I'm back with more drama! XD Please forgive all the tragedies. I can't help it, but I still hope you enjoy reading this chapter. It's full of emotion.

I'm still busy with work and moving and other obligations, so in case this is the last chapter I'm posting this year, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The last Valenfield scene in this chapter, the one in the rain, came to me while I listened to Battlefield by Lea Michele. I usually don't add song recommendations to my work, but Sofistinha said I should.

Resident Evil belongs to Capcom blablabla

Have fun!

A freezing wind blew around the building and whistled a sad melody. It was an abnormally cold March this year, and snow and ice were stretching the usual thirty-minute drive from the airport to Claire's apartment into one hour. But nothing mattered. They were together for the first time in weeks and their only concern was to make the most of their time together. She pulled him into the hall. Claire's place was tiny compared to the house the Valentine-Redfield couple lived in, but it was enough for them to be with each other. Small spaces were easier to fill with love.

Once the door was shut, Leon pulled her into him as she ran her fingers through his hair. Their kisses were far from shy or careful and after many weeks of separation, all they wanted to show was the longing they felt for each other, how much they had missed the warmth of their bodies, their taste, their touch. He cupped her jaw with both hands and looked at her, causing her to breathe shallowly. He knew she couldn't resist that look, knew that she melted in his arms every time he held her like that, every time he kissed her like that.

Desire. His eyes reflected pure desire and he made her feel more like a woman than anyone else could. He looked at her like a child looked at candy, something sweet to devour, like she was everything that ever mattered. She parted her lips, pleading him to kiss her again. He did, with a chuckle. He pressed his lips onto her chin and made her close her eyes in pleasure as she sucked in some air. Then, he caught her mouth again, their lips burning on each other's. His hands travelled down her body and pushed under her shirt, touching the soft skin of her stomach and her full breasts, ripping a short cry of arousal from her throat.

"Shhhh," he hushed her placing a finger onto her mouth, softly rolling it downwards, parting her lips. She took her chance to bite it softly before he pulled it back and crashed his mouth onto hers again, hungry for her kiss, for her tongue. His right hand grabbed her neck and pulled her into him while the other one still played with her breast.

"Take that jacket off," she gasped and the clothing landed somewhere on the floor as soon as she had spoken. She ran her fingers over his chest and bit her lip. She looked into his eyes, smiling widely, and pulled his black shirt up and over his head. He was a god, he had to be. He was all well toned muscle and beautiful skin all over it and there was no way the man in front of her was human. He was just too perfect. She licked her lips and put her mouth on him, licking seductively from his neck, over his collarbone down to his chest. He yelped a bit as she bit his nipple and gave him the naughtiest smirk he'd ever seen. Fuck, he wanted her. He wanted her to spread her legs for him and never put them back together. His hands found her waist and pulled her up into his arms, before he walked over to the table and sat her onto the surface. Her hips on the edge, he rubbed his bulge against her. She moaned.

"I missed this so much, baby." Her hands fisting his hair, she gave him a hungry look.

"I missed it too," he mumbled chuckling and slipped his lips over hers again as his fingers worked on the zipper of her pants, jerking them down slowly, uncovering her blue panties, those with the little cream colored ribbon in front. Delicious. He smirked a bit. He couldn't wait to get into her. Claire laughed a little when he took a step back and pulled her pants off her legs along with her boots. She spread her legs a bit and welcomed him between her thighs. They rubbed against each other again, and he pulled her white shirt over her head and kneaded her breast through the blue bra with the tiny cream ribbon between the cups. She moaned again and pushed her hands into his pants, grabbing his throbbing dick.

"Fuck, Claire," he gasped and bit her lower lip.

"Yeah," she giggled unzipping him and taking his length out. "That's it. Fuck Claire."

He laughed a bit, but there was nothing funny about it. It was almost painful to see how much he wanted her and how little brain there was left for any other functions. He would have choked if his body didn't breathe on its own. Claire pulled down his pants and boxers and grabbed his ass, pulling him closer towards her. He roughly kissed her mouth and pushed his hand into her panties. She screamed as two of his fingers thrust into her, checking if she was ready for him. Ready wasn't even close to what she was. She was a mix of hot silk and fiery desire and he couldn't think of anything else he wanted more than being inside of her. With a single move, he jerked her panties aside and rushed into her, pulling her hips toward him. She laid her arms on his shoulders and leaned back, spreading her legs wide, wider, as they rubbed together. She moaned, he moaned, and they felt more complete with every move, every thrust. He found the clasp of her bra on her back and freed her white breasts from their cage, licking hungrily over one of them as he kept moving. She arched her back and he pushed her onto the surface. As if she wanted to climb onto him, she laid a leg over his shoulder. Leon grabbed her waist with one hand and her leg with the other and moved in and out of her, gasping heavily to the sound of their flesh clapping together.

