Chapter 2: A Visit

Jill had been sleeping soundly when a tickling feeling came up against her lip. She tried to get rid of it without disturbing her rest too much, pouting and giving her head a soft shake but to no avail. Creeping her eyes open she observed with quiet horror the sight of her cat's bottom facing right towards her while the feline itself rested on her chest. A groan left her lips while she wrestled one hand free from her blanket to try and guide the kitty off of her bosom.

"I'm fine with you laying in bed with me but I draw the line at having to wake up to the sight of your butt. So let's go, up and at 'em."

Normally she had no issue reprimanding her cat aloud but doing so now brought with it a pang of shame. Ada's words from yesterday still lingered in her mind. She knew it was foolish to let something so simple bother her but that didn't make it easier to get it out of her head. The fact that someone she just met could so easily recognize her flaws brought with it an uneasy feeling difficult to shake.

All of this just because of some stupid invitation. If Wesker had just said no then she would be going about her weekend as usual. Waking up, cleaning up the apartment, heading to the gym, grabbing lunch, and so on and so forth. It was a routine that had never bothered her before but suddenly felt so restrictive. So dull. Like she was holding herself back from doing more but what?

Rolling out of bed Jill suddenly recalled that today would actually be different. Ada hadn't just left her with negative thoughts. At the end of the evening she had actually promised something far more enticing.

"Why don't you join me for lunch tomorrow?"

Thinking back on it now Jill was almost thankful she had still been in her own head about Ada's words. If her thoughts were not otherwise occupied she may not have even been able to give the woman a straight answer. Even now thinking back on it Jill found a feel of heat returning to her cheeks. If she had to pick two words to describe Ada the ones that came to mind were bold and beautiful. The woman carried herself with such confidence that Jill found herself feeling intimidated by her presence alone and she was not a woman easily frightened.

Though frightened was perhaps not the right word. Impressed would be better suited since even though Jill felt shy in her presence it was not out of fear. Just a sort of awe at the natural beauty the woman in the red dress possessed. And then to compliment Jill's looks.

"Oh please…"

Jill scoffed to herself, shaking her head as tried to imagine herself commanding that same kind of attention as Ada. Walking over to the bathroom she stretched, the blue tank top she wore to bed lifting slightly and sending a shiver down her spine as the cool morning air touched her bare midriff. Stepping into the bathroom she shut the door and flipped on the light. In spite of being the only one in the apartment she still didn't like the idea of the cat watching her strip or shower. There had to be boundaries between roommates after all. Something she wished the feline knew as well since it was perfectly content to groom itself in the center of the room, private parts and all.

Rather than dwell on that thought any longer though Jill instead opted to look herself over in the mirror in an attempt to see if she could recognize any of that beauty Ada had been referencing. Jill knew she was far from being self-conscious, possessing plenty of well earned pride in both her accomplishments as well as some aspects of her physical appearance. Her profession made staying in shape mandatory but even still she went the extra mile to establish a slim toned figure that she was more than satisfied with. Stripping off her sleepwear consisting of that top and a pair of gym shorts she caught sight of the only real blemish on their entire body, a small round scar on her hip. Instinctively she grazed her fingers over the skin there half expecting to feel a sharp pain akin to what she felt when that piece of lead buried itself in her side. But time had healed that wound long ago leaving her with only a bit of scar tissue to commemorate the event.

Turning on the shower she brought her attention back to the mirror before it had a chance to fog up. Her short cut brown hair failed to hide any of her features from her blue eyes to her cute nose. Her lips were thin and often went unaided by makeup though she begrudgingly decided that would have to change for the gala. Opening up the cabinet behind the mirror she gazed over the rather dull collection of cosmetics on offer.

"Guess I'll need to do some shopping later."

