It took a few tries to get my eyes open since they had crusted with sleep and dried tear tracks. My head was still kind of light and I felt groggy but much better in comparison to last night. I groaned and rolled over, hearing a shift from outside my door which was open. I blinked and squinted against the light coming in to make out a head peering around the doorframe at me at a lower angle than expected.

"Wesker?" I called half asking to confirm it was him and half because I wanted it to be him and I wanted him near me. To my luck it was the blond and he stood from what must be a chair placed at my door and boldly stepped into my room out of the camera's view. Or so I thought but then noticed that the red light on the camera in my room was on so we were still being watched though that didn't stop him from sitting on my bed with me as I lay there.

"I assume you slept well." he mimicked his tone from the previous morning when I went into his room with kisses. I managed a small smile but it fell quickly.

"Claire?"

"Safe." he confirmed with a short nod and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Don't worry yourself with that now, you don't need any more stress." he placed the back of his hand on my forehead though it didn't stay there, slipping down my temple to my cheek before his palm stretched to the side of my neck. "You don't seem to have a fever and you're cognitive. How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Like shit." I groaned again though I inched closer to him, tempted to just curl my body around him until he was trapped in bed with me. "My head hurts and my body is stiff but I'm fine." I elaborated before deciding that moving enough to slide further down the bed to lay my head on Wesker's thigh instead of my pillow was worth the ache. He said nothing of it as his hand moved to rub my back, an action that seemed very familiar though I was sure he had never done this before. It didn't matter, I enjoyed his display of affection. I closed my eyes, content to just stay in this moment.

"That will pass with time. It would be best if you stay in bed for today." he licked the thumb of his free hand before rubbing it at something on my face. "Perhaps after a shower."

"What was that?"

"Blood." I wasn't aware enough yet to be put on alert over that but it did get my attention.

"Blood? Am I bleeding?" my voice didn't sound alarmed at all, instead betraying just how tired I still was.

"No, it was my blood." his answer did alert me this time. I opened my eyes to look up at him and he met my eye though didn't seem disturbed by the admission.

"Your's? What happened?" I asked as I tried to sit up but he held me down gently, urging me to keep my head in his lap as if he too were comfortable with the position.

"We can discuss it later, for now you need to rest some more." he told me with a soft tone that soothed the worry from me. He was indestructible anyway, whatever happened he was fine now and we could talk later. I was tired.

"M'kay." I spoke through a yawn that ended in a groan at my pulsing headache.

"Is there anything you require?"

"Water."

"I'll get some for you." I didn't want to let him leave but my mouth was really dry so I desperately needed the hydration. Lifting my head away from him, I scooted back up to my pillow to rest on while he was away though I hadn't actually noticed him stand to leave but when I looked back he was gone. He didn't take long to come back with a cold water bottle from the fridge. I propped myself on one elbow and accepted the offered drink with the other hand. I drank a good portion before the blond took it from me. "Slow down or you'll make yourself sick." he warned and I groaned in protest. My throat was still a little dry though not to the point of discomfort anymore. "Can you stand?" I nodded and knew where he was going with the question so I slowly drew my blanket away from my body to get up. In sync, I got out of bed and went to turn on the shower while he collected clean clothes for me to wear and set them on the sink. "I'll be out here if you need me." I only nodded at him before he stepped back out into my bedroom and shut the door behind him.

I undressed and showered slowly since I was still pretty groggy and not completely stable on my feet. The warm water helped to relax my muscles which took some of the aches away so I could move a little easier. As much as I would have loved to sit down and just let the water fall on me for a while, Wesker was waiting so I got out. I dried off and dressed into the clean clothes my old captain had gotten for me before stepping out but he wasn't there. I slipped back into bed just as he walked in carrying a cup though I couldn't smell any coffee. I stayed sitting up with the assumption that the cup was for me even though the water bottle was in my reach. Having assumed right, the blond man handed over the cup. Gazing into it I saw that the water within was hazy like it had some fine powder mixed in which seemed vaguely familiar.

"It's simply some…" he trailed off as I drank the contents, figuring I would need to ingest all of it for it to take full effect. "You aren't going to assume I'm poisoning you?" the blond questioned as he took the now empty cup from me so I could lay down.

"Like I've said before, if you were gonna kill me you would have already." I adjusted for comfort and closed my eyes, content to make light conversation until I inevitably fell back asleep. "You wouldn't need poison to do it anyway and it's not your style." I didn't realize what I said was funny but Wesker chuckled as he sat next to me again.

"I have a killing style, do I?" he was obviously amused by this but still encouraged me to sleep by pulling my blanket higher up my body before his hand returned to rubbing my back.

"I've followed through your wake before Wesker. Massacre." sleep was already trying to take me and I wondered if whatever he made for me had something to do with that.

"If you're referring to what I did at the Spencer Estate, I was in a rather foul mood." he argued and I could imagine him rolling his eyes at the implication that he always left such a mess. He was a professional through and through, if he could help it he would leave no trace of his being anywhere. It's how he managed to stay hidden so well for so long, he was so good at covering his tracks. Hell Jill and I had been in the same Umbrella facility with him in Russia and hadn't even been aware he was there until much later. Even though he hated me and wanted me dead at the time, he had another mission to accomplish there so he put me on hold, used me to help clean up some of the mess even. Though when I thought of it like that I felt less used and more like it had been a forced partnership and I liked thinking of it like that. I didn't even know he was there and would have tried my damndest to bring him to justice but it was a little sweet to think that in his eyes he put his hatred aside to work with me.

"I know, I know." I yawned again and noticed that already my head didn't ache as much and was becoming more cloudy. "But you're free of all that now." I told him just as darkness began to consume me. I swore I felt his hand travel to rest on my cheek and though I'm sure I dreamt it… I thought he said it was because of me.

… … …

When I awoke again Wesker was gone but I felt fine, a little groggy and maybe a tiny bit sore but fine. I turned over, intent on getting comfortable again and going back to sleep if I could when my hand hit my phone though I didn't remember putting it there. I decided to grab it and go through it, finding dozens of missed calls from Claire, Jill, and a few other BSAA agents working this case. I wondered how I could have slept through all these but then realized it was set to silent again so I turned the ring back on. Briefly listening to the voicemails, I deleted most of them that were just checking in after my panic attack though I took note of who had reached out so I could text them to say thanks and let them know I was alright. Jill had left three, the first addressing Wesker as she demanded to know what the hell was going on which deeply confused me. The second was a check in to see if I was okay and to let Wesker know he was reassigned which confused me even more. The third stated that she had news and to call her back when I woke up. I wanted to know what was going on myself but instead of calling her, I continued through the voice messages.

