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47. Leon

The events of the afternoon left a bittersweet taste in Leon's mouth. The fact that the virus was causing more havoc with Claire's body than she had been telling out loud was reason enough to upset him, but on the other, it was precisely thanks to it that she was currently among them.

If Claire had not had that regeneration boost, the woman would not have survived more than a few hours in the conditions she had been in during the attack. The memories of Claire's bleeding from lying limply between his arms were still fresh, and the image haunted him.

Claire was distracted, staring out the window, and Leon assumed the girl was probably tired.

"Are you alright?" Leon said, when they stopped at a red light, "Do you prefer to go home, or do you still want to visit Helena?"

Leon waited for Claire's answer, but the woman said nothing. For a moment, he thought she had fallen asleep, but he soon saw that she wasn't. Her cerulean eyes were staring absently outside, and he had the vague impression that the woman's mind was somewhere far away.

"Claire?" Leon said a little more firmly.

His voice seemed to make her snap.

"Huh? What?" she answered, confused.

"You okay?" Leon asked, giving her a quick look.

"Yeah, I'm just…thoughtful. Sorry, I didn't mean to miss what you said. What was it again? "

"I asked if you still wanted to drop by Helena's?"

"Oh, yeah. It's in the same building anyway, and I want to see how she is doing. "

"She's fine. Perhaps a little annoyed by the fact that she's supposed to be stuck on a rest call for the next few days."

"No Christmas party then?"

"On the contrary. Hunnigan suggested that it was the perfect excuse for her to go this year."

"Is that party that bad?"

"No, well, not exactly. It's just a little cliché."

"Typical Christmas movie party?"

"Almost. You know, fancy clothing, fancy dining, senseless dancing. That sort of thing."

"Yeah, I can picture that. Don't you go home for the holidays?"

"I usually work on holidays, but I've visited a couple of times."

"What a grinch…" Claire chuckled.

"I assume you're the spirit of Christmas then?"

"I'm a bad Christmas spirit. I love Christmas; it's more about the memories I have of it than about the season itself."

Leon could understand that idea. Christmas was a somewhat commercial celebration. It was an excuse to encourage purchases, and in most cases, the very essence of the holiday had gotten lost over the years. However, Leon was not an ogre. He liked Christmas, mostly because he had great memories of the Christmas past with his family.

"I see. Do you usually celebrate with Chris?"

"Sometimes, but like you, Chris prefers to work on holidays, but it's okay. That's his way of mourning."

"Mourning?"

Claire was drawing lines on the window glass, and Leon used the red light stop to look at her.

"My parents…" Claire answered softly, "They died a couple of days after Christmas."

Leon was at a loss for words. He didn't know that. He knew that Chris and Claire's parents had passed away. Claire had mentioned it before, but he never asked how or when. Finding out that her parents had passed away during the holidays made Leon feel heartbroken.

" I'm sorry," he said softly, "I didn't know."

"It's okay," Claire replied, looking through the window and then turning to give him a small smile.

A moderate snowfall had begun to fall over the city. Between the snowflakes and car lights, driving through the city was challenging. Leon didn't mind the slow ride. It gave him the chance to talk with Claire.

"It makes me sad sometimes, but it's been so long... "

Leon didn't answer. He hit the brake, and the car stopped at a red light. He looked at Claire and found her staring back at him. Their eyes locked, and the woman looked away while a blush tinted her cheeks. Leon snorted at the childish reaction.

Adorable.

"How did it happen? If I can ask, of course," he quickly added as he realized that the comment had come out a little harsh.

Claire didn't answer immediately. Leon wouldn't have been surprised if she did not want to answer at all. It had to be a sensitive topic for her.

"It was a car accident," Claire replied softly, "My parents got a phone call that night and left in a hurry. It was snowing heavily, and the brake malfunctioned."

"I…" Leon began, "I'm sorry…"

Claire shook her head and looked down to her lap. There was some sadness in her demeanor, but as fast as it had appeared, it was gone when she looked at him.

"You already apologized," Claire smiled, resting her hand on his.

Leon pulled the car into the parking lot. It was cold outside, so Leon made sure to pull Claire close. Gregor, the security guard, greeted them with a smile as soon as they had stepped inside the lobby.

"Welcome Mr., and Mrs. Kennedy!"

Leon smirked. Claire's look of shock was a daily thing. No matter what, it seemed that being referred to as Mrs. Kennedy still disturbed her every time.

