Doopleganger

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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?"

Wesker reacted little also, but that was to be expected. He looked Carlos over then grabbed the younger man’s chin roughly between his fingers. “My, you truly are a hard slug to unearth.” He practically purred. “I asked so little of you, boy. And this is how you repay me?”

Ruby has almost decided not to answer the door, after all, it wasn’t going to be anyone important, right? Claire was literally sleeping with the enemy, Jill was still in the hospital, and Carlos...
Finally she couldn’t take the noise coming from Claire’s room any more anyway and pushed her gun into the back of her pants, just in case, as she cracked open the door.

Carlos snarled at Wesker, spitting blood in the elder man's face. He cursed in his native tongue for several long minutes, telling him he was a man in drag with an ugly face before spitting again.
Natalia shook her head, though didn't move to help the man. She knew better. It wasn't wise. Stone had shown her how Wesker took care of business.

Chris leaned hard on the door frame, shaking violently. He was covered in blood and bruised where he wasn't. "Ruby..." He could barely whisper her name. "Kiddo... You're ok. This is where I...say...told you so..." He chuckled hoarsely.

Wesker didn’t erupt in anger as most men would have. He calmly wiped the blood away, then without warning punched Carlos hard in the gut, still retaining his cool. “You were to keep watch over the girl. Such a simple task; fool a child into trusting you. Yet here you are, incapable of even that.”

“Dad!” Ruby squealed his name with all the joy of any normal child greeting a parent. She cared little for the blood or pain her may have been in, instead choosing to throw her arms around him and bury her face against him. “You’re okay.” She breathes the words for her own benefit more than anything. “I looked... I didn’t stop looking!” Her head shot back up, suddenly fearful that him finding her here at home meant that she had given up on him.

"I agreed to nothing." Carlos groaned, spitting more blood onto the marble floor. "I said I would go. I didn't say why. Fuck you." He looked up at Natalia crawling forward just enough to touch her bare foot. He knew it would cost him. "How is that working for you? Is this little one fooled?"

Chris didn't offer her a reassuring smile that he understood. He simply patted her head. He couldn't hide the pain in his eyes however. "Alex...is dead...Wesker...is going to find out soon...Where is Jill?"

Wesker’s foot stomped down on Carlos’ outstretched arm. “She got to you.” He sneered, believing Ruby had coerced Carlos into thinking he was again a hero.

This fact wasn’t lost on Ruby, leaving her with guilt pressing down heavily on her young shoulders. “She’s in the hospital.” She breathed. “Carlos was supposed to be looking out for her, but I lost contact with him a few days ago. I came home to make sure she wasn’t in any danger...”

Carlos didn't cry out in pain. He tightened his grip on Natalia's foot. "Jill is gone. The babies are gone. You'll never find them."He wheezed, foolishly believing Wesker hadn't already gotten to them. "He'll eat you alive, princess." He turned back to the young woman who began to look uncertain. "You're not the first."

"What happened? Is she ok?" Chris leaned hard against the wall. "Is it the baby?" He reached up and touched a strange scar on his head, closing his eyes.

“Neither are you.” Wesker warned Carlos darkly. He had continuously tried to shield Rebecca from the darkness, he wouldn’t make that mistake with Natalia. The darkness would only make her stronger. “You are as expendable as Jill always was.”

“Oh god...” Ruby realised her father wouldn’t have known the truth about Jill’s pregnancy. Gently she slid along side him and tried to pull his arm around her shoulders as she helped him indoors. “It’s not baby... it’s babies.” She replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And that is why you have never beaten her." Carlos laughed, blood dripping past his lips. "Which is why you wanted her to have your child and no one else." He again turned to Natalia. "You aren't kidding yourself on that are you?" 

"Twins?" Chris didn't sound happy about that either. If anything he sounded more broken. He allowed Ruby to help him inside. "Does she know what they are yet?"

“Someone sounds jealous.” Wesker sneered, punching Carlos again.

Ruby shook her head as she seated her father at the kitchen table and set about finding things to clean his wounds. “Jill is...” She sighed heavily and paused where she was filling a bowl with water. “She’s been sort of... broken, since I returned without you.”

This time Carlos groaned, laying onto his side. "Not my type. Not telling you shit. Fuck off bastardo." He wrapped an arm around his midsection, sure his insides were going to explode.
Natalia stepped toward the man, thinking Wesker would pull her back. She knelt down and grabbed a handful of his hair. "You are in my home, sir. Change your tone. It's going to take hours to clean the mess you made." She said, slamming his face into the floor. 
Then she got up, brushed her hands on her pants and turned to leave. She paused at Wesker's side and met his eyes. "Goodnight." She said softly.

