Disclaimer; I don't own Resident Evil, or any of it's characters. I'm just a humble fan who's waiting impatiently for RE5(get on it, Capcom!).

Synopsis: I was playing REmake, and started wondering just what it had to be like for the characters between games. I mean, beyond the files and short endings. Not to mention, why they killed off some potentially decent characters so quickly. This is what happens when I get bored. So, here goes nothing. . .

Author's Note: God, I hadn't realized just how long it had been since I'd updated this. Almost a year! Well, I'm working on all of them again. Here's a short chapter for all those who were forced to wait. Sorry, it wasn't intentional. Hope you like it.

RESIDENT EVIL

Chapter Twelve

Billy stood before a large beveled mirror, scowling as he gazed at his reflection. A royal blue sports coat hugged his shoulders and arms, matching the silk slacks Ada had insisted he wear. A shiny gold shirt--also silk--covered his torso, a tacky woven belt holding it in place over his hips. A pair of black Gucci loafers covered his feet, surprising him with their comfort. His dark hair had been slicked back, tied at the back of his neck with a plain black band. So far, the only parts of the outfit he liked were the thin black sunglasses that hung from the shirt's opening, and the gold Rolex strapped to his left wrist. The rest, he could definitely do without!

"God, I look like an asshole," he exclaimed, his disgust obvious as he turned away. "Do I really have to spend the rest of my life dressed like this?"

"Only when you go out in public." Ada grinned as he shot her a dark look. "You look very handsome, Billy."

Billy made a rude sound as he slumped against the wall, his expression becoming petulant as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I look like a wannabe pimp, Ada."

She laughed then, unable to contain her mirth. "William King was a clothes-horse, Billy. He spend a great deal of money on his wardrobe. In order to settle in to your new life, I'm afraid that you'll have to wear similar clothes. For a while, anyway."

"How long is a while?" he asked a little desperately.

"A few months, at the very least." He cursed fluidly, and Ada only shook her head. "I know you're uncomfortable, but your Rebecca will love the way you look, I promise you."

"She'd better," he grumbled, unable to hide the gleam in his eyes as he met her gaze. "I'm really going to see her again, Ada."

She heard the wonder in his deep voice and smiled gently. "Yes, you are," she assured him in a soft voice. "You deserve this, Billy. Don't ever think that you don't."

Billy only shrugged, his broad shoulders rising and falling with the movement. "I only hope she'll be half as happy to see me."

"Of course, she will. After all, she still keeps your dogtags close to her heart." Ada reached out and smoothed the lapels of his sports coat in an almost paternal manner. "You take care of yourself, Billy. Don't get yourself killed over there, fighting the good fight. And if you ever need anything--anything at all--call me immediately. Joseph and I will come running."

He grasped her tiny, deceptively delicate hands in his own, effectively stilling her. "Thank you," he said in solemn tones. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You are more than welcome, handsome." She smiled fondly and rose up onto her toes to press her lips to his cheek. "I'm going to miss you dreadfully, Billy Coen."

"Same here, sweetheart." Billy returned the gesture, brushing his lips over the high arch of her cheekbone. He drew back with a crooked smile. "I'm even going to miss Joe and that hair-trigger temper of his."

"I heard that," Joseph grumbled from his place in the doorway. "You're damned lucky I'm not packing, Billy."

Billy only grinned as the other man ambled into the room, knowing full well that he wasn't serious. "What is it with you and that damned Remington, Frost?"

He grunted as he dropped into a padded chair, ignoring the way it creaked loudly under his weight. "You were right, Billy," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face as he spoke. "You do look like an asshole."

Billy flipped him off even as the smile widened. "At least, I'm a rich asshole, Joe."

Laughter rumbled through Joseph at that quick comeback. Ada wasn't the only one who was going to miss Billy Coen. "Can you even speak French, Ceon?"

"Si," Billy shot back, deadpan.

Joseph laughed again at that. "Yeah, you're gonna be real popular in Paris."

"Joseph, enough." Ada shook her head, an exasperated smile playing on her full lips. "His French is much better than yours, I promise you."

Billy snorted. "How would know that?" he questioned doubtfully. "You've never heard me speak it."

Her smile turned mysterious. "I have my ways, handsome."

He gazed at her for a moment before shaking his own head. "You read my file when you fixed it, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," she admitted freely. "You're quite the dichotomy, Billy Coen."

Billy blinked at that. "Uh, thanks?"

"That was definitely a compliment. As you well know," she admonished lightly. Billy wasn't a genius by any stretch of the imagination, but he was a well-rounded man. What he hadn't learned in life, he had learned in books, and the combination of both is what had enabled him to survive all that he had.

Ada patted his cheek one last time and stepped away. She crossed the room and retrieved a long, flat wallet. She checked its contents one last time, searching for any inconsistencies. Even one small mistake could cost Billy not only his freedom, but his life.

Satisfied that all was in order, she turned and extended her hand. "Your new life," she said simply.

Midnight-blue eyes met and held hers before dropping to the wallet. Billy reached out slowly, a tremor moving visibly through his hand, as though he had to force himself to take it. Once he did, he flipped it open and went through it himself. His new I.D., a French passport, a business card for William King, even some European money. Ada had thought of everything.

He swallowed the lump of emotion that had settled in his throat and tucked the wallet into his expensive blazer. "So, that's it, then?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Not quite." Ada half-turned and retrieved another, similar wallet, this one pink, of all damn things. "This is for Sherry. I thought you might like to be the one to give it to her."

