So this is my first attempt at an unintentional femslash relationship, so this'll end up Claire/Moira with awesome supportive pseudo brother Leon thrown in quipping as is his wont (I honestly think Chris has to be one of the worst big brothers ever so he'll only be mentioned not seen) I actually intend to continue with this regardless of feedback because I think it'll be good practice for me but please if you're inclined review.
Also if some of you who follow me have no idea what the Resident Evil universe is about say so in your reviews, I get enough requests I'll have a very drunk Claire explain it to Moira before they start making out next chapter. Anyway, toodles!
The sound of her phone waking her in the dead of night was nothing new, Christ Claire could honestly say it was probably one of the few constants in her life at this point. Between her duties at TerraSave, keeping up with college friends, or Leon's excited calls from wherever the fuck he was currently being a badass government agent she rarely had a solid nights sleep.
She didn't complain, it was the life she chose after all.
What drew her attention though was the incoming call wasn't from one of her work colleagues, not from one of her law school friends or distant brother, and certainly not from her over excitable, charmingly corny best friend. Staring at the number in numb confusion for a few moments she pondered if the man had dialed the wrong Redfield, shrugging she decided it wasn't likely and clicked 'Accept'.
"Barry, been a bit since all that chaos with the abduction, how's Moira, Polly, and Natalia?" Asking the devoted family man about his daughters, both biological and adoptive was usually enough to keep him distracted, today was different though.
"Polly's at college and doing great, Natalia's adapting well and me and Kat couldn't be happier with her. It's just...Moira she's..." The big man paused and sighed, Claire imagined he was running his hand through his thick beard as he gathered his thoughts, she'd seen him do it hundreds of times in the past after all.
"Barry, what's wrong with Moira?" Claire shared something in common with her big brother Chris, that was she had zero patience for drama when there didn't need to be any in the situation. Barry as always appreciated the Redfield sense of directness as he grunted once before replying.
"She's faking it Claire," the auburn haired woman winced as she sat up pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. Of course she knew exactly what Barry was talking about, they all faked it, Leon faked it, Jill and Chris faked it, Sherry faked it whenever her psuedo daughter was let off her government enforced leash long enough to stop in for a visit.
Make it through what amounts to a personal apocalypse, survive all the death, destruction, and horrifying pointlessness of a biological weapon attack, and you learn to do one thing..
You fake being ok.
You fake getting through your day as if it isn't a challenge to not stab people with a letter opener when they startle you. You fake not instinctivly reaching for the pistol hidden in your jacket when a cars engine backfires. You fake it when a gaunt methhead looks at you oddly and your first thought is to break his neck and run before more swarm you.
Oh Claire knew what her long time family friend meant and her heart broke thinking about his vibrant daughter, the girl she'd taken under her wing and helped through what amounted to a hell on Earth falling to the same low as all the adults she'd grown up around.
Moira was faking being alive.
"I...do you want me to come see her sometime soon?" Barry was silent for a few moments before he responded, the tone of his voice betraying his thankfulness to his best friend's younger sister.
"As soon as you can Claire, and...thanks...this means a lot to me." She smiled sadly at that as she glanced to the photo prominently displayed on her dresser, it was from last summer, when Leon had come back from another one of his death defying adventures and volunteered to take Barry's girls out on a 'Date'.
The man in question was grinning a cheesy grin with Natalia sitting on his shoulders, stuffed toy in hand as his own arms were wrapped protectively around Polly who was blushing brightly. Leaning against either of his shoulders were both Moira and Claire, both with shadows beneath their eyes but doing their level best to enjoy the day with what amounted to their extended and messed up family.
"Don't mention it Barry, family helps family."
Moira was in hell, pulling her long black bangs through her fingers she turned her tired gaze out her window and sighed wistfully as she watched a school bus take off after unloading a horde of demon spawn. She'd consider that to be an unfair observation if her psuedo sister wasn't one of said demons. She cared for Natalia sure but that girl creeped her out regardless, still...she was just distracting herself from what was really bothering her.
Namely, life scared the shit out of her. She wasn't suicidal or wishing to hurt herself or any of that emo bullshit, far from it in fact, it was just...the very idea of leaving the house, entering the world at large scared her beyond words. Mostly because, last time she'd tried that she'd been kidnapped and dropped on a madmans version of Fantasy Island, and had barely escaped before the credits began to roll.
No one really got what she had gone through, Barry...ok fine, dad had some understanding since he was involved with S.T.A.R.S and the Raccoon city drama but her mom? Polly? Her high school friend she could no longer connect with? They didn't get it. There really were only two people she could talk to about this crap without feeling like a whining baby or a complete psychopath, and that was the pseudo siblings Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield.
She'd known them both for years, after her family moved to Canada and even after the...incident with Barry's...dad's... gun they'd been a constant in her life. Claire, the beautiful vivacious big sister and Leon the supportive and corny big brother. The thing was...they were both broken, broken like her.
She hadn't seen it before, not until after the attack, and the kidnapping, and the zombies and...deep breathes...it wasn't until after it all that she finally understood what her role models had gone through. She wasn't alone, and they tried to help but...she couldn't...wouldn't let either know how far she'd fallen, it just wasn't acceptable, it was her own weakness, her own-
"Moira, you have a guest to see you!" Her thoughts broken Moira sat up from her bed in confusion, who the hell was here to see her? In fact who knew she was at her parents place rather then her flat near the University? Confused she slid on a pair of black tights and threw a windbreaker over her shoulders and quickly padded down the stairs, entering the living room she paused in shock seeing the petite form of one Claire Redfield leaning against the door frame.
"That won't do kiddo, put on something more...slinky, you and me? we're going out for drinks, hopefully someplace classy enough to supply those little umbrellas." Staring at her mentor in perplexed amusement Moira quickly smiled, perhaps things weren't so bad after all?