Tonight I'm tangled in my blanket of clouds
Dreaming aloud
Things just won't do without you, matter of fact
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you'd accept surrender, I'll give up some more
Weren't you adored
I cannot be without you, matter of fact
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
Another heart is cracked in two, I'm on your back
I cannot be without you, matter of fact
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
Another heart is cracked in two, I'm on your back
The soothing rush of cigarette smoke flew down Chris's throat. It had been a long time since Chris had even looked at a cigarette, but he really felt that he needed one right now.
"So, do you understand why I have to leave?" he asked of his companions, keeping a stoic expression on his face. He had gathered Claire, Leon, and Rebecca together later that day to explain where Jill had gone. Or rather, why Jill had gone, since he had no idea where. He had already decided by that point that he was going after her. In fact, he had already gathered his stuff together and was ready to leave.
Chris knew that he couldn't just let her go. Sure, she had broken his heart, but it wasn't her fault. It wouldn't be fair to her to force her into a relationship that she didn't really want to be in. Besides, that would probably end up in even more heartache for him. They didn't have to be in a relationship, though. All he was hoping for at this point was to get his best friend back. It also wasn't fair for Jill to think that she had to leave Claire, Leon, and Rebecca behind just because of him.
"Yeah, you know, do what you gotta do," Leon finally answered Chris, after it became clear that Rebecca and Claire weren't going to say anything. They were all in a state of shock. Chris could understand that. Hell, he was still in shock.
Rebecca looked like she was going to cry. "Please, find her," she pleaded. "I miss her already!" Chris nodded in response. "Besides, you two belong together."
Chris decided to ignore that last comment and looked to Claire for her approval.
When Claire realized this, she sighed. "Can I have a moment alone with you?" she questioned.
"Yeah," he said, and motioned towards the kitchen. After the two were alone he asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure this is the best idea," she told him slowly. Chris just waited for her to elaborate. "I mean, what are you going to do when you find her?"
"I'm going to ask her to come back," he said simply.
Claire shook her head. "I know you, Chris. I know what you're thinking. You think that if you find her, she'll change her mind about everything once she sees you. Then, she'll tell you how much she loves you, and it'll be one big happy reunion, right?"
Stung by her words, Chris looked away quickly. The sad thing was that she was right. He imagined Jill falling into his arms and telling him that she made a mistake…
"See, I knew it. And if that doesn't happen Chris, then what? I don't want to see you hurting like this again."
"I still want her to come back, even if I can't be with her. Claire, I… I need her," he said with a crack in his voice, showing raw emotion for the first time.
Claire sighed again. "I know, Chris, I know." She went over and gave her brother a comforting hug. "Go after her," she whispered into his ear. She broke the hug shortly afterwards. "Goodbye, and good luck," she offered.
"Thank you," he replied gratefully. "Say goodbye to the others. And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he said, smiling slightly. Without further words or emotion, he collected his things and was gone.
Claire stared after him for a while. She just hoped that she would see her brother and Jill again soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A tired and exhausted Jill Valentine stepped off what seemed to be the hundredth plane that day. Even though she had slept on the plane, she felt like she was going to collapse any second. *It's just jetlag,* she tried to convince herself. She removed the itchy blond wig that she had been wearing for countless hours, in case Chris tried to question anybody at the airport who might have seen her. She had also traveled on more than one plane to make her tracks harder to follow. *I just hope that the note worked, and he's not coming after me.*
Her final destination was a small town in the country of Brazil. The weather was beautiful in Brazil right now, but that wasn't the reason she chose it. Instead, she was looking for a friend.
Jill knew that she wouldn't be able to cure herself on her own. She was going to need a friend, an ally, somebody that she could trust. There was only one person who fit that description, besides the four people she left behind. There was also Barry, but he was too close to Chris and would probably tell him everything.
Her thoughts drifted to Chris and she felt a tightness in her chest. "I miss you, Redfield," she whispered into the air. She was so emotionally drained right now. A part of her wished that her disease would just kill her immediately, because she felt like she was already dead. But she knew that she had to get cured, so that she could see Chris again one day. She also couldn't imagine turning into one of those…creatures.
After renting a car, Jill drove to the address that she had written down a while ago. *I hope he's still here* she thought. If he wasn't, then she was basically on her own. She pulled up to a small, cozy house, and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."
