The bonds of family

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Claire Redfield was sat at her desk, chewing on her pen as she stared at the faded photo in a battered frame. She had just gotten back from Rio on business and she had already thrown herself into another case. The photo she kept safe was taken such a long time ago, Sherry was still just a little girl in it, and Leon... Well he was no different. They had all been so happy when they made it out of Raccoon City, despite everything that had happened. It was years later and Claire still sometimes woke with nightmares of that place, and her time spent at Rockfort Island. She had barely spoken of it to Leon when she had made it home, but she figured Chris probably told him everything anyway. That was when she had drifted apart from the people she called family. They all seemed to have their mission and she had always just been 'Chris Redfield's baby sister'. Claire was much like her brother, in the aspect that she just wanted to help people. A shame Chris thought she was still that nineteen year old student. They still spoke on the phone often, had dinner together at the holidays, but pinning big brother down long enough for anything more seemed harder work than finding all traces of Umbrella and making them disappear for good. The young woman shook her head to try and clear the melancholy away, then pushed the dark red hair from her eyes. "Come on Claire..." She scolded herself, laughing quietly when she thought of the fun her friends had made in the past when she talked to herself.

Jill hated it when he leaned in close and trapped her like that, it made her heart flutter like she was twenty two again and falling for the hot shot of the RPD. The blonde tried her hardest not to look up into those deep blue eyes of his, but eventually she failed. "Would you know me at all, if you couldn't see me?" She asked seemingly out of the blue.

The chase had been his favourite part. Even after he had gotten a taste of the young Ramona, it didn't mean he stopped there. He would even take the time to pick her up after school, under the pretense that Spencer no longer trusted her to come home by herself. It was quite the gossip point at the time for the older guy to come collect Ramona.

"Of couse I would." Chris breathed. "You are always in my heart. You are a part of me, Jill. I know you like I know myself. I've been lost without you." He whispered, his lips brushing hers.

Ramona had been furious, especially since Wesker stood at the school's entrance next to a police car and in full uniform. She often tried to sneak out the back only to find him waiting for her. The cat and mouse game was secretly fun for her as well.

Jill allowed the kiss to linger for a moment, then pulled back to look up at Chris again. "You didn't know it wasn't me you were with in that hotel room." She breathed. "I never expected you to wait for me, two years was a long time. I just... Don't need you to lie for the sake of my feelings."

There had even been the odd time when Wesker shook a set of handcuffs at Ramona, all the while wearing that icy smile, eyes hidden behind dark glasses. Once glance at him, and all the girls in the school were practically begging to be arrested.

"Of course it was you. Jill, there has never been anyone else since you. That's not going to change. Those two years were hell but I was prepared to spend my life alone
 Hell, I was going into Africa prepared to die because I couldn't live without you anymore. Ask Claire." Chris pressed, afraid he was losing her. 

Ramona was the only one who didn't fall all over Wesker. She told him off every chance she got. years later as she rode to the office with him she was doing the same. Some things never changed.

Jill's pale cobalt eyes filled with fat tears when Chris confessed this to her. A slender hand reached out and touched his cheek lightly, smiling a little when she felt the stubble against her palm. They didn't have time for her tantrums, Claire needed them. "Then quit." She suddenly breathed. "We find Claire, then we just disappear somewhere."

"I know which way to go!" Wesker snapped in exasperation when Ramona tried to direct him for what felt like the hundredth time. "I was finding my way around when you were still eating worms you found in the dirt!"

Chris shook his head. "You know i can't do that. I can't let other people suffer like we did. There are other Weskers. I can't let them hurt anyone else. I won't lose you again. Not you or my sister. Not any one else."

"I never ate worms and you're taking the long way." Ramona snapped. "For heaven's sake, Albert, you drive like an elderly woman! Spencer was faster!"

That was the moment Jill realised she didn't really have Chris, not the way he claimed anyway. "Then perhaps you should go back to the company that gave up on me, and I'll find Claire." She breathed, a fat tear leaking free as she pushed past where Chris' hands had been leaning on the front of the car.

