After Death E.V.
Chapter.1
Chemistry
The Alcatraz building complex began to get painted in the pink and orange tones of the dawn, making the walls sprinkled with a warm hue that invites you to enjoy, to capture the beauty with a family photo, as if the group had not just survived a night of unspeakable horrors. As if its old walls and floors hadn't been tainted in blood, pieces of brain, and some other substance of dubious and disgusting appearance, a perfect memory of the Racoon City of their nightmares.
Again.
One by one, the group of friends rises from their uncomfortable place at the foot of the stone staircase, walking towards the rescue that has just arrived on the small island, in the form of three B.S.A.A. helicopters, which, in addition, transport a highly trained research and cleansing team. With the skill that characterizes the pilots of their organization, the huge devices land softly over the wide platform of the heliport, bringing with them a powerful wind that drags dust, small stones, and sea breeze, which, although it hurts their skin, invites the group of survivors to return home.
The five friends smile at each other as they walk slowly but resolutely to the devices, congratulating one another over being successful survivors of these horrors again, and wondering, for the umpteenth time, how long they will continue to do this. No one knows for sure, but everyone is sure of one thing:
They will continue to do so as many times as the world needs them.
Covering his eyes with a palm to prevent the dust that raises the strong wind of the propellers to leave him blind, Leon Kennedy walks towards the helicopters, ahead of the others, who walk slowly to continue talking to each other, while the blond does not want to prolong his stay any longer, feeling more than willing to leave this crazy island. Looking up, Leon sees several B.S.A.A. agents getting out of each of the helicopters. One of those agents, the one at the forefront, walks straight toward him.
"Agent Kennedy?" The man holds out his hand when he finally reaches him, and Leon takes it firmly.
"Yes, that's my name."
Without giving his name, the B.S.A.A. officer hands him a stamped letter.
"Nice to meet you. We came to pick up Captain Redfield's team, but the D.S.O. requested support from my agency to integrate you into the transport. In case you have no problem with that, of course."
Leon smiles sideways, as he opens the envelope, on which, in clear and impersonal computer letters, two simple sentences are written, without a sender:
'Transport and escort on arrival. You can have sleepovers.'
Leon this time snorts, amused, while keeping the letter in his pants.
"It will be an honor to travel with the B.S.A.A."
The man nods stoically.
"In that case, helicopter 0035, from which I have just descended, is yours, it's the one designated with the rescue mission, so you can wait inside for my superiors and Misses Redfield and Chambers to arrive."
Without waiting for an answer, the officer gestures to the four other members of his team, already formed behind him, diligently guiding them towards the entrance of Alcatraz, while carrying several suitcases of highly expensive equipment, reaching the rest of the cells in order to obtain the information they can from Chris and Jill, and then proceed to carry out the integral exploration of the entire island.
A protocol that the D.S.O. agent already knows by heart.
Leon turns to look for the figure of his friend Chris Redfield, the only other male of this curious group of survivors and sees that, indeed, he is talking to the two groups of experts who have descended from the helicopters and gives them brief indications. Leon is about to turn to resume his way to the helicopters but, before he can do so, his eyes first find the trio of beautiful women walking towards him, Claire and Rebecca at the forefront, and the sight of them creates a warm feeling in his heart, seeing these skilled and brave companions walking almost at his height, feeling proud of them for the skill and determination they have shown him throughout the years. A knowledge they just reinforced on him during these last hours.
The blond smiles at Claire as she reaches him, although the redhead gives him a hard look, evident signs that she has not forgiven him at all for their last and unpleasant encounter, when she asked him for the chip that both had fought to recover. But always the most human, and the one with the greatest emotional intelligence, she still takes his arm, as if they were still best friends, even if her gaze continues to tell him otherwise.
"We can't keep putting this off, Kennedy, we need to talk."
He smiles sadly at her.
"I agree with you, Redfield. But you must understand that it's a decision that I do not intend to change. Not even for you, even if you mean so much to me."
