Disclaimer; I don't own Resident Evil, or any of it's characters. I'm just a humble fan who's waiting impatiently for RE5(get on it, Capcom!).

Synopsis: I was playing REmake, and started wondering just what it had to be like for the characters between games. I mean, beyond the files and short endings. Not to mention, why they killed off some potentially decent characters so quickly. This is what happens when I get bored. So, here goes nothing. . .

RESIDENT EVIL

Chapter Three

"My, what do we have here?"

Hunk's eyes flew open, and he cursed as he realized that he had fallen asleep. He found himself staring down the barrel of a gun, a modified .9 millimeter, at that. His raised his gaze slowly, and barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he saw who was holding it. "Good to see you again, sweetheart."

Ada Wong smiled slightly, though the gun never wavered. "That's debatable, now isn't it?" she countered smoothly.

He returned the half-smile, his hazel eyes locking on her sapphire ones. "Are you going to use that pea-shooter, honey?"

"I'm considering it," she drawled. She studied him closely before slowly holstering the Beretta. "I suppose I shouldn't, if I want to find out what you're doing here."

"Gee, thanks." Hunk remained seated, crossing his arms over his chest. "I take it you're still pissed at me?"

She laughed, the husky sound enough to stir any man's blood. "No, Hunk. I'm just wondering why an Umbrella agent is sleeping in an Agency safe house?"

"Why do you think?" he asked caustically, his gaze moving to the bed beside him. "I needed a safe place to take the kid."

"Ah." Ada took a step toward the bed, tilting her head to one side as she studied the unconscious man. She took note of the bandages on his shoulder and arm, as well as his overall appearance. He was quite dirty. "The poor thing looks like he's had a rough time. Who is he?"

"My brother," came the short, terse answer. "My intel said that you would be gone for at least another week. What are you doing here, Lily?"

"It's Ada, now," she reminded him absently, her midnight blue eyes running over the man in question. "To answer your question, my mission ended rather abruptly. He doesn't look like you, Hunk."

"We've got different fathers," he said with a shrug, used to her rapid subject changes. It was a way to keep others off-balance, and her in control of the conversation. "I need to stay here for a while, until the kid can travel. Is that going to be a problem?"

Ada flashed him a mysterious smile. "Well, that depends on you," she said somewhat cryptically, causing him to laugh.

"You want to barter, huh?" He patted his lap, laughing again as she raised a single eyebrow in response. "Do you need anything in particular, sweets?"

She made an appreciative sound and approached him, standing over him with another smile. "Maybe, a little inside intel," she purred persuasively, dropping onto his lap. His hands grasped her hips, as hers slid into his tawny hair. "You tell me exactly what happened in the Arkham Mountains, and I'll help you and your brother lie low. What do you say?"

Hunk laughed again, knowing that whatever he told her, she'd already know. "You're still a bitch, honey," he told her fondly.

"Of course," Ada returned wickedly. "Would you want me any other way?"

"Hell, no!" Her brushed his lips across his, and the smile disappeared. "I'm in serious shit here, babe. The kid's wanted, and he's in no position to run right now. I need to know that you're not going to screw us over."

She tried to look hurt, but just couldn't pull it off. "My superiors would suspect me if they knew I had ties to an Umbrella operative," she told him flatly. "If I'm going to put my life on the line, I want to know why."

Hunk glanced towards his brother and nodded. "You're looking at the reason, babe."

She glanced at the unconscious man with the dark hair, her curiosity peaked. She took seat on the other bed, kicking off her shoes with a sigh. She settled back against the headboard and waved him forward. "Talk to me, Hunk. Tell why I should risk my career--and my life--for you and your brother."

He sat on the edge of the bed and told her everything, trusting her as he had only one other person. Lily--Ada, he reminded himself--might be a bitch, but she took care of her own. Their common interests had formed a strong, though slightly warped, bond between them. If he couldn't trust her with this, then he couldn't trust anyone.

