Family Ties
by: Hotaru

Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Well, except a S.T.A.R.S. RPD badge, and all the games. That's it. RE2 spoilers, that's all so far.

Sherry Birkin-Redfield sat at the kitchen table, resting her head on her arms, which were folded on the table. She listened to a one sided conversation between her surrogate mother, Claire, and her grade advisor at school. Naturally, Fernandez wouldn't let anything go. She just had to bitch on and on, about the same stupid thing that she totally misunderstood.

"Yes..thank you for calling. I'll be sure to talk to Sherry about this immediatly. Alright, thank you. Goodbye."

Claire hung up the phone angrily and turned to stare at Sherry. "What?!" Sherry, who prefered to spell her name Sherie, asked innocently.
"You know what, Sherry! How is it that you manage to screw up so much in one marking period?!" Claire asked angrily.
"I didn't do anything! Mrs. Fernandez is just over-reacting again!"
"That's bull, and you know it. What's going on with you?" Claire asked, sitting down in the chair next to Sherry.

Sighing, Sherry leaned back and crossed her arms against her chest. Now 16, she was no longer the adolescent that she used to be back in Raccoon City. She no longer cries, and longs to be with her parents and that old locket she used to wear was lost somewhere in the clutter of her room.

"You know, Chris isn't gonig to be happy about this. And if you at least talk to me, I can try and convince him not to rip on you again. But you have to talk to me!" Claire said pleadingly.
"I told you, it's nothin'. There's just so much work, and I hardly see my friends any more, and...well, you know." Sherry replied, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"The opposite sex can bring us much undeserved stress, Sherry. Believe me, I've had my fair share of a-hole boyfriends, but I still had to do my work, too. Your grade advisor said that you had a lot of projects and assignments to do, that you haven't handed in yet. Why not?"
"Because! I just don't like to work, as suprising as that sounds. I'm not motivated to do any of that stupid shit because I'll just get bad grades anyway."
"So it isn't worth doing them? Come on Sherry, you're smarter than that!"

Claire looked up when she heard the sound of a car rolling over gravel. "Well, Chris is home. He's gonna talk to you about this, Sherry, and he won't be as reasonable as me. I tried." she said, standing up and leaving Sherry in the kitchen. Mumbling to herself, Sherry stood up and ran to her room before Chris even entered the house. Turning on her radio, she flopped on the bed and covered her face with a pillow.

-=-

Chris warmed his hands on a cup of hot cocoa and sighed deeply. He looked up at his sister. "So how many projects did she miss?" He asked tiredly.
"Well, there was an essay for her leadership class she never handed in and she has to do four journal entries a week. There's a history project due on Friday, which I seriously doubt she's even started on...I think that's it." Claire replied, looking up from a piece of paper.
"Shit, Claire. What are we gonna do? You said that she isn't motivated, but we can't take away phone priveledges or anything since she hardly talks on the phone..."
"I don't know, Chris. Why don't you go up and talk to her. You know she really looks up to you. Maybe you can offer to take her to the shooting range if she does her project."

Standing up, Chris rubbed his face tiredly. "Why don't you get started on dinner while I go talk to her?" he suggested.
"Sure. I was just going to fry up some breaded chicken and brocolli anyway." Claire replied, heading back into the kitchen.
"Wish me luck."
"Good luck."

Chris headed upstairs slowly, hearing the music blaring from Sherry's radio from the stairs. "'Just Like a Pill'. How ironic." he muttered, comenting on the name of the song. Taking a breath, Chris knocked on Sherry's door, which was decorated with signs. One of them, the Biohazard symbol. The volume of the music lowered, and the door was opened. "Yeah?" Sherry asked, looking up at her taller surrogate father.

"Can I come in?" Chris asked peacefully.
"Yeah, sure. I'm assuming there's a meaning to this visit?" Sherry replied, going back to her bed where a videogame magazine was opened.
"Yeah. Claire told me what your grade advisor said. And she couldn't get anything out of you, so it's my turn. So what's wrong, kiddo?" Chris replied.
"I'm not a kid anymore, Chris."
"Fine, Sherie, appropriatly spelled."