"Chris, it's Claire, I just want you to know that I'm okay." hearing her voice brought tears to my eyes though I quickly blinked them away. After going through the worst case scenarios where I never got to hear her voice again, this was like having life breathed back into me. "I know you've probably heard by now and I hope this didn't freak you out too much, I know how you worry. I'm fine, everything's fine but… we lost a few good people." there was a sad silence for a moment. "Call me when you can okay?" the message ended and I replayed it… four times. I wanted to call her right then but I was so relieved hearing her voice saying she was okay that I just had to keep hearing it. "Hey, it's me again. Jill got in touch… she told me what happened. Are you okay? Well anyway, she's trying to get me clearance to visit you for both our sakes but it's been a while since I've heard anything about it. Take it easy Chris and hopefully I'll see you soon." hearing that perked me up and I hurried to call her.

"Chris." her groggy voice was filled with a calm relief that I also felt wave through my whole body.

"Claire- thank god you're okay." I said more to myself, having to fight off tears again.

"My section of the building wasn't too bad." she paused to yawn and I felt bad, knowing that I had woken her up. I wondered how long she had been home and able to sleep. She explained how the building came down around them, how she and a few others had helped to free others, how they had lost some, how rescue finally got to them, how she had to deal with being questioned by the cops, and then hospital check ups before she was finally able to go home. It'd been a long night and an even longer morning. She complained that she was having trouble sleeping thinking about it all but hearing from me made her feel better. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Claire, don't worry about me. You're the one that almost died." I tried to joke and grew concerned when she didn't laugh or even chuckle, instead seemed sad. She had just witnessed the deaths of her coworkers- maybe even her friends. While we were all pretty good at bouncing back from stuff like this, had to be to stay sane, maybe it was too soon to try to play it off. In honesty, and I was a little ashamed to admit it, but I didn't really care as long as she was safe. I'd dedicated so much of my life to the world and everyone in it… I just wanted to think about the people I really cared about and… call me selfish but I wanted to think about myself too. And right now I wanted to see my little sister more than anything else in the world. "Is the BSAA gonna let you in?" I changed the subject, not wanting to talk about how my precious little sister was almost crushed under a building anymore. I pretended not to notice the way I referred to the organization I helped to build as if I weren't a part of it and hoped that she hadn't caught it.

"I'm not sure, you'd have to talk to Jill and see where she's at with the request." she explained apologetically with another yawn.

"I'll do that. You keep trying to get some rest, sounds like you really need it. I'll call you as soon as you can come over." I again pretended like I wasn't casually talking about this prison as if it were my actual living space and I was inviting my sister over like it was any other day. This was a prison for both Wesker and myself. A prison that I was wanting out of less and less, almost dreading returning to normal life and all its stresses.

"Yes sir." she lazily replied before we exchanged goodbyes and well wishes and hung up. I called Jill next.

"Hey how are you feeling?" her gentle voice asked and I could feel her smile through the speaker of my phone.

"Much better, thanks." I told her with a small smile of my own. "I talked to Claire, have you gotten her approved to visit?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about earlier. It's mostly gone through but we're just waiting on the final say so." she explained. I wondered about the BSAA's motive here and about the deal struck with Wesker. As if reading my mind, my best friend continued. "I was really surprised when Wesker suggested it and said it was an exception that wouldn't break the deal."

"Wait- having Claire visit was Wesker's idea?" I asked in shock. Having him agree to it was one thing but it being his plan was another.

"Yeah. He said it would help you move past it to see her so he actually insisted that we deliver her to you today. But of course everyone has to talk it over first." she sounded annoyed like she also believed everyone should just trust that Wesker had good intentions with the suggestion but of course they didn't.

"He did?" my heart fluttered as warmth spread through my chest.

"He also called me to demand that whoever wasn't paying attention to the monitors get fired. I agreed that something needed to be done about that so he was reassigned." she sounded proud of herself and I could guess that it was the homophobe she had to deal with from before for her to be happy over it. At least that explained why she had addressed Wesker in one of the voicemails since he had to have called from my phone.

"Wesker called you? What exactly happened last night?" I asked, needing to unravel the mystery.

"I already sent you a video of the surveillance. You should- sorry to cut this short but I've got to go, I think they decided." she rushed out before hanging up without waiting for me to respond. Now I was feeling anxious having to wait for her to get back to me. Knowing Wesker wouldn't approve of me stressing out again, I reluctantly got out of bed to go find him to calm me down. I found him in the kitchen just as he started to pull some food from the fridge and I stopped him.

"I'm not up to eating right now." I told him as I stepped into the kitchen and grabbed his arm. He looked like he wanted to object but closed his mouth when my hand slid into his and squeezed. "I promise I'll eat later but I want to lay down a little longer." he nodded and added a little pressure to my hand before releasing it to put everything away. I waited until he was done before I wrapped my arms around him from behind and rested my cheek on the back of his shoulder. Wordlessly he placed one of his hands over mine and I could feel his thumb rubbing circles around my knuckles. We stood like that for a long while before I breathed him in as I sighed and broke the silence. "Thank you." I whispered against his skin and he hummed.

"You're welcome." I had been rude to him when he was trying to help me. Though I don't remember much of my attack I know he was there for me, and he even invited Claire here so I would be okay. I had so much to thank him for and I'm not sure which I was referring to or which he thought it was but nothing more needed said. Typically this would be something that Wesker would draw out, his ego craving the recognition of his actions but he didn't. All was understood and all was forgiven and I'd never felt closer to him.

"Will you lay with me?" I shyly asked and after a moment Wesker turned his head to see me but it wasn't enough so he slowly turned his body and I had to let him go so he could face me. He looked me over, studying my body language to maybe fully understand what I meant by that and thought it over. Before he could answer me, my phone vibrated in my pocket and I hurried to check it. Claire's visit was approved and Jill was going to go pick her up now. I wanted to argue that she needed to sleep but I wanted to see her too badly and I knew she would feel the same so I only told her to let me know when they got here. It was during this chat that I saw the video file that Jill had told me she sent from last night. I wanted to watch it.

