The Devil's Bargain

Eight:

Playing with Fire

Raccoon City, 1997

It was a boring way to spend the rest of their evening. After the adrenaline had passed, it was simply a matter of paperwork. Paperwork. Paperwork...and more paperwork.

They sat around reading reports and looking at books and flipping pages of useless crap. Witchcraft was a total pain in the ass. It was endless and interesting, definitely, but it wasn't relevant. It wasn't even real! Raising the dead? Who were they kidding here?

They worked long into the night trying to figure out where the fight would take them next. The bomb locations were a pattern, surely. And the targets were placed in locations where the body fall out was vast and varied. Jill studied the pinpoints on the map they'd set up in the STARS office, trying to see the pattern.

Was it a way to collect pieces of people when they blew up? Or what?

She went back to her desk and sat down. She was the last person in the office. Literally. Everyone else had given up and gone home.

The door opened and Chris came in, surprising her.

"Still here?"

"Yeah. I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something." He moved to the white board and studied it. She walked over to join him.

He kept staring at it with his brow furrowed. She liked his face in the low lighting from the one lamp on her desk. He was so dedicated. He didn't know how to just let it go. Whatever was stirring in his noodle up there was going to come to a boil soon, she was sure of it.

"Holy shit!"

The loud shout scared the piss out of her. She jumped and slapped his arm at the same time. "Why?!"

"Sorry. Hold on." He moved to dig through books on his desk. She watched him work, watched his eyes scan and dart over pages. And he grabbed the Book of Shadows. He brought it back and flipped through. It was the symbol, he thought, the SYMBOL. "They're detonating things in a pattern like this." He held the Book of Shadows up to the wall. The symbol on the front, the triquetra, was three sided and looped. He traced the symbol by using the red pins put in the map positions on the wall.

"Look! Here, the first bombing. Here, the second. And the third, here. But they keep repeating the pattern along the path of the first three. They aren't just blowing stuff up, Jill, they're blowing it up in this pattern until they close the circle."

"..why?"

"Closing the circle matters in Witchcraft. It's how you complete the spell."

Oh, she thought, oh oh oh. His mind. He was so smart. She'd been blowing smoke all evening and he just got it, boom.

"Damnit. What good do they really think it will do? They think Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just gonna show up and start fighting the Hellmouth? What's the end game here?"

"Buffy?"

"Oh yeah. The shows alright but the chic is hot. So I watch it usually when you go to the gym."

She kinda loved him.

He was digging through papers and scribbling in his notebook. She could see the gears turning in his head. He speared a hand through his hair and muttered, writing and flipping.

Damnit, she thought, she was into him. Shit and double shit.

Chris rolled his chair over and grabbed a book off Barry's desk. He was half way back to the desk and she straddled his lap. Surprised, he dropped the book.

"I know you're scenting blood there Sherlock. But how about a break?"

His hands gripped her little bubble butt and rolled her against him. "You're all about being dirty at work."

"It's 2 a.m. It's you, me, the skeleton crew downstairs. And the hookers in chairs. That's it."

"I could go get a hooker for you if you're that hard up. My treat."

Jill kissed him. And it was different. He felt it. She pulled out the stops on him. He held her face and kissed her back. Slow, she thought with a little panic, like he was…what? Making love to her mouth? Oh, she thought, oh wait. She met his eyes.

He loves you.

It arrowed into her. Because the look on his face said he loved her. She rose off his lap. He watched her, curious.

She wondered what was on her face. She tried kissing him again. It was eyes open. It was watching him, watch her. It was good. Hell. She loved him. It was that simple.

She didn't want to love him.

It was that complicated. She'd made the fucking rules. She couldn't even keep her own side of it? He hadn't said love. He didn't say it. So he wasn't, really, technically, breaking them. She was. She kinda was.

She needed to fix it. Before they got into the "in love" part. He was her guy. Her best friend. She would NOT risk him on love. Stupid.

She could only think of one way to erase the "love" and replace it with something she understood. She could make sense out of the want of him. That was biology. It was sex. It was simple.

She was scared of the love. The love meant commitment and forever and tattoos on your body that made you loyal. It was how he spoke about his parents, and how he talked about Claire. It was scary. If she became his woman and stopped being his pal...what if they failed? What if they didn't work out?

She'd lose him forever. The idea of that terrified her. They needed to keep this simple, easy, basic. It needed to be about what it had started out as: teamwork, jokes, and sex.

She went into Wesker's office.

No one EVER went into Wesker's office.

He waited, curious what she was up to. And she leaned out of the office. He was pretty sure he was still alive. But he'd stopped breathing.