Claire touched her breast and killed him. She was so beautiful, so sensual, and she felt so hot around him that he thought it might burn him down to ashes. He was dying from it. He turned his head to her leg and kissed the soft skin there as if it could cool him down and save him. She giggled. She giggled and moaned as she threw her arms over her head, and he knew she was about to come.

"Leon, oh god." He felt her leg stiffen slightly as her hands reached down and tried to grab his waist. If she got it, she would pull him so hard inside her that they'd probably have to cut him out later. Her hot insides tightened around him, and he let go of all strings that were still holding him back. He let go and came hard, deep and with a loud groan inside of her. He closed his eyes and bit her lower leg as Claire milked him dry.

He opened his eyes again when he felt Claire shift a little. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other, still panting. She sat up and embraced him, rubbing her nose against his ear and her hands over his back.

"I think you got me pregnant," she whispered and bit his earlobe.

He chuckled. "Sweetheart, I think they haven't even found their way to your egg." He pulled back and looked at her, smiling widely. "But thanks for believing in them."

She arched a brow at him and smirked sarcastically.

"I'm not trying to offend anyone's sperm here, darling, but I didn't mean 'right now', you know that?"

Leon narrowed his eyes at her as he felt a smile crawl up his face.

"Do you mean-?"

She smirked shyly and shrugged.

"I haven't seen a doctor yet but I made two home pregnancy tests and they both came out positive."

He felt the muscles on his face tighten around his jaw as his lips curved a wide smile. He took her hand into his and kissed it, his eyes still looking at her. Claire watched his reaction and nearly died. It was so beautiful, so delicious to see the serious and professional Leon Kennedy's cold exterior melt in her hands at the thought that they would soon hold their own child in their arms. He cupped her jaw and pressed his lips onto hers.

"Have I ever told you how happy you make me, Claire?" He chuckled against her mouth. "I love you."

And she cried. She cried of joy, or hormones, she wasn't sure. "I love you too." He held her and kissed her hair.

"Maybe we should go see a doctor, shouldn't we?" He looked at her slightly red face and smiled as she nodded.

He couldn't believe it. Claire was pregnant. He had married the best woman alive and she was pregnant. Nothing would ever be able to take his happiness away from him.

- X -

The Then

The ultrasound picture was already wrinkled and thin from all the times he had taken it out and stared at it. Claire had traced a small red circle around the irrecognizable dot that was supposed to be his child, since she knew he would probably lose sight of it. Our baby, was written in her delicate handwriting next to the mark.

It had been almost two months since he'd last looked at the picture and kissed it. It had been on the plane to New York, the morning of the day Claire had told him that they couldn't keep their child. It was the day she had been abducted; the day he had quit his job. It was the fateful day Claire had died in his arms.

Almost two months had passed since then. Two months of desperate searching in the ruins of that warehouse. The B.S.A.A. and TerraSave had secured the zone in a matter of hours, cleaned it up and collected samples from underneath the rubble of the building. They had found hundreds of dead B.O.W.s that hadn't been consumed by the flames. Dogs, Lickers and Hunters.

Leon had been with them, helping, searching, organizing. Chris had taken vacation from his usual responsibilities in the B.S.A.A. as well and was helping with the search for the remains of his sister. They met daily, but rarely talked. Jill had wanted Leon to stay with them. An offer he had declined at first, staying at a hotel to avoid running constantly into Chris at home as well. But Chris was never home, keeping his habits of sleeping in his office. So Leon kept his promise and came back to watch over Jill, so she wouldn't do anything stupid like trying to kill herself or her daughter. Summer was probably the only one who truly smiled in that house and she broke his heart every time she did. Her red hair and baby blue eyes were all Claire's features and it made him wonder what that little boy on the ultrasound picture would have looked like if he had ever reached his cousin's age.

They hadn't found Claire's body. At least, what they found wasn't identifiable as Claire's anymore. After the first check they had kept searching, but the part of the warehouse where she had laid had been burnt down to ashes. Not much was left of the walls and main building structure, how could a human body survive?

Chris hadn't wanted to accept the fact that he wouldn't get to bury his sister's body. Too often had he seen the empty coffins of his men disappeared into a hole in the ground. It was hard to understand that now his own sister was going to meet the same fate, and he blamed Leon for it. Their relationship had been brotherly ever since Claire and the agent had become a couple, but now that the redhead wasn't there anymore, all the respect and friendship they'd built up in the past seemed to have been burnt to a sunder along with her body. The two months since that tragedy, had been just empty. There was no other word to better describe it. Empty.

