Disclaimers: I do not own anything out of Resident Evil. All of the contents belongs to Capcom.

Chapter XI: Open By a Bit

'You were just following orders, right?' - Jake Wesker

Queen's bed chamber

"Gabrielle! Open your eyes!"

Between Jill's pleading and Sherry's sobs, Jake could only stare at his unconscious mother with widened eyes. 'What the fuck is going on?' Jill's shaky hands were on the forearms of her Queen, hoping that she would wake up. But her body was to lifeless. And her face was without a soul. "Go get Rebecca!" Jill frantically ordered Sherry who happened to be right next to her, so the younger quickly scurried out of the room.

When Jill finally met her teary eyes with Jake's then finally he found his vocal to voice out, "What the hell?" He snarled, but Jill merely shook her head and tend for Gabrielle.

In matter of minutes Rebecca came rushing in followed closely by Sherry. They got into the chamber, both ignoring the stunned Prince when Rebecca knelt right next to Gabrielle's out cold body. The doctor was calm when she instructed Sherry to close the door just so nobody was watching and ordered Jill to open the windows for more air ventilation. Then she touched behind Gabrielle's neck for pulse and checked the insides of her mouth.

Jake's face was as blank as the wall, his eyes were unfocused when she watched Rebecca worked.

With a heaving sigh, Rebecca announced to the two women, "The Queen is still alive."

Finally, the Queen awoke. After for an unknown amount of time. The glimpse of life in her tired blue eyes was more than enough to prove so.

"Jill, give me a hand, we need to move her to the bed." The doctor said, both hands clamping Gabrielle's shoulder for support. Valentine was about to do so until a larger build stopped her. Jake snapped into sobriety a while ago and he lifted his mother easily into his arms.

Wordless and stoic, he placed her gently to the bed. The Queen's tired eyes met his and Jake's stoic face twitched into anger when he turned to the doctor, "Can you tell me what the fuck is going on? Why the heck did my mom pass out like that?"

Rebecca's eyes were hard against the Prince's. She gazed towards Gabrielle who silently pleaded for Rebecca to not reveal her secrets.

Not anymore. Her son deserves to know than anyone.

"Cancer." She said, shattering all the secrets, "The Queen had been inflicted with cancer."

He could hardly believe it, he always knew that his mother was weak against a lot of disease but... of all things, cancer?

"When?" He growled in his throat.

Chambers was still calm, "...A while."

The fury brewing in his eyes told her that Jake wanted to strangle her by now but Rebecca stood her ground. His fist were tightened so badly that anything beneath it will be crushed by his strength, "Why didn't you tell me?" Before he could get his answer, he heard a soft moan from the bed and his name, "...Jake."

Jake tore his glare away from Rebecca and to his mother, she was calling out for him and so he obeyed, sitting next to her.

"Don't blame the doctor..." She whispered feebly, "It's my order to do so..."

"Why-?"

She gave no response, she was breathing slowly but deeply. This gave signals to the doctor and Chambers stood by the Queen firmly, "I think we should give some time for the Queen to rest." She spoke professionally.

But the rascal was still adamant.

So it was Sherry's duty to persuade him otherwise, "Your Highness, I am sure her Highness had a reason not to tell you."

"Wait, you knew about this too?" His volume heightened, which made Sherry shocked, "And that's why you begged me to see mom?"

"I-I-"

He accused before she could say anything, "You knew this and you didn't tell me?! Jesus, how many of you had known this and I didn't?!"

"My lord, I-"

"Screw this!" Jake cursed angrily and he stormed out of the room with a loud slam from the door.

Jill asked her to go after him.

And so she followed his trail out of the room.

Raccoonia Castle

For three days, Jake refused to talk to anyone. Not even to Sherry. And he refused to visit the Queen all the same even though he knew that the Queen was now terminally ill. He became ignorant, feeling extremely dejected that people were keeping secrets from him and he was the oblivious one.

Sherry tried talking to him since, but he never replied her nor to say anything to her - as if she was not with him at all even though she was right next to him. The only upside in this situation was that Jake stopped bullied Sherry and he forgot to do so.

But the silent treatment was still uncomfortable.

