When I woke up hours later, moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Jill still wrapped in my arms. I'd barely moved, no nightmares came calling, she'd done what she always had, and quieted the storm. The sheer joy I felt eclipsed anything and everything else. For a moment, I wondered if I was dreaming.

Jill moved against me and whimpered in her sleep, arms tightening around my neck. Her naked body pressed against me with every part that would reach.

I stretched as much as I could, snagging a leg of my sweats and dragging them over, digging out my smokes. All the pain and confusion of the last month ebbed away as I sparked my lighter, the tinkling snap of the zippo, the only noise in the darkened apartment. Jill still hadn't stirred, her body rising and falling softly; I took a deep drag and blew the smoke into a halo over us.

"Hmm? Mike?" Came the sleepy voice of an angel as she slowly opened her eyes.

I tightened my grip on her, "I'm here, sweetheart."

"Am I dreaming?"

I smiled in the dark, "If you are, then so am I, no waking up and ruining this, deal?"

She snorted, "Deal." Now fully awake, she reached a hand towards my face; I passed her the cigarette, and she pulled on it before handing it back.

Because I'm a dope, I asked the question that threatened to burn me down, but it needed to be asked.

"Did you mean all of that? Do you really love me, Jill?"

She buried her face in the crook of my neck and nodded.

Adorable.

"What about Charlie?"

"I broke it off this morning, yesterday morning now. I told him that it wasn't working and it wasn't his fault, all true. He was a nice guy, but he never had a chance. I knew the minute Wesker hauled you out of that shit hole, that I couldn't fight this anymore."

I sniffled a bit, "Jill… I'm so happy it hurts. I can't believe this is real."

"Me too, Mike… I asked myself the same thing when you kissed me, do I even deserve this?"

I slipped my hand around hers, almost swallowing it up, taking another drag, "I think we both deserved to win one Valentine. So how about we just go with it?"

She stretched up to kiss me, plucking the cigarette from my hand and screwing it into her lips. The tip glowed and colored her pale skin a faint orange, a smile bloomed on her face and stole my breath away.

"Music to my ears."

We laid there like that, I didn't, couldn't care for how long. I stroked her hair, drawing little purrs out of her as she cuddled up against my chest, tracing the scars. I reached for my watch, still on the nightstand, a little after six in the morning. Between making love furiously and passing out in exhaustion and relief, we'd been in bed for a little over twelve hours, I had no desire to move.

"Gotta be in at eight?"

She nodded, still letting her fingers play across my skin, "Yeah, we have a couple hours. I don't want to leave you…"

My grin threatened to split my face, feeling something snap into place; god, this was so good, did I really get to have this after everything I've seen and done?

I laid my cheek on the top of her head, a thought that warmed me to my soul bubbling to the surface, "I don't want you to leave… Maybe you don't have to? I mean go to work definitely but…" I took a chance.

"Maybe you move in?"

Her smile could've ended wars, tearful, raw, and full of love, blue eyes sparkling up at me, her voice cracking as she spoke, "You sure you want me around all the time, Kelly?"

I squeezed her tighter, kissing her forehead softly, "Always, Valentine."

We showered together as the time got closer, holding each other under the hot water until it ran cold. I hopped out while she tidied herself up for the day. Grabbing a pair of jeans, pulling a t-shirt on as I hustled into the kitchen. I figured she'd need breakfast, and I had no time to lose.

Bacon sizzled, eggs spilled into the pan along with some cheese and chopped red peppers. I'd cook for the boys when we found ourselves in a place with a working stove; my scrambled eggs had always been a hit.

The toast popped as she walked into the kitchen, in her uniform from last night, the part I hadn't shredded anyway.

I glanced at the clock on the oven. "Hey darlin', toast is ready, the rest of this should be done with plenty of time. You gonna be able to grab another shirt?"

She nodded absent-mindedly before taking in the scene, her eyes widening, flicking from me to the bacon sizzling on the stove (smelled amazing if I do say so myself.) "You made me breakfast…" It was a statement, not a question.

I smiled, "Well yeah, can't send my girl off to fight bad guys without a solid meal."

A bunch of emotions shot across her face, she finally settled on a smile that almost melted me into a puddle on the kitchen floor, "Could you get any more perfect?"