Jill walked slowly to the front door and knocked loudly. After five minutes, nobody answered. "Great, just great," she muttered. She came all this way and wasted all this time for nothing. Without knowing what else to do, she walked away dejectedly. But then, a shocked voice stopped her.
"Jill? Is that really you?" the voice asked.
She turned around and stared at him for a long moment. Cursing herself for not planning exactly what she would say to him, she just decided to get straight to the point. "Carlos, I need your help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chris grumbled angrily at no one in particular. The people around him were giving him weird looks as if he was crazy. They looked away fearfully, though, after he glared at them threateningly. One little kid actually started crying. Chris just grumbled some more and walked away.
He had spent countless hours trying to find out where Jill had gone, with no luck. Nobody who had been working in the airport at the time she left recognized her, and there was nobody named Jill Valentine who had purchased a ticket. She must have had a fake passport with her. He figured this might happen. After all, the S.T.A.R.S. were taught to cover their tracks well.
*Time for Plan B,* he thought, even though Plan B wasn't actually a plan. It basically included going to any place of importance that she ever mentioned to him. Places like her hometown, where she vacationed with her dad as a kid, where she always dreamed of living, and anything else he could think of. While he was doing this, he would also be using other means to track her down, of course. That's why he had called Barry and told him to find any information he could on Jill's whereabouts.
Chris knew that his methods could take forever, but he didn't care. Sooner or later, he was going to find her; if it had to be later, so be it. There was no way that he was giving her up without a fight. "I'm coming, Valentine, you just wait." However, Chris didn't know that Jill wasn't going to be able to wait much longer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carlos couldn't believe his eyes. Jill Valentine, the girl he had dreamed about for so long, was actually standing in front of his house. She looked just as beautiful as he remember her. "Come in," he told her, and she obeyed.
Soon they were sitting at his kitchen table. Carlos was making some tea for Jill because she looked tired and a little under-the-weather. As Jill looked at him, memories she tried to forget of what they went through played in her mind. The thought of Nemesis sent chills throughout her entire body.
"So, you said you needed my help?" he asked her in his thick accent, and she nodded in response. "Is this about Umbrella?"
"In a way, it is. But this doesn't concern breaking into an Umbrella lab or anything like that. I came here because…because…." she drifted off. How was she supposed to say this?
"Hey, you can tell me," he coaxed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She gave him a grateful smile in return, but it faded quickly. "Carlos…I'm dying," she said slowly. Now that she wasn't keeping it to herself, she felt a little bit better.
But Carlos couldn't believe what he was hearing. He must have misheard her. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say that you were dying."
When Jill didn't respond, he knew that he had heard right. Carlos sat down immediately and tried to process what she said. "Oh God. This can't be happening." It was so hard to believe. How could somebody so full of life be dying? He grabbed her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. "Jill, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" *What a stupid question! I'm such an idiot. Of course she's not okay.*
Jill smiled warmly at him. She knew that he meant well. "I'm alright, considering the circumstances."
Then, Carlos had another thought and abruptly let go of Jill's hand. "Chris must be devastated," he said. After the whole Raccoon City ordeal, once Carlos had helped Jill find Chris, he decided to part ways with them. He saw the way that they looked at each other, and the way Chris jealously acted towards him. It was obvious that Chris and Jill had deep feelings for the other, and Carlos didn't want to be there once those feelings were revealed.
At the mention of Chris's name, Carlos saw Jill's eyes fill with pain. "He doesn't know," she barely whispered. "Actually, you the only person I told."
Carlos dropped his jaw in shock. "What? He doesn't know? Why the hell not?"
"Because I didn't want to hurt him. I couldn't let him watch me die, and see me turn into a zombie," she explained.
"Whoa, Jill, hold up. A zombie? Don't you think that's a poor choice of words?" he wondered.
"No, Carlos, because it's true. Remember when you gave me the vaccine for the T-virus? Well, it wasn't strong enough to completely destroy the virus, and now I'm slowly but surely turning into some horrible Umbrella experiment."
All the color completely drained from Carlos's face. He remembered how he felt when Jill was infected; he was so scared. And now, it was happening again. "There has to be some mistake, Jill," he reasoned.
"No, there's no mistake. I can feel it happening to my body already," she told him. Jill had absolutely no energy left. If she didn't get sleep soon, she knew that she would pass out.
"Goddamn Umbrella! I swear to God, I am going to destroy them for this!" Carlos cried out with anger. When would it stop? When would Umbrella be done with their devastation?
