Leon? A Word, Please?

by Tani2

Leon and Claire help Chris and Jill move into their new home. Bothered by how his sister interacts with her best friend, Chris decides it's time to have a man-to-man. What he learns is more than he bargained for. L/C & C/J. Complete! For real this time!

7. Chapter 6: Christmas Promises

Leon? A Word, Please?

Author: Tani2

Genre: Romance

Rating: M for explicit sexual content, mature themes, violence, and language. You have been warned.

Timeline: Six months after the conclusion of the events of RE5

Synopsis: Leon and Claire help Chris and Jill move into their new home. Bothered by how his sister interacts with her best friend, Chris decides it's time to have a man-to-man. What he learns is more than he bargained for. Pairings are Leon/Claire and Chris/Jill

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of the characters in this story, nor did I profit from their use in this work of fiction. My purpose is one of philosophical fulfillment: I write, therefore, I am.

Author's Notes: We have reached the last of the five lemons from Claire and Leon's past. So, I covered the four most popular lemon themes from the game canon: (1) the S.T.A.R.S. office, (2) after they are on the run with Sherry in tow, (3) after Claire returns from Rockfort and Antarctica, (4) after Harvardville. Now I am using a different scenario that I haven't seen, but I've always thought would make for a nice lemon. I broke it up into two parts, since it spans two visits from Leon to Claire's house. Hope you enjoy!

---

CHAPTER 6: Christmas Promises

Cumberland, Maryland: a quaint suburban household on the East Side

RING!

Claire sighed. It was Christmas Eve and she hadn't heard a word from Leon. She was certain that he was going to break his promise of coming to visit her at Christmas. Because of this, she had been pretty testy for the past few days.

RING!

Therefore, when the phone began to ring, she was less than pleasant to the person who called her when she answered it.

RING!

She snatched the phone up and demanded into the mouthpiece. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Hi, Baby."

She sighed again. So, he'd finally called with an excuse. Big shocker. "Hello, Leon," she replied tersely. "Calling to cancel I take it?"

He chuckled. "That why you sound so pissed?"

She frowned. "I don't think it's funny. And yes, that's why I'm pissed. Not that I should be surprised at all since you always cancel on me." She paused in mid-tirade to listen to him on the other end of the line. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Fucker! Will you stop laughing?"

He continued to chuckle. Finally he caught his breath. "Claire, I'm thirty minutes from your house. I just called to see if you needed me to bring you anything."

She blinked in disbelief. "What?"

"I said . . . ."

"I heard you!"

He chuckled again. "There's the old Christmas cheer."

She looked down at herself and then at the laundry she had spread out in folded piles all over the living room furniture in front of her. She was wearing a stained old oversized sweatshirt that used to belong to Chris and a faded pair of ripped jeans. 'Goddamn him!' she thought. 'He probably looks hot!' She sighed. "Sorry I'm testy," she muttered. "I don't mean to give you a hard time. I was so sure you weren't gonna make it again. I've been moody because I was disappointed. I just miss you is all."

"Aww."

"Shut up."

He laughed. "I'm only teasing. And of course you know I've missed you, too."

"You better have." She was searching frantically through her freshly folded laundry for something to wear while balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Listen, Leon. I have to go. I need to tidy up for your visit."

"Okay. Don't go to too much trouble."

"Blah blah blah."

He laughed out loud. "So? Do you need me to bring you anything or what?"

"Uh . . . wine?"

"Okay. I'll take you to dinner too if you want."

"No, I can handle dinner tonight . . . and breakfast tomorrow . . . hint, hint."

He chuckled. "Subtle. Red or white wine?"

"White tonight, preferably a Riesling or chardonnay, and champagne for mimosas in the morning. I've got plenty of breakfast stuff."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Do you still like Thai food?"

"Love it."

"Okay. Get a pen. I need a bunch of stuff."

"You can cook Thai food?"

"Yeah. Stayed with a couple in Lampang whose children I rescued last year. I was hiding out from TriCell in their home for like two months. The kids' grandma taught me a ton of her family's recipes while I was there."

"Marry me."

She chuckled. "No, way. You're crazy. Between you and my brother's genetics, my kids would be bouncing off the padded walls."

He laughed out loud again. "Fine! Be that way!" There was a short pause. "Okay, I'm ready with the pen."

"Great. Get me a pound of Alaskan king crab legs, a half pound of shrimp, two lobster tails, two whole squid, two dozen oysters, two pounds of filet of whatever whitefish you prefer, something that can hold up to spices, like cod or something, two small cans of coconut milk, four large cans of fish stock, a bundle of scallions, about four shallots, four limes, about a half pound of snow peas, a bundle of cilantro, one Thai chili pepper if you like a lot of heat, a half pound of white bean sprouts, two packs of dry lo mein noodles, a big prepackaged container of baby spinach salad greens, and two small carrots. Actually, wait a second. I need to see if I have enough spices. Hang on." She walked into the kitchen and looked at her spice rack. "Let's see. Turmeric . . . Madras curry powder . . . cardamom . . . Thai red curry paste . . . fish sauce . . . minced garlic . . . sugar . . . . Yup, I'm good."

"Got it. I saw an Asian food market about five miles back on this highway. I'll do a U-ie and stop there to get your ingredients. Oh, and by the way, I don't know what you're making but it sounds awesome. Except maybe the oysters. Not too sure how I feel about oysters with Thai spices."

"They're not going in the soup."

"Ah. So it's a soup then."

"It is."

"So then, what do you need the oysters for?"

"Appetizer. Those are for me to grill with butter, garlic, herbs, and my leftover Asiago cheese."

"Sounds delicious, but why oysters?"

"They're an aphrodiasiac. Why do you think?"

He smirked. "I don't need one. Seeing you will be inspiration enough."

"Aww. You're so sweet, Leon. Now, get your sweet ass to the shopping already. I haven't got all day."

"Blah blah blah."

She giggled. "See you in about an hour then, Sweetheart?"

"Yeah. See you then. And go easy on the garlic. You and I have some kissing to catch up on."

They both hung up, and Claire immediately began running around like a headless chicken trying to simultaneously tidy her home and beautify herself.

---

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

Claire's novelty front door 'bell' announced in a deep, urban male voice the arrival of her guest.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

She took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the closet door in her bedroom. She wore an antique-rose colored twin-set which included a cardigan and matching corset-inspired strapless sweater underneath, almost demure by Claire's standards as it had more of a tube top feel at the breasts than a cleavage revealing bustier. It was not as tight as a corset, but it was molded flatteringly to the contours of her body. It had jeweled accents down the front in the shape of a corset's ribbing, and crisscrossed ribbons down her back, tied over her shoulder blades, like any good corset should. The sweater's design made for an illusion that was very flattering to Claire's already flattering curves. Her pants were slim fit low rise jeans in stonewash chocolate brown. She completed the look with a pair of sand colored three-inch heels.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

She smiled at her reflection. "Thanks, Jill," she said to her late friend, who had gone shopping with her to buy the outfit three weeks before leaving for the mission that would cost Jill her life. Jill had convinced Claire to buy the outfit because she looked 'elegantly sexy' in it, per Jill's words. Claire wiped a tear from her eye and headed down the stairs to greet her boyfriend.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

Claire rolled her eyes. "I'm coming! Geez!" She opened the door and narrowed her eyes when a hysterically laughing Leon pressed the doorbell again, even though Claire was already standing in front of him with the door wide open.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

"Leon . . . would you stop ringing my doorbell?"

He couldn't stop laughing. "This is so goddamn funny!" he laughed. He hit the button again.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

She smirked and shook her head. "That's right. It was still just a bell the last time you used it, but actually it was like this the last time you were here. You just were unaware because you didn't use the front door . . . you broke in like a common thief." She chuckled. "Chris bought this for me three years ago. Did you know he actually thought I wouldn't install it?"

Leon wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes. "I guess he should know you better by now."

She smiled up at him. "Yeah. I guess he should."

A moment later, Claire threw herself against Leon and wrapped her arms around him. He had to put down the bags of groceries he was carrying to hold her properly. She hugged him tightly and he lifted her off her feet in a warm embrace. He sighed. 'God, I missed her,' he thought as he closed his eyes and basked in the scent of her perfume.

After over three minutes of just holding each other, Claire and Leon heard a sound of a throat clearing behind them. Claire looked over Leon's shoulder. Standing behind him, there was an attractive stranger with dark auburn hair, rather similar to the color Claire's hair was in Raccoon City. Claire blinked a few times at her unexpected visitor, and then turned to stare questioningly at her boyfriend. Leon sighed and put her down.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to ignore you," he said to the redhead behind him as the redhead beside him lounged her head against his chest. "I just doubt she'd want to do that anymore once she realizes who you are. I was indulging."

The person smiled and shrugged.

Claire looked totally confused. "Baby, you didn't tell me you had someone with you." She said it with a smile, but she slapped Leon's arm.

"Sorry. It was a surprise." He smiled at the person behind him who rolled their eyes. "May we come in?" he asked Claire.

She smiled warmly at her new guest. "Please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you both standing out in the cold." She stepped back so they could enter her foyer. Leon picked the bags up again and he and his companion followed Claire indoors. On the way in, Leon hit the doorbell one last time then started laughing again.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

Claire and the guest both rolled their eyes.

"Take your shoes off," Leon instructed their guest between chuckles. "She's got expensive carpets."

The young redhead nodded and bent to do as instructed.

While her unexpected visitor was thusly preoccupied, Claire used sign language to ask Leon, "Who is that?"

He grinned. "You can not tell?" he signed back. She shook her head. "Tell you in a moment. First need to tell you about mission I just came home from. Been in quarantine for a week. Why I did not call." Claire nodded in understanding. Leon stroked her cheek and then bent to remove his shoes as their guest finished. He limped a little while doing this.

"Sweetie! What's the matter with your foot?"

He smiled in chagrin. "It's nothing."

Their guest raised a brow and then spoke for the first time. "He's lying. He hurt his ankle saving my life."

Claire's eyes widened and she tried to drag him to the couch, but he resisted. "Wait a minute, Claire. I need to take my coat off." He started to remove his outerwear as he continued to speak. "So about that mission I told you about," he said while unbuttoning his coat. "I got intelligence from Barry that Umbrella had moved someone we've been searching for to Austria. I spoke to your brother about it and he agreed to go with me to investigate and attempt to rescue the target. We went undercover and infiltrated the facility." He stopped for a moment and looked down at his feet. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, he continued, but he didn't look at her. He couldn't. "Sweetheart, you know how I swore to you that I would one day find Sherry? In particular, I said I'd bring you answers about Sherry, no matter what condition I found her in?" Claire nodded. "Well, in that facility, I found Sherry and Steve." Claire's eyes widened and then darted back to the ginger-haired person standing in her foyer. "I found them both, but . . . well, as you can see, I've only got one of them with me, now. I . . . was too late to save the other."

Claire continued to stare at the person before her for a moment, and then she closed her eyes to stem the stream of tears. 'Sherry,' she thought, as the first tears fell. 'Oh, God . . . my little girl.' She opened her eyes and stared at her guest, no longer a stranger to her. "Leon . . . is this really . . . ." She covered her mouth to stop from sobbing out loud.

Leon smiled sadly as his quarantine companion of the last week started to well up along with Claire. He looked over at his girlfriend, who was no longer paying him any mind. It was evident to him how much they loved each other. He didn't hang his coat on the empty hook Claire had indicated. He knew he'd be putting it back on and leaving these two alone any minute.

'Chris is right. I am jealous.' He sighed. "Claire, this is someone you thought was lost to you forever, someone we've both thought was dead all these years." He sighed sadly, but didn't stop smiling. "Someone who loves you very much, and you love equally so."

She shook her head in confusion as she stared into the warm blue eyes of her guest. The person she loved so dearly took off the winter coat worn over their clothing.

Underneath, was Claire's pink leather Made in Heaven vest from Raccoon City.

"Yeah, Claire. It's Sherry. She's home. But I'm afraid that there was nothing I could do to save Steve." He handed Claire the Rockfort Island prisoner identification necklace he had taken off Steve's body.

Leon thought back to the moment he read Steve Burnside's name over the door at the end of that last hallway on the B.O.W. level of the Austria facility. Then Chris pointed out Sherry's name over the opposite door. As happy as he was to see Sherry unscathed, her hair now the badly dyed color of Claire's from the day they'd all met, was as horrified as he was to see what was left of Steve. He would have happily risked his relationship with her to reunite Claire with the young man, if for no other reason than to make his beloved happy. But the prospect of that sacrifice died when he opened the door and found that his newly named secondary target was very much dead. He only hoped that the young man had never been revived after he'd initially died in Antarctica. But considering how much older Steve looked than sixteen, Leon seriously doubted Steve had stayed dead. He'd been laid out on an autopsy table, chest and abdomen cut open, a pained expression on his lifeless face, and many of his internal organs laid out in jars on shelves, including a jar containing one particular 'organ' and its two 'backup performers' that made Leon want to cross his legs. It was the sight of that jar that sent Leon barreling out of Steve's cell. That and the look on that poor man's face . . . not only had he been revived since the Redfields last saw him, he was clearly awake when the butchers began harvesting his flesh.

And Leon had been absolutely right about the impact that image would have on him. He'd been having nightmares about poor Steve ever since. In some of them, it was his own face he saw on that mutilated corpse, while Steve, wearing white body armor, threw bombs into his cell, placed a bomb in Leon's lifeless hands on what remained of his chest, and then walked out and closed the door. When everything went dark and silent save for the beep of the timers counting down, Leon would awaken, sweating and shaking, searching his bed for a gun.

While Leon was thinking about Steve and his own nightmares, Claire walked shakily towards Sherry. When the two women stood toe to toe, they hugged and burst into bawling and streaming tears.

The sound of their crying pulled Leon out of his inner musings. He smiled sadly at them for a while. They had lost so much time together. He sighed then bent to put his shoes back on. He put the bags of Asian groceries on the tiled foyer floor, and then put his coat back on.

He took one last look at the two girls he loved most in this world, equaled only by his mother and little sister. One redhead he loved like a soul-mate, and the other he loved like she was his own child. But it had always been painfully obvious which surrogate parent Sherry loved the best or which man Claire loved at all.

It was bad enough Claire was off falling in love with Steve after she left them, but she would never understand how much Sherry and Leon's relationship had fractured in her absence . . . how often Sherry picked arguments with him, blamed him for Claire leaving, and then finally accused him of tossing her aside when he was recruited against his will into the special ops unit he'd served in under Krauser, even though he'd done it to insure her safety. And Sherry had been less than gracious to him during their enforced government quarantine, preferring to yell at him or just keep Chris's company. Yes, things had settled out and they'd talked through their issues by the end of the past week while under quarantine, but he still felt things remained strained, and even though Sherry was being nicer to him now, that didn't change how he felt.

Leon Kennedy was jealous of how much Sherry Burkin loved Claire Redfield . . . unconditionally, irreproachably, with total devotion. Even after Claire had deserted them both, even after Leon gave up his freedom to the government for Sherry's sake . . . to keep Sherry safe, she remained enamored with Claire. He could see right away that Claire was already forgiven. Claire was the hero to Sherry that only a mother could be. Leon knew he would never be the hero to her that only a father could be.

He tried to sneak out the door without the women noticing, but the limp made his gait rather clunky. He wasn't as stealthy as he usually would have been. The twenty year old and the twenty-seven year old broke their hug when Leon tripped over the leg of the accent table in the foyer, causing Claire's house, car, and motorcycle keys to crash to the tiled floor. He muttered a curse.

"Leon, where are you going? Did you forget something in the car?"

"No, uh . . . . I . . . well, I was just gonna hit the road."

Claire and Sherry both shouted in unison, "YOU'RE LEAVING?"

Leon nodded.

Claire frowned furiously. "So, you promise to spend the holiday with me, but instead you just swing by with Sherry and fucking leave?"

"Don't worry. I'm leaving Sherry here with you."

"What about you?"

"Sherry's more important to you than I am. And you're more important to her, too. You won't even miss me."

Sherry rolled her eyes and then muttered, "Not this shit again. Leon . . . Dad . . . I told you, I don't have a favorite parent. I love you both equally. Yes, I was mad when you last saw me before my capture, but I was a kid and I'd just lost my parents, my surrogate mother, and then it looked like I was losing you too. You were my last chance at a life, and you were leaving me in protective custody. I get now how much you sacrificed for me, but at the time, I was twelve. I didn't know any better and I was hurting. So, I made a scapegoat of you . . . and I could never express to you how sorry I am for the things I said."

Leon stared at Sherry. Oh, sure. Now they were with Claire so she acts magnanimous. But what about the things she said to him in quarantine. Was she sorry for that?

Claire pulled him out of his thoughts when she slapped him in the back of the head. "There! Maybe that'll set your big stupid head to rights! You take off the coat and shoes right now, and park your ass on that sofa!" Leon smirked and shook his head. Fine. They claimed to want him to stay for now, so he'd stay. He just really didn't feel like arguing with either of them.

Despite the random act of violence, Claire helped Leon off with his shoes while he removed his coat, and then held his waist as he limped to her living room area. As Claire started to get up to go back over to the doorway to take the groceries into the kitchen, Leon grabbed her hand. She turned to face him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just that you look stunning." He was trying to make peace, at least with Claire. Then Sherry sat by his side, took his other hand, and leaned her head against his arm. He smiled. Okay . . . so maybe he could make peace with both of them, at least for the holidays.

Claire smiled and bent to kiss his lips. "You look pretty handsome yourself there, Agent Kennedy." He was wearing a Cashmere half-zip navy blue Eddie Bauer sweater with a classic fit that accentuated his muscles in a way that made her shiver. His long legs stretched before him in Armani khakis.

She stole one more kiss before rushing off to put the groceries in the kitchen. She smiled as she unpacked the food. He'd gotten what she'd asked for, but he got enough for three people instead of two. She put everything away. It was still early enough that she didn't need to start cooking yet, but she did go out back and start up the grill for the oysters.

She walked back into the living room to find a scene that she hadn't born witness to in almost ten years. Leon and Sherry were watching C.S.I.: Miami on her big 42" flat screen TV. Sherry had her feet up on the sofa, and her head low on Leon's left chest. He was stroking her hair. They looked as comfortable with each other as they had the last time the three of them were together in that hotel suite in Atlantic City. She had detected some tension between them from the moment she was told it was Sherry. The sight before her was a relief. She had to fight back the tears that threatened to resurface at seeing them reunited again.

"Got room for one more?"

Leon smiled at her. "Sure." He patted his right shoulder then held his arm out to her. She sat on his right, just as she used to, now more out of habit than out of fear for hurting his long since completely-healed left shoulder.

They watched a Christmas-themed episode of the C.S.I. spin-off, laughing every time David Caruso's Horatio Caine got theatrical.

"My God," Sherry said. "He's worse than Shatner."

Leon and Claire cracked up. It was true. It was why Miami was their favorite C.S.I. Caruso was so bad, he was awesome.

Throughout the episode, the three Raccoon City survivors became more and more relaxed, until the tension in the air had dissipated entirely.

After the show ended, the reunited family talked about their near decade apart. Leon pointed out how Sherry had dyed her hair to match Claire's. He tried to 'jokingly' imply that it was proof that Claire was Sherry's favorite parent. Sherry just laughed, not allowing him to bait her.

"No, Daddy. This has been my way of flipping off Albert Wesker for years. Every time he did something that pissed me off, I'd break out of my cell, manufacture tints in the lab, dye my hair, and then style it like one of the original Umbrella survivors, male or female. I've seen pictures of everyone in the Umbrella most wanted files. And by the way, Daddy . . . I wore your hairstyle for six months a couple years ago, after I heard about you screwing up his plans in Spain. I can't tell you how much he'd hate it every time I'd change my hair." She giggled. "Shoulda seen that jerk's face when I dyed it black and did a mullet. I also wrote 'MOTHER' on my arm in black ink, just like Billy Coen's tattoo, then did a picture of Claire like a tattoo right above it. It was like getting a two-fer of pissing him off by reminding him of two of you. He actually threw things that day!"

Claire and Leon both chuckled. "What did he do to make you mad enough to do a Claire-do?" Leon asked.

"He lied to me!" Sherry fumed. "He promised me four months ago he wouldn't put me in a stasis tube again until I was at least twenty-one years old! I told him I have nightmares in those things, and the fluid is bad for my skin! But then about two, three days before Dad and Uncle Chris showed up, he had that prick homo Dr. Weissmuller put me back in one of those tubes anyway! I'm still twenty, that liar!"

Leon chuckled but Claire was not amused. "Sherry! I never would have pegged you as a homophobe!"

"I wasn't until I met Erik and Cecil Weissmuller."

"Who's Cecil?" Leon asked.

"Erik's partner or husband or whatever . . . his lover that he married with Wesker's help . . . the guy dressed as Farmer Fred."

Leon chuckled. "Oh. Him."

"Daddy, are they dead?" Leon nodded. Sherry sighed. "Thank God."

"Your uncle and I could tell that you put up quite a fight, what with the disheveled gurney with the restraints. Sorry you went back into a stasis tube, Angel. "

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because . . . I think that's mine and Chris's fault. We intentionally leaked intel to Umbrella that we were going to be in the area and then sent decoys dressed as us to make them give up their security measures. I guess they put you on ice to hide you from us. Although, it seems pretty stupid for them to put your name on a plaque above the door of your holding cell if they didn't want us to know where you were."

"They didn't think you'd ever get down there. They said so. Honestly, they never thought you'd get in the building. They didn't even bother to show your photos to all their men. I mean, I saw them kinda half-assed look at your pictures, but not really. I know Cecil didn't look."

Leon chuckled. "We were in and out so fast, they never knew we were there until we'd blown them to pieces."

"Oh?" Claire asked. "Then what happened to your leg, Sweetheart?"

"Tyrant."

Her eyes widened. "There was a tyrant there?"

"Two. A G tyrant derived from the virus extracted from Sherry's blood, and a T-Veronica tyrant derived from the virus they got from Steve's body." Leon didn't notice, but Sherry's face fell a bit when he mentioned Steve. Claire did notice. She didn't comment on it just then, but she catalogued it in her head as something to discuss with Sherry later. In the meantime, she tuned back into what her boyfriend was saying. "And so, the first tyrant broke Chris's clavicle and the second sprained my ankle. We went on to destroy a couple of lesser B.O.W.'s." His smile faded. "They both must have been created from the sample Ada stole from me in Spain." He was quiet, frowning darkly for a few moments as he thought of the Asian woman having betrayed him yet again after he risked his life to save her . . . just like in Raccoon City . . . just like when she let him think he'd been responsible for her death for six years. He eventually shook off the angry feelings and continued. "Then we found Sherry and Steve." He paled a little upon mentioning Steve again. He turned to face Claire. "Um . . . that reminds me. Claire . . . I . . . I should tell you. We . . . we destroyed his body. We blew up the tyrants and the lesser B.O.W.'s which were Plagas like the ones I faced in Spain and something called Majini. We didn't want them to just escape when we blew the facility. And then we set bombs around Steve . . . so Umbrella could never use him again as a source of the T-Veronica virus."

Claire just stared at Leon for a while. He thought she looked pretty angry. But then she just sighed and closed her eyes, wiping away tears of pain. "Against my visceral reaction to that news, Leon . . . I suppose I should be thanking you. Maybe now, Steve can finally rest in peace."

