The Biohazard/Resident Evil series and its characters are the property of Capcom. I've been an avid fan of this series since the very first game, and this idea is something that's been floating around in my head since I finished Resident Evil 5. I don't know why it's taken me this long to finish it, but in a way I'm glad I waited because I've had to make changes to this story to fit the storyline in the games. So this takes place sometime after the events in Resident Evil 5. I took some liberties with what's been going on with some of the characters in this story, but I hope no one minds. I hope you enjoy.

Unspoken Line

Chapter One

I couldn't breathe.

My brow knitted in confusion, and my chest burned. I tried to struggle, but I was taken off guard by the horrific pain that shook my body. I gasped aloud, and whimpered. The air tasted sour.

"Still with me, Jill?"

That voice. Hatred filled my entire body as I heard that smug voice over me. I began to struggle more, but I felt intense pinpricks of pain across my skin. I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like the lids had been sewn shut. I tried to scream, but my throat closed. I was helpless. I couldn't do anything.

"Let's see…" AH! Something sharp pierced the crook of my arm and penetrated the vein. I felt something be dispensed into my body, and I shuddered in horror. What else could this man do to me?

"Your willpower is impressive Jill, but it's futile. No knight in shining armor will swoop in to rescue you. Everyone believes you're dead, after all."

I hate you. I thought those words at this person with all my strength, because I couldn't force the words out of my throat. I hate you so much!

"But just a little patience is all I ask of you." I heard him chuckle as he suddenly leaned in close. His breath stirred the hair beside my ear. "I can't wait to see the expression Chris will show me…when you finally kill him."

"Jill?"

I blinked my eyes in confusion, snapping awake abruptly. I squinted against the dim light of the car, and focused on the blue eyes leaning over me. "I-I'm fine," I choked out softly. As I shook off the sleep from my mind, I quickly reminded myself for the umpteenth time that the pain and terror I had just experienced had been only part of a nightmare.

That was my past. This, however—my being in a car, away from danger—was my present.

Claire Redfield watched me for a long moment before she slowly nodded. "Okay." She pulled away from me and slid back into the driver's seat. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but you were making these sounds like you were in pain. I was afraid you were having a nightmare."

"It's better now," I reassured her, taking in my environment. My body was sagged at an awkward angle against the car door. The overhead car light was on because darkness surrounded us on the outside. I yawned widely and rubbed the sleep from my eyes with my hand. "What day is it?"

Claire smiled at me as she turned off the overhead light. "April 12th, 12:22 am. Don't worry, we'll be there soon."

I said nothing as she started the car again and continued driving. April 12th…I remembered now. The past two months had been so muddled in my mind that everything was so confusing. It was hard to believe that just two months ago I was in Africa, under the complete mind control of an evil man.

It was even harder to believe that I spent three years in captivity with this same man—Albert Wesker. He controlled me, experimented on me. The things he did to me…the things he made me do…I shook my head violently and pressed my hands over my ears as some futile attempt to shut away the horrible memories. It's over. Don't think about it, Jill. Don't think about it anymore.

Claire glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, but she said nothing. She had picked me up from the airport and was taking me to Chris's safe house, undoubtedly at the request of her older brother. Up until yesterday I had been in quarantine with BSAA. I understood their reasoning in wanting to make sure I was not a threat, but being back in a lab under scrutinizing tests brought back a lot of unpleasant memories. It was also extremely monotonous and boring. I'd had no idea how long they were planning on detaining me.

Then yesterday…yesterday I was told I was granted leave. The BSAA were encouraged by the results they'd gotten from me and assured me I had gotten clearance from the US government to leave the labs for a week. Of course they still told me where I was going—a safe house on Kauai's northeast coast in Hawaii. It sounded way too good to be true, but I knew that Chris had made these arrangements for me. Which he'd confirmed to me in a text message just a few hours prior.

A safe house in Hawaii. I was flattered that Chris would do so much for me, but it was a bittersweet feeling. As nice as this trip was, Chris wasn't going to be at the safe house with me. The last text I'd received from him he said he was on a mission in Southeast Asia (he did not elaborate on which country he was in) and he anticipated that the mission would last for another month or so. It was disappointing, because I'd spent so much time away from Chris during my captivity, and even after we reunited in Kijuju we still saw very little of each other.

He was my partner. He was my best friend. I was willing to die for him, and I very nearly did. But now, even after everything we had been through together, we were apart. It was very difficult, but I knew I had to muster some sort of enthusiasm for this trip. I imagined that Chris went to great trouble to make these arrangements for me, and I would do him a disservice if I spent this whole week moping around.

"You're going to enjoy this place," Claire said, breaking the silence in the car. "It's not your typical safe house. Despite everything we've all gone through there's no denying the fact that we have different lives now and different schedules. Chris wanted to give us all a place to stay to unwind after missions without worry, and so we might have an opportunity to run into old friends."

I folded my hands over one knee. "So, a safe house on the coast of Hawaii? How big is it?"

"There's nine bedrooms."

I did a double-take, shocked by what I was hearing. "Nine bedrooms? Chris bought a house with nine bedrooms on the coast of Hawaii?! He must have spent a fortune on it!"

