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.

Rebecca broke away from them, already pulling at the dress. It made her feel disgusting. She could all but feel those cruel eyes on her. Her stomach lurched and she was sure she was about to throw up.

"Parker whines like a woman about it. Trust me, they're not." Chris laughed ever so slightly. "The other day he walked in on her in the shower and he came to work all but sobbing."

Parker took Alex by the hand and led him to the pay desk in silence. Parker was too proud to ask Chris and Jill for help on this matter, at least not until he understood why they all fear this strange man so much.

"My quarantine idea suddenly doesn't seem so bad, huh?" Jill asked, tossing her towel to the floor as she began to get dressed.

"That was Mom's boogey man." Alex whispered as he watched Parker pay for the jewelry he'd bought. The young boy had dropped the game at some point but when he'd looked for it, it was gone. He'd lost interest in it anyway. "I didn't think you guys saw him."

All at once Chris grabbed Jill's bare hips and groaned loudly, pressing a kiss to the small of her back. "We're going to be late if you don't hurry up and put some clothes on, babe."

"Did she tell you anything about him?" Parker asked, keeping his voice low, in case Rebecca managed to creep up on them.

Jill laughed quietly, pulling out of Chris grip to pick her underwear out of the drawer Chris had been rooting in a moment ago. "Hey, have you heard from Claire lately?" She asked all of a sudden, putting her earrings in before pulling her dress on, despite the fact most women did it the other way around.

"No. Never. I just know." Alex sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "She used to have nightmares before you came. She used to wake up screaming and I would have to try to get her out of the covers. But then you started sleeping in there with her and she feels safe but..maybe she can't be safe. Not from the boogey man."

"Not in a while. She's been avoiding me since she decided to drop out of college." Chris told her, sitting on the bed to put on his shoes. "She'll get back with me when it gets leaked that I know she took a job in the BSAA american branch."

"I wish I could make her feel safe." Parker confessed, making them seem like a real father and son as Parker ran his fingers through his hair in the same way Alex just had. "What about you, Alex, you don't have nightmares... Do you?"

Jill had to laugh. "And her taking that job had nothing at all to do with her being majorly pissed off with Leon, right?"

"All the time." Alex confessed. "I just know Mom doesn't need that baggage so I keep it to myself." He told the elder man. "So...does mom still have that gun in her glove box? You might want to get to it before she does."

"As I hear it he made a whore of himself and she is hoping he will drown next time he goes swimming. Whatever that means." Chris shrugged.

"Alex, don't ever keep it to yourself." Parker told his son gently. "You know I'm always nearby whenever you get scared." He added, taking the boys hand again. "Yeah... I know she has that gun in there... That's why I took the magazine out of it without her knowing."

Jill chuckled quietly, standing with her back to Chris and her hair pulled over her shoulder so he could zip her dress up. "I don't think she ever forgave him when he became a part of the government. Given Claire's knack for trouble... It wouldn't have been a good match anyway."

"You really love her, don't you?" Alex asked, squeezing Parker's fingers tightly.
Somehow Rebecca had gotten past them and was locked in her car, holding the gun and the badge in shaking fingers. It had been a year. She'd finally let go. Things were finally getting better and she had been ready to give Parker more. But now...there was no way. All she could see was him. Screaming with rage she slammed the gun against the dash board until she was sure she'd broken a finger or two.

"I still think it has a chance." Chris admitted. "Even if I don't want it to and I'd rather kill the guy. They...would make a good pair."

Parker nodded, squeezing Alex's fingers right back. "I love you too, squirt." He breathed, smiling down at his adopted son. "You know that, right?" Parker had never imagined himself as a father, but that had changed the day he had met Alex. He had been instantly smitten with the kid, and couldn't explain why.

Jill smiled, rather liking the thought of Claire and Leon getting together. "At the very least... He may finally get Claire to calm down a little." She confessed. "Maybe... We should find some way of getting them both here? And we can use your elevator trick." She mused, checking her hair in the mirror before heading out into the hall.

"Yeah." Alex grinned, wrinkling his nose as his mother often did. "I know. As long as you know it's ditto." He snickered. "Oh crap. Looks like someone called cops." He muttered, now watching a tall police man getting out of his car and striding to where his mother's car was.

"I think we should test it out first." Chris suggested as he shoved his wallet into his back pocket. "I am just to have a general idea of what they have to look forward to." He teased.

Parker rubbed at his forehead when he saw what was happening. "I honestly don't know where your mother gets her knack for trouble from..." He nutteredm jogging over to the car with alexnin tow. "Is there a problem, officer?"

Jill rolled her eyes playfully, turning round to kiss Chris' cheek lightly. "Maybe one time, during one of these tests... We can start with the baby making." She breathed, heading out the door before Chris could say anything more.

"The woman in this car is waving a gun." The officer said, his hands resting on his own weapon. "You should take your boy and back away in case things get nasty."

"Whoo!" Chris cheered at this idea and ran after Jill. He was grinning like a fool when Jill's phone rang. It was Alex, asking her to meet them in the department store parking lot.

"That's my wife, and I assure you, that gun isn't loaded." Parker told the police officer calmly. "She isn't a danger to anyone, other than herself."

"Alex, where are Parker and your mom?" Jill asked, concern written over over inch of her face as she glanced up at Chris.

The officer raised an eyebrow, glancing from the sobbing woman in the car to the man who claimed to be her husband and back again. "Is there any chance she could get her hands on bullets?" He asked.