Leon lowered his gaze, unable to face her. He felt almost as bad as if he'd killed Steve himself. "I know how much he meant to you, Claire. I'm so sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

She sighed and shook her head, but she also sat up, moving a little away from him as she spoke. "Leon, you've brought me news that Steve is no longer the property of Umbrella. That's good news, really it is. I'm happy for him, and I'm grateful to you."

He smiled and nodded, but he didn't believe her. He had seen the look on her face when he'd told her, and she put distance between them right away. She was pissed with him . . . he was certain of it.

Claire could tell he was still upset, so she did the only thing she knew would make him smile. She hugged him tightly, and then kissed him soundly. As she'd hoped, he grinned. 'I will never tire of that grin,' she thought.

Leon pressed his forehead to hers, closed his eyes, and sighed through his nostrils. Claire bent forward and kissed his nose. He opened his eyes and chuckled when she crossed hers. "Okay. I get it. You're not mad at me."

She looked at him funny for a moment. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I blew up Steve," he whispered.

She pulled away from him and laughed out loud. "Well, Jesus Christ, Leon! You didn't kill him!" She kissed him again, and then slapped him on the forehead. "Seriously, your big stupid head just won't fix no matter how hard I hit it. Maybe I need to go get a hammer from the garage."

He smirked. "Ha ha. You're so funny."

She giggled. "Yeah, I'm hilarious." He chuckled. "Are we cool, Godammit?"

He nodded. "Yes. We're cool as long as you're cool."

"I'm always cool."

He laughed. "That you are, Sweetheart. Then I guess we're cool."

"Good. Now stop being all sullen and weird. It's pissin' me off!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She smiled into his eyes and kissed him again, a bit deeper this time. When she released him, Sherry shook her head and chuckled a bit.

Leon looked down at the top of his surrogate daughter's head. "Does this make you uncomfortable, Sherry?"

"That my Mom and Dad are involved with each other romantically? No. Not really. Although I imagine Uncle Chris must be in love with the idea . . . or does he know?" she replied with a subtle, sarcastic little smirk. "He certainly didn't mention anything about you two being together during quarantine . . . and neither did you."

Leon chuckled. "He doesn't actually know. Only you and my friends, Ark Thompson and Bruce McGivern know about me and Claire. And the President figured it out on his own, although I continue to deny it. Still, he tells me I'm full of shit every time I do."

"Yay! I'm special! I get to know about the dirty love affair!" Sherry cheered, punctuating the exclamation with a chuckle.

"Quit making fun of us, Missy," Claire ordered, but not at all seriously.

"Sure thing, Mom."

Claire smiled at being called 'Mom' again. 'That's starting to have a nice ring to it.'

Sherry watched Claire caress Leon's thigh affectionately while she woolgathered. The younger lady smiled. "So, Mom. Did you really not recognize me when we first got here?"

"No," Claire replied, blushing a bit in embarrassment when reminded of her misconception upon being reunited with her fully grown and very beautiful ward.

"So then, who did you think I was when you first saw me?"

"Um, I . . . uh . . . IthoughtyouwereLeon'snewgirlfriend," she muttered under her breath in one long exhalation. Leon and Sherry just stared at her blankly.

"What the hell did you just say?" Leon asked. "I couldn't understand a word of that."

She rolled her eyes. "I thought she was your girlfriend!"

He frowned in confusion. "I thought you were my girlfriend."

She sighed. "I am."

He finally understood and laughed so hard he started coughing. When he caught his breath, he exclaimed, "Jesus, Claire! Every woman you see me with isn't someone who's trying to bang me, you know!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She stared down at the floor. "But it's been two years since I've even seen you, then you show up with a younger, prettier version of me." She wrapped her arms around her torso and squeezed. "I can't help feeling a little insecure about my place in your affections."

He sighed. " I thought I'd made how I feel clear to you. I mean, we talk all the time . . . almost everyday. And I tell you how beautiful you are everyday. But I've been a bad boyfriend if you question so quickly whether we're together at all. I swear to you though, there's been no one but you on my mind, in my heart, or on my bed in over three years. No one but you, Claire."

"It's two years. And I've never even been to your condo, let alone on your bed."

He chuckled. "My bed is dying to meet you. It's heard so much about you." He then caressed her cheek. "And for the record, I meant what I said about three years. I hadn't been with another woman in about a year when we were last together. And I want you to come visit me in D.C., but I'm not the only one who's been busy, you know."

She blushed again and smiled. "I didn't say you were."

Sherry chuckled. "Is that why you were wrapped so tightly around Daddy's arm after you noticed me?"

Claire smiled at her adoptive daughter, who was smirking in amusement. "Maybe." She sighed. "It's just that he said I wouldn't want to hold him anymore once I found out who you were. I figured he was about to tell me he was leaving me for you." She shrugged. "I wasn't going down without a fight."

Leon chuckled. "Claire, I meant that you'd be so focused on your daughter that you likely wouldn't want to be bothered with your boyfriend anymore."

Claire chuckled along with him. "Sorry for doubting your loyalty, Leon."

He kissed her cheek. "That's alright. Now that you've explained it, I can understand how it might've looked to you."

She hugged him tightly. "And I'll never stop wanting to do this with you." She then turned to Sherry and hugged her too. "Sorry for acting all Jerry Springer Show, stay-away-from-my-man-bitch, on you."

Sherry giggled and replied, "That's okay, Mom. At least you didn't rip my shirt off or pull out my hair."

Leon chuckled and picked up the remote control. He turned the channel until he came to ESPN's rundown of the college football games that had taken place that week. "Sweet," he said. "Cincinnati beat Southern Miss on the twenty-second."

Claire and Sherry both chuckled and rolled their eyes. "You and your Ohio pride," Claire said. "Come on, Sherry. Let's get dinner started. The grill should be ready for the oysters by now, and we've got a lot of ingredients to break down. Besides, I think Leon and the Bearcats wanna be alone together."

"Okay, Mom."

Claire smiled. "Honey, you don't have to call me that if you don't want to."

Sherry looked genuinely distressed. "But I want to. Don't you want me to call you 'Mom'?"

Claire smiled and nodded. "Of course I do. Come on. I'll teach you how to make your Dad's favorite type of food."

Sherry instantly brightened. "I'll grab the poison!"

Leon smiled as he watched his girls walk into the kitchen. He settled back on the couch then put a pillow on the coffee table. He winced once he put his foot on the pillow, his body tensed until the pain started to dull, and then he sighed in relief. His ankle was still fairly painful, especially after so much driving . . . but at least the damage wasn't permanent.

He smiled. It was worth it to get his little girl back.

---

"Dinner was delicious."

"Thanks," Claire replied in a depressed little whisper.

Leon stared down at her and smiled. "I really love that you thought enough of me to make my favorite type of food."

She didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, she looked up at him with conviction and demanded, "Sweetheart, do you really have to go?"

He sighed.

"Claire . . . ."

"I mean, I thought you were gonna spend the holiday with me." The couple were standing by her front door. Sherry was in the kitchen washing the dishes, trying to give the couple time alone to say good night.

Leon sighed again and sat down on her rolling desk chair, making the task of putting his shoes on easier with the current state of his ankle.

"Claire . . . ."

"You know what, I don't get why I even care! You obviously have better things to do than to spend Christmas with me! Or keep your promise!"

Leon sighed a third time and got up to put on his coat.

"Claire . . . ."

"I don't know why I expected anything else from you anyway! You always promise you're gonna spend time with me, but you never do. Just because you showed up in person to disappoint me this time, I don't know why I thought you'd actually . . . ."

"CLAIRE!"

She blinked a few times. "What?"

"Will you stop scolding me for five seconds? I'm not leaving town. I'm just staying in that bed & breakfast your neighbor owns. It's only a couple miles from here. It's really not as big a deal as you're making it out to be. I'll be back in the morning in time for breakfast."

"Right. Sure."

"Claire . . . ." He ran his fingertips across her cheek, cupped her face, and kissed her gently. "Baby, I know I've let you down a lot of times in the past, but doesn't the fact that I brought Sherry home count for anything?"

She sighed and lowered her eyes. "Yes . . . of course, Leon. And I know how much you sacrificed to bring her home. But that doesn't mean I don't want to spend time with you, too. I didn't know that when you promised me to spend Christmas here that you were just planning to stop by long enough to drop Sherry off and then say, 'technically, I kept my word' before leaving me again."

He smiled. "Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"Well, isn't it?"

"Claire, have you heard a word I've said? I'm staying in Cumberland tonight."

"I know! I heard you! Mrs. Steinbaugh's inn! I get it! But I don't understand why you aren't staying in this house! In my bed! I haven't seen you in over two years! You said you can only stay for two days! Why do you want to spend half of the time we have together until God only knows when so far away from me?"

"I don't want to spend time away from you, Dammit! I'm trying to give you time alone with our daughter . . . for her sake, not ours!"

"Sherry will be with me into the beginning of January, you told me that! You're not!"

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt a migraine coming on. "Claire. I hear you. I know you're frustrated. But think of Sherry for a moment. How do you think she'll take my sleeping with you tonight?"

Claire looked at him like he was insane. "Leon . . . she'll take it like an adult! Because she is an adult! Why do you always have to complicate everything?"

"Me? I'm not the one complicating things! It's very simple, Claire! She's our child, and I just wanna do what's best for her!"

"She may be our child, but she's not a child, Stupid! She's older than I was when you fucked me for the first time!" Leon frowned darkly. "You know what? I give, Leon! Don't even bother to stay in town! Just go! Go back to D.C., back to your real life! Probably back to Angela or Ada or both of them! Have a threesome! Make a whore sandwich. Go on . . . go fuck 'em both! And while you're at it . . . go fuck yourself!" She shoved him out the front door and slammed it in his face.

Leon cursed, and pulled his lock-picks. Within two minutes, the lock turned and he opened the door. He didn't find Claire but Sherry sitting on the couch watching Claire's Blu-ray of 'Shaun of the Dead'.

"Smooth," Sherry muttered.

"Can it, Claire junior."

Sherry chuckled humorlessly. "She's crying, you know."

Leon sighed. "I know. I heard her through the door."

"Why are you really trying so hard to leave, Daddy? You must know that I don't care if you two have sex tonight. I know you haven't seen each other in a long time. You know I'm a heavy sleeper, and I can totally sleep with my iPod on. I won't hear a thing, so you two can go crazy on each other. I mean, I don't understand why you think I'd be bothered by you acting like a normal couple in love?"

He sighed. "You heard all that, huh?"

She nodded. "Polar bears at the north pole heard that. I was just in the next room trying not to feel uncomfortable."

He lowered his eyes. "Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable with our talk about having sex."

"The conversation didn't make me uncomfortable at all. Knowing you two were fighting did. I'm not used to it, and I don't like feeling like I'm the cause of it. Now, answer my question. Why so adamant about leaving? If it's really about my comfort level, then worry no more. I'm stoked you guys are together. Hell, I used to hope you'd fall in love and get married from the day we left Raccoon City."

He paused for a moment, and then answered. "Because I want to give the two of you the same time alone together that you and I had to talk, so you have the chance to tell her how you feel about her leaving us . . . like you told me while we were in quarantine how you feel about the issues you and I had."

Sherry laughed. "Daddy, I'm not gonna do that to her on Christmas! I would ruin her holiday! You know how much Mom loves holidays."

Leon smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Of course, she didn't want to scold her favorite parent the way she'd so liberally yelled at him for the week it took them to get through all the testing necessary to prove they weren't infected . . . or at least in Sherry's case that she wasn't anymore infected than she'd already been. She happily ruined his time being reunited with her. No care was taken for his feelings.

He sighed. "Of course, Sherry. We wouldn't want to ruin Claire's holiday."

"Great! Then we're in agreement. Now take off your coat and shoes and go apologize for making my Mom cry."

He nodded, removed his coat, and sat in the chair again to remove his shoes. "You know, I was just trying to do this for you."

"I know. And I appreciate it. But it's unnecessary. It's like she said, I'm not a little kid anymore. I've been through a lot over the last several years, and I think I can handle waiting to talk to Mom for a couple days so you two can sleep together tonight. But what I can't handle is watching you two fighting. That would ruin my holiday."

He nodded and stood to go over to the couch where Sherry sat. He sat beside her and pulled her into a hug. "Sorry for ruining your holiday then."

She laughed. "Dad, come on. You're being way too sensitive."

He chuckled without humor. "Maybe you're right."

She smiled. "Don't patronize me, Agent Kennedy. I know you're mad at me for something or other that I've said to you in the last week. Plus, you can't seem to let go of that ridiculous notion that I love Mom more than I love you."

"I know you don't want to admit it . . . to me or yourself, but it's obvious."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I see why Mom gets so frustrated with you. Daddy, you can be infuriating sometimes. You're very stubborn. And unforgiving. I've been telling you for the last few days that I'm sorry for the things I said to you after Mom left. But all you've heard all week is the things that I told you had hurt me that you said to me back then. I think you and I both said things we shouldn't have, but you don't want to hear that. You were a grownup arguing with a grieving child. I called you on that, but I don't try to pretend that what a child says hurtfully to an adult who has sacrificed so much for her doesn't break his heart. And then you don't remember how many times I cried myself to sleep because of Mom. Because she left us. A lot of times, I cried myself to sleep for your sake. I wasn't just mad at her for me. I was mad at her for you. She left you with me, and not one time did you treat me like the burden I was sure that I was to you. But when you sent me into protective custody, I convinced myself that was finally the proof that I'd been right all along . . . that you never wanted to take care of me. You'd found an opportunity to be rid of me and you took it."

"I never wanted to get rid of you, Angel. I just wanted you to be safe."

"Oh, I know. I know that now. When Wesker came and took me, I finally understood why you worked so hard to hide me."

He nodded and hugged her. "I appreciate that you understand."

"I appreciate that you forgive me for being such a brat."

He smiled. "My kid's not a brat."

She giggled. "Do you get my point, finally?"

"Yes."

"I don't love either of you more than the other, and I had reason to be angry at both of you. But I was much angrier at Mom for a lot longer than I was angry with you. And yet, all I could think of when we were in quarantine was being reunited with her. Just like all I wanted every moment you left me alone while you were training so many years ago, was to see you again. I yelled at you every time you came to visit me . . . but I practically held my breath in wait for your next visit each time you would leave."

He sighed. "Thanks, Sherry. That means the world to me."

"I love you, Daddy."

He beamed. He still had trouble believing she meant that as much as she claimed to, but he would try to accept it, for her sake. "I love you, too." He got up and stretched. He needed to go talk to Claire. His ankle was hurting again. Maybe Claire had an ice pack he could use.

Sherry got up and jumped up to kiss his cheek then hugged him tightly. She whispered against his sweater, "Don't be upset with Mom. She just loves you too much. She loves you so much, she doesn't want to be away from you for even a moment over Christmas."

He sighed. He wasn't going to ruin yet another moment by saying something as cruel to his daughter as the fact that her mother didn't love him, she loved Burnside and probably would grow to hate him for blowing Steve's body to smithereens.

"Sure, Sherry. Claire loves me very much."

Sherry smiled into his eyes. Then her face suddenly got serious. "Oh, my God! You think she doesn't! It's written all over your face!"

Leon rolled his eyes. He kind of missed the oblivious little girl he'd last known her to be. This older, wiser version of his daughter was definitely harder to fool.

"Sherry . . . I can't do this right now."

She shook her head and caressed his cheek. "I understand. Not another word from me. But you need to talk to Mom about this. I think you've got the wrong idea."

He smiled. "I know you want to believe that. But trust me . . . your mother has made it abundantly clear how she really feels about me."

"Well if you feel that way, then why are you with her?"

"I just . . . I guess I'll make the most of taking whatever I can get from Claire. I need her . . . in whatever way she's willing to be with me."

Sherry looked at him strangely, then sighed and released him. "Okay, Daddy. Whatever you say." She stared at him hopefully for a few moments. "So . . . you leaving?"

He chuckled. "No. I'll stay. I would never make your mom cry on purpose."

"Great! Because I wanted you to stay, too!"

He laughed. "Okay, okay . . . but just for Christmas. Then I have to go back to Washington for a few days. I'll be back for New Year's, though."

"You better be. And you better plan on sleeping with Mom. I don't like it when you make her cry." Sherry smiled and shook a fist at him playfully.

He chuckled. "Anyone ever tell you, you're awesome, Young Lady?"

"I've certainly heard that somewhere before."

He laughed. "Okay, then. So you have my word that we'll all be together on New Year's Eve."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Anything for my angel."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Then get your ass upstairs and make my mom feel better. I'll just turn up the volume on the TV." She giggled and winked at him.

He rolled his eyes and limped toward the stairs. "Mind out of the gutter, Missy. We're just gonna talk."

"Uh huh. Riiiiiight." She sat down, grabbed the remote, and turned the volume up all the way to 50.

He shook his head with a smirk and headed up the stairs.

---

Claire lay on her side in bed with her knees drawn up to her belly. She stared out the window. It had started to snow. The white dusting of powder on the world outside was beautiful. She sighed. She loved Christmas. But she couldn't enjoy it. Not when she knew Leon was probably already on the highway back to the capitol.

There was a soft rapping on her bedroom door. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. She didn't want to upset Sherry any more than she was sure the argument already had.

"Just a minute, Sherry. I'm coming, Sweetheart."

She stood up and padded over to the door. She opened it and looked down a bit, expecting her daughter, who was a little shorter than Claire, to be standing outside her room. Since it was Leon, not Sherry, who had knocked, she found herself staring at his sweater.

"Hi."

She looked up, staring at him blankly for a moment. Finally, she asked, "Forget something?"

"Yes, actually."

She nodded. "Well get whatever it is and get out." She turned to go back to her bed, but he reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked down for a moment at where he was entwining their fingers, then frowned up at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm getting what I forgot." He pulled her up against him, wrapped his arms tightly around her, and then rocked her back and forth. She tried to push him away for a solid minute before she finally lost herself to her tears. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Claire. I thought it would be a great surprise bringing Sherry without telling you, but now I feel like I should have told you instead. I feel like today just overwhelmed you emotionally. I really messed up. I'm sorry, Baby."

She sniffled and dried her tears with the ball of her hand. She walked over to her nightstand and took some tissue from the box to blow her nose. She turned to him with a sad smile. "It's okay. I know I'm just being childish. But I really do appreciate you coming back to give me a little affection." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. "I'm sorry, too, Leon. I really am so glad to see you. Even for just a little while."

He smiled. "I'm not leaving."

She shook her head. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"Why do you always think I don't wanna stay with you? I always wanted to stay, Claire. I was just trying to give you and Sherry your space. But if that's not what you want, I'll spend the night. Sherry says my staying won't make her feel uncomfortable, so I see no reason why I shouldn't sleep here tonight. It seems to be what we all want."

Her face slowly split into a smile and she leapt into his arms again. He lifted her off the ground and kissed her. He placed her back on her feet and took her hand. He led her out the bedroom door.

"Leon, why is Sherry blasting my television?"

He chuckled. "She thinks I came up here to screw your brains out."

Claire laughed out loud. "She's got such a dirty mind, now!"

"Yeah, I know. It's like she morphed into a tiny, White female version of Carlos."

Claire sputtered a laugh. "You dumbass!"

"Tell me I'm lying," he challenged.

She cracked up. "I wish that I could!" She wiped tears of mirth from her eyes and took his hand again.

The couple went downstairs.

"That was fast," Sherry muttered while turning the volume down. "What's the matter, Dad? No stamina?"

"Nothing happened, you little pervert," Claire said.

"Yeah," Leon added. "And if it had, you wouldn't have seen us for hours and she'd be walking worse than I am right now."

"Hey! Don't corrupt her more than she already is!" Claire slapped him on the back of the head then plopped down on the couch. Leon plopped down on top of both girls.

"Mmm . . . comfy," he said.

"AHHH!" Sherry shouted. "My spleen!"

"Oh, my God!" Claire screamed. "Baby, you weigh a metric ton! Get yer fat ass the fuck offa me and my kid!"

Leon chuckled. "If I'm fat, you're a chubby chaser." He got up off them, and then ducked the couch pillows they both lobbed at him. "Move over, Munchkins."

Claire narrowed her eyes and then cracked her knuckles at his having called her short. Leon just laughed and pulled her up against him. Sherry dropped a couch cushion into his lap and laid her head on it. Leon placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair.

On the TV, Shaun and his best friend Ed had just tried to kill a zombie with a Prince LP. Claire and Leon both laughed.

"Sherry, you have some seriously weird taste in holiday movies," Leon said.

"Whatever. This from the man who made me watch a Christmas episode of a show about murder set in the hottest city in America."

Claire laughed out loud. "She's got you there!"

"And Mom? If you really want to chase a chubby, I think Dad can definitely help you out with that." She pointed down at the pillow in Leon's lap.

Leon sighed. "She's lying, Claire."

"There goes that stamina again."

He frowned. "Seriously, why did you have to grow up into a pervert again?"

Claire and Sherry both chuckled and then kissed him on each cheek before settling back into their comfortable 'Leon is a pillow' positions.

---

Sherry was unconscious in the guest bedroom by eleven. By midnight, Leon and Claire were sitting outside on her front porch. Claire had a porch swing that she was currently stretched out across on her back, her head in Leon's lap, her eyes closed in bliss.

Leon had his legs stretched out before him, using his good leg to slowly rock the swing. He also had his hand under the blanket that covered his girlfriend . . . using it to slowly tease her bosom through the strapless sweater she wore. He sighed. "Did I tell you how sexy you look in this outfit?"

She nodded. "Mm hm," she mumbled lazily.

He smirked and pushed the inner sweater of her twinset down off her breasts. "I love this sweater set. The little one under the cardigan looks kind of like a corset."

"I know. That's why I bought it. I hoped you would like it."

He tweaked her bare left nipple. "Oh, I do. I especially like how you decided not to wear a bra under it."

She smiled and caressed his hand over her naked breast. "That feels so nice."

He smiled and looked down. "Open your eyes."

She obeyed. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just want to see your eyes while I'm touching you."

She smiled. "You're so wonderful."

"You're so beautiful."

She pulled the blanket close to her bosom and sat up. She turned to face her boyfriend and wrapped the blanket around them both. They shared a soft, gentle, lingering kiss as he continued to caress her bare nipples under the blanket. A few of Claire's neighbors walked by as the couple made out, but none were the wiser about what was going on under that blanket. Claire was just opening Leon's fly when they were interrupted by a voice coming from the sidewalk right in front of Claire's porch.

"Aww, how sweet."

They parted from each other and looked toward the person who'd spoken. Claire's neighbor Mrs. Steinbaugh was walking her Pomeranian. She lived on the opposite side of Claire's home from the Parkers, the family with the voyeuristic son, Kenny. Mrs. Steinbaugh was also the owner of the bed & breakfast where Leon was originally going to spend the night.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Steinbaugh," they said in unison.

"Merry Christmas, Claire. Merry Christmas . . . uh, Leon, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Well, it's certainly nice to know that Claire finally has a gentleman caller."

Claire smiled and caressed Leon's cheek. "It certainly is." Leon smiled and kissed her.

"I was also glad that you canceled that reservation at my inn, young man. Not that I like to lose business, mind you, but you should be spending the night with Claire. Unless you were bringing her with you, there's no reason you should stay in my establishment."

He smirked and scratched the back of his head. "I know."

Mrs. Steinbaugh smiled. "Oh, dear. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I do realize you were just trying to be a gentleman, but you're the first man I've ever seen call on Claire, and a right handsome one at that. She's so lovely, it pains all us older ladies to always see her alone, living for her work. It's about time she got herself a little di- . . . ."

