20. Claire

It took Claire a couple of days to get used to her new life as Leon's roomie, but surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as she had anticipated. Somehow her usual rhythm matched Leon's quite well, so they easily synchronized.

Claire's sleep pattern improved considerably; however, she still had to keep the light on if she wanted to keep her sanity and her calm. Even though she knew that she was in the safety of Leon's apartment and that the man was a few meters away from her, ready to throw the door if he heard her scream, Claire could not stop the horror that surrounded her when the darkness began to envelop her.

Maybe it was her mind playing cruel tricks or the hallucinations caused by the virus, but as soon as the light went out and the veil of shadows began to fill the rooms, Claire felt her heart-stirring. The sensation of being observed and stalked by something lurking in the darkness grew stronger and stronger. Her only solution was to sleep with the lights on, and if Leon had found it a strange habit, the man never said anything. Leon was exceptionally comprehensive with her, and Claire felt grateful to him.

Claire had come to like Helena's company. The woman would come to the apartment and take Leon's place whenever he needed to go out for an errand. They would talk about silly things or any funny memory about Leon. The topic wasn't that important.

"So...being honest here, what do you think? Would Leon make a good husband?" Helena asked curiously.

"What? Are you planning to marry him in the future?"

"Me? Of course not. I am just curious."

"Well, I think he would, but it isn't like I've had many husbands to compare him…" Claire laughed.

The two giggled, but their chat was soon interrupted by the doorbell. Helena looked suspiciously at the door. Leon rarely had visitors, and they hadn't been expecting anyone today. Helena motioned Claire to wait as she walked to the door and opened it. As soon as the mahogany door flipped open, a patch of platinum blonde hair stomped into the apartment like a hurricane. The person didn't have to introduce herself for Claire to know who it was.

"Okay, Leon. You owe me an explanation…" Sherry said as she entered. Her voice demanding and accusing, "How can you get married without telling me anything? Now you are better. Wait, you're not Leon."

" I think that's pretty clear…" Helena said with a frown.

" Agent Harper… What are you doing here? Where's Leon?"

"He's out doing an errand. Should be back soon, though." Helena replied, crossing her arms.

"Oh, okay. I will wait for him then, " Sherry replied, crossing her arms and looking at Helena with irritation.

Claire stifled a modest laugh as she watched Sherry strike the floor rhythmically with her foot. The young girl with platinum hair looked quite irritated, and Claire decided to remain hidden a few minutes more.

"Sure...I guess…" Helena shrugged, "I don't think he would mind, anyway…"

"He does owe me some explaining. I mean, he got married without telling me?"

"Why are you so bothered by it? Leon is a grown man. I think he can marry whoever he wants…"

" We are like a family! HE didn't tell me and just did it? I don't even know this Clara whatever," Sherry pouted.

"So you're annoyed that he didn't introduce you to his fiancé?" Claire asked softly.

"Of course, I am! How do I know she's not some random girl who's all in for his looks?" Sherry replied without paying attention to who was asking the question, "Leon is too much of a gentleman to see when a woman is trying to use him…"

"I think Leon can handle it pretty well himself…"

"As if. He might be the best agent in DSO and a ladies' man, but he definitely can't tell which ladies are good enough for him…"

"Really? So you can tell who is good enough for him? Who would that be?"

"It needs to be someone who can understand him. That knows what he goes through so that she can support him, also someone who can help and definitely no damsel in distress. Oh, and she has to be loyal, not a backstabbing woman who would sell him to the best buyer…"

"You're not referring to Ada, are you?" Claire continued, and she noticed Helena chuckling, "I doubt Leon would appreciate it if you badmouth her…"

"Why would he care? He's married now, isn't he? Geez, he should have married someone else, someone like..."

"Like?" Helena asked, and Sherry looked at her arms crossed.

"I don't know...Claire, maybe?"

Claire giggled and saw Helena shake her head amused. So, Sherry was using her as a reference for Leon's potential girlfriends. In a way, Claire found that little surprising; however, the irony of the matter was too funny.

"Then I wouldn't be concerned about Clara." Helena said, "You won't find anyone as close to Claire Redfield than her."

"Huh?" Sherry asked, confused.

