Beware This Troubled World, Control Your Intake

Title is from This Picture by Placebo, the acoustic version is by far the best!

As always thank you to the reviewers, I do appreciate it. Also a big thank you to The Magnificent Kiwi for nitpicking, ha! But seriously, thank you for pointing it out and for the help! Also from here till the end, the bulk of the story came from Angelica Burrows and when I say bulk I mean the whole storyline, so as always a big thanks to her and her support!

Enjoy!

Light broke through the minuscule gap between the curtains, lighting up the crevices in Jill's bedroom. A small amount of light, but still just enough to wake the slumbering form tangled in pale sheets.

Chris rubbed at his eyes and yawned while rolling on the bed to place an arm around the figure next to him. Instead his hand slapped against the cold mattress. Confused, he sighed and staggered out of bed and into the kitchen.

A warm smile spread across Chris's lips when he caught sight of the person he longed to see. Wearing a large shirt of his, Jill stood with her back to him making coffee. He snaked his arms around her waist and planted a couple of soft kisses on her neck. Jill giggled at his open affection and turned around to face him, placing her hands on his chest,

"I'm glad you decided to put on some boxers..." Jill said, winking at him. Chris glanced down and the smallest bit of red tinted his face.

"Well I'm not so glad you decided to put on a shirt," Jill hit him playfully on his shoulder. She wiped away the goofy smile which had appeared on his features by giving him a tender kiss.

"I love you," Jill spoke, breaking their contact. Chris pulled her closer to him, and leaned down to her face,

"Guess what? I love you too." He whispered into her ear, gaining a smirk from Jill in response.

Since the two admitted their feelings, they didn't hesitate to show each other how much they truly adored the other.

Although he loved her, he couldn't be fully content. Before they could have the relationship he dreamed of, a certain person had to be removed from the equation.

Chris sat at the table beside Jill.

"I hate to say it, but what are we going to do about Wesker?"As her smile quickly faded, Chris immediately regretted asking. It was a difficult topic, it had to be dealt with but at the same time all Chris wanted to do was make her happy. It seemed he would never be able to do both.

"I don't know..." She admitted downcast, "He's a powerful man with little to no morals. How do you stop that?"

"Well, we can't let him keep doing this. We could get the police in on it? I mean, I wouldn't hesitate to arrest that bastard." Chris growled.

"If you arrest Wesker, then I'll be going down with him." Jill sighed, "Yeah what he's doing is illegal, but what I did was illegal too. And I know that if he was arrested he would get me sent to jail as well..."

Chris's shoulders slumped, he didn't know what to do. Jill was right; she would go to jail too. And how could he do that to her? But on the other hand it was Chris's job to enforce the law.

"Look Jill, I don't know how we're going to stop him...But we are. Okay?" Chris reached over and cupped her hands reassuringly, she just nodded unconvinced.

"I'm always going to protect you, you know that. I promise that we will sort this out. But please...please don't go to anymore clients." Chris did something that he could rarely force himself too, he pleaded. He had had time to think about her job and their relationship, and he loved her to bits but never would he be fully content with her career.

Jill just stared blankly at him. She didn't know what to say, she would never doubt his words. She knew he would do his best to protect her, but he couldn't always be there and there was only so much she could do for herself.

"Please, I won't be able to take it...Please stop. I'll handle Wesker myself if I have to." He gazed deep into her eyes, penetrating her soul. She nodded reluctantly, giving into his pleas.

Chris brought her into a warm embrace,

"I'll look after you," He said softly, placing a peck on her cheek.

"I know you will," Jill whispered and in return, leaned her head into the crook of his neck.

"Hey Jill, would you do me a favour?" Chris asked breaking the silence which had fallen between the two. Jill retracted from his embrace and raised an eyebrow,

"Depends what it is..." Chris chuckled at the worry which was evident in her tone.

"It's Claire's 20th birthday on Monday, and I'd usually take her out somewhere at the weekend. But I'm working late today, so I can't. And she doesn't really have any friends living here anymore s-"

"Chris, I'd be more than happy to take Claire out for her birthday." Jill smiled, interrupting Chris's spew of words.

"Thanks, Jill. It'll mean a lot to her. She really likes you, which is a rare thing." He laughed.

"...You've told her, right?" Jill asked carefully.

"Yeah, she didn't really know how to take it at first. But when I told her that you're being held against your will, I think she began to understand."

"And she's okay with it?"

