Excella's driver parked her car in the front entrance, she hastily opened the door and went out. She practically ran into her house, her heartbeat frantic as her nervousness grew and grew. She was so excited yet also confused, but she hoped he called for a very good reason and that he found out what Wesker knew about her. Excella entered her living room only to see the detective, Jenkins, sitting on the couch and drinking some coffee. Her butler took care of him so she just sat down on the opposite side of him, crossing her arms and legs as she looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"Talk. Why have you called me?" She was so eager to hear what he has to say. He cleared his throat as he searched for something in his bag, then he took out a bundle of pictures of Claire in her everyday life and Excella immediately felt sick for seeing her again.
"These pictures were taken a few days ago. There is nothing strange on these photos. But I have checked her past, her family line and such. And I came to very...shocking informations." Excella's heartbeat was so frantic she thought it would explode, but somehow she kept her temper low.
"And?" She asked him eagerly and the man took a deep breath.
"Well, I have found out who Claire Sullyvan really is." Excella's eyes widened at that, thinking that she maybe misunderstood him.
"What do you mean, who she really is? Is she a spy or something?" Jenkins put out his cigarette and sighed.
"No, but she's hiding her past and her true identity."
"Tell me!" Jenkins took out a bunch of papers again and threw them on the table in front of Excella. She eagerly took the papers, on the first page was a picture of Claire and her information which were shocking.
Name: Claire Sullyvan
Year of birth: Unknown
Family: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Then her eyes fell on the second page and her eyes widened when she saw the same photo, yet another name and information.
Name: Claire Redfield
Family: Ana Redfield (mother), Kevin Redfield (father), Chris Redfield (brother)
Excella stared wide eyed at the last two lines, not believing what she read. She looked at the picture of her, then her name, then the picture again. She was certain that the woman mentioned in the file was Claire Sullyvan, but it turns out she was Claire Redfield. Excella immediately linked the name to Chris Redfield, one of the officers that worked in Wesker's team back in S.T.A.R.S. A smile crept up her face as she never looked away from the file, her heartbeat frantic.
"Are you completely sure about this, Jenkins? Is the information true?" The man lightened another cigarette and sighed.
"Miss, this information was very hard to reach and the world doesn't know her as Claire Redfield. And the pictures prove that it's the same person." Excella stood up, still staring at the files in her hand when she slowly started to walk up and down a line. She was smiling brightly when she thought about finally getting rid of her so she can have Wesker all for herself. She laughed loudly then, her shoulders working with the laugh before she looked back at Jenkins. She calmed down, but the mean smile never left her face when she approached Jenkins again.
"You have done a wonderful job, Jenkins." She took out her checkbook and wrote him a nice sum of money down on it. She gave him the check and smiled. "Here, for your hard work." She clicked the pencil and put it back in her bag. "I don't have to remind you that William shouldn't find out about this." Jenkins smiled wickedly as he waved the check.
"You pay for my work and my silence, Miss Gionne." He reached out his hand to her, she took it and they shook hands. "A pleasure doing business with you, Miss." Then he turned and left her house, leaving Excella alone with her thoughts. She would be silent for a while longer and play along, then when the time is right, she would spit her knowledge into Claire's face and demand her retreat. But first she had to come up with a plan how to ruin the wonderful relationship between her and Wesker. She already had something in mind, she only needed to make a few calls...
####
CellTex...
Claire was in her office inspecting some papers that the other scientists left her to check. The gene research came to halt, but still they kept studying some disorders and the changes in the human genome. She read file after file, some of them proving to be promising, some proving to be not reliable. She still stared at the files, deep in thought when someone entered her office. She glanced at the door then back at the papers when she saw Melnick entering. She chewed the end of the pencil, an old habit she got from her days when she was still a Redfield. Seems old habits die hard, even for a tyrant.
"Speak Melnick. What happened?" Then she put the papers aside and lifted her head to look at him. He was relaxed and fairly calm when he came and sat down on the chair opposite of her. Somehow Claire knew that everything was fine. She could read him like an open book.
