Chapter Nineteen: The Next Step, Conclusion
Snafu's Notes: The story lives! I've spent a good half of a year writing and rewriting this chapter, adding some parts, and removing some of the parts.
Bali, Indonesia.
A deserted section of town.
Specter was dead, the Russian sniper's head twisted in an unnatural angle, his sniper rifle broken in two. Albert Wesker was crouched behind a car, Samurai Edge in hand, calmly ejecting the spent clip before slapping in a fresh clip as the bullets from the Wolfpack's assault rifles tore into his cover.
Only one word raced through his mind. 'Setup.'
Wesker had been in a foul mood following his departure from Hong Kong. He had hoped that the Bali trip would be fruitful. Instead, he walked right into a trap. During his time with Umbrella, he knew of the fearsome reputation that the Wolfpack had. But in the years following Raccoon City, the elite unit had been hit pretty hard with losses, as Wesker kept up with the antics of Umbrella, trying to conduct damage control following the outbreaks and Raccoon's nuclear destruction.
He was in Raccoon City when it fell to Umbrella's bioweapons. He could have killed Jill Valentine himself. But he decided to let Henri's prized bioweapon do the work. But, like Chris, Jill had the luck of the devil. The same could be said for Claire. Wesker hadn't forgotten the beating Chris had laid onto him, and promised to pay his former subordinate back sevenfold.
The Wolfpack was now reduced to three members: Lupo, Bertha, and Vector. Wesker had killed Specter, while Jill herself had killed Beltway. Four-Eyes was killed under mysterious circumstances, but Wesker suspected that Ada was behind the killing.
Wesker returned fire, forcing Lupo and the others to take cover, while retrieving a hand grenade he had pilfered from Specter's dead body moments earlier. As fun as this was, this mission was a bust.
Behind the overturned car, Lupo ejected the empty clip and reloaded her assault rifle. Following the failed attempt in capturing Chris and Jill, they heard about Wesker lurking around Bali. That rumor proved to be true, as whoever leaked out that piece of information wanted the Wolfpack and Wesker to kill each other.
So far, Wesker had killed Vector when he tried to flank him. However, Vector made the fatal mistake of underestimating Wesker, and it cost him his life.
THUNK.
Lupo looked up and noticed a small, green, fist-sized object that landed on the roof. Her eyes widened as she recognized the item. "Get back!" she screamed. "GRENADE! GET BACK!"
Lupo, Bertha, and Vector managed to take five steps before the grenade detonated, blowing up the car, the force of the explosion sending the three flying before landing in a heap on the ground. Wesker took that time to make his escape, but not before dropping a second grenade near his own hiding place, which destroyed the car he was hiding behind and burning Specter's body to the point that it was unrecognizable.
This mission a failure, Lupo, Bertha, and Vector hobbled to where the extraction chopper awaited and boarded, leaving their fallen comrade's body behind.
(Cue 'The Chase of Highway' - from the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Soundtrack)
Brenner Autobahn - near Innsbruck, Austria.
Two weeks had passed since Chris and Jill had returned from their honeymoon.
In his first stint in the Air Force, Chris was stationed in Germany for fourteen months. Which meant that in his spare time when he was not looking after Claire, he was tearing it up along the autobahn with whatever girl he was dating at the moment. Now, here he was, on a motorcycle, chasing down a renegade White Umbrella executive, with Jill holding on for dear life with one hand, while in the other, was a submachine gun - a Heckler & Koch MP5A3 – pilfered from a dead Umbrella security guard complete with an extra clip.
As Jill had mentored under HUNK, she developed an interest in submachine guns. Sure she was proficient in the Beretta and the various grenade launchers, but she was looking for a specialty weapon suited for her needs. Chris preferred shotguns, Leon had his Desert Eagle, and Graham enjoyed blowing shit up. HUNK saw that she had a growing interest with submachine guns, and had trained her in that area. Jill had became so sufficient in the weapons that she could wield two at the same time, of which the Umbrella guards inside the hidden Umbrella facility near Innsbruck found out the hard way.
While Jill preferred the H&K MP5A3, she also developed a fondness for the Czech-made Škorpion vz. 61 submachine gun as well.
Behind them, were three sedans, filled with Umbrella goons, each one of them armed to the teeth with assault rifles, and the White Umbrella executive by the name of Reinhardt Schenider, was making a mad run for the German border. In his possession, were several files, discs and documents detailing White Umbrella's finances. Nothing special, but one of the files were rumored to contain an address pertaining to the location of the last surviving Umbrella founder, one Ozwell Edward Spencer.
It was something that not even the anti-Umbrella forces could not ignore. And Chris and Jill Redfield were put on the case.
Chris swerved the motorcycle in order to avoid the burst of gunfire that would have caused some serious damage to the bike's engine. While holding on to Chris, Jill returned fire with her MP5AE, the 10mm Auto rounds tearing into the hood and windshield, causing the car to swerve, but the car quickly regained control and resumed its pursuit.
"This is not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to go back to Europe!" Jill shouted.
"Take it up with Graham if we survive!" her husband retorted.