"He gets a good paycheck from the BSAA, as you already know yourself," Claire said good-naturedly. "But many of us gave him some financial assistance. The money he got from Jim helped him to secure the house, so for safety reasons Jim's name is on the lease. But Chris technically owns the house."

"Who's Jim?" I asked her.

"Oh, Jim Chapman," Claire said, laughing a little. "He owns his own business here in Kauai, but he originally came from Raccoon City. He survived the outbreak in Raccoon City, like we both did."

I looked at her in shock. "Is he part of BSAA? Or TerraSave?"

Claire shook her head. "No, he's a civilian. Which is good because he tends to be very dramatic at times. But he was one of the plaintiffs who got a huge settlement from Umbrella, and he used some of this money to help Chris secure the house, so I won't say anything bad about him. But he does tend to get on everyone's nerves."

"Who's at the safe house now?"

"Jim is, and you know Chris isn't. After I drop you off I have to swing back to the airport and fly home."

"You're flying back?" I asked her. Claire shrugged. "I took a short vacation, and that vacation is over. I have to get back to work."

So she drove all the way to the airport to pick me up to drive me to the safe house, only to have to drive back to the airport? I swallowed thickly as I tried to find something to say. "T…Thank you Claire, but you should've gotten someone else top pick me up. I-I hate to make you go out of your wa—"

"It's not out of my way," Claire quickly interrupted me. "I'm happy to help you, Jill."

"But—"

"Jill, enough." She gave me a stern look. "I won't hear anything about it. I was the one who volunteered to pick you up. If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have done so. It's the least I can do for you, all things considering."

The topic was final. I knew it, and I knew I would just make her upset by pressing the subject. I hated that Claire was doing so much running around at the end of her own vacation, but I also knew there was no point discussing it further. "…Thank you," I said finally.

Claire forced a smile at me. "You'll be happy to see the other guests who are at the safe house. Barry arrived this morning with Kathy and Polly. Polly's on spring break, so this is their vacation. Barry wanted to come with me to pick you up, but he's experiencing jet lag and Kathy convinced him he needed to sleep it off."

I was thrilled at the idea of seeing Barry, but I quickly noticed Claire's omission. "Just Polly? Moira didn't come with them?"

"…No," Claire said, her tone dipping a little. "Barry and Moira I guess…have been having problems for a long time. They're not currently on speaking terms. I overheard Polly talking about it with Lott this afternoon. She didn't say what caused the rift between Barry and Moira, but Polly blames herself for it."

I remembered how Barry had been blackmailed into doing Wesker's bidding during the nightmare at the Spencer Mansion—how Wesker had threatened Kathy, Moira, and Polly. Barry went through so much for the sake of his family, but now he wasn't speaking to Moira? I couldn't imagine what had to have happened to cause this, but I knew it had to be bad.

I wanted to change the subject, and I could tell Claire wanted to, too. "Who's Lott?"

"Lott Klein? He's a survivor of the Sheena Island Outbreak, along with his little sister Lily. They both live at and maintain the safe house when Jim and Chris aren't home. Lott's a little antisocial, and Lily hardly says anything, but from what I understand this is all an improvement from how they were after they were rescued." She laughed a little. "Barry suspects that there's something going on between Lott and Polly and he's not happy about it."

"Why not?"

"Well Polly is seventeen and Lott is twenty-three. But Lott lives here and Polly lives in Canada so they've only really communicated online. I personally can't tell if there's anything going on between them, but Lott does seem to act softer around both Lily and Polly. Otherwise he's usually very tense."

I could already tell that my vacation was going to be very interesting. "Is there anyone else there?"

"Unfortunately you just missed Bruce McGivern and his family—they left yesterday. But Bruce's partner in US-STRATCOM is still there. You know him—Carlos."

I jerked up in my seat and gaped at her in shock. "Carlos is there?!"

"Yes," Claire told me. "And he's very eager to see you again, Jill. Before I left though he went off to bed, but you'll see him tomorrow morning. I also have good word that Rebecca Chambers will be arriving in a few days as well. I guess she also got word that you're coming and wants to see you. Ah." The car suddenly came to a stop in front a white gate. "Home, sweet home."

I watched Claire punch in the security code for the gate, and it swung open. The long driveway was made of gravel, and palm trees framed the road. As we drove onto the property I almost felt like I was dreaming. Was I really going to be spending a week's vacation at a resort-like safe house with my friends? It was too good to be true. I pinched myself as hard as I could just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. After a few moments I let out a sharp sigh of relief. I wasn't dreaming.

The only thing that would make this perfect would if Chris were here.

I closed my eyes, feeling them sting slightly, but I forced my emotions under control. There was no way I would allow myself to be disappointed. Chris would not want to know that I wouldn't be having a good time because he wasn't there with me. I had to have a good time. I had to.

Claire brought the car to a stop at the front door. The front of the safe house looked like a white Spanish villa, and I couldn't help but gape from my seat. There front doors were two thick dark wood double doors, and directly above the front door was a balcony with double glass doors undoubtedly leading to a bedroom. Claire grinned at me as she shut off the car. "There's five bedrooms on the first floor and four on the second. Jim and Lily's bedrooms are on the first floor, and Lott's is on the second floor. That's Chris's bedroom." Claire pointed to the balcony over the front door. "Two bedroom are available, both on the second floor, so I'll show you the one I've been using."