"Good news?" the blond man asked at the wide grin on my face. I nodded as I put my phone away.

"Claire's on her way here." I told him and his expression changed very slightly to one of annoyance that I didn't call him on. I understood he didn't actually want her here, that he was only allowing this for me and I deeply appreciated it.

"Do you still want to lay down while we wait?" he asked as he held his hand out for me in the small space between us. I smiled and took it with a nod, happy that he was willing to lay with me though I wasn't exactly sure what I meant by that either. I just knew that I wanted to lay down and I wanted him near me. His eyes turned momentarily to my room in thought before leading me to his room, figuring that would be better as far as anyone else was concerned but… his bed was smaller. As we entered his room I gazed at the bed and thought about how we would fit… was he rethinking this now too or was this planned? He didn't seem to hesitate at all as he pulled back the blanket and slid under it, moving over to the wall before holding the blanket up for me expectantly. I stood there for a moment probably red faced as I stared at him but he was patient. I swallowed and cleared my throat before carefully lowering myself to lay on my side next to him- so close.

He adjusted the blanket to cover both of us up to our midsections and I felt even closer to him now that we were enclosed. I almost flinched in surprise when his fingers touched my neck, pressing a little as a cue to lift my head so I did and he slid his arm under so I was laying on it. During all this he didn't look at me, choosing to stare up at the ceiling instead. I watched him. Such a blank expression I knew to be practiced, his chest rose and fell steadily, there was no tension in his jaw, and there was no extra color in his cheeks or ears. He was the picture of calm and collected but his eyes… they searched the ceiling like it was actually interesting rather than just somewhere to look. He was distracting himself. Hesitantly I moved my hand to his chest, spreading my fingers over the left side and was surprised to feel a quickened heartbeat. I stared at my hand like it was lying to me before my eyes moved to orange ones though he still wouldn't meet my gaze especially now that I knew what he was hiding. He was nervous. I wasn't about to make a comment and ruin everything. Feeling a little more confident, I scooted even closer to Wesker so our bodies were pressed together and I rested my head on his shoulder, keeping my hand over his heart. The arm under me curled over my body so the blond's hand rested comfortably on my side, his fingers subtly tugging my shirt up just enough to touch my skin. I soon moved again so my ear was a little closer to his chest so I could also hear his heartbeat, taking great comfort in the strong and quick thump because of what it meant.

We laid in comfortable silence for a long time before I wanted to ask more about what happened last night. But I figured all my questions would be answered if I just watched the footage so I told Wesker about it and he said he didn't mind watching it with me. I fished my phone out of my pocket, trying to break contact with him as little as possible before resettling with my phone hand resting on top of his ribs so we could both see. Jill had left a text above it saying that she didn't have time to cut it all together so it was all just from one camera but she did add quick subtitles of what she knew to be said and apologized if they weren't quite right.

The camera angle was from one of the corners in the living room and watched Wesker walk to my door, knocking as his mouth formed my name. He waited for a moment before repeating the actions. Another pause with no answer. He leaned the side of his head closer to my door before pulling away sharply to bang on the door, still calling my name and telling me to open the door. He must have heard my irregular breathing. He stood back and looked directly at the camera, holding his thumb and pinky fingers up like a phone and pointing at my room. He listened for my phone to ring before banging on my door again, trying to get me up. He raised his arms up to the camera as if to ask why no one had called me yet. His hands were moving suddenly and I had to rewind it to watch again when I realized he was using sign language. I only knew the basics but I think he said something about me being sick and helping. I wasn't happy with that tiny bit of translation but luckily Jill had added the full translation.

'Chris is sick and needs help. If you won't help him, I will.' I looked to Wesker but he continued to watch the screen so I did too. He actually started pacing, it was quick- only four strides back and forth before he seemed to make up his mind. With one last glare at the camera, he walked straight to my room and twisted the knob but didn't seem surprised to find that it was locked. He easily broke the lock and stormed into my room only to come out a moment later with me in his arms. I looked horrible drenched in sweat, my chest rising and falling too rapidly, and my face twisted in pain. He set me down on the couch before going back into my room, coming out again with my cellphone to his ear and he looked angry. His mouth moved as he rushed into the kitchen to wet a rag with cold water. 'Whoever is supposed to be watching the monitors needs to be fired.' There was no dialog for who I assumed was Jill so I guessed she wasn't able to get in a word. 'Chris is very sick and no one tried to help him. I broke his door to do it myself.' There still wasn't any word from Jill as Wesker hung up and left my phone on the kitchen counter.

Wesker returned to me, placing the rag over my forehead before checking the pulse in my neck, using my watch to count it. He seemed a little troubled as he lay his head on my chest and hovered one hand over my mouth. Then he stood up, pulled me up into a sitting position and bent me over so my head was between my knees though he had to support me. There wasn't any audio but I could tell I was coughing and gasping by the quick jerky movements of my shoulders. I was breathing again. I was thinking I could almost remember some of this through the haze of lights and the buzz of noise but I definitely remembered that and some of the blurs were coming together. Not that I was suddenly remembering what happened more clearly, just that it made more sense lined up with what I now knew to be what happened. Wesker seemed relieved and sat next to me to… rub my back. He said something but no matter how many times I rewound it, I couldn't make out what it was and apparently neither could Jill since she didn't add anything here. So I looked to Wesker for the answer and he sighed but supplied what I wanted.

"I told you it was alright because I was there." he stated honestly and for the first time since we had laid down, he met my gaze and I could see just a touch of pink near his ears. I blushed again but didn't know what to say to that or how to react to his show of tender embarrassment. So I did nothing and resumed the video. The front door opened and agents rushed in with guns aimed at Wesker though he didn't move away from me. There were no subtitles here because Jill knew I could imagine with accuracy the usual shouted commands that would have been issued. Someone fired and when Wesker evaded, I fell without his support. Then he was next to me on the floor, just starting to lift me again when a bullet went into his back and through his chest, his blood landing on me in front of him and a bit on the floor. His eyes were glowing a bright red now and from the dangerous snarl on his face, anyone could tell just how pissed he was. He slowly turned towards the group of agents and a few of them stepped back but before anyone could make another move, Jill rushed in and gestured for everyone to cease fire.