Jill smiled weakly. "It's a nice thought, but we need to be realistic. Carlos, you were the one who made the vaccine for me…so I need your help to find another vaccine, one that's more permanent this time. Will you help me?"
"Jill, you know that I'd do anything to help you," he said sincerely. And it was true. He knew he'd do absolutely anything she asked of him.
"Thank you. I owe you so much," she replied.
"You know that you don't owe me anything, sweetheart. But I still think that you need to tell Chris about this-"
"No!" she interrupted. "I've already made my decision concerning Chris, and that's final," she told him emphatically.
"Okay, okay, fair enough." The last thing that he wanted to do was upset her. "Now listen, why don't you get some rest? I have an extra room that you can stay in."
"I couldn't possibly intrude," she conveyed.
"You wouldn't be intruding. Besides, the nearest hotel is far away from here. You're staying here, and that's final," he insisted.
"Okay," she smiled and gave a big yawn. "Sleep sounds like a really good idea right now, anyway."
Carlos showed her to her room and made up a bed for her. "If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know."
"You've done enough already, trust me. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Jill," he whispered softly, and she was asleep in a second. "I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed, and then shut the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chris turned as he heard a scream. "Jill! Hold on, I'm coming!" He tried to run to her, but to his horror, his feet refused to move.
"Don't let me die, Chris," Jill pleaded.
With his body frozen in place, Chris could only watch as two zombies flanked Jill. "No! Jill, look out!" he cried.
But Jill just continued to stare directly at him. "Please…you don't have much time. Please come….please," she kept saying.
As the zombies reached Jill, Chris rose with a start. He looked around and noticed that he was on an airplane. Apparently, he must have had a nightmare. *That was certainly disturbing* he thought. He shuddered as images from the dream floated in his mind.
Chris knew what his instincts were telling him. Something was wrong, and he had to find Jill fast. Maybe Umbrella was after her. *Or, maybe you're being paranoid,* he told himself. But when it came to Jill, he'd rather be safe than sorry. "I just hope that my instincts are wrong this time," he sighed.
_____________________________________________________________________
***Song Credit: "Walking After You" by the Foo Fighters
Will Chris find Jill in time? Can Carlos help Jill? Will you keep reading to find out? Let me know! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed :- )
Dreaming aloud
Things just won't do without you, matter of fact
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you'd accept surrender, I'll give up some more
Weren't you adored
I cannot be without you, matter of fact
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
Another heart is cracked in two, I'm on your back
I cannot be without you, matter of fact
I'm on your back, I'm on your back, I'm on your back
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
If you walk out on me, I'm walking after you
Another heart is cracked in two, I'm on your back
The soothing rush of cigarette smoke flew down Chris's throat. It had been a long time since Chris had even looked at a cigarette, but he really felt that he needed one right now.
"So, do you understand why I have to leave?" he asked of his companions, keeping a stoic expression on his face. He had gathered Claire, Leon, and Rebecca together later that day to explain where Jill had gone. Or rather, why Jill had gone, since he had no idea where. He had already decided by that point that he was going after her. In fact, he had already gathered his stuff together and was ready to leave.
Chris knew that he couldn't just let her go. Sure, she had broken his heart, but it wasn't her fault. It wouldn't be fair to her to force her into a relationship that she didn't really want to be in. Besides, that would probably end up in even more heartache for him. They didn't have to be in a relationship, though. All he was hoping for at this point was to get his best friend back. It also wasn't fair for Jill to think that she had to leave Claire, Leon, and Rebecca behind just because of him.
"Yeah, you know, do what you gotta do," Leon finally answered Chris, after it became clear that Rebecca and Claire weren't going to say anything. They were all in a state of shock. Chris could understand that. Hell, he was still in shock.
Rebecca looked like she was going to cry. "Please, find her," she pleaded. "I miss her already!" Chris nodded in response. "Besides, you two belong together."
Chris decided to ignore that last comment and looked to Claire for her approval.
When Claire realized this, she sighed. "Can I have a moment alone with you?" she questioned.
"Yeah," he said, and motioned towards the kitchen. After the two were alone he asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure this is the best idea," she told him slowly. Chris just waited for her to elaborate. "I mean, what are you going to do when you find her?"
"I'm going to ask her to come back," he said simply.
Claire shook her head. "I know you, Chris. I know what you're thinking. You think that if you find her, she'll change her mind about everything once she sees you. Then, she'll tell you how much she loves you, and it'll be one big happy reunion, right?"
