Legends Say

by Greensleeves89

There's a story that has been passed around through the whispers of time. One cursed to walk as a monster may be cured if the person most precious to them would only say their name. But, how can anyone get close enough to a monster to find out the truth?

Hi everyone! A rare appearance I've made, lol. Anyway, I wanted to try my hand at an RE fic - considering I've been playing a lot of the games recently. Getting ready for RE8. So I wrote this when the teaser trailer came out, before the main story trailer. So I know details will now be off considering what we now know but I didn't want to change too much of it. See how much of it could be accurate still. Anyway, please be kind as always. I've taken a very long break and only recently got back in to writing given the current global circumstances. And I'd like to mention I haven't played the demos, either. I'm trying to be completely spoiler free, so just an FYI. I hope you all enjoy this piece anyway.

---

The ground giving out under her foot about twenty minutes prior should have been an indication that the ground wasn't the most stable closer to the edge. But she had been so concerned with trying to capture some surveillance photos of what she thought looked like a village at the foot of a grand mansion - god another fucking one - that she took a step too close to the edge and it gave away.

And now she's tumbling down the side of the cliff. Her cries of surprise turn into pain as she feels the rocks and brambles scrap at her. Something sharp drives itself into her leg and she shouts from the pain. She bounces off a small ledge and the momentum sends her over the lip and she is falling once more.

When she finally lands on solid ground, she gasps. It had been some time since she'd had the wind knocked out of her like that. Probably, the last time was when Nemesis drop kicked her into the apartment wall.

She rolls from her side to her back. When she stares at the skies before her, she notices how tall the trees are around her. They are thick and stifling. And very unsettling. Snow begins to lightly fall. Her head is pounding. Her body aches and there is fire coming from her left thigh.

It's also starting to get dark. She doesn't know how far she's fallen and now she doesn't know what equipment she's lost or damaged. Gritting her teeth, she hauls herself up slightly. She pants and once the stars pass from her vision, she attempts to assess her situation.

She can see. That's good. She can feel pain, and breathing is slightly difficult. Some ribs may be sprained, or bruised. Numerous cuts are covering her face, body, hands and legs. She can taste the blood in her mouth. And when she feels something wet run into her eyes, she hastily wipes it away. More blood. How far down did she fall?

But that stick that's driven itself into her thigh is most concerning. She can barely touch it, or the surrounding area without it immediately shooting sharp pain down her leg. It has to come out. She can't walk with it in. Then again she probably will barely be able to walk with it out.

So she reaches behind her to the little bag at the base of her lower back. Time to take inventory.

The gun she had strapped to her thigh is gone. The knife is there. The extra ammo she stashed in the pouch is now useless. The camera flew out of her hands at some point, so who the fuck knows where that is. Oh god, yes. The flashlight works. And…? The radio! She grabs at it and presses the button. Static. But it's not completely broken. Hopefully.

A couple of attempts to get any kind of signal or to relay a message are lost in the static white noise. She curses. Maybe the signal is just too weak. Maybe.

Enough distractions. Her attention falls to the problem at hand. She needs to find shelter before daylight vanishes completely. It will be harder to do with this thing protruding from her leg.

All right, Jill. Suck it up. She tells herself. Easier said than done.

The last time she got something stuck in her arm, it was shrapnel and Chris calmly talked to her, reminding her to look at him and not the piece of metal while gently yet forcibly removed it from her arm. That was a pain. This is going to be so much worse.

The first aid bottle was crushed. Unsurprisingly. It's soaked the cloth she has in her pouch. Well, at least she doesn't have to worry about that step. Touching the stick shoots waves of pain through her. She cries out and tears form in her eyes. She removes a glove and shoves it in her mouth to bite down on. Fuck. Fuck. Her hand trembles above the stick. Touching it the last time has caused fresh blood to start falling from the wound.

She inhales and exhales. She can feel herself biting hard into the glove and her steady breathing devolves into panicked breaths as she grips the stick. Great. Now what? Does she yank it or does she slowly pull it out. How far down is it? If she yanks does she do more damage? Tears fall from her eyes. Time to make a decision. Chris would've pulled it out in a flash. Okay. She'll pull it. It is times like this that she wonders if their partnership has led to some kind of codependency. Where she can't do things without him and vice versa. That thinking led them to do a number of things apart. But fuck if she doesn't miss him by her side. Especially for this...

She screams into the glove as she removes it as fast as she can. Her hands are shaking and she feels the sweat run down her back. She wipes the tears from her eyes and pants. She tosses the stick away from her. She didn't get a good look but she estimates that it was about seven inches. Another scream escapes her as she puts a liberally soaked cloth on the wound and ties a thinner piece around it.

She falls back and stares at the skies. She's hot and cold at the same time. Removing the gloves from her mouth, she puts it back on and closes her eyes. Fuck. It fucking hurts.

Okay, Jill. Enough moping. Get up and figure out where we are. And where we're going.

God her inner voice is such a bitch sometimes. Can't they just rest here? Jill shoots up and looks around at the thicket of trees surrounding her. It feels like something...is watching her. But it's silent. Unbearably so. Nothing makes any noise. The silence...it's just like she's encountering the Spencer mansion for the first time again. She's a verteran at this type of shit. And yet being in this forest makes her feel like she's brand new.

Okay. Time to get moving. She has no idea how much pressure she can put on her leg. Having another set of hands would be great. Slowly, Jill pulls herself up. Gingerly she sets her left leg down, most of the pressure in the ball of her foot before distributing the weight evenly. She takes a few steps and immediately collapses the moment her full weight is forced upon her leg.

She cries out as she falls and feels so defeated. What now? She has to keep trying. The sun is setting. She needs to find shelter and make a fire or something to keep warm. Jill grits her teeth and hauls herself up. And walks. Pain escapes her lips. Keep going. Another step. Tears threaten to fall. She has to go east, that was the direction of the village. Maybe she can get some help there. Even if it looked a bit...Medieval.

Pausing to catch her breath she leans her weight onto a nearby tree. The sun has nearly sunk past the horizon. The temperature has dropped a bit as well and she has no idea how far she's walked. She turns over her shoulder.

The whole time...the whole damn time she has been struggling it just feels as though something is following her. Watching her. Studying her. Wolves, most likely. Or...oh shit, hopefully not a bear.

All she has is a knife. She'd have to strike with precision but with this injured leg...it'd be hard to maneuver. Hopefully she isn't easy prey. Great. She's made herself anxious. So she tries the radio again. But it gives her nothing but static in response.

A branch snaps in the thicket surrounding her. Jill frantically turns over her shoulder and scans the area. Being alone in a place like this, it can quickly break down one's resolve. They warned her of that in training. The hell she's been through over the years, together and alone, she never lost her resolve. But there was just something about this area that made her question everything. It sends her senses for a loop. She feels for the knife.

She prays it is simply deer moving to another area. Not wanting to find out, Jill resumes her hobbled slow pace. Desperately hoping that it was simply nature mucking about. It doesn't stop her heart from beating faster. Another snap in the distance.

And that was just it. In the distance. She's leaving it behind. Another quick pause to lean on a tree, her leg beggin for it. All of the surroundings look the same to her. Is she going in circles?

Darkness fell upon her so fast in her confusion, the only thing lighting her way is the brightness of the full moon. Jill glances up to it. Almost hypnotic. A branch snapping in what feels like inches from her causes her to turn around fully and gasp from the surprise of it. It had been some time since she had heard anything but the crushing silence. She scans as much of the forests as she can with the help of the moonlight.

There. Her eyes land on something that has moved. Something large. A person? If it is, then it is a tall person. She swallows and backs up to put distance between them. The rustling of the leaves on the trees causes her to look up. But she doesn't see anything.

Well, I'm not waiting around to see what the fuck that is.

Jill tries to pick up her pace. Her leg thwarts her. She stumbles. She trips and collapses. The noises get louder and seem to surround her. She picks herself up and keeps going. Jill keeps telling herself it is nothing to worry about but her gut says otherwise. It tells her to worry very much because she is not in a position to be taking on any sort of wild animal.

Movement in front of her. Oh fuck. There. She can see it. Something...fucking massive is moving towards her.

Growling erupts from whatever it is. Piercing yellow eyes. The damn moon is so bright in every other area except for where this creature is. Jill holds out her knife. She gets into a defensive position and wills her leg to hold out.

She swallows and locks eyes with this creature. She suddenly gasps as it seems to rush her, knocking her back. Jill scrambles to get up and fishes around for the knife. When she's up, she widens her eyes that she's lost track of it. Oh fuck…

A throaty growl from behind her. Jill inhales and turns quickly holding the knife in front of her face. The creature stands in the shadow cast by the moon. Jill lowers her guard from shock. Yellow eyes go through her. Jagged teeth. It's the height that gets her. And the fact that whatever this is...it's bipedal. And probably hungry.

It starts to charge her. Jill tries to hold her ground this time but it manages to knock her over again. This time, however, she notices that the blade of the knife is covered in blood. She managed to get a hit on. She turns over to her stomach and begins to crawl away from it as quickly as she can but it grabs a hold of her ankle and pulls her back to its place in the darkness.

Jill struggles to free herself but she finds herself trapped, on her back, staring at something still shrouded by the shadows. Yellow eyes and jagged teeth. It growls at her, she notices the bleeding arm of it, and Jill covers her face in defence as it begins to bear down on her.

She cries out the same time a gunshot erupts.

---

Jill awakens with a scream and thrashes to get whatever is smothering her off. Blankets. Christ. Embarrassing. Wait, blankets? What the fuck? She studies her surroundings. A small room. Barely furnished. She's in a small twin bed, with heavy quilts on top of her. A tiny window across from the bed lets in a sliver of the sunrise - it's snowing again. The night table beside her has what appears to be first aid supplies. Beside a wardrobe, a wooden chair is poised. The wardrobe has one of its doors slightly ajar. She can see her pouch, jacket and other affects neatly placed there.

What the fuck happened? Did she blackout from that encounter and just find somewhere safe? Where is she? She remembers the fear she had of looking into that monster's eyes. Whatever the fuck that thing was. She hopes to never encounter it again. There is now a desperation happening within her. Regroup and do her mission or get the hell out of here and try again with better intel? Jill closes her eyes. She knows the answer.

How could...how could she just…?

'Ah. Good. Rise and shine.'

Jill attempts to scramble out of bed and tries for her knife but the sight of the older man in the doorway puts her at ease. Which is good because the pain in her leg is now coupled with a battering stiffness. She grits her teeth and struggles to get herself upright. She can't imagine what walking is going to be like at the moment.

The man pulls the chair closer to the bed and sits. He pushes his hat brim up further to reveal his face. A smile that tells Jill he knows more than he'll share, small circular glasses that remind her of the ones John Lennon used to wear and long grey hair. He straightens his vest and folds his arms. The way he holds her gaze, she feels as though he's about to scold her for something.

He remains silent. A smirk forms on his lips. It dares her to ask questions. Which Jill is convinced he'll answer with another question. Or a riddle.

'Where am I? What the hell happened?'

'I found you. And my home. As humble as it is.' He motions before him and bows slightly.

'Thank you. Truly. Thank you. I don't know what-...'

The man scoffs as he interrupts her and reaches into his vest, pulling out a pipe. He sticks it between his teeth. 'You're new. I can tell. Not just the accent. American, yes? You best be careful. Poking around here…' He ignites a match. Jill frowns. Another smile.

'I was trying to reach the village I saw, just before the grand mansion?' she explains and the man eyes her. He closes his eyes and clicks his tongue. 'I'm, I'm looking for several people.'

'Looking for people? Why would they want to come here?'

Jill frowns and folds her arms. 'Well, that's what I'm trying to find out. What can you tell me about the area? Have you been here long? The mansion - who inhabits it? And what about the village?'

'Little Bird. Asking too many questions…' the man responds, trailing off, and glances to the window. He then checks his watch but offers no response to her questions. Jill tries another approach.

'Sorry if I'm being abrupt,' Jill tells him and he grunts in response. 'Maybe we got off on the wrong foot? I'm Jill Valentine.'

The man watches her extend her hand and inhales on the pipe, he holds it between his teeth and offers his hand in exchange. He doesn't offer his name in response.

'I was born here. I'll die here,' he comments flatly. No room for argument. 'The mansion has always been a mystery. The village is protective of it. The people are...different. Sometimes they don't take kindly to outsiders.'

'A mystery even for someone who's been here forever?' Jill comments and the man gives her a little side eye with a smile. She was right. He knows way more than he lets on. 'When you say the people are different, how so?'

The man chuckles. 'Simple people. A simplistic life. Religious people. Superstitious people.'

Say people one more time...Jill mentally replies to him but she frowns instead.

A red flag goes off a bit when she recalls Leon telling his story to Claire and herself when he had stopped by and met them both for coffee. She was supposed to leave Claire and Leon together but they ended up getting so caught up in the story she forgot to go. Religion...that could make those that inhabit the village less than friendly to outsiders.

Of course, Leon's encounter was due to infection. But still...something to keep in mind.

'But you don't think you've seen anyone new in the village?'