Shutting the cabinet she took one more look over herself before stepping into the shower to let the cool waters run down her body. She knew that at the station she occasionally attracted some male attention and had been called all manner of crude things by the punks she'd hauled in over the years. But the former was to be expected in any male dominated field especially as one so testosterone ridden as law enforcement and the latter… well it wasn't as if criminals were known for their manners. Still when she thought back to Ada's compliment she could recall just how sincere she sounded.

Somehow that thought brought her right back to Chris. In spite of his fame he was completely oblivious to his appeals beyond just his accomplishments as a STARS agent. His handsome face, his cool character, chiseled body…how could someone be so damn oblivious? And yet he was. At first Jill had been oblivious to it to. She'd been his partner and in those times she saw him as nothing more than a fine agent. However, having seen his face in the papers or on TV she began to look at him differently. Finally seeing what all those silly bimbos who swooned over him at press releases were seeing.

Jill smirked at the prospect of herself among them, eyelashes fluttering and hands pressed together in the hope that he would perhaps look her way. No she would never debase herself like that but now that she understood his appeal the idea stuck with her every time they spoke. When he greeted her with a good morning her heart fluttered. When he was looking for someone to train with she fought to be the first volunteer. In all that time she never once considered that the way she looked to him he might also be putting her on that same kind of pedestal.

It was a profound thought and one that she wanted to devote more time to considering but was interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. Jill shut the water off to confirm it'd come through and sure enough there it was again. Not the same pattern as the one Ada had delivered but this time her concern over it being a potential threat was curbed by the fact that it was daytime. Any potential hitman would have to be pretty damn bold to make a move on her in broad daylight. Grabbing a plain white towel she began to dry her body while delivering a reply.

"One second!"

Only for her to get an answer nearly just as fast.

"RCPD m'am!"

The announcement caused Jill to freeze for a moment. A cop? Why? If the station needed her she would have received a phone call so it was unlikely that she was being called in on some emergency. At the same the cop sounded urgent but not aggressive. Which also indicated that she likely wasn't in any trouble. Although both lines of thinking only served to make the current situation that much more confusing. Forgoing getting changed she instead wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom through the bedroom and towards the entryway.

She stopped only for a moment to think back to where her sidearm was. It would be beside her bed on the nightstand where she always left it. The idea crossed her mind to double back for it but another knock at the door pushed that consideration away as she reached for the knob.

Twisting it open she found herself face to face with a young man in full police attire. A rookie to be sure, a fresh one at that since she failed to recognize his face. It was a face she was sure she'd recognize too. Handsome but with a sort of innocence to it that made it feel more appropriate to call him cute especially with the way his eyes darted to the floor the moment he saw Jill's current attire. Or lack thereof.

"Can I help you officer…"

Jill's eyes gazed down the breast of the man's uniform where the name 'Kennedy' was stitched.

"Officer Kennedy?"

The cop quickly shook his head, still unable to quite make eye contact with her. It was then Jill noticed what he was holding. A manila envelope that was often used at the station to hold small pieces of evidence.

"No sorry to have…I mean yes I…I mean yo-you called the station yesterday about a mugging?"

Quickly his free hand moved to his pocket where he pulled out a small notebook. Jill watched him curiously as he quickly flipped through the pages before looking back up to her.

"I'm sorry, are you not Ada Wong? We were told to deliver anything we found here…"

The explanation only served to make Jill more confused. Of course it explained why a cop showed up knocking on her door in the middle of her morning but brought with it a new question. Why had Ada told the cops to bring any evidence to her? Unless…she had excepted to stay the night?

Now it was Jill's turn to get flustered at the thought though she quickly regained control, shaking her head and pointing with her thumb to the door beside her.

"I'm afraid you have the wrong apartment. Well…not really. Ada's my neighbor. I let her use my phone last night since those muggers stole her key so she couldn't get into her place. She's in there now though."

Officer Kennedy nodded his head, likely prepared to excuse himself to head over to Ada's before something stopped him. Jill recognized the look in his eye immediately. A clever glint that few on the force had and those that did quickly earned her respect.

"How did she get in?"