I could only nod as I climbed out of the car. I couldn't really see my surroundings because it was nighttime, but I knew the property was massive and undoubtedly as magnificent as the house. It looked very flashy for a safe house, and I knew then why Chris had Jim's name on the lease and not his own. It would make sure any terrorist would never find this house.

And as flashy as this looks, it certainly doesn't look like a safe house.

I opened the backdoor to get my duffle bag. I had no possessions to bring with me for the trip, but Claire had been nice enough to prepare a bag for me with clothing and toiletries. She'd brought the bag with her to pick me up so I could examine it, and I was satisfied with what I saw. The clothing was loose and revealing, but I also had to contend with the temperatures of Hawaii so I didn't mind. I slung the bag over my shoulder when the front door slammed open so hard and loud that both Claire and I jumped violently.

But the voice that followed made my heart jump into my throat. "Jill."

I spun around, my mouth hanging open and tears stinging my eyes. The name formed on my lips but it only came out as a whisper. "Barry."

Barry Burton left the entryway and raced over to me. I met him halfway and he picked me up in a tight hug, lifting me straight off the ground. I clenched my teeth to try to prevent myself from sobbing, but I choked and tears slid down my cheeks. Barry's hug was so tight that it almost felt painful but I didn't care. Barry was almost shouting as he held onto me for dear life. "You're here! You're alive! I can't believe it! When Chris said…I didn't want to get my hopes up, but you're really here!"

I knew I had missed Barry, but I didn't realize just how much until this moment. Until I was crying my eyes out with my emotions out of control. We'd been through so much together, and he even risked his life to save me in Raccoon City. Barry had always been a true friend to me, and seeing him for the first time in years was so overwhelming.

But even in this moment, I couldn't prevent a singular thought from entering my mind.

I wish Chris was here with us.

As I got my crying under control, I felt a new presence beside us. "Calm down, Barry. You're going to crush this poor thing to death."

"I-I'm sorry, Kathy." Barry set me down, and I felt a little dizzy from crying so hard. Claire came to my side and gave me a handkerchief as Barry slid an arm around Kathy. "Jill, you've met Kathy before. Polly's asleep inside, but…" he quickly shook his head. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Jill. How great it is knowing you're alive!"

I smiled at him. "I'm glad to be alive too."

"Oh, I wish Chris was here. He—" Barry cut himself off and shook his head. "Let's get you inside. You're probably exhausted from your flight. Don't you have to catch your flight too, Claire?"

"In a little bit," Claire said. She accepted back her now soaked handkerchief. "I'll show Jill the bedrooms first. Unless you guys want to catch up?"

I shrugged. "I'm fine with—"

"No, you should get some rest first. We'll have plenty of time catch up." Barry waved us towards the house. "Come in."

The interior of the house was as impressive as the exterior. From the entryway I saw a huge living room to the northwest with three leather couches in front of a large flat-screen television. Along the far wall were massive windows and glass sliding doors. To the east of the entryway I saw a huge kitchen that was in disarray—dirty plates were stacked high on an island in the center of the kitchen.

"Lott forget to load the dishwasher," Kathy said, shrugging. "I'll take care of it. You go on up to bed, Jill." She headed into the kitchen.

"There's so much I want to say to you," Barry said, reaching out to touch my arm. "But it can wait. Go and get settled. And Claire, don't miss your flight."

"I know," Claire said, rolling her eyes. "Let's go, Jill."

"Right." I started to follow, but Barry's hold on my arm stopped me. I turned to look at him, and Claire also stopped in her tracks. "Barry?"

"What?" Barry looked confused, but then looked down. He noticed he was still hanging onto my arm and quickly let me go. "O-Oh, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it." But the emotions surged up inside me once more. I leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I've missed you, Barry."

"Me too, Jill. Me too." Barry's voice grew lower as well, and though he remained outwardly calm I saw tears welling up in his eyes. I forced a smile at him before turning to follow Claire towards the stairs. The stairwell was tucked into a corner in the northeastern side of the living room, and the winded up slightly. In the hallway upstairs Claire paused and waited for me. As I ascended the stairs, I noticed out the corner of my eye that Barry was still standing in the entryway, watching me leave. I ducked my head and hurried upstairs.

"This is Lott's room, obviously," Claire said, motioning to the closed door in front of the stairwell. There was a sign hanging on the door that said Lott. "And that's Chris's room." She pointed down the hall to my right to a door directly at the end of the hallway. There was also a sign hanging there that said Chris. "The other two rooms on this floor are available. I'll show you the one I've been using." Claire turned down the hallway to my left. "It's nice and spacious, and don't worry—the bedding's been rotated so you're getting clean sheets. The room's this way." She began moving down the hallway.

I didn't follow her, however. I stood there staring at Chris's room. "Jill?" Claire called out quietly to me.

I glanced at her. "Did Chris say he was stopping by here?"

