Chapter 1: Motives

Hey guys, this is the second fic I wrote, and once again I had help of my dear friend JennaWilliams in the reboot. I want to thank her a lot for being helping me out on my fics and friendship. I hope you enjoy this new one and I'm sorry for anything!

A/N: After a long time, I have finally start the reboot of this old story. I had to think a lot of things that could make it better, instead of deleting all the progress I had. I don't like doing such stuff, it'd be a waste of material and time spent to just delete everything just because I had better ideas as time made me more experienced and mature. However, I decided to keep the original plot to see how much myself have changed and matured over the years.

I was in my early twenties and I had a somewhat childish mind and I admit I passed that to my plot. However, I'd like to clear myself that I wrote this based on real life stories (not my story!) and I ended up portraying the characters in such situations I had heard as if they were just normal people that have their moments, ups and downs, that have flaws and insecurities that usually are more evident in personal matters or in private lives. At that time I had a different vision of the characters and I used to see them more as normal people that the soldiers we are used to.

I know with the reboot I could change the whole plot from zero, but I just couldn't do that, but I did change a few things for sure, otherwise it would be just an enhance.

I'm not English native speaker and you mind find typos or some mistakes. I apologize for the inconvenience and I hope you just enjoy the story.

Jill was lying down on the bed, waiting for Chris to come home. She looked at the clock, it was 1:30 AM. He said that he'd be home by 11:30PM or max 12:00AM, but there was no clue about him. She got a little worried, but she preferred to wait and fell asleep after a while.

She woke up because of the sounds of footsteps in the bedroom and saw Chris trying not to make too much noise as he headed to the bathroom. She looked at the clock once again, it was 5:00AM. She waited for him to finish his bath.

"Hey!" He greeted her as he opened the door, a little surprised to see her sitting up on the bed staring at him.

"Hey…" she sub-consciously looked at the clock and Chris understood her signal.

"I'm sorry… but I just couldn't make it and be home by the said time…"

"I'm already used to it…" she sighed in frustation.

"I know I've been working a lot lately, but I'll slow it down, trust me! I'm sorry to keep you waiting…" he closed the gap between them.

"The problem is not the time and the waiting but your omission. You don't tell me what's going on; you don't show up home as you say and then I get things going in my head and I get worried, hoping and praying that I don't get any calls telling me that something bad has happened to you…" she crossed her arms in annoyance

"Shh, it won't happen…" he took her in his arms, warmly comforting her. They stayed like that for a while

"Do you want to eat something?" She asked him breaking the ice

"No, thanks…" I already had a snack.

"Okay, I'll get something to drink. Be right back!" She kissed him quickly on the lips before leaving the room.

Chris watched her and put on his boxers. He lied on the bed and played with his cell phone, but as he heard Jill returning to the bedroom, he quickly stopped what he was doing and blocked it. At distance, Jill saw Chris's movements, but she preferred to ignore it, and then lied down next to him until they fell asleep.

Jill woke up from the sounds of Chris's phone vibrating while he was taking a bath, so she decided to check who it is. The visor displayed an unknown number and she answered the call. She thought it could be from work.

"Hello."

"Hello, who is speaking?" The female voice questioned.

"Who do you want to speak with?" Jill asked her back.

"Is that Claire?"

"No, who are you?" Jill got very suspicious of the caller.

"Who is it?" the female asked

"This is Chris's girlfriend, what do you want with him?"

"Oh!..."

The female disconnected and Jill didn't like what just happened at all, she took note of the number and got up to clean the house to distract her mind. She didn't want to start the day more bad than it was already getting.

She took her and Chris' dirty clothes for the laundry when she smelt a different perfume on his shirt. She tried her best to not imagine things and continued on with her work.

Chris finished his shower some time later and saw that Jill was already up. He put on his clothes, brushed his teeth and headed for the living room. He spotted Jill preparing the breakfast in the kitchen.

"Humm, it smells delicious!" He complimented and then leaned closer to give her a kiss, but she didn't react to it. She didn't even look at him and he couldn't help but notice that odd behavior.

"Are you okay?" He asked opening the fridge to get a juice.