"I remember what that felt like." Chris grunted. "Where's the Spaniard?" He added with a growl. "And Claire? Is she okay? Did she make it out? I.. wasn't in control of myself...I'm so sorry, Ruby..."

Wesker was surprised by Natalia’s actions, but not displeased. He watched reached out and pulled her closer as she paused beside him. “Rest. Tomorrow is a big day.” He told her gently, dropping an almost feather light kiss against her lips.

Ruby could feel herself crumbling with these questions; she didn’t want to be the one to cause Chris any further pain. How was she to tell him Claire was a traitor? “Don’t apologise to me.” She breathed, her hands braced on either side of the sinks as she now simply stared down into it. “I failed you. I couldn’t save you, and I couldn’t be the one to keep your family safe.”

Carlos couldn't focus. He was far too busy fighting too keep blood from sliding into his eyes. One of the men standing close to him stomped on his hand as he tried to reach up and wipe it away. "Night, miss." The goons muttered to Natalia as she passed them, both practically bowing to her. 
"Goodnight, Carter...Terry." She smiled. "There's food in the fridge like always. You guys enjoy."

"It's okay, kiddo. I mean...it happens. This war is hell. We can't win it. We...just can't give up." He grunted, pushing up and moving to the cabinet next to the sink. "Jill have any sprays in here? She used to keep...everywhere we lived...right next to the sink." He found what he was looking for and ruffled her hair. "So Carlos was here. Is that why you're not talking?"

This finally earned an almost animal snarl from Wesker; clearly he didn’t like his lover treating ‘the help’ like people. “Take him downstairs. I’m not done yet.”

Ruby froze like a teen caught stealing from his wallet. “W-what makes you say that?” She stuttered, though knew it was useless to lie. “Yeah... he was here a while, looked after her until she had to stay in hospital to rest up. Don’t worry, nothing happened.” Suddenly she smirked a little. “I threatened him a few times, just to make sure.”

The two men did as they were told, both of them certain they were going to die along with their captive. 

Chris gave Ruby a sad smile and nodded. "He's always loved her. She's had him at her beckoned call whether she knows it or not. He'll end up dying for her one of these days."

It was only a short time later when Wesker came downstairs. He had truly been displeased with the familiarity between his men and Natalia, but they had their uses. For now. Tonight was about Carlos. Tonight was forcing the other man to tell everything he had been doing since being sent to keep Ruby safe.

Ruby bowed her head slightly and nodded. “I wish he was with her instead of you.” She confessed quietly, studying the rag in her fingers closely. “Then you wouldn’t keep getting hurt. I don’t care that she loves you.”

Carlos had managed to get himself focused again. the pain in his midsection tampered off enough to allow him to take in his surroundings. This was familiar. But then labs always were. "Does she know?" He grunted out as Wesker entered the room. "She may act tough to impress you but she's no monster like you. Does she know what is going on beneath her pretty little garden?"

"Did she look for me?" Chris asked after a painfully long moment. "Did she even try? Or did she give up because she thought I was not the real Chris?" He leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. "For godsake, Ruby. Wesker has pulled some pretty fucked up shit but this...and did you know Rebecca is still alive? The bitch is just as bad as he is and she's living somewhere happy in Florida. She's got a three year old with Billy Coen." His shoulders shook for a minute before he got himself under control. "Everyone can be happy...even the monsters...what am I doing so wrong?"

Wesker smiled thinly and pulled up a chair directly in front of Carlos. “Do you?” He asked simply. “You think you know everything, don’t you? Have all the answers, and are smart enough to play both sides?” He tutted and shook his head. “Blinded by your foolish devotion to a Valentine... but which one?”

Ruby looked up at Chris with fat tears clinging to her dark lashes. Sometimes she looked just like her mother, and now was one of those moments. Prime Jill; trying to act strong when she was really falling apart. “I wouldn’t let her.” She whispered. “I knew how much having the perfect family meant to you... and perfect was her and those babies. If something happened... if she lost them...” the tears began to drip down her cheeks now. “I thought I was doing what you would do.” She angrily began to wipe at the tears with the heel of her palm, though fresh ones simply replaced them. “It’s me! I’m the monster! I’m the thing he used to hurt both of you!”

"It ain't that monster you a kid." Carlos spat. "It's Jill. It's always been her." He glared at the other man with swollen dark green eyes. "You don't scare me. You can't hurt me. I don't have anyone or anything. There is nothing you can do to me."