She stood there in the doorway of the office in that little beret, her little boots, her shoulder holster and nothing else.

She said, "How about that break?"

Holy god in Heaven. He was fairly sure she was going to be the death of him. She wanted to fuck him in Wesker's office. WESKER's office.

He wasn't this guy. He didn't do stuff like that. Apparently? He did. His body was up and moving. His dick was up and moving.

He pushed out of the chair and moved. Freight train, she thought, desperately. He caught her in the doorway and she jumped, hooking her legs around him like a whore. He should have thrown her on the desk and fucked her raw.

But he didn't.

He set her in the rolling chair and went to his knees in front of her. Oh, she thought, oh my. And the mouth he put on her said he loved her. She watched him between her thighs in that STARS uniform of his, her thighs over his shoulders and she knew, she knew, it would never be enough. His hands shifted to palm her breasts while he devoured her.

He'd said it. That first day? He'd said it. He loved eating pussy. He did. He really, really did.

Or maybe he just loved eating hers. She gasped out his name and came around his tongue, humping.

She grabbed the back of the chair, bowing against his mouth. He caught her around the waist and set her on the desk. He stepped between her thighs and tilted her head back to him. His tongue dipped in her mouth and her hands slid around his back.

The rules said don't say it. So he didn't say it. But he felt it. He felt her. He loved her. That was it. It was done. She was his. Maybe not how he wanted, but she was his.

It was fingers in her first to make sure she was ready. She was so wet. She was ready. He anchored a hand on her shoulder and threw her leg over his arm. He laid her half back on that desk to look at her in the moonlight. He licked her breasts and knocked her beret loose to kiss her.

And he loved her. He just did. It was that simple.

It was never simple.

He fumbled the little foil package in his wallet free like a horny teenager. He dropped it twice. She reached over to help him slide down the length of his dick.

And she begged.

She begged.

She begged, prettily, "...please."

He gripped a handful of her hair to drag her to his mouth. He wasn't easy. It scared him a little to want her like that. It scared him to feel her in his fucking bones like cancer.

But he loved her. It was all he knew. So he gave himself to her.

And he gave her what they both wanted.

He pulled her to the end of the desk and filled her full of him. Like he was full of her. While the ugly little raven on the bookshelf behind them watched with blood red eyes.

And sent the video of them directly the man whose office they were making love in.

They didn't need to worry about getting fired. He didn't care about that office any more than he cared about anything in the world. He'd succeeded. He'd pushed them together. They were more than together, he thought with glee. And the look on the face of the guy with the eagle eye said she'd done exactly what she was meant to do, she'd roped him with her big blue eyes and her perfect thighs and owned him now.

It was only a matter of time before he used that love to destroy them both…and watch the city burn while he did.

In the morning, Wesker considered his options.

He rolled the paper weight in his palm, studying the window of the world beyond his office. There clearly needed to be consequences for flagrantly disobeying the rules. They were swimming toward the right conclusion, of course, he was going to have Redfield, precisely, right where he wanted him and very soon. But clearly the nature of things needed better defining.

They were wrapped up in each other, which was all part of the plan. But they were doing it in places where it was dangerous. Should they be caught, by sources other than him, the fall out could prove the end of them. So, he had to steer them back on path here and keep them there. And his shaming could be the catalyst they needed to move right back where they needed to stay. He needed Redfield in love with her and deeply. He was almost there. It would take the right amount of shame and censure to make it work here.

A delicate balance.

He moved to the door of his office and spoke, quietly, "Chris and Jill. Could you join me for a brief moment?"

At their desks, Chris and Jill lifted brows at each other. Chris made a face of laughing fear. Jill snorted. They meandered into the office.

"Sit. Please."

They sat.

Wesker said, without ceremony, "First let me express my gratitude to you both for how you've been coming along at simulations. You are both living up to the attributes you were hired for. I'm thrilled to have you on my team for that reason."

"Thank you, sir." Chris said and meant it.

"In other news," Wesker turned the little computer on his desk toward them. And they were all very aware of what was happening on that screen.

Jill, personally, was about to drop dead in horror. There they were, she thought, just going to town on each other. Although, objectively, is was totally hot. Chris' jackhammer fucking played well on screen. But there was more on that screen that that. She watched Chris spin her and put her against the desk, she watched him grab a handful of her hair, and she watched his face. His face…his face said he loved her. Oh my god. His face said he loved her as he shoved himself into her body and she watched herself buck and scream and go around him. She watched him pull her up and turn her into his mouth, she watched him slide a hand over her heart and a hand over her spine. The love was written all over him, from face to ass to feet.

