I'm sorry for the long wait. I have been busy with many not so unicorny issues lately and I haven't written anything in days. My dearest friends Sofistinha and Adonna2424 are quite busy too, so I appreciate their help even more.
Thanks a lot for reading. I hope you keep enjoying the story, even though I'm throwing a lot of shit onto the characters. If you want to share any thoughts with me, you know where to find me :)
This chapter gives us a break from all the action. We will see Jill rise. How are they all going to deal with the loss of their favorite redhead? We will soon find out.
This chapter and especially the flashback is for Lady T.
Enjoy!
Piers walked through the hallway in a hurry. The director had set a meeting to discuss their tactics for the extremely concerning situation in Eastern Europe, and it would probably end in the decision to send all the North American B.S.A.A. forces, from Alpha to Echo, to secure the zone if the use of B.O.W.s in the Edonian civil war was confirmed. Piers had looked for Captain Redfield in his office, several meeting rooms and the cafeteria, but he couldn't find his supervisor anywhere in the B.S.A.A. facilities. Neither did Chris respond to his phone calls, which meant he was probably still in the building. But where? If he wouldn't find him in the gym he'd have to use the speaker system to call him.
As he walked down the hall to the gym, the screaming growls of a crowd reached his ears. They were clearly rooting for someone. Were the rookies fighting against each other again? Piers accelerated his pace as his annoyance increased. He would not permit such a childish behavior among B.S.A.A. soldiers. His jaw dropped as watched about twenty soldiers standing around the combat cage one of the advisors had installed to train the men's reflexes in the use of different types or martial arts. Not that he knew much about martial arts. Like most of the soldiers there, he was a shooter, had excellent stamina, and was a pretty good boxer. His left hook had put many enemies down. But director Johnson believed that knowledge of other fighting techniques weren't necessary when a gun and a left hook accomplished the mission. Jill Valentine, who had been pointing out the men's lack of flexibility and agile moves, had to disagree, so it didn't surprise him to find her in that cage, in a tight, blue sports bra and black yoga pants, moving smoothly around the cage like a cat on the prowl. Her opponent, though, was unexpected.
"Captain?"
Chris Redfield usually agreed with his girlfriend about the use of new methods and tactics that could give them the advantage and improve their odds of survival, but Piers knew he had been hesitant about the training. However, he seemed to be enjoying this little fight with Jill.
"The only way she can win this is by letting her boobs pop out," some rookie told another one right as Piers walked up behind them.
"I'd like to see that!" The other replied. "I've never known a chick with such hot curves." Slowly, Piers put his hands on their shoulders and gave them a look that could kill.
"You better show more respect. That woman is one of the founding members and she would kick the shit out of you if she heard you speak like that. That is, if I don't take care of you beforehand."
The two men put their heads down,looking embarrassed.
"Yes, Lieutenant Nivans."
Piers grimaced. He would have to tell Captain Redfield to show the men more discipline instead of giving them little shows like this. In the cage, Chris and Jill were already jumping onto one another, kicking, hitting, punching and dodging each other's moves. Chris was strong and had a height and weight advantage. It would probably be nothing to him to throw Jill onto the mat, that is, if he could catch her. Valentine was fast and very flexible and she used every possible surface as a jumping board to attack Chris.
The truth was, if Jill Valentine moved in bed like she did in the cage, the Captain was a lucky bastard. Piers shook his head to get the idea out of his mind.
"Focus Nivans," he muttered as he watched Jill jump against the cage and catapult herself against Chris. If he hadn't seen her coming or if he had underestimated her power wasn't easy to tell from where Piers stood, but the fact was that she had caught him and was literally choking him into submission.
"A rear naked choke!" Someone from among the crowd yelped and the room went silent as they watched Jill Valentine choke Chris Redfield to the point of unconsciousness.
And he wouldn't give up.
"You stubborn idiot," Jill laughed. "Tap out!"
His forced "No" came out in a silent cough before his head fell onto the mat and the crowd held their breath. Jill let go startled and jumped onto her feet, calling his name until he opened his eyes again. The crowd went crazy. The men laughed and growled, applauding the amazing moves of Jill Valentine.
"Oh my God, Captain," one of the guys from Alpha team roared. "You're lucky B.O.W.s don't do martial arts."
Chris rolled onto his back and watched Jill above him, smiling shamelessly.
"Well, not yet! But we have to be prepared for anything." He yelled as the blonde stretched her arm and offered him her hand to pull him up onto his feet. "But B.O.W.s aren't usually that beautiful either," he whispered as soon as he stood.