The Prince now spend his time training alone, hacking away puppets after puppets to the point of exhaustion then he will resume with his archery and the process repeated in circles. Although Jake knew himself that he literally excel in everything, all he wanted to do was to forget about everything going on around him in one productive activity.

"I am glad to see the Prince was serious in his training but..." Chris commented to Sherry the fourth day, "He seems different. He never really was into his training but... he seemed to be so focused into it these days." True, even Sherry could see the fury in his eyes when he hacked the wooden head of the training puppet away and the intensity when he took his aim of the bow.

Jake trained for hours, then at night he would hide himself away at the walls of the castle to sleep. He did it on purpose, because he knew it for the fact that Sherry hated whenever Jake overnight there - it was cold up there; too cold for Sherry. But she followed him nonetheless, not only because it was her duty to do so but at the same time, she was worried about the Prince.

But it was hard for her. Him being ignorant to her was hurting much more than she expected; the way he always had his back facing her. She would rather have him bullying her than... this.

It was the fifth night when she tucked herself up a bit further away from where the Prince were when they had to overnight at the walls again. Sherry hugged her knees tightly, fighting against the cold and watched silently as Jake gazed upwards to the sky. His arms were folded behind his head, until he spoke, "Since when did you knew it?"

Sherry's poor jumpy heart took a fright before she was able to recompose what the prince was saying, it was the first time in five days of silent treatment that he finally talk to her, "W-What?"

"How long did you know that my mother had cancer before I did?" his voice was monotonous, it didn't sound any much more hostile than she expected it to be. At least he gave her a chance to explain herself.

Tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear nervously, Sherry answered as a matter of factly, "The same morning when you did." That had his eyes widen so Sherry explained, "That night after we had a row on each other, Jill met me the next morning to discuss about me leaving your service." She admitted sheepishly, the way Jake had his eyes fixated on her was nerve-wracking, "I... I didn't know it at first, but suddenly The Queen coughed and she threw up a bit of... blood. Then the Queen told me." She soften on her last word.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I promised the Queen not to."

Jake smacked his forehead with his palm as if he had listened to the stupidest thing he ever had. His mother grew worse to the point that she coughed blood, why didn't he know?

Why didn't she want him to know? He chuckled bitterly, "I guess I am just a horrible child, so much that my mom doesn't even want to share her problems with me."

The statement made Sherry dismissed it immediately, "No, you shouldn't think like that!" Her knees were raised so that they were now on eye-level. Jake looked at her emotionlessly, mostly unreadable as he stared back at her determined eyes, "The Queen loved you. She doesn't want to worry you so that she kept it from you! And she knew that if she told you of that, you will not bear to visit her anymore, she knew that you will be overwhelmed by guilt."

And she finally finished, "You loved her. She knew it. She knew it all along." Sherry stressed her last words.

She didn't realize how high her volume was until Jake's scowled. "I'm sorry!" She apologized frantically for her brash behavior, rolling herself so that she was in a kneeling position, 'What am I thinking to scold the prince like a child?'

The Prince merely waved his hand with a small shake of his head dismissively, "Nah." He rebuffed and glowered back to the sky, "It's fine." . Jake smirked, "It's just... No one had ever talked to me like that. Not my mom, not even that bastard father of mine."

"Oh no. What have I done then!" The girl panicked but a small laugh by Jake eased her.

"You are pretty funny, Supergirl. You got flustered so easily when you messed up like that."

The way he smiled at her made her heart fluttered, and confused all the same. For five days he had been ignoring her, then suddenly, now he was smiling at her and laughed. And now a new nickname.

One second he was like a total jerk, then the next he was becoming a friend again.

Jake Wesker was so on and off.

"I know your Highness had the tendency to give people nickname accordingly but Supergirl? Where did that come from?"

Jake raised his index finger, "Well firstly, you survived against me for over a month, the highest record was only nine days." Then he added his middle finger, "Secondly, you did a damn fine work at everything you do. And lastly, you are the first person ever... to yell at me."

"I'm sorry." She apologized yet again, bowing herself so lowly.

Sherry heard a weary huff from him, it was his way of telling her that he accepted his apology. Then he waved his hand to permit her to sit again.

So she did.

"You knew about my mom not long before I did?" He sounded like he was deliberately trying to start a conversation.