It was a punch in the face how long it took to organize the funeral, even though there was no body to bury. Or especially because of that. The B.S.A.A. helped with the organization of bodiless funerals, a special service for victims of bioterrorism. But their protocol said that at least fourteen days needed to pass after the investigations concluded. Which meant that after six weeks of analyzing samples, seeking for the owners of the building and interrogating witnesses, they had to wait two weeks more. So it came that Claire's funeral was held in June, two months after her death.

Leon himself had been checked exhaustively by Rebecca as soon as she'd found out he had been in contact with Claire's blood. Fortunately, he hadn't been infected with the T-Phobos. Not that it would have really bothered him after losing everything in his life he had thought to be stable, good. He sighed and checked his tie in the mirror. Black had always suited him, but the dark, sad suit he was wearing today just didn't match his cool demeanor. 'Whatever,' he thought. 'It will be just a couple hours.' He pulled out the ultrasound picture one last time and sighed.

"Alright, let's get this done."

Jill drove to the graveyard with Leon on the passenger's side and Sherry, Jake and Summer on the backseat. The little red haired girl was oblivious to the low spirits in the car, playing with a little bunny rag doll, and giggling happily every time she threw the toy at Jake, who sat between her and Sherry.

"Summer, stop!" Her mother's voice rumbled through the car.

"It's alright," Jake said and gave the little girl a challenging look, pointing two fingers at her eyes, then at his own and back at hers, seeing her blink deliciously. He usually didn't enjoy children's company, but Summer Redfield had the most beautiful toothless smile he'd ever seen. "You, little miss, better be careful who you throw your dolls at, because one day someone might not want to give it back to you until you marry him." Summer shook her little red locks and squeaked out a laughter as her tiny hand grabbed the doll in Jake's hands. He managed to pull it back right before she caught it.

"Not all girls are willing to trade their freedom for a piece of cloth." Sherry gave him a sarcastic glance. Jake chuckled turning his head to the blonde, giving Summer the chance to punch his elbow.

"Ouch!" He theatrically rubbed his arm. "Really? Did your father already teach you how to defend yourself?"

"Her father doesn't teach her anything," Jill hissed into the rear mirror. "I bet that was her auntie."

Silence spread among the passengers. Even Summer stopped giggling as they remembered the sad reason they were together in the car for.

Leon was the first to react. He blew out a breath and chuckled.

"I once caught her telling Summer stories about Tyrants."

Jill huffed out a laugh.

"Last Christmas she cleaned a handgun in front of her and told her how to keep weapons functional, while Summer made bang sounds."

And now Sherry spoke.

"Did she teach her that she has to shoot zombies in the head as well?"

And they laughed. They laughed remembering Claire, her sunny nature and irresponsible maturity, until Sherry started crying.

"Oh my god, I miss her so much." She winced and held on to Jake's arm. The young man turned to her and stroked her hair, something the little girl on his right clearly disliked. Summer punched his elbow again and looked a little jealous into his direction.

"Hey, Princess. Don't worry. You're the only one who can throw her doll at me and still get it back."

Sherry's sobs turned into a slight giggles and Leon couldn't hold back a short smile. Sherry would be alright as long as Jake was with her, and the young man would be around for a very long time, he sensed.

As the car rolled onto the graveyard, Summer Redfield said her first understandable word.

Chris had been the first one to arrive at the graveyard. Amanda had asked to join him, but since half the B.S.A.A. was already talking shit about them he preferred to attend the funeral alone. So Amanda just checked the latest organizational details and would leave before the ceremony started. She looked good in her black dress and the red neckerchief on top. Her red hair was tied back into a ponytail that reminded him somewhat of Claire. He smiled sadly and pulled out the speech he had prepared. Just some lines meant to express how much he missed his baby sister. Everything had gone shit since Claire was gone.

He shook his head. Who was he trying to fool? Things had gone shit long before. And it was mostly his own fault. Things with Jill weren't easy, but his strategy of running away wasn't solving anything either. He missed Jill and Summer almost as much as he missed his sister. When the pain became unbearable he would drive to their house and watch if they were alright, never gathering enough courage to get out of the car and knock on their door.

He knew that Leon had come back. Where else was he gonna go anyway? Leon Scott Kennedy was a workaholic and now that he was off the D.S.O., he could see Jill as someone to help, Summer as a target to protect. Chris grimaced at the thought.

