New Horizons, XXII
By: Hotaru

Warnings: Steve bashing, strong language, RE: Code Veronica spoilers

~^~

Chris rubbed his eyes, and squinted at the computer screen. He had been talking to Jill for awhile, apologizing for being an ass, and all that.

"So, do you think I should talk to Barry or something?" He typed.
"About me and Rebecca coming over?...I don't know. I still haven't talked to him about it. I started to, but he wasn't too eager to listen. I think his wife was on the phone for him or something." Jill responded.
"Oh. Damn. Well, don't know how long we have until this mystery person shows up, if they even do."
"Why would she show up again?"
"I don't know. Maybe if she knows that you're back...I don't know."
"I think Barry's got a few free minutes, so I'm going to go talk to him now."
"Alright. Just tell him safety in numbers, right?"
"Sure. I'll be back soon."

Yawning, Chris stretched his arms back. The front door opened, and Claire appeared, her cheeks pink. "Where'd you go?" Chris asked, standing up.
"I went to get the paint with Leon. Why?" Claire replied, shrugging her coat off.
"You took awhile. You goin' to bed soon?"
"Probably. How's Jill?"
"Fine. She's talking to Barry about coming back with Rebecca."
"Really?"

The front door opened again, and Leon appeared, with a smile spread across of his face. Chris looked back and forth between the two, before heading to the bathroom. "He's looking at us suspiciously." Claire remarked. Leon shrugged and tossed his coat onto the coach before chasing after Claire upstairs. "Doesn't he have good reason?" He called, as she jumped onto her bed and hid under the covers. Leon tickled her through the blankets, before Claire kicked him in the chest, and he fell onto the floor.

"Leon! Are you okay!?" Claire exclaimed, crawling onto the floor. "Leon..? Can you hear me?" She whispered, bringing her face close to Leon's. His eyes shot open and he rolled Claire onto her back, tickling her again. "Cheater! I thought you were really hurt!" Claire gasped, shoving his hands away from her.
"I was hurt! But I have a quick recovery rate." Leon said with a sly smile. He grabbed each of her arms, and pinned them onto the floor with a smirk.

Claire bit her lip, and struggled slightly. As she peered at him curiously, Leon leaned down and kissed her with slight force. Groaning lightly, Claire moved her arms out from under his and wrapped them around his neck. Smiling in between kisses, Leon pulled her up from the floor, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved towards her bedroom door, and bumped it closed, his fingers fumbling to lock it. Claire's fingers tugged at Leon's shirt, attempting to remove it.

Leon pulled it off with a huff, kissing the woman furiously. He grabbed at her shirt, and pulled it upwards, not caring if it ripped or not. Claire shook her head, once it was removed and grinned as Leon led her over to the bed. They each removed their pants hastilly, before locking lips once again. "Please..don't tell me you're gonna change your mind in a few minutes." Leon panted against Claire's shoulder.
"Hell no." She breathed, as his hands went to unclasp her bra.

~*~

Chris looked up at the ceiling when he heard thumping. Shuddering, he chose _not_ to go up and see what was going on. Instead, he stared at the computer screen, waiting for Jill to return. Sighing, he looked at his watch. It was close to eleven. "C'mon, Jill...hurry up." He whispered, tapping his finger against the mouse.

"Sorry I took so long!" Jill returned, finally.
"I was starting to worry, but it's okay. So, what happened?" Chris typed, a little too eagerly.
"Well, we had a long talk about it, and he actually agreed! Both me and Rebecca are coming back!"
"That's great! I'm so glad!!"
"Me too. If you want me to send you some money or something to pay for the tickets, I'll see what I can scrounge up."
"Oh, no, it's alright. Barry admitted he had a little money in the S.T.A.R.S. piggy bank, or something. I think it has something to do with one of his kids deciding to work for their allowance...something like that."
"Aren't they too young to be working?"
"I don't know, I didn't really go too far into it."

Grinning, Chris leaned back in his chair. Upon hearing someone upstairs scream "Oh my God!!", he fell backwards, his head cracking against the floor. "Son of a bitch!!" He screamed, rubbing his head, he grabbed the coat rack, and banged it against the ceiling, hoping they'd get the hint. Grabbing a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, he put it on his head and sat back at the computer.