"Everything is fine Miss. The experiment is going well." He leaned his forearms on her desk when she kept inspecting the files again. "The licker is growing, just as I expected, but she should stop growing in the next few days. She has reached her physical culmination." Claire chewed the pencil again as she stared at the files, some research catching her eye.
"It's kinda strange how a dead thing can still develop, even if it's dead." She spoke and Melnick had to smile, he tried hard not to chuckle to not appear rude.
"Maybe there is an afterlife, after all. Maybe the old Egyptians were true." Claire threw the files on one corner of the desk and fell back into her chair as she ranked her hands behind her head.
"Yea, and cats are God's." She answered sarcastically when she turned a full circle with her chair. Melnick watched her with his eyebrows raised when he saw her so playful and relaxed. "Anyway, what did you wanted, Doctor?" She asked when she looked at him, her hands now folded on the desk. Melnick cleared is throat as his expression changed, from calm and relaxed to stiff and suspicious.
"One of the scientists has asked me to join my team."
"Yea? Who?" Claire asked with her eyebrows raised and surprise written on her face.
"Miss Steward." Claire furrowed her eyebrows together as she tried to remember who she is.
"Steward...Steward..." She murmured as she stared at the desk. Then it hit her. "You mean the new scientist, Alison Steward?"
"Yes. She asked me the other day when we took the elevator. She told me she wanted to join because she's ambitious, always willing to learn and see new things." Claire's finger began tapping on her hand as she thought about the girl. She was smart, young, Claire had to admit that she even started to like her. "But I am concerned. We don't know her that well to be sure that she won't blabber our progress out to the world." Claire fell back into her large seat again, a wicked smile appearing on her face.
"No one would dare sell me out Melnick. You know that." Then she silenced for a while, never looking away from the desk. "What do you think about her?" Melnick sighed and shook his head slightly, thinking about what to say.
"Ah...well, she's impressive. She has a very high knowledge of virology and she seems capable to me. She doesn't seem the type who would betray us." Claire watched him, thinking about Alison the entire time. She checked her profile many times, even tried to see if she has any past connections with the police or if she's a spy. But she found none, and she didn't knew why she should mistrust her then.
"If you think she would help you in improving the current research, then take her." Melnick's eyes flew to her.
"Are you sure?" Claire leaned back on the desk and started writing the transfer report on her laptop.
"Yes. Besides, she will get to hear her risks if she wants to back out, or worse." Claire send him a threatening smile, her fingers leaned on the keyboard. "And you know who gets the blame." She turned her head to the monitor and started typing again as Melnick swallowed hard.
"Of course Miss. I'll go and tell her about the transfer right away." Claire just nodded silently to him before he made his way out of her office. She would approve of the transfer, but she would keep an eye on her, just to make sure she didn't make the wrong decision. After she finished the report she left her office and the building, frustrated from today's work. She had to call Wesker though because he called her this morning. She entered her boat and it drove off, then she took out her phone and dialed Wesker's personal number.
"Dearheart."
"Why did you call me?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Why? I had a very rough day. I don't need any more problems." He chuckled and she wanted to kill him through the speaker if it was possible.
"Come to my mansion when you're rested, there's some important matter we have to discuss." Then he hung up. She put the phone back into her pocket and let out a frustrated sigh. She didn't need his arrogance now, but he sounded serious so she decided to get to him as soon as she would relax a little.
"Oh Wesker, what have you in mind?" She spoke to herself as she drank her glass of whiskey. A while later she reached the mainland and took her car to drive back to her mansion. It was late evening, she decided to call it a day and not visiting Wesker. Tonight, she would have a calm and relaxing night. Tomorrow she would hear about Wesker's possible plans.
####
Alice was so tired, the day exhausted her and she wanted nothing else but to go home and relax. She turned off the last of the machines before she would turn off the lights. She took her jacket and wanted to get out of her lab, suddenly someone entered and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Melnick. She immediately forgot about her tiredness as she took a deep breath. She needed to stay focused.
"Doctor Melnick?" He smiled and pointed at her desk to sit down. She sat down on her chair while he brought another in front of her. He never stopped smiling when he finally looked at her, she didn't know why he was here at all and she was only too eager to find out.
