Disclaimer: I do not own any people, places, or things associated at all with any of the Resident Evil games.

Note: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE story based off of the Resident Evil universe. Like I said in the last chapter all characters, places, and situations are different. For those fans of the games think of this as one possible way that the events of the Resident Evil storyline could have happened. For those new to the series or who haven't played the games this is not what happens. If you still have problems think of this as an exercise in artistic license and leave it at that. Let's move on.

A Different World: Revelations

By: Striker

Act Two: Good Day, Bad Day

Alexia sat at the large dinning table in the dining room. William and Annette sat across from her enjoying their meals. Alexia had changed into a white dress while the Birkins had changed into dress clothes. The head of the table was vacant as it was reserved for someone else. Alexia took a sip of her wine and began to speak. "Do you know when Dr. Marcus is going to arrive?"

William looked at his watch. "He should have been here by now. He must be busy tonight."

Just then the door to the main hall opened and an old gentleman in a suit walked in. "I'm sorry for being late, but we had some trouble at the training facility." He took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair at the head of the table before sitting down. "It seems one of the students thought it would be funny to light a trashcan on fire. It got put out but no one is admitting guilt." He looked over at Alexia. "Forgive my rudeness; I am Dr. James Marcus. You can just call me James. You must be Alexia Ashford. I've heard so much about you from my colleagues. I'm honored to finally meet you."

"It's an honor for me as well." Alexia replied. "I've heard of your research. If you don't mind me saying so, it sounds like what you're doing is more centered towards agriculture than medicine."

"I do admit that my research into gene splicing is mostly for genetically enhanced crops," James said, "But through that research we can create crops that will be healthier and more nutritious. Besides, your research relies on my research to succeed."

Alexia nodded and smiled. "I guess you do have a point. However, I must believe that your enhanced vegetables haven't been openly accepted by the food market."

James laughed softly. "Most of the trainees call me "Dr. Franken-fruit". I've found that people are suspicious of things they don't understand. I'm sure popular science fiction is to blame for people's general distrust of modern technology, especially technology that seems foreign to them. I'm sure that several countries have expressed concern over your research as well. I have heard several discussions on talk shows regarding how our research could easily be used to create biological weapons."

"That argument is a hollow one." William said. "First and for most we are in charge of the direction our research takes. I believe I can speak for all of us when I say that there is no way in hell that any of our research would ever be used for those purposes. I would rather die than see my research used to hurt people."

"I'm sure Umbrella has heard all this before." Annette said. "Weapons research of this kind is illegal for good reasons and I know that Spencer and the rest of the heads of this company would be insane enough to even try to make weapons. It's unfortunate that people's fears get in the way of realizing how our work can be used to help so many."

"I tend not to pay attention to any of the criticism I receive for my work." Alexia said. "I knew the possible applications of my work when I began. I specifically told my superiors that my research would not be used for weapons. And furthermore there would be no way that Umbrella could use my research to do that without my knowing."

"I doubt that this company would even try that, or be motivated enough to do that sort of thing." Annette added.

James, who had been sitting quietly during the exchange, spoke in a serious tone. "Greed is always a strong motivation for any evil."

"Excuse me?" William asked, caught off guard by Marcus's comment.

James continued by speaking in a low tone as if he didn't want anyone else to hear. "I'm sure the prospect of creating weapons has a several points crossed the mind of Spencer. The potential profit for weapons technology is great and one I'm sure hasn't been overlooked by the company. The allure of the money and power derived from creating and selling weapons in this day and age is strong, especially when countries are looking for more effective ways to kill."

"Spencer would never sink to the level of making weapons based on our research." Annette said. "It's beneath him."

"It's never beneath a man to give in to his dark desires." James replied dryly. "Lately I have found myself questioning Spencer's motives, as well as the executive board. The company has been showing a lot of attention towards my work even though compared to yours mine is less important. I've also been having the feeling that my actions have been monitored closely."

"Is this the reason for your behavior the past few months?" William asked. He looked over at Alexia, who was confused. "For awhile now James has been acting paranoid for some reason. I believe that his suspicions have no base. Just last week several documents went missing and James starting saying that they were stolen. I believe that they were just misplaced since they were found two days later."

"Did it ever occur to you that those files, which by the way were very important files pertaining to my research, could have been copied and then returned." James shot back in defense. "There would be no way in hell that I would misplace those files." James turned to Alexia. "Tell me, has your research been monitored closely Alexia?"

Alexia thought for a minute. "To tell you the truth the higher ups just leave me alone. About three months ago they asked for a progress report, but since then I haven't had anyone from the executive board contact me. In fact, this meeting was the first time I've even heard anything from the company in a while."

"Then why do you suddenly have to attend this meeting?" James asked.

"What are you implying?" Annette asked.

"If Spencer and the board already knew how far Alexia had come, why did she need to attend this meeting?" James explained. "You and I both know that research like this does not improve overnight. And speaking of this meeting isn't it strange that it was announced so suddenly without any warning. We should have been told about it weeks in advance. For this to be dropped on us without time to prepare is rather odd."

