"I said drop it!" Claire screamed at the top of her lungs. She was so angry that she punched the bedroom wall, easily breaking through the wooden supports behind the drywall. She pulled her hand back staring at the white dust that covered her knuckles and forearm. "Jesus..." she gasped. She didn't even feel a hint of pain.

"Claire," Chris started, but that flared her temper back up.

"Don't even start, Chris," Claire snapped. She couldn't deal with this right now. Not even a second passed when they returned to the hotel that Chris was on her like a hound, asking her question after question. The ride back to the hotel had been silent, and it was only Leon holding her hand that helped her deal with the tension that emanated from her brother. "You can't possibly understand what I'm going through." Chris opened his mouth to say something else, but she cut him off by shoving him away. He flew back into the couch, and it made Claire grimace in shame. She lashed out at the one person she loved more than anyone else. Grabbing her coat, she ran to the front door and left the room, tears threatening to fall.

"Claire..." Chris sighed. Jill helped him back to his feet, but he found that he couldn't hold himself up. He sank back into the couch, burying his face in his hands. "What can I do, Jill?" he asked. To his comfort and dismay, Jill said nothing. She just slipped her arm around his and rested her cheek against his shoulder, slowly rocking their bodies together. She placed a small kiss on his ear and let him vent.

Leon had kept to himself for the entire trip and the exchange that happened between the siblings. It crushed him that Claire was now directly involved with virus, but what hurt him more was the pained look she gave him when Wesker mentioned Ada. That was part of Raccoon City that Leon never really elaborated on with Claire. He shared everything else with her but that. She had her suspicions that someone had his heart, but she never outright asked him. And he never told her the truth even when she silently asked him. He had no right to pursue her if he couldn't be honest with her, and for her to find out about Ada through Wesker had cost him.

He put on his shoulder holster followed by a thick jacket. "I'll go check on her," was all he said before he left Chris and Jill.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was 10:30pm when Claire glanced at her watch. The night life had started, and every time exhaled her breath came out in white puffs. She closed her eyes, sad that she couldn't even feel the sensations of the cold night air anymore. What else was going to be changing? Would she be able to taste her favorite foods? What if she wasn't able to see her favorite colors, and she could just see everyone and everything by way of heat waves or something crazy like that.

She held up two fingers to her neck, checking for her heartbeat. Well, that was a relief; she still had a pulse, but there was no way to know for how much longer. Unless... "Wesker," she heard herself say. He had truly put her in a corner. There was no way out of this one. "What a way to go," she said sadly. So much for the future she had fantasized about. Her chances of spending the rest of her life with someone she loved, seeing Chris and Jill finally elope, visiting Barry and his family on the weekends, finally meeting the man that Rebecca described as her savior... she wouldn't be able to see any of that.

Several of the Parisians brushed by her, trying to find shelter from the cold. She found herself at a small cafe with only few customers inside. Hot chocolate always made her feel better no matter what the circumstance. She pushed open the glass door and took a seat at a small circular table. When the waiter came by to take her order, he immediately recognized her as an American.

"And what can I get for ze mademoiselle?" he asked with a charming smile.

"Do you have any hot cocoa available?" Claire inquired, trying her best to put up a friendly facade.

"Only ze best in all of Paris," the waiter boasted. He took the menu from the table, and turned toward the kitchen to put in her order.

Claire placed her hands on the table, looking blankly at her fingers. It had taken at least an hour for her to clean the Licker's flesh from under her nails. She wondered what else she was capable of or would be capable of within the next... she blinked. How long did she have? A few more days? A week? When would the virus in her bloodstream overwhelm her system and take control? Her hands balled up into fists, and she leaned forward resting her forehead on the smooth wooden table. She felt the tears come then. Little droplets slid down the tip of her nose and fell onto the surface of the table, forming a small salty puddle. That gave her some comfort for the time being. She was still able to cry.

"Why the tears, dear heart?" asked a voice in front of her.

Claire's eyes opened, but she didn't lift her head. It wasn't a surprise that he found her here away from any form of sanctuary. He probably had her cell number, the addresses to every place she had been, and even her IP address. She felt a napkin being brushed against her knuckles, and she slowly opened her hands and accepted it. Finally, she leaned back, taking care to wipe away the trickles on her cheeks. Wesker stayed silent, observing her through the dark shades he wore constantly.

"Only a heartless monster would ask me that," she said softly. The waiter came back then, setting a large mug of hot chocolate by her hand.

"Something for your friend?" the waiter asked politely.

"No, he's fine," Claire answered. The tone in her voice told the waiter that now wasn't a good time for his service. The young man left without another word, muttering something French under his breath.

"How long do I have?" Claire asked, bringing the mug to her lips and taking a sip of the rich cocoa. The aroma was overwhelming, and she moaned, inhaling the strong scent. She never knew that chocolate could smell so delicious. "I'm changing more everyday... how long do I have before I have no choice but to hurl myself off a cliff or something?"

"Now Miss Redfield," Wesker started. "I know for a fact that your hearing has been enhanced, so I am sure that you heard me when I said I am in possession of a cure."

"Why would I help you? I refuse to become one of your little experiments," she said, taking another sip.

