Means to an End

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Parker smiled at Chris slightly, patting him on the shoulder. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry too. I was so obsessed with finding Alex... I didn't stop to see the signs. I should have found out Jill was pregnant... Had I known that..." He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "I do blame myself for what happened to her."

Chris never responded to this. As soon as they were inside the building he muttered something about needing to get Parker certified and left the other man to navigate the holding cells alone.
Jessica, it seemed, had been waiting all day and half the night for him. She visibly brightened when he was let into her cell. "Parker!" She gushed, leaping to her feet to throw her arms around him. "I knew you wouldn't let me down!"

"Holy..." Chris jumped so hard he was certain he'd wet himself. He'd heard nothing. No sound. He had no sign that she was...like Wesker.... The thought nearly bottomed out his stomach. "Should I...ask..." He whispered, looking down at her.

"You already know who it is, don't you?" Violet replied, the black flecks in her otherwise cobalt eyes seeming to twitch and writhe as she looked up at Chris. "You say you can't help sad... But aren't you happy being with the one you love?"

"The one I love is resting. Otherwise I don't think even pancakes would keep me from her." Chris laughed softly, trying to push the darkness out of his own thoughts.

"Maybe we could bring her some?" Violet suggested helpfully. "Or does she prefer waffles? I know Claire told me how much she loved waffles when she was trying to be my friend. Just like you did with pancakes..."

"Claire never could get it right." Chris muttered, holding out his hand for the little girl while he moved to open the door. "I mean, who likes waffles? They're pancakes with squares in them. It's not normal." He snorted, leading her into the hall. "Jill loves pancakes but...she's asleep. I'm not sure she'd wake up for them. She's been sleeping a few weeks now."

"Maybe the smell of the pancakes would wake her up? Or..." Proving she really was only a child she suddenly giggled quietly. "Maybe she needs a kiss from prince charming?"

"I'm no prince charming." Chris whispered, glad to hear the child returning to her voice. The dark older tone she'd been taking scared him. "And I've tried it. Maybe she's just avoiding me."

"Or maybe you're the wrong prince charming?" Violet suggested, though it was certainly not said out of malice.

"It would be my luck." Chris agreed somewhat bitterly. "No more talk about that stuff, okay?" He all but pleaded. "I thought we wanted to be happy."

"Happiness is elusive." Violet replied, the darkness creeping back into her voice. "It is a human flaw, to crave happiness. If all you ever wanted was to be happy... Why do you pick at things until the sadness returns?" She hadn't even realised that she had referred to the human species as though she wasn't a part of it.

Chris didn't answer this. Instead he ruffled her hair again. He didn't say anything until they were in the car and he was on the road that led away from the facility. "I'm starting to hate it there." He admitted softly.

"Your car?" Violet asked, seeming almost innocent.

"That too." Chris snorted. "I wrecked my truck the first time I got behind the wheel three years ago. I was drunk as a skunk and sad as hell. It was a wonder I didn't kill myself though it wasn't from lack of trying." He told her, not sure why he was being so open with a little girl.

"I thought you were supposed to be strong, and brave? That's what Claire told me." Violet replied with a frown. "Only the weak take their own lives."

"I didn't do it, did I?" Chris snapped, scowling as he glanced over at the little girl.

"Or maybe only the weak fail at it!" Violet shot back, her eyes blazing when Chris raised his voice to her, they were now more black than they were a deep shade of blue.

"What is your problem, kiddo?" Chris asked, his tone becoming far gentler than before. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. You'll be safe with me. I'm okay now. I'm honestly not sad anymore."

"I. Am not. Scared." Violet told Chris icily, as though he had deeply offended her. "You don't know me! And I certainly don't need protecting!" She could feel the monster inside her stirring as she got emotional. "Alex promised... No! No more promises! Not from anyone!"

"Who's Alex?" Chris asked, his voice calm and collected.

"Someone I thought was my friend..." Violet whispered, not liking the feeling that came with remembering the way Alex had looked at her when she had confided her biggest secret in him.

"Never be friends with boys." Chris told her somewhat firmly. "Boys are nasty things with sticky fingers. Stay far away from them!"

Violet turned her head to stare out the window at the scenery that whizzed by. "I told him to stay away from me, right from the start... He wouldn't listen." She whispered.

"Next time give him a good hard punch in the nose. He'll either fall down and worship you or he'll run a mile. Hopefully it's the mile." Chris told her, coming to a stop in front of a roadside diner. "You'd better be hungry." He teased her.

Violet couldn't even muster half a smile as she looked out at the diner Chris had brought them to. Just as Wesker had predicted, Violet was maturing quickly, meaning she was a walking time bomb of hormones. Any thoughts of Alex, of the kiss he had stolen from her... Well, it didn't exactly fill her with joy any longer. Silently the dark haired girl jumped from the car, slamming the door harder than needed.

"Damn it, Jill!" Chris roared before he'd realized what he said. "What have I told you about slamming the door?! It breaks the window motors!"

Violet was stood outside Chris' door now, again she shouldn't have been able to get there so quickly. Her eyes were narrowed at the man who had just yelled at her, and a high pitched scraping noise could be heard. If Chris checked his door, he would see four long scratches in the paintwork, a perfect match for Violet's small hands.

Chris was frowning down at Violet, realizing he'd just called her Jill. "Sorry..." He laughed softly, not having seen the door yet. "When Jill and I fight she always slams the door. It drives me crazy. She...hasn't done it in a while but I guess that's something you don't forget."

Violet said nothing. She simply stared up at his in a most unsettling manner before turning to walk, into the diner alone. It would be so very easy for her to simply disappear.

"Oh wow. I'm a loser even with kids." Chris groaned, all but slapping himself as he shoved his hand up his face and into his hair.

Violet was seated patiently at a table by the time Chris arrived. She had reasoned that it was in her best interest to eat before she disappeared.