"Maybe our superiors feel that our research can benefit from each other if we discuss our breakthroughs together." William said. "You make this whole thing sound like part of a conspiracy. You may see a problem with this, but I don't."

"Believe what you want, but I still think that something is wrong." James said. "It seems that my appetite has departed me. I'll see you all at the party. Goodnight." James stood up and left the room.

Alexia watched James and turned back to the Birkins. "So much for a pleasant dinner." She said under her breath.

Alexia took a sip of her brandy before putting the glass down on the bar in the mansion's lounge. The conversation at the dinner table still played in her mind. The sound of someone walking up behind her caused her to quickly turn around. She found William standing behind her. "Are things always this lively around here?"

"Please excuse Marcus." William said. "He's been under a lot of pressure these days. I strike his behavior up to his age and watching too many talk shows and science fiction movies. You shouldn't take what he says too seriously, we don't. I just stopped by to say goodnight. I'll be seeing you tomorrow at the party."

"I'm looking forward to seeing your friend and the rest of his team." Alexia said. "I do hope they all choose to come." William nodded and left the lounge. Alexia finished her brandy and left for her room.

Leon scratched at the label of his beer bottle as he waited for Ark. He had been waiting for several minutes and was getting restless. He was still in his uniform since he had come straight from work. "Come on Ark, where are you?"

"I don't think grumbling about your friend being late is going to make him appear." Leon looked up and saw Cindy staring at him holding a tray. Her waitress uniform was wrinkled and her apron had a ketchup stain. "I'd give him five minutes and then leave."

"I would, but it's been years since I saw him." Leon said. "It'd make me look bad if I ditched him."

"Well whenever he gets his ass in here, let me know." Cindy turned and started walking back towards the bar.

The front door opened and David came in looking exhausted. His plumber's uniform was soaked. He sat at the bar, crossed his arms on the bar, and rested his head on them. "Give me something strong, I need it."

"What the hell happened?" Cindy asked.

David looked up at Cindy. "Water pipe burst in the basement of some restaurant across town. It was like the second Titanic. We almost went down but I managed to bail out. I never want to see that much water in my life ever again."

Leon started to snicker. "Then maybe you shouldn't be a plumber."

"Cute." David said. "I was in water up to my waist. I thought they put in a swimming pool. Good news is I won't have to take a bath tonight."

Cindy frowned and continued. "Thanks for the info." As she headed to the back of the bar a rat ran in front of her. She stopped and watched it before dropping her arms to her side and growling. "I told Mack we had a rat problem, and instead of calling the exterminators he puts a mouse trap in the closet." She turned to Leon and pointed in the direction of the rat. "You have a gun, go shoot it."

Leon turned to David. "You have a wench, go bash it."

David responded by turning to Cindy. "You have all those knives back there. Go hunt it down."

"You guys are useless." Cindy said, annoyed.

David turned back to Leon. "Where's Kevin? You two are always together."

"He said something about going home and crashing." Leon replied.

"He's as lazy as you two." Cindy remarked before heading back to the kitchen.

Leon went back to drinking his beer when Ark entered the bar. He made his way to Leon's table and sat down. "Sorry I'm late. I had a few things I had to do."

"Better late than never." Leon replied. "So how have things been?"

"I can't complain." Ark said. "Things could be better, but that's life for you."

"You never told me what you do." Leon said. "What kind of job do you have? I bet it must be very interesting."

Ark scratched his chin and looked around the bar. "To tell you the truth it's nothing spectacular. I'm an investigator so basically I dig through shit and go on stakeouts. It's not as glamorous as the movies, but hey, it pays the bills."

"So how long is your vacation going to be?" Leon asked.

"Just for another week." Ark replied. "There's this big case I have to get on when I get back. This may be my last chance to get a break since I don't know how long this case will be."

"All I'm going to say is that you could have not picked a better place than this town." Leon said. "The people are nice and the weather is great. I'm sure you'll have a good time."

Cindy walked over to the two men and took out her pad. "I see that your friend has finally showed up. So what do you want to order?" She said dryly.

"What happened to service with a smile?" Ark playfully asked.

Cindy put her right hand on her hip. "I died when I found out I had to pull two shifts. Erin was supposed to be in tonight but she caught the flu. I swear half the city is sick. Pretty soon I may have to run this place by myself."

"In that case I'll make it easy for you." Ark said. "I'll have a BLT and a beer."

"I'll have the usual." Leon added.

"A BLT and beer for you and a burger and fries for you." Cindy finished writing down the order and put the pad and pen in her pockets. "I'll be back with your beer. As for your food, it'll be ready eventually." Cindy walked over to the bar and got a beer from the bartender. She gave it to Ark and headed for the kitchen.

Ark watched her walk off and took a sip of his beer. "So much for the friendly people." He then turned to his friend. "I guess I picked a bad time to come here. This town seems to have an outbreak on its hands."

"Umbrella has been giving out free flu shots because of this." Leon said. "A lot of the guys at the RPD got them."

"Did you get one?" Ark asked.

