Hope you guys like this one. I decided to concentrate on RE5 stories because I'm still practicing. Sheva and Chris are my favorite so this one is also a Creva, so don't bother reading if you don't like it. The story goes beyond romance, though. I am working on other characters as well. In fact, I LOVE my Jill in this story. She is supreme! And something really weird will happen to her ;) Also a must read for Leon and Claire fans! My story will be centered around Sheva in the beginning, but you will see the change when all the other characters come in. ;) Enjoy!

Jill watched them from the hospital bed after Sheva left the room. Chris came across her at the corridor and they talked for a while. Their eyes were searching and curious. She was really pretty, first of all, young, too young but very attractive. Was he attracted to her? She hadn't seen her partner easily moved by a girl before. He was usually the type that kept to himself. They had shared some intimacy in the past, a couple of nights spent together, things that happened mostly because it was easy and convenient, even though they did care for each other. She had put an end to that. She thought that it was not fair to them and they would be closing themselves to other people. Chris agreed with her, but he defiantly said that there was never time for other people. He was right. So they had enjoyed some occasional sex and comfort in each other's arms. A colorful friendship, like many would say, but there was love somehow. She saw Chris in love with a girl once and even though she was a bit jealous she had supported him. But then his girl broke his heart and Jill promised she would never let another woman do him any harm. She wanted to see him happy, even though she loved him a bit, mostly because of all time spent with him. It was not real passionate love, though. She knew they would never feel that towards each other. She wished they could, she dreamed about falling for a guy like Chris, but something stopped her. He also didn't try much, so she thought they weren't meant to be together. Distance in affection grew between them throughout the years, but their friendship got stronger.

When she first saw Sheva she was dazzled by her beauty. She felt a sharp pain of jealousy too, but she overcame that. After they found her and they were going to fight Wesker, she had asked Sheva to take care of him and the look in the young girl's eyes was indescribable. It seemed they were telling her that she was already taking care of him, because she cared about him. Jill knew that Sheva was totally into Chris, but she wasn't sure about him yet. Whatever he felt about the girl, Jill promised herself she wouldn't be on his way. Her partner needed love and affection, and someone new and fresh could definitely offer that to him.

'Hey'. Chris said entering the room after he said goodbye to Sheva. 'I didn't know you girls were having a small party here.' He kissed her forehead tenderly.

'She came to see how I was.'

'That was nice of her.'

'She is really nice.' She stared at him precisely.

'What?' He asked, a little disturbed by the look in her face.

'Nothing. Remember when I said you liked the young ones?'

Chris chuckled.

'Wow, I can't believe you still remember that. That was on the night you…' He said, a bad memory hitting his mind.

'Yeah… good memory I have, right?' She laughed.

'Sure…' He paused. 'What do you mean by that anyway?' He asked, raising an eyebrow, nervously.

Jill laughed.

'Ha ha ha. You should see the look on your face. Stop looking so guilty, Chris.'

'You fucking with me or is it too much medicine?' He asked, smiling.

'Chris, you have the hots for this girl, confess.'

'Do I?'

'Yes, you do.'

'If you say so, Ms. Know It All Valentine.'

She breathed deeply.

'I missed you, handsome. You heartbreaker.'

'Ha ha. Don't call me that. I am a nice boy now.'

'I can see that.' She said maliciously.

'Drop it.' He said with a teasing warning tone.

'Seriously. You need to take a break, Chris. Go have some beers, kiss, have some sex, you've been too tense.'

Chris shook his head unbelievably, laughing.

'You really must be on something.'

'I just know you're sticking too much here because you're worried about me. Don't be, I'm fine.'

'How's the pain?'

'Much better.' She lied a little.

'They invited me to a small cocktail at the base today.'

'You should go. Make some contacts. Talk to your partner. I bet you never had the chance to get to know her. You'll be gone soon, so enjoy your time here while you can.'

He was becoming suspicious of Jill's attitude of pushing him away. He thought he knew why. She wanted him to know she was fine, without him. It was typical of her.

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I need some sleep tonight, Chris, and so do you. You slept on that shitty couch yesterday and it wasn't fair to you. Go have some fun, partner, you deserve.'

She was already almost falling asleep and she was definitely on something, he was sure now. But she was right. He needed a break. Plus he didn't know why, but he really wanted to see Sheva.

The BSAA West Africa branch was having their annual cocktail party, on the day after they arrived from their mission.

She was sitting outside on a bench, checking her cell phone. He walked towards her.

'Hey.' He said, smiling and sitting by her side.

'Hey.' She gladly smiled back.

'Why did you leave?'

'Well, sometimes I don't like to be in the middle of a big crowd, you know. Especially when you are the center of all attention.' She said genuinely.

'I do understand you. I'm the same way.'

'Plus, this cocktail is a joke. How can they do this when lots of brothers died? I'm still grieving.'

He watched her curiously, while she put her cell phone away.

'Did I interrupt anything?'

She smiled.

'No, Chris, of course not. I like your companion. Sit down with me.'

She looked deeply in his eyes and he looked down and up again. She was so beautiful. Yet so young and fresh. Stop thinking about that, Chris.

'So, what's next? Are you guys back tomorrow?'

'As soon as Jill is discharged from hospital we can go. But I'm not sure if the work is done here.'

Sheva sighed heavily.

'It's never done, Chris.'

'I can stay and help you guys clean up.'