In the air, a MH-60A DAP (Direct Action Penetrator) Black Hawk Helicopter – on loan from the Army – was closing in on the pursuit. Behind the stick, ever the badass, was Colonel Roland Graham, while Captain Jettingham flew as copilot. Through Dee-Ay's Army connections, the fearsome gunship was left at Ramstein Air Base, armed to the teeth with various weapons; the M230 Chaingun – the fearsome 30mm automatic cannon, and the 19-shot Hydra 70 rocket pods.
When the call came from Chris and Jill for assistance, Dee-Ay and Graham – who was overseeing the mission – responded. As both men were at Ramstein, they took off in the Black Hawk in pursuit of the Umbrella goons that were tearing up the autobahn.
Jill fired off a second burst. Again, the rounds pierced the windshield, but they also struck the driver in the chest. If he wasn't dead from the rounds to the chest, he was most certainly was when he lost control of his car, causing it to flip and explode when Jill fired at the gas tank.
The two other sedans drove around the flaming wreckage and continued the chase, firing upon the motorcycle. One shot blew out the bike's taillight, Jill yelping as the shrapnel scraped her leg, drawing blood. In response, she fired another burst from the submachine gun, only for the bullets to fail in penetrating the windshield.
CLICK. CLICK.
Jill cursed as the MP5A3 ran dry. The gun was now useless. So she discarded it and held on for dear life as Chris gunned the engine to the crotch rocket, gaining on Schenider's car.
The WHUP-WHUP-WHUP of the spinning helicopter blades heralded the arrival of the Black Hawk chopper, and not a moment too soon. The other two sedans, seeing the gunship as the bigger threat, turned their guns on the helicopter.
Roland Graham had an amused look on his face as the bullets from the Umbrella security force's submachine guns failed to penetrate the heavily-armored hull of the chopper. Without fanfare, he returned fire with the M230. Firing off 30mm caliber rounds at a rate of 625 rounds per minute, not even the armored sedan was capable of withstanding such an onslaught from the autocannon. It was reduced to a smoking heap, complete with the bloodied remains of the four men inside.
The second sedan soon suffered the same fate, only this time, Jettingham opened fire using the Hydra 70 rocket pods. The rockets detonated upon impact, propelling the sedan up and over into the air, before landing upside down, the leaking gas from the gas tank igniting, causing the sedan to erupt in an angty crimson fireball.
A second barrage of rockets tore up the road in front of Schenider's car, causing him to screech to a stop, lest he find himself in the man-made crater made by Jettingham. Now, Schenider found himself caught between a gunship and the married couple, the bike now parked, handguns drawn.
Schenider looked at the advancing man and woman. Then he looked at the briefcase which contained the valuable documents...and the handgun which was in the passenger seat next to him.
He reached for the gun...and froze when he felt the cold barrel of a Beretta handgun press into the back of his skull.
"Don't move," Jill said.
"Ein Grund. Dann rufen Sie meine Frau ein Grund, Herr Schenider." (One reason. Just give my wife one reason, Mr. Schenider), Chris said in German. "Sie ist nicht so nachsichtig wie ich bin." (She's not as forgiving as I am.)
Schenider relented. This chase was over.
Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The mission was a success, but the secondary mission in regards to finding the location of the fugitive Umbrella head was a bust. There was no address, and Lord Spencer was in the wind. As it was late once Chris, Jill and Graham arrived at Ramstein, the base commander provided them with housing for an overnight stay. Graham had his own quarters while Chris and Jill shared theirs.
At the moment, Jillianne Valentine was in the shower, standing under the shower head, allowing the warm water to run over her sore body. Earlier in the morning, Jill had to rush to the bathroom to empty the contents in her stomach into the toilet. Chris, thankfully, didn't notice, as he was still asleep at the time. This was something she had done for the past couple of days back home. She had written it off as indigestion...so she had hoped.
She didn't flinch, nor was she surprised when Chris stepped into the shower behind her, naked as she was. She closed her eyes and smiled as she leaned backwards into his embrace, his lips on her damp neck.
"Now this brings back memories," Chris mused, arms wrapping around Jill's slender torso.
"Your place, back in Raccoon City," Jill said, remembering it as well. "Our first weekend together following our first time inside the S.T.A.R.S. Office...against the door..."
"And on Wesker's desk," finished Chris.
Jill spun around in her husband's embrace, reaching behind her so that she could maneuver the shower head, allowing the water to drench her husband as well.
"Have I ever told you that you look so sexy when you're soaking wet from head to toe?" Chris asked.
"Can't say that you haven't," came the reply.
"That night when we agreed on an actual relationship...had I not been so sleepy, I would have jumped on you," admitted Chris.
"I'm here now, and I'm soaking wet," Jill mused, her chest pressing up against Chris' own. "Actions speak louder than words, Major Redfield."
"Is that a challenge, Lieutenant Valentine?"
"Always."
Chris didn't need any more prodding. And Jill didn't need anymore convincing. There was a reason as to why the shower was one of their favorite lovemaking spots, even back in Raccoon City. And after two years, it still remained their favorite locations for a tryst.
Andrews Air Force Base, days later.
Following their return to the States, Chris and Jill field their reports and handed them to Colonel Graham. It was a Friday, and the attire for the couple – as well as the rest of the Anti-Umbrella Unit was casual.
