Chapter 9: Miracles Do Sometimes Happen...

Sheva shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not because of the chair, but because of the tension that hung thickly in the air around her. So much animosity, distrust, and anger. Chris was obviously worried about Jill and Claire, Leon looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, and Claire's eyes would mist up from time to time as she was lost in her memories. The only two seemingly not affected by all of this was Jill, who was next to comatose right now, and Wes. The later of the two was obviously new to everything; full of questions and excitement, he drilled everyone about what he called his "former self".

"So the me before me tried to kill you? Man, that me must have been a real asshole," Wes said, and Chris chuckled lightly at the usage of 'asshole'; it hadn't been a word in Wes' vocabulary before he'd heard Chris use it. Sheva found that she quite enjoyed this Wesker, he was charming, witty, and had a certain innocence about him. The blue eyes were a plus, as well, Wesker's elliptical red-orange eyes had just been insanely creepy.

"So you really don't remember anything about before?" Chris asked Wes.

"I remember Claire. I dreamt about her often. I think it's the only thing that kept me sane in that tank. I would have died otherwise." Wes said. Chris frowned deeply at that, but he kept his mouth shut. Sheva was surprised at Chris' patience, he really had matured since she'd met him.

"How do you remember Claire, though? You were created, to be blunt about it. I don't mean to offend, but it seems impossible that you would remember anything." Sheva wondered aloud.

"Well, Mikhail said that it's possible that DNA carries more than just a code for a person, it may also hold memories and experiences. The research that goes with this theory is next to nothing; mainly because of cloning being illegal, but it is possible that Wes has some of Wesker's memories locked away in his genetic makeup," Leon explained. He seemed morose, and Sheva knew exactly how he felt. Leon and her would always be second best, Claire's and Chris' second choice. Somehow it was sadder for Leon; a mere clone of Wesker seemed to be enough to come between him and Claire.

"So, theoretically, Wes may remember how to do things that he's never done before. Maybe even more than he knows now." Claire said.

"Test it. Give him your gun, Chris," Everyone was startled by Jill's voice. She was staring at the clone, her face devoid of emotion. She still wasn't totally back, but swimming on the edges of reality. This behavior was new; she'd never broken through one of her spells to speak coherently, and Chris thought that perhaps she was having some kind of breakthrough; her psychologist thought that she might if given enough time. Maybe having to confront her former tormentor's face had triggered it.

Unloading his weapon, Chris then handed it to Wes, who looked at him curiously. "See if you remember how to break it down and put it together again." Wes nodded. What the clone didn't know, but him and Jill did, was that their former captain could break and rebuild a standard issue Berretta 9mm handgun in under thirty seconds. And then, as they all watched, Wes began to break the gun down with lightning quick speed, his fingers flying surely and each piece was carefully laid out before him on his empty dinner tray. A few curious eyes besides their own watched, so Chris flashed his fake badge to ease their tension. Leon whistled low as Wes laid down the newly put together gun, and clicked his wrist watch.

"Twenty four point eight seconds," The agent announced. "That's impressive."

"Then he still remembers how to kill," Jill said, smiling faintly. She wasn't fully aware, but neither was she unaware; a kind of twilight had settled over her.

"I am capable of it. I did kill, but they were trying to kill me," Wes said sadly. He hung his head, and began to cry; and Chris could only stare for a moment. The great Albert Wesker crying; and although he knew that it wasn't really Wesker, the sight was still unnerving. "I didn't want to, but they were shooting at me, they blew the glass right out of my tank, and tried to kill me like all the others. I saw them, too, those things they were keeping inside the other glass tanks. Monsters. I'm a monster born from a monster, aren't I?" Wes whispered out bitterly.

"The first time is always the hardest," Jill said, patting Wes' knee gently. She was starting to come back into this world, and Chris could only watch, transfixed, as the image of their greatest enemy brought her back to life.

"I don't want to kill again," Wes looked up, his eyes filled with worry. "I won't, will I?"

"Not unless you have to. I think you're alright, Wes. I like you," Jill said, again wowing the others with her presence. This was some kind of miracle. No one had ever been able to reach Jill when she was in one of her fugue states. And Wes hadn't even tried.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Wes. We've all had to pull the trigger at some point. It's inevitable when you get mixed up with Tri-Cell," Chris added gently. "You weren't given a choice, either, and yet you're doing just fine. Better than your former self, definitely."

Claire was then on her feet, rushing towards the bathroom. Leon followed her, scrambling through the aisle way. Chris was a bit worried, but somehow he knew that this was between those two. Besides, Jill was smiling; actually smiling. It had been months since anyone had seen that sight.

Claire tried to slam the bathroom door, but Leon's foot was caught in it suddenly, and then he was pushing in with her, closing the door and locking it.

"I want to be alone!" Claire demanded, pushing him backwards. His back hit the door with a dull thud, and he grunted, but the man made no move to leave. Instead, he grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her into a fierce hug. Claire struggled against his embrace for a moment, but then the tears started to fall, and she felt as if he were her only hope in an ocean of despair. She clung to him, sobbing, and he just held her tighter; murmuring soothing words in her ear.

"Claire, please tell me what you're thinking. I'm dying inside, watching you suffer because of him," Leon begged. She met his searching gaze, and couldn't form words. So she did the only other thing she could. She kissed him.

Leon buried his hands in her hair, his tongue snaking out into her mouth, and she sucked at it eagerly. She wanted him. She loved him. And she was doing it again, not telling him, keeping him on the fence with her silence, tormenting the man she adored...When would she learn?! Leon's hands started to roam then, and all of her self-loathing was forgotten as she felt her stomach lurch.