Leon shook his head. "I had a flu shot last January. I won't need one for another couple months, and besides I feel fine."

"When did they start giving out shots?" Ark asked.

"About a week ago I think." Leon replied. "To tell you the truth I didn't pay attention since I wasn't planning on getting one."

Ark nodded and looked out the windows. "It's funny that people started to get sick around the time Umbrella started giving the flu shots. From what I heard that was when people actually started to get sick. In fact, it would seem the only people who are sick are the ones who got the flu shots to begin with."

"No shit." Leon said. "All a flu shot is is a weak form of the virus that they dump into your bloodstream so you body can make antibodies. I read the little books they have in the doctor's office when I went for my checkup. You make it sound like Umbrella made everyone sick."

"I know about what that company is doing." Ark said. "I've heard all about the research the company is doing with dangerous viruses like AIDS."

"They're trying to find a cure for the disease." Leon said. "Their research could save hundred of people. What are you implying that Umbrella is doing?"

"I'm not accusing them of anything." Ark replied. "All I'm saying is if I had my hands on a stockpile of viruses that I could easily make into weapons; I'd be tempted to go for the easy money. Do you know how much governments would pay for high quality biological weapons? It would be scary if Umbrella did that, and the last time I checked no one was monitoring what they did."

Leon stared at his friend in disbelief. "You sound just like those conspiracy nut-jobs who claim that NASA faked the moon landing and that aliens crashed at Roswell. I think you may be working too hard."

Ark let out a little laugh and took another sip. "I guess it's just the detective in me. I've been in the business for so long that I find myself suspecting the worst in everything. I guess I do sound paranoid."

"As long as you admit it." Leon said. He picked up his beer bottle and raised it. "Here's to my friend Ark and his quest for the truth, no matter how crazy he sounds."

"And here's to my friend Leon." Ark added, raising his bottle. "The laziest person I know who got so far for doing so less." Both men laughed and tapped their bottles together. They then began to talk about the past as they waited for their food to arrive.

Ark entered his hotel room and threw his jacket on the bed. Without switching on the lights he walked to the wet bar to get a drink. "Did you see your friend?" Ark spun around at the sound of the woman's voice.

"Damn is Ada, why do you have to do that?" Ark growled.

Ada turned on the desk lamp and sat down in a chair that was set in the corner. She was dressed all in black. "It's what I do. I hope you didn't say something you shouldn't have."

Ark opened the wet bar and retrieved a soda. "I didn't tell him anything. I'm not that stupid. All we did was talk about the good old days. He's not that bad of a guy. I'll have to introduce you two."

"Are you trying to be funny?" Ada asked. "Do I have to remind you that this…"

"I know." Ark spat. "You don't have to lecture me on how to do my job. Besides, Leon thinks Umbrella is greatest company in the world. So does everyone else in this city. And since we're on the topic of our jobs, what progress have you made?"

"So far I haven't gotten any information from my contact." Ada replied. "It seems that things have been quiet for the last few weeks. The only thing important that's going on is some meeting between Umbrella's top scientists and some party tomorrow night. I've already been invited, so I'll try to find something out then. For all intensive purposes, I hope we're wrong about this."

"I know what you mean." Ark said. "We'll know soon enough, I can feel it."

The Spencer Mansion hummed with excitement as guests wandered through the mansion's halls admiring the art and making small-talk. Waiters carried around trays with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. A quartet played in the corner of the main hall while elsewhere soft music was played from a PA system that ran throughout the mansion. On the balcony overlooking the dinning room Wesker, William, and Annette watched the party. The men where wearing tuxes and Annette wore an off-white dress.

"I must say, this is quite a gathering you have here." Wesker said. "From what I see, Umbrella invited some very rich people."

"Most of them are our stakeholders." William said. "The board wants the people who give us money to be happy. That way, our funding doesn't run dry."

Wesker turned to his friend. "I was under the assumption that Spencer was funding the whole project. The company has more than enough money to go around."

"While it's true that Umbrella does have sufficient capital, the company only puts in fifty percent." Annette said. "The rest we must get from second and third parties. One function of this party is to entertain our stakeholders. In addition the party is also for the researchers who work here and their families."

"In other words, it's both for PR and moral." Wesker said.

William nodded in agreement. "Exactly. People tend to function better when they're happy. Not to change the subject, but I haven't seen your team lately. I do hope they are enjoying themselves. They seem like a lively bunch."

Wesker chuckled. "Sometimes they're a little too lively. I'm surprised they haven't caused any trouble yet. It's probably due to the fact that they think I'll kill them if they do anything to embarrass me."

Annette started for the main hall. "Maybe we should find them before they do."

The men followed Annette's lead. Wesker turned to William as they walked. "I'm surprised that Sherry isn't here with you."

"She's over at a friend's house." William replied. "She didn't want to come to some boring party. It's probably best that way since there are no other children here tonight."

The group made their way to the main hall and looked around the room. "There are two of them." Annette said, pointing to Chris and Jill who were waiting by the door. "I wonder what they're doing."

"Chris must be waiting for his sister." Wesker said. "Maybe they know where the others are." The Birkins nodded in agreement and followed Wesker downstairs.

