To remember to kiss the ones you love goodbye...
What better way to spend a day off than browsing the market? Fresh fruits, vegetables and fish are all put on display, booths making a winding pathway through the covered area.
Jill smiles as she passes by a woman fixing up her booth, which specializes in home-made candies. The candies are spread out on the table, in varying shapes and sizes, all across the color spectrum. A twisted blue and white lollipop with a pastel ribbon on the stick catches her eye. She buys it and, after thanking the woman at the booth, continues on her way, lollipop in tow. It's quickly opened and enjoyed. Amazing, after everything she's been through, she can still escape a little and feel like a kid.
Her lazy, aimless day quickly turns into something she would've never expected.
She groans as her cellphone rings, reluctantly digging through her coat pockets for the device. "Hello?"
"Jillian." A deep, masculine voice says on the other end. In that instant, Jill freezes, letting the lollipop slowly slide out of her fingers. It hits the ground and goes unnoticed, for Jill is staring blankly ahead. There's only one person that calls her by that name...
"Dad." She finally says after a few moments of stunned silence. "I... thought you were in jail for the next ten years."
"Not anymore." Dick Valentine smirks. "I heard rumors of you surviving Raccoon City, then being a cop in New York City. Decided to check things out for myself. Haven't seen my baby girl in years."
"Not anymore." Jill replies in a sarcastic tone, almost mimicking her father's. "I quit."
"Just like you quit S.T.A.R.S., huh?"
There's another long pause from Jill as she chooses to ignore that comment. She bites her lip, gripping the phone tightly. "If you're not in jail... where are you?"
"In the cafe just ahead of you, across the street. I can see you right now." That deep voice says, seeming to be quite pleased with himself... and amused by Jill's audible gasp of surprise.
Jill looks over to the said cafe, and sees a shady-looking man give her a sly grin along with a wave. She can't decide whether she hates him for this or not yet.
It doesn't take Jill long to get to the cafe; her phone is quickly turned off and tucked in her pocket, and she zips across the street. When she gets to the cafe, she opens the door forcefully, causing the bells on the doorknob to jingle loudly. Heads turn and look up to see the petite woman standing in the doorway, looking dangerously close to angry tears.
She sucks in a deep breath and strides across the room, standing beside the man that was her father. He silently gestures to the seat next to her, and she sits down in equal silence.
Neither of them speak for some five or so agonizing minutes.
"Aren't you going to give your old man a hug after all this time?" He finally asks, draping an arm over her shoulders. She doesn't know why she does this, but she leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Strange, how comforting it is, to be in someone else's arms. Even if they're the arms of a petty thief that doubles as a pathetic excuse for a father.
"...How'd you get out? They give you parole?"
"No; the original Master of Unlocking's got a few tricks up his sleeve." Dick laughs lightly, removing Jill's hat. He idly ruffles her hair, and Jill sighs. "They still call you that? Master of Unlocking?"
"No. My team is either dead or missing, for the most part. Those who are left don't remember the good times." Huh, she's opening up for him. Odd, after so many years of hiding things.
"I read about that in the newspaper... what about that Redfield guy on your team? Didn't he survive? Your mother said you fancied him. And judging by the look on your face, you still do." Her father teases. She, on the other hand, really looks like she's going to cry.
"Jill..." He starts to say, but is cut off.
"Daddy," She manages to choke out. "I don't know what to do anymore. Chris is gone. Barry is gone. Umbrella is still out there... I'm so lost..."
"No, Umbrella's gone. Congress put a stop to them after what happened to Raccoon." He tries to be reassuring, knowing fully well that this is where he always failed as parent. This kind of stuff was always left to his wife.
"No. No, no, no. They're still out there, they're still doing their sick fucking experiments, and I can't do a goddamn thing about it." Jill says between sniffles, gripping her father's hand tightly. She never thought she would've sunk to this level; a sniveling, helpless girl. That's how her father made her feel; like a little girl.