Stung by her words, Chris looked away quickly. The sad thing was that she was right. He imagined Jill falling into his arms and telling him that she made a mistake…
"See, I knew it. And if that doesn't happen Chris, then what? I don't want to see you hurting like this again."
"I still want her to come back, even if I can't be with her. Claire, I… I need her," he said with a crack in his voice, showing raw emotion for the first time.
Claire sighed again. "I know, Chris, I know." She went over and gave her brother a comforting hug. "Go after her," she whispered into his ear. She broke the hug shortly afterwards. "Goodbye, and good luck," she offered.
"Thank you," he replied gratefully. "Say goodbye to the others. And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he said, smiling slightly. Without further words or emotion, he collected his things and was gone.
Claire stared after him for a while. She just hoped that she would see her brother and Jill again soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A tired and exhausted Jill Valentine stepped off what seemed to be the hundredth plane that day. Even though she had slept on the plane, she felt like she was going to collapse any second. *It's just jetlag,* she tried to convince herself. She removed the itchy blond wig that she had been wearing for countless hours, in case Chris tried to question anybody at the airport who might have seen her. She had also traveled on more than one plane to make her tracks harder to follow. *I just hope that the note worked, and he's not coming after me.*
Her final destination was a small town in the country of Brazil. The weather was beautiful in Brazil right now, but that wasn't the reason she chose it. Instead, she was looking for a friend.
Jill knew that she wouldn't be able to cure herself on her own. She was going to need a friend, an ally, somebody that she could trust. There was only one person who fit that description, besides the four people she left behind. There was also Barry, but he was too close to Chris and would probably tell him everything.
Her thoughts drifted to Chris and she felt a tightness in her chest. "I miss you, Redfield," she whispered into the air. She was so emotionally drained right now. A part of her wished that her disease would just kill her immediately, because she felt like she was already dead. But she knew that she had to get cured, so that she could see Chris again one day. She also couldn't imagine turning into one of those…creatures.
After renting a car, Jill drove to the address that she had written down a while ago. *I hope he's still here* she thought. If he wasn't, then she was basically on her own. She pulled up to a small, cozy house, and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."
Jill walked slowly to the front door and knocked loudly. After five minutes, nobody answered. "Great, just great," she muttered. She came all this way and wasted all this time for nothing. Without knowing what else to do, she walked away dejectedly. But then, a shocked voice stopped her.
"Jill? Is that really you?" the voice asked.
She turned around and stared at him for a long moment. Cursing herself for not planning exactly what she would say to him, she just decided to get straight to the point. "Carlos, I need your help."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chris grumbled angrily at no one in particular. The people around him were giving him weird looks as if he was crazy. They looked away fearfully, though, after he glared at them threateningly. One little kid actually started crying. Chris just grumbled some more and walked away.
He had spent countless hours trying to find out where Jill had gone, with no luck. Nobody who had been working in the airport at the time she left recognized her, and there was nobody named Jill Valentine who had purchased a ticket. She must have had a fake passport with her. He figured this might happen. After all, the S.T.A.R.S. were taught to cover their tracks well.
*Time for Plan B,* he thought, even though Plan B wasn't actually a plan. It basically included going to any place of importance that she ever mentioned to him. Places like her hometown, where she vacationed with her dad as a kid, where she always dreamed of living, and anything else he could think of. While he was doing this, he would also be using other means to track her down, of course. That's why he had called Barry and told him to find any information he could on Jill's whereabouts.
Chris knew that his methods could take forever, but he didn't care. Sooner or later, he was going to find her; if it had to be later, so be it. There was no way that he was giving her up without a fight. "I'm coming, Valentine, you just wait." However, Chris didn't know that Jill wasn't going to be able to wait much longer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carlos couldn't believe his eyes. Jill Valentine, the girl he had dreamed about for so long, was actually standing in front of his house. She looked just as beautiful as he remember her. "Come in," he told her, and she obeyed.
Soon they were sitting at his kitchen table. Carlos was making some tea for Jill because she looked tired and a little under-the-weather. As Jill looked at him, memories she tried to forget of what they went through played in her mind. The thought of Nemesis sent chills throughout her entire body.
"So, you said you needed my help?" he asked her in his thick accent, and she nodded in response. "Is this about Umbrella?"
"In a way, it is. But this doesn't concern breaking into an Umbrella lab or anything like that. I came here because…because…." she drifted off. How was she supposed to say this?
