Doopleganger

Rebecca Chambers stared at the clone and shook her head. It was a much better copy than the one they'd worked on of Wesker during the Africa debacle. She sighed deeply and shook her head. 
"This isn't going to work. I don't care how good he looks." She muttered, well aware of the tall man standing in the background. "This is Jill we're talking about. Chris pulled her out of her own virus. There's no way she won't sense something." She groaned again and ran her fingers through her hair, only now remembering she hadn't bothered to have it cut in a long while. "Goddamn it. I could understand him dying in a biochemical outbreak but cancer? Who covers that shit up?!" The headache was there behind her eyes. She needed coffee and sleep. At least coffee. "He's not going to fool anyone. He's too cheerful. Chris was a real son of a bitch there at the end. And what about Claire? She'll smell a rat...oh god....What the hell was I thinking agreeing to this?"

There was a quiet sound of amusement from behind Rebecca before her partner stepped past her and moved around the new clone. “You give her too much credit.” His cool, clipped voice remarked. He was looking ‘Chris’ over with an analytical gaze, looking for any differences that were glaringly obvious. “Valentine never could see past the surface of the pretty bit exterior, had she been able, she would have cut him loose long ago. And as for Claire, I’m certain we can distract her long enough for any interference in her part to be less than nominal.” He added, apparently satisfied at last. “Relax, Dr Chambers, your work was exceptional, as always.”

Rebecca made a face, white hot shame settling deep in her belly. She never should have helped Wesker. She never should have given in to the weakness that she still held for him. What was wrong with her? He always betrayed her. He always made her feel less than. He didn't love her,at least not in the way she loved him. 
"This isn't Africa, Captain. You're trying to force this thing into the most intimate setting possible and telling him to dance. She will notice when he screws up. It won't take long. He won't be standing on stairways and in dark corners like yours did. He will be up close and in her face all hours of the day and night. She'll know. People that love each other know their partner better than they know themselves." She turned to look at him, wondering if he knew   that in a small way she was confessing her feelings.

Wesker has picked up the chart with results of various tests Rebecca had been putting the clone through. He cast a fleeting glance up at Rebecca as she voiced her concerns. “He has been declared MIA for several months now, you think she will be anything but blindly happy to have her meathead back in the flock?” He asked with an indignant snort. “Rebecca...” Wesker finally set the clipboard down and approached the slender doctor. “You know these people. You know how desperately they cling to what they, as you put it ‘love’. Take Chris, Jill was officially declared dead, but he still managed to ruin everything we had planned in his pursuit of his past. Give them the thing they want most, and they lose their drive. You will see it first hand when you are there to bring him and Jill back together. While that is happening, we can distract Claire until we need to move her into place on the board.”

Once again he missed it. Once again all he could talk about was plans. All he saw was his need for global domination. Her Captain wanted a world that was perfect she could guarantee that she didn't belong. At one point or another she too would be a pawn to be removed from the board. To him every creature was a means to an end. 
The clone sat up and looked at her, a bright smile spreading over his face. "Becky, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you! Have you seen Jill? I was supposed to take her out to dinner tonight. You know? I was supposed to ask her to marry me. Don't tell her I think I wasted too much time."
Rebecca didn't respond to this. Instead she turned to Wesker a horrified look on her face. "No. We need to end this. This is going too far. "

Wesker was smiling in what was the closest to gleeful a man like him could muster. This was going much better than he had anticipated, even if she did eventually discover the truth; it would break Jill Valentine far more than he could ever have hoped for. “Have someone drop him off in Europe, your choice where,  but make sure the location is eventually leaked to the BSAA. If we drop him on her doorstep even she would find it all too suspicious.”
Perhaps Wesker and the people he despised were more alike than he realised; they each had a one track mind when it came to their goals.

Rebecca simply nodded. "I'll do it. I'm taking some time off anyway. I'll make sure it's done right." She said softly, taking the clone's hand. "I'll see you in about three months, Wesker." She whispered, already wondering if she was even going to come back at all. And if she didn't...would be even notice?

