Chapter Text
It’s been exactly a year since the incident.
Yes, Rebecca kept count.
She didn’t like being reminded of it. Not particularly. The trauma it left her with was a crushing weight that never left her shoulders. The zombies, the leeches, finding out the truth about Umbrella and the horrors its scientists brewed… anyone would consider it a heavy burden to bear.
But while it was a big reason, it wasn’t the only one. As she didn’t go through it alone, and her old partner was on her mind just as much as everything else that happened.
She really missed Billy Coen.
But it felt wrong to miss him. All in all, the ending to their little tale was good enough for both of them. Rebecca got to continue her work, albeit as a scientist, not an officer. But she liked it, and she was good at it. While Billy… well, he wasn’t on the run anymore, which was possibly the best outcome for him. She reported him as dead the moment she got back. It gave her a sense of relief, knowing that the man is finally somewhat free. That’s when it started. The realization that she’ll never see him again felt strange. They didn’t even know each other for long, but what they went through together was enough to bring them close. And now she had to act like he didn’t exist, for her own good.
But once in a while, she’d remember him, their fucked up journey, and she’d smile through the sadness. If only she could be sure that Billy was safe now, that’d be enough for her. But since that wasn’t an option, she just had to convince herself it’s true.
The past few days were cold and rainy, despite it being the middle of summer. It filled her with an even bigger sense of melancholy. She had to hurry into her car after finishing her shift, sighing heavily once inside. At least the radio was playing some happy, upbeat music, so the day wasn’t completely depressing.
It was hard not to get lost in thought during the ride, but with this weather, it’d be wise for her to stay sharp for the entire duration. But she made it home soon enough, which meant she could finally unwind. And boy did she need it.
She immediately set her purse down and made it upstairs to take off the uncomfortable clothes she had on. After changing into her favorite set of white, silky pajamas, she went back downstairs and into the kitchen. She was in dire need of a cup of tea and a sweet treat.
Comfortable and prepared for a whole night of binging her favorite show, she sat down on the couch and sighed, this time with a slightly lighter heart. Tomorrow was her day off, and she had important plans of doing absolutely nothing.
But her happiness was short-lived. She thought she could finally let go and relax, but apparently, the universe had other plans.
There was a strange sound coming from the patio. Not too loud, but enough for her brain to immediately stand on attention, senses strengthened and pulse quickening. The incident left her alert at all times and sensitive to any potential danger, even when there was none. But how could she know that until she checked?
Rebecca owned two handguns - one in her bedroom, and one downstairs, in the guest room. Although said room was never used - she didn’t have a particularly booming social life, so no one ever stayed over. But that only made keeping the gun in there safer.
She swiftly made her way there and took the gun out of the drawer. Locked and loaded, she slowly went back to the living room, fixating her eyes on the windows. The curtains were closed, but she might still be able to see shadows that would indicate movement.
There it was - that noise again that she couldn’t fully identify. It could’ve been something as harmless as a stray cat rummaging through her backyard in search of food, but until she was absolutely certain, the gun would be staying ready in her hands.
There were two ways out. One was the sliding door in her living room, the other was in the garage. The sound seemed to be more focused in the place that was closer to the living room, so she decided to take the other route.
Rebecca was in the garage in a matter of seconds. She put her ear against the door leading outside, listening for more of these strange sounds, but the silence was deafening now. Well, she couldn’t simply brush it off. If she didn’t check it out, she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
She pressed down on the handle as softly as she could, making almost no sound. The lights were off everywhere but in the living room, so there was nothing that could alert the potential threat of her presence. The door cracked open, but she couldn’t see anything through the small space. With no other choice, she stepped outside, her feet grazed by the grass. The rain had stopped not long ago, so everything was still wet, and her body shook due to being hit with the cold air so suddenly.
For a moment, she felt like she was back in the training facility. The anxiety building up in her stomach, the dread that at any given moment, something might jump out at her. And while the chance of a leech or a zombie suddenly making its way to her backyard was close to none, her body subconsciously believed that she might be in the same danger right now.
For a moment, the silence continued. The sun set a good while ago, but the light coming from the living room illuminated a small part of the patio. After a minute or two of standing there and looking out for movement or sounds, she was beginning to think that it might’ve actually been a stray animal, or even just her imagination.
Then, something tapped her shoulder.
She turned around immediately, gun pointed high with her finger ready to pull the trigger. The figure in front of her was of a human, who immediately put his hands up in the air.
“Whoa, hey! Easy, doll-face!”
Wait, what?
She could hardly believe what she just heard. That voice and that nickname - even though it was too dark to see the man’s face, she instantly knew who it was, even though it was absolutely unbelievable.
“What the- Billy?!”
She lowered her gun and, after taking a few seconds for the initial shock to pass, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in front of the sliding doors that led to the living room to see his face.
Holy shit. It really was Billy.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. It almost felt like a dream. For a moment she just stood there, processing whatever was happening right now. Billy gave her that moment, looking at her like she hung the stars, although that didn’t even register in her mind.
“What the hell are you doing here?! And why are you sneaking around my backyard? I almost shot you!” Despite the accusatory tone, her first instinct was to lock him in a hug. There he was - Billy Coen, in her presence again, alive.
“I’m happy to see you too.” He didn’t seem too bothered by nearly being stuffed with bullets, his arms closing around on her immediately. After a brief but strong hug, she looked up at him, placing her hands on each of his cheeks, almost as if to check if he wasn’t just a hallucination.
“You’re alive…”
“Of course I’m alive. I didn’t survive all that shit just to wind up dead somewhere the moment we separated.”
She would’ve laughed if she wasn’t still utterly shocked.
“That doesn’t answer my question though.” Her expression turned serious again, although it carried no malice or anger. “What are you doing here? You scared me to death, you know?”
“Sorry. Knocking on your door as if I’m a friend who comes over regularly seemed a little weird.”
“Weirder than acting like a burglar?” Her eyebrows quirked, at which Billy simply chuckled.
“Before I say anything, may I come inside?”
Those words brought a smile to her face.
“Of course you may.”