"He's doing your job, man," he whispered to himself.

He sighed deeply and stared at the lines he'd written and counted how often he repeated the words love, miss and sister in them. He took out a pen and changed some words before folding the paper and sliding it back into his pocket. He would keep his speech short. Leon would surely want to say something as well.

He turned as he heard a car approach and frowned a little as he saw the passengers laugh in delight. All, except for Jill.

"I can't believe it," the blonde hissed as she got out of the car and grabbed the toddler from the backseat. Jake got out of the car behind her laughing. Chris walked towards his wife, furrowing a brow.

"What happened?"

Jill gave him an impatient look.

"She could have meant tired," Jake suggested laughing. "Maybe she wants to take a nap."

Jill lifted a brow.

"She said Tyrant, Chris." She looked at him and couldn't hold back a laugh. "Our daughter's first word was Tyrant."

Chris got onto his knees and looked at the small redhead with the curious gaze in his wife's arms. He couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Is that true sweetheart?"

Summer giggled happily, showing the first tips of her little white teeth as she shook her red haired head and grabbed her father's face. "Tyren!"

Chris grimaced feigning being hurt and looked up to Jill.

"Are you sure she doesn't think that I'm the Tyrant?" She smiled. "It's as if she said Daddy." They held their glances as the little girl in Jill's arms kept petting his cheek. The blonde forced a smile as she handed him the child. He smirked and stretched his arms out to take up his daughter. Summer grabbed his nose and laughed as he made a beeping sound.

Jill watched them and a little ray of hope seemed to shine through the thick layer of clouds that had been covering their relationship.

Chris looked up from his daughter's giggling face and his eyes met Leon's. He gave Summer back to her mother and walked towards his friend, who waited for him next to the car.

"Chris." He said and a part of him tried to resist when the other man suddenly pulled him into a brotherly hug that didn't last longer than two pats on the shoulder. They held gazes until Chris took a breath.

"I think I owe you an apology, Kennedy." His lip twitched slightly as his eyes filled with tears. "I wasn't being fair. I just miss her so much. I hope you can forgive me."

And Leon smirked.

"It's okay Chris, you were right. I shouldn't have left her there." He shook his head. "I should have been there for here." Chris put a hand on his shoulder.

"You couldn't know about the fire. I would have done the same," he smirked sadly. "And Claire would have wanted us to save Moira over her dead body, too." And there they stood. Two men, linked by the fight against bioterrorism, but bonded together through the loss of their sister and wife.

Leon felt relieved to be talking this way to Chris and he followed him as he started walking towards the graves, They crossed Amanda, who gave Jill a curious look as she greeted her before leaving. The first TerraSave members had arrived already, and also the Burtons were looking for the best place to sit during the ceremony. It was easy to see that Kathy had been crying. Her eye makeup had already left dark lines on her cheeks and Leon felt his heart ache as she walked over to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I know it's been two months already, but I still can't believe our little Claire is gone." She let go of him and wiped away the bluish stain of eyeliner and mascara she'd left on his cheek. He smiled at her.

Only five months had passed since he had made Claire his wife. Or since she had made him her husband. How easily a world can fall apart so quickly. Leon spotted Moira, who walked over the grass followed by her younger sisters. She waved at Leon and dragged the younger girls along with her. She had recovered well, however, who didn't look very healthy was Natalia. In her black dress with white collar and her long black braids she looked somewhat like Wednesday Addams. She studied him attentively with those dark haunting eyes of hers, her pale face stretching into a ghastly smile and it sent a shiver down Leon's back. What a creepy girl. He smiled and gave her a short nod before the teenager walked towards the rows of chairs.

Leon stared after her, slightly confused, as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked into Chris' eyes.

"What is it?" He asked and his friend smiled regretfully.

"The ceremony will begin soon," he said and looked down. "It would be nice if you could say some words."

Leon looked at him hesitantly. Of course Chris expected him to say something, he couldn't know that he wasn't the kind of man who gave speeches. He was a man of action, not of words. So was Chris, yeah. But Redfield seemed to comfortable with the idea. Leon didn't know what to tell Chris, how would he know what to tell others? He tried to decline, shook his head slightly.

"I know I should have asked you before, but it doesn't have to be very complex. Just say what comes to your mind."

"Chris, I don't think I-" Leon said.

His friend gave him a serious gaze through narrowed eyes. Then, Chris blew out a short breath and nodded, patting his shoulder, understanding his uneasiness.

Leon tried to speak but Chris was already gone. He left Leon standing in doubt about how much of a torture this ceremony would become for him.

