CHAPTER 5

Then There Was Three

To be so close yet so far, Jill decided, had to be the worst feeling in the world.

They had discovered where Chris had been kept for the last three months only to arrive there one day after he had been taken away. The irony was overwhelming.

The four prisoners that had been rescued; Jamie, Cindy, Mick and Derek, were brought to a special government facility provided by one of Leon's buddies. There they could gain a sense of who they were again.

Life for everyone else was pretty damn miserable. They decided not to go back to Paris, but to stay in the states instead. Putting all their small funds together they were able to rent out a two bedroom apartment in Seattle for Claire, Leon, Barry, Carlos and herself to share.

Leads about Chris' whereabouts were nonexistent. Leon was pulling in all his resources with no success.

Needless to say things in the tiny apartment were nothing short of horrible. No one even cracked a smile much less then a laugh or chuckle. That's why on the day of Claire's breakdown Jill didn't blame her in the least.

Barry and Carlos were watching television on the small black and white T.V. Leon, in the meanwhile, was on the internet trying to get in contact with some people who may of be of help. Claire and Jill were standing feverishly behind him hoping for anything.

When Leon finally received the e-mail from his source he read it out loud for everyone to hear.

Dear Leon,
We're sorry, but we've heard nothing about what you e-mailed us about. Trust that we'll keep our eye's open. Always, Charlie and Dan As soon as the last words escaped from Leon's mouth is when it happened.

Claire in a mad outrage picked up the monitor for the computer and tossed it out the window.

"Damn thing!" She screamed as everyone stared at her too shocked to move a muscle.

The glass from the window had shattered all over the living room floor. Carlos was the first one to peek out the window to see the damage that had been done. When Carlos' head came back into the room all he said was.

"Damn Chica."

That, however, didn't subside Claire whose temper only flared higher.

"I hate this god damn apartment, I hate doing nothing day in and day out, and I hate this whole god damn world!"

With that said Claire walks only a few feet punches a whole right through the wall, and then storms into her and Jill's room.

Everyone looked at each other no one having a clue to what to say or do. Jill thought it was safe to say that everyone was feeling the way Claire was, god knew that she herself was, it just only had been Claire who decided to thrust out from her frustration.

After awhile Leon finally got up from the computer, he tells everyone that he's going to check on Claire, when Leon left Jill joined Barry and Carlos on the couch.

It was silent between the three of them until Barry got up from the couch.

"I think I'm going to go for a nice walk." He told them.

Once he had grabbed his jacket Barry was gone, and it was now just her and Carlos."

There was a history between them Jill would admit that. What that history was she wasn't quite sure, but all she knew was right at that moment she was feeling pretty uncomfortable.

After several moments of awkwardness Carlos made an attempt to comfort her.

"We'll find him Jill." He told her his accent heavy.

Jill in return gives him an incredulous laugh before planting her face in her hands. Seconds later she could feel Carlos' arm creep around her shoulders. Jill turns her head away from her hands and looks up at Carlos.

"You know I'm here for you right Jill?"

"Thank you Carlos." Was all Jill said, she wasn't of what else she should say.

With his arm still around her Carlos' body inches closer to her own. When there was no space between them Carlos whispers into her ear.

"You know Jill I've always been here for you."

Jill looks into Carlos dark soulful eyes. At that moment she knew she was in trouble.

"Jill, for so long I've wanted to hold you, to feel your breathe on my skin, to feel your skin upon my own. I.I know this probably isn't the best time to be telling you all this, but then really when is the best time? With the way our lives are you never know what's going to happen next, and I wanted to tell you before it was too late.I love you Jill."

This wasn't what Jill needed. All she could do was stare at Carlos' intense figure; her own body was frozen solid.

"Carlos.Carlos.Carlos."

She just couldn't get past his name. She was completely lost for words.

"Jill, I know our situation is complicated, especially for you, but if it at all feels right to you don't you think we should go for it?"

The problem was that it didn't feel right, at least not with Carlos. Before she had the chance to say this Carlos already started to make his move.

Catching Jill off guard he leaned in and kissed her full on. Jill would give Carlos this, he was an extremely good kisser, but it just didn't feel right. Immediately Jill pulled away. Carlos stared at her hurt and confused.

"Carlos, I'm sorry, but I couldn't.I couldn't do what my heart doesn't agree with."

"What 'does' your heart agree with then?"

"I think you know that."

"Hmf.Chris right?" Carlos said bitterly.

"Carlos, please don't be like that."

Carlos moves away from her on the couch. "Sure whatever you want Jill."

At that moment Jill heard Barry come back from his walk. With a dismayed expression on his face Barry says to them.

"Would one of you guys get Claire and Leon? We all need to talk."

* * *

Leon wished more then anything that he could find Chris, and bring him
to the people that loved him the most. He would love to make Claire
happy, but he couldn't and that was killing him.

When Claire broke down Leon held himself entirely responsible. Claire
was counting on him and what could he do? Find false or after the fact
leads that's what.

As soon as Claire retired to her room Leon debated rather or not he
should follow her. She probably wanted to be alone, but was that what she
needed? In the end Leon went with what he needed, and that was helping
Claire.

Leon gently knocked on her door, Claire responded by calling from in
the room.