Jill rolled her eyes and checked that nobody had heard him. "You alright?" she whispered.
"I couldn't be better," he replied. "Well done, baby. You really took my breath away." He laughed.
Piers watched them on the mat and couldn't help thinking of Claire. They had ended their secret relationship just two days ago because of his career in the B.S.A.A. and how closely he worked with her brother. But seeing how Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine handled their professional and private life, he thought that the Captain might understand his situation.
Whatever, right now, they had to wait what would happen in Europe and if they'd be sent to Edonia.
He'd talk to Claire as soon as the conflict was over.
- IX-
The Nowhere
Rory Williams followed Jill Valentine-Redfield through the hospital halls like a puppy. In the three years he had been with the B.S.A.A., he hadn't had the pleasure to work with her very often. Especially since she had announced her pregnancy, followed by a maternity leave and her eventual retirement from active duty, Jill had only showed up at headquarters to visit her husband or to attend important meetings with the directors. But the times he had been training with Valentine's Intelligence Unit, Jill had proven to be one hell of a leader. Now that Chris was down, and no one knew when he'd be fit for combat again, Jill was taking over the tactical leadership of the Alpha Team. Nobody had asked her to, but no one would ever dare discuss if she was qualified for the task or who was taking care of her little daughter while she was at the B.S.A.A.
Rory was in charge of the active operative part of Alpha Team's leadership. That had been Valentine's wish. As a response to his question why she had chosen him, she had explained that he reminded her of someone.
"Piers Nivans?" he had asked. Ever since he had joined Alpha Team, he had been repeatedly told how much he resembled Chris' late second-in-command. Being compared to the brave lieutenant who had given his life so selflessly in China was both an honor and a curse, since his own skills weren't being recognized as if they were his own, it was Nivans legacy that haunted him'.
"Chris Redfield." Jill had smirked at him and Rory had smiled, almost shyly.
Together they had coordinated the search for remaining B.O.W.s and samples once the fire had been extinguished. As long as there was a biological threat, the B.S.A.A. and the D.S.O. were the only authorized units to take care of the zone and Jill had instructed the team to search for the remains of Claire Redfield before the police would get involved. It was almost dawn when Rory and Jill got back to the hospital after receiving the news that Chris Redfield was awake and stable. Rory was on the phone with one of his men.
"I see," he murmured. "Yes, I get that. I'll see if we can get you more containers." He looked at Jill as he covered the speaker. "They are removing B.O.W.s at such a quick pace that we'll soon run out of space in our waste disposal containers and the ones requested from TerraSave have still not arrived."
The B.S.A.A. had biohazard containers for the transport of biological remains of outbreaks. Only two of them were in New York. It was usually enough to clean laboratories and secure zones after the detection of B.O.W.s in the area. In case of an outbreak or major event, TerraSave would usually provide more containers, but right now the organization was in chaos with the recent attack on their headquarters.
Jill's eyes opened wide. "I'll go pay them a visit and see how I can help." Rory reached for her arm.
"You go see Chris." He smiled at her. "I'll see if I can get TerraSave to speed up the process."
Jill gave him a thankful nod. "Keep me updated. I'll get back to the bay as soon as I make sure Chris is alright."
Rory shook his head.
"Stay with him, Jill. And get some rest. I'll check on the Alpha and Bravo Teams when I get the containers. I'll see you in the morning, fully charged and ready for action." He winked at her. "Also, the Captain needs your support now more than ever."
Jill couldn't help but smile. Rory Williams reminded her of Chris in his days at S.T.A.R.S., and that was indeed something he had in common with Piers Nivans too. But it was Chris. It was Chris behind their commitment, ready to do anything to protect his team and complete his mission, supporting them, supporting her. She nodded at him.
"Thank you, Rory."
"Officer Valentine-" He narrowed his eyes and corrected himself, smirking slightly. "Redfield. Officer Valentine-Redfield."
As he turned on his feet, she bumped into a blonde woman who came running down the hall.
"Oh god. Sorry." She excused herself.
"Sherry?" Jill recognized her immediately.
"Jill!" The young agent threw her arms around Jill's neck and hugged her tightly. "I came as soon as I could. Where are they? The B.S.A.A. men told me they had all been brought to the hospital."
Jill nodded in concern and pointed two different directions.
"Leon is still unconscious, but he's out of danger they say. He's in room 305. Jake is fine. He's downstairs in room 288." She smiled sadly. "Your friend is a very tough guy."
Sherry gave her a thankful nod and smiled. She figured Jake complaining about being held in a hospital - in America.
