AN: Hey its me again, I just felt like throwing a little one-shot together to try to get back into updating my bigger stories, I also wanted to show you guys I'm not dead, regardless what some may think heh. I'm going for a different style, where not everything goes the way some people like. But not to fear I will implement parts of comic relief to ease the read a bit. Hopefully I can pull it off. Oh And if your want to know the latest news on my stories or the status of them, or even stories to come in the near future just visit my page.

Italics are Chris' thoughts, I'm going for a first person type mix so you will only read Chris' thoughts and the conversations he takes part in or overhears.

When the Rain Stops

I remember when my father used to say that things always happened for a reason that you shouldn't waste your time looking at the bad, but search for the good. He told me that when my goldfish died. I was around twelve years old when it happened. I recall my mother hugging a teary eyed Claire, who was only six at the time.

He said, "Christopher, there's no use in getting depressed over something that was bound to happen, just realize that it went off to a better place."

I couldn't believe he just said that. How could the murky blue toilet water that lead to the dark unknown, be a better place than the stone, custom painted, (courtesy of myself and Claire) twin towered castle, inside the spacious fishbowl? It made no sense. He only laughed and said the very phrase. I guess at the time I was either too naïve, or just too stubborn to listen because I demanded he get another fish.

Than I recollect the day I lost everything. It was raining, I'll never forget it. My father went out with my mother to do some errands, while I looked after Claire. I was fourteen then, Claire just having turned eight. It wasn't merely raining, it was pouring. The sky a dark grey color, filled with clouds as black as the night sky. The wind was wailing like a lost child trying to find their way home.

I can still hear the policeman's voice as he tried to explain what happened. It was deep and smooth, crackling more with every word he said.

He told me about the accident, a truck driver who drove a little too much without sleep, and how it was a little too hard see through the rain, and that the ambulance was a little too late to arrive at the accident. All these were minor details that seemed to form a pair of hands and choke the air out of me. Was it always so hard to breath?

But even over Claire's cry for mom and dad, over the sirens lonely cries, over the police officers explanation about the event, and over the rhythmic tapping of the rain, I heard him. I heard my fathers voice telling me the phrase once more, and no matter how hard I tried… I couldn't see much good in our present situation.

At the funeral I refused to cry. I couldn't show my weakness when my sister needed me most. I had to be strong for her even if I felt so weak. I was her support that held her up when she was feeling down. Life was hard but we made the best of it.

I joined the Air Force to pay the bills, someone had to, Claire's college tuition wasn't paying itself. I soon realized that the military wasn't for me, subsequently one thing led to another and I found myself discharged. I became a drifter, doing odd jobs here and there, when finally Barry found me.

He needed someone with my weapon expertise and military training. This ultimately led me to where I am today, twenty five years of age, and marksman for the special tactics and rescue squad, or S.T.A.R.S.

Today was just another day on the job. Except things were going seemingly smooth for a change. Found my car keys fairly quick, morning traffic was a thing of the past, got to work earlier than outwardly possible, and even got through the eternally towering stack of paperwork. Things were so first-rate that I got the impression my desk was considerably less muddled. Hell, even the office coffee was succulent.

"What a surprise, Chris, your actually on time! What's got you all happy?"

It's Forest. Looks like people are starting to get here.

"What?" What does he mean 'what's got you all happy?'

"Oh I see no greeting for me eh? Well you had this big goofy grin on your face, did someone drug the coffee, cause you've been sipping it like it was liquid cocaine."

"Oh, hey Forest… and you know what? I think someone did drug the coffee, it actually tastes like something."

"Oh really? I gotta see this for myself." He picked up his trusty "Shoot em up" mug from his desk and poured a cup. "…" He took a few sips and begins nodding seeming to thoroughly examining, and judge the content.

"Uh… well?" What's this guy thinking? It's just coffee. Oh, there's Joseph. "Hey Joe, try the coffee and tell me what you think."

"Hey Chris, morning Forest. The office coffee? Hell no, that stuff tastes worse than dirt."

"Just try it… Forest how long does it take to give an opinion on the coffee?" Forest merely just held up his hand as if saying hold on. Whatever.

"Fine fine, hand me a mug, here goes nothing." Joseph also pours himself a cup and hesitantly takes a sip. "…" he took another sip as if not believing its true. "Whoa. No way… This stuff is actually. Its really. It… its amazing!"

"That's what I thought! Somebody did something to make this coffee taste like coffee." I have to thank whoever did. "Uh Forest. Are you done?"