Sherry took a seat in the first row and stared at the empty coffin they were going to bury. It was a beautiful mahogany piece and way too expensive to be used for its purpose, but Chris hadn't avoided any costs for his sister's burial. The coffin was covered with hundreds of flowers sent by several organizations and private people who wanted to honor Claire. Her colleagues from TerraSave had brought a beautiful funeral wreath with pink ribbons saying We're gonna miss your light. Many of them had come to attend the ceremony. Claire had been respected and loved by most of the people she'd come across. Sherry smirked sadly. So many people whose lives Claire wouldn't light up ever again. The blonde looked at the portrait they had placed next to the coffin. It was a picture of Claire in her wedding dress, giving the photographer a coquette look over the shoulder and sticking her tongue out. It was either that or the serious picture she had on her TerraSave ID Card. There just were no other recent pictures of Claire alone.

She looked to her side as Chris took a seat next to Jill. Claire had often told her how worried she had been about her brother's marriage and little Summer and had been wondering how she could help them. Sherry smiled a little as she saw Chris grab his wife's hand. Jill lifted it to her lips and kissed it. She would take care of him and of them endless pain he was going through.

"Looks like you did help them, Claire."

The ceremony began with a classical piece of music Amanda had chosen. It was the sad but somewhat powerful melody of Mozart's Serenade No.10. It was fitting. Depressing but full of hope and light. Chris stood behind the lectern to give his speech.

"Thank you all for coming," he said after clearing his throat. "It would mean a lot to Claire." His look drifted over the crowd. "You know, when she was born, I was slightly disappointed. I had been told that I was getting a little sister to play with, but what I got was a tiny, red bag that smelled like baby powder and that screamed a lot. That was when she wasn't sleeping, of course, because Claire slept a lot when she was a baby." He laughed a little. "But what they didn't tell me is that I was gonna love that little screaming bag like I hadn't loved anything before. And even though she turned out to be a stubborn little brat," and the crowd giggled. "She also became the loveliest and strongest person I could possibly wish to be my sister." He paused to swallow down the knot in his throat. "Claire was a compassionate soul and willing to live life to its fullest and not afraid to take any risks. It's not difficult to understand why she ventured out in that terrible line of work or why she always chose the life of others over her own. Including mine." He chuckled as he remembered how his sister had searched for him when he had disappeared to investigate Umbrella. "She brought light and hope to those who had none. She was a savior, and a person who you wouldn't leave your life once she was in it." Jill watched him speak. Chris was so broken, so sad, and every word of his felt like pure pain. Something tickled and burnt on her cheek. She touched her face to see that she was crying, too. Desperate sobs came from the rows behind her when Chris concluded his speech. "The early death of our parents bonded us in more ways and levels than the siblinghood. I had to teach her a lot, yes. But she taught me even more. She taught me a lot about balancing work, family and leisure. We became more than a family. We became the extension of the other. More than a thousand, we became one. Now, we have to let her go." Tears shot into his eyes as he turned to the coffin. "Letting you go doesn't mean forgetting you. We could never forget you, Claire. We'll just let you rest. And a part of me leaves and rests with you." A painful grimace filled the pause he made. "I miss you. I miss your light. I miss your joy. I even miss your stubbornness," He forced a smile. "Your memory will live on in all of us and keep us bonded always and forever. But I guess it's time to let you save someone else. Go in peace, go in kindness, my dear sister."

Some people gave Chris comforting nods from their seats as he lowered his head thanking them for their ears. Before her walked to his chair, though he turned to the microphone again.

"Now, my dear brother-in-law wants to share his thoughts with you." His glance flew to Leon. The blonde's jaw dropped as he heard his name. He froze. Hadn't he told Chris he didn't want to speak in front of so many people? What was he going to say? Whatever he could say wasn't something he wanted to share openly in front of others. But Chris' look said You owe her. And he probably did. It was the least he could do for Claire. Sherry poked him in the side.

"Leon, are you gonna speak?" She looked around shyly. "If so, you should probably get going."

He turned to her, then back at Chris, who was already sitting next to Jill, launching another challenging glance at him.

"Yeah," Leon whispered. "I will." And he got up. Jake frowned a little as he saw him rise. He had seen Leon when he had found him with Claire lying in his arms and since then, Leon Kennedy hadn't shown any kind of emotion. No joy, no sadness. It was hard to picture him giving a heartbreaking speech as Chris had done before.