"So, any idea when you're be coming?" He typed in, thankful that the noise from upstairs has lowered substantially.
"Soon. He was actually thinking about Carlos coming along, too. But he needs some help there, too." Jill typed back. Chris narrowed his eyes. He was never too fond of that Oliviera. Always smooth talking, making women gasp and shit like that. A thousand women must have his phone number, at least.
"Yeah, Barry needs some company. Some one has to laugh at his jokes, right?"
"What's that supposed to mean? You think Carlos has a lame sense of humor?"
"No, I'm just saying that Barry needs some help up there, that's all. Why are you on the defensive so suddenly?"
"Because, I don't like it when people pick on my friends."

Biting his lip, Chris refrained from a wiitty response. "Okay, I'm sorry." He typed. "Are you getting packed yet?"
"Well I haven't really un-packed. I'm just been pulling stuff out of my suitcase whenever I needed it. Rebecca's psyched about seeing you again. I think she still has a crush on you."
"Better let her know I'm taken."
"Yeah, I own you now. :p"
"I'm your bitch. Make sure to pack your whip!"
"I never leave home without it."
"Let's get serious now. I can't imagine what they would think if they saw what you're typing."
"They're helping me."
"What?!"
"I'm kidding! God, you're so easy, Redfield."
"I knew you were only joking. I can see right through you."
"Like what ya see?"
"Hm..pink lace?"
"Ooh, guess again!"
"Uh...black satin?"
"Bingo!"

Chuckling, Chris rolled his neck, which was starting to hurt. "Okay, why don't you call us when you know when you'll be leaving so we can meet you at the airport?" He suggested.
"Sure, I can do that. I mean, if we're going to be spending a couple hundred dollars on plane tickets, I doubt a out-of-country call will really matter." Jill replied.
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"No, did it seem that way? Anyway, I better go. There's lots of preparing to do, and Barry wants me to go check up on that virus and serum."
"Aw, ok. I'll talk to you soon."
"Right. Bye, Chris. Smootchies!"
"..right back at ya."

Yawning, he turned the computer off, and shuffled upstairs, glad to hear silence. "I'm going to bed now. Good night." He bellowed down the hall. A minute later, Claire poked her head out of the room. "Night!" She called, before slamming the door shut. Shaking his head, Chris went to his room.

~^~

Leon was up early the next morning, stirring a pot of oatmeal on the stove. "Why are you up so early?" Chris mumbled, falling into a chair.
"Work. I'm making food, want some?" Leon replied, glancing at his watch.
"Ah. How's police life treating you?"
"Alright, I guess. My stupid car is still at the shop to get rid of those bullet holes. I've been car-pooling forever."
"I thought they made you look rugged." Claire smiled, appearing in a bathrobe and pajamas.
"It made me look like a bum who can't fix his car." Leon corrected.

Chuckling, Claire sat down at the table, smiling at her brother. "What?" Chris asked irritatedly.
"Sheesh, what's _your_ problem?" She questioned tucking some hair behind her ear.
"I'm going to give you three guesses." Chris said, looking to the side. Needless to say, Claire turned red.
"Chris, it's *not* what you think!" She said quickly.
"Y-yeah! We were uh..cleaning, and the screaming was due to finding some really...nasty stuff...in there." Leon added, quickly turning back to his pot.

He took it off the stove and spooned it into three bowls. "Do you people take me for some kind of idiot?" Chris asked, crossing his arms.
"N..o...we just don't want you thinking anything other than what was going on was going on." Claire said, confusing the two guys.
"Yeah, okay, well enjoy the oatmeal. I gotta run." Leon said nervously.
"Wait, sit an eat a bowl at least. You _did_ cook it." Claire siad, grabbing his arm.

Chris watched the interaction between the two with a hard stare. "I'll drive you to work, but you _have_ to eat with us." Claire said.
"A car? You have a car?" Leon questioned.
"Yeah. It's been in a garage down the street for months. There _is_ a flat tire, and the nuts are rusted on. I couldn't get them off, but if _you_ can, I'd gladly drive you."
"You see, Claire is like a chipmunk, or a hampster or something. She stores things in odd places and manages to find them whenever they're needed." Chris said with a grin.

Claire narrowed her eyes. "Ha, ha. I'm going to go get changed, now." She sneered, dropping her spoon into her oatmeal with a plop. Leon snickered, and followed her upstairs to get his uniform on. "All you do is bicker. Doesn't it ever get tiring?" He asked. Claire shrugged as she disappeared behind her door.
"Well when we were kids, it was _so_ irritating having him as a brother. Nothing but fighting. But when it was just the two of us, we had to get used to it. It's fun, now." She answered.

