The bonds of family

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Claire stared down at her ring, and realised she didn't want to contact Leon. She wanted him far away from Alex and any harm she could do him. "The last thing I remember is being put under for surgery. I don't know how i ended up here, or even how long I've been here." She confessed. Her secret fear, was that Leon would believe her dead.

Parker shook his head and rose to his feet. "I don't the help of some lovesick children!" He sneered. "I'll find Rebecca myself!"

"What if he's happy?" Jill asked, wincing as she tried to lower her heavily pregnant frame down next to Chris.

"We can get you one as soon as the stores open." Billy assured Rebecca, his chin still resting on her head. "Anything you want, I promise."

"Then I'll torture him until he tells us what happened and who the father is and then let him go." Chris said, using his free hand to pat Jill's leg. "It'll be okay. I promise. I'll make it okay. No matter who I have to kill."

"I need a lab." Rebecca said, shaking her head. A chemistry set wasn't going to cover it. "I need big nasty chemicals..." her chin quivered. "I need to kill something!" She shouted finally, having needed to get that off her chest for weeks.

"What if everything is as it's supposed to be?" Jill asked, ever the voice of reason. "Maybe something happened to the father, and Claire is better off never knowing the truth?"

Billy simply hugged Rebecca tighter. "You're no killer." He breathed into her hair.

"I didn't say it was something I was going to share with Claire." Chris said darkly, staring out at the water. "Jill...what's wrong. You're really tense right now." He could feel how tightly coiled she was. He knew this meant that she was in pain.

"You don't know me anymore." Rebecca whispered back. "You died, remember?"

"I'm fine." Jill lied. She didn't want Chris fussing, like she knew he would, when it would be hours before the baby came anyway.

"Maybe Rebecca died too." Billy breathed. "And wants Becca to have a fresh start?"

"You bitch at me for lying." Chris said, shaking his head. "I don't get you some days. You won't ever let me. Not really. Even after all we've been through you still keep things from me."

Rebecca laughed softly and shook her head. "I can't be someone new. I wouldn't know how." She admitted, wondering if she'd even know how to be herself anymore. "I can't just let it all go. Not after what Wesker and his son did."

Jill was looking out over the water now, feeling everything they had rebuilt tearing at the seams. "You're reaction to my relief that Parker may be alive hardly filled me with joy." She whispered. "All these years... and you still think I'm so ready to fall for every guy I meet?"

"Isn't this exactly what they want, though?" Billy asked. "For you to to be consumed by revenge?"

"All these years and I'm still not sure it's me you need or even want. I'm certainly not what you deserve." Chris admitted,  still rubbing at his chest. "I'll never get over being afraid to lose you."

"What am I supposed to do?" Rebecca asked. "Just move on and let it all go?" She shook her head. "I cant. I really cant. It's all my fault."

Those words hit Jill just as another wave of pain washed over her. She could hear her husband loud and clear; she basically didn't show him she loved him often enough. The heavily pregnant woma struggled back to her own feet at this point. "Maybe you're just blind." She whispered before turning to head indoors. Their already fragile relationship had been put under much stress by taking care of Claire.

"You think everything is your fault." Billy pointed out gently. "You're a wonderful person, Becca. Don't dirty your hands by sinking to their level."

Chris sighed softly as Jill left. He was never going to win. His chest hurt worse when his phone began to ring. He was afraid to answer it. And for good reason. 

"It's a little late for that, Billy." Rebecca said, shaking her head. "Why do you keep thinking I'm the same stupid little girl you knew?"

Inside the house Jill checked on Claire once more, then went and locked herself in the bathroom. She was telling herself over and over that this was nothing, she could handle anything. The dark haired woman didn't know which hurt more, the imminent birth of their daughter, or the thought that Chris thought she didn't love him.

Rebecca's words stung Billy, but he didn't confess this outloud. "Why do you keep trying to make me believe you're some kind of monster?"

Chris never returned to the house. A few hours later it was Jill's turn to receive a phone call. Chris was off to play hero at the worst possible time. 
"Jill?" Sherry's voice echoed from the front porch as the young woman knocked. If it wasn't one thing it was another...

It took several hours but like Chris, Rebecca had a lot to confess to. Hers, however, made the other man look like a saint. When she was done she sat watching Billy, waiting for him to condemn her, to tell her to leave his sight forever.

Jill was looking somewhat worse for wear as she stumbled to the door. The baby was making an appearance much quicker than she had thought, and they lived too far from the hospital for her to drive herself there. Despite this, she still held her arms out and smiled when she saw the younger woman.

Billy wasn't judging Rebecca, he was digesting everything she had just confessed to him. "So... Wesker's lover now walks around inside the fully matured body of your daughter?" He asked, trying to understand this.

"Jill." Though Sherry sensed what was happening she threw her arms around Jill and held her tightly. "I've missed you so much." She breathed. 

"She did the last time I saw her. By now he's probaby figured out that her real body is fully healed and ready for him. I was going to use it as a bargaining chip. I guess I don't need to now."