She nodded, "I discovered it by accident. At that time, I was surprised that your Highness didn't know about it. I tried asking the Queen to tell you but she just wouldn't. Although I meant to tell you after your training that day... I just couldn't; not when I promised the Queen."

"Aye." He said, "You were just following orders, right?"

"It was not only orders, your Highness. My mother used to tell me that it's not a right thing to break a promise."

"Your mother?"

"She's gone now." Sherry admitted with a sad smile, "The day before I joined the castle."

He had meant to ask her what had happened, but judging from her misty eyes and the forlorn look on her face, Jake decided that it's better he didn't, he'll just get her started.

Plus, he got to keep up with his 'I-don't-give-a-shit' image.

"Prince?" He gave a soft grunt to show that he had heard her. "May I ask, why didn't you visit the Queen? Now that you had known that she was ill..." She trailed off, gauging his face for his reaction and unfortunately, it was not a pleasant one.

The Prince glowered at her, a scowl twitched as he knitted his brow together.

And she immediately regretted , 'Oh god, why am I being so stupid this evening?' "I am sorry that I asked! I am so sorry!"

Instead of a hard slap to her face as she had expected, she heard the Prince answered her question.

It sounded resentful, "I just thought that I shouldn't. She didn't want me to know it."

"No." It piqued his interest when she claimed so, "You should have know how happy Queen Gabrielle was whenever you see her. Sure she didn't show it, but she really did."

"Really?"

"Yes, sir." She answered earnestly, hoping that the Prince can see it and catch her meaning.

All he did was just nodding with a cloud of doubt hovering on his face and shrugged.

He was very hard to read indeed, for a person.

Then suddenly, he gave her a smile, one that had easily charmed her, "Maybe mom was right. You can be trusted."

Before she could really stomach what he had just said, he stood, whom the small stewardess quickly mimicked his movement and Jake smirked; the very same smirk he gave her the first day she met her by the lake.

"It's getting chilly out here, let's get back to ours rooms." That small sentence was enough to make her heart thrilled.

Damn she missed that bed.

Hallelujah.

"Besides, I think I want to see mom tomorrow."

Queen's Chamber, Night

"I think that's all for today. Let her Highness have her good night rest and Rebecca will visit her tomorrow again."

George took one last glance back to Gabrielle, in her peaceful slumber on her warm bed. The even intakes of breath was assuring and he handed Jill another bottle of medicine to be taken in case the Queen have another fit of severe cough by the midnight.

Hamilton and Chambers took turns to visit the Queen daily, per her request, they did their best to cover their tracks so that none will discover of the Queen's ailment. While Cindy was in charge of covering her two doctors track if they were any to ask about the disappearance of any of the doctor for a whole day. Except for the third day after the row with Prince Wesker, it was Cindy who took care of Gabrielle instead of George or Rebecca.

So tonight will be George's turn to take care of the Queen.

Jill bowed with a small yet relieved smile, happy to see that the Queen had a wee bit of improvement from yesterday. She thought that Gabrielle might have gone into a depression after Jake had refused to see her since that day, but Gabrielle knew better.

She was the best patient one could get. She obeyed her doctors and took good care of herself.

The moment she opened the double door for the doctor, there was a late night visitor waiting for her.

Chris Redfield.

The collected doctor smiled and nodded slightly to the General with narrowed eyes. The larger man smiled back and George traced his path back to his infirmary, leaving Jill to her fate. She didn't need to make an assumption about the glint on Chris', she easily figured that he had wanted to talk to her. Of course, Valentine hadn't visit him at nights like these in front of the kings chamber anymore.

Placing a finger to her lips, Jill signaled Chris to be quiet and carefully she pulled the door close behind her. If anything, she won't want to wake the sleeping Queen - Gabrielle now had difficulties to sleep and certainly Jill didn't want to ruin that.

And she bade him to walk near the window where she could overlook the whole Palace.

"I didn't see you for days now, miss Valentine." The etch of concern was welcoming indeed, "Is there something wrong?"

"The Queen is ill." Valentine silently prayed that Chris will ask no further.

To which, he did.

