Chapter 1- The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same

Rebecca Chambers had a lot on her mind as she and her partner drove around the city on their nightly patrol. Reports of gang activity had been on the rise the last few months, and the past week had been the worst they had seen in years. Robberies, shoot outs, car jackings, drug overdoses, and a total of 10 deaths that week alone had the entire precinct on high alert. As head of the city's gang control division, Rebecca had been busier than ever, and there seemed to be no shortage of reports and activity to keep her small team busy.

"You ok, Bec?" her partner asked glancing over at her before putting his attention back to his driving. "You've gone all quiet and broody again."

"Sorry Michael…." She said as she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Just trying to make sense of this sudden increase in activity. Why now? Why after more than a year of relative quiet and calm? What changed all of a sudden?"

"No clue" Michael said as he turned the corner and slowed down peering down one of the alleyways as they drove by. "But with this level of activity, we may be looking at a repeat of the Castleway Massacre if things go sideways."

"Wonderful…" Rebecca sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "The last thing we want or need is that level of gang activity. That showdown was five years ago… and the city still has not fully recovered. Castleway was a bloodbath."

"That it was. The gang members ended up killing a lot of their own men, but a lot of innocent civillians were killed as well."

"And a lot of our good men and women too" Rebecca said somberly as her mind flashed back to the night the turf war began. Her and Michael's former partner was gunned down that night right before them. She had gotten separated from Michael in the ruckus and ended up trapped at the end of an alleyway with one of the gang members coming at her. If it hadn't been for -him- she would have lost her life too that night.

Him. He was never far from her mind, even now over five years later. She thought of him often and wondered how he was fairing. He had saved her life that night and she had ended up saving his too in a way. She only hoped he was doing ok and that life was treating Billy Coen decently.

A chuckle from her partner brought her back to reality. Michael was pulling the car over and Rebecca looked around and sighed. They had reached the Broadway District, which is where the precinct was focusing the bulk of their attention at the moment. As they exited the car and started walking the streets, Rebecca gave a shiver against the cool winter breeze that was beginning to lay hold of the city. Zipping up her jacket, she hurried after her partner.

"Hard to believe it's been five years already" Michael said as they made their way towards the downtown square. "Things are still such a mess around here."

"I know, and even the PD is still not fully recovered" Rebecca responded. "Everyone is still so on edge and with all the gang activity and the increased drug activity, so many of our own precinct seem to have a shoot first, ask questions later mentality. I mean I kinda understand why… Albert Wesker has pretty much gained control of the gangs and united them under one banner, which makes them more dangerous than ever."

"Definitely says something that our team of eight has less arrests than any other team in the city, yet we have ten times as many referrals to the rehab centers, hospitals, shelters, and counseling facilities. It's like most of the city has just given up hope and letting fear win. All that is doing is giving Wesker and his goons even more power."

"Well, there's a reason I hand picked you guys for my team and why I chose you specifically to be my second in command" Rebecca said with a slight grin. "You guys think and feel the same way I do."

"Aye" Michael said with a grin as he looked at the petite brunet. "There always is hope and everyone can be deserving of a second chance. People can change if given the chance."

He looked at his partner with a knowing look in his eyes. Rebecca felt her cheeks flush slightly as she looked away. She and Michael shared everything, and the night that started the Castleway Massacre, he was the only person she told about Billy and what had happened. She had spoken of him often in the year or so following the bloodbath… but over time, she brought him up less and less, though she still thought of him often.

"I know you still think about him, Bec" he said gently as the walked along. "You did the right thing if what he told you was true. Hell, I would have probably done the same if my orders had been to exterminate a village of women and children. If that was why he killed his commanding officer and defied orders, then he deserves a medal, not to be labeled as a wanted death-row criminal."

Rebecca nodded silently and then sighed.

"I just wish I knew if he was ok. I know he went into hiding… I just wonder where he got off to and what he is doing."

"I know" Michael said gently "but like I told you after Castleway, you have to accept the fact that you may never know what happened to him."

"I know… doesn't mean I have to like it."

….

After their scheduled patrol, as they were heading back to their patrol car, they passed by one of the alleyways near where they had parked. Suddenly Michael stopped and peered down into the darkness. The lights were dim on that side of the street so he pulled out his flashlight and shone it down the lane.