"She means me…" Claire said, coming out from her hiding spot.

Sherry turned on her heels and looked at Claire with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open in surprise. The girl seemed unable to articulate any words due to the shock.

Claire shrugged and smiled at the young woman in front of her.

"C-Claire?"

"Hello to you too, Sherry." Claire greeted her with an amused look."But my name is Clara now..."

Sherry stared at her dumbfounded. Her gaze passed from Claire to Helena and then back to Claire. Out of a sudden, the young woman hugged Claire with such strength that the auburn headed nearly lost her breath.

"Oh my god, Claire...I thought you were..." Sherry said with her eyes filled with tears.

"I know...I know…" Claire said, patting the girl's back, "You like everyone else..."

"Oh, Claire...I'm so glad. When they told me you…"

"Shhhh...I know, I know. I'm back, and I'm fine…"

Sherry cleaned up her tears and smiled.

"So...you are...Leon's wife?"

"Technically, yes."

"It's a cover story. There's a bioterrorist group that has targeted her. As a result, it was decided that she would be under the special protection program."

"Oh...and Leon is your designated bodyguard…" Sherry said, understanding.

"Yes, and myself as well," Helena replied, tilting her head.

"Oh, that makes sense. That's why you are here now."

"Yeah...well, this is supposed to be classified, but I guess it is fine that you know it."

"Leon would have told her anyway," Claire assured her.

"I would have told you what?"

The three women looked toward the door, where Leon had just entered, and was taking off his jacket. The man looked at the three women, surprised. Judging his look, Claire knew that he hadn't expected to find Sherry sitting graciously on his couch.

"Sherry? What are you doing here?"

"Well, apparently...getting to know your wife." Sherry replied teasingly, "You know...I was truly hurt when I heard you have gotten married and didn't even invite me to the wedding."

Claire wanted to laugh at Leon's shocked face. It wasn't every day that she got the chance to see Leon lose his cool.

"I originally intended to see who this woman was and give you a piece of my mind…" Sherry said, looking at Claire, "But since you just married Claire, I have nothing to say…"

"Oh, really?" Leon said, crossing his arms and frowning at the young woman."

"Of course." Sherry giggled and hugged Leon's arm and whispered, " No one is better suited than her…"

Claire felt that her face blush furiously, so she quickly stood up and moved to pour some drinks before anyone would notice it. She was not quite sure why Sherry's comment had made her blush, but she blamed Saya and Jill for putting inappropriate ideas about her relationship with Leon in her head. They were making her act awkward now and then.

It would have been nice if it was real, wouldn't it?

"Claire?"

"Huh?" she said, startled as she got pulled out from her thoughts.

"You spaced out…" Leon said, looking at her, concerned, "Are you okay?"

"I….yeah, sorry…I just got distracted."

Leon didn't buy that excuse. Claire knew it by the skeptical look he'd given her. Despite that, he didn't ask further questions since Helena and Sherry were close by, but Claire was sure that, once they were alone, the man would question her. She would handle it when the time came.

"So, how did your errand go?" Claire asked casually, trying to change the topic as she offered him the glass of juice.

"It was fine." he replied, accepting the glass, " I went to check your "new" office. I met Hiwamura. She sends you her regards. She also said that she'll visit soon to bring you Midnight."

"Midnight?" Helena asked curiously.

"...My cat…" Claire explained.

"You had a cat?" Sherry asked, surprised.

"Well...not exactly…" Claire replied, "It just followed me back from a mission. I tried to find him a home, but he kept coming back every time. In the end, I just got used to having him around. I guess Saya took care of him in my absence. I can tell her to keep him for a while longer if it bothers you…"

"No, you can have him. I really don't mind."

"Oh, thanks…"

Claire was relieved when Leon had allowed her to have the cat. The truth was that she'd grown very attached to the animal. She had stumbled with it when it was merely a kitten, famished and hurt, during a post-outbreak salvation mission. Claire had instantly taken pity on it and nursed it back to health. She didn't realize the animal had somehow found a way into her bag when she returned home. After many failed attempts to get it home, she decided to keep it; she had named it Midnight due to its pretty black fur, and it had automatically gained the love of the members of her team.

