Second Chance

Authors note: I do not own anything that is in the Resident Evil series. The creator and rightful owner is Shinji Mikami and the publisher is Capcom. Please enjoy.

A pounding pain vibrating through her skull was all Claire Redfield felt as she opened her eyes to a never ending darkness. The last thing she had remembered was riding home from the local animal shelter where she volunteered, and a car coming out of nowhere colliding with her open body. Suddenly, dim emergency lights flashed on surprising Claire and allowing her to see just how large the room was. It had reinforced steel walls and a large, cage-like door at one end but apart from that there was really nothing else. The intercom over head crackled as someone spoke into the microphone and right away Claire recognised the voice.

"Hello Claire Redfield, had a nice nap did you?" it was the snide tone of Albert Wesker who had become a well known enemy amongst the Redfield siblings.

"Wesker! So you're the one who knocked me unconscious!" she practically snarled. "Why the hell did you bring me here? To use me as bait to catch Chris?!" she said knowing all too well the man had a deep hatred for her brother.

"No, I'm afraid this time the situation at hand has nothing to do with your brother. You Claire, are the only target in this experiment." He said. Claire was a bit confused now, wondering why the madman wanted her. After all it was Chris who always foiled his plans.

"Just what do you plan on doing to me?" she said taking a defensive stance. He chuckled maliciously as he watched the girl through a hidden camera.

"I won't be doing anything; I'm merely an observer in this experiment. Now allow me to introduce you to true assailant." Wesker said as he pressed a button in his booth. The large caged gate began to lift up and Claire turned around quickly in surprise. A loud, inhumane roar echoed throughout the open area as a large creature stepped out of the shadows. It was at least 12 feet tall with dark, scaly skin. Spikes formed from bone protruded in awkward angles out of its shoulders and it had blotches of open pink sores spreading on its flesh. Its head hung low due to the excess length of its spine and its teeth were jagged and sharp looking. The creature's most distinguishing features were its red reptilian eyes and tufts of blood red hair that stuck out in odd places on its scalp. The ground shook as it stepped forward growling, saliva dripping from its bared teeth. Claire backed up till her back hit the wall and for once in the longest time, she felt helpless. There was nothing in the room to defend herself with.

"I'd like you to meet Tyrant- CV, the newest in B.O.W technology. Now we shall see who has what it takes to survive, man or monster...begin." at that the tyrant reared its head back and lunged a clawed hand toward Claire. She dodged it by a hair and almost didn't have time to dodge the second one that came crashing down, missing her legs by inches. Five minutes went by and Claire's stamina had faded almost to nothing, the only thing keeping her going was her will to survive. She near collapsed as she leaned against the wall, her breathing had become very difficult. Her vision was blurred and she never saw the hand coming towards her. The monsters sharp claws ripped through her flesh and the strength of the blow knocked her to the floor. She yelled as she clutched her side, her life seeping in a crimson flow through her fingers. The tyrant stepped over to her and placed his foot lightly on her back. She gasped and groaned as she struggled to get herself out from underneath, pressure beginning to be applied. Pain wracked her body as one of her ribs fractured and she screamed.

Wesker pressed another button on his control panel. A collar that was around the beasts neck lit up and sent out a high voltage jolt through the creature's body. It let out a cry and removed its foot from on top of Claire.

"That's enough tyrant, you've shown me that you're top of the line for recent B.O.W's. You may take this wench into your cell and do what you see fit, just make sure she doesn't try to escape." He said through the intercom. The beast growled and bent down, picking up a half dazed Claire by the back of her shirt with its teeth. It walked away, its hunched form vanishing into the dark of its cell yet again, the gate closing behind it. It dropped its prize on the floor with a thud and Claire groaned but couldn't find the strength to do much else. The beast was about to enclose its jaws around her, when it suddenly gripped the side of its head and let out a groan as if in pain. It panted as its form began to shrink, its spikes retracting and skin changing back to a flesh colour, even the collar shrunk to fit its neck. It was now about 5 feet 7 inches and resembled a young man. Claire slowly got up, coughing up a slight bit of blood from her internal injuries. The other figure quickly rushed to her side and stood over her in the dark.

"Are you ok?" came a male's voice. She looked up with squinted eyes, the other person just barely visible due to the fact that the cell was only lit with one torch. The voice sounded familiar but she couldn't put a face to it, but he recognised her.