Unfortunately for Jill, Chris had noticed the morning sickness earlier that morning. And it had reared its ugly head once again, as Jill excused herself from the office.
Graham and Chris watched as Jill hastily departed from the briefing room. "Is your wife okay, Major?" Graham asked.
Chris shrugged his shoulders. "This is the first time I've seen her like this, Colonel," he replied. "I guess it was the Mexican food we had for dinner last night."
Graham chuckled. "Don't remind me. Remember that gig in the Dominican Republic?"
Chris laughed. "How can I forget? Ventura was blowing chunks all night when we got back to the hotel."
Graham soon joined his subordinate in laughter. "Oh, those were the days." His expression then turned serious. "But
seriously, Major. See after your wife. Tell her to get herself checked out. If she acts stubborn, then make it a direct order."
Chris nodded and exited the briefing room. As he approached the womens' restroom, he saw that Jill was emerging from the restroom, looking slightly pale. "You okay?" he asked.
Jill nodded. "I think so," she replied. "I think it was the Mexican food we had last night." She waved him off. "Don't worry about me, Chris. I'll be fine."
"Jill, take the rest of the day off and see Rebecca," Chris said. "Graham's got you covered."
"Chris, really...I'm fine. Really, I'm...I'm...oh, God..."
That was all Jill had said before she rushed back to the bathroom. Seconds later, she was retching, puking her guts out once again as Chris patiently waited out in the hallway.
"You were saying, Lieutenant?" Chris said as Jill exited the restroom. When it looked like Jill was going to argue, Chris added, "Go and get yourself checked out. That's an order, Lieutenant Valentine."
Jill frowned. Chris was not only her husband, but also her superior officer. "Fine, Major. I'll go," she conceded. "God I feel like shit. I hope whatever I got will pass," she added as she walked down the hall.
Two days later...
It was the weekend and since Graham had no assignments for them given the fact that Umbrella was now on the defensive, Graham decided to give his two top subordinates the day off.
Chris was still in the bed asleep while Jill was in the kitchen, checking her e-mail on her laptop, while sipping on some herbal tea she had picked up from the local store. The tea worked very well on her, since she was experiencing less bouts of nausea. Sherry was at a sleepover at the Burton's, giving the couple some time alone.
One email stuck out in particular. Jill recognized it as Rebecca's e-mail address. Jill clicked on the address and opened it.
What she read had nearly caused her to choke on her tea.
Jill. The tests came back positive. You're two weeks pregnant. Congrats. Rebecca.
'Two weeks?' Jill thought. 'Wait a second...now I remember...'
She had thought that she had conceived during the honeymoon. But instead, it was shortly before the Austrian assignment.
HUNK had declined the offer, but Chris and Jill ended up getting drunk at the Officers' Club on base. Thankfully, one of the other officers gave the both of them a ride home. One thing led to another and it ended with them having raw, passionate, wild, hot monkey sex in their bedroom.
'That explains the morning sickness,' Jill thought as she logged out her laptop and headed for their bedroom. 'And I just missed my period. Chris is going to flip out when he finds out about this.' She sighed. 'There's no way around it. Chris has to know.'
Sure enough, upon entering their bedroom, Chris was still in bed. Only this time, he was awake, as he was in an upright position, yawning. He was naked from the waist up, wearing only a pair of pajama pants. His dogtags were around his neck. In the past year, Chris had also bulked up, if ever slightly.
Jill sat on the edge of the bed. Chris saw her and smiled. "Mornin' beautiful," he greeted.
"Hey," Jill replied softly. "We need to talk."
Imagine Jill's shock when Chris had beaten her to the punch. "I already know, Jill. Rebecca told me when I went in for my physical yesterday." Jill quickly gotten over her shock as Chris continued. "I asked her about how you were doing and she told me. I was pretty shocked myself. But Barry managed to calm me down after I talked with him and Kathy."
Jill chewed her lip for a moment. "So what do we do now?"
"Do you want to keep it?" Chris asked.
Slowly, Jill nodded her head. "What about you?"
Chris thought about it for a moment. "We faced zombies, Tyrants, crooked ex-superiors, renegade scientists and other monsters by the truckload. I think we can deal with raising a kid. Think Graham's up to being a godfather?"
"I hope so," Jill replied. "How you think Claire's going to handle becoming an Aunt?"
"Guess we'll find out later when we tell her as well as the Colonel," Chris said. He looked at his wife. In a couple of months, her belly will swell with the product of their union, so he might as well get used to looking after his pregnant wife. He reached for the phone. "Might as well tell him now. How do you feel about Graham being godfather to our kid?"
Graham residence.
RING...RING...
On the third ring, the phone was picked up by Colonel Graham's 15-year-old daughter.
Ashley Graham was expecting one of her friends, but instead found out that it was her father's subordinate on the other end. "Hello. Graham residence."
"Ashley, it's Major Redfield. Is your father there?"
"One moment, Major," Ashley replied. Turning to her father, who was enjoying his morning coffee, she handed him the phone. "Dad, it's for you. It's Major Redfield."
