Chapter Text
You sighed as you looked down at the watch on your wrist. Fifteen minutes past four. Over an hour past the time your brothers had promised they’d meet up with you out front of your store. You closed two hours early, for them to be just as late as usual. Had you known better you would have just stayed open till their tired and grumpy faces barged through the painted glass door of your old record shop. But no, your younger brother had the actual audacity to use his child against you. Your sweet niece, Rosemary Winters. The only kid so far between you and your rag-tag group of siblings. You turned around towards the door, keys already in hand as you looked down both streets one last time.
“Fuck it. I’m waiting inside incase I actually am able to get some business tonight. Stupid brothers.” You said under your breath as neither sidewalk held any trace of your family. You grumbled as you finally unlocked the glass and wood door, shutting it firmly behind you as you reached over and quickly turned on all the usual lights you did whenever you entered your home away from home: your record and music shop, The Black Phoenix.
You smiled as you went to move back behind the counter and switched on the music you’d turned off over an hour ago a smile cracking across your face as the old rock music quickly blared across the store. Cherry Bomb by The Runaways was halfway finished when you had turned the stereos off earlier and it came through blasting again as you moved back out into the open part of the store. You had a feeling once the others where here Rosemary would go into a fit about you still working, after you had promised to be ready and waiting outside the store for them so you could all go to this family meetup dinner the young girl and her father had planned over a month ago.
You sighed heavily again as you picked up a pile of new records you’d left on a table to clean in the morning. ‘Better now than later I suppose’ you thought to yourself as you stole a glance out the windows in front of your store. Still no sign of your brothers or your little blonde niece. Leave it to said bull-headed niece and her just as stubborn father though to be the ones behind them picking you up late though you mused to yourself. You looked around at the store as you waiting. The place was your pride and joy, a mecca of records, CDs, and various other musical equipment you had worked on perfecting for almost ten years.
A smile hit your face as you looked over at the picture wall behind the front counter. It was full of pictures of you, co-workers, musicians you’d meet over time. And of course, tons of your family. From old to new ones, they plastered your walls. You looked over them, to most it’d seem they where randomized but if any of your co-workers where asked by unassuming customers they’d be quick to let you know their boss had them in a specific order. A visual time-line of their bosses life and love of music to the creation of the store itself, for the world to see.
Starting with old family pictures of your and your siblings your eyes danced over the wall. First where ones of just you and Ethan Winters, your brother by blood, when you where younger when the Redfield’s had first adopted the pair of you. You’d just turned elven and your little brother a spry nine. You’d both been so nervous about the family when they picked you both up, their own children a then thirteen year-old Chris and three year old Claire almost mirroring the cautious fear that you and Ethan both had given off. It took one joke from their father to make all four of you children to bust out laughing and relaxed as they continued to show you around what within a year you and your brother would call home for good.
You remember that it had taken your baby brother considerably less time than you to be comfy with your foster and eventual adopted family. The kid always did have that kind of stalwart optimism you lacked, but then again you had always been the protective older sister since you could remember. You smiled as the few photos of just the two of you quickly turned into ones with all three of your other siblings. Ones where Chris and you had Claire and Ethan in headlocks respectively. To about a handful more of the four of you growing up, graduating and first days at certain new jobs.
Then the one you treasured most from the first half of the wall, the one right before your parents both passed within months of each other. Chris and Claire had both just gotten promotions at their fancy security firms, Ethan had finally finished with all the nasty paperwork with Mia and was actually looking happy again. Rosemary had just turned two and was full of energy as she rotated between you all. You had finally properly bought the building you where standing in, instead of just renting it, and your parents wished to celebrate all of it together. So they surprised all four, five if you include the little blonde in Ethan’s arms, to a tropical family vacation.
You shook your head as memories of the dark two years that followed hit you. You remember the darkness that had permeated your lives during that time. You all had drifted a good bit apart, only being brought back together by the force of will that was Rose. You where blessed your brother had decided to try falling in love young, it may have broken his heart for a time but what came out of it, who came out of it, truly was a gift to the rest of your family.