"Yeah…" she answered drily, cutting the vegetables.

"Are you sure?" He asked once again doubtfully.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She raised her voice more than necessary making a sharp noise on the cutting board.

Chris couldn't help but sigh and headed for the living room to give her some time. He turned on the TV while he waited the meal to get ready. A few minutes later Jill started preparing the table and Chris offered to help her out. She didn't respond to it. They had their meals in a very disturbing silence.

"Someone called you this morning…" she spoke not making an eye contact

"Who?" He looked at her

"Don't know… a Jane Doe." She answered coldly

"Hum, did she say what she wanted?" He wondered who it might be.

She shook her head. He left the table to take his cell phone that started ringing.

"Maybe it's her again…" she teased and watched his reaction as he stared his phone screen and silenced it.

He disconnected and then returned to the table.

"Who was it?" She asked looking at him

"Don't know the number…" he answered taking a sip of the juice not looking at her

"Are you having an affair or something? Just tell me the truth!" she said going straight to the point

"What? Where is this coming from?"

"It's been a while since I noticed the difference in your behavior. You are different towards me."

"It's just your imagination. I'm not having an affair!" He assured her

"Liar!"

"Actually you are the different one here. It would be easier if you tried to talk instead of taking nonsense judgments…"

"Try a talk and listen to lies? I can't waste my time like that!" She argued

"But you waste your time in your constant coldness… what's the difference?"

"The difference is that I don't tell you lies… and don't see other people."

"You know what, you are saying things now because you are jealous because of the call this morning, but there's nothing for you to worry about…" he affirmed

"Who is she? Why did she call you on your personal number?"

"She's a friend of Claire's…" he answered keeping his control

"A friend of Claire insistently calling you!" She spoke in total disbelief

"She's a friend of Claire." He tried to assure her

"What's her name?" Jill questioned

Chris turned his face to the side subconsciously making Jill even more pissed. She could read the tension in his face expression. She knew him for a long time to know when he felt cornered and was omitting something.

"Angela…Pamela… I don't know." He replied frowning

"If it's her friend, why don't you answer her if you don't have anything to hide?"

"You are seeing things where there aren't any." Chris replied

"I see how much you have changed in the past few months." She replied

"C'mon Jill, stop it! You're over reacting! No need for that, please" He tried to calm her down

"I'm not over reacting, you're the one who is omitting things from me, and lately you've been quite silent, full of secrets... Talk in the phone mysteriously… you cannot even disguise that you're acting behind my back! When you come home you come later than usual, always tired, neglecting me like I'm not your girlfriend and smelling other feminine perfumes!" She raised a bit her voice tone and Chris only watched her, "Aren't you going to say a damn thing?" She got a bit angrier.

Chris remained in silence not knowing what to say

"This isn't life for me to live again!" She sighed in frustration and left the table. Chris ran after her and held her by the wrist

"Let me go!" She ordered

"You're not going anywhere… there is no one else in my life besides you. I know that I haven't been the best person in your life, but it's not neglecting, Its some things that I'm into, but I'll tell you later. I've got nothing to hide from you and there are no lies. You're just sensitive, but I'm going to change that, I promise, I swear it! You know I don't lie to you… I tell you everything…"

"You already lied to me…" she snapped

"That was a long time ago… you know that!" he protested feeling uncomfortable about the memory

"But you already did… it won't change that fact!" she spoke saddened taking herself under control. There was no need to remember that again

"That was a long time ago… I changed, I'm not that guy anymore, and you know that!" He spoke taking her in his arms and caressed her hair

"Not now… Let me go." she spoke in a low voice releasing from his embrace

"Where are you going?" He asked in an attempt to ease her down

"I need to take some fresh air…" she spoke turning around heading to the door

There was nothing Chris could do to stop her. That was a fact that they were once again in a serious crisis in their relationship. He could feel they were getting distant, but he didn't know how to stop it. He would think about a way to get her back, but for now, all he could do was to give her some time.