Intentionally ignoring his last words, Claire squeezes his arm as a sign of her growing anger.
"You are...!" Before she can finish the sentence, the woman takes a deep breath, trying to control her temper. She doesn't want to continue down that line, especially since she shares the same feeling as him. "I love you too, Leon, you are one of the few true friends I have. But I can't overlook what you're doing, the grave mistake you're making, just because of the friendship that unites us. That's why, before anything happens, before I can even think about forgiving your stubbornness, we need to clarify certain points. There are many things we need to sort out between you and me."
He hasn't lost his smile at his friend's outburst, even though it hurts, and then nods at her request.
"I'll be happy to do it, Claire. I'm honest when I tell you that you're important to me, and it hurts me to be like that with you. Believe me, it's the last thing I want, but you must understand..."
She silences him with a finger upon his lips and then sighs deeply again.
"I think this would be the worst time to talk about it, because, even though I want to forgive you, I still feel your refusal as a blatant betrayal."
The blond's gaze is filled with pain.
"Claire…"
But the redhead shakes her head, robbing the man of the chance to convince her to leave the situation behind. She's a Redfield, after all. She does not plan to give a single step back, but, always the smart and keen woman, she decides to change tactics and gives the tall man a flirtatious wink.
"I propose you something, Kennedy: take me to dinner and we'll discuss whatever you want. I really want a chance to show you why your decisions are wrong. But not now." The redhead smiles mysteriously at him. "This conversation has to be carried out as you asked me that time: under the lights of a good restaurant and over a delicious piece of steak, so that, if you become annoying and even unbearable, like last time, at least I would have enjoyed the meal."
He laughs quietly at her seemingly indecent, but absolutely innocent, proposal of a date, brushing aside the criticisms she sends him, and nods again, accepting the terms.
"It will be my pleasure to take one of the Redfields, by far the most beautiful, to a delicious dinner just as you have described. But for that, I'll need to get permission from the other Redfield."
Claire punches him in the stomach, though really without much intent.
"If you even suggest again that I need Chris' permission to date a man, even if he's a good friend, I promise I will punish you tremendously. Remember that girls also know how to kick ass, even if it´s a D.S.O. agent´s ass."
Despite the threat, the blonde laughs again, but the words immediately cause his gaze to be redirected to another girl who just did exactly that, the one who is dressed in blue, and who now interacts in a relaxed way with his best friend from the B.S.A.A.
"Yes... Today you all have reaffirmed to me how expert girls can be at combat and defense..."
There is a pause in his words that immediately makes Claire aware of the tone of his voice, and, always attentive, follows the path of his gaze, guessing without a problem the source of that comment. The youngest of the Redfields takes a step towards the man, a half-smile drawn upon her lips.
"Oh! Does that mean you were lucky enough to witness Jill's combat skills? Or that you just fell victim to them?" She laughs femininely at his lack of response, noticing the way her friend's not-so-innocent gaze stays over her best friend's body. "Jill is fantastic, isn't she?"
"Yes... Oh, yes she is..."
His automatic response draws a huge laugh from Claire, the sound of her crystal-clear laughter tearing him from his thoughts.
"What happened? Did I say something funny?"
She laughs a little more before answering him.
"No, not exactly saying it. But your eyes..." Claire folds her arms as she watches Jill and Chris approach in silence, although with smiles lighting up both faces. "You should give it a try, you know? Jill is a fantastic woman. You could definitely be happy with her."
Leon shakes his head negatively, his golden hair following the movement.
"I had heard some rumors about how great she is, how skilled and clever, but I had never interacted with her beyond polite conversations, because any relationship I ever had with Jill was always through you and your brother. Never more than two sentences and even less with her and me alone, and certainly, zero possibility of meeting with her in combat or on a mission." The man can't stop a sigh from escaping him, and Claire has to cover her mouth so as not to betray the laughter she can barely contain. "I wasn't sure how wonderful she really is until now." Leon shakes his head, realizing his cheesy comments by himself. "But don't get me wrong: I would never do that to Chris."