Claire blushed bright red. "Oh my God, Mrs. Steinbaugh! Please don't finish that sentence!"

Leon and Mrs. Steinbaugh laughed. "It's not little," Leon said, causing them both to redouble their laughter. Mrs. Steinbaugh laughed so hard, she started to cough. Claire narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. Leon's laughter dissolved into small chuckles. "Aww. Did I embarrass you, Baby?"

"Duh! I have to live here, you know!"

"I know. But I'm the one who should be hurt. Clearly, from what Mrs. Steinbaugh just said, your neighbors know nothing about me."

Claire flushed even redder. "You . . . you're right." She turned to her neighbor. "Ma'am, Leon and I have known each other for eight years. And we've been dating for that entire time. That's why you never see me with any guys. I've always been with Leon. It's a long distance relationship, so we don't get to see each other often, but we're very much in love. In fact, we adopted a daughter together. She's been studying abroad for some years, but she's come home for the holidays."

"And to start her undergraduate education here in Maryland," Leon added, wrapping Claire in his arms. Claire fought hard not to register the shock on her face. Sherry was going to college? Claire thought she'd be staying with her!

"Oh my!" Mrs. Steinbaugh uttered. "I had no idea you were in such a committed relationship! I'm so sorry for all the times I tried to fix you up! You always were so polite about saying 'no'. You should've just told me about your big sexy boyfriend. Very big by all accounts." Mrs. Steinbaugh winked at Leon who chuckled. Claire turned red again.

Leon kissed her cheek. "Oh, come on, Sweetheart. Mrs. Steinbaugh's awesome. She doesn't care if we joke about our sex life. She just wants to see you happy." He kissed her throat, her cheek, and her lips. "Like I do."

"Oh! So romantic!" Mrs. Steinbaugh clapped her hands, and her little dog barked a few times. "And very handsome, Claire. Did I mention that?" Claire nodded and smiled. "Does he have a single uncle?" Claire giggled and nodded again. Mrs. Steinbaugh's face registered shock. She'd only been joking, but if that was true . . . . "Do you really, Leon?"

"Yes, Ma'am. My uncle Sean Kennedy is a retired Marine and former confirmed bachelor."

"Former?"

Leon chuckled. "Yeah. Being retired and alone is . . . lonely. I think he regrets now that he never allowed himself to settle down."

Mrs. Steinbaugh nodded in understanding. Some of her late husband's ex-military friends were like that. Then she smirked. "Is he cute?"

Claire chuckled when Leon refused to answer that. "I've seen pictures of him, and yes he is. In fact, Leon looks just like him, minus the silver hair and laugh lines."

Leon shrugged. "I look more like him than my own father. It's kinda spooky."

Claire ran her fingers through Leon's hair. "That silver is gonna look so sexy in your hair when you get older." He smirked and kissed her cheek.

"Lovely!" Mrs. Steinbaugh said. "Well, then tell him you know a widow with a Victorian inn and great legs who'd love to meet him."

The beautiful older woman gave a little turn. Claire gave a wolf whistle and then pointed at Leon when Mrs. Steinbaugh faced them again. "He's such a hound," Claire explained.

"Aw. Thanks, Leon." He smiled and said she was welcome, and then slapped Claire in the back of the head when her neighbor wasn't looking.

Mrs. Steinbaugh bent to pet her dog and give him a treat from the little baggie in her coat pocket. "Do you two have plans for tomorrow?"

Leon nodded. "We were gonna open our presents in the morning and then make breakfast together. In the evening, we'll be going to dinner at a restaurant in Baltimore that we both love. Our daughter has never eaten there, so we're gonna try to show her a good time."

Claire looked surprised. "We are?"

"Yeah."

"Is it the one I think it is?"

"Watertable. They're only open for dinner tomorrow."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. Surprise."

Claire squealed with genuine delight and planted kiss after kiss on her boyfriend's face. She'd told him on the phone a few months before that she'd eaten there at a TerraSave function a few years back. They had the best crab cakes she'd ever tasted, and the atmosphere was breathtaking. He'd promised to take her there again someday.

Leon smiled against her lips and pulled her closer to him. He slid his tongue into her mouth. She sighed and allowed him to deepen their kiss.

Mrs. Steinbaugh chuckled. "That's my cue to leave. Good night, you two."

They broke the kiss. "Night, Ma'am," Leon answered.

"I'll bring you a crab cake, Mrs. S. . . . and one for Pop-Tart, too."

The older woman waved her gloved hand back at the couple. "And Leon's uncle."

"And my uncle. Yes, Ma'am. We'll put him in a take-home container."

Once Mrs. Steinbaugh left, Leon readjusted Claire more firmly onto his lap, so she was straddling him. He put his hand back on her breast and rolled her nipple between his fingers. He smiled at her, then opened her blanket just enough for only him to see her body. He stared at her breasts for a moment, and then kissed them both. He slid his tongue over her left nipple, before sucking the right nipple into his mouth.

"Pervert."

He released her breast. "Yup. Pretty much."

She chuckled. "You're not getting laid tonight, you know."

He quirked a brow. "Why not?"

"Your answer is right inside the house sleeping."

"Sherry?" Claire nodded. "Sherry still sleeps like a comatose mummy, and incidentally, she still snores like there's a chainsaw locked inside the mummy's sarcophagus. She'd never hear us over herself."

Claire laughed. "Yeah, well that may be true, but you're still not getting any."

Leon sighed. "Fair enough." He pulled Claire's sweater back up onto her breasts and wrapped her securely in the blanket. "By the way, is that dog really named Pop-Tart?"

"He is."

Leon smirked and shook his head. "Well . . . don't tell the zombies he's named after food."

Claire quirked her brow. "You're going to Hell for that."

He lifted her in a bridal carry and brought her inside the house. "I thought I was going to Hell for taking your virginity on your brother's desk."

Claire giggled before whispering, "Speaking of . . . are you hard?"

"Speaking of . . . you shut up. That's your fault, Tease." Leon toed out of his shoes in the foyer.

Claire laughed out loud. "Don't worry, Agent Kennedy. I think you're gonna live."

Leon sighed as he limped up the stairs to her bedroom past the sound of a chainsaw locked in a sarcophagus coming from the downstairs guest room.

"Remind me again why I'm not gonna get laid? I mean, I bought Sherry an iPod and she sleeps with it on and blasting music in her ears. Besides, there's no way we could ever be louder than that."

Claire smacked his chest. "Don't talk shit about my kid." He pretended to drop her. "Ah!" she yelped and held on tighter to him. He chuckled. She glared at him. "Not funny."

He shrugged. "Open the door, Baby. My arms are full of a beautiful woman."

She smiled and opened her bedroom door. "Since you asked so nicely."

"If I ask nicely for sex, will you reconsider?"

"Uh unh. Don't press your luck."

He sighed. "Seriously, Baby. Why the dry spell?"

She looked away nervously. "No reason. I just want you to hold me tonight. That's all."

Leon stared at her critically. Claire was a terrible liar. She definitely was hiding something from him, but he wasn't about to pursue it. She had been so touchy all day, and the last thing he wanted was another fucking argument.

"That's it?"

"Yeah." She still wouldn't look him in the eye while answering.

He stared at her for a moment. "Okay. Whatever you want, Claire." He placed her gently on her feet.

"I'll make it up to you?" she asked apologetically.

He sighed. Being at odds with his girlfriend was exhausting. "It's fine, Baby. Don't worry about it."

Leon took off his sweater and pants. Claire pulled the blanket from the porch swing tighter around herself. She smiled at Leon, but he just looked at her strangely.

"Are you alright, Claire?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine." Her eyes darted away from his gaze.

"No, you're not. You haven't been yourself all day. You've been moody and unreasonable. That's not like you. What's going on, Claire?"

She sighed. "Nothing, I said!"

He frowned. "Tell me what's going on or I'll go see if Mrs. Steinbaugh still has a room at the inn."

She frowned at him. "Fine! I was trying to save you the disgust, but if you're gonna say something so mean to me, I'll tell you!" She paused and looked at her feet. "It's my time of the month," she muttered quietly.

He blinked a few times. "What, you mean your period?"

"No, my time of the month to pay the mortgage!" she shouted sarcastically. "What the hell time of the month do you think I meant? Now go on! Pull a face! Make a noise like you're gonna vomit!"

He stared at her for a moment longer, and then shocked the hell out of her by laughing his head off. "Claire, do you honestly think I'm gonna react like a seventh grader about your being on your menstrual cycle?"

"Why not? Chris does and he's four years older than you are."

"Oh, come on! Chris is a pussy when it comes to anything that involves feminine hygiene!" he laughed. "Sherry bought douche in a pharmacy in Berlin because she said the stasis fluid made her feel gross, and your brother practically ran out of the store." Claire laughed out loud. Leon smiled. "Claire, I'm not Chris. I would never react like that. In fact, if you had needed me to buy you some feminine hygiene products when I first called you today, I would have." He shook his head in amusement. "You know, you could have at least given me the benefit of the doubt and told me. I mean, you've been annoyed at me all day. It would have been nice to know why." She lowered her head again, but he lifted her chin. "But, I guess if you grew up with your brother acting that way, I can see why you didn't tell me." He kissed her on the corner of her mouth before stretching out on Claire's bed.

She sighed. "So, you're not grossed out?"

"After all the shit I've seen since Raccoon City? No, Baby. I'm not. I still don't get why your brother is after all he's seen." He pulled the covers back and then stretched his legs out under them. "I mean, it's not like I don't know you menstruate."

She smiled and pounced on him. She kissed her way across his chest then looked up into his eyes. "I'm sorry I've been so hormonal today."

He shrugged. "Eh, no worries. You're cute when you're possessed by the She-Devil."

She giggled. "Take off your underpants, Agent Kennedy. You've earned yourself some affection."

He grinned and stripped down to his birthday suit before tossing the bed covers off the bed. "You promise to end the drought when I come back next week?"

"You promise to actually come back?"

"Oh, I'll be here."

She stripped off her clothes, except for her underwear, and laid down beside him, her head by his erection. "Then you'll be a happy man, Agent Kennedy."

As Claire lowered her head to give Leon all the pleasure she was capable of giving that day, he thought to himself, 'I already am, Sweetheart.'

---

It was Christmas night. Sherry was standing back with a serene smile on her face, sipping spiced eggnog spiked heavily with rum. Claire was practically wrapped around Leon. She looked beautiful in a winter white cowl-neck cashmere sweater and deep rose colored slacks. Her long red hair fell heavily down the center of her back. And for once she wore a little lipstick, which she was currently sharing with Leon. Their little family had just returned from dinner in Baltimore, and now, it was time for Leon to go.

When they reluctantly broke the kiss, Leon stroked Claire's cheek and sighed. He didn't want to go anymore than she wanted him to leave. But he would be back. He'd already cleared it with Hunnigan. Carlos would cover for him if he was called to active duty over the New Year holiday. But to get that guarantee, he had to go home to cover for Carlos for a few days. It was their South American comrade's girlfriend's birthday on December 27th. Leon promised Carlos four days if he gave him the same. He hadn't told Carlos why he needed the holiday off, but Bruce had backed him up and reassured their Latin friend to just trust that it was important.

"I know you have to go. Just don't forget your promise."

"I won't." He pulled her into a tight hug and closed his eyes. "I'll see you before New Year's Eve."

"Okay." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I miss you when we're apart."

"Not the six years before we were reunited."

She smiled and caressed his cheek. "Yeah. Then too." His eyes became very serious. She kissed where she'd just caressed. "What? You think I don't know how wrong I was? I know. And I regret it more than I can ever say. I know I said no regrets when it comes to us, but it felt like the only thing I could think about when I thought of you for all that time . . . my regrets about you."

"Regretting that I was your first." It was a statement, not a question.

She frowned and looked at him strangely. "No. No, Leon . . . I regretted how I treated you the day we lost Sherry. I've never regretted that you were my first. I've told you that a billion times. Why would you say something like that to me?"

He smiled and changed the subject. He really didn't feel like getting into an argument about her and Steve right before leaving town. They'd argued enough for one Christmas. "I should get going if I'm gonna make good time." He kissed her. "I'll be thinking about you." She smiled, despite the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. He caressed her cheek. As much as he hated to see her sad, her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears in the moonlight, was probably the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He stole one last kiss and turned to limp down the front steps to his car. "Keep her out of trouble, Sherry," he called over his shoulder.

"I'm not a miracle worker, Daddy."

He chuckled as he got into his car. He started the engine, gunned it, and then pulled out onto Claire's street.

Claire watched his Mazerati disappear around the corner. The tears finally fell. She wiped her eyes and sighed. 'Not even one week. I can do this,' she reassured herself. "Sherry?"

"Yeah?"

"What the hell do you think that was all about?"

Sherry shrugged. "He thinks you don't love him."

Claire turned abruptly and looked at her daughter, then she turned and looked down the street where he'd just gone. "That's ridiculous. Of course I love Leon. He knows that." She went inside and closed the door.

"No. He doesn't. I think something you said to him in the past is the reason he thinks that, but he wouldn't tell me what it was."

Claire's expression became a bit pained. "He talked to you about this?"

"No. But I confronted him when he made you cry."

Claire sighed. "He didn't make me cry, Sweetheart. I mean, missing him made me cry . . . and these goddamn hormones. And then I kept crying because I hate crying . . . and then I cried because I was angry with myself for crying . . . if that makes any sense."

"It does, actually. I've been there." Sherry contemplated some of the times she'd wished she were strong enough not to give Albert Wesker the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

Claire closed her eyes and let her own tears continue to fall, unable to find the ability to be ashamed of them in front of Sherry. "Thanks for understanding. I just miss him, and I'm scared he won't be back."

"Don't worry, Mom. He'll be back. He told me before he left that he doesn't ever want to disappoint you again."

Claire turned to Sherry and smiled. That wasn't what she meant, but she didn't think there was any reason to make Sherry depressed, too. Claire knew her thoughts were morbid, but such was the existence of the woman in love with a man who risked his life for a living. Too many times, he had called her to say good-bye, assuming he would die, only to call her a few days later to tell her he'd found a way to escape and cheat death yet again. She blinked back tears once more, and pushed her thoughts aside. Those were always painful days. She'd call in sick to work, and sit at home, waiting by the phone, praying for that second call. Someday, they wouldn't be so lucky. Someday, there'd be just the one last call.

"Is there anymore of that spiked eggnog left, Honey?"

"Yup." Sherry wrapped her arm around Claire's shoulders. "Come on, Mom. I'll buy you a drink. You look like you could use one."

Claire smiled and toed out of her shoes. She wiped her eyes again and hugged her daughter. "Has anyone ever told you that you're an amazing kid?"

Sherry chuckled. "I'm sure I've heard that somewhere before."

When the kitchen door swung closed behind them, Claire asked nervously, "So . . . did you want to talk now . . . about how I left that night eight years ago?"

Sherry's smile faltered. "Nah. It can wait. We've got almost a week of just you and me, so we'll get to it. You're sad tonight because Daddy had to leave, and this won't be an easy conversation." Claire nodded and lowered her eyes. Sherry smiled sadly then changed the subject. "Dad says he got me into college. First day of spring semester is January 3rd. I move in the day before. I'm kinda scared but I'm excited, too."

Claire sighed. "Yes, he told me last night. He says it's close by. Somewhere here in Maryland." Close, sure . . . but it probably wouldn't be close enough for Claire's liking.

"Yup. I'm gonna attend Loyola University in Baltimore."

Claire raised her brows. "Oh? Well that's not too far at all. We certainly made it to dinner tonight without too much of a hassle."

"Then I can come home with my laundry?"

Claire chuckled. "Of course you can. Do you have a driver's license?"

"Yes. Wesker was a full-on prick to me, and most of the scientists he had watching me over the years were total douche bags, but Dr. Bennett made sure I had as many of the trappings of a normal teenage girl as possible. She was . . . nice. I got my license in Texas two years ago. She taught me how to drive herself."

Claire recognized the name. Dr. Patricia Bennett. She had been an anti-Umbrella spy working for the BSAA's predecessor agency . . . the mavericks that Barry and Leon's shape-shifting double had worked for at the time of the Starlight cruise ship mission. And Sherry was right . . . she was nice. Claire had only met her once, but Dr. Bennett reminded her of a Southern Black grandmother. "What happened to her?"

Sherry frowned. "She tried to help me escape. She . . . she didn't make it. Then I was recaptured anyway."

Claire's face fell. "I'm sorry, Sherry."

Sherry sighed. "Yeah. Me too. She gave her life to free me. When they caught me anyway, I felt like I'd let her down. Like she died in vain because of me."

Claire took the eggnog out of the refrigerator. "I didn't mean to call up bad memories, Sweetie. I was just gonna ask you if you wanted a car on campus."

Sherry's face immediately lit up. "You're buying me a car?"

Claire shrugged. "Well, I gotta get you something, right? I mean, your Dad has already given you your freedom and a college education. He's not one-upping me . . . that son of a whore!"

Sherry giggled as she grabbed Claire a mug and then handed it along with the one she'd just emptied to Claire. She kissed Claire on the cheek. "I love you, Mom."

Claire smiled. "I love you, too. And I do love your dad. Honestly, he can be so fucking sensitive sometimes! I told Mrs. Steinbaugh that we were in love just last night! He heard me!" She sighed and filled the two mugs with eggnog. "Anyway, I'll call him tomorrow morning and straighten his cute butt out." She handed her surrogate daughter a drink. They clinked mugs and sipped. Claire stared at Sherry for a moment, and then smiled warmly.

Leon had promised Claire a happy holiday. Even with all the drama, he'd certainly delivered.

---

Claire awoke the next day to the scent of Leon's cologne on her pillowcase. She smiled and closed her eyes. She inhaled then sighed. She missed him already.

She was a little hungover. Okay, a lot hungover . . . and still pretty drunk, if she was being totally honest. She had welled up a lot of times overnight, so Sherry kept handing her alcohol.

She knew she was supposed to talk to Leon about something this morning, but she had no idea what. She snuggled further under the covers with his scent. She probably was supposed to tell him he smelled nice. 'Yeah,' she thought drowsily. 'That's probably it.'

She picked up her cordless phone off the nightstand and dialed. It rang once before it was picked up.

"Agent Kennedy."

"Hi, Sexy."

"Claire?"

"Mm hm," she mumbled sleepily.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yuppers."

"Then why are you calling me at work?"

"I gotta tell you something," she whispered.

He smiled. She was clearly intoxicated. "Like what?" he whispered in return.

"You smell nice."

He quirked his brow. "O . . . . kay. You smell nice . . . too?"

"Okie-Dokie. Nigh'-nigh'."

He chuckled. "Bye, Claire. Sleep it off, Baby. Call me when you're sober."

She giggled. "M'kay. Bye, Leon." She heard a dial tone as he hung up. "There," she muttered. "Tha's done."

She began to drift back to sleep. About an hour and a half later, she suddenly felt a weight land on top of her in the bed. She awakened immediately and groped for her gun. She groaned as the sound of familiar feminine giggling greeted her ears.

"Rise and shine, Mom!"

"Oh, God," Claire muttered into her pillow. "Don't tell me you've grown up into a morning person."

Sherry laughed. "It's after one, actually." Claire groaned and covered her head. "Hey, Mom, here." Sherry handed her the cordless phone. "Call Daddy and tell him what you said you were gonna tell him today."

Claire smiled serenely at the mention of Leon. "Already did."

"You did? What did he say?"

"Okay."

"Did he say it back to you?"

"Yeah." Claire smiled. Leon did say she smelled nice.

"Awesome! Now that that's settled . . . ." Sherry stood up and began jumping on Claire's bed. "Come on, Sleepy-butt! Get up! It snowed all night! It's so pretty outside! Come see it with me!"

"Seen one snowfall, seen 'em all."

Sherry sighed. "Mom, I hadn't seen outside in two years, and before Dr. Bennett was around, not since I was twelve until Dad and Uncle Chris came and got me."

Claire opened her eyes and looked up at Sherry. "They never let you outside? But you said he moved you all around the world over the years."

Sherry nodded, smiling sadly as she dropped down to sit by Claire. "Yeah . . . in a cryogenic stasis tube with a portable generator in a big crate on a cargo plane."

Claire frowned. She was never so happy to know that Jill had sent Wesker to Hell. She hugged her daughter. "If you want to go outside, then let's go outside. Just let me get dressed and we'll go build a snowman."

Sherry squealed with joy and ran out of the room. "I'll be downstairs!" she yelled from the hall.

"Make a pot of coffee!"

"Okay!"

Claire sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment, sighed, and then jumped up out of bed to go get into the shower.

---

Thirty minutes later, Claire came downstairs wearing a black turtleneck, dark wash blue boot cut jeans, and a long hooded black cardigan with a red, black and white Southwestern pattern.

Sherry was on the couch playing Claire's Grand Theft Auto video game. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a jewel neckline white tee with a tattoo pattern that said 'FREEDOM' on a scroll across her chest surrounded by tattoo pattern roses and angels. The rose tattoo design also ran down the outside of the left sleeve. The tee had a layered design that looked like a short sleeved shirt over a long sleeve one, but it was actually a mock layered design used on a single shirt.

As Claire entered the living room, Sherry's video game character ran over another character (a hooker that looked suspiciously like Ada Wong) with his Cadillac. Sherry went up in a cheer.

"G.T.A., motherfucker! Ten points!"

Claire started to laugh. "You're as bad as your uncle Chris. Come on. Get your coat on. I'll get the snowman clothes. I have some more barbecue coals by the grill and radishes in the fridge."

"Those grilled oysters rocked, Mom. And that thai coconut curry seafood noodle soup . . . that was like the best Asian food I've ever eaten. Can you teach me how to cook?"

"Of course."

"Cool beans! Now, back to snowman business. If you have radishes, then we can make red lips. Let's make it a snowwoman."

Claire smiled. "I like it. I have some old clothes in the basement that I was gonna give to the Good Will. Find our snow princess an outfit. I'll get her a face."

The two women went about their tasks, and then made a very effeminate snow person with an hourglass figure, a stylish church hat passed down to Claire by her great aunt, and a cool old jean jacket. Mrs. Steinbaugh walked Pop-Tart past Claire's house.

"Oh, my! Claire, is this your daughter?"

"Yes, Ma'am. This is Leon's and my adopted daughter Sherry Burkin. Sherry, this is Lorreli Steinbaugh, my next-door neighbor." Mrs. Steinbaugh's Pomeranian barked. "Oh! And that's little Pop-Tart. Sorry, boy." Appeased with the introduction, the little dog began to chase his own tail. He yelped in pain every time he caught it.

"Oh! He's so cute!" Sherry exclaimed. "Can I pet him?"

"Of course." Mrs. Steinbaugh gave the leash to Sherry who bent to pet the dog. He rolled onto his back so she could rub his belly. Sherry giggled and complied.

The widow stood by Claire and said, "She's so lovely."

Claire smiled with pride. "I know. Isn't she beautiful?"

Mrs. Steinbaugh nodded. "What will the two of you do today?"

Claire shrugged. "I have no idea. Any suggestions?"

"Have your Leon take you both out again."

Claire's face fell a bit. She sighed. "Leon's gone."

Mrs. Steinbaugh looked at Claire with shock. "Gone? Where?"

Claire forced a smile. "He works for the government. He had to go back to work."

"Oh, my dear. I'm so sorry. You must miss him terribly."