The man leans back in the chair. 'Three new people? It's all the people would be talkin' about. Nope. Business as usual.'

'I can show you pictures? Just to see? I'm sorry, I just have to know for sure. If the intel is bad then-...'

'Intel? What intel?' The man suddenly interrupts and glares at her.

'I...work for a kind of government agency. These people that I'm looking for...we had reports that they may have entered into this area. One a little more recently than the other two. I just have to know if the intel is still good or if I should just move on.'

Jill motions to her pouch and he grunts in response. He reaches for it and passes it off, he doesn't take his eyes from the window while doing it. It causes her to look over as well, just to see if he's seeing something she isn't. Nothing is there.

She pulls out two photos and holds the first one up. The man shakes his head.

'Don't know.'

Jill inwardly sighs and switches to the other picture. 'What about him?'

'No. I don't know.' He looks away quickly. Very telling. To avoid staring at the man's picture.

Oh, you do know this one...what a hasty reaction. Where did you meet him then?

'Well, I believe you on the first one...not so much the second one…' Jill comments and the man eyes her. 'But it's fine. Maybe I just have to earn your trust more. I just want to find him. And them. That's all.'

The man stands abruptly, clearly having had enough of the conversation. Something about the picture has irritated him.

'I don't know him,' the man repeats and pauses in the doorway. 'You may stay here if you'd like. But I should offer a warning, since I believe you'll go out and explore. Be back before nightfall. It's a full moon after all…'

Jill blinks. 'Okay...what's so bad about that?'

'Well, this forest. It surrounds us and is old. Been here since before the village. And the mansion. Ancient. Lots of things roam around in there. We're a superstitious lot here. Full moon...riles them up. Best to just get back here. Keep you safer.'

'You're all superstitious?'

'You never know what lurks. Best to keep oneself as safe as possible. So if you see any...amulets or charms in the forest...pay no mind. The witch looks out for us.' The man replies and Jill struggles to digest the onslaught of information.

'The witch? Charms and amulets? You guys really are…' Jill nearly said deluded but decided against it. Rather rude assumption.

'I don't see why you aren't concerned. You met something last night that lurks in the forest.' The man reminds her and she merely frowns.

'Yeah it was something all right…'

The man pulls the pipe from his mouth. 'The villagers believe it to be something more.'

'What? It's...it's just probably a wolf,' Jill can't believe what she's hearing. But...her mind reminds her that it wasn't all it appeared to be - she's certain it was walking on... Oh no, she won't be delving into those thoughts.

The man shrugs absently. 'Think bigger.'

Jill pauses and blinks. 'Big wolf.'

'Think more...fantastical…'

Fantastical? Oh for fuck sake.

'It is not a werewolf. They're not real!'

Well, then again, zombies weren't real until they were. Jill chides herself internally. Zombies are one thing. Werewolves are another.

'Yes. You're right. Probably just a big wolf…' the man responds with a nod of his head - a knowing smile on his lips. He bangs the pipe against the sole of his boot. 'Still. Be best to be back before nightfall.'

'Wait, you're leaving?' Jill wonders incredulously and the man nods his head.

'Of course. I have to catch dinner, don't I? You're no help.' The man curtly reminds her and Jill feels her face flush. Thanks for the reminder…

She glances down to her leg. 'Right. Well...is there anything I can do to help around here?'

The man laughs loudly. 'Afraid not. Unless you bring in firewood or chop down logs. Can't ask you to do that when you can barely walk.'

Not one to be counted down and out, Jill shrugs. 'I'll find something to do that's helpful.'

The man rolls his eyes. 'Right. Sure you will. There's food. In the pot. Fireplace. Help yourself.'

'Oh. Thank you.'

'If you want to…' the man pauses and vaguely gestures to Jill. 'Freshen up. The water is not the warmest. Boil a few kettles of hot water. It evens things out.'

'Thanks for the warning.'

'You're welcome.'

Jill watches the man turn to go but she calls out to him and he stops, turning to look at her with slight impatience. 'I just...don't know your name.'

A sly grin on his lips, as though he thought she'd never ask. 'How about you call me...Van.'

Short for something, most likely. Jill nods her head.

'Thank you, Van.'

He says no more but disappears out into the house. Moments later, the door shuts audibly. A burst of cold air is felt and Jill shivers. The thought of having time to clean off the remnants of yesterday is very tempting. But...no instant hot water.

She needs to see how her leg is anyway. And what she's able to do in terms of walking on it. It is fucking stiff though. And a dull throb is there. Gingerly she throws her legs over the side of the bed and braces herself.

The moment her weight is put on the leg she nearly cries out. God, how the fuck can it hurt so much? Van was right. How is she going to be helpful? She is going to have to push past the pain. She wants to get out and poke around. Where is she now and how far is that village?

Of course, not to mention the plethora of information Van gave her. A village full of superstitious people who don't care for outsiders. They believe in magic and curses. And that something lurks in the dense forests that surround them. So a witch leaves out charms and amulets, sigils too?

It begs the question, then, of what it is that is out there? Logically her mind reminds her that it is nothing more than some giant wolf.

Jill starts walking and ignores the pain shooting up her leg. She pauses to grip the door frame and rest. Just keep pushing past it. She goes out into the small living area. It is a small cabin.

A set of stairs leads to a loft that is no doubt used by Van as a bedroom. Yes, she can see the small bed there. Another door to a bathroom before the foot of the stairs and her room beside it. The front door lies before her, a kitchen right off to the left and a massive fireplace directly across from a small kitchen table. Two chairs poised on an angle of the fireplace...this is a cozy little cabin.

A large cast iron pot sits on a spit above a smouldering fireplace. Van said there was food in there. Jill notices the stack of logs is quite low. She grits her teeth. She may not be able to fill up the whole thing. But maybe get it halfway.

She goes to the window above the kitchen sink and sees a large stump with an axe there. A few feet away she spots the wood pile. They're carryable. She can do it. She zips up her vest she grabbed from the coat rack and opens the door - taking note of the shotgun that's placed there. It is cold. Time to get this done.

---

It took her much longer than she thought. She could only carry about three logs at a time before the weight she added to her leg became too much. She drops the last couple onto the stack and pants.

Okay. That was stupid of her. She hobbles to the closest chair and drops into it. How is she going to look around this area when she can barely walk? This entire situation is just...depressing.

Jill stares into the fire for so long, she doesn't realize she's dozed off.

When she awakens with a start, she looks around. What the hell? She checks her watch - only an hour has passed. But it's already half past ten. Fuck. Okay no more screwing around. She carefully rises and goes to the little room housing the rest of her belongings and attaches the pouch. Double checking the flashlight still works, she sighs in relief. But nothing from the radio. Merely a crackling static. If she gets nothing by tomorrow, then she'll have to ask Van if he can take her to the village so she can reach someone. Not time to panic just yet.

She holsters the knife and walks as carefully as she can into the kitchen and finds a small bowl. Taking it to the pot, she lifts the lid with the cloth on the mantle and is surprised to find some sort of oatmeal. She spoons some into the bowl and returns to the kitchen sink.

It's hot so as she blows on each mouthful, goddamn she's starving, she studies the woods that surround Van's little cabin.

Frowning, Jill leans forward. She swears she sees someone passing through the trees. Most likely Van. She rinses the bowl out and sets it on the drying rack. She walks to the door and glances at the shotgun. He wouldn't mind, would he? She'll be careful with the ammo. There is only a small box of it next to the gun on the floor. She pockets the shells and slings the gun over her shoulder. It's better than a knife.

And yet there are not a lot of shells. The gun is loaded. Five rounds in the box. There has to be more. So Jill glances around and wonders if she could attempt to think where Van may hide more. He does seem the type to shove shit anywhere. So she checks the kitchen drawers. But they're mostly empty.

She does find a junk drawer at the bottom rack near the fridge that has a wide array of things. Tools, tape, a stick for some reason, a couple of handgun rounds, a few more shotgun shells and to her surprise, a can of spray paint. And it's somewhat full. This could be so useful in tracking her location and prevent her from getting too lost in the forests.

She'll just borrow it too. And just use it sparingly.

Jill pauses at the door. She inhales deeply and exhales. Thirteen rounds now. She'll have to make them count. She's a bit more at ease now that she has the spray paint. Hopefully she just finds something. A clue to lead her to the targets. Maybe the village - though that may be a lofty goal. On her injured leg, she probably couldn't make it there. God, she just doesn't want to come back empty handed.

Jill pushes open the door and glances up to the sun. Fingers crossed.

---

She should have lowered her expectations. Like a lot. Her pace was much slower than anticipated and her leg refused to get used to her putting pressure in different places to lessen the load.

Jill looks over her shoulder as she takes another rest against the trees. There had at least been some kind of pathway so she wasn't trudging through snow. And a decent amount was on the ground so she was able to spray paint giant circles to show herself the way back. Hopefully it would be visible at night time. Even with the flashlight.

The pain in her leg had been magnifying for some time. A couple of times in the last half hour she's stumbled and nearly fallen. She needs to get off of it but is unsure if she'd be able to make it back to Van's cabin.

The trip out here has been a complete bust. She's found nothing but snow and forest. Oh. One charm. She debated taking it but a twang of superstition told her not to. Bad karma. And a line of smoke billowing up from the forest. Most likely another cabin. She wonders if there would be any people there and if so, would they mind if she rested there.

Jill pushes herself off the tree and hobbles forward. She should have lowered her expectations, her mind tells her again. She hates when she attempts to do things and it doesn't work out in her favour. It angers her.

She notices that after about ten more minutes of painful walking, the main pathway twists to the right and an even smaller footpath appears in front of her. It must be the way to the cabin. The smoke is getting closer. Hell she'd even take a fire with a couple of logs in front of it. Anything to get off her leg.

Gritting her teeth down the hill she is pleasantly surprised to see a cabin in front of her. Though it does look much more...ravaged than Van's does. Well, doesn't matter to her as long as she can just fucking sit down.

She glances over her shoulder, feeling as though the forest was watching her. Peering around the house she notices a stream of water beyond. And more forest beyond that. Being in the daylight makes her feel at ease - surely whatever was stalking her last night was nocturnal.

She knocks on the door lightly. But there is no response. A little louder. And yet...silence. Jill bangs her fist on the door and then moves to the window. The window is filthy and from what she can see, the place is a mess. Someone vacated quickly or...hasn't left in ages.

It's a single level and Jill can't see any signs of life except for the fireplace off to the one wall. Maybe this person is like Van and off catching tonight's dinner. Jill wants to press her luck. She needs to get off this leg. And so she is incredibly relieved when she tries the door and it opens.

Cautiously she pushes it open and announces herself. There is no reply. Stepping in, her eyes are drawn to drops of blood on the wooden floor before her. Judging by the pattern, someone injured came in here and paused, the blood's collected in large droplets. Next they moved forward. Jill catches a partial handprint on the corner of the kitchen table. And then they moved to the sink. The hand gripped the lip of the sink. Blood is stuck to the faucet knobs.

The blood is old, though. It's dried. And therefore hard to tell how long it has been there. Could someone have died here? The mere thought sends shivers down her spine and so she carefully does a sweep. There is only one small bedroom that looks rather used - at least the bed looked like someone slept in it rather recently. But nobody was in there. And yet the tension doesn't cease building.

Perhaps it was nothing more than an accident. However...Jill doesn't want to be caught on the bad end of someone. Maybe she should move on. She can't shake the feeling that...perhaps whoever was hurt was injured because of that wolf out there.

She goes to head towards the door when through the grimy windows she sees someone coming down the footpath. Fuck. There is no way she can get out of this place without someone seeing her. Fuck! Can she hide? Not really. Shit. They're getting closer.

She hides to the side of the door, hoping that when it opens she'll be covered by it and then can make her escape. Because it was just then that another thought hit her. Who's to say that the person coming up to this cabin didn't hurt the person living here?

She pulls the shotgun off of her and readies herself. Friend or foe? She's due for a bit of good luck for a change.

---

Something...is off. Getting used to new things has been slow. Adapting has not come easy. The energy is wrong. He could tell the moment he opened the door and walked in. He inhales and studies the room. Someone was here. Is here? Was here. No. Is here. Where? He didn't think they'd be stupid enough to follow him. Unless maybe it was her?

Nothing has been moved or taken. Not that there is much to take from as this place has been serving as a resting lodge to recover. Interesting. Why come here? Did they perhaps simply pass by? He shouldn't lose track of them. It'll be easier to pick up their trail tonight.

He walks to the kitchen table and pauses. There is that weird shift in energy again. Familiar to him but how so? He frowns when he feels the barrel of gun drive itself into his back. Huh. Didn't see that one coming.

Maybe he was right. Maybe it is the woman after all. She's got some fight in her. It just makes her all the more interesting. The gun drives itself harder into his back. A reminder to raise his hands. He does so. Let them believe they're the one in control.

Something bothers him though. That energy...it just doesn't remind him of the woman at all. No. It's someone else. He thought this was supposed to be...easier. The transition period certainly has its highs and lows.

One thing he does know. It isn't any of those fuckers from that fucking village.

'Tell me who you are. What are you doing here?'