"Did something happen?" Melnick shook his head slightly.
"Everything is fine, Miss Steward. I have reconsidered your request to join my team." She sucked in a sharp and her heartbeat increased. "And I have talked to Miss Sullyvan about it." Alice barely managed to keep her excitement under control.
"And?" Somehow she managed to stay calm and focused. Melnick smiled again as he leaned his back in the chair.
"You will wait for me and Miss Sullyvan in the lobby tomorrow morning. Then she will explain you all the rules and risks into joining my team. This will be your last chance to back out. After that there's no turning back." Alice nodded as a nervous smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you, Doctor Melnick." He nodded and stood up before he shook her hand.
"This is a well paid job, Miss Steward. And a very easy job only if you stick to the rules." She nodded to him and they both walked out of her office. They both took the elevator to the lobby, but both kept silent. Alice was nervous and scared and excited, but she knew she had to accept the offer. If there were indeed some experiments going on, then they had to stop her and prevent whatever she's breeding down there.
####
It was night, soon everyone left the BSAA headquarters, Chris sat in his office reading some old reports of Racoon City and Rockfort Island. He remembered the two incidents as if they happened last week and he felt sick remembering all the B.O.W's walking around the streets, attacking every human being that walked into them. He remembered he barely survived, but somehow he dragged Leon and Claire to safety. He took the picture he had in his drawer from her and him when they visited the Grand Canyon. She was seventeen then, he dragged her into a half hug, his hand resting across her shoulders. She was smiling brightly, her head tilted slightly aside, her eyes warm. She was his baby sister and he still couldn't accept what happened to her.
They haven't talked for five years and Chris wondered if everything would've been different if he didn't yell at her. He said terrible things to her back then, things he said while he was angry. He remembered spitting into her face that she was a monster, that she isn't his baby sister anymore. He remembered the sad and pleading look on her face, he remembered Jill trying to calm him down. But he couldn't just calm down, not like that. Then he said he didn't want to see her ever again before he turned abruptly and left. Jill tried to pull him back to Claire to apologize, but he just kept walking and yelling that he didn't have a sister anymore. What a fool he was.
He put the picture down on the desk and cradled his face in his palms as tears threatened to flow. For four and a half years he thought she was dead, then she appeared out of nowhere as Claire Sullyvan. His heart clenched at the change in her, but there was nothing he could do. He abandoned her in the time she needed him most, he damaged her and himself with his rashness and stupidity. Now he payed the price. They didn't talk with each other, nor did she called him ever in these five years. Many times he thought of calling her, he had her number and he still does, but he didn't know what to say. There was a rift between them that could never be fixed again.
Chris looked at his phone on the desk, thinking and nothing but thinking. This situation was killing him, she was so close to him yet she was so far away. What the hell, he thought as he grabbed his phone and looked through his contacts. He went on and on until he reached her number saved under 'Claire'. He watched her name for long moments, thinking of what to say. Then he pushed the dial button and he hesitantly put the phone on his ear. He made sure he hid his number, the last thing he needed was her knowing his number. The line beeped, and beeped, and beeped. Suddenly someone picked up and his blood froze.
"Hello?" Her voice was like silk, smooth and calm and so very familiar like nothing had changed. Chris was stunned, his voice dead and his heart frantic. He didn't know what to say, or do. He was silent and barely breathed as he heard her sigh.
"Hello? Who is it?" Then he hung up. The second he did that he wanted to hit himself. He stared at the phone, his hand shaking as his vision became blurry again. Her voice was calm, a little frustrated, but her voice was as he remembered. At least there was something that didn't change, he thought when he threw his phone on the desk letting out a heavy sigh. Why was it so hard to call her? He wasn't afraid of her being a tyrant, no. Nor was he afraid that Wesker would appear out of nowhere. Why then? He took the picture again and watched her, wondering what she's doing right now. Is she cursing the one who called her in the middle of the night, he asked himself. Probably, he thought as a smile crept up his face. He stood up, put on his jacket and turned off the lights in his office before he turned to leave.
