Author's Note: Despite what I say in my profile and my last AN, I am able to post another epilogue. I've decided that if I keep this on hiatus at such little steps away from finishing it, it'd be an unforgivable sin. The next prologue will come tomorrow, just to give a bit of margin, and then it's over. The sequel's on the works, people, and it will come. Epilogue, again, is short xD

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters.

XXVI

Epilogue II: Heart

First steps are always the hardest... "Hi then, Chris Redfield."... It will always hurt yet make you stronger... "Well, I know of someone who's gotten his ass handed to him by a girl on the training course today!"... Forward until the end... "C'mon, we can do this!"... Even the deepest of wounds will heal... "Aren't you tired of fighting?"... Unwittingly involved... "We can't let them get away with this."... An ever-present shadow looms over them... "He's still out there."... Death reaches out, cold and ruthless... "NOO!"... Captive as a caged bird... "Let me go!"... Your will to live must stay strong...

Pain.

xx

August 31st, 2009

Despite her confidence, Jill was no less afraid of what was coming.

As she stared ahead at the horizon, she couldn't stop thinking about all she had and hadn't been told. Like her, the rest of her friends shared her uneasiness and fear, but lo and behold selfishness' presence, she was tempted to think they wouldn't be feeling as she was. Not only she was tied to Chris because of their lifelong friendship, but also because of something that went even deeper than love itself. The prospect of losing him was dreadful, no matter if his only task as of late was making her suffer and grieve over a lost person, the person she was trying desperately to get back. She couldn't let the tension to continue rising; it was beyond the unacceptable. The worst part of all was she wouldn't be losing him to someone else, but to himself. If everything Wesker had said was true -and now, it'd be reckless to distrust him- and enough time went by for Chris to change completely, then the battle and the war were lost.

She was surprised at the bitter irony of the situation. If they were actually on fate's bad side and everything turned out as expected, they'd be granting Wesker his long-sought victory: to separate them, to make them weaker without one another, to make them vulnerable and open to any kind of attack; then, it'd be a matter of time until one of them was dead. But the question was: was there any reward behind it right now? According to Wesker's own words, killing Chris would be getting everything back he'd been stripped from, but it would also require a sacrifice it seemed he wasn't very willing to make. She also knew he was taking it personally, perhaps beyond that, so only God knew what he would do to settle the scores.

For a moment, she feared the worst. Judging by the situation, would he turn back to his old ways? A terrifying thought, certainly, given all the change he'd gone through since their first meeting several months ago. Jill knew Wesker didn't cope well with improvisation, but would he really take the risk and balance the scales as they progressed? Whatever his methods, though, he'd always be one step ahead of them. If he was indeed considering the prospect, then it would be like facing the old times once more and despite possessing the experience and skill against him, therein lay the problem: Wesker was more than a fast thinker. He would outmaneuver her every strategy and come up with a better one of his own. If that happened, and if Jill lost both him and Chris to the skeletons they kept in the closet, hers would be just rattling again to remind her of a past life not forgotten.

In deep concern, Jill lowered her head, her eyes closed. Nothing barely made sense anymore, not even her life. With a long sigh, she looked up at the sky.

"You've been hard to find," came Leon's voice from behind her. "Afraid we'll infect you with something?"

Jill turned and smiled. "If it's the flu, then I can put up with it," she teased, sounding as convincing as she could. Leon chuckled and stepped up to her, somehow keeping his distances. She knew that, though he barely showed it, Leon could get to be a sensitive person, not to mention perceptive, and it was likely that he was hesitant to make another approach. Jill smiled inwardly at that.

"Anything you're not sharing with us?" he then asked as if on cue. He was pensive, almost curious. "We're quite the bundle of nerves ourselves down there, you know. No need for isolation."

Sincere, Jill nodded. He didn't deserve to be kept in the dark. "It's just... well, I'm worried, that's it. About a lot of things..."

"Would I be too nosy if I asked about them?"

"Just... how everything is turning out," Jill replied. "I. Just. Hate. Standing here without doing nothing..." she said, emphasizing her every word, but then sighed. "We're doing all we can, I know, but waiting here is senseless. Are we waiting for something like what happened two days ago? I wouldn't allow it."

Leon smirked. "You wouldn't, alright. To be honest, I just get it wanna get it over with, but rushing it won't help. For now, it's keeping a bit of a low profile, keeping tabs on Marco."

Jill nodded. "You're right." She sighed again, this time heavier. "I fear losing everything I've stood up for until now."

"I get the feeling," Leon said, giving her a sideways glance. "But knowing how headstrong you can be, what makes you think you'll lose it?"

"Since when did you have this much confidence in me, Leon?" Jill asked, genuinely worried and somehow angry. She met his gaze fully, looking for an answer in it. "I know you. I know you place a lot of confidence in people after choosing them carefully, but why am I your pick this time? And the curious thing is, you seem to trust me even more than everybody else does. Why?"

Once more, she felt almost breathless, felt like a small child arguing with his parents, but also in her write to be snappy. Not that she didn't know Leon well enough, but it was strange that somebody like him would act in such a way towards her. In the end, after the silence, he said,

"Because you love him, Jill, that's why." He turned his gaze away. "And you know that can take you to lengths friendship wouldn't. Of course, it's obvious you're cool-headed enough to think things well before doing them right off the bat, sometimes unlike me, but..."

"But?"

"The best thing is you've been more influential on him than anyone of us," Leon continued, nodding. "More than Claire, even. He hasn't kept in touch with her for a long time, given the precariousness of some situations, but Chris has been with you practically his and your whole life. Isn't that enough to think otherwise?"

Jill was left pensive, partly touched and partly annoyed by Leon's words. But he was right, after all, despite not knowing her as much as the rest of her friends. Well, he was perceptive for some reason, right? She looked at him, eyes slightly narrowed, and he looked surprised.

"Have I said something I shouldn't have?"

Jill shook her head. "At all; you've hit a bit of a spot, in fact. I just... I just hope you're right, Leon, and that you haven't misplaced your confidence."

"Don't be an idiot. I know I've made the right choice when it's come to trusting you."

"Oh?" Jill inquired, nudging him with a smirk. She felt in a better mood after talking to him, better than any other time. "How are you so sure, Leon?"

The reply she was expecting didn't came. Instead came another one that left her touched and with the realization that he indeed trusted her completely, as if they had known each other since young. At the same, it was one that would keep her going, no matter what the dampers.

"Why? Because Chris told me."

A/N: Next prologue: coming Monday 6th.

Reviews (and sincere) are appreciated!^^