New Horizons, XVIII
By: Hotaru
Warnings: Steve bashing, strong language, RE: Code Veronica spoilers
~^~
As Leon laid in his bed, tired as he's ever been, he listened to the semi-argument between Claire and Chris. He tried to cover his head with a pillow to muffle the noise, but since Claire's room was right next to his, it didn't really help. He groaned angrily and trudged down to the living room, turned off all the lights and laid on the couch.
He instantly fell asleep but was woken up when the lights were turned back on. "Son of a bitch, what now?!" he exclaimed, sitting up in a huff. Claire and Chris jumped, not knowing he was there.
"Leon, are you ok? Why aren't you in your room?" Chris asked.
"I'm tired. Very, very tired. It's bright as hell outside, and I finally got my room dark, and you two kept me up. I come down here to try to sleep, and you follow suite. Can I please get some sleep?!" Leon exclaimed.
"Leon, relax. We're going to paint now, so you can go back to your room and sleep, okay? Just take it easy." Claire said quickly.
"Thank you!" Leon huffed, trudging back upstairs.
Claire and Chris eyed him before covering everything with sheets. "So how are you doing?" Claire asked, prying open a can of paint.
"I'm getting along alright, I guess. I uh…told Jill that I loved her.." Chris said slowly.
"Really!? I just knew you two'd be together! What happened?" Claire exclaimed gleefully.
"She didn't say it back.."
"Oh Chris…I'm sure she wanted to. We all know how much Jill cares for you. Don't worry about it, it'll be fine."
Picking up a paintbrush, Chris sighed. "It takes a lot for me to be able to say something like that to someone. And for her to practically ignore me…it hurt a lot Claire. And I'm afraid to talk to her. I mean, what am I gonna say?" he asked shakilly.
"You can ask her why she didn't say it back, if you can be that forward. But you have to realize that it's a lot for a girl to be told that she's loved by someone. I wouldn't really know how it feels, considering that Ricky Matthews broke my heart a week after he said that to me…but you have to bounce back. Act like…it bothers you, but you're now totally flipping out over it."
"That punk. You know he jumped me and my friends once."
"Really? When?"
Chris thought for a minute. "When I was half-way high school I think. He had his older brother with him, and you know how I was back then—"
"Scrawny." Claire answered.
"Yeah, I was weak and got the shit kicked out of me. He said it was cause of you."
"What?!"
"Yeah. I can't really remember it much. But I remember that at least."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"Cause I didn't want to bother you."
Claire gave Chris that look and frowned. "I really wish you would have told me about this. I can't believe he would do that." She remarked, painting the wall slowly.
"Yeah well, it's no big deal." Chris retorted.
They were silent for the longest until Katie started crying. Claire paused before tossing her paintbrush to the floor. "Claire, what's the matter?" Chris asked, going after his sister. "Claire? Can you answer me please?" he continued.
"Can you see him in her?" Claire asked.
"What?"
"Is she starting to look like Steve or not?"
"Who, Katie? No…a little bit, but not really."
"Her hair is getting red, her eyes aren't as wide as they would have been…"
"So? What's the big deal?"
Claire crossed her arms and looked at the floor, but didn't answer. "I'm gonna go out for a little while to clear my head." She said, picking Katie up from her crib and brushing past Chris.
"Claire!" Chris exclaimed agrivatedly. He grabbed his sister by the arm as she was about to walk out the door.
"Let me go, Chris!" Claire screamed, yanking her arm free and slamming the door behind her. /What the hell is the matter now?!/
~^~
Leon groggily slumped down the stairs into the living room, rubbing his face tiredly. "Yo." He greeted to Chris, who was thumbing through a magazine.
"Hey. Sleep well?" Chris replied.
"Yeah, I guess so. Where's Claire?"
"I don't know. She said she was going out to clear her head, but that was a few hours ago."
"She hasn't called?"
"Nope."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Not really, she can handle herself. Besides, she blew me off before she left."
"What happened?"
Chris closed the magazine and rolled it up in his hands. "She was just acting really strange. She hesitated to go see Katie when she was crying, and then she kept asking me if she looks like Steve. Then when I asked her what was wrong and what not, she just ignored me." He explained.
"Oh. She's probably just being obsessive, with him getting probation and all." Leon replied understandably.
"Yeah, but I think it was more than that. Like…I dunno, she resents Katie or something."
"Really..?"
Sighing, Chris stood up and streched. "You should try to talk to her whenever she comes back. She won't talk to me, so you might as well give it a shot." He said, heading into the kitchen. Leon pressed his lips together thoughtfully as the phone rang. Chris picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Jill!?"
"Who else would it be? How're you doing?"
"I'm fine, how was your flight?"
"Okay, long though. I'm back at HQ now, and the boss is having the virus and serums taken to the lab for analysis."
