*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As Jill drove up Chris's driveway, she took a deep breath.
What could she to excuse her behavior? Was it excusable? Not really.
She killed the engine and braced herself to face him.
What's the worst he could do?
Even IF he didn't kill her; without a doubt, he wouldn't want to be with her anymore. In which case, she'd want to kill herself.
She looked over at his front door; she took another deep breath and opened the car door just in time to see Barry open the front door.
Barry?!
What was he doing there?
He motioned for her to come inside. She mechanically got out of the car and walked over joined him. He just nodded his greeting and closed the door behind them.
"What's up?" Jill asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Come on, let's wait till everyone else is here," Barry said, showing Jill to the living room where Chris, Claire, and Rebecca were already assembled.
Claire sat in front of the computer reading something. Rebecca was sitting next to Chris on the couch.
Chris stood up when he saw Jill, offering a weal smile.
*Oh crap. He knows*
Jill made a sad attempt to return the smile and sat down on a chair next to the couch, avoiding Chris's gaze. When she did glance up, she only saw Becky's piercing glare. Jill decided it would be best to stare at the floor.
"I'll go get some drinks," Claire said, standing up from the computer.
"I'll help," Becky said coldly, walking out of the room behind Claire.
Jill continued to stare at the floor, now tracing over part of the wood pattern with her sneaker.
"I didn't know my floor was so intriguing," Chris whispered to Jill.
Jill managed a smile, but still avoided his gaze.
"I'll go keep lookout for Leon," Barry excused himself and went to stand guard by the front door.
"You okay?" Chris asked, once Barry was out of earshot.
Jill looked up at him, "I didn't want any of this to happen."
"Of course not," Chris said, thoughtfully.
"I wish it never happened."
"We all do."
"We?"
"Barry, Claire, Becky, all of us."
"They all know!" Jill exclaimed, surprised by Becky's insensitivity. How could she tell all of them?!
"Yeah," Chris answered, confused.
Jill shook her head and angrily marched into the kitchen.
When she got there, she found Claire looking through the fridge and Becky filling up the ice cube trays at the sink.
"Claire. Out!" Jill ordered, although her gaze never left Becky.
"You know this IS partly my house. You could say 'please' when you order me around," Claire replied sarcastically.
Jill glared at her.
Claire raised her hands slightly in defeat, "I'm outta here."
As soon as Claire left, Jill started throwing accusations at Becky.
"What the hell is wrong with you!"
"ME? I didn't do anything wrong!" Becky snapped back.
"Like hell you didn't!"
"I didn't. Don't you go accusing me of..."
"My accusations are justified!"
"How so?"
"You told Chris everything! Not only that you told the others!"
"I did no such thing! Stop accusing me of doing things that I never di..."
She is interrupted by a flying paper towel role that Jill hurled at her. It hits the counter behind Becky.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
"You shouldn't be butting into MY private life with Chris," Jill says, calming down, realizing the others can probably hear them from the other room.
"You should just tell Chris everything," Becky says, also regaining her composure, "I never told a soul. I figured you should tell him anyway."
"Tell me what?"
Jill and Becky turned to Chris. He had entered the kitchen silently, during the heat of the battle.
"I have nothing to say," Becky said, quickly leaving the room.
Chris examined Jill. Her gaze had returned to the floor.
"What's wrong, Jill?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.
Jill finally met Chris's gaze, "Carlos came back."
Chris just stood there as Jill told him everything from Carlos's mission to the invitation to Cuba to the kiss.
After Jill finished telling him everything, it was Chris's turn to look to avoid her gaze, "We better join the others."
He attempted to walk past Jill, but she grabbed his arm, "I'm sorry."
"I know," Chris looked at Jill, "But we have bigger fish to fry right now."
"What?" Jill asked, confused.
"Umbrella."
It's funny how all their troubles were summed up by one word. Umbrella: an object made to shield you, to protect you from the storm; not bring the storm to you.
And suddenly, Jill understood. Chris had thought she was talking about Umbrella since the beginning, not about Carlos. He had been so distant because there was a new development, not because he had known. Everything she had said earlier, he had thought meant something else.
She could have gotten away without telling him a thing. But instead she had exploded at Becky and probably lost Chris. But still, it felt good to be honest with him. He deserved that much.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's note: Please review! The 10th and final chapter should be up in the next 2 weeks or so. Sorry, but all that homework tends to get in the way XP
As Jill drove up Chris's driveway, she took a deep breath.