No...that voice. It hits him instantly. The energy he's been feeling and sensing, wondering why it has been calling to him, is because it's…

'Jill?'

Jill widens her eyes and lowers the gun. Her voice is caught in her throat.

'Chris…?'

He turns around just as Jill sets the gun on the table and practically throws herself at him. This was not who he wanted to see. No. He winces as her fierce hug hits all the wounds and bruises on him. He puts his hand on the table to keep himself up.

Jill...shouldn't be here. Not. Here. Fuck. What if...what if it gets to her? His fear causes him to press her tightly to him, ignoring the exhale of pain he feels from her lips on his chest. He puts his hand on the back of her head. Fuck...she's in so much danger.

She finally pushes herself off of him, stunned that he's standing in front of her. She wants to cry from the surprise and the welcomed shock. Well...that's one part of her puzzle piece found. Her lover. She tries to read him. She can always read him, however this time...is not right. Something is off. He's different. And she doesn't mean the beard, which she finds incredibly attractive. Or the outfit change - he seems to have ditched the Blue Umbrella gear, thank fucking god. Seeing him in that Umbrella patch never sat right with her.

He points to her. She opens her mouth but he silences her with a shake of his head.

'Two things. What the fuck are you doing here? And why the fuck do you look like shit?'

She crosses her arms and looks away. It gives him another chance to take inventory of her. She's gotten into some kind of tussle. The scrapes on her face are one thing but it's the makeshift wrap around her leg that has him most concerned. He can see the blood on the bandages and the fact that she doesn't put her full weight on her left leg. She's in so much danger. He's gotta get her out.

He puts his hand on her cheek and she relishes the touch, covering his hand with her own, smiling slightly. She goes in for another tight hug. And she hits all the sore spots once more. It must be why she pulls away abruptly when he winces and sucks in air quickly.

'I'm sorry…!' she cries out and runs her thumb across his cheek. His attention is divided. Jill is here with him. But she's in danger. 'I like it…'

He frowns at her. The hell does she mean? Jill motions to her face. Ah.

'Yeah? Good,' Chris motions to the table and Jill sits on top of it. He leans beside her. 'So? What are you doing here?'

'I'm looking for you.'

That takes him off guard. 'Why? And how the hell did you know where I was?'

Busted...Jill sighs.

'I know someone…' she begins and Chris scoffs. 'That isn't you in Umbrella…'

'Blue Umbrella,' he automatically corrects and Jill rolls her eyes.

'It's always going to be Umbrella,' Jill reminds him and she can see he's gearing to fight about it. She tries to quash the fight before it starts. 'But it's a moot point. We've argued enough about semantics.'

Chris eyes her and smirks a bit. He puts an arm around her shoulders and draws her closer to kiss the top of her head.

'Right.'

'They said you've been intermittently contacting them. It was becoming less and less. And now it's been two weeks since they heard from you?' Jill wonders and folds her arms.

'You weren't supposed to be a part of this, Jill,' Chris reminds her and she pushes him off of her. She folds her arms and looks away. God that fucking makes her mad.

'What the fuck does that mean? Not a part of this? I lose you to Umbrella - don't you fucking correct me. We're apart now. I can't fucking stand it. But to hear that you're just...that you've gone rogue? You've been here for thirteen weeks. And you're not…

'It was mentioned that you've been sparse in your check-ins with Umbrella. I finished up in California and I came here when the contact mentioned it. So. What's going on? Did you find your objective? I just want to fucking know you're okay, that you're safe.'

What the fuck isn't going on? Christ. Where to even start? He's not safe, or at least he hasn't felt safe. Also, has it really been thirteen weeks? Jesus Christ. He's losing track of time - and that's drawing Blue Umbrella's wrath. But...he can't tell Jill anything. If she knew...she'd insist on helping him. Insist on tagging along. Which she absolutely cannot do. It's too dangerous. He's gotten glimpses of what truly lurks in these lands. Been affected by it. There's evil here. Evil they've never seen before. Or dealt with.

'The signals here are shit,' Chris replies and Jill stares at him in disbelief. That's not completely untrue…

'We're going with that?' Jill questions and Chris absently shrugs.

'It is true,' he reminds her and she shakes her head. 'I think I may have found a trail. So I've been focused on that. Maybe too focused.'

'You fucking think?'

Jill hasn't turned her attention back to him. So he nudges her. She merely shakes her head no to him. He stands in front of her however she looks away. She does have every right to be mad and he knows she's acting like this because he's giving her a partial truth. And she knows it.

He takes her chin in his hand and turns her eyes to his.

'Yeah. I fucking think,'

Jill can't help but crack a small smile. 'Well, start thinking better. Stop worrying me. I just want to know you're okay.'

Having Jill here makes the world's problems melt away. She shouldn't be. Of course but here she is. Things just seem...better. Like all the bad has just been paused. The world waits for him beyond that front door but in here...things are just normal. Which Jill affirms when she pulls him down by the front of his shirt to kiss him.

Jill needs to pull away first. Expanding her lungs too much to breathe, she can feel the pain erupt on one side. Chris notices.

'Seems like we're both worrying the other.'

Jill shrugs. 'What? It's embarrassing…'

'What is?'

'How I got hurt.'

Chris folds his arms. 'This is going to be good…'

'I fell.'

'You fell? Like, how far down? What the hell? Seriously? What the fuck were you doing?'

Jill gets defensive. 'I was looking for you! I found a village and some mansion. So I tried to get some surveillance photos but the ground was weak where I was standing. And I stepped a bit too close to the edge and I lost my footing.

'I don't know how far down I fell but I had a near seven inch branch sticking out of my thigh. I was trying to do my job. So fuck you.'

He finds himself staring at her in disbelief, mostly because he's struggling to comprehend what she's said. She glimpsed the village. That wasn't good. He hopes she didn't draw attention to herself by doing that. Next the injuries.

'Jesus Christ, Jill,' Chris sighs. Jill shrugs in response. 'So, aside from the branch. You probably have a mild concussion.'

'And I'm sure some bruised, sprained or broken ribs. I haven't had the shit knocked out of me like that since Nemesis.' Jill replies and glances to her leg.

God, that's a fucking memory he doesn't wanna relive. Mostly because he wasn't there. He is snapped from his thoughts when Jill grabs his hand. Her smile, as small as it is, reminds him how relieved she is that he's there. He's glad she's here too. And not. She's in no condition to fight anything that finds them.

'When was the last time you changed the wrappings?' Chris wonders and Jill struggles to recall how long it's been.

'I haven't. Not since I wrapped it yesterday,' Jill watches Chris head off to the kitchen to grab a bowl of water. And next disappearing to the room beside the bedroom. No doubt a bathroom. 'You certainly know your way around this place.'

'Hey, I'll take an abandoned cabin to make base any day,' he calls from the bathroom. Jill agrees. He reappears with some first aid supplies and she lifts her leg to rest on the table. She winces.

'It's just the stiffness. And the pain,' she replies with a smile. She carefully begins to unwrap the bandages when one gets stuck and she sucks in air. She shakes her head when Chris offers to just yank. She tries to go slow and inevitably she pulls. 'Fuck me…'

Chris kneels down to inspect it. 'You did a good job. Doesn't look infected.'

'Probably because the disinfectant bottle shattered. Everything was soaked. That fucking burned. Oh,' Jill frowns and then sighs. 'Probably should…'

'I was gonna say, but figured you'd just brush me off…' Chris rises and Jill puts both her feet on the ground. She stands and reaches for the waist of her pants once she's removed her boots.

'Because you always want me semi naked…'

'Uh, yeah. Cuz I like looking at you. The less clothing the better.'

Jill slides her pants down and carefully steps out of them. She sits on the table again and grips the edges while she waits in anticipation for the disinfectant, twisting away so she won't see it coming.

She fucking feels it. It burns just like the last time. When she feels something wet run down her leg, she cracks open an eye to see blood. It isn't that Chris isn't gentle...he just….strikes with purpose. She lowers her hand to hold the pad in place while Chris tears off some bandages to rewrap her leg in.

The work is done in silence. Because they don't need to speak. To ask questions or voice concerns or requests. They know what the other will do. This certainly isn't the first time they've had to hole up somewhere to treat injuries on the other.

Chris glances up to Jill, still averting her gaze. He lowers his and smiles as he wraps her leg. She can handle all the gore in the world except when it's on her body. Then she can't stand looking at it - he wonders if it harks back to that mind control device from Wesker. She hadn't liked looking at her body for a long time after that.

He ties the ends together and taps the side of her knee as he stands up. She turns to him and smiles in relief.

'It's deep. It'll be awhile before it heals.' Chris leans on the table beside her and Jill closes her eyes.

'I'm an idiot. We can agree.'

'Not the smartest move by you.'

Jill rolls her eyes. The fireplace has really heated this cabin up. Or maybe it's simply seeing Jill again. So he removes his overcoat, setting it on the table behind them. His hand automatically goes back to her knee. But she stands in front of him, cautiously watching him. Though he isn't sure why. It's as though she's studying him, trying to figure something out.

Standing on her toes, she kisses him.

When she pulls back, regrettably, she rests her hand on his cheek. 'Promise me you're okay. Whatever you're hiding from me - no, don't interrupt. I know you are. You don't have to tell me yet - just promise me you're safe and that you're not in danger.'

He can't promise her that. He doesn't know the full extent of things yet. And he hates keeping her in the dark. But loathes the mistakes he's made more. She'd only tell him that she was right. It isn't something he wants to hear. He can fix this. He hopes. He reaches for her pants she dropped on the table, avoiding her gaze. God, that's the fucking problem between them. They've spent entirely too much time together. He never regretted it. Except now. Because of how well she knows him. He can't hide anything from her. She can sense it.

Jill rejects her pants when he offers them to her with a shake of her head. He can't help but smirk.

'I don't mind.'

'You shouldn't,' Jill replies, voice a little huskier. Especially the aggressive way she pulls him to her level to kiss him, the way she presses herself to him.

Ah. So that's what she's after. Can't say the same thing hadn't been on his mind since he laid eyes on her. She ends up backing herself up against the table and she sits, parting her legs so he can move between them.

Resting her forehead against his as they catch their breaths, she whispers again how much she's missed him. Yeah, collectively it's probably been about sixteen weeks since they last saw one another. She left for California before he came here. That is the shitty thing about being apart. And why he wishes they could still work together. No one knows him like Jill. She keeps him in check. God how he wished he had her voice of reason with him on this mission. Now he's got to deal with the consequences…

She bites her lip. He kisses her harder. But the reality of his mistakes hit him when she reaches for the waistband of his pants. He stops her. He'll have to think of so many excuses. How many will she believe? He attempts to invent as he distracts her.

'I'm not going to fuck you on this shitty table.'

Jill tugs at his pants but let's go as she rolls her eyes. 'You've fucked me on worse surfaces.'

'Fucking sand…' he mutters at that memory and then motions to the bedroom. 'There's a bed five feet from us.'

Jill carefully gets off the table. 'I truly do not care where you fuck me. I just want you to fuck me.'

He puts an arm around Jill's waist and carefully hoists her off her feet so she doesn't have to put too much pressure on that leg. The invention of lies doesn't slow down. It amps up as he removes her shirt. As she tugs his off and her eyes go wide.

The array of cuts and bruises. His left forearm bandaged near the wrist to the elbow. Or the giant bandage on the right side of his chest near the collarbone.

Jill looks up to him with eyes he's only seen a few times. Hard to describe them. Shocked. Maybe scared?

'Suddenly I feel like an asshole complaining about my injuries…' Jill says softly, running her hands up his stomach, trying not to hit any sore spots as she cups his face in her hands. It makes him smile.

'I'm fine,' he insists, hoping she'll merely forget it. Heh, not very likely. It'd be embarrassing to explain them all anyway. Though, he does continue to search for an all encompassing excuse.

'I'm...really trying not to worry,' Jill pauses and inhales so he cuts her off.

'Yeah? Good, cuz we're in the middle of something else.'

Jill tries to keep a mental note of all she can see on him. The wounds that look like scratches, various scrapes in the middle of healing. She just can't keep her focus for long. The slightly more aggressive way he kisses her, she can feel the desire. Taste it even.

It causes her to wrap her legs around him, ignoring the pain it causes her. He holds her in place, though does ask her not to dig her knees into his ribs. Fair.

They haven't kissed like this since they first got together. Framing it as having so many lost years and the need to make up for it, in the haze of the alcohol that night, Jill does remember how passionate it was.

She has to have him set her on the bed, the pressure in her leg is becoming too much to ignore. Though he does surprise her by pinning her arms above her head once she's on her back and exhales a cry of pleasure as he continues to kiss her but uses his free hand to start fingering her.

She can't do anything. Except turn her head to break away and breathe. Or pant. Or cry out from the pleasure. After he makes her cum, she practically begs him to fuck her. He smirks and realises her hands have been freed while she collects herself and gets her mind out of the haze it's in. He's already before and she nods her head. She grips the sheets tightly as he enters her. She lets out a breathy exhale.