Jill cocked her head to the side and leaned against the door.

"What do you mean?"

She realized only after she moved and spoke that the gestures caused some of the towel to slip, exposing some more of her cleavage. She quickly moved to adjust herself, not wanting to give the wrong impression although the damage was already partway done as Officer Kennedy once again turned to look towards the floor.

"You said that her door was locked and she couldn't get in so you lent her your phone. But she's in there now. How'd she get in?"

In spite of some of the lingering awkwardness Jill couldn't help but respect the officer's inquisitiveness. He clearly felt uncomfortable thanks to her near nudity and was on a mundane task that most cops at his level would rather just get over with. But he was willing to go the extra mile. And in doing so did manage to catch something that Jill would be forced to come clean with.

"I…picked the lock to her apartment and let her inside."

Leon raised an eyebrow. Pulling the notebook back out he slid out a pen to accompany it while preparing to write inside.

"I'm sorry but could I any chance get your name?"

Jill sighed and nodded. With her luck Ada will have gotten kidnapped by the same punks who robbed her the second after Jill let her safely back into the apartment, leaving her the main suspect. Oh well. Being forced to spend the week in a holding cell to avoid having to attend the gala might not be the worst trade off.

"Sure. Its Valentine. Jill Valentine."

"Jill…"

Officer Kennedy stopped midway through writing to look back up to her with sudden realization in his eyes.

"Holy…! You're the Jill Valentine! You're on Stars team with Chris Redfiled and Albert Wesker and…"

Jill held up a hand to silence the fanboying which, just as it had with Ada, worked in getting him quiet. A technique she'd have to keep in mind.

"That's right. I take it you're familiar?"

Officer Kennedy quickly nodded. Any bashfulness or doubt from before vanishing overtaken by a sensation of awe. Jill was aware that her team had acquired a sort of legendary status among the rest of the officers down at the station. They had done the impossible and in all their years of operation had yet to lose even a single agent. They were the best of the best and something for other cops to aspire towards. A sentiment that Officer Kennedy appeared to have taken to heart.

"Of course! You guys are amazing! I was just reading about…"

Jill raised her hand once more as another cool breeze washed over her that saw her bare skin covered in a layer of goosebumps. Shivering she continued on,

"Would you mind if we talked more after I got dressed? Come inside. After I put something on we can both head over to sort this all out."

Jill stepped away from the doorway allowing the officer entrance. The reminder of her current clothing situation caused Officer Kennedy's shyness to return in full force as he stepped inside and cleared his throat

"Ahem. Th-that's a great idea. I'll just wait here ."

Jill shook her head while moving towards the bedroom.

"That'll be fine. And also its just Jill."

She listened as the officer called out behind her.

"You can call me Leon!"

Jill found herself chuckling as she closed the door to her room and headed over to her closet. Leon was even cuter personality wise than his looks. The way his eyes lit up upon learning who she was made her feel like a celebrity and his enthusiasm for his work matched that assessment. The force could use more men like him, especially since she wouldn't mind seeing his face around every now and then.

She found herself rolling her eyes at the thought while donning a gray sweater along with a pair of blue jeans. Grabbing a simple black bra and panties to go along with it she chastised herself for the sudden romanticism. The gala in her head and suddenly she was intrigued by the idea of stuffing the office with handsome cops for her to admire in between her jobs. Maybe she really was starting to become a silly bimbo. There was a scary thought.

Putting it to the side she stepped back into the living room with renewed confidence now that she was actually dressed. Although seeing her with clothes on didn't have any effect on Leon's bashfulness as he let out a soft,

"Wow…"

Before realizing he said that aloud and quickly standing up straight.

"I mean, we should probably go deliver these to ."

While Leon marched off towards the door Jill followed amused. Although that bemusement came with the realization that perhaps Ada truly was onto something. Jill couldn't just assume that Leon got this tongue tied whenever he had to interact with a woman. Clearly he saw something about her that she had trouble recognizing herself. And she had to admit it felt pretty damn alright to be someone's idol.

