12. Leon

The onslaught of betas was relentless, far surpassing their initial estimations. The lurking alpha, orchestrating this nightmarish assault, had cunningly amassed a vast horde of monstrosities, pushing the group to their limits and depleting their precious ammunition at an alarming rate. Just when it seemed like hope was dwindling, salvation arrived in the form of Chris and his well-prepared squad. Their timely entrance shifted the tide of the battle, injecting a much-needed surge of confidence into their weary ranks.

However, amidst the chaos, Julie suddenly caught Leon's attention, her voice filled with concern.

"Claire…" she said in a dry voice, and it was all he needed to hear.

Claire had made attempts to explain the enigmatic phenomenon to Leon before, the peculiar way in which the LyMorphs' alpha forms could establish a unique "connection" with one another. It was a connection that transcended mere emotions forged by surviving the horrors of Blackwell; rather, it manifested as a tangible biological or physical bond. This connection allowed for a form of communication, albeit unconventional, which had consistently proven to be astonishingly precise in the past. As Julie's voice echoed with concern, her apprehension mirroring Leon's growing unease, a shiver ran down his spine. He instinctively knew that something was amiss with Claire.

Anxiety settled like a heavy weight in Leon's chest. Without a second thought, Leon pushed through the chaos, his path guided by an instinctive urgency to return to the basement as fast as possible.

The relentless onslaught of betas continued unabated, their grotesque forms charging forward with relentless aggression. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, each passing moment brimming with uncertainty and trepidation. Leon's mind raced, urging him to hasten his pace. Navigating the labyrinthine corridors, Leon's senses sharpened, attuned to every sound and shadow. The symphony of gunfire and bestial growls echoed through the winding halls, urging him forward.

Leon's arrival in the basement was timed perfectly, as if guided by an invisible force that urged him forward. The initial glance suggested that everything was as it should be, but the absence of Claire among the others set off alarm bells in his mind. A growing unease tightened its grip on his heart, propelling him to search for her without a moment's hesitation.

Navigating through the room, and ignoring the curious looks and questions, Leon approached Claire's impromptu office. Pushing it open, his eyes took in the scene before him, a scene that unleashed a surge of adrenaline through his veins. There, in the confined space, Claire was engaged in a fierce struggle, pinned down by a young girl whose strength defied all expectations. The girl's eyes glinted with an otherworldly intensity, betraying a presence far from normal.

Without a moment's hesitation, Leon's instincts kicked into high gear. He swiftly raised his weapon, his aim honed with precision. With resolve in his eyes, he pulled the trigger, unleashing a resounding crack as the gunshot reverberated through the room, temporarily drowning out the chaos that swirled around them.

The bullet found its mark, striking the girl's head with unwavering accuracy. Her eerie screech pierced the air, a testament to the pain she endured. Staggering backward, she fought against the grip of gravity before succumbing to its pull, collapsing onto the floor in an abrupt descent. The room fell into a momentary stillness, the echoes of the gunshot fading into a lingering silence.

Seizing the opportunity, Leon wasted no time. With the urgency of a man propelled by love and protectiveness, he swiftly closed the distance between himself and his wife. Supporting her weight, he helped Claire rise from the tumultuous battleground. A raspy cough escaped her lips, a result of the relentless grip that had constricted her neck just moments ago.

As Claire steadied herself, her trembling hand instinctively sought solace, gingerly massaging her throat, which bore the imprints of the harrowing encounter. Simultaneously, her other hand instinctively cradled her abdomen, a gentle reminder of the life growing within her.

"Claire," he said. "Claire, are you ok?"

"Y-yeah," Claire replied in a raspy voice. She looked pale and shocked.

A soft growl reverberated behind them, compelling Leon to pivot his gaze. The girl, sprawled motionless on the ground, succumbed to violent convulsions that sent tremors coursing through her body. As he observed, an unsettling metamorphosis unfolded before his eyes. Her convulsions escalated, causing her form to rigidify until, finally, she lay still.

Leon's gaze lingered on the unsettling sight, his mind racing to piece together the scattered fragments before him. His eyes darted between Claire's injured arm, the bloodied tweezers abandoned on the ground, and the lifeless body of the girl who had threatened them moments ago. In that fleeting moment, a connection sparked within Leon's mind, a realization that sent a chill down his spine.

