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.

Alex sighed deeply. He'd been hoping Jill had answers. "If I tell you something...the truth...will you buy me some Legos?" He asked hopefully. "I wanted to build something for Parker when he comes home."

Chris laughed softly and put the phone on the table. "She's collaborating that story but...the nurses are swearing something else. I want to hear your side. The whole thing. What happened that had Rebecca clawing like a half crazed animal?"

Jill smiled and tweaked Alex's nose gently. "Sure thing, I'll buy you enough to make him a castle he can fit in, how does that sound?"

Parker sighed heavily and rubbed at his temple. "She came to see me after that phonecall from Alex. She was acting all weird, telling me I needed to be sedated for a flight to London." He began. "We argued about it, and she slammed the vial down. I think it smashed, her hand was bleeding, and whatever had been in it... It got into her wound." Parker stopped there and ran his fingers through his hair. "She started screaming someone about Alex and the name Wesker, that's when she wouldn't let me touch her. I tried to put her on the bed so she wouldn't hurt herself... That's when the nurses found us."

"I want your word." Alex's tone was suddenly bordering on desperate and dark. "Promise me you'll get me all the Legos I need. And...you won't be mad."

"She told me you're infected." Chris said softly, no longer looking at Parker when he spoke Wesker's name. "She was going to knock you out and give you the antidote because...because she didn't want you asking questions. It was Demerol she was using. She's allergic to it. Our Captain used to call it truth serum. It would make a mute man spill his guts before he passed out." He sighed heavily and pushed his fingers through his hair. "I need to give you the antidote now, Parker." He finished, pulling a syringe out of his pocket. "Before I do...you have to swear on your life that you will never tell anyone about this. Are we clear?"

The desperation in Alex's voice worried Jill, but she blindly wished for him to be happy. "All the Legos she swore."

"Tell anyone what?!" Parker all but howled. "That I was infected? Or that I know the name of someone Rebecca may or may not know? It's hardly earth shattering news, Chris."

"I wasn't playing a game on your computer last night. I was talking to this man...His name is Spencer. He's really smart...he knows lots of stuff. He...knows Mommy and knows that she's been making stuff to make people better when they get hurt. He says...he knows me too...But...I've been wearing sunglasses so he won't see me..." Alex whispered.

"It's not that." Chris snapped, frustrated and tired just like everyone else. "This injection that I'm about to give you. When you get over the effects...you can't tell anyone what we did. Or what happened." He tapped the vial, preparing it like Rebecca had showed him. A single red drop slid down the needle.

Ls heart pounded for a different reason now. "Spencer? You're certain that's what his name was?" She asked, trying to keep her thoughts calm and together as she figured out what to do about all this. "How did you meet him?"

"You want to bury the truth of what happened?" Parker asked, disgust hanging off his every word. "No, I won't agree!"

"He sent me an e-mail. He said he was looking for his son or something like that..." Alex said, his chin quivering. "I thought I could help. Mommy helps, you and Parker and Chris help. Why can't I? I didn't know his son but Mr. Spencer said it was okay. He found what he was looking for. Did he...know my dad? I never asked him that."

"Lower your voice!" Chris barked. "Parker, I never said we were burying truth. I just said you can't tell anyone. We're protecting Rebecca and Alex. Does that make any sense to you?"

"I don't know sweetie. How about you let talk to him when we get home? Maybe I could help him find his son?" Jill suggested, her fingers itching to pick up her phone and call Chris.

Chris had just silenced Parker with the mention of Rebecca and Alex. "even if she despises the thought of me loving her son like he was my own... I'll do it. For them."

"You would do that?" Alex asked, all the worry gone from his face as he smiled at her. "Mr. Spencer said not to tell anyone but when you help him he won't mind! I just know it!"

"Parker...Rebecca really cares about you. Otherwise I wouldn't be giving you this. This is the real stuff...it would be too late to give you the other. Now...hold out your arm and don't trip out on me. All right?" Chris said softly.

Jill smiled down at Alex and ruffled his hair. "Sure thing, now let's go buy you that Lego you wanted."

"What do you mean... Ow!" Parker scowled at Chris, the needle hurting more than it had any of the times Rebecca had done it.

