18. Jill
Chris had returned from his little personal mission as if nothing had happened. Jill tried to ask, but Chris was lazy and elusive with his answers, and when Jill inquired more, the man shook his head and replied with a simple "later."
"Well, at least we got some useful information from here," Jill casually commented as they sat on the plane and flew smoothly back to Washington. "That facility was one of The Connections', and there was some information from the E-type. Not enough, unfortunately, but it is a lead, right?"
"Yeah," Chris nodded. "And the other info we found might prove to be a link to Mobius, too. I'm not sure how that will help us, but it will. Did we get any viable samples?"
"Yeah, I'm sure BSAA will send them to Rebecca or maybe even Claire. I guess that will depend on what they decide."
"Yeah, I suppose," Chris sighed. The soldier rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I need a break, maybe a couple of days off."
"That's unexpected," Jill snorted. "You've not taken a vacation in what? Four years?"
Chris snorted.
"Yeah, maybe. We should call Barry when we land. Let's go out for dinner or something."
"What?" Jill said, surprised.
Chris was asking for a casual outing with Barry. Now, something was off. Chris was definitely up to something.
"What's up with that?"
"Nothing," Chris replied. "It's been a while since we went out together. We haven't seen Barry that often since he retired."
"Ok," Jill said with a slight frown. "I guess I can call him when we land. It doesn't have anything to do with Claire, is it?"
Jill had a slight hunch that the reason Chris wanted to see Barry so suddenly had to do with Claire and Leon, but the man stubbornly refused to answer her questions. Jill knew Chris well. If the soldier was avoiding answering, it was because he probably wanted them together before he said what he wanted to say.
Barry was as surprised by Chris's sudden idea as Jill was when the man first suggested it.
"May the gods hit me. Chris is actually suggesting a social call?" Barry said with an amused tone. "Did he hit his head or something? I thought I told you to keep an eye on him, Jill."
"Very funny, Barry," Jill chuckled. "No, he didn't hit his head, at least not on my watch. I can't say the same about his little sneak out since I wasn't there."
"Chris sneaking away from a mission?" Barry mumbled. "That's a little out of character for our best boy. He's never done that before."
"Well, Leon asked for help, and it involved Claire, so..."
"If I don't remember wrongly," Barry snorted. "Claire asked for help once, and he sent Parker. Brother-in-law calls in, and he goes personally?"
"Situation was different," Jill sighed. "Either way, are you free or not?"
"Jill, I'm a retired soldier with three grown-up daughters. Of course, I am free. In fact, Kathy is giving me looks, so what about you guys drop by for dinner? Nothing like home cooking after a long mission, right?"
The idea didn't sound bad at all. Jill spoke for another couple of minutes, and at the end of the conversation, she had agreed that they would dine with the Burtons that night.
Chris came back into the office with a sullen expression on his face. As the leader of the WHS, Chris had gone to report in with the heads as soon as they had made it back to BSAA headquarters.
"Ok, I assume the BSAA Chairboard wasn't too happy about your decision to go to South America without consulting with them?" Jill asked, crossing her arms, and Chris answered with an irritated snort.
"Well, they couldn't do much after I told them they had ignored the call and almost fucked up as they did on Dulvey," Chris replied. "The bastards knew I was right."
"They are going to file you for insubordination one day, Chris," Jill sighed. "I don't think Adam can cover you forever."
"I never said I needed covering," Chris grunted. "So, did you manage to contact Barry?"
"Yeah, he and Kathy are expecting us for dinner. Hey, do you want to call Claire and Leon, too?"
"Nah, Claire and Leon are not in Washington right now."
That surprised Jill. She hadn't seen Chris call his sister, so how did he know that? Almost as if Chris had read her thoughts, the man said:
"I talked to Leon a while ago. He told me they would be out of Washington for a couple of weeks, visiting Leon's parents."
"Well, that's unexpected," Jill said, "but it makes sense, I suppose. It'll be just us then, like old times."
"Yeah, that's perfect, since I've got some stuff to talk about with you."
"And wonder what that is..."
Chris shook his shoulders and smiled at Jill without saying anything else. The mysterious behavior of her partner was something uncharacteristic, but Jill was patient. She was willing to wait until Chris decided to reveal the secret he seemed so adamant to tell.
"Well, look at that. Has someone gained some weight during retirement?" Jill greeted playfully. She hugged Barry, who laughed.
"What are you talking about, Jill? I'm as fit as I always am," Barry said. "Heard you've been wreaking havoc around the BSAA, huh, Chris?"
