Full-sized cover pic here: (delete all the _ to see the link)

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(I have a dilemma. I have the first three chapters of this already finished and can upload them, but I don't know if I should all at once. Whatever the readers want, I can do. This story came as a byproduct of my PiersxChris AMV, which you can watch here

youtube._com_/watch?v=YIe26esxkwo

to give you an idea of what this story could be about in the end. You might get some hints about it in the first three chapters, but the fourth which I'm working on now definitely references it.

By the way the video isn't finished yet but I've been working on it for the last week and a half so I thought I might as well show everyone what I have done so far. Also I have a big problem with never finishing any of my stories so I apologize if something like this happens and I don't update for a really long time after a while :()

I wanted to experiment with the idea of "Can Piers really keep his cool under all situations?"

I will show a different side of Piers' and Chris' personalities that isn't elaborated on in the game. But before you think they are acting out of character at times, think about this. Piers was always strong. It never hit him as hard as it hit Chris when their soldiers were dying all around them. BUT.

What if Piers stayed in Chris' room with him in the hospital, before Chris could have a chance to escape after that certain Napad's assault gave him PTSD? Would Piers still be able to deal with the trauma like he did with the older soldiers if he saw what happened to his commander? Saw the pathetic state he was in now, sleeping on that bed with Piers unable to help him?

Something tells me he would handle it differently then.

That is the purpose of this story.

PiersxChris, and someone elsexChris that I'm not going to spoil (so read it! :D)

-x-

It's been... three hours.

Piers sighed as he checked the time again.

Five minutes ago... six minutes ago... eight minutes ago... twenty minutes ago..

Piers with some difficulty looked away from Chris, who was resting in a hospital bed after being airlifted to some local hospital in Edonia. Piers started pacing again; he just couldn't stand sitting down with his mind reeling so much. He hoped that Chris would be alright, he would be fine soon and back to his normal self, he wasn't in a coma... that wasn't possible-

He can't be in a coma, he can't be in a coma, he can't...

Piers looked at Chris again and then at the clock.

Three minutes.

Piers frowned at his new record while he stiffly walked over to the side of Chris' bed and looked down at him.

"C'mon, Captain. Wake up." He knew it was futile. He stared down at Chris coldly, who looked so helpless and un-Captainlike. A heavy pain overcame him and pounded into Piers' heart. Out of this ordeal, only Chris and himself made it out alive, and Chris only barely.

"Captain, why couldn't you shoot and defend yourself? You should have."

For some reason Piers hoped Chris would somehow wake up and answer, as ridiculous as it sounded. But Piers needed Chris to wake up. The point of his mission other than the obvious- destroying B.O.W.s and directing the new members of their squad- was protecting Chris, and Chris to a lesser extent protecting him. And look what happened. Piers got out of it with barely a scratch and a few bruises, but Chris, his Captain...

"I failed you, Captain. I'm sorry..." Piers said softly, reaching his fingers out to touch Chris' face. He still didn't stir.

"If only I reacted quicker when I saw you just stand there, not doing anything... dammit, Captain! This should have happened to me, not you!" Piers balled his hands into fists and his whole body trembled, tensing with anxiety.

"I shouldn't have trusted Finn to keep an eye on that woman! I was blinded by trying to make sure you were always safe, even though you also told me to keep an eye on her. But I didn't. I've never missed a single shot in the field, but who would've thought the first time I follow my stupid heart instead of your direct orders, this... would happen..."

Piers tightly gripped the edge of the hospital bed with his hands. He bent over and tried to suppress that tight, burning feeling in his gut that made him feel nauseous and even more angry. He gazed toward Chris' eyes, which were still closed, and Piers felt his words suddenly become filled with urgent emotion.

"Captain, I can't lose you! Everyone else is dead! If you're gone, then who the hell else is going to lead? Dammit..."

Piers felt a film of hot tears cover over his eyes, threatening to spill out, and he moaned in anguish.

"Captain, you need to live! We need to be on the battlefield together again, eliminating B.O.W.s! The world needs us. Needs you. Captain, you can't be replaced- you're the best there is. I'll never be as good as you! Captain, I need you."

Piers put his hand on Chris' arm and squeezed gently. He leaned closer down to Chris, hoping with all his might that somewhere in there Chris could hear his pleas.

"You... you're the reason I joined the BSAA! You personally picked me to be your second-in-command. Where would I be now if it weren't for you?" Piers' clouded eyes pored over Chris' slumbering body.

"I would... I would still be at target practice, like before, not going anywhere... but then you came along, no one other than the legendary Chris Redfield, to take me around the world with you to fight bioterrorism. Do you have any idea what an honor that is for me? Every day I dreamed of the opportunity to just be able to talk to you, and I was so happy when you picked me...

You didn't... you didn't even need to come up to me, you just watched me for a few minutes, and then..." Piers' tears fell down onto the bedsheets.

"Then... then you just turned to my commander and said, 'that kid shows promise. In a week he'll be in the BSAA, so get him ready'."

Piers stood up straight again and looked at Chris' face, who was still unmoving.

"... I... was so surprised by what you said that I almost dropped my rifle on the ground. Then you walked up to me and said..."

'You're going to work with me soon, so you better train hard, soldier. What's your name?'

Piers looked up into Chris' eyes with a light shining brightly within them.

'Piers. Piers Nivans.'

Chris nodded at him with a smile.

'And I'm-.'

'Chris Redfield. ...I already know.'

"Pi...inn..." Chris weakly muttered and Piers blinked in shock; so shocked he stopped breathing altogether. Had his Captain finally woken up? Piers waited expectantly for a few seconds, elated, but Chris didn't say anything else. The seconds slowly ticked by, then minutes, and Piers finally huffed an angry sigh and sat down in a chair next to the bed. He vowed to not move again until Chris did, and he wasn't going to think about anything else but him in the meantime.

He loved Chris, he knew deep in his heart that he did. But what would it matter if that person never could know that you loved them? Piers slowly closed his eyes and sank down into the chair. He would never forgive himself if Chris didn't open his eyes again. He already couldn't, and he felt like time would only make those wounds worse.

That's it. Piers was leaving the BSAA after all of this was over.