Claire clears her throat, regaining her composure, and minimizes his words with a wave of her hand.
"Chris is a fool for not realizing the fantastic person standing in front of him. But the reality is that the two of them are so close, that they truly see each other as nothing more than siblings. I assure you that there is no chemistry in there: as much as they love each other, there is no fire between them. I can even bet neither of them would know what to do even if they found themselves both lying in the same bed, completely naked."
An eyebrow rises, but still, the man laughs at her words.
"Are you serious?"
For her part, she raises a delicate eyebrow, daring him to contradict her.
"I am. You should stop worrying about my silly brother and do your best. And who knows? Maybe Jill is the person you need to help you forget that shadow in your heart that goes under the name of Ada Wong."
However, Leon was lost for a moment in his thoughts, in the possibilities Claire was suggesting to him, his gaze fixed on Jill's stylized silhouette, until he managed to process his friend's last words, and turned to answer her.
"Hold on! Ada is not...!"
But Claire has already walked away, without any intention of listening again to her friend, who always denies the obvious obsession he has over the spy, so she shouts out loud her last warnings, not caring if anyone else would hear her.
"I will be waiting for the date and time for that dinner. In the meantime, hurry up and take action. Jill won't be waiting forever for some coward on this team to ask her out. She's too beautiful for that." Claire looks over her shoulder and winks at him again. "As you can imagine, now that she is back with us, suitors are lining at her door. Ah! And please," the young woman stops again to turn around completely, placing her piercing blue eyes on his sapphires, while threatening him with a finger, "whatever you do, take good care of her. Otherwise, you'll have two terrible Redfields fervently looking for your neck."
Leon laughs quietly while shaking his head at his friend's witticisms, although, at the same time, he can't help a sudden shudder that runs along his back. Two terrible Redfields fervently looking for his neck...
Yes, that certainly sounds like a terrible threat.
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo
The helicopter ride occurred without many events, and once on the ground, to the friends´ surprise, the D.S.O. offered to take the rest of the group in elegant armored cars, under the authorization of their boss, according to what Leon told them.
"It's the least my agency can do for you," the blond argues, as he gets behind the wheel of the first car, "after you risked your lives to help us complete this important mission."
Chris pats his friend on the back.
"Don't even mention it, mate. Not only would I not hesitate to help you whenever I can, but it was also fortunate that our cases intersected, so we could support each other. I will always be indebted to you for protecting Jill."
"Yes, quite lucky, although I don't really know who protected whom." Leon asserts the tall man, but his gaze is directed to the brunette in the blue blouse, who returns a soft smile upon hearing his words, equally grateful for the attention.
"You didn't need to do this for us, Leon, I could have taken a taxi home, because Chris is right: I already owe you enough for your support in those sewers, but the gesture is appreciated. It is much more pleasant to travel with you than to go alone, even though we have to be accompanied by the hard-headed Redfields."
"Jill!"
Although it is Claire who protests, Jill winks at Chris, and he laughs at the mockery, fascinated to see the first joke that his beloved partner makes since her return at the agency, regardless of whether it is at his expense.
"I understand you. And it will be a pleasure that you all come with me because I insist, I am the one who is in debt." Leon responds sincerely, and Jill nods, giving him a wider smile, one that warms the blonde's chest.
Without giving him any thought, Jill allows Rebecca to enter the car before her, not noticing that Leon's gaze refuses to tear off her face until she follows her partner, disappearing inside the vehicle. Leon stares at the empty space for a couple of seconds, waiting for his heart to stop jumping. Although his smile of pleasure only expands.
Inside the car, the group of friends automatically split into two... or rather, the girls choose to sit in the back seats, relegating Chris as co-pilot. Not that it bothered Leon, because that way he could converse better with Chris... and have a perfect view of the ex - S.T.A.R.S. through the rearview mirror while marveling about how this beautiful woman is beginning to occupy that much space in his mind.
