Here we are, a third part, since multiple people wanted this alternate ending to have three parts.
Did anyone else think the guy who played Chris Redfield in the viral video campaign for Resident Evil 5, looked very much like Tom Cruise, especially in the 'ceremony' episode? That's the Chris I have in my mind as I write this chapter. Chris, in the game, looked like he had taken steroids or something. In the RE remake he looked like a strong, but normal man, not someone who could arm-wrestle the Terminator.
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"I'm not sure this is such a great idea." Chris warned. "It might give him a heart attack." Jill shook her head, making the pony tail whip around towards the front of her face.
"He made be getting up there in years, but he's not gonna fall over dead at the sight of me." She objected. "Believe me, he's tougher than that. "
"So, are you going to go knock?" Chris asked, eyebrows raised. Jill hesitated.
"Maybe you should." She admitted. "I'll be right near you, but…" She looked around the car, then grabbed a baseball cap. "Better not to take the risk." She said, pulling the bill slightly lower over her eyes.
"Something tells me this might be awkward." Chris joked as the two got out of the SUV and started walking towards the front door. A bumblebee flew past his head, making him duck humorously. Jill laughed, and he shook his head in pretended exasperation. She paused roughly ten feet from the door and gestured for Chris to go up and ring the doorbell. He did, and they waited in silence for a few seconds. Footsteps could be heard, and Jill lowered her head slightly to make herself harder to recognize, at least for a few moments.
"This is a surprise." Dick Valentine said, opening the front door. "Haven't seen you for a while, Chris. What brings you out here?"
"Actually… I'm not entirely sure how to say this." Chris said, pausing to try to find the right words. "But, I found out… that, when we had that funeral, we kind of jumped the gun, if you will."
"What are you saying?" Dick asked, not getting it.
"I'm saying," Chris took a breath, "That Jill's alive."
"What?!" The man gasped in shock. "My daughter's alive?"
"Yeah, although a little worse for the wear." Jill said, taking the cap off. The man stared at her, momentarily speechless, shock evident on his face. "Hey, Dad." She said quietly, grinning as she stepped forward. "It really is me."
"Jill!" He cried, embracing his daughter. "I thought you were dead!"
"Yeah, I hear that a lot nowadays." Jill laughed. "How've you been?"
"How've I been? You're the one that's been dead for years now!" He said, tears in his eyes. "What happened? Where've you been all this time?"
"Long, nasty story." She said, shaking her head. "But, just like old times, Chris rescued me at the end, so it didn't turn out that badly."
"Thank you!" her father said to Chris. "You brought my daughter back!" Chris nodded, smiling. What are you supposed to say in these situations? He wondered.
"Can we come in?" Jill asked. "The landscaping is nice, but I don't want to spend the next three hours out here!"
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A week later…
"When's the pizza getting here?" Claire asked hungrily. Chris glanced at his watch.
"Should be here soon." He let out a breath. "Why do we have to do a rehearsal anyway?"
"Because this is going to get recorded." Jill said. "And if we make any goofs, we'll be haunted by them for the rest of our lives."
"Which, I hope, will not be filled with crazed people wandering around with axes like the ones in your pasts." Sheva commented from the pew she was relaxing on. The pastor was consulting a small book, probably reviewing procedures. The front doors suddenly opened, and a burly bearded man in his late forties walked in, followed by a woman and two college-age girls.
"You wouldn't believe how much they delayed our flights!" The man called over loudly. "Seriously, with how fast you guys are doing this, we were in danger of missing the whole thing!"
"Barry!" Jill grinned. It had been years since she had last seen her former S.T.A.R.S. teammate.
"Jill! You are alive! I mean, I knew you were alive before I got here, but still… wow!" Barry stammered, looking amazed. "I spoke at your funeral, now I'm get to be at your wedding!"
"Yeah, most people have those two in a different order." Jill laughed, embracing the man. "It's great to see you again."
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The next day…
Jill stared out the window, at the bustling life everywhere. People strolled down sidewalks, cars drove by, squirrels and lizards could be seen on trees… it was the exact opposite of the nightmares Chris and her had found themselves in so many times.
"You look amazing." Claire said approvingly. Jill turned around to face her soon-to-be sister-in -law. They were in a small room on the upper level of a church. Several mirrors had also been hauled into the temporary bridal room so she could see herself.
"Perfect." Sheva agreed. "Literally."
"Thank you." Jill said gratefully. She looked at her face again in the mirror. Several of her friends, not to mention her dad, had been shocked to see her so different, namely both shockingly pale and very blond. Some dye and a trip to the tanning salon would have restored her to her former appearance, but it somehow seemed… dishonest. She didn't quite look alright, but maybe she wasn't totally, not yet. This was her, the Jill Valentine that Chris had rescued from hell. She didn't want to hide that, as if she was ashamed. Chris had pressed on and risked a death a thousand times to find her. His actions erased any doubts that she could ever have had about him.
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"Sit down before you rip a button off or something." Barry said as Chris straightened his dark suit again. "You still should have shaved." He commented, looking at the beard the younger man was wearing.
"You didn't." Chris retorted, adjusting his tie slightly.
"Yeah, but everyone around here's used to me having a beard." Barry said. "Did you see the look on Rebecca's face when she arrived? It took her several glances before she recognized you."
"It's been years since either Jill or I had last seen her." Chris said. "Rebecca changed a lot, too." Her hair hadn't been cut so raggedly around her face anymore, that style that had made her look like a teenager. Course, she was a teenager at the time when she joined STARS. Chris reflected. There was a tap on the door, and it opened to show Leon. Regardless of the suits Barry and Chris were wearing, Leon was still dressed in his brown leather outfit.
"It's time." He said pointedly. "Better get down to the auditorium."
"Yeah." Chris said. "Be right there." Leon nodded and walked off, his boots thumping on the stairs going down. Chris turned and gave himself a final once-over in the mirror, assuring himself that he looked fine.
"Don't be nervous, Chris." Barry said, getting up and walking to the door. "This is one of the best days of your life. Enjoy every moment of it."
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Several hours later…
"You know, I was seriously starting to doubt you'd ever propose to her." Claire teased, taking another sip of the cappuccino-like punch drink. She paused reflectively. "Wow. My big brother, finally married. Seriously, you don't know what a shock that is to me." There was a hum of conversation around the large room. "I could be an aunt soon!"
"Try being the one married, if you want to have a shock." Chris laughed, shaking his head.
"I have to admit, nice reception." Leon said, strolling over. Not only had the agent taken the role of best man at the wedding, he had stuck around after the ceremony, much to the surprise of Chris and Claire. "Very well done."
"Thank you." Chris said. He paused, remembering that day in the mall. Claire… Jill… If it weren't for him... "Thank you." He repeated, gratefully. "For everything."
For a moment, Claire thought Leon was going to smile.
"You're welcome."
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Wow. This little three-part ending was very fun to write and get feedback on. By the way, I consulted the book. Jill's father is Dick Valentine, Barry's wife is Kathy, and their two daughters are Moira and Polly.
My apologies if you didn't like the style, the way I somewhat jumped around. I wanted to make it short and sweet, almost like a movie trailer.
Hope you all enjoyed! If you did enjoy, be kind and please leave a review.