"Why didn't you just tell me that your brother was Billy Coen?" she asked at length. "The Organization is well aware of the role he played in Arklay Mountains two nights ago."

"What role?" Hunk asked sharply, praying that Billy hadn't taken Umbrella's deal, after all. "What the hell are you saying?"

"Just that he and a member of S.T.A.R.S. were stranded together in the mountains," she said soothingly, surprised by the show of protectiveness. It was so unlike the man she knew. "They cooperated with one another, although Lieutenant Coen was declared dead this morning."

He released a harsh breath, relief nearly paralyzing him. "That much, I knew," he said impatiently.

"He killed James Marcus," Ada said with studied casualness.

Hunk looked at her sharply. "James Marcus died ten years ago, Lily." Her gorgeous sapphire eyes narrowed on his, and he said, "Sorry--Ada."

"That's better." Ada's smile was cool as she continued. "As I was saying, he and Officer Chambers killed James Marcus a second time night before last. Apparently, his laboratory leeches had bonded with him after his original death, and resurrected him. He went after your brother and his partner that night. They destroyed the monster he had become, and blew up the training facility."

"Good," he said bluntly, not caring how much they had cost his employers, so long as his brother had survived. "I need to know that I can trust you in this, Ada. I don't give a fuck what happens to me, but I don't want my brother harmed."

She nodded, running a hand through her silkily black hair. It tousled becomingly around her stunning features, an effect he knew that she was fully aware of. "You'll owe me one," she pointed out in a deliberately sensual voice.

One corner of Hunk's mouth curled up in a cynical smile, knowing that being indebted to this woman was not a good thing. Still, it was his brother's life that he was buying with his promise. Billy was worth it.

"Done," he murmured, reaching out to smooth one hand up the silky length of her leg. "I need to get back to my brother, but I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate you, honey."

"You're too smart not to, Hunk." Ada curled her legs under her and shifted closer, brushing her lips across his. "I've got a few things to take care of, myself. So, why don't I give you a rain check? We can finish this," she trailed a finger down his torso suggestively, "later."

Hunk laughed as her hand settled in a very sensitive place. "Not too much later, I hope."

"No," she whispered, slanting her head and kissing him deeply. She drew back, her lips curving in response to his wicked grin, and released him. "Go back to your brother, handsome. I've got a report to work on."

"Sure thing, sweets." He rose to his feet and made an adjustment that sent her into peals of husky laughter. "Just don't fuck me on this, babe, or I'll kill you."

Ada stretched out on her side, knowing just how much of a temptation she was at the moment. "Don't worry, Hunk. I'm not in any hurry to die."

He sent her a meaningless wink as he resumed his seat. "Good, because I'm not in much of a hurry to kill you."

Ada lingered for a few moments longer, her royal blue gaze moving back and forth between them. The injured man looked younger than his brother, but he definitely wasn't a child. Somewhere in his mid-twenties, she'd guess, and handsome to boot. While he wasn't her type--he was too dark for her tastes--he was certainly easy on the eyes.

She didn't like the tattoo, though. It began at the top of his right shoulder, and wound down the entire length of his arm. She wasn't fond of body art, no matter how well drawn, and she was already bored with the whole family reunion thing.

Ada rose gracefully to her feet, smiling as Hunk's gaze was drawn to her legs. "Well, I think I'll leave you to play nursemaid," she announced, mentally reviewing all she would have to do to hide their presence from her superiors. "We'll continue our. . .discussion later."

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Hunk hesitated before adding, "Thank you--Ada."

"You're welcome, lover." She waved carelessly and strutted to the door, throwing over her shoulder, "You can introduce me to you brother later, as well."

Hunk watched her leave the room with appreciative green-gold eyes. There was no doubt about it. The woman who called herself Ada Wong was definitely a ball-breaker. It would take a man with more patience than he possessed to tame her. It was a hellova thought, though.

"She's got an amazing body." His head whipped around the low-spoken words. "Who is she?"