Even the sex is different. She can't quite place it...well for one they aren't starting with her on top of him. Every thrust feels deeper and deeper. In fact she reaches for him, grabbing his wrist. He has both his hand on her knees, keeping her legs apart and it just feels so fucking good to feel him so deep in her.

She's almost disappointed when he pulls out of her gradually, clearly not finished but she can tell what he wants. She agrees to try and they flip. She carefully straddles his waist before shifting slightly and rising. She grips his cock and slowly guides it into her.

His moan of pleasure causes her to bend down to his level and kiss him. His hands find their way to her hips and she begins to move them back and forth. She puts her left hand back on his knee, arching her back as she increases the speed of rolling her hips. He seemed to like it. Her leg, not so much.

As she sweeps her hair off the back of her neck, growing hot, he grabs her hips and then her ass. She bites her lip as he moves her hips faster. She places a hand on his stomach, making her hips movements slightly sharper.

Why is he different? He's the same - still incredibly muscular, and attractive...wait. That's the pleasure part of her mind thinking. No...he's the same physically but there is just something...odd she can't place.

The way he's moving her hips makes her bite her lip as she pants. God, she's getting close again. He abruptly pulls her hips forward and she cries out simultaneously with him. Fuck…

She leans down for another kiss. Pulling away, Jill takes her place at his side instead. Chris hooks his arm around her and keeps her pressed tightly to him.

'Being apart from you for this long...I don't like it.'

Chris simply makes a noise of agreement. Jill is worried. Whatever he's doing right now...it is dangerous.

Yeah. It's been hard. Working for Blue Umbrella without Jill at his side. They do everything together. The adjustment has been incredibly difficult. They initially tried to poach both of them. However Jill promptly told the Blue Umbrella exec that reached out to about leaving the BSAA to go fuck themselves.

I will never, ever, even consider working for your shit organization after what you put me through - what you did to me, to my home! My city! All those people! You may try and rebrand yourselves as different, remorseful and more humane than your history writes...but deep down, that stain from your company's actions will forever taint any good you attempt to do.

So they tried him instead. And here he is. It wasn't always looking as though he'd join them. Considering the hell they put him through after the mansion incident. But conversing with Jill about it, they realized that maybe if one of them went...they could keep an eye on things from the inside.

Jill hastily shot down the idea in the beginning though. She was defensive and angry that they were even considering Blue Umbrella's proposal to him. Though she was eventually convinced that it was a way to keep tighter wrap on things.

He became the double agent. Jill actually cried when he left BSAA. They poured their lives into that organization. They gave it their everything. He tried to cheer her up. They still live together. He's not gone forever.

No. But he was gone. Their partnership broken. Maybe if she'd have been at his side...things wouldn't be the way they are now. He glances down to her. She has on that stupid little necklace he bought her when he walked out of the BSAA offices. A small gold star on the chain.

We're still a team, right? He questioned her the day she walked him out of the BSAA.

Always. Forever.

'Jill?'

'Hm?' She glances up to him as she buries herself tighter into him.

'Can I ask a question? Hypothetically speaking…'

It causes her to sit up slightly.

'Only hypothetically speaking?'

'Of course,' Chris lies and she tilts her head but closes her eyes in acknowledgement for him to continue. 'Do you ever plan for the worst case scenario?'

'Worst case scenario? I think I lived it.'

Raccoon City. Nemesis and being infected.

'No. If the roles were to be reversed, I mean.' Chris runs his hand down her back but she tenses.

'I'd find a cure.' Jill replies firmly. He is not to argue with her when she's got that tone in her voice.

So of course he will.

'What if there isn't one?'

'Then I'd make one. Or find someone to make me one.'

Chris smiles at her tenacity. 'What if there was no one?'

'Why are you asking me-...'

He interrupts her. 'Would you put me down?'

'I…' Jill blinks. She's unsure. Chris frowns at her hestience.

'It should be an automatic yes.' He reminds her and Jill shakes her head.

'I can't answer you…'

'The answer is yes, Jill.'

'Why are you asking me this question? Has something happened? What aren't you telling me?' Jill sits up on her hip and reaches across to put her hand on his face.

Before he answers her, Jill can see him glance out the window. Sundown is rapidly approaching. She nudges him and he drops his gaze to her. She demands that he answer her question.

It didn't instill confidence that she'd end him. There should be zero hesitation. Then again...could he really do the same? Well, after all the hell Wesker put her through with Uroboros...turns out the T Virus can withstand anything. Maybe she's now immune.

'It's just things I wonder about. Now that we're apart. If anything were to happen...I'd want to know that you could take care of it.'

'I'd take care of it by finding you a cure.' Jill responds adamantly. He smiles at her denial. He was confident in the beginning. Now though...she's really in danger.

He kisses her head and rises. Jill watches him and tilts her head as he half dresses and leaves the room. What is he hiding from her? What's really going on? God, in Dulvey when he was pursuing Lucas, he had her on the comms nearly the whole time. Only break they took was when his own communications specialist was talking to him. Of course, the transition was pretty fresh that time. And when the BSAA got wind of things she had to check to make sure they weren't needed.

Jill glances over the door when she hears the sink go on. Frowning she wonders what he is up to. Leaning over the side of the bed she reaches for her clothing.

---

This stubborn bite mark will not heal. No matter how many times he has redressed the wound, cleaned it, disinfected it. It stubbornly remains. A reminder of his carelessness. Fuck. Well, at least the wound has stopped throbbing. After it happened, he could barely move his arm without it sending spikes of pain up it. No to mention the twenty-four hours that followed it. It still only comes back in pieces sometimes.

He tenses when he feels Jill wrap her arms around him and rest her head on his back. Her touch is cool against his bare skin. It's a welcome feeling, although...he didn't want her to see this. So he goes back to thinking of an excuse. He's also running out of daylight. How is he going to deal with that?

'Can I help?' She offers and he turns to face her. Jill takes a step back and looks at his arm. It's a fucking mess. Mauled and bloodied and bruised. Dear fucking god, what is he doing out there?

'Yeah, actually. It'll save me the hassle of trying to wrap it with one hand.' Chris points her to the bathroom and Jill heads off to grab whatever is in there. He'd better tell her the story. What the hell...she can't keep pretending like this is okay.

There is a mirror cabinet above the sink and it's open. Bare of mostly everything, she does find a couple of things to help. Bandages, ointment. She shuts the mirror door and something catches her eye. There on the sink just under the tap handle is a bullet. Jill pauses and picks it up, studying it. Looks like it could be from a magnum. She's unsure if Chris had brought one with him, but she is certain that she saw Van with one.

Frowning, as it's coated in blood, she wonders how old this really is and who it was fished out of.

Jill emerges with the little collection of this and tells Chris to sit while she fixes him up. He shows his forearm and Jill widens her eyes. Something bit him. But there's also a deep wound that looks like it may have come from a knife running on the underside of his forearm.

'Jesus, Chris…'

'It doesn't actually hurt. Well, the knife one does,' Chris admits and he passes a bottle off to Jill who liberally soaks it in disinfectant. That'll burn.

'What happened?' Jill wonders quietly and gently dabs the wounds. He clenches his fist in response and she smiles.

'Rough first few days?'

Jill exhales her disbelief and studies the bite mark. It looks fresh even though it appears as if he'd received it within the first few days of being here. God she hopes whatever it was that got him wasn't sick or anything.

'What did this?' Jill questions and Chris flips his arm over to the knife slash. He curses the moment she presses the cloth to the wound, despite the softness of Jill's touch.

'Got jumped by a wolf. It had been following me for a while and surprised me,' Chris glances up at Jill who is frowning as she cleans the slash up.

'And this?'

'I charmed a local?' He offers and Jill rolls her eyes. 'What? It was a misunderstanding.'

'Uh huh…'

Jill carefully wraps the wounds, that bite though...it's so concerning. If he got it when he first arrived then it's a mystery as to why it doesn't look as though it's begun to heal. Unless in fact it was recently. Fuck. He's being so...cryptic with his responses. Giving her half truths.

She finishes and pulls away but he grabs her wrist and she turns to him.

'Thanks…'

Jill just smiles, placing her hand on his cheek and running her thumb across it. He surprises her by standing and embracing her. Tightly. Usually reserved for when he silently lets her know how much he loves her. He glances to the window. Still a bit of time left.

She sighs a bit before it devolves into a smirk when he tells her he wants another round with her. He can fuck her anytime he wants. But not on this table. It's truly not sturdy at all. The fireplace is warm and inviting. And the sheepskin rugs don't look entirely tainted by filth.

God...how are they this hot and bothered already? Is it the fireplace? It's roaring, it's adding to the heat of the situation. The desperation of not seeing one another for so long? The fact that deep in her heart she knows there is something wrong and it scares her. It scares that something is going to drive them away from one another.

She pushes the feeling down, to ignore it as his tongue enters her mouth. As they lay down on the rugs, hastily removing what's left of the other's clothing.

She has to grip the rug to ground herself. Sex this time is slightly rougher, sharper. She doesn't complain it's just as though a switch was flipped in Chris. And all he could think of was satisfying her. Which of course he does. Every time he thrusts into her a small cry leaves her lips.

She digs her nails in to his back when he lowers himself to kiss her as each movement by him becomes sharper and a bit harder. Jill finds herself wrapping her legs around him despite the pain in her leg. She must have hit a tender spot in his ribs when she dug her knees in because he quickly grabs at her leg as a reminder. She loosens the grip.

She arches her back, so close herself when a breathy moan escapes her. Her cries become short and quick. Her nails dig into his back harder.

She cums first. Throwing her head back in a small cry as he groans into her neck, his breath sends slight shivers down her back as he finishes again. He trails his lips from her neck, down her chest and stomach before returning to her lips.

He can't stay. How can he detach from her? This is such a complicated mess now. Can she taste the apology? The sun is sinking so quickly. He can see it out of the corner of his eye. He doesn't want to leave her but she'd be in more danger if he didn't.

'Where are you going now?' Jill wonders and sits up as Chris dresses once more. Like his mind is in a million different directions at the moment. What the hell?

'I think I saw someone outside. Just beyond the footpath,' He invents and Jill sits up startled. She covers herself as she hastily looks for her clothing. 'What're you doing?'

'I'm going with you,' Jill insists and frowns when Chris shakes his head. 'What? What do you mean no?'

'Jill, if something bad happens, you're injured. You wouldn't be able to run to get to safety.' Chris reminds her and Jill folds her arms. Nearly pointing out that he's just as injured as she is but it'd be a moot point. At least he can walk and run normally. So she tries a different approach.

'But you've got my back. Right?'

'Of course I do but what about situations when I don't. Or I can't?'

What he means is he just doesn't want to have to worry about her. She's injured. She's a liability. He couldn't focus on the task at hand if he's constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure she's keeping up. She wraps her arms around herself.

'Right. Of course. You...you're right.'

Chris can see how much she hates to admit it. She grits her teeth. Now she's mad at herself. He knows it. If she had been more careful than she could have helped him. He's nearly glad she is hurt. Having Jill at full strength would have been incredibly difficult to distance her from him.

He closes the gap and embraces her tightly. He feels her cling to him. She kisses him as he tries to pull away. Not wanting to rush her but the sun…

'I'll try to be fast. I promise.'

'Please be careful…'

Chris just smiles at her and walks out the front door. Jill goes to the window and tries to get some of the filth off it so she could see him off. She can't really get much of it and so she's stuck with simply watching his form get further and further away.

Fuck she is pissed at herself. She should have been more aware of her surroundings when she was trying to capture footage. She glances to her leg and scowls. So she sits by the fire and pouts. How could she screw up a chance to be on a mission with Chris, especially after it's been so long.

She tries to divert her attention to anything else. Like the mystery surrounding this place. These lands. What she saw in those woods. What locals Chris met and pissed off. What it all means. And what exactly is up with him.

She paces around the small area of the cabin which suddenly seems incredibly small. And dark. Wandering around, she manages to find a couple of candles and a small box of matches out of one of the drawers. It's nearly empty so she decides to use only one and light the candles with the other.

Strategically she sets them around the cottage to illuminate it a bit more. Satisfied, she sits in front of the fireplace and resumes contemplating. She becomes lost in thought and time slips away from her.

It isn't until she hears a group of wolves baying at the moon that she snaps out of her little haze and blinks. How many hours passed by? Jill checks her watch. Two and a half hours. No sign of Chris. That is worrisome.

She bites her lip. He told her to stay here. And she should because he was right. She's injured and should she come across anything - like those wolves - she wouldn't be able to outrun them.

Her eyes wander to the shotgun still on the table. It could at least buy her some time to get away. What if he ran into more trouble and she is the only one who could get to him? She's being torn in multiple different directions.

She can't just continue to wait around and pace off the anxious energy she feels. She needs to be out there. Chris is totally going to get mad at her for not staying put. But hey. At least she'd know he was safe.

If she had some painkillers then those would have at least lessened the throb of her leg. Instead she'll have to forgo the desire to have them and just grit her teeth and press on. She grabs the shotgun and slings it over her shoulder.