"Whoa there, Valentine, you keep talking like that, and I might just make dinner too." I shot her an open-mouthed wink that left her giggling, "Speaking of, do you have something for lunch?"

She shook her head, still smiling sweetly at me.

I dumped the finished eggs onto a dish; the bacon followed after, "Well, that dog won't hunt. Eat, and I'll throw a sandwich together. Ham and American, okay? a little bit of mayo, maybe some salt and pepper?"

I was reciting her order from the little deli down the street from the station without realizing it. I moved to toss the frying pan into the sink, glancing at the clock to make sure I had time when arms encircled me. I felt her lips at the base of my neck; she kissed my scars gently; when she spoke, her voice was soft, but her words carried weight.

"This is amazing, nobody has ever, ever, cared enough to do the little things for me. This means the world, even if you don't make me a sandwich, this is so much more than enough. I love you, Mike."

I turned in her arms, sliding a hand under her chin and lifting her gaze to mine, "I love you too, Jill, I do care, so much it kinda scares me a little, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Bacon and eggs doesn't even come close to paying you back for being the amazing woman that you are," I kissed her gently, just a peck; if it went any further, I'd be lost, and she'd be late…so late…

"Also, you're getting that sandwich if it kills me."

She chuckled, running a hand up my chest to cup my cheek, I leaned into the warmth of her palm, planting a kiss on the tips of her fingers, "Your food's gonna get cold darlin',"

Another peck me on the lips, just a brief flash of heat, but she relented, making her way tot he table. I pulled out her chair; she looked at me like I'd grown another head, but sat and allowed me to push it in. I glanced at the clock, time to hustle; in another few minutes, I had two sandwiches ready to go.

Quite the homemaker, aren't I?

Jill ate in silence, watching me work, a small smile that looked damn near giddy, and a soft blush never left her face. I scooped the plate into the sink when she finished, planting the bag of sandwiches in front of her. I kissed the top of her head, patting my pockets, realizing I'd left my smokes and my cell, walking back into the bedroom to snag them off the nightstand. I headed back for the kitchen, where Jill was pulling on her boots. She dropped the half-done laces a hiss, looking up and shooting me another knee-weakening smile. "I'm a little sorer than I thought I was gonna be, today's gonna be fun."

She was gonna be the death of me.

I set my shit on the counter and crouched in front of her, finishing the job as she looked at me with something like awe in her eyes, I knew she was a grown woman who could tie her own damn boots, but like everything else in our friendship, we looked out for each other.

"Trying to butter me up, Mike?" She whispered. Her voice sounded ragged like she was about to cry.

I tucked her snakes into her boots and met her gaze, "Nah, sweetheart, what you see is what you're gonna get, until you get sick of me. I love you, Jill, I've got your back no matter what, whether that's covering your blind spots on a breach, or tying your boots when you're hurting… not gonna lie though, that part made my day." I gave her a crooked smile, and she lightly bopped me on the head.

"Had to ruin it, didn't you?" But her smile never left, and her voice carried no reproach. She grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me in, kissing me softly, "I'm kinda crazy about you, Mike, and I've got your back too, always."

I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers; we stayed like that for a moment, feeding off each other's warmth. I was in heaven.

"You're gonna be late, baby."

"Baby, huh? Sweetheart, and darlin' too?"

I smiled, kissing the tip of her nose, "I've waited long enough, I'm gonna pet-name the shit out of you, Valentine."

"I can live with that." Her eyes flicked over to the clock, "Fuck, I am gonna be late. I'll be back as soon as I can."

I pulled back, "Be safe, honey."

She chuckled, and it was perfect, just like her, "You're on a roll, aren't ya? Don't worry, I'll see you tonight." I felt her hand slip into mine, our fingers intertwining, "Miss me?"

"Try and stop me."

She shouldered her bag, backing up until only our fingertips were still touching, and with one last look, slipped out the door.

I made myself a sandwich and sat on the couch; out of nowhere, a laugh bubbled up from inside me, light and happy; I felt like I'd just jumped out of a plane and was still waiting for my chute to open, if these were only the opening credits, I couldn't wait to see what lay in store for us.

Us.