Graham accepts the cordless phone with a nod, allowing Ashley to finish up her breakfast. "Major. This had better be important. You're interrupting my morning interval," he said with humor in his voice.
"Jill's pregnant," Chris replied. "She's about two weeks along, sir."
Graham's eyes widened slightly before he broke into a wide grin. "Really? Well then, congratulations, Major. Fatherhood is a major responsibility, even for someone like yourself."
"There's something else, sir," Chris continued. "Jill and I talked about it and we want you to be the godfather for our kid."
Now Graham was surprised. "Godfather? Seriously? I'd be honored. Thank you, Major."
"No. Thank you for accepting. We'll talk later, sir," Chris replied. The line went dead afterwards.
An apartment, somewhere in the D.C. area...
RING...RING...
The cellphone on the nightstand began to ring, rousing Leon from his slumber. Claire was still out cold, using his shoulder as a pillow.
Groaning slightly, Leon saw that it was Claire's phone that was ringing. Checking the caller ID, he saw that it was Jill calling.
Curious as to why Jill was calling at this time of the morning, Leon flipped the phone open and answered it. "It's seven in the morning, Lieutenant Valentine" he groused. "Seven in the morning and your sister-in-law is out like a light. So what gives? Something happened to Chris?"
"No, Chris is fine, Leon," Jill replied. "I'm pregnant."
At that moment, Leon sat upright in the bed. Unfortunately, that little action had knocked Claire from her place on Leon's shoulder, sending her off the bed, causing her to land in an undignified heap on the floor.
"OW, LEON! WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Ooh...sorry about that, Claire," Leon apologized. He extended the phone to Claire, who was giving him the evil eye, and obviously planning something evil to do with him as she snatched the phone from her boyfriend. "What is it, Chris?"
"Wrong person, Claire," Jill said from her end.
"Jill? Why are you calling me? Is Chris okay?" Claire asked, concerned that her brother could be hurt.
"Chris is fine," Jill replied. "He's still the same jerk I married. I called to tell you that you're gonna be an aunt."
Claire's eyes went wide as saucers. "What? You're pregnant?"
"Yeah. Two weeks along."
"I'm...going to be an aunt?" Claire repeated.
"You're going to be an aunt," Jill confirmed.
"Um...congratulations?"
"A bit too late for that, Claire," Jill chided her sister-in-law.
"How's Chris taking the news?"
"Well enough. He freaked out about it at first until Barry calmed him down. He was the first to know, as Rebecca had told him."
"Kinda dangerous to have a kid with all that's going on with Umbrella."
Jill sighed. "I know. I was taking the anti-pregnancy shots, and I forgot to get another dose. I was careless, but it can't be helped. I don't know anything about raising a child."
"That's what Kathy is for," Claire replied.
Six months later...
If given a choice of going through the Spencer Mansion and Raccoon City and getting pregnant again, Jill would gladly choose the former. Especially after what Rebecca had told her months ago.
Kathy had been a godsend when it came to dealing with a pregnancy, but neither Chris nor Jill were expecting the news that Rebecca had dropped into their laps.
Jill was pregnant with twins.
Pregnant with twins, and Jill's stomach was about the size of a beachball. And she still had three months to go. Halfway through her first trimester, Graham had taken her off the active list and placed Jill behind a desk, which suited Jill fine, as it brought back memories of her early days with the Raccoon Police Department.
Chris was also taken off the active list, and was busying himself with training the new DSO agents. Leon S. Kennedy was among the new recruits, along with another man, recommended by Captain Jettingham - U.S. Special Operations Command operative Jack Krauser. Chris enjoyed the work, and since the war against Umbrella was beginning to wind down, following the announcement that the American Government had suspended the selling of Umbrella's stocks, it would only be a matter of time before Umbrella would go the way of the dodo.
Today, it was Jill's day off, as she was stretched out in the living room's sofa. Also present were Claire Redfield and Sherry Birkin.
The reason as to why Jill was at home along with Claire and Sherry was that Dr. Sachiko Kobayashi had come to visit.
The Takara executive/scientist's interests in her friend's daughter and the youngest of the Raccoon survivors was piqued when she found out that both had been exposed to – and survived – Umbrella's deadly bioweapons program and escaped with their lives.
So with both Jill and Sherry's permission, Sachiko drew blood samples from both Jill and Sherry and sent them to Takara's labs. The results had just returned and now, here was Sachiko with the results.
"How you're holding up?" Sachiko asked.
"I'll be glad when this is over," the ex-thief groused.
"Don't feel too bad," Sachiko replied. "I got three kids of my own, so I know the feeling."
"So what do you got?" Claire asked, as she was present to provide Sherry support.
"Both your sister-in-law and your charge are full of surprises. As it turns out, the respective vaccines did not completely eradicate the virus within your bodies."
"So does this mean that we'll end up as one of Umbrella's..." Jill began, but a raised hand from Sachiko silenced her.
"No. In your case, Jill, the remnants of the T-virus has gone dormant. From what we know about the T-virus, anyone exposed to it turns in less than six hours. Your body resisted the virus for almost 12 hours."
"Could it be because of P-20?" asked Jill.
