Vexed and Glorious
by Rhea (rhea@mayaku.org)
Author's Notes: this is quick fic that I whipped up; if I get positive reviews/feedback, I might consider making this into a "series" that would most likely be quite long. I don't really know if I like my writing style here and I also don't know if I like the ideas it utilizes, but hey.. here I am, once again, exposing my soul to the harsh readers in the RE section ;) Surprise, surprise..***
She stepped back and surveyed the mess that had become the Redfields' kitchen. Claire glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that it was nearly time for Chris and Leon return from target practice. A target practice that she wasn't invited to. With a slight bitterness that was unusual of her, she bent down and opened up the cabinet under the sink. As she squatted and prepared to dig into the mess of cleaners and sponges, the younger Redfield was briefly reminded of all the child's stories which consisted of the beings who lived under the sink. She could imagine little creatures biting off her fingertips as she reached in there and for a second, she stared doubtfully at the darkness. Jesus Claire, they leave you alone for two hours and you're back to a fourth grade mentality? She reluctantly plunged her hand into the unknown and a minute later, emerged with spray bottle of 409 and a sponge. She was happy to note that all her fingers were still there.
She sprayed a layer of the cleaning solution on the counter and begun to scrub away the grease stains that were splattered all over. Claire inhaled which was her method of testing the air for signs of smoke and other disasters that usually followed her cooking. Much to her surprise, the oven was beginning to produce a nice, homely scent which pleasantly reminded her of the family dinners with Chris and her parents. "Perhaps tonight's dinner wouldn't be as bad as Tuesday's misadventure with lasagna," she muttered as she pushed the sponge through the mess. Last week she'd set the oven to broil instead of bake while getting in touch with her Italian side; the disaster had left Leon and Sherry with a sick stomach (they had actually eaten it) and Chris with a larger ego (he hadn't). Like usual, he had gotten a kick out of her display of imperfection and the constant asking of "what's that burning smell" lasted for days. He was relentless.. it was a Redfield trait.
Dragging the sponge through the final pile of grime, she flung it into the sink and with the appliances as her witnesses, announced that she'd leave it for later. With once last glance at the oven, "Be good and don't burn anything while I'm away!", she exited through the kitchen door into the living room where Sherry Birken was doing homework.
Or was supposed to be. Instead of starting her homework, Sherry Birken had opted for relaxing in Chris' chair while watching cartoons. When she heard the light steps of Claire approaching her, she clicked the power button on the remote and grabbed the nearest book, flipping it open like a pro.
"Hey Claire, burn anything lately?"
"Dinner should be done in forty minutes," she said, ignoring the insult, "so you can continue studying Psychology until then. Funny world we live in these days.. I didn't know they let twelve year-olds in my class.." She pointed to the book which was upside-down and opened to a random page in the young girl's lap.
Sherry looked into Claire's eyes and the gaze told her all she needed to know; she was busted. Blushing furiously, she managed to stammer out a simple plea: "Please, don't tell Leon or Chris. You know how they have a fit about me not doing my homework.."
"Tell them what?" Claire winked.
"Thanks Claire." Sherry sighed in relief and put the book back down on the coffee table. So much for Physchology.
"Don't thank me yet, Sher. You still have to do some homework. If you don't, you're going to fail and have to repeat a grade. I know it's been a hard year for all of us, especially you, but you have to piece your life back together. Despite popular beliefs, Pokemon won't teach you fractions. Only studying can do that." The nineteen year old shuddered as she realized her lecture was sounding a lot like the ones her mother used to say. She had a newfound respect for her mother; being a parent figure was really hard. Especially when you yourself still had homework..
"One more episode?" The girl grabbed onto Claire's arm and looked into her eyes.
"Fine, but you'd better be studying when I get back from my jog," she answered, trying to sound stern over Sherry's groans at the mention of studying, "and be careful. Leon and Chris should be home within ten minutes. It would be a record if you managed to burn the house down before they got home.. and no, don't try. I saw that grin." Claire pried herself loose from the girl's grasp and walked out the room, trying not to grin. Sherry reminded her of herself at that age: a bundle of disobedient, loveable energy. Allowing the grin to creep onto her face, she grabbed the spare set of house keys and opened the door.
Sherry flicked the TV back on when she heard the front door shut and the lock click.
"Piii-ka-chu!" said the TV.
"Pikachu!" replied Sherry as she completely forgot Claire's warning, falling into the world of Pokemon.
***
The men who were cloaked in dark gray uniforms infiltrated the house once they saw Claire leave. The bugs that they had set up in the Redfields' house told them they had ten minutes to get what they needed, which was the girl, and get out. If they stayed behind their sources warned that their chance of running into Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy would increase greatly. Since the profiles of Kennedy and Redfield read extremely dangerous and warned of their unwillingness to give up in any circumstance, the men did not want to meet up with these two males. The men just wanted to get the girl and get paid. The men always got what they wanted.
Agent Hunk kicked the door open and stepped inside, carefully trying to figure out the situation. He heard strangers speaking, no wait, singing even:
"I want to be the very best, that no one ever was.."
And for a minute as he heard the voices, he froze thinking that maybe, just maybe, Claire and co had discovered the bugs. Maybe they had rigged them. Maybe he and his men were being set-up. These thoughts were going through his head when one of the men working for him learned over and whispered that he knew it was a theme song to a popular show that his children watched. Letting out a sigh of relief, he placed the voices as a theme song and the child singing along and nothing more. Hunk motioned for his men to follow him. It was time to collect the Birken child; hopefully the time she spent with the Redfields hadn't damaged the information. Such important information it was.
Hunk started to smile under his gas mask, stepping in the living room doorway.
"Hey kiddo. Miss me?"