Jill wandered the streets, lost in her thoughts. Asking herself questions, making up answers. She was very confused about everything, she had a lot in her mind lately and the only person that was there to comfort her had been absent most of his time. It was still hard for her to ignore things, to forget things since she returned from Africa. She never thought that she would feel so lonely like now. She watched the people walking around her, but it was like there was no one. She knew that it was not only her jealousy that made her act like that, it was something else. She sat on a bench at the park and watched the children play. Her thoughts were so distant that she didn't even notice who sat by her side. She only came to reality when she heard the man's cell phone ringing. She recognized that voice, turned to her side and confirmed her suspicion. He rejected the call.

"I'm sorry…" he looked at her apologetic

"Why were you sorry?" She asked with a puzzled expression

"For bringing you back to reality with my phone."

"Oh! No problem, but I was really distant." She spoke a little embarrassed

"Yeah, I noticed that." the man turned his to watch the kids playing, almost ignoring Jill.

Jill didn't even know how to react to that. She didn't know if she should say something or didn't say anything or if she should stay there after that.

"So, what brings Valentine to a place like this alone at this time?" Leon broke the ice between them

"Nothing in particular…" she replied vaguely

"Apparently it's something that is killing you in the inside!" He disagreed

"Is that obvious?" she turned to look at him

Leon nodded

Jill remained in silence

"What Chris did this time?" He asked turning his face to look at the children

Jill sighed, "Nothing…"

"Nothing?" He spoke in incredulity

"It's weird, but maybe he didn't do anything, and that's the problem… the nothing!" She spoke looking at no place in particular

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind Leon… Not even I know what's happening to me."

"Whatever that is, I know you have been through hell and don't allow that to consume or break you. This is not the Jill Valentine I know. I know relationships are very complicated sometimes, but maybe you should take some time just for you… for the both of you."

Jill looked at Leon with a thoughtful expression, but somehow a part of her liked to know surprisingly she could count on that man. A man she wasn't so intimate, but maybe that was the cool thing about it

"Yeah, maybe you're right, thanks for the support." Jill said with a light smile

Leon turned to his face to her and gave a single nod with a soft smile

"Now I have to go." Jill said standing up from the bench

"Take care, Jill." Leon replied

Two weeks passed and things didn't change yet, not like Jill expected to. Chris was still having suspicions behaviors and some nights he didn't come home. She tried not to see things where there weren't any, but Chris was not helping it either, especially the time when she entered their bedroom and saw him speaking on his phone and when he noticed her presence he disguised the conversation. She tried not to call Claire and ask about that friend of hers that Chris said it was on the phone, but how could she ask that either since that was just a matter that just concerned Chris and Her?

It was Saturday night and they had a business party to go.

Jill took Chris's tuxedo while he was taking his shower, but when she took his dirty clothes to put into the dirty clothes basket; a small piece of paper fell on the floor with a number of a woman on it written with Chris's handwriting. To get things even worse, it was the same perfume fragrance of prior days on his shirt and when she took a better look, she saw a lipstick mark on the collar.

Her blood fevered like hell and she started trembling in anger. She couldn't believe what she saw. She remembered all the fragments of conversation she heard before when he changed subjects and especially the one when he got disturbed by the person calling on his private number with the restrict call and the frequent disconnected cell phone when she called him. Not to mention the other time when she heard him complaining to the person that he couldn't continue like that anymore.

Chris left the bathroom and saw Jill's gaze boiling in anger. He noticed the paper in her hand and remembered what that was and took a deep breath because he knew that she'd get pissed with his denial.

"What's that?" She asked showing the paper

"That's a phone number." He answered directly

"Who's number?" She questioned

"A friend's…" He replied still drying himself

"A friend!" she couldn't help the smirk passing her hands on her hair, "The same old movie again… I can't believe it! and I know all that crap speech you are going to say about me seeing things where there aren't…" she said with annoyance

"What do you want? If I say something, I'm lying, if I admit it, I'm wrong… pick one option Jill!" Chris replied already getting tired of her words

"The only side I pick is not to be in yours anymore!" She snapped

"Is that what you want just because of a simple paper and imaginary suspicious?" he said turning to her

"Suspicious? What about that?" She replied showing him the lipstick mark, "What about your phone calls? What about your frequent absent nights? What about you not making love to me anymore? What about you are always tired and so many times you come home smelling women's perfume? Am I suspicious enough with these facts? Am I being ridiculous enough when you only tell me lies?" she shouted at him

"Easy Jill. It's not that what you're thinking. I admit I have met someone else, but not for what you're thinking… I swear it." Chris spoke in distraught

"It wouldn't be the first time either Chris Redfield! I forgave you once, but I won't now! I was ridiculous and stupid enough to accept you back in my life as my boyfriend to be made a fool again!"

