Thicker than Water

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Alex Chambers stood on the helicopter landing pad his fingers pressed to his forehead to block out the morning sun. He was dancing from one foot to the other, unable to hide his excitement.
"I see them!" He shouted back to his mother, who was standing near the entrance with a medical team. None of them knew what kind of shape their heroes would return to them in but Alex didn't seem to care. Already he was hopping up and down waving at the chopper as it drew closer. He cheered when Chris Redfield waved to him and repeated the action when Jill Valentine did the same. But as the helicopter touched down his smile began to fade. Not everyone he'd hoped to see was stepping out.
"What happened?" Rebecca Chambers soon came to stand beside her son, her lips set in a thin line as she looked from Chris to Jill. "Where is Parker?" She'd done her best to keep herself from saying this man's name first but she couldn't seem to help herself. "Where's Jessica?" She added, hoping this would make for a decent cover up.

"We'll be there in a minute." Rebecca said darkly, hanging up the phone. "Do we do this now or wait until Alex is with us?" She asked Parker, half hoping he'd changed his mind again.

"You really want him to witness such an extravagant lie?" Parker asked quietly.

A year passed almost too quickly for Alex to remember. He was still in a state of shock that his mother and Parker had married. After the fight they'd had he was certain they'd never speak again. Not that it had really made a difference. Chris had once called them ships passing in the night and that was what it felt like. Parker and his mother rarely spoke to one another. Except two days out of the week.
It had started off as one on Friday nights when the three of them would go out for pizza and a movie. But then that had turned into a night when Chris and Jill would come over and they would all play games.
Sunday mornings Rebecca would get everyone up and take them for pancakes and then they'd go to the local flea market. Alex was in love with the used and sometimes obscure treasures they'd find there. His mother it seemed was the same way. He wasn't sure she knew how to smile anymore at least not until those Sundays when she would find something and show it to Parker. The smile was rare but whether he knew it or not, entirely for him.

Chris was certain life could do nothing but get better. He and Jill had moved in together and it was like living with his best friend. Best friend with benefits, of course.
Nothing had really changed except the fact that they didn't fight nearly as often and never about each other. Mostly it was over who won the latest game at Rebecca and Parker's house. Naturally, Chris claimed to win them all.
This was the family that he'd been missing. Though he knew Parker wasn't as happy as he and Jill, he hoped that for Alex's sake they could try.
For some reason he'd forgotten that Alex even belonged to their former Captain. He simply saw the boy for who he was and not what he was.
No one knew that this moment of bliss would not stay that way. A dark cloud was already growing overhead.

Parker had thrown himself into making Alex as happy as he could. He spoilt the little boy with all kinds of toys and every video game he ever asked for, much to Rebecca's disapproval. This was all he could do to take his mind off the fact that for the past year... Rebecca really had kept their relationship professional. Since she kissed him in the hospital ward, there had been nothing since. Of course, she was always telling Parker to go out and find his pleasure with someone else whenever he tried anything even remotely romantic.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and Jill was unsure how she had somehow managed to spend her day off cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen. She had been at it the whole time Chris was out, and though everything had the clean smell of the tropical scented cleaner she had used, Jill herself looked rather unkempt. Her dark hair was sticking up from the number of time she had blown it out of her eyes, and she wore rather unflattering sweat pants and an old t shirt. That said... She still wouldn't change anything. It was this kind of normal life other people took for granted. For people like them... It was a rare day.

Alex was standing at a long isle of games, frowning over each one. He wanted something special, something none of them had played before. He paused his thoughts and took a glance to see where Parker was. His father was standing at the jewelry counter on the other side of the way, his attention completely locked on whatever it was he saw.
It was then that the boy took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

Chris came back from the headquarters, smiling. He hummed to himself as he opened the front door. "Babe, I'm home!" He told her, of course putting his own spin on things. "And I have money in my pocket just dying to be spent on a new fridge!"

Parker was staring down at a tiny hummingbird pendant. Rebecca always reminded him of a hummingbird, flitting around, never pausing in one place for too long. He smiled sadly. "I'll take it." He told the clerk, handing his card over. "Could you gift wrap it too, please?" He was worried Rebecca would either throw it back at him, or simply tell him he shouldn't waste money on gifts for her.

"What? Really?" Jill's disheveled head poked out of the bathroom door and she grinned at Chris. "We can finally get read of that piece of crap?!"

Alex was squatting on the floor, searching through the bottom row of games, the phone craddled on his shoulder. He laughed openly, his banter to the person on the other end of the phone cheerful and upbeat. He'd quit paying attention to Parker.

