Lost in Memories

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“Yeah, I got it. I’ll look at the files you sent and see what the techs here think about it. Sure... coffee when your next here.” 
There was a forced chuckle, then the line went dead. Jill Valentine hated playing her part in company politics. That was why she jumped on every chance to be out in the field. Mutations and nasty weather she could handle... but the director of the London office who just couldn’t take a hint? That was something she would rather not deal with. She let out a heavy sigh and opened up the email that contained the files she had just been speaking about. So much for an early finish. There were pages and pages of lab reports that didn’t even make sense to her.

Amy smirked a little and nodded before returning to toting with her hair. “Which is why I was so surprised to see you here.” She confirmed. “I heard noises and worried either one of the animals had escaped, or someone was trying to steal your research again.”

Jill almost hated how easily he made her smile. “Do you have any idea how hard it actually is to say no to you?” She teased, rubbing the tip of her pert nose against his rough cheek.

Rebecca wasn't amused at all with this. "So since you didn't leave, you must have seen the person who left the gift for me. Right?" She asked, her voice a near hiss.

Chris couldn't help but purr at Jill's touch. She knew what he liked. She knew how to distract him. She knew how to play the game far better than Albert Wesker.

There was a brief moment when Amy’s green eyes almost seemed to darken with challenge, but it quickly passed. “I promise, I didn’t see anyone!” She squeaked, wringing her fingers together now. “You got a gift? Is it from an admirer?” She added as she pushed her glasses up her pert nose.

“You know..: the director of the London office was hitting on me again...” She breathed, knowing how much Chris hated Hunter Anderson. “I’m running out of polite ways to dodge saying simply no.” She added with a smirk as she dropped light kisses along her future husband’s jaw.

"Huh?" Rebecca gave her a strange look. "Oh it's not a gift like that. More like a joke. I figure Chris had someone do it to make me thing I need a day off." 

"So you're telling me I need to go to London and teach the guy a lesson." Chris snarled. "The moron knows who you belong to."

“What kind of gift would make you think that?” Any asked as she stepped a little closer. “And... Chris hasn’t exactly been in the joking mood lately.”

“Excuse me?” Jill leaned back suddenly, her cobalt eyes narrowing at her lover. “Belongs to?” No doubt Chris had known the mistake he had made the moment the words passed his lips.

Rebecca frowned. She was ashamed to say she hadn't noticed. She had been so locked in her own work she barely noticed anything at all. 

Chris closed his eyes and groaned. He knew what he'd done. It was going to be a long night. Nothing he said from this point on could get him out of it.

Amy nodded, the movement meaning she again had to push her glasses up her nose. “He got Jill back, but she was broken. So many pieces that he doesn’t know what to do with most of them.” She sighed sadly, this time shaking her head. “And then the whole China incident, and losing Piers...”

“Need I remind you, that I more than kicked you ass in Africa?” Jill remarked before scooting to the foot of the bed. “I don’t need Neanderthal Chris fighting my battles for me... I need my partner standing beside me.”

Something about the way she said these things had Rebecca on edge. She was already backing away, shaking her head. "I don't think he obsesses much over all that. He's a meat head..." It seemed odd to her. This woman seemed rather gleeful that Chris was struggling with these things.

"I don't want some jackass guy from London trying to steal you away when I just got you home again." Chris breathed, his eyes on her's. "It won't take much for you to see you can do better."

“He sure is...” Amy replied with a barely even there smirk. “But you’re probably right. Meat heads don’t have feelings, right?”

Jill sighed heavily as she reached over the edge of the bed and pulled on one of Chris’ shirts where it lay in the floor. “Chris, you forget... I only just got you back too. You were missing for six months. And for the record, if I thought there was even a slight chance there was someone better than you, why did I agree to marry you?” She added, looking up at him with a grin at last. “We’ve been through too much to lose each other to the Hunter’s and Jessica’s of the world.”

Something about the way Amy had said Meat head sent a cold chill through her spine. It brought a memory back that she was in no way ready for. "You... should go home." Rebecca said her fingers sliding into her pocket and fumbling for Jill's contact button. Not seeing it wasn't going to help.

"I'm sorry but who is Jessica?" Chris purred, diving into to bed with Jill and showering her with adoring kisses. Even if her phone did ring, they wouldn't be able to hear it for several hours.

Amy has a good idea of what Rebecca was doing, and it caused her lips to pull into a barely even there smile. “You’re right. I should go home.” She agreed with a nod. “It’s the BSAA vs TERRASAVE softball game tomorrow. I wouldn’t want to embarrass the meathead.” She added, a clearly more confident bounce to her stride as she walked away.

