Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the below piece of fiction, Capcom does.

Warning: Violence

Authors Note: Hiya, everybody! Chapter 27 is upon us, as well as a new milestone for me (personally). This story has almost hit 400 reviews, and once again I am at a loss for words at the amount of support you guys have shown me. I'm just so happy that you guys are reading and getting enjoyment from this story, and I hope that you continue to read this! Hopefully we're all in it for the long haul! And the support I've been shown has taken on a new turn, because someone was kind enough to create a facebook fan page. Yes, that's right, someone made a facebook page for me! So far it includes daily updates about certain things going on, as well as a discussion section to talk about 'State of Flux', but I'm sure if you joined you could talk about whatever you wanted! I'll link the page at the bottom of my profile with the rest of my links, but don't feel obligated to join! Join only if you think you'd like to! And finally, the contest judging is almost done! The judges and I have pretty much chosen our First and Second place winners, but the Third place is currently tied at the moment! So I'm trying to get another judge in to break the 'tie', so please be patient while this is going on! Thank you very much! So, without further ado- chapter 27!

Chapter 27- Enigma

But now I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth .~Umberto Eco~

"Oh, what's this, a picture of your new boyfriend? Finally get to see his face, do I? He's kinda cute… you know, for a guy."

"Shut up, Chris…" Jill said, turning around slightly in her chair to frown at Chris, who was currently looking over her shoulder at the framed photo on her work desk.

"Oh, come on, you've been going out with this guy for a while now and I've always been curious as to what he looks like- you're too closed off with your personal life," he said, giving her his best hurt puppy dog look.

"I don't hear you talking about your latest conquest, do I?" Jill said, tipping her chin upward slightly to give Chris a smug smile.

"Hey now, who said I had conquests?" Giving up his hurt puppy dog look, Chris eyed the photo on her desk one last time, trying to size the guy up just by seeing a photo of him. He was attractive for a guy- he had a bright smile, shaggy black hair, and warm blue eyes. Chris figured he might be part Asian, but didn't dwell on his ethnicity. He was more concerned with whether he was a gentleman and would treat Jill right, or if he was a crazed rapist with a death wish.

Because if he hurt Jill, Chris could pretty much guarantee his wish would come true.

"I didn't say you did, but I figured seeing as how…"

"How what?" Chris asked, poking Jill as she trailed off.

"Nothing, it's nothing," Jill said, shrugging before she tried to go back to her computer screen, only to have Chris pester her once again.

"What's his name?"

Chris knew well enough that if Jill didn't want to elaborate on something, no matter how much it personally involved him, she wouldn't. And if he tried to get her to continue, she almost always found a way to threaten Chris to the extent that he figured she would actually carry through with them… And Jill could be a very frightening woman.

"His name is Wilson… Why?"

"Just want to know the name of someone who I might have to hurt in the future," Chris said, shrugging as Jill gave him a nasty glare.

"Don't go protective over me, Chris. If he tries anything, you know I'll be able to handle him myself," she said, although Chris could see a softness come to her eyes and a small smile tug at her lips. "But thanks for saying that- lets me know you've got my back, even outside of work."

"Of course I do! Plus, I have to be nice to the girl who managed to get me that pretty little trophy over there."

A week ago, just as March was beginning and spring was in the air, Jill walked into the office with a small box in her hand and a bright grin on her face. Everyone wanted to know what was in the box, but it wasn't revealed to them until lunch rolled around and everyone, including Bravo team, got to look at it.

It turned out Jill had remembered the Marksman competition Chris and Forest had taken part in back in December, and also remembered Chris' excitement about the possibility of getting something 'shiny'.

So she had gone out and purchased a small trophy and had Chris' name placed on it, alongside his title as the best Marksman of the group. Chris was incredibly excited about the entire affair, but had it stolen before he could actually look at it thanks to Forest, who snatched it out of the box and took off with it. It ended with a chase through the RPD, with Chris desperately trying to get it back until Chief Irons showed up at exactly the wrong time when the two of them were wrestling for it in the hallway by the snack machines.

After some yelling courtesy of Irons, they were allowed to go back to the office, only to have Wesker take the trophy from Chris and shove it on a shelf in the front of the room alongside more 'important' trophies the group had earned over the months they worked together. Chris liked to think Wesker put it there because he had earned it, but realized he had placed it there so he and Forest wouldn't squabble over it like small children.

"You and your love of shiny things," Jill said, shaking her head slightly as she went back to her work. Chris was just about to defend himself before he heard a loud cough from the front of the room, followed by an all too familiar voice.