"I was thinking the same thing," Sachiko replied. "Both the T-virus and P-20 originate from the Progenitor Virus. Your children will most likely gain your attributes from P-20, rather than the dormant T-virus strain."
"Chris said the same thing," Jill said.
"Speaking of the Progenitor Virus, there is still the matter of Miss Birkin here," Sachiko said, looking at Sherry. "You are one very lucky little lady."
"How?"
"I've read the reports on the G-virus, and it's only because you were a genetic match when you were exposed that you did not suffer the same fate as all those who were exposed and later rejected by the embryos your late father had implanted in his victims. The remnants of the G-virus inside you body had from all reports and tests, adapted and adjusted to the vaccine."
"Well, that explains how she can heal," Claire said, remembering seeing Sherry's healing abilities first-hand.
Sachiko nodded.
"So what happens now?" Sherry asked.
"I've ordered the blood samples to be destroyed, and the documents are safe on my laptop," replied Sachiko. "The only people who know are the three of us...and your husband, of course."
"Good to know," Claire said. "Last thing we need is more problems other than Umbrella."
Unknown Location.
Derek Simmons read the files in regards to Jill Valentine. His network of spies and informants were everywhere, including Takara Pharmeceuticals, in which one of the spies was Sachiko Kobayashi's secretary.
The spy had made copies of the data in regards to both Jill and Sherry, and was very much surprised to find out that she was expecting. 'More test subjects for the experiments,' he thought.
Carla's experiments into the T-Veronica virus was proving fruitful, but options were limited when it came to bioweapons research. Oh, what secrets did the two Raccoon survivors held within their bodies, if he could get his hands on them. He had failed in getting the Family's approval, but he could go around their decree and let Umbrella do his dirty work for him.
'The Wolfpack would do quite nicely,' Simmons thought as he looked over the recent reports. The six-man team was now three, as the Wolfpack had lost three of their comrades. Simmons suspected that Ada had killed Four-Eyes, but the mystery agent had went undergound. Valentine was credited with killing Beltway and Wesker had snapped Vector's neck whilst in Bali.
Not to say that Lupo had not gotten away unscathed. Her two children had been killed in a freak car accident while she was away in Bali, leaving her inconsolable.
'The Wolfpack is the key,' Simmons thought as he read the reports on Jill's pregnancy. 'Miss Valentine is expecting twins. Interesting. All I need to do is wait and let the Wolfpack do the work for me. Then I can intercept them and Miss Valentine will be a guest in my labs.'
Three months. Three months and Jillianne Valentine would be the most vunerable following the birth of her children. He began to make plans to have Umbrella 'retrieve' her by leaking out the information in regards to her impending labor. Then his crack team of mercenaries will eliminate the Umbrella team, and take Jill to his research facility in China.
Her husband, her sister-in-law, and anyone else who stood in his way, were expendable.
Redfield Home, three months later...
"So how are you feeling?" Claire asked as Jill sat down on the sofa, her belly swollen to the size of a beachball.
The female Redfield was visiting her sister-in-law at Chris's request. Sure Claire had her own room, but most of the time, she would be hanging out with Leon. Claire also wanted to check in on Sherry as well. At the moment, the teenager was upstairs, finishing up her homework. As for Chris, he was in the hospital, preparing to undergo surgery for a torn ACL. He had injured the anterior cruciate ligament during physical training, and was rushed to a hospital within the D.C. Area. Jill was out on maternity leave – and still is – until the twins were born. He would be a guest in the hospital for the next several weeks following the surgery. Jill would soon follow him soon after.
"You'll find out when you get pregnant," Jill said. She leaned back in the sofa and groaned. "I'll be glad when this is over."
"So when do you have to go into the hospital?" Claire asked.
"In three weeks," Jill replied. "I'll still be out on maternity leave for a while, and Chris will be going through rehab, so that means we'll be staying Stateside for quite a while."
"Good thing too," Claire pointed out. "Umbrella's been hit pretty hard these past years. It won't be long now before it goes belly up. What then? What will you and Chris do when this is all over?"
"To tell you the truth, Chris and I never really talked about it," Jill replied. "We were considering renewing our contracts with the Air Force, but he also considered moving back to Colorado. If we do move back, it'll be probably to New Raccoon City."
New Raccoon City was formerly known as Exeter. Exeter and Raccoon City were sister cities, having been built at the same time. While Raccoon City had Umbrella take over its town, Exeter was known as a tourist town, with a popular ski and hot springs resort, as well as a military base. Shortly after Raccoon was destroyed in the missile attack, Exeter voted to change its name to New Raccoon City to honor its fallen counterpart.
Both Dick and his daughter were quite infamous back in Stone Ville among the police department's older veterans, given their previous occupation as thieves, especially with the police department there. Dick had became a writer, writing about his past exploits in a series of novels. In fact, when a series of break-ins were reported months earlier, the police there assumed that Dick was up to his old tricks once again. However, he was in Chicago at a book signing at the time, and was immediately cleared.
Sherry took that moment to make her presence known. In the time she spent with the Redfields, she had learned to open up more, seeing Claire, as well as Chris and Jill as the parents she had wanted. Now fifteen, she was living a somewhat normal life, despite the horrors she had faced as she escaped from Raccoon City. Several trips to the shrink - the shrink himself a former resident of Raccoon who was one of the last surviving citizens to escape via private plane - had helped plenty.