'Stand down!' The blonde woman cautiously approached Wesker who was still crouched on the floor with me half cradled in his arms. 'I'll take care of him.' She got closer to him but his brilliant red glare was still over her shoulder to the agents behind her. 'I need you to get in your cell so I can look after Chris.' It was hard to tell past the glow emitting from his eyes but the camera quality was good enough to see their shift to Jill, then to me, then back to the woman.

'He's suffering a massive panic attack.' His eyes glared at everyone else in the room again. 'All the extra people and noise won't be good for him.' He lowered me to the ground and stood up which made a few agents, especially the one that shot him, step back again.

'I'll take it from here.' Jill reassured as the man went into his room so she could lock him in. She then dismissed the other agents, claiming I needed space. While some who were more eager to leave obeyed, two in particular argued and ended up staying to stand guard at Wesker's door to make sure he didn't try anything. Jill had replaced the wet rag on my forehead as she moved me onto her lap, wiping away some of the blood from my face as she started singing to me. I'm not sure how much time it took for me to calm down enough that I became aware again but the video cut then picked up again as the other two agents were leaving. Jill's subtitles weren't word for word if my memory served correctly but they were close enough to get the point across. Jill left me to unlock Wesker's door before returning to me as he went for the kitchen. He had grabbed this and that though I didn't care enough to watch what, crushing and mixing various bits together before filling a cup with water and pouring some of the powder into it. He carried it over to us, kneeling next to me to give me his home remedy that worked wonders and I'm guessing it was the same stuff he gave me earlier too. Wesker carried me into my room with Jill following and they were in there for a few minutes before they both reemerged. The woman examined the broken locking mechanism in the door before giving our old captain an irritated look.

'You couldn't have picked it or something?'

'I believe that's your job.' He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes before heading for the front door which had been left open a crack and I took that to mean there was someone guarding the other side just in case. She didn't pause and no more words were spoken between them as she left, sealing the door behind her so I guessed their conversation about Claire's visit had to have happened in my room. She must have also turned on the camera in my room to keep an eye on me while she was there too. Wesker went to his room to change his slightly bloodied shirt before grabbing a chair from the table and set it just outside of my room. He sat with his arms folded and his head back against the wall as he waited for me to wake up. The video ended so I shut off my phone's screen and laid it face down on Wesker's chest so I didn't have to try to get it back into my pocket.

"Do you feel enlightened?" Wesker asked and I nodded against his chest. He sighed and adjusted so his cheek rested against the top of my head.

"You know I thought it was just me you were acting weird with but it's nice seeing you being playful with Jill too." I said with a smile growing on my face.

"I was not being playful." he argued. "You make it sound as if I'm going soft."

"Aren't you?" I asked cheekily and he scoffed but didn't answer. I had only been joking but… was he? I wanted to press for the meaning behind his lack of an answer but he was saved from that when my phone rang. He wrinkled his nose as he lifted my vibrating and ringing phone from his chest and offered it over to me.

"That was unpleasant, don't do it again." he ordered and I chuckled as I answered Jill's call.

"Hey."

"Hey, we're on our way down so you're going to have to lock Wesker in." I sat up at the news and looked down at Wesker as if assessing his threat level.

"Why?" I asked, deciding that he wasn't one.

"Because the director said so." she responded coldly though it wasn't directed at me.

"Shouldn't that be up to me and Claire?"

"That's what I thought but allowing her in is a security risk so they're trying to put as many barriers between Wesker and escape as possible." she explained with a sigh.

"Why would I want to escape? I have what I want here." Wesker asked, winking at me when my eyes met his and I blushed before looking away again.

"They're also worried he may be trying to use Claire as a hostage." the woman continued, either not hearing the blond man or ignoring him. I almost laughed even though there was a part of me that believed it and wondered about the possibility. But no, Wesker's put actual effort into getting closer to me so he wouldn't just throw all of that away now by threatening Claire. "We're getting into the elevator now so you've got a minute to get to the door."

"Okay, okay, I'm going." I told her as I quickly got out of bed, eager to see my sister. We both hung up and I was about to leave the room when I stopped and looked back at the other man with an apologetic expression.

"Go spend time with your sister." he dismissed me with a wave of his hand and I smiled at him full of gratitude before I turned to leave again. "Chris." he called to stop me and I looked back again with my hand on the door handle. "Remember to eat." he reminded me and my smile softened.

"Right because I would surely starve without you cooking for me." I stated with a playfully mocking tone and he actually smiled back at me.

"Precisely." I wanted to go over and kiss him, this whole tender moment we shared lifted my spirits so much but I wanted to see Claire more. I shut his door and locked it up before rushing over to the front door, wringing my hands together as I impatiently waited. I had been waiting for it but I still jumped when the locks started to noisily disengage. My heart pounded as I willed the door to open already and when it finally did… Claire was standing there. She was in my arms in an instant and I was so overcome with relief and joy at having her with me safe and sound that I hid my face in her hair in case I started crying. In my good mood, I lifted her up and spun her around. She laughed in her happiness, her arms squeezing around my neck but not uncomfortably. I put the redhead down and she released the bear hug. I cupped her face in my hands as I pressed our foreheads together to stare into her eyes.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again or I'll die of a heart attack and haunt you forever." I tried to be serious but the smile wouldn't leave my lips and neither would hers.

"You act like this is the first life threatening situation I've been in." she laughed and I kissed her head before pulling her into another hug. She was right, I was probably overreacting to this but it was a unique situation. When I heard she had been caught up in other outbreaks, it was after the fact and I knew she was okay. While she was being held prisoner at Rockford Island I was able to go to rescue her, I wasn't trapped thinking she was dead or dying, I was able to do something about it. Knowing she was in active danger and being helpless to do anything about it… it ate me alive.

"Alright my turn." Jill called from behind Claire as she wedged her way into our embrace. She stood on her toes to hug me tightly and I happily returned it. "Glad to see you're doing better." she softly said to me and I nodded into her shoulder.

"Well Wesker really helped keep me calm all day." I told her before we parted and she smirked at me.

"So I saw." I looked at her in confusion over the knowing look she gave me. "I stopped by the monitoring station before we came down, I saw you two cuddling." heat rushed to my face and I covered it with my hands.

"Stop reminding me there are cameras everywhere." I groaned and she laughed.

"Well I've gotta get out of here since-" she raised her voice to make a point of making sure Wesker could hear her. "the party invitation doesn't extend to me." I doubted the man would shout through the door to reply but I could imagine the smirk he wore. I had no doubt he would be fine with her staying but we couldn't turn this into a social event for a lot of reasons.