"Get back to work, Chris…" Wesker drawled out as he scribbled away at more notes. He didn't even look up at Chris as he said it, but Chris could feel the irritation coming off of him all the way from his place at the front of the office.

Giving him a lazy salute that he couldn't see, Chris turned back around and started to type away at a file involving a teenager he had stopped from spray painting a dick on Irons' car the other day, putting in the date he did it, why he stopped them, what force he used, etc., before his mind began to wander yet again.

Chris was in a good mood that day- an incredibly good mood, actually. He didn't really know why, though. Maybe it was because spring was so soon, his favourite time of year when everything began again- a new life. Or perhaps it was because Wesker bought him dinner last night. Granted it was fast food, and it was purchased because they were working on a case all night and both needed nourishment, but that was beside the point. The point was they had dinner together, almost like a date, and Chris was going to take what he could get.

It also helped that Wesker had given him a very nice hand job in the very chair he was sitting in last night, after the late night dinner and all of the reports were done.

Fiddling with his monitor's brightness levels, Chris watched the screen get brighter and darker before glancing over at Barry, who seemed incredibly involved with staying awake. He had a late night as well with another case, and Chris was surprised to see him at work on time today.

"We still on for sparring tomorrow?" he whispered to Barry, leaning forward so Wesker wouldn't hear.

Tearing his gaze away from his reports, Barry smiled and nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, of course- haven't been down to the gym for some time, so it'll be good to see if I can still kick your butt."

Rolling his eyes, Chris made a disgruntled sound before speaking again. "You wish you could kick my ass, but I've got news for you, old man. I'm going to show you how we do it- Redfield style."

"Chris!"

Snapping his gaze from Barry, Chris looked up at Wesker, who was sitting at his desk, an eyebrow raised and pen still in his hand.

"Sorry…" Chris mumbled, already knowing what Wesker was going to say. Keeping eye contact for some time, Chris waited until the pen began to twirl again before going back to his work, relieved to see Wesker relaxing.

Writing for a few more minutes, Chris was just about to look for a slip of paper in one of the many folders on his desk before he remembered an amusing thing he had seen the other day that he thought Jill would enjoy.

Turning around in his chair once again, Chris tapped Jill's shoulder a few times before she finally turned around to look at him expectantly.

"So the other day I was walking to my car outside the grocery store when—"

"Christopher! How many times must I tell you to shut the bloody hell up?"

Jumping in his seat, Chris turned around only a fraction before he was level with a blue shirt and crossed arms. Looking up, Chris gave Wesker a tentative smile, which was returned with a menacing glare.

"We're all trying to get through the last of the reports for the day, and yet you seem eager to intrude upon all of our work just so you can speak? Why not just wait another twenty minutes until your shift is over so you can tell your 'amusing' stories and anecdotes?"

"Because I'll forget…?" Chris said, trying to defend his very weak position.

"And what, may I inquire, is so important that you had to interrupt Ms. Valentine… again?"

"A gopher… with an ice cream cone…" Chris mumbled, his eyes leaving Wesker's face to inspect the corner of a piece of paper.

He could hear a heavy sigh, and a feeling of dread slid over and across his back, much like when a thunderstorm was rolling into town and thick air and heavy static permeated the air. Preparing himself for the onslaught of yelling, Chris braced for impact and waited for the first insult to be hurled his way.

Only a loud bang as a door flew open and hit the wall resounded about the room, and everyone's attention was immediately drawn to a small child that ran through the now-open door and straight to Wesker.

"Uncle Albert!"

Almost toppling over onto Chris as the girl threw herself against his legs, Wesker desperately tried to stay upwards and ended up using Chris' head as a balancing point.

"Crap!" Chris cried out, his neck twisting to the side as Wesker pressed down on him. Throwing his hands out, Chris grabbed Wesker's arms and kept him upright as the small blonde girl continued to grip his legs with bruising force.

Finally getting his balance, Wesker squeezed Chris' arm gently for a split second before pulling himself away quickly, eyes downcast to look at the small sandy-colour haired girl. She continued to grip Wesker's legs tightly, her little arms refusing to let go as she enjoyed the childlike glee only someone her age could muster from a single hug.

"Uh…" Chris managed to get out as he stared at the girl, everything suddenly going into slow motion as Wesker reached down towards her. For a second, all Chris could imagine seeing was the dismemberment of the small child before them.

