Ten: Redfields Rule

Dulvey, Louisiana – 2017

The Baker Plantation – Old House – 2155 (9:55 pm)

The reunion was surely meant to be short lived. Three years, in that brief moment of reconciliation, felt like nothing. It felt like a flash in the pan. It felt like what Chris had figured his sister's relationship with Leon Kennedy would be: painful, brief, and impacting everything it touched like a grenade.

...

"What are you saying here, Claire?"

"I didn't think I was speaking gibberish. I'm saying I love him. He loves me. It's done, Chris. Stop acting like I told you I'm in love with a ghost or something."

He let go of the other handle and the hood of the greenhouse where they stood closed abruptly. Claire watched it fall with a sigh. Musingly, she stated, "Don't take your rage out on my orchids please."

Irritated, he helped her roll open the glass ceiling and secure it again. Claire watched his face as they did it. It would never stop to amaze her how the baby faced brother she'd hated as a girl had turned into her world…and her father. Would it ever stop taking her breath away to see her father's face with her brother's eyes?

Probably not.

Chris' painfully deep voice echoed in the small, hot greenhouse. Around them, Claire's orchids and her hyacinths listened happily. "He's not good enough for you."

A helluva thing to say.

Curious, Claire set the timer on the sunlight for the orchids. Hell or high water, she was going to be Flaxxy Hennessy's orchids at the fair this year. If she had to sell a kidney to do it, she was going to beat her.

She wiped her hands and watched his face as she did it, "I'll bite. Why? What's he done that's so horrible?"

The door to the greenhouse opened and the man in question joined them.

He looked pretty fucking good in dirty gardening clothes, Claire had to admit. And he never ONCE complained about helping her pot her plants or play with soil. A fancy brat by nature, he was a helluva guy when it came to gardening. That was the thing about Leon Kennedy…he NEVER failed you.

It was something Chris couldn't understand.

It was so often over looked by the fact that Leon Kennedy was also: arrogant to a fault, often never found to be serious about anything, constantly winking and flirting at anything in a skirt, and known to enjoy blowing stuff up (also notorious for wrecking cars though he swore that was all situational).

Immature? Yes. Potentially the perpetual boy forever. But a good man. In her bones, Claire had always known he was. Hadn't he come through with her that first night they'd met? A thousand times he'd stepped between her and danger. He'd saved Sherry. He'd saved HER. And again in Harvardville.

The only thing true about what Chris had said was that one of them wasn't good enough.

Didn't he understand it was her? Even dirty, Leon Kennedy was the pretty one of them. It was shallow to admit it, but he took her breath away. He was so painfully good looking that she was constantly waiting for him to lose interest in her for someone half her age and twice her beauty.

How did she know he was the best thing in her life?

When she got down on herself, he picked up his guitar and sang to her, made three jokes about how dumb she was, and made love to her until she was breathless. She never felt anything but secure when she was with him. Ever. Not good enough?

No. She'd never be good enough.

Ever.

Standing in the doorway, Leon answered the question for Chris.

"He's thinking about what a man whore I am."

Chris shifted, dusting off his dirty hands and he didn't look at all sheepish that Leon had heard them. He met the other man's eyes narrowly. "You've already had half the women on the West Coast, Kennedy. You couldn't stop there?"

Leon lifted a brow at him, "Well, I was headed on a world tour but I started tagging your sister and decided to retire instead."

Chris shook his head, "You ever serious? You big fucking idiot. You joking about fucking my sister?"

Claire pointed at him, "Watch it. Watch it here, Christopher. I don't need you to defend my honor. Nobody makes a joke outta me."

Leon laughed lightly, unoffended. "There's nothing funny about fucking your sister, Redfield. She's the best thing I've ever had in my bed and that includes the time I ate a whole pizza and had a threeway with two models afterward."

Claire sighed dramatically, "You're not helping here, Kennedy."

Chris laughed as well but there was no humor in it. "See? Just one in a series for this guy. What happens when he fucks it up and hurts you? I'm gonna have to kick his ass because you decided to play house with the fastest zipper this side of the Mississippi."

Leon looked offended now. "Hey!"