Peering out from the door she marvels at the chill in the air. Also the darkness. And the quietness. It is engulfing her as she steps out into the night air. Jill reaches into the little bag and pulls out the flashlight. Clicking it on she notices the footpath and heads towards it.

Her surroundings are illuminated and Jill turns up and over her shoulder to marvel at the moon. It's full and bright. Well. That's a nice touch. It does help her vision spot the markings she spray painted earlier better.

The only sound she can hear is her own footsteps crunching awkwardly in the snow. She is following the breadcrumbs she left via the spray paint but isn't sure where she should go from there. If she can make it to Van's house then perhaps she can strategize and come up with a new plan.

Hopefully Van is there and can help her try to develop a plan.

Jill pauses and turns over her shoulder. Should she try calling out to him? Or would that alert everything in the forests that she's here? Problem was, also, that she didn't see what direction Chris headed off into. The footpath became obscured by trees. She dreads to think how far he could have gotten in the two hour window. Should she be checking on the trail, off of it?

She just tries to stick to the path, and not draw attention to herself. She glances to the ground below to see tracks. Hers, presumably. Rabbits and deer. A little further ahead and wolf tracks cut out abruptly from the forest to her left. How new are those?

Pausing she frowns. She thought she heard...something rustling behind her. But a quick glance reveals nothing. Just the moon casting shadows beyond her.

Then she hears it. A soft growl. She pauses. Scans her surroundings. Her heart rate increases. Okay. Where is it? She's about the halfway mark from Van's place. She could try to run but that'd certainly draw this growling creature out. If she is casual then perhaps it will continue to stalk her. And the closer she gets to Van's cabin, she can make a run for it. If needed.

She relies on the moon for light as she clicks the flashlight off and grips the shotgun tightly once she's removed it from her shoulder. Okay. Now. Where is that thing hiding? Jill stops and listens - something moves ahead of her. She aims the gun to her right, in the thicket of trees and watches. Nothing moves. She frowns and turns to her left side. Again there is nothing but silence.

Where are you…?

She resumes walking and finds her gaze darts from left to right as she creeps along. Her leg doesn't like the added weight on it but she can do nothing about it. She stops. Something has moved behind her and she turns around. And then to the right because she catches a shadow darting out of the corner of her eye.

She doesn't want to be caught waiting around for too long, so Jill begins to walk again. In the distance she can see the soft glow of Van's cabin. Ten more minutes or so. And she'll be safe. She attempts to increase her pace.

Another growl. Louder. Closer than the other one. Jill grows annoyed. Mentally she demands the thing show itself. A mass moves in the thicket to her right. She aims the shotgun. It blends into the shadows and her vision loses track of it.

Well if it's looking for dinner then it'll reveal itself at some point. Ah. There. She catches the glint of its eyes. Yellow. She wonders if it's the same thing that caught her yesterday. So she aims the gun once more.

Jill's finger hovers around the trigger. It does seem like it's getting closer to her. Or is circling her? She feels something rush by her quickly and she gasps. But nothing is in front of her. It's just toying with her. She scowls and continues on.

The hit from behind stuns her and as she rolls in the snow she frantically searches for the gun. She grabs ahold of it and sitting up she aims at the...what the fuck is that?!

It's built like a tank, can indeed walk on two legs (has to be the same thing from yesterday) the height and the claws…

Holy shit, was Van right? It is a werewolf! No. They are not real! So, then what the fuck is she looking at? Jill widens her eyes at the realization. A mutation. Has to be. The grand mansion, the village. This creature, this mutation has to be the result of something going on in that general area. Or somehow some other fucking company has chosen this place to be its testing grounds and now she's looking at the byproduct. Fuck.

It may not be a werewolf, but it certainly can imbue the fear of one. Okay. Fine. Just a regular mutation that needs to be dealt with. It'll be tricky with her injury but she can handle it.

She can see the creature is starting to close the gap between them. Jill gently squeezes the trigger and a shot fires. It doesn't appear to strike the target because it's vanished. Is it that fast? She can hear its footsteps in the woods. Problem is they engulf her. It's hard to make out where they are originating from.

She gets to her feet and aims the gun, finger ready by the trigger. It appears in front of her and charges, much faster than last time. Jill inhales and waits for the right moment. She attempts to lure it in before firing but it takes her off guard as it leaps into the air and over her head.

She's slow to react - by the time she's pulled the trigger she's missed and she feels it throw an arm into the side of her head. She hits the ground again blinks away the stars. She finds the gun in the snow and goes to reach for it when she feels nails dig into her ankle and she is forcibly yanked away from it.

Jill widens her eyes at the monster in front of her. For a moment, she forgets her precarious predicament. It's even more unnerving up close, the eyes stare into her soul and she attempts to dismiss the thought of those jagged teeth sinking into any part of her body. Don't get distracted. She uses her free and uninjured leg and knocks the creature in the side of the head. It stumbles and Jill rolls out of the way as it brings its arms down to strike her.

The gun! She darts to it and slides on her hip to grab it, quickly hauling herself up. Her leg screams at her but she ignores it. She fires again and manages to clip it in the shoulder. It lets out a ferocious roar and charges her. Jill holds her ground but as she fires once more - the last time as now she'll have to reload - the creature dodges and lunges at her.

It grips the gun and squeezes, denting the barrel. Jill widens her eyes as the gun is ripped from her grasp and she takes a couple of steps back. All she has now is the knife. Fight or flight? She tests the leg. It holds out. Probably all the adrenaline.

She chooses flight. There is no way she'd be able to take on something so large. She turns to run and darts into the trees, hoping that she'd lose it if she uses the trees for cover. It clearly wasn't expecting that because it roars loudly and Jill can hear the thunderous pounding of that thing chasing her. She tries not to veer off the straight line so much as it is disorienting in the forests and she doesn't want to lose sight of Van's cabin.

She can hear it closing the gap. Jill turns over her shoulder and widens her eyes. Fuck it's gaining. And her leg is screaming. Jill directs her gaze in front of her and cries out as the ground suddenly drops off in front of her and she falls into a small ditch. She breathes out and pulls herself up. That fall wasn't so bad.

The good part about that is the ground has been hollowed slightly below the massive tree above her. It may be enough cover to wait out this creature.

Jill scrambles to conceal herself and covers her mouth to stop her panting. That's all she needs. She holds her breath as she hears the creature above her and then closes her eyes, her heart pounding as it drops down in front of her. Fuck. Chris was right. She just should have stayed put.

Who's to say that he hasn't returned, saw she wasn't there and now is looking for her. Unaware that something like this exists and is hunting her. She has put not only herself in danger, but Chris too. How are they going to take on this werewolf?

No. Don't call it that. It's a mutation. A mystery that needs to be solved. Which she can't do until she regroups with Chris and they come up with a plan. Jill closes her eyes as the creature continues to pace around looking for her.

It roars and Jill listens as the thunderous footsteps seem to disappear. Not wanting to take any chances, she holds out for a couple more minutes but all appears silent. That means nothing, however it could be lying in wait for her. Jill decides to chance it and carefully peers out from the hiding spot.

Her hand still clasped tightly over her mouth, she takes a few steps and scans the area. The moon casts all sorts of shadows around her and Jill turns in a small circle. She exhales and catches the light from Van's cabin. Nothing moves around her.

It's so concerning. Where did that creature just up and vanish to? There is no way that it simply wandered off. No. It knows she's here still and it's toying with her. She'll have to run the remainder of the way.

Jill carefully pulls herself back up on the ledge where she fell off and stands still. Silence. She begins to move and only hears the sound of crunching from the snow surrounding her. Back on the main trail, she glances up to the moon and shakes her head. Inhaling quickly, Jill starts to run, stumbling a bit as her injured leg gets used to the pressure once more. It causes her to take frequent glances over her shoulder. She doesn't want to get caught by surprise.

She catches it out of the corner of her eye. She dives to avoid getting hit and rolls. Jill gets up and keeps running. She tries to trick it and runs directly towards a thick, large tree - only dodging at the last possible second hoping that it'd be stopped for a second to shake off the shock.

Instead the creature simply mows it down. She frowns. Damn. She can hear the shudder as the tree falls to the ground and Jill tries to increase her pace as much as she can. The tree's collapse echoes around her. Don't look back. Focus on the ground ahead. She winces as her leg begs for her to stop.

Jill gasps as she's jumped from behind and slides forward. The creature is looming over her and she shuffles backward to get up. It growls at her. She's confused by the toying it appears to be relishing in but it's giving her time to continue to get away.

Well, maybe she spoke too soon. The creature lunges at her and picks her up. Throwing her into the forest where she lands with a crunch and rolls onto her back. Fuck. Her mind barely registers what happens as her brain gives the signal to move and Jill barely rolls out of the way as the creature is suddenly kneeling where she was just lying.

She starts to scramble to get up but this time the creature tackles her and holds her down with its weight. She grits her teeth and tries to reach for the knife on her thigh but is unable to. Her hand fishes around for another object and comes into contact with something heavy and jagged. The creature starts to lower his head and Jill is convinced that it's going to attack her so she hastily grabs the rock and smashes into the temple of the creature.

It howls and falls off of her and Jill hoists herself up and starts running. That knock to the head must have stunned it because it is a couple minutes before she hears that roar of the creature and pounding footsteps as it races to catch up with her.

Jill grits her teeth and tries to run just a touch quicker. She decides to chance it and take a glance over her shoulder. Maybe shouldn't have done that. She widens her eyes.

The creature is gaining on her. Fast. The distance it is running...it doesn't even appear as though the shot to the head did anything. Jill swallows and turns her attention ahead. Van's cabin is twenty feet from her!

She stumbles, her leg tired and giving out. So close. She cries out as she twists out of the creature's swipe at her - the air of its claws is felt down the back of her neck. Jill can see the door. She grits her teeth and runs harder, ignoring the pain.

She practically falls into the door, tripping on the lip of the step and then sliding into the rug that's there, upending it and Jill turns over to her back and sits up. Staring at the creature barreling towards her.

Jill fears the worst. All she has is the knife and no gun. No sign of Van. But the creature halts at the entrance to the door. Time slows between them and Jill can't help but feel her gaze dart from the creature's immense height and no doubt power, to the fierce yellow eyes. The strong jaw and sharp teeth. The claws...Jill swallows. She may have almost been dinner, so what stopped it? It is staring at her, panting. It didn't want to stop. Jill lowers her eyes to the ground.

Tripping on the carpet has revealed some sort of pagan like circle with symbols all over it and in it. It means nothing to Jill but she does remember Van's words about the witch protecting them. The power of the witch and her symbols are that strong?

Jill jumps when a shot is fired next to her.

'Fuck off! Lousy motherfucker!'

The creature lets out a thunderous roar and Van slams the door, not even blinking. He kicks the carpet over the symbols and holsters the gun at his hip - did he fire a shot? Jill feels the shock slowly hitting and she points to the door.

'That...that was…' she trails off unable to think of the word.

'Oh. Yes. Finally met 'big wolf,' huh?' Van offers his hand to Jill and she accepts it. He hoists her up and she rushes to the window and peers out. It's just fucking gone. She turns to Van who is wandering back to the kitchen.

'Why did it…? It just stopped…' Jill studies the immediate surroundings of the forests. 'It's gone.'

Van comes over and steers her away from the window and guides her into sitting by the closest chair next to the fire. 'Yes. The old forest hides many things. So we have old things too. Helps even things out.'

Jill stares into the flames. Can anybody just give her a straight answer? So those pagan like symbols stopped a maybe werewolf from entering this place? How come it sounds so far fetched and yet it actually kinda makes sense?

There is so much going through her head. The possibilities may not be incredibly clear, but they do paint an interesting picture. One that doesn't rely on paganism. Something is going on somewhere in these lands. A company has decided to use this area for experimentations - that has to be it. The result is some morphed hybrid. A cross between a wolf and human. Eh...but it doesn't tie in with the potential for paganism.

Jill tries to get that thought out of her head. No. The creature stopped because it must have seen Van with a gun. It is intelligent then. Shit. And with the radio still emitting static there is no way to let the BSAA know that they may have found something bad that would require the team to come in and investigate. What about Umbrella? Fuck, that may causes more issues.

The other issue? Chris could be out there still. What if he met that creature? She has to go back out there. At least make it back to the cabin. Hopefully there are a couple of symbols under there too.

A hand to her shoulder causes her jump.

'Oh? Sorry, Van…'

'Big wolf has you jumpy.'

'A little, yes. But I was just lost in thought…'

'Hm,' Van sits in the opposite chair and eyes her. He indicates he doesn't believe her. And that he's somehow disappointed in her. 'Well, that is because you didn't listen when I told you: back before sundown.'

'Yeah, well, I had to…' Jill trails off.

'Had to what?'

They both turn over to the window. The creature's loud roar is heard in the distance. Chris…

Jill rises and Van eyes her. 'Have you got any more weapons I can use?'

Van huffs and crosses his arms. 'Why? So you can use and lose them? Don't think I didn't notice my shotgun missing. And ammo. And neither came back with you!'

Jill reaches into her bag and pulls out the little box, tossing it over to him. He seems surprised. But nevertheless smirks anyway.

