Chapter 8: Reawakening

"Confronting the Past will bring to light a brighter future." ~Unknown

V dropped Chris and Piers off at their house. Chris watched as he drove back down the street and entered his own home. Chris walked up to the door where Piers was standing and started looking for the house key. Piers was leaning on the side of the house off to Chris' left, smile still on his face. Chris couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. Piers looked so radiant and happy that it was hard to remember the sour moods he had been in lately.

Chris knew Piers couldn't, or rather, wouldn't be able to see well without the goggles but that didn't mean much. Chris would take Piers around in a wheel chair until the day one of them died if that is what it would take. Looking back, Chris wished he would have been the one to take the virus, just so Piers never had to suffer through what he is now. But then, where would they be now, would Chris have been able to do what Piers did? There were so many layers to the sniper Chris had never seen and he felt like he was just now getting to unravel them step by step.

Chris found the key he was looking for and stuck it in the door handle, slowly turning it and with every click a new sense of relief seemed to wash over his body. They were home, finally, after all those battles and fighting for their lives they finally have a chance to relax. The door finally opened and Chris allowed Piers to go in first. Before completely entering Chris glanced around the neighborhood. There was just a couple people out right now, with how late it was getting. Chris noticed the hooded man from before but he wasn't walking towards their house, thankfully.

Chris looked to the sky to see the sun setting, the sky was a brilliant mixture of red, yellow, and orange, with an orange-yellow sun setting behind it. Chris thought he would have to get Piers out here one day, get a picture of him with the sunset before the arm was gone, to show him that it would all be in the past and the future was nothing but brighter every second. Nothing on the outside mattered to Chris, it was what was on the inside of a person that counted.

Some of the most horribly disfigured people in the world had the kindest hearts; while those with so much more were horrible people. Piers definitely fell into the *horribly disfigured* category, after all he was infected with a virus. Piers however still had what made him, him. Chris slowly turned around, away from the outside to be greeted by Piers' watchful eyes and Hope sitting on the couch watching them both.

Piers was eying Chris curiously, who was becoming slightly uncomfortable under his younger partner's gaze. Chris could see the bio-electricity shocking his eyes every once in a while. The electricity in itself was bluer than the depths of an ocean, and they gave the young ace an almost eerie look when he had them on his face. Chris watched as Piers took a couple tentative steps towards him, making sure he didn't run into anything. Piers stopped in front of Chris and they had a tense silence, air thick in a sudden wave of anxiety.

Chris opened his mouth to say something but clamped it shut when Piers took another step forward, almost glaring at Chris. Chris' head was starting to break out with a few beads of sweat. Piers must have been very good at disguising his emotions however, because the next moment was completely different then what Chris had been expecting him to do with the venomous glare coming from the young ace.

Chris let out a soft gasp when Piers pushed him back against the wall, closing the front door. Piers used his good arm to hold Chris' head and the mutated one pulled him in closer. Chris started back at Piers' face wide-eyed, and then Piers dived in. Piers brought his face up to his Captain's and kissed him, all the tension in the air melting away as both of their minds got lost in the moment.

Chris' mind was frantic, he never knew how passionate Piers could be and quietly wondered just how many layers of the young ace might have just been revealed from this sort of contact. Chris shivered in ecstasy as Piers' tongue fought to dominate his own but he let the young ace do his work. Chris let out a quick gasp of surprise as he felt a shock pass through his back where the end of Piers' claw was.

Mere seconds after that happened Piers pulled back and stepped away from Chris. Piers blushed and looked to the floor embarrassedly but Chris stepped back to him and clasped both of his hands around Piers' claw.

Chris looked down at Piers trying to get him to meet his gaze but to no avail, "Hey, are you ok Piers?"

Piers still would not look up to meet his captain's eyes, "Y-yeah just uh… sorry about the shock."

Chris chuckled lightly and only then did Piers look at him, a slight tear threatened his left eye which Chris wiped away with his thumb, "Piers don't worry, it takes a lot more than that. I've always been told I'm a rock."

Piers had a small smile cross his face, "Emotionally or physically Chris?"

Chris could hear the devilish tone in Piers' voice, "Well not compared to what you just did Piers I like to think just physically but that is obviously wrong. Compared to you I'm probably about as sensitive as a brick wall is to a car."

Piers snorted, "Isn't that the truth Captain." This whole time they had still just been looking at each other near the front door.

Chris finally broke off their embrace, sauntering over to sit on a chair while Piers was left to follow like a lost dog. Piers sat down next to Hope who looked at him expectantly and he began scratching absently at the backs of her ears.

Chris sat there for a moment, watching the goggles do their work on Piers' eyes. They kept sparking about every five to ten seconds, bio-electricity seeming to work at the shells over his eyes. *Like electric blue* Chris mused, a smile coming to his face at that very thought. Chris smiled as Piers raised an eyebrow at him, slightly moving at a shock that now went into his face rather than the shell around an eye.

Chris chuckled slightly before answering the look from Piers. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, "Just watching those goggles do their work Piers. It is actually kind of… fun to watch it." Chris just offered a stupid lopsided grin to Piers narrowed eyebrows.

Piers finally smiled back at Chris, losing himself in the thought of just how exactly he looked right now. His vision was tinted a dark blue color, and he could actually see the occasional strike of electricity. Aside from when he was shocked on his skin, when he saw the electricity he never really felt it, noticing how it usually seemed to stop just before it would touch his eye.