"Good evening, Gregor," Leon said, brushing off the snow off his shoulders.

"It's getting colder, isn't it?" Gregor asked, good heartily. "Makes you want to cuddle."

"Yes, it is tempting, right, Clara?" Leon smiled, looking at Claire. The woman slapped his arm and reddened again.

"It's going to snow heavily this year. Better to be careful."

"Thank you, Gregor. Stay warm!" Claire smiled.

"Thank you, have a good night, Mrs. Kennedy!

Claire shuddered, and Leon led her to the elevator.

"Not used to it yet?" Leon asked when they stepped into the lift, "it's been almost two months. You should be used to it by now."

Leon had gotten used to it pretty fast. Hearing people calling Claire Mrs. Kennedy had grown out of him. It was weird at first, but now, he saw it as natural.

"I know, but it's weird. I never thought I'd ever be called Mrs. Kennedy."

Leon chuckled and circled her shoulders with his arm. Claire snuggled against his embrace and smiled. No one would ever think they weren't a real married couple.

Their first stop was Helena's apartment. She was on leave until her leg recovered, and by the look, she gave them when the door opened. Helena was already bored.

"It's only day one," Leon said, closing the door behind him.

"Don't remind me. I can't believe I have to stay here for two weeks because I busted my leg!"

"It's for the best," Claire replied, "at least it was just a crack. If it had broken, you would need to stay for at least a month before you could move. It looks well, though. Don't move it too much, and it might heal fast."

"You talk like a doctor," Helena said.

"I worked at Terra Save. Much of our duties involved medical attention. I learned a thing or two."

"Scientist, medic, and more importantly, knows how to kick asses," Helena said, looking at Leon. "You hit the jackpot, Leon."

Claire chuckled. The woman busied herself with serving the dinner they had brought.

"Sure I did," Leon smirked.

"So, what did I miss today?"

Claire and Leon exchanged looks. The two took a deep breath and began relating the most recent events to Helena, who listened, astonished.

"Wow," she said when Claire finished her report about their discoveries, "I don't know how to feel. I mean, it is terrible, but it saved your life."

Leon shared the feeling. Had it not been for the virus, Claire would have bled to death in his arms.

"That makes us two," he said. His hand unconsciously reached for Claire's, whose hand was resting on her lap. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Helena, who smirked at him, "as much as this virus is a problem, it's the reason you're here, so I am grateful. I thought I…We would lose you with that bleeding. "

"Yeah, I'm lucky that even among B.O.W.s, I am a freak," Claire chuckled.

The idea of Claire being a BOW haunted Leon. Technically speaking, she was. However, he hated the idea, especially when she couldn't be compared to those creatures.

"My little freak if that matters. " he laughed, rubbing her hand with his thumb, "but, to be fair, you were one even before you got infected. "

"What's that supposed to mean? "

"How many normal girls run into a zombie-filled city searching for their brothers and kick zombie asses like it was just another day at work?"

"Hey! That's unfair. Besides, if I hadn't done that, we wouldn't have met. "

"True, and that would have been a tragedy. "

Helena watched them with a smile and an expression that Leon wasn't too sure how to read. She let out a soft giggle.

"Please do this on that damn Christmas party, will you? " she laughed.

Do what? Leon's eyebrow raised at her with a look that denoted that he didn't understand what she meant.

"That playful flirting," Helena shrugged, "that would send off the rest of Leon's hopeful fans. Especially a certain one you've been trying to avoid for ages. "

"I have my doubts about whether that would work. She's quite stubborn," Leon replied, pulling Claire against his side.

"You do that in front of her, and she'll be forced to pull back," Helena laughed. "I mean. I've worked with you for years, Leon, and it is a miracle to see you so chill. If she doesn't get the message, then she has a problem."

Leon shook his head and laughed. He turned to Claire, who was visibly confused.

"I've been meaning to ask. Who is this girl?"

"An old acquaintance..." Leon sighed.

" And a politician. She has had a massive crush on Leon for years," Helena laughed, "One would have expected her to get over it, but no."

"You messed up with diplomats?" Claire said with a raised eyebrow, "Oh, dear. I bet it was your fault. You probably encouraged her."

"I didn't. Not purposely, at least. "

"You were always a flirt. You give others a wrong impression of things," Claire said, rolling her eyes, "the last thing I need is someone in the US government hating me. What if I get extradited?"

"You're under DSO jurisdiction as a special agent. She wouldn't be able to extradite you without the organization's permission."