Your eyes trailed back further down the wall as it became more pictures of actual workers and celebrities who would come into your store looking for rare, sometimes just special vinyl’s and items you always seemed to have thanks to your friendship with an old college buddy that seemed to have a knack for having just what someone needed. Duke’s picture was hanging up in that section of the wall too, his proud large frame dwarfing your own as you stood side by side with almost matching shit-eating grins. He’d been a close friend of yours the moment you entered high school and college despite the fact he was three years ahead of you. You had much of your current, past and hell future stock probably thanks to the man. It did unnerve you from time to time just how he got certain items, but you always chocked it up to him being a talker.
You continued down the wall as more of your employees pictures started showing up, with more recent additions of a now teenage Rose and you at a Fall Out Boys concert that the young girl begged you alone to take her too. Along with several empty frames that caused you to shake your head. It’d been another rough patch the last few months and you remembered taking certain pictures down with a furry not wishing to see the face of the woman who hurt you adorn your walls much longer as you tried to focus back on the task at hand. Cleaning what you could while you waited for your ever fashionably late siblings.
*Ding di-ding*
“Hello welcome to the Black Phoenix, we are closing very soon but feel free to take a look…oof.” You started in on your usual greeting as you turned around only to be greeted with a blonde blur connecting with your abdomen and the sounds of several pitches of laughter from the doorway.
“You said you’d close up early and wait for us!” Rose muffled against your stomach as she hugged you tightly. She acted as if she hadn’t seen you in months, instead of the two nights ago when she slept over at your house while her father and his new boyfriend had a night out.
“Well that was when you said you’d be here by a certain time…not over an hour late.” You pipped back at the young girl placing a gentle kiss to the top of her head as you rubbed her back squishing her back just as tight. She was your only niece after all, you where intent on spoiling her with affection.
“Well Dad was moving slow. And Karl was..” Rose had started before you looked up towards the trio of men that bounded in, and a booming voice cut her off.
“Now wait a second there kiddo. I was just helping your dad pick his outfit. Hell, if he didn’t wanna look good for your family and mind. Gotta make an impression on my Supersized bitch of a sister now, don’t he?” Karl rebutted as the scruffy older man lead your brother in.
They where a pair those two. Your loyal and kind hearted little brother, who was always a sharp dresser, if not at least a predictable one. With his usual dark wash jeans still in place but his usual dad hoodie and over jacket replace with a nice button up shirt in some navy blue swirl pattern and the twill blazer you and Claire had gotten him in hopes of him dressing nicer once in a while. Then your eyes drifted to the man next to your brother his current and serious boyfriend, Karl Heisenberg. Dressed in his usual attire with absolutely no change. Dingy and slightly oversized khaki’s and some old grey button up with only half the buttons done, his huge overcoat, tiny Elton John like sunglasses but this time at least without his signature ratty wide brimmed outback hat.
You rolled your eyes at the pair. It never ceased to amuse you that as much as the two men seemed to bicker, they also cared deeply for each other. It was an odd-couple look for sure but your brother had been the happiest he’d been in years and you weren’t one to deny him that.
“Oh I highly doubt you helped pick his outfit out, Karl. Still dressing like a slightly upper crust version of The Dude I see?” You responded giggling along with your niece as she laughed at your comment finally releasing you from her death-grip hold on your waist. “I bet it was you that kept your trio from reaching on time. Although lets refrain from calling siblings names while kids are still in the area. I know it’s hard for you since your vocabulary is sixty precent vulgarity, but I bet you can do it old man.” You shot at Karl a smirk on your face as you put the box in your hand back on the counter for tomorrow and went to go through the motions of closing up again.
“Oh come on now dear Y/N, you know you like me cause I’m a dirty old man who’s turning your brother into someone actually fun.” Karl shot back at you, sending a wink towards you and Rose. You turned to look at your brother beside the crusty silver fox, an eye roll was all you where given as Ethan swatted the other man on the arm.
