Carville International Airport
10:00am
1 year before Mansion mission
Jill Valentine felt uncomfortable in her seat, and tried to shift to a more comfortable position. Failing that, she decided to try to clean up her face, to put on a cheerful face and practice some relaxation exercises. She knew she was getting off the plane in fifteen minutes, but she didn't feel too concerned. Jill knew where she was going, who she was meeting and why.
Where?
Terminal 3.
Who?
Some guy called Chris Redfield and the man she'd spoken to on the phone who went by the name of Barry Burton would be waiting for her.
She had never met Chris Redfield or Barry Burton, but somehow she could put a name to an imagined face…probably some dumb beefcake who was slipperier than a snake oil merchant.
Oh well.
Why?
Her new job meant a lot to her now, it was the least she could do for her wealthy but criminal father who had pleaded with her from prison to get a straight job. Her dad had taught her everything to know about thievery, and just when she thought of starting it herself, he got a change of heart – to be more accurate, he was found out and got thrown in jail for several years.
She didn't mind going straight. It was no problem, it was just a job. It also sounded quite exciting – A special tactics force called the Special Tactics Assault & Rescue Squad – At least, that's what she thought it was, whose acronym was S.T.A.R.S.
A special police force. Hardly her original career prospect…but she didn't mind.
'YOU CAN NOW UNBUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS, THANK YOU FOR FLYING AMERICAN AIRLINES' came the loud and clear announcement, and so she got up, grabbing her bags from the luggage rack.
Chris Redfield sat in the passenger lounge, terminal 3 of Carville airport, and studied his watch.
He hadn't wanted to come, but Barry had said that 'Jill and him would get on like a house on fire'
Chris had a pile of paperwork to do, he was already behind with the report he had to give to Wesker and he was in no mood to be meeting some 'pretty girl' whom Barry spoke pretty highly of. An ex-thief – He didn't like ex-criminals.
"Will she be here?" he grumbled, "I'm kind of tired"
"Don't worry" Barry soothed "She'll be here soon"
Chris rolled his eyes. He'd been with S.T.A.R.S for a few months now, and even then they'd only pulled him in because the USAF didn't want him.
"Ah!" Barry announced, "Here she is!"
Chris turned, face still like thunder…and stopped. His mouth dropped open.
"Wow…" he breathed.
"This is Jill" Barry said, smiling.
Chris felt as if his stomach was about to get stuck in his throat, his face flushed and he felt his heart begin to increase speed. The rapid thumping told him that he was standing in front of somebody very attractive – No, incredibly attractive.
Jill was petit, very well formed and extremely beautiful; at least that was how his sensors registered it. He had never seen anybody quite like her, not since…he thought. No, he had NEVER seen anybody like her. She was absolutely amazing.
Jill smiled, nervously, and put her hand out for him to shake. He shook it earnestly, face suddenly taking on the picture of friendliness.
"Hi! I'm Chris, from the STARS Alpha team where you'll be assigned – I'm going to be your team-mate in the team, and…and…"
Chris snapped his jaw shut, smiling apologetically. He always babbled when he was around attractive women.
"Sorry" he murmured.
"It's…okay" she replied.
Chris saw she had a nervous edge to her voice, and felt a little worried.
'Well done Chris you great goof' he told himself, sarcastically 'Now she thinks you're a freak! Well done…'
Jill had almost dropped her luggage when she saw him. Him. Chris Redfield. Barry was the guy with the beard, she could tell from the voice – But this other guy…that was Chris?
Mr. Dumb Beefcake who was slipperier than a snake oil merchant?
'Bad analogy Jill' her inner voice said 'He's goddamn gorgeous, and you're ready to admit it, aren't ya?'
His rather nervous greeting had indicated to her that he certainly wasn't slippery…Obviously quite shy, she could gather from that. Her greeting hadn't seemed much better, she was hypnotised by his quiet grey eyes, hypnotised by his every nervous movement. She'd stuck her hand out, struggled out a few words when he'd apologised…
'Good start' she told herself 'Good start, Jill'
As they walked, Chris turned to her.
"May I take some of your luggage? If…that's okay with you"
Her heart leapt into her mouth.
"Yes…" she practically gasped.
His request had been totally sincere, which surprised her, since if a man generally asked her if she wanted her luggage to be carried for her, he had a seductive grin on his face that almost made her vomit.
'Jill, why the hell are you getting excited over that?' her inner voice said again. She would have to see a psychiatrist someday, she just knew it.
She admired him all over. Physically, he was definitely up to scratch – A tall, well built guy with a cute smile…She knew little else about him, although she guessed that he was pretty shy.
His hand touched hers very briefly as he took her brief case. It was like being touched by an angel, they both thought in perfect unison.
Chris desperately wanted to cling on, to take hold of her hand and hold it until the sun went down…Jill didn't want him to let go either…but common sense made Chris remove his hand.
