Hello my dear readers. Welcome to the last chapter of Hands and Tools (yeah, well, there's going to be an epilogue... but we'll talk about that later xD)

First of all, I need to apologize. I didn't mean to turn this into a smut, but I just couldn't cut it xD So, though I never warned about any of the violence or explicit language in previous chapters, and following my friend Sofistinha's advice, I need to warn you now.

First official A/N: This chapter contains (very mild) smutty adult content. I'm going to mark the beginning and the end so you can start reading without fear.

I hope you enjoy it!

- X -

Blame it on the piano

The stilettos and her handbag landed on the floor as she recognized the familiar object. There, in the middle of that room in Chris' apartment, lightened only by the moon, stood her old piano.

"That can't be." Magically attracted, she walked over to the huge instrument. It was indeed her piano, as beautiful as she remembered it. It had helped her over so much pain, doubts and fears all over the years. After the incident in the Arklay mountains she had played a whole night long, one song after another, until the pain had ceased. A smile popped onto her lips as her fingers ran over the brilliant surface. Music had been one of the things she had missed the most during her captivity, for sure. She couldn't resist the temptation and uncovered the keyboard. After tucking her hair behind her right ear she started hitting the keys, playing the first melody that came to her mind. Yes, her fingers had lost flexibility over the years. But even if her playing wasn't as smooth and fluent as it had used to be, the comforting sound made her feel better instantly.

"It has always to be the Moonlight Sonata, hasn't it?" Jill turned around shocked, finding Chris leaning against the door frame and giving her a tender look.

"I know. It reminds me of Spencer, too. But I always loved this piece." She smiled and turned to the piano again; sliding her fingers over the keys.

"This was actually meant to be a surprise." He stepped closer until he stood next to her. "Tomorrow it's being taken to your new apartment. I've had it tuned today. I'm glad it sounds good."

"It's perfect." She suddenly realized that the room they were in, where her piano had been stored, was Chris' bedroom. A lot of clothes and two half unpacked suitcases surrounded the King size bed she had helped him choose several years before. When I'm home, I want to sleep comfortably, he had replied to her question if he really needed such a huge bed. And along with all of his most intimate belongings, there was her piano.

"I can't believe you kept this," she whispered.

"Of course I did," he said smiling. "It's yours."

She looked at him in disbelief. It was much more than she could have ever asked for. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. No Wesker, or the years she had lost. No BOWs, bioterror or other world problems. No Sheva. It was just the two of them. The moonlight drew a beautiful glow into his eyes and, against her own predictions, Jill found herself not wanting to resist the temptation any longer. Guided by the rhythm of her fast pounding heart, she counted down to zero, closed her eyes, stood on tiptoes, and pressed her lips onto Chris'.

He was surprised, of course, and intuitively tried to pull back, but she managed to hold on to his neck and not let go of him until he'd overcome the first shock. Although he could have easily broken the kiss, once he'd pulled himself together, he didn't do so. He didn't kiss her back either.

She prepared herself to be pushed away as she felt how he grabbed her arms. But he didn't push her. Instead, he pulled her closer. She couldn't believe it. Chris finally responded to her kiss, parting his lips to move them slowly over hers. She opened her mouth, giving his tongue free access. His right hand searched for her neck and his thumb caressed her cheek as they both explored each other's cavity. She slung her arms around his trained torso and could feel his muscles pressing against her chest. The touch of cigarettes she had expected to taste couldn't be perceived. Maybe he had really given up smoking. The mere thought made her giggle into his demanding and yet calm and tender kiss. How often had they had the chance to do that? Hundreds of times? Thousands of times? And even so, they had never taken it.

Chris suddenly pulled apart and smiled at her, delicately taking the chance to comb her hair out of her face.

"Is this really happening?" He frowned in disbelief.

She smiled at him and put her fingers onto his collar, just to start unbuttoning his shirt.

"Nothing has happened yet," she said giving him a playful look, before catching his lips again.

