Chapter 8: Talking With an Old Friend
Author's note: Next chapter! Yay! I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out and I'm excited that Claire makes her first appearance. I mean, it's on the phone, but she's still included. Enjoy!
I'd like to apologize to some people who are posting comments for me and I haven't responded. I thought I'd let you know it's not because I'm avoiding your comments and/or reviews or anything. For some odd reason, FanFiction delays the comments and I don't receive them until quite a little later, but only some comments. I love every comment I get and I love replying to everyone, it just may take a little time till I can respond is all.
Wow so many people to reply to! If you just want to read the story, feel free to skip this intro and delve into the chapter :).
To Sivan IXXX: Haha, your words hold great power :). And I promise that the paces of these chapters are not being rushed, they are at a good progress, I believe. Glad to hear you like the story!
To Sheva Redfield: What don't I love about your comment? Such a lovely review! Thank you for your generous words, they motivate so much. I do like the idea of writing more stories after this one, but I'm gonna finish this before I even think about starting another. Hope you like this chapter!
To Justsomegirl17: How funny! Just an hour after your newer comment was posted, the one you were talking about went through! I completely understand about the preference to reading than writing. I get that way a lot of the time xD. Isn't Sheva wonderful? I agree, she's my favorite RE lady next to Claire. And it's about time Chris treated her better, I mean really! I feel so honored that you consider my story one of your favorites. Darling, thank you!
To PoppyPants: Here's a longer chapter for you! Better watch out for Chris's elbow…and your nose! Hahaha. The romantic parts are coming very soon and the kinkiness too! ;D
To Jill valentine: Thank you! Hope you enjoy the longer chapter :).
To Creva: Isn't Sophie the cutest? Well, here's more for you to read!
To the Guest: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I'm having a lot of fun with it.
Thank you everyone for your constant support with this story and my writing. My friends, you are uh-mazing! Much love and thanks to you guys, Sarai.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the RE characters that are included with this story. Capcom does.
Sheva sat at the edge of her bed and held her cell phone to her ear. She worried that it might be too early in NYC to call, but she knew Claire would be eager to hear the news about her brother. Sheva and Claire had become close friends and talked all the time over the last three years. When Sheva went on missions she didn't always have the time to talk but would do her best to find time to chat with her best friend.
Claire answered the phone after the fifth ring. "Sheva! What's up? How's it going?" She sounded so cheerful.
"Hey Claire, everything's good. How about you? How's Leon? I didn't wake you, did I?"
"Ah, no, I was up anyways. I'm doing alright. Leon's doing very well; he's passed out right now. Whatcha up to?"
Sheva smiled at her easy-going attitude. "Nothing right now really but I have some good news."
"Oooh, some juicy gossip? Tell me all about it!"
Sheva had to laugh at her response. "Well, I don't know about gossip, but it's about Chris. Guess what? I found him!"
She could hear Claire scream on the other line. "You what?! You found him! Oh my gosh, that's great news!" She went silent for a moment. "Is he okay? Has anything happened to him?"
"He's fine. He's a bit of an ass, but he's healthy." Sheva was almost nervous to tell her the not-so-great part. "But Claire, he doesn't remember much."
"…what doesn't he remember?" Worry was evident in Claire's voice.
"Well, it's hard to say. I mean, he remembers names and places but he doesn't remember who or what they are."
"Oh no…this is terrible…" Claire had just gone from jumping with joy to now feeling like shit.
"But the good news is he's willing to listen to what I have to say. He only just agreed to it earlier this afternoon but it means he wants to know. I don't know how long it'll take for him to remember or if he will. But I'll do my damnedest to make sure he does. I promise."
"I was so angry that TerraSave or the BSAA wouldn't let me go on the mission to find him. I was about to go on my own until I found out they sent you to look for him. If I wasn't the one searching for him, I'm glad you were." Sheva knew that Claire meant every word she said.
"And Sheva? I know you're strong enough for this. I know you're the best person to help him remember; next to me, of course. Just please, bring him home." Claire's voice was shaking.