A few more silent moments pass. Dick absently strokes Jill's hair, and Jill wills herself to stop crying. Her concentration is broken every time she sniffles again, and more tears well up in her eyes. She tries not to blink; that'd push them down her cheeks.
"...Listen to me, Jillian." Dick says, gently lifting his daughter's chin up with his index finger. "You're a Valentine. Valentines don't cry. They think of a way to get themselves through a sticky situation, and get through it with flying colors."
He pauses, wetting his lips. Out of the blue, he leans over and kisses Jill's forehead. "Besides... you're my baby girl; Delta Force, S.T.A.R.S., N.Y.P.D., and all that. You're the brightest kid I know, and also the toughest."
Jill opens her mouth to say something, but suddenly finds herself unable to speak.
"I know I've been a horrible father for you, but... I believe in you, Jill. You need to start believing in yourself."
She stares up at her father through tear-filled eyes, and nods slowly. "Daddy...?"
"Yes?"
In a voice hardly louder than a whisper, Jill makes her reply. "I love you."
"I know, I know." Dick smiles warmly down at her, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Now, get yourself together, Jillian. You have a world to save."
After a few deep breaths Jill nods, rises, and collects her hat. "...Will I see you again?"
"Probably not. I did break out of jail, you know." He forces a chuckle, despite knowing that when he gets up, New York's finest will be waiting for him. There were officers planted all over the block, even in the cafe.
"...Oh." Jill says, looking down, running her fingers over the wool of her beret.
"Don't worry about me, okay? Just... you go on, do what you've gotta do. Just know that your mother and I love you and will support you, no matter where we are." All these years of being a bad father... he's finally making up for them. Dick finally feels he can be at peace with himself.
"Thank you. For everything." Jill leans over, kisses her father's cheek and leaves the cafe. When she is out the door and down the street, the undercover cop in the corner stands up and nods to Dick.
"Alright, Valentine... time's up."
"Thank you for letting me see her." Dick says, and produces a pair of handcuffs from his jacket pocket. "You were going to cuff me, right?"
The police officer stares at Dick as he realizes that his handcuffs are dangling from Valentine's index finger.
((Yeah... something I've been toying around with for awhile. Enjoy!))
Jill smiles as she passes by a woman fixing up her booth, which specializes in home-made candies. The candies are spread out on the table, in varying shapes and sizes, all across the color spectrum. A twisted blue and white lollipop with a pastel ribbon on the stick catches her eye. She buys it and, after thanking the woman at the booth, continues on her way, lollipop in tow. It's quickly opened and enjoyed. Amazing, after everything she's been through, she can still escape a little and feel like a kid.
Her lazy, aimless day quickly turns into something she would've never expected.
She groans as her cellphone rings, reluctantly digging through her coat pockets for the device. "Hello?"
"Jillian." A deep, masculine voice says on the other end. In that instant, Jill freezes, letting the lollipop slowly slide out of her fingers. It hits the ground and goes unnoticed, for Jill is staring blankly ahead. There's only one person that calls her by that name...
"Dad." She finally says after a few moments of stunned silence. "I... thought you were in jail for the next ten years."
"Not anymore." Dick Valentine smirks. "I heard rumors of you surviving Raccoon City, then being a cop in New York City. Decided to check things out for myself. Haven't seen my baby girl in years."
"Not anymore." Jill replies in a sarcastic tone, almost mimicking her father's. "I quit."
"Just like you quit S.T.A.R.S., huh?"
There's another long pause from Jill as she chooses to ignore that comment. She bites her lip, gripping the phone tightly. "If you're not in jail... where are you?"
"In the cafe just ahead of you, across the street. I can see you right now." That deep voice says, seeming to be quite pleased with himself... and amused by Jill's audible gasp of surprise.
Jill looks over to the said cafe, and sees a shady-looking man give her a sly grin along with a wave. She can't decide whether she hates him for this or not yet.
It doesn't take Jill long to get to the cafe; her phone is quickly turned off and tucked in her pocket, and she zips across the street. When she gets to the cafe, she opens the door forcefully, causing the bells on the doorknob to jingle loudly. Heads turn and look up to see the petite woman standing in the doorway, looking dangerously close to angry tears.