Chris pretended to be hurt. "Old Sparky is a good fridge. I will not be getting rid of her, thank you very much. I will be putting her in the garage where I will keep my beer." He said matter of factly.

Parker had finished his transaction, and was watching Alex from a few feet away. He knew it should feel good that the boy had someone to talk to... But something just didn't seem right. he hung back, listening for a little longer.

Jill came bounding down the hall, leaping up into Chris arms with her legs around his waist. "But if your beer is all the way out there... You won't have a reason to come see me." She remarked with a pretend pout.

"I love you too, Spencer." He said finally. "And thanks for the heads up on the game." He finished. "Uh-huh. I'll tell my mom you said hi." That said he hung up, shoved the phone in his pocket and finished digging for the game he wanted.

"Only if you're naked." Chris chuckled, wrapping his arms tightly around Jill and kissing her hungrily.

Parker left it a few minutes, then came strolling up behind the by who now called him 'Dad'. "Hey, kiddo. You find a good one?" He asked cheerfully.

Jill smirked slightly, even as she kissed Chris. "You shouldn't... I'm all gross..." She murmured.

"It's a war strategy." Alex said with a grin. "I heard it takes a long time to play so we can all stay up really late." He added. "Chris will like it cause he's good at that stuff. You too, so I say we put you on Mom's team."

"Then we'll shower." Chris purred, already kicking out of his jeans and heading down the hallway. "It smells like tropical paradise in there so let's make it one."

Parker smiled at this. "That's not fair, you can't have Chris and Jill on the same team!" He replied, pretending to sulk.

Jill was erupting with laughter as Chris carried her down the hall. They had never even talked about marriage, yet they always seemed to act like two newly weds. "But I just cleaned it!"

"Jill will play moderator and Chris will be on my team." Alex said, nodding his head. He tucked the game under his arm and marched ahead of his new father. He paused when he saw someone standing near the weapons isle. He'd never seen anyone who had the same color hair as he did. "Dad?" He breathed, reaching back with his free hand for Parker's.

"Who says we're going to get it dirty?" Chris asked as he leaned over with her to turn on the water. "I would think we're doing the job of getting ourselves clean."

Parker was quick to takes Alex's hand in his wn and pull him a little closer. "What? Second thoughts about wanting Chris on your team?' He chuckled.

Jill wrinkled her nose when the water sprayed her, soaking into her t shirt somewhat. "Alright, mt. Wise guy." She teased.

"No..." Alex breathed, taking a brave step forward. It seemed to him that the tell lean man was simply standing there. As if he were waiting for something.
"Parker!" Rebecca tore around the corner, grinning from ear to ear. She didn't even seem to notice the man as she passed him. "You have to see this!"

"I knew you'd admit I was a genius sooner or later. Glad you're seeing it my way." He chuckled, turning the water on cold and leaving her standing alone in it.

Any time that Rebecca smiled, or got excited about something, that in itself made Parker happy. "You heard your mom, let's go!" He declared, not noticing the man that had caused Aelx to reach out for his hand.

"I never said you were a genius!" Jill shouted as Chris retreated. While she was already standing in the shower, Jill peeled off her wet clothing and let it land on the tiled floor wi a wet smack. That done, she turned the water up to an almost boiling temperature. Jill was smiling as she showered, Chris always just to grumble at the temperature she had the water.

Alex forgot about the man altogether as he took off running after Parker. His mother's smile was intoxicating, her excitement was a force to reckoned with.
"Is this the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen?" She asked, removing her lab coat right there in the isle to show Parker a pink summer dress she'd just tried on. She twirled around in front of him, forgetting for a moment that she wasn't supposed to let him see this side of her.
Alex glanced toward the isle beside them, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. The man with his hair was watching Rebecca too, though it was hard to tell this behind his dark glasses. The smile he wore was truly awful.

"That water is too hot!" Chris shouted from the other room. "You're going to burn yourself, Valentine!" He added, digging through her underwear drawer for her hidden cigarettes.

Parker was struggling to find even a single word as he watched Rebecca. He obviously wouldn't realised it, but he was all but leering at her as she twirled. For this reason, he missed the man with the dark glasses who waved at Alex. "Wow..." Was the only word he could finally muster.

Jill was already leaning in the bedroom doorway, steam rising up from her damp skin as she watched Chris rifling through her underwear. "I think the purple ones would look cute on you." She purred after a few seconds of watching him lush the Lacey objects aside in the drawer.