"Claire?" he said as he looked closer. Now Claire could see his features better now and she knew the young sweet face of Steve Burnside minus his clothing for some reason she couldn't comprehend. She couldn't believe it; she had seen the young man die at Rockfort Island after he struggled with the monster he had become to not kill her. His last words surfaced from her memory: "Claire I love...you..." was the last thing he said before his head drooped forward, his life completely gone. "Steve, Steve, Steeve." Claire sobbed into his chest." She snapped back to reality a lone tear escaping her eye.

"Steve...it can't be. I saw you die all those years ago." She said shuffling back a bit from uneasiness.

"I did, but I was revived thanks to Wesker. He used the T-Veronica virus in my body to reanimate my cells, but not in the way they would to make a zombie. He used advanced technology to turn me back into a normal functioning human...except for the side effects." He said.

"What side effects?" she asked. He pointed to his eyes which Claire could see now were a deep red rather than their usual aqua blue. She gasped and backed further away.

"They're red because... I'm a tyrant. Wesker trained me to control the transformations but I still have problems now and again. Luckily I have Wesker there to give me commands." He said a slight smirk on his face.

"You mean, you do whatever he says?" Claire asked her expression one of sorrow.

"Well yeah, I'd do anything for him, he gave me life." He replied. At this Claire's anger rose once more and she quickly stepped forward. A slap stung Steve's cheek and he was dumbstruck slowly turning back to look at her angry expression.

"You unbelievable bastard! Just because he revived you, you'll suddenly do everything a complete stranger tells you to? Including kill the people who did everything to get you off that hell hole of an island!" she yelled, turning her back on him to sit against a wall, her breathing becoming ragged again due to the pain. He ran his hand through his hair, feeling completely lost.

"Claire, when I turn into a tyrant I don't have any control over what I do and I can't even remember what happens. I...I had no idea I hurt you." He said sincerely slowly making his way over to her. She just glared up at him causing Steve to freeze only inches away from her. But her stare broke away when her face contorted in pain and she gripped her side. She brought her hands up to see fresh blood on her palms; the wound wasn't healing over well. Steve saw the wound and frantically dropped to his knees to be at level with her.

"Oh my god Claire... did I do that to you." He said his voice wavering.

"N-No shit tyrant. Now move away I can handle this myself. I don't want to risk you damaging me anymore." She practically growled at the youth. He didn't move from his spot and instead of moving back he only inched closer. Steve was a red head after all and that meant he was naturally stubborn and determined. He gripped her shoulders and she tried to move away but his strength had increased due to the tyrant genes.

"Claire, listen to me. I would never under my free will try to kill you. Even if Wesker had a gun pointed to my head and said he'd kill me if I didn't kill you, I'd rather die. Don't you remember Claire, what I said to you before I died?" he said. Claire was surprised to see tears showing in Steve's eyes.

"You said, you loved me." She whispered, her rage dying down fast.

"And that hasn't changed, even after all these years. I hate what Wesker made me do to you and I hate myself for letting it happen." Steve said his sadness apparent in his eyes. Claire wasn't angry at him now that she realised he was right; the boy had only ever done everything to save her. She let out a sniffle, feeling terrible for what she said to him. She reached out and rubbed the back of his head and he looked into her eyes.

"Steve, I'm so sorry." she whispered pulling him forward so she could press her lips against his brow.

"It's alright, I don't blame you after all the shit you were put through. I just have one question for you." He said.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. He took in a deep breath before he spoke.

"What are your thoughts, your feelings, towards me?" Steve said averting his eyes a little. Claire smiled the best she could through the pain. With the hand that was still on the back of his head she scratched his scalp gently causing him to shiver.

"I never stopped thinking about you Steve." Was the only reply she gave and for Steve, it was all he needed. She groaned again as her side stun from the wound. Steve had almost forgotten about that; too busy getting lost in Claire's beautiful eyes. He moved down and tore her shirt where the wound was, located right under the chest. It was nasty looking, but it didn't appear to be fatal. He looked back up at Claire to see her confused expression.

"I have an idea. My DNA has fused with the T-veronica virus, which gives my cells the ability to regenerate unnaturally fast. If I can get my DNA into your wound it should stop the bleeding in theory." He said while looking at the gash.