Claire slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry. Last I heard he's still on a mission. Even though he owns this house he unfortunately isn't able to get out here much. We gave him his own designated bedroom as a courtesy to him, since we wouldn't be able to stay in a place like this without him."

"Can I use Chris's room?" I asked her.

Claire looked surprised by my question. I raised my hands slightly. "N-Never mind. I can use one of the other—"

"No, it's fine," Claire interrupted me. "That room is Chris's room, but truthfully he doesn't care who uses his room when he's not here because of how little time he spends here. Jim's a lot more territorial about his own room, and won't give it up for anyone, but he lives here full-time so his situation is different from Chris's. Since it doesn't look like Chris will be back while you're here, I don't see any issue in you using the room."

"Thank you."

"Go ahead and get yourself settled, Jill. I've got to grab my stuff and be on my way. I…" Claire hesitated before trailing off entirely. I saw her hands raise slightly; it almost looked like she wanted to give me a hug. After a moment though her hands rested down at her sides. She swallowed thickly and shook her head, as though she were composing herself. "Good night, Jill."

"You too. Have a safe flight." I wasn't close to Claire and I felt terrible about it. She was Chris's only sister, but because of how drastically different the lives the Redfield siblings' lives were I almost never interacted her. This was the most time I've ever really spent with her, and it was awkward. I didn't want it to be awkward. I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Claire. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Claire's eyes widened, and I saw tears forming there. I forced a smile at her before turning to head down the hall towards Chris's room. My hand reached for the door knob when I heard Claire behind me. "Jill?"

Her voice was unsteady. I steeled my nerves, trying to not get emotional again, and turned to face her. "Yes?"

Claire stood there for a long moment of silence. She swallowed repeatedly and blinked rapidly, clearly fighting back tears as she struggled to speak. "I…I'm so glad that you're alive, Jill."

I stared at her, tears stinging my eyes once more. We may not have been close, but her sincerity warmed my heart. I nodded to her and smiled painfully. "Thank you, Claire. That means a lot to me."

Claire nodded and hurried back towards her room. Teardrops slid down my cheeks before her door closed behind her, and I quickly wiped them away as I entered Chris's room. It was dark, but a quick flip of the light switch illuminated the room.

The room was simplistic. It was a large suite-like room with a king-sized bed with black satin sheets in front of the wall opposite the door. On both sides of the bed were two side tables, and to the left of the door was a dark wood dresser that was almost as tall as me, with two ornate chairs on either side of the dresser. The glass double-doors leading to the balcony were along the left wall, and there was a second door on the right. I glanced inside and saw that it was the bathroom.

I was exhausted, and didn't feel like unpacking completely. I set my duffle bag on top of the dresser and pulled out a blue tank top and shorts for my pajamas. I also grabbed my cell and phone and got changed as it turned on. I plugged it in at the side table and sat down on the bed as I quickly sent a text to Chris. "The house is perfect. Thank you so much for arranging this trip for me." I didn't tell him I was using his bedroom, but I knew I would eventually. I set the phone down and waited to see if Chris would send me a reply. Three minutes later I did not, but I shrugged it off and shut off the light.

I climbed underneath the covers, somewhat surprised that Chris would choose black satin sheets for his bed. But I also remembered that he was hardly there, and this was most likely the bedding set Jim or Claire or someone else chose for him. I curled up in the middle of the large bed, my body and mind quickly relaxing. The bed smelled like Chris, and it was a great comfort to me. He may not be here with me, but I could feel his presence in this room (even if he wasn't here enough). I slid my hands underneath one of the pillows and inhaled deeply as I pulled the covers over my head.

I froze, feeling a jolt in my body, and pushed the sheets back. I brought them to my face and inhaled again. The scent was unmistakable.

I shifted onto my back and stared at the ceiling in the darkness of the room. After a moment, I said aloud what I was thinking.

"I thought Chris quit smoking."

I opened my eyes and was almost blinded by the bright lights. I squeezed my eyes shut and reached up to rub at my eyes before opening them more slowly. As I did this, I felt a prickling of pain in the crook of my left arm. I looked at my arm and saw that an IV was sticking out of my arm.

I was in a hospital.

"Jill." Someone had been seated to my left and they quickly came to my bedside. I stared at Brad Vickers in stunned silence as Alpha Team's helicopter pilot began quickly babbling at me. "Oh Jill I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! W-When I saw those things tearing Joseph apart I p-p-panicked! But I knew I couldn't just abandon you all to die! I flew all night and—"

The memories surged fast and painfully in my mind. I didn't remember the helicopter ride away from the Spencer estate. I didn't even remember boarding the helicopter. The last thing I remember was facing off against that monster with Rebecca, Barry, and Chris—

I sat up, even though my vision swam. Brad flailed his hands as I yanked the IV out of my arm. "Jill, don't! The doctor said you needed to rest! Jill, stop!"

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and only then did I realize we weren't alone. In the bed next to mine was the STARS rookie, Rebecca. The teenager was still unconscious, undisturbed by the commotion Brad was causing. I could only imagine how exhausted she had to have been (and the horrors she herself must have experienced) to not even stir from the panicked shouting.