"Leon, I'll handle it." Claire pointed at him.

He shifted. "I'm sorry, honey, I am," He shook his head, "But now he's just being cruel. I was the fastest zipper on both sides of the Mississippi. He should at least give credit where it's due here."

Claire was droll.

Chris was irritated.

Leon? As always, amused.

Claire sighed again, "We're not playing games here, Chris. And he's a good man. Stupid maybe. Can't see the IQ everyone keeps telling me about , especially when he's taunting a bull and making bad jokes…"

Leon muttered, "The jokes are good. Don't hate on the jokes."

"BUT…" Claire rolled her eyes, "Bad dialogue aside, he's good to me. I swear to god, he's good FOR me."

Chris scoffed, loudly, "You think he's serious about you? Guy can't even be serious about the CONCEPT of you. He's a user, Claire. You are making a huge mistake here, mark my words."

Claire and Chris held eyes now. Matching pairs throwing sparks. And there was the Redfield temper snapping between them. Finally, Claire said quietly, "You love me and you're worried. I get that. But putting aside the fact you think I'm stupid enough to tie myself to someone who would "use" me….you are also out of line here. You won't stand here and talk about him like that. Not anymore. Or ever again. You don't really know him, so I was giving you the benefit of the doubt on the anger about us being together. That ends now."

She turned and set down her trowel. "I think you should go."

Leon touched her arm. "Hey…hey hey. Don't do that. There's no reason for that. He's just being over protective here, babe. It's ok. I would be too if you were my sister. You think I'd want you with a guy like me?"

Claire turned her eyes up to his face. He was joking, yes, but there was something a little vulnerable in his expression. Something flinching in his eyes. The defense mechanism of Leon Kennedy threw down bad jokes to hide his fears.

He believed Chris. He really didn't think he was good enough for her.

How was it that both of the men in her life that she loved so much were both so stupid?

So, she answered that shiver of concern on his face, "You're a wonderful man. You know how I know? Because I have that idiot behind me to compare you to. If he wasn't so afraid he was going to lose me to you, he'd realize how alike you are."

Chris looked offended by the comparison.

Leon? Humbled.

And it was why he was the best man in the world. Under all the bravado? Humble. And kind.

Leon laughed a little and it sounded misty.

And there was that, Claire thought, the softness. He was such a soft man. Like her brother, crunchy on the outside…squishy inside.

He replied, gently, "So, I guess I better make you mine before you figure out I'm not good enough after all."

Claire smiled and touched his face, "I'm already yours."

Chris exclaimed, loudly now, "Don't you fucking dare, Kennedy, I swear to god."

Claire's brow furrowed, "What am I missing here?"

And Leon was laughing as he answered, "Your brother is trying to stop me from proposing."

Claire scoffed, "You're not doing that anyway."

But she stopped laughing. Because his face said that's exactly what he was doing.

He tugged the little ring from inside the breast pocket of his shirt. It was rubies and sapphires, not a traditional diamond at all. How well did he know her? It was tattooed on the both of them. And now it was offered in a band to bind them together.

Claire grabbed his wrist. She shook her head. "What are you doing here, Kennedy?" A breathy laugh followed the question.

"Pretty sure I'm asking you to marry me, Claire Redfield. What do you say?"

Her hands came up. They slid into his hair and tugged. She pressed their dirty noses together. "You want a marry a girl who's brother punches boulders and "allegedly" shoots roids!? Are you fucking stupid, Leon Kennedy?"

"Been known to be. I'd be fucking stupid if I let you go, Claire. Pretty sure I was fucking stupid not keeping you the day I met you. Bet your bro over there is already pissed as hell that he's the reason we met in the first place. Makes him stupider...more stupid? Whatever. Just say yes and prove to the world I'm not that fucking stupid after all."

She laughed and kissed him. "...yes...you wonderful man whore. YES."

Across the greenhouse, Chris let out a loud groan, "Somebody…somewhere…is punishing me for something I did in a past life…how in the HELL am I supposed to make peace with being related to the biggest man whore on Earth?"

…..

So, she'd married him and never regretted it for a minute.