Sherry had made some friends while she was living with Chris and Jill. Barry's daughters and Ashley were some of them. That, along with the shrink, helped Sherry through her trauma of losing her parents, as well as being a survivor of the Raccoon outbreak. It was shortly after Jill had entered into the final stages of her pregnancy, that Leon and Claire sat down with Sherry and told her the truth regarding her parents and their roles within Umbrella and to a major extension, the T-virus outbreak which forced the government to turn Raccoon City into a giant smoking, radioactive crater.
Of course, Sherry was distraught to find out that not only was her father's hands stained with blood, but also the fact that her father was the same monster who was chasing her all over the police station and had nearly killed her. In time, she would get over it.
Chris, on the other hand, was already in the hospital, scheduled to undergo knee surgery. He was at the same hospital that Jill herself would soon be visiting. It was off-base, but state-of-the-art.
"How's school?" Claire asked.
"It's okay," Sherry replied. "I'm in a couple of classes with Moira. Pollyanne's a year behind me." She looked at Jill for a moment. "You okay, Jill? You look like you're about to fall out."
"I'm fine, Sherry," Jill replied. "Just wait till you get older and pregnant." She plopped her feet on the table, where a pillow was placed for her sore feet. "Chris had to pick a real nice time for him to screw up his knee."
"Missing those foot rubs, aren't we?" Claire teased her sister-in-law.
"Who knew your brother had such a gentle touch," Jill said as she adjusted her body, trying to get more comfortable. "I'll be glad when this is over."
"So when's Chris heading into surgery?" Claire asked.
"Within the hour," Jill replied.
"And you should be heading for the hospital in a couple of days, right?"
Jill shook her head. "No," she replied, the color draining from her face. "Right now. My water just broke."
At that moment, all hell broke loose.
While Chris was undergoing surgery...
"OH, GOD! WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING?! TRYING TO FIGHT THEIR WAY OUT?!"
"Come on, Lieutenant! Push!"
"GAHHH! DAMN YOU, CHRIS, FOR LEAVING ME LIKE THIS!"
"I can see the head! You're doing great!"
"OH, FUCK OFF! YOU'RE NOT THE ONE DOING THIS! AAAHHHH!"
"AAUGH! DAMN IT, JILL! YOU CRUSHED MY HAND!"
"SHUT UP CLAIRE! WAAAUGH!"
Some 40-plus hours later...
Chris Redfield woke up to an unknown ceiling. His knee was heavily bandaged, as well as sore. Rather than the typical hospital gown, he was dressed in a pair of hospital scrubs, save that his left leg was rolled up above his knee.
"You're awake."
"Claire?"
Seated next to the bed, was his sister. Leon was with her. Chris managed to assume a sitting position, while taking an offered pillow from Leon to place under his knee. Chris noticed that her hand was bandaged. "Where's Jill?"
"Maternity ward," Leon replied. "She went into labor a day early."
"She's fine," Claire added, seeing the rising alarm in her brother's face. "She's lost a bit of blood, but she'll pull through." Her smile broadened. "Congrats, bro. You're now a father."
Chris returned the grin. "And my knee?"
"Operation went well," Leon replied. "You're gonna be out of action for the next couple of months for rehab."
"Great. Where's my doctor? I need to see Jill."
It had taken some convincing, but Chris was allowed to visit his wife. Seated in a wheelchair, with Claire pushing him, Chris was escorted to the maternity wing. The painkillers the doctors had given him for his knee were working, as the soreness had dulled to an ache. Soon, they reached the private room which contained his wife. Leon opened the door and held it open, allowing Chris access. Claire deciding to stay behind, giving the new family some time alone.
Jill was resting in her bed. Her face was pale, eyes closed, as she had undergone an experience that would have made her wish she was back in Raccoon City being chased by the Nemesis and the walking dead. Chris wheeled over to her side, taking great care not to reinjure his knee. Jill still haven't moved, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took.
Chris reached over and grasped his wife's clammy hand into his own. That stirred Jill to consciousness. Her tired azure eyes focused, and she saw herself looking at Chris. "Major Redfield," she greeted.
"Lieutenant Valentine," Chris replied. "How do you feel?"
"Like shit. You?"
"The same."
Jill smiled weakly. It would be a while before she would be back in top form. Fortunately for her, Graham was very generous. She would be out of action for six months. Chris would be out for about eight months. Good thing that Umbrella was severely weakened by the Anti-Umbrella group's efforts, as well as those from all over the world.
"Where are our kids?" Chris asked.
Before Jill could answer, the door opened, and in walked Jill's doctor.
"Here's the happy parents," Rebecca greeted.
"So how are they?" Chris asked.
"One hundred percent healthy," Rebecca reported. "Nothing negative to report." She then produced a clipboard and a pen. "Any idea as to the names?"
"Jill and I talked about it," Chris replied. "We both came to a decision a while back. If it was a girl, then it would be Cameron. If it was a boy, then it would be Caden."
"Caden Christopher Redfield," Jill stated, "and Cameron Siobhan Redfield."