Sheva felt bad for being the person to bring bad news, but she knew Claire would rather know than not. "Hey, I'm bringing him home, okay? If I have to fight him tooth and nail, no matter what he's coming home."
Claire let out a sheepish laugh and sighed. "I know you will. He always did seem to listen to you."
It was Sheva's turn to laugh. It was true. Whenever she and Chris were on a mission together and the BSAA had requested something beyond stupid, Chris wouldn't hide his anger. He'd curse at them and tell them the simpler way about things. But she always managed to calm him down and encourage him to continue on with the mission; even when she cursed the BSAA for their stupidity as well.
Sheva was lost in thought when she finally realized Claire had been calling her name on the other line. "Huh? Oh, sorry Claire. I got distracted. But yeah, I really hope he does. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to retelling him all about his life. I feel like some creepy obsessed girl who knows everything about him."
Claire laughed loudly, "Sheva, you worry too much, you know that? In the end he'll be über grateful to you. I swear. For the hell of it, you should play games on him. Like lead him on to some weird story and see if he believes it."
Sheva giggled at the idea. "Ha! If I did that, he'd never trust me again! But I admit, it would pretty fun to see his reaction," she said with a smile.
"It would!" Claire's tone had lightened dramatically and Sheva was grateful for that. "It's so good to hear your voice Sheva. You won't believe how boring it gets here in the Big Apple."
"Oh, trust me Claire, I know. How's everything with TerraSave?"
"TerraSave is…well, it's TerraSave. There's not much to say about it."
"You're the smartest person they have." Sheva was sure about that. She liked TerraSave but they seemed a little snooty at times compared to the BSAA. But since Claire was working for them she knew that something was right about the company.
"You're damn right I am!"
The two talked for quite a long time. They joked and laughed. They had an odd sense of humor that only the other would get. Before Sheva knew it, they had been talking for about an hour.
"Well, I guess I'm going to get some sleep, Claire. I'll call you the next chance I get." Sheva yawned and stretched her legs outward on the bed.
"You better. And let me know how everything goes with my brother. He has a thick skull but you can do it." She could hear the smile in Claire's voice.
Sheva chuckled. "That's for sure. Thanks Claire. I'll take to you later. Good night."
"Good night, Sheva, and good luck."
Claire hung up and Sheva was once again engulfed by the silence of her room. She was truly tired now. She was glad she gave her the call. Sheva lied back on the bed and she remembered how she and Claire got to talking:
Sheva had just finished her first mission with Chris in Kijuju. It was the toughest one she had so far and she hoped it would be the toughest she had ever. But they had won the battle and all was good in the world, at least for now.
When she got back to base she was immediately offered a promotion and transfer to the North American branch of the BSAA by the big heads of the company. She had been surprised by the offer and said she'd like to think it over. They told her she had 48 hours to give them her answer and said to get some rest.
Sheva returned to her small home. She took a hot shower and started to relax in her welcoming bed when suddenly her phone buzzed to life with an incoming call. She gave an irritated sigh and answered the phone.
She held the phone to her ear and lay down on the bed, "Alomar."
"Sheva Alomar? Hi, this is Claire Redfield. I'm Chris Redfield's sister." Her voice sounded friendly.
"Oh, hi, I didn't know Chris had a sister."
She heard her scoff on the other line. "Figures. It seems he never tells anyone he has a sister. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for saving his ass and going with him on that crazy suicide mission. I told him he was crazy but I'm glad you were there with him the whole way through."
Sheva was caught off guard by the offered gratitude. "You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome. I thought the same thing but we finished what we started out for. I'm just glad it's over."
"I am, too. Was it as bad as Chris said it was?"
"Well, that depends. How bad did Chris say it was?"
Claire chuckled into the receiver of her phone. "He said it was so bad that he could—quote on quote—kill over now."
Sheva smiled and giggled. "Then yeah, it was as bad as Chris said it was."
Claire laughed on the other line. "Oh, that sucks! Well, like you said, it's over now. If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do now?"
