Be my Valentine
Chapter 1 – Predicting the next days
A consolation to an apparent end of Umbrella. A cruise as a reward for the only survivors of STARS and UBCS Carlos, Jill and Barry won a luxury cruise that would pass through the west side of the Caribbean. Of course they wouldn't the only ones survivors of Raccoon City. Some people have left the city before the missile warning, others were traitor who don't deserve any money or a trip like this.
Jill got a little happy to earn this great gift. 5 days in a luxury cruise for have discovered the dirty rotten secrets of Umbrella and have escaped the city. Mikhail would also win this cruise if he had survived. He was hurt, but he didn't want to do nothing. He defeated the zombies who approached the trolley, he died bravely to save Jill and Carlos' life. Unfortunately, the grenade that exploded inside the trolley and threw Nemesis out was not enough to kill the monster, but Carlos won't forget this act of courage. But one thing he was sure: It was better for Mikhail have died in his own hands than do be killed by Nicholai, that traitor Nicholai.
Jill was in the line to get aboard on the ship. She was waiting for Carlos. "Why is he taking so long?" she thought. While waiting for Carlos, her mind was producing some flashbacks of moments soon after the city was destroyed. She was in the helicopter with Carlos and within minutes a bomb wiped the city off the map. She was not born in Raccoon City, but she was already living there for so long that it had created some kind of bond with that city. She recalled how she was proud of being a S.T.A.R.S., and then she remembered that ugly thing who chased her a lot. "Nemesis". She remembered when she was in the helicopter there was a moment she was almost crying. She had spent so many hours being alerted for monsters and not to die that all this time she hardly could express her feelings. A teardrop trickled down her face as she looked through the window of the helicopter. Barry was talking something with Carlos, but she was not paying attention. Suddenly, Carlos looked at Jill and realized she was crying. He approached and asked if she was okay. She said she was just sad and he hugged her and said: "If I can do anything to end this sadness, tell me so I will try to help you" and he kissed Jill's forehead.
- TAKE A LOOK AT THIS – Barry said while holding a pamphlet of the cruise – They have a wave pool
Jill came to herself and her memories were dispersed with Barry's voice.
- I didn't know they have a wave pool!
- I hate waves, I have no lucky with waves. I will just stay in the non-waves pools – she said calmly.
- Well, I'll take the advantage of everything we can use that is for free for us… And I also will take an advantage that I'm still young, that I still can move my legs and arms… One day, I will retire and what will be left for me is paint pictures!
Jill smiled while she was saying "no" with her head. She wondered Barry painting pictures, making an exhibition in his home while his daughters probably would say that the pictures are boring. She looked at her watch and looked at the end of the line. There were 10 people behind her and Carlos didn't appear. She looked at all over place and couldn't find him. She knew that Carlos would have to bypass the queue and maybe those 10 people might get angry.
And then she saw Carlos. He was wearing a white button shirt with short sleeves and a black shorts. He was also with a brown dockside shoes very discreet and sunglasses. Carrying his bag with his right hand with a super carefree way.
Jill felt "butterflies in her stomach" when she saw Carlos. He looked like some Hollywood actor ready to be chased by paparazzi. Carlos saw Jill and said a inaudible "hey", maybe she wouldn't understand that "hey" is she shouldn't read his lips. Jill felt more butterflies in her belly and felt her cheeks getting pink. "Why am I feeling like this? Why I am so shy? Just because Carlos looks extremely different and beautiful?" Jill thought a little nervous.
- Look, if isn't our golden boy – Barry said while Carlos was giving his last steps to approach them.
- Sorry my late arrival – he hugged Barry and then warmly hugged Jill, without taking his eyes off of the ship. – It's a huge ship! I never entered in one of these! – He now kissed Jill's head and heard the people in the line complaining because he wasn't at the end of the line. He ignored because they would be the next to enter the ship.
They gave their tickets to a man who was waiting in a narrow catwalk between the ship and the port. They entered the ship and were conducted to their bedrooms. They got separated when they entered in their own rooms. Jill opened her eyes wildly to see one of the most beautiful bedroom she have ever seen. It doesn't look like a ship's bedroom, it looked like a hotel's room near the beach, but the rounded windows reminded her she was in a ship. The floor color was beige, the ceiling were white, the doors were made of wood, just like the furniture. And all the decoration was based on the colors: brown, white, black, orange and beige. The bed was a double bed and there was six pillows ordered by size: the bigger ones were white, the middle ones were brown and the smaller ones were orange. There was a white table lamp above the bedside table at the left of the bed. The window was on the right of the bed, and it was a little covered by the beige curtains. There was a television of 50inch in front of the bed, well secured in an alcove in the wall.
Jill dropped her big bag over the bed and walked to the rounded window still admired with everything. She looked through the window and saw a part of Los Angeles. She heard someone knocking the door and went opening it. It was Carlos, still with his dark glasses, making him look irresistible.
