Chapter 3: Orders

Holding the shaking figure of Claire Redfield in his arms Leon couldn't help but remember the last words her brother had spoken to him. Even then, out in the hallway, he could still feel that pale, cold hand clutching his shirt and that weak, strained voice whispering in his ear. Whispering orders to him, forcing him to make a promise.

"Leon," Chris had said to him. "I...want you to...level with me. Tell me the truth because...I'm not in much...condition...to kick your...ass, after all. You...love my sister...don't you?"

That was one hell of a question to ask and Leon was sure he looked absolutely shocked when Chris had asked it. At the time the officer had been uncertain of how to respond and had just stood there frozen for a moment, mulling the query over in his mind. Did he love Claire? He certainly liked the girl at least but love...that was a big word.

'Not to mention you already tried sorting through your feelings for her once before with less than satisfactory results.' His mind reminded him, bringing back images and memories of the plane trip to the Utah Umbrella facility. 'Looks like history is repeating itself again. You've got all the same feelings you had for her before: compassion, warmth, companionship, concern...but love? That's a big jump. Maybe not such a big one though, there are different kinds of love aren't there? Not all love is romantic. You're just her close friend but there's a real bond there and you even tried to get into her bed one n...'

Leon cut the thought off before it was even fully formed. That had been a long time ago, nearly two years, and he had stopped the situation before it got out of hand. Still, it had taken a great deal of thought and even more willpower to keep himself from doing something he knew he'd regret later.

Two years ago Leon and Claire had been hiding out in London waiting for word from Chris and the others about when and where it would be safe to meet up again. Weeks of hiding turned into months and the boredom of laying low was beginning to get to the both of them. They had managed to avoid Umbrella's henchmen for a long while and felt they deserved a little break from the hectic, fugitive life. Besides, the pub Leon had suggested going to was a small, out of the way place where the risk of being spotted would be low.

One pint had quickly turned into two though and two became three. Before he knew it, the two of them were stumbling back up the street laughing and tripping over themselves. Upon reaching Claire's hotel room, miraculously still in tact, she had reached over and taken Leon's hand in her own, lightly stroking his knuckles with her thumb.

"Do you want to come in?" She had asked, her voice slightly slurred and heavy with the stench of alcohol but warm and inviting all the same. The sultry look in her gray eyes more than tempting. Her soft touch on his hand sending a jolt of electricity through his hazy, clouded mind.

For a moment, one that had seemed incredibly long at the time, Leon had just stood there looking at the hand that caressed his own. During that lone moment a great deal passed through his head. Maybe he should take her up on his offer, he had thought. She was gorgeous, there was no denying that, and he was forced to admit that it had been a long time since he had bedded a woman. He could always rationalize it in the morning by blaming the booze or hormones or anything else. Then he looked up into those cloudy, drunken eyes of hers and knew he couldn't do it.

No, Claire was off limits, especially in her current state. She was drunk, to take her up on her offer would be to take advantage of her and he respected her far too much to do that. They had been through hell and back together, it seemed a crime to the young officer to sleep with her because they were both too sloshed to know better. She wasn't just another warm, female body. She was Claire Redfield and she deserved better than that.

"N-no." He'd told her with no small amount of effort, stepping away from her touch. "We should get some sleep. Goodnight, Claire." With an awkward smile he had turned and walked down the hall to his own room, not waiting to see the look that passed across her face, simply wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. He had and they never spoke of the incident again.

Leon hadn't thought much of it at the time it happened but when Chris asked him if he loved his sister that memory took on new importance. Claire Redfield a beautiful, alluring young woman had, aside from being more than a little intoxicated, been ready and willing to sleep with him and he had refused. He said no because he knew her too well, because he respected her too much. Because he loved her too much. In some way or another he loved Claire Redfield...even if he didn't know exactly how.

Leon had only nodded and Chris went on, tightening his grip and all trace of weakness left his voice as he summoned up all his remaining strength to make sure the younger man understood every word he spoke clearly. "You take care of her then. You love her with every breath you take and remember her in everything you do. You do everything you can to protect her, to make sure she never forgets how much you care. Never, let her feel alone. Be there with her every step of the way, kid. Now promise me that. Do you promise that you'll do that for me?"