"Well, I'm going to keep working for the BSAA that I know. But I've just been offered a promotion and transfer to the North American branch. I haven't decided what I want to do yet though." Sheva was surprised at how easily she could talk with the girl on the other line. It was comforting to hear someone else's voice from the ones she had been hearing the last two days.
"Well, if you want my advice, you should take the offer. You get to live in NYC and still work for the BSAA. And also, don't tell Chris, but I'd feel a lot better with you fighting by his side than anyone else. Oh, and I'd really like to meet you."
Sheva took in a deep breath, "Well, thanks. I appreciate your advice and I'd like to meet you, too. I'll think about it. It's just a lot to take in."
"It really is. You need rest and I'm not helping with keeping you on the phone. But either way, I know you'll make the right decision." The two ended up talking for a while longer. This would become a regular thing when they talked. After a while latter, the two said goodbye and told each other that they'd talk again soon.
When Sheva woke up the next morning she had decided what she wanted to do. She quickly got up, dressed herself and went straight to the BSAA base. She told the men that she accepted their offer. They were most happy with her decision and told her they looked forward to seeing her in NYC.
The person she talked to next was Josh Stone. He was the man who trained her when she joined the BSAA and together they grew a strong brother/sister-like bond. He admitted that he was sad to see her go but he was excited for her as well. She gave him a tight hug and kissed his check promising she would call him often and visit when she could.
As she was walking to leave the base to go back to her house and start packing, she noticed Chris talking to some other men. She walked over to him and greeted him with a smile.
He turned towards her and returned her warm smile with his own. He looked to the men he was just talking with. "Hey, I'll talk to you guys later." The men nodded and walked off. "How's it going, Sheva?"
"I'm very well, thank you. How's Jill doing?"
Chris's smile faded and his expression was serious. "She's doing alright. She has a lot of recovering to do."
Sheva patted him on the arm. "Hey, she's a strong woman; I know she'll pull through."
Chris had to smile at her optimism. "You're right. She is strong, but what about you? How are you holding up?"
She appreciated his concern. "I'm good; exhausted, but good. How about you?"
Chris took a deep breath, "Same. But I'm happy it's over…finally."
She smiled at him. "Oh, I got a call last night; a call from your sister."
Chris's eyebrows furrowed. "Claire? Why did she call you?"
"She wanted to thank me, but I told her it wasn't necessary."
Chris already knew what Claire had thanked her for. She had chewed his ass out about how stupid he was for going on such a mission last night on the phone. She thanked God that there was at least someone sensible with him the whole time, that someone being Sheva. "That sounds like Claire. She's an earful sometimes."
Sheva laughed, "Oh no, I like her. She's confident in what she says."
Chris nodded in agreement. Sheva was right about that. Claire was a headstrong girl and didn't let anyone tell her otherwise.
"I've got good news—well, good news for me at least." Chris listened and waited for her to go on. "I've been promoted and transferred to the North American branch."
He smiled. "That's great! You earned it."
"Thanks, Chris." They talked for a few minutes longer until Sheva said she needed to go pack for her departure. They said temporary goodbyes and she left. Chris watched as she walked off and he had to admit to himself he was looking forward to having her around in the future. He stood there for a short while thinking about the conversation they just had before he went to go talk to the guys he had been chatting with before Sheva had shown up.
Sheva was brought back to the present time and place when she felt Sophie rub her head in her palm. Sheva lay on her bed in the small motel room in the tiny town in Edonia. She let out a sad sigh, thinking about those memories always seemed to put her in a depressing mood lately. She looked to the small kitten. Sheva thought for a small while longer before she returned Sophie to the pillows and crawled under the covers herself.
She started to drift off before she said aloud, "I miss those times."
Author's note: I miss those times, too, Sheva… *sniff sniff* I'm alright. Haha. Hope you guys liked the chapter! Such a nice change having a longer chapter, huh? This was actually a two-parter but in the end I decided it should just be one part.
Next time, we learn what's been haunting Sheva. What could it be? So many possibilities! I admit the next chapter is slightly short but I will make up for it. Promise!
See you in two days! Sarai.