[SMUT MODE ON]

Without offering any type of resistance, he let her undo button after button and strip the shirt off his shoulders, throwing it onto the floor while she slid out of her jacket. Their lips parted again and she lifted her arms so he could pull her shirt over her head. Finally able to touch her, his fingers traced a line over her collarbone and down to the spot where he had once pulled the P30 device off her chest. He leaned forward and kissed it softly as an attempt to ease the pain of the past. She closed her eyes and arched her back, moaning slightly in pleasure, enjoying every one of his caresses. It felt like a dream; an intense and amazing dream. But her lips still hungered for his. She cupped his jaw and pulled him towards her mouth again. It made him throw his arms around her and embrace her tight as his tongue stroked hers again. Hasty fingers ran over his back along every single line his muscles drew under his skin. The need to feel him even closer became unbearable and it made her hands run down his body. She chuckled into his kiss as she felt how much he wanted her, and just started to stroke him curiously through his pants, releasing a soft groan from his throat. Her heart rate accelerated as she felt his hands unhook her bra. The lingerie ended on the floor along with their other clothing.

They stopped undressing and stood there for a while, chest on chest, exploring their bodies with mouth and hands, caressing each other, feeling the sensation of their bare skin under their fingertips. How good his hands felt on her body. It was hard to imagine that the same hands which had killed Wesker were now making her feel so loved; and also her own usually so rough tools were returning him those loving caresses.

The blonde slung her arms around his neck as he put his hands on her waist and thighs and lifted her up. Still kissing her, he carried her to his bed and laid her down. The sheet felt cold against her bare back, but Chris' body on hers covered her with his warmth. Running his hands up and down her body and caressing her breasts, he caught her lips again. A moan slid through their kisses as she put her fingers on his belt.

"Jill," he gasped before biting her earlobe softly. "You can't imagine how much I wanted this."

Laughter escaped from her throat before their eyes met again. She bit her lip.

"I wanted it too."

The smile on his lips didn't even disappear when he pressed them onto her skin again, licking and kissing his way down her body from her jaw to her belly button. He undid the zipper of her jeans and pulled them down, along with her panties.

"How beautiful you are," he whispered as he kissed her thighs. A shy but shrill laughter left her throat.

"Are you going to stare at me like this forever?" she asked. He looked at her with desire before he bent over to the nightstand and opened the drawer.

"Oh, shit…"

She turned her look to the empty drawer.

"Was that your secret condom storage?" She saw him rubbing the back of his head, giving her a displeased look.

"I think we will have to stop here," he complained. Jill couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"Don't worry," she said placing a kiss on his lips. She got up, making him move aside, and ran to the door, where she had left the handbag. She took two of the small packages and showed them to Chris. "Your sister took care of that. So, if the empty drawer was just an excuse to get rid of me, you better tell me now."

He smiled at her incredulously at first, but then reached out his hand, inviting her to join him again. A shy look dresses her face as she kneeled down on the mattress. He pulled her closer into a deep kiss, laying her down again. After putting on the condom, he climbed onto her again, carefully, in order not to hurt her. Caressing her cheek, he kissed her and pushed slowly into her.

The pain made her push her fingernails into his skin as she felt him enter. She hadn't expected her first time after several years to be that painful; but the pleasure of knowing it was Chris who was causing it also eased the ache. He was being extremely gentle and went very slow, not increasing his rhythm until he felt her get more comfortable and wide up around him.

No other relationship before had made her feel as protected as she felt with Chris. After all, he was far more than just another man whom to share the sheets with. They had been uniquely united through all those years; as partners and as best friends. That friendship, however, along with the deepest respect for each other, had always made the idea of becoming lovers impossible to both of them. But even so, there they were, in Chris' king sized bed, sharing all they had. And it felt so completely natural; as if they hadn't done anything else in their whole life.

But she still didn't want to let him decide the rhythm all night long. Throwing her arm around his neck she pushed him to the left, flipping him onto his back, getting on top of him. He seemed surprised by her ability, but smiled at the lascivious look on her face. She leaned over to kiss him once more and started to move.