"I drive like I have no desire to get pulled over and have you flash your breasts like you usually do to get out of tickets!" Wesker huffed.

Chris sighed in frustration, feeling as if he couldn't win. "I thought we were in agreement on this." he sighed, wishing for the cigarette now more than ever. "For those we lost...we can't just walk away. No matter how much we want to." 

"I did that in high school and for the record the guy Joseph the worked for you said they were lovely. You sound jealous." Ramona shot back.

"You think this is what they wanted?" Jill asked, spinning round to face Chris again. "To sacrifice our future... The chance for a family of our own..." She had let those words slip without really meaning to.

"We are not debating how round and pert your breasts are, Princess." Wesker snorted, though now that was all he could think about. "Be thankful it was Joseph who pulled you over and not Redfield."

Chris was taken aback. He'd never assumed that Jill would want to marry him, let alone have his children. "I...Jill...I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give our children a world they could be safe in." He said gently. 

Ramona raised an eyebrow. The venom dripping from Weskers lips was almost tangible. "And that would be bad? I've already had a run in with another officer." She purred, knowing she was getting under his skin.

A tear dripped off Jill's chin this time, those words confirming that she would never be a mother, not to a child with Chris anyway. "The world will never be a safe place, Chris!" She insisted. "But I get it... You need to be the hero. To everyone." Time as Wesker's puppet had given Jill too much time to evaluate her future.

"Would that officer have you on your back and moaning like a whore?" Wesker snorted. "Because that all Chris Redfield knows."

Chris shook his head."Jill, don't do that. You know that's not true." He said softly, reaching for her arm and turning her to face him. "We could start any time you wanted to."

"yes he would."Ramona went on, noting that the car was starting to veer off the road a bit. "Is something the matter, Albert?"

Jill shook her head and pulled her arm free. "I won't sit around waiting for the phonecall from the BSAA telling me you died protecting some country I've never even heard of! More than that... I won't take the risk of having to then pass that news on to our child!"

Wesker was gripping the wheel tightly, livid at the thought of Chris Redfield even breathing the same air as Ramona. He wasn't to know that Chris had problems of his own right then. "Why would something be wrong? You made it clear you're a uniform junkie." He snorted.

"Damm it, Jill! Chris shouted back. "I've never been good at anything in my life. I screw everything up. You know that. I couldn't even raise my sister..." it came to him then. If he hadn't been able to do right by Claire what made him think he could ever have a family of his own. "You know what? Yeah. You're right. This won't work." he turned and began walking in the other direction, letting things simply die between them. 

Ramona smiled when she saw the flashing lights in the rear view mirror. The moment Wesker pulled over she threw open the door and ran, disappearing into the evening. They were close enough to the offices. She'd make it there before the officer had finished writing.

Jill never for a second though Chris would actually choose the job over her. She watched him walk away with tears streaming down her cheeks before finally sliding down the side of Leon's car and sitting there in the dark and the dirt.

Wesker was beyond fuming now as ramona ran off and he simply pulled the car over. Legally, he was dead. Dead men didn't have a drivers licence.

Chris found his bike but not his sister. He chalked this up to the fact that he was once again screwing everything up. He was glad when the call came in for him to head out on a mission. He hoped for Jill and Claires sake it killed him. 

By the time Wesker got to the offices things were bustling. Ramona was barking orders, her bracelet a pale yellow. People were scrambling to obey, looking rather upset.

Jill would be the one to find Claire. She hadn't spoken to Leon or to Chris, as they had made it clear where their priorities lay. However, she did contact Barry, as somehow his eldest daughter had gotten caught up in all of this. Her only wish had been to have what so many people took for granted; a family. Without Chris, it wasn't something she could even think about anymore.

"You, what's happening?" Wesker asked, grabbing a clearly startled young woman by the arm as she scurried past him.

Chris had met Wesker's son and was pretty sure he was going to kill him. All he needed was a clear shot. He sent a text to Jill in the midst of all this, not sure why he was doing it. He couldnt have children but at least Wesker wouldn't either. 