'I'm sorry about the gun. That thing dented the barrel.'

'Bah. Of course…'

Assuming the answer for the weapon is no, Jill begins to head towards the door. She has no plan. What does she do? Surely that thing will be waiting for her, itching to finish her off. But the thought of Chris not knowing it's out there and running into it, it spurs her on.

'I am sorry about the gun, you know,' Jill pauses at the door and Van turns over his shoulder.

'What are you doing?'

'I'm going back out. You don't understand-...'

Van interrupts her. 'I understand. You have a death wish. That thing will kill you.'

'No. You don't understand. I found him. One of the people I'm looking for. And I left him. I'm not sure if he knows that creature is out there. I have to let him know.'

Van stands up. He has a look in his eyes that Jill hasn't seen before. Fear. Perhaps even desperation. 'You go out there. You are as good as dead.'

'Maybe…'

'Foolish girl…' Van responds and Jill smiles at him.

'Thank you for the hospitality.'

'And the gun.'

Jill smiles but rolls her eyes. 'Yes. That too.'

Her hand hovers on the door knob before he calls out to her again. 'Eh. You'll be back.'

'Thanks for the positivity.'

'Before you go. Let me just tell you the story of big wolf.' Van eyes Jill and she frowns.

'You know where that thing came from?'

'It is legend. Passed down by the village.' Van smirks, wondering how far he could push her to believe.

'So…an urban legend then?' Jill muses because as far as she's concerned, that big wolf or whatever used to be human but was corrupted and mutated by something. Which she wants to get to the bottom of.

'It's a curse. A witch cursed a woman. So it is believed. Or a man. Depends on the version.'

'Uh huh….' Jill arches an eyebrow and wonders just what exactly Van was hoping to accomplish by telling her this. It is a mutation. Nothing more.

'If you call it by its name, it might not kill. Legend says.'

'That's why it's just a legend. It doesn't make sense,' Jill retorts and Van merely shrugs with a smirk. God he fucking knows more than he's letting on - it's infuriating. 'Well, what's its name then? I'll try to remember to shout it while I'm squaring off against it.'

'Not sure. Its name was lost over time.'

'Well...that's comforting. Good to know.'

Jill slips outside and Van rises and watches as she limps towards the area that just a half hour prior, she ran from. The creature nearly had her. And now she's foolish enough to go back and look for more. Stubborn woman.

Well, hopefully she finds the person she's looking for. Truthfully, he hopes it's not him. A smile creeps onto Van's face. What would she do if she found out the truth? He glances up to the skies. Well...it is a cloudy night after all.

Typically, what is shrouded by shadow is always brought forth by light. Likewise with the light, it can be eclipsed by shadow and still reveal what is hidden there. They are two sides of the same coin.

And her answer is right in front of her. If she wants to find out, that is. After all, legend does say that a monster can be stopped by having a special person call its name. How will that go? Urban legend...maybe...who knows?

---

Jill opens the door to the other cabin. She shuts it with haste and calls for Chris. There is no answer. Fuck! She was surprised she made it back so easily. But it was eerily quiet. It was as though the whole forests were collectively holding their breath. It was also harder to see what was around her this time. The moon was covered by clouds.

Wanting to be sure that this place was in fact empty, Jill quickly scans the rooms. He isn't here. Fuck! She starts pacing. Weaving around the furniture as she attempts to come up with a plan. She doesn't know where she could even begin to search. If she continues on that path instead of veering off, where would that take her?

She has no choice, she has to keep looking. Or...should she stay here? Fuck. Jill fiddles with the radio once she grabs it from her bag. Static. If she could just...dial in then she could request some help.

Maybe while it's quiet, she can cover some ground. Well, as much ground as she can manage. Jill stops in front of the door. Logically, her mind tells her to wait. Just fucking be patient for once. And Chris will be back. He will be. But the impulsive side, the side of her that allows love to direct her movements sometimes tells her she needs to get out there and help. Jill finds herself staring at the surroundings beyond the cabin as she listens to the two voices in her mind battle it out. Logic isn't going to win. She knows that.

How can we possibly help? We're injured. Or did you forget?

It doesn't matter. What if he's hurt…?

And what good would it be if we were further injured? Did you see that mutation chasing us?

But what if it found Chris first?

And if it didn't? Then we're still separated from him and the cabin. And in a more dangerous situation. We need to wait.

No…

Jill puts her hand on the knob. She bites her lip.

Wait here. For fuck sake. Don't be his liability.

Why isn't her head as strong as her heart when it comes to Chris? Logic just doesn't win against her immense love of him. And her need to make sure he's safe. Especially with what she's seen. Even more now that they're apart. They don't come home together anymore...

She opens the door and grabs the flash light. It's dark. The moon shrouded. Jill shuts the door and shines the light all over the area. But nothing. Well, just a few rabbits scattering.

Trudging up the footpath, Jill pauses. Frowning, she turns over shoulder but doesn't see anything. Except that it's started to snow.

Jill is certain she'll regret this choice any time. Hindsight is usually a bitch with her. She approaches the curve in the road and continues to follow it. The moon's light breaks through for a fraction before it is covered once more.

The walk onward is lonely and Jill keeps her senses as heightened as she possibly can. Every branch that snaps, movement out of the corner of her eye causes her to stop, get defensive and grip her knife. Of course when she shines the light over the area in question...there is nothing.

She walks for a couple more minutes when she spots the droplets of blood on the fresh snow. And the footprints of the creature. Fuck. This is exactly what she didn't want to have happen. She's walking the same path. She follows it.

It abruptly stops and collects before her feet. She holds her breath and turns around in a small circle. She catches the droplets heading in the direction of the trees to her left. It's nerve wracking.

Every step she takes her heart pounds in her ears. There is no telling when that thing could just show up. Her leg is starting to stiffen. So she ignores it. She also tilts her head. Is that...is the forest breaking? She can see that the trees thin out. Huh. Well that could be a good development.

Jill pauses at the mouth of the forest trails and studies the landscape. There is a farmer's field. She has to clear the last little bit of hill and brush but that shouldn't be too bad. It opens up to the fields and there is a lonely barn there - lit up by a couple of lanterns on the exterior walls.

Oh...it looks too...dilapidated. Or maybe the farmer has tucked all the animals in for the night. But if there is a barn, shouldn't there be a house? Somewhere? Closing her eyes, Jill sighs. Fuck probably not. It's probably abandoned. She decides to try. What else has she got to lose?

She glances up to the skies as the moon breaks free of the clouds. She reaches behind her and tries the radio. Dead air. She attempts a call into the radio, pleading to see if anyone can hear her. She gets static.

No point in dwelling. She has to keep moving. Perhaps this new area will be better for reception. Perhaps she'd be able to break through and make contact with her team. Or maybe even meet some more people. Van's painted such an interesting picture of this place, she's dying to find out more.

She begins the trek down the hillside, hoping that she'll find some kind of answers but already knowing that Chris probably isn't here. She wonders if he truly did see something, or if it was just an excuse to rid himself of her. He had been acting oddly. It's strange. What could he be hiding from her?

Unless it was the local he'd allegedly had the skirmish with. Maybe there was just bad blood between them. Or maybe Chris caught sight of the targets he'd been sent to get. If it was then why not just tell her that? Something isn't making sense.

Jill pauses and looks to the moon, shining so bright before her. Frowning, she feels the eyes of something preying on her. She doesn't want to turn around. But she knows...it's already there.

Biting her lip, Jill glances over her shoulder and then turns around completely. It's an awkward stare.

She can see the creature in the background of the forest. It is clearly in pain from where she clipped it in the shoulder with the shotgun round. She wonders if he's seen her. And she ponders whether or not she'd be able to quietly continue down the foothill without drawing attention.

But if this thing is a mutation then surely it had better hearing. Her feet crunching on the snow and gravel. It would suss her out immediately. She remains frozen in place. What does she do? She can't take her eyes off it. Tilting her head, she notices that its eyes catch the clouded moonlight. And it isn't yellow eyes staring at her for the moment. She can see the glint…

The moon comes out of hiding. Instantly the eyes disappear as it blinks and then it is a pair of haunting yellow ones catching sight of her. The creature's whole body turns towards her. Oh fuck. Here it comes.

No. Not yet though...it is simply studying her. Wondering about her. Her heart is thundering in her chest. What is it about this creature that ignites some kind of primal fear? She's hunted creatures derived from nightmares without a flinch. Horrific creations coming alive, mutated humans...she's faced it all. And she put them down.

Why does this one scare her so much? Her mind reminds her that it isn't some fantastical creature. Once again, it is a mere mutation.

She realizes it was the same fear that hit her when she was confronted with the dogs at the mansion and those at RPD K-9 kennels. Something about being chased by mutated animals just hits differently.

Something catches the creature's attention and Jill watches it turn around, breaking eye contact with her. This may be her only chance at escaping. Guess she's about to find out how good that hearing is.

As quietly as she can, she resumes walking down the hill, trying to avoid particularly rocky grounds. The quickest glance tells her the creature is still there, obviously dazed by something. She uses that to her advantage and attempts to hurry down the hill. Ugh, the pain in her leg is back. Throbbing. And getting weak again.

She accidentally hits a slick spot with black ice and falls to her hip. Jill covers her mouth to muffle her cry of surprise and pain. As Jill slides down the hillside she can see the creature begin to close the gap. Fuck! So much for a quiet getaway.

Jill scrambles to her feet and lets momentum pull her down the rest of the hillside. A roar behind her tells her she'd better be hurrying her pace. She needs to find somewhere to hide, or get help. Anything at all to keep this creature at bay if she can't destroy it.

It's a stretch, but perhaps the old barn may have doubled as a tool shed. Maybe she'd find a decent weapon there. She just needs to get there.

She starts to lose her balance and lowers herself, squatting slightly as she holds her arms out. The closer she gets to the bottom, she can see that there were remnants of a fire. Someone was here. Hopefully not far. Jill continues to scan the area. Old wooden barrels simply piled out behind an old cart that doesn't look like it's been used in a decade or more. The lanterns on the barn burn low. A ladder barely visible as it blends into the worn wood of the barn reveals a loft that perhaps she could use to hide in.

The ground shakes beneath her feet. The creature is gaining on her. She cuts a different path down the hill to a small group of trees hoping to slow it down. Jill looks over and behind her just as she enters the collection of trees just in time to see a clawed arm reaching to swipe at her.

Jill gasps and twists out of the way. She can hear the claws slice through the tree bark with ease. Bits of it hit her and she continued down the hillside. Should she try to fight it? No fucking way, not without a gun. Just run. Run and run fast. Faster. Harder. Ignore the pain and discomfort.

She's nearly there. The fire pit is just there. If she can make it to the ladder, maybe she can hide before it catches wind of her. She skids to a stop and pants. Slowly she reaches for her knife and bites her lip. Oh no…

The creature stands in front of her. Shit, it is much taller than she first imagined. She widens her eyes and steps back a few times as it comes towards her. Its eyes just hold her gaze so deeply, it's as though it's staring into her soul.

Jill finds her eyes darting up and down the creature, trying to see if she could spy a weak point to strike. Somewhere she knows she could deal good damage. The shoulder wound? She wonders why it doesn't attack her - it's as though it's hesitating. Or drawing her in for an attack.

There is a moment when she believes they will simply part ways because of all the uneasy energy passing between them, and the way it's circling her. Jill attempts to mimic its movements though by standing still and not taking her eyes off of it. But then the moon breaks through the clouds more completely and hell breaks loose.

It abruptly lunges at her and grabs her by the front of her vest and yanks her closer, pausing for a fraction of a second to study her. It then tosses her with such strength that Jill feels like nothing more than a rag doll as she flies through the air and crashes into the pile of old barrels. They shatter under her impact.

Fuck...the strength.

Jill blinks and feels the ache of hitting the barrels run up her body. She wills herself up and witnesses the creature lower itself and then start running towards. Jill curses and turns on her heel. At least the adrenaline has masked the pain in her leg for the moment.

Jill cries out as the creature appears in front of her and throws an arm into the side of her head - too quickly to react properly, Jill falls to the ground. The world is disorientated when she opens her eyes. Fuck, she can't keep the creature's movements straight. It's circling her. She attempts to army crawl her way away, seeing as any time she attempted to stand up that world spun around.

Jill can't seem to shake off the dizziness. Even as she feels the creature grab a hold of her leg and pull her. Jill digs her nails into the ground to try and stop herself from being pulled but it doesn't do any good. Even when she tries to reach for a large stump, her grip doesn't hold for long. She notices the fire pit ashes and tries to struggle to break free. She has a small plan. She isn't sure how it will work or how long it could give her to break away but she has to try.

Jill struggles enough to break free of the creature's grip on her. She anticipates that it will probably tackle her. She hopes it does. Closer to the fire, the better. She tries to dodge the creature's swipes a couple of times but sure enough it does indeed pounce on her. Knocking her back.

It looms over her as they stare at one another. The panting from the creature...is thunderous in Jill's ear. It makes her swallow her fear and focus. She attempts to move but is stopped by this creature roaring at her.