Jill breathed Sherry in and held her as tight as she could manage. "Why have you been?" She breathed, needing a friendly face more than Sherry probably realised.

"So, if he wants the old body back..." Billy was shaking his head and rubbing at his temples. "Chris told me what that Wesker woman was..." His voice trailed off when he realised he had let slip that he spoke to Chris.

"I've been...okay." sherry said, deciding to leave it at that. "You have obviously been better than okay." She laughed her hands hovering but not daring to touch the elder woman's swollen belly.

"A monster? Yeah. There's a lot more of them than us." Rebecca said softly, realizing for the first time that her daughter was truly lost to her.

Jill smiled and held Sherry's hand against her belly. "I was afraid I was going to have to do this all on my own." she confessed.

"Trying to find a way to transfer consciousness." Billy finished when Rebecca didn't mention Chris. "If she managed it, and Wesker got his hands on it... That isn't good for your daughter's mind."

"Alone? Where is chris?" Sherry asked with a frown. She gently pulled her hands away when the baby began to kick hard. 

"My daughter is dead, Billy." Rebecca managed to choke out. "When they stole her body...she...left...she was too little to fight him...I killed her. It was...my fault."

"You tell me." Jill whispered, her smile fading. "Probably off protecting people he's never even met before." She added rather bitterly.

"No, it was his fault, all of it." Billy told Rebecca firmly. "Everything is his fault. He's a twisted monster."

Sherry nodded slowly. It wasn't hard for her to guess what had happened to Chris. The secret couldn't stay buried forever. "So what can I do to help you have this baby? You are out of time, you know."

Rebecca didn't get the chance to answer. Billy's phone was ringing so she left him to it, locking herself in the bathroom.

"I haven't told Claire the baby is coming." Jill breathed, casting a quick glance behind to make sure the younger woman wasn't there. "The last thing I want it to freak her out with me screaming about how goddamn painful it is."

Billy sighed heavily, wanting to smash his phone against the wall. "This had better be good." He growled without even looking who was calling.

"Claire is here?" An odd look of relief passed over Sherry's fave but she didn't explain herself. After a moment she nodded. "She's still asleep if that helps anything." She said softly. "I can't promise she'll stay that way. Jill...we should try for the hospital...Jake's car is fast. I promise."

"Geez, dude. You think you'd be happier to talk to the guy who shares beer." Chris laughed, almost hard to hear over the whir of a helicopter.

"Jake's with you?" Jill asked, glancing past Sherry to look for the young man. "Claire's been... quiet." She added after a moment. "It's a long shot, but... you don't know where Leon hid himself away, do you?"

Billy was easily able to recognise the sound of helicopter blades. "Sorry.." He muttered, smoothing his fingers over his hair. "Where are you going anyway?"

"Jake is here." Sherry confirmed, glancing toward where her lover stood silent in the doorway. "And yes, I know where Leon is but...right now we need to worry about you. Do you have a bag? We need to go. We are running out of time."

"It's not important." Chris answered evasively. "Could you do me a favor? Could you check on Jill? I don't know when I'll be back...and...I'm pretty sure she's in labor. I called the doctor and he's headed that way, I just...I don't want her to be alone. Please Logan? I promise to return the favor someday."

Jill was shaking her head as she grabbed Sherry's hands and squeezed them tightly. "You need to take care of Claire. Leon needs to get his ass back here and tell us what had him so broken he ran out like he did!"

"What?!" Billy could barely keep his tone low when Chris told him this. "Your wife is in labour, and you just left her?" He added, moving to the window to see how close dawn was. "Chris, why wont you just tell me what's going on?"

Sherry shook her head. "I'm not taking anyone anywhere. And don't ask me to again. What happened with Leon can't be fixed by putting him and Claire back together. She made her choices. Now, come on before you are stuck here and your baby dies. I can sense the heart rate. It's slowing. You are wasting time."

"Logan, please. Just trust me when I say there's no other choice." Chris replied firmly. "I'd feel better knowing someone is looking out for her."

Jill took a step back when Sherry said this to her. "You ever lost all memory of fifteen years of your life? Whatever Claire did, she doesn't remember it! It's cruel of you to punish the woman you owe your own life to, for something she doesn't even know she did!" She snapped.

"Looking out? For Jill?" Billy snorted. "You realise how ridiculous that sounds, don't you? The second she realises you've flown the coop, she's gonna be on your ass, in labour or not."

"Jill! Did you hear what I said?" Sherry hissed. "Your baby is dying. If we don't get her help now, there will be no point in any of this.

"It's for the best." Chris said softly. "I have to save them."

"And I don't need anyone else to drive my ass to the hospital!" Jill growled, Chris' abandonment coming at the worst possible time.

"And running off, that's saving them?" Billy asked with a heavy sigh.

"Okay. Okay." Sherry held up her hands and turned to leave. "I get it. Sorry I came." She was already heading toward the door. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Logan...it's Wesker. He's alive. I've got to go and get rid of him before he finds out there's a few more ways to hurt me." Chris said firmly. "Please, dude. You gave to tell me you'll watch out for her."