"Clearly, I was mistaken when I believed you loved your brother unconditionally," Wesker said. "Would you really put him through the death of the only family he has left?"

Claire nearly slammed down the mug on the table, furious that he was putting words into her mouth. "Don't you dare tell me that I don't care about Chris or the others. Thanks to people like you, they're all I have." She didn't want to have friends or become attached to anyone not involved with Chris' team for fear that cruel people like Wesker would take them away from her. She was lucky enough to have her brother and Leon.

Wesker didn't say anything to her. He opened a suitcase and pulled out a few files, allowing her to see the pictures on the top of the pile. Claire felt a cold shiver spike through her body. She saw a photo of young woman and a man she had never seen before strapped to a table, apparently unconscious. The pictures were taken from afar, but Claire recognized the woman's short red hair. "Becca..." Claire pushed away the first photo scanning over the second in line. A needle was being injected into both Rebecca and the man.

"How could you?" Claire bit back an angered scream.

Wesker put up his hands, trying to look innocent. "The deal is simple. I want to test the sample running through your body, and you want your friend back. The man I am sure you are not familiar with, but Miss Chambers and he had crossed paths before. He is none other than Billy Coen, escaped convict and I guess you could say partner in crime to Miss Chambers."

Claire felt her heart break. Billy was the man Becca had told everyone about when she recapped first encounter with the virus. Becca never said much to the boys about it, but whenever it was just her and Jill, the ex-STARS medic would tell them that she wished he had stayed with her. Claire knew that Becca had a special place in her heart for Billy Coen. "How did you find her?"

"It really wasn't all that hard. Finding Mr. Coen was really the more surprising factor. Apparently, he had been trying to find Miss Chambers for quite a while now, and he did catch up to her in Europe. Only his timing could have been better, I suppose, on his part." Wesker gathered the pictures up and set them back into his black suitcase. "Miss Chambers and Mr. Coen's lives are in your hands, dear heart. Allow me to test the strands of the virus in your body, and they go free. Once you are completely mine, an antidote will be administered to them."

The mug in Claire's hands suddenly exploded, spilling hot chocolate all over the table. Claire could feel the ceramic shards biting into her skin and she began crushing them in her grasp. Her nerves were on fire, and she wanted nothing more than to rip off Wesker's head. She knew several customers were staring at her in wonder, but if any of them said anything to her, she would do more than to tell them to screw off.

Slowly, she stood to her feet, not bothering wiping away at the hot chocolate that dripped down her sleeves. Wesker followed suit. "Would you like another drink?" he asked calmly.

"No,"Claire said in a deadly tone, throwing the ceramic fragments in the trash. "And after all this shit you're putting me through, you're paying for that drink and the cup," she said before she walked out of the cafe and waited for Wesker.

When he joined her outside, he guided her to a parked car, nonchalantly opening the passenger side door for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leon walked by several shops, glancing through the display windows every so often when he saw something he believed Claire would like as a present. Her birthday was coming up soon, and it had been a while since anything joyous had been celebrated. All of them had been so caught up in traveling and stopping Umbrella-like companies that they forgot how to be normal. This year, he made it a point to do something nice for Claire. It was the least he could do since his feelings for her had been bouncing off the walls lately.

When they both were reunited after the destruction of Raccoon City, they found comfort in each other. Leon had found a deeper level of respect for Claire in their reunion. No matter how many monsters she faced, she came back stronger than ever, ready to face more horrific challenges. He had freaked out when he found out she had been captured and taken to Rockfort Island, but Chris had told him to stay behind. That time they were apart gave him the freedom to think about their relationship.

Ada had plagued his mind for the longest time, but he was able to move on and become a valuable asset to Chris' team. He and Claire always had a stronger bond than the others, and it was because of their history that they were able to work so well together. Slowly, he came to realize how precious Claire was to him, not just as a friend or partner. He looked forward to seeing her in the morning, and he enjoyed the time they spent training. He wasn't sure if she was aware of it, but during some nights, she would thrash around, fighting off demons that weren't there. He would hold her until she drifted off back to sleep, and then he would leave before the morning came.

He made a bold move back at the holiday party, but it wasn't a decision that he regretted. He had genuinely wanted to kiss her, and even if she would have kicked his ass right after, he was comfortable knowing that he wouldn't have to play the "what if" game. Infected or not, he wouldn't leave her. She needed him now more than ever, and he was not going to abandon her.

He looked up ahead and saw Claire standing outside. He was going to shout her name, but he didn't want to cause a public disturbance so late at night. Trying his best to maneuver around the people on the crowded sidewalk, he made his way to her. Then he saw him.

"Wesker..." he said in disbelief. The tall blond had lured Claire to an unmarked car, and Claire willingly stepped inside. Leon roughly pushed past people, forgetting all forms of etiquette. "Claire!" he shouted this time.

Wesker turned in his direction, and he gave Leon a small smirk. He stepped into the driver's side, and seconds later, the car roared to life. "Claire, no!" Leon yelled desperately. He ran as fast he could, trying to head off the car, but he was too late. The black car peeled away, and Leon could see Claire's face vaguely.

She placed her hand on the window as if she was saying goodbye. "I'm sorry," she mouthed to him, and then she was gone.