17. Leon

"It's not the first time I've entered your old room," Claire said, sitting on the bed and looking around the bedroom. "But this is the first time I actually get to stay in it."

"You are not missing much," Leon replied, closing the door behind him.

It had been years since he stayed in his old bedroom, too. The place still looked just like he had left it when he left for the police academy. To his luck, there was nothing too embarrassing in the room. There were a few sports prizes, some band posters from his teenage times, and photos of his family and high school friends.

"You were quite the sports-boy, huh?" Claire said, looking at the photos. "Were you the cliche sporty, popular guy in high school?"

"I was sporty, but not sure if I was popular," Leon shrugged.

"Basketball?"

"Yeah, cliché?"

"Nah, football would have been cliché," Claire snickered. "Chris used to play soccer when we were kids. He was good at it."

"Hard to imagine."

"I know," Claire laughed. "Surprisingly, he didn't turn out to have a killer kick."

"He does have killer punches though."

Claire laughed, stretching her arms.

"I think I'll take a shower. Flights always make me feel sluggish

"Good idea," Leon nodded. "Need help with it?"

Leon snickered at Claire's shocked expression. Perhaps that was one of the things he loved the most about teasing Claire.

"Leon, we are at your parents' house. You can't just pop that kind of joke."

"Who said it was a joke?" Leon chuckled. "Besides, I have my own bathroom. It's not like they would know if we are in there together."

"You're terrible, did you know that?"

"You're still married to me."

Leon snickered and hugged her. Maybe he was tereible, but he reserved that treatment to his beautiful wife and no one else, so even if Claire were to tell someone about it, the chances were that no one would believe her. The man brushed off his wife's hair and stared into her pretty blue eyes.

"What?" Claire asked with a puzzled expression.

"No, nothing," Leon smirked. He leaned in and kissed her. "I'm just dueling on how lucky I am to have such a lovely wife."

"Ok, why are you suddenly so cheesy?" Claire laughed.

"No reason. Go, take your shower. I'll be downstairs with my parents."

Leon walked to the door and winked at a confused Claire as he walked out of the bedroom.

Leon had a strange sensation as he walked through the house. It wasn't the first time he had come with Claire; Actually, they had already come several times, but usually, the visits were fleeting, and the couple always ended up staying in a hotel for practicality. That would be the first time they would stay with his parents for so many days, and even though the agent hated to admit it, Isabella was right.

The house hadn't changed a bit since Leon could remember. All things were still in the same place, even though they had gotten replaced by something newer. Something was comforting about that air of familiarity.

"Hey, son," Tom grinned when Leon entered the living room. The older man turned the TV off and motioned Leon to sit down.

"Where's everyone?"

"Your mom and Bella went shopping. Something about stocking on food for Claire."

"What?"

"You know, women," Tom chuckled. "How's Claire doing?"

"She's taking a shower, but she's doing well. After that flight, I was a little worried."

"She probably likes being on the ground," Tom laughed. "Your mom had it rough with Bella, but things got better with Ben and you. The first one is the hard one. Anything else aside from morning sickness?"

"She started with weird cravings."

"Let me guess," Tom laughed. "Pickles?"

"Yeah, she discovered plum pickles thanks to her colleague, and now she's obsessing over them."

"Ah, your mom loved pickles, too. I think it's the sour flavor," Tom smirked. "How long is she?"

"Twelve weeks in two days."

"First trimester, huh?" Tom laughed. "Get ready, son. She'll be moody, and you'll have to comply with anything she does or asks for unless you want to deal with a mood swing."

"Claire isn't that moody."

"Oh, wait until hormones hit," Tom laughed, patting his back. "So, are you ready for it?"

"I don't know," Leon answered sincerely. "It makes me happy, but I admit. it was sudden and unexpected."

"Yeah, I believe you weren't planning to have kids, right?"

"It wasn't like that," Leon said, shaking his head. "It wasn't something we could decide, dad."

"Yeah, I think your mom told me something about that. Well, I'm sure Claire will be a good mother."

"She will. She's natural at it."

"No joke. I've seen Claire deal with those devilish twins," Tom laughed. "Hey, maybe you get lucky and get yourselves a set."

Leon snorted. That was a far fetched idea. Considering Claire's situation, having one baby was already an achievement. But his father was always a teasing and optimist talker, and Leon couldn't remember when was the last time he'd sat down with his dad.