She loved having the control and it didn't seem to bother him, since he now had his hands free to touch and caress her. It felt so good. He closed his eyes as she started moving faster and she knew he was enjoying it as much as she was. She took his hand and pressed it against her breast as she felt she was getting close. He pulled her closer into a deep, passionate kiss and embraced her, feeling his own climax approach. They finished holding on to each other tightly.

[SMUT MODE OFF]

Only their heavy breathing could be heard in the room. The comforting sound seemed their only possibility to delay the unavoidable converstaion afterwards. But even that sound ceased as they slowly recovered breath, leaving them in almost total silence. Jill had just dropped onto Chris' body right after they had finished. With her ear pressed against his chest, she was now watching the nocturnal ambience through the window. He himself had his head turned towards the door, still caressing her blond hair. Their natural complicity from before had turned into a shameful discomfort, which didn't let them know what to say to each other or how to get out of there. What had they done?

She couldn't stand the silence any longer and lifted her head to look into Chris' eyes.

"Hey," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Hey." He tangled his fingers in her hair. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, forcing a smile.

"Chris," she mumbled looking down. "I'm sorry." He frowned.

"Sorry for what?" He gave her a questioning look.

"For losing control." She swallowed. "But I was so excited about the piano and I thought..."

"Wait." He sat up, freeing himself from her weight. His stabbing look hit hers. "Are you saying you slept with me because I kept the piano?" Her hesitation seemed more that enough to confirm his theory. "Oh, great. Fantastic." He let go a short sarcastic laughter and got up from the bed, leaving her behind. "You should have told me before that this is just your particular way to say 'thank you'. Congratulations, you almost made me think this had meant something. I wonder what you'll do to Johnson when he gets you your new car next week." He reached for his pants on the floor and started getting dressed.

Damnit, that hurt! Chris had always been very creative choosing his words, but that was the first time he had turned his anger against her. And she deserved it. She watched him as he pulled his pants up, ignoring her presence. Had she ever seen him that angry and hurt? Probably not. And the thought that she was the one who had caused it was killing her. It was time to tell the truth and stop hiding behind pianos.

"Chris, wait," she said searching for his eyes.

"For what?" He looked back at her with a disappointed expression on his face. What explanation was she coming up with? She cleared her throat.

"Of course it wasn't the piano. I slept with you because I wanted it." She swallowed. "Because I love you." His eyes widened slightly and his lips parted. She breathed in deeply. "The piano just made me forget all the reasons why it was still a bad idea."

He held her gaze. The anger had disappeared from his eyes, but she couldn't tell what feeling had taken its place. Time seemed to stretch into a neverending torture.

"And what are those reasons, Jill?" he finally said in a calm but doubtful tone.

She sighed.

"Well, there's our job and our common goals. There's our friendship I don't want to risk." She looked down. "And there's Sheva," she added in a whisper. He blinked incredulously.

"Did you say 'Sheva'?" He frowned. "Jill, you won't happen to think…?" She stared at him. Her eyes asking for an explanation.

"You're not...?" A smile popped onto her face at the gaze of his almost indiscernibly shaking head. "No, of course you're not with Sheva." She threw herself backwards onto the bed and hid her face in her hands. "You would never cheat on Sheva." Her relieved laughter filled the air.

He smiled doubtfully and sat on the corner of the bed again, looking over to her.

"What in the world made you think that Sheva and I...?"

"You did!" She sat up immediately. "First you didn't tell me she was here. And then you even refused to explain why you had kept it a secret." He grinned as he watched her reasoning. "And you have that picture in your living room."

Again, silence. Chris was surely as confused as she was. And she couldn't even blame him for it. The situation was freaking her out as well.

"Okay, maybe I wasn't being very clear before." His look met hers. "Jill, listen. If I didn't tell you, it was because I didn't want to make you feel more isolated in rehab." He sighed. "Those months in the hospital did you more wrong than I could have ever imagined. And you weren't yourself any more." His hand wandered to hers. "I could save you from Wesker, but I couldn't get you out of the labs."