The young woman shook her head, clearly terifled at the sight of Wesker. "I don't know. Ms. Briggs got a phone call and started shouting. I'm sorry."

Jill was sat at the docks waiting for Barry to turn up with their boat when she got the text off Chris. It was the last thing she had wanted right then, as it reduced her to tears, wishing she could take back what she had said that night on that deserted road.

Wesker let go of the woman, all interest in what she had to say lost when he caught sight of Ramona and her now yellow bracelet.

Chris was secretly trying to get Jill to talk him out of it. He'd always needed her to be the voice of reason. He was staring at the boy through the eye of his rifle and all he could see was the man he still hated. He wanted nothing more than to see brains splattered all over the place. 

Ramona was still shouting, the color of her bracelet deepening. "Call Pierre and his crew!" She roared. "Have them intercept Redfield. Get him away from Jake! Do it now!"

"Six months." Jill had given in and called Chris. "It's been six months, ans now you try and contact me?" She asked, her own misery still rather raw.

Wesker was shoving people aside when he heard that name pass Ramona's lips. "What do you know?!" He demanded, grabbing her upper arms and shaking the dark haired woman.

"It's just a text, Jill. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Chris said in way of greeting. He caught Jake's eye and they glared at each other for a long moment. 

Ramona didn't answer, her chin tilted defiantly. There was a lot that she actually knew. Her secret was dark And somewhat terrible. "Get your hands off me, Albert." She hissed. "I'm working."

Jill was in no mood for even trying to be nice right then. "What do you want, Redfield?" She asked thinly. "I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."

"Where is Redfield and why do you want him away from Jake so badly?" He hissed, shaking Ramona again. "Answer me!"

"Just a drunk text to my ex girlfriend. Hang up of its pissing you off." Chris said evenly, his to e letting her know that he was in no way drunk. "Stop being a bitch."

"Let go of me!" Ramona shouted at him. "We are testing out a new virus with Tricell and Redfield will screw it up. You know that!" She added. "Nevermin that Jake is now involved and making things worse with the goddamn Birkin girl!"

There was a long pause before Jill spoke again. She had honestly thought that she and Chris would end up married with three kids and a lake house in Montana when they had gotten serious. The former blonde had even considered a life with anyone other than her best friend. "Funny how I'm only a bitch around you, I guess you just bring out the worst in me." She finally sneered. 

"What does the Birkin girl have to do with anything, and who is Jake anyway?" Wesker finally demanded.

"Are we done here?" Chris asked, his chest aching. He cocked the rifle loudly in the silence, his mind made up. He was going to kill Jake. "I'm kind of busy."

Ramona bracelet was now amber. She was losing control of her emotions. Fear was getting the better of her for once. "Let go of me!"she screamed, causing everyone to turn and look at them.

"You're the one who contacted me, asshole." Jill growled, nowhere near ready to forgive Chris for walking away like he had.

Wesker glanced at the people around them, then dragged Ramona into her office. "Explain! NOW!" He boomed.

"Hang up then." Chris growled, daring her to be the one to end things this time. He was kneeling on the balcony, taking aim at the red haired young man the was arguing with Sherry.

Ramona had been dreading this day for years. She'd started to believe that perhaps they'd avoided it entirely. She decided to try and lie first. After all, he would do the same to her. "I already told you, I released a virus and Jake is a test subject. The Birkin girl could make things complicated." She hissed, shaking violently as she fought to sit at her desk.

"Not that you probably care, but I'm on my way to find Claire." Jill told Chris icily. "You and Leon... You're both the same!"

"If he's just a test subject, why are you so worried?" Wesker countered. "Test subjects are everywhere. As for the Birkin girl... What does it matter if she gets close? If he mutats into something, taking he rout would be best for everyone."

"Claire can kiss my ass too." Chris murmured. "She probably found someone to be proud of. Hang up, Jill. I'm busy saving the world. remember? Something you don't want to do anymore?"

"Because...he's...and the Birkin girl...is probably like her father...little more than a paid friend. She's  more harm then good. It will all go to hell and I'll lose him." she stumbled through the words, still struggling with the truth.