The cat lived most of the time in her office at Terra Save. Unless she decided to return to her apartment for a period longer than 24 hours, in which case, Claire would take the cat with her. The animal was quite well behaved; during the day, he usually stayed asleep in his corner of the office, and during the night, he sneaked around.

Most of the employees had already gotten used to receiving visits from the cat, and some even bought him gifts.

"Hunnigan also sends her regards."

"That's nice of her. When will I get the honor of meeting her, I wonder.."

"Soon, I am sure. She gave me your new mobile phone…" Leon added, giving her a standard mobile from the DSO; a model that seemed similar to Leon's. " She already tampered with it, so the line should be safe. I already put Chris's, Helena's, Hunnigan's, and my number in there. You might want to add Sherry's later. "

"Oh, fancy…" Claire said, looking at the gadget. "Much more luxurious than my old one, now I can't complain about being uncommunicated. Thank you."

"Hunnigan already uploaded that data from Dr. Chambers research there…"

"Ah, bless her. That sure is useful."

"So you are starting to work tomorrow?" Sherry asked, "Back at Terra Save?"

"Oh, not exactly...what exactly am I doing again?" Claire said, looking at Helena and Leon.

" DSO Special Research department." Leon replied, "You just do what you do best…"

"Blowing assholes up?"

She saw Leon laugh, and Claire smiled.

"No, being a nerd…."

"Ah, don't I get some action?"

"I'll think about it…."

"So Claire is working with the DSO now?" Sherry said happily. "That means we get to see each other more often!"

"Claire will be stationed somewhere else, though… not in DSO HQ. She'll come around now and then, but not permanently…" Leon said, shaking his head, "but you are welcome to visit her here."

"Well, that's better than nothing."

The rest of the afternoon was nice and calm. Sherry had stayed a few hours just to chat with Claire about random stuff, and Helena would often participate in their conversation, but Leon preferred to stay out of their girl's talk. Claire couldn't help but look at him amused now and then, knowing that he was most likely bored. By the time Sherry had decided that it was time to go home, the sun had already gone down.

Claire was sitting in a white and illuminated greenhouse, fidgeting with a handful of white flowers scattered on her lap. The flowers had a curious appearance: large, with multiple white petals and a pistil surrounded by multiple golden-colored fibers; the petals were soft and delicate and gave off a sweet and aromatic fragrance.

"Selenicereus grandiflorus…" a voice whispered behind her, and Claire automatically looked up.

Her doppelganger was walking in circles around her, The girl was playing with an object between her hands, but Claire could not see what it was.

"The queen of the night…" the girl kept saying softly, "a beautiful flower that grows from a body of thorns, blooms one night in years, and withers within the hours of dawn. But of course, you already knew that. After all. Whatever I know, you know it as well..."

"Sometimes, however, it seems you know more than I do…"

Her doppelganger shook her head and crouched in front of her. Her own eyes locked with hers.

"I only know what you know." she said softly " You just forgot what you already know…"

"I wish I didn't."

"You don't know what you wish...it's not that you can't remember; it is that you don't want to remember…"

"I don't want to remember? Why?"

"I can ask you the same question? Why?"

Claire looked at her young doppelganger with a look that made it clear that her mind was full of questions, but the girl didn't say anything more.

"Think. Didn't you remember Chris when you thought?"

Claire let out a moan of frustration; her doppelganger always had to be so cryptic. It was clear that she had the answers Claire wanted to find so desperately, but the girl would never give her the answers so easily.

"a garland of poppies binds her peaceful brow, black dreams trailing after her…( Ovid, Fasti)..." her doppelganger mumbled, "...seems we've been found…our time has to come to an end..."

Claire saw her young counterpart vanish before her eyes and surroundings began to lose brightness. A dark mist began to wrap the light like hungry tentacles, and Claire let out a moan of horror.

Suddenly, the girl felt something wet and warm in her hands, and when she looked down, her face paled in horror. The flowers had disappeared, replaced by what appeared to be parts of bodies that were stripped and bloodied; blackened blood covered her hands and clothes. As the young woman felt her breathing stir and her heart begin to beat furiously, a threatening roar echoed behind her, and intense pain bombarded all her senses as she felt cold iron claws surrounding her body.