The one and only time Chris had seen Wesker interact with a child was during a mission back in November. There was a young boy who was crying after he witnessed a car accident in front of his school. Instead of going to calm the child down like any caring adult would do, Wesker told him to smarten up because if the truck that hit the car was even a few centimetres to the left, it would have ripped through and decapitated the driver of the car. Obviously the child should feel lucky to have only witnessed the driver going to the hospital with a broken arm and a bleeding forehead.

The thing with that kid though, was that he hadn't even approached Wesker- he was a few feet away and didn't even look at Wesker before he began to place horrific images in the kid's already-traumatised mind. And this girl… she was much closer to him than that little boy- she was clinging to him.

Chris was about to leap up and grab the girl away from Wesker's strong grip in a desperate attempt to try and save her, before Wesker's hand finally descended onto the top of her head and he gently, if not a little awkwardly, ruffled her hair…

"Hello, Sherry, it's a pleasure to see you," he said, gently pulling her away so he could see her properly.

"It's a pleasure to see you!" she replied, displaying a courtesy most girls her age lacked.

"I'm so very sorry, Mr. Wesker, but we were walking past on her way home from school and she insisted we come visit you."

A woman was standing at the door, her long brown hair tied up in a loose bun, a few hairs coming out here and there. She looked young- too young for her to be 'Sherry's' mother, and Chris, in his still-stunned state of mind, managed to deduct that she was probably her nanny.

"It's quite all right, Lydia," Wesker said, turning to inspect the young woman who looked like she had just had an entire elephant removed from her shoulders- the weight disappearing as Wesker gave her the smallest, barely-there smile that told her she was safe… for now.

"Let us go to the break room and I'll buy you something sweet to have as a snack before you go home. You may tell me about school and how your classes are while we walk." Taking Sherry's hand in his own, Wesker left the room without even giving his STARS a second glance, leaving all three of them in a position of complete and utter confusion.

There was silence for some time in the office, the only sound being that of the clock above Brad's desk ticking away the seconds they continued to sit in shock. They were all staring at the door, with Chris in a particular state of distress. Wesker… knew that girl. He knew her quite well, and judging by his reaction to her, she meant a lot to him…

So why hadn't he ever told Chris about her?

And why was he so civil to a kid?

"What… the… fuck," Jill finally said, breaking the spell that had been cast over them. "Did you all see what I just saw?"

"Wesker touching a kid and not hurting them?" Barry asked, hands stills poised over his keyboard.

"Did she call him… uncle?" Chris said, ignoring the conversation going on between Jill and Barry as he came to realize what Sherry had said as she came barrelling through the room. She had definitely called him uncle, which left Chris wondering if he was her real uncle, or a name she used but there was no relation actually there. He knew he shouldn't be caring about it as much as he was, but new ideas and thoughts began to make an appearance in Chris' perpetually confused mind.

Chris, at that very moment, was beginning to realize he knew nothing about Wesker.

Sure, he knew what he liked in bed; what his kinks were; how to give him the most pleasure; what turned him on, and the like. But when it came to knowing Wesker personally, as in what his favourite colour was, where he grew up, his parents' names- anything that would give him slight insight into the man whom he cared about on a very deep level… well, he was at a loss.

He'd been working and sleeping with Wesker for months, and yet he continued to be a complete enigma.

"I think she did, but I can't be sure. As soon as he ruffled her hair I think I had a slight brain aneurism," Jill replied, sitting back in her chair while turning to look at Barry and Chris.

"Didn't think he had any siblings," Barry said, sitting back as well. Running the palm of his hand over his beard, he appeared to be deep in thought as he stared at the door. "Come to think of it, I always assumed Wesker just… appeared."

"What?" Chris turned to look at Barry, caught off guard by Barry's less than reasonable response. Usually it was he who made the strange comments, not Mr. Level Headed Barry.

"Well we know nothing about him when it comes down to it all, right? For all we know, he was genetically made in a laboratory."

Chris could hear Jill hum behind him, and turned his attention to her as she, too, went to rub her jaw. "Yeah, come to think of it, we know pretty much nothing about him. Like… maybe he's English, but you can't be completely sure because it's such a faint accent. And he's gay- we all found that out in a less than kind way… and maybe he's not naturally blonde?"

"He is," Chris said suddenly without thinking it through. Mentally scolding himself, Chris turned away from Jill and fiddled with his mouse. "I mean, look at his eyebrows… they're light too."

"I think she was just kidding about the last one… But yeah… He's damn good at keeping his life a secret, I'll give him that much," Barry said before turning back to his work, apparently already over the strange event that took place. Glancing over his shoulder, Chris noticed Jill was returning to the job at hand as well, leaving him with only his thoughts.