"How long do we have?" I questioned and the blonde woman's attention returned to me.

"Three hours." she answered apologetically but I nodded. It was less than I was hoping but more than I was expecting. "Glad you're okay." she said to Claire who smiled at her and said thank you. I guessed they already hugged it out. "I'll be on cams if you need me." she called over her shoulder as she left, the solid door closing behind her. I looked to Claire and we smiled at each other before hugging one more time for good measure.

We sat at the couch for quite some time, just talking and it was honestly a great reassurance that everything was okay. She told me more about the whole experience, confided in me her sorrow over those that didn't make it, and I comforted her. Though I noticed how Claire's attention would shift to Wesker's door from time to time and eventually she addressed it.

"Jill told me this visit was his idea." she informed me and I nodded in confirmation. "Why?" I looked away from her and shrugged.

"It's…" I sighed. "it's hard to explain." her expression turned to one of concern.

"If it was anyone else I wouldn't have to ask but it's hard to see him actually caring." she explained and I was silent for a long moment because it somehow made perfect sense to me in a way it wouldn't have even just a week ago but it was impossible to put into words.

"I'm not sure I would call it caring exactly but in his own way, he sorta does." it all came out as more of a question since I wasn't sure that was right and I knew it didn't make any sense.

"I don't think she was supposed to but Jill also told me about Wesker giving up one of his contacts to calm you down." her voice had lowered and she leaned closer to me to continue in a whisper with her hand on my arm. "That sounds like caring." I stared at her with wide eyes and no matter how much I searched her gaze, I couldn't make sense of what she was saying. Her eyes were soft and knowing but her lips were pursed with worry like she herself was still unsure of something. In the end I could only turn away from her gaze though I saw her soft smile from the corner of my eye.

"Are you hungry?" I suddenly asked as I stood up. "If I don't eat, Wesker will be on my ass about it later." I explained before realizing how that might sound but the redhead didn't react in any sort of way that might indicate that she might have taken it to mean something dirty. I started toward the kitchen, pausing as I passed near Wesker's closed door. I wanted him to join us… I knew I probably shouldn't want Wesker anywhere near Claire… but I did, I wanted them to get along. My chest ached painfully at the thought of the three of us as a family, knowing it could never happen.

"How about Wesker join us for dinner?" Claire suggested and my eyes widened as I turned to look at her in astonishment. I wanted to say something- tried to say something but nothing came out as I continue to stare at my sister dumbly. "Oh come on, I don't mind breaking the rules for this and I'm sure you don't either." I mean… she was right but I didn't think she would want Wesker out of his room so I hadn't even thought of asking. "And I'm sure he would love to break the rules."

"You would be correct." Wesker's voice chuckled low from the other side of his door. I watched as my sister tensed, clearly unsettled by actually interacting with the dangerous man.

"Are you sure?" I asked her hesitantly, unaware that my body had already moved closer to the locked door with eager energy.

"I want to properly thank him." she confirmed with a hard nod. My hands moved on their own to undo the locks and I opened the door with a smile as Wesker stepped out. Claire's jaw tensed and she watched him intently with a hard expression but I could tell she at least tried not to glare at him. His eyes swept over her once and I knew he was doing a quick analysis of her but apparently he didn't find anything that interested him because he turned to me.

"What do you feel like eating?" he asked calmly, his fingers gently brushing mine as if asking for permission to hold my hand. I knew the gesture had more meaning than just that though, he wasn't just asking about right now, he was asking if I was okay with it at all during the visit. Was I okay showing affection with Wesker in front of Claire? Even though I knew I was supported, it was still embarrassing just having people know I was attracted to a man- this man in particular. I knew I would eventually get over it and I was okay showing my comfort with Wesker now but looking at the redhead's uneasy posture… no, more for her sake, I wasn't okay with it for now. I moved my hand away from his and though there wasn't a reaction in any of his facial features, he stood just a little straighter like he was becoming more attentive of himself and his actions. Not that he wasn't always aware and thought everything through, but it showed he was watching himself not to act in a way that would put me in an uncomfortable position. I appreciated that and… the desire to kiss him came back to me.

"Wesker, I want to th-"

"I would rather you didn't." the blond interrupted the woman as he faced her again with a blank expression. "Nothing I did was for you nor does whatever 'care' you think me to have extend to you." he spoke these words with such a straight face it was hard to believe.

"Wesker!"

"It's okay Chris." Claire told me and when I looked back to her she was calmer as if having expected Wesker to make up some pretense of friendship and having that belief shattered was a relief. "I already knew that and he's just speaking his mind." she couldn't help the glare she had on him though. "Still, thank you for helping my brother." she nodded to him and after a thoughtful moment, he returned it. They were caught in a fierce staring contest as she searched him for answers to unasked questions and he held her gaze to not show fault. And here I was stuck in the middle of it and I worried about even breathing as if this was the formation of a very important truce and any word from me would break it since I was the foundation of that truce. "Dinner?" Claire asked so suddenly as she looked back at me with a forced smile that I almost jumped. Wesker's gaze also returned to me, still waiting on an answer to his previous related question. I looked back and forth between them in confusion because while they seemed to come to some sort of understanding, the atmosphere was still heavy with tension which made me awkward as the only one either of them was here for.

"I hate you both." I muttered as I turned my back to them to walk into the kitchen. I opened the fridge door and looked over the contents. I was hungry but wasn't sure if anything sounded good though at the same time I was sure if there was any type of food in front of me I would eat it. Why was it up to me to choose? Wesker stepped behind me, intentionally reaching around my body to open the freezer door, having to get even closer to peer in so his chest was touching my shoulder and back. "I thought we had an agreement." I whispered to him and he smirked.

"Go spend more time with your sister while I make dinner for the two of you." Wesker said with a nod back to the living room.

"Are you not eating with us?" Claire's voice asked from behind us, having come into the kitchen as well. When we both turned to see her it put our faces far too close so I had to back away from the blond which made him smirk at me again before he returned his attention to the freezer.

"No." was all he said as he pulled out some pork chops and I was glad I didn't have to decide what to eat now.

"He doesn't have to eat very often." I explained further, motioning for the redhead to follow me as I stepped around her to head back into the living room.