Hunk shrugged his big shoulders, his green eyes glinting. "Just someone I know from work," he said casually. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," came the blunt, if weak, answer. "Now, will you tell me how you knew where to find me?"

"I found the wreck of the M.P.'s jeep," he stated somewhat grimly, "as well as what was left of a mansion in the Arklay Mountains. It was easy to track you from there."

"Why?" Billy asked at length, not bothering to hide his animosity. "I haven't seen you in over three years. Why did you bother looking for me, at all?"

At the hurt buried in his brother's angry eyes, he sighed and explained, "I've spent the last three years trying to find a way to get you out of the stockade. I knew that if I contacted you, it would be all over. I couldn't take that chance, Billy. I had to remain a ghost."

Billy's lips thinned at his words. He wished like hell that he could believe his older brother, but actions spoke louder than words, and nobody listened to those. "It's cool," he told the older man shortly. "No one else believed me, either. There's no reason you should have."

"Don't say that!" Hunk told him harshly. "Don't you ever say that to me, again!"

He sighed heavily, suddenly exhausted. "Hunk--"

"I did everything I could to get you out of that fucking place," Hunk hissed furiously. "Until they finally decided to move you, I couldn't do shit. I'm sorry that my contacts weren't good enough, but don't think for a minute that I bought that Marine bullshit. Do you understand me?"

"I'm sorry," Billy told him in a quiet voice. He looked up at the man he had always admired, the older half-brother who had never cared what others though of him, and attempted a smile. "It's just that. . .you're the first, Hunk. Dad didn't even believe me."

Hunk grunted. "That's because your old man is a dick," he told him bluntly.

"True," Billy conceded reluctantly. He reached up with his left hand and gently touched the bandage on his right shoulder. "How bad did he get me?"

"You'll live, provided you don't get an infection." Hunk lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Either way, we'll be stuck here in Raccoon while you heal."

Billy's face lit up at his words. "We're in Raccoon City?"

"Yes, we are," Hunk said warily. "Why?"

"Because there's someone I have to contact here."

Shit! Hunk gazed at his younger brother with a sinking feeling."Tell me it's not that S.T.A.R.S. member you worked with in the mountains?"

"She made it, then," Billy murmured, his entire countenance changing. "You should've have seen her, Hunk. She'd just whip out that little gun of hers and start blasting away. She saved my life more than once, and set me free when it was over. I've never met anyone like her," he added with obvious admiration.

"Billy. . ." Hunk cursed under his breath. He did not need this complication. "You know you can't see her, kid."

Billy's fine features hardened, and Hunk had his first glimpse of what three years in military hell had done to his half-brother. "Yes, I can," he stated flatly, looking fully prepared to fight over the matter. "I don't know how you know about her, and I don't care. I didn't tell Rebecca how I felt before we parted ways, and I should have. Now that I know she survived, I'm going to."

"No, you're not." Hunk rose to his feet, his granite features taking on a sinister cast. "You're finally a free man, and I'm not going to let you blow that on some piece of tail."

Billy's expression closed completely. "She is not a piece of tail," he said in a too-soft voice. "If you ever call her that again, I'll--"

He broke off, looking away as he realized that he'd almost threatened his own brother. "I'm sorry," he said stiffly, his anger gone as quickly as it had surfaced. "It's just that. . .this one's different, Hunk. I-I love her."

"Fuck me," Hunk muttered under his breath. He plunged both hands through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "Goddamn it, kid! You're going to get yourself killed thinking like that!"

"Maybe, it'd better that way," Billy said simply, devastatingly.

Hunk lifted his head and stared at him, dumbfounded. "What the fuck are you saying?" he demanded angrily.

Billy merely shrugged, flinching as pain screamed through his right shoulder. His breath caught, and forced himself to breathe through the pain. "Nevermind, Hunk. It's not important."

"The hell it isn't!" Hunk jumped to his feet, wishing he'd paid a little more attention to the psychiatric reports the Marines had compiled on the kid. "There's nothing more important than being alive, Billy. Nothing at all."