"Yeah, well. Someone has to, now that you're not around to do it, Barry," Chris said, shaking hands with the older man.
"Huh, well. Come in, you two. Kathy made her famous fried chicken."
"Mmm, fried chicken," Jill smiled. "When was the last time we had Kathy's fried chicken?"
"Way too long ago?" Kathy said, coming out from the kitchen with a wide smile.
"Kathy!" Jill smiled. "You look great!"
"Oh, thank you. You both look great, too," Kathy laughed. "I keep telling Barry we should call you more often."
"Ah, you know these two are always busy," Barry said, waving his hand. "With all that Claire has told us. You are as busy as her husband."
"Claire?" Chris asked. "Does she come often?"
"Oh, she sure does, that one," Kathy laughed. "She comes often. She even helps Natalia with her homework sometimes."
"She was around often since Kennedy was out for a while," Barry replied. "You didn't invite them?"
"She's probably on her way to Chicago now," Chris shrugged.
"Chicago?" Kathy asked, surprised. "Oh, did she go visit her in-laws?"
"Yeah," Chris nodded. "I talked to Leon a little earlier, and they were about to board the plane."
"Oh, Claire didn't tell me that," Kathy said, serving some drinks. "Well, it's only natural for her to visit Leon's family."
"Yeah, and they have reasons, too," Chris sighed.
"Reasons?"
"Yeah, Leon's sister."
"Oh, yes," Kathy said, "I remember Claire mentioning that her sister-in-law was a doctor. What was her specialty? Mmm."
"Obstetrics and gynecology," Chris said.
"Ah, that's right!"
"Wait, why would they need to see an OB/GYN?" Barry asked. "It's not like Claire was pregnant..."
Chris sighed and smiled faintly. It was then that it dawned on Jill. The reason why Chris acted odd and secretive when he returned from meeting Leon and Claire and why he'd wanted to meet with Barry right after returning home.
"Oh, my god," Jill said, covering her mouth.
"Wait. Hold on a second, what?" Barry asked with wide eyes. "Explain yourself, Chris."
Chris looked around and sighed again.
"Yeah, that's why I wanted us to meet," Chris said. "Claire is pregnant. We found out when she was in South America. It was a surprise for everyone, including Claire, herself."
"I thought she couldn't..." Jill said.
"We all did, but I was there to hear the confirmation."
"Well, that's great news," Kathy smiled. "I definitely need to call and congratulate her!"
"About that," Chris said. "We need to keep the whole pregnancy discreet as much as long as we can. Leon suspects, and he probably is right, that the fact that Claire broke another rule from the LyMorph pattern will entice Mobius's interest again."
"LyMorphs are sterile. If Claire is pregnant, that would be the achievement of the century for Mobius," Jill said. "God knows what sort of inhuman experiments they would do with her and the baby!"
"Yes, and since it seems Mobius might have eyes everywhere, Leon thinks, and I agree with him that we must handle her pregnancy carefully. That's why he decided to ask his sister to be Claire's doctor."
"Well, talk about paranoia," Barry grunted. "I can't say I blame him, though."
"But a pregnancy won't be easy to hide, especially in the later stages," Kathy said.
"Yeah, maybe, but with some luck, we can't delay the news as much as we can until we come with a contingency."
"How far along is she?"
"Leon said it was about ten weeks or something when I found out."
"That was when you went to Southamerica," Jill said. "So eleven weeks now?"
"Oh, dear, already over the first trimester!" Kathy said with wide eyes.
"She was here some weeks ago. We didn't even realize," Barry grunted.
"From what I heard, Claire wasn't showing signs until they made it to the Amazon. It was there when they found out," Chris replied.
"Is she ok? The baby?" Jill asked. "I mean her health and all that..."
Claire being pregnant was great news. However, with the young Redfield's situation, things could get complicated. Claire or the baby could be in danger.
"According to Hiwamura," Chris replied. "It's a high-risk pregnancy which is why Claire needed an OB/GYN. That, among other factors, could endanger her or the baby. She almost had a miscarriage twice while in South America.
"Oh, dear God," Kathy said, covering her mouth. "Surely, she's going to be better now. I mean, I doubt her husband would neglect her, right?"
"Well, Kennedy has proved to be quite a devoted husband, so," Barry shrugged. "I'd expect it to be like that."
"The problem is," Jill reasoned. "If Leon plans to keep her pregnancy secret, he might not be able to avoid missions. What if they send him away for another three months?"
"Well, can't he refuse or something?" Kathy asked.
