In the Ashes

It was all gone. Everything. Her favourite dress, a bracelet a close friend once gave her, hell even the gun she had carried with her since basic training. Those things shouldn’t matter, the entire city was now nothing more than a crater in the landscape, and she was worrying about material possessions. The chopper lurched slightly, snapping her back to sickening reality. Chris, Barry and Rebecca were safe at least, that was the one silver lining to her feeling like she had been abandoned in the city by her friends. They had left weeks ago, wanting to tackle the rotten core of the problem. But what about the city? THEIR city? Was she the only one who had called it home? Jill Valentine let out a heavy sigh and glanced at the figure piloting their chopper; at least she hadn’t tried to save it alone.

Carlos landed the helicopter hours outside of a city he was told he would never leave alive. He didn't dare breathe as he turned to look at the woman still staring out the window. She'd lost so much more than he had. Her friends. Her lover. Her home. What did she really have left? 
Gently he reached out and touched her face, brushing the hair off her cheek. "Don't cry." He breathed. "Your hero will find you." He whispered. His stomach jerked in pain at the thought that he couldn't be that hero no matter how much he tried. 

Rebecca sat at the computer screens staring at what had been left of the city she'd been protecting for the last couple of years. She pulled her knees up to her chest, unable to so much as drag in a full breath. Jill and Brad were still there....and Wesker....he hadn't reported in in a while. Claire wasn't answering phone calls either. Her stomach was churning. She didn't know how to reach any of the people she cared about.

Jill stares up at Carlos for the longest moment, not recoiling from his gentle touch as she had that first time they met. “I always thought I didn’t need a hero.” She finally breathed, at least attempting to offer him a smile, though it avoided her blue eyes completely. “I would be dead right now, if it weren’t for you.” She assured him softly. “Several times over.”

Claire hadn’t been able to reach Chris and more than he had been able to reach her. It had been days now since she had left Raccoon City behind, but that didn’t mean she was any further in her search. All she had was a vague clue that he was currently in Europe. Even Jill wasn’t answering calls any more. Seeing the aftermath of the explosion in the tiny motel TV screen hadn’t brought her any comfort either. Sure, that has destroyed anything Umbrella had left in the city, but even she knew that was only one of many bases they had.

"Are you kidding?" Carlos gave her a deadpan snort and hefted her into his arms and out of the helicopter. "I can't imagine you anything but standing on top of the rubble like queen of the mountain." He teased. "Your man is lucky to have you. I wish I were him." He shook his shaggy hair in regret, her fingers tingling on his face. He couldn't take the tease. It was eating him alive. 

Rebecca had tried everything she could think of to locate Albert Wesker. She was on the verge of panic. She'd been in the bunker he'd placed her in for days with no contact with anyone. Not even that horrible Ada Wong. That woman terrified her. She looked at Wesker like she wanted to eat him alive. Never mind the cruel thing she'd done to that rookie officer. She'd deserved to die. 
The poor girl had no idea that the woman she'd come to hate had survived thanks to the very man she called her lover.

“Yeah... that’s why he left me behind, right?” Jill asked, all too aware of how Carlos must be feeling in that moment; she had been there. Her guy hadn’t exactly been available when she first set her sights on him. “Alright, how about this? I had to be rescued from a jail cell in the basement of a mansion that was about to explode because I was too much of a trusting dumb ass?” She added, hoping to make him smile.

The silence of the bunker was broken quite suddenly as the only way in or out was thrown open, two shadows standing in the entrance. That woman Rebecca hated so much? She was currently in the arms of Rebecca’s lover, unconscious and bleeding heavily with bandages already covered several areas of her body.

Carlos cracked a smile. He couldn't help himself. "Okay. You got me. What happened?" He asked, setting her down on her own two feet. "Did you lock yourself in there or something?" He stepped back and turned back to the chopper, checking through it for things they might need to take with them. 

Rebecca surged forward and then stopped feet before she reached him, seeing he was not alone. She knew better than to express her feelings or to so much as speak to him unless he said something first. He had changed since the mansion. It was probably only in part to do with the virus that was now surging through him.

Jill was rubbing at the bandage on her arm as she watched Carlos stripping the chopper for parts. “Let’s just say I had my own Nikolai to deal with...” She breathed. “So no, I’m not as capable as you may think.” Jill finally glanced away, her thoughts turning to her old team, as always wondering if she could have done anything different to save them.

Wesker was also wise enough not to assume a woman like Ada Wong was as unconscious as she appeared. He simply nodded to Rebecca, as any commanding officer may do, then set Ada down on the small bed against one of the walls of the bunker. “She needs medical attention.” Was his simple command.