Leon walked slowly to the lectern, trying to come up with the right words. The only thing he wanted to say was that it didn't make sense to tell them how much he missed Claire, because the only one he wanted to know that wasn't there anymore. He shook his head slightly, invisible to other people's eyes. And as he stepped towards the microphone and Claire's last words came to his mind, he knew what to say.

Chris watched Leon move to the lectern. It hadn't been very nice of him to make the blonde improvise a speech, but he was sure he would know what to say. Kennedy was a man used to society and if he could come up with a nice speech to get anonymous women to bed, he'd surely be able to say something nice about the one he had married too. He saw his friend speak to the young woman that stood next to the sound equipment and he frowned. Was that idiot actually flirting with another chick at his wife's funeral? He took a breath and decided to wait as the woman nodded and turned around to the speakers as Leon stood behind the microphone and leaned forward.

"Thank you all for your presence," he said shyly. "It doesn't make it easier, but it feels good to see how many friends Claire made on her way through life." He swallowed. "She hated funerals, so I'm not gonna make it long and better let Freddie speak for me and for her." He turned to the girl behind him and she pushed a button. The sound of a familiar melody spread over the crowd.

Empty spaces, what are we living for?

Jill took a deep breath and nodded.

Jake smirked a little and closed his eyes.

Sherry started crying immediately.

Summer clapped her hands to the music.

Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and on,

Does anybody know what we are looking for?

The crowd held their breath as Freddie Mercury sang The show must go on. Barry closed his eyes and embraced Moira, who leaned her head onto her father's protective shoulder. Natalia smiled widely, a little creepily maybe. Jill looped her arms around the girl on her lap and kissed her hair. Everybody seemed to think it was a proper way to say goodbye to Claire. Everybody expect Chris, whose eyes were filled with rage, anger. Leon held his gaze a while.

The show must go on!

Inside my heart is breaking.

My makeup may be flaking,

but my smile still stays on.

And he began to walk through the crowd. He walked away, before Chris could get up and stop him, before anyone could stop him.

I guess I'm learning, I must be warmer now

I'll soon be turning, round the corner now

Outside the dawn is breaking

But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free

They still had to put the coffin into the ground, but it didn't matter. It was empty anyway. Claire wasn't in there. Claire was everywhere where there was music, where there was sunlight. She would always be with him. Leon walked away at a steady pace towards the street, hoping there would be any cabs waiting to catch some passengers at the graveyard. But there was none. On top of that, it seemed like it was going to rain soon. He pulled out his phone to call the cab service when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. Someone had come after him, he turned around, his eyes meeting Natalia's. She was still smiling her creepy smile.

"That was a very appropriate speech." She put her hand on her chest. "It touched me."

He frowned at the glance the girl was giving him from her pale face with those dark circles under her eyes.

"Thank you," he said. "How are you feeling?"

The girl shrugged.

"I should be dead by now, but I'm alive." And she took a step forward.

Alex, what are you doing?

"You know, Mr. Kennedy, uhm, Leon," she gave him a sad glance. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

Leon smiled at the girl and looked around as he heard the sound of running footsteps approach.

"Kennedy!" Leon stared into Chris' angry eyes. "How dare you?" The brunette grabbed his collar and shook him.

Leon licked his lips and looked away.

"I told you I couldn't."

"Is that the treatment she deserves?" Chris screamed. He let go of Leon's shirt and turned around angrily. "Some words, Leon. Only some words."

Leon's look dropped to the ground and he clenched his teeth. None of the men was paying attention to Natalia anymore. The girl bit her lip and walked away slowly.

"I wasn't made like this, Chris."

"What fucking excuse is that?" Chris hissed into his face as he turned around and held Leon's stabbing gaze. "She loved you," he said angrily. And those words seemed to move something in Leon. The blonde grimaced.

"I loved her too," he hissed. "I still do."

"Oh yeah?" Chris cocked his head to the right as he asked. "I think you're actually happy she's gone. Now you can get back to fuck every pussy you come across."

Everything went way too fast. Out of nothing, he curled his fingers into a fist and threw it into Chris' face. It hit the other man's lip the same moment the sound of thunder rolled over them and the earth seemed to rumble. Chris stumbled back. His lip had ripped open and blood covered his face from his mouth to his chin. Leon stared at him, shocked by his own reaction as the rain started falling down on them.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Chris." Leon breathed heavily. "But you're wrong. I don't miss my former life and I'm definitely not glad that she died." He shook his head and turned away. Chris prepared to run after him, in desperate need to fight someone. An arm held him back.