"Talking about the imps," Leon said. "Where are they?"

"With their father," Tom answered. "They went fishing with him this weekend."

So they wouldn't see the twins until Monday. That was good. Suddenly, Leon felt the phone inside his pocket ring, and he excused himself to answer the call. It was Helena who sounded slightly irritated.

"Huh, I thought you were ignoring my calls. You are lucky you are on vacation, or I would be standing in front of your door ranting to your wife and probably punching you to vent." Helena said accusingly.

"What happened?"

"Mercer happened," Helena grunted. "He thought our casual appearance on Caraçari was too well-timed to be a coincidence."

"He can't think we were involved in what happened, can he?"

"No, he gave up on that. The WHO report backed us up with that. Thumbs up for Claire and the Ministry of Health."

"Then I don't see why."

"He is using theMalfeasance in office card. Accusing you of going to visit your wife while on duty."

"What? I didn't even know she was there in the first place."

"I know. Hopkins clarified it, but the commission still wanted a hearing and since you were conveniently on vacation, guess who had to go to your place?"

Leon snorted.

"Was it that bad?"

"Three hours of nonsensical questions," Helena replied. "You owe me three hours of my life, Leon."

"I'll be glad to make it up for you," Leon replied, amused. "Malfeasance in the office, huh? Mercer is running out of ideas."

"I am starting to believe that his ultimate goal is having us fired," Helena sighed. "Either way, how was that trip?"

"Bumpy. I don't think Claire enjoyed it."

"Sorry to hear that," Helena snorted. "Is she better now?"

"Yeah, but I never saw her happier to be on land. Any news over there?"

"Do you mean Mobius?" Helena asked. "Nothing suspicious. I don't think they have made any move at all aside from what happened in Caraçari. What about your brother-in-law? Has he told you anything?"

"Last time he checked in, he was heading back to Washington, but he didn't tell me anything. Well, I suppose that no news is good news."

"Yeah, most likely. Hey, you are supposed to be on vacation," Helena scolded him. "So, stop thinking about this and enjoy it with Claire."

"Thanks," Leon sighed. "But call me if anything happens."

"Of course," Helena replied. "And don't mind if I call your wife, too. I seriously need to rant over Mercer with someone."

"Should I be worried about how open you are with my wife?"

"No,but it's not my fault that talking to Claire is like therapy."

"She's a good listener. I give you that," Leon admitted. "Most of the time."

All those years working with refugees and people affected by war and natural disasters had made Claire a very empathetic and understanding person. It wasn't that Claire hadn't been like that from the beginning, but when Claire was younger, there was a certain air of rebellion and stubbornness that sometimes made her act unreasonable.

Leon had had his conflicts with that side of her when he, too, was young and less reasonable. Fortunately, their bond was sturdier than their character clashes, and perhaps that was the reason why their relationship was so good now that they were married.

Leon heard the main door open, suggesting that his mother and sister had just returned home. So he exchanged some more quick words with Helena and hung he stepped into the kitchen, he found his mother and sister emptying grocery bags and putting things into the cupboards while Claire helped diligently.

"It's raining cats and dogs out there," Bella complained, taking cans from Claire and placing them in the cupboards. "I hope that my boys aren't getting too wet."

"I'm sure Michael is taking care of that, honey, but it is true that it's raining a lot," Claire nodded.

"Another storm is coming," Tom commented. "Saw it on the weather forecast."

"Well, let's hope it won't be too serious," Melissa sighed. "Oh, don't, honey. Sit down."

Melissa placed a hand on Claire's arm right when the woman was about to pick a box filled with vegetables to store in the fridge. Leon stepped forward and grabbed the box from her. It wasn't heavy, but it wasn't light either.

"Oh, come on. That wasn't even heavy!" Claire complained.

"No, but it isn't light either," Leon shrugged. "Listen to my mom. Just sit there."

"Don't tell me you'll start treating me like a porcelain doll," Claire said, rolling her eyes. "I survived a BOW attack, mind you. I can deal with a box of potatoes."

"Well, it wasn't a smooth experience, was it? Forgive me if I don't push it."

Claire sighed, and Leon knew he'd won the argument.

"What are you talking about?" Melissa said.

"It's a long story," Claire quickly said, and the woman nodded. "Do I have to get used to the damsel in distress treatment from now on?"

