Disclaimer: Don't own them, just use them because I have a warped sense of self.

A/N: Really sorry about the long ass posting! I've been super busy with school & work so I'm hoping that it doesn't take me long to get an update. Enjoy, all.

"No, come here." Leon greeted her brightly. "It can be a family affair."

Claire started forward, her face full of concern. She took to her brother's side and supported his leaning body. Beyond Leon lay the unmoving form of Carlos, which alarmed Claire even more. She cast worried eyes on Kennedy.

"Leon... Carlos, is he okay?" she stammered.

"Claire, Claire, Claire." Leon sighed in a singsong manner. "Nothing is okay. Just ask your dear brother."

Chris looked up at his sister painfully. "Don't listen to him. It isn't Leon."

"The hell I'm not!" Kennedy's voice boomed. "Tell your sister the truth. Tell her how you lied to her about the most important thing in her life."

Confused and terrified, Claire's eyes searched Chris' face. She just stared as she held him. Chris matched her gaze as long as he could before he looked away.

"What's he talking about?" she asked slowly.

Chris exhaled laboredly. "We thought Leon was infected with a modified strain of the T-Virus. The same one Wesker was given. There wasn't any conclusive proof. I-I didn't want to alarm you over nothing."

Claire blinked once at her brother then at her fiancée. Leon was smiling wickedly, enjoying the scene before him. She forced herself to look him in the eye, her stomach turning anticipation. Redfield tried to look away, to pull her gaze from those eyes... those mesmerizing blue eyes...

"Come here Claire." Leon's voice had returned to its former, humble timber. "Come to me."

Immediately, Claire stepped away from her brother and he slammed against the cool wall. Slowly Chris Redfield's vision betrayed him and the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was his baby sister's hand reaching out for Leon Kennedy.

"Chris! Chris, come on!" Jill Valentine cried as she stood over her boyfriend's still body. "Wake up... please wake up!"

Behind her Becca Chambers was furiously taking vitals on a groggy Carlos. He was just coming out of his unconsciousness after an hour of prodding by the young doctor. Watching everything from the corner of the small medical bay was Sherry Birkin.

Her big blue eyes were red from crying and she sat, hugging her knees to her chest. A flurry of action consumed the young woman. All around her training medics and a few operatives were tending to the injured while Jill and Becca carefully divided their time between patients.

"Jill..." Sherry spoke quietly as Valentine rifled through a first aid kit next to her. "Jill..."

Jill inclined her head slightly as if she'd heard Birkin but continued gathering supplies. Sherry repeated herself and when Valentine gave no response, she leaped to her feet.

"You did this!" Sherry screamed.

All the hustle in the quarters halted. Jill cut her eyes at Sherry, frozen. Becca quietly ushered the extras out the door, leaving the five alone. Sherry's eyes were still fixed on Valentine, burning a cerulean blue. Birkin stood defiantly with tears threatening to fall down her reddened cheeks.

"You-all of you!" hissed the young girl. "You head this-this secret society and you knew there was something wrong with Leon. Now, Chris won't wake up, Carlos is hurt, Leon's homicidal and Claire's gone! All because of your stupid secrets!"

Jill looked away from the younger woman. "Sherry, I know you're upset and this is hard for you to understand at your age bu-"

"No!" Birkin interrupted. "Don't tell me that I'm too young to understand. I went through the same ordeal in Raccoon, Jill. My father started this whole thing. And you took away the only people that could have taken their place."

"That's not fair." Jill spat angrily. "We've all lostpeople close to us. Everything about our lives has been tragic, okay? Don't take it out on me."

"I shouldn't be the one taking it out on you." Sherry's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "Your heart fun living with yourself Valentine."

"Shut up."

Becca nearly dropped her stethoscope at the sound of Jill Valentine's harsh words. Sherry looked just as shocked, her face a mixture of surprise and anger. Her mouth set in a line, her jaw tense.

Jill moved next to Chris and reached down to grasp his hand, staring hard at him. "If Chris dies, I'll kill Leon." her eyes flickered up, moist with tears. "I swear to you."

Before Birkin could reply, Becca stepped in. "Ladies, please, now is not the time. I've got two very sick men here who need their rest and bickering isn't helping. So either quiet down or get the Hell out."

Sherry threw a glance at Becca before storming out. Jill looked back down at Chris and tenderly touched his face.

At that moment, Carlos moaned and began to stir. "What's going on?" he rasped finally.

Becca sighed, looked at Jill then back down at Carlos. She began to recite the story.

Hot.

Bright.

Those two feelings were the first thing Claire Redfield noticed as her eyes opened. Slowly, her vision focused and she realized she was in a small windowless room, propped up in a cot. Despite the absence of natural light, large light bulbs and lamps blasted artificial beams from all corners of the area.

Groaning, Claire attempted to swing her legs over the bed but the motion was abruptly halted; her ankle was chained to the cot. And the cot was bolted securely to the floor.

"Shit." She muttered.

Pushing away the edges of disorientation, a crystal clear word drove itself into her mind with the force of a freshly sharpened dagger. Leon. The breath hitched in Claire's chest as she tried to put the pieces of the day's events together. Her eyes twitched, seeing nothing, memories fighting one another while her mind's eye searched desperately for a glimpse of Leon S. Kennedy.

"Good morning gorgeous."

Claire's head snapped up. It was him; Leon was alive and standing before her. Relief washed over the young woman, however she took only the briefest notice that he was differently dressed and sporting a military utility belt. Those were all cosmetic details and in no way important. The man she loved was alive.

"Leon!" Claire exclaimed, forgetting her chains and straining forward. "Thank God you're alive! Help me out of these things. We have to get out of here."

Kennedy smiled seductively, easing toward her. "'Fraid I can't do that, Claire-Bear. You are far too valuable."

Claire watched her fiancée, studying his features. "What's wrong?" her nose scrunched up slightly, as if she'd gotten a smell of something that was slightly off. "What's wrong with you?"

Kennedy dropped down next to her. "Nothing. This is who I am." He placed one hand on her knee. "For better, for worse, my dearest. In my case, it's the better. For you… I might lean toward the latter."

Redfield was frozen. "Leon, what's going on?" Claire felt panic, her voice was scarcely above a whisper. "What's happening?"

"Something wonderful, my love." Leon said, a wolf smile on his lips. "Something absolutely wonderful."

I absolutely promise there WILL be more to come within the next month!