Claire suddenly got up from the bed; drops of cold sweat covered her forehead, and her shoulders trembled with her painful and agitated breathing. The lack of air triggered a strong cough that Claire tried to choke by covering her mouth. The last thing she wanted was to wake up Leon, who was sleeping in the continuous bedroom.

After a couple of tiring minutes, the cough finally stopped, and when she lowered her hand, the woman noticed the crimson liquid that covered her pale hand; her head had begun to hurt, and she was feeling dizzy. It took her a couple of minutes to gather enough strength to get up and enter the bathroom to wash her hands. The headache had gotten better, but now she was feeling drained.

Claire looked at her hands, and the images from her dream began to fill her head. She wasn't sure of what they meant, but it wasn't the first time she had seen blood in her hands. Her doppelganger had said the reason Claire couldn't remember what she didn't want to remember; if the blood was a sign of something, maybe it was related to why she couldn't remember, but thinking about it just made her head hurt again. She would think about it later.

Claire let out a sigh and returned to the room; the clock on her table read 5:45 am. There was no point in trying to sleep again, so she decided to get ready and head out to prepare breakfast. Leon wasn't up yet, but she was sure that the man would wake up soon, so she began working on the food.

"You're up early…" a voice said a few minutes later.

Claire looked up and saw Leon looking at her curiously from the second floor. Like her, he was already dressed up and ready.

"I am an early riser…" she smiled at him. She wasn't going to tell him about the real reason she was awake, "So are you, it seems. Come, breakfast is almost ready…"

Leon nodded and went down the stairs while Claire put the dishes on the breakfast table. It was a simple breakfast: toast and eggs.

"You know you don't have to cook all the time, right?"

"Yeah, but it's been a while since I cooked for someone. It's kind of therapeutic…"

That was half a lie; it was the truth that she had not cooked for anyone else for a long time, and the prospect of cooking only for herself had made her do it very little, but the action of preparing the meal helped her to distract herself.

"How did you sleep?" Leon asked her. He'd taken the habit of asking that question every morning, and she wondered if Saya had told him about her sleeping problems.

"It was okay, I think…" she lied. She thanked the layers of makeup that covered any sign of her lack of good sleep.

"You sure…?"

"Yeah, I am sure...now eat."

Leon seemed like he was going to say something else, but instead, the man began eating his food. Claire didn't have much appetite, but she forced the food down as best as she could.

"So...what's the plan today?" she asked.

"I'm taking you DSO HQ, first. We'll be having a meeting there…"

"A meeting?"

"Yes, with Dr. Chambers and members of BSAA."

"By BSAA you mean Chris…"

"Smart girl…"

Claire smiled and shook her head. Of course, her brother would be there. It didn't matter where he was. He'd find a way to get in any meeting concerning her.

"Well...sounds like it'd be a fun day…"

Perhaps the word fun wasn't exactly the right way to describe it. As soon as they stepped out of Leon's apartment, Claire had to stop being Claire Redfield and become Clara Kennedy, at least in public. She was glad that at least she could be herself while she was in the car.

This was the first time she stepped into the DSO office. She'd visited BSAA many times, but she had never had an excuse to come to visit Leon, especially when the man spent more time overseas than in his office. The place wasn't too different from any other organization's building. As soon as Claire stepped into the building, she instinctively scanned her surroundings; before she even realized it, she had already located all the emergency areas, ventilation entries, and other random things.

Old habits are hard to forget.

As soon as her inner voice had spoken, a wave of other voices resounded in her head, voices that she could not recognize.: "We need to use this to survive…"; "Pay attention...or you'll die…"; "Details are the key. Always remember to pay attention to the details…"; " Even the smallest crack can make the difference…"

"Ah, agent Kennedy! What a surprise to have you here."

The new voice made Claire wake up from her sudden trance. She realized that they were standing in front of the security table where one of the guards was greeting Leon with a grinning face.

"Good morning, Baker."

"Heard an interesting rumor recently. People say you got married…"

"They do, huh?"

