Two

Leon helped Rebecca off of the landed aircraft, followed by John and David. He looked around at their new surroundings, astoundingly uncomfortable at the sight of so many people bustling around the port. After weeks of seeing the walking dead and being encircled by only a few people, the current jamboree of live humans seemed out of place. Somehow he did not feel at ease seeing these people whose only worry was getting to work on time, if her boyfriend was breaking up with her, or if her butt was too big, while Leon worried about whether or not he would live the next day, or if and when Umbrella goes down.

"I'm driving," he heard John say behind him. "Just in case those crazy bastards decide to have another little road trip."

Leon shuddered as he recalled their previous encounter with the Umbrella agents. He could not shake off the feeling of being watched after that incident. Just knowing that Umbrella—the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world—was on to your ass made your life miserable as hell.

They better not follow us again or I swear I'll blow their sorry ass.

"Leon, take the back with me," David said. "Wouldn't want to risk the life of this new baby." He patted the side of the van.

Leon nodded and smiled. "Sure…but I get window seat."

David laughed. "Fine…but don't complain if you get shot first."

God, I hope I'm up for this. Again…

Rebecca rechecked her first-aid kit that hung to her side, counting her stash of medical supplies.

"Still checking?" Leon asked with a grin, leaning over the back of her seat.

Rebecca looked up at him, suddenly feeling childish as he stared her down. She smiled back anyway. "Just making sure…" Her fingers played with the strips of bandages. "We'll never know how bad a mission can get, especially if it's against Umbrella."

Leon let out a sigh. He reached over the seat and grabbed her kit. He closed it, then returned it to her.

"I'm sure you have enough for a whole army of shitty soldiers," he said, messing up her hair. "So stop, okay?"

Rebecca nodded, taking it back shyly, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness. She always wondered how he got caught up in the Umbrella mess, and why he chose to stick around instead of being a normal cop and busting drunk drivers.

But then again, why am I here?

Rebecca Chambers—college graduate and biochemist. Nineteen years old. S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team field medic—

—Was Bravo team field medic, she amended, not S.T.A.R.S. anymore…

So why was she here? Rebecca could not help but feel a little guilty for joining David, when her intentions were not primarily to do some major Umbrella butt whooping. She was fascinated by the T-virus, and when S.T.A.R.S. offered a job and promised that she would be able to study the virus, she took it, fresh out of college.

And now it doesn't seem like I'm gonna be handling the T-virus at all…

She shook her self-doubts away, telling herself that this was what she wants to do—to make Umbrella pay for their fatal mistakes.

"What's wrong? Is it Steve?" David had come up beside her, her ammunition pack hanging on his arm.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine…but thanks for reminding me." She smiled.

David faltered and looked as if he was going to say something more, but instead patted her arm lightly and walked back to his seat, leaving the pack.

Steve, she thought, I wish I could see him again. She let her mind wander on thoughts about Steve—about that one short time they held hands; about the times they stared at each other as more than just friends; about the blank look of his face as he shot John, as he locked them in the airlock, as he shot himself…

Her heart constricted when she remembered Steve and his beautiful dying face. There was no expression, true, but still—it was Steve. She was on the verge of tears when she thought about what could have happened between them if Steve was still alive.

Yeah, ditch David and say that you just want to be with Steve. Tell him that you guys will be moving in together and marrying eventually. Give him a "good luck" as he goes off to Europe and put his life in danger trying to take down Umbrella. Maybe you and Steve could have a perfect life with a perfect marriage and perfect house and perfect kids and—

Stop it! her mind screamed, don't dawdle on to what could have been—Steve's gone, and there's nothing you could do about it!

"Now I know you're not fine."

She was crying freely now, letting her tears run down her face and soak her shirt. David put his arms around her and rocked her gently.

"Shh, it's okay 'Becca," he soothed, "let them out."

Rebecca sobbed against his shoulder, unaware that she also drew the attention of Leon and John. She cried for several minutes, everything that reminded her of Steve hurting her and making her bawl even harder. She scolded herself for being such a baby, especially during times when everything was critical.

Pull yourself together, 'Becca! Stop being such a crybaby!

Once she had settled and stopped crying, she tilted her head back and peered up at David. She grinned. "Thanks a lot for reminding me of Steve."

hmm...if you're wondering who Steve is...well he's from one of s.d. perry's fics, and he and rebecca got close but he died in the end of the novel.