"Are you ever going to tell me why you hate Umbrella so much? Other than what they did to the city." Carlos came out with a bag and tossed it to her and leaned back in. "I'm sensing that it goes deeper than than. Your own Nikolai...Was it his fault? What did he do? Offend your lover?" 

Rebecca sighed softly and went to grab her kit, only to realize that she'd left it behind in the STARS office. However, Wesker had outfitted the room with everything, even a room where he was cut off from everyone else. She gathered what she needed and moved back to the woman, muttering about the importance of saving her.

Jill didn’t even try to hide the snort of bitter laughter that escaped her as she stumbled back a step with the bag in her arms. “You’ve got it backwards, hot shot.” She replied, letting the bag drop to her feet. “We offended him by not having the decency to just die.” She added with a wry grin, recalling how mad Wesker had gotten every time Chris had stood up to him even before the mansion incident.

“She has information.” Wesker assured Rebecca simply, knowing her well enough to hear the jealousy in her tone. “And I know you have been entertaining yourself by watching her games with the new rookie.” He added with what was the closest Albert Wesker ever came to smirking. “Wanting to claim the ‘rookie’ title back for yourself?”

"Sounds like the warden I had in prison." Carlos muttered, not really intending for Jill to hear him. "So your lover...Chris...right?" He asked, pulling another bag out and dumping it on the ground. Helicopters went by overhead and rushing toward the crater that had been left behind from Raccoon city. "Where did he go? Are we going to look for him?" 

Rebecca spluttered, nearly dropping her medicine kit. "That is totally not true. I'm glad not to be the rookie. Heck, I'll bet they've already marked me off as...I was not watching her. I just checked in like you told me to. She's a horrible person. She used that guy. It was terrible."

“We?” Jill was directly beside Carlos now, having not made a sound when she had moved; proof of training she had yet to tell Carlos about. “For the record, he’s my partner first and foremost.” She added, her dancing cobalt eyes giving away she wasn’t being stern, only teasing. Her smile quickly faded however as she simply leaned back against their own chopper, watching the ones that had flown overhead until they were no more than dots in the distance. “He left me in the city to go be a hero Someplace else. Maybe he doesn’t want me finding him. I like to think I’m a girl who can take a hint...”

“Correction, she did whatever it took to get the job done.” Wesker responded. “Worried you aren’t capable of the same?” He added, still not trusting that Ada was even sleeping. “The boy was a fool, and she used that to her advantage. He left a teenager and a small child Alone to go follow his dick.” He added with an all too unimpressed snort.

"Then maybe...you could run away with me?" Carlos breathed, gently pulling her against him by the waist. "We could play hero together all night long." He teased, giving her a rougish wink. "I could show you my Ode to Carlos tattoo?" He added, unable to hide his grin. 

"That's not what I saw." Rebecca argued, contradicting herself. "He went to try and save her. He didn't know she was sliding around to corner with you." She added darkly. She finished, her stitching much better than whoever had done it before. When she was done she yanked a blanket over Ada's head and stomped away, her heart in her stomach.

Jill certainly couldn’t deny there was something there as she felt that delicious flutter deep in her belly. But she couldn’t. The last words she and Chris has spoken to each other had been in anger, she had told him if he loved her, he wouldn’t find it so damn easy to walk away. “Carlos, please don’t tempt me...” she breathed, hands resting lightly over his chest, a finger toying with a fray in the fabric of his vest. 

Once there was a wall between Ada and anything she may see, Wesker slid his hands against Rebecca’s slender hips and pressed her hard against the rough wall of the shelter. “You nearly gave yourself up...” he breathed, though didn’t give her chance to protest as his lips claimed her own.

"Are you going to make me beg?" Carlos breathed, leaning his head down toward hers. His lips brushed hers and his hands moved along her waist. "Cause I don't mind. I've been doing that a lot lately." He knew better than to just move forward and kiss her. She would probably bite him. 
In the end he decided it was worth it and pressed her against the side of the helicopter kissing her deeply. She tasted exactly like he thought she would and even if she shot him dead, he would regret nothing. 

Rebecca moaned softly, the taste of his lips like the first icy breath of winter. She was never quite ready for it. Gingerly, she slid her arms around his neck as she clung to him. She'd been so afraid she'd lost him. Again. It wasn't even something she could confess to him. He'd probably never even understand.

For a lingering moment Jill returned the hungry kiss, even found her fingers had slid up into his shaggy hair as she allowed him to press her roughly against the cold metal behind them. The moment, however, passed. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t betray Chris like this, no matter how hard up she was. Carlos would quickly find himself with two slender hands shoved roughly against his chest, forcing him to back off. “I shouldn’t have done that...” That was Jill, blaming herself for a mistake that took two people. Her heart was thundering in her ears, making it hard to focus when all she could think about was the heat like fire in her veins from one simple kiss.