"Jill!" Brad shouted again as one of the nurses came in. "Ms. Valentine, I must advise you to get back into bed. You need to rest—"

"Where are they?" I demanded, glancing between Brad and the nurse. "Where is he?"

"W-Where is who?" Brad asked stupidly. If I was at full health, I would have wrung his chicken neck. "Chris!" I shouted at him. "Where is he?! And Barry, too! Are they here?!"

"O-Oh," Brad said, visibly relaxing. "T-They're just down the hall. But—JILL!" he shouted after me as I stumbled from the room.

"Ms. Valentine, you need to—someone stop her!" the nurse shouted. I ignored them both and limped down the hallway, ignoring the other patients and LPNs gaping at me and telling me to stop. The sounds muddled in my mind until my own ragged breathing was the only thing I could hear. I needed to see them—him. I needed to see with my own eyes that he was alive.

They did not give me the room number, but I found the room they shared. I saw Barry first. He lay unconscious in his bed but to his left…

I sighed sharply, and tears stung my eyes when I saw Chris. Like Barry he was unconscious in his bed. The last thing…the very last thing I could remember was before I woke up was Chris. He'd given me back my gun beforehand, and I remembered my horror and frustration when I emptied my gun into that monster—Tyrant was what Chris had called it—and it how the bullets didn't even faze the creature. I may as well have been using a paper fan.

I remembered how it turned its attention towards me, and how in a fit of panic I threw my empty handgun at it. I remembered how my weapon bounced ineffectively off Tyrant's forehead before it charged full-force at me. I remembered diving out of the way, and those claws very nearly slicing down the right side of my body—

And I remembered Chris shouting "HEY!" and how I saw him hoist the rocket launcher we'd left in the helicopter onto his shoulder and firing as the Tyrant charged at him.

And I remembered the Tyrant swatting the rocket away like it was a fly…

But Chris was alive. I could see his steady heartbeat on the monitor, same with Barry. But my eyes were on Chris, and I pressed a hand over my mouth. We had experienced a true horror in just a single night and so many people had died, but we were alive.

We survived.

I lowered my hand from my mouth, and reached out with it as I entered the room. I reached out for Chris—

A black gloved hand snapped over my wrist, startling me. I turned to my left and recoiled as I saw Wesker standing there. "Not so fast, Jill."

I gasped harshly as I came awake, sitting up partially. I whimpered softly as panic overtook my senses. After several moments I recognized my surroundings and sat up fully. I pressed the heels of my hands over my eyes as I tried to force myself to calm down. Gradually, my heartbeat slowed and my breathing evened out.

"It's okay," I told myself, leaning over my knees. "He's dead. He's dead. He can't hurt us anymore. He can't hurt me anymore. He'll never hurt me again. It's okay."

I repeated this mantra to myself several times, focusing on the words to settle me. I had to keep reminding myself of it. Wesker was dead. He would not hurt me again, and he would not hurt Chris again. Finally, my nerves cooled and I lowered my hands. I checked my cell phone and groaned when I saw the time. 8:05 am. Even on vacation I couldn't manage to sleep in!

But someone else caught my eye on my phone that quickly lifted my spirits. Chris sent me a reply! I opened the text and saw a simple message: "Your welcome. Have fun and enjoy your stay." It was a simple message, but it pleased me immensely and I hugged the phone to my chest. Thank you, Chris.

Wesker was dead, and I needed to let go of what he did to me or else it would rule my life. It would invade my life like it invaded my memories. I did not see Wesker at Raccoon Hospital after we survived that nightmare. I did cause a commotion at the hospital when I left my room to see Chris, but I had managed to make it into the room. Chris even woke up briefly and smiled at me, until the doctors came in and dragged me back to my room.

But we had made it. I made it. I'd survived so much, and I would continue to survive more ordeals. But I would be all right…I had to be all right.

I took a quick shower, setting up my toiletries next to Chris's, and got dressed in a white tank top and white sweat pants. After thinking about it, I decided to wear the blue bikini Claire had gotten for me underneath my clothes. Since it was a coastal house, and it looked like it was going to be a nice day, I definitely wanted to swim in the Pacific.

I headed downstairs and saw that the living room was empty, but the sliding doors to my right were open to a round veranda where several people were sitting at a large round table eating breakfast. A radio was propped up on the rail blasting pop music. Behind the table I saw a stairwell that led down to the beach. Barry was sitting between Kathy and Polly across from the door, and Polly was talking to a tawny-haired young man sitting beside her—Lott Klein, no doubt. Directly in front of the door was a tawny-haired young woman with her back to me, and I knew this had to be Lily Klein. It looked like she was reading a book on a Kindle. Both Polly and Lily were wearing bikinis, despite the time of day, but I felt how warm the air was outside when I stepped out onto the veranda. "Good morning," I said.

Everyone at the table looked up, and Lily turned to face me. Barry looked like he was about to say something, but a shout to my left silenced him. "JILL!"

A body slammed into mine, and before I could react I was hoisted up into the air and quickly spun around. Then my body was dipped and I was given a full, closed-mouth kiss right on the mouth. I was still too stunned to react when the kiss ended with a loud "MUAH!" and I was pulled back into a standing position. I was then crushed in another hug. "Jill, it's you! It's really you! I'm so happy to see that you're alive!"