"You're lucky to have siblings. Being an only child is really lonely." Leon said, buttoning up his shirt.
"Yeah, but you get tons of presents and stuff at Christmas, and birthdays since your parents feel bad about you being alone." Claire countered.
"They buy you friends, in a way. I remember birthday parties with diesel goodie-bags. The boys got toy cars, and the girls got Barbie's or something. Candy, too. A huge cake, lots of games. It was all fun for me, but now that I realize that they were 'bought', it's really sad."

Claire emerged from her room, donned in a sweater, fleece pants and sneakers. "There, there. You have us, now. You ready to go?" She asked.
"Yep. Just have to finish eating." Leon replied, following her back downstairs.
"Snow!" Chris exclaimed, gesturing to the t.v.
"What?" Claire asked, standing in the doorway to the living room.
"They're saying there is a slight chance of snow this weekend!" Chris replied.
"So, big deal."
"It _is_ a big deal. What if they cancel Jill's flight?"

Leon rolled his eyes, and finished up his oatmeal. "I seriously doubt that it's going to snow _that_ bad this early. We're half-way through fall, and it's just starting to get cold. It ain't gonna be that bad." He said. Chris shook his head, and but the tip of his index finger in his mouth and chewed on his nail.
"Relax, Chris. Just call her up, and make sure she knows about THE STORM!!!" Claire giggled, ruffling Chris' hair before pulling the front door open.

"See you later, Leon." Chris waved, glaring at the t.v.
"Later."

When they were outside, Claire grabbed Leon's hand, and swung it between them as they walked. "So you think he knows?" She asked with a giggle.
"He's not retarted, Claire. I think it's pretty obvious." Leon replied.
"Well, I don't think he'll have a problem with it. You guys are friends, and it's not like you're 15 or anything."
"I guess you're right. So what time are we meeting for lunch?"

Leon shrugged. "Twelve, one, what ever." he replied. "I'll call you whenever I get some time."
"Okay. Here we are." Claire grinned, arriving at a shabby looking garage.
"Did this come with the house that's a hundred feet away?" Leon asked.
"Yep. That's why it was a big drug house. It's less suspicious if people are walking down the street, as opposed to walking to and from the garage."

Claire pulled on the door, trying to open it. "Let me give you a hand with that." Leon said, grabbing the handle and pulling upwards.
"It's opening...keep pulling." Claire breathed.
"Jesus, did you bolt this to the floor or something?" Leon exhaled, his hand burning from holding the handle so tightly.
"Maybe. I haven't been here in awhile. This is the old car."
"Didn't you have your own car?"
"Yeah, but someone must have stolen it."

Leon nearly let the door go. "Why the hell didn't you report it stolen?!" He exclaimed, finally getting the door open. "Son of a bitch!" He spat, clutching his shoulder. It felt like his arm was ripped out of it's socket.
"Are you okay?" Claire asked, trying not to laugh.
"Sure. Let's just change this tire, and get out of here." Leon snorted.

Claire popped the trunk, and pulled out her tire changing equipment and set Leon to work. "Got any WD-40?" Leon asked. Claire looked around, and produced a rusting can.
"Is _everything_ you own rusting?" Leon asked, spraying the bolts on the tire.
"Everything metal."
"Ah, there we go. You should have just used this, they came right off." Leon remarked, removing the tire.
"I'm sorry I don't have brute-man strength like you do."

Shaking his head, Leon changed the tire as quickly as he could. "You wouldn't happen to have a sink in here, would ya?" He questioned, holding up his blackened hands.
"Nope. Run to the house, I'll pull the car up front." Claire said, unlocking the car door.
"Ok." Leon said, turning, and jogging towards the house.

Claire grimaced at the inside of the car. It was pretty dusty, and there had to be nasty creepy-crawlies in there too. "Damn." Claire spat, grabbing a broom and moving it around the inside of the car. The seats were faux leather, so the dust came off easily. Once she had knocked down any dust strings, she climbed into the car and started it up. The radio station was still tuned to the classical station, how she prefered it. Smiling when a version of Pachelbel's Canon with the harp and flute* came on, Claire pulled into the street and drove up to her house and waited for Leon.

TBC

* I love this song, it's on my playlist, and I just finished listening to it when I wrote the over final paragraph thingy. It's such a beautiful song. If only I could find the sheet music!!!