"Is there something terrible happened to the Queen? Please give me honest answer, Jill. I saw how Doctor Hamilton and Doctor Chambers came to and fro to the Queens chamber." He was using her first name to prove that he was really worried, very demanding to know what had happened.

However, Jill was as hard-headed as Chris himself, perhaps harder than the steel than Chris was wearing. Plain stubborn. She took a step back from the riled up General and shook her head, refusing to say anything.
She had a word to keep and she will fulfill her duty. 'Chris will not know. Chris will not know.' She chanted in her head over and over.

Frustrated, Chris himself took a step towards her where she had retreat one step behind. The clunk of his armor was intimidating, but Jill returned no consternation over his offending gesture - there was a reason why she was appointed as the Queen's personal stewardess; she was like a tigress when it comes to the Queen.

Sometimes, even Albert Wesker had a hard time dealing with Jill.

Perhaps that the man realized how rude he had been, Chris recoiled himself and clumsily receded. "I'm so sorry, Miss Valentine. I lost myself again."

"It's alright. The apology is accepted but..." Jill took a garbed hand into her soft ones and pleaded with her eyes, "Please, General. For now, please do not question about the Queen. She had me worried to much, I will not be able to bear if I have to worry about you too. Besides, I swore to the Queen that I will not tell."

"But when the time comes, I will. But not too soon."

Nothing will change her mind. He will not know the truth about the Queen for now. Chris knew that and he will honor her request, so he nodded very slightly and gave her an assuring smile, "I hate it when you keep secrets from me." He mumbled playfully.

"I know." She returned with just the right giggle he loved so much, "I hate it too when you did. But I don't have a choice."

"I understand." He said earnestly.

"Dammit, guys, get a room already!"

Their hands jolted apart like a stung of fire and both eyes averted to the source of the annoyed exclamation shyly.

Prince Wesker was eyeing onto the couple with an irritated frown while Sherry only bowed her head to avoid the awkward gaze that Chris and Jill were giving back to Jake. She was not surprised to see they were together, she had stumbled onto them a few times in front of the King's chamber but she always turned away before she was discovered.

Embarrassed, Chris awkwardly bowed and greeted the prince with a rush of heat on his face, "Good evening, your Highness."

Jake ignored the formalities and proceeded complaining about the incident, "Jesus, dog, you should have warned me about your date with Jill. Dammit, you know you are not a sight for sore eyes." The profanity were cut short when Sherry mercifully stopped Jake from going on.

"Sir, we're in front of the Queen's chamber. She wouldn't like to hear more of this." She reminded intelligently earning a short grumble from Jake.

While Chris was still there standing motionlessly like Jill did, Jake finally spare them from more lecture of his own and went for his room, "Hey, Supergirl, wake me up at eight tomorrow."

"Yes, sir. Have a pleasant night, sir."

After another inaudible grumble from the always grumpy Prince, they watched as Jake shut the door to his room. And Sherry smiled teasingly to Jill, then to Chris who was still too embarrassed to look Sherry in the eye after the very awkward incident. Thus, he bade the two women farewell rather hastily and took his leave.

That leave the two women standing by the hallway with Sherry being the dominant one over the flustered Jill Valentine.

The younger woman snickered girlishly over her friend as her eyes trailed to where Chris was disappearing and when he had turn to the corner, Sherry finally spoke, "Well, I didn't know that General Redfield was so sweet to you, isn't that right, miss Valentine?" She cooed playfully and Jill impulsively smacked Sherry's arm out of embarrassment.

"Oh, stop it, miss Sherry. You're killing me."

The two ladies giggled to themselves.

Right until Jill was suddenly reminded of what the Prince had called the blonde earlier, "Did his Highness just called you with a nickname? Supergirl?"

With a shake of her head, Sherry turned to the door to her own room and whispered, "Good night, future miss Redfield."

And she quickly shut the door behind her before the other could make a comment out of it.

A.N: Scared you didn't I? No, our good Queen is still alive. And you guys should be looking forward for the next chapter! If you're really a Jake/Sherry fan, you should be. After all, now that Sherry had finally warned her infamous nickname from Jake and he is starting to open up to her.

And poor Chris and Jill. Bad Jake! :)

Oh, and I left you guys a note at my profile. Although it was a bad news. :( Check it out somehow.

RFF!