Sighing, Sherie flopped on her back and stared up at her ceiling. "I don't know. I just feel like all this is for nothing. Why should I bother learning Trig, and stupid shit like personification?" she asked.
"Hey, watch the language, kid. And yes, it is a little redundant, learning such complicated math and stuff, but English is vital to your future." Chris said warningly.
"Yeah. So I can make sentances like 'The tree danced in the wind to an unknown melody while it's leaves shook and writhed like temper tantruming children'. Whoopty fucking do."
"You know, that sentance was almost beautiful. And would you stop with the cursing? Come on Sherry, I know you have a project due for history at the end of the week. And if you get your butt in gear, then I promise I'll take you to the shooting range as soon as you're done."

Sherry's eyes brightened. Ever since she met up with Claire and Leon in Raccoon, she's been itching to have her hands on a gun. She's been to the shooting range a few times, but it was only to accompany Claire. And she only got to touch the gun, before Claire yanked it away in fear that the young girl would get hurt.

"Seriously? You'll take me?" Sherry asked, sitting up.
"If, and only if, you get your project done, and promise to do better in school. I'll even let you pull the trigger." Chris said tauntingly.
"Oh my God..you cannot be serious! Claire never let me shoot when she took me!"
"Well, I'm gonna, but you have to promise me."
"Oh, I promise! I promise!"

The teen jumped off of her bed and pounced Chris, hugging him fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, kissing his cheek over and over again.
"Ok, let me breathe, please.." Chris choked, trying to pry her thin arms from around his neck.
"Sorry! So, are you gonna help me?"
"Sure. What's the project on?"
"Well, it's on gun control. I have to argue against it, and someone else is gonna argue for it. Then he's gonna make us stand in front of the whole class and state our case or something."
"Phew. Back in my day, we just wrote up essays and stuff."
"Lucky you."

Sherie pulled out her bookbag from under her bed and rummaged through it, looking for her project sheet.
"Dinner's ready!" Claire called from the bottom of the stairs.
"You wanna eat first?" Sherie asked. Chris nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, I haven't eaten in six hours. I'm starved." he replied, following Sherie as she headed down the stairs.

Claire looked up suprisedly, as both Chris and Sherie were at the table within thirty seconds of her bellowing. They each sat down and grabbed at the plate of chicken. Claire shook her head and took a sip of soda. "So you finally appreciate my cooking for once?" She asked. Sherie looked up, a strip of chicken flapping from her mouth as she slowly chewed and pulled it in.
"What are you talking about? When have I ever not eaten your food?" She asked.
"Sherie, you'll eat practically anything without gaining an inch. Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" Claire asked.
"Oh relax, sis. We love your food, you know that. Now you haven't even touched your dinner. Oh my god...is it poisoned?!" Chris asked, grinning stupidly.

Narrowing her eyes, Claire picked at her food. "So have we come to an agreement?" she asked finally.
"Huh?" Chris asked.
"About Sherie. You talked to her, right?"
"Yeah. She said she'll do her project, and will start to work harder in school."
"For what?"
"I promised to take her to the shooting range."
"Really? That'll be exciting." Claire remarked.

Sherie watched her "parents", glancing from one to the other. "But I said she could actually fire a gun this time." Chris said lowly. Claire's head shot up.
"What?" She asked.
"Look, she's sixteen, and she loves guns. If we don't let her get some positive exposure, then she's gonna find a way around it. Why are you so opposed to it anyway?" Chris retorted.
"Chris, I don't want her to be a gun freak! I want her to have a chance at a normal life!"
"Um...I don't mean to interrupt, but I think the chances of me having a normal life are pretty much nill." Sherie said loudly.

Claire and Chris turned to her. "I mean, my parents were the reason why tons of people died. I watched their laboratory get overrun with cannibals. My dad turned into a monster and tried to impregnate me! And you're hoping for me to have a 'normal' life?!" Sherie exclaimed, jumping up from her chair, and knocking it to the floor.
"Sherie...you've been through a lot, we know that. Is it a crime to want you to be able to live normally?" Claire asked.
"I'm not normal, okay? My parents are dead, they killed people, I'm an outcast, I suck in school, and my 'parents' are siblings. Can you point out one thing that's normal about my life?" Sherie exclaimed, making bunny gestures with her fingers when she said the word parents.

Glaring at Claire briefly, Sherie spun around and ran up to her room, slamming the door for emphasis. Chris closed his eyes tiredly, and scooted closer to the table. He seemed content on staring at his plate and eating. Claire glared at him briefly before storming upstairs and banging on Sherie's door. "Go away!" Was the answer.
"Sherie, let me in." Claire said as calmly as possible.
"No! Not until you wake up and get a grip!" Sherie exclaimed.
"Sherie. Open this door, or else you're not going to the shooting range."
"So what? You're not going to let me shoot anyway."
"I've been known to change my mind on occassions when people give me good reasons to."