Almost immediately, and taking advantage of the fact that Leon and Chris were already talking about situations between the two cases, the three ladies find themselves chatting animatedly, almost forgetting about the two men who accompany them. Chris, fortunate or unfortunately accustomed to his sister's conversations, just smiles, while Leon does the same, likewise without giving him much thought about the topics of the talk, and instead, exchanges a look with Chris, aware that his friend must feel his chest swollen with happiness to see the three women safe, and so relaxed, even after what they have just gone through, especially when one of them, or two, or all three, let out a burst of happy laughter at what the other has said.
"And then I said to that Jason..." says Claire, as she tells her friends about her last date attempt.
"But, wait, I'm confused," Rebecca says to the redhead, both palms raised to slow down the story, "which Jason do you mean? Human Resources at Terra-Safe? Or the one in the cafeteria?"
Jill opens her eyes like saucers.
"What do you mean? Are there two Jasons?"
"And they've both asked our beautiful Claire out, can you believe it, Jill?" Rebecca fans her face in an exaggerated gesture. "And one of them is veeeeeery handsome! Oh, man! I would love to be as beautiful as you are, Claire!"
The youngest of the Redfields minimizes the comment with a wave of her hand.
"Stop talking nonsense, Rebecca! You are very beautiful, and as if that were not enough, those gorgeous green eyes of yours can make anyone fall in love!" Both Jill and Claire laugh the moment the green-eyed´s cheeks turn an intense crimson color.
"Don't make fun of me, Claire..."
But the aforementioned redhead, without stopping her laughter, embraces her tiny companion, winking at her.
"I don't. All you need to do is get out of that damp, cold, grey laboratory where you're always secluded, and dress a little more provocatively. Believe me, showing the cleavage always works."
"Hey! I don't plan to show my cleavage!" Rebecca covers her chest with one hand, even though her clothes don't really show any skin, her blush increasing as her two friends laugh at her expense, not noticing that Leon and Chris exchange looks and smiles of complicity.
"Well, I say that's the key. Look at Jill! Her cleavage is not so pronounced, and still, it attracts the gaze of many guys."
Before she can respond, Rebecca smiles sideways, moving her eyebrows suggestively.
"Well, I think her cleavage is pronounced."
Now it's Jill's turn to blush.
"It certainly isn't! And stop seeing me like this! It's not my fault that these comfortable shirts all come in this style! I just want something sleeveless so that I don't get my movements limited during urgent missions, that's all!"
"Yeah, right..." It's Rebecca who makes the comment, with a sideways smile as she exchanges glances with Claire, both turning their eyes and then laughing out loud. Jill gently pushes her against the redhead, but then willingly accompanies her friends' laughter at the comment. None of them notice that a pair of blue eyes is watching them eagerly in the rearview mirror.
After that, it is practically Rebecca and Claire who follow the conversation, while Jill just listens, watching them, enjoying the moment of being with them, of being together like this, forcing herself to forget, even if only those moments, the horrors they have lived for so many years, for a moment blocking her mind from the hundreds of cruel and unnecessary deaths that they live in each mission, trying not to go crazy with the anguish of knowing that they still have several more deaths to go...
It's been six years since she returned from the hellish prison where Wesker held her, six years in which she should have overcome all that terror.
Theoretically.
But the reality is that she still lies down to sleep enveloped in fear of waking up and realizing that her liberation had only been a beautiful dream.
Almost every night she closes her eyes with the anguish of opening them again to find herself still locked in the cell, the terrible electronic beetle painfully nailed to her chest. There are still nights when she wakes up screaming, the result of some nightmare, which always includes Wesker's terrifying golden eyes leering at her. Nightmares in which she feels her veins boiling from some new experiment on her blood, or worse, reliving the horrific impotence of not being able to defend herself, or even protest, while absolute evil runs through her skin with calloused hands and painful caresses ...
