No Happy Endings

Kasage Starrunner

Disclaimer: Resident Evil and Claire Redfield are copyright of Capcom, etc. The Last Unicorn is copyright the author Peter S. Beagle--used here with the movie of the same name. Read the book, its excellent.

***

Claire sat in the small hotel room feeling the world press in on her. The pale fingers holding the TV remote pressed the channel button again and again, watching the incoherant images flash by in hopes of avoiding the inevitable Umbrella logo, or one of the products of a sister corporation. The same repetetive motion had been repeated all afternoon, mindlessly, as she waited for Chris to get back with any news of Leon or the rest of the outside world.

It had been a week since they escaped Anartica, but it felt like years.

Thumb sore she paused, watching the rain pelt the unshielded window glass. The dreary air seemed to seep in like damp cold making the red headed woman wish for sleep, but knowing that her active brain would give her no rest.

She heard English coming from the TV screen and let her mind wander as it would, a few words catching in her head.

"To get to the Red Bull you have to walk through time. A clock isn't time, only numbers and gears, but pay it no mind. Now give me the WINE."

A drink of wine would be nice, but she couldn't get over the American stigmata of being under 21. Hell, after all she'd been through she deserve a couple perks. She strapped and unstrapped the brown glove around her hand, allowing herself the mental luxury of a pity party.

Gain one loved one, lose one loved friend. What was the price she paid for finding Chris? For even looking for him. She was like the Jedi Luke Skywalker going to save his friends--putting himself in danger only to ultimately be rescued himself. She'd done no good by going to Raccoon City and on from there to France--but then, she had met Sherry and Leon and even Steve.

Steve had died for her.

She really couldn't get over how a 17 year old boy would throw his life away for her. Given, he was a monster fighting off a virus, but it still felt wrong. It felt like her fault. And he died thinking that he failed her. Had he? He had caused so much trouble, but Steve had been more a kid then her.

God, I wish I could admit this to Chris.

She had to be strong though--Chris had enough on his mind, waiting for friends to join them in Paris to take down Umbrella. That was still before them.

When would it end?

"I don't want to be a unicorn. I want to stay here with you and grow old and die with you."

Someone to grow old with. Would she even grow old? Or would Umbrella beat her down again and again until she died. Or would she lose everyone close to her for her cause, something else not worth the risk so it seem. Where was her happy ending? Why did she have to keep suffering?

"Unicorns may go unrescued for a while, even centuries, but not forever. The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story."

Claire turned back to the T.V. and watched the four animated people on the screen. There was something about it that caught her attention. A tall man in blue with a big nose seemed straighter on the screen and spoke.

"There can be no happy endings, because nothing ever ends."

She switched off the TV and sat stone-cold for a moment. "Nothing ever ends," she whispered. The woman walked to the window and looked down the road below. The clouds were starting to clear a little and though it was still wet, the chill has gone from the air. She thought she saw Chris walking back, smoking out of stress, even though he promised to quit.

Claire smiled despite herself. There were no happy endings. Just happy moments.

**FIN**