She grinned shyly and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Chris."

"And that group photograph in the living room is just a picture of the day I was assigned as the captain of the S.O.U. It's mere coincidence Sheva's on it." He laughed.

Jill lowered her head and laughed again.

"You must think I'm horribly stupid. But you have to admit that it's quite suspicious that she's on the only picture in your whole apartment." She gave him a challenging look.

He instantly turned around and switched on the lamp on the nightstand. The new light source showed all those details Jill had missed in the darkness of the night. Like that shelf on the wall between the bed and the door, and the photographs placed on it. There was one of Chris and a teenage Claire; one of two elder people and Claire as a child; one of a motorbike with Claire on it; and that one that made Jill's heart beat faster. It was a picture of Chris and herself, taken the day they had received their first B.S.A.A. uniforms. How happy they looked.

"But you always said…" she said with shivery voice. He gave her a naughty smirk.

"Photographs are material nonsense, yes." He nodded smiling. "I just keep the most important ones where I most need them." She looked at him, obviously moved. "So, I think there are only two reasons left." He raised an eyebrow.

She swallowed.

"Yes." Her soft whisper could barely be heard. "But they are important ones, don't you think?"

"Maybe," He held her gaze. "What if I gave you one good reason to ignore them?"

"I'm all ears." Her still doubtful look made him grin widely. He reached for her and pulled her closer.

"I love you too, Jill," he whispered and slid his lips over her cheek, close to the corner of her mouth. The touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"Well," she said shivering "I guess that is indeed a pretty good reason."

He looked deeply into her eyes, reading all of her emotions through her shiny look as his hands and fingers kept sliding over her delicate skin.

"Right?" He laid her down again, enfolding her in his arms. "Also, I think we make quite a good team here, too."

"Yeah, we do." She giggled holding on to him. "Partner."

"God, I've been hoping for this for so long." He placed a tiny kiss on her lips. "I was just too foolish to admit it."

"I didn't want to see it either," she whispered into his kiss and embraced him tightly. "I had to die and be reborn to understand it."

He pulled away to give her a serious look.

"Don't do that ever again, Jill," he scolded. "Don't ever risk your life for me again."

She laughed.

"I can't promise you that, Chris. I'm sorry, but I can't. No matter how selfish it may sound; a world without Chris Redfield in it is not a world I want to live in." She cupped his chin.

"This is so selfish," he said smiling and placed a kiss on her lips. "And childish." Another kiss. "And stupid." Another one. "And it's exactly how I feel about you."

She smiled at him, moved by his words.

"I'm sort of relieved we're not going to be partners on field again."

"Yes, me too."

With those words he closed the distance between them again.

Yeeeaaaah! That's it! I've really done it!

THANK YOU ALL so much for joining me in this adventure; for reading, following, liking and reviewing.

A very big and special thank you to my good friend Thebigticket21, for your support all over the weeks. So, nothing was as it seemed and we finally got our Valenfield ending. I really hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoy yours, my friend :D As I already told you, a weekend without one of your updates is an incomplete weekend.

Of course, I also want to thank my sis Sofistinha for helping me with the doubts I had about this chapter. I hope you like how it turned out in the end ;) I know you're a little busy lately, but I'm still waiting for the next chapter of 'She loves me not'.

Guest. Thank you for your review (I would have definitely replied in a PM if I had known who to send it to xD) As you wish! Here we have our Valenfield together and Sheva far far away (Personally, though I actually enjoy good Creva stories, if I was her I'd get someone younger than Chris xD). And about Jill's giggles, I was probably imagining a "nervous" giggle and didn't describe it well enough ;P I also think that Jill wants to seem tough in front of Chris, who is still feeling very guilty for what happened to her. But, yeah, you're probably right about the giggling thing :D

And that's all. Thank you all so much for your support. You are AMAZING!

PS: The epilogue is coming soon.