Claire sighed and blinked back tears. "Yeah. The big lug kinda grows on you."

Mrs. Steinbaugh handed Claire a tissue from her purse. "You do love him, right?"

"So much," Claire replied with a little sniffle.

"And he loves you?"

"Yes."

"Then he'll be back."

"Yes, Ma'am. He'll have a few days off next week."

"Good! Then you just take this time to enjoy your daughter."

"I will." Claire smiled and dabbed her eyes with the tissue. "I hate that I keep crying, but I just wish we got to see each other more often."

"Well, you'll see each other soon. In the meantime, until he gets back, you and Sherry should come stay at my inn one night this week."

Claire beamed. "I would love that! And I think Sherry and Pop-Tart would, too."

Mrs. Steinbaugh looked over at the young woman and her little dog. She chuckled. "Pop-Tart! You leave that poor girl alone! She doesn't want to rub your tummy all afternoon! They've got to get to the mall." She winked at Claire and walked over to take her leash from Sherry.

"We're going to the mall, Mom?"

"Yeeeahhh," Claire muttered uncertainly. "Is that . . . okay?"

"I'm a twenty-year-old woman, Mom. Why would I not want to go to the mall?"

Claire shrugged. 'I never did,' she thought. 'Unless you count going to Sears Auto for motorcycle parts.' She smiled at her daughter. Claire thought about how she'd been meaning to replace the blender she broke when she was sweeping the kitchen floor just before Thanksgiving. She was dancing with her broom to Queen's 'You're My Best Friend' when her 'dance partner' knocked the appliance off the counter. She flushed a little red with embarrassment. 'Not my most shining moment.' She smiled at Sherry. "Well, the mall it is then. I certainly could use a few things."

"And how. I've seen the clothes in your closet."

"Hey! Stay out of my closet! And what's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing. Just, you don't have anything . . . sexy . . . for Daddy."

"I'll have you know Leon thought I was very sexy in what I wore on Christmas Eve."

"Yeah, but that's like the only sexy thing you own."

"I have plenty of lingerie."

"Can't wear that in public." Sherry smirked. "At least, you shouldn't, even though you probably do."

Claire chuckled. "Well, he loves my legs, and I have shorts out the wazoo, so there!"

"Uh . . . it's winter. Not exactly 'daisy-dukes' weather." She wrapped an arm around Claire's shoulders. "Look, Mom. You've seen how Daddy dresses. Even his t-shirts are Versace or Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana. Your t-shirts are three for five bucks at the Shirt Shack."

Claire sighed. She knew she should have gotten rid of that bag. It had the bargain spelled out right on the side. She shook her head. As much as she hated to admit it, Sherry was right. "Okay, fine. We'll both get a new wardrobe. How's that sound?"

"Awesome! Let's go!"

Claire went inside and came back out with car keys and her wallet. Claire tucked the men's style wallet in the back of her pants. She wasn't a 'purse type of girl'.

She and Sherry got into her Shelby and they were off to Country Club Mall in LaVale, Maryland.

---

Claire and Sherry exited Game Stop. Claire had bought Sherry a Wii and a few games, including a single player shooter adventure game. Claire kept forgetting the name.

"What's it called again?"

"Resident Evil 4."

"And what do you do in it again?"

"Kill stuff."

"And who's the hot dude on the cover again?"

Sherry groaned and rolled her eyes. "Just never mind." She looked to her left and gasped. "Orange Julius! I haven't had a hot dog since I was a kid! I'm starving. Wanna grab a snack?"

Claire adjusted all the bags in her hands. "Sure. I could use a sit down break."

The two women walked over to the food stand and ordered. Claire bought a Pomegranate Julius and a Reuben dog. Sherry got a Chicago dog and a classic Orange Julius.

They had already been in the mall for five hours. They had bought plenty of clothes for both of them. Sherry's wardrobe came from Deb Shop, a women's clothing store with a very youthful clientele. Claire, looking for a slightly more mature look, shopped at The Bon-Ton and both women bought dresses for New Year's Eve in the dress department at JC Penney.

Once they'd finished eating, Claire leaned back in her seat. "Sherry, can we buy our jewelry today and then maybe come back for shoes tomorrow? I'm kinda beat."

"Of course. Hey, wanna forego the jewelry, too until tomorrow, and just go see a movie before we leave instead?"

"Sure. What do you wanna see?"

"How do you feel about a Nicholas Cage movie?"

"Sure. He's a great actor."

"Cool. I wanna see 'National Treasure 2'."

"Okay. Did you see the first one. It was really good."

Sherry nodded. "I saw it on DVD with Dr. Bennett. She always did fun stuff with me. She was like a grandma. It's only fitting I see the sequel with the woman who's been Mom to me since my biological mother died."

Claire smiled. She was going to have to call Barry later that night. He needed to know what had happened to Patricia. Maybe once Sherry was settled back into her life, she would let him debrief her. Dr. Bennett deserved better than to just be presumed missing. She had died for the safety of the world.

Sherry took their trays to the trash can then returned to Claire to help with the bags. Her 'mother' smiled at her. "Let's take the bags to the car and then we'll go to the AMC Theatre. We'll do jewelry tomorrow like you said."

The two women watched the movie together, and then went home to rest until the next day. Shopping was hard work.

---

Over the course of the next few days, Sherry and Claire bonded over girl time and shopping. Claire also took Sherry to pick out her car. She chose a used brown Honda with leopard print faux fur steering wheel and seat covers. Sherry dubbed the car "Sexual Chocolate". Claire laughed so hard, she almost wet herself.

Sherry drove them to the mall in Claire's Shelby that same day, with Claire teaching her how to drive stick. Claire winced a few times when Sherry made the clutch make some very . . . unhealthy sounds.

They both bought shoes for the holiday and for daily use from JC Penney, they bought a new blender for Claire from Kitchen Collections, and a journal from Waldenbooks for Sherry to record her thoughts in a constructive manner about all she'd suffered at the hands of Umbrella. Their last stop was Sears Auto Center. Claire bought a few tools and parts to work on her Harley and she got Sherry an emergency roadside kit. Of course, this was the only store at the mall where the owners knew Claire by name. After that, they skipped jewelry again and went to dinner at Wasabi, a hibachi-style restaurant.

The following day, Sherry and Claire sat down to talk about Sherry's feelings about how Claire left Sherry and Leon in 1999. Claire was quiet as she let a tearful Sherry vent and yell about how much Claire's actions, and Claire's letter, had hurt her. She yelled about Leon's aloofness after Claire left, and then just as passionately defended him as the only parent to stay with her. At the end of the conversation, both women were in tears, but as Claire reassured her daughter, they were "good tears". They shared a bottle of red wine, and passed out together on the couch and loveseat in front of the TV, exhausted from their talk, and lulled by the drone of infomercials, the crackle of Claire's fireplace, and the twinkling of the lights on the Christmas tree.

The last day before Leon's return, the girls went back to the mall for a day of pampering with Mrs. Steinbaugh and Mrs. Parker in tow. Mrs. Parker told Claire that her son was very taken with Sherry. Claire was polite in her response, but on the inside, she thought to herself there was no way that little pervert was coming anywhere near her daughter.

The four women got their hair done at Holiday Hair, and their nails done at Nail One. Sherry went back to her blonde roots, yet kept it in shoulder length layers. Claire let the stylist give her a shampoo and a trim, but that was it. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Steinbaugh both laughed at Claire's behavior.

"Calm down, Dear. They just want to help you look your best for Leon."

"But Leon likes my hair long!" she whined. "I don't want a bob!" She glared at the hair stylist who'd tried to pressure her into that particular haircut. Her companions all laughed.

Claire and Sherry finally made it to Kay Jewelers. Aside from jewelry for the holiday, Claire, still sporting a long ponytail, bought Sherry a gift from Kay Jewelers, and a gift for Leon. And that was only when the two older ladies wore Claire down about her gift to Leon for Christmas . . . they were not pleased.

"What did he get you, Claire?" Mrs. Steinbaugh asked.

"This necklace, a ruby and diamond naval ring, and earrings to match." she pulled a small ruby heart pendant surrounded by diamonds from inside her sweater where it hung from a platinum chain.

"Very romantic gifts, all of them," Mrs. Parker said.

"And remind us, Dear . . . ." Mrs. Steinbaugh added. "What did you get for him again?"

Claire sighed. "A beer pong table."

The two older women looked at each other, in equal parts disgust and disbelief. "A beer pong table," Mrs. Steinbaugh repeated. She paused. "If you don't get your ass in that jewelry store, and I mean now . . . !" She couldn't even finish her sentence, she was so appalled. She just shook her head and frowned like she meant to spank Claire like an unruly child. Claire walked slowly toward the jewelry store, her tail between her legs. "And don't you even think about coming out until you pick that man out something nice!" Mrs. Steinbaugh scolded.

Claire lowered her head. "Yes, Ma'am."

---

Once Claire and Sherry picked out a cell phone for the latter, the Girls Day Out was done with the mall and picked up again at the bed & breakfast. Mrs. Parker had to make dinner for her family, so she took a rain-check. Sherry and Claire ate dinner with the widow Steinbaugh, and then shared a room at the inn. They gossiped about the other Umbrella survivors for a while, and then Sherry abruptly changed the subject.

"You know, Mrs. Parker's son Kenny goes to University of Maryland Baltimore County," Sherry said to Claire as they lay in their matching Queen-sized beds.

Claire looked at Sherry suspiciously. "Yeah? So?"

"So . . . it'll be good to know someone in Baltimore who's my own age. Besides, he's really cute."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just don't let your dad hear you say that."

"Why?"

Claire did not want to tell her daughter that her current crush used to spy on her naked. "Well . . . let's just say something . . . happened a couple of years ago that hasn't happened since, but . . . well . . . Leon's just not so fond of Kenny. I'm not so sure how he'd take it if you two started dating."

"Is it the peeping thing?"

Claire's eyes got huge. "You know about that?"

"Yeah. Kenny told me. He said he used to peep at you dressing. He looked really ashamed when he said it, like he thought I already knew. Like he expected that you would have already warned me off him. But let's face it. You're very pretty, Mom. Beautiful, really. I know Daddy certainly thinks so. Well, Kenny does, too. I mean, it's no excuse for what he did, and he knows that, but he's a different person now."

"Wow. How comforting."

"Mom, don't be that way. He really didn't do it on purpose . . . at least, not at first. In fact, the first time he saw you was an accident. He was bird watching for biology class and the Baltimore oriole he was tracking landed on your window sill. He was focusing the telephoto lens on his dad's camera and then you walked into view behind the bird. You were in your towel from your shower. You took off the towel and you laid on the bed and . . . um, he says you . . . um, you masturbated."

The color drained from Claire's face. "He . . . He saw that. And took . . . pictures."

Sherry smiled. "No. He didn't take pictures. I thought that, too at first. I twisted his arm behind his back, but he swore he didn't even when I threatened to break it."

Claire smiled. "Your daddy taught you well."

Sherry giggled. "That he did. Anyway, Kenny said that watching you pleasure yourself was the hottest thing he'd ever seen, so he got a little obsessed with you. He was mortified when you caught him watching you with his telescope, but he couldn't stop even then."

Claire blushed hotly. "He actually told you about all that?" Sherry nodded. "Did he also tell you about what happened the last time Leon was here before he brought you home?"

Sherry started to laugh immediately. Claire started to laugh, too. Apparently, he had.

"Let's just say Kenny got more than he bargained for that night. Daddy cleared up his little voyeurism urge, and replaced it with penis envy." They both laughed until they were red in the face. "Bottom line, Mom: he's really sorry."

Claire smirked. "Yeah, I'll bet." Sherry pouted. "Oh, for the love of . . . . Fine! He's forgiven! Now would you quit it with the bottom lip already?"

Sherry turned off the lip quiver and got up to walk confidently into the bathroom. "I still got it," she said.

Claire smiled, and then closed her eyes for sleep.

---

"How far away are you?"

"An hour, I think. There's a traffic jam, so I can't be sure. It won't be too much longer though."

"That's good."

"HI, DADDY!" Sherry yelled into the receiver. Claire winced as her ear was by the receiver at the time.

Leon chuckled. "Hi, Sweetheart."

"Your Dad says 'hi'. I think. I'm deaf now, you know."

Sherry giggled and put in her ear buds before turning on her iPod that Leon had bought for her after they were released from quarantine.

"Have you been spoiling my little girl?"

"Absolutely. Oh, and she's blonde again."

He chuckled. "No more Claire Junior?"

"Nope. But I'm cool with it. She's beautiful as a blonde."

"I know she's beautiful." He sighed. So did all the young men that saw her when the two were traveling to Claire's house . . . and the younger military police officers that watched over them during their quarantine. Chris had thought Leon's paternal rage was hilarious. He quickly changed the subject in lieu of dwelling. "So, need for me to pick anything up for either of you on my way to your house?"

"No. Sherry and I did the grocery shopping yesterday morning. We should be in good shape."

"Then can I pick up a bottle of Dom Perignon for tomorrow night?"

"Now, that you can do."

"Okay. I'll get the champagne and I'll see you soon."

"And you're really staying until January 2nd?"

"Yup. December 30th to the night of January 2nd. That's a month's vacation in agent years, so I hope you appreciate that I'm spending it with you."

She giggled. "I do, Honey. See you soon."

"See you in a bit, Claire."

"Oh! And Leon?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for keeping your promise to me, on Christmas and now."

"No worries, Claire. I'm just sorry I've given you so much reason to doubt my word over the past two years."

"Not anymore."

He smiled. "Thanks for giving me a second chance, Beautiful. Until I get there, just know that I can't wait to see you."

"I'll be waiting, Sweetheart."

"Not for long. Bye, Baby."

"Bye, Leon."

---

Claire wore one of her new outfits for when Leon arrived. Her top was a red, black and white plaid low Y-neck mock button down shirt. It was fitted to her body with an empire design, the top of the shirt being loose-fitting with a sexy open, cleavage-revealing neckline. The bottom being made of smocked tight-fitting elasticized cotton accentuated her tiny waist. Her jeans were black denim with a rhinestone fleur-de-lis on the right back pocket. They were tight over her backside and boot cut at the bottom. The way the jeans were cut, they made her legs look like they went on for days. She completed the look with pointy-toe three-inch stiletto heeled knee high boots. Her signature ponytail was nowhere to be seen as her hair fell dramatically in long layers over both shoulders, her compromise with the hair stylists from the mall. The overall look was casual and comfortable, but the little details made it very feminine and sexy.

Sherry chose to wear a pair of faded jeans and a white hooded sweatshirt with the words 'Jersey Girl' printed in sky blue glittery letters. Leon and Sherry had landed in airport at Atlantic City on their way home to Claire, so Leon took Sherry to the boardwalk to reminisce on the last time the three of them were together. He'd spotted the sweatshirt and bought it for Sherry since she actually was a Jersey Girl. Sherry was born in New Jersey back when William and Annette were in graduate school at Princeton University. Sherry had been born at Princeton Medical Center. The Burkins had lived in New Jersey until Sherry was about four, when William was recruited by Wesker to work for Umbrella. Staying in Atlantic City with Leon and Claire years before had been one of the best times of her life because she felt like she was home. Now, she wore the shirt for two reasons: to thank her dad for buying it and to intentionally dress more casually than Claire to enhance the wow factor of Claire's ensemble . . . a little tip whispered in her ear by Mrs. Steinbaugh on Girls Day Out.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

The doorbell 'rang', and Sherry and Claire smiled at each other and raced downstairs. Claire stopped in the downstairs bathroom to double check her lipstick. Sherry whispered. "Wait a minute before you come out, Mom. I wanna see the look on his face when you blow his mind in that outfit. You should make an entrance."

Claire nodded and pulled a brush out of the medicine cabinet to give her hair a last minute bit of attention.

Sherry walked to the door and looked out the peephole. Leon was on his cell phone, smiling as he spoke to someone. She opened the door and he beamed at her.

"Okay, Carlos. I have to go. Thanks again." There was a pause. "Aw, you're welcome, Buddy. I'm just glad that Mercedes had a nice birthday." Another pause. "Happy New Year to you too, Amigo. Via con Dios." Leon hit the end button and pocketed his phone. He smiled at his daughter and pulled her into a bear hug. "Hi, Short Stuff!"

She giggled and hugged him back. "Hi, Daddy. How was your work?"

"Tiring. Carlos is a worse black cloud than I am. I had to go on two search-and-rescue missions in the short time since you saw me. I feel like even my molecules have jet lag from all the plane travel."

She stepped back so he could enter. "Where'd you have to go?"

"Greece and Guam. A senator was being held in one facility, and his wife and son were being held in another." Leon removed his coat and hung it on one of the hooks by the front door.

"Geez! You really were on a plane this whole time! What about your ankle?"

He bent to remove his shoes. The task had gotten easier over the past few days. "I've been subsisting on pain killers."

"Narcotics?"

"Afraid so."

"Prescription or . . . other stuff?"

"Prescription, of course. Come on, Sherry. You know I don't use illegal drugs."

"I know," she sighed in relief. "But didn't they make you too sleepy for the mission? I remember the Percocet used to knock you out when your shoulder was healing."

"It was a delicate balance, that's for sure. But I was careful not to take too much, and I supplemented with Motrin and Aleve to keep the swelling down." He sighed. "And honestly, it was the pain that was more exhausting than the pills back then. The Percocet only put me to sleep because the pain was no longer keeping me awake. My ankle didn't hurt anywhere near as bad as the healing process after getting shot."

Sherry nodded and hugged him again. "You must be so tired."

"Exhausted . . . and ready for a relaxing few days with my two favorite ladies." He hung up his coat and looked around. "Speaking of . . . where's your mother?"

"I'm right here." Claire walked out of the bathroom and strolled into the living room, making the entrance that Sherry had asked her for.

The desired effect was achieved. Leon's jaw dropped a little as his eyes traveled up and down her body. She smiled as she walked into his arms. He held her tightly and closed his eyes. Eventually, she tilted her head back then leaned up to kiss him adoringly.

"I'll put the champagne away," Sherry said, grabbing the bottle from Leon's hand before he dropped it. Sherry smiled and shook her head before leaving them to have some privacy. They barely noticed as they deepened their kiss.

Finally, reluctantly, they parted to stare into each other's eyes.

Leon took in her face, his own a masque of serious passion. "You look very beautiful."

She pushed his hair back so she could better see his eyes. "You look very handsome."

He smirked. "How's your period?"

She grinned and rolled her eyes. "Over for this month. How's your ankle?"

"Better." He slid his hands down her body and into the back pockets of her jeans. He gave her ass a gentle squeeze. "I like these jeans."

Claire slid her own hands down the back of his fitted long sleeve black and white baseball jersey, over the waist of his relaxed fit dark blue jeans, and into his back pockets. She gave his ass a firmer squeeze. "Likewise." She leaned her head into his chest and breathed deeply. "I love your cologne. I was sad when it faded out of my pillows."

"I'll send you a bottle you can spray around your bedroom."

She laughed. "It's not the same if it's not accented with the natural smell of your skin."

He shrugged. "I hear ya. I love your natural scent, too." He kissed her throat and took a whiff of her neck. "Although, I'm not gonna complain if you keep wearing that perfume. You smell good, Baby."

She smiled up at him and took his hand. "Come sit with me." He let her lead him into the living room. She looked down at his feet, watching his gait with concern as they walked to the couch. Finally, she looked up to smile into his eyes. "You really are better!"

He nodded. "It barely even hurts anymore. Mostly if I'm standing for too long. Otherwise, it's fine."

"I'm glad."

They sat on the sofa, and he pulled her legs into his lap. He looked down her body until he noticed her feet. He tugged on her pants legs so that he could better see her boots. "These are sexy, Baby. But I have to admit to a bit of shoe envy. Why do you get to keep your shoes on but I don't?"

"Because my boots have never been worn outdoors and are clean on the bottoms. Once they've been worn out that door, I'll start taking them off in the foyer or the kitchen."

"I see." He caressed her legs. He slid his hand all the way up her body and then caressed her cheek. He saw a little twinkle between her collarbones. He smiled. "You're wearing the necklace I gave you."

She smiled up at him. "Of course I am. It's beautiful. I haven't taken it off since you gave it to me." She kissed him and then pulled back and gasped. "Oh, my God! That reminds me! I almost forgot!" She got up off his lap and darted up the stairs. "Be right back!" she called back to him.

He sighed and put a couch cushion over his erection a few seconds before Sherry came back into the living room from the kitchen.

"You two get the hot nookie lovin' out of your system?"

"Some of it," he replied with a chuckle.

Sherry plopped down on the couch and, before he could protest, dropped her head heavily onto the pillow in his lap. He winced and hissed. She sat up abruptly. "Uh . . . is that a . . . ?"

"Yes. Mind not doing that?"

She put her hands up and moved away from him on the couch. "Sorry."

He sighed. "No worries. I thought hiding it from you would be best. I keep forgetting you like to use me as a futon."

She giggled. Claire came back downstairs a moment later. "Hey, Mom! Did you know Daddy's got a hard-on?"

Claire smirked. "He'd better still have it." She sat by Leon, kissed him, and then dropped a small gift bag in his lap.

"What's this?"

"It's a gift, Dumbass. What does it look like?"

Sherry cleared her throat. "Romantic gift . . . ."

Claire blushed. "Uh, I mean . . . it's a gift for you, Sweetheart. Merry Christmas."

Leon looked a little spooked by the second response. "Uh . . . you already got me a present, and Christmas is over."

"Then it's a New Year's present."

"A what?"

Sherry sighed loudly. "Would you just open the fucking bag?"

Claire looked at her and smirked. "Romantic gift, huh?"

"What? I'm not dating him."

Her adoptive parents both chuckled and Leon put an arm around Claire and opened the bag with his free hand. Inside he found a beautiful silver-gray silk tie and a small jewelry box marked 'LSK'. He looked at Claire with surprise. She smiled and nodded towards the gifts.

He picked up the tie and smiled when he read the small tag on the back. "This is a Versace tie, Baby, it's like a hundred bucks." He peered closer at the pattern in black thread that repeated in little diamonds on the tie. "Is that . . . are those my initials?" She nodded. "Then this tie cost way more than a hundred bucks!"

She shrugged. "You wear quality stuff. All designer, as I noticed the last couple times you've been here." She winked at Sherry. "I certainly wasn't going to buy you a tie from JC Penney. Besides, if I'm not gonna spend my money on my sweetheart, then who am I gonna spend it on?"

"Me," Sherry offered.

Claire laughed. "I already bought you a car, young lady . . . and a wardrobe . . . and an iPhone . . . and a Wii! You've gotten enough shit outta me."

"You bought her a car?"

"Yeah. The brown Honda outside with the slutty leopard interior. She named it Sexual Chocolate."

Leon looked at Sherry and quirked a brow.

"What? I like Eddie Murphy movies from the '80s. It was either that or Axel Foley."

He rolled his eyes and looked at Claire. "I was gonna buy her a car, Baby."

"Beat you to it." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

He smirked at her. "Claire. I don't know if you know this, but Sherry's driving . . . ." Sherry began to say 'shut up' over and over while laughing. Leon ignored her. "Sherry's driving is God-awful. When we were preparing to leave Europe after our quarantine was over, she said she had her license and asked to drive the rental car we got in Paris. She wrecked it." Claire's eyes widened. "Since I make more than you, I'll pay the insurance. It'll likely end up costing more than the car."