I regained my bearings and laughed breathlessly. "Hello, Carlos." I pushed him away gently. "Long time no see."

Carlos Oliveira was only dressed in green swimming trunks and had a full-body bronze tan. He was laughed like a gleeful child and he hugged me again. "I-I can't believe it! You have no idea how glad I am to see you, Jill! When I heard what happened to you…I went to your funeral and visited your grave and everything! I'm so glad that you're alive, chica!"

I hadn't seen Carlos in almost a decade, but now it felt like we'd never been apart. He risked his life to save mine when I was infected in Raccoon City. I owed him so much and I valued him as one of my closest friends, but I felt guilty for everything I had put him through and for not having enough contact with him. Again, I was grateful to Chris for this opportunity to reconnect with my friends. "I'm glad to be alive too, Carlos."

"Jill." Polly stood up from her seat and gave me an awkward smile. "Long time no see." It definitely felt strange seeing Polly as a teenager. The last time I saw was years before my apparent death, and she had still been a child. I looked her over and paused. Her skin was lightly tanned, and the tan brought out a circular scar in her right side. The scar…looked like a bullet wound.

"I-It's nice to see you too Polly," I told her, looking back up at her face.

"I've been looking forward to this!" Carlos said, hugging me with one arm. "Bruce wanted to meet you too, but he had to get back with civilization with Fong Ling and their son. But I'm sure you'll meet him again sometime."

"Claire said Bruce is your partner in US-STRATCOM," I said. "I didn't realize you had joined US-STRATCOM."

"Oh yeah, I've been with them for a few years," Carlos said, shrugging. "Bruce also had his run-ins with Umbrella too, same as his wife. But I've been thinking about joining BSAA."

"Really? That's good to hear."

"I'm glad. Who knows—maybe when you return to active duty we'll be put on the same team? Just like old times, eh Jill?"

I smiled at him. "That would be nice."

"Carlos has been acting like an annoying puppy over the last few days waiting for you," Lott scoffed, shaking his head. His tone was harsh, as was his expression and eyes. But I could tell there was no malice in his demeanor. "Everyone's been bloody crazy over you."

"We thought she was dead, Lott," Barry said sharply.

"Dad, please," Polly said. She glanced at Lott. "Jill's gone through some terrible things, and we did think she was dead."

"Oh." That was all Lott said, and he turned back to his breakfast.

"It's fine, really," I said, gesturing to Barry (who was about to rise out of his seat).

"So this is Lott," Kathy said, giving Barry a look. He abruptly sat back down. "And that's Lily." She gestured to the girl in question. Lily nodded to me, her solemn expression unchanging. "And you obviously know Carlos."

"Of course," Carlos said, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Jim's getting ready, but you should meet him shortly. Lily was nice enough to make breakfast Jill, would you like to get something to eat before going out to swim?"

"I don't know if we should eat before hitting the water," Carlos said, though he sat backwards at a seat at the table.

"That's an old wives' tale," Polly said, checking her phone. She giggled and showed it to Lott, who cracked something of a smile.

"Just eggs and bacon," Lily said. Her quiet voice startled me. "And toast."

"Sure, I'm starving," I said. The food was set up in the center of the table and I helped myself. "Thank you, Lily."

"Hmm." Lily turned back to her own food and continued reading her book.

"We can catch some waves later if you want," Carlos said, grinning at me.

"Sounds good," I said. I glanced at Barry. "Barry, can I talk to you in a little bit?"

"Of course," Barry said. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "I just wanted to ask you something in private."

"Ooh, private," Carlos teased, wiggling his fingers at me. I choked on my juice and Barry gave him a dirty look, even though Kathy also laughed at his statement.

"I'm going to be back late tonight." A newcomer suddenly came out onto the veranda in a white business suit. Everyone at the table perked up as he set his briefcase down on the ground and helped himself to breakfast. "Has Jill Valentine arrived yet?"

"Jim, Jill's right here," Lott said, jabbing his thumb in my direction.

"Oh really?" Jim looked startled and embarrassed. He dropped his plate onto the table and came to my side. "Sorry for not being awake to greet you last night. I'm Jim Chapman, co-owner of this house. Please make yourself at home, Jill."

I shook his hand. "Thank you, Jim."

"Co-owner?" Lott echoed incredulously. "Since when?! Chris owns this house!"

"I gave Chris the most money to secure this house and my name is on the lease," Jim retorted. "You're just a freeloading punk!"

"Free-loading?! I do all the cleaning around here!"

"Guys, enough," Barry interrupted. "We both know the two of you contribute greatly to this house."

I had a feeling this was a fairly common occurrence with Jim and Lott. At least they stopped arguing and settled in eat breakfast.

"I hate these big meetings," Jim said, his voice rising in tenor slightly as he ate. "I don't know why I have to have so many of them!"

"Because you own the business," Lott pointed out to him.

"He has a point," Carlos said cheerfully.

Jim shook his head furiously and looked at me. "Did you have a good rest, Jill?"