"Yes and I have arrived to the conclusion that it was… ok."

"…" After all that time… its just ok? "What? Even Joe said it was damn good."

"Yeah, best coffee I've had in my entire life." He reaches down to pour himself another cup. "I mean whenever I get here there's always this terrible murky black, cold substance that slightly resembles coffee. I come in early and bam! Good stuff greets me."

"Ah, no wonder you guys are usually the last ones to arrive, this is Jill's coffee, by the time you get here its long gone and Brad makes another one. I feel bad for you guys having to drink that crap."

Jill's coffee huh? Its pretty good, better than Brad's tenfold. "Yeah what do you expect Jill's good at pretty much everything."

"I'm glad you like my coffee so much Chris, and I'm actually surprised you got here early. The boys place a bet on whether you or Joseph gets here first." Jill walked into the room with a stack of paperwork in her arms and placed them on Wesker's desk, before walking back and pouring herself some coffee.

"Oh really? A bet huh?" They probably bet on Joe the most, I'm always late.

"Yeah, guilty, but its no fun anymore because everyone places their bets on Joe these days, although I try to bet on you once in a while."

"Yeah. Thanks Forest." I'm going to start coming in earlier.

"This isn't time to be lollygagging! If you have time to socialize you have time to do your paperwork!" Wesker said, walking into the office with his slicked back blond hair and dark aviator sunglasses.

" But sir, no ones even here yet!"

"Frost… you're here right? Speyer, Redfield and Valentine are here right? Even Vickers is here, standing outside of the door probably too nervous to come in. Now correct me if I'm wrong but… that isn't no one, right?" Wesker coolly walked to his desk and sat down and began to check the pile of papers Jill placed on his desk.

"Yes sir, I understand. And no I believe you are correct." Joseph sulked to his desk with his cup of coffee and began to fill out his share of paperwork.

"Thank you Frost, and Vickers get in here." Brad peeked is head inside and sheepishly walked over to his desk, along with Forest mimicking Joseph on the paperwork. Jill and I just sat at our desks and waited for the others to arrive.

I've come to realize that I have feelings for a certain someone, and she happens to be my partner. It's funny how things like this happen. One day your just happy to have such a exalted person as a partner, next your thrilled to be her friend, one who you can trust and even spend time with.

Than before you know it, your heart beats faster whenever your around the person, its like everything in your body is working in surplus to keep up with these feelings you can't contain. That at any second you feel like you will explode with this compassion inside. Its strenuous, I can't keep up anymore.

It's funny because, it only takes one diminutive thing to cause the most agony you have ever felt, one little remark and all this feeling of joy and empathy for the person can morph and shift into the most grueling, arduous feeling of torture. It only takes one simple no to alter the feeling of what could very well be love into heartbreak.

This fear of being hurt causes me to continue to endure, my mind in a unvarying battle with itself.

She can like you too! You will never know until you tell her. If she liked me wouldn't she also try to tell me?

Be a man! Tell her yourself you can't wait for things to happen for you, you need to take initiative.

And if she rejects me?

Than be proud that you had the balls to even confess.

I'm getting too obsessed over this. "Yeah that's it, I need to stop."

"Stop what Chris?" Jill walked up from behind me and stood by my side gazing over the railing onto the first floor.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself I guess." Good going, where did she even come from? …God, she looks amazing, her chestnut brown eyes always full of confidence, brunette, chin-length hair always glistening in the light. The body of a model, how did she end up in S.T.A.R.S.?

"Oh ok. Well I'll see ya tomorrow than, just finished up here. You gonna head home soon?"

"Yeah, in a bit, just got to clear something up." Not really but… I need time to myself.

"Ok bye." Jill smiled and gave a small wave as she went through the door to the stairs.

"Bye." And there she goes. I continued to stand at the railing overlooking the first floor main hall, and watched Jill as she walked out the front door, once again giving me a small wave before she walked out into the afternoon sun. I need to tell her…

I remember the day where everything went perfect, like a movie in Hollywood where mistakes were unheard of. It happened just a few weeks ago. Well, today wasn't one of those days.

My apartment has to be one of the most chaotic, disorganized places in the entire City. There are clothes strewn all over the place, empty pizza boxes litter the floor, and papers that were probably at one point in time important, cover my kitchen counter.

Its no wonder it took over half an hour just to find my car keys, and by the time I got my Mazda RX-8 out of the apartment parking lot and into the Raccoon City Police Department, I was already fifteen minutes late.