Claire frowned at their daughter. "You drive badly?" Sherry nodded while smiling in chagrin. "I let you drive my Shelby to the mall . . . and you almost destroyed my clutch!" Leon winced as soon as Claire said Sherry had driven the Shelby. Claire noticed the look on his face and frowned even harder. "Are you telling me you could have wrecked my car?"

Sherry smiled guiltily. "We made it alive."

"By the grace of God if your father's to be believed!"

Sherry backed away and said, "Oh, would you look at the time?" She looked at her watchless wrist and darted up the stairs. "Gotta get ready for my date!"

Leon was laughing his head off. Claire glared at him. "You wanna pay the insurance? Knock yourself out. I'll keep the registration current."

"Deal." Leon reached into his gift bag and pulled out the box that bore his initials. "And I'll be the one needing the second job." He opened the box and immediately stopped smiling. He looked at Claire and then kissed her. "They're beautiful, Sweetheart. Thank you."

Inside the box was a pair of platinum cufflinks. One was a fleur-de-lis with a small diamond in the center, and the other was a claddagh with a heart cut diamond. Claire had split up a set of each type of cufflinks, which meant she had to basically buy both sets and throw away the extra ones from each pair. Since they cost a mint, the jeweler had monogrammed the box with Leon's initials for free. She had picked these out specifically to reflect Leon's French (from his mother) and Irish (from his father) heritages. Then she had gone to the Cyber Cafe in the mall and searched the on-line Versace store. She picked out the tie and had the Versace people personalize it for Leon then overnight it to her home. It had just arrived about two hours before Leon did.

Claire smiled into their kiss. When he finally let her move away from him, she giggled, and then sighed and shook her head. Only Leon could reduce her to a giggling schoolgirl. "I'm glad you like them."

He grinned at her, causing her stomach to flip flop. "I don't like them, I love them." He shook his head in disbelief of the thoughtful gift. "God, my parents are gonna love you."

"I hope so." She kissed him again. "I feel like I know them already, we've spoken on the phone so much since you and I became an item again, even though they don't know we're an item."

"They suspect. And by the way, they feel the same way about you. They're always bugging me about bringing you to finally meet them. I keep telling them that I don't even get to see you myself. The last time we spoke, Dad threatened to introduce you to my cousin Connor."

"What's so great about your cousin?"

"He's a male model living in Milan. Right now, he's best known as the guy on the Calvin Klein underwear billboard in Times Square." Claire gave him the same incredulous look that his friends in the government always did when finding out that the agent had a cousin in fashion. He shrugged. "What can I say? Kennedy men have always been . . . pretty."

Claire chuckled. "You can tell your dad that your pretty ass is Kennedy enough for any woman."

"Blow me."

"Gladly."

He smirked as he admired his new cufflinks. "I can guess how much these cost you, too."

She frowned. "Why do you keep talking about money? It's not like I'm broke."

"No, but . . . I don't know. I guess I'm just not used to you buying expensive gifts for me. I don't want you to put yourself out on account of me."

She smiled. "I'm not. I just wanted to get you a gift that can be identified as being from your girlfriend, not just some dumb gift that everyone will think Ark bought."

He smiled at her. "I happen to like the beer pong table."

She shrugged and said, "Jill once told me that you shouldn't buy boyfriends un-romantic gifts. And then Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Steinbaugh threatened to kill me if I didn't get you something else after I told them what I got you for Christmas."

He chuckled. "Is that what this is all about? Claire . . . Honey . . . you know, I love the tie and the cufflinks, but I love my beer pong table, too. It's the kind of gift that I would know is from my girlfriend, because my girlfriend is the world's sexiest tomboy. And my friends happen to know it came from you, too. Ark immediately identified it as a classic Claire gift, and he knows we're dating. Then he and I, Carlos, Billy, Bruce, and even your brother broke the game in the same night. We got Carlos so drunk he almost missed his breakfast date in the morning. Mercedes was pissed!" They laughed. "Look, the tie, the cufflinks, I love them. They're a very romantic gift and thoughtful, because you had them made especially for me, but you didn't need to spend so much money on me just to prove a point. I think you're awesome as is, and you didn't need to try to be anyone but the girl you are . . . the girl I adore . . . the girl who bought me a beer pong game and would likely beat me at it."

She kissed him and whispered. "I'd slay you."

He smiled. "Now, that being said, I'm a hypocrite. I got another gift for you, too. Wait here." He got up from the couch and walked towards the hall closet. He opened the door and got down on his knees.

She looked surprised. "But you already got me this necklace, and my earrings, and the naval ring. Plus, you paid for everything over Christmas and brought me back our Sherry."

"Yeah, yeah. Ah ha. There it is." He pulled out a large gift bag from her closet and brought it over to her.

She gasped. It was a big bag. "Where did that come from? You didn't have that when you came in."

"I hid gifts for you all over the house on Christmas Eve while you were sleeping. I'm surprised you haven't found them all."

She beamed and opened the bag. "Is that how those bath oils and bath beads ended up in my master bathroom? I thought I bought it then forgot about ever seeing them before. I was ready to have my head examined!" Leon chuckled as she pulled the gift out to get a better look. Inside the bag was a very feminine fitted black leather motorcycle jacket with a graphic on the back and a black, pink, and white motorcycle helmet to match. The graphic on the jacket was a beautiful tattoo art picture of Claire in a sexy torn up pink dress with a handgun in her hand and the words 'KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE' in white above the picture and 'SWEET LADY' in pink below it, referencing two different Queen songs. The sleeves of the jacket had an identical pink and white tribal graphic floral pattern down both sides that was mimicked around the circumference of the helmet.

She looked at him in awe and said, "They're beautiful, Sweetheart," in almost the same way as he had when he'd thanked her for the cufflinks.

He accepted her kiss and pulled her into a tight hug. "You just better do what the jacket says. I don't ever want to know the pain Chris feels again."

"What pain?"

"The pain of losing Jill."

Her face fell for a moment, and then she just looked confused. "Wait . . . when did I ever make you feel Chris's pain?"

"When I had to listen to you being caught in that explosion at WilPharma right before your cell phone went dead."

She welled up and hugged him. "I never knew how much that upset you."

"Of course it upset me. I thought I'd lost you. I thought I failed you."

She kissed him soundly several times and then hugged him tightly. "I'll do my best to never put you through that again."

They held each other for several minutes, again sharing soft kisses and gentle caresses. Claire moved the pillow that hid his 'excitement' over seeing her again. She was about to straddle his lap when he stopped her.

"Not yet. Wait until Sherry leaves on her date."

Claire realized that she needed to tell Leon who Sherry's date was before he arrived. "Leon . . . ." She decided to stall. "Uh . . . Sherry got you a present, too."

"She did? With what money?"

"Okay. I paid for it, but she picked it out for you."

He smiled. "SHERRY!" he yelled.

"YEAH?"

"DID YOU GET ME A PRESENT?"

"YEAH! IT'S UNDER THE TREE! MOM KNOWS WHERE IT IS! MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"THANK YOU!"

"YOU'RE WELCOME! THANKS AGAIN FOR THE DIAMOND STUDS AND THE TENNIS BRACELET . . . AND THE JERSEY GIRL SWEATSHIRT!"

"NO WORRIES!"

While they shouted back and forth. Claire got up from Leon's lap and reached under the tree. She pulled out a flat box and a pink and black leopard print gift bag that was taped closed.

"This is for you." She handed him the box. "And I have no idea what this is." She looked at the bag curiously.

Leon accepted the box and snatched the bag away from her. "It's another one of the gifts I hid for you. You should wait to open it until Sherry leaves." He got up and hid it even further under the tree."

"Okay. Pervert."

He smirked. "Guilty as charged." He sat on the couch beside her again. He opened the box to find an autographed photo of Jesse Owens winning the gold medal at the Olympics. The date of the signature was March 8, 1980, just a couple weeks before Jesse had died." He looked at Claire in disbelief. "This is authentic. I know his signature anywhere. I've been trying to buy a photo signed by Jesse Owens for years."

She smiled. "Yeah. You must have told Sherry. She saw it sitting in the window of BT Sports Memorabilia in the mall. The owner must not know his sports history. This is probably one of the last autographs Jesse ever signed. It's worth a fortune. I was able to convince him it was a fake and bought it for fifty bucks."

Leon beamed proudly at his girlfriend then looked back at the picture. "You know, he was from Cleveland?"

"Your hometown. Yeah, I know. Born in Alabama, raised in Cleveland. He broke the world record while he was still living in Ohio." Leon smiled. He loved dating a tomboy.

Sherry came downstairs. "Hey, who's Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo is outside? That thing's a beauty!"

Claire smiled and tilted her head toward Leon. "It's his." She got up and raced to the window. She turned to Leon with such a joyful smile, he couldn't help but smile in return. Leon had driven to Cumberland this time in the same midnight blue Jeep he was driving when he came to see her in 1999 after their four-month separation. "You still have that thing? The 2000 model you drove when you first visited me here?" she asked excitedly. "That monster drives like a dream."

"Of course I still have it. After European roadsters, I love my jeeps the best. My Laredo has certainly stood the test of time. I brought it with me this time because we need to get stuff for Sherry's dorm room to take to Baltimore. The Mazerati and your Shelby are too small for all her stuff."

Claire smiled. "Take us for a spin later?"

Sherry raised her hand. "Uh, he can take you for a spin. I have a date, remember?"

Leon smirked. "A date, huh? So I heard."

Sherry rolled her eyes. "Yes. So you and Mom can have some privacy for one night, I'm going on a date with a nice guy from the neighborhood. It's not a big deal."

He smiled. "Okay. And Sherry, thank you again for the autographed picture. I'm blown away."

She smiled. "Mom bought it, I just spotted it. And she haggled down that idiot store manager like she was using the Jedi mind trick or something." Sherry waved her hand like Obi-Wan Kenobi and said, "This is not the autograph we're looking for. You don't need to see my I.D. with my credit card."

Claire smiled. "It's your gift, Honey. I won't share the credit."

Sherry chuckled. "It must be a great gift, too. Dad's woody is gone. Did you bust a load over my present?"

Leon's face paled and Claire frowned. She exclaimed, "Seriously, were you kept in the same cell as Carlos the time Umbrella captured him for like three months?"

Sherry giggled. "No, but I was around guards all the time. Ex-military. They had filthy mouths, and now so do I."

Leon rolled his eyes. "For your information, I was just distracted. I didn't . . . ."

Claire mushed him in the face. "Her question was rhetorical! Don't corrupt her any further with your filthy mouth!"

He made a face that was almost a pout. "She started it. Challenged my stamina again."

Claire giggled. "There's no need to defend it. You and I both know your stamina needs a sedative. And I expect to be sore by morning."

"Oh, sure. You get to corrupt her, but I don't."

Sherry was laughing her ass off when the doorbell rang.

GET DA DOOR, MUTHAFUCKA!

"Oh, good! My date's here!"

Claire's face flushed bright red. "Uh . . . ."

Leon smiled. "Great. Can't wait to meet him."

"Uh, Leon . . . Honey. There's something I should tell you about Sherry's date."

"Tell me later. Here he comes."

Leon's smile then immediately faded when Kenny Parker walked into the living room.

"Now, Leon . . . ."

"YOU!" He pushed Claire away gently and got up. He stood a couple inches taller than Kenny, but he was profoundly more muscular.

"Leon, please. It's okay."

Kenny saw Leon and immediately started to blush. He could remember seeing the agent erect and naked in Claire's bedroom window, scowling murderously at him.

"H-Hi, Mr. Kennedy. Sherry has told me s-s-so much about you."

Leon's frown deepened, but he let Claire lead him back to the sofa. He turned an angry glare on Kenny. "I'll bet she did. Did she tell you how good a shot I am?"

"Leon!" Claire scolded.

Sherry chuckled. "Alright. As amusing as all this is, we have a party to get to. Come on, Kenny."

Kenny took her coat and was about to help her on with it, but instead he told her, "Sherry, your shirt has a lipstick stain on it."

Sherry looked down at her gray button down blouse. Sure enough, there was lipstick on it. "Oh no! I can't go out like this! Mom, could you help me pick out a new shirt? Something that'll still match the black jeans?"

Claire nodded. "Sure thing, Baby." She turned to Leon and gave him a very disapproving frown. "That boy better still be in one piece . . . and breathing . . . and conscious . . . and in no pain when we come back, or you're gonna be a lonely son of a bitch tonight. I happen to like his mother a lot. Got it?"

Leon sighed irritably. "Fine."

The girls left the room. Before she left, Claire turned to frown at her boyfriend. She pointed her middle and index fingers at her eyes, then her index finger at Leon.

"Yeah, yeah. You're watching me. I won't kill him. Now, go already."

She left the room, and Kenny immediately began to sweat.

He stared at Leon fearfully for a while. Finally, he worked up the courage to speak. "Look, Mr. Kennedy. I know you think I'm just a dirty voyeur, but I haven't done that in a long time."

"Not long enough."

"Um . . . . well . . . the time you caught me was the last time. You looked about ready to kill me. I decided to stop after that. I know you're angry. You have every right to be, but I really do like Sherry. And I shouldn't have watched Ms. Redfield, but she was so sexy."

"You're not winning brownie points with me here, Kid."

Kenny shivered a little when he heard a gun cock and couldn't see where the sound came from. "Um . . . I'm sorry. I'm just saying, I know I shouldn't have done it, and you certainly taught me a valuable lesson that night. Ms. Redfield has a big boyfriend, and he'll probably kill me if I do that again."

Leon frowned at him. "Look, I'm not the kind of dad who limits his kid's activities. Sherry's an adult now, and she can hang out with whomever she wants. But you are a little perverted punk. If you ever treat Sherry with the disrespect that you treated her mother . . . ."

"Never, Mr. Kennedy. Never, I promise."

Leon exhaled through his nose. "Interrupt me again, and I'll feed you my fist." Kenny nodded but didn't say a word. "If you ever treat my daughter in the sexist and disrespectful manner in which you treated my Claire, I will shoot you in the balls, gut, and face in that order, and then hide the body."

Kenny swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. "I promise, Sir."

Leon sighed. He went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of bourbon. He was sending his daughter out on a date with a known peeping tom. He needed a stiff drink.

Sherry ran down the stairs with Claire on her heels. Sherry did a little turn so Kenny could see her new shirt. It was a horizontal striped fitted V-neck cardigan in black, gray, and white over a low cut white tee. She kept her black jeans on when she changed.

Kenny smiled. "You look amazing, Sherry. Ready to go?" He held out her black fitted pea coat.

She smiled and let him help her on with it. "Yup. Just let me say good night to the parental units."

Kenny nodded. "I'll be right outside. My car's in Ms. Redfield's driveway."

"Okay." When Kenny was gone, Sherry walked over to Claire and hugged her.

"Have a nice time, Sweetpea."

"Thanks, Mom." She hugged Leon. He held her a little tighter than was necessary. "Dad . . . Dad . . . Daddy!" He finally released her. "Twenty years old, remember?" She rolled her eyes.

He sighed. "Yes. Twenty. I know."

She tilted her head. "Daddy, you know the only reason I'm going on this date is so you guys can go on one, too."

Leon brightened. "Really? So you don't actually like him?"

Sherry looked at Claire as if to say, 'you weren't kidding . . . he really hates him'. Claire returned a look that said, 'told you so'. Sherry smiled innocently at Leon. "Daddy, I barely know him, but he's a nice enough guy. And yes, I know about the whole peeping thing, but I believe in second chances." She kissed each of them on the cheek. "Now, I fully expect the two of you to either be out on the town or naked and unconscious by the time I get back. Kenny's cousin in D.C. is throwing a party. The round trip ride alone is six hours, so I'll see you both in the morning. If I have any problems, I'll call Uncle Chris." Leon nodded. That was fair. "Well, I'm off. Have fun you two." She winked at Claire, who winked in return. Little did Leon know, the two women had decided that Leon would accept Kenny better at first if he thought Sherry wasn't really interested. Apparently, it had worked.

After Sherry left, Claire got up from the sofa and reached under the Christmas tree. Leon chuckled and pulled her away from the mystery gift bag by her legs.

"Uh unh. You gotta earn that gift, Missy."

She struggled to get out of his grip. She was fast, small and agile. She slipped from his grasp ten times before he finally just plopped her on the floor and stretched out on top of her.

"Oh, my God!" she groaned. "You're so fucking heavy!"

"Promise to stop going for the gift and I'll let you up. Break your word, and the next time I lay on top of you, I'll go to sleep."

She frowned. "Fine. I promise. Now get off me, Tubby." He smirked and got up before lifting her to her feet. She smiled innocently up at him, and then ducked and rolled toward the tree. She grabbed the bag and yelled, "Sucka!" before darting for the kitchen. Leon was hot on her heels, and with his greater stride length, he quickly overtook her. He lifted her with one arm and took the bag from her, holding it out of her reach. He tossed it under the tree, picked up a loose roll of ribbon, said, "This will do nicely," and then carried her over to her computer desk. He put her in the chair and tied her arms behind her with expert precision and speed.

"Hey! What the hell, Leon?"

"That's Agent Kennedy to you, thief. You will admit to trying to steal the secret package, Ms. Redfield . . . ." He smirked. ". . . . or suffer the consequences."

Claire quirked a brow and then returned his subtle smirk. "I'll admit to nothing, Agent Kennedy."

Leon smiled. "We shall see about that, Ms. Redfield."

He dragged her, chair and all, over to the couch. He sat down and then spun her around so she was facing away from him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly kneaded her muscles.

"Mmmm," she moaned.

He kissed her throat. "Ready to talk?" he whispered against her cheek.

"Not on your life," she sighed.

He kissed her shoulder and slid his hands down her torso onto her breasts. She leaned her head back and moaned quietly.

"How about now?"

She shook her head and gave him an innocent smile. He chuckled. "Fine. If you won't talk . . . you will scream."

His eyes narrowed. Her eyes widened.

He turned her chair around. He pulled her closer and pushed her legs apart. She stared into his eyes and licked her lips. He unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs. He reached under each pant leg and pulled off her boots. "These are hot, Baby," he broke character long enough to tell her. The boots were tight to her calves and went all the way up to her knees.

"I bought them because I thought they would turn you on."

He finished removing her jeans and then caressed her legs. "Well, they do." He lifted her shirt up and over her head. Due to her restraints, it got caught on her upper arms.

"That's kind of uncomfortable, Leon."

He broke character again. "Is it? I'm sorry, Baby. Give me a second." He pulled a large Bowie knife from under his pant leg and cut the ribbon holding her in place. The shirt fell off her arms. He rubbed her upper arms and pulled her into a hug. "Better?"

She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of him holding her. "Much better. Now tie me back up. This was just getting good."

He smirked and did as she ordered. He sat back down on the sofa and pulled her close again. "Now then, where was I? Oh, yeah. I remember." He reached out and slowly rubbed her through her panties. She moaned and closed her eyes. He kissed her neck. She turned toward him while he teased her pulse point and licked his earlobe. He shivered and leaned back to look at her. He caressed her over her entire torso. "So sexy," he muttered. "Missed you, Baby." He leaned forward and reached behind her to undo her bra.

"Missed you, too." She moaned as he pushed the bra cups up off her breasts and took her left nipple between his lips.

"Baby? How much do you like this bra?" he muttered against her breast.

She shrugged. "Eh. It'll do."

"Cool." He pulled the knife again and cut the bra from her torso. That made Claire a little wet. He went right back to teasing her body, caressing her crotch and suckling her nipples. Leon leaned back and teased her lips with his own. "Last chance to talk, Ms. Redfield."

She smiled. "You will never make me talk, Agent Kennedy."

He smiled in return. "I have ways of making you talk, Ms. Redfield."

He slid his hands up her legs and then pulled her panties down to just above her feet. He left her legs bound together at the ankles but still able to be pushed apart at the hips. He got down on the floor and spread her thighs then kissed the inside of each. "Last chance," he taunted, his breathy warning wafting across her naked sex, making her shiver.

"Oh, God," was her only reply.

He smirked. "You were warned." He kissed her then knelt to taste her.

Claire tossed her head back and moaned loudly. Leon took the encouragement as a good sign and teased her slit with his index and middle fingers. When she trembled, he pushed the tips of his fingers inside her. She cried out. "Ohhhh!"

He pushed his fingers deeper. The louder she moaned, the deeper he probed her sex. She began to thrust her hips forward on the chair. It took her less than ten minutes to find a powerful release.

Once she'd had her first orgasm, Leon smiled and extricated his fingers from her wetness. "Your response to the torture is most intriguing, Ms. Redfield. Perhaps I will let you see the contents of the package after all. Surely it will be the instrument of your eventual downfall."

She panted in her afterglow and watched him reach under the tree again. "Leon . . . I'm done. I can't take anymore. I give."

He smiled and pulled out the gift bag. He cut the Scotch tape holding it closed with his knife, and then pulled out its contents. "We'll stop when I say so." He turned on the gift, which emitted a soft buzzing sound.

Claire took one look at the gift and laughed breathlessly. "All that trouble over a pink leopard print vibrator. And it matches the gift bag!" She laughed even harder.

Leon chuckled. "Surprise. Merry Christmas."

"Thanks for the lovely and Christian present on Jesus's birthday. Now, let me up."

"No."

She frowned. "Seriously, untie me."

He smirked. "Seriously . . . no."

"Don't be a dick, Leon. Let me up."

"Orgasm first . . . then freedom."

Claire chuckled. "Fine. But hurry up. I want to go on a date. You still owe me two dates for my virginity."

He smiled and kissed her. "Don't worry this won't take long. Like I said . . . ." He placed the vibrator on her left inner thigh and rubbed her skin in circles. ". . . . if you won't talk . . . you will scream." He centered the vibrator over her clit.

Scream was an understatement for the sound that came out of Claire's mouth for the next five minutes.

---

Once Claire finished showering, she and Leon lay in each other's arms on the sofa. She was only wearing a towel while lying on top her boyfriend, who was himself stretched out on his back but still fully clothed.

"You cold, Baby?" he asked while caressing the cool skin on her back.

She shook her head. "Not right now. You keep me warm."

He smiled. "Ready to go out soon?"

"I can be ready in about twenty minutes."

He slapped her ass. "Well then, hurry up and get dressed. We'll grab dinner and then have a few drinks."

She got up off Leon and walked upstairs to get dressed.

As promised, in twenty minutes she walked back downstairs fully clothed with freshened natural makeup and sexily tousled hair.

"You look like you just got out of my bed."

She smirked. "Complaining?"

"Not on your life." He looked down at her outfit. It was simple, but far from discreet. "Everyone's gonna know I'll be fucking you tonight."

"That's the general idea."

"You'll be cold."

She walked into his arms. "Not if you keep warming me up." She pecked his lips then grabbed her leather jacket that he'd bought for her.

He looked down at her backside in those too-tight jeans and smirked. He caressed her rear and picked up his coat. "Let's go then."

He took one last look at Claire's shirt before she zipped her jacket. It was a long-sleeved varsity-style cardigan with an attached inner vest. The vest, however, was just a tight strip of fabric, fitting sort of like a bandeau, with three buttons down the front. The little slate gray vest just barely covered her breasts and bra, leaving her entire cleavage and belly uncovered. Her ruby naval ring glittered in the Christmas lights. The matching necklace also twinkled in red and white against the porcelain skin between her collarbones. His groin tightened at the sight of so much skin unabashedly exposed by his sweetheart.

"Ready?" she asked, pulling him from his trance by zipping her jacket.

"Yeah. Where do you want to eat?"

