Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil.

I haven't been here in so long!

Buddha the Carhop: Thanks!

Tomoko Takami: Welcome back!

Bloody Raptor: I'll be completely honest with you, I went to JC Penny's site for his pants and Vans site for his shoes. I'm just idiotic and like to get certain things down to a science ya know?

MOONLIGHT SHADOW HUNTRESS: Ah, you're prediction is an interesting one. I suppose you'll just have to wait and see what Eden has in store for our band of misfits!

Chapter 37: Almost

Leaving something behind is like watching something die. It was slow, painful, and in the end, regret washed over you like a tidal wave. Denial was what sought after and it strangled you until you couldn't breath without that one thing you left behind. The town that held these survivors close was now dust in their rearview mirrors. The city was to be ash. Salvation was just beyond their mighty reach and yet the dark forest of fading hope was what lie between them. They were just filthy and beaten soldiers searching for something that could possibly be a fake.

The ride was silent. Chris lead the group down a stretch of road that seemed to last forever. The truck that he drove was rumbling lowly in the morning noise, the pink sun beating down on the hood, beaming it around like a halo. Barry fiddled with his gun, occasionally flicking his eyes to the road. The other car behind them sheltered the rest of the group, tagging along faithfully through the morning. Today it was colder then usual. Although the sun had begun to risen, it did not make of for the frost covering the grass for miles to see. Radio towers that no longer worked shot high into the sky, wires lazily hanging from them. Fields of crops and lands of grass was all there was to see. Nothing more and nothing less.

Finally after what seemed like hours of driving on this road, Chris could spot the woods that surrounded the park. Although it was day, the woods seemed to carry darkness throughout them as if they were hiding a secret. The low grumble of Chris' old truck seemed to calm him as the coming storm was untold. He looked in the rearview mirror to see Wesker and the others following close behind and he rolled down the window to flag them over to the side of the road. He turned off the engine and stepped out, rubbing his eyes from exhaustion. Wesker, who walked like he had a stick up his ass due to pain, winced and pushed his back forward. Claire settled Kaya in the front seat, tucking her in with a blanket. Chris laid a map on the hood of the Nissan and the bright red circle stood out from the yellow of the map, Chris' thick finger pointed there and he sighed. "We have about..." Chris pondered for a second, rubbing his hand across his oncoming beard. "Ten miles to go... maybe a bit more."

Claire stood next to Wesker, leaning into him tiredly. "Do we even know what to look for when we get there?"

Chris sighed again and shrugged lazily. "Personally, I don't think this place exists... it just seems too good to be true."

Wesker's face turned sour and his red eyes flickered. "Then why the hell are we on this wild goose chase?" His temper flared and Claire's fingers tightened their grip on him, holding him back a little.

"Albert..." Claire whispered softly to him. "Albert it's ok... just calm down." The tyrant stopped his tugging and settled back, his look still boiled Chris harshly.

"Let's keep going," Claire chided. "We can only try."

Wesker and Chris kept their gazes locked on each other, neither of them relenting. Claire's fingers lingered on Wesker's hot skin and she looked up at him. Ever since that day in '98, Chris would never again look up to Wesker. The very mention of his name sickened him to the bone. Chris was one to hold grudges until either him or the offender was dead. It didn't matter how many years would pass because both of them knew they would be enemies until one of them choked and died. There were times when they acted like civilized men and handled their tempers rather well. Then there were times like this when neither of them could trust the other as far as they could throw them.

Chris walked away first, shaking his head and folding up the map. He grumbled something under his breath and slammed the door shut. Wesker's stone wall expression did not change as he returned to the car. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white and unwillingly followed the old truck in front of him.

XXXXX

The woods were exceptionally quiet for this time of day. It was almost eleven in the morning. There was no sun, no birds, and no wind. It was horribly silent. The road that they followed was beginning to dwindle into nothing and it looked as though they may have to continue on foot. They didn't have too many supplies so walking was not out of the question. The only problem that Chris could see arising was leaving the cars only to find nothing. It still didn't dawn on him that there was hope somewhere out there. He thought that if hope was anywhere, it wouldn't be in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. However, the rest of the group was confident that Eden was just a walk away and that they would finally be safe from the terror. No news of the outside world rang in their ears. To them, the rest of the world might as well be dead too because at this moment, it didn't really make a difference. So for now, it was either here or nowhere.