"And Claire?"
Rory's jaw dropped as he and Jill stared at the young woman. She looked down and touched Sherry's shoulder with her fingertips, afraid of breaking her.
"Sherry, listen," she whispered as she turned her towards the closest bench. Sherry's wide eyes stared at her in concern as tears filled Jill's eyes. "Claire...didn't make it."
She looked back at her, her face was like a porcelain doll. Emotionless and pale. Only after what seemed like an eternity, she shook her head in disbelief.
"That can't be," she mumbled. "Claire can't die. She just can't."
Of course she knew Claire was not a superhero and stubbornness was not an effective shield against B.O.W.s or the fire that consumed the warehouse. She hadn't even the regenerative power she herself had been given by the G-Virus. Claire had always been very human and mortal.
Sherry swallowed hard as Jill gave her a sad glance and took her hand to squeeze it tight. Finally, she felt the weight of the news and stumbled backwards, nearly missing the bench as she sat down. Her hand raised to her chest to check if her heart was still beating, since it felt like someone had ripped it out. Her mouth fell open, she tried to speak but could only make some pitiful sounds that seemed more like a whimpering child than a young woman. She shook her head again, looked up to Jill and burst into tears.
"No, Claire," she whimpered and put her face into her palms as she cried. Jill looked down at her and let a tear roll down her own cheek. She slowly bent over and embraced the young woman's head and stroked over her hair. She didn't know what to say. Claire had been like an older sister to Sherry ever since Leon and her had found the girl in Raccoon City and it seemed like she had built her whole life to follow in Claire's footsteps. Now that Claire Redfield was gone, Sherry reverted back to the little girl she had been in Raccoon, scared and alone. She sucked in a breath and turned to Jill.
"Leon."
"He hasn't woken up yet," Jill whispered grimacing. "But Jake told me he is aware of the situation."
Sherry lowered her head and let the tears fall onto her hands.
"Can I see him?"
The dense smoke had been extremely harmful to Natalia's weakened lungs and she had been connected to a respirator during the ride to the hospital. She had been intubated to keep her breathing and the medical staff had her connected to machines monitoring her vitals. She had lost count of how many times they gave her medications and drew blood for testing. Now, she was calm and exhausted. Rather, Alex was calm. Natalia, on the inside, was screaming in guilt and pain. Moira hadn't been released from the intensive care unit because she was suffering from smoke inhalation and the medics were still fighting for her life. Barry and Kathy waited on the hall for any news. In the room with Natalia, there was only Polly. Alex somehow liked Polly. She was a good kid. Not as loud and shameless as Moira, but cheerful and caring in her quiet way. Barry's close friendship with Chris had sewn the two families together and she felt a little jealous and misplaced in it all.
Polly was reading to her. Alex observed the sad expression on the girl's face, clouded with concern.
"Call Barry!" Natalia shouted all of a sudden. "Alex Wes-" She stopped shouting as she started coughing. Polly jumped up.
"Do you need a nurse? I will call one." She pushed the emergency button and ran towards the door. "Don't worry, they'll be coming."
Alex kept coughing as she watched Polly run out of the room nervously.
"Natalia." She hissed. "What the fuck are you doing?"
It wasn't enough to kill Claire. You had to risk Moira's life as well. Now they're all sad. Natalia had gathered enough energy to overcome Alex' will for a moment.
"What do you think they will do when they find out that we share a body, huh?" She whispered as the steps of a nurse down the hall approached the room. "They will abandon us with the B.S.A.A. or the government. So you better keep quiet."
The door slammed open and two nurses came running towards her. Alex coughed.
Barry wouldn't abandon me.
The nurses, oblivious to their internal discussion, checked Natalia's vitals while the girl kept coughing.
Yes, of course he would, my dear. What do you think he will do if he finds out that you risked Moira's life so selfishly?
One of the nurses put a silver tray in front of her face and made her cough out all loose particles.
But, this wasn't supposed to be dangerous for Moira.
The other nurse, an elder lady, hissed. "Where is Dr. Greene? He should really see this."
Barry won't care about that. Moira is his daughter. Do you really think he will forgive you? Don't be stupid Natalia. You're just some kid he came across and felt pity for. You are expendable.
The door opened and Dr. Greene came in. He was a good-looking young man and also a high-qualified specialist in his area.
But, he sees me as a daughter too, doesn't he?
"Let me see that," Dr. Greene said as he bent over Natalia.
Doesn't he, Alex? Alex?