Chris reached over and pulled Ruby into his lap, brushing her hair down as if she were a small child. "You're my little girl." He whispered into her hair. "I was so proud of you when we were working together in the mansion. You're so brave and strong. Nothing like him. You're a Redfield. You're my daughter. You hear me?"

The look on Wesker’s face revealed that Carlos had just made the wrong choice of words. “Jill would be quite vulnerable right now, wouldn’t she? No big strong man to hide behind as she grows a fresh generation within her. Does she even care their father is dead?”

Those words were exactly what Ruby needed to hear, and were so similar to what she had been whispering to herself inside that mansion when Chris had found her. The young woman finally couldn’t help herself as she let the sobs escape her. This was all she had ever wanted; unconditional love from someone who cared if she lived or died, despite the DNA within her. “It still wasn’t enough! I still failed you!” She choked out, though kept her face buried into Chris’ shoulder. “You’re a hero... I wanted to be one too.”

Carlos fought his restraints. "Jill doesn't need a man. They need her. You know that well enough." He ground out. "And Chris is fine. I spoke to Alex yesterday. I can play your game." He glared at the other man. He vowed to do what everyone else hadn't. He was going to destroy Albert Wesker.

Chris hugged Ruby tightly. "I'm no hero. I never have been. I'm so sorry." He rocked with her for a long moment, wishing he could fix everything. "It'll be okay. I'm here now. You can finally rest."

“Strange...” Wesker smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Given your affection for Valentine, I would think it in your best interest to remove Chris from the equation.”

Ruby allowed the moment to linger as long as she could before she finally shook her head. “I can rest when I’m dead.” She breathed, not knowing it was a phrase her mother was fond of.

Carlos very nearly gave himself away. His eyes darted to the gun in Wesker's hip. "You think your angel had fun with those boys? Maybe in your bed... pretty strange how they were so familiar with her." He snorted through the blood in his nose. "Hell, a fine ass like that...I'd get familiar with her too. I bet she'd let me."

Chris cringed, the words eating away at him. Jill's betrayal was still there. It had taken his soul. He had done so much just to make sure he didn't leave her only to find out he was easy to replace. Maybe she had never loved him at all.

“She wouldn’t.” Was Wesker’s simple reply. “She doesn’t even look at lowly gutter rats.” He sneered. “But then, you’re used to that from your precious Jill, correct?”

If Ruby had known her father’s thoughts in that moment she would have assured him otherwise; Jill had barely said two words while he was gone, that was how much she missed him. “She got so mad at me one day...” Ruby found herself whispering. “She had been wearing this shirt of yours for weeks, I mean night and day, refused to take it off. So... while she was in the shower, I... I sort of washed it.” She let out a quiet snort of laughter. “She flipped, pointed her gun in my face and screamed that I had no right to come along and steal you from her.”

"You punished her." Carlos said softly. It was all there in Wesker's tone. The way he spoke about his lover. "That's what took so long to get down here." He smirked ever so slightly, knowing the other man would regret what he'd done. "Did she cry? Did she beg you to stop?" He pressed, searching the other man's face. "No? She just let you. The monster won. You're a bastard. Hurting a bride before her wedding. You don't deserve her." He spit in Wesker's face. This was the way under his skin. His way to saving Jill.

"You mean my old army shirt?" Chris asked. "For shit sake I thought that thing was long gone. How did she manage to keep it?" There was a pang in his chest as he thought about his wife in that old shirt. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was go and see her.

“Why do you say bride?” Wesker sneered as he wiped at his face. He was staring at Carlos now, realising he had vastly underestimated the younger man. He was supposed to be no more than hired muscle, instead the dark haired man had been watching. He had seen more than Wesker had realised.

Ruby’s lip quirked ever so slightly, well aware of what she had just done. “She apologised not long after, once she had calmed down. She even explained why she was upset, saying i probably hadn’t met the one I was going to feel this way about yet. Then she...” Ruby glanced down at where her fingers were tracing over the simple silver bar that hung on a chain around her neck. “She gave me this necklace. Said it’s the only thing her dad ever gave her that he hadn’t stolen.”

Natalia leaned away from the plants she was gardening and took in a deep breath. She'd begun to hate the garden. It made her feel even more lonely than she usually did. Three months had gone by since Wesker had so much as opened the front door. Nevermind spoken to her. The wedding he'd promised to take her to never happened. Aside from the maids he'd hired to clean and a elderly man who kept the lawns trimmed there was no one. 
She remained positive, however. It wouldn't do her any good to wallow in self pity that her lover had turned away from her. His punishment had been proof enough of his feelings. After that night she'd have enough money to leave on her own. She got to her feet and let the goats in the gate. They'd make quick work of the already wilting leftovers.