And she was looking at his ass when she should have been worried about losing hers here. She looked at Chris. He looked at her. They both looked at Wesker.

Wesker was watching them, carefully, in those fucking sunglasses he was always wearing. Jill wondered if he was photophobic or something. His eyes were so pale, maybe he couldn't handle the light.

"Clearly, personal relationships within the unit, although not strictly forbidden, are frowned upon. There are cameras all over this building, of course. So there is likely a record of any previous or further attempts on your parts to…fornicate in inappropriate places."

Chris thought, well, this was probably the most embarrassed he'd ever been. And then he flipped Jill around on Wesker's desk and watched her put that mouth around his cock and suck his brains out and he thought, NOPE, THIS was the most embarrassed he'd ever been.

Wesker continued to watch them. On the screen, Jill was keening high and loud while he hammered her doggy style. Chris was pretty sure he was going to implode here and die from shame. He didn't glance at Jill again. He couldn't.

"Sir…I am having real trouble here finding the right words."

Jill whispered, "We are so sorry. SO sorry."

Wesker considered, looking at them, that one of them was indeed sorry. But he'd watched the footage. He'd seen the aggressor. It was Jill Valentine. She'd come on like a whore, flouncing and fucking like she'd been paid to do it. Redfield was a lot of things but he was a known follower of the rules. She'd flouted them, plainly, painfully. She'd lured and trapped and manipulated. There had been a few notes in her file about that, her ability to disregard the rules when it suited her. She dragged Redfield into her web with her perfect thighs and big blue eyes. It was amusing. And made him think more of her for. It would make it so much easier if she fell in line and followed him but he didn't mind the challenge of winning her loyalty. And the added benefit of being the reason she had to work harder to earn Redfield back to her side as well.

He watched the wrench be thrown between them. This would temporarily drive them out of each other's arms. Clearly. It was for the best. She would have to lose him to appreciate him. And her loss would lure him further into the web she was weaving. Perfect.

He needed the loyalty between them to be unparalleled and coupled with human love. He needed it to weave the seeds of his own destruction here. He wanted to see how far he could push him and how far the girl beside him could be pulled from his side. To do that, he needed to know they were bonded together over him.

But clearly the disrespect could not stand here and had to be brought down upon them like a spanking. A delicate balance of punishment that earned respect while promoting a sense of playing with fire for each other. They'd simply gotten away with it. It was time to remind them who was the boss.

"Hmm. As flattered as I am that you felt the need to…couple…in my office. Do I need to make a point of putting a note in your file regarding it? Or perhaps I should allow Chief Irons to witness it and let him deal directly with your punishment?"

"No. No sir. No. Cheese and rice…no." Chris felt about three inches tall.

"Not long ago myself, I was a young man with appetites so I understand the urges that over come us in regards to adrenaline and survival. Perhaps, in the future, you should better choose your places to resolve those urges. I generally don't feel the need to dissuade personal relationships between members of my team. Should this be an issue? I can transfer one of you to Bravo to alleviate the situation."

Bravo, Chris thought, was the B-Team. Everybody knew that. He wasn't to kick one of them to JV because Jill had thought it would be fun to fuck on her boss' desk. Come now, his mind said, did you say no? Nope. The grunting and hammering sound of skin and sweat on the computer said he'd had a grand old time. Maybe that was the worst part here. He'd not only LET her draw him into it. He'd LOVED it. Always a good boy, he'd gone against the grain to touch her and love her. Jesus. She was his fucking kryptonite. CHEESE AND RICE.

"Do I need to remind you about your duty here? Or do you assume that duty involves fucking in your superior's office like petulant teenagers? Should I be insulted? Have I done something to brook disrespect from you?"

Chris was shaking his head, "No. No sir. No. We were here working. It was late. We were stupid and disrespectful and it was not aimed at you at all sir. At all. It was just more private than out in the bull pen. That's it. I'm mortified. And utterly sorry."

Wesker studied him with a grudging sense of respect. Interesting. He seemed to actually LIKE Chris Redfield. Embarrassed or not, Redfield held his gaze. He wasn't staring at the floor like Valentine. He was looking him in the eye. It took balls. "I believe you, Chris. And I'm not a man without some knowledge of the passion that drives two young people to each other. It isn't my business to tell you not to see each other. It is, however, my business to tell you that it won't be tolerated at work."

"I understand sir. Entirely."

"Can I assume it will NOT be happening again in the future?"

Jill whispered, pale faced, "Yes sir."