Stepping into the hallway with Leon beside her she led him over to Ada's door before taking a step back. This was his task after all and even though professionally she was a good few leagues above him, off the clock she was nothing more than another civilian. Leon didn't argue and even offered a thankful nod before turning to knock on the door. Only this time only a single knock was required since just as he pulled his hand back to deliver another the door was pulled open by Ada with one hand, using the other to adjust a small golden earring in her ear.

"Hey there. I take it this is about the robbery?"

Her sudden appearance took both Leon and Jill off guard, the officer being the first one to get a word out as a reply.

"Y-yes but how did…?"

Ada caught him off with a smirk.

"Heard you and Miss Valentine here talking in the hallway."

Jill put her hand on her hip, eyeing up the asian woman.

"And you didn't want to come out because?"

Ada giggled in return and waved her hand as if shooing the question away but still at least found it fit to answer her.

"Oh I had just stepped out of the shower and hadn't even gotten dressed yet. I didn't think there was anything wrong with you buying me some time. Especially now that I know you were spending time with officer good looks over here."

Unlike with Jill though it seemed Leon wasn't too shy to snap back, offering a quick retort.

"It's Officer 'Kennedy' actually and I believe I have something that belongs to you ."

Jill smirked in turn, finding more and more to like about Leon. Maybe he could be a little shy when it came to meeting someone who had an impact on him but that didn't mean he was unable to stand up for himself. Ada seemed impressed as well, purring as she looked to the envelope in his hand. One that Leon began to explain the contents of.

"I have here your ID as well as your driver's license, wallet, and keyring. Unfortunately one of our officers found it dumped by a trashcan in the subway without any cash or credit cards. I'd recommend canceling those."

Jill nodded her head as if she were an instructor grading the young cop's performance. By the book and with all the information someone like Ada would need. And the woman was appreciative, accepting the envelope once offered and letting out a content sigh as she confirmed the contents with her own eyes.

"Ugh, thank you so much Officer Kennedy. This is gonna save me so much trouble."

Leon returned her praise with a simple smile and nod.

"Thank the RCPD . We're all just doing our part."

Just as Leon moved to step away Ada spoke once more.

"Wait! Do you mind if I ask when you're off the clock?"

Leon chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"You were my last stop actually. After I drop my gear off at the station I'm done for the day."

Ada smiled as she looked to Jill before back to Leon. Already Jill knew what she was about to ask him.

"If you're not busy you're welcome to come back here and join Jill and I for lunch. Think of it as a token of thanks."

Leon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"That sounds lovely but I do actually have plans already. One of the senior agents wanted to talk with me and I already said I'd meet with him. Oh! Jill you must know him, its Chris!"

Jill could feel her heart skip a beat in her chest as he mentioned her former partner. Without even thinking her blurted out.

"You can have him over to! Just tell him I'll be there."

Jill inwardly winced at her own reaction. As if her presence would immediately sell Chris on stopping by. But the damage was done and Ada was curling her finger towards Leon.

"Here. Pass me that little notebook of yours and I'll jot down my number. Just call me if you can make it and I'll set things for the four of us. Otherwise it'll just have to be us ladies."

Rather than hand over the whole notebook, which would be against protocol which Jill silently appreciated, he instead ripped out a page to hand over to Ada along with his pen. In the meantime Jill silently felt the panic inside her mounting. Chris would be coming here to eat with he would most definitely want to discuss the gala, the same one that Ada knew of and would certainly not let Jill ignore.

Ada handed back the page to Leon which he tucked away in his pocket, nodding his farewell to both women. Jill could only silently wave as words failed her, her very nearly slack jawed face turning to look at Ada who sent a wink her way.

"Guess its starting to look like a party. Stop by around one babe, I'll have everything ready for then. See you then~"

And with that the door was shut leaving Jill stranded with her own thoughts. And the promise of a very interesting afternoon.