"Yeah, crazy stuff…" the guard named Baker laughed, "I mean...that's a bit random. The almighty hear breaker Leon S. Kennedy...married?"

Claire tugged his sleeve and stared at him with a smirk.

"What did I tell you, Leon?"

"Oh,"

The guard had just noticed Claire's present beside Leon. The man was now looking at her curiously.

"Friend of yours, agent Kennedy?" he asked with a smirk.

Claire was about to reply, but Leon was a bit faster than her. The agent had already grabbed Claire's hand in his.

"No, my wife, actually…"

Claire had to cover her mouth to drown a laugh when the guard choked and almost fell from his seat. The man's face was priceless,

"W...Wife?" he coughed, "You...mean the rumors were real?"

"That's how it looks, no?" Leon replied, looking at Claire, "Let me introduce you. This is Clara, my wife…"

Claire lowered her free hand and did what she considered the most lady-like gesture she'd done in her life. She was supposed to do everything that was unlike her, after all. The woman smiled at the guard.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet a friend of Leon."

The guard was at a loss for words. He kept opening and closing his mouth without knowing what to say. Claire wasn't sure if she should laugh or not, but she turned to Leon and found the blonde tilting his head at her, amused.

"H...h...hi….I'm Ryan Baker, at your service Mrs. Kennedy…"

"Just Clara will do fine." she smiled.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Baker, but we gotta go…"

"Of course…! Oh, but Mrs...Clara, you need to sign the guest book…"

"Not necessary. Clara e works with the DSO…." Leon quickly said; he rested his hand on the small of her back, "Let's go, honey."

"Good day, Mr. Baker…"

The man waved at them, too stunned to say anything else; once they were in the elevator, Claire let out a laugh.

"Well, see what I meant? It is hard to imagine Leon S. Kennedy happily married after all…"

"Guess I just need to prove myself…" he replied, holding her hand, "And my endless love for you…"

"Wait ...what?"

Before Claire could finish processing what Leon was trying to say, the man pulled her against him, and just as the elevator doors opened, Leon bent down slightly, bringing his face close to hers.

"What the hell are you doing, Leon?"

Claire could feel her face flush, and then she heard gasps of surprise. Leon smirked and pushed himself away from her. A group of people was standing in front of the open doors. Claire could see the shock and disbelief in their faces and even a bit of anger in the women's faces.

"Oh...good morning," Leon casually said as if nothing had happened. Claire was a little too flustered to say anything.

"Kennedy?" one of the men asked. He had sand-colored hair and brilliant green eyes that were open wide as plates.

"Hammill…" Leon greeted him.

"Heh...isn't it a little too early to be seducing innocent ladies?" he joked, entering the elevator.

Claire could sense the hateful and envious looks that the women were sending at her as the crowd entered the small place.

"Well, thank you, Leon. Now I've got half of your office's female population in line to curse me…"

"Not quite…"

"Ah, come on, Leon…" a smaller man with black hair said, patting Leon's shoulder, "You just scared the poor girl to death. Hello, the pretty first day of work? Don't mind this sassy guy here…"

"Eh…"

"Yeah, not all of us are lady killers like him. That's not exactly the best way to start your first day of work…"

"Huh...funny. I remember someone's first day of work wasn't that good either…" Claire mumbled, and she saw Leon snort,

"What did you say, pretty one?"

"Nothing…."

"I'm Oswald Hammil, by the way…agent Hammill if you like it better; and this guy here is Alex Cook; my partner…"

"We are Leon's pal's here, right, Leon?" Alex said, elbowing the blonde agent.

"Yeah, we know this guy's antics. Don't look too much into it. He can't help but be a lady killer. It's part of who he is. You're not the first one to fall victim to it…"

"Oh...Really?"

Claire looked at Leon, amused, and the man shook his head.

"You know that's a lie, Hammill…" Leon said, crossing his arms.

"Well, maybe you're not usually that straightforward...but you sure have your touch when it comes to women."

"I'm sure he does…" Claire snorted.

"By the way, Kennedy...what's all this blabbering about you getting married?"

Claire realized that suddenly all the talking in the elevator had ceased, and everyone was paying attention to their conversation.

"Who said it was blabbering?"