'Wait' Chris told himself 'Be patient'
He admired her in profile, took every single tiny detail, right from her perfect nose, down to her lips like tiny rose petals.
Her cheeks were peaches, he thought…like wonderful, ripe peaches have melted into her face…
'GROW UP!!!'
He blinked once or twice, and decided to keep his face on the horizon, towards the doors.
"So…" Jill turned to him "Uh…how long have you lived in Raccoon…?"
Chris was thrown by the question, but soon he tackled it…he didn't want her to think he was a complete idiot.
"Uh, a couple of years now…I think" he said, smiling weakly.
She smiled back.
"Enjoy your job?"
"Yes and no – The pay's good, and I enjoy some of our field work – but there's a lot of stuff I see that I wish I didn't – You know what I mean?"
"I think so – Dead bodies, etcetera?"
"Sort of. I got used to the cadaver side of things, but when you find really sick stuff…it…"
Chris looked uncomfortable, so Jill quickly changed the subject.
"Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?"
Chris laughed softly.
"Oh, believe me – You don't want to know about me, I'm incredibly ordinary"
Jill took his arm.
"I don't believe that. Go on, tell me, if you don't mind it being a personal question"
'So beautiful' he thought, looking into her crystal clear eyes, beautiful chestnut hair falling down to her shoulders…
Suddenly, Chris found himself talking about stuff he'd never even thought of telling anybody in casual conversation; about his sister, how they'd come to terms with their parent's deaths, his recruitment into STARS – the whole thing.
'You're changing' he told himself 'You're changing Chris – and you're changing because of her…but you don't care…'
STARS office
Raccoon City
3:00pm
9 months before the mansion mission
Chris, Jill, Joseph Frost and Brad Vickers practically fell into the office, absolutely exhausted. Enrico Marini looked up, and grinned.
"The Fab Four have returned" he said, in his ever so slight South American accent.
"Yeah" Chris said "Sort of"
They fell down in their chairs, Jill into hers. Chris and Jill had their desks right next to each other, strangely enough at both of their request.
Chris found his gaze wandering over to Jill, clad in her uniform, flopping down in her seat, removing her beret and tossing it onto her desk.
Jill's own gaze flittered to his own eyes…and she turned away, blushing. If Jill had been a schoolgirl, she would have giggled.
'So Cute!' she thought. Chris and her had been working together for only three months, and already they were close friends. Joseph had described them as 'joined at the hip'. They were practically inseparable – Chris always covered Jill's back, Jill always covered his.
Chris smiled in embarrassment, and turned away as he caught Jill's gaze. The thing they were both worried about was…would friends be all they would be? Neither Chris or Jill wanted to stay as merely 'friends'
He had noticed a slight change in his behaviour over the last few months – he was more courteous, more talkative, and whenever Jill was around, definitely more cheerful.
"Hey, I'm starved" Brad suddenly said "Anybody going to the machine? Can't be bothered to get up"
"Don't look at me" Chris said, laughing a little under his breath.
"You know, I could do with something too" Jill added.
Jill wanted something?!
Chris leapt to his feet, and his mouth suddenly flew into action.
"I'll get something for you, I'm kind of hungry myself"
Jill smiled
"Thanks!"
Chris nodded frantically, and practically ran out of the office.
Jill watched him go, knowing that her gaze lingered just a little too long on his rear end…
Forest Speyer, whose business was usually strictly Bravo team strolled up and nudged her, saying in his thick, Arkansas accent
"So…Jill…How's Chris, huh?"
She gave him a confused look.
"What are you talking about?"
He grinned.
"You know what I'm talking about…you two are good together, you make a lovely couple"
Jill put on a very forced defiant voice.
"What?"
"Oh come on…Stop pretending you don't like the guy. The way you look at him, the way he looks at you? You saw the way he acted right now, he's desperate to make you happy"
Jill blushed a little.
"I don't think so" she whispered, trying not to be excited by what she heard.
"Believe me" Forest replied, smiling "I've known Chris for more than a year…and he adores you"
Jill couldn't help but smile a little. He cackled in triumph, and nudged her again.
"I know some good restaurants. Come to me if you're in need of help"
He grinned, and stalked off to the filing cabinet to resort some of their old murder case files.
Jill sat herself properly, and began to do some of her own paperwork, signing forms and other nonsensica.
The Aubrey case…The raid on the Edward's house a week ago…the Elrico drugs scandal…all just names in her head as she flicked through the papers. But one name stood out among them all – Chris. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Every word beginning with 'C' now said 'Chris' to her. Was she in love?
She sighed. Maybe she was.
Time would tell.
END OF PART ONE
AUTHORS NOTE: This is another of my Chris/Jill fics! I quite like the pairing, but I am also going to be working on the long overdue 4th part of Sherry's first, her last, her everything – providing people stop asking me to kill her, because it ain't gonna happen. Sorry, but I'm not a sadist.