"Hey, you can tell me," he coaxed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She gave him a grateful smile in return, but it faded quickly. "Carlos…I'm dying," she said slowly. Now that she wasn't keeping it to herself, she felt a little bit better.
But Carlos couldn't believe what he was hearing. He must have misheard her. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say that you were dying."
When Jill didn't respond, he knew that he had heard right. Carlos sat down immediately and tried to process what she said. "Oh God. This can't be happening." It was so hard to believe. How could somebody so full of life be dying? He grabbed her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. "Jill, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" *What a stupid question! I'm such an idiot. Of course she's not okay.*
Jill smiled warmly at him. She knew that he meant well. "I'm alright, considering the circumstances."
Then, Carlos had another thought and abruptly let go of Jill's hand. "Chris must be devastated," he said. After the whole Raccoon City ordeal, once Carlos had helped Jill find Chris, he decided to part ways with them. He saw the way that they looked at each other, and the way Chris jealously acted towards him. It was obvious that Chris and Jill had deep feelings for the other, and Carlos didn't want to be there once those feelings were revealed.
At the mention of Chris's name, Carlos saw Jill's eyes fill with pain. "He doesn't know," she barely whispered. "Actually, you the only person I told."
Carlos dropped his jaw in shock. "What? He doesn't know? Why the hell not?"
"Because I didn't want to hurt him. I couldn't let him watch me die, and see me turn into a zombie," she explained.
"Whoa, Jill, hold up. A zombie? Don't you think that's a poor choice of words?" he wondered.
"No, Carlos, because it's true. Remember when you gave me the vaccine for the T-virus? Well, it wasn't strong enough to completely destroy the virus, and now I'm slowly but surely turning into some horrible Umbrella experiment."
All the color completely drained from Carlos's face. He remembered how he felt when Jill was infected; he was so scared. And now, it was happening again. "There has to be some mistake, Jill," he reasoned.
"No, there's no mistake. I can feel it happening to my body already," she told him. Jill had absolutely no energy left. If she didn't get sleep soon, she knew that she would pass out.
"Goddamn Umbrella! I swear to God, I am going to destroy them for this!" Carlos cried out with anger. When would it stop? When would Umbrella be done with their devastation?
Jill smiled weakly. "It's a nice thought, but we need to be realistic. Carlos, you were the one who made the vaccine for me…so I need your help to find another vaccine, one that's more permanent this time. Will you help me?"
"Jill, you know that I'd do anything to help you," he said sincerely. And it was true. He knew he'd do absolutely anything she asked of him.
"Thank you. I owe you so much," she replied.
"You know that you don't owe me anything, sweetheart. But I still think that you need to tell Chris about this-"
"No!" she interrupted. "I've already made my decision concerning Chris, and that's final," she told him emphatically.
"Okay, okay, fair enough." The last thing that he wanted to do was upset her. "Now listen, why don't you get some rest? I have an extra room that you can stay in."
"I couldn't possibly intrude," she conveyed.
"You wouldn't be intruding. Besides, the nearest hotel is far away from here. You're staying here, and that's final," he insisted.
"Okay," she smiled and gave a big yawn. "Sleep sounds like a really good idea right now, anyway."
Carlos showed her to her room and made up a bed for her. "If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know."
"You've done enough already, trust me. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Jill," he whispered softly, and she was asleep in a second. "I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed, and then shut the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chris turned as he heard a scream. "Jill! Hold on, I'm coming!" He tried to run to her, but to his horror, his feet refused to move.
"Don't let me die, Chris," Jill pleaded.
With his body frozen in place, Chris could only watch as two zombies flanked Jill. "No! Jill, look out!" he cried.
But Jill just continued to stare directly at him. "Please…you don't have much time. Please come….please," she kept saying.
As the zombies reached Jill, Chris rose with a start. He looked around and noticed that he was on an airplane. Apparently, he must have had a nightmare. *That was certainly disturbing* he thought. He shuddered as images from the dream floated in his mind.
Chris knew what his instincts were telling him. Something was wrong, and he had to find Jill fast. Maybe Umbrella was after her. *Or, maybe you're being paranoid,* he told himself. But when it came to Jill, he'd rather be safe than sorry. "I just hope that my instincts are wrong this time," he sighed.
_____________________________________________________________________
***Song Credit: "Walking After You" by the Foo Fighters
Will Chris find Jill in time? Can Carlos help Jill? Will you keep reading to find out? Let me know! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed :- )