"He can," Chris nodded. "At least, I think Hopkins would be willing to accept it, but the rest of his superiors might not. We are not naive. Claire's situation can't remain hidden for too long. Perhaps one or two more months, but eventually, it'd be too obvious."
Obvious would be an understatement. Claire was pretty thin. If she suddenly gained weight and her belly grew, it would be more than clear that something was up.
"And that's when shit starts," Barry said, rubbing his face. "Damn it. Fucking terrorists always have to ruin everything, huh? Well, be sure we are there to help in whatever we can. I might have retired, but I'm not yet rusty."
"Oh, Barry," Kathy chuckled. "Don't let Moira hear you."
"I'm not old!" Barry complained. "I and these beauties can still kick some ass."
"Nobody doubts that, Barry," Chris laughed. "Why do you think we call for you when things are crap?"
"Because you're smart kids. All aside. I know about the secrecy thing, but shouldn't we celebrate it?"
"I agree with Barry. It is big for Claire and Leon," Jill nodded. "Even if it is only us, we should do something. We can make up any silly excuse for a party."
They all knew how important family was for Claire. She had given up that after Mobius, but now it seemed that things would fall into place once again.
"I can't fight that reasoning. I'm sure that if we take precautions, it shouldn't be a problem," Chris nodded.
"Wow, you're awfully complacent," Barry laughed. "Are you really Chris?"
"I'm happy for them," Chris replied sincerely.
Jill smiled. A couple of years ago, Chris would have wholeheartedly denied the possibility that Claire and Leon could enter into a romantic relationship. When that relationship turned to reality, and the two announced that they would renew their marriage using Claire's real name, Chris was still hesitant. It wasn't long before Leon proved to Chris that he loved Claire. Barry wasn't lying when he said the agent was a devoted husband.
"Besides..." Chris smiled. "I am going to be an uncle!"
The rest of the evening was quite enjoyable. The group chatted animatedly about many things, with future parents being the main topic. Jill was still smiling as they rode the car back home.
"So all that secrecy was about your future niece or nephew?" Jill asked.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't entirely sure that it was safe to talk about it."
"Come on, Chris," Jill sighed. "I know you are distrustful of the BSAA, but everyone in the WHS is loyal to you over the organization."
"Yeah, I'll rather take no risks. Besides, I figured it'd be easier to tell you and Barry at the same time."
"Well, that part is reasonable," Jill snorted. "Leon is going to need a lot of help."
"Yes, as soon as Mobius finds out, everything will blow up."
"As we didn't have enough problems with The Connections," Jill sighed. "So, who else are you planning to tell?"
"The old gang," Chris answered. "At least that's on my side. I'm sure Leon has his own list of trusted people."
"Ok, so, that only leaves Rebecca," Jill said thoughtfully. "Well, I know she'd be excited."
"As long as she doesn't decide to turn Claire into an experiment," Chris snorted.
"Hey, don't put her on the same side of Mobius," Jill laughed. "Rebecca means good."
"I know. To be fair, Claire is as much of a mad scientist as she is," Chris sighed. " Leon is gonna have one hell of a ride trying to keep Claire from doing anything reckless."
"Well, Claire will be a responsible mother," Jill whispered. "I'm sure she will behave for the baby's sake."
"I hope, for Leon's sake, that you are right," Chris chuckled.
"So, when are we visiting our future mother?" Barry asked, smiling.
"We'll see. Last time I checked, she's still in Chicago."
Jill stepped into the office, holding two cups of coffee. The first things that greeted her were a pile of files and grumpy Chris running through them.
"Wow, what's this?" Jill said with a frown.
"The Caraçari Report," Chris replied. "Courtesy of the BSAA high command."
"Ok, I don't like the way you said that," Jill said, placing the coffee on the desk. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Chris said, dropping the files on the table. "Rabies."
"What?"
Chris brought up the file and read with an annoyed tone:
"After a careful review of the situation, it was concluded that the cause of the incident in Caraçari was an outbreak of rabies, most likely transmitted to cattle through bats. The situation shows no evidence of Bioterrorism, so it is beyond the organization's jurisdiction. BSAA will not pursue the investigation."
"What?"Jill grunted with wide eyes.
"Will you defend them now?" Chris said with anger. "The assholes ignored Leon's request for aid and Claire's report of a potential bioterrorist threat. They screwed up, and what do they do? Say it was out of their jurisdiction. It's Dulvey all over again."
"What about Luziâçari? You found evidence there."
"There is no evidence that the events in Luziâçari have any relation to what happened in Caraçari. Therefore, BSAA-Southamerica will investigate the incident as an isolated case."
Jill could not believe it.
"What about Leon's and Claire's reports?"