"How about Mrs. Steinbaugh's inn? Dinner should just be starting, and she doesn't mind casual attire. In fact, I've always wanted to bring a date to her dining room. She's got a wonderful prix fixe menu for romantic dinners for two. She always says that couples should be able to eat an expensive romantic meal without breaking the poor guy's bank. It's a great price and the food is amazing. As good as anything I've ever had in a five-star restaurant."

"She has a good chef?"

"She is a chef. She used to own this restaurant in Baltimore. It was really upscale." Claire chuckled. "She used to always try to get me to eat there, but I told her I couldn't afford to. Then one day, TerraSave was doing a benefit, and we held it at B & L S, but I got the flu and missed it!"

Leon smiled. "B & L S? I know that place. I ate there once with my g- . . . uh . . . um . . . that's not important."

Claire chuckled. "Another woman?"

He looked guilty. "Sorry. Didn't think before I spoke."

"Not a problem. I know . . . I screwed up and broke us up. Lorreli closed it about a year after I pushed you out of my life, so you must have taken your girlfriend there pretty soon after you and I ended it."

"No, it wasn't like that, really. I never had an actual girlfriend after you."

"Leon, it's okay. You started to say 'my girlfriend'. I know you dated a lot of other women while we were apart."

"Okay, I was gonna say girlfriend, but I . . . she . . . Claire, she was a friend. She was an older woman I made an emotional connection with, but we weren't like . . . you and me. See, she was beautiful and lonely and she met me in a bar and wanted me to go on a date with her. There was this incredible sadness about her that made me want to say yes. But it was strictly platonic. We went out to expensive restaurants, she taught me to appreciate the finer things. She taught me about designer clothes and I treated her like a girlfriend. She just wanted me to hold her at night. Her husband had left her for a younger woman, and she just missed having a man in her bed. We slept together, and I kissed her, but we never even had sex."

Claire's face fell a little. "That's so sad . . . but what you did for her was so sweet. How did it end?"

He smiled. "She met a nice guy, a rich retiree whose wife left him, too. They understood each other's pain and healed together. She was so happy." Leon smiled at Claire and shrugged. "I was just glad I was able to give her some small measure of happiness, too."

Claire kissed him. "That's because you're a wonderful man." She kissed him again and grabbed her house key off the foyer table. "So how was the food at B & L S?"

"The food was fantastic. I was bummed when it closed." He buttoned his coat and opened the door for Claire. "Why'd Mrs. Steinbaugh close it?"

"Her husband. The name of the restaurant stood for Bill & Lorreli Steinbaugh. Bill was diagnosed with inoperable metastatic colon cancer seven years ago. They did everything they could to save him. I mean he was only fifty-five. She closed the restaurant and sold the property to help pay his medical bills. She was going to sell one of their two childhood homes here in Cumberland. Bill begged her not to, and told her to just use the life insurance once he passed to pay the bill instead. He made her promise to turn his home, the larger of the two houses, into a new restaurant, still based on romance like her last restaurant. He died a week later. She continued to live in the smaller home, her childhood home, which they lived in as a couple because it was more intimate. Then she got a small business loan and created the Cumberland Inn from the other house."

"Poor Lorreli."

"I know. They were such romantics." She closed the door behind them and locked it. "So what do you say? Cumberland Inn for dinner?"

He smiled and nodded. "Sure. Even without the story and her having been the chef at such a great restaurant, I really like Mrs. Steinbaugh."

Claire chuckled and took Leon's hand. "She really likes you, too . . . big man."

---

The Cumberland Inn menu's "Romantic Dinner for Two" would have been wonderful on its own, but Lorreli didn't want to give her neighbor and her date just what she gave everyone else. She doted on them, and cooked their dinner personally, shooing her head chef away from part of the kitchen that she used solely for cooking Claire and Leon's meal. She told them it was on her, but Leon insisted on paying at least the prix fixe.

Leon's money should have bought two appetizers, two entrees with a salad for two, and two desserts, all served in the middle of the table as they were meant for couples to share everything and feed each other. Instead, Lorreli gave them enough food to feed three people. The three appetizers were puff pastries filled with a buttery crab filling; salmon roe, beluga caviar, osetra caviar, and wasabi caviar on blinis with crème fraiche; and goose liver pate on toast points. For entrees, they had seared scallops on a bed of lemon artichoke risotto, cassoulet, and homemade linguini with bolognase sauce. The salad that came with the entrees was still just big enough for two, but at the end of the entree course, Mrs. Steinbaugh sent out a salad made of julienned seedless cucumbers in mint vinaigrette as a palate cleanser. The dessert course was chocolate lava cake with homemade vanilla bean gelato, creme brulee with winter berries, and a mock caviar dessert that Lorreli used to make at B & L S. It was served with little rounds of crepes cut with a cookie cutter to look like blinis, mascarpone cheese to represent crème fraiche, and sweet 'caviar' made using molecular gastronomy techniques. Lorreli used calcium chloride and sodium alginate to make little pearls from blood orange juice (to mimic the dark pink color of salmon roe), blackberry juice (to mimic black beluga caviar), chocolate egg cream (to mimic brownish gray osetra caviar), and limeade cilantro puree with a few splashes of jalapeno hot sauce (to mimic both the bright green color and spicy bite of wasabi caviar).

"Dude," Claire said as she and Leon walked to the jeep. "I'm gettin' me a molecular gastronomy kit!"

Leon smirked as he carried their take-out container around to the back of the jeep. "Yeah, it's a pretty cool cooking method." Lorreli had provided them with some parting treats to eat in bed after sex. Literally . . . that's why she gave it to them . . . she even wrote it on the box in black Sharpie . . . 'FOR AFTER SEX TO EAT IN BED. GET SOME FOR ME. LOVE, LORRELI'. The box contained chocolate covered strawberries, another order of the sweet caviar dessert, and a cheese plate including brie, gouda, stilton, goat cheese, taleggio, fresh crusty bread, water crackers, and parmesan crisps. Leon placed their post-coital snacks in the cargo trunk of the jeep. "Maybe I'll get you that kit for Valentine's Day."

Claire chuckled. "Oh, my God! I'll be making everything in my fridge into fake caviar!" They both laughed as they strapped into their seat belts. Claire leaned across her seat to kiss Leon. "Thank you for dinner, Sweetheart."

He smiled. "You're welcome. Sorry it took so long to get to our second date."

She grinned. "That's alright. I know you've been busy. I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time over Christmas. Although I'm always unhappy if you have to cancel a visit, I usually would never give you such a hard time about it."

"No worries. You were right to let me know how you feel."

She smiled and caressed his hand on the shifter. She changed the subject. This night was about them enjoying each other's company, not making her lover feel guilty. Visits or no visits, Leon was a great boyfriend. "So where are we going for drinks?"

He shrugged. "I don't know this town as well as you. You had a great suggestion for dinner. Why don't you pick out the bar?"

She smiled. "Okay. There's a great bowling alley with rock music and a killer bar next door with a female rock band that plays covers. They're about fifty miles from here, but it's a pretty awesome couple of spots to hang out. And that will give us a chance to catch up some more during a nice long drive. Wanna go?"

"Sounds like a plan." He put the jeep in gear and they were off.

---

After bowling two games both ending in tie scores, Leon and Claire decided to go to the bar for a few drinks. They both turned heads as the most attractive couple that entered the bar. It was funny at first to them how everyone was drooling over them, but when each one of them went to the restroom, and the other was propositioned aggressively by the opposite sex, it got old fast.

Leon was the first to go to the restroom. Before he left, he ordered a fresh Guinness stout to replace the one he'd just drank. When he returned, he found another man sitting on his barstool, hitting on his girlfriend . . . and drinking his beer. He narrowed his eyes and walked silently over to stand behind the soon-to-be-dead man.

When he approached, Claire lowered her hand behind her and spoke to him in sign language. "Don't worry. Under control." He smirked. Claire could handle it. That still didn't mean he wasn't about to put the hurt on 'Casanova'. Still, he stopped about a foot behind his attempted usurper and crossed his arms across his chest. He just listened to this loser try to chat up his Claire. A sadder pick up artist had never been seen.

"Come on, Red. Give me your number."

"For the thousandth time, no."

"Why not?"

"I'm here with someone."

"I don't care about your fucking man. He looks gay."

Claire smirked. "Trust me, he's far from gay."

"Yeah right! Look how he dresses!"

"Like a gentleman?"

"No! Like a pussy!"

"So, a gentleman is a pussy?"

"Hell, yeah! You need a real man, Baby!"

"A real man is a man who's not a gentleman? So, what? You're gonna be the opposite of a gentleman, and that's what you think I'll like? What are you gonna do to win me away from Leon? Smack me around?"

"Not if you don't deserve a good smack." He used his finger to move her hair away from her face. "Now, let me buy you a drink, Gorgeous."

"Not unless I deserve a good smack. Hm. Charming," she answered sarcastically. "Well, you can't buy me a drink, but you can buy Leon a drink."

"What the fuck would I wanna do that for?"

"So he doesn't kick your ass when he gets back here and realizes you drank his beer."

"Fuck his pussy ass beer! I'll make your punk man buy all my drinks tonight!" He leaned close to Claire and whispered in her ear. "Now, come on, Baby. Let's get outta here. You know I'll treat that fine ass body right."

Claire rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Number one, no. Number two, you just told me you smack women around so no I don't know you'll treat me right. Number three, get your breath out of my face. It smells like number two."

"You didn't seem to mind beer breath when you were all over your gay boyfriend."

"It's not the beer. Your breath smells like limburger cheese and cat turds."

He frowned and put his finger in her face. "You watch your mouth! Just 'cause you're sexy, don't think I won't pimp slap your ass."

Claire turned toward him and spoke very menacingly. "Either get that finger out of my face, or I'll break it off and shove it up your ass."

He snickered and said, "Oh, you want my finger outta your face? Maybe you want it somewhere else on your body." He moved his finger down to her left breast and stuck it inside the vest, trying to pull it open to look inside. Claire took a sip of her vodka tonic, and then grabbed the man's finger and snapped it. "Damn. Didn't break off. Guess I'll have to shove my foot up your ass instead."

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" He clutched his right hand and started to scream at Claire. "YOU FUCKIN' BITCH! YOU FILTHY WHORE! I'LL FUCKIN' BEAT THE SHIT OUTTA YOU! BUT FIRST I'M GONNA DRAG YOU OUTTA HERE BY YOUR FUCKIN' HAIR AND FUCK YOU ON THE HOOD OF YOUR BOYFRIEND'S CAR!" He grabbed Claire's arm and tried to pull her from her seat.

Claire easily resisted him and rolled her eyes. "You're not tall enough to fuck anyone on the hood of a Jeep Grand Cherokee." She shook her head and yanked her arm out of his grip. "You know, I could easily take care of this, but I think Leon has been dying to harm you, so . . . Sweetheart, could you get rid of this loser for me?"

Leon responded behind their date invader, "With pleasure." He grabbed the bar stool and yanked it out from under the man, who crashed to the floor. The other man got up and tried to stand toe to toe with Leon, but at maybe five-seven, he was dwarfed by the six-two government agent.

"You wanna do something, big man?"

"Very big," Claire muttered before sipping her drink.

Leon smirked and dodged the punch the man threw and grabbed him by the back of the collar. He lifted him off the floor and carried him to the entryway of the bar. He opened the door and threw him outside. The girl band members all laughed and then started playing 'U + Ur Hand' by Pink. Claire cracked up.

Leon started to return to the bar, but then he stopped short. "Oh, wait. Almost forgot." Leon bent toward the man who tried to scramble away from Leon, but Leon caught him by his belt and dragged him back. He pulled the man's wallet and took the money to pay for the stolen Guinness.

"Thief! This prick is robbing me! Police!"

Leon smirked and dropped his wallet onto his back. Then he slapped him in the back of the head. "Go sleep it off man. You come back in that bar tonight or come near my girlfriend again, and I'll put you to sleep." He then pocketed the cash he took and went back inside.

Claire smiled at him as he sat down again. "I take it my unrequited love is gone?"

Leon nodded. "If he knows what's good for him." He signaled the bartender. "Another Guinness."

The bartender poured his drink. "Sorry about that guy. I told him not to drink your beer. The one he drank's on the house."

Leon shook his head. "Nah. You shouldn't have to pay for that jerk's beer either." He reached into his pocket and handed a ten to the bartender. "Keep the change. It's from Romeo's wallet."

The bartender chuckled. "I take it he paid under duress?"

"It wasn't his idea, that's for sure."

Claire finished her drink and ordered a winter ale. "I'll have a beer with you, Sweetheart." She kissed him. "I love how sexy you are when you kick ass."

He chuckled. "Thanks, Baby."

When the bartender served Claire's ale, they clinked glasses and went back to chatting in hushed whispers. About thirty minutes later, it was Claire who had to go take a powder. "Save my seat, Lover. I'll be right back."

Almost immediately after she left, a brunette with too much makeup and fake boobs walked over to Leon and caressed her hand across his back. He turned quickly to greet Claire. When he saw it wasn't her, his smile faded. He turned away and nursed his beer. The brunette frowned and sat down in Claire's seat.

"Hi, handsome."

"Ma'am," Leon answered politely. He inadvertently went into 'Agent Kennedy mode'.

"You have a nice body."

"Mm hm," he answered noncommittally.

She stuck her chest out a little. "Don't you think I have a nice body?"

He shook his head and chuckled, but he didn't answer. He wasn't walking into that trap. If he said 'yes', the moment Claire came back this woman would be telling his girlfriend. If he looked and said 'no', she'd tell Claire he was checking her out.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

She ran her hand through his hair. "You think I'm sexy?"

He gently took her hand and removed it from his person, but she kept grabbing his arm or caressing the side of his neck. He sighed and said. "I think you're pushy. Now, clear off before Claire gets back."

She sucked her teeth. "Snooze you lose. You can tell that bitch you're taking me home tonight."

Claire exited the bathroom at that moment. She saw what was going on and frowned. Unlike the man who hit on her earlier and didn't notice Leon right behind him, this girl saw Claire the moment she returned to the room. The woman smirked right at her then made a move to try to force Leon into a kiss, but Leon's reflexes were so quick, he was able to avoid the unwanted lip-lock.

Claire walked up behind them. The girl started to speak.

"Oh, look. Your ex-girlfriend is back. Why don't you tell her how you said we were going back to your place and she could get a cab home?" She figured that if Claire stormed off, Leon would likely just take her home so the night wouldn't be a total loss for getting laid. It had certainly worked for her in the past.

Claire took a different approach than Leon had when in the same position. She didn't watch to see how far the competition would go to try to steal someone else's date, because Leon didn't ask for her to. She just grabbed the girl by her hair and yanked her backwards off the barstool. The girl hit the floor hard then rolled off the toppled stool.

"He lives in Washington, you halfwit whore. But you were right about one thing. I'm not going home with him tonight." She caressed his bicep with her index fingernail. "He's going home with me." Leon chuckled as Claire righted her barstool. She picked her jacket up and put it back onto the seat back of her stool. She sat down by Leon again. "Keeping busy I see."

"Trying not to."

"Oh, I know." She sighed. "That tramp made me knock my new jacket on the dirty beer-soaked floor." She frowned at the brunette as she went to the end of the bar to sulk. "I should make her clean it off with her tongue, but I have a sneaking suspicion I know where her tongue has been tonight and I don't want the ball sweat of every man but you in this bar on my jacket."

The bartender chuckled. "Hey don't include me in that group either. I feel like I got herpes just looking at her."

Leon and Claire chuckled. The brunette was not amused.

"How dare you talk about me like that! I'm a customer!"

"No, you're a leech. You haven't bought anything all night. You've just been sitting around waiting for men to buy you drinks, and you keep causing trouble with couples. You're lucky I haven't kicked you out yet."

Claire smiled. "Nah, let her stay. If she isn't here, why would anyone need beer goggles?"

The band members laughed then started to play the dance hit 'Barbie Girl' by the Danish pop group Aqua. When the lead singer sang the lyrics 'Life in plastic . . . it's fantastic', she pointed at the brunette and then squeezed her own boobs. Leon and the bartender laughed out loud but the girl didn't dare reply to Claire or the band. Those girls looked tough. Claire raised her beer to the band.

Leon turned to look at his beautiful girlfriend. He smiled. "You freshened your makeup." She smiled and nodded. He kissed her. "You look even more stunning than before. I didn't think that was possible." She returned the kiss then caressed his hair exactly the way the other woman had. Of course, he made no move to stop her. "You wanna get out of here? These fucking people are pissing me off. I'm getting sick of men staring at how sexy you are, and I'm tired of being civil to phony sluts who can't get their own man but try to go after everybody else's."

Claire looked over at the other girl who was standing over at the other end of the bar. Claire made eye contact. "I know what you mean, Baby. I hate sluts."

Leon threw forty bucks onto the bar to cover their drinks and a decent tip. He got up, downed the rest of his Guinness, and put his coat on. Claire got up as well, and Leon grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and held it open for her. She let him help her on with her jacket, then he turned her around and zipped it for her. He kissed her lovingly and then took her hand and led her to the door.

Leon's spurned lover started talking shit to Claire as she exited the bar. She walked right up behind the redhead and her tall blond escort. "Yeah, you better go, you little bitch!" The woman was about the same height as the guy who hit on Claire earlier, so she was about three inches taller than Claire, as both women were wearing three-inch heels. Unlike with the two men though, size did not matter.

Claire turned around and made a quick threatening move at the girl. She flinched and shrieked a little. Claire chuckled and said, "Two for flinching, ho." Then she punched her in quick succession in the gut and nose.

The girl screamed. "I'm calling the cops! She assaulted me!"

Leon rolled his eyes. "I work directly under the President of the United States. One phone call, and the charges would be dropped before the black and whites even got here."

Leon and Claire left the bar without another word of protest. They got back into the jeep. The man who hit on Leon had keyed the side before taking off. Leon sighed. Claire apologized but her boyfriend just shook his head. "A little paint job is a small price to pay for defending your honor." The couple buckled up and Leon pulled out of his parking space.

---

While driving Claire home, Leon had difficulty keeping his hands to himself.

"Open your jacket, Baby," Leon ordered about twenty minutes from the bar.

She obeyed, since the heater in the jeep had made the interior nice and toasty. He unbuttoned her tiny vest, and then started to laugh. "You're not wearing a bra?"

She chuckled. "Nope. The vest has underwire. You didn't know?"

"With as perky as your tits are, how could I know?"

She giggled again. She squeezed her breasts together and jiggled them a little. "Like the view?"

He smirked. "You know I do, Sweetheart."

"Well, touch but don't look. Eyes on the road, Agent Kennedy."

"Giving me back the torture, huh?"

"No, I just don't want the M.E. finding me with my boobs out after you run us off the road."

He chuckled. 'M.E. She's been around cops way too much of her life.' Per her request and for their safety, he kept his eyes on his driving and only his right hand on her body.

She sighed in relief as he teased her nipples. She opened her jeans and lowered them to her knees. He wasted no time pushing the crotch of her panties aside so he could finger her as he drove.

After about five minutes of attention, she pushed his hand away.

"Problem?"

"Yeah. I don't want to cum on your car seat. That's disgusting. And expensive for you to clean. Bad enough you need a paint job."

He chuckled. "Now, who's talking about money?" She laughed. "And speaking of, don't leave your jeans on the floor like that. They're nice. You'll ruin them."

"Yes, Mommy."

He smirked and shook his head. "By the way, why did you buy so many new outfits, not that I'm complaining?"

She shrugged. "Just wanted to look pretty for you. All my old clothes aren't very feminine . . . or quality. Sherry keeps reminding me that all your clothes are designer."

He shook his head and smirked. "Claire, stop listening to other people. I've been crazy about you for the better part of a decade, and that had nothing to do with what you wear." He laughed. "Uh, except that outfit in Raccoon City. I mean, that outfit, Baby . . . no wonder you were able to seduce me so easily."

She laughed. "Aww. You sure know how to sweet-talk a lady."

He smiled and righted her panties. "Wanna drive for a while? My ankle's starting to ache."

She smiled at him. "Of course, Leon. Just let me get dressed." She closed her vest and pulled up her pants. Once her leather jacket was closed, he pulled over to the side of the road. They switched places. He kissed her on his way to the passenger's seat and she blushed prettily. Claire hopped up into the driver's seat, adjusted the seat and mirrors, and they were off.

He smiled. "I forgot what an excellent driver you are."

"Thank you, Baby." She looked at him briefly, long enough for him to see her smile. "I'll soak your ankle in warm water then wrap it when we get back."

"Thanks." He closed his eyes and exhaled.

She briefly smiled over at him again. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Just tired."

"Long week?"

"Yeah. Stressful, too."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I don't wanna burden you."

She chuckled. "Leon, I'm your girlfriend. You can't burden me by talking to me. If we lived together instead of so far apart, you'd tell me about your day. As it stands now, I have to drag it out of you over the phone."

Leon smiled. "Okay."

He told her about how he was pressured into going on two search and rescue missions on opposite sides of the globe all by himself in under seventy-two hours. All with a bum ankle. Once he'd finished telling her everything, she was frowning.

"Leon . . . Baby, do I need to come to D.C. and kick that Hunnigan bitch's ass?"

He started to laugh. "No, Claire. But thanks for the support." She reached across the middle console and caressed his hand. He interlocked their fingers. "Whatever happened this week, it was worth every second if it meant I get to spend so much time with you."

She smirked. "You looking to get on my good side, Agent Kennedy?"

He smiled with his eyes shut. "Is it working?"

She extricated her hand from his and slid her fingers between his legs.

"Maybe." She caressed him through his jeans for a minute before opening his fly and pulling out his cock.

He sighed. "That's nice, Baby."

She smiled. "I should hope so."

Five minutes of gentle stroking, and he was asking her to pull over.

"Park over there in the trees."

"What's the matter?"

He smiled innocently. "Nothing." He closed his pants and got out of the car. He walked around to the driver's side. He opened the door and helped her out. He opened the back door and she slid inside. He got in beside her and closed the door. Once the jeep warmed up again, they both removed their outerwear. Leon took one last look around outside then turned to kiss his Claire.

She smiled against his lips. 'Oh, please . . . for the love of God . . . it's been two years!' she thought. When his hand made its way onto her breast again, she sighed in relief.

They made out for a few minutes, just kissing and touching, until Leon pushed her mini-mock vest up off her breasts and took her left nipple into his mouth. He sucked, nipped, and laved her nipple until she was panting with need. When he could feel her racing heart against his lips, he moved to the other breast. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his crown. He smiled and dotted kisses between her breasts. She smiled and lifted his head to dot kisses across his face.

Once they'd finished kissing for the moment, she removed her cardigan, followed by her boots and jeans. The warmth of the jeep kept her from being cold, even in just her panties. He opened his jeans and lowered them with his underwear to his knees. He wasn't cold either, even half-naked, if his erection was any indication.

She leaned toward his lap and stroked his cock. He put his hands on both sides of her head and pulled her up into a deep kiss. She kissed him for a moment, and then removed her head from his grip so she could lower it to his lap. She kissed the tip of his manhood before licking it from tip to root and back again. She took him into her mouth, and Leon leaned back and closed his eyes. She bobbed her head up and down, slowly, not wanting to give him too much stimulation. From time to time, she released him from her mouth to tease the head with kisses and the soft, wet glide of her tongue.

He removed his shirt then caressed her back and her hair. Suddenly, he pulled her head up from his lap. "Take your panties off." She moaned and complied, the order alone making her wetter. He took his jeans and underwear the rest of the way off then stretched out across the backseat. She stretched out on top of him, much as they had been after her shower.