"Great. Ok. So how are you?"
"Alright, I guess. I miss you already."
"I miss you too, Jill. So how's everything going over there?"
"A little hectic. Everyone's glad to have me back and..damn, the boss is back. I have to get to a meeting now, so I gotta run."
"Aw, already? Well, alright. Look, about what happened at the airport—"
"Don't worry about it Chris. I gotta run, so I'll talk to you as soon as I can. Bye."
"Yeah..bye."
Grumbling, Chris hung up the phone and raided the fridge. "So how is she?" Leon questioned, grabbing a pack of Pop Tarts from the cabinet.
"Alright. She's working already. Our boss gets a little eccentric when there's new information and stuff." Chris replied
"That's cool. It's always great when everyone works together to achieve a common goal, right?"
"That is so cliché. But yeah, I guess so. It does get intense, and everyone works together. It's great, yeah."
The front door opened and closed, and Chris and Leon eyed Claire who ignored the both of them. "Jeez." Leon muttered, popping a soda open.
"Like I said, you talk to her. I just don't want to deal with it." Chris replied, sauntering off to his room.
Leon went to Claire's room and watched her for awhile. She was throwing things around, slamming drawers and what not. "Are you okay?" He questioned. Claire's head shot up.
"How long did you intend on standing there?" She asked.
"As long as it took for me to get the jist of your mood. Seriously, what's the matter?"
"I'm just…mad."
"No shit. Why are you mad?"
"Because! Steve's getting probation, Katie keeps reminding me of him and I don't know whether I should keep her or not!"
Claire's hand flew up to cover her mouth. Leon's eyes widened. "You what?" he asked incredously.
"Forget it, just ignore what I said. I don't know what I was thinking." Claire excused, trying to get past Leon. He blocked the doorway however.
"Claire, this is serious. Are you considering giving Katie up for adoption?" He questioned.
"Don't look at me like that, Leon."
"Answer me."
"Why should I?!"
"Because when someone asks you a question, they deserve an answer! And you've got to be high or something if you think I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you."
"Look, I was considering it for her safety. You heard what Steve said about her, didn't you!? I don't want her to be here if they're going to be after her."
Leon sighed deeply. "Look, I understand Claire. But you have to really consider if this is what you want to do. She's your daughter, your first born. Do you really want to give her up?" he asked, staring into Claire's eyes intently.
"…yes."
TBC
By: Hotaru
Warnings: Steve bashing, strong language, RE: Code Veronica spoilers
~^~
As Leon laid in his bed, tired as he's ever been, he listened to the semi-argument between Claire and Chris. He tried to cover his head with a pillow to muffle the noise, but since Claire's room was right next to his, it didn't really help. He groaned angrily and trudged down to the living room, turned off all the lights and laid on the couch.
He instantly fell asleep but was woken up when the lights were turned back on. "Son of a bitch, what now?!" he exclaimed, sitting up in a huff. Claire and Chris jumped, not knowing he was there.
"Leon, are you ok? Why aren't you in your room?" Chris asked.
"I'm tired. Very, very tired. It's bright as hell outside, and I finally got my room dark, and you two kept me up. I come down here to try to sleep, and you follow suite. Can I please get some sleep?!" Leon exclaimed.
"Leon, relax. We're going to paint now, so you can go back to your room and sleep, okay? Just take it easy." Claire said quickly.
"Thank you!" Leon huffed, trudging back upstairs.
Claire and Chris eyed him before covering everything with sheets. "So how are you doing?" Claire asked, prying open a can of paint.
"I'm getting along alright, I guess. I uh…told Jill that I loved her.." Chris said slowly.
"Really!? I just knew you two'd be together! What happened?" Claire exclaimed gleefully.
"She didn't say it back.."
"Oh Chris…I'm sure she wanted to. We all know how much Jill cares for you. Don't worry about it, it'll be fine."
Picking up a paintbrush, Chris sighed. "It takes a lot for me to be able to say something like that to someone. And for her to practically ignore me…it hurt a lot Claire. And I'm afraid to talk to her. I mean, what am I gonna say?" he asked shakilly.
"You can ask her why she didn't say it back, if you can be that forward. But you have to realize that it's a lot for a girl to be told that she's loved by someone. I wouldn't really know how it feels, considering that Ricky Matthews broke my heart a week after he said that to me…but you have to bounce back. Act like…it bothers you, but you're now totally flipping out over it."
"That punk. You know he jumped me and my friends once."
"Really? When?"
Chris thought for a minute. "When I was half-way high school I think. He had his older brother with him, and you know how I was back then—"
"Scrawny." Claire answered.
"Yeah, I was weak and got the shit kicked out of me. He said it was cause of you."
"What?!"