"Who is it?"

"Leon," he answered. "Can I come in?"

When Claire didn't answer Leon took her silence as a yes, and
proceeded through the door.

Claire was laying face down on her bed, her face buried in her pillow.

Slowly Leon walked over to the bed. He knelt down to Claire's
sniffling figure. He didn't say a word he just knelt there never taking
his eyes off of Claire.

Eventually Claire arose from the bed her eyes immediately locked on
with his own.

"Claire, I am so sorry."
Leon didn't know why he said those words. 'Sorry' never fixed
anything. It was just a filler word that people used when there was
nothing else.

Claire, however, took the word for what it was worth. She gave Leon a
small smile and whispered the words.

"Thank you."

After that Leon crawled onto the bed with Claire, who laid against
him. They stayed like that until Jill entered the room.

She gave them an analyzing look before saying to them.

"Barry wants to have a meeting."

"Now?" Claire asked.

Jill nodded before walking away. After a heavy sigh Claire got up from
leaning against his chest, and gave him a hand in helping him up from the
bed. Not a word was exchange between them as they left the room.

The mood as they entered the kitchen was defiantly an off one. Jill,
Barry, and Carlos were already sitting around the table, all three of
them waiting impatiently for Claire and himself.

Leon took a seat between Jill and Carlos, while Claire sat between
Carlos and Barry. Once they were all seated the meeting began.

"Guys," Barry addressed them. "We've been at this for a long time now,
and as much as I hate to say it were just not getting anywhere."

"What are you getting at Barry?" Jill asked skeptically.

"I'm going home Jill."

"What!?" Claire and Jill shouted as the same time.

"I miss my family; I haven't seen them in ages. You know I want to
find Chris, but surely you understand my need to see my wife and kids?"

Everyone was silent. Barry had a family, with all that was going on
Leon sometimes forgot that. There were people waiting for him, the rest
of the group didn't have that.

In the end it was Claire who spoke up.

"You go to your family Barry."

"I'll be coming back." Barry told her.

"You'll do what's right in the end," Claire told him. "For now you
just go to them."

Barry nodded at Claire then turned to Jill.

"Barry if you don't leave here I'm going to throw you out of this damn
apartment," Jill told him with a smile.

Barry grins stupidly at everyone. "I better go pack."

When Barry was packing Leon, Claire and Jill waited on the couch,
Carlos was off doing his own thing. It wasn't long before Barry was
packed and ready to go. Everyone gathered at the door to say their
goodbyes.

"Say hi to Kathy and the kids." Jill said giving Barry a kiss on the
cheek.

"Yeah, give them all extra hugs and kisses for me." Claire chimed in
wrapping Barry in a great big bear hug.

Barry next turns to him. "You take care of these ladies for me, okay
Kennedy?"

"Yes sir," Leon told him. The two shake hands, Barry then looks
around.

"Where's Carlos?"

Out from the guys room came Carlos with a duffle bag in hand.

"I'm right behind you big guy."

"What are you doing Carlos?" Jill asked.

"I'm going to head too. I've been out of the loop for much too long."

"But." Was all Jill said before going silent.

"When will you be coming back?" Claire asked.

"We'll see Chica," was Carlos' response.

After another round of goodbyes both Barry and Carlos left. As soon as
the door shut Claire, Jill and Leon all looked at each other.

With a cynical laugh Leon said to them. "And then there were three."

* * *

Chris awoke with a startling headache. He found himself lying on a
thin board that was positioned in the middle of what looked like a large
lab.

Confusion swept over him which only made his migraine worse. What the
hell was he doing here? What in gods name is going on.then it hit him.

The incident at the large room, Luke and him being taken away.Luke!
Chris suddenly remembered the horrifying sight of his friend's body.

"Luke!!!" Chris cried our in anguish.

From the far corner of the room Chris heard a familiar snarl.

"Your comrade has come and gone Redfield."

"Wesker!" Chris shouted angrily. In a fit of rage Chris jumped up from
the table, and started storming towards his one time captain.

Chris was only a few feet away from Wesker when the pain started. It
began in his head like a thousand voices screaming all at once. Slowly it
continued to crawl down his body until every inch of it was throbbing in
pain.

"Redfield, normally our little experiments experience little or no
pain at all, but for a few special lab rats such as yourself," Wesker
walks up to Chris kneeling down before him, and whispers into his ear.
"We make sure they go through hell."

Angrily Chris grabs onto Wesker's ankle with all his might. Wesker,
however, easily kicked Chris' hand away, and then added a kick into his
stomach to boot.

"Don't you see Redfield; your world is done for. A better, more
powerful race is going to take over, and when the time comes there will
be nothing you or your little band of pathetic S.T.A.R.S can do to stop
it."

"When there's a will there's a way." Chris choked out through his mind
numbing pain.

Wesker laughs evilly in response. "Well if that's true Redfield 'will'
you're way through this."

Wesker injects Chris with a shot of another unknown substance. It
wasn't long before everything went black again.

AUTHORS NOTE:
Well um.Chris keeps blacking out. I hope I'm not causing him any permanent damage, whatever. Thank you so much to anyone whose reading, and a special thanks to Pinquicha.
Always,
Leah