An image of Joseph flashed through Billy's mind. "You're wrong, Hunk," he said sadly. "I'd rather be dead than lose my humanity."

"The B.O.W." Hunk let out a harsh breath and forced himself to sit back down. "Tell me how you ended up at Raccoon City Hospital with yet another member of S.T.A.R.S.?"

"He saved me from a pack of Cerberus' in the woods," Billy answered, adding, "A Cerberus is--"

"One of the dead Dobermans," Hunk cut in dryly. "Yeah, I ran across them while I was tracking you."

Billy studied him with suddenly suspicious eyes. "How did you know what they're called, Hunk?"

He frowned again at the kid's question. No matter how fucked up Billy might be, it hadn't dimmed his intelligence any. "The same way I know about Chambers," he lied evenly, "through a contact in the R.P.D."

"Oh." The younger man closed his eyes for a moment before smiling crookedly. "Well, after Rebecca left me in the mountains, I was making my here. I got attacked by the Dobies, and this guy came out of nowhere and shot a couple. The entire pack took off, and then I got a look at his eyes, and I freaked. I shot him," he added with obvious embarrassment.

Hunk grunted. "Good," he said curtly.

"No, not good," Billy assured him. "I was going through the guy's stuff when he started thrashing around. He healed, Hunk, even though I'd just shot him in the head."

"A head shot?" Hunk questioned sharply. That wasn't supposed to be possible, he thought uneasily. The younger man nodded, and he released a long breath. "You're sure you got him in the head?"

"Yeah, Hunk. I'm sure." Billy smiled faintly at the memory. "It scared the hell out of me, until he spoke. His girl's name, he said later. Anyway, he started snoring, and I knew that I couldn't just leave out there in the woods. Not with those dogs and the zombies running around. So, I waited until he woke up and suggested that we cooperate."

Hunk rolled his eyes at that. The kid might be a twenty-six year old man now, but he obviously still had a fear of being alone. "You sound as though you liked him," he commented at length.

"Yeah, I did," Billy muttered, "right up to the point when he tried to arrest me."

"I didn't see a pair handcuffs in his hands," Hunk pointed out irritably. "All I saw was the Remington he shot you with."

"We were trying to save those hikers that the axe-guy killed, Hunk."

"Uh-huh," his brother said, obviously not impressed. "And that's why he plugged you full of buckshot."

Billy flushed uncomfortably. "That surprised me, too," he admitted. "I don't think he meant to shoot me, Hunk. I think he panicked when he saw me raise the Beretta."

Hunk made a rude sound and crossed his arms. "Bullshit," he muttered succinctly.

The younger man laughed, then groaned in pain. "Don't make me laugh, Hunk. It hurts."

"Sorry, kid. I'll do my best." Hunk thought of the cop's eyes, and how they had flashed with yellow fire. "Do you know how he became a B.O.W.?"

"He said that he was attacked by the Cerberus', and that he woke up that way." Billy's voice wavered as exhaustion swept over him. "He didn't know what had happened to him. He was scared as hell, Hunk. He probably still is."

Hunk made a non-committal sound, though he didn't doubt that the cop was scared. This was an unusual development, one that Umbrella certainly hadn't planned for. This S.T.A.R.S. member hadn't been turned a zombie by the T-virus, nor been administered the Tyrant protocols. By all rights, he should be dead, and Hunk wondered just what it was that had caused his body to react so uniquely to the virus.

Billy watched his older brother's expression close and was immediately suspicious. "How do you know so much about Umbrella?" he asked in a low voice. "It's not just some contact in the R.P.D., is it?"

"Actually, it is," Hunk surprised himself by answering. He had no intention of mentioning that the Chief of Police, Brian Irons, was in league with Umbrella Inc., but he could give his brother this much, even if it wasn't the complete truth. "I have an associate, who has a friend, who works in the R.P.D. records department. This associate has another friend, one who works in a secret facility not too far from here."