This is great Redfield, I'm sure Wesker is going to be pissed, if only you were a bit more organized. Do I really need to wait till Claire comes to clean up my apartment? No, I don't, I'm a grown-up, so act like one.

Just then, when I was walking to the front steps, it began to rain, just moments before the sky was a light grey color, so peaceful, yet now it turned a fierce shade of dark grey, the clouds piling up into black cotton puffs that looked aggressive and ominous.

In a matter of seconds I was drenched, my uniform hugging my body like a second skin, my dark brown hair only somewhat resembling the neat spikes I worked so vigorously on just this morning."My day just keeps getting better and better. Got to love rain." Yeah I certainly do, seems only bad things happen when it rains, now I'm soaked AND late. When I went to reach for the front door I noticed it was locked. Uh-oh… where's Patty when you need her.

Patricia was the secretary at the front desk who opened the door for the officers, just in case someone tried to enter without authorization, seemed like a good idea until now. Patty happened to be running an errand for the Chief.

"C'mon Patty open up I'm getting soaked, answer my buzz, c'mon I'm not in the mood for this."

"Hey Chris! Looks like I'm not the only one running late." It was Jill and she was running up to the me with her bag over her head trying to shield against the heavy droplets of rain cascading over her body and towards the ground. She looked amazing with her hair glistening and damp, her smile as if confirming she was having fun.

"Yeah looks like it, but Patty isn't answering the buzz, so we gotta wait in the rain." Jill just nodded and walked into the little park next to the building, I followed and calmly sat down on a bench and she happily accompanied me."Someone's in a good mood. Why are you grinning like that?" Not much to be happy about, even I'm in a bad mood and I'm sitting next to Jill.

"I don't know but whenever it rains it adds a mysterious aura that makes it feel as if no matter what, in the end everything could turn out right if you just play your cards. Did that make sense? I mean when it rains things seem so depressing but the most beautiful entity is the scenery after a storm."

"I think I know where you are coming from, but rain is more of a bad omen in my book." Seems that whenever it rains I lose something. Even if it's the most trivial thing. But maybe now's my chance to tell her. "Uh… Jill?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"You know things have been changing a lot lately, we just got a new recruit a while ago, Rebecca, a good kid, reminds me of my sister. You and I even got a chance to get to know each other better." C'mon just look at her, you need to show you mean it.

When I looked I saw a determinedly focused Jill staring at the ground as rain plummeted all around us. She looked lost for words, and I got nervous.

"Well… uh. I was thinking maybe things between us could change. Cause I really like you, you're a great person, fun to be around and maybe you and I cou…"

"Chris…" Oh man, so soft I could barely hear, sounding so uncertain… "I'm sorry… so sorry." With that she got up and pretty much ran to the front door. That uncertainty… its killing me.

When she buzzed, the door let out a click, guess Patty was back. Before she entered, she looked back at me once more, looked at my face with regret, probably for leaving and not hearing the rest. I'll never really know, maybe she wanted to say yes, but couldn't?

Stop kidding yourself, a rejection is a rejection. Just stop thinking about it.

I don't know how long I sat there, couldn't have been more than five minutes, but it felt like ages, eventually Joseph came out and saw me.

"Hey man, where the hell were you? Wesker is getting ready to shoot someone. Were you sitting in the rain? You're drenched!"

"What did Wesker want?" Don't think about anything else, just focus on your job. Should have stayed professional, but I wanted more. How foolish.

"No, nothing much just asking where the hell you were, saying if you didn't get your ass to your desk in five minutes your gonna be greeted with a mound of paperwork every morning... You okay man? You look a little down."

Paperwork doesn't sound so bad right about now, maybe that's what I need. "Am I okay? Yeah, at least it stopped raining…"

End

Well there you have it my little one-shot. Tell me if you liked it or not, tell me if it was confusing in any way or just didn't flow correctly. Thanks for reading, really appreciate it. Tell me if you want more one-shots or not, I really enjoyed writing this, and I/m working on my bigger stories but I've reached a problem, so these are until I decide what to do.

Note: For those who didn't catch on.

The point of the story was to show how powerful optimism can be, and Chris was a pessimist for most his life (At least in my story). Than when he finally portrayed his feelings for Jill, and she seemingly didn't accept, he realized that it wasn't over that he could still have a chance. He remembered what his father said to him and looked for the good in the seemingly bad situation. After years, he finally understood that its always not always easy to find the good, but once you do its worth it.