The sad truth was, Wesker simply didn’t think about love, not in the way Rebecca did. To him, what they had was a mutual arrangement with benefits for them both. What was love, other than a simple secretion of hormones? And what was the use for that, other than to tell the body it was in need of something? 
“Good. I couldn’t trust anyone else with this, Rebecca.” He replied, finally offering her the slightest of smiles as his fingers tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “I expect him to arrive... unsullied.”  He added with a snort of amusement before tipping her chin up and capturing her lips with his own.

A single tear slid down her cheek and for a moment their kiss tasted of salt. Then she was turning away, refusing to let him see her weakness. The clone followed, unaware of who the man was or what had just happened. 

A few days later Rebecca had leaked the rumor of the spotting of Chris and had returned to her old apartment.

It hadn’t taken long for the BSAA to send a unit to the remote, Eastern European town where Chris had been left. The truth of the matter was, they had given up on him. All except one woman and a member of his former team. They followed every lead they found, no matter how thin. This time was no different.

When Rebecca got to her apartment, there weren’t roses or anything quite so trite waiting for her. Instead there were several locked biohazard cases and a small, equally difficult to open, case with encrypted memory sticks inside. It was all data he had sourced from Alex Wesker’s own experiments. Clearly this was a part of his plan for Claire, but also his own strange way of trying to do something for Rebecca; he was giving her something he thought would make her happy.

Chris Redfield was given the thought that he'd come to the remote town to find himself but instead lost everything. He wasn't sure that was completely right but he wasn't going to argue.

Rebecca wasn't as happy as she'd thought. Though she was dying to crack open the boxes, she simply shoved them into her closet, frowning over the dust on the floor. She'd buy herself flowers and wine. And chocolate too. At least she'd be alone and there were no expectations.

“Hello, I’m looking for someone...” The tiny, rustic little bar had fallen silent the moment the tall brunette walked in. Her shoulders were back and her head held high; the stance of a woman who always knew exactly what she wanted, and how she was going to get it. Jill was speaking to the woman behind the bar, giving her a detailed description of Chris Redfield even as she pushed a photo over the counter. In it she and Chris were smiling for the camera, with Claire standing behind them, her arms draped around both their shoulders. All three of them looked so happy. 

Rebecca was more cherished than she realised. It wasn’t long after she had gotten home that there was a knock on her door. “Rookie, you in there?” A rumbling voice asked. “It’s Barry... I have news from Jill!”

The woman stationed there looked a lot like Rebecca. She gave Jill a warm smile and leaned in close to her. "I think you're looking for him." She said gently, pointing toward the table where Chris sat worriedly drawing on a napkin. "The poor guy has been here for awhile. I was about to call someone. He says he has nowhere to go."

"Barry?" Rebecca hadn't seen the elder man in nearly a year. The joy at simply hearing his voice was almost too much. She leapt to her feet and ran for the door, throwing her arms around him the moment it was open. This was her family. No matter what Wesker told her. "I missed you." She breathed into his chest.

“Oh Chris...” Jill breathed his name as she followed the direction the other woman was pointing in. For a moment her heart simply pounded away in her chest as she watched him, finally able to let go of the constant fear she had been clinging to that she would never get to see him again. She whispered a hurried thanks to the woman at the bar, then closed the distance between herself and her goal in no more than a few strides of her long legs before simply standing behind her partner. “Hey, this seat taken?” Those were the first words she had spoken to him all those years ago when she had first joined STARS.

Barry let out a deep and rumbling chuckle and returned Rebecca’s embrace as tightly as a small thing like her could take. “I’ve been right here.” He teased. “But for the record... I missed you more.”

Chris looked up at her, feeling as if he were missing something. "Hey." He gave her a gentle smile. His stomach twisted as he fought to remember the things that the tiny woman had told him about Jill. He felt so flustered. "Where have you been?"

"You know how it is, traveling the world." Rebecca sighed as she stood back, looking Barry over. "So...did I hear you say you found Chris?"