"It's an occasion." she pressed and that got inhuman eyes to finally turn to her with an analytical eye. After a moment of looking her over, Wesker looked to me so I just shrugged and he sighed.

"If you insist." he said before getting to his task and Claire forced a smile before she turned to walk back to the couch.

"Make some mashed potatoes while you're at it." she called from over her shoulder and the atmosphere drained of life in an instant when Wesker leveled a glare at the back of her head. I tensed when his eyes turned to me full of demanding irritation and I could tell he wanted to do something about the redhead giving him an order. I shrugged sheepishly and mouthed the word 'sorry' at him. I didn't want him to do anything because I couldn't guarantee how it would turn out. I also didn't want to do anything about it on his behalf since that would make him feel like he couldn't handle Claire on his own. He closed his eyes, took a moment to himself, and got to cooking. "What's his problem?" the woman asked as I sat with her again on the couch.

"Don't." I shook my head at her and though she seemed confused by my defensive posture, she didn't question it. I knew she was just trying to play around to seem like she was more comfortable with the situation than she really was but considering who Wesker was, it had come off more rude than anything.

… … …

"You didn't!" Claire shrieked in horror at the news and I nodded sadly. "It was your favorite!" she continued and I just continued to nod, staring past her to the spot on the wall I had thrown and shattered the coffee mug she had given to me for my last birthday. "I'll order you a new one." she suddenly said as she pulled out her phone but I snatched it from her.

"I broke it, I'll replace it." I told her strictly and she pouted at me for a second before rolling her eyes.

"Fine." she held her hand out for her phone so I placed it on her upturned palm. "Speaking of drinks, can I have some water?"

"Yeah." I stood and walked into the kitchen, pulling open the fridge to grab a cold water bottle.

"Thank you." I heard Wesker say softly and turned to him.

"For what?" I asked in surprised confusion, keeping my voice low as he had so Claire couldn't hear us.

"I understand how much it means for you to trust me with your beloved sister." he explained shortly without looking at me. Having seen a little of his eyes, I stepped up next to him and peered around to get a look at their bright orange color. He looked away from me. "I'm simply trying to assure you I understand how much I'm being given at this moment and I won't risk making you regret it." I again noticed the embarrassed dusting of red on his ears and what I could still see of his cheeks. I smiled and took his free hand, squeezing it lightly.

"You've earned it and I know I'm not going to regret this one bit. I probably shouldn't but I trust you Wesker." I told him sincerely and he slowly turned to face me, his own genuine smile spreading over his lips. He very subtly leaned toward me before stopping himself.

"May I kiss you?" he whispered and the sound was so sensual and earnest, the only reason I didn't kiss him as an answer was because I caught the movement of his eyes very briefly darting to the side. I followed the inhuman gaze to see Claire still sitting on the couch with her arms folded and her eyes awkwardly diverted. Her lips were pursed and her eyebrows raised like she found everything she looked at so much more interesting than the two of us. My face lit up and I took a step back, realizing just how close I'd gotten to the other man. Wesker chuckled, shook his hand from my grip, and returned his gaze to what he was cooking. "Later." he simply stated before his voice lost its subtlety. "The food is almost ready." I nodded and went back to Claire, sitting next to her and awkwardly fidgeted with my hands.

"So…"

"So…" I repeated which only made it more awkward. "Food's almost done." I offered a change of topic and my sister readily accepted it.

"Great, that's great. Should we set the table or something?" she furthered the conversation, her gaze returning to me more casually and I followed suit.

"Uh, no I think Wesker's dishing the plates." I informed her before looking at the table, realizing there was only one chair. I looked to my bedroom door to see the other one was still there against the wall but that didn't solve the issue of us being one chair short. "But we can move my desk chair out here." she stood and nodded enthusiastically.

"And we can move your TV out like you've been talking about too." she said as I followed her to my room. I waited as she took a moment to examine the broken lock though she didn't question it since she already knew the story. My eyes found Wesker and I felt heat rising in my body. I knew what I wanted. Before we started, I texted Jill.

We moved the TV first, bringing the end table it was on out as well and hooked everything up in front of the couch. I made sure to tell Wesker to be careful of the cords trailing to the nearest outlet even though I was sure he didn't need to be told. Regardless he acknowledged me with a hum. Claire wheeled my desk chair out of my room and I brought over the other dining chair to the table just as Wesker set two plates on its surface. Claire sat in my padded chair in the spot I usually sat, Wesker returned with a third plate and took his place, and I sat between them. Already I had a bad feeling about my position here as the literal middle man but there was nothing to be done about it since having these two next to each other would be worse.

No one immediately made conversation so we ate in silence for nearly half the meal until Claire finally cleared her throat and spoke.

"So you care about Chris?" she asked as she eyed the blond man. I held back a groan and forced myself not to bury my face in my hands. I took another bite. Wesker on the other hand took a thoughtful breath and his eyes found the ceiling as he thought it over. Then he turned his gaze to me.

"What would you call it?" I did sigh this time but gave it a moment of thought.

"Possessive." the word came to me easily and Wesker nodded, his eyes briefly meeting Claire's.

"That sounds closer to accurate than what you said." he said before taking another bite. My sister's baby blue eyes flickered between us before she finally put down her fork.

"Okay seriously, this is all so weird!" she exclaimed before her narrowed eyes settled on Wesker. "What's your game?" she demanded with a harsh tone. Yup… definitely not awkward and tense being in the middle of this. I was torn on what I should do. I couldn't take Wesker's side and tell Claire to calm down because she's his little sister- plus it was an excellent question and I wanted to know too. And I couldn't take Claire's side and double down on interrogating Wesker or it might put a drift between everything we've built. So I stuck to quietly picking at my food, keeping my eyes on my plate though I often peeked at the other two. Wesker sighed and put his fork down to give the redhead his full attention.

"My goal with this surrender was to spend time alone with Chris and I'm getting exactly that." he answered without looking away from the woman as they engaged in another staring contest. Wait… really? That was the whole reason? I finally get the 'why' he's been keeping from me and it's just… he was just saying that. There had to be another reason.

"Why?" she pressed.

"Because I have spared his life time and time again, even though I hate him, due to the amusement he provided with his naive chase and stubborn self righteousness."

"Hey." I called in offense but they both ignored me.

"I was finally going to kill him in the mansion to put an end to the endless interruptions. However I came to the realization that I didn't want him dead." Wesker continued to explain and I recalled one of the first letters he gave me that stated that very thing.