Chris had come around by the time the wedding had happened. It had been brief and small, done. He had to admit, after the ceremony, he'd never seen Leon Kennedy so happy before. His sister had been radiant.

There was real love there.

When Claire had gone missing three years prior, he'd watched Leon Kennedy become a fucking mess. The joking had stopped. The world had been on fire while he tried to find her. He'd gotten fucked up and beat up and burned and broken searching everywhere for her. Whatever else was true, he loved Claire.

THEY loved Claire.

She stood between them in the nasty old house, a frail shadow of herself, and united them in a way all the love in the universe hadn't been able to before. For men, revenge was a bond that went way beyond the mooshy feelings that made girls keep on fighting. Vengeance was a dish best served with fists, bullets, and blood – and they were going to serve it again, again, and again until this place was a crater in the ground where it stood.

Claire finally let go of her brother to step back. She had dark circles beneath her eyes but she looked ready and determined, "I can't leave this place while Eveline is alive."

Chris answered her, quickly, "Where is she? I'll stop her, Claire. Just tell me where she is."

Claire shook her head, desperately, "I can't. I can't turn on her with this shit in my blood. She won't let me. She won't let me go either. Zoe either. We're trapped here. While she's in you? You're trapped. Have you seen her?"

Chris shook his head.

Leon nodded a little.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed, "Yeah. Yeah. She's in you too. Damnit. Ok. Ok. We can still do this."

She paced a little, thinking out loud. "We need the serum. We need Mama out of the way to do it. How'd you get around Jack to get out of the house?"

Leon smirked a little, "I made Jack my bitch."

Pausing, Claire met his look. And her smile was radiant. She touched his face and had Chris rolling his eyes. "Yeah, you did. You badass. How?"

Leon winked at her a little, "Chainsaw."

Her eyes widened. Claire rubbed his mouth her thumb.

The silence dragged and she finally laughed, loudly. "Chainsaw. Jesus. You and chainsaws. You throw a burlap sack on your head first?"

Leon answered that laugh with his own. "I would have if I'd thought of it."

"I know it." She turned back to her brother, "What about Lucas?"

"I killed him."

Claire tilted her head. "What?"

"He came around the corner in the dark. He was talking about raping you. I killed him."

Claire rubbed Chris' arm a little. "How?"

Shifting, Chris shrugged. He looked a little uncomfortable. Amused, Leon felt the grin start on his face. "Oh, shit. You didn't."

Claire tilted her head, "Didn't what? What am I missing here?"

Chris sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, "I broke his neck."

Brow furrowing, Claire intoned, "Ok…so why is that funny?"

Leon chuckled, "How'd you break his neck, big guy? Mmm? Come up behind him and twist it?"

Chris licked his teeth and sighed again, "…..not exactly."

Claire glanced between them, "Out with it. What?"

With a great huff of breath, Chris said drolly, "I punched him. Ok? I punched him in the face and broke his neck."

Claire kept her face deadpan. Leon let out a huge guffaw of laughter.

And finally Claire started to giggle. "Fists of rage."

Leon made a sound suspiciously like hehehe. "Pissed off man!"

Claire covered her mouth with both hands as she giggled.

Irritated, Chris turned away from them, "Laugh it up. Go ahead. Chuckleheads. Har har. He punches boulders. He breaks necks. Yuck yuck yuck."

Annoyed, Chris left the two of them standing there and moved back to find Zoe. He eased open the door to the old house and cleared into the night air beyond.

She was lying motionless on her face on the ground by the bridge.

Horrified, he hurried forward and knelt beside her.

A quick check of her pulse showed her alive and Chris rolled her over and braced her on his arm. He jiggled her a little, trying to wake her even as he made sure to cover them and keep watch. "Wake up. Zoe? Wake up."

She was dirty, scraped, and bleeding a little on her forehead. She stirred a little, her head rolling against his vest.

He tried again, "Hey, wake up now. Come on. We're not safe out here, honey. Wake up for me."

Zoe felt her eyes drift open. She was sore and her head was throbbing. She rolled her neck back and looked up a little to find his face, very…very close.