"And how do you plan to..." she didn't finish her sentence as something made contact with her wound. She hissed at the stinging sensation and looked down to see Steve licking at the wound. It hurt like hell but she knew it had to be done. As she watched him she noticed how much he'd matured physically, his body more masculine and his features more handsome. She couldn't believe six long years had passed since Rockfort Island; she was 25 and Steve was 23. He lifted his head and wiped his mouth as the wound stopped bleeding. The two made eye contact and Steve never saw Claire move in until he felt their lips make contact. She pulled him into her lap so that he was sitting on one of her legs. Holding the back of his neck, Claire deepened the kiss causing Steve to moan and she took the opportunity to slip her tongue in the opening. Steve nipped it softly as he licked the underside of her tongue. She parted from him panting; it was hard for her to breath with her hurt rib. Steve understood and instead started kissing the underside of her jaw.

"There's only one thing I'm glad Wesker did; he gave me the chance to be with you again." She ran her hands through his hair as he moved up to nibble on her earlobe. Claire rubbed Steve's naked back as things continued to get hot and heavy but the ground was becoming incredibly uncomfortable for her to sit on.

"Steve, do you have a bed in this place?" she asked. He stopped panting heavily.

"Yeah, I have a cot over by the corner. Come on, let's get you off the cold floor." He said. He turned around and leaned back while putting Claire's legs through his arms. She got the message and wrapped her arms around his neck and he got up carefully so as not to further discomfort he. The two made their way over to the cot and Steve plopped her gently down on the surface of the slightly stained sheets. He turned to face her and she looked away quickly and he realised why; he had forgotten he was naked this whole time.

"I guess that saves on the whole process of taking them off." He said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well then, I can't let you have all the fun now can I?" Claire replied in a playful tone. She placed her small digits on her tops zipper and slowly undid it, letting her breasts have their freedom. The garment was discarded on the floor and Claire lay on her back so she was facing the ceiling, but winced when the skin over her fractured rib was stretched. Steve saw her pain and gently climbed over to her so he was by her side. He lowered his head slowly so that he could kiss the tender area between her breasts carefully; her sigh in response told him to explore more. He climbed up to nibble her collar bone and she moaned from the unique sensation. Claire was enjoying all the attention she was getting from Steve, but she wanted to go even further so that he had something to gain as well. She pulled back and began to unzip her jeans, sliding them down slowly knowing Steve's eyes were on her the whole time. Claire hadn't seen the man for a long time so some teasing was in order. She lay back down on her stomach in a submissive position; propped up slightly on her elbows for her ribs sake. She heard the sheets ruffle as Steve climbed on her once more, supporting his own body with his arms so as not to crush her. Claire felt his excited organ brush against her inner thigh, causing her to shiver in anticipation. Steve undid her ponytail so that her silky strands could now fall freely around her shoulders; she looked even more beautiful with her hair down.

At this point Steve was beyond happiness and into bliss. The woman he had fallen in love with on that prison island was accepting his affection in the most physical way possible. He kissed the back of her shoulder and then bit down slightly, causing her to whine and then moan. Dots of blood formed from the sharper canines and he licked them away apologetically. Steve's loins were aching for contact at this point, so he reached down in between Claire's legs to see if she was ready. He pulled his digits away to find them soaked in the sweet juices some of which had leaked out and seeped into the sheets. He climbed off her and she looked back to see what was happening. He motioned her to come over with his index finger and she knew this was it. She swallowed hard as she sat in front of him, her heart pounding like a jackhammer the whole time.

Steve knew this would be difficult with her injuries, so he'd have to find a position that accommodated her needs. Claire knew the best way this problem could be solved before Steve did, so she went ahead and laid on her back, her head resting against the pillow. A light sweat built up over Steve's body his uncertainty making him nervous. He never once slept with a girl in his younger days but he was too proud to reveal it to Claire. Somehow though she already knew and reached up to stroke his cheek soothing him slightly.

"Don't worry. Just follow your instincts." She said causing him to smile. Truth be told, Claire hadn't slept with anyone either. Her jobs and her volunteering always kept her too busy to find time to form a relationship. Steve sat at her entrance positioning himself in front of her moist opening. He leaned forward so that his brow was just at neck level, leaning on her slightly as he tried to compose himself. He pushed gently but clumsily missed and repositioned himself; Claire just smiled knowing he was doing his best to be pro at something he'd never done before. This time he got it right, delving himself steadily into her warmth. She cried out as her virginity was ripped away and he looked up worried, but she hugged him and whispered it was alright. He closed his eyes and shifted back and forth inside her, never once fully pulling out. Claire moaned and caressed Steve as the feeling inside her became unbearably good; she never even felt the pain from her wounds as he rubbed close against her navel. Minutes passed that seemed like hours for the two lovers as sweat coated their flesh.