Midnight eyes sharpened on his. "The Arkham Training Facility?"

"No, not Arkham," Hunk said quietly, thinking of the destruction of the Spenser Mansion, and the abrupt end of Ada's assignment. "I'm sorry, kid. I can't tell you any more than that."

"Hunk. . ." Billy's voice trailed off as he realized that the other man knew much more than he was willing to divulge. "I thought you were just a mercenary, Hunk?"

Hunk looked down at his younger brother, hating the disillusionment in he saw reflected in the kid's shocked expression. "I am a merc, Billy. A very highly-paid one," he added defensively.

"And Umbrella can afford you?" Billy asked bitterly.

"Yes."

Billy watched him pace, trying not to feel betrayed. "They offered me a deal, you know."

He stopped dead in his tracks but didn't turn around. "Yeah, I heard."

"What would you have done if I'd taken it?" Billy asked, suddenly very tired. "Would you have transported me to the facility yourself if they'd ordered it?"

"Hell, no!" Hunk whirled around, nailing the younger man with a furious glare. "I'd have gotten you the fuck out of there, come hell or high water!"

Billy met his gaze for a long moment before looking away. "Then, thank you, Hunk."

Hunk watched as he turned onto his left side and closing his eyes, and knew that the conversation was over. He left the room and very quietly closed the door behind him. As he went downstairs to find Ada, he wondered if Billy would still be there when he returned, and what he would do if he wasn't.

Joseph looked up at the Raccoon Arms apartment building, swallowing nervously as he worked up the courage to go inside. He'd spied Jill's Accord parked on the street, Chris' red truck parked three cars behind it. As pissed as he had been when he'd first seen it, he wasn't the least bit surprised. If Jill was grieving--and he liked to think that she was--then nothing short of death could have kept Chris from helping her through it.

Which was a tempting thought, Joseph acknowledged with silent shame. He had always liked Chris Redfield, had taken comfort from knowing that he cared more for Jill's happiness than his own. But right now, at this very moment, he wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and take the man apart. He wanted to kill him slowly, to draw out the moment, and enjoy every bit of torment he could wring from a man he'd always admired.

Yes, there was something very wrong with him, and Joseph didn't know how to make it stop! It was as if all of his emotions were being amplified at once, distorted by some unknown factor, twisting into something dark and dangerous. Yet physically, he was in better shape than he had ever been in his life. He could run for miles without becoming winded, and with the sunglasses firmly in place, he could literally see for miles. He could smell everything, from the pollution that clogged the hot summer air, to the sweat of humanity as it milled around him. As for his hearing, he had learned more than he'd ever wanted to know about the residents of Raccoon City.

God, what's happening to me?! he cried in silent anguish. This, more than anything, was what kept him rooted to sidewalk. What if he went up there and lost control? What if he attacked Chris in a fit of jealousy, and actually killed him?!

Jill would never forgive him for that, he knew. She considered Chris and his kid sister family. Old man Burton, too, to some extent. But it was Chris Redfield that she cared for above all others, and she would defend him to the very last if pushed. Joseph didn't want to imagine what her reaction would be to losing him. She would kill whomever hurt Chris, and worry about feeling guilty later. She was one tough woman.

It was something he had always loved about her, that indomitable spirit that had helped her to survive her rough childhood. She was fiercely protective of those she loved, and for a brief time, he had been included in that exclusive circle. Would she be able to accept him now, as the monster he had become?

Joseph made a rough sound and forced himself to calm down. He knew that Jill had loved him; that knowledge had always surprised him. Now, he would find out if that love had been real, or if the nightmare of reality would turn her away.

He forced his unwilling feet to move and entered the building. He glanced briefly at the intercom, then at the locked glass door, and smiled slowly. He reached out and grasped the handle firmly, then pulled. The lock gave with a screech of twisted metal, and he was in. He ignored the ancient elevator and took the stairs two at a time, taking care to step lightly, so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself with excess noise.