"Inconclusive," Chris replied. "According to BSAA, Claire's initial report had not enough evidence to prove the Biothreat."
"The report said there was a reanimated corpse," Jill said. She had read the report herself. Claire had clearly stated that a woman presumably infected with an unknown disease had died and risen up in a Zombie-like state. "Zombies, what else did they need?"
"Who knows? Maybe a Tyrant," Chris sighed with annoyance. "The point is, they are washing their hands and acting as they did nothing wrong."
"Well, shit. I can't believe it."
Jill looked at Chris. The man pinched the bridge of his nose and threw the files away from his desk. She couldn't blame him for distrusting BSAA now. He had all the right to be angry after that report.
"I don't want to think about this now," Chris sighed.
"Yeah," Jill said sympathetically. "Hey, isn't Claire returning today?"
"Yeah, I talked to Harper, so I'll be picking them up. How are things on your side?"
"Well, Sherry took over most of it, but everything is as good as it could be. We'll have a nice evening."
"Hopefully. After this shit, I need something to get distracted."
"And you will," Jill said, patting his shoulder. "You will."
The two BSAA soldiers spent the rest of the day reviewing files and writing down reports. The more she read, the angrier she felt, and she could tell Chris was going through the same. When the time to leave came, the two rushed out of the office without looking back.
Chris would go to the airport to pick both Leon and Claire, while Jill headed to Leon's apartment to help with the party.
The place was nicely decorated and smelled of delicious food when she entered. It was clear that Kathy and Sherry had outdone themselves with the details. Jill was sure that Claire would love it.
"Wow, that's quite something," Jill said, amused.
"Well, thank you. My daughters helped, right girls?" Kathy smiled, hugging her three girls.
"Fuck yeah," Moira said happily. "Claire's like our older sister, which will make the baby our nephew or niece, too!"
"That will be fun!" Polly smiled. "Don't you think, Natalia?"
"It will be lovely."
"But we shouldn't take all the credit," Moira admitted. "Sherry did a lot, too."
"I am sure she did. Is everyone here?"
"Oh, yeah. Even Claire's team arrived. The security guy went through all the place making sure the apartment wasn't tampered with," Polly giggled.
"You mean Wallace?"
"Oh, no, not Wallace! He's..."
"Hey, super-cop. It's been a while!"
Jill's eyes widened as she recognized the familiar voice. The woman spun on her heels and was surprised by Carlos's friendly face. The man looked a little older and perhaps with a few new scars, but aside from that, nothing seemed too different in his easy-going demeanor.
"Carlos?" Jill said, smiling with shock. "Oh, my god! What are you doing here?"
"He's Claire's security man," Helena replied, walking from behind him. "In other words, Leon's replacement."
"I wouldn't put it like that," Carlos laughed.
"You're Claire's bodyguard?" Jill asked.
"More or less, yeah. Giving her a helping hand is the least I can do, and Claire and I go way back," Carlos said, winking at her.
"Oh? You knew Claire?"
"Yeah, we met some years ago, during one of her Terra Save missions, but that's a story for another time."
"Don't tell me you flirted with her," Jill smirked.
"Of course not," Carlos laughed. "at least not after the first rejection."
Jill laughed. Somehow she could easily imagine Claire and Carlos sneaking around a zombie-filled town.
"Are we missing anything?" Jill asked, wishing to help.
"Only the guests of honor," Helena said.
"Yeah, are we sure Kennedy won't be mad that we broke into his apartment?"
"We didn't break-in," Helena smirked. "It was Sherry who let us in."
"And what's different from breaking in?"
"Sherry can call this place her house if she wants to," Helena said. "She's like Claire and Leon's unofficial daughter, so Leon would never be mad at her. She has a key to the apartment, so it's not illegal."
"Unofficial daughter? How does that work?"
"I'll tell you some other time, casanova," Hiwamura said. " Now come here and help us with these boxes."
"As you command," Carlos said dramatically. "We'll talk later, super-cop."
Jill smiled. It had been years since she'd heard anything of Carlos. The woman wouldn't deny that it was a pleasing surprise to meet him again. Although, she never expected Claire to know him.
"Ok, people. The guests of honor arrived, so everyone, your places!" Barry said, clapping.
The look of bewilderment and surprise on Leon and Claire's faces when they entered the apartment was absolutely priceless, and Jill couldn't resist capturing the moment with a commemorative photograph. The news of the pregnancy seemed like a well-timed miracle for the couple, and it brought a wave of joy and excitement to everyone present. Jill could see the happiness radiating from Claire and Leon, and it warmed her heart to see her friends embarking on this new chapter in their lives, but what was even better than their happy faces was Chris's expression when the couple revealed that there was not only one baby, but two.
