Chapter One

Six months later

"I don't wanna…"

Mumbling to herself as the alarm clock made her aware it was time to wake up, Jill Valentine rolled over to slam her hand upon the snooze button. Her attempt was blocked by another warm body, however, groaning in like fashion as she. Nosing up to her bedmates ear, she nuzzled it gently as she flopped a lazy arm about his torso. Giggling into the pillow as he wiggled closer, the man mumbled beneath his breath. "Me neither. We should skip…play hookie beneath sheets all day?" Smacking him playfully on the arm, Jill finally realized if she didn't rouse the both of them…that they would indeed do that. "Chris…c'mon. McNeil would have our asses and you know it." Rolling back to look at her, Chris Redfield peeked out of one, sleepily green eye. "Meeeeeeeeeeegh…." Forcing himself back as she laughed, the man rolled ontop of her completely, pretending that she too was part of the bed. His body went rigid and then dead weight. "God…I remember buying a less talkative bed…when did this happen?" Jill giggled from beneath him, his eyes now watching her intently. It was almost a three months, and still every day felt like a honey moon… Despite the fact she had kept her maiden name for publicity sake, Jill Valentine was now a Redfield…

Leaning down to kiss her, the man moved in upon his wife hungrily, moving his hands down her hips. It had been something interesting to find out that she liked to sleep nude…and he had fulllly enjoyed it. Smacking him playfully across the shoulder as his own anatomy made itself aware, Jill wriggled halfway out from beneath. "Chris…we have to get to the office ON TIME today…. If we make it late once more, they may switch us off teams…" Feigning grumpiness, Chris finally rolled off and swung his legs over the bed. Shaking his head and grumbling audibly, the man moved for the bathroom. "Cold showerrrrs are never fun. You have to stop being beautiful you know…"

The comment made the woman smile as her husband left the room, her own fingers wandering to the front part of her chest. The scars were still there…still visible despite all the dermatology treatments.. And yet he still found her beautiful… Tying a robe about her waist, Jill waddled sleepily into the kitchen… maybe she could make an omelet to make up for denial of morning nookie…

…..

"I've told you time and time again, no one is better…"

On a satellite feed sat a stocky, African male, his dark eyes piercing and jovial. The HQ representative nodded as he jotted down information, several other team officials sitting about an oblong table in the video meeting. "We are aware of that, Captain Stone, and that is why we have personally contacted you as a reference. We want the best on this particular mission, and want to make sure our sources are correct." As the man nodded understanding, the video feed ended, the screen fading into black. The BSAA member turned to his fellow council members, his steely eyes finally in a sense of decision. Looking down at the pile of paperwork in front of him, the man began to sort through it. "Captain Lars has reported that none of the remains have been found. It has been three years and nothing, until now…" The screen faded up again, to reveal a satellite picture image. The image was of a gurney, a fuzzy orb like silhouette of a blonde man strapped down. Several more pictures flashed by of an armored vehicle taking the object.

An Asian woman lurched forward, her chubby cheeks flaring. "Surely you don't believe that is Albert Wesker? The Africa report stated that his body fell into an indigenous volcano…and was shot with Two rocket projectiles…" McNeil looked sidelong at the woman, her grey eyebrows nearly covering his eyes. "That is exactly why we want to do this mission… Umbrella has gained large press favor within the last few months, so this has to be strictly Black Ops material. No documentation and no recorded de-briefing afterward. This is dangerous business….and we need…

The very best…"

….

The man stepped from his steaming bath, sucking in the smoky air about him with relish. No matter how life was outside these walls…the water would always be his comfort. His skin glowed with fresh, clean renewal, its chill only rippling briefly as his form moved to the sink. Opening the can of shaving foam, he gently patted the substance on his jaw line. Slowly and with precision, he moved the razor across his pale cheek, disliking any stubble that stood in his way of a clean finish. Leaning down to rinse the blades, his attentive eyes caught the silhouette of a woman in the doorway. Her slim form was languidly leaning against it, the red burn of her stare following every movement. Sighing as he took the towel from its rack, he buried his face in the soft garment. Placing it back, the man turned around to face his visitor, despite the lack of clothing. "Nice of you to grace me with your presence today, Angelica."

