XV. An Interview with a Recruit


'I feel you in my heart and I don't even know you.'
—'Nineteen' by Tegan And Sara


Lagos, Nigeria
March, 2009

The bed in the bunkers at the base may not have been anything to brag about, but they were definitely an improvement compared to the plastic chairs at the hospital. And as Chris entered the hospital, walking down the familiar halls, his body felt rejuvenated after getting an actual full night's sleep. However, it took him some time to actually fall asleep. A certain someone kept going through his mind, haunting him in the wickedest ways possible. He imagined what it'd be look to touch more than just Sheva's arms and shoulders, to feel her naked body against his own. As he day dreamed about the female warrior, he caught sight of Josh talking to Jill's nurse, Grace.

"You said you'd come by last night, Josh," Grace griped loudly.

Josh looked like he was ready to fall to the ground from exhaustion. He grasped Grace's shoulder to keep her from walking away and to signal for her to calm down. "We're still doing cleanup in Kijuju, Grace. I tried to call you but you were on shift," Chris could Josh whisper.

Grace raised her hands in a dramatic way and shook her head, walking away from the BSAA Delta captain. Josh didn't bother going after her, just rubbed his forehead and sigh aloud. He caught sight of Chris walking by and greeted him.

"Hey, Redfield. How are you doing today?"

Chris wasn't sure if he should bring up the little scene that just happened to him and the nurse, but he was curious about it. It looked like he and Grace had a thing going on, so did that mean he wasn't involved with Sheva? "Better than yesterday. How about you? Looks like someone was upset with you." He was aware it wasn't his place to ask this. But the curiosity was killing him.

"Uh, yeah. Women. That's all I can say," Josh said, reminding Chris of Leon Kennedy back in the states. Thinking of the pansy made Chris want to crinkle his nose for the fact that he and his sister were moving in together soon.

"Well, at least it doesn't seem like Sheva yells at you a lot." Chris wanted know more, but he wasn't good at being subtle and probing, especially at the same time.

"Sheva? She only yells at me if I'm not careful on missions. But Grace always wants attention."

The idea that Josh was two timing on Sheva angered Chris, but he did his best to hide his irritation by flexing his fingers by his sides. "I never did the two girls at one time kind of thing, but I can imagine it's a lot of work."

"Two girls at one time?" Josh seemed to be slightly offended. "I'm not cheating on Grace. I would never do that."

"What about Sheva?" Chris just couldn't stop himself. He wondered if it would have been a worse time asking Sheva about it, but he considered talking to Josh to be easier for him.

"Sheva is like a little sister to me. We've never been more than good friends. Don't think that I'd cheat on Grace, I care for her a lot."

Great, now Chris felt like an asshole for assuming Josh was unfaithful. "Sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you. I just thought something was going on between you and Sheva."

"No, no, no," Josh repeated, shaking his head. "Though, I have to put a lot of my attention to her, too, because of the trouble she gets herself into." When Chris quirked an eyebrow, Josh chuckled and went on to explain. "She doesn't watch out for herself very well on missions, she's always trying to take the blows and save her partner. She's too selfless for her own good. And then on her free time, guys are chasing her around. It's a full time job watching out for her. But she means a lot to me, so I don't mind."

Chris was one of those guys chasing her now. Maybe not literally, but if it came to it, he probably would. His body felt light now that he knew that Sheva was single, or at least not involved with Josh. But since guys were "chasing" her around, it led him to believe that she was single. He seemed to walk faster to Jill's hospital room knowing that he'd see Sheva. Josh left to go find Grace and bid Chris goodbye.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to not only see both girls awake but Jill was eating and Sheva was sitting behind her, brushing her blonde locks. Jill was the first to look up as she slowly chewed her food and offering Chris a blank stare. Sheva looked to him, already blushing at him. She looked down at her lap and smiled when Chris grinned at her, happy to see her in a good mood.

"How's it going?" he asked both girls, closing the door. Jill swallowed and shrugged, leaving Sheva to verbally answer.

"We're doing well," Sheva announced, daring to look at him. "We haven't been awake all that long, just been talking."

Jill placed her food tray on the table by her bed when Sheva finished brushing her hair. Sheva got off the bed so Jill could lay down, who looked rather tired now that she had used energy to talk to Sheva and the detox tiring her body. As if on cue, Grace came in with a pissed off expression but quickly erased the frown and forcing a smile at the three people in the room.

"Good morning, Ms. Valentine. How are you feeling?" Grace inquired with a tight voice. Sheva seemed to be taken aback by her attitude, but Chris knew why she was acting this way. He wondered what Josh had gone back to talk to her about.

