Raccoon City was vibrant, almost like a college town I'd worked in a lifetime ago; I strolled down the streets, admiring the new architecture combined with some older historical sites. The city was big enough that there was no shortage of options when it came to watering holes but small enough that a few people nodded as we passed one another. I took a drag off my cigarette, reveling in the little walk when a bar came up quickly on the street's far side.

Jay's, huh?

The place didn't look too busy, and I needed some peace and quiet, so I flicked my cigarette into a storm drain and crossed against the light, picking my way through the small crowd smoking out front until I reached the door. The place had a comforting feel to it, all hardwood and high ceiling, welcoming in a way that all good pubs are. I made my way to the bar, the greying bartender smiling as I grabbed an empty stool.

"Evening, what can I get for ya?"

I returned his smile, "I'll have a shot of whiskey and a Bud."

"From the well?"

"Sure."

"Coming right up."

I slid a twenty on the bar as he went to grab my drinks; I stared at the TV in the corner; Cowboys were up by three, small miracles.

"Here ya go, buddy." He set the cold beer and warm shot in front of me, with another amiable smile.

I tapped the twenty, "That cover it?"

He nodded, "And then some, I'll grab your change."

"Nah, keep it. Thanks for the drinks, anywhere I can bring my beer and have a smoke?"

"Thanks, bud, yeah, deck out back, I'm Clint, let me know if you need anything." He stuck his hand over the bar.

I met him halfway and shook it, "Mike. I will boss," I picked up my beer and started across the floor when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

"You following me?"

I turned to see none other the lady herself and tried to keep my smile in check, maybe tonight wouldn't be a total loss, "Hey Valentine. What brings you out?"

How she managed to look that good in a hoodie and jeans the world may never know. She flashed me a million-watt smile that brimmed with excitement," I got the nod, looks like you and I are headed to Selection."

Now I grinned at her, "Congratulations, Valentine, that's outstanding!"

"Thanks," She smiled sheepishly, "call me Jill. I don't think I got your name."

"Mike, Mike Kelly. Let me buy you a drink, we've got a lot to celebrate, it seems."

Again with that smile, blue eyes sparkling in the dim light," Sure."

I made my way back to the bar and ordered another shot for myself and Jill's Rum and Coke, knocking back the whiskey and relishing the burn, I realized my cigarette was still in my hand; I figured I'd leave her to her own devices and headed across the floor again, surprised to see her glance after me and slide off her stool. "Mind if I bum one?"

I shook my head and kept walking, "Not at all, I've got spares."

Opening the back door revealed the deck, a sparse area with a picnic table overlooking an alley that stretched over to the next street, thankfully unoccupied. I sat on the bench, looking up at the stars, Jill took a seat opposite me, and I passed her a smoke, flicking my lighter and holding it out to her; she nodded her thanks and leaned in until the smoke glowed, taking a deep drag and leaning back against the railing.

"Beautiful night, huh?"

She exhaled a cloud of smoke, "It sure is. Thanks for the smoke, and the drink, I hope I'm not interrupting your evening."

"Nah, not even close, if anything, I'm glad for the company; I don't know anyone in this town, and two weeks until Selection is gonna be a long bitch."

We didn't speak for a long minute, she finally broke the silence before I could, "So, where did the first-round pick come from?"

I chuckled, lighting another smoke and leaving the pack on the table just in case, motioning for her to take one if she wanted, "Wyoming, a small town about an hour outside of Sheridan. You?"

"All over, you could say," Her tone told me that maybe home life wasn't the best topic of conversation, the smile leaving her face as she answered.

"Fair enough, I moved a lot too when I was younger, my parents settled in Wyoming mostly because it wasn't New York," I decided to change the subject, "What brings you to Raccoon?"

"I imagine the same as you came for the job after I got out of the Army."

"Army, huh? You deploy?"

She nodded, "A couple of times actually, nowhere special. You serve?"

I looked away for a moment, when a realization hit me like a ton of bricks, I'd had the niggling thought that I recognized her from somewhere ever since I'd seen her in civilian clothes. Time to take a chance, "Were you in Syria about two years ago? Outside of Idlib?"

Her face turned to stone for a second; I saw flickers of shock in her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I was, and it didn't hit me until just now that I know you, at the very least, I've seen you before."

Suspicion didn't cover half of what was on her face, "I might have been, might not. What were you doing in Idlib?"

Here goes nothing.

"I was OGA for about ten years before I went private, Idlib was one of my postings."

She relaxed, but only a little, "OGA? Really?"

"Yeah, I was hellbent on keeping that to myself, but I guess that ship sailed." She met and held my gaze, but didn't reply, and another memory came rushing back.