"Why?" Claire asked again, now more intrigued than accusing.

"That's what I'm here to figure out." and with that answered, he resumed eating to signal that the conversation was over but Claire wasn't having it.

"Have you figured it out?"

"I believe I have." Wesker surprisingly replied before taking another bite of his food.

"Are you going to share?" Claire continued to press and Wesker shook his head. "Well what are you going to do now that you know?" Wesker didn't even bother acknowledging her this time which drew an annoyed huff from the redhead. Honestly she was lucky to have gotten as much as she did out of him. She looked to me like I was supposed to do something about him being uncooperative. I shrugged at her much the same way I did at Wesker when he gave me this same look over her. Luckily she huffed again and also went back to eating. And they both left me alone. Thank god.

… … …

Jill called to tell me she would be down for Claire in ten minutes so I would need to have Wesker locked in his room again. I smiled to myself but didn't point out how it had been the first time she had referred to it as his room rather than his cell. I remembered my own little trip into comfort with that and… it felt like so long ago.

Chris: Did you have time
Jill: Don't worry I got it

I sighed in relief at the confirmation, having been worried she wouldn't have enough time to find someone to cover for her. Fortunately it seemed she had so she was able to run out and pick it up for me. I'd ordered something from a… shop, making sure it was in stock and placed Jill as the pickup person. They were able to get it ready in time and she was able to get there and back before the three hours were up so she could give it to me while picking up Claire. Unfortunately… it had to get cleared to get in here. I'm just glad I didn't know who was in charge of that process otherwise I'm not sure I could face them after this.

Jill: I still think you should have gotten something bigger

Blush rushed to my face and I angrily typed out my response to that.

Chris: We already talked about this
Chris: I'm not trying to match him

"What's the matter with you?" Wesker asked from the kitchen where he was washing the dishes after dinner. He seemed amused that I was a blushing mess which I glared at him for.

"Nothing." I declared too loudly. I was just checking on my delivery while Claire was using my bathroom. It wasn't supposed to turn into this but of course everyone loved to tease me.

Jill: They had so many with cool features
Chris: I don't need any features
Jill: Holy shit can you get any redder
Chris: Thanks for picking it up for me and all but fuck you

I could imagine her laughing at me and groaned. Then there was a gasp from behind me and I yelped as I rushed to press my phone to my chest to prevent anyone from seeing it. Claire stood with her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide, and a light blush on her cheeks. I wondered how much she had read but I knew the last time either of us had said what the item was wasn't quite off the screen yet so she probably saw it. She was blushing- of course she saw!

"Why are you snooping?" I demanded as I turned my screen off and shoved the damned device in my pocket.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were having such a private conversation." she exclaimed before covering her eyes. "God how do I unsee that?" we both groaned and turned away from each other.

"What is-"

"Nothing!" I shouted again to stop Wesker's question. I cursed my luck and could imagine Jill laughing her ass off watching this whole scene. "Jill's gonna be on her way down soon so you-" I pointed to Claire though I couldn't look at her. "make sure you have all your stuff. And you-" I pointed now to the blond man accompanied by a pleading look. "go to your room." I told him which made his eyebrows shoot up. He didn't seem angry at the command like he had been when Claire told him to do something, he seemed a little surprised but amused, maybe even a little impressed. He still ignored me and continued to finish the dishes. I sat there while Claire put her shoes back on and double checked herself for her belongings. Jill texted me that she was on her way down so I relayed the information to Wesker who then dried his hands on a cloth and walked into his room. I wasn't going to bother locking it since Claire was just slipping out but I didn't want to risk him seeing that Jill was bringing me something and get curious. So I walked over to lock him in.

Back at the front door and putting our awkwardness aside, my sister and I embraced in a tight hug and didn't let go.

"Be careful, okay?" I mumbled as I laid my head on top of hers.

"You too." she nodded. I sighed in disappointment when the locks on the front door disengaged. "I love you Chris."

"I love you too." I told her as we parted when the door opened. Jill didn't step in as Claire stepped out, just passed me a small black bag which I quickly took from her. Noticing it, Claire cringed slightly as a blush crept onto her face. I saw Jill bite her lip to stop from laughing so I glared at her. "Thank you." I said through my teeth and she grinned.

"Do I get a tip for the delivery?" she teased and I pretended to rummage through my pocket with my free hand before pulling it back out with my middle finger raised to her. Both girls laughed and I joined in.

"Bye." Claire called with a wave that I returned.

"Enjoy." Jill smirked and I rolled my eyes. The door shut and I wasted no time rushing to my bedroom, stopping at my dresser to add the fleshlight to the bag before storing it under my bathroom sink. I wasn't worried about Wesker going through my things whenever he was in my room, I didn't even care that my door couldn't lock anymore. But these things needed to be secured against all possibility of discovery. I shut my bathroom door and my bedroom door before walking across the living room to Wesker's door.

I unlocked and opened it only to be met with lips on mine. Wesker's arms dragged me closer to his body and his lips pressed to mine comfortably. I moaned into the kiss as my eyes closed and my arms encircled his neck. Then his tongue slid over my lips and I readily opened my mouth to allow him entrance. I let him lead as he moved us to the side so he could press my back to the wall with his hands rested comfortably on my hips. I was expecting this to be more frantic than it was and found I was content that it was more sensual than sexual. It was Wesker who pulled out of the short make out session we'd been having but I still panted from excitement. I looked into his orange eyes and smiled happily.

"Thank you. For all of this." I whispered and he kissed me again. I was surprised when he let me go with one hand to find one of mine, removing it from around his neck to hold it to our sides. I wondered if this was making up for before when he was denied my hand. That brought the questions I had over his and Claire's conversation at dinner to mind and I had to ask. "Why don't you want me dead?" I asked and the blond sighed deeply before softly kissing my lips one more time.

