Re: uploaded. Unfortunately I was having issues with my account so I decided to try a new one. The site itself doesn't seem to like me.

I just love Chris and Jill together and have wanted to write this story for a long time. Let me know if I should continue. I just wanted to try it out on you guys and promise the chapter will be longer next time.


The entire mess had started with a summons to the Chief's office.

Jill Valentine should have known this wasn't going to be her day. Living so close to the station should have made it easy to get to work on time. Jill being Jill though, somehow still found a way to be late most every day. It was leaving quite a negative mark on her record.

She cursed when the announcement was made, realizing it was her the man wanted to see. Yep, this wasn't her day.

As she exited the S.T.A.R.S. office she could hear the none to discrete laughter of her fellow coworkers from behind her. Bastards.

Turning the corner she found the appropriately labeled door. CHIEF BRIAN IRONS was written in large black letters, making the door seem all the more menacing. Still she managed a short, yet firm knock.

"Come in," answered a gruff voice that had a layer of sliminess to it that made her shiver.

Brian Irons, a man so obviously twisted and full of corruption. Jill often wondered how someone like him could make it into the Raccoon City Police Department, much less become its Chief Officer. Although Jill was still fairly new to the force, she could think of a few more deserving of the title who would undoubtedly have done a hell of a lot better job.

Political bullshit wasn't her forte so she graciously left it to the professionals.

Putting on her well earned poker face, Jill entered the office. She was struck by the rather pungent odor the man seemed to excrete, which was multiplied tenfold in the small, stuffy room. She resisted the urge to gag.

The Chief himself was stuffed looking uncomfortably tight at his desk, not an unusual place for him to be. The man wasn't known for his great physique and Jill pitied his badly strained chair that squealed in pain every time the man so much as breathed.

"Bout time you showed up Valentine," he said, with a snarl, "When I call you to my office I mean now, not whenever you goddamn feel like it!"

"Sorry sir, it won't happen again," the reply was automatic and certainly not sincere. The grubby man could go to hell for all she cared.

"Yes see that it doesn't," he said, with only slightly less venom. "Now that your both here we can begin, I'm already late for my lunch as it is."

He threw a handful of stale looking candy into his mouth.

Both?

Sure enough standing at her right was a man she'd become accustomed to seeing almost every day. Christopher Redfield.

God I'm losing it.

Under normal circumstances, Jill would have been alert and aware of her surroundings. Years of living with a convicted felon for a father had taught her that. Today she hadn't even realized there was anyone else in the room aside from her and Irons. At only twenty four, she was too young to already be losing her touch.

Chris looked like he was trying hard to not laugh at the entrance she'd just made. She wanted to tell him in the kindest of terms to go screw himself but wasn't given the chance.

There was a loud clearing of phlegm from Irons. Having finished his snack, Jill guessed he was now ready for them. Which everyone knew was how he operated. On his own time. It wasn't as if she had a pile of paperwork that was calling her name or anything. Nope she had all the time in the world. He leaned forward positioning almost all his girth on the groaning desk.

"I'm gonna be frank with you both. You've got yourselves a new assignment. Now I'll be the first to admit you weren't my original choice." He seemed to direct this entirely at Chris, who only looked amused.

Irons Not wanting to send boyscout Redfield on a mission what a surprise.

"But it seems Captain Wesker has requested it be you two and no one else. It's not really something worth arguing about so I gave it the go ahead."

He shrugged his massive shoulders, punctuating the point of obviously not giving a damn, "Anyways this will require you both familiarizing yourselves with this place." He held up a pamphlet plastered with pictures of rather expensive looking homes, "Shadow Pines. Seems there's some suspicious behavior taking place there."

Jill opened her mouth in protest but Irons stopped her with a raised hand," I know this isn't your normal kind of work but things have been pretty slow round here. Mostly though we have reason to believe that some kind of drug paraphernalia and labs may be involved."

For it being so suspicious, Irons was pretty nonchalant, raising Jill's own suspicions.

"In a fancy housing community like that?" Chris asked, more for the sake of being a wise ass than actual doubt. Jill knew he liked to get a rise out of Irons, one of the (many) reasons the large man couldn't stand him. Irons seemed to see through the facade and while he flared his bulbous nose dangerously he didn't reply to the obvious badgering.

Jill had a feeling he was leaving something important out, "What do you mean by familiarize?"

Irons gave her a look that asked are you a moron?. "I mean know every goddamn thing there is to know about the place," he slammed the pamphlet on the desk. "And then decide where you want to put the flower pots, Valentine, cause you're gonna be living there," he sneered.

Jill's stomach dropped. No way. This was not what she'd signed up for. Undercover work was for detectives.

"You will be briefed fully by Captain Wesker. Keep in mind that if either of you jeopardize this mission in any way, you will be terminated," the smile he wore while saying this was one of unbridled pleasure, "You are dismissed and," he added with no true feeling, "Good luck."

Jill felt frozen to the floor and it took her legs a moment to respond. When she found the strength she none to gently kicked Chris' shin. Then apologized for her clumsiness.


Wesker was waiting for them when they returned.

Apparently he found the mission to be of great importance, which surprised Jill. Things like this usually flew under the man's radar being sent to departments with more expendable man power. Pulling S.T.A.R.S. members to do menial group police/detective work was not the norm. Being able to work search and rescue was one of the things that has drawn her to the job in the first place. That and it kept her out of the big house.

Wesker handed them both folders filled with information explaining that they would be stationed at Shadow Pines under aliases. Reading over the the first few pages sent Jill into shock. No freaking way. Reading further, the feeling of shock quickly escalated to anger.

Unlike Chris, her selection wasn't because she proved any real use to the mission. Being the lone female in their division, she was an obligatory choice. Meaning she was the only one who could play the part of Nancy Miller. Wife to one mister Mark Miller. She was a pretty addition or at best simply backup for Chris.

She read over the pages again and was madder even still.

Chancing a quick glance at her new partner, Jill was mortified to see not an ounce of shock was present on Chris' face. Reading calmly through through each page, he seemed more bored then anything...which only pissed her off more.

Did no one see the injustice of this at all?

"Sir I don't think..." she began.

"It's already been arranged Jill," Weskers voice was flat and left no room for argument, "You may not believe it but you're more important to this mission than you think."

Jill wondered if she should be bothered by the fact that the man somehow knowing exactly what she was thinking didn't faze her at all. Along with those sunglasses he refused to remove Albert Wesker was in and of himself a man shrouded in mystery.

In any case there really was not point in even trying. She had no doubt the man would simply suspend her until she agreed and Jill had no desire to live off ramen noodles or resort to burning cardboard because she couldn't pay the heating bill.

"I trust you both will be packed and ready by tomorrow. You leave at 0700 hours. Don't be late," Jill swore he glanced at her when saying this but with those shaded eyes it was hard to tell.