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place, forming a grim revelation. The bloodied tweezers, imbued with Claire's virus-laden blood, had found their mark in the girl's shoulder.

"An alpha?" Leon said in realization.

He turned his attention to Claire, his gaze meeting hers as they both observed the lifeless figure before them. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air, a somber reminder of the harsh realities they faced. Her eyes, brimming with sadness, mirrored his own tumultuous emotions.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby. The sound of hurried footsteps and voices filled the room, signaling the arrival of Carlos and the rest of their group.

Carlos approached them, his expression a mix of concern and determination. He took in the scene, his eyes lingering on the fallen girl before shifting to Claire and Leon.

"Holy shit," Carlos said. "What the hell happened here?"

Leon rested his hand on Claire's back and rubbed it comfortingly.

"We had a mole," Leon replied, helping Claire up. "Claire was attacked by the alpha. The betas' attack must have been only a distraction. It's dead now…"

"That explains why they just dropped dead suddenly," Helena said. "Are you ok, Claire?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so," Claire nodded, curling into Leon's safe hug. "Is everyone alright out there?"

"Yeah, everyone is fine. BSAA arrived on time and gave us a hand..."

"BSAA?" Claire asked.

So Chris had made his glorious entry on time as he usually did. Leon had never felt so happy to know that his brother-in-law had arrived on site.

"Claire!"

Chris walked into the room in full combat gear. Whatever the man had been doing at the Mojave desert was not a peaceful mission if he needed all that armory, but that wasn't important now. He was glad that Chris had managed to come here on time.

"Chris?" Claire said, "What are you doing here?"

"Leon's operator called me," Chris replied. "She said she had asked BSAA for support but had not received any answer from the organization. She was worried about the situation, so here I am."

"But I thought ..."

Claire's unfinished words hung in the air. Leon's heart lurched as he witnessed her distress. His eyes widened with a mixture of horror and helplessness as he saw her arch in pain, her hand instinctively resting on her abdomen.

Alarm bells rang loudly in Leon's mind, drowning out any other thoughts. Every fiber of his being was consumed by an overwhelming sense of urgency. He fought to maintain a facade of composure, even as panic clawed at his chest. Deep down, he knew that pain, especially in a pregnant woman who had recently faced an encounter with a BOW, could spell trouble.

"Claire?" Chris said worriedly.

"We can do explanations later," Leon said, picking up Claire and walking out of the room."Chris, Claire needs a medic now."

The situation was far from ideal. The BOWs had been subdued and Chris's men were dealing with the remaining monsters, but the medical center was in shambles. Despite the chaos, Leon knew that time was of the essence and he couldn't afford to waste any more of it. With a sense of urgency, he escorted Claire to Hiwamura's care. The doctor's expression was grim, and she led them to one of the isolation rooms before firmly kicking Leon and Chris out.

"Alright, what's going on here?" Chris asked, walking to Leon and sitting down by his side.

"Claire got attacked by an alpha form that sneaked in with the refugees."

"A perfect alpha? Ugh, So it was Mobius. I should have guessed it," Chris grunted. "Did it hurt Claire? It didn't bite her or..."

"No, it didn't. I made it back on time to interrupt, but…" Leon sighed.

"But…?"

The agent looked around, making sure no one was nearby to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Claire is pregnant."

Chris's reaction mirrored Leon's own when he learned the news. The older Redfield stared at him in disbelief, his face a whirlwind of emotions. Shock, surprise, irritation, and even a hint of happiness flashed across his features, creating a complex tableau of conflicting feelings.

"What? Are you sure?" Chris asked. "I thought that was..."

"Impossible? Yes, all of us were shocked, too, but it is true. Claire is pregnant."

Chris' expression of disbelief didn't match his intimidating looks.

"Your operator didn't mention that."

"She doesn't know. I didn't think it'd be safe to tell her on the monitored line," Leon sighed. "Claire being pregnant means her virus is acting as an exception to LyMorph's rules. If Mobius found out, they would do everything to get Claire and the baby."

Chris snorted.

"Seems you're learning to be paranoid, too, Leon."

"It's the Redfield influence, I suppose."

Chris leaned back on his seat and ran his hand through his hair.

"So, pregnant..." Chris sighed. "With your child."

"Who else's, if not?" Leon scoffed.

