands, his rings flashing in the light, "and speaking of the man. Here he comes," he said, gracefully ending the conversation before either of them were caught saying something about the former lord that could end badly for them.
Heisenberg stalked up to them. Without his shades, nothing was shielding Ethan and the Duke from his hard gaze, which he kept locked on the merchant. He stopped in front of the wagon and lifted his chin in an unspoken challenge as he removed something from his pocket and threw it to the Duke, who caught it in midair.
Ethan raised a brow in surprise. It was a small, crude pendant. It looked like it was made from a flattened bottle cap. The Duke turned the trinket over in his hand, his smile wide, as he studied the item. Something that looked like a horseshoe had been etched into the surface with a knife. The metal rose around the crude carving, resembling crawling ivy that wrapped around the horseshoe without ruining it. In the middle of the horseshoe, the metal protruded in the shape of a deer mid-jump. Ethan suspected that no mold had been used to make the small figures; it seemed to be the work of someone able to manipulate metal.
The Duke turned it over in his hand again and dragged his thumb across the ridged lines that formed the horseshoe. "What an interesting offer. It's a very valuable piece indeed, given its..." he paused and looked up at Heisenberg, "sentimental value," he finished, and Heisenberg tensed as the air around them shifted. The nails in the wagon groaned from the sudden pressure put on them, but neither Heisenberg nor the Duke seemed to take notice of it. So, Ethan ignored it as well.
In the end, it was the Duke who looked away first, easing the tension in the air as he placed the pendant in his breast pocket. "That should cover all of the expenses," he declared. Whether that was true or not, Ethan didn't care. All he could think about was that this was the second time Heisenberg had made a deal on Ethan's behalf without asking for anything in return.
"Good." Heisenberg took the crate and pushed it against Ethan's chest, who quickly took hold of it before they dropped it. He took the passports and placed them in the inner pocket of his coat. He then looked at Ethan and nodded toward the cabin. "We better get back. Before your newly adopted brat gets any ideas."
Ethan turned and started to walk, but a polite cough from the Duke made him stop and look back at the merchant over his shoulder.
"Winters," he said and gestured for him to come closer. When he was within reach, he leaned forward and placed a very familiar-looking hat and a pair of shades on top of the crate, "on the house. I'm sure your new spouse will be thrilled by your gift. Maybe it'll help ease the transition from allies to married."
Then he winked.
The Duke's laughter boomed between the trees as Ethan hurried back, face red and the tip of his ears burning.