Another giddy laugh escaped me as I munched and flipped through channels. A news report flashed across the screen, talking about the children we'd rescued, and my thoughts took a hard right turn. The last forty-eight hours played over in my head; Jill had been right when she said it was time to talk, I'd kept this all in for far too long, and if the raid showed me anything, it was that the cracks in my formerly ironclad control were starting to show. If I was going to continue to function as a member of STARS, I had to face this head-on, but with Jill by my side now, I felt like I could take on anything.

She deserved someone who had their shit together, not another man she had to try and fix, I owed her more than that, and I found that the thought of baring my soul didn't scare me anymore if it meant that I could be the man both Jill and I needed me to be. My mandatory appointment with the department shrink was tomorrow, and she would get more than she bargained for.

A real smile, tinged with relief, broke across my face, I felt like a new day was coming, and I was ready to see it through. I finished up my sandwich, washing it down with some water, and lighting a smoke; I leaned against the island, thanking God that my landlord couldn't care less, nothing like a smoke where you can really relax.

My phone rang somewhere behind me, and I hustled to answer it; Chris was calling.

"Hey, man."

"Hey Mike, how's business?"

"Surviving, heavy couple of days, brother."

"I hear ya, you holding up, alright?"

I shifted the phone to my other hand, taking a drag off my smoke, "Yeah, I'm just glad we got those kids out, ya know?"

"That's all that matters, man, period." I got the message clear as day. Chris and I were solid.

"Thanks for saying it, bro, means a lot."

"Don't get mushy on me, Kelly, we're a team, right?"

"Hell yeah, we are."

"Well, I've gotta get moving, RPD wants us to check something out, and Valentine is waiting; just wanted to check-in, the offer stands, I'll bring the beer."

"Appreciate ya, man, be safe, both of you."

"I'll bring her back in one piece, Kelly, no worries."

I wondered if he had any idea just how much that meant to me, "Thanks, man. Later."

I killed the call, and just as quickly, another came in, my union rep Alan.

"Al, talk to me, buddy."

"Hey Kelly, listen, I just spoke with the board, the evidence is still being reviewed, but preliminary rumblings are that you're to be cleared, everyone was armed, there was evidence of serious trauma on those girls. If you hadn't moved like you did, they probably would've killed them, matches with an M.O out of Cleveland, the Feds closed in, and the Cartel set the house on fire with the kids still in it. Fucking animals."

I closed my eyes, Connor's screaming when we found the pit rushed in and filling the gaps.

"Oh, fuck, no! FUCK!"

"They're gone guys, nothing we can do, pack it up, and let's get the fuck outta here."

"Jesus, Ray, maybe someone…"

"Con' not happening, brother, Christ almighty… these fucking animals!"

"Mike?"

I cleared my throat, "Sorry, Al, they're playing the story on the news, guess I got a little distracted."

"Oh, no problem, thought I lost you. So that's the bottom line. The official inquiry will be done soon, easy money. Another thing you should know is that Captain Wesker gave a statement on your behalf, the guy really talked you up, and that guy is a fucking ice cube, you must have gotten on his good side."

I felt a rush of gratitude mixed with a little suspicion; Wesker didn't owe me anything, and rushing to my defense was a little out of character, but I filed it away for later. "Ice cube or not, he's a solid leader, maybe I'll send flowers."

Al chuckled, "Might not be a bad idea, alright man, I've gotta jet, I'll keep you posted."

"Right on, Al, thank you, man."

"Nah, thank you, my daughter lives just down the block from the place, my grandbabies play in that neighborhood, I'm glad you nailed the bastards."

"All in a day's work, bud, take it easy."

"You too, Kelly."

I waited for him to hang up, heading for the door, and grabbing my jacket.

I had some shopping to do.

I was putting the finishing touches on dinner when Jill knocked.

Gotta get her a key.

I padded over and opened it; she greeted me with a radiant smile…and two bags of Chinese takeout.

This woman knows all my weaknesses.

I rubbed the back of my neck, "Well babe, this is awkward," I stepped back and pointed to the table, set to the nines, and bearing her favorite, steak and baked potatoes.