Chris stopped the truck at the end of the path and turned the engine off. Barry looked at him worriedly but then nodded, cocking his shotgun. Billy checked the amount of ammo he had in his handgun then how much they had left in the backpack. It wasn't much, but at this point in time, it would have to suffice. The others packed their bags and readied their guns.

"We'll follow this path." Chris said. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled... this is all unfamiliar territory and we can't afford to lose anybody right now."

Wesker slowed his breathing which caused the pain in his chest to go down, but only slightly. He gripped his axe so hard that his hands began to cramp, he was trying his best to ward away the pain that welled in his chest. It burned, it stung, and it hurt like no other. As if his insides were on fire, his lungs burned as did his heart.

Everything hurt.

These were his body's last moments before it submerged itself into a 'purging' state. During the purge his body would rid itself of all toxins. In this case, the only practical toxin that resided in his body was T. There was no real way to get rid of it. There was no cure. However, the purge could very well kill him and revive him thus, expelling the virus. There was no real way to test it... Wesker would either have to rely on chance or luck. And both of them have let him down in the past.

His eyes faded in and out of focus, making it hard for him to see what was in front of him and what was 100 yards away. It was harder to distinct color although, color didn't matter too much. There was sweat accumulating on his forehead, heat burst through him and his skin felt like boiling off his bones. He stumbled behind the moving group, trying to catch his breath.

"Albert..." Claire grabbed his shoulder softly. "Albert you should sit down for a sec."

He blew her off and shook his head. "I just need some water..."

Claire eyed him and handed him the bottle. Wesker chugged the entire thing, the coolness flooding through his body.

"Does that help?"

He didn't reply to her, only kept walking. Claire was offended... he ignored her as if she wasn't there. She didn't know if it was because of his symptoms or if he really didn't care anymore... she doubted the latter and hoped that her doubt would hold true. She watched him struggle everyday, wondering when he'd get better. She knew at this point in time, his body just hacking up the remains of physical torture. Wesker's personal and highly intention abuse was just his way of getting rid of the bad in turn for the new.

The fog rolled in even thicker, and almost like a scene from a horror movie, the atmosphere grew darker, more sinister. The air was thick, hard to breathe. The snapping of twigs under boots made Claire flinch, for come reason all she could think about were bones breaking underneath her feet. Years ago... on Rockfort... piles of bones lines the paths, a result of massacre. All those years ago the remains of the innocent dusted under her shoes.

How could she forget?

The group just sauntered on. Through the dark, through the fog, through the cold, and through the dirt. Then the dark became darker, the fog became thicker, the cold became colder, and the dirt became dirtier. Mud stuck to the bottom of shoes, making deep footprints. Chris looked down and saw how the imprint of their shoes would possibly cause an easy track.

"Stop." Chris commanded. "Our footprints..." The group looked at the mud and back on the trail. They had been walking for a long time and the inches of grime sucked in their prints like memory foam.

"Wesker," Chris waved the man to the front of the pack. "Is your crazy-ass brother still after you?" It was more of a rhetorical question.

"Most likely."

Chris squinted as he looked up in the canopy of trees. "He a good tracker?"

"Probably."

The Redfield shook his head and adjusted the machine gun strapped around him. "As good as you?"

"I don't know."

Chris sighed. "Why don't you know?"

Wesker glared at him. "Why don't I know?" The tyrant chuckled menacingly, shaking his head, walking in a circle before his arms shot out, grabbing Chris by his shirt, shoving him against a tree. Barry and Billy moved in but Jill grabbed the older man's shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The man backed down.

"Maybe the reason why I don't know is because I never had the chance to meet my brother." His hands gripped on even harder, turning his knuckles white. "He and I were two worlds apart. I was lucky and he was not. It was the little things that separated us and when our father died that is what sparked this hatred. That is what brought us together on these terms. He wants to kill me and he's doing a pretty damned good job."

"Then maybe I should reconsider your admittance here." Chris seethed through his teeth.

A/N: Ugh... that's all I can hash out this time you guys! Sorry :( I know this hasn't been updated in 2 months but I'm getting really REALLY close to graduation so I'm really focused on that. So if at anytime you wanna know what's up or where I am and how I'm doing with SOM, message me and we'll chat! I'm still alive!