'Fuck off!' Jill cries and hopes that it's buying into her trope. Gotta make it believable. Wait, what the fuck? Believable? How is it not?

It surprises her by lowering itself to be closer to her face. Jill crinkles her nose and reaches around, trying to get a fistful of the hot ashes. She's afraid that if she does any kind of sudden movements, then this thing will bite her, or snap her in half. Maybe even rip out her heart. Something gruesome to kill her.

The ashes and bits of burnt wood burn her hand as she manages to get a fistful without the creature becoming entirely suspect. Once she feels its hot breath on her face Jill turns her face away before swiping her hand across the creature's face, shoving all the hot ashes and debris she can into its face.

It howls and backs off of her. Jill rises and runs towards the barn. She glances quickly over her shoulder to find that it's gone. Shit!

Jill rounds the corner of the barn looking for the ladder and bumps right into the creature. She gasps as she is slammed into the wall and the creature reaches for her neck, squeezing tightly.

As she hastily reaches for her knife once more, she finds it rather odd that the creature is defaulting to choking and not tearing her to literal pieces. There's humanity in this creature, or there are shreds of it still. She's right to think it's a mutation.

She can see some of the injuries on it. The shot that clipped it in the shoulder and, glancing down, she can see the slash of the knife wound from earlier as well. The black edges begin to ebb at the corner of her eyes.

Jill grips the knife and with a quick burst of speed she strikes the creature in the chest. It instantly drops her and Jill puts some distance between them as she coughs a couple of times and then groans when she realizes that stabbing it hasn't really done anything other than piss it off.

It slowly pulls the knife out and stares at it. Jill takes another step back and watches it toss the knife away. Another conclusion made. Definitely, at some point, this was a human. Had to be. Some of its mannerisms are too human like.

Jill turns to run. Before the creature snaps out of its daze. Going back around the barn, she spots an entrance with lanterns and Jill wonders if that couldn't be used to her advantage. She swipes one off the wall and ducks inside the barn, quickly scanning the area.

There is a loft. Jill holds the lantern out in front of her and catches sight of a ladder, thankfully. Though it looks like it could collapse if she were to put her weight on it. No choice. She can't pause for too long. The creature will recover and she's certain she's captured its full attention.

Indeed the moment Jill begins to climb up the ladder a couple rungs break. She puts the lantern handle in her mouth and scurries up as fast as she can. She pauses and looks up to the roof. She can hear it stalking above her.

She notices scattered piles of hay that smell mouldy. She doesn't have a choice. She rushes quickly to the piles that seems like it could conceal her entirely. She also can't help but notice the rotten floorboards. She felt her foot strike a particularly soft plank and she worried she was going to fall through.

Jill carefully sets the lantern down and burrows into the haystack. She nearly gags. It smells awful. The footsteps of the creature engulfed her, pounding above her head. Jill widens her eyes as abruptly there is a collective noise that resembles loud pounding.

A crash causes Jill to nearly cry out from surprise but she holds her hand to her mouth and cuts it off. It's in here. It's looking for her. Okay, so, time to plan her escape. Maybe lose it in the woods? No, it's too far away. Try to find help? And say what? Monster chasing me?

It suddenly goes quiet. An unsettling quietness. Jill bites her lip. She hears nothing - could it mean that the creature has moved on?

Should she chance it? Could she? She bites her lip and attempts to carefully scan the area. But it's so hard to tell through the hay. Given how old this barn probably is, it's crazy to think that all the wood, no doubt dried out by age, isn't giving off any noise at all.

Jill decides to chance it. She swallows her apprehension and slowly pulls herself out of the haystack. There is no creature waiting for her. Odd. Jill picks up the lantern and goes to the loft entrance to glance out the window, wondering if she could catch the creature off in the distance somewhere. Though, she knows it wouldn't have easily given up a chance to make a kill. And that's what'll happen to her if she can't come up with a decent plan.

There is silence around what area she can see. The bright moonlight illuminates some things but not all, so Jill relies on her senses. Which...seem to be a bit...loud currently. Something's here with her. She closes her eyes. Fuck. The creature is close to her. She can feel it. No plan. Other than run. And run fast. Fuck, run so fast so she can get back to Van's. She maybe should have inquired about the symbols on the floor. Maybe that'd have helped her.

Jill turns around and sees the creature standing a couple of feet from her. She wonders if the lantern would do enough damage? Course it wouldn't but it could buy her more time. If she tossed it and it broke, would the flames be strong enough to stick?

Maybe she could toss it at its feet? The creature moves towards her. Jill widens her eyes and instinctively throws the lantern at the monster. It barely moves as it sweeps its arm out to deflect the lantern which lands behind it with a loud shattering noise. Jill blinks and then sighs. Oops.

Flecks of fire land all around the creature. They hit the wall, the ground and the haystack. What started as small flames begin to grow more concerning. The wood is very dry and the fire clings to it. Smoke begins to fill the loft.

Fucking idiot…good going.

Jill begins to start searching for a way out. She coughs. The creature just stands there. Until Jill pokes her head out through the window, trying to inhale fresh air. Her eyes water and she coughs again.

She cries out from surprise as the creature abruptly pulls her back and throws her into the wall of the barn. She cracks the wood and cries out in pain. Fine. Jill pulls herself into a standing position. She'll try to bare fist this fight.

Strangely, the creature continues to stare at her. What, is it taking pity on her? That makes her mad.

'Well?!' Jill shouts, as she coughs. 'What the fuck are you waiting for?'

Her eyes sting from the smoke as the flames continue to grow unchecked out of the corner of her eye. They're nearly touching the rooftop and Jill hopes to have found a way out of this barn before the whole thing goes down.

Accepting the invitation, the creature charges her. Jill dodges and twists out the way, blocking an attack. A thought strikes her. She'll need to be leery of those teeth. No doubt that is how the infection would spread. A bite mark. Fluids being transmitted. No thanks. Been there, done that. And she isn't keen to test the limits of the T Virus at this moment.

The creature tackles her and Jill manages to tussle with it as she manages to land a couple of knees into its stomach and one hook to the ribs. She scrambles to put distance between them.

It gets up and stares her down. Jill glares at it. She coughs again. Fuck, the smoke is getting thicker. The flames are now at the roof. Shit. Not good. Maybe she can lure it away from the barn somehow.

It's getting hazier. Her vision is getting clouded and she doesn't see the creature grab her and fling her to the other side of the loft, next to the raging fire. Jill feels the heat on her face and body and sits up, trying to clear her vision.

It's nearly impossible. The smoke is only making things worse and she coughs as she tries to keep a close eye on the creature. Jill gasps and rolls out of the way as the creature abruptly jumps and lands with its right hand out, claws deeply embedded in the floor.

That was too fucking close…

Jill uses the wall to pull herself up, her heart rate slowly coming back down, and she notices the fire has quickly spread to engulf the wooden roof. Shit. She just heard a massive creak. The wood is weakening.

There's a shift in the air. The moonlight has become dull. Another cloud must have passed over it. Jill notices the obvious confusion the creature seems to be exhibiting and decides to exploit it. Well, sort of.

She tries a few different times to engage it in a physical fight, but it blocks her punches, her kicks and her knees. It manages to fall victim to her ascending elbow and stumbles back. Odd, it was like this monster wasn't expecting that. It lunges at her and Jill dodges it, but the pain in her left leg shoots pulses up and she goes down to her knee. A fine time for that to happen.

The creature walks towards her and before Jill has a second to think and move, it once again grabs her by the throat, picking her up to meet its gaze.

Fuck! Of all the times for my leg…

Jill closes her eyes and grips the creature's forearm. Maybe it isn't thinking about turning her. Maybe it's just bloodthirsty. She grits her teeth and bangs her fist against its arm. If she could kick it...but every limb feels heavy.

When Jill opens her eyes, she finds herself staring at a different set of eyes. Gone are the yellowed ones and before her are a deep blue set. It's hard to make every detail out completely. She coughs from the smoke and continues to try and kick her way to freedom.

The creature suddenly lets her go and Jill drops to the ground with a thud. She recovers quickly and gasps as she puts space between them. Standing up, she can see the internal struggle again.

It's concerning, where did those blue eyes come from? Was it yet another mutation? Completely out of the blue, er, no pun intended. And yet funny - given the chaos of the fire and smoke raging in front of them - the details of those eyes she could pick out. Those blue eyes reminded her of someone she knows that has that colouring and the left eye that has a chunk of hazel to it and…

Jill stands a bit taller, she tilts her head while staring at the creature. No...oh god, please no. No! It can't be! It just makes sense though...no! It doesn't! How could she have been blind?!

No! Everything she's encountered up until this point…

The wounds the creature has. They exactly mirror…

No...please god…

The story from Van. The bullet…?

Jill's mind begins to race, trying to find a shred of evidence to refute the conclusions she's making. She's not getting anything.

The bullet in the sink. While the blood was dry, it was still fished out of something. Or someone. Van must have shot the creature in the chest. Who sported a wound there?

Impossible!

The knife. She gave it a severe slice to the forearm. Who else had a knife wound?

Hang on! The shotgun blast to the shoulder! Or what about the other red flag?

She can't refute or deny the shotgun one. She hasn't seen him to confirm. But the other red flag…?

The bite. The vagueness? The, the question of what she'd do if…

The creature is merely watching her. The reluctance to finish her off...could that be because the moon became obscured? Jill takes a few steps towards the creature.

All of this...is becoming clearer. This whole fucking mess. All of it. It brings tears to her eyes.

His lack of communication with Umbrella. And Van's haste to deny knowing him. The need to be apart from her. The question of what she'd do if he faced the same fate she did.

The injuries...Van's story…

Please god...let me be wrong. Please don't do this to me...

Jill feels the tears fall down her cheeks. There is an uneasiness between the creature and herself as she begins to close the gap. She uses the heel of her hand to wipe away the tears. More simply fall.

No. Not him. Please not him.

Who can she blame? This Umbrella's doing again? If not them, then who? She wants fucking answers!

Jill bites her lip and inhales, trying to compose herself. She can't. She closes her eyes when the creature seems to take a small step towards her. Jill stops. Is this where she tests her theories?

I'm wrong. I am wrong. This, this is all nothing but a weird pile of coincidences. That's all there is to it. It is not him. Please, just please don't be him. Fuck, I'd give anything.

We've been through so much this last year and a half together. Please do not do this to me! I need him! You can't take him away from me! Fuck, I won't let you have him!

Another thought hits her.

God, I attacked him! I shot him, knifed him! No! No, no. It isn't him. Please, please, please. It isn't him. It can't be.

What if it is…?

It isn't! No! It, it can't be. It's all a coincidence. A stupid, fucking coincidence. Right? It's not him. Van doesn't know what he's talking about. It won't work….it will not work. It's a stupid fairytale...because it isn't him.

Jill opens her eyes to see the creature mere inches from her. Her eyes water from the smoke and emotions. It doesn't attack her. No, it looks at her, tilting its head a few times. Struggling to remember her. To attack her or not? Those eyes...oh fuck. They are so similar to…

'Chris…?'

Her voice comes out a hoarse whisper. No thanks to the thick smoke. She wonders if it even caught her words. Jill closes her eyes and grits her teeth. It gave her its full attention the moment she uttered that name. She covers her face as a sob wracks her.

When she manages to pull herself together, she notices that he's still watching her. Silent.

I can always read him. Always. But not now...now I can't…

Jill holds her hand up in front of her, just to see what he'd do. Because...maybe...just fucking maybe, she's still wrong.

I am wrong.

Though... she isn't. He stared at her hand for seconds before slowly raising his hand up to mirror hers. Her heart breaks. She tries to suppress another sob. But she fails. Just as she saw his hand begin to resemble a human's, Jill frowns as she suddenly finds herself falling.

She's staring up at him. The roof! It, it finally came down and fell between them, causing the floor to give way as the chunk made contact with it.

Jill lands hard on her back, head colliding with the ground and she cries out. Fuck, why's everything so hot. She manages to look up, barely able to make out what objects are around her when she sees another part of the roof give way.

She curls into a ball and covers her head. It's all she remembers doing. Something heavy presses on her. And then...

Darkness.

---

Shit. Fuck. Wood is still hot. Hot enough to burn his hands. Even though it had been smouldering for hours as the night dragged on and daylight broke. Fuck. He draws his hands back with a flourish. Real hot piece there. It's the damn support beams that are the heaviest. Hardest to move. Fine. He goes back to picking apart the smaller pieces of debris and what used to be the barn roof.

No sign of her.

She can't have made it out. He didn't sense her anywhere else in the surrounding area. All senses directed him here. He pushes out the logical questions his mind proposes. He concentrates on digging.

Maybe there isn't a body because it's gone, burnt away.

No fucking way. He can't believe that. He flings a charred piece of wood behind him. Everything from last night hits him in small waves. It's hard to piece together the night and the memories usually. And even still, in parts it was hazy. But he remembered when Jill called his name, the fog lessened. Things became clearer.

He did try to reach for her. He remembered that. But the moon's light took over his actions. And he bailed. Left her there. Against his own instincts of course. God, he'd have never left her if he had the choice.