He drove his car back to his home where Jill already waited for him, and he smiled. Having someone waiting for you at home is a real nice feeling and Chris knew that without Jill, he wouldn't be sane any longer. Many times he was close to break, but she supported him and gave him strength, always telling him that they have to accept what Claire is. He still couldn't accept it, nor will he ever, but he also knew there's nothing he could do to make her human again. He could only hope she wasn't such an ass like Wesker, that she still had a small part of her old self inside, ticking and watching over her.
Half an hour later he arrived home, he parked his car in the garage, locked it and went inside the house as the door of the garage closed automatically. He put the keys into the bowl next to the door, hung his jacket close to the door and walked upstairs, knowing he would find her there. He opened the bedroom door as silently as possible only to see a few candles lit across the room and her lying on the bed in a transparent red negligee. She was sleeping, and Chris had to smile. He silently changed into some sweatpants and lied down next to her, shirtless. He hoped he wouldn't wake her up, but it seems he wasn't silent enough.
"Hey baby." She said still a little sleepy and smiling. Chris kissed her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist as she slowly turned to him.
"Hey sexy..." He whispered, his voice dropping a full octave sending goose bumps all over her body.
"Late work huh?" She was turned fully to him now, his hand still resting on her waist.
"Yea, but not too exhausting." She chuckled seductively and scooped closer, her chest pressed to his now. "Nice thing you're wearing there." She chuckled again, this time more playfully as she started to kiss his neck.
"I thought you might like it." She bit and trailed kisses all to his ear. "Although I didn't know if you'd have some spare energy to spend."
"Oh that I have." He gently pushed her back into the bed and started to kiss her. His tongue was rough and deep, almost forcing it's way into her mouth but she didn't mind. This is Chris and she knew he was a little more forceful than the men she was with before. He broke the kiss and attacked her neck, gently nipping and sucking the skin there, determined to leave a love bite. Then he went lower to her chest, biting every once in a while. He pushed her bra aside and flicked his tongue over her already hard nipple. She moaned and ran her hand through his hair as his other hand spread her thighs open.
"God, Chris..." She moaned when he started to kiss her defined stomach through the thin, transparent fabric. He ranked his fingers in the waistband of her red lace underwear and pulled them down until he threw them away. He kissed her leg all the way up to her thigh, his hands playing with her breasts again as he kissed her inner thighs. She moaned as he spread her legs even further, and seconds later he flicked his tongue over her lips. She gasped and he did it again, and again, until he found her nub with his tongue. Jill arched her back roughly, almost breaking it in half as his skilled tongue flicked over her nub, again and again. He ranked his hands around her thighs to prevent her to move and to bring her closer to him.
He knew she was close so he sped up, his skilled tongue ravishing her and licking her juices. She was overwhelmed by his technique, and she couldn't hold her release any longer and she came. She moaned his name loudly and arched her back as he still held her thighs in place. Slowly she came down from the orgasm and she opened her eyes only to see him already naked and climbing up to her. He held her thighs open and as his tip gently touched her lips. She bucked her hips hoping to bury him inside, to feel his length. He didn't keep her waiting so he pushed inside her in one swift stroke. She moaned and her head fell back into the pillow, then he started to move. Slow, long and hard strokes at first, then he sped up, more and more, until the rhythm was almost frantic.
She liked it rough though, same as him. One of the many things they had in common. The tension in her belly grew and grew until all she could feel was him and nothing but him. Her entire body started to tense as he moved and moved, never stopping or changing his pace. Then she came hard around him and moaned his name again. Usually he continued, but this time he needed to burn her, to fill her. He kept his pace and soon he shattered, filling her with his warmth. Both were sweaty and breathing heavily until they calmed down a little, he rolled over and settled beside her, she scooped close to him and leaned her head on his chest where she could feel his frantic heartbeat. She sighed, happy and content now as she watched her fingers grazing gently over his chest.
"Wow...Chris, seems you get better with every passing day." He laughed slightly as he closed his eyes, the tiredness of the day and of the sex slowly crushing on to him.
"Well, have to please my lady eh?" He said playfully until he kissed the top of her head. Then they both went silent as both slowly drifted off to sleep.