He was looking out over the bridge into the dark, protecting them both most likely while he roused her. A bead of sweat slid down his nose and plopped onto her cheek. Those close, she could smell him. Which…should be gross and wasn't. He smelled like gun oil and leather and after shave. Which was funny as it looked like he hadn't shaved in days.

She said nothing as he said, again, "Wake up, sweetheart, time to move here."

He'd know she was awake, she mused, if he just looked at her. But he was a predator. He was a lion. He was protecting her. He was UTTTERLY aware of their surroundings. The awareness on him was palpable.

So, she whispered, "I'm awake."

And his eyes turned down to her where she was leaning on him. He was crouched with her in the curve of his arm and braced against his leg. With her sitting, they were level.

Chris answered, quietly, "Good. You ok?"

"Hmm." She nodded a little. "Right now? I'm definitely ok."

Tempting little thing, Chris thought with amusement, he couldn't remember the last time he'd considered romance. Years, probably. Which was both sad and a little lowering.

But in the thick of battle, planning for it and executing and building an empire, he hadn't had the time to care so much.

There was no time for it now. There was no time for it ever, honestly, in his life.

Something in the shadows shifted and he narrowed his eyes. His arm, wrapped behind her, showed him the readings. A few beeps and a heat signature and the Genesis informed him it was a rabbit. It was stupid to sit out here in the open. How old was he?

Sitting here like some love sick dumbass in the middle of the danger zone. It was disgracef—

She pressed her mouth to his chin.

His face turned back down to her and his brains? Plop. Right out his ass.

Zoe breathed, "Thank you. I'm ready."

With his chin tilted down, his mouth hovered over hers. Just a quick press, he thought, and he'd seal them together. Smooch. Done.

Shaking himself, like a dog coming out of the water, he helped her up instead.

Her face was flushed.

They eased into the old house, careful not to touch each other again. Annoyed with himself, Chris followed the sounds of Claire and Leon talking.

She was showing him the mechanics of her flamethrower.

Claire glanced over as they approached. She jerked a little at the sight of Zoe and her face was remorseful. "Zoe…ZOE…I'm so sorry."

Zoe shook her head, quietly, "Don't be. It's ok. It's not you. It's her. We need to hurry."

Claire nodded a little, looking pale and tired. "We do. We need to get across the gulch here to the other side. I think I know where the crank might be."

Sighing, Chris said, "Always a fucking crank."

Leon laughed, lightly.

They eased through the ramshackle door on the far side of the room together. Chris tried to offer Claire a pistol and she refused, gently.

"No."

He glanced at her in surprise and Leon said, "She's right. Don't give her a weapon. It's a REALLY bad idea if you do."

Chris shook his head a little, "How bad can it be, really?"

Claire and Leon shared a look with Zoe. Chris rolled his eyes. "You're being dramatic. She seems fine."

Calmly, Claire said, "Now. Yes. I am fine. Now. It won't last."

They eased over a rickety little walkway toward the small shed on the far side. The cicadas were singing into the muggy air. The damp and fetid stench of mold and stagnant water was putrescent. As they walked, the creak and pop of water swollen wood echoed into the air around them.

Chris answered, "Claire…what do you weight right now? A hundred pounds? I think I can take you."

Leon shook his head, "Don't be stupid like I was, Redfield. Small she might be, but dangerous she is."

Chris laughed, mockingly, "And Yoda, you've become."

Zoe touched Chris' arm, stalling his laughter. "He's not kidding. She nearly killed him, twice."

Claire stiffened in front of them. Chris could see the guilt on her features. Leon rubbed the back of her neck as they walked, as if to reassure her.

Surely this was some kind of joke.

Chris couldn't stop the amusement, "You got your ass kicked by a skinny little girl?"

Leon shook his head, rolling his eyes at the laughter. "Keep laughing, Redfield. Just wait. She'll kick your ass too."

"….right. And afterward I'm gonna go down to the hospital and let some babies kick my ass too. Maybe I'll lose to a man sized piece of tofu later as well. Or a tree. Maybe a boulder."

Leon was deadpan. "You already almost lost to a boulder."

Claire laughed a little.