"Yeah. I can't really remember it much. But I remember that at least."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"Cause I didn't want to bother you."
Claire gave Chris that look and frowned. "I really wish you would have told me about this. I can't believe he would do that." She remarked, painting the wall slowly.
"Yeah well, it's no big deal." Chris retorted.
They were silent for the longest until Katie started crying. Claire paused before tossing her paintbrush to the floor. "Claire, what's the matter?" Chris asked, going after his sister. "Claire? Can you answer me please?" he continued.
"Can you see him in her?" Claire asked.
"What?"
"Is she starting to look like Steve or not?"
"Who, Katie? No…a little bit, but not really."
"Her hair is getting red, her eyes aren't as wide as they would have been…"
"So? What's the big deal?"
Claire crossed her arms and looked at the floor, but didn't answer. "I'm gonna go out for a little while to clear my head." She said, picking Katie up from her crib and brushing past Chris.
"Claire!" Chris exclaimed agrivatedly. He grabbed his sister by the arm as she was about to walk out the door.
"Let me go, Chris!" Claire screamed, yanking her arm free and slamming the door behind her. /What the hell is the matter now?!/
~^~
Leon groggily slumped down the stairs into the living room, rubbing his face tiredly. "Yo." He greeted to Chris, who was thumbing through a magazine.
"Hey. Sleep well?" Chris replied.
"Yeah, I guess so. Where's Claire?"
"I don't know. She said she was going out to clear her head, but that was a few hours ago."
"She hasn't called?"
"Nope."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Not really, she can handle herself. Besides, she blew me off before she left."
"What happened?"
Chris closed the magazine and rolled it up in his hands. "She was just acting really strange. She hesitated to go see Katie when she was crying, and then she kept asking me if she looks like Steve. Then when I asked her what was wrong and what not, she just ignored me." He explained.
"Oh. She's probably just being obsessive, with him getting probation and all." Leon replied understandably.
"Yeah, but I think it was more than that. Like…I dunno, she resents Katie or something."
"Really..?"
Sighing, Chris stood up and streched. "You should try to talk to her whenever she comes back. She won't talk to me, so you might as well give it a shot." He said, heading into the kitchen. Leon pressed his lips together thoughtfully as the phone rang. Chris picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Jill!?"
"Who else would it be? How're you doing?"
"I'm fine, how was your flight?"
"Okay, long though. I'm back at HQ now, and the boss is having the virus and serums taken to the lab for analysis."
"Great. Ok. So how are you?"
"Alright, I guess. I miss you already."
"I miss you too, Jill. So how's everything going over there?"
"A little hectic. Everyone's glad to have me back and..damn, the boss is back. I have to get to a meeting now, so I gotta run."
"Aw, already? Well, alright. Look, about what happened at the airport—"
"Don't worry about it Chris. I gotta run, so I'll talk to you as soon as I can. Bye."
"Yeah..bye."
Grumbling, Chris hung up the phone and raided the fridge. "So how is she?" Leon questioned, grabbing a pack of Pop Tarts from the cabinet.
"Alright. She's working already. Our boss gets a little eccentric when there's new information and stuff." Chris replied
"That's cool. It's always great when everyone works together to achieve a common goal, right?"
"That is so cliché. But yeah, I guess so. It does get intense, and everyone works together. It's great, yeah."
The front door opened and closed, and Chris and Leon eyed Claire who ignored the both of them. "Jeez." Leon muttered, popping a soda open.
"Like I said, you talk to her. I just don't want to deal with it." Chris replied, sauntering off to his room.
Leon went to Claire's room and watched her for awhile. She was throwing things around, slamming drawers and what not. "Are you okay?" He questioned. Claire's head shot up.
"How long did you intend on standing there?" She asked.
"As long as it took for me to get the jist of your mood. Seriously, what's the matter?"
"I'm just…mad."
"No shit. Why are you mad?"
"Because! Steve's getting probation, Katie keeps reminding me of him and I don't know whether I should keep her or not!"
Claire's hand flew up to cover her mouth. Leon's eyes widened. "You what?" he asked incredously.
"Forget it, just ignore what I said. I don't know what I was thinking." Claire excused, trying to get past Leon. He blocked the doorway however.
"Claire, this is serious. Are you considering giving Katie up for adoption?" He questioned.
"Don't look at me like that, Leon."
"Answer me."
"Why should I?!"
"Because when someone asks you a question, they deserve an answer! And you've got to be high or something if you think I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you."
"Look, I was considering it for her safety. You heard what Steve said about her, didn't you!? I don't want her to be here if they're going to be after her."
Leon sighed deeply. "Look, I understand Claire. But you have to really consider if this is what you want to do. She's your daughter, your first born. Do you really want to give her up?" he asked, staring into Claire's eyes intently.
"…yes."
TBC
