He saw her. He saw Claire. His heart began to race and before he knew it she was gone. His focus was now solely on the rush of movement around him and the wide set of panic that had begun to sink into his brain. He tried to make sense of the all that was happening but before he knew it, he began to sink into a deep sleep. Before his eyes closed, Chris could make out Jill's figure in the corner of the room. At least she was there.
He didn't know how long he had been out. He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it when he felt as his head began to spin. Jill quickly sat up and walked over to him, arms crossed at her chest.
"How are you feeling? Do you need water?" She sat at the edge if the bed and carefully grabbed his hand and she sat closer.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I just feel dizzy." She grabbed the small plastic cup and filled it with water. She handed it to him and sat watching him.
"You've been out for a day. I was scared thinking you might not wake up."
"I'm fine now. Just a small headache." He sat rubbing his temples before he spoke again."It's funny. Yesterday, when I woke up, the nurse- she um, I guess she got near me and when I opened my eyes, I thought I saw Claire. For a second I thought maybe I was finally going to see her again."
Jill looked away when Claire was mentioned, her eyes suddenly sad. And he noticed.
"What? Why do you look like that?"
"Chris. Something happened when you were out at the laboratory."
He looked at, eyebrow raised.
"What? Jill what is it?" She frowned and slowly Chris' neutral look began to fade into worry. She grabbed his hand and was ready to tell him what happened while he had been knocked out.
When she opened the car door, Claire stepped out onto the unfamiliar pavement of Leon's new neighborhood. It was a quiet suburban area, not far from the city that never seemed to sleep. The house she stood in front of was modern looking. She turned back to Leon just as he raised a small remote in his hand. The silence of the street was broken by the sound of a garage door opening. The only things visible in the garage were a tool stand, a car, and a figure underneath a thick tarp. Leon walked over to it and before throwing off the tarp, turned back to Claire.
"This is yours." He said as he tossed off the tarp. Underneath it was Claire's red Harley Davidson iron 883.
"Oh my god, Leon." She walked over to it and ran her hand over the handles before mounting the bike. "You had it all this time?"
He smiled lazily and nodded. "I tuned it up too. The gearbox was starting to wear down."
Claire smiled that smile that he'd come to love since that day in Raccoon City. The wide smile that made her eyes light up and seemed to slow all the movement around them; it made him feel as though everything would be okay. She got off the bike and made her way over, arms opened wide, pulling him in for a hug. He hugged her tight, even as she asked why he had kept it.
He didn't let go even when he responded with a sigh, "It felt like the right thing to do. It was the part of you kept you alive, while you were gone." His embrace was tightened around her and his voice was hollow. Her smile quickly faded as she was hit with guilt that was buried deep in her stomach. She pulled away and looked up at Leon, his eyes shiny and filled with sadness.
"Leon…."
"I just want to know why? You stayed away for so long. Why you left in the middle of the night in the first place is the bigger question. And, going with Ada? Or Wesker even? I'll never understand that. And those files Ada showed me-"
"Wait. Leon. What files?" Now Claire was standing away from Leon, the golden flecks in her eyes becoming brighter as Ada was mentioned.
"She gave me a folder with information on what had happened to you. It said that your body contained some virus and they were testing on it, but it failed."
"Hmph. Anything that bitch says I don't trust. Especially now." Leon looked at her questioningly.
"It's a long story Leon. Way too long." He smirked and looked down at his empty wrist, pulling back on his sweater sleeve.
"Well then it's a good thing we have plenty of time."
Weak. Weak is what he was if wasn't able to bring himself out of the unconscious state he had been in, is what he thought when he awoke, his face on the cold, hard tile of the lab, the bright lights blinding him until his eyes adjusted to it, only to find two semi-auto machine guns pointed at him. He saw the badges on their torsos, BSAA. He lifted up his hands in defeat and waited until they lowered their guard in order to pull them face first into the tile, which he did. Hearing the sound of a cracking nose confirmed that they probably wouldn't be coming after him for some time. Not yet questioning what happened during his encounter with Chris, he quickly got up and dashed down the security hall to retrieve his stuff and see what the hell happened. He hoped Claire was safe in the room he had kept her in.
He busted open the door and his heart skipped a beat when he saw that the table in the center laid empty. Had they gotten her? He clenched and unclenched his gloved hands and tried to calm himself as he opened his laptop and checked the security cameras to see where they had taken her. He was surprised to see the exact moment he left her alone, not 10 minutes later, Claire walked out on her own, following his same footsteps. "No. It can't be." He switched the recording to the camera near the elevator where he had confronted Chris. He watched the moment Claire emerged slowly from behind him and sunk the needle into his neck. He saw when she lowered him then immediately turn to Chris. "The perfect partner for someone like me. Not looking to rise to power. Not likely to betray me." The words themselves seemed to taunt him. He snapped the laptop shut and took a deep breath before sweeping everything off the desk, papers now scattered all over the floor. He smashed his fist into the mirror that was the wall separating it from another room. He kept asking himself where he went wrong. He had he not made her happy? No. He had. The connection between the two Redfields was obviously too strong sever. Maybe it wasn't just the brother keeping his goddess from being with him. Maybe it was also the government agent that seemed to resurface every chance he got. Wesker picked up his laptop and research papers before he grabbed the door handle and began to walk towards the exit, his mood ruined beyond thought.