"Twins!" Jill said with a wide grin. "That's amazing."
"Twins? You're telling me Leon didn't knock up my sister once but twice in one go?"
"Do you have to make it sound so nasty?" Claire said, rolling her eyes and slapping her brother's arm.
"Well, what do you want me to say?"
"My genes seem to be quite strong, what can I say?" Leon smirked. "Or maybe my efforts simply pay off?"
"You really want me to punch you, don't you?"
"We married, there's nothing illegal if I was persistent, is it?"
"Don't taunt me, Leon…"
"You two stop it. There are minors present, so mind your words," Claire grunted.
"What? I haven't said anything, unless Chris's misunderstanding…"
"Like shit I am. Like I didn't know what kind of perverted personality you have…"
ill couldn't help but chuckle as she saw Claire drop her arms in annoyance, clearly not amused by the playful banter between Chris and Leon. She decided to let the two men continue their light-hearted teasing while she made her way to sit with the rest of the group.
The room was filled with joy and excitement about the baby news, and everyone was eager to hear more about the pregnancy. Claire, with a wide smile on her face, happily shared the pictures of the ultrasound she had brought back from Chicago.
"I don't really see it, but I am excited." Sherry said, looking at the printed ultrasound picture. "Are these really babies?"
"That's what the ultrasound seems to suggest," Claire smiled, resting her hand on her belly.
"It doesn't look like babies," Polly said, tilting her head.
"It's an ultrasound, honey," Kathy laughed. "And an early one, wait till the next one and it will look more like babies but if it helps these are the heads."
"Oh! I think I see it now. Way to go, Claire!" Moira clapped. "That's fucking awesome!"
"Just make sure you don't let Moira near them too often," Polly laughed. "They will end up with foul mouths!"
"Hey!"
Claire laughed.
"This is such amazing news!" Rebecca clapped. "Congratulations, Claire!"
Claire smiled at Rebecca while accepting the plate of food that Kathy was offering. Jill couldn't help but notice how radiant Claire seemed.
"Well. One baby is a big toll, but two…that's another story," Kathy said. "You gotta double your food, honey."
"And you're a little too thin, after all. It is a good excuse for you to put on some weight," Barry nodded.
"You are always trying to make me fat, Barry," Claire laughed. "That hasn't changed in what? The last 33 years?"
"It's not my fault that you are so skinny!"
"But aren't babies supposed to grow? Does it mean two babies are double size?" Natalia asked.
"Natalia is right," Moira sighed. "What are you guys planning to do with that? The whole secrecy thing will be shit when your belly turns huge suddenly."
"We still have a couple of months before the belly grows out of control," Claire shrugged. "We'll come up with something."
"Well, and if not," Barry added. "Let them find out. We'll blow their asses off if they try anything!"
"It's good to know you have my back," Claire laughed.
"Well, in some way, those babies will be like our grandchildren, right?" Kathy smiled. "It's only natural for us to help."
"In a way, those babies feel like everyone's babies," Rebecca laughed. "Thus, everyone is so happy to help!"
"Wow, I thought that was Barry's kids role," Claire laughed.
"Well, that is different," Jill snickered.
Rebecca's words had struck a chord with everyone in the room. As they all looked at the ultrasound image and felt the palpable excitement in the air, they realized the truth in her statement. Those babies held a special place in each of their hearts, and the bond they shared with Claire and Leon extended far beyond friendship or camaraderie.
"In a way, Rebecca is right," Chris said, his voice firm and resolute. "Those babies are not just Claire and Leon's; they are part of our family too. And we'll do whatever it takes to protect them."
Nods of agreement echoed through the room, and Jill noticed a collective sense of determination and commitment in the eyes of her friends. They had faced countless threats and enemies in the past, but this new chapter was different. It wasn't just about saving the world; it was about safeguarding the future of their own little family.
Carlos spoke up, his voice filled with a mix of seriousness and affection. "Those kids are going to have the best uncles and aunties, you can count on that."
"And the most overprotective ones too. We won't let anything happen to them," Jill chuckled.
Jill felt a surge of pride over her friends. They had been through so much together, and now, they were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead as one united force. The world might still be a dangerous place, filled with unknown threats, but they knew they could count on each other to overcome any obstacle.
As the evening continued, the laughter and joyous conversation resumed, but now there was an added sense of determination in their interactions. They were more than just friends and colleagues; they were a family, ready to face the world together.