Chris went back to the BSAA and used their resources to search for Jill while he healed. He threatened anyone who even looked at Ruby. He was again concerned when Claire went missing but he was certain it was because she believed him to still be the clone. He'd have to deal with her later. 
On that day he'd gotten word that Carlos had been spotted and he wanted answers from the man. He was sure that he of all people knew where Jill was.

Wesker had become obsessed with getting information from Carlos over the first few weeks. It didn’t matter that the man was extremely tight lipped, refusing to offer up even a shred of information on Jill. In the end, he had realised another route was needed. A loyal dog always returned to its master, after all. Even if that master had an even more loyal mutt. Wesker didn’t even realise so many months had passed. He assumed Natalia would tell him if things were wrong, that was how little this powerful man truly knew about women.

Ruby had settled quite easily into life at the BSAA. Of course, it had helped immensely that she had a glowing recommendation from Chris Redfield himself. She had proven herself beyond capable in combat training, and word had quickly gotten round about the small woman able to kick the ass of men twice her size. In fact, there was even an office reward for the one able to beat her, and all money was on it being Chris himself. Ruby was blissfully unaware of the threats her ‘father’ had made to any of the younger men daring enough to pass comment on any attraction to her, she was assuming that no one wanted to talk to her because word had perhaps leaked that she had been raised by Umbrella. That was mostly the reason she spent considerable time in the training room; talking wasn’t needed there. As the months had wore on, she too had grown desperate to find Jill, if only to bring a smile back to Chris’ face. She had taken him to the hospital to visit the elder woman the night he had returned home... only to find her gone with no one even admitting she was ever even a patient there.
It was already dark outside this particular day, but Ruby was in her usual spot; throwing kicks into a punch bag.

Natalia wondered if Wesker even realized what he'd done to her that night. She hadn't gone back in the room since. 
He'd been so rough and cruel. He'd pressed her face into the sheets as he'd forced himself on her. Hed snarled in her ear that she needed to learn her place. When he was done he shoved off her like she was garbage and got dressed, ordering her to mind her own business from then on. 
The young woman had stayed away from the room, not afraid but ashamed. However, that night she needed the last of the things that were truly hers. On Wesker's side of the bed was her crimson hair ribbon. Her mother had made it for her when she was small. It was all she truly had to call her own. She'd given it to him as a gift of her love. 

"You hit like a girl." Carlos said softly, catching the bag as it swung toward him. His hair was wild and out of place. Jill would have given him hell about it. That thought went through him every time he touched it. "You are weak like your mom. So sad. No wonder she couldn't outwit your real daddy." He chuckled, aware it was a soft spot.

Wesker would deny it to his dying breath, but he had found himself sleeping with that ribbon curled around his fist on the rare occasion he did surrender to slumber. He had often loathed sharing a bed with a woman behind taking what he needed. They insisted on touching him and being close to find rest, and that was something he had never cared for. Perhaps it was a youth spent knowing only the touch of punishment, but it was something he lived with nevertheless. That was until Natalia. She didn’t push, she didn’t demand. And perhaps that was where he had gone wrong. He has taken for granted that he could do as he pleased. That night... he had been blinded by jealousy, a seed Carlos himself had managed to plant. He instantly regretted what he had done, but how do you say sorry for something like that? Especially to a young woman who... didn’t even fight what had been done to her?

Ruby has opened her mouth to ask where the hell he had been all these months, until he hit her with that verbal barb. The young woman remained on her side of the bag, her lean muscles tensed with the effort it was taking not to lunge at Carlos and beat all kinds of crap out of him for those words. “But you’re still in love with her, weakness and all.” She shot back, her fingers sinking into the textured surface of the punch bag as she watched Carlos closely. “Why don’t you come closer and see how much like a girl I really hit.” She challenged, a sickening fury in her gut at being forced to think about the sperm donor who was her real father.

Natalia stared at the sterile room in disbelief. It wasn't even a bedroom anymore. It was a library. All of the furniture was gone. The closet was empty. Her hair ribbon was missing. For a long moment she simply stood in place and pulled on her braid, fighting the urge to shut down. 
Finally she took in a deep breath and tossed her bag aside, kicking it under the desk the sat where the bed had been. 
She was not going to let him win. She was sure everyone else had left him. She refused to be that person. 
That night she cooked dinner as usual and fell asleep waiting for him at the table. Her plans of escape forgotten.

Carlos kicked Ruby's feet out from under her while she was distracted. "You are nothing like her." He hissed as he rested a foot on her stomach. "You never will be."