He alighted noiselessly on the landing, allowing himself a small smile at his newfound agility. It died as he neared apartment 2c, replaced by a flash of fear he nearly couldn't control. He reached out and tried the knob, not surprised to find it locked. He pulled a small key ring out of his waist-pack and inserted a silver key into the lock. He heard the mechanism give and put the keys away, drawing a deep breath before slowly opening the door.

He found Chris sprawled out on the sofa, his right arm and leg hanging over the side. A blanket was twisted around him, and he mumbled incoherently in sleep, his brow furrowed as though his dreams were unpleasant. Good, he thought coldly. It served him right for trying to move in on his girl during such a difficult time!

Joseph chastised himself for his thoughts, even as he had to restrain himself from attacking his former teammate. He moved through the living room on silent feet, letting himself into Jill's bedroom and closing the door behind him. His leaned back against it, his gaze settling on the double bed. Jill had kicked the covers away in her sleep, and was curled up into a ball on his side of the bed, a pillow clutched to her considerable chest.

His heart filled with emotions he couldn't describe as simply watched the woman he loved sleep. He slid down to the floor, unable to take his eyes off her. He loved her so much, he thought, blinking back tears. The light from the bedside lamp flowed over her, bathing her in soft golden light. Her hair was had a slight wave to it, as though she had gone to bed with it wet.

He wished that he could crawl into that bed and curl up beside her. He'd always held her as he slept, reluctant to be parted from her even in slumber. He had thought that being transferred to Alpha Team would give him more time with her. Instead, it had heralded the end of them.

"Jill," he whispered desolately, dropping his head to his knees.

"Joe?"

His head snapped up, his eyes widening behind the concealing shades. Jill's own gray-blue eyes were wide as their gazes met, her expression one of stunned disbelief. "Joseph?" she repeated incredulously, those stunning eyes filling with tears. "Is it really you?"

Joseph's lips trembled as he attempted a smile. "It's me, Jill."

She flew off the bed, dropping to her knees before him. Her hands shook as she slowly, fearfully, raised them to his face. She touched him with hesitant fingers, and he had to bite back a groan at the contact. "My God!" she exclaimed, her husky voice breathless. "You're alive!"

Jill threw her arms around him, sobbing as hugged her to him tightly. "Joe," she murmured brokenly, running her hand through his dark hair. "I thought you were dead!"

"I know," Joseph said hoarsely, burying his face in the slender length of her neck. "I thought I was dead, too."

"How?" she asked, even as she tightened her hold. "How did you survive the attack?"

Joseph shuddered violently. "I don't know," he answered as honestly as he could. "I woke up in the woods, and you guys were gone. I thought the dogs had gotten you, too."

"You remember that?!" Jill loosened her hold just enough to look up at him.

"Yes," he said all too grimly. "After that, it's all black until I wake up."

"God!" She searched his expression, frowning as she suddenly realized that she couldn't see his eyes. She reached for the sunglasses and he stopped her, his hands grasping her wrists. "Joe, what's wrong?"

Joseph shook his head as the moment he had dreaded came upon him. "I'm different now, Jill."

"Different, how?" Jill asked with trepidation. "Are you infected with the T-virus?"

"I think. . ." he swallowed hard and said, "Yes, I believe I am."

"Oh, Joe." She hung her head for a long moment, her joy in her lover's survival eclipsed by the knowledge that he still might die. She finally raised her head, her hazy eyes sparking with determination. "Let me see, Joe."

"No," he whispered, his tone pleading. "Jill, please--"

"Show me," she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Joseph released her hands and slowly removed the sunglasses. He gazed at her from tawny amber eyes that were hauntingly beautiful, but nowhere near human. "Do you see?" he asked bitterly. "This is what I didn't want you to see, Jill. My. . .inhumanity."

"Stop." Jill brought her hands to his face once again, stunned by the change wrought in him, but too grateful that he was alive to care. "You're still the man I love, Joseph Frost. We'll figure this out, somehow."