Jill opened the door quietly. Chris was sitting on the bed, staring at the TV screen in silence. A broken man in a hospital robe. It looked ridiculous on him, stretched tightly around his arms and covering too little of his back, probably. She walked to the bed and sat down next to him, touching his hand gently. He didn't flinch at her touch but he didn't look at her either. He made a smacking sound and breathed in some air. Jill stared at him and grimaced in pity.
"She's dead," he finally whispered. "They say she's dead." And tears filled his eyes.
She swallowed and kissed his hand. "I know, Chris. I'm so sorry."
"I didn't even see her." He grimaced in pain and turned his hand to take Jill's. He looked at her. He looked at her like she had the solution to this situation, like she'd tell him that everything had been a disgustingly bad joke and that Claire was waiting on the hall ready to laugh at him. The blonde glanced back as her eyes filled with tears.
They lay there in silence, she curled against his body and held him. No, she couldn't bring Claire back, but she could be what she'd always been. She was Jill Valentine and Jill Valentine stood next to Chris Redfield whenever he needed her and he needed her now
Sherry stood at the foot of Leon's bed, sobbing slightly, waiting for him to wake up. He had suffered from a carbon monoxide poisoning, but was out of danger. Her thin hands curled around the frame of the footboard so tight that her knuckles turned white.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door open. Hands looped around her waist and startled her.
"Jake."
He didn't say anything. He embraced her from behind and hid his face in her neck. Sherry glanced back at Leon. Jake's hot breath on her neck tickling her.
"Did I ever tell you that Leon joined the government because of me?" Sherry's voice trembled weakly as she spoke. Jake rubbed his nose over the curve of her neck. "After Raccoon City, people from the government found us. He was forced to work for them to protect me." She sobbed slightly.
Jake grimaced. "And even so, they ran hundreds of tests on you. What was the alternative?"
"They would have simply eliminated me." The woman shook with quiet anger. "They said I knew too much. Leon traded his freedom for my life and safety. Yes, I was locked away. I'm government property but I'm alive, thanks to him." She swallowed the growing knot in her throat and shook her head. "We didn't have much contact. Simmons let Claire come see me, and she always told me Leon had asked about me." Sherry grimaced and gestured to the man in the bed. "Leon saved my life. He made an accomplished career of it though, despite it all. Leon Kennedy saved the President's daughter, he helped to establish the D.S.O., and he became their best agent. He saved the world like-" She blew out a breath. "One hundred times. Maybe thousands." She let out a little nervous laugh, shaking her head. "And now he just quit. I don't know how they let him do that. I mean, he kinda kept his part of the deal to save me, but I'm sure they're gonna send someone after him soon if they haven't done so already."
Jake lifted his head.
"Don't you think he's going back?"
She grimaced.
"I don't know. I really don't know what he's going to do now," she whispered and shut her eyes tight, a tear rolling down her cheek. "This can't be really happening. It feels so unreal."
"I know," Jake took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her fingers.
Sherry turned a little. "Is it true?" she swallowed. "They say Claire was already dead when the fire started. Is it true?"
Jake lifted a brow and nodded. "Yeah. She was already dead when I found Leon holding her." His eyes snapped to the unconscious man in the bed in front and narrowed. "I think she was shot."
Sherry noticed the suspicious tone in his voice and turned angrily to him.
"Are you suggesting Leon did it?" She ripped her hands from his grip and took a step aside. Her hateful glance sear him hotter than the flames that almost consumed them.
"Calm down, Supergirl, I'm not suggesting anything." He arched a brow and turned to walk towards the chair. His butt peeked from beneath the hospital robe that was tied up messily in the back. She couldn't avoid blushing a little. Jake and her had been seeing each other every time Sherry had been sent to Europe for a mission. Whatever country she was in, he came, travelled hundred of miles only to see her even if it was for one night. He usually played it down with the fact that he needed to get her some kind of information. The first time they met after China, he had kissed her. It had been her first real kiss after a dumb and childish peck she'd been given by a security officer the government employed to protect her. The guy had been so afraid Simmons would find out that he quit his job. What a pussy. But Jake was different. He didn't give a shit about rules and permissions. Not even her own. He had just pulled her into him and had kissed her without asking. She wouldn't have denied him anyway. She loved the attention he gave her and the first time he'd pushed his hands into her panties was something she'd never forget. He'd been fiery and passionate the day he'd first put his mouth on her, but smooth and gentle when he'd taken her virginity. Afterwards, they had been lying next to each other while Jake listened to her worries if the G-Virus would regenerate her hymen like it healed all other tissue.