Rebecca scribbled the names down. "Okay...I'll get these down to the records, and they'll bring up their birth certificates."
"Can we see them?" Chris asked.
"You can see them tomorrow," Rebecca replied. "In the meantime, the both of you need to rest. I'll contact Graham and see if he can get the both of you to share a room."
"Thanks," Jill said.
The following day, Chris was moved into the same room as Jill, so he could be closer to his wife. Having a boss who was the head of the Office of Special Intelligence sure had its perks.
By this time, Barry and his wife, Leon and Sherry were present. Claire was asked to retrieve Dick from the train station and would be back shortly. Graham himself would paying a visit as soon as he finished up some paperwork. Barry's daughters and Sherry were in school.
Jill was seated on Chris's bed. Like Chris, she was wearing a pair of hospital scrubs. Chris was still in his pair of scrubs, his surgically-repaired knee resting on several pillows. Jill was starting to feel a bit better. Her face wasn't as pale as it had been, and her strength would soon come back. 'Maybe a by-product of having the P20 in my system,' she thought as she watched Barry hold her daughter.
The labor had taken a lot out of her. But it was worth it. 'Was it like this when I was born?' she wondered. She would have to ask her father when Claire arrived with him.
Chris, on the other hand, was in high spirits as he held his son, whispering things to him in Dutch. After a moment, he handed little Caden to Kathy, who placed him inside his bassinet. Cameron was already back in her bassinet, yawning as she went back to sleep.
"They're beautiful," Kathy gushed.
"Thanks," both Chris and Jill replied.
"So Graham's the godfather, huh?" Barry asked. "What makes me?"
"Uncle Barry?" Jill teased.
Barry groaned. "Honestly."
From Leon Kennedy's Journal...
February 12, 2001
Not even parents for 48 hours and Chris and Jill had a second close call with Umbrella. The Wolfpack, as they are called. Or rather, one of their members, from what Chris and Jill had told me. The insane medic, Bertha. Claire's brother and sister-in-law made the bad move in going to a hospital outside of Andrews Air Base, and somehow, word got out. They've been moved back to the base hospital, but we're still on edge.
It was Ada, of all people, who had contacted me and gave me the warning. A non-sanctioned move against Chris and Jill. How she found out – or how did Umbrella find out – I'll never know, but I'm glad that she did warn me about Bertha. By the time, I had rushed back into Chris and Jill's room, Claire was already fighting Bertha. From what she told the police, Graham and myself, she had went to the snack machine to pick up something to eat when she returned to their room, where Bertha was about to kill Chris as he slept.
I remember Claire telling me back in Raccoon that she learned how to fight from her brother, which is how she survived Raccoon City and Rockfort Island. She had given Bertha the ol' what-for, but Bertha was gaining the upper-hand. Chris and Jill told me about the Wolfpack, and from what they told me about Bertha, she would have no qualms about killing Claire just to get to Chris, Jill and the kids.
When I kicked the door in, Claire was battered and bruised, and Bertha was not looking any better. Good thing I still had my Desert Eagle on me.
(Flashback)
BLAM!
PING!
Bertha was surprised as the .50 caliber round knocked the medical saw out of her hand. Still gripping Claire by her ponytail, she yanked her to her feet, Claire crying out in pain as she was hauled to her feet. Bertha quickly produced a scalpel and held the razor sharp instrument against Claire's throat, making herself as small as a target for Leon.
Chris and Jill, in the meantime, were still out cold from the knockout medicine Bertha had given them.
"Isn't this sweet," Bertha sneered. "The American coming to save the day." Her scalpel dug into Claire's neck, releasing a thin trail of blood.
"Drop the scalpel!" Leon shouted. "Now!"
"Oh, no. I hold the cards," Bertha replied. "I have the leverage. This mission was a failure as I had underestimated Miss Redfield, but I can still walk out of here...which is exactly what I will do. Otherwise, I will slice open her carotid artery and she will bleed out in seconds. Either way, I still win, and Beltway will be avenged."
"Not going to happen," Leon replied. "You kill her, and Umbrella will be at war."
"We are already at war, Mr. Kennedy," Bertha replied, giving Claire's ponytail a sharp tug. "You and this little miststück should have died back in Raccoon City. But I can make the exception. Drop the gun and let me pass...or I open her pretty little throat. I'm giving you until the count of three."
"How do I know that you won't kill her if I drop my gun?"
Bertha grinned, despite her mouth being bloody. "That's a chance you'll have to take, Kennedy. One..."
In focusing her attention on Leon, Bertha failed to notice Claire pulling out her insurance policy from her pocket. A flip-knife, which had been a gift to her from her knife nut of a brother. Claire thumbed the release, and silently flipped the razor-sharp blade open.
"Two..." Bertha prepared to slit Claire's throat.
"Three!" Claire shouted, jamming the knife into Bertha's wrist, and knocking her arm holding the scalpel to the side.
The surprise attack caused Bertha not only to scream in pain, but also release Claire's ponytail. Claire dropped to the floor, just as Leon unloaded his remaining clip into Bertha, the final slug knocking her out of the window, Bertha's screams abruptly stopping as her body crashed on top of a parked ambulance.