The nightmares had thankfully been quelled that night as Jill lay in the safety of her partner’s arms. Neither of them would have any idea the events that had already been set in motion.

Rebecca pulled her hat down further and frowned at the sun. It was a hot day and she hated softball. She didn't know why she'd ever agreed to something like this. At home plate Chris was already talking as if they were going to win. He was too cocky for his own good. No matter what happened to him it seemed that would never change.

Even Jill was doing her best to get into the spirit, which wasn’t hard given she was just as competitive as Chris. The only thing bringing her down was seeing that Claire was absent. She had hoped to see the younger Redfield here, if only to grill her on where she had been and why she hadn’t returned any calls. Jill felt she should’ve known better; if Claire was AWOL, why would she attend a charity softball game? Those dark thoughts were pushed aside when she heard Chris telling everyone they had this in the bag. They hadn’t told anyone they were engaged yet, and she wanted to shout it at the top of her lungs.
“Oh sure, the good doctor is going to win the game...” Amy snorted in reference to Rebecca, though her gaze was on Chris. Apparently she hated team sports, or so she would have people believe. So far Amy has been a surprisingly adept player, suspiciously so for someone who claimed they had never played ind of sport.

For all his bravado, Chris was hiding a secret. He had planned this event in the hopes of drawing his sister out. With each passing hour that she didn't show his heart felt like it was broken just a little bit more. By the seventh inning he was no longer bragging or saying anything at all. In fact he'd gone off the field and simply sat on the bleachers, staring down at his sneakers.

Rebecca wasn't doing much better. She was staring into the sun, thinking of a past she shouldn't. She'd never told Chris and Jill that she and Billy had moved in together. Despite all the problems with former Stars members and him being in hiding they were happy. He'd even asked her to marry him. He'd disappeared on the same night and Rebecca was sure it was because he's changed his mind and realized what a huge mistake he was about to make. Why would he want a silly little girl like her?
Before she had a chance to finish the thought the softball came flying toward her, slamming into her nose with an audible crack. The blood was instantaneous, the ground that rose up to meet her was only seconds behind.

“That’s not the face of a winner.” Jill was crouched in front of her partner, her hands resting on his knees as she ducked her head to look into his downturned face. She knew his pain, because she felt it too. Claire has grown ever more distant before she finally disappeared altogether. It had started after the whole ordeal with Alex Wesker, as Claire now lived with a virus in her blood just like Jill herself did. That’s what pained Jill the most; she was better equipped than anyone to help Claire through this, but the younger woman had chosen to handle it alone. As far as she knew, even Leon had no idea where Claire was, assuming he wasn’t hiding the truth to somehow protect her.

“That’s a new tactic, using your face instead of the bat.” One of the TerraSave team had come running over to make sure Rebecca was okay. He was now grinning down at her as he carefully helped her sit up. “I mean, I know you guys are desperate and everything...” He added, green eyes twinkling as he again smiled. “Did your meat head Captain put you up to this?” He continued to tease the small woman as other people came rushing over.

"I need a beer." Chris grunted, not really looking at Jill. This loss wasn't new to him so he wasn't sure why it hurt so much. "And a cigarette or too." After another moment of thinking this over he shoved to his feet. "Screw this game. I have to leave." 

The green eyes tore at her insides and Rebecca winced. The way they twinkled was almost familiar and that made it so much worse. 
Gingerly she touched at the blood on her face and groaned. "Where the hell did that ball come from anyway?"

“Chris... please...” Jill placed herself in his path, a hand pressed gently to his chest. “Don’t do this, a drink is the last thing you need right now.” She implored. “How about we get something to eat instead?” She added quickly.

“Same place it has all game.” The owner of the green eyes teased as he offered Rebecca something to wipe the blood away. “Think you can stand?”

Chris shook his head, his piercing blue eyes now locked on Jill's face. "You know, Wesker was right about me. I never learn. She's never going to change. No matter what I do she's going to run from me. I could put up a flashing neon sign that could be seen from space telling her to come home! Claire would still ignore it. I've..." The rest of his words were painful. He had to swallow several times to force them out. He found it easier to think that his little sister was dead than doing her best to stay away from him. "I've lost her..." 

Rebecca waved away the hand and got to her feet, though she was soon right back in the grass. "Wow. I didn't know things could spin that fast." She groaned, closing her eyes against the racing world. "I think I'm going to throw up...oh great. I have a concussion." She went on, beginning to grumble under her breath.

Jill reached out and slipped her arms around Chris’ waist, simply resting her head against his shoulder. “Where do you suppose she gets that from, huh?” She asked gently. “It’s the Redfield way... you try to do everything alone, if you think it would hurt the ones you love by getting them involved.” She added, closing her eyes as she recalled the blind panic she herself had been in when Chris went missing. “Don’t let him do this to you. Wesker always knew how to push your buttons, and that’s all that’s happening now. Claire loves you more than anyone, that’s a fact that will never change.”