"Because I do care about you Chris." his voice was low and his tone was gentle, he sounded sincere. I was frozen by the admission and searched his eyes for dishonesty for a long time but… I couldn't find any. I was at a loss for words. Here was another moment where everything between us changed and I didn't know how to process this. Wesker cared about me. I mean I knew that to some extent but I wasn't lying to Claire when I said I wouldn't exactly call it care in the traditional meaning. But for the man himself to say those words to me… my heart wouldn't settle and my head spun but there was also a lace of pain in the words. This wouldn't last forever even though I wanted it to. "Go get some rest, it's been a long day." he said as he backed up so I could get off of the wall though he didn't release my hand. "And do try not to overthink it or you'll be snippy with me in the morning." that got me to smile and though I wanted to kiss him goodnight, I didn't. I needed to think. I let go of his hand but before I could leave, Wesker stopped me. "Last night's and tonight's." he said as he retrieved several pages of paper from his desk and handed them over to me.

"Thanks." I said again with a smile before I turned and left, feeling his eyes on me as I made my way back into my own room. I sat on my bed and zoned out for a while before shaking my head and looking down at the two letters in my hands. Last night's letter was 'Chris's Birthday' and tonight's letter was 'Mother Hen'.

~...~...~...~

"I'm sorry Captain." the man pleaded with me over the phone. "I'll be back to work first thing Monday morning." he'd broken his arm because of course he had. It wasn't even a work related injury, he'd been out goofing off doing god knows what with the other two trouble makers. Somehow whatever they were doing led to Chris breaking his arm.

"With the doctor's full clearance?" I had to ask since it wouldn't be above Chris to come in before he was cleared.

"Yes." he declared firmly and I gave him a moment to correct himself. I came into the office to find a fax from the hospital putting Chris on medical leave from work. It also listed his restrictions upon return though he wouldn't be cleared for field duty until the doctor saw him again after the cast was off. That would take at least a couple of weeks. "Yes." he stated again though less sure of himself. "I'm not clear for fieldwork and I'm on restrictions but they said I can go into the office by Monday." he finally relented with a defeated sigh.

"Was that so difficult?" I huffed into the speaker as I inched my sunglasses up to pinch the bridge of my nose. We weren't particularly busy at the moment but being down my pointman was never optimal.

"Sorry Wesker." he mumbled like a scolded child.

"These things happen, at least you're alright." I told him though I was rather annoyed over the situation.

"I can come in to-"

"Monday is already pushing it." I told him sharply. "Take your time to recover. You're of no use to the team if you're not at your best." he sighed as I spoke.

"Yes sir." I was about to hang up when he spoke again. "Thanks for calling to check on me." I was at a loss for how to respond to that. Of course I called, he hadn't. Then again it was very early and the time of the hospital visit was listed to have been only a few hours ago. Perhaps I should have been surprised to find out he was still awake after leaving the hospital. Perhaps I should have waited for a more reasonable hour to call him but I needed to be made aware of these kinds of situations as soon as possible to better plan around them.

"Of course, it's one of my duties." I simply said even as my mind wandered to the last time Barry had been hurt on a mission and all I needed was confirmation of when he would return to work. But that had been different, I had already known that he was hurt and was the one that saw him to the ambulance.

I ended the call before he could drag on the conversation. I had the information I needed so there was nothing more to discuss. I tapped my finger against my desk as I finally got around to turning on my computer. It would be quieter around the office without Chris especially with Joseph trying to lay low lest he get into trouble for being a part of whatever shenanigan was behind the temporary loss of our pointman. He wouldn't, of course, there was no reason to punish him at work for something that happened off duty. Even if I might have a few choice words for both him and Forest- and Chris. Of course Chris as well since he was mostly to blame for this.

Chris wasn't much of a cook even without a broken arm. What was he going to do about meals?

… … …

The sharpshooter was surprised when he opened his front door to find me standing before him.

"Captain!" he looked around me as if I were a mere illusion and he would find someone else at his doorstep. "What are you doing here?" already he was exaggerating this turn of events, it wasn't the first time I'd come to his apartment to check on him when he'd been hurt yet he always seemed just shocked.

"Making sure you eat more than junk while you're handicapped." I answered as I held up the bag I carried. He eyed it carefully like it would explode and though I secretly rolled my eyes at his hesitance, I waited patiently for him to finally accept it. "Three full meals, refrigerate leftovers, the tupperware is microwave safe." I informed him before turning to leave.

"Wait- Wesker!" he stopped me with an outstretched hand though he didn't touch me. "Uh… do you… do you want to come in and… eat with me?" his face was red with a mild fever that he was no doubt on medication for but it seemed to grow redder during our conversation. He shouldn't be up, he needed to rest.

"I only prepared one serving per dish." that and the fact there was one of Umbrella's more exclusive medicines mixed into some of the ingredients to help quicken his healing so only he should eat it. He shrank a little at the rejection before his eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"You made the food?" he asked in astonishment. "You can cook?"

"Of course I can, it's only chemistry." I also believed it to be a basic life skill but I knew I was far above the required level for the average male, even one living alone.

"Oh, okay." he narrowed his eyes at the floor, seeming to try for something to say quickly. "Um… do you want to come in and have a drink?" he tried again and as nearly tempting as that sounded, I checked my watch. I had left the office late so the cooking didn't get done within the time frame I allotted which placed me here later than intended and this wasn't my last errand before returning home for the night.

"I have other matters to attend to before the day is through." I delivered the news as stoically as any other but it still made Chris deflate in disappointment.

"Alright, maybe some other time." he said with finality and I nodded more to be able to leave sooner than out of agreeance. I didn't make a habit of 'hanging out' with my team after hours, this was only the third time I'd come to check on Chris at his home and the first with a gift.

"Goodnight Chris." I turned again to make my exit.

"Goodnight Wesker." he called after me though I didn't hear his door close but I couldn't be bothered to look back at him to see why. I would call him tomorrow to make sure he ate and had taken whatever medication he was prescribed. The sooner I got him back to full health, the sooner he could fully return to work, and the sooner STARS could return to normal working functionality.


Holy shit long chapter is long! Over 12,000 words- that's plenty to split into two chapters! But we're doing a chapter a day so busy days will inevitably be longer. This chapter took forEVER to get through between piecing together scenes I already had written, new scenes I actually had to think through, and scenes that wrote themselves that completed contradicted other scenes causing everything to need to be gone over again! Anyway, it's finally out and I hope it was worth the wait. I really like the tenderness in this chapter and though I feel it's more direct for Wesker's personality as I would usually depict him, again that was a decision to separate the way their relationship develops from another fic I'm working on.
I don't have much of the next chapter written but I know where I'm going with it. I think it'll be of a normal length plus it'll be a fun day so I'll be able to get through it quicker. It shouldn't be too long of a wait.