"Don't be too cocky. I feel a little compelled to punch you for banging my sister."

"We are married. Isn't that a given fact?"

Chris grimaced, and Leon snorted. Chris hadn't punched him right away. That was far better than the reactions he and Claire had considered when he got the news. In fact, Leon could almost say the older Redfield seemed satisfied with the reveal.

"Well, I'm glad Claire gets that chance at least," Chris sighed. "But you did well. We should probably keep that information low, for her sake and the baby. Now I understand why you looked so panicked when she looked in pain."

"She has ten weeks," Leon sighed. "Hiwamura told me Claire had a false alarm of a potential miscarriage a couple of days ago. The first trimester is always critical, and given her situation, it's already a miracle that she's pregnant. I'm not sure how stable things could be."

"You seem to know quite a lot about the subject," Chris said with a frown.

"Not that much, but I know a couple of things, thanks to my sister," Leon sighed. "I just hope she and the baby are alright."

Chris patted Leon's back sympathetically. Leon could tell Chris shared his worry, but none of the men could do anything aside from waiting for the medic to return with any news about Claire.

"You said Hunnigan called you?" Leon said. Talking would keep their minds busy.

"Yeah, she sounded distressed, so it got my attention," Chris replied. "She told me she'd tried to get BSAA to send troops to Caraçari to rescue the survivors, but the organization turned down her request pretty right away, saying that there was no evidence of a bioterrorist threat in the city. They had declared it as a local emergency due to inclement weather."

"Inclement weather," Leon said bitterly. "It wasn't inclement weather that attacked my wife."

Chris scoffed, visibly upset..

"Either way. She was worried, so she contacted me directly," Chris continued, "and told me about what you had reported. I found it suspicious that BSAA had turned down her request without even attempting to corroborate the facts, so I took my team and came right away."

"If BSAA had sent forces from the Southamerican Branch, we would have had fewer casualties."

"I know," Chris sighed. "You were on a mission in Colombia. How did you end up in Caraçari?"

"I was following a lead to Mobius."

Leon passed Chris the phone and showed the man the footage Leon and Helena had retrieved from the Malabrisas. Chris watched it with a grim expression.

"What place is this?"

"Luziaçari," Leon answered. "We were heading there when I received orders to rescue Claire and her team. With Claire in this situation, I guess I will have to drop this lead."

"No, you take Claire home. I'll follow the lead," Chris said, giving back the phone.

"What about Mojave?"

"Jill can handle that," Chris replied.

Leon was about to ask about the situation, but at that moment, he saw Hiwamura walk out of the room, closing the door behind her. She scanned the room and then walked to them with a steady pass.

Leon instantly jumped up as the woman arrived.

"Is Claire…?"

"She's ok," Hiwamura replied. "So is the olive. She just got a little shaken up again. She should take things calmly from now on to avoid anything like this from happening again though. That baby might have your genes, but it is too young to deal with Claire's usual excitement."

Leon sighed. He didn't want his child to have to deal with BOW now nor ever if he could help it. But the baby was safe, and so was Claire, that was enough to make him feel relieved.

"That's...great news," Leon sighed,

"Yeah," the doctor nodded. "But pregnancy is very demanding on the mother. Her blood test shows that she is a little anemic, and with her age, and the circumstances of her issues, the pregnancy could be of high risk. It would be better that she's looked after by a specialist during the rest of the gestation period. Late pregnancies can be difficult, and sadly I'm not a obsetrician."

"I understand," Leon nodded. "Is she awake now?"

"Yeah, you can see her now," Hiwamura smiled. "I gave her some vitamins, fluids, and proper medication to stabilize her, but she should get herself checked by an obstetrician as soon as we get the hell out of here."

"Yeah, you can be sure I will take her. Thank you."

"It's alright. I'll go check on the injured. If she needs anything, just call me."

The medic gave them a reassuring smile and walked away, leaving Leon and Chris to enter Claire's room. As they stepped inside, their eyes fell upon Claire, who was lying in bed, looking significantly better than she had minutes earlier. Despite her weariness, a gentle smile graced her lips as she spotted them entering the room.

"Hey," Claire greeted.

Claire looked tired, and Leon couldn't blame her. If there was someone in this world that deserved a break, that was definitely her.

"Hey," Leon said, walking to the side of her bed and caressing her face with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, nauseous, and, surprisingly, hungry."