"A little tired," Jill admitted honestly. Grace asked if she'd like some pain medication and a small sedative to help her sleep. Not caring very much, Jill accepted the offer. Grace did what she said and injected a syringe into Jill's IV tubes, feeding the medication into her system. As the nurse finished, she turned to leave, but first she called to Sheva.

"Sheva, tell Josh that I was the best he ever had and he won't find anyone better, will you?"

Surprised, Sheva replied, "Uh, yeah sure, I'll tell him. Did something happen between you guys?"

"He just made the most stupid decision of his life that's all," Grace told her coldly and left the room to let that hang in the air.

As the door clicked shut, Sheva looked to Chris with raised brows and parted lips, obviously confused. Chris explained to her the scene he saw Josh and Grace in. Sheva simply rolled her eyes and sighed.

"They fight all the time. They'll probably get back together, but I hope they don't. I've never been too fond the way Grace clings onto Josh," Sheva stated, smoothing her blouse and shorts.

"And you never cling to a guy?" Chris inquired, smirking at her protective attitude.

"Me?" she placed a hand on her chest. "If I ever clung to a guy then hell must have frozen over."

Chris laughed, and it felt good to do so. "Girls don't even realize when they cling, but they all do at a certain point."

"And guys don't?" she sneered, testing him.

He simply shrugged. "Some do. I haven't, I'll tell you that now."

"And why are you telling me this?"

By the way she looked at him made him feel it'd be appropriate that she'd circle around him like a predator would do with its prey. Her eye held a dangerous flicker and curiosity, making her seem like a little lioness. He knew she was onto something and he wanted to play along.

"Because you want to know, don't you?" He took a step closer, already sensing the scent of jasmine on her skin.

Not knowing where this confidence was coming from, she followed his movements and took a step closer to him, only a foot away from him now. She could see by the color of the whites of his eyes that he had gotten some good rest and the way he stood tall, looking down at her, made him look like bear, ready to attack.

"Well, since you brought it up, I had to ask. And I wanted to see how far your ego goes," she spoke softly, looking him up and down, slightly intimated by his towering and broad size.

"I brought it up, huh? I'm pretty sure you're the one that said Grace was clingy. So I think you started it." He had to fight back the urge to touch her. "And you'd be surprised how far my ego can go."

"Cocky, too," Sheva murmured. "Hmm, maybe I was wrong when I said you weren't like any American I've ever met."

Chris looked to find that Jill had fallen asleep from the medication and looked to the woman in front of him. "Can't go back on your word now, Shev. I'm a realest, remember that."

"I don't think I can forget," she mumbled. She didn't say anymore and just gazed at him, studying every detail on his face. There was a tiny scar on his temple close to his hairline, slightly paler then his skin tone. Without thinking, she brought her hand to the side of his face and traced her fingertips on the scar. "How did you get this scar?"

Raising his own hand, he cupped hers to feel where she was referring. "I think that one was from my sister, Claire. When we were young."

She made no attempt to tug her hand away, but her body heated up all over again from his touch. "That must have been a long time ago," she teased him.

"Are you trying to insult me by saying I'm old?" he queried, deciding to tease her back. He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her closer until she was pressing against him. "Age is just a number, Shev."

Despite feeling like she was on fire, she couldn't stop the snort. "My, you really are cocky."

When had they gotten so touchy? Chris asked himself. He didn't really care, just that he could touch her without being pushed away or denied was a dream. Testing the limits, his other hand went to her waist and effectively held her in place and against his body. When she bit her lip, his blood started rushing towards a certain region of his body that might just ruin his coolness at that moment.

"I still need to talk to you," Sheva abruptly said, snapping out of la la land when the sound of the heart monitor in the room seemed to call her back to reality. She wasn't sure what was happening between them, but it needed to stop because they were going too far. Too far on a professional basis, too far on a friendship basis, and too far for her tolerance to be considered.

"Then talk," he whispered more than said, not wanting to break the spell. Just the feeling of holding her and feeling the heat of her body radiate off onto him sent him to place he had never been. And he never wanted to leave. But he was brought back to real life when she pulled away; tearing him away from that happy place he could only imagine was heaven.

"Maybe we could go somewhere that we can't wake anyone up," she hinted, referring to the sleeping Jill. "I just need to go home and change and then I can meet you at base or something."

"How about I just drive you home?" he offered, not wanting to leave her presence.

A man she so obviously was attracted to driving her home. Was that what American's called promiscuous? She wasn't sure if him being in her home was a good idea, but she didn't want to leave him for some odd reason. And this feeling didn't sit well in her stomach. This is the feeling she got when her parents would leave to run an errand, or friends in the guerrilla gang's left to check the perimeter. The people that she had grown to love and then…then they left. Before she could deny his offer, even though she wasn't sure she could deny him, he was walking to the door and turned to look back at her.