If Piers focused intently he could see an almost blurry but nearly invisible almost wall like obstruction in his view. Piers decided to slide the goggles up a bit and look at his normal vision. His vision was a lot better; he could see a few feet away now rather than just a few inches. His vision was still tinted blue slightly but soon that faded away and it became blurry again, the shell over his eye becoming more and more visible.

Piers sighed to himself, sliding the goggles back into place. His vision returned once again with a blue tint. Chris got up and walked over to Piers, sitting down next to him. He put an arm around Piers' shoulder reassuringly. Piers looked up with a lazy smile to his captain.

"I look ridiculous don't I?" Chris could hear the tone of uncertainty in his voice.

Chris scoffed at him, "Not at all Piers! I mean you almost look like some kind of shuttle pilot, what's ridiculous about that?"

Piers chuckled slightly at the stupid grin Chris had on his face. Piers leaned over and gave Chris a quick but passionate kiss on the lips. When he finally pulled away Piers quickly became immersed in his own thoughts. He soon began to wonder when this would end, what they would do tomorrow, hell he even wondered what could be happening ten years from now. Hopefully fighting bio-terrorism or even having it at its end, but more hopefully, doing whatever he was doing at that time with Chris. Piers would die ten times over if it meant he could be with Chris.

Piers was stirred from his thoughts as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Chris had him affixed with an intense scrutinizing gaze. Piers was about to ask what was wrong when a ring caused him to stay quiet. Piers watched as Chris picked up the phone with a disinterested grumble before looking at the screen. Piers saw a momentary look of confusing cross his face before answering the phone.

"This is Captain Redfield, who is this?

The voice came in as a small whisper at first before realizing that Chris could not hear him, "Hi, Captain Redfield, before I say anything could I ask you to make this conversation more private from Piers Nivans if he is nearby?"

Chris raised an eyebrow and mumbled something unintelligible into the phone. Chris looked over to Piers and motioned for him to stay. Chris walked into the bedroom and closed the door before bringing the phone back to his ear.

"Okay, so who am I speaking to exactly?" Chris' tone of annoyance was apparent through the phone.

Chris could hear the other person take a deep breath and exhale, "This is… Piers' father. We were told he's alive and well… we were wondering if we could visit?"

Chris thought for a moment, "I don't know… but you should probably ask him yourself first."

Chris could hear the man trying to calm his nerves, "I know it's just… I don't know if he would want to see us but I know he would at least consider it if his commanding officer agreed with it."

Chris scratched his chin in thought for a moment, "I'll agree to it but I won't force him to do it if he doesn't want to. Are you sure you want to visit, do you know what happened?"

Chris could feel the man's nervousness again, "N-no we were just told he survived an explosion with… complications."

Chris nodded to himself, the B.S.A.A. wasn't exactly known for giving a lot of info, "Well you know we fight bio-terrorism correct? Well… he had those kinds of complications."

Chris waited for a moment after he heard the breathing all but stop. He heard a woman's voice through the phone and soon someone else was on the line.

"Hello, Captain Redfield? This is Marissa Nivans, and I know full well what the B.S.A.A. does so please explain to me exactly what happened."

Chris took a moment to choose his words, "He was infected by the C-Virus and mutated, he is still alive and in full control of himself however. Doing what he did destroyed a creature that was created to destroy the world; he is the bravest man I have ever met."

There was an approving tone in the woman's voice, "That is my Piers for you, but I do believe you are holding something back, but may I speak to Piers please?"

Chris was cautious for a moment. The woman knew he was holding something back but there was no telling how much she actually knew. Chris kept her on the line, opening up the bedroom door and moving back into the living room. He sat down next to Piers who gave him a questioning looked as he handed him the phone. Chris motioned to the phone and brought it up to Piers' ear.

"This is Piers Nivans, who is this?" Piers was quite curious at this point.

Then the voice came over the phone, "Hi son. It's good to finally hear your voice again."

Chris dashed for the phone so it didn't break. Piers practically froze and the phone fell to the ground. Chris looked back up at Piers and his face was ghostly pale while his head was clammy with sweat. Chris put a hand on his bad shoulder to calm him down and looked into his eyes. Piers' breathing slowed and he looked back at Chris. Chris gave him the phone back and watched him even closer than before.

Piers slowly brought the phone back up to his ear, "H-hi… mom…"

Chris was close enough that he could actually hear them. He wasn't sure why Piers was so nervous but he figured it had something to do with his family before he joined up with the B.S.A.A.

"Honey, are you OK Piers?"

"Y-yeah mom, how uh, how are you guys doing?"

She laughed into the phone, "I'm fine Piers but I have a question. Would we… be able to come visit?"

Piers set the phone down and looked at Chris; his eyes were wide and had a variety of emotions running rampant. Fear, depression, shock, and several others that Chris could not yet identify. Piers then turned his head even more and asked Chris a question.

"W-what should I do, Captain?" His voice was quiet enough to not be heard through the phone but loud enough for Chris to hear.

Chris smiled at him, "Whatever you want to Piers. I think it would be a good idea but if for some reason you don't want to then you don't have to." Chris whispered into Piers' ear, calming him down some more.

Piers took in a deep breath and then brought the phone up one last time, "Y-yeah mom, you guys can come visit."

Chris could hear an excited cheer through the phone, and then Piers hung it up. Chris pulled his partner in closer to hug him, the smaller of the two relishing in the warmth that Chris was providing. Piers' skin had become a little cool to the touch and Chris could not help but feel that this visit was going to be a very long visit and he might very well get pissed off with somebody.