Yeah, Jake and her were something, and nothing at all.
He stared at her as she grinned absentmindedly.
"Sherry?" He furrowed a brow and caused her to shake her head. "I know Leon wouldn't do such a thing. I saw him."
The woman was about to reply as she heard Leon make a sound behind her. She sucked in a breath and turned towards him. "Leon! Leon, can you hear me? Leon!"
Leon!
He opened his eyes and looked around. The sun was shining brightly into the room and warmed it pleasantly. He rubbed his eyes and saw Claire standing in front of the sideboard with her bare back turned to him, combing her red locks. Naked. Beautiful. She was staring into the dresser mirror.
"What time is it?"
"Almost half past eight," the redhead turned and looked at him. And he saw her belly. She was huge. She was so impossibly pregnant he thought she might give birth any minute. Her hair fell over her shoulders. Her pale face smiled at him. "Maybe it's time to get up."
He sat up and gave her a sad smile.
"I had a nightmare. A horrible nightmare." He lifted his arm and invited her to join him on the bed.
"Oh," Claire whispered and waddled over to him. She sat down on the bed, rubbing her stomach. "Want to speak about it?"
He embraced her, burying his face in the space between her breast and her belly.
"I dreamt you were dead." He clenched his teeth and listened to her heartbeat for a moment. "You died in my arms."
"Oh," she whispered as she caressed his hair. "I'm so sorry, love."
And he held her closer.
"Don't ever die, Claire," he said chuckling, tinged with sadness. "Ever."
Claire kept caressing his hair and smiled tenderly.
"I promise that I will never die," she said softly. "Not again."
His heart skipped a beat and he furrowed a brow. Slowly pulling away, he looked at her sad face.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?" He asked. She smiled a little and shook her head. He looked down and took a deep breath. "Am I dead too?"
And her look was warm. "No."
"But all that smoke-"
"You're alive, love." She removed some hair strands from his face. "And you have to live."
He looked at her belly and put his hand onto it. "Can't I stay a little longer? Maybe until our child is born."
She laughed a little and put her hand onto his. "You can't, but I promise I'm gonna take care of him."
"Him?" He smiled regretfully. "It's a boy?"
Claire nodded.
"And he will look exactly like you," she whispered and cupped his cheek. "But now, you have to get up."
He nodded slightly, closed his eyes, cupped her chin and kissed her.
"I love you," he whispered against her lips, but didn't receive an answer. When he opened his eyes, Claire was gone and the room was empty and dark. No more sunlight shining through the window. No bed with soft sheets waiting for him to lie down. Only the mirror was still staring at him. He walked to the wall, but couldn't reach it. He didn't seem to move from his position. The faster he walked, the further away was the looking glass seemed. Panic set in as e ran as fast as he could and he still couldn't reach the mirror. But he heard a voice.
Leon.
He heard a voice.
Leon.
It was a familiar voice.
"Leon! Say something!"
He opened his eyes and saw Sherry looking at him with her round face and the messy blonde hair around her little head.
"Leon," she said. Her eyes were shining brightly. Had she been crying? She probably knew about Claire's death already. The girl turned back and spoke to another person in the room. He noticed it was Jake. "Please call a nurse or a doctor or whoever." Jake nodded and sprinted out of the room. Sherry turned back to Leon and took his hand. "I'm so glad you're awake."
He licked his lips, heavily breathing.
"Chris-"
"He's alright. Jill told me he's already awake." She squeezed his hand as he nodded. "Leon, I'm so sorry." She lowered her head and sobbed quietly. Leon put his hand on her head. It was really small. She herself was so petite it was hard to believe she was a field agent if he hadn't seen himself that she kicked and fought like a pro.
"It's alright, Sherry." He stroked her head. "It's alright."
And the girl sobbed into his chest. She curled her slender fingers into his shirt and broke his heart. He didn't quite know what to say to her. Claire would have known. Claire would have told her to stop crying, would have encouraged her to be strong and stand strong against the tears and sadness and death. She would have made a joke about it. Or maybe not. I didn't know but she would have helped somehow. He, on the other hand, didn't know how to deal with other people's emotions. When Helena had lost her sister he had taken her to China to eliminate Simmons. It's what he did, he fought evil to comfort the victims left behind, to help him feel he had some purpose in life. But right now, there was no evil to fight. They could investigate who had been behind the kidnapping, but the ones responsible for it had probably died in the flames or were long gone, fading back into the underworld of filth and pure evil. So he just lay there, stroking Sherry's hair and listening to her anguished , her sobs became sniffles and sighs. Sherry lifted her head and looked at him. Her face was slick with tears but she wasn't crying any more. She smiled sadly at him.