“Hey I’m plenty of fun. I was fun before you and I’m still fun now. Right Rose? Sis?” He said looking at you as a third voice laughed behind you all.
“Yeah, and I’m the Prince of Wales. You where PG fun, still are. Karl just forces you to be a little more out there when you both go out, I imagine.” Chris said finally joining in as he moved to the counter to help you close up shop, an apologetic smile already on his face as he looked up at you. “Sorry we where late though Y/N. It’s actually my fault this time. I had a situation come up at the firm and I forget to tell them to text you too. But I’ll make it up to you I promise little sis. I’ll get your dinner tonight okay?” He whispered the last part his face looking ever so much like your fathers when he apologized for forgetting even a small detail of importance to his kids. Chris had stepped up into the role of family patriarch so quickly after your parents had passed and with such ease no one really noticed other than you and he. You’d gotten so close those two years as the eldest kids, struggling with the lose of safety having parents had afforded you both.
“Well thank you for the apologies but you don’t need to bribe me for it. Next time just give me a better heads up. I would have had more time to get a few more sales possibly and still be ready for you goofs.” You responded as you finished turning off all the nessicary equipment behind the desk and came back around picking up your jacket as you did. You looked over at your elder brother and smirked, still in what he called his business work clothes you took him seriously on it being his fault for the lateness. Dark jeans, dark button up and his usual winter jacket, ever the monotone dresser in the family, the only bits of color being the rose-gold chain that had been a gift from his sisters, you and Claire, for his birthday one year that had an R charm hanging from it and the chunky pony bead bracelet Rose had made him at camp the summer before. The young girl had made him promise to not remove it, and it seemed he’d keep that promise no matter what.
“Lets get going okay? I dunno about you rascals but I’m starving!” You said grabbing your nieces arm as you ushered the men out of the store, turning off all the lights on your way out. It wasn’t any warmer than it had been almost thirty minutes ago when you had last been outside. Still chilly, still windy, only now it was even darker. Gods you hated the early winter months. You turned back to the group after you locked up the doors securely for the second time that night. “Alright. Now are we driving or we walking?” You said your arm going around your niece as the girl huddled up to you, sharing your displeasure of the cold.
“Well, hot stuff, since it’s across town I figured we’d walk?” Karl started sarcastically before grunting when Ethan elbowed him in the ribs.
“We thought we’d all drive separately if that’s okay? We don’t know how long the dinner will take since it’s such a large party and Chris said he may have to leave early cause of the situation that kept us late already, and while you are a night owl Y/N we will have to leave at a certain time because Rose does need rest since her team has practice in the morning.” Ethan responded causing the girl curled into your side to whine slightly turning to her father and his boyfriend.
“Can’t I just stay with Aunt Y/N?? She knows where the gym the team meets at is. She lives closer too so I can stay up later!” She pleaded looking between the two of you like a lost puppy as you all started to walk to the parking lot where all three vehicles where parked.
“Rosemary Winters. You can’t do that every time you wanna stay up late on a practice night, your Aunt may have things to do on her own life. You know maybe she wanted to be a free adult for once?” Ethan said half-jokingly known already you’d jump at the chance to have your niece stay over. If there was anyone who spoiled the girl worse than him it was his older sister, who’d given up on ever having a family of her own the last few years and instead turned her full attention to be the worlds best Auntie in record time.
“But Daaad.” She whined back not noticing his tone as you leaned down to blow a raspberry into the girl’s cheek causing her to squeal and attempt to push away from you slightly. “Aunt Y/N Stop that!!” Your brothers laughed at the antics between the two of you as Karl soon joined in unlocking the vehicle you now noticed was his supped-up Junker parked next to your hybrid van.