Alex was well into the second story of his lego building when Rebecca called to check on him. Her voice sounded watery and upset.

"That's why she's a doc and I'm a soldier." Chris chuckled. "Be thankful Jill never had to give you an emergency dose. She goes for the jugular." He snorted. "Now...you're going to start feeling and seeing things like you haven't before. Think of it as if I had just turned you into a vampire. It'll last six hours and then you'll be back to regular old Parker. But..for now, you'll need to be quarantined. Don't worry. Everything is fine."

Jill instantly heard the upset in Rebecca's tone and left Alex to his building as she moved into the other room. "Hey, how's Parker doing?"

The effects were already manifesting. Parker swore he saw Jessica standing behind Chris, her slender arms curled around him. He blinked and the figure was gone. "I'll take your word on this one..." He murmured as he rubbed at his eyes. "Hey, Chris? For once, don't be an idiot. If you want Jill to feel the way you do, quit screwing around with every woman you meet."

"I flipped out on him." Rebecca whispered, sniffling the way her son had no more than an hour before. "I scratched him and yelled at him and now he's locked in a room. I'm sorry, Jill." She breathed. "I never do anything right."

"There's not many screw arounds." Chris admitted. "At least not nearly as many as Jill thinks. And...if Jill ever felt the same...Dude, don't talk about that... I need you to promise me you'll never bring up the name Wesker to Rebecca, okay?"

"Hey now, just take a deep breath and tell me what happened." Jill told Rebecca gently. "He's still in one piece, right? I'd hate for Alex's present for him to go to waste." She added with a grin.

"I saw the look on her face when you turned up on that ship... I swear, if Jessica and I hadn't been there..." Parker started laughing and shook his head. "I got it... No Wesker, he doesn't exist. But does this mean in six hours I get to go home?"

Rebecca laughed through her tears. "Jill, I don't want Alex near Parker. You have to understand. It's not Parker, it's just...This whole thing isn't fair. We can't bring him into this. He's innocent...he deserves to be happy." That said she went on telling Jill everything.

"You're still injured, man. You'll go back to the BSAA but Becky says it'll be a month before you're able to go back to normal life. Alex's bl...The antidote will help. But you'll still have to heal some on your own." Chris finished.

Jill listened in silence, though when Rebecca was through... The elder woman chose not to tell her who Alex had been speaking with. "I don't understand, Rebecca. How am I supposed to explain to Alex that he is never allowed to even see the man he idolises?"

Parker screwed his eyes shut, then opened them again, checking Chris was still there. He couldn't be certain what was real, and what was part of this so called antidote. He swore he had heard Chris say Alex's name, and then cut himself off.

"I don't know. How can I tell myself not to see him again?" Rebecca breathed. She didn't want to admit how she felt but she was sure Jill already knew. "I don't know what to do about that either."

Chris breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He'd nearly botched something that not even Jill fully knew about. "I'm gonna leave you alone in here now, Parker. You're going to get a bit cranky but in six hours I'll be back with a beer. Think you'll need anything in the meantime?"

"I'm not the best person to ask for advice about secret feelings right now." Jill replied with a quiet chuckle. "Why must you cut off contact with Parker at all?"

"Rebecca..." Parker breathed. "Just Rebecca... And no interruptions." He added, again swearing he saw Jessica hanging around Chris.

"Because he's a soldier, Jill. Eventually that dumb luck of his will run out and he won't come back. How will I explain that to Alex?" Rebecca asked quietly. "But...let's talk about that kiss..." She added, finding herself smiling again.

"Five minutes, man. Any longer and you might say something you don't mean and all hell will break loose. Got me?" Chris warned, getting to his feet.

"That Parker gave his life for his family." Jill replied simply. "And..." She sighed heavily and poked her head around the door to make sure Alex was still occupied. "There's nothing to talk about. Chris kissed me... Then pretended like it never happened. He... Never even mentioned it." Jill was a little more forthcoming than Chris had been with Parker about the incident.

"Yeah... Or maybe I'll kiss her, then run for the hills." Parker snorted, taking a verbal stab at Chris. "Seriously... Any one could have come out here to see me."