She pressed her body closer to him, moaning into his kiss and running her nails along his back. Claire wasn't surprised to feel his hardness against her belly, but she was thankful. Words often failed her, but her body would give him the message he needed. She just lamented that it would happen in the bathroom, again. The pair melted into one another, becoming more feverish in their advances; clothing was falling in heaps around their feet, and Leon's tongue trailed her neck as he lifted her up effortlessly.

His hands held her bottom up, and she was naked and quaking for his touch; she had to bite her lip as she felt the tip of his cock teasing her entrance. Claire tried to buck her hips forward to sink his flesh into hers, but he resisted, instead lifting her body up and down so that the torment continued. Shock waves of pleasure made her whole body ache for him, and she brought her lips slamming down on his, her tongue delving into his mouth the way she wanted him to, in and out, slow and then fast. Still, he didn't give in, instead sitting her on the tiny sink. He dropped to his knees, and kissed her damp folds. His tongue flicked out and teased her tiny bud, at which point Claire couldn't help the noises coming unbidden from her mouth.

Claire's fingers sought his hair, and as his tongue did wicked things to her, she massaged his scalp with her nails, moaning and writhing. Leon's mouth was hot, his every breathe tickling her nether regions, and then he slid his finger inside her, crooking it until she felt him hit something inside of her that nearly made her buck right off the sink from the pleasure. He continued to rub that inner spot, sucking and licking her all the while, and so she tossed her head back helplessly and tried to keep the moaning to a minimum. He sunk another digit into her, and she nearly cried out. His head came up at the sharp noise that she'd made, and she took that opportunity to pull at his shoulders, her hips still bucking at his fingers.

The look in his half-lidded eyes was one that sent her heart crashing against her ribcage, and she licked her lips seductively and ran her fingertips over his muscular shoulders. Leon didn't disappoint her; he pulled his fingers out of her only to replace it with his throbbing member, pulling her forward into a crushing embrace. His lips sought hers, and as their hips came together, Claire's cry was only muffled by his kiss.

"Do you love me?" Leon asked in a breathless whisper as he continued to slam into her. Claire was too enrapt in their movements, too breathless herself to answer him right away. "Do you love me, Claire?" He repeated, his gray eyes burning into hers. She could see the want, the need in him, but words were impossible right now as she threw her head back and moaned loudly, sweat beading down her neck. His mouth captured her nipple as he cupped the other one with his enormous hand, his teeth and tongue tormenting her sweetly as his hand kneaded her breast gently, his hips never breaking rhythm with hers. She could feel him moving powerfully inside of her, rocking and swaying her very soul, it seemed. Her heart felt like it would explode from her chest, and she hissed between clenched teeth as he nipped the underside of her breast, his hands now cradling her lower back, his fingers splayed against her ribcage.

"Tell me," Leon demanded, his lips nipping past her shoulder, along her neck, all the while slamming into her forgivingly. Claire tried to kiss his lips, but he eluded her, instead bringing his lips up to her ear. "Tell me, Claire!"

Her world was beginning to narrow, the sensations his body created inside of her were too much, and she was sure that either her lungs or her heart would give out at any second now. His cock slammed into her ever faster, the bathroom door was shaking with each one of his thrusts, and it was then that she nearly fell off the sink; unperturbed, Leon picked her up by her hips and continued this sweet torment, his lips grazing her cheek.

"I," She started, but the sound became higher pitched as he practically railed into her over and over again, and it took her a second to recover. "I love you, Leon Scott Kennedy! I love you, I love you, I love you...." If before Claire had been unable to say a single word, this mantra fell from her mouth just as involuntarily, and Leon's lips claiming hers was the only thing that stopped it.

Claire's whole body felt like it was on fire, and then she exploded, imploded, stars crashing around her vision as she clung to Leon helplessly, and if it hadn't been for his mouth crushing her lips below his own, their liaison would have been known to every last soul on this airplane. Leon grunted as she felt his hot seed hit her womb, and yet he didn't stop, instead prolonging her climax by continuing to slide into her. Claire felt tears leaking from the corner of her eyes, and it was a moment before she realized that their movements had all but ground to a halt, her hips occasionally still bucking against his, and she missed the length and girth of him as he pulled out of her slowly.

Leon held her aloft still, his head buried in her hair as he kissed her neck sweetly.

"I love you, babe," Leon whispered out. "Whatever you decide, I'll always love you. Don't you ever forget it." Claire was confused for a moment, before she realized what he was talking about.

Laughing gently, she said, "I've already made my decision, Leon. Isn't it obvious? I know that's not Wesker. He's dead. But you've always been there for me, forever and always. I'll always be here for you. I love you, Leon. Only you."

"That's all sweet and cute, you two, but some of us need to use the facilities!" Chris' voice came booming from outside the door, and he knocked loudly. Much like the knocking that the door had made earlier...

"Oh, my, God!" Claire whispered out, and it was Leon's turn to chuckle. She could feel her face turning red, and as she dressed hurriedly, as much as Claire willed her blush to recede, it wouldn't. So when they finally opened the door, her brother's face was just as red as hers felt, and although he said nothing, the look on his face and the crinkle of his nose let her know his displeasure. Claire would definitely hear about this later.

"Dear god, did you have to make it smell like ass in here?" Chris said as he closed the door behind him. Leon's face split in a grin at the words, and he led her back to their seats; and Claire knew that they both looked disheveled by his appearance. His blonde hair was matted to his face and neck in places from the sweat, and he'd buttoned his shirt wrong, missing not one button, but two. She felt her face practically burst into spontaneous combustion as Sheva, Jill, and Wes all stared at her and Leon, and despite the occasionally ribbing from the two girls, Claire didn't say another word the entire trip.