The woman made no movement towards him as he walked past, but merely stayed were she stood. "Are they keeping up you regimen like I ordered?" Towel drying his hair after retrieving a dry one from a nightstand drawer, he nodded, moving towards the white dresser. He had grown to hate the color white….it was everywhere… "Your exercise activities have kept me…mildly amused. These people have no idea what we are capable of, and the trivial obstacle course they run me through are as hard to me as a rat who already found the cube of cheese.."

Angelica nodded as she turned to leave, but her shoulder was caught by a large hand. Her body immediately tensed as he moved to her, pressing close. "You were absent for quite some time…I did come to….sense a missing to our visits. Why have you decided to come back and torture your favorite experiment?" The woman became cold as a force of habit, her head inclining in the other direction even as he inhaled her scent. "There was a problem with one of the facilities. I was enlisted to…sort it out." Angelica's throat hitched as he wrapped secure arms about her. Wesker had not been made aware of Raccoon being rebuilt…or the Estate facility.. "You should get your cloths on, Albert. The Partners will be coming in to inspect your behavioral studies.." A soft growl came from the man behind her, his finger nails digging into the skin of her arm. "Behavioral studies…perhaps you should let them know of my most odd behaviors pertaining you then.."

Distant memories shot through the back of her mind, and even after three years she could still remember how he was…. How he felt and tasted on the floor of a dangerous place, and how the African heat even made his skin feel on fire. An icy glare was thrown back over her shoulder as she disengaged herself from him. Wesker was periodically moody, going from rageful and wishing to snap her neck, to wanting to recapture a moment long past. Sometimes she wondered if it was boredom that prompted his actions, or just animalistic want of being in control of Something…

Pressing her palm to the door, Angelica moved outwards to leave him to his business. Wesker scowled even as the door slid shut behind her, the two way glass not hiding any emotion that slid across his face. It was a trick it seemed…one to make her guard break….one to set him free. After that fateful day, her mistake had been made to make him aware of how she had felt… and now he was doing what he did best…using it as tool for his own purposes. A saudden lash of her communication device caused the woman to look down, her eyebrows raised. Pressing the key in, she quickly snapped at the young intern who had bothered her. "Yes, what do you want?" The voice on the other side sounded young and shaky, the male obviously also trying to run from crashing objects. "Doctor Burrows, you are needed in the pediatric ward…it's happening again…"

…..

It took mere minutes to get there, despite her stamina waning from other bodily problems. Her strength still wasn't full yet. Opening the door, Angelica herself had to dodge a flying bookcase. Things were floating uncontrollably about the room, several scientists hiding under a bolted down desk. The one who had called her before pointed towards the source of the problem. In the center of the room squalled a child, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. As soon as catching sight of Angelica, the objects fell to the floor. The child ran forwards towards the woman, jumping up into her arms. "I won't I won't I won't!" Angelica cradled the upset little one in her arms, shooting a deadly glare towards the interns. "What happened…" Slowly the man and his assistants crawled out, despite their trembling. "W…W…w.w….we were trying to take her blood sample for the day…and…I…" The little girl interrupted, pointing an accusing finger. "It hurts…I don't wanna get stuck anymore.."

Angelica walked over to the askew bed, setting the child down. The little girl could be no more that four of five years old, her light blonde hair tumbling about her shoulders. A red rim edged at the child's clear, Azure eyes, but no more than from the vicious crying. Running her fingers through the girl's hair, Angelica motioned to be handed the phial. "Now, honey, what did I tell you about using your powers on the doctors? You aren't strong enough…what if you hurt someone?" The girl pouted out her lip, smacking the syringe away as Angelica tried to administer the injection. "But they are hurtin' me…" Pointing a finger in a scolding manner, Angelica finally took authority. "You know better, they are trying to help you. We want to make sure that your blood doesn't get sick.." The little girl looked up, finally presenting her arm. Softly Angelica spoke to the child, even as tears of pain welled back up. "If you are good this week, I will take you to see the Ma12s. They've made them fuzzier this time…and the claws are different. How about it, hmm?" Handing over the phial, Angelica snapped her hand in a way to let the group know they could leave.

Putting a brightly colored bandage over the spot, Angelica sighed to herself. The mark was already beginning to fade, but the cartoon characters would make the child happy. The girl lurched forwards, hugging Angelica to her as she cried out her frustration. "I know I gotta…I'm sorry…it just…hurts..I'm sorry.." Angelica smiled as she embraced the little girl, a small tear of moisture collecting in her own eyes. Shushing quietly, she began to rock back and forward.

"It's ok…It'll get better baby…I promise…I'm here…Mommy's here…."