"Chris! Please try to relax! Stop you need to rest!" JIll tried her best to keep Chris from yanking out his IVs and keep him in the hospital bed but was defeated by the size difference. He sat up, threw his legs over the side of the bed and proceeded to grab a new set of clothes that had been laid out on the table looking out the window. "Listen Chris. We don't even know if it's really her! Please listen to me!"
Chris was already pulling his pants up when he spoke, "Jill. I don't care. I need to know. If there's a chance that it is, I need to go and find her."
"What if it isn't? Can you stop to think about this?! What if it isn't? She can be a clone! She was with Wesker. It could be his plan to use Claire as a way to finally get you." He turned back to look at her just as he finished buttoning his shirt.
"Then in that case, I'll put her out of her misery, because there is no way in hell that I'm letting some clone working for Wesker take my sister's face and use it to spread exactly what got her into this mess the first place." He had finished tying his shoes by then and Jill just shook her head, passing him the discharge papers.
"You're leaving here against doctor's order Chris. For someone who-"
"Someone that was the only family I had left. Someone I swore to protect. Someone I failed. I need to make sure." He quickly signed the papers and rushed towards the door, noticeably limping. When he looked back at Jill he asked, "Well are you coming?", before turning and walked to turn in the papers.
"Dammit Chris. Don't you understand I can't stand to see you hurt again.", she muttered to herself. She wasn't talking about his physical injuries.
"And that's when I saw Wesker again. I thought Ada had set me up. Thought she was trying to get rid of out she just didn't know, he'd been there trying establish some kind of research with the company. I was the one who helped Chris and Jill defeat the prisoner there who had become a B.O.W." Claire looked up from her glass of water every once in awhile to take a look at Leon's expression, seeing if it changed as she continued to tell him about how she ended up at the lab with Wesker.
" After that, I tried running but he was too quick. He told me he had no intention of killing or taking me hostage. I tried fighting back but my strength wouldn't kick in. He was as confused as I was. He offered to find out what was wrong and I accepted."
"And that's how you ended up at the lab?" Leon grey eyes never left her face for a second as she spoke.
"Yeah. Ada was now angry because I left with Wesker. Wesker disliked Ada because she couldn't exactly follow orders and somehow we ended up with common enemies. Then that's when you guys came in and well, here we are." She looked up at him and his expression had remained the same the entire time, sad but hanging on to every word she said. She didn't like lying to Leon, but she knew that some things that happened between her and Wesker had to remain secret.
Though she felt as Leon might understand, seeing as how he'd basically been head over heels for Ada. Her thinking was interrupted by the sound of of Leon's phone ringing. Claire could see from the contact picture from where she was sitting. She recognized the ruffle of brown followed by the rare grin her brother showed not very often.
"Hello. Jill? Yeah she's here. What do you mean he's on his way?" He turned back to look at Claire, who was watching with wide eyes. "Okay. I'll keep her here."
"What happened? He should still be in the hospital!" Leon furrowed his brows, as he was just about to break the news to Claire.
"How'd you know Chris got out of the hospital?"
"The-um- virus improved my senses, including hearing."
"Remind me not to release any particular gas around you then."
Claire let out a laugh, happy to see that nothing had changed between the two.
"I need to go though. I- I can't see him."
"Wait. What!? No! You can't! He already knows. They're on their way now." He had already moved over to block her exit. She stood there eyes wide and scared.
"No Leon please. I need to go. I can't look at him after what I've put him though."
"Look. He misses you Claire. He needs this."
"Leon. I left him. I chose to go with Ada. I can't look him in the eye after what I've put him through."
"Claire. It's not your fault. You were scared. You didn't know what you were doing. Chris will understand." He grabbed her arm as he spoke, making sure she didn't go anywhere.
"And if he doesn't think it's me? I mean Jill couldn't even trust me" She looked up at him, the gold flecks in her eyes intensifying.
"He's your brother. If I knew it was you, he'll know."
The moment Chris stepped on the mat outside Leon's door, he felt a cold rush of air pass through his body. He looked down at his hands once before reaching for the doorknob but stopping half-way.
"Chris?" Jill hugged herself as she tilted her head to take a look at Chris' face.
