Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Resident Evil. The title of the story comes from a song/album belonging to the band From Autumn to Ashes and the title of this chapter comes from a song by Death Cab For Cutie; I don't own anything associated with either of the bands, however, the story is mine.

The Fiction We Live

Chapter One: A Lack of Color

Tires crunched across the loose gravel in front of the desolate compound as Chris Redfield kept one foot pressed down on the brake, and moved the other against the accelerator every few seconds. Anxiousness had long since set in as his bloodshot eyes darted from the view of the compound, to the small clock above various buttons for a radio no one ever bothered to touch since the car was used mainly for when they were on specific missions such as these. Ever since Umbrella had been destroyed, getting back to a somewhat normal life had proved a bit harder than everyone had hoped it would be. All agreed they wanted things to settle down, but none could resist of the urge of doing what it seemed was just simply in the cards for them. So, the government had sprung for funding a new unit of S.T.A.R.S. to be formed, making the survivors all leaders so that it could be used for what it was intended for in the first place. Except for the fact that this unit wasn't just a small force in a police station, it grew into a league of its own. It was satisfying, but had put a new meaning to the word stress.

Now, Chris sat waiting on his sister, Claire Redfield, and Jill Valentine to exit the building with what was hopefully a safe attempt at checking out the inside of a building where a suspected drug run was going to be later that night. He sighed, thinking of how stubborn both women could be, especially when put together and was thankful that Rebecca Chambers was back at the office with Carlos Oliveira and Leon Kennedy. All three women together was enough to handle even when he was with the other two men.

"I'm giving you two more minutes." He grumbled through gritted teeth. His hands clenched over the steering wheel, trying to resist darting off into the building after his sister and lover. He'd heard their speech on how he should know by now they could handle themselves and how overprotective he could be enough times to get him through; he didn't need to hear it another.

Glancing down at the clock, he saw their two minutes was up. His hand swiftly pulled a handgun from the beneath the driver's seat as his other opened the door. Just as he stood up straight and peered over the dark hood of the Honda, he saw Jill and Claire exiting the building, both with suspicious glares.

"Shit."

"Redfield, please tell me you weren't about to come storming into an empty building where there was absolutely no danger after us?" Jill's arched eyebrow corresponded with her stern tone.

Before Chris could answer, Claire's voice responded. "Yeah, right. Chris not try to play hero? That'll be the day."

"Don't start, Claire."

"Shut up, Chris."

"It's 6:22 in the morning, it is way too early for the two of you to start this bullshit. Chris, get in and drive." Jill glared at the siblings. She'd gotten used to the bickering that never ceased.

Chris obeyed and Claire climbed into the backseat, resting her head against the tinted window and shutting her eyes. Jill scoffed as Chris placed the gun back under his seat and put the car in gear to head back to the office. It was only a half hour drive, but the group had been awake all night making Chris wish he wasn't the one driving as he saw his sister already beginning to fall asleep. Jill was silent, a content look in her eyes as she watched the sun beginning to rise over California's calm horizon. He shook his head, now wanting nothing more than to go home and sleep knowing she was right next to him.

"It's going to be a long day." She mumbled.

"Indeed it is."

"I'm leaving early - no, we're leaving early."

Chris chuckled. "Why we? Someone has to stay back and make sure these idiots stay in line."

"We can handle ourselves while you and Jill go home and have sex, Chris. It's really no problem." Claire's voice floated from the back.

"Fuck you, Claire." Jill said, trying not to laugh at the younger Redfield's bluntness.

"That's what you have Chris for, besides, Leon might get angry."

Leon sat at his computer, glancing down at a few files spread across the disheveled top of his desk. They were nothing important really, but he figured if he made himself look busy enough, he wouldn't be asked to do any real work. The small, printed type blurred together as his eyes were beginning to sting. No one got any sleep anymore, or any time to relax at all for that matter. This was supposed to be a step down from what the team was used to, but the lack of sleep and of a normal life was still present.

"I've got to get more sleep." Leon thought to himself as he felt the deprivation tugging at his worn out body. He and Chris had been working overtime every night, trying to get ahead so that a surprise vacation the guys had been planning for weeks could be pulled off. However, Carlos had escaped helping out by begging to be able to spend more time with Rebecca...due to the fact that he was going to propose on this vacation, if they could ever get things in motion.

"They've been gone like two hours now, guys. Shouldn't someone radio in?" The soft voice of Rebecca filtered into Leon's half-dozed state.