Leon snorted at the last comment. He made a mental note to get her something to eat as soon as possible.

"Well, you are feeding a baby there. It's only natural."

"I guess," Claire said with a smile.

"Hiwamura said everything looks fine, but you need to take things easier, now," Leon smiled.

"Yes, thank god. It was relieving to hear its heartbeat. I was worried."

Leon snorted. He was just as worried, but he felt a little more relieved now. It was surreal to think that he was talking about his own child. He had never imagined himself in this position, especially not since he started his job at the DSO. Marriage had never been in his plans either, but he had fallen in love with Claire, the woman with whom he had started his journey as an anti-bioterrorism agent.

"Chris?" Claire said.

Leon's thoughts were interrupted as he remembered that Chris had accompanied him to Claire's room. The older Redfield had been unusually quiet, blending into the background of their conversation. Leon had almost forgotten he was there. But now, as Claire's voice broke the silence, Chris seemed to snap out of his reverie. His thoughtful expression transformed into a warm smile as he turned his gaze towards Claire.

"Sorry," Chris apologized. "I'm trying to process the idea that my baby sister is becoming a mother."

"And that makes you an uncle," Claire smiled, she stretched her hand at him, and Chris took it fondly.

"Congratulations, Claire. No one in this world is more ready to be a mom than you," Chris said proudly. "That kid will be brilliant, even if it is half Leon's."

"I beg your pardon?" Leon said in a mocking voice.

Chris gave him a friendly smirk, and he heard Claire chuckle.

"From what I heard, your pregnancy is risky, Claire," Chris said, crossing his arms again. "what the fuck were you thinking coming to this place pregnant?"

"Like I told Leon," Claire sighed. "I didn't find out I was pregnant until after I had already come. If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have accepted."

Chris sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, you can't stay," her brother said. "For your sake and the baby's. You need to take it easy anyway. Not stressing situations or physical distress."

"I know," Claire sighed. "Geriatric pregnancy, viral mutations, among other things. Lots of risk factors."

"You'll need a doctor looking after you regularly. One that we can trust isn't part of Mobius," Leon said. "Hiwamura can help you, but she said it herself. She is a psychiatrist, not an obstetrician."

"I suppose I will have to find someone then. Perhaps one of the medical departments in TerraSave…"

Mobius had already infiltrated DSO and BSAA, and Leon and Chris weren't sure if TerraSave was also compromised. They couldn't take any chances with Claire's safety. If she needed to be taken care of, it had to be by someone they trusted to protect her. Leon had an idea of who could do that. His sister Isabella was an obstetrician, perhaps he could persuade her to take care of Claire.

"I have someone in mind," Leon said. "but we'll see that when we get home."

"We?"

"You don't expect me to let you go alone, do you? Consider your luck, your plane home might get hijacked by terrorists before it even departs…"

Claire rolled her eyes.

"But what about Luziâçari? I thought you wanted to check that."

"I do, but I discussed it with Chris, and we agree that it's more important that I get you back home."

"Don't worry. I'll take over Luziâçari," Chris clarified. " Meanwhile Leon will get you back to Washington."

"You? Weren't you supposed to be doing some top mission for the BSAA back at the Mojave desert?"

"Jill can handle that without me," Chris said, shaking his head.

"Is that really ok?" Claire said dubiously. "You had your orders. I don't suppose BSAA will be too happy if you drop those to pursue your own target."

"It's fine," Chris sighed. "This is more important."

Leon could tell the heavyweight that lingered over the man's shoulders.

"I'll let you two talk," Chris sighed. "I still need to see how things are fairing outhere.. I'll come to see you later, Claire."

Chris kissed his sister's forehead and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the couple to themselves. Leon looked at Claire and saw that she seemed concerned, so he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Things with the BSAA aren't good, are they?" Claire asked, looking at him. "I can tell from his expression."

"Something is fishy with them," Leon nodded. "And Chris knows."

"Why exactly did he come? I doubt Hunnigan would call him for reinforcements alone."

Leon pulled a chair close to her bedside and sat down, grabbing her hand.

"Hunnigan contacted the BSAA, asking for support. The organization didn't respond, nor did they seem interested in taking the case, saying it wasn't bioterrorism-related."