"I did," I lied. "Chris's room is comfortable."

The table abruptly went silent, and my stomach squirmed as I saw the color drain from Jim's face. "You…You're in Chris's room?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," I said embarrassedly. "Is that okay? Claire said I could use it."

"Of course it is," Lott said, shrugging. "Chris hardly ever uses the room, so why not?"

"So you're using his room?" Carlos asked, leaning his chin on the back of chair. "How come? There are other rooms available."

I felt heat on my face and ducked over my plate. "I felt like it."

"Chris's bed is bigger than ours," Lily said. "That's why, isn't it?"

"How do you know how big his bed is?!" Jim exclaimed at her, his tone slightly hysterical.

"I clean his room every day," Lily said bluntly.

"O-Oh, of course you do." Jim visibly relaxed. He grabbed a napkin and wiped at his forehead. He seemed to be sweating profusely and he looked nervous.

"What did you think she meant?!" Lott snapped at him.

"Nothing, nothing at all. I-I have to finish getting ready for work. Excuse me." He barely finished the sentence before running back into the house.

"He forgot his briefcase," Carlos said, swooping down to grab it. "I'll be right back." He disappeared back into the house.

"Jill, would you like to have that talk now?" Barry asked me. I hadn't finished my breakfast, but I nodded and stood. "Yes, let's go."

Barry led me into a game room. There was a large pool table in the center of the room, with a full bar along one wall and arcade machines on the opposite side of the room. He made sure the doors and windows were closed before leaning against the pool table. "So, what's up Jill?"

I hesitated for moment, wringing my hands a little, before I gathered the nerve to ask. "When did Chris start smoking again?"

Barry stiffened, and his face twisted into an uncomfortable expression. He looked away from me. "How did you know?"

"I-I could smell cigarettes in his room," I lied lamely. I didn't want to tell him I smelled cigarette smoke on his sheets. Even though he didn't come to this safe house often, I still smelled smoke faintly on his sheets. That indicated to me that he'd resumed smoking…and heavily at that. "I thought he quit, so I—"

"I'm not the person you should be asking this, Jill," Barry interrupted me, looking at me. "It's better if you ask Chris this."

"But I don't know the next time I'll see Chris," I reminded him. "And this isn't something I should ask him in a text message. Barry, I…" I moved to stand closer to him. "Is he all right?"

Barry shook his head. His hands were gripping the side of the table. "No, he's not all right. He hasn't been all right for a long time."

I knew it wasn't Barry's intention, but his words still hurt me. I hugged my arms and looked away from him. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Barry demanded harshly. "None of this is your fault! Don't ever blame yourself for any of this, Jill! Chris sure as hell doesn't blame you! It…" he waved an impatient hand. "I'm sorry. I know how this sounds, and I don't mean to make it sound this way. But I can't betray Chris's confidence. He's my best friend, Jill. And I could never give you the proper answers to any of your questions the way he could. I…yes. He's smoking again. And yes, he's been in a rough place for a long time. But that's hopefully going to change now."

"Change?" I looked at him again. "How?"

"Because you're alive," Barry told me. "You're alive and you're safe. These two things are the only things Chris has cared about in the last few years. It's like he's been obsessed, Jill. But now that he's accomplished his goals, I know he will get better. I know he will be fine because of you."

I nodded quickly, even as I struggled to find the proper. "Yes. I-I'll do what I can to make sure he's fine. He's my partner. He's also my best friend, too. I have to—"

"Jill." Barry gave me a peculiar look. I blinked with confusion. "What?"

"Jill, I understand," he said. "I understand what's going on between you two."

I flushed with embarrassment. "Barry, it isn't like that."

"What I'm saying," he interrupted me. "Is that I know that with any relationship there's a line that can or can't be crossed. Chris and you have this line and you couldn't cross it. You couldn't afford to cross it because of everything you both had at stake. You two are friends, I know. But I know that your friendship with Chris is not the same as your friendship with me." He choked on a short laugh. "And I sure as hell know that my friendship with Chris is not the same as his friendship with you."

I closed my eyes and let out a sharp breath. Barry…he was right. My relationship with Chris was unique in that I didn't honestly know how to identify it. We were partners, good friends. No…we were more than friends. I knew this, and I'm sure Chris knew it too. We'd been more than friends for a long time, but it had always been something unspoken between us. It was something we never sat down and discussed. We just both instinctively knew what our feelings for each other were, and we knew that nothing could come of these feelings. We couldn't afford to allow anything to come of these feelings, not with the way our lives were.

It was something we never talked about, but I guess it was obvious to everyone.

"I don't know what to say," I said finally, looking back at Barry.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do," Barry said. "You're a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. I'm just telling you how I see the situation. You were gone, thought dead, and now you're back. If you're both comfortable with going back to the way things were, then that's fine. But Jill."

"What?"

"Do you think Chris and you can go back to the way things were?"

My mouth hung open in silence for a long time. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what the right answer was. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted. So I answered the only way I knew how.

"I don't know."

"—go up there and grab them!"

"I can't!"