“I don’t even have to ask... I can tell you’re a doctor, they make the worst patients.” The TerraSave man teased. “Come on, you can’t lie here all game.” He gently slid his arms under Rebecca’s knees and lifted her slight frame up against his chest. “No screaming either, I promise I’m not kidnapping you.” He chuckled.

Chris sighed heavily and pushed Jill away, heading toward their car. "I thought I knew my little sister better than anyone but..maybe I don't. Maybe...Maybe I really am that stupid meathead that everyone always said I was. I really need a beer right now. Damn it this was the worst idea I've ever had." He yanked open the door and dropped into the driver's seat staring ahead over the steering wheel. 

Rebecca laughed. "Oh believe me. Nobody would miss me if you did." She wiped at the blood still sliding from her nose, closing her eyes against the spinning world. "You could leave me there, you know. At least that way I won't have to admit how I got injured."

“You shouldn’t treat Jill so badly.” A soft voice commented from the darkness in the back seat of the car, that Chris would instantly recognise as belonging to his baby sister. “She loves you.” She added with an almost sad sigh. Claire had adjusted the rear view mirror before her brother had gotten in, and the car was parked in the shadow of a building, meaning he wouldn’t be able to see her face unless she wished it. Though Claire had seen Chris shove Jill away from him before stomping over here, she hadn’t heard what they had been arguing about. The youngest Redfield had a very good reason for having avoided her friends and family until now. Bright sapphire eyes that once matched her brother’s were now an odd shade of amber, the left one looked worse as the usually invisible veins and capillaries around it were now a deep crimson, even black in some places and spread up into her hairline, and down as far as her cheekbone. Her once beautiful face was now much paler, with the infection showing in the left eye now beginning to spread to the right. It would seem Alex Wesker’s gift was not as dormant as everyone had assumed. The more Claire had come to worry about the safety of those she loved, the more the fear virus had begun to manifest, as though it had known Claire would never fear for anything happening to herself, only those around her. Keeping them in the dark had been the only way, no matter how painful. But when Jill had left a voicemail telling Claire she and Chris were engaged... the younger woman had dared to make contact.

“We could make up a story?” He suggested with a smirk. “Something about you trying to save a school bus of innocent children and puppies...” he added, green eyes again twinkling. “You know, turn you from klutz to hero?” The young man was still holding Rebecca, though now they were indoors and he was glancing around for something to better clean the blood up with.

"Claire..." Chris was quick to turn, feeling his neck making a painful crack. "Where the hell have you..." When he saw his sister he could hardly breathe, "What did you do to yourself?" Before he even got the whole question out he was seeing Piers. The tortured way the young man had looked the last time he'd seen him. He was never going to be able to get the image of his sister looking the same way out of his mind. 

"Jill Valentine?" The man that was approaching her was a mirror of a man that was supposed to be long dead. He moved with all the grace of panther poised and ready to strike. He was gorgeous and he knew it. 
He held out a hand to her, his thin lips set in a smile that would make a snake's skin curl. It would give Jill a set of memories of her own that would be as hellish as her lovers. 

"Yeah. Sorry. That's never going to happen." Rebecca said, pulling at her sleeve to dab at the blood. "Don't worry. I can use this shirt for blood clean up. I'm never going to wear it again." She made a face and then cringed. Her nose was definitely broken.

Claire visibly shrank back when Chris made it sound like she had done this to herself. “And you’re wondering why I never stopped by...” She snorted, though that wasn’t the reason at all. “I just... wanted to congratulate you on finally sucking it up and asking Jill to marry you.”

Jill’s entire body felt like it turned to ice when she saw the figure before her, hand outstretched and smiling as though nothing was wrong. For a moment she struggled to speak, her vision growing dark at the edges as all the things a man with that face had done to her came flooding back. “I’m sorry... you must have me confused with someone else.” She finally manager to force out, taking several steps back whilst fighting the desire to simply turn and flee while screaming for Chris.

“Why not? Your captain went AWOL while arguing with his girlfriend, looks like a rematch is on the cards.” He chuckled, turning away for a few moments before returning with a wet paper towel. “Sorry... it’s the best I can do without moving you again.” He admitted sheepishly as he ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair.

Chris tried to reach out for his sister but he came up inches short. His stomach rolled. He couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Before he knew it he was retching in the weeds nearby, what remained for his breakfast coming up along with his memories of Pier's monstrous face. 