"You ready?" he called to her softly.

Was she ready? She wasn't sure if she was ready for Chris Redfield and the emotions he could put her through. But as her mind said that she was growing too close to this man and it was a mistake, her heart seemed to take motor function of her body and had her walking to him, following him out and to the parking to her car. And before she knew it, he was driving her home, not sure where her heart was leading her.


Los Angeles, USA
November, 2011

Tick tock, tick tock. Doing her best not to over tidy her desk, Sheva sat impatiently as she chewed on a breath mint, waiting for the interviews to start up again. Since this morning, she had seen four recruits already and a few more were left for the day, including Piers Nivans. She had done her best not to rush back to her office after lunch with Rebecca, not wanting to seem anxious. But that worry was thrown out the window when she checked herself out in the mirror and popped the Altoids in her mouth when she reentered her office.

If Sheva would openly admit about something, it's that she was a jitterbug when she knew she was going to see someone she liked. Well, she would admit it to herself and then maybe to others. Beside the point, it was obvious that Sheva had a little crush on Piers. And even more obvious that Piers liked Sheva. The idea that he was attracted to her seemed to make her nervous and jumpy, causing her to second guess her every move and practice what she'd say in her head over and over again.

The weekend prior had actually gone smoothly. Chris had helped out more than Sheva had expected and even more surprising, they had gotten along smoothly. Maybe a few awkward moments here and there, but that was due to when Claire came by the last day. She'd hover over them, directing and making points while throwing in a few comments about how well everything seemed to be falling into place. But the worst ones were when she'd say something how pretty Sheva looked. Sheva would blush and get back to work, trying to ignore Claire's nosey attitude while Chris did the same.

There would always be that thick tension that both she and Chris would play oblivious with, but that was fine as long as they could get along. Claire could play her little games, but it wouldn't accomplish anything. Chris had Jill and Sheva was happily single.

As she pondered over being single, a single knock echoed from the wooden door. She called him in, already knowing who it was. And when the door opened fully, her heart fluttered so slightly that she was forced to bite the inside of her cheek.

His grin was dangerous. She was like a prey cowering to its predator, watching as he came closer and the green in his eyes sparkling like a feline. Maybe someone who was just observing the two wouldn't think his presence or stare was so severe, but Sheva could feel it all and it was overwhelming in the best way possible. When the trance was over, he took a seat in front of her desk, waiting for her to say the first word.

"Are you going to say something?" he enquired as his eyes squinted just a little.

"Oh!" Sheva shifted in her seat, being pulled back to reality as she opened his file and read some details. "It says in your file that you're a transfer from New York. Why did you transfer here?"

He simply shrugged and settled into the leather seat he sat in. "I was offered a promotion and better position at this branch. And I have some family here, so I took it up."

"What was your motivation to join the BSAA?"

There were a few reasons, really. The deepest reason why Piers joined the paramilitary company was because he didn't have anyone left and nowhere to go, so he enlisted with the US Military and then moved to the BSAA. It wasn't that he didn't have money, he had enough to get by from working hard throughout his teenager years and then the inheritance, he just didn't want to stop and settle down. He was a man to always be moving, to always work and make something of his self. He didn't tell Sheva this, though. Instead he gave her the simpler and explanatory enough truth.

"It's a tradition in my family to serve in the military. Ever since I can remember I always wanted to join. I graduated at the top of my classes and was offered a position in pyrotechnics from the BSAA's NYC branch director."

It was a traditional answer, Sheva thought. But one that was legitimate and believable. "Do you like working in pyrotechnics?"

"It's fine. It's not my passion, but it takes a certain skillset to perform the job and I think that I've learned everything I can."

He seemed so calm, leaning back in the chair, answering the questions with ease, verbally dancing with her back and forth. Studying his mannerisms, it was obvious he was more comfortable than she was. She wanted to know more about his family's involvement with the US Military, what other dreams he had as a kid, what kind of student was he in academy classes. But this was an interview and a professional one at that.

"So now you're training to become a Special Operative Agent, what's after that for you?"

Eyebrows arching then falling back to their calm expression, he huffed with thought. "I don't really like to think that far ahead. I'm ahead already, I'm just going to focus on this and wait for the future to decide what's next."

"Fair enough," she thought aloud. "When training is over, do you have a team that you want to join or a certain branch?"

He seemed to snort, but it was too quiet. "It's not like I get to choose where I go, but if I could, it'd be a good team with a smart captain. The branch doesn't really matter, but I'd like to stay at this one."

"Any reasons why this branch?"