"Oh, but listen to Leon, Claire," Melissa continued. "Bella checked some of the papers you brought, and she told me your pregnancy was a high-risk one. One can never be too careful in those situations."

"But..."

"It's alright, Claire," Bella added, patting her shoulder. "Let my little brother spoil you for a bit. You're carrying his child. That's the least he can do."

Leon rolled his eyes at his sister, but he smiled at Claire. He saw his wife sigh in defeat as she rested her chin on her hand.

"Oh! It's that licorice?" Claire suddenly asked.

"Ah, yes. Do you want some? I bought them because Alex seems to like them now."

"Oh, can I?"

"Of course," Bella smiled. Claire picked one and began munching on it, making Leon smile as well.

Claire wasn't a big eater. After being kidnapped and infected with the LyMorph virus, her appetite had become even smaller. According to Hiwamura, it was probably a side effect of her disease and the shots she used. However, since getting pregnant, Claire was always eating something.

"Do you like licorice?" Melissa asked.

"Not really," Claire admitted. "But I was thinking of licorice earlier. You guys read my mind."

"Pregnancy cravings," Tom laughed. "Be ready, son. She'll have you running to the store at midnight."

"I don't mind. I like keeping my wife happy after all," Leon replied, kissing Claire's cheek.

"Flirt," Claire sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Licorice is a rare craving," Bella laughed. "Very random, too."

"Oh, some of my work colleagues are British," Claire said, "They are always eating licorice, but I always thought it was too sweet for my taste. However, it seems that pregnancy makes me crave for things I dislike."

"That's more common than you think," Bella laughed. "We bought a jar of pickles, so I hope you are into those."

"Oh my god, yes," Claire said with bright eyes.

Leon had to hold his laughter when Claire stared at the pickle jar with the excitement of a kid who'd just bought ice cream.

"I don't know why they taste so good lately, but how did you know to buy it?"

"Those are the Kennedy genes!" Melissa laughed. "I spent three pregnancies munching through all the pickled goodies I could find in the store."

"I was the same with the twins," Bella said.

"Yeah, she bossed everyone around asking for food," Leon scoffed, sitting down next to Claire.

"Oh, shut up, Leon," Bella replied. "You were not even around that much to be complaining."

"Which is why she bullied me when I came home on holidays."

"Oh, Leon," Bella said, rolling her eyes. "I do hope you won't be such a dork with Claire."

"Of course not," Leon snorted, hugging Claire. "She's my wife. That makes all the difference."

"Cheesy," Bella said, rolling her eyes.

Melissa and Tom laughed.

"Oh, stop it, you two," Melissa laughed. "Aren't you too old to be bickering like kids?"

Leon laughed, shaking his head. Maybe his mother was right, and they were old enough to be fighting like children, but this was a luxury that Leon seldom indulged in since he started working as a Secret Service agent. It was silly, but it was strangely soothing.

"Leon, can you calm down?"

Leon sat down next to Claire, and she rolled her eyes, patting his leg.

"I'm the one pregnant, but you seem to be the one anxious."

"Well, I can't help being anxious."

"I doubt there's any Mobius undercover agent here," Claire snorted. "Leon, we literally waited for your sister to close her office before coming. There's not even a receptionist here, so, unless Mobius can disguise as walls, I doubt there's any threat here."

"Aren't you supposed to be paranoid?"

"I am cautious, but now you're acting a little ridiculous," Claire chuckled.

"Oh, men usually act ridiculous when it comes to fatherhood," Bella said, opening the door and walking into the room. She was holding a large yellow envelope. "Following my little brother's request, I was extremely discreet with it. Honestly, I felt like I was in one of those spy movies."

"Sorry about that," Claire apologized. "I didn't expect him to be that extreme."

"Oh, don't worry. I admit it was kind of fun, acting that secretive. I've got the impression that my colleagues think I might be the doctor of a scandalous celebrity."

"Well, I am glad you are having fun," Leon said, rolling his eyes. "So, is everything ok?"

"Uh," Bella said, sitting down. "Claire will need a better boost of vitamins and probably eat more. Your general tests are a little below the chart, which certainly worries me. Other tests look ok, and the screening results suggest the baby is healthy. All I have to do now is confirm something with an ultrasound. So, if you lay down, we can get over this. Then Leon may have some peace."

Leon didn't know what to expect from the ultrasound. Claire had already been through two before. The woman was calm, but for Leon, it was all an unfamiliar experience. However, after looking at the image on the screen, Leon became convinced that there was no way he could have prepared for what he was seeing.