**XX**

"Hey, Kitten," Chris mumbled, going to kiss Wesker's cheek before sitting down on top of his desk.

For the split second he was in contact with Wesker, Chris could already feel the tension spring into his muscles as soon as the word 'Kitten' was mumbled, and he couldn't help but grin brightly.

"What… did you call me?" Wesker asked, looking up from his work to stare down Chris.

"Kitten," he said, still smiling despite the fact that Wesker was still at work even with it being after hours, and therefore still had access to his gun. "What, you don't like it?"

Wesker seemed to get even higher strung if at all possible, and clenched his jaw a few times while his pen stilled. "Why… Kitten?"

"You act like one, that's why. You growl when you're upset or aroused, arch your back slightly when I touch the spot on your lower back, let out low little sounds like a purr when pleased, and you get a look on your face that can only be described like that of a cat… Kinda like the one you have on now," Chris said, trailing off at the end as Wesker looked like he might explode.

"Don't ever call me that again," Wesker replied through clenched teeth.

"You call me dear heart," Chris mumbled, knowing he was pissing Wesker off, but unable to really stop himself. For the rest of the day Chris had been thinking about how little he knew about Wesker, and he had begun to resent the fact that Wesker continued to keep himself so closed off.

Chris, on numerous occasions, had told Wesker all about his life. He would talk about where he grew up, stories from his childhood, and more importantly, stories about his parents. He never talked about his family to anyone, and if he did it was usually quick little things, trivial in detail and unimportant. But with Wesker… well, Wesker probably knew everything there was to know about his family life, including Claire.

Chris spilled his guts to Wesker…

But Wesker had never shared anything with him, and he was becoming a little angry. That was why Chris found himself intentionally pissing Wesker off at that very moment, even though he knew it was a bad idea.

"I don't call you it to antagonize you, do I? Besides, you get so… happy when I say it," Wesker said just as he went back to his work.

"I'm not trying to antagonize you; I'm just trying to come up with something to call you." Picking up a spare pen, Chris tried to twirl it between his fingers like Wesker did, but realized his fingers weren't as nimble or thin as Wesker's were. Clumsily twirling it as best he could, Chris attempted it a few more times before tossing it down on the desk, a frown accompanying the action.

"Call me Wesker, call me Captain, and if you really want to, call me Albert… But do not call me Kitten ever again," Wesker said, a sigh escaping his lips at the end.

Nodding, Chris watched Wesker for a time, still thinking about what had happened earlier. He was about to get up and leave, but that all too familiar nagging feeling persisted, and he found himself speaking once again.

"Who was that girl today… Sherry was her name, right?"

"… Yes, that was her name," Wesker said after a time, his hand quickly going across the bottom of a sheet, his loopy cursive signature filling the line. Finishing it off with a sharp flick of the wrist, Wesker stood up and went to the fax machine with a stack of papers in hand. "And who she is, is of little concern to you."

Glaring at Wesker, Chris crossed his arms and shifted slightly on the desk to better watch him as he faxed sheet after sheet to some location. "Why isn't she?"

"Because she isn't… I don't see why she would be in the first place."

"She's obviously important to you, otherwise you wouldn't have been so kind to her… I just want to know more about her in hopes of getting to know you better. I mean… are you actually her uncle?"

"Chris, what is this?" Wesker said, finally turning his attention away from his beloved fax machine to stare at Chris.

"What's what?"

"This pestering of me for information. If I had wanted to tell you about her and about my personal life, I would have, but I don't because it does not matter," Wesker stated, staring Chris down before going back to his faxing.

"I want to know because we're a couple now! I think I have the right to know a little bit about the guy I've been seeing for the past five months," Chris shot back, a little offended that Wesker didn't believe he was important enough to give information to.

"We're not a couple, Christopher- stop trying to make it that way." Faxing the last sheet, Wesker turned around only to run into Chris, who had left his position on the desk.

"Yeah, we are, so stop trying to deny it. Can you honestly say that we haven't become more than just fuck buddies the last few months? Do you often hold hands with the guy you're just seeing for sex, buy him dinner, invite him over just to sleepover and not have sex with? Really, do you do that?" Chris said, trying to keep his voice down- they were still at work and people could hear through the door if they got loud enough. But it was getting increasingly difficult to keep it on the down low, his irritation getting the better of him.

"I do those things only if it keeps my 'fuck buddy' happy. When you're happy you're more willing to bend over."

The words were so crass and uncouth that Chris, for a split second, didn't even believe Wesker had said it- it was like a slap to the face as Wesker's words finally carried over to him.