She somehow managed to be pretty despite the cutoff uniform she wore, brown hair tied up in a bun, I knew there were some women in the D-Boys, but damn, I expected them to be built like fridges, not at all like this little thing that had walked into the TOC like she owned the place.

Ray, Connor, and I were going over some details, huddled around our map, the HVI snatch was going off that night. But my eyes were drawn to the little brunette again as she chatted with a Delta Captain, her eyes met mine for a moment, and I gave her a small smile, which she returned for a moment. As quickly as she had appeared, the two vanished out of the tent flap. I returned to the briefing and shook her from my mind.

The memory faded, and I found Jill still staring at me, an unreadable expression on her face, "Delta, right? You were attached?" I lowered my voice in case anyone was listening in. Old habits die hard.

She nodded, " For most of my career, yes, I have what you'd call a unique skill set. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone if that's how you want it," She offered a reassuring smile," Now that I think about it, I do remember you, OGA team that went out on a hit with us, you guys disappeared after that night with most of the intel and one of our prisoners. Crazy how the world works, who'd have thought we'd meet up here of all places."

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks Jill, I really appreciate it," She waved me off, "It's not that I'm not proud of it, but most of it's classified, and I left it behind for a reason, time for a fresh start."

"I know how you feel," was her reply, "It's what drew me to this place after I got out, the promise of a different kind of life."

Memories rushed through me again, blood and death sprang to the forefront of my mind; I quickly pushed them back down; this conversation had strayed into territory I'd roped off, maybe it was the whiskey or her pretty smile, but something made me want to be honest with her. But this was too honest, even if we had indirectly shared a foxhole or two.

"Listen, Jill, I have to apologize for taking it there; how about we get another drink, and I'll get out of your hair." I was a little pissed at myself, and that old feeling of isolation was creeping up.

She studied my face for a moment, seeing something there before grinning, "Oh, you're not getting off that easy, you didn't do a thing wrong, quite frankly it's amazing that we have this six degrees of separation thing going on, and we still need to celebrate right?"

I just stared at her for a moment, that little voice shutting up in the face of her kindness; she knew what I was feeling and moved to cut it off without me having to say a word, a smile slowly spread across my face until my cheeks hurt, "Another drink sounds perfect."

She hopped up, shooting me a wink, "Cool, I'm buying this time, shot and a beer?"

I nodded, and she headed off inside, I watched her go, and right there, I knew that she might very well be the death of me if I let her.

We talked until the bar shut down, sharing what war stories we could, knocking back a few more drinks in the process. Jill was an enigma; anytime we got too close to our home lives, she'd pull away, guarded in the same way I was, but more open at the same time, it felt like picking my way through a minefield. I got the feeling there was some history there, and not the good kind. When Clint switched off the open sign, I slapped another twenty on the bar for him (always take care of your bartenders, people) and followed Jill out onto the sidewalk, the streetlights silhouetted her, giving her beauty an ethereal quality. She glanced over at me, and I realized I was staring.

Straight. Up. Caught.

It didn't look like she took offense, smirking at me, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Shit. Do it, you pussy.

I cleared my throat, "Just admiring the view."

Oh, you fucking dope. Really?

To my surprise, she threw her head back and laughed, not the least bit phased by my corny attempt; after a moment, she calmed down, wiping her teary eyes, "You get right to it, don't you, Cowboy?"

Emboldened, I tried my hand, "Call it a character flaw, I call it how I see it. And I'd like to see you again, Jill."

She regarded me for a moment, smiling softly, "Well, I won't lie, you are cute, I had a great time tonight, and I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind. But I don't mix work and play, learned that lesson a long time ago." Her expression turned wistful, with an edge of sadness.

I felt a twinge of disappointment, but buried it, "I can't say I blame you, I've seen it go bad myself. Friends then?" I held out my hand.

She nodded, her small smile blooming into a toothier version, "Absolutely, and don't go failing out on purpose so you can ask me again." She finished with a giggle and shook my hand.

I laughed out loud, the awkwardness, if there even was any, fled in an instant, "Hate to break it to you, Valentine, but you ain't all that."

We giggled like idiots for a moment, "My pride!" She faux-wailed, "How will I go on?"

I reached up and patted her shoulder, still chuckling, "I'm sure you'll heal with time. I'm gonna head back to the hotel and grab some shut-eye, you good to get back?"

"Yeah, Uber to the rescue, you gonna make it?"

I nodded, "I'm just up the road a mile or so, no sweat. Thanks for tonight, Jill, it's good to have a friend in the city."