"For now, I'm going to have you pull extra duty, together, for the next three nights. There have been disturbances in the park that could be related to the witches we've been tracking. I expect the two of you to patrol until midnight each night after regular duty hours. I suspect you WON'T be using the time to express yourselves sexually. And it would be in your best interest to cease and desist any further sexual escapades while working under my command."

He knew what he was doing here. Telling them NO was like telling them GO. They'd rush and roll and ride that forbidden fruit straight into the pit he was digging for them. It was such a joy to watch the people squirm as you killed them.

Redfield, he thought, what a proverbial boy scout. Always the right answers, always the right moves, always the good boy. Raving reviews, raving responses, everyone loved him. He was highly recommended and clearly respected. She was the only thing that had shaken him professionally, ever. It was a telling sign. And one he would use to crush them both…soon enough.

"I will also expect you use the toothbrushes provided by maintenance to scrub the toilets. All of them. Twice a day in the entire station. Perhaps cleaning the remnants of others bowels will teach you to respect the idea of not shitting where you eat."

Oh my GOD, Jill thought, he was going to make them pull shit duty and DO shit duty. She was so embarrassed. She could feel her face burning.

Her brain said, why? You KNEW there was a chance of getting caught. It was WHY you did it. True, she mused, but she hadn't really thought he'd find out. It was mortifying.

Jill nodded, silent. Chris said, "Yes sir."

"For the time being, perhaps it's best if you are not partnered together on missions. Jill? You will work with Barry. Chris will pair with Joseph. It's best, clearly, for the two of you to remember that a place of work is a place of respect and not a place to moon over a coworker and create a conflict. Professionalism is what I expect. Can I assume I will have that?"

Chris was mortified. Fucking mortified. Awful.

"Absolutely sir. Yes."

Jill nodded.

"That is all. Jill, I'll see you on the mat this afternoon. 2 sharp."

"Yes..sir."

"Dismissed."

They moved back into the office and they were sorta…numb. And very embarrassed. They took their desks. They said nothing.

Around them, of course, talking went on. Joseph was trying to see if he could stick a spitball on Brad's face. Barry was telling the world's longest joke involving a sailor, two call girls, and a chicken. Barry said, "You know?"

Chris rose from the desk and left the office.

Oh.

Jill felt the blast of shame over her face settle in her bones. Shit. It had been her idea and she knew, KNEW, he was blaming himself. Or worse, her mind said, he's blaming you for roping him into it. Chris was so professional. She'd pushed him passed his comfort zone. And she KNEW how important this job was to him.

Was Chris…mad at her?

It was an odd concept.

Jill rose from her desk and followed his path. He was in the bathroom. She hesitated, hesitated, and went in. He was standing by the sink.

"Hey."

His eyes came up and turned to her. "This is the boys bathroom, Jill."

"I know that."

"Never have much care for rules though, do you?"

Shit. Yep. It was her. He was mad at her. She said, softly, "I'm so sorry. I am. I'll go back in there and take responsibility for it. It's all my fault."

Chris shook his head, shook it again. "Stop it. You didn't rape me, Jill. I knew what I was doing. I'm just taking a minute here to think about this."

"Think about what?"

He thought "Think about how loving you might be the thing that kills me"..but he didn't say it. The rules said don't say it.

So he went with ugly truth instead.

"I'm not this guy, Jill. I'm not the guy who throws down on my superior's desk. I don't. What's worse? Wesker could have fired us today and DIDN'T. He's clearly a good man. And we went in there and acted like two stupid teenagers on his desk. HIS DESK. We disrespected our boss. Jesus. I'm THAT guy now."

"No you're not. You're not! I am. Obviously. It was ME. I did it. I kinda…I sorta manipulated you into it."

Chris shook his head and washed his hands. "No, you didn't. But it's pretty clear that it might be time to take a step back here a little."

She felt the trickle of something in her belly. "What?"

"You said it would be bad to get too involved. You were right. Maybe it's time we just…ease back a little."

She looked at his face. "…oh…you're ENDING this."

Chris glanced at her face. They locked eyes. "No. Just…refocusing on the important stuff here. We both NEED this job. I want to do well here too. And I want Wesker to respect me. I can't do that if I'm deep dicking you on his desk."

"No hanky panky at work?"

"Yeah. Definitely. And just…give me a minute to think here. Ok?"

"…you want me to go away?"

"Please."

"…ok."

"Thanks…just…for now."

"Yeah. Sure." She turned and left the bathroom.

So, it wasn't a fight. Not really. But she felt…sad. And hurt. He wasn't her boyfriend or anything like that. So why was she so upset? Why did she feel like her boyfriend just broke up with her?

She put aside and went to the mat to face her boss. AGAIN. To face her boss again. Oy.

The worst day had begun.