“You best not have put a scratch on my baby Karl. Or not even my brother is gonna save your ass.” You warned as you nodded to your brother as your niece looked towards the passenger door of your car when you unlocked it from afar. “And yes Rose hop in sweetie, you can ride there with me.” You turned to your brother as you hit the button starting the car from the outside, “Rose can stay with me, she still has some spare clothes at the house plus her backup uniform for the team. I’ll make sure she gets a good amount of rest, and is well fed before I drop her off and then you can pick her back up from practice. Store opens late tomorrow anyway so it’ll get me going.” You said as you hopped in, hearing Ethan sigh in agreement as he and Karl got in their car.
“We are meeting everyone else for dinner at that fancy place off the new shopping district right? Casa Nostra?” Chris had yelled out before doors where closed. A barrage of yeses followed as everyone got started up and headed that way. You smiled as Karl took the lead ahead of Chris, causing the other man to grumble you had no doubt as you took the caboose of your caravan, chatting with Rose all the while.
You’d been to the restaurant before, known for it’s homey vibes and ability to either be very, very nice or very casual depending on the room you requested for reservations. You laughed and joked with the young girl as you all pulled up and finally stepped out, the last of the cars it seems to have joined your group as you both made your way towards the entrance. You noticed as you let the younger girl inside that your brothers and Karl where already standing with another group of adults and three teenagers talking. You sighed inwardly as you noticed Claire was absent from the group, your little sister always the travel workaholic had left for another trip a week ago, not set to come back for a few months.
You took quick stock of the new group as you followed your niece as she bounded over to the other children, specifically a red-head that looked only maybe a year or two older than Rose herself. You smiled at the excited greeting she got as your eyes drifted towards the two adults off the side of the group. An average-height man covered in what you could assume was sea-themed tattoos and a clear fashion sense that screamed old-timey doctor to you. You giggled to yourself as you saw the man engrossed in a conversation with your eldest brother and another woman who almost mirrored Chris’s attire in all black but less security more, goth art kid vibes. She seemed to be nervously paying attention to both men before looking up at you for a split second and waving as Rose past them.
Your eyes traveled back to your niece though as she talked animatedly with the young red-haired teen. You smiled noticing the both had band graphic tees on and dressed very much like how you used to when you where younger. Hell how you dressed now as you remembered being in your own set of nice black but ripped up jeans, spiked combat boots and a comfortable slate gray tank with an oversized button down shirt topping it all off. You chuckled as you looked over towards the final three new people as you walked up. An even slightly older teen with dark brown hair that was wild and curly and in a messy bun, she dressed even closer to how you where her jeans barely hanging, clearly a punk rock kid. You nodded to her as she took stock of you, both sizing each other up as you crossed behind Rose.
Then you took in the final child if you could call her that. She looked like a college freshman but far more put together than you ever remember being at that age. Nice jeans and a demure sweater she stood beside the last person in this new group you’d yet to size up. Literally in her case as she stood at a stunning 6 foot plus, towering over your eldest brother even as she looked down to talk to Karl and Ethan.
‘The Supersized sister’ you thought to yourself as you took in the other woman as you finally joined the group coming to stand beside your own brother, almost mirroring her stance. She was dressed like she had just came out of somewhere fancy, the pencil skirt hugging her body and the heels not helping but add to her already impressive height, and a blouse that was something out of fashion week it looked so nice. You inwardly scolded yourself for not dressing up more as you saddled up to the group.
“Sorry about being the last ones, you drove so fast Karl that Rose and I got stuck in the dust and traffic you left.” You said as you smiled at the other woman laughing at the sputtering your comment had cause the older man to do. “I’m Y/N by the way, Y/N Winters. I’m Ethan’s older sister and Rose’s favorite Aunt. Your Karl’s sister..?” You said holding your hand out and prompting the woman for her name, feeling a sudden need to be nothing less than cordial to this woman who seemed to step out of some old black and white movie.
“Yes I’m his sister, unfortunately at times. Alcina Dimitrescu. Pleasure to meet you Y/N.” She said taking your hand firmly as she flashed you a thousand watt-smile, that somehow also looked like she could eat you alive.
‘Oh Hell. This was gonna be one interesting dinner.’ You thought to yourself as you heard your group’s name called to sit.