Chris tugged at the collar of his tux. "I hate these things. I feel like I'm being choked."

Jill scratched at the backside of her blue strapless dress. "And my underwear are ridding up my ass. I should have worn boxers."

"I'm surprised you didn't." Chris said. "This is maybe the third time I've seen you in a dress. The rest of the time you're in jeans and T-shirts. I'm starting to think you just go through my closet for your wardrobe."

"I feel more comfortable in those types of clothes." Jill said. "I don't understand how women like Claire can wear that tight shit they sell in Victoria's Secret catalogs. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She should be here by now." Chris said. "I bet she's trying to get into those tight underwear." Chris glanced towards the door just as his sister and her friends Eliza and Steve walked in. Claire had on a lavender dress that had the back cut down to her waist with straps forming a X across her back. Eliza had on a black dress with a slip running up her right leg to her thigh. Steve had on a tux just like the rest of the men. Chris walked over to his sister and tapped her on the shoulder. "What took you so long?"

"They took too long getting dressed." Steve replied. The young man, ignoring Claire's harsh glare, walked up to Chris and extended his hand.

Chris shook Steve's hand. "Hey Steve, how have you been?"

"Good enough." Steve motioned to the girls. "I managed to survive their all-day shopping spree. We must have hit every store in the state."

"We only went to four shops." Eliza said.

"Why did you have to go shopping?" Chris asked his sister. "Don't you still have your prom dress?"

"First of all this isn't a high school dance." Claire replied. "Secondly all of us wanted to get off campus. Half the people in the dorms are sick. We didn't want to get whatever the hell they had."

"It's supposed to be the flu." Steve said. "Umbrella started giving out flu shots because of it."

"Did any of you get a flu shot?" Chris asked.

Claire shook her head. "Didn't need one. I got one when I went for my checkup before classes started."

"I forgot and Steve was too lazy." Eliza said. "So where's the rest of your friends.

Jill walked over and joined in the conversation. "We don't know. Chris and I have been waiting for you. The last time I saw Wesker he was talking with the Birkins."

"Wow Jill," Claire said in amazement, "This is the first time I ever saw you dressed up like that. Every other time you're wearing my brother's clothes."

"It must be that she's on a date with your brother." Steve added.

Chris covered his face with his hand and groaned. Jill just laughed and shook her head. "We're not on a date or anything. I just decided to keep Chris company."

"I figured it was something like that." Wesker walked up to the group followed by the Birkins. "I'm glad to see you made it."

"Hey Al." Claire said. "This sure is a nice place. I can't wait to look around."

"I'm sure my wife would be glad to give you the tour." William said. "I'm William Birkin. This is my wife Annette. I'm glad to finally meet you."

"My name's Claire." Claire said. "These are my friends Steve and Eliza."

Everyone finished their greetings before Wesker spoke. "I was wondering if you have seen the others."

Jill shook her head. "Not for a while. I think they headed for the east wing."

"We haven't seen Alexia either." Chris said. "I want to introduce her to my sister."

"Alexia should be here in a minute." Annette said. "She's probably upstairs with James talking to some people."

Just then the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. team emerged from the east door. All the men were wearing tuxes and Rebecca was wearing a light green dress. "This is some mansion Umbrella has got here." Enrico said. "I never knew Spencer was such an art collector."

"I wish I owned this place." Forest said.

"We almost got lost." Richard added. "They should have given us a map at the door."

"Maybe I should consider working for Umbrella." Kenneth said. "These researcher jobs do have their perks."

"I'm glad you like the place." William said. "But if you ask me, it's too big for my taste. I prefer a smaller house."

Claire looked at the group. "Where's Barry? I thought he would be here."

"He's at home with his family." Wesker replied. "He didn't feel like coming."

"Do you know where Dr. Marcus is?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know at the moment." Annette said. She looked around and noticed that everyone's attention was fixed to the top of the main stairs. "I think he's here now."

At the top of the stairs were Alexia Ashford and James Marcus. James was dressed in a tux and Alexia had on a dark red evening gown with white gloves and a ruby choker around her neck. Everyone watched as the two scientists descended the stairs.

Edward let out a whistle. "You said that she was good looking, but damn."

"I wonder if she's single?" Forest asked. Both Joseph and Richard started to snicker.

"Knock it off you two." Enrico said. "Don't embarrass us in front of her."

"You're asking for way too much." Brad said. At that Joseph, Richard, and Forest gave him dirty looks.

Alexia and James approached the group. "I'm glad you all made it." Alexia said. "I've been waiting all night to meet you."

"If you would let me do the honors." Wesker said. He began to introduce the party to Alexia and Marcus. When all introductions were concluded, Wesker motioned towards Rebecca. "Dr. Marcus, this young lady has been eager to meet you for some time."

Rebecca eagerly nodded. "Yeah, you're the reason I studied bio-chemistry in college. I wrote a paper on your work."

James looked and Rebecca and smiled. "I'd love to talk to a fan of my work. Why don't we find someplace less crowded to talk?"