"Are you calling me stupid?" The man cocked his head, catching Jill's upper arm before she could take a step away from him. His charming smile was all but gone as he kept her from moving away from him. His dark blue eyes flashed red in a moment that was almost too quick to be caught be anyone else. "Do you think I wouldn't be able to recognize the great Jill Valentine? You and your partner are world famous after all."

"Afraid of shaking me?" Rebecca asked with a laugh. "I'm not going to break or bleed to death if I'm moved." She tried to take the rag from him to wipe at her own nose, forever being the independent one. "I'm fine you can leave me here. Thanks for the help...really..."

Claire sat in the car a moment longer, fighting back tears when her brother threw up at the sight of her. Leon had warned her this would happen, and she had insisted Chris would understand. Finally she pulled the hood of her jacket up and stepped out onto the road. “Stop trying to find me, Chris. You have a future with Jill, don’t let it slip by because you’re being a self centred jerk.”

Jill glanced down at the vice like fingers holding her slender arm, then back up into the owner’s face. It couldn’t be him. They had both watched him burn inside that volcano, but the resemblance... “Jill Valentine died years ago. There’s a grave, go see for yourself.” She breathed, doing her best to fight the rising panic when she realised even with her enhanced strength she couldn’t discreetly pull her arm free. “Look, I don’t want to create a scene, we are just here to play softball.”

Sad green eyes watched Rebecca as their owner sat down beside her. “Why would any one ever just leave you?” He asked, hearing a sadness in her words that most would have missed.

"I'm afraid the game ended when your outfielder disappeared." Again that slow wicked smile returned to the thin familiar lips. The dark eyed man yanked Jill against him, purring like a well fed lion. "She was covered in blood last I saw. There was quite a bit of it." He chuckled. "And besides, how can you create a scene when there is no one there to see it? Not even your fiancee is here anymore. Come on now, Jill. Let's not play games. It's not like it's our first time." He went on, his tone dripping with a familiarity that he should not have. 

Rebecca tipped her head back and held the towel to her nose. She closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek. She hated how weak this made her feel. "Yeah. Like I said...I'm fine if you leave. I'm not going to break or anything. I never do."

Claire had returned to the hotel she was staying in and slammed the door behind her, sliding down it with her knees pulled to her chest and her head resting in her forearms. She should’ve listened to Leon. Nothing was ever going to erase the look of disgust on her brother’s face when he saw her. Tears leaked down her cheeks, making her feel even worse; what had been done to her wasn’t her fault, but that’s exactly how Chris had made her feel.

Now she was pulled tight against this intruder with the face of a dead man, Jill knew he would be able to feel her heart hammering away against her chest. No one knew she and Chris were engaged, not even Rebecca. The only person she had told was Claire, and that was via voicemail.... “Oh god...” Realisation set in and her eyes grew wider. How could she have been so stupid? They were under surveillance, and neither of them had ever even noticed. “What do you want? You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’m going anywhere quietly.”

Rebecca’s rescuer shrugged his lean shoulders and simply sighed. “Sounds pretty quiet out there... guess no one at TerraSave missed me either.” He assured her.

"I'm not taking you away from him. I think the amount of secrets between the two of you will do that for you." The man purred. "Telling him that a Wesker is back will eat him alive. But telling him that Piers is alive as well will send him into a spiral that you do not need. Even more fun will be telling your dear little Rebecca that the man she has been pining for all these years isn't dead. He is a slave...a monster." He chuckled. 

"Then stay and we can be invisible together." Rebecca said, keeping her eyes closed. "Are you as professional at it as I am? My name is Becky by the way."

Jill had parted her lips, about to snarl something obscene, when the force of all those revelations slammed into her. “Piers...” She could barely breathe. The man had been like a little brother to Chris, he had been the one to bring him back from the brink when she couldn’t. “Not possible. Piers died at the bottom of the ocean.” She managed to declare at last. Everything else she ignored. She had to. Emotion was not going to do her any good right now.

The young man let out a quiet snort of laughter. “Only to the people who matter.” He told her rather sadly. “Riley.” He added as an after thought as he ticked some of Rebecca’s hair behind her ear. “If you think you can stand, maybe we could go get something to eat?”

"Indeed. And Albert Wesker died in the explosion of a mansion. Or maybe he died the time you shoved him out the window to save your pathetic excuse for a lover." The dark eyed man purred. "And Jill Valentine...even I have been to her grave. Do we want to talk about the meaning of death in this world, my dear? We both know it no longer means what it used to." He chuckled darkly. 

Finally the bleeding had stopped and Rebecca's head had stopped swimming. "You're hungry? Didn't you eat any of the free food they were handing out all day?" She asked with a soft laugh. She turned her head to look at Riley, waiting for him to say he had something better to do and leave her hanging there.