"How are Moira and Natalia?" His voice was weak and gruff, his glance, calm and focused.
Sherry nodded.
"Natalia is awake and ok. Moira is still in intensive care." She blinked. "It doesn't look good."
Leon grimaced regretfully. Moira had been weak and drugged when he had found her, but she had been alright. Now, she was struggling with death again. He shouldn't have left her behind. Claire wouldn't have left her behind.
He removed the covers and ripped the cables and tubes off his arm. Sherry yelped.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He gave the girl a bitter look as she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed. Damnit, when had she gotten that strong? In the shape he was in, he wasn't even able to fight against her when she was half his weight. He blew out a frustrated breath.
"I'd like to see Chris. Check how Barry is taking it and-" He lifted his brows and licked over his lips. "I want to get back to the warehouse."
Sherry shook her head in disbelief. "Leon, what for?"
Jake came back into the room and heard her last words.
"Because Claire's still somewhere in that building. Her body. I need her back." He looked seriously at Sherry, who had turned to him.
She parted her lips to protest, but reconsidered. It was natural that Leon wanted to help with the search. She took a step back and gestured to a plastic bag in the corner of the room.
"Jill brought that for you. In case you needed it."
She forgot the phone in her hand as she felt the world around her had stopped, frozen in one agonizing moment
"Jill."
She looked up to see Leon walking towards her, followed by Jake and Sherry. He looked exhausted, but he was awake.
"Oh, Leon, I-"Tears clouded her vision as she spoke. "I'm so sorry."
Unable to give her more than a short nod, his look dropped to the floor.
"How is Chris?"
The name sounded to foreign and familiar at the same time. She pursed her lips.
"He's-" she hesitated, fidgeting her feet. "He called Amanda."
Leon frowned at her, Sherry and Jake gave each other irritated glances.
"Sorry? What?" Was that some kind of codeword the B.S.A.A. used for going nuts? Jill took a deep breath.
"I just went to see Barry and his family," she said nodding. "Moira is out of danger."
Sherry breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good news." Leon wanted to be relieved, but the shape the blonde in front of him was in didn't let him relax.
"What's with Chris?"
Her felt the full weight of her eyes, and it was so full of shame, so full of sadness it stole his breath.
"I was on my way back to his room when I got a call from Rory Williams." She had to take a deep breath to keep speaking. "He's there already. He's at the bay." She shook her head. "He asked the B.S.A.A. receptionist to take him there."
"Ouch." Jake's hiss made them look up and turn to him. Leon rolled his eyes and looked back at Jill.
"It's actually very considerate of him not to want to get you in trouble."
That made her laugh a little. She huffed out a sarcastic little laugh at the impossibility of Leon's theory. She wasn't a jealous woman, so she was pretty sure that she was being as objective as possible when she saw how Amanda treated her husband. And Chris had to be blind not to notice that the young woman was clearly interested in him. Jill looked at Leon and stroked over the oversized sleeve of the black shirt he was wearing.
"It's too large, I'm sorry." She smirked.
He shook his head and looked down at himself.
"They're perfect, Jill. Thanks for bringing me clothes."
He was in a black shirt and blue jeans that, obviously, belonged to Chris. What would barely fit around Redfield's upper arm seemed like his older brother's shirt on him.
"I assumed your own weren't wearable anymore and that you wouldn't like to run around with that hospital robe." She smirked sadly and glanced at Jake. "I brought some for you, too."
"They smell like Chris," Jake complained but jerked as Sherry poked him in the side. "What? They do smell like Chris."
Jill laughed a little. She liked Jake. He had a remarkable character and even though he didn't follow orders easily, he still knew when to do what was right for the people he cared about. Underneath his hard exterior and crafted carefree attitude, he had a good heart that had just been demolished and beaten into submission, especially at such a tender age. The fact that he had come to help Chris and Leon find Claire only because Sherry had asked him to was proof enough. She turned to Leon.
"Do you want me to give you a ride to the bay?"
He nodded.
"Can we go too?" Sherry took a step forward. Jill gave Leon a hesitant glance. He bit the inside of his cheek and furrowed a brow.
"As if I could stop you if I tried." She laughed, the first freeing laugh in what seemed like years, they were going to get answers, possibly closure or, at the very least, something to hold onto as the cold reality of Claire's death dimmed their world. She was their warmth, their light against the growing darkness, and now, they had to hold onto each other as each grasped for something that could light their way again.