"A few actually."

That smirk twitched at his lips for a split second then disappeared, making Sheva question if it even occurred. She got the idea that his answer was a double meaning. What those meanings were, she wasn't too sure about. But something told her she had a part in it.

The rest of the interview went on smoothly. Somehow there were no awkward pauses or blank gaps in conversation. It flowed and maybe drifted off to thoughtful silence, only to be picked up and back to easy communication. The conclusion appeared once again that Sheva could so easily talk to Piers. It was like breathing; no thought was required and it was consistent.

He could see that she was guarded and also vulnerable when the time was right. Her need to be professional was endearing. Despite the situation not holding any awkward tension, he could see that she was doing her best to keep professional. The thought of her relaxing and loosening up made him want to smile and anticipate such an occurrence. As the interview was coming to a close, he pushed 'Professional Piers' aside and took a chance.

"Would you have lunch with me?" he requested, choosing lunch over dinner to make it seem less formal and less like a date.

The tongue-tied speech bubbled at the surface, but she forced it down and focused on confidence. "I don't think that's all right being that we're coworkers."

"What, coworkers can't have lunch together?"

Speechless. Would this be a date? Was he asking her out? "Well, yes they can, but…"

Noticing her uneasiness, he tried to explain and calm her down. "It'd be a lunch between friends and coworkers. It's just a lunch, Sheva."

Oh right, she had said for him to call her by her first name. And it sounded so good coming off his tongue. It was like she was going through puberty all over again; awkward and slow thought process, twitchy movements and the fear that you were boring to the person in front of you. At times in her life, Sheva wondered if she ever finished puberty or if she was still going through the hell of growing up.

"Um, I guess so. Yeah, I'd like that."

"Great," he said, rising from his chair. "Tomorrow?"

Sheva nodded and when he reached his hand out for her, she grasped his. But he didn't shake her hand but simply held her for a small moment before releasing her and turning towards the door. It was a simple gesture, but it meant something that kept secret or rather a hint at something.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Piers announced as the door cracked open. "Oh, and the next recruiter coming in, watch out. She's a showoff when it comes to the medical stuff."

"You know, the same could be said for you when it comes to sniping," Sheva claimed while crossing her arms over her chest.

He thought for a moment and then shrugged with that familiar smirk. "Touché."

And then the door closed and the room fell silent, left to the thoughts of what would happen tomorrow. It was exciting and scary. He was quite nice to be around and fun to be with, but there was obvious attraction that made her anxious. Tomorrow would tell how it would all go.

Be cool, Sheva. Just a lunch date. Date? No, no. Not a date, a hang out. Ugh, just stay calm.


Authors Note: Everyone stay cool. Sheva's going out with Piers. I won't go into detail about their lunch "date" because we need to get this story moving and shaking. But no worries, there's a lot of Piers to come.

HolleringHawk65: Haha, we need to say that a thousand times to Chris! Poor Chris! :P Yes, yes, yes. Ten percent means there's still a chance. ;D
Sheva Redfield: I think Sheva is walking on eggshells with Chris and he is as well with her, so it's just a big mess! Of course their bond will grow, it'd be a really boring story otherwise! D: I feel like Claire's talk show would be very 'Jerry Springer' with chair being thrown everywhere. German Shepard's are the dogs that you most likely see in the K9 Unit for the police. Haha, Claire is permitted to hit Chris because they're related. If they weren't, well, it'd be rather tense situation. :P XOXO
wolfspiritqueen: Haha, I love how you put supposedly. :P Mm, yes. Chris and Sheva need to hurry up and get on the love bandwagon.
JustSomeGirl17: Must be some pretty rad medicine! :P My head would hurt, too. It'd be just too much information. Too much! I'm pro-fluffy! :D Haha, I wanted to like play Barry White and give the two some time alone together on the TV… Arrivederci, my darling autumn leaf!
toby7400: I didn't even realize the falshbackception going on in the last chapter until you pointed it out. :P I can totally see Carlos saying that, and something like 'All the ladies want my baby.' If there's one thing to say about Carlos, he's a confident guy. Thank you very much. :)
borismortys: Haha, as am I looking forward to that moment, too. That flashback is coming very soon. Till next time, bye!
ShevaGiulia: Girl, I like the way you think. I think if they spoke of their time together in Afirca, then all those feelings would resurface and they'd turn into wild beasts and go crazy with each other. Okay, maybe not exactly that, but it would dramatic. :)

In the next chapter, Sheva wants to know more about Piers and Piers meets Rebecca for the first time. You guys, the next flashback is over 2k words! But it needs to be that long. And after the next flashback, there will only be four left. Sadness, but we must carry on.

-Sarai