Her face froze, she looked back and forth from the spread to her bags of food with a forlorn expression on her face, "But, but… Crab Rangoons…"

The harder I tried, the worse it got until I was laughing like an idiot, and it wasn't too long until she joined in.

God, I loved her.

We decided on the steaks; you can reheat Chinese, but microwaving a steak is damn near communist; Jill picked at her food, an unreadable expression on her face. Something was bothering her.

"Jill? You okay?"

She looked up from her steak, letting out a little sigh. "There was a double homicide, up on the 207 pullout, really nasty stuff, two teenagers almost ripped to pieces, some kind of animal attack they thought. But there were footprints around the scene that apparently didn't match either of the Vic's. Wesker sent Chris and I up there to see if we could assist; it was a mess, those two kids were scattered all over the place, its kinda fucking with my appetite. But you did all this work, I feel bad."

I reached over and grabbed her hand, "Babe, if you don't feel up to it, you don't have to, you're not gonna hurt my feelings, don't forget that I've been there."

She nodded, "You never get used to dead kids; I guess it hit me harder than I thought."

"Amen," I whispered, standing up, "I'll wrap this up in case you get hungry later, okay?"

She stopped me with a hand on my arm, "I can do it, Mike, you put this all together, let me get the dishes at least?"

I shook my head, "You worked all day, it's not your fault I got suspended, go take a shower and relax, decompress. I'll handle it."

She was about to argue, I could see it coming, so I leaned down and kissed her, silencing any oncoming protests.

When I broke the kiss, she had a scowl on her face, diminished somewhat by the blush working its way onto her cheeks, "Fine… you win this round buster…And thank you."

I scooped the dishes and made my way to the sink, humming a song from forever ago, as Jill walked down the hall, hearing the shower come on a few minutes later. I idly washed a dish for a moment before a thought occurred.

There's a naked Jill Valentine in your shower. What in God's name are you still doing here, you fucking goon?

I broke a couple of records heading to the bathroom; Jill, jumped when I ripped the curtain back, soon the sound of her giggling filled the air as I hopped in and fled just as quickly when I kissed her with everything I had.

"What's your tattoo say, and how have I never seen it before?"

I was leaning against her on the couch, some movie or another playing in the background, her fingers tracing the letters scrawled across my shoulders. I hadn't bothered to put on a shirt after our shower, and she was taking the opportunity to explore a little.

I shrugged, looking back at her and smiling, " Took a while for you to get me naked, I guess," She rolled her eyes, blushing a little. I took it as my cue to continue, "Teneo Vestrus Vox, or I Hold Your Voice. Saw it in a movie a long time ago; I got it after one of my rotations to Syria, seeing all those ISIS sex slaves, what they did to children or anyone that fell under their control for that matter. I felt like someone needed to speak for them, I spent most of my time avenging them, but I feel like the message still holds weight."

She nodded, "I get it, and I like it, you really do care, don't you? It's not about the rush, you're the guy who's trying to save the world."

"Yeah, I do… always have. I'm sure that some shrink would have something to say about it, savior complex and the like, but I've always tried to stand up for the people who couldn't stand up for themselves. Just didn't always work out."

She wrapped her arms around me, planting a kiss on the back of my neck, "Well, I love you for it."

I leaned into her embrace, "I love you too, baby, time is it?"

I felt her shift, "Just after ten, should probably get to bed."

"Yeah, I've got that appointment with the shrink in the morning, gonna try and work through all of this."

Again she hugged me tightly, "You can do this."

I shifted, stretching out and letting my head fall into her lap; she smiled down at me, stroking my hair gently, "With you here, Jill? I feel like I can do anything."

She blushed, her gaze roaming my face, "Charmer,"

I grinned, "Fuck, only when you're around, I was never this smooth. What have you done with my borderline autism woman!"

Her face crumpled as she burst out laughing; I joined her seconds later when the dam finally broke, "There it is, Jesus Christ. C'mon, you fucking goofball," Her eyes turned mischievous, and she dumped me onto the floor, sprinting for the bedroom. "Race ya!"

I laid there for a second staring at the ceiling.

Did she just?

I sprang up off the ground like Jason Voorhees, "It's on, woman!" Chasing her down the hall, her giggling the perfect soundtrack to the sweet little moment.

What a life.