"Light of Shadows"
Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of the characters.  They are the property of Capcom.  I'm using them for my own personal enjoyment and that of others and not making any money in the process.

*Note – I ignored the fact that Leon apparently knew Claire was on Rockfort (or whatever) sorry.  I've never played the games! (My explanation for it is that if Leon knew how to contact Chris to tell him where Claire was….why would Claire go looking for Chris in the first place?!)

Big thank you to Mayumi H for being such a great beta reader!  And to all the people who review to help me become a better writer.

Light of Shadows

By: Facade

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There's a candle burning
In the world tonight
For another child
Who vanished out of sight
And a heart is broken
Another prayer in vain
There's a million tears
That'll fill a sea of pain
            Aerosmith "Fallen Angels"
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            "No way."
            "But…"
            "No buts, Claire.  You are not coming." Chris Redfield interrupted, eyeing his younger sister sternly.
            Claire's chin inched up defiantly, her blue eyes sparkling with challenge.  Chris sighed inwardly, recognizing the stubborn tilt of her jaw all too well.
            "You're not going." he repeated firmly.  "I want you here where it's safe."
            Claire gasped indignantly. "Chris!  That's not fair!  I can…"
            "Enough." Chris roared suddenly, surprising even himself.
            Claire's mouth snapped shut, her expression hurt.  Chris never yelled at her.
            "Fine," she whispered before spinning on her heel and stomping into her hotel room, slamming the door behind her.
            Chris stared after her for a moment before sighing and raking his hands through his brown hair, causing it to stand on end.
            "I should've made her promise…"
            A small, feminine chuckle drew his eyes toward the window where a slender figure was lounging in one of the wing chairs.
            "That wasn't very nice, Chris." Jill Valentine pointed out.
            "I know but I don't want to be worrying about her while we're there." Chris explained once again.
            "I don't know.  She seems to have done pretty well by herself back in Raccoon City," she remarked casually.
            Chris glared at her for the reminder, but Jill simply grinned at him until he smiled back.
            "Think I should go apologize?"
             "I think she'd probably shoot you if you went in there now."
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            Claire threw herself onto her bed, rolling onto her back and glaring angrily at the ceiling.  How dare Chris even assume that she couldn't take care of herself!  She wasn't his baby sister that needed to be protected anymore.  She was twenty years old.  She'd lived through Raccoon City without his help.
            In fact, she'd never have been in Raccoon City if it hadn't been for him.  If he'd managed to find time in his busy schedule of bringing the Umbrella Corp. to its knees and told her where he was…she'd never have gone to Raccoon City looking for him!
            She shuddered as memories drifted across her consciousness like windblown leaves.  The smell of rotting flesh, the shuffling thump of approaching zombies, the low, nerve wracking moans, ice cold fear flowing through her veins as she counted her remaining bullets.  Claire rubbed futilely at the goosebumps on her arms, her anger abating slightly.  She could hear Chris and Jill in the next room.  Making plans probably.
            That's why they were here after all.  All of the information they had pointed to another Umbrella Corp. lab somewhere in the nearby desert.  Claire rolled onto her side, tucking her hands under her cheek and gazing out the window at the spectacular sunset painting the sky in brilliant streamers of reds and oranges.  The sensational view was the only good thing she could credit Arizona with.  Everything else since she'd gotten there was hell.  Especially Chris ordering her to stay behind while he, Jill, and Carlos infiltrated the building and had a look around.  She had just found Chris again and she didn't want to sit here and wonder whether she'd ever see him alive again. 
            She glanced at the phone on the bedside table contemplatively…
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            "Claire? Claire, we're leaving now. Remember…"
            Claire glanced up from her book. "If you're not back in twenty-four hours, call Rebecca and Barry.  They'll know what to do," she repeated again for the one-hundredth time. 
            Chris hugged her briefly.  "I love you, Claire.  We'll be back."
            "I love you, too, big bro."
            He grunted in response, hugging her once again. He picked his Magnum up off of the table, slipping it into the holster at his side.  Without another word he was out the door.  Jill followed him, turning to wink at Claire before she pulled the door shut behind her, leaving Claire alone. 
            Claire waited until she heard the doors on the rented van slam closed and the engine disappear into the silence of the stardusted night.  She jumped to her feet, disregarding the book she'd been pretending to read for the last five hours when it fell to the floor.  They actually thought that she was going to sit here meekly and wait for them?  Not Claire Redfield!
            Claire was just pulling her heavy leather boots on when the knock sounded on the suite's outer door.  She blew several strands of loose hair from her eyes and stomped her foot into the last boot, ignoring the flopping laces.  She slipped a wicked looking knife into the sheath on the inner side of her right boot before straightening and slipping silently across the room to the door.  She looked through the peephole cautiously before throwing the locks and swinging the door open, smiling.