"I supposed that should make me feel more at ease." Claire chuckled, "this is gonna be one hell of a party, huh?"

"Which reminds me. We didn't get your dress after all."

"Between surviving a zombie apocalypse and fashion, I think I prefer surviving. Don't worry. It has been arranged. Saya has a big wardrobe of dresses. She will lend me one."

"Oh, will I get to see it first? You know we can do that silly girl dress up before the party and all."

Leon smirked. Since when was Helena so into that sort of girly thing? The leg and the pain meds had to be messing with her.

"If you want to," Claire shrugged. "Honestly, I've never done that, but it sounds like something that Saya would enjoy, too."

"You haven't? Not even in high school?"

"I lived among soldiers until college. The closest thing I ever got to female influence was Barry's wife, Kathy," Claire shrugged, "she said it was Chris's fault that I was such a tomboyish girl."

"I didn't think you were tomboyish when I first met you," Leon said.

"Right, compared to the bunch of zombie ladies in Racoon, maybe. But put up a real reference, Ada, for example. Anyway, I learned to deal with it, and honestly, it was much more useful to know how to do a good hook than knowing how to blend your lipgloss color."

"I can't argue that, but wow, it must have been rough for a girl to live like that."

"Not really. You get used to it." Claire shrugged. "And Chris's friends were kind to me. I was their little warrior princess, of sorts."

"You'll have to tell me about it one day. I'd love to hear what stories you have."

"Sure I can, but if not, you can ask Barry, and he'll be more than willing to do it. He loves talking about Chris and me."

"He's a funny man," Helena smiled, "back on track, though. I'll drop by your apartment on Friday. We can get ready together and then go to the party. Are you okay with that husband?"

"I'm good, don't worry about it."

Claire chuckled and ate up the last bit of food from her plate. She seemed to be having a better appetite tonight, and he wondered if it had to with the injection she had gotten earlier. She had looked a lot better since the attack, and it was probably because of the viral DNA.

"It's getting late. Maybe we should all head to rest. We still have paperwork to fill up tomorrow."

"Kill me. I hate paperwork," Helena groaned, "you're right, though. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah," Claire nodded, " good night, Helena."

"Good night, lovebirds."

Days went on quietly despite the alarm that the attack had unleashed recently. There were no signs of a second attack, and people returned to their daily routines once again.

Leon had always found that particular ability astounding. The way some people seemed to be able to forget everything and act as if nothing had ever happened. BSAA was on high alert, and the DSO, though not as edgy as the BSAA, kept their eyes peeled.

Claire had put herself under an unorthodox experimental treatment that seemed to be working well. They were using viral DNA extracts as a serum. The whole process was a little complicated for him to understand completely, but it was working. Most of Claire's usual symptoms seemed to have improved, and Leon had to admit that she looked more like the woman he knew years ago.

On the day of the infamous Christmas party, Helena -whose leg had more or less recovered- and Hiwamura had shown up at Leon's apartment. The two women dragged Claire into an intense beauty session in preparation for the big night. Leon had chuckled at Claire's horrified look as she tried to implore help, but he knew that there would be nothing he did or said that could help her out of that situation. As a result, he was sitting alone in his living room with no other company but Hunnigan on a video call.

"I sent you the schematics of the place, just in case."

"Thanks. I hope we won't need them. It would be nice to have a quiet event for a change."

Leon sighed, scrolling through the files.

"Security is tight this time. I'd dare say it will be difficult for someone to attack."

"Even so, nothing is attack proof."

"I'll see your point there, but Leon. Try to enjoy it for a change?"

"I'll do what I can."

"And where's Clara?" Hunnigan asked with a teasing smile.

"Having a girls-only time with Hiwamura and Helena. If I didn't know better, I'd think she's getting tortured, though."

"Funny. It's good to see you still have some sense of humor even when you're not thrilled about all this."

"At least I'm going with my wife. That should send out a message."

"What about a message?"

Claire's voice made Leon look up from the screen. Leon was a man of few words, and he was sure that he had seen enough things in life to affirm that nothing could render him speechless anymore, but he now realized he was so wrong.

To say Leon was shocked would have been an understatement. Claire was looking breathtaking with a navy blue cocktail dress. The attire was fitted at the waist, making the asymmetrical skirt made of tule fall nicely above her knee. The top had an upper layer of dark blue embroidery, and the contrast with her pale skin and copper hair was beautiful.