She gave me another radiant smile, and I realized that being her friend was gonna take some work on my part, "Likewise," She held out her hand, offering her phone, "Better get your number in case I start to go stir-crazy." I plugged it in and handed it back to her, she fired off a text, and I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.

"Got it, if you start to lose it, text me, we can go do some exploring. Get home safe, Jill."

Her Uber pulled up to the curb."You too, Mike." She slid inside, giving me a small wave and a smile through the window as the car pulled off, leaving my buzzed self standing on the curb. I smiled at the taillights; yeah, I got shot down, but having a friend like Jill Valentine? Worth it.

Never you mind that she made my heart beat a little faster than I was comfortable with.

The next few days went by without a hitch, true to her word, Jill texted me as I was in the hotel gym the following day, chasing away the mild hangover on the treadmill. We ended up spending the day together, seeing the sights and enjoying each other's company, "fast friends," is the term. Conversation with Jill flowed effortlessly as we walked around the city, and before I knew it, the day was over, and we were saying goodbye once again. Her rule did nothing to quell the fire in my chest when she laughed at a joke, when she told a story so animatedly gesturing with her hands for emphasis, or when she smiled at me. I was absolutely hooked on her already; the attraction had become a crush, one that I needed to clamp down on quick. I'd had enough heartbreak for a lifetime, and I wasn't gonna chase this woman like a lovesick puppy.

I pulled into my spot at the hotel, my phone vibrating in my pocket as I threw the car in park. I pulled it out to see an email from Wesker addressed to me with Jill CC'd in.

"Interviews have concluded, you and Miss Valentine are our only candidates. Selection timeline has moved up; report to the RPD building this coming Friday at 0800 hours. Good Luck.

Captain A. Wesker

Jill texted me seconds after I read the last line.

Did you get it?

I smiled at her excitement.

Yeah, here we go. I'm gonna hit the gym again; I'll see you Friday.

A thumbs-up emoji was her only reply. I bailed out of the rental car to change and go beat myself up. Excitement and trepidation burned through me; units like these, you could hit every target, beat every time limit, and still fail if the team felt you weren't a good fit, so you had to worry about being physically on top of your game while still managing to show that you could be a team-player. I burned myself down, five miles on the treadmill, and a slew of other exercises ensured m muscles were aching and sore when I finally crawled into bed.

Friday came up quick; I pulled into the visitor lot at RPD headquarters at 0700 sharp, munching on a bagel and taking some time to breathe before the day began; there had been no information on what we would cover today, per usual. Keeping the itinerary close to the chest kept candidates guessing; it was a tactic I was familiar with. I lit a smoke against my better judgment but kept a bottle of water nearby to hydrate in case they had us running first thing, and leaned back in my seat, keying up some music. The jitters flowing through me let me know how much I needed this to work; I'd come to like Raccoon over the last week; it calmed me down and helped take my mind off of everything.

Then again, it might've just been Jill.

I shook that off and killed the engine, the minutes had ticked by, and I was very aware of the fifteen minutes before the fifteen-minute early rule. I checked my phone, 0715, time to head in. I tossed my phone in the center console and walked across the lot, my duffel bag over my shoulder when a voice behind me caught my attention.

"Mike!"

I turned to see Jill running up, the same black duffel swinging from her shoulder as she walked up with a smile on her face.

Better than a cup of coffee.

She fell into step next to me, "Ready for this?"

I smiled, "Born ready Valentine, let's show them what time it is."

She held out her fist, and I knocked mine into it, "Hell yeah."

As we walked across the lobby, I spied a big bearded guy with a clipboard, his STARS t-shirt doing little to conceal his massive frame.

There's our ride.

I nudged Jill and made my way towards the hulking Officer. He smiled when he saw Jill and I approaching; when he spoke, it was in a smooth baritone, "You must be Valentine and Kelly. I'm Burton, I'll be one of your proctors during Selection." He held out a hand that Jill and I shook in turn.

"A pleasure, Sir," I returned his smile.

"Morning, Sir, look forward to working with you," Jill replied with a smile of her own.

Burton ticked a couple of boxes on his paperwork, "Alright guys, follow me." He turned on his heel, and we followed. I stowed my worry and excitement, putting on my game face; a glance at Jill showed the same as we walked up the stairs, Burton hooked a right at the top, leading us toward a conference room and pushing the door open, a group of guys awaited us, all dressed in civilian clothes, along with Wesker and the shades he never seemed to take off.

Wesker addressed us as we entered, "Kelly, Valentine, on time it seems. I'd like you to meet the rest of your evaluators for the process," He began ticking off names, and each man nodded in turn,

"Chris Redfield," A well-built kid in his mid-twenties, brown hair gelled into submission, his dark eyes gave away nothing.