"Carlos was supposed to be the one doing the check ups, not me." Leon mumbled.

"He's asleep."

Leon turned around in his chair, seeing the Hispanic resting softly against his desk. "That bastard." He grumbled and stood up, stretching the exhaustion out of his muscles. Calmy walking toward the sleeping man, he rested his fingers against the cool steel of the top of the desk. Leon drummed a steady pattern out, before leaning down closely to Carlos's ear. "CARLOS GET YOUR ASS UP!" He roared.

Carlos was up with a start; sleepy mocha eyes glaring back at Leon's baby blues. "Kennedy, you're an asshole."

"I've got a few names I could come up with to call you," Leon sighed over Rebecca's soft laughter. "Anyway, call in and check on the others. They should've been back by now."

Carlos nodded in affirmation, but stopped before he made the call when he saw the heavy door into the office swing open. "Hey, look! I found them!"

"Shut up." Leon grumbled, obviously aggravated.

"...what's wrong with him?" Carlos turned to the youngest of them all.

"Hell if I know." He lied, feeling awkward and guilty at the same time. He knew all the work was causing Leon and Chris both stress, not to mention strain on their own relationships, but they had offered to help out, after all.

Rebecca was going to question her boyfriend's reply, but was cut off as the remaining pieces of their tight knit group made their presence fully known.

"Christopher, I swear to God if you don't shut the fuck up - "

"Claire, shut it," Jill glared at the younger Redfield and quickly turned to the eldest before he could reply. "No. You shut up, too."

"Long morning?" Leon stepped forward, watching as Claire and Chris started each other down.

"What gave you that idea?" Jill asked sarcastically.

Leon put his hands up as a signal of defeat and followed Claire, who had exited the office again, out of the room. Jill turned back around glaring at Chris who was sitting at his desk, rubbing his temples. Carlos and Rebecca took this as their cue to leave, and quickly made their way out of the room in the wake of Claire and Leon.

Jill stood with her hands on her hips, now admiring Chris rather than glaring. He hadn't put gel in his hair the last couple days being too tired to do much more than roll out of bed and get dressed, so the dark locks fell against his head. A light stubble was beginning to form, and dark circles imparted his soft grey eyes. He looked absolutely worn out, but it was nothing compared to what she'd seen him like before. Broken and bloody; driven almost insane by the Umbrella ordeal. A lump formed in her throat at the harrowing memories, and Jill blinked back the flashes of what had all ended only half a year ago.

"Jill, I'm sorry about all that...I don't know why we bicker like we do. We're siblings, but it's been worse lately."

He still hadn't shifted his gaze at her, and Jill began twisting the engagement ring around her finger. "I know, I think it's because you're doing nothing but working anymore."

"Maybe, but she's not."

"You provoke her sometimes, and that doesn't matter. She misses Leon, too."

Chris rubbed a calloused hand down his unshaven face. "I'm gone just as much as him and you're not flipping out or anything."

Jill sighed, more emotions being unknowingly pulled to the surface. "Maybe I have better control over my temper than the Redfields."

"Who doesn't?" Chris looked up at Jill. "Is it bothering you?"

"What?" Jill feigned naivety.

"Me working like this. I'm not doing it on purpose."

"Now's not the time to discuss it, Chris. At home." She ended her sentence as everyone else came back into the room, leaving Chris slightly confused and still angry.

The day slowly wore on as more people filed into the offices, but the tension that was there for some known, but mostly unconcluded, reasons resonated everywhere. This was a change from the normally welcoming atmosphere. It was no secret how close the team was, anyone who worked in the new offices could figure that much out. Now, instead of joking between friends, there was nothing but aggravated silence.

By the time everyone had decided to leave except for Leon and Chris, Jill and Claire had decided to go out to dinner for a much needed talk. Carlos and Rebecca had left quickly, leaving nothing to the imagination of the others. There was something completely wrong with this situation. It would seem Leon and Chris were distancing themselves from everyone, except for each other.

"They're up to something," Claire glanced up at Jill from her drink. "Why else would they do that?"

"What the hell could they be doing, though?" Jill asked, shaking her head.

"Who knows. It's those two, anything is possible."

"Yeah, well, it better be really fucking great because I don't think I've had a civil conversation with your brother in at least two weeks." Jill muttered.

Claire arched an eyebrow. "Want to explain that a little further?" The frustration in Jill's voice was undeniable, and it worried her slightly. There was obvious strain on her brother's relationship, and being the asshole he could be, he probably didn't even realize it.