'Chris, don't do that. Seriously, you need to go back to your life. Now you found your partner, and she needs you.'

She said that with a slight inference tone. Chris stared at her.

'I know what you're thinking. But it's not quite like that.'

'You don't owe me explanations, Chris. It's your life. And you gotta live it.'

'Sheva, Jill and I own our lives to you.'

'Please, don't tell me you'd be staying for gratitude. I won't accept that.'

She was decisive and sharp, as if she was hurt by the thought of his gratefulness.

'Hey… That's not it. I just think you need me now. I needed you and even though I tried to send you away, you were firm and you stayed by my side.' He paused and said emphatically. 'You never left me, Sheva. And you barely knew who I was.'

She couldn't unlock her gaze from his. Her eyes were moist, tender.

'Chris…', she called weakly, 'You don't need to do that, seriously. Don't feel guilty if you don't stay. I'll be fine.' She couldn't control her hand and tenderly, yet respectfully, touched his face.

He fought the instinct of grabbing her hand and kissing it, but he let it drop slowly from his face.

'I'm not doing it to pay you back. I'm doing because I care about you.'

She was speechless and couldn't talk back this time.

'You cared for me too, right? That's why you did it.' He asked.

'Yes.' She responded carelessly.

'When do we start?'

'Maybe tomorrow. Some guys are already cleaning. I got some break.'

'So let's enjoy our night here and go back to work tomorrow.'

'Chris…' She called, looking down to her knees. 'Isn't Jill going to be upset?'

'Why would she be upset? You are still my partner, Sheva. And as you said, partners till the end.'

'But you were dismissed.'

'I'm back on the game now.' He paused. 'And Sheva?'

'Yes.'

'Don't think of Jill like that. I can tell she's almost as unselfish as you are.'

'She must miss you.' She said again with an insinuating smile, feeling her heart getting tighter.

Chris chuckled.

'There's no way I can convince you that we're not involved, right?'

'Why would you go through hell for someone then?' She asked inquisitively.

'You went through hell for me.' He responded defiantly, completely shutting her up.

She was speechless again, but she knew why she went through hell.

'I did it because I cared, Chris. I was also worried that a woman could be hurt.'

'So imagine that same feeling multiplied by almost ten years of friendship.'

She smiled, totally getting his point. He opened up. He knew he could trust her.

'I confess to you, we've had some moments together, but over the years it was all pure friendship. I owed her my life, she didn't let me die, Sheva. How could I rest without going after her?'

'I absolutely understand, Chris.'

'And how can I go on if I don't take care of you now?'

She smiled sweetly and got closer to him.

'Thank you, Chris. But you truly don't need to stay if you don't want to. I can watch my back. I've doing this for 15 years.'

He placed his arms on her shoulders.

'Sheva, drop it. I'm here for you.' He knew he shouldn't have said that, but he went on. 'Now you can go back and talk to your boyfriend.' He winked.

She gasped, as if she had been hit by harsh words.

'It wasn't my boyfriend.'

'You don't owe me an explanation.' He mocked her, repeating what she had said before.

She lowered her head and he could see a sad expression on her face.

'It was his sister.'

He waited for her to continue talking.

'I haven't talked to her since the day he passed.'

He felt badly disturbed with the look in her face. She leaned back on the bench.

'Want to talk about it?' He asked, searching for revelations on her facial expressions.

'I usually don't talk about it... but...'

'But you feel like right now?' He smiled, happy she was willing to open up for him.

She hesitated.

'I was surprised she messaged me. It brought all memories back.'

'What happened?'

'He died on combat last year during a mission in Egypt. We were all together there. Me, him, Josh, and some others. He wasn't BSAA, but he was helping us to track some bioterrorist groups in Cairo. Well... He was shot in front of me and there was nothing I could do.' She said sadly, her eyes a little damp.

'I'm so sorry, Sheva.' He said in a very compassionate tone.

'It's okay, Chris.'

'You loved him?'

'Well, we were good friends, but we were just starting something...' She smiled. 'I was happy with him around for a few days… and then… he was gone.'

He held her hand and lowered his eyes.

'I know the feeling, trust me.'

She got her cell phone and showed him in a picture of her and a guy by her side.

'That was Matt.'

'American?' Chris asked.

'Yes. The best one I've met so far.' She laughed at her own honesty.

'What about me?' He said in a teasing tone now that she was smiling.

'You're really nice, too. You remind me of him in so many ways.'

They both stared at each other. She continued.

'He was brave and little reckless sometimes'. Chris smirked at her observation. 'I kind of got the same impression of you. That's why I never left you, Chris. I would feel guilty if I let you die like Matt.'

Chris shook his head, squeezing her hand tighter.

'No. No. Don't say that. You didn't let him die, Sheva. It wasn't your fault.'

'We try to say that to ourselves when things go wrong, right, Chris?'

He understood what she meant. He had also felt guilty about what happened to Jill.

'I know, Sheva'

Silence hurt their ears.

'Are you going back?' He asked, in an inviting tone.

'In a bit, yeah. You can go. Enjoy the nice African food.' She said, smiling.

'I'll give you some alone time. It seems you need it right now.'

He didn't know why he did it, but he automatically kissed her forehead goodbye and let his right hand slide through her face. She gasped inaudibly and her heart beat faster. So did his. What was going on? He slowly walked back to join the people, trying to shake his confusing thoughts out of his head.