"Joseph Frost," He smiled warmly; why did I have the feeling he'd be smoking me into the dirt before the day was over?

"Forrest Speyer, " A tall, lanky dude, hair out of regs for the PD, but with a fierce intelligence in his eyes.

"And you've met Barry Burton. Over the next two weeks, each of these men will evaluate your skills in different areas, from marksmanship to physical fitness, to medical skills. All of this must coalesce to form the type of operator we're searching for. Additionally, you will be meeting with the department psychiatrist to assess mental readiness for the types of missions STARS undertakes. Do you have any questions thus far?"

When neither Jill nor I spoke, Wesker continued, "Very well. I'll leave you in these Officers' capable hands. Make them work for it, gentlemen."

Wesker walked out without another word; Frost stepped forward, another smile on his face. Still, when he spoke, his voice brooked exactly zero bullshit, "First evolution is a PT test, we've got transport waiting outside, from now on, if you go somewhere, you'd better be running. Got it?"

Jill and I both nodded.

"Good…Move."

His voice was level, calm even, but it didn't diminish the message. Jill and I took off like a shot, sprinting for the door.

Selection had begun.

"C'mon Kelly, you're making me cry here!" Redfield roared behind me as I reassembled an M4 before our next shooting evolution.

The days had blended together, I was right on about Frost, the man had pushed me to the limit, ruthlessly smoking the shit out of Jill and me without regard for anything other than seeing where we'd break. We ran, pushed, shot some guns, ran some more, never gave us time limits, and never told us what score we needed to shoot. They let the fact that we were still here speak for itself. And two weeks later, we were still there, test after test, interview after interview with the team and the shrink, thousands of rounds fired, we were both still kicking. Today was the day, we'd find out, we just had a little farther to go.

Shit, oh dear, I'd thought this was going to be easy, I was wrong.

They ran it like a mini-Delta selection, kicking our asses and giving us nothing. But I loved it; I was back in the game. I pulled myself out of my mental wanderings to function test the weapon; hearing the trigger reset's click, I set it on the table.

"Done, Instructor Redfield!" I shouted Jill echoed me half a second later, slamming her completed rifle down. Jill was a force to be reckoned with; I swear the woman never got tired; she ate what they gave her and asked for seconds; my admiration and respect for her had only grown since we began.

"Well, Gahd-damn, it looks like you can do something right!" Speyer added in his smooth southern accent, "Next station, with yall's weapons, move."

I snatched up the M4, tossing the sling around my shoulders and hauling ass to the firing line. Standing by, Jill skidded across the gravel to stop at the next lane over. The range was a thousand-yard job; a shoot house sat off to the sides, well out of our lanes; I had a feeling that we were going to have to clear it before all was said and done. Jill and I had never worked CQB together, but we came from the same place; I was worried, but I had faith.

Redfield walked up leisurely, munching on an apple. "Load your weapons, grab your gear, and follow me."

Ah fuck.

We followed him across the range, I pulled on my plate carrier and helmet as we walked, Jill had jocked up at the line, two steps ahead as always.

Redfield led us to the front door, Speyer jogging up next to him.

"Alright fuck-ups, here's your scenario, there are hostages inside, an unknown number of hostiles, they may or may not be rolling with explosives, so expect IED's. Clear the structure, Speyer, and I will be observing from the CP," He pointed to the air-conditioned trailer just behind the firing line, "Impress me." Without another word, he and Speyer walked off.

I cinched down my helmet and plugged my Peltors into my radio, "You ready for this Valentine?"

She nodded, "Let's do it."

We stood there for a moment, looking up at the ominous three-story building, no doubt they'd left a whole host of surprises for us when Redfield's voice came over the freq, "And…Begin."

I moved up and stacked on the door, Jill took the number two spot, I reached out and jiggled the knob, locked of course. I tapped my helmet with a closed fist.

No good, Breacher up.

"Picking, cover," Jill whispered, I popped the muzzle of my rifle into the sky as she moved around me, pulling out a pick set and going to work, in seconds the lock clicked, and we were in. She flashed a thumbs up, and I laid my hand on her shoulder.

One.

Two.

Three.

Squeeze.

Jill pushed the door open, pushing forward, I came up right behind her snapping my rifle to my shoulder as I moved to her right, seeing nothing but an empty hallway.

"Clear," I whispered.

"Clear, move." came Jill's reply.

We moved through the first floor like a well-oiled machine, covering each other and our angles; I'd been wrong to worry; Jill and I were clicking on the same frequency. Aside from a dummy IED that Jill rendered safe, we found no bad guys until we hit the second floor; I took point, kicking down a door to find two targets, I snapped my rifle up, hitting them with two rounds each before taking well-aimed headshots, moving deeper into the room, hearing Jill engage them as well, dead-checking the two "Bad guys."