Claire was almost unrecognizable. It was the first time that he had seen the woman wearing something so formal. Claire was no dress lady. She found those clothes impractical and avoided them like the plague.

"Leon?" Hunningan called him amused.

Leon shook his head and turned back to the screen, feeling a little flushed.

"Sorry, I got distracted."

"My fault, I'm sorry," Claire said, walking behind Leon to wave at Hunnigan, "I'm sure my current look would knock out Chris better than a well-placed punch. Hello, Ingrid."

"Hello!" Hunnigan smiled, "Well, I can't judge Leon. You look stunning."

"Really? Wow. Stunning has never been an adjective used on me," Claire said, embarrassed, "I was going for unrecognizable, but it is mostly Helena's and Saya's doing. All I did was sit down and complain. "

"Oh, please. Did no one ever teach this woman to take a compliment?" Helena laughed, walking down the stairs limping. She was wearing a dress too, not as fashionable as Claire's gown, but pretty nevertheless.

"She grew up between men whose closest thing to a compliment was saying she had a killer hook. That says it all," Saya laughed.

"For God's sake," Claire said, rolling her eyes, "my hook IS good."

"Whatever. I still think that we should have used the other dress, but Claire voted against it." Saya said, shaking her head.

"It had a mermaid skirt," Claire defended herself, "Do you imagine me trying to run in that skirt, and on heels no less?"

"And why on earth would you want to run?" Saya asked.

"You never know!" Claire said, crossing her arms. "At least this dress is less flashy, and although it is still impractical, the skirt is easier to run in."

Leon snorted. It was so much like Claire to think in such a silly detail. It was obvious what went through the woman's mind. In case of a terrorist attack, she preferred to have full mobility, and Leon could not blame her for her attention to detail.

"You are a pessimist, Claire. You need to stop awaiting an attack all the time."

"Better safe than sorry," Claire said, putting her hands up defensively.

"Whatever," Saya said, waving her hand. "I'd keep a close eye on her tonight. Her looks will be catching more looks than she can handle."

"Well, that's what husbands are for, right, Leon?" Helena smirked.

"I will be delighted to play the part," he replied, kissing Claire's hand.

The best part of Hunnigan, Helena, and Saya knowing their little secret was that they didn't need to pretend with them. Claire was still shy about it, but Leon knew that it was more a matter of shyness than anything else. The Redfields didn't precisely shine for their abilities to handle public relationships.

"Make sure to take lots of pictures," Saya said, patting Helena's arm.

"What? Why? Are you pulling up things to blackmail me?"

"No, but you two will look cute, and we can use those pictures when you decide to get married for real."

"Oh, for the cheesy video tribute?" Helena said, "we should include baby photos, too."

Leon snorted while Claire let out an annoyed groan. With Claire's improving health, some of the tension induced by their concern had lifted, and their teasing had become a daily thing.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we have pictures for that already," Leon said with a smirk.

"You three, stop it," Claire said, rolling her eyes.

"When the time comes, I can help with the editing…."

"Oh, come on. Not you too, Ingrid."

Claire dropped on the couch next to Leon and pouted, making everyone smile.

"Well, have fun at that party. I've got my own trivial party to attend."

"Don't tell me, TS- Holiday meeting?"

"Precisely."

"God, I hated those."

"Too boring?" Helena asked, "because it can't be worse than this one."

"Even worse. The meeting is for sponsors and potential sponsors for research projects on TS. So it is a long night of introductions and sweet-talking. Well, Wentworth will finally be able to put his charms into work, I guess. I sucked at it."

"Not as much as you would think. For real, people usually just loved you."

"Or hated me."

"There's only one tiny little step from hatred to love," Saya said matter of factly," Have fun. I'll call you tomorrow to hear the story."

Leon snorted at Claire's look of dismay.

It was snowing when they stepped out of the apartment complex. It was a gentle blizzard, but despite the chilly weather, Claire seemed pretty cheerful.

"Alright, so any last-minute thing I should know beforehand?"

"Like what?" Leon asked.

"Oh, I don't know, like who's the lady I must avoid tonight, for example?"

"Mmm, Leon hasn't told you?" Helena asked.

"No, he's avoided that detail all this time."

"Probably because he's embarrassed," Helena laughed.

"I am not..."

True. Leon had been avoiding mentioning the identity of the woman. Not because he was embarrassed, but because he found it annoying. He didn't want to bother Claire with it.

"So, who is she?"

"The president," Helena replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Leon almost felt like laughing when he saw Claire's mouth drop.