"Chris, don't." Jill had come, she was trying to grab his arms and to hold him back. But he pushed her away. Chris pushed his wife so hard she fell to the ground. He turned around in shock as he saw the mud stains on her black clothes. Sherry stood some feet away, holding Summer in her arms. Luckily the girl didn't understand what was happening and just got excited as she saw her mother playing in the dirt. Jake approached them too.

The Jill got up and gave Chris a serious look of disappointment. Then, she spoke.

"Chris, stop looking for a culprit. Leon is suffering too."

"Why the fuck do you defend him?" He hissed. "On whose side are you?"

Jill stared at her husband, the raindrops falling onto her face causing her to blink more often than she'd have liked to. She swallowed and turned her head to Jake and Sherry, who still stood behind her holding Summer in her arms. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and threw them at Jake.

"Take Summer home." With those words, she turned to Chris again. "I'll come later."

Sherry wanted to say something, but Jake touched her shoulder, telling her to leave them alone. This was something the Redfields had to solve on their own.

And there they stood. Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, partners, friends, lovers.

"I'm on your side, Chris. And that's why I don't want you to suffer."

The silence almost shattered her when she started walking towards him. A pitiful sigh left her lips. She missed Claire too. The redhead had been so much more than just her sister-in-law. She had been her friend and the one who had stayed with her when everyone else was gone. But beyond that, Jill felt Chris' pain, his guilt. What she most wanted in the whole world, right there, was to hold him, to let him know she was there whenever he needed her. He had been strong so often for her. Now it was time to be strong for him, for both of them.

She felt how the air around her got colder with every step she took. She didn't even notice how she started shivering. Was it the cold rain pouring down on her? Or was it because she was afraid of speaking to him? Chris had been the man she loved, her partner and her friend for so many years, but now everything they were supposed to be had been torn away and what had seemed like something worth fighting for now had turned into a tortuous nightmare for both of them. This had nothing to do with Claire's death, or his anger over Leon's cold behavior. It was them. During the previous weeks and months, their only intention was to hurt each other. But in times of tragedy, the remaining love was everything that mattered. She reached him and tried to hold him. Insecurely, she lifted her hand. It shivered. Her whole body trembled. As if it gave her the strength to call out for him, she swallowed hard and eventually placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked down and took a deep breath.

"Go away, Jill." His voice was soft and tender. But his words were stabbing, rushing through her chest and killing her slowly. "Go home."

Her teeth began to chatter. Why was it so cold there? Jill thought and breathed. She could have left, but she decided to stay. At least he was talking to her. Her grip tightened around the loved shoulder. "I can't."

Chris blew out an impatient breath.

"Do you always have to be so stubborn, Jill?" He freed himself from her grip as he started walking up the hill. But he stopped. The far sound of people running around trying to find protection from the rain came to his ears.

"I am stubborn?" Jill furrowed a brow and walked after him. "I am not the one who is walking away. These are difficult times for all of us, Chris." She paused, waiting desperately for a reaction from him. "But together we can survive this."

"You have no fucking idea!" He turned around in anger and blew his words into her face. "You haven't lost the one person you promised to protect no matter what happened."

Jill's jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide.

"That one person?" She whispered in offense and swallowed hard. "I understand your pain over the loss of your sister, Chris, but if there is that one person you should always want to protect it should be your daughter. Because, yes Chris, she's your daughter too."

He stared at her, aware of his words and how they had hurt her. How they hurt himself. His look dropped to the wet ground. And it stayed there.

"Of course she is." He clenched his teeth. "And Summer is the most important thing to me." It was true. He loved his daughter like he had never loved anything or anyone else in the world before, but the pain of his sister's death numbed him so much he wasn't able to think of anything else but the void she had left. He stared into her eyes, trying to analyze what he found there. Deception. Pity. Anger. Fear. All those emotions were amplified by the rain on her face and the tears. Even through the raindrops sliding down her face, they didn't hide her tears, and it frightened him. Jill was the kind of woman who never cried. When she did, it meant the beginning of an end.

"I wonder," she said, "if you still keep any feelings for me, when even your daughter means so little to you." She bit her lip and held his gaze, not sure if she expected an answer or if she just wanted him to walk away like he always did. The previous twenty years seemed to play in front of her eyes like a horror movie. Everything she had been through, every fear she had faced, she had always been strong with Chris Redfield by her side. Now the same Chris Redfield stood in front of her and she felt like it was him she had to fight. Something in his face shifted from pain to anger and back to pain.