He blinked as those tawny, animalistic eyes filled with tears. "You mean, that you can accept me," he questioned incredulously, "even like this?!"

She nodded, her own tears spilling over, as she moved back into his embrace. "I'm just glad to have you back," she whispered brokenly.

"Oh, Jill." Joseph held him to her, taking care not to crush her with his newfound strength. He stroked his hands down the slender length of her back, wanting nothing more than to stay like this forever. "I love you, Jill."

"I love you, too," she told him passionately. "We'll find a way to cure you, Joe. Umbrella had to have some kind of antidote for this thing, right? We'll find it, and everything will be alright."

For the first time since awakening next to Billy Coen's campfire, he felt a sense of hope. "Do you really think so?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes," Jill said firmly, unable to believe otherwise, "yes, I do."

He smiled, the first real smile since awakening, and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Jill."

She turned her head, her classic features marred by a frown. "Don't ever thank me," she brushed her lips over his, "for loving you."

Joseph groaned deeply as a wholly human hunger swept through him. His mouth swooped down on hers in a voracious kiss, one which she returned with full fervor. He broke the kiss as it became too much for him, smiling down at the woman in his arms. She returned his smile beatifically, and his heart threatened to leap from his chest.

"Jill. . ."

She laid a hand along the side of his face, trailing her fingers over his sculpted cheek. "You're eyes are flashing," she murmured huskily, adding, "it's quite a turn-on. I like it."

He found himself blushing furiously at the sensual whisper. "It's not too weird for you?" he asked self-consciously.

She shook her head negatively. "Your eyes are nothing compared to what I saw in that mansion last night."

"Tell me," he entreated, settling back against the door and holding her close. "I want to hear everything."

Jill did, holding nothing back. She told him all that had happened in the Spenser Mansion, and of Wesker's devastating betrayal. Joseph listened in silence, his temper rising with each softly-spoken word that she uttered. Alpha Team's captain, the founder of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service, had created S.T.A.R.S. so that he could acquire combat data on the monsters he had helped Umbrella create. He had sent Alpha Team into the Arklay Mountains, knowing full well that the T-virus had been released the night before. He had knowingly sacrificed Enrico, Richard, and all the others--including himself.

"Jesus!" Joseph shuddered violently as she burrowed closer. "God, I'm glad you survived!"

"Me too," Jill returned with a hint of her usual dryness. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, wishing that they could stay like this forever.

All too soon, their reunion was shattered. Joseph stiffened as he head movement in the other room. "Chris," he hissed, his anger returning in full force.

Jill lifted her head, surprised by the venom in his tone. "Joe, what is it?" she asked with concern. A soft knock sounded on the door, and she watched as her lover's chiseled features took on a sinister cast.

"Jill?"

"Don't tell him I'm here," Joe ordered, unable to contain a growl of fury. "Get rid of him."

She frowned at him as she pulled away. "Chris is our friend, Joe. He can help us with this."

"No!" he rumbled, struggling to keep his voice low. "Get rid of him, Jill--or I will."

Her beautiful blue-gray eyes were wide as she stared at him with disbelief. "Did you just threaten Chris?! Joe, what's wrong with you?"

"Jill?" Chris voice was muffled by the door, but his concern was obvious. "I thought I heard voices in there. Are you okay?"

Joseph's yellowish eyes narrowed on her, and Jill knew her first moment of fear since being reunited with him. "I'm fine," she called out, the first seeds of doubt springing to life in her mind. "Go back to sleep, Chris."

There was a moment of silence, and then, "Are you sure, Jill?"

Joseph was furious. It showed in his expression, and his wildly flashing eyes. "Yes, Chris, I'm sure," she said in a firm tone. He didn't answer, and she sighed, knowing that he hadn't believed her. "I'll be out in a few minutes. Okay?"

"All right," he said slowly. "Just don't take too long."

"I won't."