"I don't know...you know how Chris can be. Whatever he and Leon are doing, they're not ever around anymore. Doesn't it bother you? Them getting in so late?"

"Yes and no. I mean...he wakes me up whenever he comes in, but we talked about it and he said it was for a really good reason and it'd be worth it in the long run."

Jill sighed. "Chris hasn't even said a word about it to me."

"Ask him about it then. I'm sure you can...work it out of him somehow." Claire grimaced slightly.

"What and you can't?"

"It hasn't been working!"

Jill shook her head. "Chris can barely get out of bed in the morning anyway because he's so tired."

"I don't think he'd turn you down, Jill. Now let's go home before we get into too much...detail."

Chris typed furiously, trying to finish the reports that would need to be filed in a quicker time than what they'd been doing. He was exhausted, and tired of sneaking into his own house in fear of waking Jill up. The clock in the right hand corner of his computer desktop showed it was nearly one in the morning, telling him he'd be sneaking in once again. He sighed, letting his fingers rest against the keys for a minute. In two days they could leave for this vacation, if Jill didn't kill him first. Obviously, spending time apart had weakened their relationship, again. She wanted him there and he wanted to be there.

A soft snore caused Chris to divert his grey eyes over at Leon, who had fallen asleep at his desk. He stood up, and lazily walked over to where the young man was resting. He tapped him on the shoulder, whispering for him to go home and that he'd finish everything up.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Now go."

And Leon was out of there, unsurprisingly fast. Chris shook his head, anxiously tapping a pen against the top of his desk and thinking of what Jill was doing. She was more than likely asleep...alone.

"So much for being the perfect fiance, Redfield." Chris chided himself.

It'd been at least two weeks since they'd been even been remotely affectionate toward each other, and he thought coming home and not waking Jill up would be hard, until the aftermath of exhaustion set in. Running a hand through his barely gelled hair, he stood up, deciding he was going to leave as well. There wasn't much left to do anyway.

He followed in the wake of Leon's departure, and jogged out to his car. It would be a short drive to home, and he wanted to take a shower and completely pass out. Resting his tired muscles into the leather of the seat, he rubbed at his eyes furiously to try and cease the stinging. Sleep would come soon, if he could just make it home.

The roads were lonely, desolate in the cool night air as Chris barely focused on his surroundings, determined to get home and talk to Jill. It had been made obvious earlier that his time away from home was a problem. He'd never thought to discuss it with her, hoping she wouldn't be too bent out of shape with his sister around to keep her occupied as well. Unless Claire and Leon were in the same boat...

Shaking his head, he parked the car next to Jill's and jogged up the front steps into his two story home. It was cold inside the house and Chris regretted pulling most of his uniform off as he made his way up the steps in the foyer and down the hall to his and Jill's bedroom. She left the door open for him almost every night he was gone, so he could see her sleeping form before he even got fully into the room. He slipped his boots off, and pulled off the thick pants and his t shirt, gratefully slipping under the covers.

She didn't so much as stir and he grinned, deciding to try and be a little bit playful to wake her up. A warm hand slipped over her bare stomach, and he caressed lightly as he moved his lips down to the nape of her neck, whispering for her to wake up as the hand slid down to her thigh. Jill was awake at this point, twisting her body around to face him.

"You're home...earlier," She mumbled, trying to avoid his distracting hands. "And obviously more awake than usual."

"I don't like being away from you, at all. I hate it. I sent Leon home early, and followed right behind." His hands were still teasing.

"What's the point in working so much? I know we're not behind on anything."

"It's a surprise." He whispered, his mouth dragging back down her neck.

Despite the fact she'd been irritated with him for most of the two weeks he'd been M.I.A. from their home at night, and the fact he was being mysterious about something she was entirely curious about, she let it slide as she'd missed everything about him. He pressed himself against her, and she could tell he was restraining with a great deal of strength to not immediately jump right into the act. Jill opened her eyes, and saw Chris smirking back up at her as he crawled back up closer to her face. He kissed her, his teeth raking against the bottom of her lip before tongues collided.

"I love you." She heard him whisper before he was nibbling at her ear, and back to an assault on her collarbone.

If he was going to deprive her of not only him, but what she wanted to know, he was definitely not going to get the upper hand, she decided.

