CHAPTER TWO

"Lance, are you okay?"

Lance looked in Claire's direction, and by the look on his face, he wasn't sure what he had seen. "Yeah, yeah I'm just a bit startled."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." The edge in his voice told Claire otherwise, but she didn't say anymore.

Just then the front opened and in walked Chris and Jill. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine." said Claire.

Jill slowly walked over to Lance and looked him in the eye and knew exactly what was wrong.

"We heard about it on the radio-- about North Brunswick-- and I was wondering if you were alright."

"Why is everybody asking me that!? I'm fine!" Lance got up and ran for the bedroom.

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"Let me handle this." Jill got up and walked towards the room. "Lance, may I come in?"

"I don't care." He was sitting on the bed, arms folded. Jill moved next to Lance.

"I understand how you feel."

"How could you ever understand how I feel?"

"Perhaps you're forgetting what I told you back in Linwood. Raccoon City."

"What about it?" Lance questioned.

"The same thing happened there two years ago. Zombies everywhere. I nearly died in that city. I know how you feel. My friends and everybody was there. My life was there. I don't need you to sit here and tell me I don't know how you feel. I know damn well how you feel."

"I-- I'm sorry. I never knew."

"I know, but you need to think. I've had years of experience with Umbrella, you've had one day. Sure you've had memories, and I don't mean to be putting you down, but you're only fourteen--"

"Fifteen." Lance said solemnly.

"I thought you were fourteen." Jill's tone changed.

"I was. It's my birthday."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Usually, my birthdays are a day to celebrate with my friends and family. Just me and my--" he stopped.

"You're what?"

"Mother." Lance shut his eyes. "My mother's still in that city. I must go back see if she's alright."

"No, Lance. It's too dangerous."

"Not if we're all there! I've been trained, you, Chris and Claire all have experience. We can do it. Chris can fly us in, near my home, and we'll be in and out in ten, fifteen minutes. We can do it." As he spoke, Jill could see his eyes begin to tear.

"Lance." Jill pulled him closer and held him in her arms as he cried. "I understand how you feel, honest I do," she looked in his eyes, "but it's just too dangerous to go back. Besides, if she's not alright what would you do? How would you react? You're not thinking clearly. It's an airborne virus, it would've gotten her immediately."

"But," Lance swallowed, "but what if it didn't, and she's just sitting there waiting and hoping for me to come home?"

Jill stared Lance in the eyes, her eyes beginning to tear, "One of," she paused, unable to say it--

--but you must Jill, he must know that there is no going back.

"One of them would've gotten her."

"No! I refuse to believe it!" Lance got up and ran out of the room. Jill, on the other hand, sat there and let him go.

Poor kid.

"Lance, where are you going?" Chris' voice was heard faintly in the background.

"Home."

Jill quickly got up and ran for the door, not bothering to put her shoes or jacket on. She looked down the road, and about a hundred feet away Lance was half running, not caring about the falling rain.

"Lance!" Jill began to speed after him.

"Lance!" she cried again, almost catching up.

Jill knew he wasn't going to turn around or stop, and so she stopped, and as the thoughts played through her mind, she tried to assure herself that this wasn't happening, and yet believed it with all of her mind; they were going to go back.

"I'll do it!" Lance stopped, and turned to look Jill in the eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"I'll go, we'll get Chris to give us a lift."

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Note: I understand and apologies for the chapter. length's so far. They haven't really been that much involved, but you can really see and tell that from the material in the chapters that there's not really much that can be done! But i promise the chapters will be longer in the future, and pretty much from now on. Ch3 might be a bit short, but that's because i plan to end it once the helicopter crashes (finally some action!!!) so keep an eye out for that!!!

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