Chris said mockingly, "Better a boulder than a midget, Kennedy. OR A GIRL. You got your ass kicked by my starving, skinny, weakened sister. Redfield's rule."

They eased into the small shed. Claire picked up the backpack that was sitting on the table there. She offered it to Leon who slipped it on his back. "It has herbs in it and bandages. There's bullets in there too. I've been hoarding stuff for weeks, hoping I'd be able to locate the pieces for the serum on my own and make an escape."

Zoe picked up the crank from the floor by the craggy broken wall beside them. "Bingo."

Chris shrugged a little as they moved back to the walkway, "Easy enough so far. You couldn't handle this on your own, Kennedy? I think your reputation is bogus, personally. I'm thinking all the stories are bullshit. What'd you really face in Spain? A couple of angry midgets and a rabid squirrel? Based on this boring as adventure, I'm thinking the Kennedy Report was total fabricated crappola."

As if in answer, the water beneath the walkway gurgled.

There was a burst of sound.

Three mold men landed around them. The first one slapped Chris without warning. He was thrown up, out, and came down in the bayou beneath them like a dropped stone. Claire shouted, Zoe started shooting, and Leon dropped into a sweep kick before it flung that arm again.

He took its feet, threw himself back to one hand, and buffalo kicked it over the edge of the railing.

Claire shouted, "NO! YOU JUST THREW IT INTO THE WATER WITH HIM!"

That was true.

But what choice was there here?

Leon rolled back, kicked the approaching one in the face twice as he cartwheeled out of the move, and Zoe shot it again over his shoulder. As it reeled, Leon drew the Magnum and plugged it twice in the dewy air.

Claire rushed the third one bare handed.

Zoe grabbed the railing and launched herself over the side into the water below.

In the swamp, Chris was grappling with the other monster. His sister wrestled one on the bridge and he echoed the battle in the thick muck. His gun was somewhere in the swampy marsh beneath him.

Barehanded, he stopped himself from getting his throat cut open, and ducked under the second swipe of those sharp talons. As it swung, Chris stepped into its attack zone and drove his shoulder into its sternum. Throwing it off balance, he grabbed it by the hips and lifted at the same time.

It was dumped forward over his shoulder as he lifted, tossed, and threw it over his back.

The moment it hit the water, Chris ducked down to search in the muck for his weapon.

His hand closed on the stock and jerked, the monster grabbed him from behind, and he was jerked up into the air. It flipped him over and left him dangling.

It tried to stab him twice through the chest but the vest stopped it. The third time it tried, he shot in the face from the upside down position in which he found himself. It staggered, he was dropped into the water and went under, and the murky dark stole his vision.

There was two booms above him, he kicked to the surface and a came up shooting, and a bug landed on his face.

Horrified, Chris slapped at it. It stung him twice before he threw it away and shot it as it hit the water. A plume of water and a burst of blood left it in pieces. A second one came for him and he shot it in midair. It smelled like dust as it was blown clear.

On the bridge, he saw Claire mount the ugly black monster and swing herself up behind it. She monkey climbed it and then grabbed its head in her hands and jerked. It should have been impossible but there it was. She pulled its head off.

Like it was nothing.

Chris started to say something and his face started to itch.

He lifted a hand to find the two stingers stuck in his cheek. Pulling them free didn't help. The swelling started, covering the whole left side of his face. The vision in his eye went bad quickly and he staggered in the water.

Leon shouted and he heard Claire leap into the water, screaming for him.

Chris went to one knee trying to figure out what was happening.

His vision went as his other eye swelled shut.

His throat followed.

He suddenly couldn't breathe as he went to his back in the water and went under.

Someone pulled him clear and threw him in the mud. He was panicking. He knew that. He grabbed his throat and clawed as if it would create an airway.

But he was suffocating.

A small voice shouted, "STOP! BE STILL! STUPID MAN!"

That was rude.

Something stabbed into his throat. He jerked. He grabbed for his attacker and his hands were slapped away.

He was dead. Dead. DEAD.

But he wasn't.

The moment he was sure he was done, he could breathe again.