Billy felt his eyes fill and hastily blinked to hide it. "Yeah," he returned a bit hoarsely, "I'd like that."

Ada only smiled knowingly and turned away, hoping he'd like the little surprise she'd left in there for Leon and Sherry. "I'll meet you in the foyer in twenty minutes."

He glanced at Joseph, who was obviously unhappy at being left behind, and extended his hand. "I'll miss you, Joe."

Joseph smiled faintly as he stood and shook his hand. "Good luck in France, Billy," was all he said in return.

Billy only nodded, knowing that the other man wasn't comfortable with affectionate displays. He sent Ada another smile before striding from the room. He wandered through the house, resisting an urge to tug at the ridiculously elaborate belt, as he searched for Leon. He went to their suite first, but it was empty. He checked the game room, but still no luck. That left either the kitchen or the library. He checked the gorgeous, outrageously expensive Rolex and decided to try the library. It was a little too late for lunch.

Sure enough, he found Leon and Sherry sharing one of the small leather sofas, their fair heads bent over the same book. He wondered why Claire wasn't with them, then a soft clicking sound drew his attention to the other side of the enormous room. Claire was sitting at an antique writing desk, the open laptop before her an explanation in itself.

Fuck, he thought with a touch of anger, Leon and Sherry were going to be in a world before too much longer. He glanced down at the pink wallet in his hand, and wondered if it would make a difference. He hoped so, for both their sake, but he had his doubts. Still, it would be nice to be wrong. They both deserved better treatment than that.

Well, she wouldn't be able to use Sherry's lack of identification as an excuse any more. He comforted himself with that thought as he cleared his throat to make his presence known. Leon's head came up instantly, one hand diving into his waistband for the gun Billy knew he was never without, his too-young features hardening dramatically. The younger man relaxed as he saw who had interrupted him, a smile chasing away that telling hardness.

"Hey, Billy," he greeted in an easy tone. He quirked one blond brow as he took in the older man's attire. "Get hit by an Armani truck on the way over here?"

Billy snorted and dropped to a nearby chair. "Something like that," he muttered self-consciously. He glanced at Sherry, returning her bright smile with one of his own. "I've got something for you, kid."

Her big, exotically-tilted blue eyes widened. "For me?" she asked with obvious disbelief.

"Yep." Billy held out the shockingly pink wallet, waiting patiently until she had recovered enough to take it. "Congratulations, kid, you're legal again."

Sherry only blinked slowly before lowering her gaze. She opened the wallet, then gasped with delight. "Leon, look!" she exclaimed excitedly. "It's an I.D.. And a passport!" She looked up at her adopted father with a beaming smile. "I can go to France with you and Claire, now!"

Leon looked stunned as he studied it. "It says Sherry Kennedy," he said, raising too-blue eyes to his own. "Why?"

Surprised, it was all Billy could do not to laugh. Ada hadn't mentioned this. Still, he knew that Ada had been keeping an eye on Leon, and she had noticed his paternal affection for his young charge. Obviously, she had decided to take matters into her own hands, and knowing Ada as he now did, he had no doubt that the adoption was legal.

"It'll be easier for you guys if the authorities don't question the different last names," he answered with deliberate vagueness. "Anyway, it's not a big deal. Lily did all the work. I'm just the messenger."

"It is a big deal, Billy." Leon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and met his eyes evenly. "Is this the real thing?"

Billy didn't hesitate as he said, "Yeah, I think it is. She's yours, Leon."

The former policeman closed his eyes, an expression of intense relief crossing his cherubic features. "I don't know what to say," he said in a low voice. "After all you've done for us. . ."

"You deserve it, Leon. Every bit of it," Billy returned without reservation. "I just wanted to make sure you guys were taken care of before I took off, you know?"

"You're leaving?" Sherry asked, disappointed.

Billy nodded, resisting the urge to rake a hand through his bound hair. "Yeah, I leave in a few minutes. I wanted to say goodbye, and wish you guys good luck."

Sherry rose to her feet and shuffled towards him, her face set in solemn lines. "Thank you," she whispered, "for everything. I'll miss you, Billy."

Billy could only duck his head as he felt a blush creep into his cheeks. "I'll, uh, miss you too, kid."

He glanced at Leon, who stood as he did, and shook his hand. The former R.P.D. rookie surprised him by stepping forward and pulling him into a hug. Billy went still for a long moment before awkwardly returning the embrace. "You take care of yourself, Leon. Sherry, too."

If Leon noticed that he didn't mention Claire, who was still happily clicking away, he didn't mention it. "I will," he said, his voice unsteady as he as he stepped away. "Good luck, Billy. I hope everything works out for you in Europe."

"Yeah, me too," Billy muttered under his breath. Aloud, he only said, "Thanks, Leon. See you around."

He turned away, his chest tight with emotion, then paused. He turned back, smiled at Sherry, and did something he'd wanted to do since the first moment he'd seen her. He reached out and rubbed the top of her tawny head affectionately. "Goodbye, kid. Be good to your dad."

She only ducked her head, both embarrassed and pleased by the attention. "Thanks, Billy. I'll be good to Leon, I promise."

Billy sent them one last smile before forcing himself to walk away. He didn't have all that long before he left, and he didn't want to spend that time blubbering like a baby because he was leaving the friends he had made here. At least, Ada would be there to see him off, he thought, his mood brightening. He wouldn't have to embark on his new life all alone.

Rebecca, he thought as his footsteps echoed through the house, I'll be there soon, sweetheart. Just wait for me.