"I wouldn't think she's great with it, but I said that we would try to get you away from it and she was supportive." Chris spoke proudly. Claire took the news of Jill's job a lot better than he did, and he appreciated this. She didn't get flustered about the idea; she waited to hear the whole story and wanted to do her best to help Chris and Jill get out of the situation. Though as a typical sister, she did vouch that if Jill should attend another client or do anything to hurt Chris, she personally would take care of her.

"You could take Sheva too? Claire's friends with her and it would give you two a chance to get a bit closer." Chris asked cautiously. He had a strong feeling that Jill wasn't best friends with Sheva; he would even go as far as to accuse Jill of being jealous of their relationship. Jill was jealous, but she would never admit it to him.

Reluctantly Jill accepted his offer.

Chris walked into the office and caught sight of Barry going through paperwork, while looking very proud. He knew Barry had a case and clearly he had found his breakthrough.

"What you got old man?" Chris asked teasingly, standing in front of Barry's desk.

"Hmm, watch what you're calling me...young man." Barry warned which made Chris laugh. "Well I've finally got the evidence I need to hopefully break this case."

"What case are you working on?" Chris questioned pulling up a nearby chair to Barry's desk.

"An apparent prostitution ring in the city. I got photographic evidence." Barry reached over and pointed to his photos for Chris, "Now all we have to do is find this guy, and bring him in. We believe he is the one conducting it all, we just aren't sure exactly who he is yet. But this picture is solid evidence to shut it down."

Barry pointed to the man in the picture, Chris immediately recognised him. The picture showed a woman and a slightly hidden man, who looked remarkably like Wesker. The woman also looked like the person Chris had met in the pub. The following photos seemed to depict Wesker receiving a sum of money from an unknown man.

Chris swallowed, Barry was right these photos were solid evidence - they could bring down Wesker no problem. And subsequently bring down Jill. Chris, against his conscious, remained silent. He couldn't risk her getting arrested. He knew he could try and get her pardoned from the punishment as she was being held against her will. But being an officer himself, he had seen it many times before when the guilty cried they had been coerced into their acts, in an attempt to free themselves of punishment. It would be Jill's word against Wesker's, and he could never guarantee that the courts would believe her over him.

"Claire! Are you ready yet?" Jill shouted from the living room to Claire's bedroom.

...

"Typical," Jill said to herself. She glanced to her watch. She and Claire were supposed to be leaving at eight o'clock to pick up Sheva. Instead Claire seemed to be taking her sweet time on getting ready.

"Ready now!" Claire said chirpily as she bounced into the living room. She wore a pair of jeans with a red leather vest jacket; Jill really didn't see what could have taken so long.

"Do you have a hair tie?" Claire asked, while playing with her auburn locks in the mirror.

"Yeah, here." Jill chucked her hair bobble to Claire, who caught it easily, "But you should keep your hair down, it's nice for a change."

"Hmm..." Claire pondered the idea, "Nah!"

She quickly put her hair up into a long pony tail, and bounced behind Jill out of the apartment and towards her car.

"So where are we going?" Claire asked, stepping into the passenger seat.

"Well, we're going to collect Sheva, and then Chris and I thought we could take you to Chuck E Cheese so you can meet other kids? Does that sound good?" Jill teased.

"Ha. Ha. You and Chris are simply hilarious..." Jill laughed at the pout which appeared on Claire's face, as she huffed with her.

"Aw snookums, I'm kidding..." Jill said while pinching Claire's cheeks. "I thought I'd take you to the bar, you could get your first taste of coke while being in a bar environment."

Claire raised her eyebrow,

"Did Chris seriously say I can't drink?"

"Yup. But I'm designated driver for a reason. I won't say a word." Jill smirked.

The night was waning fast and each of the women felt this. By now Jill was getting pretty tired of sipping her coke and watching as Sheva got slightly tipsier after every gulp of wine cooler she took.

"Okay girlies, I'm going to step out for a bit of air." Claire said wearily. She hadn't drunk a lot but it was warm in the pub, and she was beginning to feel quite claustrophobic. Nothing some fresh air couldn't fix.

"Do you want me to come with you? You do look a bit flustered." Jill asked, concerned for the younger girl's wellbeing.

"Nah, I'll be okay. I'll be back in no time." Claire stood up shakily from the bar stool and walked carefully out.

A slightly awkward silence fell between Jill and Sheva. Jill didn't quite know how to fill it, so she occupied herself fiddling with the straw of her drink.

"You know this is quite fun..." Sheva said slurring her words ever so slightly.

"Yeah it is. I hope Claire's enjoying it too." Jill replied.