"I… you…" Without realizing what he was doing, Chris pulled back before punching Wesker as hard as he possibly could in the jaw, snapping his head back as his fist connected with a high cheekbone.

Moving with the motion, Wesker turned slightly and immediately went to cup his cheek, form hunched over as the pain settled. A second passed before Chris found himself being slammed up against the large STARS emblem on the back wall, head snapping back against the plaster, making him see stars.

"You chose to tell me your life story, Chris, just like I choose not to tell you mine. Stop trying to make this more than it is. It's a way for us to forget about our responsibilities and duties- a diversion from the mundane parts of life. Nothing more, nothing less… So stop trying to weasel your way into my life and just take what you can get, because this is all I'm offering you, dear heart." Wesker's hot breath washed against Chris' skin, making him almost want to vomit. Fighting back tears he knew were building, Chris watched Wesker for a second before trying to push him away, desperate to get away from him all of a sudden.

Never had Chris wanted to rid himself of Wesker's presence so quickly.

"You're a coward, you know that?" Chris shouted all of a sudden, giving up just as Wesker let go. "You're such a fucking coward."

"At least I'm not deluded," Wesker growled out as he turned to grab his coat from the back of his chair. Taking a few determined steps forward, Wesker looked ready to leave before he paused a moment. Chris thought he was turning around to attack him- an eye for an eye- but quickly realized he was in some distress as his hand reached out and grabbed at Chris' arm, delicate fingers digging into his skin as his other hand grabbed his chest.

"A-are you okay?" Chris blurted out, knowing very well he was having difficulty of some kind but not knowing what else to say. The palm of his hand was pressed flat against his chest, but his fingers were raised, pressing deep into the skin as if to push back whatever he was experiencing.

For a second Chris thought he was going to pass out, and grabbed at his arm to steady him before Wesker suddenly turned on him, a snarl escaping his lips as he violently pulled away from Chris.

Straightening himself out, Wesker slowly lowered his hand and gave Chris one last glance before he made movement to leave the room, the previous distress that seemed to rack his body no longer visible.

"Are you all r—" Chris tried to get out before Wesker left the room, the door slamming behind him.

Still resting against the wall, Chris tried to gain some semblance of reality before he slid down the wall to the floor, legs curling up against his chest. In a matter of moments Chris had seen Wesker at his worst- strong, violent, and vindictive- before he had that… attack, leaving him at his weakest- scared, vulnerable, but still just as dangerous.

He didn't understand what had happened in those few minutes it took to completely destroy the two of them. Didn't see how things got so out of hand so quickly. All he wanted was some sort of insight into Wesker- a window in which he could better see him and better understand the man he was beginning to feel incredibly connected to. But as soon as it had come up, Wesker fought back with words, almost like a wild animal that was caged. In a desperate attempt to escape, he brutalized Chris with his words, so much so that Chris had begun to feel like a cheap whore- someone Wesker could use and string along while tempting for his own amusement. Chris wanted to believe that he had only said what he said out of fear that there was actually something there, rather than out of a reality- a reality that Chris hadn't been aware of.

He had hoped that Wesker was coming around, that they were actually forming something- a deeper connection than that of sex. All the signs pointed to it. The quick kisses, the hand holding, simple but kind gestures they would both do on a regular basis; all of it drew Chris in the direction of a real relationship. That was all Chris wanted… But then as soon as it was brought up, Wesker destroyed the small sliver of hope, showing Chris a glimpse into what he could really be, and possibly revealing more about himself than he had intended.

And then there was that attack- almost like he was having a heart attack of some kind. He wanted to follow Wesker, to make sure he'd be okay, but at the same time he knew he'd just add to the pain. After all, whatever happened had happened because of him and his desperate need to get something out of Wesker. He wasn't blaming himself for it- for any of the argument, in fact, but he was part of it just as much as Wesker was, and he realized with perfect clarity that although Wesker had hurt him with his words, Chris had stooped low enough to hurt him with physical violence.

What happened between them opened up more than Chris had ever imagined, leaving him crumpled up against a wall in the STARS office, head ducked between his knees as he desperately fought for air- an all too familiar position for him.

As my beta said a while ago- Wesker is a bitch. Wesker is also terrified of commitment and being close to people as well, and only really knows how to lash out. But fear not, Chris wont let something like this just go by without confronting Wesker- the real question here though, is what's physically wrong with Wesker? If you think about it for just a little while, it might be pretty obvious. But to ease some of your fears, NO, he is not having a heart attack! Anyways, thanks for the reviews/favourties/watches. I love you all!