"What? But you told Hunnigan about the parasite," Claire said, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Yes, and she told them so, but BSAA still refused, saying that info was speculation and unofficial," Leon nodded.

"What?"

"Hunnigan grew concerned, so she contacted the Hound Wolf Squad directly," Leon replied. "She told Chris the situation, and here he is."

"Why would BSAA ignore this situation?"

"I'm not sure," Leon sighed. "But if I've learned something in all these years is that it is a matter of time for bad weeds to bloom. It was surprising that it'd taken this long to happen in the BSAA."

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men (1)," Claire sighed.

Leon snorted. His wife couldn't be more right.

"You and your literary quotes," Leon said, putting his hand over her belly. "I get the feeling you'll be reading the Origin of the Species instead of bedtime stories."

"Nah, that's too boring. Then again, it is supposed to make it fall asleep, so it might actually work."

Leon hugged her tightly before kissing her. It was still a bit unreal to think that he was going to be a father.. It was exciting, but at the same time, it was terrifying. There were so many things running through his mind, but he would deal with them on his own time.

Claire was given the green light to move around two days. Her team had submitted the preliminary investigation results to the WHO, and they were eager to return home. The paperwork could wait, and they preferred to complete it in the safety of their laboratory rather than in a city ravaged by monsters. Leon couldn't blame them; he could relate to the sentiment.

Being a DSO special agent had its perks, and one of them was having access to a private airline whenever needed. It was particularly beneficial after a harrowing mission when dealing with obnoxious passengers complaining about free peanuts was the last thing on their minds. The flight was quiet, allowing them more privacy to process their thoughts and emotions.

Caraçari had been deemed a lost city, and the surviving inhabitants were evacuated. Succumbing to Chris's relentless pressure, the BSAA finally took on the task of sterilizing the area. It was a tragic outcome that could have been easily prevented if only the BSAA had responded promptly to Hunnigan's plea for help.

In response to Leon's request, Carlos had assumed the role of Claire's new security chief, filling the void in her lab's security measures. Leon had witnessed firsthand the capabilities of the man and considered him trustworthy enough to safeguard Claire's well-being in his absence. Although Claire wasn't exactly thrilled about the constant surveillance, she took solace in knowing that Carlos would be by her side for an extended period.

"Well, at least they look better," Helena said, crossing her arms. She and Leon were sitting near the cockpit, watching Claire talk to her group. The two agents didn't know what the conversation was about, but it probably was work-related. "Claire still seems a little bothered by morning sickness though…"

"Yeah," Leon nodded."Her body is protecting the child from the virus, or so is the theory, causing far more bothersome symptoms than it would normally do."

"No surprise she looked like she was about to die a while ago," Helena chuckled.

"I suppose," Leon nodded. "She'll need a lot of care. Her pregnancy is already risky because of her age, and her condition only makes it worse."

"I suppose you'll have to work hard spoiling her rotten," Helena snorted. "I'm sure Hopkins wouldn't mind giving you less faraway missions once he knows."

"Yeah, I know he won't."

"What about the obstetrician? Do you have anyone in mind?"

"I do," Leon nodded. "But we'll have to figure out the logistics. I know it's the best option though."

"Mmm, that's a lot of trust, I wonder who it might be," Helena said. "Any past girlfriend you are hiding from Claire?"

Leon rolled his eyes.

"It's my sister," Leon replied. "She's an obstetric gynecologist."

"Now, that's unexpected..." Helena chuckled, "but convenient. What are you planning to do? Move her to Chicago?"

"Not sure yet," Leon sighed. "I need to talk to Bella first. Maybe after the second trimester, it would be better for her to be in Chicago."

"How long are you planning to keep this secret?"Helenas asked. "Once her bump is out, I'm sure people will notice."

"I know I can't keep it secret forever," Leon admitted. "But I'll try to do so for as long as we can. A lot of things need to get sorted first. We have many arrangements to make."

Helena nodded and smiled sheepishly.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. I just never thought I'd ever see you getting in the father's shoes, that's all. It's not a bad thing, but you know…"

"Haven't I pretty much had a daughter all this time?"

"Birkin doesn't count," Helena replied, waving her hand. "I mean, she jumps from unofficial daughter to little sister all the time. That's a different dynamic. Besides, you didn't have her as a baby, did you? It's different."

"Well, you might be right."

Helena chuckled.