The moment Rebecca’s arms were around his neck, Wesker’s hands slid to her pert behind, gently lifting her up as he pressed kisses from her lips and along her jaw until he reached her slender throat. Ada could stir at any moment. Was that what he had always enjoyed; the thrill of ALMOST getting caught with the sweet young rookie?

"I'm sorry." Carlos felt like a monster. He moved in the other direction, shoving his fingers in his wild hair. "I'm so stupid. I know...I wasn't using my head...well...not that one..."

Nickolia sat down beside Ada and gave her a hard poke. "Stop pretending." He growled in his heavy accent. "Your injuries aren't that bad."

“Carlos...” Jill breathed his name, catching his arm before he could too far away from her. “It wasn’t stupid, far from it.” She added, refusing to let go of his arm until he turned to face her again. “If things were different, If Chris and I...“ She sighed softly, wishing she were better at expressing herself than this. That was the Painful truth right there; Was there even still a Her and Chris? It had been two months since he left for Europe. Two months and she hadn’t heard a word from him. He must know about the City by now... did he even care? Idiot, of course he cared, no matter what had happened between them, he was still a big softie.

Ada pretended to yawn, then stretched her lithe limbs out like a lazy cat. “Care to check?” She asked, one dark eyes finally opening to rest open Nikolai.

"Ok. Where do we go to find your man?" Carlos asked, the sadness deep in his expressive eyes. "I promise to get you to him safely."

It wouldn't be hard to see the sneer on Nikolai's face. "I don't don't play with monsters I just sell them." He grunted, kicking over Rebecca's bag and digging through it.

That look damn near broke Jill. Carlos was the kind of guy any woman would be lucky to have... and there were so many better women then her. “At this point I doubt I can even call him that...” She whispered, distracting herself both from the look in Carlos’ eyes, and her Own thoughts on Chris by pretending to check what weapons and ammunition they had managed to get out of the city. She was filthy, tired and beyond hungry. Part of her almost wished Carlos hadn’t found the vaccine in time.

Ada finally sat up, and one glance was all it took to see the bullet wound in his shoulder. Nikolai would receive no warning before one of Ada’s slender fingers poked right into the wound, though her lips covered his own to swallow any grunt of pain he may have made to alert Wesker to his presence. “You sell only what Umbrella couldn’t.” She mocked before she Kay back down as though nothing had happened.

"No one gives up on you, lady cop." Carlos chuckled. "He's probably trying to take over the world and hand it to you wrapped in a bow. Come on, let's get a burger or just eat a whole fucking cow. We'll figure it all out after then."

"Which is why I happen to be here." Nickolai said, taking off his vest and beginning to doctor his own wound. He had no idea that the monster Weaker had become could smell his blood easily.

Jill wanted to laugh, really she did. If only Carlos knew how wrong he was about people giving up on her. “Can I shower first? I literally had that fucking thing explode all over me.” She finally managed to find words and offer Carlos a smile as she zipped up the bag once more and hoisted it over her good arm. Chris was the mission. Always the mission, and that was why she had fallen for him in the first place. That was why it had hurt so much when he left her behind, why she had been so hostile towards Carlos when he first came running to her rescue.

Ada was very much aware of it, it was how Wesker had managed to find her before the city had been wiped off the map. Would Nikolai think he could take Wesker in? Sell him too? “Elaborate.” She commanded simply, not yet offering any help with his wound.

"I know. You tasted like shit." Carlos laughed, bumping her with his hip. 
Later that evening he laid on the opposite hotel bed from her, listening to her breathing in the dark. There was only so much he could take before he got up and moved into the bed with her. Jill was shivering violently. 
He took her into his arms and held her tightly, wishing Chris whatever his name was would die a horrible death. 

Rebecca knew the moment Wesker sensed something foreign. He raised his head and his crimson colored eyes flashed. 
She sighed softly, knowing even in the middle of a heated moment like this she had lost his attention. "Go." She whispered. "I need to take a shower anyway."

This was Jill’s biggest secret. To the outside world she seemed to tough, like nothing could bring her down, but even before the Nemesis was sent to hunt her, the nightmare had plagued her. They had been there before she was left behind, and had only gotten worse after. She would see her team mates dying again and again, only this time... it wasn’t only the ones who should’ve been dead... It was Chris now too. She saw him lying there, face torn off as she froze, gun in hand and unable to help him. Usually this was the point she woke in an icy sweat, heart pounding as she reach for the pills beside her bed. But something was different. Suddenly she was warm, safe, and the nightmare faded. Her tense body eased up and the shivering stopped. In the waking world her face was buried against Carlos, blissfully unaware that she had just breathed his name.