            "Leon!"
            Leon Scott Kennedy looked up from the scrap of creased paper in his hand, a slow smile spreading across his face.  He dipped his left shoulder slightly, dropping the duffel bag he carried to the floor with a muted thud, and stepped forward.  Claire stepped into his arms willingly, her own arms circling his torso tightly while her face tucked into his warm shoulder.  She inhaled the clean scent of his skin deeply, smelling the faint scent of his soap mixed with musky aftershave.  Claire felt Leon's arms wrap around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly, his cheek resting on the crown of her head.  If she held on to him longer than was appropriate neither of them commented when she finally stepped back, allowing him to enter the room.
            Leon toed his bag just inside the door and shut it softly behind him.  He hadn't changed much in the months since she'd last seen him.  After Utah Claire had continued on to Europe to find Chris while Leon went to California to check out several Umbrella fronts for Trent and to check on Sherry. 
            Claire suddenly realized that she was staring at him but couldn't bring herself to look away.  When had he gotten so damn attractive?  Had he looked that good in Raccoon City and she just hadn't noticed?  His russet hair had grown a bit, still falling forward to frame his face only to be pushed back casually, revealing a pair of expressive deep blue eyes.  Claire eyed his tall, lean form critically, from the dark blue T-shirt stretched across his broad chest to the snug black pants encasing his muscled legs to the thick boots on his feet.  She glanced up to find him watching her with a curious expression and blushed darkly, spinning away to hide her red cheeks, and crossing the room to sit at the small table.
            Leon smiled after her, admiring her many feminine qualities.  He skimmed her body with his eyes quickly, appreciating the way she filled out the jeans and muted red shirt she wore.  He followed her to the small round table placed in the center of the room and dropped gratefully into one of the chairs around it.
            "Leon… Thank you so much for coming.  Especially on such short notice."
            "I couldn't pass up a chance to see your beautiful face again." Leon quipped, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
            Claire flushed a bright red and Leon leaned across the table and tugged playfully at the end of her brown ponytail.  Her head shot up and a sharp retort died on her lips at his mischievous smile and she couldn't resist smiling back.  She loved the way his eyes sparkled when he was fooling around.  She stuck her tongue out at him and laughed.
            "So where's your brother?" he asked, looking around the room curiously, noticing for the first time that they were completely alone.
            "Gone already." Claire replied bitterly.  She didn't notice when Leon smiled at her knowingly.  "He refused to let me go with them.  Ever since I got caught by Umbrella months ago he…"
            Claire trailed off as Leon lurched out of his seat, blue eyes wild, roaring, "WHAT?!"
            She leaned her head back to meet his eyes, repeating calmly, "I was caught by Umbrella several months ago.  They sent me to Rockfort Island…"
            Claire's voice broke and she stared blankly at him, her mind drifting back.  Rockfort…Antarctica…Steve…  Her throat closed painfully and she felt hot, stinging tears fill her eyes as a wave of grief she thought she'd finally escaped washed over her.  Steve Burnside.  Who'd loved her enough to sacrifice himself to save her life.  Claire bit down on her trembling lower lip to keep from crying.  She sensed rather than saw Leon kneel next to her chair, reaching out hesitantly to touch her.  She raised her anguished eyes to his frantic, worried ones and attempted a weak smile. 
            Leon gently took her hand in his and tugged her into his arms, shifting slightly to sink to the floor with her between his knees.  He pressed her to his chest tightly and rocked her slightly, all the time rubbing her back soothingly. 
            She'd been captured by Umbrella.  Just the mere thought of it sent cold fingers of fear clenching at his gut.  Why hadn't anyone told him?!  Why?!  What had happened to her to cause such misery in her beautiful eyes?  He felt cold and clammy just thinking about the terrible things she could have been subjected to.  Leon held Claire tighter, unable to shake his fear, and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
            A few moments later she finally pushed back from his chest, the strong, collected Claire firmly back in place.  Leon could tell from the look in her eyes that she didn't want to talk about it so he reluctantly released her.  She stood slowly, brushing her jeans off.
            "Sorry." She mumbled meekly.
            Leon shook his head mutely, gazing up at her. "Claire…"
            "We should get moving.  It's getting late." She cut him off abruptly, turning away and crossing the room.  She disappeared into one of the bedrooms and returned a second later with an armful of equipment.
            Leon shook his head, levering himself off of the floor, and went back to the door to get his bag.  There would be time later to find out the whole story.  He swung the bag onto the table and the contents inside rattled in protest to the treatment before settling.  He glanced at Claire one last time before setting to work.  She was busily thumbing 9mm rounds into a magazine, steadfastly ignoring him. 
            Leon sighed inwardly and unzipped the bag, reaching in and pulling the first gun out. 
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