Rebecca stopped her twirl and looked up at Parker, a vulnerability in her eyes that was all but tangible. "Sorry." She whispered. "It's a little childish of me."
Alex frowned at the man, his fingers tightening in Parker's. To him this was worse than the stranger on the corner with candy. It more like staring at the Boogey man.

Chris coughed, shaking his head. His face was a brilliant shade of red. "I was thinking more along the line of...I dropped my wallet in the wrong drawer." He muttered.

"No... Don't stop..." Parker breathed. As he stepped forward, he made the mistake of letting go of Alex's hand. "If something makes you smile like this... Never stop..." He added, taking Rebecca's hand and gently twirling her around again.

Jill smirked, adjusting her towel as she pushed away from the door. "My underwear has been living in that drawer for a whole year now, sweetie." She told Chris, dying to punish him, simply because he looked so embarrassed. "Why so red?" She asked, moving over to the drawer and just pulling out a pair of panties at random. "You didn't have a problem with these when you made me take them off in the movie theatre." She told him, somehow keeping a straight face.

Rebecca couldn't help but laugh as she allowed Parker to twirl her. When she came to a stop again they were face to face. And then somehow her lips were brushing his. It had been so long since she'd had the warm inviting taste of him.
Alex was in sheer panic mode now. He was backing away from the man, nearly tumbling over Parker who didn't seem to notice. His chest was heaving and he was baring his teeth. His mother called this reaction fight or flight and he was leaning heavily toward flight.

"I can forget sometimes..." He muttered. They'd made a pact to stop smoking. She would kill him if she found out he wasn't exactly keeping his end of the deal. Chris was shaking his head, now trying to get the door closed. For some reason things weren't happening like he wanted them to. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

"Childish is good sometimes, right kiddo?" Parker asked, reaching out to pull Aelx into a hug between himself and Rebecca.
If any of them checked where the man had been stood, they would find an old RPD badge on the floor, the face scratched out, but the name still there; it was Rebecca's.

"Chris... What's wrong?" Jill pressed, a serious look taking hold of her features when she realised Chris was acting strangely.

Relief flooded through Alex and he clung to Parker as if he'd nearly been drowned. He buried his face in his new father's side, still breathing heavily.
Rebecca was the first to see the glinting silver metal on the floor. She had a habit of picking things up and putting them on the shelves. That was, of course, until she saw what was in her slender fingers.

Chris finally managed to get the drawer shut and he smiled at her, shaking his head. "Nothing, babe. Just...wish you would hurry up so we can go get something to eat!"

"Didn't your mom look beautiful?" Parker asked Alex as Rebecca walked away. "What do you think? Should we buy her that dress?"

Jill was still frowning slightly, though she did finally walks over to her closet. "Redfield... I think your getting weirder in your old age..."

"I think we should go home." Alex whispered, no longer caring about his game or much of anything else. It didn't make things any better when his mother began to cry.

"I am not old." Chris protested, briefing a sigh of relief. He'd have to sneak out later and get his own cigarettes. "I don't take kindly to that statement."

Parker saw Rebecca's shoulder begin to shake before he heard her tears. "Alex, can you do me a favour, and wait right here?" He breathed. "I'll help your mother, then come right back for you." That said, he chased after Rebecca, pulling her into his arms before he asked her anything. "What happened?"

"Alright, you're not old." Jill replied, pulling something out of the closet, then seeming to change her mind about it. "Where are we eating today anyway?"

"He was here." Rebecca's voice broke and she began to shake violently. Alex seemed no better than his mother. He didn't wait where he was told. He was clinging to Parker's leg like static.

"We're meeting the Luciani family at some Italian place. Big surprise." Chris chuckled, moving to reach around Jill for a button up shirt. "It's an anniversary dinner. Rebecca's going to surprise him."

Parker gently rested a hand on top of Alex's head, a silent reassurance that he was safe right there. "We need to leave here." He told rebeccabin a hushed whisper, knowing they couldn't talkl about it in front of Alex. "Don't bother getting changed, I'll pay for the dress as we leave."

"Omigod, is she pregnant?" Jill suddenly squealed, finally settling on an elegant red dress and resting it down on the bed.

"No. I don't want it." Rebecca muttered. "I...we have a dinner to go to..."
"No. No." Alex sniffed, still clinging hard to Parker's pant leg. "I want to go home. I want to go to my room."

"That would be a miracle since they aren't sleeping together." Chris snorted, reaching in for his one pair of dress pants.

"Hey kiddo, it's just for a little while. I thought you wanted to see Chris and Jill? You can tell them all about the new game I'm going to beat you and Chris at." Parker told Alex with a strained smile.

"Just because they say they aren't, doesn't mean they're not." Jill replied cheerfully.