'What was I supposed to say?' Leon thought, stroking Claire's smooth hair as she continued to weep against his shoulder. 'No, Chris, too damn bad? Of course I said I'd do it, I probably would have done it even if he hadn't ask but still, why me? I'd lay down in traffic for the girl if she asked me to but he couldn't possibly know that. Why did he make me promise that?'

Secretly, Leon knew the answer to that question. Once again it was buried in the recesses of his memory. It had happened five months ago but the scene played through Leon's head as if it were taking place at that moment.

He saw Claire, in an oversized flannel shirt and red denim shorts, stretched across the checkered picnic blanket, smiling over at him as she straightened out her ponytail. To their right, stretched out on a blanket of their own atop the grassy hill, sat Chris and Jill eating sandwiches out of a large wicker basket and talking in low voices. The older Redfield wore a black sweater and a black winter cap to cover up the hair and weight he had lost as a result of the radiation treatments. The man's cheeks were sunken and eyes hollow but his smile was genuine as he conversed with his wife.

"Oh, leave your hair alone." Leon teased the young woman beside him, giving her a playful snap with his napkin. "You look fine."

"Just fine?" Claire huffed, pouting and pretending to be truly hurt. "Wouldn't you say that I'm shockingly wonderful and without comparison?"

"Well," Leon replied, furrowing his brows as if in deep thought, "I might say those things about you but certainly not about this food you prepared." Leon proceeded to clutch his stomach and grimace as if suffering from a fierce bout of indigestion.

"Oh, that's it Kennedy!" Claire had said with an indignant squeal. "You're a dead man, my friend."

Without another word the youngest Redfield had thrown her arm around his neck and locked him into the crook of her arm. Applying pressure, she dropped to her knees and held him in place. Claire chortled manically when he had pried feebly at her arm.

"No one escapes the dreaded Redfield Headlock of Havoc!" She had teased.

"That doesn't even...make sense!" Leon gasped, pulling at the arm around his throat.

"Quiet." She demanded, still laughing. "Now, for insulting my cooking you must repeat the phrase 'Claire Redfield is the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world' fifty times and then maybe I'll let you go."

"I certainly hope so." Leon had replied, trying to struggle to a standing position. "Because your armpit really reeks, Claire, I mean seriously."

"You just don't get it, do you buddy?" Claire laughed, relinquishing her headlock on the young man and shoving him to the ground. The two wrestled about on the ground for a moment, each accusing the other of trying to cheat in some form or another, before Claire finally managed to flip the young officer over and pin his shoulders to the ground with her hands. "Ha ha. I win."

"You know," Leon had replied, a mischievous grin creeping across his face as he laid his hands on her bare thighs, "a guy could get used to this position."

Leon remembered the look of startled amusement that had passed across Claire's face then, obviously surprised that there was a man brave (or stupid) enough to make such a comment with her brother sitting a mere three feet away. She had just laughed and given him that sultry little simper that had caused so many men to look at her twice.

"Oh?" She had said coyly, and Leon had felt one of her legs creeping up so that her knee was positioned dangerously close to his groin. "Could a guy get used to this position too?"

"It's not nice to make threats, Claire." Leon had scolded the girl, wagging one finger. She had only laughed again and rolled away, pacing off to the small brick hut where the park's washrooms were located.

Leon remembered sitting up, dusting himself off and then turning to find Chris starring at him. The man's pale face had made the cop shiver then, reminding him of the zombies that had pursued him relentlessly through the streets of Raccoon City. Those eyes had been hard as stone, full of jealousy and suspicion but there had been something else in their depths as well. Acceptance maybe? Acceptance that this man would be the one to take over the role of looking after his sister once he was gone. Chris had been planning this all along.

Suppressing the urge to groan, Leon just went on stroking Claire's hair, letting her cry out all the grief she had stored inside her. He held her close, thinking about what Chris had said to him. He had promised to take care of her, to protect her...but could he?

Looking down at the girl sobbing against his chest, so broken and vulnerable, Leon wasn't sure that he could.

Author's Note: Here you are my Readers, another chapter and another to come relatively soon. Stay tuned for an update of Three Days In A Nightmare by Monday or Tuesday as well. Enjoy.