She was wearing a long sleeved shirt in her signature red color on the rooftop that dawn. The tumultuous crowd on the street wouldn't see her even if she wore a neon sign as a dress. In front of the warehouse, firefighters, policemen, B.S.A.A. soldiers, people from the government, journalists and gawking bystanders were running around like an upturned ant colony. The fire had been extinguished quickly but the specialists hadn't stopped pulling out B.O.W.s since then. It was impressive how the creepy guy had filled the warehouse with so many Lickers and Hunters in just one night. Ada pulled out a red apple and a knife and started cutting thin slices from the fruit as she watched other people doing their jobs. She herself had worked enough that night. Her device was full of pictures and voice notes, her pockets contained several samples she had found on her way out. She'd surely find someone willing to pay a nice amount of money for them.
The best thing that happened that morning had been the arrival of Chris Redfield along with a young red haired woman, who could have been his daughter. She hadn't known Redfield liked them that young, but she was curious about what Jill Valentine or Valentine-Redfield was going to say about it. Since she had missed the main show of Claire Redfield becoming a B.O.W., seeing a cat fight ensue over Chris was an acceptable alternative.
She didn't have to wait very long until a black SUV arrived at the bay. Ada pulled out her binoculars to have a closer look. The woman behind the steering wheel was Valentine, no doubt. But who jumped off the passenger's seat was-
"Hello Leon."
He ran towards Chris and Amanda, who were talking to a young B.S.A.A. soldier whose badge said Williams and who was, no doubt, the man Jill had been talking to earlier. The young man looked concerned as he spoke to his captain.
"Chris," Leon called out. "Any news?"
And he saw Chris' face as he turned to him. He shook his head. He closed his eyes and the last thing Leon saw was his enormous fist fly towards his face. It came down on him with a noisy crunch and the taste of fresh blood. He stumbled backwards onto the ground to the sound of Amanda's screams. Jill came running towards them and threw herself against Chris to hold him back as he shook his hand.
"Chris, what the hell is wrong with you?" He tried to turn away but she held him, stabbing him with her gaze. He finally managed to look at her, showing her all the pain and hatred he felt.
"Jill," he whispered. "What are you doing here? Where is Summer?"
The blonde licked her lips and took a deep breath.
"She's home. Samantha, the neighbor girl, is looking after her." She shook her head. "What happened? Why did you do this?"
"Go home Jill. Watch after your daughter yourself. She needs you."
She stared at him as the hatred in his eyes stole her breath and froze her heart. Her daughter? Had he really just said that? Now she was only her daughter? Though she knew it was just the pain speaking, it hurt her immensely. She turned away to hide her tears as she fet them burn her eyes. Nobody could have ever hurt her that much. Not Wesker. Not any B.O.W.. Not even when Chris ripped the crystal out of her chest and left her dazed and bleeding. Only Chris Redfield's words and hatred of the living proof of their love, their own daughter, the denial of her was like a sword being plunged into her soul. He had killed her, and all of a sudden, Jill Valentine, the warrior, was gone. Left was the shattered remains of a relationship on the brink and the pain of loss and betrayal.
Chris looked at her, then back at Leon, who was cleaning the blood from his nose on his sleeve as Sherry and Jake approached them. Sherry knelt down next to Leon, staring incredulously at Chris. He grimaced and sank to his knees, hiding his head in his hands.
"They can't find her. They can't find a single piece of anything that could have been her," he screamed. "You left her behind, you abandoned her to the flames and there's nothing fucking left! How the fuck could you leave her behind, Leon?" Chris' eyes were flooded with pain, hatred, confusion and so many other emotions Leon couldn't face. What had he done? They wouldn't find Claire, they would bury an empty coffin. What had he done?
He let the truth sink in as his blood stopped dripping. He had wanted to protect her from the battle, that's what he had done. He had wanted to keep her body safe and bring her back to her brother. But he had failed. He swallowed hard. Throughout his career as an agent, te had often felt the feeling of failure; failing his team, failing the innocent victims of bioterrorism, failing the President, failing in love and wasting so many years he could have had with her...her, he had failed her. Nothing he had felt before had hurt as much as the failure of losing the body of the woman he loved. Leon Kennedy wasn't a coward, but for the first time in his life he wasn't able to look into the eyes of someone, as Chris kept staring at him.
"How, Leon? How could you abandon her?"