Sucking in a gasp of burning air, Chris grabbed for the person holding him. His hands closed around her shirt and fisted. He could make out Zoe's face as his vision came back.

She soothed, loudly, "It's ok. Chris? BREATHE. You're ok. Breathe now, sugar. Breathe for me."

She'd shot him full of some kind of epipen or something. She'd stopped the reaction. It was like anaphylaxis in nightmare form. Terrifying. It reminded him of those fucking bugs in Antarctica.

His breathing was ragged and terrified.

Zoe turned him. She turned him toward her and hugged him.

She was small and skinny and somehow she was trying to rock his big body in her arms to soothe him. It was…it should have been ridiculous. It worked like a charm.

His arms came up to cling to her.

And her voice soothed him after all. "Shhh. Hey hey. I got you. You're ok now. I gave you the antivenom. You're ok."

His voice was ragged and hoarse, "Venom?"

"Yes. Mama's bugs make venom. Like a snake. Don't let them sting you again ok? You're inoculated for a little while but it'll wear off."

The panic had fangs in his guts. He had to get it together. You'd think after all this time nothing could scare him. Apparently, he was full of shit. He could still be scared to death.

"Jesus Christ…thank you."

"Not Jesus. Just Zoe. And you're welcome, big hero."

He laughed a little and eased back. She pushed his soaking hair out of his eyes, checking for damage. The stinger marks on his cheek would likely scar but he was ok. The swelling was way down. His nose looked a little plump and his mouth was still bee stung but it was better. He'd looked like a monster before. The swelling had turned his face into a lumpy, bloated nightmare. She'd never been so afraid as she'd been racing toward him.

Her heart was HAMMERING.

She touched his cheek, gently, "You'll scar from it. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. I'm already ugly. What differences will a few more scars make?"

Annoyed, she grabbed his ears and shook him a little. "Stop saying you're ugly. You stupid man."

"Why do you care anyway?"

She hadn't let go of his ears yet.

He was very aware of it. He was also aware that he still had his rifle clutched in his hands. He'd gone down, nearly died, and hadn't let go of his gun. Let's hear it for training, he thought ironically. What would it take for him to drop it? Apparently, not being stung by nasty poisonous bugs and nearly choking to death.

Zoe laughed roughly, angrily and said, "You're dumber than Leon Kennedy is."

Well…that was just mean.

AND UNTRUE.

Insulted, Chris said, "Uglier, yes, but there is NO ONE dumber than Leon Kennedy."

Zoe laughed. She laughed and shook her head, "You're both dumb as rocks. And you are NOT ugly. Don't say it again, ya hear?"

"Why? What will you do?"

Challenged, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Every time you say you're ugly, I'll do this."

He hadn't dropped his rifle before. What did it take to get him to drop it?

A skinny little bit of a thing moving in to kiss him.

The gun plopped into the mud, his hands came up to take her face and turned her into him, and she kept on holding on to his ears.

Later, he'd think about how stupid he really was.

Because they'd tried to warn him.

They'd tried to warn him about...the monster.

There was a shout of sound and his eyes opened. A breath away from kissing her, he blinked at the scene beyond her shoulder. She opened her eyes when she realized he'd stopped. His hammering heart and flushed face couldn't register the moment at first. He saw Kennedy racing through the water. He saw his sister coming for them.

He heard Leon shout, "FOR GOD'S SAKE GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

And Chris was confused.

He felt Zoe scramble to let go of him and couldn't figure out why…

And Claire grabbed her by the hair.

Zoe shrieked and Chris shouted, "HEY! CLAIRE! What in the fuck?!"

And Claire…? Claire? Maybe not Claire growled, "YOU WHORE! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF WHAT'S MINE! FIRST MY HUSBAND! NOW MY BROTHER!? GET YOUR OWN FAMILY!"

And Zoe was thrown like she was nothing out into the bayou.

Chris shouted in horror and get to his feet and his sister?

She grabbed his throat and picked him up off his feet like he didn't weight 220 on a good day of solid muscle.

What had Leon said? She's not Claire.

Not exactly.

And he was about to be strangled by the skinny shadow of the thing that was wearing her body like a suit made of skin.