"Yes, everything seems fine there," Bella smirked. "Your AFP and HCG levels were a little higher than average, but I don't think it is anything to be concerned about. Especially if we are talking about two babies… "

"Excuse me?" Claire blurted in shock.

Bella laughed and pointed at the screen.

"See here? Two hearts. That usually mean there are two babies…"

"Wait, what?" Claire said with wide eyes. "You gotta be kidding…"

"Oh, why would I?"

Leon heard Claire talking to Bella, but he wasn't listening. He stared at the screen in shock and awe. Was it possible? Two babies? Nothing in the world could have prepared him for that revelation.

"Amazing..." Leon mumbled, looking at the two beating hearts.

Both Claire and Bella looked at him and snickered.

"Oh, it is. The first time you see it is alway shocking," Bella smiled. "My dear Michael made the same silly face when he saw the boys for the first time. Now, let me put the sound up, so that you can hear their heartbeat."

Leon's mind almost went black when he heard the thumping. For the past few days, he had been getting used to the idea of being a father, but it still felt like a distant thing. Now, standing there and watching the screen while hearing the rhythmic heartbeat, he finally felt the real weight of reality. He was going to be a father. Not only that, but he was going to have twins.

"You okay?" Claire said, grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, I'm just in awe," he said, pulling himself back to reality. "So, everything is alright?"

"Well, due to age and other preconditions, we will have to take some measures. You'll have to take a lot of supplements and have regular blood tests, to monitor your and the baby's health."

"Ok, that's something I can handle."

"And I will keep an eye on that, too," Leon nodded. "But the babies are ok, right?"

"What are you expecting me to tell you?," Bella laughed. "Everything seems normal on the screening tests and the ultrasound. The heart sounds great, and well. "

Both Claire and Leon let out a sigh of relief. Part of their inner fears was that Claire's genetic anomalies could cause problems to the child. The thought instantly made him smile, and he squeezed Claire's hand tightly, he should correct himself: children.

Hearing Bella confirming his babies' wellness made the future parents feel a wave of relief.

"Since it is a geriatric pregnancy , technically, you have to take it easy," Bella continued. "Stress can make things harsh for you and the babies. So Leon, make sure you don't stress her out. I'll program you another check-up in a couple weeks," Bella said. "We might find out the gender the next time."

"Ok, thank you, Bella," Claire replied.

"Hey, no need to thank me. We are family, after all. I'm sure you and Leon would do the same in my place." Bella smiled. "I have to wrap up things here. You guys can go home first. I'm sure mom and dad will be elated with the news."

Elated was probably an understatement. Leon had never seen his parents so happy since he graduated from the police academy. If it had been up to his mother, she would have thrown a whole party, but discretion was a must, so the older woman contented herself by cooking a bunch of extra dishes for dinner.

"Maybe I shouldn't have eaten that much," Claire said, looking at herself in the mirror as she untied her hair. "I'll turn into a whale."

"You shouldn't worry about that," Leon said, hugging her and kissing her. "I'm glad the babies are healthy and with good appetite. I was a little concerned. *

"Honestly, I was worried too. Wait until I tell Chris."

"Talking about my charming brother-in-law. Chris still resents me for marrying you, he's probably dying to punch me for getting you pregnant, now imagine how it will be when he finds out it turned out to be they…"

"Chris is a softy," Claire replied, leaning against him. "He will be as happy as your parents."

"I don't know if I can picture that," Leon admitted. "But I can say I am happy with the news."

"So am I," Claire smiled, resting her hand on her belly.

The next few days were a nice change of pace, and for the first time in ages, Leon was reluctant to end his little vacation. However, duty called, and two weeks later, Claire and Leon flew back to Washington.

To the couple's shock, the one that came to pick them up was no other than Chris Redfield himself.

Leon watched the man hug his sister with such elegance that it was hard to believe it was Chris at all.

"What are you doing here?" Claire laughed.

"I heard you were coming back today, so I came to pick my baby sister," Chris replied, flicking her forehead. "what? Now that you're a married woman, you don't care about me anymore?"

"Of course not, dork. I just figured you would be busy doing something else," Claire laughed.

"Family comes first, Claire." Chris shrugged. "Leon."

"Chris," the agent answered. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah, same. Come on," Chris nodded. "We can talk on the way home."