"While you do that, I'll show Claire and her friends around the mansion." Annette said.

"I better go talk to the other guests." Alexia said. "I'll make sure to talk to you all later."

Wesker looked at his watch. "In that case, why don't we meet in the lounge in an hour? I'm sure you can find something to do till then."

Enrico started for the dining room. "In that case, let's get something to eat."

"Good idea, I'm starving." Edward said.

"Jill and I better go with them," Chris said, "Just to keep them out of trouble."

"Good idea." Wesker said. The group split up and went their own separate ways. Wesker and William stayed in the hall. Wesker turned to his friend. "So far the night has gone on perfectly. Everyone seems to be having a good time."

"Too bad tomorrow we actually have to get down to work." William said. "I bet you miss this a little."

"To be honest this was one of the reasons I changed jobs." Wesker replied.

A man accompanied by Ada walked over to Wesker and William and introduced himself. "Hello Wesker, Birkin, my name's John. I was just transferred here from Chicago."

Birkin smiled at the researcher. "I remember who you are. You've been here for several months. You've been very helpful to me and my wife. Umbrella should send more people like you here." He then turned to Ada. She was dressed in a light red dress with a low neck line. "This must be you girlfriend Ada, correct?"

"Actually she's my fiancée." John said. "We're planning to marry come December."

"I'm pleased to here that." William said. "I hope my wife and I are invited?" William turned to Ada. "I hope you have found this evening enjoyable?"

Ada nodded. "We were wondering if you have seen Dr. Marcus. John promised me that I would be able to meet the good doctor."

"I think he went upstairs a short time ago." William replied. "You can ask the other people if they have seen him."

"Thank you." John said. The couple left and ascended the stairs.

"That's very interesting." Rebecca said. "So because of your research, Dr. Ashford is able to do hers?" Rebecca and James were on the second floor of the dining room.

"You'll find that most research in this field is based off each other." James replied. "My researched is also based off other peoples work. In any science all progress is built on what came before it. Someday what I'm doing now will be used by other scientists for their work."

"I know this sounds strange, but can your work be used to splice together DNA from other animals?" Rebecca asked.

James chuckled. "I've been asked that by many of the students at the training school. It could be possible, but I don't think it's something that would be done."

John and Ada walked up to James. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you, but I have someone who wants to meet you."

"Hello Dr. Marcus, I've heard so much about you from my fiancée." Ada said.

"Hello John." James said. He turned to Ada, his face taking on a stern expression. "Of coarse, John here has told me about you. I've been looking forward to meeting you as well. Excuse me Rebecca, but I need to talk to these people right now. We'll have to get together some other time."

Rebecca nodded. "I'll go catch up with my friends." The young medic walked off, leaving the others alone.

"We have much to discuss." James said. "We should go somewhere private." Ada and John both nodded and followed James out of the room.

"I never expected that Spencer would invite so many important people to this mansion and not show up." Alexia said. She was in the lounge with the rest of the group. She had spent the last hour taking to the guests and was exhausted. "I wonder why he's not here."

"From what I understand he has important business to take care of in Paris." William replied. "He's not only the founder, but President and CEO. I doubt he could find time to attend this function but I'm sure he sent someone in his place."

"You would at least think that Spencer would show up for that important meeting you're having." Chris said. "It would be like Wesker having us go through a mock mission and then call in sick."

William chuckled and turned to Wesker. "Your man has a good point, though I doubt that would ever happen."

"His intelligence is one of the reasons I have him on the team." Wesker said. "I take great pride in my teams' mental sharpness, even if some of them don't show it half the time."

"I think the Captain just complimented us." Joseph said.

"We're not worthy of his praise." Forest said, starting to bow towards Wesker.

"See what I mean." Wesker said.

Annette looked around the room and walked over to Rebecca. "Rebecca, where's James?"

"Dr. Marcus left to talk to some people." Rebecca said. "I believe their names were John and Ada."

William nodded at the sound of the names. "John asked Al and me earlier where James was. That was an hour ago. I don't know what could be keeping James, unless he went home early."

Rebecca walked over to the piano and started looking over the instrument. "This is a nice piano, where was this bought from?"

"I believe Spencer got it from somewhere in Europe." Annette replied. "I didn't know you played."

"You bet she plays." Kenneth said. "She's very good at it. I think she must have had lessons when she was a kid."

"Would you like to play something?" Annette asked. "It would be nice to have some music for the conversation."

Rebecca was taken by surprise. "Do you really mean it? I can't possible think of touching something that doesn't belong to me."

"I insist." Annette walked over to a bookcase and brought back some sheet music. "I hope you know how to play Moonlight Sonata?"

"Come on Becky, play the song." Richard said.

"Ok." Rebecca took the sheet music and started to play the piece perfectly.

"Why don't you try playing Jill?" Brad asked.

Jill shook her head. "Are you kidding, you know how bad I am at piano. I'd butcher that song."

"So how long is this meeting of yours going to last?" Enrico asked. "If you ask me something like this will take more than a day to get through."