My head was still spinning after my conversation with Barry, and my emotions were a mess. Barry seemed to accept my answer and let me go, but his demeanor…he seemed disappointed.

But didn't know what the right answer was, and Chris wasn't here to help me answer it.

Instead of heading towards the veranda I wanted to go back upstairs and hide in my—Chris's bed. In the hallway leading towards the first floor bedrooms however, I found Carlos and Jim speaking in harsh whispers.

"Can't you get it? Pretty please?" Jim asked him.

"Why should I get it when you put it up there?" Carlos told him. "Go and get it yourself before Jill finds out!"

"B-But how the hell do you think she's going to react if she sees me walking out of the room with it? She's a soldier! She can probably snap my scrawny neck with her thighs!"

"Ohhhh yes, she can!" Carlos laughed.

"W-What?!" Jim exclaimed.

"What are you two talking about?" I interjected.

Jim let out a high-pitched shriek while Carlos tsked at me. "Eavesdropping on other people's conversations is quite rude, chica!"

"And gossiping about people while they're within earshot isn't rude?" I retorted, though I kept my tone light.

"I-I'm late!" Jim squeaked. He grabbed his briefcase from Carlos. "I'm very, very, very late for work!" He bolted past me and ran straight for the front door. Seconds later he slammed it shut behind him.

"Well, I'm late too," Carlos said, stretching his arms over his head. "I need to catch those waves while they're coming in hot."

He started to walk past me, but I shot my arm out and blocked his path. "Not so fast."

"Sí?" he asked me in a perfectly innocent tone.

"What did Jim put in Chris's room that he doesn't want me to see?" I asked him.

Carlos laughed loudly, slapping a hand on his thigh. "Oh, you won't believe it!" he leaned in close and whispered the answer into my ear.

I was stunned by the response and reeled back. "W-What?!"

"Isn't it hilarious?!" Carlos laughed even harder.

"But why would he hide that in Chris's room?!" I demanded.

"Because it was supposed to be a joke! Jim wanted to play a fun prank on him, but now he's panicking since you've taken his room! He thinks you're going to find it!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed painfully while squeezing my eyes shut. "If Jim naturally pulls stunts like this, I don't know how he could've possibly survived the Outbreak in Raccoon City."

"Because he's the luckiest man alive," Carlos said. I looked at him and he shrugged. "How else do you think he's made it this far?"

I shook my head and turned away. "This is foolish, and he's an idiot for doing this." I started to walk away when Carlos called out to me. I looked at him over my shoulder. "What?"

Carlos grinned from ear to ear, and waggled his eyebrows at me as he folded his arms over his bare chest. "Would you like to know where they are?"

I didn't know why I was doing this.

I was on my knees in front of the side table in Chris's bedroom. The same side table where my cell phone was charging. There was a door to a cubby on the table. I reached for the door and held the knob between two fingers for a moment. Then I abruptly pulled it open.

There they were. A large box of Magnum condoms.

I closed the door quickly. After a moment I opened it again, not quite believing what I was seeing. The box of condoms was still there. The box was so large that it was at an angle inside the cubby. I didn't understand Jim's sense of humor, and he thought hiding a massive box of condoms in Chris's room was funny.

Curious against my will, I pulled the box out the cubby. I sat down on the bed and set it on my lap. The box was bigger than the width of my thighs pressed together. I broke the seal on the box and opened it. I'd never seen so many condoms in my life.

I reached into the box and picked one up. I held it up high, and saw it was attached in a long chain of the other condoms. Unable to help myself, I pulled the condom chain out of the box with both hands as though I were pulling a rope out of a hole. The beginning of the chain hit the floor next to my feet, but there were still more condoms on the chain inside the box. After a minute or so I stopped pulling the chain out, and looked at it in my two hands.

Laughter bubbled up inside my chest, and within seconds I was in stitches. I laughed so hard and so loud that it echoed off the walls and shook my body. Tears stung my eyes as I tried and failed to make sense of why anyone would ever need this many condoms at once, and why the chain was so long. Trying to make sense of this only made me more hysterical, and I laughed even harder.

The door to the bedroom swung open, and Lott stormed inside. What's all the comm—whoa!"

Polly followed him and made a face at my display. "Ew."

I didn't even feel embarrassed. This was too funny.

"Those are the condoms Jim bought last week," Lott said, shielding Polly's eyes with one hand. "I thought it was pretty pathetic, but he bought them for Chris? That was pretty stupid."

I was finally able to get my laughter under control and wiped at my eyes as I gathered up the chain. "He wanted to play a prank on Chris."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Polly said, ducking out from behind Lott's hand. "Uncle Chris doesn't have the same sense of humor anymore."

"What do want to do with them?" Lott asked me. "I can go and throw them in the git's room if you want. It'll probably save him from getting his arse kicked by Chris the next time he shows up."

"No, it's fine." I waved a hand at them. "Thank you for your concern."

Lott shrugged. "Fine. I look forward to seeing the fallout from this."

"Jill, what are going to do with—" Polly began.

"Let's go," Lott interrupted, steering her towards the door. Left alone with the condoms again, I put the chain back in the box and closed the lid. After thinking about it for a few seconds more, I returned the box back to the cubby.