Only this time, they ended the drought.

"Leon!" she whispered desperately as he stroked himself in preparation of entering her from below. "Please, Baby! I need you so bad!"

"I need you, too." He planted his feet on the seat and thrust up into her rapidly. "God, I needed you."

She couldn't answer in words anymore. Her lips parted and she panted heavily. He decided that his mouth was wasted on talk anyway, so he used it on her breasts instead.

Fueled by her moaning, he sped up the movements of his hips. The back seat was very limiting though, so he stopped and withdrew. "Help me put the seats down," he told her. She nodded and did as instructed. When they were done, the seat was more like a bed. He stretched out on his back again and pulled her to straddle his lap, this time facing away from him. He stroked himself a few times and pushed his shaft inside her again.

"Ohhhh!" she moaned brokenly as he began pounding up into her, hard and fast. He was getting too close to cumming in that position, so he moved them to lie on their side. He continued to thrust into her from behind, this time kissing and caressing her. The contrast of the hot fucking with the tender foreplay was a total turn-on for Claire, and in less than five minutes, she came, gasping his name.

Once she caught her breath, she smiled at him over her shoulder. "You didn't orgasm."

He shook his head. "Not ready to yet. Once I do, I imagine my balls will be comatose until tomorrow, so we'd better make this one count."

She chuckled. "Get dressed and take me home." He nodded and slapped her ass.

Once they were dressed in their clothes and coats, they got back in the front seat, and Leon drove them back to her place, as his ankle felt a lot better. "Nothing like a little sexual production of endorphins," he told her. She smiled and nodded.

Once Claire and Leon arrived at her house, he pulled the jeep into her garage. The Harley Davidson and the Shelby were both parked on the street.

He cut the engine.

Claire turned to Leon. "Could we keep the heat on for a little while?"

He nodded. "Not for too long. It drains the battery."

She smiled. "Okay." She exited the jeep without her jacket and hit the wall switch to lower the garage door until it was closed about three-quarters of the way. She then stopped it and got back into the passenger's seat and slammed the door.

"Woo! It's cold as shit outside!"

Leon laughed. "I told you that you'd be cold in that getup!"

She smirked. "Not that you're complaining or anything."

He smiled and shook his head. "Definitely not." He leaned toward her and gently pulled her into a kiss. Their tongues warred for a while. She caressed his face and he caressed her breasts through the mock mini vest on her cardigan. Leon lowered the strip of still buttoned material under her breasts so he could get his mouth on her naked nipples. They looked deep into each other's eyes as he teased her. She smiled and ran her fingertips over his back and shoulders.

He moved away from her chest, kissed her, and opened her jeans. He slid them, panties and all, down her legs. This time, he worked them off without removing her knee-high stretch boots. Once again, he kissed her, then bent to lick her clit.

"Oh, God," she whispered.

She continued to moan for him. The sound was so sexy, he found himself moaning too. He slid his fingers over her slit while he continued to tease her clit with his tongue. Then he leaned up and watched as he pushed his index finger inside her.

"Ohhh, Baby. You're still so wet."

She nodded. "Take your clothes off, Leon."

He smiled and complied. She leaned over and took him into her mouth. She could taste her dried essence on his cock. The sensation made her even wetter, until she was dripping a little onto his seat.

"Sorry about the upholstery."

He chuckled. "It's cool. Lower your seat back." She reached down and hit the seat control. She lowered her seat and moved the chair back all the way. He moved her into position so that she was on her knees facing the backseat. He squeezed in behind her and slowly penetrated her. He leaned over her shoulder to kiss her and started to thrust.

She moaned almost continuously for him. He leaned back as much as his height would allow and watched as he took her. It was so hot to look at. Her back was arched, her hair was tousled, and she held her ass cheeks open so he could see everything.

He stared at her tiny tighter orifice as it winked with her efforts to keep her cheeks apart. He fantasized a moment about withdrawing from her tight pussy to sink deep into her tighter anus. He was distracted by his fantasy for a couple minutes, until Claire reached under herself and teased her clit. Her pussy tightened around him and he groaned, as she unwittingly pulled him out of his reverie.

He looked down at her. She looked back at him, her face pleading with him to fuck her harder. He kissed her cheek and doubled the speed and force of his thrusting. Her cries became louder as her pussy tightened even more around his cock. He reached under her and teased her nipples with the very tips of his fingers. She started to tremble, and then stiffened. She clenched him like a vice, and then fluid ran out down his length and down her legs.

"Ohhhh . . . Claire, you're cumming again. That's so nice, Baby. I love how it feels inside you when you cum."

She muttered something incoherent and laid her face on the chair back.

He chuckled and lifted her into the backseat while following behind her. He pushed the front passenger chair back up and moved the back seat into its flat position again. He laid her on her back and stroked his cock a few times.

"Ready for some more, Baby?"

"Mm hm," she whispered.

He got on top of her, spread her legs and slowly pushed his length inside her. He began to move his hips, taking care not to stimulate her too much at first on the heels of an orgasm. However, once she was cursing, pulling his hair, and pressing her feet into the ceiling of the jeep, he decided it was safe to fuck her harder.

"Ohhh, yeah. Oh, fuck, Leon . . . Deeper! Deep like that, Baby. Fuck me! Oh, fuck me deep! Oh, God! Oh, Leon! Leon! Oh! Oh! OH!"

He groaned. He bent her legs and placed her calves on his shoulders before leaning down to kiss her and then to lick her right nipple as she held her breast up for him. When he leaned away from her again, she blew his mind when she held her breast to her own mouth and licked her own nipple. He rewarded her with deeper plunging inside her.

"FUCK! OH, LEON! YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CUM AGAIN!"

"Cum for me, Baby. Let me feel you lose it again."

"LEON!"

"God, Claire!"

"LEON!"

"Claire!"

"OH, LEON! OH, YES! OH, GOD!"

She spilled her juices and he buried himself deep. He shivered as the tip of his cock released a small spurt of semen onto her cervix.

They both panted and then sighed simultaneously. They chuckled, and then shared a kiss.

"Ready to go inside?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah. Although, I'm not so sure how well I can walk on jelly legs."

He smirked. "Got it covered, Sweetheart."

He killed the engine, got out of the car, and closed the garage door. He put his clothes back on and slipped into his Nikes once he was dressed. He went to the back of the jeep and pulled out their food. He placed the bag on the roof of his car then leaned in to attend to Claire. He righted her cardigan and pulled her panties back on for her. He tossed her jeans into her arms and then pulled her out of the car. She dropped to her knees and opened his fly. She gave him head for about a minute. He pushed her hair back so he could see her face as she took him into her mouth.

"You like how you taste, Sweetheart?"

She smiled around his thickness and mumbled, "Mm hm."

He grinned. "So do I. Quit hogging it all." He lifted her up onto his shoulder and spanked her on both ass cheeks. He then kissed the cheek closest to his face and grabbed their food bag. She squealed and then giggled. He smiled as he carried her and their food into the house. "Hold on to those jeans."

"Why didn't you just let me put them back on?"

"I'm tired of taking them off you with those boots on."

"Then take off my boots."

"But they're sexy boots."

When they entered through the door that linked the kitchen to the garage, she scolded him. "Off with your shoes!"

"Fine, your majesty."

She giggled. "Was that an Alice in Wonderland pun?"

"Pretty much."

"Just lose the shoes and take me upstairs."

"I'll take you upstairs, alright."

She bust out laughing. He toed out of his shoes and deposited their snack in the refrigerator. He carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom. He placed her on her feet and bent to kiss her, gripping her ass. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sighed. "Carpet," she mumbled against his lips. He grinned into their kiss. He stood up, lifting her off her feet so her boots wouldn't stain her carpet. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

They kissed deeply, passion driving their actions, until Claire was panting again. She leaned back and unbuttoned the little vest that hid her breasts from him. He leaned forward and ran his tongue in wet circles around her left nipple. She shivered with each turn of his tongue.

"Ohhh. I like that so much, Leon."

He pushed her cardigan off her shoulders and it dropped to the floor. He dropped her onto the bed and stretched out beside her.

She smiled at him and caressed his cheek. There was a bit of stubble starting to grow there. She hadn't noticed earlier. "I love when you have stubble."

He grinned. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. It makes oral sex . . . titillating."

"Mm. I love it when you bust out the fifty-cent words, Harvard."

She smiled. They both thought of their second time being intimate, in the hotel in Atlantic City. They had been so young to be so broken already. She caressed his left shoulder. He caressed her leg over the scar from Harvardville. They leaned forward and kissed, a loving gesture as opposed to the prior desperate lip-locks they'd shared.

Leon's hand glided over her rear and leg as she lay on her side and leaned into his body. She continued to caress and knead his previously wounded shoulder. He leaned down to suck on her nipple as she writhed on the bed. He kissed her stomach, her hip, and rubbed her right cheek before kissing it. He yanked her panties up into her crack and kissed her backside again.

She moved to her back and spread her legs. She took his hand and placed it over the crotch of her panties. He rubbed her and smiled when he felt how wet she still was.

While he amused himself with teasing her clit, she opened his jeans and pulled out his erection. She lowered her head to suck him for a few minutes more.

When she released him with a sound pop and tapped his tip on her tongue, he moved her to her back again and pulled her panties down and off. He knelt on the floor in front of her and began feathering her clit with his tongue while thrusting into her with two fingers.

She cried out, but her words were unintelligible. She teased her nipples while he teased her sex. When a gush of fluid leaked out of her, he kissed her slit and stood to remove his clothes. She looked up at him and licked her lips. "It's so big," she whispered. He smirked and knelt to thank her orally for the ego boost.

After another several seconds of licking her clit, Leon got slowly up onto the bed while Claire scooted back. He got down onto his back, and she got up to her knees and straddled his hips. He stroked his cock a few times and held it up beneath her. She lowered her hips, impaling herself on his length. They both sighed in pleasure.

Slowly, she moved her hips up and then even slower back down. She was driving him crazy. He lifted her until he was halfway out of her, and then began to slowly penetrate her over and over. He kneaded her ass with both hands as he took her from below.

She moaned even louder. Her bed began to creak with the slow, deep deliberate movements of his hips.

An earth-shattering five minutes later, he pulled out and moved her to the mattress. He pushed her down onto her belly with her legs far apart. She lifted her head, arching her back the way he liked it. He put his cock at her entrance and then pushed his hips forward.

"Oh!" she gasped.

He moaned and leaned onto his fists on either side of her torso. He took a deep breath and then started to pound her hard. The broken high-pitched, fractionated phrases that drifted from his sweetheart's lips were unable to be understood, but he knew what she was trying to say.

"It feels good, Baby?"

"Soooooo . . . gooooood."

"Ohhhhh, Claire."

He plowed her into the mattress, loving every clench, every leak of her sex, every smack of their flesh as they were joined as one. As she neared yet another orgasm, he shivered in anticipation. "Gonna cum again, Baby?"

"OHHHHH, YES!"

He kissed her in the center of her back and turned her over. Then he entered her again in missionary position. He pulled her left leg up onto his chest. He was sweating and tired, but he wanted one more go after this one.

He fucked her faster and harder. She screamed his name and threw her head back. He sucked his thumbs, wetting them, and then used them to tease her nipples.

Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and she screamed his name as her climax hit her in wave after wave of pleasure.

"Oh, God! Oh, Claire! Baby, you feel so good when you cum! Holy shit!"

He pulled out when he felt his own release approaching. He moved away from the bed and looked down at Claire as her legs shook and her breathing came in clipped little gasps. Finally she fell limp, and his cock dribbled a little cum.

'She's so fucking hot,' he thought. "Baby? You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just need to sleep for a minute."

He smiled. "Go ahead. I need to eat something if I'm gonna keep going. You want anything?"

"Lorreli's after sex snacks."

He smiled. "Okay. I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here."

He walked out of her room just as she started to fall asleep.

---

Rejuvenated by the nap, the food, and the half bottle of white wine they'd shared, Claire was now on her knees in front of her boyfriend, coaxing him back to erection.

He shivered and pulled his cock from her mouth. "That's enough, Baby. I'm more than ready."

He turned her onto her belly with knees still on the floor, her legs pressed together. He bent down behind her, his legs straddling hers. He stroked himself, and entered her deeply. She cried out and fisted the bed sheets.

He took her from behind roughly this time. But despite his less than gentle treatment, she loved every second of it. She opened her legs and placed her right knee on the bed, spreading herself open more for his pleasure. He moaned and lifted his right leg and planted his foot behind her leg. He braced his hands on the mattress and took her harder, sinking so deep inside her on every thrust, that his shaft was never more than two inches outside of her heat.

Claire's moans and screams became continuous. She still seemed tired, so Leon did all the work. After all, he was the one who still needed to cum. He turned her onto her back, but kept her legs off to the side. That twisted position always drove her crazy, making her scream. She didn't disappoint him.

Whereas Claire was vocal almost constantly now, Leon was nearly silent. Even his labored breathing never got up to much of a volume. He was just enjoying the view of Claire so completely unhinged by her passion. She writhed beneath him, gripped the bed sheets, cursed like a drunken sailor, and kissed him ferociously. Her labia had flushed the same rosy color as her cheeks from the efforts of their lovemaking. Leon knew he couldn't hold back his orgasm again. Not when she was telling him how big he was, how good he felt, how she didn't want him to stop . . . don't stop fucking her pussy, don't stop making her scream . . . just like that she told him . . . take me she begged . . . all while reaching behind him to grab his ass and pull him deeper inside her. He gritted his teeth and pounded her harder. Oh, God . . . God, how he needed to cum.

He tossed her legs in the air and parted her thighs. He pressed her legs into the mattress in a perfect split. She was right in that phone call when she turned him on in front of Chris . . . she was flexible.

He slammed his cock deep inside her again and picked up the same powerful thrusts and rapid tempo as before he re-positioned her, the rhythmic sound of his balls slapping against her ass on every plunge punctuating her moans.

"Fuck, yeah!" she panted. "Mm, fuck me! Yeah! Ohhhh, hard! Fuck me harder!"

He pulled her closer to the edge of the bed and did just as she asked.

"Oh, yeah . . . just like that, Leon . . . so good, Baby." Her whispered, breathy moans caused his sacque to tighten. It wouldn't be too much longer before he was done. And from the look on her face, she would likely be right behind him.

She reached up and gripped his arms, digging her nails into his skin. He knew it hurt. He wished he cared.

He ground his cock into her sex. She moaned louder. "Don't stop! Ohhhh, Leon, don't stop! Ohhhh!" He grabbed her legs by both ankles and used them for leverage. There was something hot and naughty about the way she looked with him holding her legs apart as he took her so hard.

"Claire!" he gritted out, his first utterance since they'd started to fuck again.

She looked into his eyes, her own glazed over. "Not yet," she whimpered. "Don't cum yet. I want to cum with you, Baby. I'm not close."

He pulled out, panting from the effort not to ejaculate, his breath a series of shuttering gusts that barely fed his burning lungs. Once he got himself under control, Claire took his hand and helped him to lie on his back. She got up on her knees and straddled his lap, just as she had before. Only this time, she took control, lowering herself all the way down his cock and grinding her pussy in the sexiest lap dance Leon had ever experienced. After a few minutes of gentle grinding, she started to bounce her hips up and down.

Once again, he was quiet, as his jaw dropped open and his eyes closed, while she was loud as she screamed with need. He placed his hands on her ass, but made no attempt to guide her movements. As his toes curled into the bed sheets, he knew she didn't need his help to move.

She moaned and begged him to fuck her, and then ordered him to slap her ass. He did as she ordered, and sighed in ecstasy as she began to slowly grind her hips again. He reached up and grabbed the side of her neck, pulling her down into a deep, tongue-filled kiss. She continued moaning into his mouth.

"Get back on top of me!" she panted.

He wrapped his arms around her and turned her over, never pulling out of her to do so. He pulled her legs to his shoulders and kissed both ankles. He pressed his fists into the bed on either side of her head and fucked her harder than ever. She reached behind him and grabbed his ass with both hands, pulling him into her hard on each thrust.

And then . . . it happened.

"OH, GOD!" he gritted out. "OH, FUCK . . . CLAIRE! BABY! I'M CUMMING!"

"LEON! OHHHHH! FUCK ME WHILE YOU CUM!"

"CLAIRE!"

"LEON!"

"FUUUUCK!"

"YEEEES!"

He pulled out and flipped her over onto her belly. He pulled her ass up a bit and slapped both pons. He spread open her labia and drove his cock back inside her, over and over, and in less than ten seconds, he was shooting load after load of hot semen over every inch of her vagina. There was so much of it. Two years worth. It had been two years of trying to make his right hand seem like it was a reasonable replacement for Claire, two years without the touch of a woman, his woman, two years without Claire, two years without this feeling, the feeling of cumming inside her, the feeling of being inside her when she came. Unlike with their prior separation, he had been completely faithful . . . and goddamn did his balls ache for it.

The world went blurry as he unloaded his seed inside her, his hips jerking of their own volition, slamming her bedposts into the wall, grinding her clit into the bed, wringing her screams out of her mouth.

He froze. She clenched. They cried out one last time in perfect unison. And then they both collapsed, a sweaty heap of limbs and moans. 'Mission accomplished,' was his last coherent thought.

---

By the time Sherry woke them both with breakfast in bed, somehow, in ways they would never remember, they had found the strength to pull the covers over themselves before slipping back into a post-coital coma, wrapped in each other's embrace.

Sherry placed their tray on the nightstand, tiptoed out of the room, filled a glass with ice cubes and ice water. Then she snuck back into the master bedroom.

A man jogging outside stumbled and almost fell at the sound of a man and woman suddenly screaming bloody murder in the house where that hot redhead with the motorcycle lived.

---

Two hours later, Claire and Leon sat at the kitchen table trying to stay awake as Sherry told them how it wasn't fair that she wouldn't have a date for New Year's and didn't want to be their third wheel. The tirade had been going strong for over twenty minutes. They were still exhausted from the night before, and Claire was sore to boot.

Leon's head nodded almost to the table and Claire nudged him hard. He shot upright, drawing Sherry's attention. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you listening to me?"

Leon nodded. "Yeah. You want a date for tonight. I assume you mean Kenny."

She smirked. He'd actually been listening in the midst of his somnolence. "Sure, he'll do. Turns out he's cooler than I originally thought he'd be," she told Leon.

Claire sipped her coffee to hide her smile. She knew this was all a ruse. While Leon had been in the shower, Sherry had excitedly rattled off to Claire how she and Kenny had really hit it off and were dying to go on another date. Still, neither Sherry nor Claire thought that it was a good time yet to tell Leon about the budding romance.

"He's such a damn hypocrite," Claire had told her. "You know, he and I decided not to tell Chris or his parents about us for the same reasons that you and I aren't telling him about you and Kenny?"

Sherry smirked. "Yeah, I know." Sherry paused for a moment. "About that . . . . Mom, when are you guys gonna tell Uncle Chris about you two?"

Claire smirked. "When Chris stops being a tool about the men in my life and Leon stops being a pussy. He swears Chris won't be his 'bro' anymore." She used air quotes when she said 'bro'. The girls had then laughed at the expense of the two most important men in Claire's life.

Now, several minutes later, just as both women had predicted, Leon was looking at Sherry with skepticism. She hit him with her two best secret weapons . . . the pout and lip quiver.

Leon sighed. "Fine. He can come. Call him and tell him to get over here. He'll need a nice suit or a tux. I'll take him to get something appropriate to wear if he doesn't already have it."

Sherry's eyes widened. "Uh . . . where are we going?"

He smirked. "It's a surprise."

Sherry and Claire looked at each other, shrugged and got up to go about their morning.

Claire did the breakfast dishes. Sherry called Kenny, Leon snatched the phone and spoke to him for a few minutes. Kenny then came over forty minutes later carrying an overnight bag. Leon grabbed him almost immediately to drag him off to Tuxedo Junction, a chain tuxedo store with a location near the mall in Lavale.

"He better come back with all his parts intact!" Sherry yelled out the door as the two men walked out to Claire's Shelby.

"Yeah, yeah," Leon muttered.

"Why are you taking my car?" Claire yelled out the upstairs window.

"For respect. The jeep doesn't scream luxury the way your roadster does." He smirked. "Plus, it's fun."

"Don't hurt my baby!"

Leon rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just be dressed and packed by the time we get back."

"Packed?" Sherry asked. "Packed for what?"

"You'll see. Have your dresses and makeup on by the time we return, and pack nightwear and casual clothes for tomorrow. We're spending the night in a hotel."

He used the remote on Claire's keychain to open the doors to her car automatically. Kenny opened the passenger side door and got in. Leon got into the driver's seat of Claire's roadster and took off down the block.

"Mom, what's he up to?"

"Yeah, like I know?" She sighed. "Leon and his fucking surprises. Well, come on. Let's pack first and then get dressed."

---

New York City: a party at a hotel in Times Square

"Baby, you are so drunk."

Claire giggled and mushed Leon in the face. "The better to screw me with, my dear."

He smiled and shook his head at her slurred response. "Sorry, Little Red Hottie Hood. No can do. You're way too wasted to think rationally. I would never have sex with you if I thought you might be mad at me in the morning." She pouted briefly then abruptly turned to the side and hugged Sherry as she passed by.

"Oh, my God! Daddy, put a leash on her! She scared the shit outta me!"

Kenny smiled and took Sherry's hand before gently pulling her away from her adoptive mother. "Is she gonna be okay, Sir?"

Leon smiled warmly at Kenny. "She'll be fine, Kid. Thanks for asking." Over the course of the evening, Leon had started to really take to Kenny. Turned out, he was very likeable. He couldn't even fault him about peeping at Claire. After all, he would have done the same thing. She was hot.

'Especially tonight,' he thought.

Claire was wearing a little black cocktail dress with a low draped neckline that showed off her cleavage, and a very low draped back that left her skin exposed all the way down to her waist, save for two rhinestone-encrusted chains that crisscrossed her back, connecting the two sides of the dress. It was a flowy satin dress that stopped a few inches above her knees, and swirled alluringly when she danced. The earrings and necklace he'd bought her completed the look, and made him curious to know if the naval ring was under the dress. While standing on the roof of their hotel looking up at the ball that would later drop that night, his fingers found the little dangling piercing, as he toyed with it through her dress.

The foursome were at a really swank New Year's Eve party in one of the hottest new hotels in Manhattan, The Muse. When Leon had rescued the senator and his family while covering for Carlos, the senator was so grateful, he gave Leon his reservations for the two adjoining suites that were now in Leon's name. The man really just wanted to spend time at home with his family after their ordeal. His wife couldn't agree more, so she asked her husband to pay for the stay for Leon and his family. The senator arranged for the private jet that was supposed to fly his family from National Airport to meet Leon and company at the Cumberland Airport instead. The pilot then flew them to LaGuardia Airport, and a limo took them to The Muse in Times Square. The Muse was a four diamond boutique hotel. The senator and his wife had taste.

They checked in at around six and put their bags in their rooms. Claire and Leon took a large corner suite with a king bed and a Jacuzzi tub. Sherry and Kenny took the other room, an even larger suite next door with a king sized bed and a balcony adorned by a table for four. At first, Leon was not happy about the sleeping arrangement, but he quickly got over it when Kenny asked the desk manager to trade them out for a room with two queens instead of one king-sized bed. Leon smiled and shook his head. He told the hotel manager to just leave it be.