"Ah, come on. There's no way that rumor is true…"

Yeah, Kennedy. You're not a family guy after all..."

Claire snorted, and Leon frowned at her.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Hammill, but the rumor is true…"

Claire could swear that the temperature in the place had dropped.

"What? Don't te...you really got married?"

Leon replied with a grave nod.

"No way...to who? Do we know her…?"

"Oh, great ...here it comes."

"You just met her…"

"What?"

Leon grabbed Claire's hand again, and Claire wished she could stop blushing.

"This is my wife, Clara…."

If the situation had been different, Claire would have found the look on the men's faces absolutely hilarious. However, she was uncomfortably aware of the eyes that were focusing on her at the moment.

"Oh dear, heaven…" Alex said, shocked, "I'm so sorry pal, I didn't know she was your wife...geez…"

The elevator bell rang, and Claire was grateful to see that they had made it to their floor. She didn't know if she could handle all the curious looks on her at the moment. She and Leon walked out of the elevator, and Claire waited until the doors had closed before glaring at Leon.

"Was that necessary?"

"That should convince them.."

"You're a smartass…" Claire shook her head, "You're lucky I like you, or I'd kick your sassy butt…"

"Lucky me, then.." he snorted, "This way…"

Claire followed Leon to a large meeting room. She didn't know what she was expecting to find, but as they opened the door, she saw some familiar faces. Hopkins and Adams were sitting in front of a large screen. The screen parted into two sections. One of them showed Chris's serious face, while the left one showed Rebecca.

"Ah...Leon, just in time."

"Clai...Clara...it's good to see you. How have you been?" Chris asked immediately.

Claire smiled at her brother and winked at him.

"Hello, Chris. I'm good. Thanks for the concern…"

"That's good to hear. Well done so far, Leon…"

"I said I'd take care of her, didn't I?" Leon snorted.

"Since all of us are here...should we start?"

"Yes, of course…" Adams agreed, "Please, take a seat, you two. Rebecca, I assume that introductions are not necessary…"

"No, sir. I was already acquaintanced with Cla...ra." Rebecca replied, "It's good to see you again."

"The same I say…"

"Did you have a chance to review the data that I sent to you? I know you probably have been busy, but..."

Claire smiled and shook her head. She had met Rebecca a few times, and she remembers that woman was always shy, modest, and considerate. No one would think she was the only survivor of STARS Team Bravo and an experienced doctor when it came to bioorganic subjects.

" Never mind." Claire said, resting her hands on the table," I already checked the data you sent me."

"Then you already know the situation…" Rebecca sighed tiredly, "I was just explaining it to everyone. We already tried all the cell lines we had in the institute. None of them have given any results so far…"

"Tried in vivo?!

"We considered it, but since we have no clues about this virus, we can't risk infecting a living being...what if it gets out of control? We won't have anything to stop it..."

"Well...considering our current situation, I believe that cell tryouts would only delay our work. Trying to find a target host blindly would only be a waste of time and resources…"

"I agree with that, but without the virus pathology. It's hard to define a gene that we could use as a reference to amplify. We already tried a PCR with all the primers we had in stock, and none of them amplified… too many factors we can't control. "

"Tried with a Rapid PCR?"

"Rapid?"

" Yeah. Unlike traditional PCR analysis, RAPD does not require any specific knowledge of the DNA sequence of the target organisms. The segment of the DNA will or will not amplify depending on positions that are complementary to the primers' sequence. For example, it will not produce a fragment if the primers are annealed too far apart or 3' ends of the primers are not facing each other. Therefore, if a variation at the site that was previously complementary to the primer occurs, it won't produce a PCR product."

Claire was almost 100% sure that the only person who had understood what she'd just suggested was probably Rebecca. The rest of the men in the room were silent as they listened to the exchange between the two women.

"I've never used RAPD-PCR, to be honest…"

"The PCR product will result in fragments of the genome that we can process and manipulate to obtain the sequence of the virus. It doesn't matter how mutated the virus is. Some preserved segments should get us some important data..."

"You mean, it would require a manual assembly, who would do that?" Rebecca said, shocked.