She sucks in a deep breath and strides across the room, standing beside the man that was her father. He silently gestures to the seat next to her, and she sits down in equal silence.
Neither of them speak for some five or so agonizing minutes.
"Aren't you going to give your old man a hug after all this time?" He finally asks, draping an arm over her shoulders. She doesn't know why she does this, but she leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Strange, how comforting it is, to be in someone else's arms. Even if they're the arms of a petty thief that doubles as a pathetic excuse for a father.
"...How'd you get out? They give you parole?"
"No; the original Master of Unlocking's got a few tricks up his sleeve." Dick laughs lightly, removing Jill's hat. He idly ruffles her hair, and Jill sighs. "They still call you that? Master of Unlocking?"
"No. My team is either dead or missing, for the most part. Those who are left don't remember the good times." Huh, she's opening up for him. Odd, after so many years of hiding things.
"I read about that in the newspaper... what about that Redfield guy on your team? Didn't he survive? Your mother said you fancied him. And judging by the look on your face, you still do." Her father teases. She, on the other hand, really looks like she's going to cry.
"Jill..." He starts to say, but is cut off.
"Daddy," She manages to choke out. "I don't know what to do anymore. Chris is gone. Barry is gone. Umbrella is still out there... I'm so lost..."
"No, Umbrella's gone. Congress put a stop to them after what happened to Raccoon." He tries to be reassuring, knowing fully well that this is where he always failed as parent. This kind of stuff was always left to his wife.
"No. No, no, no. They're still out there, they're still doing their sick fucking experiments, and I can't do a goddamn thing about it." Jill says between sniffles, gripping her father's hand tightly. She never thought she would've sunk to this level; a sniveling, helpless girl. That's how her father made her feel; like a little girl.
A few more silent moments pass. Dick absently strokes Jill's hair, and Jill wills herself to stop crying. Her concentration is broken every time she sniffles again, and more tears well up in her eyes. She tries not to blink; that'd push them down her cheeks.
"...Listen to me, Jillian." Dick says, gently lifting his daughter's chin up with his index finger. "You're a Valentine. Valentines don't cry. They think of a way to get themselves through a sticky situation, and get through it with flying colors."
He pauses, wetting his lips. Out of the blue, he leans over and kisses Jill's forehead. "Besides... you're my baby girl; Delta Force, S.T.A.R.S., N.Y.P.D., and all that. You're the brightest kid I know, and also the toughest."
Jill opens her mouth to say something, but suddenly finds herself unable to speak.
"I know I've been a horrible father for you, but... I believe in you, Jill. You need to start believing in yourself."
She stares up at her father through tear-filled eyes, and nods slowly. "Daddy...?"
"Yes?"
In a voice hardly louder than a whisper, Jill makes her reply. "I love you."
"I know, I know." Dick smiles warmly down at her, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Now, get yourself together, Jillian. You have a world to save."
After a few deep breaths Jill nods, rises, and collects her hat. "...Will I see you again?"
"Probably not. I did break out of jail, you know." He forces a chuckle, despite knowing that when he gets up, New York's finest will be waiting for him. There were officers planted all over the block, even in the cafe.
"...Oh." Jill says, looking down, running her fingers over the wool of her beret.
"Don't worry about me, okay? Just... you go on, do what you've gotta do. Just know that your mother and I love you and will support you, no matter where we are." All these years of being a bad father... he's finally making up for them. Dick finally feels he can be at peace with himself.
"Thank you. For everything." Jill leans over, kisses her father's cheek and leaves the cafe. When she is out the door and down the street, the undercover cop in the corner stands up and nods to Dick.
"Alright, Valentine... time's up."
"Thank you for letting me see her." Dick says, and produces a pair of handcuffs from his jacket pocket. "You were going to cuff me, right?"
The police officer stares at Dick as he realizes that his handcuffs are dangling from Valentine's index finger.
((Yeah... something I've been toying around with for awhile. Enjoy!))