"Y'know, I actually quite like you, Jill. I really didn't want to, y'know, I kinda wanted to hate you." Sheva said, alcohol obviously bringing out her honest side. Jill didn't quite know what to say, it was clear that Sheva didn't know exactly what she was saying or doing.

"...Okay. Well I like you too Sheva. You're good to Chris and I appreciate that."

"Mmmm Chris, you're a lucky woman." Sheva admitted, pointing to Jill and losing her balance and subsequently hitting her head off the bar table.

"Oh! Are you okay?" Jill laughed slightly, reaching over to help her become upright again.

Sheva sat looking at the distance in a gaze. It looked as though she was pondering something, but with the wine coolers down her throat, Jill doubted she would be in the right mind state to think about anything.

"I kissed him..." Sheva said looking quite downtrodden.

"What?" Jill couldn't tell if her words were true or just nonsense. Chris hadn't mentioned anything, but then again it hadn't come up in conversation.

"...Yeah. Stupid on my part, I'm sorry." She began to look genuinely upset, which Jill couldn't understand. Jill didn't have any resentment towards her, they were on a break and besides right now Jill couldn't trust everything she said.

"It's okay. Let's just forget it ever happened..." Jill said trying to console the younger woman.

Claire stepped out and into the dimly lit street. The minute the cold hit her, she began to feel better. To get past the smokers hanging outside the pub, she moved further up the road to the street corner.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Redfield." A shadow figured appeared from a parked car and made their way towards Claire, "How's your brother?"

Claire shifted and brought herself up from leaning against the wall. She placed her hand in her pocket, ready to use her phone if needs be.

"Who are you?" She asked curiously. She hoped that it may have been one of Chris's workmates, but the ominous presence of the person made her think otherwise.

"Ah, we haven't met yet. I'm Albert Wesker. It's lovely to finally make your acquaintance." Wesker drawled. As he moved closer, Claire caught a glimpse of sunglasses. The street wasn't well lit, she could barely make him out.

"I know what you do. Jill isn't going to work for you anymore; we're going to make sure of that!" Claire spat at him, shifting further away from him. Wesker scoffed.

"We? Will it be a family project to get rid of me?" Claire remained quiet, and tried her best to look calm. However on the inside, his gaze scared the hell out of her.

"It's not Jill I'm here to see, actually. It's you." Wesker smirked, as Claire shuddered slightly at his words.

"Stay away from me," Claire said and turned to head back towards the pub. Wesker grabbed her wrist firmly, and she continued to pull away.

"You're going to want to hear this." Wesker teased. Claire stopped her fighting and glanced at him.

"I have a job for you."

"Ew! God no, I am not doing any of that. Dream on," Claire protested and wriggled out of his vice grip.

A smirk appeared on Wesker's thin lips, but quickly faded away. Claire began to walk away from him.

"This job is more personal for you. Something you can't refuse." Wesker called to her. She stopped and turned around cautiously, waiting for him to continue.

"There are some photographs that I want returned to me. Seems the police have finally caught onto what I do... Without those photos they don't have anything on me."

"What?" Claire asked. She didn't understand what any of this had to do with her. If there was finally evidence against him, then about time the evil bastard be put behind bars.

"I need you to retrieve those photographs for me from the RPD." He said calmly.

"I'm not going to tamper with evidence! Or do anything to help you, for that matter." Claire said in disgust, "Besides what makes you think I could even get in?"

"You have a brother who happens to work there. Use your brain."

"I'm not going to steal Chris's card. I would never do that, especially not for you!" She screeched.

"Well you do realise the minute these pictures surface, I will bring down Chris and Jill with me." Claire looked at him in disbelief, she didn't understand, "Chris knew what Jill's job was, yet refused to say. He also knows who I am. Now I'm no policeman, but I do believe that means he has withheld very valuable information..."

Claire gasped lightly. He was right, she hadn't thought of that. Chris would lose his job indefinitely, or even worse have to go to prison. She couldn't let that happen to him, Chris's intentions were always good.

"What are the photos?" Claire asked quietly.

"According to my resources, they depict me and a couple of friends in a suspicious meeting. If the police find out who I am and what I do, these photos are solid evidence against me. So I need them taken, and so do your brother and his dear love. Don't think that I will hesitate to crush them. So either you get the pictures for me, or say goodbye to your darling brother..."

"...Okay. I'll get them for you." Claire conceded. She felt so nervous; she couldn't believe she had agreed to work with him.

"Good. Don't tell anyone. You have a week, and if I were you I'd get them as soon as possible." Wesker demanded.