What could she to excuse her behavior? Was it excusable? Not really.
She killed the engine and braced herself to face him.
What's the worst he could do?
Even IF he didn't kill her; without a doubt, he wouldn't want to be with her anymore. In which case, she'd want to kill herself.
She looked over at his front door; she took another deep breath and opened the car door just in time to see Barry open the front door.
Barry?!
What was he doing there?
He motioned for her to come inside. She mechanically got out of the car and walked over joined him. He just nodded his greeting and closed the door behind them.
"What's up?" Jill asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Come on, let's wait till everyone else is here," Barry said, showing Jill to the living room where Chris, Claire, and Rebecca were already assembled.
Claire sat in front of the computer reading something. Rebecca was sitting next to Chris on the couch.
Chris stood up when he saw Jill, offering a weal smile.
*Oh crap. He knows*
Jill made a sad attempt to return the smile and sat down on a chair next to the couch, avoiding Chris's gaze. When she did glance up, she only saw Becky's piercing glare. Jill decided it would be best to stare at the floor.
"I'll go get some drinks," Claire said, standing up from the computer.
"I'll help," Becky said coldly, walking out of the room behind Claire.
Jill continued to stare at the floor, now tracing over part of the wood pattern with her sneaker.
"I didn't know my floor was so intriguing," Chris whispered to Jill.
Jill managed a smile, but still avoided his gaze.
"I'll go keep lookout for Leon," Barry excused himself and went to stand guard by the front door.
"You okay?" Chris asked, once Barry was out of earshot.
Jill looked up at him, "I didn't want any of this to happen."
"Of course not," Chris said, thoughtfully.
"I wish it never happened."
"We all do."
"We?"
"Barry, Claire, Becky, all of us."
"They all know!" Jill exclaimed, surprised by Becky's insensitivity. How could she tell all of them?!
"Yeah," Chris answered, confused.
Jill shook her head and angrily marched into the kitchen.
When she got there, she found Claire looking through the fridge and Becky filling up the ice cube trays at the sink.
"Claire. Out!" Jill ordered, although her gaze never left Becky.
"You know this IS partly my house. You could say 'please' when you order me around," Claire replied sarcastically.
Jill glared at her.
Claire raised her hands slightly in defeat, "I'm outta here."
As soon as Claire left, Jill started throwing accusations at Becky.
"What the hell is wrong with you!"
"ME? I didn't do anything wrong!" Becky snapped back.
"Like hell you didn't!"
"I didn't. Don't you go accusing me of..."
"My accusations are justified!"
"How so?"
"You told Chris everything! Not only that you told the others!"
"I did no such thing! Stop accusing me of doing things that I never di..."
She is interrupted by a flying paper towel role that Jill hurled at her. It hits the counter behind Becky.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
"You shouldn't be butting into MY private life with Chris," Jill says, calming down, realizing the others can probably hear them from the other room.
"You should just tell Chris everything," Becky says, also regaining her composure, "I never told a soul. I figured you should tell him anyway."
"Tell me what?"
Jill and Becky turned to Chris. He had entered the kitchen silently, during the heat of the battle.
"I have nothing to say," Becky said, quickly leaving the room.
Chris examined Jill. Her gaze had returned to the floor.
"What's wrong, Jill?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.
Jill finally met Chris's gaze, "Carlos came back."
Chris just stood there as Jill told him everything from Carlos's mission to the invitation to Cuba to the kiss.
After Jill finished telling him everything, it was Chris's turn to look to avoid her gaze, "We better join the others."
He attempted to walk past Jill, but she grabbed his arm, "I'm sorry."
"I know," Chris looked at Jill, "But we have bigger fish to fry right now."
"What?" Jill asked, confused.
"Umbrella."
It's funny how all their troubles were summed up by one word. Umbrella: an object made to shield you, to protect you from the storm; not bring the storm to you.
And suddenly, Jill understood. Chris had thought she was talking about Umbrella since the beginning, not about Carlos. He had been so distant because there was a new development, not because he had known. Everything she had said earlier, he had thought meant something else.
She could have gotten away without telling him a thing. But instead she had exploded at Becky and probably lost Chris. But still, it felt good to be honest with him. He deserved that much.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Author's note: Please review! The 10th and final chapter should be up in the next 2 weeks or so. Sorry, but all that homework tends to get in the way XP