"The meeting will probably go on for several days." William said. "I'm not sure of the actual duration, but it shouldn't be more than a week."

Alexia turned to Claire and her friends, who were next to her at the bar. "So how did you like the mansion? It's nice, but personally I wouldn't want to live here."

"It's better than the dorms we live in." Claire said. "And I for one could live here. I'd have all my friends and my brother live with me, and I'd even have Jill here to keep my brother company." Chris shot his sister a dirty look while some of the guys snickered.

"Claire, I don't know why you and everyone else have to keep insisting that there's something going on between Chris and Jill." Eliza said. "Why is it that a man and a woman can't just be friends these days? I for one think it's immature and stupid to act that way. I have male friends, doesn't mean I'm dating them."

"Yeah, maybe you should drop it." Steve added. "It's getting old."

"And why are you taking Chris's side?" Claire asked.

"Because I don't want to be on you brother's bad side." Steve replied.

"Smart man." Chris said. "Well, I'm heading home. I'll see you guys later."

"Why are you in such a rush to leave?" Joseph asked. "You have tomorrow off so you can stay here all night."

"Joe, if I don't get out of this penguin suit soon I'm going to rip it off." Chris said. He then turned to William "The party was great. Thanks for inviting me."

"It's the least we could do for picking up Alexia." William said. "We should have you and your friends over to our house sometime."

"It's too bad you're leaving." Brad said. He motioned to Joseph, Forest, and Richard. "It'll be hard to keep these morons in line without you."

"I'm sure you'll do a good enough job by yourself." Chris said. "And Claire, behave."

Claire nodded as Chris walked to the door. Jill began to follow him. "I'm heading out as well."

"Why are you leaving?" Edward asked.

"Cause Chris is my ride." Jill said. "Besides, I want to get to sleep early. I finally decided to clean my apartment tomorrow and that'll take all day."

"Is that why you have that dumpster parked under your window?" Richard asked.

"You got it." Jill said. She followed Chris out of the lounge.

Chris opened the door to his house and walked in followed by Jill. He tossed his suit coat over the banister and undid the collar. "Finally, I can breathe again. I hate it when I have to dress up."

"So do I." Jill said. "I can't wait to get out of these clothes."

"That makes two of us." Chris said. He gave Jill a sly grin which she returned with one of her own. The couple then dashed upstairs to Chris's room.

Chris backed Jill up against the wall, kissing her passionately. Jill began to undo the buttons of Chris's shirt. Chris ripped his shirt off and pulled off his undershirt. He then started kissing Jill's neck as he unzipped the back of Jill's dress and let it fall to the floor.

"I've been waiting all night for this." Jill moaned.

Chris pulled back and looked Jill in the eyes. "How long do you honestly think we can keep this part of our relationship a secret?" He asked as he stroked the side of Jill's face. "They'll find out eventually, and then they'll never leave us alone."

"Let them talk." Jill replied. "It won't change anything between us. Just think of it as everyone getting what they want." Both of them laughed a little before they continued kissing.

The ringing of the phone woke Chris from his sleep. He groggily looked at the clock, which read eight o'clock. He blindly groped for the phone and found it. "Whoever this is it better be damn important to call me early on my day off."

"Sorry Chris." Barry's voice said from the other end of the line. "I forgot you didn't have to come into the office today."

Chris sighed. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to ask how the party was last night." Barry said. "I would have gone, but I needed to straighten up some things with my family. I'm making the most out of the time off Wesker gave me. It's not that I have any choice. He told the people at the front desk that if they even saw me walk in through the door to send me home."

"That's just great." Chris said dryly. Just then Jill tossed her arm over his side and groaned.

"Who was that?" Barry asked, a little surprised.

"That was just me." Chris said. He let out a similar groan to throw Barry off. Jill sleepily opened her eyes and nudged Chris. He turned to her and she mouthed the words 'who is it'. Chris mouthed back 'Barry'. Jill's eyes widened as she covered her mouth. Chris continued to take to Barry. "Look, I'm still tried so why don't you call back later."

"I guess that's a good idea." Barry said. "I know how you are in the morning. By the way, I just called Jill's house and I got no answer. Do you know where she is?"

"You must have just missed her." Chris said. "I bet she's gone on one of her morning jogs. I don't know how the hell she can get up that early to do that, but you know how much of a heath freak she is. I bet she'd have a nervous breakdown if she gained two pounds." Jill glared at Chris and smacked him hard on the arm. Chris yelped in pain.

"What the hell happened?" Barry asked, concerned for his friend.

"Leg cramp." Chris said, still in pain. "I get them once and a while."

"I know what you mean." Barry said. "Sometimes I get one so bad I jump out of bed and start running around the room. Kathy thinks I'm going nuts when I do. Well, I'll leave you alone. Call me later when you get up."

"I will." Chris said. "Goodbye." Chris hung up the phone and looked at Jill, who still had a pissed off look on her face. "What?"

"I'm a health freak? I'm going to go crazy if I gain weight?" Jill fumed. "The only reason I go jogging every morning is to keep in shape for my job, unlike the rest of you. And I don't see you complaining about how I look."