Rebecca stopped beside him and looked at him questioningly. Silently he nodded his head towards the alley.

"Heard something" he whispered and started towards the alleyway.

A few seconds later Rebecca heard it too, the sound of fatigued coughing. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust but as they slowly approached the alley way, Rebecca saw something. Sitting on the ground, propped against a dumpster was a huddled figure. Michael nodded as Rebecca flipped her light on as well and slowly crept towards the figure, her partner unfastening the leather halter at his hip, just in case.

She called out as they approached but got no response other than a weak cough. In the dim light, Rebecca saw a thin and haggard man, clothes worn and torn and face dirty with the fifth of the streets. Beside him were several empty beer cans and empty food containers. Around his shoulders was a threadbare blanket and he wore a faded cap with the US Marine's emblem on it. Michael shook his head sadly as he knelt down beside the figure and laid his fingers at the man's neck- he hated seeing anyone dealing with living on the streets but when it was a vet, it made his blood boil.

"He's still alive… barely" he said as he pulled back the dirty blanket that covered the man. "Shit, another druggie" Michael said as he saw the track marks on his neck. "He's in pretty rough shape" he muttered as he glanced up at his partner.

"Bec! Rebecca! Hey, you ok?"

Rebecca barely heard what her partner was saying and nodded, not saying a word. Her eyes were fixed on the man lying unconscious in front of them. His hair was long and dirty, and there was several months' worth of stubble on his face. But that face. It looked so familiar. It couldn't be him….

Rebecca felt her heart skip a beat when Michael pushed up the tattered jacket sleeve, checking for more track marks or other injuries. There it was. It was only the bottom part of it, but Rebecca would recognize it anywhere. There was only one person who had that tattoo.

"Billy!" she exclaimed not realizing she had said the name out loud as she rushed over and knelt down beside her partner.

"Wait, what? That Billy? Billy Coen? This is him?" Michael asked in disbelief.

"There's only one person with that tattoo…" Rebecca said as she looked at the unconscious man and gently pushed the torn sleeve up farther, revealing the tattoo that they both had seen on every wanted poster that had circulated over the years for Coen's arrest. It was after all his most identifying feature; no one else had a tattoo like that.

"It's him.." Rebecca whispered in disbelief.

"Damn, he's had a rough go at it, Bec. He's in really bad shape."

"Oh Billy… what happened to you?' she whispered as she brushed the long unkept hair back from his face.

"Where are we going to take him?"

"Can't risk the hospital" Rebecca said softly.

"Yeah, he's still a wanted fugitive with a death sentence. He'll get picked up as soon as he gets admitted…" Michael mused.

"I know where to take him" Rebecca said softly. "Help me get him to the car."

"Where are you going to take him?"

Rebecca didn't answer until they had managed to get Billy into the backseat. Thankfully at that time of night, the area as deserted. It didn't seem like anyone had seen them. With a heavy sigh, Michael sank into the passenger seat.

"So, care to fill me in on where we are going?'

"I'm taking him to my clinic" Rebecca said as she started the car.

"You're clinic? Since when do you have a clinic?"

"Since I was a medic years before I joined the PD. I've… been keeping it a bit of a secret…" Rebecca said, avoiding eye contact with her partner.

"A bit of a secret? I'll say! You've never mentioned it once! Bec, are you telling me you have an underground clinic you are running, right under the chief's nose?"

"Michael, you know you feel the same way I do. Not every druggie trying to get clean deserves to go to jail. And not every person caught in the cross fire of the gang's turf wars can go to the hospital for one reason or another! So yes, yes I am operating an underground clinic to try and help those who need it."

The two fell silent for a moment until finally Rebecca glanced over at her partner.

"Are you going to write me up?"

"Aww hell Bec, you know I can't do that. I can't say that I think this is the smartest thing you have done….but I understand why you are doing it."

"Thank you, Michael, I owe you one" Rebecca said with a relieved sigh.

"Yes… yes you most definitely do…" he said with a sigh but gave his partner a smile as well as they drove through the dark streets and towards the outskirts of the city.