"It would be easier," he whispered, breathed, swallowed. He threw his head back and closed his eyes. "It would be easier if you didn't lock yourself away, if you didn't yell and throw so much hatred at me, Jill. If you were just a little like the Jill I once knew, nothing would have mattered." He blew out a breath, trying to control the tone of his voice. He was aware, he knew that he was being too loud, too cruel to her. "The Jill I met was strong enough to fight everything without blaming others."

She stared at him, unable to feel him anymore. That invisible wall between them that had built up over the years had become impenetrable. he hadn't been given the tools to break through, not to mention the hammer and chisel to shape it into something that wasn't just a block of stone. Cold stone.

"That Jill needed her Chris Redfield, too, you idiot," she gasped and clenched her teeth, her fist, her toes. He had aimed for her heart, had shot his words into her chest and let them explode, leaving a gaping hole of despair and hatred. Now she would pay back every single syllable of his. The thought ran through her mind in the desperate search for something to hurt him, something to equally kill him with. They would never use force against each other, unless someone was under Wesker's control. But they could both come up with extremely creative insults that had no other purpose than to break and maim. "But now, what I realize is that I always needed the other Redfield. Claire was what brought us together and Claire is what held us together." That one sentence had been sharp and evil but she wasn't finished destroying him. What was that emotion on his face? Had that hurt him? Good. She would give him more bitter pills to choke on. "You did a fantastic job raising your sister, Chris. Claire was much more of a man that you will ever be."

"Jill, what the fuck?"

"What?" She shouted. "Didn't you think the same thing yourself when you called her to look after your family when you didn't know how to handle the mess you caused?"

His eyes. Oh, his eyes. They reflected shame, fear, sadness. She knew it. She had hit him hard and a part of her wished it would kill him. The other part, the part that still begged for this to stop, to hold her, was dying with every word she aimed at him.

When had they become this? When had they stopped being partners and started seeing each other as an enemy? Chris watched Jill's scowling face and hoped desperately she would all of a sudden start to laugh and tell him everything was going to be alright. She didn't. She kept staring at him and he started wondering if there was still something of his old partner hidden behind that hateful, cold gaze of this stranger. She had been everything he needed. He would have given his life for her, and now they couldn't stop blaming each other for everything that was going wrong in their lives.

"Jill." Her name sounded empty as he spoke it. As if it had lost its meaning. "I think I need some time on my own." And as he said that, he wasn't sure if the words hurt himself more than they hurt her. But it was time to be completely honest.

She kept staring at him. Was he giving up? Was he really giving up so easily? She felt the tides turn. She looked into his eyes and understood. She was tired of the whole struggle too. Jill took another breath and suddenly couldn't hold Chris' look any more. Her lips tried to build a smile and failed. Before she could even think about it, she was nodding her head.

"Okay," she whimpered quietly. "So, this is it."

It wasn't a question, so it didn't need an answer. They had fought for too long, had broken each other too often. And now they stood face to face, willing to put their guns down and their hands up. He hated seeing her like that, but he knew it was the best for both of them. His hand reached out for her face and cupped her cheek. She rubbed it into his palm as she put her hand onto his and gave him another glance full of hope, and she cried. She cried so desperately it broke him once again. There, on the graveyard, in the rain, he pulled her into a hug and, for the first time in months, Jill didn't resist.

Their relationship was over.

But so was their war.

Oh, I swear I cried when I wrote the last scene. I apologize for all the drama and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was fun to write.

Thank you so much for reading and following this story. You're amazing and you make me feel so special. Thank you!

I wouldn't have done this without Sofistinha and Adonna2424 and their help. You're the best, girls!

Titoneitor2.0: The unicorns are dead for good and to make sure they won't come back as zombiecorns I fed them to the dogs xD I'm being pretty mean to… well, everyone here. But I'll fix it… I guess. Thank you for your words on the previous chapter.

The Lady Frost: Poor Chris, yeah. At least he doesn't have to see Jill in Kennedy's arms *cough cough* I still find it hard to figure what Claire would look like as a B.O.W. xD Thank you so much for the review.

RNAi-L: You know, originally I hadn't planned on giving Jake and Sherry so much presence here, but thanks to you, I started liking them together in this 3 Chris, Leon, Jill… We have seen them all fall. But who will get up and fight and who will give up and let evil control them? Anyway, I'm so happy you keep reading this. IO is emotion. It's all heart and that tiny knife in my hand mwahaha. Thank you for your lovely reviews my friend. It means so much to me.

Thebigticket21: I'm so happy you liked the chapters. Because you did like them, didn't you? I'm sorry to make Jill and Chris go through all this pain. But don't hate him. He made mistakes, but who doesn't? I will try my best to make you love him again. Thank you so much for taking the time to review, my friend.