A/N: This story takes place after Resident Evil 6. The files in that game give some insight to the years we never hear from Sherry and some other awesome info too. If you haven't read them please try to. Be aware that this story will have SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.

Story is not Beta read so if you find anything please let me know. I do not know if I'll continue this or not. If I do this will definitely be a Cleon (ClairexLeon) with some Shake (SherryxJake) in it, somehow.

The horizontal lines are a change in POV. This is all happening one thing after the other in a timeline I just wanted to give to let you know what Claire, Chris and Leon were thinking.

People did not understand. They never had to fight for their lives. She had. She had almost been eaten alive more than a dozen times.

Her neighbors did not approve of the noise in the neighborhood for the first few weeks when she first moved in. But to her the house was not safe. It would never be completely safe but she could make damn sure it would be as much as it was possible. Metal windows with bullet proof glass on the first floor, numerous lamps in her front lawn with movement sensors and ladders on the back of her house that led to a metal door in her bedroom (that had made the neighbors avoid her gaze permanently). She had to destroy part of her bedroom wall but she wouldn't be caught in the damn room without means of escape. Don't get her started on the guns and knives around the house.

Her house had the most beautiful old tree growing on the side of the house right by her bedroom window but every time her gaze set upon it the only thing that occurred to her was that it was another escape route. She could use it to get to solid ground and to her car and drive the hell away from there if need be.

Her neighbors did enjoy her brother's visit every now and again. Especially when he was helping her make some house maintenance in the summer. It would rain fresh lemonade on her doorstep. Sometimes she had actually called him just so he could pretend to work on something around the house shirtless just so her lady neighbors would feel better about the noise.

Chris was a bit scandalized when she actually told him why she was calling him so much. After a few minutes they were both laughing about it and he was kissing her forehead and slapping her ass saying:

"That's my Sis'! Though next time you want me to come over just to parade around without a shirt let me know 'cause I have these jeans that make my-"

"Don't want to know! I want to... appease them not kill them, Chris."

The only thing normal she did in her own house these days was eat, shower and read. She read a lot. Anything that could make her mind wander. Sleep still evaded her, tears did not and even after all these years neither did the nightmares.

Chris knew and that was why he made the possible and the impossible to help her renovate her house to be as zombie proof as it could be. He understood and he felt guilty. He would always feel guilty for making her go look for him on that fateful night... If only he had told her he was going out of town for who knows how long... He spent every minute he was with her wondering if she thought the same but always came to the same conclusion: no. Claire would never blame her brother for something he did not cause.

He had never made the same mistake again. He always made an effort to inform her. Even if he could not call or email her he would make his team's contact in HQ send her an email. Never again.

He laid down on the lawn and has he heard her cellphone ring one of her neighbors came with cookies.

It was Leon. The Purple Rain coming from her phone told her as much.

"Hey, stranger."

"Hey. How's the house coming along?"

She took a look outside only to see Chris casually talking with neighbor number 2, the hot one. She chuckled.

"Chris is here and he's flirting half naked with one of my neighbors. I need to make the ladies happy that I'm here with the amount of noise I'm making. Some eye-candy can do just the trick."

"So is he helping or just parading around without his shirt?"

"He's helping without his shirt on. Such a multitasker. I saw Sherry yesterday. They took some bone marrow again... Leon..."

"She's an agent now! Why are they still... Simmons is dead. She's of legal age. I'll see what I can do to help. How was she?"

"In pain but she heals so fast that she says it doesn't bother her anymore... She told me you fought side by side with her against a B.O.W."

"Yes. She's reckless. But I'm kind of proud. Is it weird?"

"The job? Yes. That you're proud? No. I am too. My little Sherry is kickin' ass and takin' names."

A laugh was shared followed by a long silence.

"She told you about Jake Muller?"

"Yes. That was the name of the person she had to protect."

"... That was all she told you?"

Claire frowned.

"Was there more to tell?"

"They seemed... cosy. Made me kinda happy. In the middle of that clusterfuck they had something. Looked like it at least..."

Claire stayed silent.

She had noticed something in the way she had told her about the mission. Something was off but Sherry wasn't one to lie, especially to her, so she omitted. She would wait for her to tell her. When she was ready she would listen.

"Claire?"

"Sorry. I'm curious though. What did he look like?"

"Hmmm... Rugged, I guess. Red or brown hair. Blue eyes. Huge scar on his left cheek. He was kind of an asshole actually but he protected her."

A smile appeared on her face. She opened her front door and sat on the stairs in her porch. Chris was still eating whatever the neighbor had brought. The woman was nowhere to be seen.

"Sherry saw something you didn't. You never really talked to him. She had the opportunity to. She told me about the six months she went missing. That bitch did every possible test to her!"

"She's dead now. Sherry had a good role model when it came to the emotional part of life. I'm pretty sure she's already over it."

"Leon, I'm as damaged as they come. She was the one keeping me together. Every time I went to visit her all those years... That was my therapy."

Claire felt the oncoming tears and had to sigh.

"Can we change the subject? I don't really feel like crying right about now."

"I'm sorry. I was calling 'cause I'm gonna be there for a few days to teach some agents on the new B.O.W.s. I'm occupied from 1:00pm to 8:00pm. If you wanna grab some early lunch or late diner..."

"Just a sec."

He could hear two distinct voices speaking on the other side. No doubt the Redfield siblings were speaking with each other.

"...Fight... Pretty good too. ...Shot him... Reason was you."

"You wouldn't dare! I bet he gave quite the fight even for the boulder-punching Redfield."

She still had the phone to her hear. Her voice was clear but her brother's was farther. He knew what they were talking about. The first time he actually met Chris personally and they started fighting. If Claire had seen it she'd be yelling their heads off.

"How about breakfast? Even better, can I pick you up at the airport?"

"Sure. I'll get there Friday morning around 9:00am. I'll call you when I get there. See you in two days."

"See ya. Thank you."

"No, thank you."

That was how their conversations always ended. They always thanked each other and they had a lot to thank for.