Steve could feel he was losing himself to primal instincts which were triggering his tyrant transformation, but they were only minor changes. His nails had become pointed and he gripped the sheets underneath them to prevent himself from ripping into Claire's soft skin. Scales appeared only on his neck and his upper canines had enlarged slightly. He growled in frustration, knowing that if he didn't release soon, he might not be able to stop himself from fully transforming. He pushed with longer strokes inside Claire and sure enough he hit her sweet spot. She clenched around him as he came first, crying out her name in a strangled tone. For Claries sake he pushed a few more times after his climax until he heard her give out a panted moan, her hips bucking against him as her muscles went spastic. She shut her eyes as her body went limp and her heart rate slowly returned to normal. Steve separated, causing her leg to twitch in response. She wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant because Steve knew the virus in his body had another side affect; it rendered its host impotent.

He shifted and Claire felt a pair of strong arms lift her up. He held her up and laid her so that her back was to his chest as he sat up. He brushed the stray hairs away from her face and kissed her neck softly earning a soft sigh in reply. She rubbed her cheek up against his and looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I always felt something was missing in my life, and now I know Steve... that something was you. You make my life complete." She said her voice showing signs of fatigue. He reached over behind his pillow, making sure Claire didn't see.

"This was the best night I've ever had; I want you to know that. But now...It's time for you to sleep." He said.

"Huh." Claire said confused by the strange way he said that, and then quick as lightning she felt a stinging in her neck. She looked over to see Steve pulling a needle out of her neck. Shortly after she began to feel dizzy.

'Steve...." was all she could get out before her head felt like a lead weight and darkness consumed her vision. Before all her senses left her she could swear she heard him say: "I'm sorry."

Daylight broke through the cells tiny window as Claire awoke. Something white and somewhat transparent was blocking her vision and she realised it was bed sheets, but why did the bed feel so hard and cold? She removed the covers and found herself under the cot and confused as hell. As she began to crawl her way back out, her hand brushed against a folded up piece of paper. Seeing that she was alone in the room and had no idea where Steve had gotten to, she decided to see what the page contained. It was a note and it looked like it was assigned to her:

Dear Claire,

Last night was the closest I've ever been to heaven in this hell; loving you brought me nothing but eternal bliss. Sadly though, it can't continue. Wesker keeps close surveillance on me and if he found you were still alive he'd kill you for sure. So I've hidden you under my bed with a bunch of old sheets so that Wesker will think it's nothing more than dirty laundry. Shortly after you and I had our loving connection he came in and told me we had to leave right away. A group of anti umbrella agents had found this labs coordinates, so I am to leave with Wesker to a new base. I'm afraid that this time you will not be able to find me; this new lab is somewhere I don't even know. I guess what I'm trying to say is.....this is goodbye for good. Don't forget that I will never stop loving you, and please don't forget about me.

In your heart forever, Steve Burnside

p.s. Wesker has set the lab to self destruct once the agents have reached it. Get out of there Claire.

Claire had the paper scrunched tightly in her fist as she sat there, her form shaking as tears fell from her eyes. Disbelief and sorrow came out in sobs as she held her face in one hand.

"Steve...how could you. Were finally together again, and you...you still chose to follow him. We could have gotten out, you could have been free...Damn you to hell Wesker!" she yelled this last part at the top of her lungs as her tears stopped, her internal rage consuming her once more. As if on cue, the red warning lights came on in the ceiling and an all too familiar automated voice rang through the intercom.

Attention, self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct will occur in 5 minutes. All personnel evacuate the building immediately.

"Shit." Claire yelled as she wrapped the sheets around her frame, there was no time to fuss with her clothes. She rushed out the cell door which had been opened due to the door unlock that the self destruct sequence had as a safety feature. As she ran to the elevator, she turned back to glance at Steve's room, the warm memories returning to her vision. 'Steve, I will free you. This is not goodbye.' She thought as a tear left her eye. The elevator arrived and she got in, once again headed out to the world where evil never rested.

Authors note: my first resident evil fan fiction dedicated to the tragically sad Steve and Claire of code veronica (love that game ^_^) a little action, a lot of sex, and sadness to top it off; just what the franchise is known for (well, not this much sex mind you.) hope you enjoyed and tell me your thoughts. As always, I did my best to keep to the characters personalities. That last part made me cry.