Claire ignored him and turned to leave for the final time. Wesker grasped her wrist and threw her up against the wall.

"You better do what I say? No funny business, you understand?" She winced in the pain of the bricks against her back.

"Understand?" Wesker growled throwing her against the wall again. She nodded slightly, wriggling beneath his grasp.

"Hey! Is everything okay here?" A young man asked who had walked upon the scene. Wesker immediately let go of her, and glanced towards the man. Seeing he was young, Wesker turned to leave,

"Don't let me down." He warned as he walked away.

"Are you okay?" The younger boy with ginger hair asked.

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks." Claire replied nervously, brushing off the dirt on her back.

"You look pale." The boy said.

"I always look pale, but at least he's gone." The boy chuckled,

"Yeah, I guess I was your knight in shining armour, Princess...?"

"Claire. And I wouldn't go that far to say knight in shining armour." Claire said, raising an eyebrow, "I would have been fine."

"I'm Steve, by the way." He smiled. Claire and Steve continued to converse, but her mind was still on the agreement she made. She had made a deal with the devil, and most likely in the end she would lose.

Sheva winked to Jill as Claire and a young boy stepped back into the pub.

"Hmmm wonder if Chris will approve?" Jill joked, laughing at the cute couple who walked in.

"Well I think it's time we head, little lady." Jill said as she dragged Sheva towards Claire, so they could leave.

"Thank you for taking Claire out." Chris said, nuzzling his head toward Jill's. The two had cuddled up together on his sofa in the morning of the next day.

"It was my pleasure." Jill said sweetly, planting a small kiss on his nose.

"You better not have let her drink?" Chris asked. Jill remained silent and removed her eyes from his.

"Jill...? Hmmm...?" He asked again, and Jill turned her face away from him, keeping her lips pursed together.

"I'm not saying anything..." Jill mumbled between closed lips.

"So that means you did?"

"No, that means I'm not saying anything."

Chris rolled on top of her, pinning her to the sofa and began to frantically attack her sides.

"Stop! Please stop," Jill squealed in between her fits of uncontrollable giggling. "YES! Okay, yes. But please... stop."

Jill grabbed her aching sides, and Chris stopped bringing his forefinger up to her mouth to shush her.

"Claire's still asleep," He shushed while chuckling himself.

"Anything else I should know about?" He whispered.

"No, anything you want to tell me?" Chris looked confused, "... like a kiss between you and Sheva?"

"She kissed me. Didn't mean anything." Chris said, and Jill pouted unconvinced. "Why? Are you finally going to admit you're jealous?"

"I am not jealous, you can kiss whoever you like."

"Really? Whoa, you're like the best girlfriend ever..."

"No! I didn't mean it like that, you can't kiss anyone." Jill said, getting agitated.

"Not even you?" Chris teased.

Jill groaned in annoyance and brought him into a kiss to wipe off the smug, cheeky smile he had plastered on his face. The two continued showering each other in kisses, but were pulled away when his door was knocked.

Chris reluctantly got off Jill and went to the door, closely followed by Jill.

"Chris Redfield?" A police officer asked. Chris didn't recognise him, recognised the uniform, but he must have been a newbie because Chris hadn't seen him floating around the RPD.

"Yeah." Chris looked at him, and the boy squirmed underneath his gaze.

"You work in the RPD?" Chris asked, and the boy nodded nervously, "I'm not working today..."

"It's not about that. We have to bring you in for questioning." The boy stuttered, running a hand through his short fair hair.

"What? Why?" Chris asked shocked by his statement.

"Evidence has gone missing, and we have reason to believe you could have had something to do with it."

"What? That's absurd! I didn't do anything!" Chris argued.

"You can't do this!" Jill said getting angered by the boy's accusations, "What evidence do you have against Chris?"

"His key card was used in the early hours of last night to enter the RPD building, around the time we believe the evidence went missing." Chris poked in his wallet to see if his card was there. It might have been stolen and then would explain how it wasn't him; however his key card was right where he had left it.

"Jill it's okay. It's just questioning, once I clear my name I'll be off the hook." Chris said in an attempt to calm Jill's annoyance at the young officer.

"Everything will be okay." Chris walked away following the officer.

There we go! Don't worry Wessie won't get away with what he has done... And thought I'd bring in Steve, it's not that I'm a big ClairexSteve shipper but I don't have a preference between Steve and Leon. And I'd already mentioned Leon earlier, so thought it was Steve's turn!

Anyways Thanks again, and reviews are always nice :D

Artichoke,

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