Leon dropped the Magnum and rushed over to Claire's side. "Are you okay?"
Claire had one hand on her neck to stop the bleeding. "Yeah. I'm fine. Sore as hell, but I'm fine."
(End Flashback)
Chris and Jill were grateful for the rescue, as was Barry and Dick. Claire had to be treated for a concussion and had to get several stitches, but she would live. We moved the family back to Andrews, at Graham's orders, where they will rest up at the base hospital.
Although I am still curious as to how Ada got my phone number, not to mention the knowledge of Umbrella's attempt to kidnap and murder the Redfields. Either way, I'm glad she warned us of the attempt.
Elsewhere...
Derek Simmons frowned. It had been a surefire plan in getting the Wolfpack to do his dirty work. But for all his planning, he did not take into account that the Wolfpack had suffered another casualty in the form of Vector, slain by Wesker himself, reducing their numbers down to two.
Beltway slain by Valentine herself...Four-Eyes found with a bullet in her skull, with Ada Wong as the likely culprit...Specter on the receiving end of a broken neck at the hands of Albert Wesker...and now, Bertha, slain by Raccoon survivor Leon Kennedy.
When he found out that Jill was expecting, it was an opportunity that he could not ignore. Aside from retrieving Valentine, there was a chance that her children could carry an immunity to the T-virus. Three for the price of one.
But it was not meant to be. 'Redfield and Valentine have the luck of the devil,' Simmons thought as he read the report following the aftermath of the failed mission.
The news reports were calling it an attempted kidnapping of two newborn children and the attempted murder of the parents. Lord Spencer – from wherever he was hiding, had been furious, as this was a non-sanctioned mission, and would have ordered the disbandment of what remained of the Wolfpack had it not been for the intervention of Colonel Vladimir, Spencer's right-hand man. The Wolfpack were assigned to his direct command and the last he heard of Lupo and Vector, they were somewhere in Russia.
Simmons had suspected that Ada was behind the intervention regarding Valentine and her children, but didn't have any proof, as she was still in the wind, and has been since Raccoon's nuclear destruction. Carla had told him that his scheme would not work, and she was right.
Simmons also knew that Chris and Jill Redfield would be even more careful from here on out, in regards to both themselves and their children. All he could do now is wait.
"Somehow, telling you 'I told you so' doesn't do it justice," Carla said as she entered the room.
Simmons glared at the scientist. "You obviously have some news for me, otherwise you would not be so smug."
"Not really," Carla replied. "I just wanted to see the look on your face when your scheme failed. Now, Redfield and Valentine will be even more on guard, especially when it comes to their children."
Simmons growled. "Out. Now."
Carla took her leave, closing the door behind her, the smug smile not leaving her face.
Redfield Home, July 24, 2001.
It was three years to the day, the anniversary of the ill-fated Spencer Mansion mission that led to the decimation of the Raccoon Police Department's Special Tactics and Rescue Service, and the uncovering of Umbrella's bioweapons program. That chain of events would ultimately lead to the outbreak in Raccoon City and its ensuing destruction.
Three years and the surviving S.T.A.R.S. Operatives – Barry Burton, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers and Jill Valentine – planned a small memorial for those who had died, as they always had done.
At the moment, it was three in the morning inside the Redfield home, and the piercing cries of five-months-old Caden and Cameron Redfield aroused their mother from their slumber.
With a groan, Jill blinked the sleep from her eyes. Facing a zombie outbreak, terrifying bioweapons, and the rumor of a rampaging superhuman of a former commanding officer looked to be more attractive rather than going and tending to her twin children.
Before she could get out of the bed, her husband stopped her. "Go back to bed, Jill. I got this," Chris mumbled as he forced himself awake.
Later on in the morning, Jill woke up to an empty bed. Chris hadn't come back from checking on the twins. The former thief got out of the bed, still clad in her pajamas, and headed for the twins' bedroom. What greeted her was a heartwarming sight.
Chris was in the chair, snoring gently, while the Caden and Cameron were asleep inside their cribs. A CD player was on the dresser, the CD repeating 'Greensleaves.' Jill couldn't help but to smile at the sight before her, leaning into the doorframe as her husband and their children slept.
She didn't know how Chris had done it, but even she had to admit that Chris was good with the children. Sherry opening up to the both of them proved that.
"Jill?"
Claire's voice broke Jill out of her thoughts. Shushing her sister-in-law, Jill motioned Claire to come closer and take into the sight of her brother, niece and nephew.
"Wow. And here I am without a camera," whispered Claire.
"I try to calm them down, and they cry their eyes out," Jill mused. "Chris calms them down, and they are out cold. How does he do it?"
Claire smirked. "Redfield special technique." She then motioned to the CD player. "The music also helps."
Jill went back to watching Chris as he continued to sleep. Meanwhile, the CD began to play again, as Chris had it on 'repeat.' Her smile widened as she silently entered the room, and retrieved a blanket from the closet. Walking over to Chris, she draped it over him, and after checking on her kids once more, quietly left the room.
Next Chapter: Fast-forward one year later, as Chris and Jill deliver their inquiries about their final mission into Russia to a joint American-British commission in England.