"Well, you know you can count on my support. I can be cool aunt Helena."

"Thanks, Helena."

"Baby Kennedy," Helena smirked. "Now that will be historical. The president will lose her mind."

"I think she already gave up on me."

"Nah, all your fangirls are still hoping you'll get divorced," Helena shrugged.

"Hope is the last thing to die," Claire said, approaching them.

She sat on the empty seat in front of Leon, and the agent smiled, seeing that she was eating another sandwich. That was the third one in an hour. Her appetite had improved a lot in the last couple of days. The morning sickness continued to bother her, but at least she didn't seem to reject food as she did before.

"Don't judge me," Claire said when she caught him staring at the sandwich.

"I'm not," Leon snorted. "Honestly, I am glad that you are eating. Do you want anything else?"

"Frankly, I do. I'm like a bottomless barrel right now. I'm always hungry," Claire said, biting the sandwich. "At least I haven't started with the weird food combos yet."

"Pregnant women need to eat," Helena snickered. "You have the right to indulge yourself."

"So they say," Claire sighed. "I'll be the size of a whale before the first trimester ends, and Leon will have to get creative if he wants to keep it a secret."

"We'll figure out something on the way," Leon snickered. "Don't worry about it and eat to your heart's content."

"That makes me feel like a pig," Claire sighed. "But I am too hungry to care."

"That's fair enough," Helena laughed. "If it serves as comfort, I am pretty sure that's the baby asking for food and not you. We know you are not a pig."

Claire shrugged and finished her sandwich.

"Just a warning," she said, folding the sandwich package, "I foresee that I will be hungry in approximately half an hour."

"You can eat whatever you want. Just ask for it," Leon chuckled. "You don't need to worry about that."

"Yeah, perks of being married to a gov agent with privileges," Helena nodded.

"I don't have privileges," Leon said, shaking his head.

"Liar," Claire and Helena said in unison.

The two women exchanged looks and snickered. Leon rolled his eyes.

"Well, hopefully, those privileges come from good performance and not because the president has the hots for my husband," Claire said, resting her chin on her palm and blinking at him.

"Jealous?" Leon asked with the same playful tone.

"Should I be?"

"Last time I checked, you're the one carrying my kid, so you tell me."

"Point taken," Claire nodded. "But I'm not sure that would stop her from having the hots for you."

"I think she'll never let that go, Leon," Helena laughed. "You're lucky Hopkins has managed to keep you away from presidential duties."

"I owe him one. Sherry hasn't been that lucky, though."

"Poor Sherry," Claire snickered. "She writes to me to rant at least twice a week. I don't know, but sometimes I feel she wants to strangle her."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Helena said. "The president isn't exactly discreet with her crush on Leon."

"It's been more than ten years," Len sighed. "I don't know why she hasn't gotten over it."

"Hey, I had a crush on you more than ten years ago, and here I am. Married to you," Claire reasoned, and Leon scoffed.

"That's different."

"I don't see the difference."

"I do," Helena replied. "In your case, the feelings go both ways."

Claire shrugged.

"Let's drop that topic," Leon said, shaking his head. "What are you planning to do when we get to Washington?"

Leon looked at Claire, and his wife seemed to ponder her plans.

"Finish the report for the WHO and the Minister of Health, I suppose. Maybe get a watermelon and pineapple smoothie, and contact Rebecca."

"Chambers?" Helena asked.

"Yeah, I'll send a sample of the parasite to the Alexander Institute," Claire nodded. "I'm a virologist, not a parasitologist. Someone in the Institute will handle the data better than me. I don't think I have anything else for now."

"Well, that's good," Leon said. "I need you available..."

"Eh? Why?"

"You don't plan to let my family find out about the baby until it is born, do you?" Leon said, frowning at him. "They didn't appreciate it when we did that with the wedding."

"Oh, yeah," Claire said in realization. "You are right. We should pay a visit and let them know in person. I don't want your parents to hate me anymore."

"Since when do they hate you? They might love you more than they love me."

Claire made a funny grimace, and Leon laughed. His family doting on Claire wasn't a lie. His sister loved how knowledgeable she was; his mother loved how sweet and caring Claire could be, and his father valued Claire's practicality.

"I guess a visit to Chicago is in order."

"Yes, it is."

(1)John Dalberg-Acton