"I can do that…" Claire replied, "It's not the first time I've tried that. It's usually easier just to design a primer, but if we have no data from the virus, I guess this is our best chance. I might even try using multiplex. That way, I can compare individual segments with gene data in our library..."

"But...assembling the sequences one by one…" Rebecca said, tilting her head, "That's…just too much work for one person...I couldn't ask you to do that considering..."

"Look, there are things far more important now. I can do the assembly. I don't have to put up the whole genome, their certain gene sections that are common in virions. If I can get those right, the rest of the job will be a piece of cake…"

"I don't want you to be overworking yourself just when you've just returned…" Chris said with a frown.

"I won't be. You forget that I still have an efficient team. We can work this out, hopefully in less than 48h if we are lucky. We just need the virion sample or the DNA extract, and I'll start right away…"

Rebecca bit her lip as she pondered the offer. The young woman eventually sighed and nodded.

"I understand. I will make the arrangements for the sample to get sent right away."

"Thank you…"

"You shouldn't be thanking me. I mean, you're doing such a big favor to us…" Rebecca quickly said, "And you just ...well, came back and all…"

"Not a big deal...I've been doing for the past four years or so…" Claire smiled, "Dealing with the alien viruses is my thing, Rebecca… figuring out the vaccine, that's yours. Leave the tedious work to us..."

"Are you sure you can take this?" Adam asked, looking at her.

"You never seemed to doubt me when I sent you reports before…" Claire said, looking back at him with a frown.

"Oh, do not doubt your abilities. I am more than aware of the extent of your work, but I'm considering your health, dear…"

Claire let out a sigh. She thanked everyone's concerns, but she wasn't a fragile doll. She was more or less recovered and ready to work.

"I am alright. Besides, you have Leon and Helena keeping me from overworking myself to death, right?"

"Point taken…" Hopkins nodded, "I am sure neither Kennedy nor Harper will allow her to proceed if her health is compromised."

"No, we wouldn't…"

"Good, then I think that's pretty much all we can discuss for now. We still have some business to discuss with Redfield, but you two are excused, now. It'll be good if our new member gets to know the surroundings." Hopkins suggested.

"I will take care of that. See you later, sir."

With nothing more to interest them in the meeting, Claire and Leon left the room. To Claire's great relief, they did not meet any of Leon's colleagues on the way. However, she was certain that the gossip had already spread throughout the building. When it came to scandals, it spread faster than an outbreak of the C-virus.

"We're sharing offices. None of us will spend much time here anyway…"

"You know...you guys are making me look like the clingy kind of wife...eh…"

"As if...as far as I can tell, I am the clingy one…"

"You know that, and I know that...but the rest of the world doesn't know."

"Huh, want me to put a more obvious clingy act?"

"Don't you dare, Leon S. Kennedy. I'm still going to make you pay for that little trick you put on the elevator…"

"Sorry, that came too natural…"

"Natural? What?"

Leon just smiled and guided her through the corridors until they reached a small office. It was a small, unfussy room with white walls and a desk by a window. At first glance, it was clear that the place was little used.

"Well, it has a nice view."

Leon smiled and picked a couple of folders from his table before turning back to Claire. He handed her one of them, and Claire took it curiously.

"This is a copy of the report on the retrieval of the viral sample that Dr. Chambers was studying. I'm not sure if it'd come in handy, but I thought you might want to have it."

"You know me well." Claire smiled, taking the folder and flipping through it.

Leon shook his head as he watched her looking through the papers. The report was quite long, and Claire made a mental note to use it as bed reading that night.

"We'll head to your lab soon, and then. you can start with your nerdy stuff." Leon crossed his and leaned casually against the desk.

"Ah, you're calling me a nerd now?" Claire replied, pointing at his chest, "Since you are my clingy husband now. Who knows. Maybe you'll learn something, too."

"Biology was never my best subject…"

"You don't have to be a biology lover to learn. I warn you, I'll be spending a lot of time down there, and if you…" she added playfully, "are as clingy as you claim to be. You'll get stuck with me a lot. That reminds me, I gotta tell Wallace to grant you and Helena access to the lab..."

Claire pulled out her phone and looked at the screen silently. There were a lot of things to do, and she wouldn't rest until she had it done.