Jill felt something in the pit of her own stomach at the sound of that ‘hey’ and the almost emotionless way he has looked at her. Quickly she tried to push it all the way down. This wasn’t the time for her stupid gut to make her second guess things. “Me? You’re the one who ran away.” She breathes as she slid into the seat beside him.

Barry hesitates somewhat when Rebecca asked that, like Jill he too often relied on his gut. Sure, it was odd she had asked that, but then again, any news from Jill was usually about Chris, so he shoved the strange feeling aside. “Good guess, squirt.” He told her with a gentle smile. “She is probably already there, he was spotted in some sleepy little town in Edonia.”

"I did?" Chris frowned at this, feeling that this was something he should know but didn't. "I...I'm sorry." He whispered. "I guess...maybe I needed to get away for a bit. I...I really don't remember..." He confessed.

"That far East? Seriously?" Rebecca asked, pulling Barry inside and shutting the door. "Want some coffee? Wine? Both?" She added with a laugh. "I was about to about to dip into the bottle and try to clean the apartment. I really should hire a service when I'm gone this long."

Jill felt another cold wave of something in the pit of her stomach, but again she tried to ignore it. “You lost your team. I understand you needed time to deal, but... did it have to be time away from me?” She asked softly, gentle fingers reaching up to slide through his hair. Shouldn’t it be longer than this? Had he really been getting haircuts while hiding out here? It was yet another thought she pushed aside.

Barry glanced around the somewhat impersonal looking apartment before training his gaze to Rebecca. “Yeah... I can really see how much you let this place go...” He commented with a smirk. “How about a coffee, for now?”

"Jill..." Again Chris halted. He was struggling with his words. His memory was not his own. He would have to give it time. "I had an accident. A motorcycle crash...I can't remember things...I almost died. I wasn't wearing a helmet, I left my ID. But I don't know where the ID is or where the rest of my clothes are or anything else. I don't know where I'm going or where I've been. I don't know how to get home. Please, tell me you're taking me home." The plea was genuine. He wanted a home. That has been his desire since waking up in the tank. A home with the woman he loved. A home away from the monster with the yellow eyes.

Rebecca nodded, the look in her eyes solemn and sad. She returned with the coffees and sat down across from Barry pulling her legs up under her. "So...is everyone okay? I haven't had much time to check up. Have you found me the man of my dreams you've been promising?"

“Oh sweetie...” Jill’s sorrow was genuine as she pulled Chris into her arms and hugged him tightly. “I want nothing more.” She assured him. “Claire too, and Piers... even Leon. We all miss you so much.” She all but sobbed. “But for now... you’re all mine. Let’s be selfish.”

Barry chuckled again and took a slow sip of his coffee. “I wouldn’t dare to know the dreams of a woman, Rebecca.” He teased. “And for the record, I very much doubt someone like you has trouble finding anyone.”

Chris shook his head. "I honestly just want to go home. I feel like we all need to be together." He whispered. "Would that be possible?" His warm hands slid over hers, holding them tightly. "I need to be somewhere I feel safe."

Rebecca laughed softly at this, though it didn't reach her eyes. She wondered when Wesker would find her goodbye letter. She had no intention on going back to him. She'd taken several steps to ensure she never had to. Leaving this apartment was the first one. 
"It's a good thing you said that cause Piers would probably kick your ass." She teased. He wasn't the man she loved and he knew it but he promised to keep her safe.

That strange feeling once again tugged at her gut. Chris never admitted something like that. Again Jill quickly rationalised it away; he had been through so much, maybe that explained the change in him? “Don’t worry. Everyone will be waiting. When you feel up to it, we could have a BBQ or something. Just the people you’ve been missing and lots of beer and meat. How does that sound?” She asked, hoping she came across more positive than she felt.

“You and Piers?” Barry asked with a smirk. “Claire will be crushed.” He teased. “You could definitely do a lot worse than Chris Jr. though, that’s for sure!”