"I can't, Jill. What if I can't bring myself to-" He shut his eyes and took a deep breath as he let his hand fall on the doorknob and twisted it down, opening the door. The first thing he saw in the apartment was Leon. The second thing was the red jacket the hung on the couch. He immediately recognized it as his sister's. Leon stood up and pointed to the sliding doors that lead to the patio.
"She went outside when she heard you arrive."
Chris nodded his head and walked toward the patio, leaving Jill behind. He looked at Jill once more before walking out, her eyes told him that she was as scared as he was.
He stepped out into the patio and he saw a figure, facing away from him, standing at the edge of the pool. He saw the bloodied black tank top. His heart was racing and nearly skipped a beat when the figure turned around, revealing the face of of the his sister. Except, this wasn't. His sister didn't have black hair. His sister's eyes were a clear blue; her eyes had flecks of gold.
"Chris-" Before she finished the sentence, Chris had his hands around her throat and slammed her against the nearest wall. His eyes were wide with anger and hate.
She was too surprised to fight back, and in reality, she didn't know whether she could actually fight back against him. He was all she had left and she could not, would not do anything to hurt him more than she already had. It more of the action that hurt her. Her brother never had physically attacked her in any serious way. She stood there, hands grabbing his and her eyes showing off every fiber of fear that she had, tears starting to roll onto her cheek.
Chris stared into her eyes and was suddenly reminded of the first and last time he had yelled at his sister. She had shrunk the same way and her eyes spilled tears the same way she did now. It was the way she looked at her with sense of betrayal and fear. He let her go and she stood there, eyes still wide and tears now flowing steadily. He lifted his hand to her cheek before pulling her in for an embrace that had been long overdue.
"The last time I did that, I swore I'd never do it again." Chris hugged her tightly and rested his chin on top of her head.
"You also got me a beer." She laughed into chest, feeling the familiar gesture of his head on top of hers. She let her tears fall and she broke down. She looked up at him and tried smiling but she couldn't stop crying.
"I- I am so sorry Chris. I didn't mean to- hurt you. I didn't mean for any if this it happen." Her words kept getting cut off by her breaths and sobs.
"It's okay, Claire. We are both here now. You're safe. You're alive. That's all that matters."
"I- I owe you an explanation, Chris. Let me tell you everything, please." Almost everything.
He nodded and guided her into the house with the rest of those he called his family.
The city streets were empty despite it being the weekend. As he drove, his hands were tight around the steering wheel and he constantly clutched and unclutched it. This is not the he had things planned out. Claire was supposed to be seated next to him, on their way back to his apartment. She most likely was with her brother now and a government agent snuggled up to her side.
He slammed on the breaks when he realized that he was about to smash his car into the wall of the parking garage. His plan wasn't halfway finished and he still needed Claire. He was going to get her back, eventually. It was time to send a message, make her understand that he was waiting for her to return to him. He got out of the car and went upstairs, ready to make his move.
Both Chris and Jill left a few hours after she had explained to them everything she had told Leon. Jill still looked at Claire the was she had when she first revealed her face to them. They had left soon after deciding that Claire would stay with Leon for a while until she got settled back into the world she spent so much time away from. Heeding Chris' 'don't-touch-her' warning, Leon showed Claire the spare bedroom.
Before she could enter, she had and idea. "Leon? What time is it?"
"Two-thirty in the morning, Claire. Way past our bedtime. Why?" She smirked at him and he got the message.
A few moments later, Claire sat mounted on what she had been wanting for a long time.
"Oh yeahh. Definitely been waiting for this for too long." She gently stroked her motorcycle and she heard the familiar roar of the engine.
"You ready?" She turned to look back at the government agent, his own bike ready to be riden.
"Hell yeah." They both drove out into the chilly air of the night.
Leon didn't need to see her face to tell that Claire was smiling.
When the returned to Leon's house, they said goodnight and went their ways to theirs beds. She shut the door behind her and looked unto the bed. She saw something on it, shining with the light of the moonlight. She turned on the light and froze the instant she saw the entire object. She picked it up by the silver chain and lifted the red gemstone to the light, as if to make sure it was really there. On the bed was a note along with a key. She lifted it and read.
For when you are ready to return home, dear heart. Don't stray for too long -W
Hey guyss! So this is the official end of this part! I do plan on writing a second part but this time with more planning, as this one I just wrote as I went along and I feel that had a negative effect to the story. :/ It might be a while, before I upload the next part but I will finish this story, I promise! I will be also be writing some other stories as I have some ideas I want to put into play. :) I want to thank all you guys for being so awesome and for the reviews ya'll leave. I love reading them 3 Thank you all for sticking around up to this part. I keep on writing for you! Don't forget that! Also, I will be updating some of the past chapters because I realized what writing 3 am gets you. Love you all! See you soon. -A