He pauses and shakes his hands out, quickly grabbing some snow and icing them. He nearly lost her once, for good, about a year ago in Poitiers. And just after that almost six months ago...the other devastating loss they faced together…

He swallows and shakes off the water left there from the melted snow. He reaches for another piece of roof when a support beam becomes easier to move. He tries to shift it up but fuck, it's heavy. He pushes it up slightly higher and the light falls on something half buried under the beams.

Jill! It has to be. God fucking damn, he can't tell if she's alive. It panics him and he attempts to hold up the beam and somehow reach for her. Unsurprisingly, he can't do both. He studies the support beams and tries to ascertain where to start next.

They must have fallen in some way that actually prevented more debris from falling on Jill and crushing her. He circles the pile of wood, hoping to see if there was some way he could just quickly pull her out.

Another painstaking half hour passes, as he carefully removes piece after piece to ensure he doesn't cause any kind of massive shift or collapse before he manages to only find the lower half of Jill. Fuck.

He bends down and reaches for her leg, tugging lightly. He's met with no resistance. To say his heart isn't pounding would be an understatement. Just go slow. Rushing could cause more damage. He can see her waist now, just, stop rushing. Stop.

He doesn't know if he can continue. He pushes past the discomfort. He can't lose her. But when he pulls a bit more, he can't see, or maybe he can't tell, if her chest is moving. Is she breathing? There!

Chris rushes over to Jill and cradles her. She blackened with the soot and there is a nasty gash on the one side of her forehead where something must have struck her. She's cold, how can she be cold? The, the fire...should've kept her warm…? Too much smoke…? Is she? Could she be…?

No...no...c'mon baby. Don't do this. Not now. Don't you fucking leave me…

All he does is simply hug her tighter. In doing so, he can feel the lightest breath from her. So he checks her pulse. Faint. But there. Relief floods him. He brushes some off the black soot off her face and is unable to hold back the smirk. And he hugs her tighter.

Don't fucking scare me like that…

True, she looks much better than she did in Poitiers. Now though...how does he get her out? Keep her safe from all the evil that lurks in these lands? When she wakes up, what will she remember? Chris kisses the top of her head while looking out to the snowy lands before him.

I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Jill. I should've...been more aware of my actions. I should've anticipated that you'd come find me.

But I was so wrapped up in finding the targets. And then...when that thing bit me...all I could think about was you. It was hell. It was such fucking hell. Those twenty-four hours...all I thought about was you. And how I could end things.

I thought for sure I was never going to see you again. How could I? And honestly...I don't know if my thoughts on that changed. Even if I succeed...what's to say things won't stay the same?

You asked me if I was certain I wanted to do this. I said yes. I had to. You asked me if the BSAA could help. I said no. Because I didn't know the full extent of things and after Poitiers...I just wanted to keep you safe. I never told you this, but I had nightmares after that mission, just like the ones from Africa. All I've ever wanted is for you to be safe.

And right now...you're not safe with me. Even though I promised you would be with me. The finish line is close, Jill.

I'm banking on the fact that when I finish this, things will be normal. And I can come back to you.

Movement behind him. He sighs when he smells the familiar scent of the pipe smoke.

'What?'

'Ah, good. Senses still work.'

Chris rolls his eyes at who the voice belongs to. 'Don't you have someone else you can annoy?'

'Right now? No. Just you,' comes the reply and then a sigh. 'Ah, well. Guess that means I can head back.'

Chris frowns. 'You came all the way out here, to fucking annoy me, only to tell me never mind you're heading back?'

'I was looking for her. Figured she probably ran into you. So, I wanted to be sure she was still alive. She's stubborn and smart, but, well, you're also a bloodthirsty monster. Might not have ended well for her.'

'Thanks for the fucking reminder.'

'Well, I can see I'm right,' Van replies and motions to Jill. 'Too bad.'

Chris feels his temper flare and he looks at Jill's rather lifeless body, the gash and soot covering her. Van's not wrong.

'She's alive.'

'Oh? Great news, then,' Van inhales on the pipe and exhales slowly. 'So, why are you bothered? You didn't kill her.'

Chris shakes his head. 'Of, of course not!'

'No need to get snippy with me,' Van's inching closer bugs the shit out of Chris. 'Monsters don't think clearly, yeah?'

'I didn't until...til Jill said my name,' Chris admits and Van pauses from the action of sucking on the pipe to smirk.

'Ha, it does work,' Van glances to Jill's still body, cradled so gently by the man before him. Van puts his hand on Chris's shoulder. The one that Jill clipped him with the shotgun. He tenses and attempts to brush Van's hand off.

'Do you mind?' Chris questions and sucks in air quickly when Van applies more pressure. What's he fucking doing? 'Also what the fuck do you mean, it works? What does?'

Van feels the wet blood on his fingers as he squeezes. A couple more hours and it'll be gone. Healed entirely. 'She did a real number to you, yeah?'

Chris glances down to Jill. 'Yeah. I wouldn't have had it any other way. I couldn't stop myself. I saw her, recognized her. But...I just couldn't stop. Until...she somehow recognized me.'

Van finally lets go of his shoulder and Chris leans forward slightly, the pain magnifying now that the pressure is off it. He catches sight of the little gold chain around Jill's neck. He rubs the tiny star between his fingers, cleaning off the soot.

This came from you, so it's good luck.

That's what she said to him after Poitiers, when she finally came to in the hospital. Any gift from him apparently is lucky. Claire said the same thing with her leather jacket, when they caught up with one another properly and she told him all about her adventure, if it could be called that, in Raccoon City.

God, that feels like it was a lifetime ago.

'So? What next? You gonna keep her?' Van inhales on the pipe, and is surprised at how much the man before him cares for the woman in his arms. Usually when they meet, he gets so much more attitude, but no. Not this time. He's more subdued.

Before Chris can refute Van's claims, a static noise is heard. Followed by broken sentences. Frowning, Chris searches Jill and finds a rather battered radio on her. Van smirks. Guess that's a no, then.

He doesn't want to leave her, to have her sent away from him. He wants to go with her. It isn't an option. She's not safe. He glances to the radio and then back to Jill. Why is this so hard? It should be a non issue. He has to get her out. He wants to identify himself but pauses. Hesitates even. It could open up too much dialogue. Too many questions.

'Who am I speaking with?'

Silence.

He tries again. But nothing. He locks eyes with Van, wondering why he's still even here as Van merely shrugs and inhales deeply on the pipe, absently staring off into the mountains. The radio suddenly springs back to life.

'...this...Parker...with the...SAA. How...get this radio?'

God the signal is just shit. But it's Parker. That's a relief. At least he knows that Jill will be in good hands.

'I have one of your agents here. She's injured. How fast can you get here if I give you a set of coordinates?'

'Jill's injured? Ah...fuck...hell. Send...coordinates. ...speaking to?'

Chris debates Parker's question. He's always liked Parker, trusted him, and they got along well. But this is way out of his league. All their leagues. If it isn't Jill then it's no one. It's too risky.

'Got that pen and paper ready?'

Crackle from the radio devolves into what Chris believes is a yes. So he carefully maps out the coordinates to Parker. After some back and forth thanks to the radio interference, they agree that Parker has it correctly written down. He promises Chris an ETA of half an hour. Then he'd better get moving, get Jill back to the cabin from last night.

He carefully scoops Jill up in his arms and stands. Unsurprisingly, Van studies her before Chris is allowed to leave.

'She'll be fine. Tough girl. Stubborn.' Van remarks and Chris smirks, rolling his eyes.

'You have no idea.'

Chris begins to walk and is rather taken off guard when Van walks with him. Usually the less time they can spend around the other, the better. Well, at least the walk is in silence. He doesn't know what he'd do if he had to entertain Van as well as his own thoughts at the same time. He just wants to make sure Jill is there in time for Parker to pick her up. It also means that if she does wake up, he'd need to explain a helluva lot to her. He doesn't even know where to start.

Van seemed to echo his thoughts. 'So, you tell her when she wakes up?'

'Tell her what?'

'Idiot. What do you think?'

'I'm hoping she doesn't wake up,' Chris admits and Van inhales on the pipe. 'What? I don't know what I'd say.'

'Truth, usually a good idea,' Van remarks and looks at Jill before sighing. 'But, I understand the hesitation.'

Chris glances over to him. 'I'm touched.'

'Should be.'

Chris recalls something. 'You never answered my question.'

Van frowns and pauses as Chris begins to trudge up the hill. 'Probably because it didn't need to be answered.'

Chris turns over his shoulder as Van huffs up the hill. 'Quit smoking. It'll help.'

Van simply waves him off as he overtakes Chris. 'Now what was the question.'

'I told you, Jill called my name and suddenly...things became less hazy.'

'Ah, does deserve an answer,' Van replies and Chris spots the cabin in a distance. 'Just an old legend.'

Van doesn't say more and Chris turns down to him. Nothing more is said.

'Care to elaborate on that?'

'Some say that if the person most precious to someone cursed says their name, it could weaken or break curse,' Van motions to Jill absently. 'Must be most precious. To give you a moment of clarity. Especially in that state.'

Chris turns over Van's words in his mind. Some of the things that Van says has to be taken with a grain of salt. Actually all of what he says. But the casual way he described it compels Chris to believe it. Jill is the love of his life, his other half. And when she said his name...he could see, mentally, just a little bit clearer.

He was able to gain control of the mutation and force it back. Even if it was only for moments. If Jill hadn't fallen through the floor, he was confident that he could have used the clarity to get the hell away from her. Guess they'll never know.

Van opens the door to the cabin when they come across it, having spent the rest of the walk in silence. Chris walks in with Jill, who still hasn't moved. It's worrisome. But she's still breathing. And her pulse is there.

Chris carefully sets her down on the little bed, taking a seat beside her while holding onto her hand tightly. God he doesn't want to leave her. He wonders if there's enough time to at least clean the gash on her forehead. Van's voice calls out to him from the front of the cabin.

'We've got company…'

Fuck…

Guess that's a no, then. Chris brings Jill's hand to his mouth and kisses it. She'll be fine now. She's safe. The two of them can't seem to catch a break recently. He rises from the bed and walks into the living room. Van is there, staring out the window. Chris can see a figure in the distance pause to check something before moving along.

He and Van exit the cabin and head towards the wooded area to the rear of the cabin. Again there is silence. Van finally decides to put the pipe out and they simply take their spot in the thicket of trees.

'Why are we hiding?' Van questions with a smirk and observes another man, tall as well though infinitely friendlier in appearance than his present company, enters into the cabin.

'I want to make sure he can get her out without difficulties.'

Van folds his arms. 'Why worry for Jillian?'

'Jill,' Chris corrects and rolls his eyes when Van dismisses him with a wave of his arm. 'Because, have you seen this place? I just want to make sure they aren't going to run into trouble.'

Van seems to accept this observation. 'Yes, true.'

They both fall silent as Parker emerges from the cabin with Jill in his arms. Chris catches the worry and concern on Parker's face. Fuck, did Jill get worse? No, it is a worry but not necessarily a worry for Jill. Parker's voice floats around them.

'Goddamn, Jill. Look at you, eh? Chris is going to kill me for agreeing to let you do this when he finds out. Fuck if he doesn't always find out…guess I'll have to plan my funeral.'

No one could blame Parker - eh, but Parker isn't the best at keeping secrets. Usually worn down after a couple of follow up questions.

And yet in this case, Jill does what she wants. You either support her or she goes in alone. Especially when it comes to him. Fuck, he's the same way with her.

He's never had a partner like her. Would never want one that isn't her. She's his lover, best friend...everything. She's everything to him. To know that he is the cause of her being in the current state guts him.

Van breaks his thoughts by gripping the same shoulder, pain floods his senses.

'Time to go, eh?'

Yeah. Jill and Parker are out of his line of vision. God fucking damnit, all he wants is to go with her.

'Could you lessen the grip?' Chris tells Van but it's a few more seconds before he smirks and actually lets go of his shoulder.

Much to Chris's dismay, Van seems to follow him once more. Okay, this is entirely too much time spent together.

'Other reason I came,' Van declares and continues on ahead while Chris pauses. Van stops and turns around. 'I may have found your people.'

Well...that's good news. Considering it took him double the time he said it would to get him the information. The village is too secretive, or it doesn't like or trust outsiders. Time...was of the essence.

'Great. So, where are they?'

Van folds his arms and stares into the wilderness of the landscape. Same direction the village and mansion is as well.

'Well, the ritual will start sometime soon. Their arrival, much like your precious one, has piqued interests. The Mother and the Lady hear things.'

Oh. Fuck. Two names he didn't want to hear. Fucking hell. He's gotta move fast then.

'All the more reason to hurry the fuck up,' Chris reminds Van as he pushes past him.

Van smirks and brings out his pipe, sticking it between his teeth.

'Lucky for you, full moon is done.'

Chris pauses and turns around. Van eyes him before his gaze goes back to the direction of the village.

Chris can already feel the bullshit building. This is one mission he's going to be entirely glad when it's done. It's gone on long enough. Fuck. He needs a vacation as Van begins chatting away again.