- Can you believe it in all this, Jill? I thought I would never get the chance to lodged myself in a place like this! – he walked to the rounded window where Jill was. He rested his arm on top of the window and looked to the sea – But this is the minimum they could do after an entire city were contaminated because of Umbrella!
Jill approached the TV and observed Carlos. She looked down and asked:
- What are you going to do from now on, as you are not working with those butchers of Umbrella?
- Well… Maybe I come back to Brazil. When I entered in Umbrella's army, I left Brazil and went directly here to train myself. Jill, this is all pretty ironic to me, you know… Umbrella is responsible for all those virus, Umbrella sends a team to rescue the civilians, but in each team, there were traitors, and it was Umbrella who sent monsters to test their own creations? – Carlos looked to Jill with an indignation look – This is madness. And this kinda get me a little traumatized. I have nightmares every night… - Carlos looked down and remembered of the zombies in the streets, Nicholai shooting Tyrell, Nemesis in the clock tower, Jill infected with the T-virus… - If there is any trails of Umbrella, you can count on me. But I guess everything is ok now. At least, I guess…
Jill was quiet thinking in Chris. He was gone for a long time. Something was wrong. Even Chris' sister was disappeared. Jill would restore her strength to know what happened to her S.T.A.R.S. friend. By the way, Chris also deserve this trip.
- Jill? Jill? – Carlos asked while he was approaching.
- Hm? What? – she asked a little frightened.
- I said "Let's have some positive thoughts about this, right?" and you didn't respond. Are you worried with something? – he got closer and put his hands on her shoulders.
- No – she was still looking to the floor – sorry, Carlos, but when you said that you have nightmares every night, well, I kinda have too.
- Hey – Carlos lifted Jill's head by her chin and made her look to him – you are a strong woman and I know you will get through this. You told me that you have passed by another tough situation 2 months before Raccoon be destroyed, in that mansion on the outskirts of the city. You got okay, you and Barry survived, you survived once again… - he smiled and then Jill smiled – I know you can get through. Hey, we are in a luxury ship, we are here to distract ourselves and have some peace moments. We can't be paranoid and… - he passed his hand on Jill's face – I don't want you depressed or paranoid with this whole situation. You deserve a rest.
- Thank you, Carlos. I will try to distract myself. Thank you once again for being so understanding – she smiled and looked to both sides a little shy.
Carlos approached his face a little close to hers and said:
- Hey, what about we play poker tonight at the casino? And then we could have a dinner… Remember you said you owned me right after I saved you from all those zombies in the dead factory? Well, too bad you said that, because I'm going to charge.
- You can charge, I accept. I play with you and we can have dinner.
Carlos looked to Jill's lips. They were too close and he was almost kissing her. He was bewitched by her beauty since he first saw her in Raccoon City. That's why he said something so stupid after he met her. He insinuated that Jill wanted to ask him out in a middle of a city called Raccoon City, full of monsters. But he thought he would died, that's why he said that. When Carlos took courage to kiss Jill, they heard a knock on the door. It was Barry and he was saying "Jill? Jill?". Carlos stepped back from Jill.
- I'm coming, Barry! – Jill yelled.
- I see you at lunch, you, me and Barry. I think he wants to be friends with me – Carlos smiled and got a little surprised to see Jill was still in her place, not going to open the door for Barry.
- Well, it would be cool to hear something of your Brazilian past – she smiled and squeezed Carlos' nose with her fingers.
Carlos laughed and gave a quick kiss on Jill's cheek.
- See you later.
He walked to the door and opened it. Barry was surprised to see Carlos in Jill's bedroom. He thought saying something like "Am I interrupting?" but he chose to be quiet. Carlos said something quickly to Barry and went to his own room.
- Jill, I have said to Carlos that we could have lunch in a restaurant called "Nautilus". In the pamphlet, it looks like to be better than a restaurant called "Admiral Benbow".
Jill was trying to control herself to not to laugh of shyness and excitement because of Carlos.
- Yes, Barry, Nautilus looks great! Actually, you will be our guide in this ship.
Barry smiled with satisfaction. He said goodbye to Jill and left her room. Jill threw herself in her bed and covered her face with both hands. She reflected that soon or later she would make out with Carlos. Then, she thought in how she used to think Carlos was cocky when she first saw him. But there was something on him that she liked: his loyalty. Every his effort to survive that town with her was something gratifying. He went to Raccoon's hospital to prepare an antidote of the T-virus just to save her and he almost died because of Nicholai. What if Carlos had died? She would have become a zombie. But there was something else that Jill likes in Carlos… Maybe it's his accent. It gives him an exotic "air", an air of "I want to know more about you". And he knew how to be sexy when he wasn't working on field.