"Clear."

"Clear, move."

We cleared the second floor, encountering a few more targets and another bomb, but no hostages. It wasn't until we reached the third floor that I heard voices coming from the end of the long hallway; as we crested the stairs, I tapped my headset.

Do you hear that?

Jill nodded, moving a slow knife-hand towards the door.

I got it, take it slow.

I returned her nod, slowly moving to stack up on the knob side, the voices had gotten louder.

"Please don't hurt us, just let us go!"

I jiggled the knob, it was open; I held up a fist, opening and closing it rhythmically.

Throw a banger when I open it.

Jill tapped me on the shoulder to confirm, I heard the pin slip out of the flashbang. I took a deep breath and booted the door in, with a metallic ping,Jill tossed the banger into the room, the thunderclap came a half-second later, I moved in and to the left, taking down two targets, Jill went right and from her volume of fire, engaged a few of her own. I swept back towards the center of the room, mannequins tied to chairs served as our hostages.

"CLEAR!" I shouted as the roar settled.

"ALL CLEAR," Came Jill's reply.

A voice echoed over the P.A system, "ENDEX all elements, I say again, end exercise. Meet outside for debrief."

I looked over at Jill, her face was streaked with sweat and a little carbon from firing in such an enclosed space, but her smile was radiant as she flashed me a thumbs up. I grinned at her, and motioned to the door,

"Let's get the fuck out of here."

We walked down the stairs like we owned the place to see the entire team waiting for us just outside. Wesker was front and center; he addressed his guys, "Thoughts on the exercise?"

Redfield spoke up first, "You two covered your angles and each other well, movement and communication were solid, it was hard to believe that you guys have never run a shoot house together. But you were slow on that third-floor entry and Kelly? Try and speed up on your corners a little. Other than that, it looked…fine."

The dude still couldn't give it to us.

One by one, Frost, Speyer, and Burton gave us their opinions, tweaking little things. I'd been through it before; what confused me was their tone; they were trying to help instead of putting on that "hardass instructor" air.

Wesker spoke up as Burton finished critiquing, "Solid points everyone, both of you gear down and head to the CP, grab water and stand by."

I've been told to fuck off enough times to know when to get moving. I nodded, "Yes, sir."

Behind me, a breathless Jill answered, "Will do, Captain."

I dragged my feet a little across the scorching gravel that threatened to melt my boots' soles. It seemed that they were about to make a call on whether or not we'd made it; I surprised myself by hoping that if one of us washed out, it would be me; I got the impression that Jill needed this even more than I did. I pushed the door open, goosebumps rising on my skin as the temperature dropped several degrees and the sweat on my face turned to ice.

"Oh Jesus, that feels amazing," Jill groaned as she sank into a chair; I fished two bottles of water out of the mini-fridge and tossed her one; she unscrewed the lid and drank greedily for a moment, sighing when she came up for air."God, that's good, thanks. So what do you think?"

I took a long swig of my water, "Not sure where we stand with them. But damn, if we didn't work well together, you were right where I needed you the whole time, no bullshit. I'd take down a house with you any day Valentine."

She smiled, "Still got it."

"Hell yeah, you do. I'm gonna grab a smoke, you want one?"

She shook her head, "Nah, this A.C is too good to leave, knock yourself out."

"Will do," I chuckled as I stepped out into the sweltering heat; who the fuck decided it had to be this hot? I lit my smoke, my abused lungs protesting, but it was over one way or another. Here in a few minutes, we'd find out if all this had been worth it.

"Kelly?"

Speak of the Devil, and He shall appear.

I stubbed out my smoke as Wesker and the team walked up, "Yes, Captain?"

"Grab Valentine for me."

"Yes sir," I poked my head in the door, catching Jill on her second bottle of water, "Hey Jill, they're playing our song, Captain wants you out here."

She dropped the water bottle as her eyes went wide, all but sprinting over to me and out the door, "Yes, Captain?"

Wesker smiled, "Well, the time has come, and I see no reason to sugar coat it; you two have done everything that was asked of you and then some, not once did you waver. Congratulations, you've both been selected."

I almost broke, relief flooding through me as I leaned forward, bracing my hands on my knees, Jill whooped next to me, before looking a little embarrassed at her outburst as she shook Wesker's hand.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Redfield smiling down at me, I straightened up, and he stuck out his hand; sweeter words were never spoken than what came out of his mouth as we shook hands as teammates for the first time.

"Welcome to STARS."