"You know Chris, he's always worried he did the wrong thing. He's worried he'll lose you over a tender moment." Rebecca said. "Hang on...Chris is motioning...I'll call you back. Give Alex my love." She finished, hanging up before Jill could reply.

"Trust me. No one else could come here. Not with this." Chris said as he tapped the dual sided mirror and motioned to where he knew Rebecca was. "Not even Jill knows all about this stuff."

"He misses you..." Jill breathed to the dead line. She was going to give the phone to Alex so he could speak to his mother. Silently she set her phone down and went into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee. Jill wanted to believe Rebecca was right, but she couldn't. Chris hadn't been afraid... She was certain he had just been ashamed that she had been the one he kissed.

Parker snorted again. "Oh yeah, you're so not getting laid when she finds out about all this. Jill's scary when she's mad."

"Jill, quick!" Alex shouted, sounding as if he were on the verge of death. "You gotta see this!"

"This has been going on for six years, Parker. She hasn't found out yet and I'll take down any man who tries. Friend or no." Chris growled, opening the door to trade places with Rebecca. He could be heard arguing with the guards until the door was shut.
"How are you feeling?" Rebecca asked, seating herself in the chair Chris had just left.

Jill left the coffee machine bubbling to go and see what Alex was so excited about. "Hey, what's all the noise?" She asked with a smile, though it was far more tired and weary than it was genuinely happy.

"I'd feel a whole lot better if you came closer." Parker replied, holding a large hand out for hers. "So what's going on? I didn't... Really hurt you, did I?"

"Ta Da!" Alex was standing before a well built and all but accurate Lego building of the Vatican. He was grinning from ear to ear and holding his little arms out wide, clearly proud of himself. "Think Parker will like it?"

Emotions tore through Rebecca's face, even though she was trying hard not to let them. Gingerly she placed her hand in his. "No. No." She whispered, not sure what she was really saying no to. "I'm the one that hurt you and...I'm sorry."

Jill's eyes were wide when she saw the model that had taken the little boy less than a day to complete. "Alex... This is..." Suddenly she grinned, and this time it was genuine. "This is amazing!" She gasped, scooping him up in her arms and spinning around. "Parker will love this!" She added before remembering that Rebecca never wanted her son seeing the Italian again.

"Nah... These are just chicken scratches." Parker told Rebecca with a tired smile. "You are so beautiful..." He suddenly blurted, as though his thoughts weren't exactly linear. "Too beautiful for someone like me... I don't blame you for holding out until someone better comes along. Just... Please... Don't stop me seeing Alex."

Alex laughed warmly, clinging to Jill as she spun him around. "Quit it!" He giggled. "I'm gonna throw up!"

Rebecca's chin quivered again. "Parker...I can't...I can't do that to him. I know what it's like to lose someone you love...lots of people...I know what it's like to feel like your heart is being ripped from your chest and...I can't. He's suffered enough. I can't."

"What was that? Go faster?" Jill asked, spinning them both faster and faster until she bounced down on the couch, giving Alex a softer landed by letting him drop down on top of her. She loved taking care of this kid, somehow everything seemed far less important when her only task was making sure a seven year old boy was simply being a kid.

"Think like that, and you'll force him to live a very lonely life." Parker pointed out. "You gonna push Jill out of his life too? I know you're keeping her in the dark about Alex, that's why he loves her so much."

"If I was old enough, I'd probably marry you." Alex laughed softly, resting his head on Jill's chest. Soon enough he was snoring loudly.

Rebecca was quick to remove her hand and shove it into her lap. "Look, Alex needs her. He..." After a moment she sighed deeply and nodded. "I get it. I get what you mean." She whispered. "But Parker, there is so much that you'll never understand. It's not just Alex I'm keeping safe in all this. It's you too."

Jill had chuckled slightly when Alex declared he would have married her. Once she was sure he had fallen asleep, she laid the sleeping boy down in her place on the couch and covered him over with one of the blankets Chris had used the night before. Even as she quietly began cleaning out the rotten food from her fridge and scrubbing it clean, Jill found her thoughts drifting to marriage. More precisely, wondering if Chris was the marrying type, not that anything was going happen between them.

"I would understand if you told me!" Parker shot back. "God, Rebecca! you think just because you're so smart, that no one else can ever understand a damn thing!"