Wesker’s lean muscles were tensed, like a predator ready to pounce. The blood, usually he could ignore the smell, as he was around it so often, but this was different. This was new. It was blood that hadn’t been there when Rebecca has patched Ada up. Slowly he shook his head when he realised Rebecca had said she was taking a shower. “Take my gun, you hide until I say so, got it?” The time of his voice would tell her how bad he believed this situation to be.

Carlos' own body tensed when he heard his name whispered. He pressed a kiss to her neck and smiled as he closed his eyes. "I love you, Super cop." He breathed in her hair, having no idea someone halfway across the world was calling Jill's name in that moment.

Rebecca nodded, taking the shirt she was handed and the gun and sliding neatly into the cubby in the closet. She watched her lover dress himself and move toward the door, his jaw set. He didn't look happy about the interuption. At least she could pretend he was angry about leaving her side and nothing more.
Nickolai left a mess of Rebecca's med kit, dumping all the supplies onto the floor and draining the rest. He hadn't answered Ada's question. He knew better than that. He was in enough trouble as it was.

Jill thankfully slept through what was left of the night, mostly in part to the strong arms holding her. When had she last felt that? Two months? Three? Did it stop before or after Umbrella ruined their lives? Days had blurred to weeks. The STARS had scattered into the wind, she she had simply been too dumb too realise their home was a lost cause. Thinking with your heart is what gets you killed, silly girl. Words of misplaced wisdom from Henri Valentine before he had been removed from her life an incarcerated. Chris knew she had a troubled past, but talking about it had never been her strong point. Chris was so clean, so perfect when held up in comparison to herself. How did he ever tolerate her?

Ada hadn’t heard footsteps, but she had heard a door close in a room nearby. This was why she now lay motionless once again on the bed, a perfectly innocent victim to the marauder invading a supposedly safe sanctuary.

Carlos was up before Jill and already back from the lobby with breakfast. He'd piled several plates with everything he could think of and gone back for more. He was currently sitting on the opposite bed, his mouth full of cereal as he watched a loud children's show with a deep frown on his face. 

Nikolai was looking through the cabinets, done with the med kit. He intended to replace his shirt and vest and then go looking for the reason he came here.

It was the sound of the tv that roused Jill more than the smell of food. She groaned loudly and pulled the bedsheet over her already disheveled head. “Chris... too loud!” She wailed, for a brief moment forgetting where she was or what has happened. It only took a second for reality to catch up however. Slowly the sheet pulled back and she stared across the space between the beds at Carlos. Had she had a dream about him?

“Lost something?” It was the calmness of Wesker’s voice that should have been more off putting than the weapon now pressed to the back of Nikolai’s skull.

Carlos turned his head but couldn't respond. His mouth was overfull. Milk spilled past his lips and down his chin as he grinned at her. He managed to wave his spoon as he went for another scoop, making room for it as he turned back to the tv. Aparently whatever he was watching was very serious to him. 

Nikolai simply smiled, though a muscle in his cheek twitched ever so slightly. "Well, if it isn't my old buddy, Wesker. Figures the tale is true that cockroaches survive a nuclear blast." He grunted, his fingers tight around a bag belonging to the other man.

Jill couldn’t help the swell of nostalgia that washed over her as she watched Carlos; she had seen Chris act so very similar on mornings she had woken up in his apartment. She flopped back down into the bed and draped a slender arm over her eyes. Was it really gone? Was her home really a pile of rubble in a crater? The throb of the wound in her arm assured that yes, it was all very true, and all very real. With a heavy sigh she finally realised she couldn’t ignore the smell of the food in the room any longer and swung slender legs over the edge of the bed. “Coffee... need... coffee...” She murmured, proving how very much not a morning person she was.

“Funny, I was considering the same of you.” Wesker replied, the gun not budging. “Raccoon City is a hole in the ground, how did you even survive?” He added.
Ada barely had one eye open, though she was listening intently; they knew each other? Two devils hand in hand, and she was in debt to both of them.

"Over there." Carlos had brewed a pot no more than half an hour ago in hopes she would wake up. "I have news. Some guy named Barry called every room looking for a Jill Valentine. After I kicked his ass he showed me your picture and I told him to come back this afternoon." 

"I saw so many interesting things during my trip to Raccoon city." Nikolai answered, now holding up his hands in dramatic fashion. "There were quite a few Stars members left alive."