After Dr. Greene left, neither Natalia nor Alex dared to speak. At least not to each other. Barry had come to their room so Polly could go home and rest. Barry had told Natalia that Moira was out of danger and that she'd soon wake up. He had taken her hand and stroked over it. How relieved he looked. He was so glad Moira had survived.
"I heard that Claire-" Natalia managed to speak weakly after a deep breath. Barry squeezed her hand tight and nodded.
"They are looking for her body." He lowered his head and grimaced in disbelief. "I've never seen Chris this way. He's suffering so much."
Natalia looked at him. Chris and Leon weren't the only ones who were suffering, Claire's death affected Barry as well and it almost broke Natalia's heart. She didn't want to cause pain to her loved ones.
"I'm gonna check on Kathy and Moira again, but I'll be right back." He stood up and kissed the girl's forehead. "Rest a bit, Natalia."
As soon as he was gone, she jumped off the bed and ran to the small wardrobe she had in her room.
Alex, what are you doing?
"I'm saving our ass," she hissed as she opened her bag and digged through the clothes, looking for her tablet. "There's still a lot of work to do if we want to do the transfer."
Didn't you hear what Dr. Greene said? We only have two months, maybe three.
"This is unacceptable." She pulled out the tablet from her bag and turned back to the bed. "I can't die."
And what are you gonna do, Alex? There is only one candidate with the T-Phobos left and she's injured. Also, last time we were simply lucky we stumbled onto Vång, and even with that, it still took us four months to execute the plan.
"Do you think I don't know that?" Alex hissed. "We will have to improvise."
We already improvised this time, Alex. Vång improvised. For the sake of God, the capsule Moira was in was a recycled trash container.
"Don't be ridiculous. This is how cryostasis capsules looked like in the seventies. He just recycled old equipment." Alex sat on the bed and started working on her tablet.
And who are you going to transfer into? Please, leave Moira alone.
Alex shook her head. "No, Moira is too weak and she's probably going to have side effects her whole life." She clenched her teeth. "We might have to trust our intuition since we can't repeat the selection experiment."
And who are you gonna take?
"Well, if his sister was brave enough, Chris Redfield might be a good candidate as well."
Chris?
She felt the blood rush into her cheeks.
"What's the deal Natalia? Don't you feel comfortable with the idea of inhabiting a man's body?" She laughed. "I see, you've probably never seen a naked man, have you?"
That's- That's not what I mean. I just think we should take someone smaller.
"Hm, I see your point. Polly would be an easy target but she has absolutely no field experience and would probably not be compatible with the T-Phobos." Alex shook her head as she typed their little brainstorming into a spreadsheet on the tablet. "How about Jill Valentine?"
Jill has those super antibodies.
"Right, that might interfere with the T-Phobos," she bit her lip. "And of course she might have given them to her daughter. Although, maybe it's worth a try. It would actually turn me into a superhuman."
Summer is a year old, Alex.
"Dammit, I forgot she's still a baby." Alex hissed. "It won't be a good idea to transfer my brilliant mind into such a young brain. Also, I wouldn't like to risk being bathed and getting my diapers changed by a Redfield." She rolled her eyes.
Alright, this might be dumb, but, what about Leon Kennedy? You heard Barry and Polly before, he just woke up, he's weakened and grieving.
"I see, Kennedy is more your type, isn't he?" And she laughed at the blushing that flushed her cheeks due to Natalia's embarrassment. "If we act quickly, we might actually be able to get him. Also, now that Claire is dead, he doesn't have any relation to Redfield and Valentine anymore. He could just disappear and nobody would care." Alex laughed maliciously. "The question is, is he mentally strong enough?"
I remember Claire once said that there's no man stronger than Leon Kennedy.
"Well then, if the mighty Claire Redfield said so, then it must be true."
Thank you all for reading!
I'm so grateful for all the support I'm receiving. I know this is getting weird, but don't worry. I know where I'm taking this xD So, thank you very much for reading, liking, following and reviewing. It's been almost a years since I started publishing Hands and Tools and back then I didn't think I would get this far. So, thank you all. You're the best!
Special thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter.
The Lady Frost, thank you so much for your words. You're my main inspiration and, I will do my best to give you all more bloody feelings.
RNAi-L, my friend. Where should I start? Your messages make the darkest day bright again. Thank you so much. Poor Leon, now that he had finally something to live for, after his hopeless self in Vendetta almost drank himself mindless, he has lost everything again... But Ada is still there xD Oh, poor Leon xD
Titoneitor2.0, I'm so honored I almost made you cry hahahahaha. Thank you so much for your funny review. And belive me, there are still many more unicorns to kill xD Best wishes ^^