"Dad is trying to get the cop to go away and mom...mom is locked in the car with a gun..." Alex muttered, feeling as if he should be apologizing for everything that was happening. "I thought...we were supposed to celebrate but then...the Boogeyman showed up."

"No." Parker replied, not mentioning that was in fact quite easy, or that Rebecca could get her hands on things far worse than bullets. "Please. Just let me get into the car and talk to her."

"Alex, Chris and I are on our way right now. Stay right where you are and talk to anyone, okay sweetie?" Jill told the little boy. "We love you, nothing bad will happen, I promise." That said she hung up and gestured Chris follow her, and quickly.

"You got a key that's fine. But I'm staying nearby. Just in case." The officer answered thinly. "You'll understand."

"Okay." Alex breathed, as he hung up the phone and sat down beside the officer's car.

Chris was quick to follow and ask questions once they were in the car. It worried him that Jill looked so upset. He hadn't seen that look in at least a year.

Parker peeled open the car door and slid in, locking it behind him. For a moment he simply sat there, then turned to Rebecca with a smile. "Pretty crappy anniversary, huh?"

"Alex is on his own." Jill told Chris bluntly once they were in the car. "Rebecca has locked herself in their car with a gun, and Parker is trying to calm her down." She added, pulling open the glovebox to find a hair and to tie her dark hair back, as it was clear this was going to be a very long night.

"No." Rebecca muttered, making sure her back was to Parker. "I think for a first one...it's pretty eventful." She whispered. "I should kick your ass for stealing my clip. You know that?"

Chris handed it to her and took the wheel while she pulled it up. "That doesn't make any sense. I talked to Becky this morning. She told me she was letting go and all at that. She said she was going to tell him that it had turned into something more. What the hell?"

"Everything that's happening right now... And you wonder why I did it?" Parker asked. "Rebecca... What did you see in the department store?"

Jill shook her head once she had hold of the wheel again. "I don't know... For her to flip out like this, I'm thinking it can only be one thing."

Rebecca held the badge over her shoulder for him to take it. A part of her hoped he never gave it back. "It was mine...He ripped it off me when..." She stopped speaking, her fingers tightening around the gun. "I really should have kept that knife under the seat."

"She saw something that reminded her?" Chris asked, feeling a little lost. "You never did anything like that. Did you? The flipping out I mean."

"He was here? Actually here?" Parker breathed, understanding Rebecca fear a little better now. "Why would he have kept this, all this time?" He added, scowling at the scratched out face. "This guy seems like a real nut job."

Jill smiled sadly and nodded. "It just wasn't as noticeable when I did it... I mean I was taking part in weapon training and hand to hand combat. At first... Every enemy had his face."

Rebecca laughed softly at this, wiping at her eyes. "Yeah. Believe me...if you knew the things he'd done...and not just to me...you'd know that for certain."

Chris nodded at this. "Makes sense. It would also explain Rebecca. She's not dealing with it period. The flip outs are all she's got." He saw the flashing lights of the police car as soon as the pulled up. Even caught sight of scuffed sneakers under neath it.

"This captain of yours... Didn't I read that he died in Antarctica?" Parker asked. "I know he is a cruel and evil man, but... He's dead, right?"

Jill didn't hang around. Her first priority was Alex. "Alex! It's Jill! Where are you?" She called, kicking her shoes off, as they weren't exactly appropriate for hunting around for a small child.

"Not hardly." Rebecca responded, pulling her knees up to her chest in a defensive position. "The intell I recieved a year ago...Remember when I tried to hurt you? That was why. One of our secret agents caught sight of him making a deal with the up and coming Tricell. She sent word to me first and I've...spent the entire year trying to bury it. But...he knows, Parker...he knows where I am. And if he saw me...then he must have seen Alex."

"Alex isn't here." The small boy said from beneath the police cruiser. "He has checked out. Superman is trying to change his costume so you'll have to wait."

"And that's why you married me, remember?" Parker breathed, knowing better than to try and touch Rebecca right then. "He is my son, I will protect him with my life. I made you that promise. D you remember that, Rebecca?"

Even though it would ruin her somewhat expensive dress, Jill sat down by the car, her back leaning against one of the dirt wheels. "Will you ask superman to do a favour for me? I'm looking for someone." She breathed. "This someone is very special to me... I love him very much."

"I do and I know you will but...Parker..." Rebecca gave a deep sigh, her tiny shoulders slumping. "This is over your head." She rested her own head on her knees and sniffled softly. "He'll never stop."

"Superman is a loner." Alex said softly. "He doesn't know anybody. He can only save your life. He can't help you find people."

"Then I'll never stop." Parker swore, daring to gently rest his hand down on the back of Rebecca's head as she buried her face in her knees.

"That's too bad... Because if I don't find him, I don't know what I'll do." Jill replied with a dramatic sigh. "You see, I have to make sure he's safe, just until he's old enough to marry me like he promised." She added with a a little smirk.

Rebecca gave a gasping sob and suddenly turned, throwing her arms around Parker. "you deserve so much...I have nothing to offer you...I'm so sorry."

"You can't do that." Alex sniffled. "Chris is gonna marry you. He's already picked out the ring and everything. Superman is happy but sad too. He's thinking he will be lonely."

"You've already given me everything I could ever need." Parker whispered into Rebecca's hair gently. "You are my brave Valkyrie, and that's why I love you."

"Oh? And how does Superman know Chris has a ring picked out?" Jill asked, trying hard not to break into a grin, "Okay... How about you tell superman a secret for me? One even Chris doesn't know yet?"