"Please believe me, it's not what you're thinking. I can explain it!" He tried to touch her, but she dodged him

"Don't touch me!" She shouted

"Okay…"

"Who are you seeing lately?"

Chris passed his hand on his hair in distress

"Who is she?" Jill questioned again

"Let me explain first…" he trembled

"You prefer to lie first and then tell me the name?"

"I won't lie, but…" he made a pause to think, "I didn't tell you that because I knew you wouldn't like to know that…"

"Just say it… I can see is someone I know, right?"

Chris took a deep breath, "It's Sarah…" he replied biting his lips in distress

Jill could not believe that. there was just one Sarah she had met and she could she that was the same Sarah that man was talking about, "Sarah your ex-fiancee?" she spoke almost voiceless

Chris nodded in confirmation, "She's sick… and…" he spoke in a whisperer

"And what?"

Chris sighed heavily, he didn't know how to break those news to her, "She had a kid of mine."

"What?" Jill widened her eyes

"You know she doesn't have anyone else and I'm helping her in whatever I can."

"I can't believe this…"

"But there's nothing going on between us. You better than anyone know I work a lot and I spend a lot of time on missions, but that's why I helped her to come to town so I can assist better…"

"Your child with her…" Jill completed his sentence

"Yeah."

Jill shook her head, she could not process that so quickly. Pregnancy was a delicate matter to him and knowing her boyfriend had a kid he hid from her just made it worse. it affected her trust on him. For her, that was evident that their relationship lacked one of the most important pillars. Of course, things had changed at her end as well since she returned from Africa and had to go under so many tests and rehab. She was starting to learn how to live again and she thought Chris could be the one to help her start over since they always got along. However, it didn't mean he had always been 100% transparent with her, no, he hadn't, since their early days as friends. There were things he preferred to omit not just from her, but he did omit things from his own sister. Chris had difficulties with personal relationships, but hiding a big truth from her just made her question even more her role in his life and even his role in her love life.

She had a lot to think and reflect, what else could he be hiding from her? as far as she remembered, Sarah had been a big love Chris had in his life and she had let a deep scar in his heart and besides the professional path he chose, which contributed to him always stay away from love matters.

Hiding he had a kid with someone else, in her opinion, sounded like he didn't trust her enough. And now, she had that doubt if she could really trust him as her boyfriend.

"I need some time." She spoke dryly

"What?"

"I need some time to think…"

"Think about what?"

"Just to think… I have that right."

Chris didn't try to stop her, he knew it could be worse to force things. Jill was too much changed since she returned from Africa or possibly, both of them were changed. He knew she had been through a lot and now he just added something else to get it worse. He himself was having doubts about things for a while and maybe getting into a relantionship had been a wrong move, or maybe, it would be wrong to continue in a broken relationship...

Well guys, that was the end of the first rebooted chapter of this story. Today is January, 22th of 2017

Things are going to change considerably now, since things have changed a lot in my vision and when I read the story some time ago, I was like "What the hell did I write?" xD But well, I can't regret it. This story was written in 2010, I was still in my early 20's and didn't really understand the characters and other things.

This is a story that had visibility back then and instead of deleting it, I decided to reboot and give it a new background, a more solid base. Somehow, it's like a new story, but at the same time I'll keep the essence of it. It's complicated and I can't explain it now xD

I hope you enjoy it and continue reading it. I'm rebooting slowly since I'm working on 3 other fics currently, so my focus are in Forbidden Love, Tech Love (fics starring Chris) and COAP - The Promise (Sailor Moon fic)