She raked her hands through his soft hair, guiding his lips away from the top of her pajama pants and back up to face her. Chris caught the mischevious glint in her eyes right before she forced him under her. Starting to trail light kisses along his jawbone, she worked toward his waistline. She pulled back on the cotton, enjoying him squirm beneath her touch.

"That's not very fair, Valentine." He choked out as she straddled his waist, teasing him more.

"If we're playing by the rules...then that calls for disqualification!" Jill said, removing herself from atop of him. She climbed off the bed, and didn't so much get a step out of the bedroom before Chris's arms were wrapped around her waist, his lips brushing across the back off her neck softly.

"Chris..." She moaned as he walked them both backwards toward the bed. She again tugged at the material of his boxers, working them off of him as he helped slide them down the rest of the way. He slipped his fingers down, pulling her bottoms off until just thin cotton seperated them.

She wouldn't be lonely tonight.

At the office that morning, a better mood had fallen over the workplace. Rebecca noticed this, but didn't dare question how things had been lately. The youngest on the team had no idea of Chris and Leon's overtime, or the complaints Jill and Claire made of it. All she knew was that Carlos had been acting strange, and it had started around the time everyone's bad mood seemed to fall. She had a feeling that the two were linked in some way.

"Hey Jill, I was wondering if you were taking lunch today?"

Jill looked up from the stats on her computer screen and replied, "I can, why?"

"I need to talk to you and Claire about Carlos." Rebecca answered quietly.

Jill arched a sculpted eyebrow and Claire slid back in her chair to join the conversation.

"What about him?"

"He's just been different lately." Rebecca met Claire's inquisitve gaze.

"We'll do a seperate lunch from the guys then." Jill said, glancing over where their counterparts were.

"Chris, I've got the issue on last night here if you want to look over it." Leon held a small folder in his hand, still blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Need some coffee?" Chris chuckled, taking the file from the younger man.

"That might be nice. You're in a good mood." He stated, raising his eyebrows in a knowing manner.

"That I am. Coffee does sound good."

"I was about to run get some for myself, I'll get it for you." Carlos called over his shoulder, jogging out of the office. He was always in a rush to do something, especially favors for the two to try and keep the resentment to a low level at that point in time.

Leon shrugged and sat back down at his desk, looking over to where Rebecca, Jill, and Claire were congregated. Sometimes, that was something he and his other two male friends needed to worry about, so curiousity set in. That is until Claire caught his watchful expression. Her grey eyes narrowed, striking a fear only she could impress upon him.

"What is it, Kennedy?"

"Can I not admire my future wife's beauty?" He smirked.

"Nice try," Jill laughed, stepping aside to attend to her ringing phone.

"Oh come on, it couldn't be important enough for me not to know," Leon persisted.

"Lunch plans are classified, Leon. Even Carlos has caught onto that." Rebecca's comment caused Leon to chuckle as he made his way toward a now standing Claire.

"I thought we could have lunch at home today..." He trailed off suggestively winking.

"Something in your eye?" She gave a wink of her own and sat back down.

"I think it's safe to say you were officially shut down, amigo," Carlos handed Leon a steaming styrofoam cup as the former rookie cop glared back with the equivalence of a silent death threat. "Hey man, look at this way...we don't ever get a boy's night out anymore. We get an hour and a half of time to ourselves today."

"Think about the last time you got laid, and the last time I did. Now, which would you prefer? Lunch with the boys...or a more private lunch?"

"Point taken."

Leon shook his head and sipped the dark liquid from his cup, restraining the urge to strangle his foreign friend. He and Chris had agreed to help, but the consequences were definitely making him question whether or not it was worth it.

"Lunch might be a tad delayed, anyway. There's a call in about some robbery across town, they want back up." Jill's adrenaline laced voice caused a stir in the office as Chris sighed and began to call in on the rest of his team.

"See? You wouldn't have had the chance to get any anyway!" Carlos called over his shoulder as he rushed out of the office before Leon had the chance to cause harm as he sighed.

"It's going to be another long day."

Author's Note: Well...I'm back? It's been a while, I can say that much. I think this one's going to be sort of slow getting started, and I can't even promise that I'll finish this. I just figured a lot of the old writers had disappeared, and I kept saying I had something going so...here you go? It's kind of dark starting off...you don't see it as a classic vacation story, and it's not going to be. The strained undertones will become more evident later on, but there'll still be humor. Nothing quite as dark and eventful as my last couple of stories, but definitely not as bright as my first two. We'll say it falls in between. I told you I'd have something, Dale. Hope everyone liked it, and reviews would be great.