Jill shakes her head as she realizes that her heart is beating rampant at such terrible memories, her breathing has become agitated, and she forces herself to be present in that car, to listen to the laughter of her friends, to replace the fearsome memories with the warmth of security she feels whenever she´s between the two Redfields, adding Rebecca just recently, and perhaps, after having fought by his side and receiving his thoughtless support, as Claire once told her she received from him, she can include Leon Kennedy as part of this new support network.
Perhaps.
That's why, although she feels guilty for the tremendous debt of life she owes to so many people, to the loyalty she must pay for what she did to her friends, Jill Valentine still allows herself from time to time to subtract her mind from reality and grasp with both hands the haven of tranquility and strength that are the Redfields.
Both Claire and Chris have been her friends for many, many years, since their Raccoon City days, and once she returned from Africa, they stayed by her side whenever their missions allowed, visiting her during the long time she was in recovery inside the B.S.A.A. facilities. Each visit from one of them represents for her a light at the end of the tunnel.
From the point of view of her tortured mind, Chris and Claire Redfield are also family.
And that's okay, right? Maybe she doesn't deserve it, not yet. Especially not after the terrible things Wesker forced her to do. But she is definitely fighting to be worthy of the affection that they profess to her daily.
Still struggling to deserve forgiveness from so many souls destroyed by her own hands due to
her foolish weakness.
Jill sighs for the umpteenth time, forcing herself to enjoy some much-needed girls' time, even though she is certain that Chris and Leon can overhear their embarrassing conversation. But she doesn't care that Chris does it. She knows that man is more than used to it, and he would never judge them.
But what about Leon?
Her beautiful blue eyes deviate from her companions, as she feels someone watching her, suddenly surprised to find the sapphire-colored eyes looking at her through the rearview mirror, to suddenly stir them to the front, as if he had only been checking backwards, to the road, and not really to her.
The movement of the blond's eyes was so fast, that for a moment Jill thinks she just imagined it, but after a few minutes, his sight returns back to her, and Jill, now trying to see him more discreetly, as if she were only admiring the scenery, realizes that the sapphire gaze has remained fixed on her person for several seconds, much more so than would be necessary in case of reviewing the path they are leaving.
The B.S.A.A. agent smirks when she realizes the other agent's intentions, but instead of feeling uncomfortable, her body responds in a very feminine way, which baffles her greatly: her chest fills with a heat that radiates to her toes, as well as her cheeks, and she's sure a pink hue has just brightened up her skin; her lips involuntarily form a soft smile, and, pleasantly uncomfortable at such sensations, she lowers her head a little, disguising the movement by accommodating a disobedient lock behind her ear.
But Leon is also an agent trained in the subtleties of human communication, so he perceives her reaction and interprets it appropriately, passing saliva with difficulty, his mind going blank for a moment when he unexpectedly meets the deep azure blue gaze that looks at him through long eyelashes, and that stays a couple of seconds in him. Feeling the heart beating fast, the man forces himself to look straight ahead, worried that he could cause an accident by distraction.
However, the minds of both are filled with a single question:
Was that reaction, that chemistry that just manifested between them, real, or just a figment of their imagination?
Jill's smile, as well as the blush on her cheeks, widen a little more, not knowing that a similar smile is drawn on Leon's face.
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo
How many of you have already seen the latest CGI Resident Evil movie? It was amazing! Don't you think? I loved having Jill back and seeing her appear for the first time in these films which, in my opinion, are much better than the Live Actions. And can anyone deny the intense chemistry that was generated between the two favorite characters of the entire franchise? It was fantastic! Seeing them together literally gave me goosebumps!
Well, this is my attempt at this new ship (well... new because I have not seen much written about the two of them together), my own contribution to generate the hype they deserve, although I have to clarify that the Rebecca that will appear in this fic is the one of Vendetta, because I loved her personality, (even when she passed as a damsel in disgrace ... well, she couldn´t be perfect!) personality that Capcom changed completely in Death Island, becoming rather bland and dull, at least in my humble opinion.
I hope to have more authors writing about this ship! And those who read this story, I hope you liked it. I´ll read you in the comments!