Chris was a good brother, but Leon was sure that the main reason for him to be there, now, was his worries about his sister's pregnancy. Chris had known the real motivation behind their trip to Chicago, so he probably expected an immediate update.

"Barry and Jill are excited about the news, Claire. I think Barry and Cathy are ready to throw you a dinner party."

"Oh, free food? I can't say no to that, right?" Claire snickered. "Especially now."

"So, how did it go?" Chris asked. "What did the doctor say?"

Claire looked at Leon and smirked.

"The babies are perfect."

There was a pause as Chris seemed to process Claire's answer. Leon had to admit that he was slightly nervous about his brother-in-law's reaction.

"Babies? Wait, what do you mean with babies?"

Claire giggled while Chris gave both Leon and Claire a quizzical look.

"Twins," Claire smiled, waving two fingers at her brother. "We have twins."

"What the hell?" Chris snapped. The soldier turned to Leon with a frown. "You knocked up my sister twice in a row?"

"Chris," Claire said, rolling her eyes. "Technically speaking, if you should blame it on someone, I am most likely responsible for it. Either I hyper ovulated or one egg divided. Whichever way, it probably happened because of my abnormal genetic map, so it isn't like Leon had much influence on that."

"Just look at how my sister defends you, Leon," Chris scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And since she's the smart sibling, I know that no matter what I say, I'll probably lose."

"Well, technically speaking, without me, there wouldn't be babies at all, so it isn't like I am completely out of the blame."

"Leon," Claire said, shaking his eyes.

"Well, at least he knows his faults," Chris snorted.

"It's not my style to run away from responsibility, is it?"

"I give up," Claire grunted. "I guess you two get along better than I thought if you can joke like that."

Chris said nothing, but he looked at Leon. The agent scoffed in return. They were long past that phase.

"I was expecting Helena to pick us up," Leon said. "So, what's up with this sudden change of plans?"

"I was in town," Chris answered simply.

The answer was too simple. Leon was sure that Chris showing up to pick them was more than Chris wanting to see his sister after a long-lasting mission. His answer came as they arrived at their apartment and got received by a blow of confetti, balloons, and claps.

A party was not something that either Leon or Claire expected to find as they returned home, and it wasn't long until they located the culprit: Sherry. The girl had a copy of Leon's apartment key. She could freely enter the house, granting access to Jill and the others.

"You might want to keep it discreet," Sherry defended. "But there's no reason why the family can't know and celebrate!"

"Oh, Sherry," Claire laughed, shaking her head.

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Leon said, looking accusingly at Helena.

"Just did some spying," Helena replied. "So, what's the news?"

"I think we all are dying to know," Jill smiled. "So? What did the doctor say about the baby?"

"You mean babies," Claire chuckled. "It appears that we are having twins!"

"What?" Moira screeched. "No fucking way!"

The news of the twins got well received by everyone. All of their friends were busy congratulating or asking questions to the soon-to-be parents. After dealing with some of them, Leon stepped away, leaving Claire to enjoy her time with her family.

The agent ended up stepping to the balcony, where Chris was standing as he smoked.

"Claire won't be happy if she catches you," Leon said, standing by his side.

"Smoking is a bad habit I picked up again recently," Chris admitted. "I left it precisely because of Claire."

"And why did you pick it up again?"

"Who knows," Chris sighed. "Stress?"

Leon raised an eyebrow.

"Want one?" Chris offered.

"Under the risk of Claire kicking me out. I pass," Leon answered.

Chris snorted, putting out the cigarette and waving the air around to disperse the smoke.

"So two," Chris said absently. "How are you taking that?"

"It was quite shocking at first," Leon admitted. "But I had time to let it sink in, and I'm feeling great with it. One or two, it's a great thing no matter what."

Chris snorted, patted the agent's back, and smiled. It was a rare gesture from the soldier. Even more, considering that each day Chris seemed to get grumpier.

" Congratulations, Leon. I'm sure you and Claire will be great parents."

"That's what I hope," Leon chuckled. "on my side of course. It's more than obvious that Claire would be a great mom without even trying."

"True," Chris chuckled. "Take care of her, Leon. Things won't get easy."

"I know."

There was a brief pause while the two men stood there watching the night sky in silence.

"It seems you'll be busy from now on, Leon."

Leon knew better than anyone that Chris's omen was correct. From now on, he was going to be very busy.