A moment later, the door was pulled open. Sherie stalked back to her bed and looked out the window. "What do you want?" She asked stoically.
"I just want you to be positive for once. You're always such a downer, and you really don't need to be." Claire replied.
"Oh really? Thank you for that revelation, Claire. I just knew you'd cheer me up."
"Don't be sarcastic with me, Sherie."
"Well don't be so stupid! In case you haven't already noticed, I haven't gotten over my parents yet. I still can't bring myself to forgive and forget all the shit they did. And it doesn't help with you constantly riding my ass about 'being positive'."

Claire crossed her arms. "So what do you want from me, Sherie? Please tell me." she asked.
"I just want you to leave me alone sometimes. When I'm depressed, I don't want to be bothered. I don't want to talk about my problems, okay? I've got a diary, and that's enough for me." Sherie replied. Claire looked around the room briefly before spotting a green leather book sitting on her night-stand.
"Alright. I'll leave you alone." Claire said, standing up and leaving without another word.

As Claire walked away from Sherie's room, she heard a blast of music and cringed. Turning around, Claire went back into Sherie's room and turned down the volume of her stereo. "Hey! I was listening to that!" Sherie exclaimed.
"Yeah, and so were the neighbors." Claire replied before stalking out of the room again. This time, she bumped into her brother. He didn't let her weave past him though. "Chris, I'm not in the mood. Please just move out of my way." Claire said with a sigh.
"Claire, what's the matter with you? You've been a royal pain in the ass all week." Chris replied, crossing his lean yet muscular arms.
"Leon."
"Yeah..? What about him?"
"This bitch was flirting with him the other day, and he didn't do a Goddamn thing. He just played along and ignored me, and hasn't said shit to me since."
"Well maybe he doesn't realize what he did."
"Oh, he knows, believe me. He's just too thick headed to apologize."

Sighing, Chris closed his eyes. "Claire. You're driving me crazy, ok? Talk to him, let him know what he did wrong, or else I will. Please, Claire. For my sanity."
"Grr. Oh fine." Claire stormed off towards her bedroom, while Chris went towards Sherie's. He didn't bother knocking on the door. He hardly ever did, in fact. Sherie was staring out her window, watching droplets of rain fall onto the slightly parched ground.

"Yo." He greeted, pulling up a chair.
"Yo yourself." Sherie replied stoically.
"What's up?"
"Nothing. Did you talk to Claire about me?"
"Nope. She blames Leon for making her like this."
"Pfft." Sherie rolled her eyes and kicked at her radio until it turned off.

Chris leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Are you still going to take me?" Sherie asked lowly.
"We'll see. Hopefully Leon will make Claire feel better, and she won't be as opposed to it." Chris sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.
"I don't see why she gets the last say."
"Well, she doesn't. We make joint-decisions, but she probably feels like she should have the last word 'cause she's known you longer or something."
"So what? I was just a stupid kid back then."
"You're still a kid, now you know. You don't stop being a kid until you're eighteen."
"Why is it that people assume that once people hit eighteen, they're suddenly responsible?"
"Who knows? I guess it's just cause they can go away to college and parents don't want to deal with them any more."

Shrugging, Sherie looked at her watch. It was getting late. "Did you do your homework?" Chris asked.
"No." Sherie replied lowly.
"...do it in the morning. You can type it up, if that'll be faster, but you better do it."
"Okay. Tell Claire I'm sorry, ok?"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I didn't mean to be so mean."
"I'm sure she'll get over it. Or else we'll have to go and kick Leon's ass until she feels better." Chris said charismatically.

Sherie smiled and climbed under her covers. "Goodnight, Sherie." Chris said from the door, flicking the light off.
"Night Chris." Sherie replied, yawning slightly.

Chris headed to his room and collapsed on his bed. He was already asleep when Claire barged in. "What?" The elder Redfield asked irritatedly.
"I called Leon, as per your request, and he said that he didn't realize and that he's sorry, and whole bunch of other crap." Claire reported.
"And you're telling me this because...?"
"Oh, no reason. Night, bro."
"Mm-hmf."

-=-