"I guess you can't take a joke." Chris said. "Listen, I only said that to throw Barry off. He knows that I would never say something like that if you were here. Would you say something bad about Forest or Joseph if they were standing around you?"

"I probably would." Jill said. "But I do get your point. So now what? I doubt either of us will get back to sleep."

Chris had a smirk on his face. "You do have to clean your apartment today. I suggest that you start walking. I'm going back to sleep. I'll stop by tonight and see how everything went. Goodnight."

Jill responded by grabbing a pillow and covering Chris head with it. "Why don't you get up and make me breakfast."

Chris got the pillow off of him and pinned Jill down. "Fine, but I better get a tip." He gave Jill a quick kiss and got out of bed. He put on his robe and left the room while Jill laid in bed laughing to herself.

Chris turned off the coffee pot and poured himself some coffee. He took a sip and went back to fixing up French toast. He heard the front door open and turned to find his sister staring at him. "Don't you know how to knock?" Chris said, sounding annoyed.

Claire smiled back at her brother. "What ever happened to me being welcome in the house at any time?"

"Not before ten AM." Chris replied. "What are you doing here? Don't you have something better to do?"

Claire walked over to the stove and grabbed one of the French toast pieces Chris had made. "I needed to get out of the dorms. It's like the plague swept through. I can't walk into the bathroom without seeing someone dry heaving over the toilet and my dorm only has public bathrooms. This is the only sterile place I could think of in the city."

Chris pointed towards the front door. "Here's a thought, why don't you go back to the campus, get Eliza, Steve, and the rest of your friends and go to the mall or something?"

"I would but Eliza's writing a paper for one of her classes, Steve doesn't get up on the weekends till two, and my other friends are either sick or have gone home." Claire said. "Not to mention that the stores don't open till noon and it's not even nine yet. Why do you want to get rid of me anyways?"

"I got a wake up call from Barry at eight and I couldn't get back to sleep." Chris said. "Because of that I'm not in a very good mood right now."

Just then Jill walked into the kitchen wearing a bathrobe. "Hey Chris…Claire?"

Claire spun in the direction of Jill and pointed between her and Chris. A devilish grin soon covered her face. "What is she doing here?" Claire asked in an evil tone.

Chris paused while he thought up an excuse. "We thought it would be better if Jill crashed here last night instead of me driving her home and then driving back here. And in case you're wondering she stayed in the guest room."

"What about having to clean her apartment?" Claire added.

"We were going there after we ate breakfast." Jill said. "Chris offered to help me out."

Claire closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe you two think I would buy that stupid excuse. I feel insulted that you think I can see through that bullshit." Claire looked back and forth between the couple. "Admit it, I caught you red handed. Just tell me the truth and make it easier on yourselves."

Chris groaned. "You caught us. Yes we have been going out and yes it has been for a while."

"Define 'a while'." Claire said.

"Since we were in boot camp together." Jill said.

"Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone." Chris said. "You're the only other person who can know. If you tell anyone else, they'll never find the body."

"Consider it our little secret." Claire said.

The phone rang and Chris walked over to pick it up. "Now what?" Chris grumbled. He picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Chris, come into the office now." Wesker said. "We have a situation. I can't get into details but it appears that James Marcus has been killed."

Chris was at a loss for words. "I, I'll call the rest of the guys."

"I already called Enrico." Wesker said. "He's calling the rest of Bravo team. I called Barry and he said that he called you this morning. He also told me he called Jill, but she wasn't home."

"Jill's at my place." Chris said. "She just got here a while ago. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"You better hurry up." Wesker said. "Both Ashford and the Birkins are here. Goodbye."

Chris hung up the phone and turned to the women. "Wesker said that Dr. Marcus is dead. He wants us in the office now. Claire, you better go back to the campus." Claire nodded and left the house while Chris and Jill ran upstairs to change.

Wesker looked over the team and made sure everyone was accounted for. Alexia and the Birkins stood next to Wesker's desk with sorrowful expressions. Wesker cleared his voice before he spoke. "As you are all aware, this morning at seven-thirty a lab assistant found the body of James Marcus dead in his lab. The police have yet to start an investigation, but William Birkin has already expressed insistence that we be involved with the case. Chief Irons should be here soon."

The door to the office opened and Brian Irons walked in. He made his way to Wesker's desk. "I got Dr. Birkin's request. Under normal circumstances I'd be inclined to turn down a request like that, but at this point and time we're a little short-handed. Half the force is out on sick leave due to the flu. To make matters worse we've been getting reports from the local hospitals that several people have become severely ill. The Mayor is worried that there's going to be a panic. Therefore, since your team seems to be fine I have no choice but to turn the investigation over to you. I'll send who I can to assist."

"Thank you Chief." Wesker said. "I appreciate this."

"Just don't expect this to happen next time." Irons said.

Wesker turned to Enrico. "I'll leave the investigation to your team."

"Yes Sir." Enrico said.