Joseph waited until he was sure the other man had moved away before releasing her. He rose to his feet, his hands clenching into fists at his side. "I want you to stay away from him," he commanded imperiously, and her hackles rose in response.

"Why?" Jill questioned, her hands on her hips. "I've known Chris for five years. He's my best friend. He's your friend, too. What the hell's gotten in to you, Joe?"

"He's in love with you!" Joseph told her angrily. "He always has been!"

She frowned darkly. "That's crap, Joe, and you know it."

"No, I don't." He literally growled at her, his rage a palpable thing. "Why do you think he's always touching you, listening to your problems, being there for you?"

The thick sarcasm dripping from his words sparked her own temper. "He's there for me because he's my friend," she hissed in return. "What's happened to you, Joe? Why are you acting like this?"

She had no way of knowing that he could hear the other man as he moved around her apartment, muttering to himself in his worry over the woman he loved. Chris was afraid to leave her alone, because he didn't know how Jill was going to react to losing him. He was planning on spending all of his free time with her, to make sure she got through his death with her emotional health intact.

Jill watched the emotions that chased one another across his handsome features. Rage was the most predominant, and it was all directed at a man he had once considered a friend. "You were right," she said in a quiet voice. "You are different."

He flinched at her words, the color draining from his face. "I told you," he said, his voice hoarse with barely leashed fury. His inhuman eyes flickered from her to the door, and literally glimmered with red-gold fire. "Stay away from him, Jill. I won't tell you, again."

Jill watched with disbelief as he turned towards her window, lifted the sill, and jumped out. She rushed to window, shocked to see him racing with incredible speed towards the high school. He rounded the building and disappeared from sight, leaving her trembling with fear. She fumbled with the window, pulling it closed and turning the little lock.

She closed the curtain and turned away, rubbing her arms to ward off a sudden chill. She'd thought that she'd do anything to have Joe back. She'd been wrong. The one thing she wouldn't do was trade his life for Chris'. Chris deserved better than that, and so did she.

Drawing a deep breath, she smoothed her hair back and went into the living room. Chris was sitting on the sofa, his familiar cobalt eyes taking in her appearance with concern. "You've been crying, again."

Jill nodded, unable to manage a smile as she sat beside him. "I had a nightmare," she told him, thinking that it really was the truth. Having Joe come back as an emotionally unstable B.O.W. really was a nightmare!

Chris set a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Joseph's words flashed through her mind, and she shoved them away with resentment. "Hold me for a while?" she asked quietly, determined not to let him come between her and her closet friend.

"Of course." He settled back on the sofa and pulled her into his arms, wrapping the blanket she'd given him around her. He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. "Better?"

"Much," she said with a sigh.

And it was. No matter what happened in her life, Chris was always there for her. Yes, he loved her, but not in the way that Joseph had so angrily insisted. And even if he did, she wouldn't be able to turn him away. He and Claire were her family, just as she was theirs.

She thought briefly of telling him the truth about Joe, but decided against it. If Chris found out that Joseph had not only survived, but was infected with the T-virus, he would feel even more guilty than he already did. And once he saw Joseph's emotional instability, it would be even worse. He would be torn between his remorse, and need to keep her safe.

No, it was best that she keep this to herself, and handle it her own way. She would look into Umbrella's activities here in the city, and try to find a cure for Joseph. God, she had never seen him so angry before! She hadn't even thought him capable of that kind of rage. What if he had gone after Chris? Joe might have killed him!

Jill still couldn't believe that she'd watched him jump from a two story window and run away. He hadn't been hurt, or even phased by the drop. If he was now that strong, there was no way Chris would be able to defend himself, short of killing the other man. And that Chris wouldn't do, simply because of his friendship with her.

Unless Joseph got completely out of hand, she wouldn't tell Chris that he was alive. She would do everything in her power to protect Chris, and help Joseph become human again. But she was very much afraid that their relationship was over, and the knowledge broke her heart all over again.

P.S.--If you like what I've done, please leave a review and let me know.