Chris grinned, though he was struggling to remember the names Rebecca had told him he knew. "Beer. Beer and burgers. I do remember I like those." He said finally. "Can we go make that happen?" He asked, feeling like he was desperate to get out of this place for some reason. 
Before he could think better of it, he grabbed her face and pressed his lips to hers. This was something he could feel all the way down to his DNA. The real Chris had worshipped this woman.

The look Rebecca gave him was rather odd. She didn't agree or disagree. "So when is Jill coming back with him? Do we need to plan a party for them? Do I have enough time to get moved? I mean...it's not like I have that much stuff but still..." She asked finally, frowning down at the coffee that had gone cold.

Jill’s fingers curled around his wrists as he held her face. She felt to sudden urge to sob, having though she would never feel the rush of even one simple kiss from Chris ever again. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how he must have felt with her missing for two years. “Keep kissing me like that, and we’ll never make it anywhere.” Jill teased, resting Her head against his shoulder, pausing a moment to simply breathe him in.

Barry could tell Rebecca was worried about something, but also knew he wasn’t the one who could coax it out of her. “How about I help you move, then you and Claire plan a welcome home meat head party?” He asked lightly.

"Of course we'll make it back to the hotel." Chris purred, feeling almost like he had an other worldly charm. 
Later that night he lay with Jill in his arms, his lips pressed to her forehead. Marry me." He pleaded. "Tonight. Before we go back. The world can wait. Right?" 

Rebecca shook her head. "I've only got a few boxes and they're ready to go. No sense in you and Claire missing out on meat head return." Rebecca snorted. "I can move two boxes and a coffee pot just fine."

Jill felt her breath catch in her throat and her head snapped back suddenly to look up at Chris. She had almost given up hope of ever hearing him say those words. Especially right before he disappeared. He had been so different, cruel almost at times. Nothing she ever said or did had been right, then like something switched in his brain, he was the adorable doofus she had first fallen for. She had been so close to finally putting an end to them. “Chris...” Apparently time apart had actually been a good thing. At least, that was her belief right then. “Of course!” The words were out and she was grinning.

“Alright, how about I send Piers over instead?” Barry asked with a huge grin. “He can... carry your coffee, or whatever...”

As soon as they stepped off the plane, Chris was able to pick his sister and the one called Barry out of the crowd. He paused before they were close enough to be seen, not sure he could go through with this. These people all looked so hopeful. What would happen when they learned the truth? 
He looked down at his fingers, clinging tightly to Jill's. "What if Claire doesn't understand?" He breathed.

Rebecca didn't how she'd managed to be alone as she moved but that was exactly what was happening. She'd left the suitcases Wesker had given her behind, knowing he'd come looking for her. She hoped he'd take this as her firm goodbye. She hadn't even opened them.
She couldn't handle that life anymore. He had a world to conquer and it didn't include her.

“Are you kidding?” Jill asked with a grin. “Baby Red is like the most understanding person on the face of the planet. How else do you think she puts up with any of us?” She teased, bumping him with her hip as she waves at Claire.

The world was being conquered for her. It hasn’t started out that way, but somehow his plans were now for the sole purpose of ensuring a future for Rebecca. If course, being the man he was, he rarely made his feelings on the matter known.

As soon as he felt Jill's hand leave his own he felt the odd need to dash across the gate and and yank clear into his arms. The moment he had her close to him he could smell her and he knew everything about her that part of him at least was still intact. The man with the yellow eyes would be happy with that. "I missed you kiddo." He breathed, knowing this was exactly what Chris would say.

Rebecca wondered how long it would take them to figure out that she lied about Piers. She'd only met the man in passing and that was years ago.
Her new apartment was even smaller than the older one. However, it was hidden in the middle of the building and inside. Access would be hard to obtain, not that she felt any safer by any means. At least here she could be her own doormat and not anyone else's. She didn't have to sit back and watch as the man she loved used her to get what he wanted. Now she was free. Not that freedom really meant anything....

“Missed you more, jerk.” Claire breathed without even lifting her face from where it was pressed to her brother’s chest. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?!” She added a little more heatedly.

There was a knock at Rebecca’s new door. When she answered however, no one would be there, only a large bouquet of pink roses without a note.