Wesker then turned to Joseph and Brad. "Frost, I want you and Vickers to maintain contact with Bravo team. You two will stay here and keep me updated. As for the rest of you, I feel as do Dr. Ashford and Dr. Birkin that their lives may be in danger. There's a possibility that this incident involved someone on the inside. Therefore, I want to place them under guard. Redfield, Valentine, I want you to watch Dr. Ashford. That leaves the Birkins. I understand that Burton will be unable to watch over Dr. Birkin's family due to having a family of his own. Irons, if you could I would like two of your officers to assist us in watching the Birkins."

Irons brought his hand up to his chin and frowned. "I'm a little short of officers. Which ones do you have in mind?"

"Leon Kennedy and Kevin Ryman." Wesker replied. "If I'm correct, Kennedy wants to be a S.T.A.R.S. member and Ryman has met the qualifications but has not chosen to take the exam. This will be a good opportunity to see what they're made of."

"I'll bring them to you right away." Irons said. He turned and left the office.

"Everyone, get to work." Wesker said. Bravo team left the office while Brad and Joseph moved to the radio equipment. Chris and Jill began to leave with Alexia when Wesker stopped them. "I need to talk to you in the hall before you go." Wesker lead Chris and Jill side. "Listen, I know how close you two really are. You may be able to keep this from the others, but I'm disappointed that you think you could keep your relationship a secret from me. I knew Jill was already at your house since I called hers before I called you. In fact, I've seen through all your ploys."

"How long have you known?" Chris asked.

"For a while now." Wesker replied. "I'm only going to say this. It's none of my business what you choose to do in your personal lives, just make sure your relationship doesn't compromise your working relationship. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes Sir." Chris said.

"Then get to work." Wesker said. Chris and Jill left with Alexia towards the main hall.

"Personally, I thought they were a couple the first time I met them." Alexia said to herself as she followed her escorts.

"I can't believe someone offed the old man." Leon said. He and Kevin were standing in front of the vending machines in the east wing's waiting area.

"He may have had a heart attack." Kevin said. "Anyway, it's none of our business. This is a job for the homicide department. I bet they're excited about this. This is the first murder in how long?"

"Definitely since before we were here." Leon said soberly. He began to stare off into space.

Kevin saw his friend's expression. "What is with you today? Ever since you heard about that doctor's death you've been bummed out."

Leon looked at Kevin. "It's just something someone told me that has me thinking. I'm sure it's nothing, but I have this feeling that something weird is going on."

"It's probably nothing." Kevin said.

"There you are, I have a job for you." Leon and Kevin looked towards Irons as he walked up to them. "Wesker asked me to get you and bring you to the S.T.A.R.S. office. He has a little assignment for you two. He wants you to guard William and Annette Birkin and their daughter."

"You mean we actually get to be part of an S.T.A.R.S. assignment?" Leon asked.

"Exactly." Irons said. "Think of this as an opportunity to prove that you're qualified to be in the S.T.A.R.S.. This might even help you when you take the entrance exam."

"We'll get up there immediately." Leon said. He grabbed Kevin by the arm and pulled him towards the main hall.

"You don't have to drag me." Kevin said, breaking free of Leon's grip. "Why do the S.T.A.R.S. need us for? Don't they have enough people?"

"All I care about is that this is the one break I need to prove that I'm S.T.A.R.S. material." Leon said. The two men continued through the main hall. As they passed the front door a Japanese woman ran up to Kevin.

"Kevin, I need to talk to you." The woman said.

"I'll catch up to you later." Kevin said. "This'll only take a second." Leon nodded and continued on. Kevin turned to the woman. "This is a surprise Yoko, you don't call me for a week and now you pop up here. Where have you been?"

"That's not important." Yoko said. She looked around the room like she was searching for someone. "I just think it would be a good idea if we left town for a little bit."

"Why do you want to leave town?" Kevin asked. "Is this about Dr. Marcus getting killed? Don't tell me you're worried that your life's in danger because you work for Umbrella? I'm sure you'll be perfectly fine."

Yoko looked Kevin right in the eye. "I can't explain it but we need to leave now. I know this is out of the blue but trust me."

"Why don't you tell me what the hell you're talking about?" Kevin said. "We've been going out for the last six months; I think you can tell me anything."

"You wouldn't believe me if I did." Yoko said. "Are you wouldn't want anything to do with me if you knew."

"I'll be the judge of that." Kevin said. "Anyway, we have to talk later. I have something I have to do. I'll call you tonight, ok." Kevin ran off in the direction of the S.T.A.R.S. office leaving Yoko behind.

"It may be too late by then." Yoko said before she ran out of the RPD.

Comments: A little intrigue as the plot thickens. Looks like someone is having doubts and suspicions about Umbrella. Why are Ark and Ada in Raccoon for and what do they know? What is Ada's connection to James Marcus? What does Marcus seem to suspect and could that have led to his death? Why did Umbrella summon Alexia to Raccoon and hold an unexpected meeting? What is Yoko so paranoid about? Things are starting to get interesting as we move on to the third chapter. Expect more questions and little answers. Until next time, see ya!

Character A: "How many guns do you have strapped to your body?"

Character B: "Not enough."

Original