"Thanks for being so cool about it, Daddy," Sherry said.

He grinned. She looked so beautiful and grown up in her fuchsia cocktail dress. Her sleeves were long and bell-shaped, and her neckline was a V ending in a little knot at the front of the dress. It was flattering and elegant with just enough cleavage to be feminine without being too revealing. Still, there were enough drunk young men with their eyes down her dress all over the hotel to keep Leon threatening lives for much of the night. And to his surprise, Kenny had been very protective of her too.

Kenny also looked dapper in his new tuxedo. Leon had bought it instead of renting so the young man would have one. Kenny was wearing a very contemporary collarless, four-button, cardigan style tuxedo in smoky dark grey with a soft taupe vest and tie, with a matching taupe pocket square.

Leon had wanted to indulge in a new tux as well, but he ended up buying a black Perry Ellis two-button dress suit instead because it had the best fit to his muscular frame. All that mattered was that Claire loved the way the suit seemed as if it had been perfectly tailored to fit his body. He completed the look with the cufflinks and tie she got him for Christmas, as well as a Rolex he'd inherited from his grandfather, and a pocket square cut by Tuxedo Junction, and monogrammed to match his tie. The look suited him nicely . . . especially since it had Claire checking him out all night.

They ate dinner on Leon at Nios, a restaurant and wine bar that Leon had eaten in more than once on prior trips to New York. Adjacent to the hotel itself, they had to navigate a sea of Times Square tourists to get to the front door of the restaurant, even though it was just steps from the front door of the hotel. The restaurant's food was like an upscale take on American comfort food. Claire indulged in a glass of wine with every course, which was why she was now so drunk.

After dinner, they went to the exclusive party on the rooftop of the hotel. Pop superstars The Black-Eyed Peas rocked out through the night. At midnight, Leon pulled Claire into a kiss. When they parted, Leon glanced over at Kenny and Sherry who were smiling at them. He waved a hand between them. They looked at each other, smiled, and kissed. Claire toasted to them, but Leon snatched the glass before she could drink anymore liquor.

Now, Claire was good and drunk, and the party was tapering down. Leon was ready to take Claire back to their room, but their companions wanted to stay out and enjoy the music for a little longer.

Kenny smiled at Leon. "If you need help getting her up to your room, let me know."

Leon smirked. "Nah. The nice thing about dating a hobbit is they're portable."

"I heard that, Bitch," Claire slurred.

Leon ignored her. "You'll see Kenny. Just wait until next month when Polly Pocket over there is old enough to drink." He eyed Sherry playfully. She gave him the finger. Leon chuckled. "Anyway, I'm gonna carry Boozilla up to our room. I think a nice Jacuzzi soak will make her feel better."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Sherry said.

"Can't promise that," Leon said with a wink. He then lifted Claire gently into a bridal carry. "Come on, Baby. Time for bed."

"Mm hm," she mumbled, beginning to doze.

"Good night, you two," he told the younger twenty-somethings.

"Night, Daddy."

"Good night, Mr. Kennedy."

"You can call me 'Leon'. And you can call Drunkelina 'Claire'."

Sherry snickered. "Drunkelina. That's a good one."

Leon smirked. "Breakfast on your balcony in the morning?"

Sherry leaned against Kenny and smiled. "Make it brunch?"

Leon shrugged. "Whatever you guys wanna do. Just remember, we only have the one day in New York. If you still want to go to those museums you mentioned, we only have until about nine tomorrow night. Flight to Cumberland is at eleven-thirty."

She nodded. "Okay, Daddy." She walked over and kissed Claire on the forehead then leaned up to kiss Leon on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy. Thank you for two wonderful holidays."

"Love you too, Squirt," Leon replied to Sherry's show of affection. He looked up at Kenny who had gone to the bar to get Sherry another virgin drink. "You know, you were right, Sherry. He is a great guy. And you're an adult, so I won't give you a hard time about whatever you two decide to do tonight. Just . . . don't do something a girl could regret unless you're sure that you won't regret it. He deserves better than to think you're not serious about being intimate with him."

She smiled. "Okay, Dad."

Leon nodded at Kenny and then turned and carried Claire out the door. Sherry dragged her date to the dance floor to listen to the song 'Fergalicious'.

---

Leon and Claire had made it to the room safely. After about an hour of sleep, Claire was feeling a lot less drunk.

"How are you already sober?"

"High metabolism. It's a bitch of a powerful hangover, though." Her voice was hoarse from screaming and partying, but it had a smoky sexy quality that sent shivers up his spine each time she spoke. She drank the seltzer and ate the saltines he'd had room service bring up for her. "These will help. Thank you, Sweetheart."

"No worries." He turned off the bath water and removed his towel. "Jacuzzi's ready. You up for this? Sure it won't just make you more nauseous?"

She smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. I think we could both use the massage jets after the last few months we've had." She took her towel off, too.

"The last few years," he corrected. He lifted her in his arms and kissed her before stepping into the warm water. He sat down and pulled Claire into his lap. She turned to the side and placed one hand on his chest while running the other through his hair. She wet his blond locks and slicked them back off his face.

"Comfy?" he asked while wetting her hair as well.

"Yes, very. Am I too heavy on your lap?" He gave her a sarcastic smirk. She smiled and lowered her eyes. He outweighed her by nearly ninety pounds. Of course, she wasn't heavy. "Then, can we turn on the jets?"

He kissed her softly. "Of course." He hit the button on the side of the tub, and the water began to churn. He put his arms around her and closed his eyes. They just sat in each other's arms for a few minutes before either of them spoke.

"Mmmmm . . . ." she whispered. "That's nice."

"Yeah. The jets are really doing the trick for my ankle."

"Yeah . . . the jets are nice, too."

He opened his eyes and stared at her in confusion. "I thought we were talking about the same thing. What did you mean?"

She smiled at him. "What do you think?"

He looked down and chuckled. He'd been absently rubbing her back since he'd turned on the Jacuzzi.

"Want a little stimulation?"

She nodded and kissed him. "If you wouldn't mind."

He pulled her around to straddle his waist. They kissed and caressed each other for several minutes. Claire was still a little sore from the prior night's activities, but the Jacuzzi jets soon made her feel better.

After a nice orgasm, she rested her head against his shoulder and sighed.

"I'm gonna miss you so much when you leave, Stretch."

He looked down at her. He didn't know what to say. It was like he was already gone in her eyes. He suddenly became very aware of how little time they had left. And what about once he did leave? Would it be another two years before they saw each other again? Or perhaps longer? Three years? Five or more again, like before Harvardville? Or would he die on a mission, never to see her again at all? He didn't even want to think about being the one to survive her.

"Claire . . . ."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to ruin the moment."

He kissed her forehead, held her tightly, and said the only thing he really could. "I'm gonna miss you, too."

She smiled against his shoulder then closed her eyes. "Take me to bed, Agent Kennedy."

He smiled and nodded. "In a minute." He turned her around and kissed her throat. She smiled and coaxed his hands up onto her breasts. He caressed her then placed a hand at her womanhood. "You feeling okay down there?"

"Yeah." She smile into the kiss that followed. "You looked so sexy tonight . . . very debonair."

He grinned. "I can't begin to tell you how many men almost caught a beat-down for staring at you in that dress. Although I probably missed a few. I was staring at you, too. That dress was just way too sexy. It's like it was ordering me to make love to you tonight."

She giggled. "Down, Tiger. Just let me go to the bathroom first."

He got up out of the tub, lifting her in his arms as he stood. "Whatever you need, Baby."

She smiled as he placed her on her feet, and then handed her a towel before grabbing his own. They dried off then he led her to the bedroom of their suite. "Thanks. I definitely drank too much tonight. I'll be right back."

He smirked. "I'll be right here."

When she came back from relieving herself and cleaning herself one more time, he knelt at her feet. He kissed her belly, licked her naval ring, and sucked her nipples in turn. He pushed her down on the bed and lifted her legs back towards her head. He caressed her sex and then delved his tongue inside her.

She let him pleasure her for a minute and then scooted back on the mattress to the head of the bed. He smiled and followed her.

---

After about a half hour of hardcore sex, they lay in each other's arms under the blankets. They slowly caressed each other's hands where they rested on Leon's chest beside Claire's head. All of a sudden, Leon started to chuckle.

"What's funny?" Claire mumbled before sighing blissfully.

"Listen carefully," he replied.

Claire did as instructed, and then started to laugh as well when she heard through the wall the sounds of two people loudly snoring in stereo in the suite next to theirs. "Dear God!"

"Those two were made for each other," Leon said with another chuckle.

"I know, right? They sound like a couple of drunks with a sinus infection."

"You should talk."

She laughed. "Shut up, Jerk! I'm not drunk anymore!"

He smiled. "No, you aren't. Now go to sleep. The kids want to go to a bunch of museums before we leave New York. We'll need our rest if we're gonna make even half of them."

She smiled. "Yeah? Like which museums?"

"Um . . . MOMA, the Met, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Plus they want to stop by Ground Zero."

Claire lifted her head and stared at Leon incredulously. "In one day?"

He shrugged. "I know. They're being over-ambitious. They'll find out the hard way. I doubt we'll even make it out of MOMA."

She smirked. "Too true."

"I'll just have to make time to bring the four of us back when I earn some more vacation time." He looked down at Claire apologetically. "And this time, I swear I'll keep that promise."

She kissed him tenderly then kissed her way back down to his chest where she laid her head again. "I will always trust your word from now on. This holiday . . . Leon you went above and beyond your promise. Thank you so much."

He smiled into her eyes. "You're welcome." He sighed. God, he wanted so much to tell her he loved her. "Seeing you so happy has made this the best winter holiday season in all my life."

She snuggled more securely into his arms. "Night, Leon."

He stroked her hair. "Night, Claire. Happy New Year."

She smiled as she closed her eyes, his gentle caress lulling her to sleep. "Yes," she whispered. "Very happy."

---

"So, you kissed a little, fooled around a bit, but you didn't have sex."

"Right."

Claire smiled. "Your dad will be pleased."

Sherry shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Like I'd even tell him that much."

Claire chuckled. "Good point."

Claire and Sherry were stretched out on the bed in Sherry's suite, drinking earl grey tea and chatting about the night before. Claire had only asked Sherry if she and Kenny had a good time, and Sherry had unloaded a boatload of T.M.I. on her mom. Now with a faraway look and a furrow of her brow, Sherry stirred her tea and then took a small sip.

"Mom . . . why do you think Daddy wanted to take Kenny out alone?"

Claire shrugged. "Can't be sure. I think he wanted to have a man-to-man."

Sherry frowned. "Is he gonna do the same with Uncle Chris about you?"

Claire smirked. "Touché."

Sherry sighed. "Whatever. He just better not do anything to my Kenny."

"'My Kenny', is it now?" Sherry blushed and smiled. "Well, contrary to what Leon thinks, I forgive your new boyfriend for what he did."

Sherry smiled. "Daddy told me last night that he liked Kenny."

Claire's brows went up. "Did he really?" Sherry nodded. Claire smiled. "For the record, I like Kenny, too. He's a sweetheart, and he's matured quite a bit since he went away to college." She sipped her tea and chuckled. "Leon actually gave him the benefit of the doubt. Somebody call the newspapers." Sherry giggled. "Well, I guess if he likes him, he's probably not gonna hurt him too bad. After all, it's not like he took your virginity last night or anything."

Sherry paled. "Uh . . . about that. I'm not a virgin."

Claire frowned in confusion. "I thought you said you didn't have sex last night."

"I didn't. I wasn't a virgin when Dad and Uncle Chris rescued me."

Claire's expression contorted in pain . "It . . . It wasn't rape . . . was it, Baby?"

Sherry smiled and shook her head 'no'. "It was consensual. I was never raped. Although it certainly crossed some guards' minds once I filled out. But they were all afraid of Wesker. He never wanted me touched in that way." She lowered her head. "He . . . He used to be my father's friend, you see. William Burkin, not Leon, I mean."

Claire nodded, her relief was almost palpable. "I knew what you meant."

Sherry sighed and rolled onto her back. "I guess . . . I don't know why he was like that, but he never harmed me."

"Sherry . . . on the day you were captured Leon and I discovered you were missing when we came to visit you. Your . . . Your blood was found at the scene. On your bed."

Sherry's eyes widened and then she started giggling hysterically. "You thought someone hurt me?" Claire nodded. "I got my first period the night before. No, I was in bed because I was having bad cramps, when a man came and put a cloth over my mouth. I think it was Wesker. He didn't hurt me though. I bled heavy that first time. It was just menstrual blood."

Claire sighed, and smiled at her daughter. "You have no idea how much that upset me and your dad."

"I can imagine." Sherry lowered her eyes. "Uncle Chris said you two didn't speak for a lot of years after that. He didn't know why. Am I the reason?"

"Sherry . . . ."

"Please, Mom. Just answer the question."

Claire tilted her head back and sighed. "Maybe partly . . . or more than partly, but there were other factors involved besides you."

"Like Steve?"

"Partially."

"Mom, did you love him?"

"Steve?" Sherry nodded. "No." Sherry looked relieved. Claire quirked a red brow and smirked. "Why? Afraid how I felt about Steve would affect how I feel about Leon?"

Sherry blushed in embarrassment and nodded her head. "Maybe partially."

Claire smiled. "Well, you don't need to worry about that. Leon's the only man I've ever loved. But when Steve died, he told me he loved me, too. I don't think he really meant it, but it took a long time for me to get over that. I felt so guilty. I hadn't been able to save him and I didn't return his affection. See, I was already pretty smitten with your dad by then. Poor Steve. I let him down in so many ways." Claire stared off into the distance, woolgathering for a while. Finally, she just shook off the painful memories and smiled at Sherry. "That's it. That's quite enough about my fractured love life. What about you? Who was this mystery man that made such an impression on you in the Umbrella facilities. Some strapping eighteen year old guard?" Sherry just giggled and shook her head. "An adorable little nerdy lab tech?"

Sherry scrunched up her nose and said, "No. The youngest scientist I ever met was thirty-something and fat."

"Another prisoner?" Her daughter nodded with a sad little smile. Claire smiled. "You look like you really like him."

Sherry welled up as she nodded. "I loved him."

"Loved? Past tense?"

"Yeah. Wesker found out and . . . well . . . ." Her tears spilled over.

Claire's face fell again. She was gonna suggest having Leon go rescue the young man, but it was already too late for him. "We don't have to talk about it, Baby."

Sherry smiled at her surrogate mother. "If I can't talk about this with my Mom, then who? Besides, it's time I got this off my chest."

Claire ran a loving, maternal hand over Sherry's head. Sherry sobbed a couple times, and then rested her head on Claire's shoulder. Claire held her as she cried.

"Sherry . . . Sweetie, you seem like this is awfully painful still. Are you sure you should be entering into another relationship right now?"

Sherry nodded. "He died a year ago. I think I've mourned long enough. Kenny knows about him. I also told him about Umbrella."

Claire's eyes widened in shock. "Sherry!"

"Mom, I know. It's just . . . I'm not a normal person. I'm still infected. I don't know what kind of offspring I may one day have if Rebecca and her people can't come up with a cure. I didn't want to lie to him. Plus, I've been locked away so long, I'm really behind on pop culture references. Kenny's not stupid. He knew something was up. And being on Umbrella's hit list, he deserved to know that being involved with me could be dangerous for him, too."

Claire exhaled through her nose. "Sweetheart. Umbrella thinks you died in that explosion in Austria. They're not looking for you. Plus, you're not registered at Loyola under your real name. You don't need to run anymore. Your father truly did free you."

Sherry smiled. She thought of her late lover. "That would have made him happy. It's all he ever wanted for me."

Claire smiled. "Tell me about him."

Sherry closed her eyes, let her thoughts fill with the only man she'd ever loved, and told Claire all about him.

---

"How about this one, Sherry?"

Claire held out a sweatshirt. Sherry grabbed it and nodded. "That one's nice. I'll take it. Thanks, Mom." Claire put it in the basket on her arm. Leon walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder. She turned and smiled up at him.

"You girls almost done?"

Claire grinned. "Getting bored, Baby?"

"Nah. But I'm getting tired of being eyeballed and giggled at by the MTV2 generation. I might as well be back in D.C. being ogled by Ashley and her friends."

Claire chuckled and caressed his cheek. "Aww. Should I be jealous?"

He smirked and wrapped his arms around her. "Not a chance, you sexy MILF, you." They kissed gently at first, and then deepened their lip-lock.

Sherry rolled her eyes. "Rein it in, Mom and Dad."

Sherry's new roommate, Phoebe, had come shopping with them for the Spring semester. "God, Sherry. Your parents are hot."

Sherry giggled. "They're attractive alright."

"They look so young, too."

Sherry smiled. "I'm adopted. They were pretty young when they took me in, and I was already pre-pubescent."

Phoebe smiled sadly. "Did you know your real parents?"

Sherry nodded and smiled. "Yeah. They raised me from when I was a baby to when I was twelve. They died. Then Leon and Claire adopted me. In fact, here. Let me show you what they looked like." She pulled her locket out of her t-shirt. She opened it and showed Annette's and William's pictures to her new friend.

"Wow. You really look like them."

Sherry smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. I guess." She gently closed the locket and placed it back inside her blouse, both to respect her biological parents and as not to jar the homing device that Leon had told her was hidden inside when he returned the locket after rescuing her. He had told her that he promised to never lose her again.

Sherry suddenly hugged Leon as he walked past her.

He smiled. "What's this all about?"

"Just . . . thank you, Daddy. Thank you for bringing me home. Thank you for helping me get into college. Thank you for giving me my life back." She pulled him down to her level and whispered in his ear, "I'm so sorry for arguing with you so much in quarantine. I didn't mean any of the terrible things I said. You're my hero, Daddy. I love you so much."

He caressed her hair. "All I've ever wanted was for you to live a normal life, to be safe and happy. I love you, too, Angel."

Claire smiled at Leon. "Who's the favorite parent again?"

He chuckled. "She's still wearing your vest."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Mrs. Kennedy, is that really your 'MADE IN HEAVEN' vest? I love Queen."

Claire chuckled. 'Mrs. Kennedy,' she thought. 'He wishes.' She smiled innocently at Sherry's new roommate. "Yes, Phoebe. Until I gave it to Sherry, it was mine."

"That's awesome!"

"Thanks. And I love Queen, too. I had bought the vest to match this bike I had at the time. Pink and black Harley Davidson in cherry condition."

"Oh yeah? What happened to it?"

Claire smirked. "It blew up."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Wow. That must have been some wreck."

Claire chuckled. "Something like that. It blew up with Leon's jeep."

Phoebe smiled. "Aww. Is that how you two met, in an accident?"

Leon and Claire looked at each other and smiled sadly.

"Something like that," they answered in unison.

---

Claire and Leon stood at the entrance to Sherry and Phoebe's dorm room. Phoebe was on the phone with her boyfriend setting up a double date with Sherry and Kenny. Both parents did a quick visual inventory to insure that they'd gotten her everything she needed from Target. Leon and Claire had split the cost at Target, but Claire insisted on buying everything in the campus bookstore.

In addition, each parent had also hidden a gun for Sherry in the dorm room.

After their perusal was complete, Claire hugged Sherry tightly, fighting back tears as she released her.

Leon pulled their daughter into a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. Once he set her down again, she ushered them quickly out the door.

"Is there a reason you're in such a rush to be rid of us?" Claire asked.

Sherry nodded. "Yeah, actually. You two have been dancing around each other all day, and frankly, I'm sick of it." She smirked and said. "If you two don't get back home and boink each other, I'm gonna smack you both."

Phoebe, who had been drinking a Sprite, spat the soda all over her desk. "Jesus!" she shouted.

Sherry's parents, on the other hand, were only slightly shocked by what she said. She giggled and said, "Don't look at me like that!" They both continued to do it anyway. "Uh . . . Hello? I'm not that shy, frightened little twelve year old from when we met, so stop giving me that look. I'm an adult. I'm almost old enough to drink you know, and . . . ." She looked left, looked right, and then beckoned them closer with a wave of her hand. Once they had leaned in close, she leaned toward them and whispered, "I'm not even a virgin anymore." Claire chuckled and Leon pulled a face. Sherry laughed and shut her door in their faces.

---

At this point, Chris was laughing his head off, because Leon was making the same face in the present that he was sure his friend had been making in the past while standing outside Sherry's dorm room door.

Leon glared at him.

Chris said, "Welcome to my world, Rookie. That's the same face I made when I first suspected you were poking my little sister."

Leon imagined some guy fucking Sherry the way Leon had been fucking Claire. He shivered and downed an entire beer. He'd always just told himself that Kenny made love to Sherry very gently. He and Claire were not always gentle.

"Did you really call Claire a MILF in a crowded college bookstore?" Leon nodded. Chris laughed his head off. "Classic!" Once he got the laughter out of his system, he asked, "So what happened with Kenny when you found out he fucked Sherry?"

Leon remembered what had happened later that day. On the way back to Claire's, his girlfriend had called Sherry's cell and told her to reassure her dad that he shouldn't go to UMBC to murder Kenny.

Leon in the present told Chris he'd mellowed considerably about Kenny having sex with Sherry.

"I thought you told her she could have sex with him in New York as long as she really wanted to do it and had no regrets."

"I know I did. And believe me, your sister made me feel like a real jerk all the way back to her house for going back on what I said. But it's one thing thinking I'd be okay with her having sex in theory, but being faced with the reality is so much different."

Chris chuckled. "Tell me about it."

"I know. Despite all the punching, you've been really cool about everything I told you today. And Kenny is still with Sherry to this day."

"So my niece tells me."

Leon smiled. "He treats her right, and they both assure me that they always use protection when they make love, so I can't complain."

Chris smiled and took a small swig of his own beer. He changed the subject. He wanted to get back to his own overbearing protectiveness, not dwell on Leon's. "So, you and Claire bumped uglies for like four days straight? And then the last time was right after you got her back to her place?"

It was Leon's turn to smirk. He shook his head no.

Chris looked confused. "I thought you said you two did it one more time after you dropped Sherry off. If you had to go back to work in D.C. the next morning, then that would have had to have been the last time you two did the horizontal mambo."

Leon smiled brightly and said, "That it was. But we couldn't do anything when we first got back to Claire's house. You see, we weren't alone. But don't worry, Buddy. We got around to it."

And then, it was Christopher's turn to pull a face as he remembered where he spent the early part of January the year after Jill had supposedly died.

---

Author's Notes: Woo, that was a long one! Ha! That's what she said! LOL! Sorry. Didn't mean to subject you all to my immature ramblings. Anyway, you guys are awesome for sticking it out this far! We're almost to the end! Hang in there with me. And again, thanks for indulging my rather odd sense of humor. Especially with the doorbell and my use of a line from an RE movie. As much as I don't like how little the movies kept to the games, I do love Mike Epps. Did you spot his line from RE: Apocalypse? Hey, if Burnside couldn't get the gold guns in that movie, who better to pimp it out with them than crazy-ass L.J.? I ask you! Even if they were actually gold Desert Eagles instead of lugers in the movie, they still looked pretty cool. ("My shit is custom!" - L.J.)

See you in Chapter 7. After that it's just the epilogue. Truly, thank you so much for reading. It's been fun doing a really lemony fic for Leon and Claire, and I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. I'm glad some of you enjoyed it, for both the boom-chica-wow-wow (cue shitty 1970s porn music) and the humor. For those who didn't like it, I appreciate any constructive criticism you may have had.