The song is a Queen song, nothing to do with the Winters family.
Chloe lay under her thick bed sheets with her eyes gently closed, with each side of the sheet tucked under her sides, and she grinned at the thought of a meaty Redfield burrito. She could hear the faint hum of the tv in the living room, probably the usual bullshit that Mom would watch on this day every year. She groaned and frowned her brow at the sound of Mom singing before turning onto her side.
Claire had woken up hours ago, full of her usual excitement and glee, but after years of grumpy relatives being coaxed out of bed too early, she hadn't entered Chloe's room all morning. She sighed and rolled the other way, still wrapped in her sheets, and began to slowly succumb to sleep once more.
She jolted awake with a startled yell as fingers wiggled against her neck, and her eyes shot open to-
"Chloooooeeeeeee, wake uuuuup! It's Christmas Daaaay!"
She squirmed quickly to the other side of her bed and glared at the culprit.
"Jesus, Dad, really?!"
Chris smiled smugly at her with his arms folded.
"Hey, I'm just making up for all the years you used to wake me up at Christmas," he nodded his head at her bedside table, "Hot chocolate for ya."
She sighed, and she released her arms from her bed sheet cocoon, picked up her mug and sniffed it.
"Does Mom know you put Irish cream in it?" Chloe asked, smirking at him, and he responded with a wink before sitting on her bed. She sipped the frothy top and smacked her lips.
"Five out of ten, not enough Irish cream." Chloe remarked, and she stuck her tongue out at Chris. He in turn also stuck his tongue out at her, and she grinned thinly before casting her glance into nothing.
"You ok, Chloe?"
"I had a dream last night," began Chloe after a moment of hesitation, "I was in a mountain, or some snowy valley. A huge B.O.W was pursuing me, and I had to keep going through a frozen wasteland."
"Damn, any idea what triggered that dream?" Chris asked as he shuffled closer. Chloe shrugged.
"I was calling for help, calling the squad, but no one answered, and no one came. My legs froze solid, and the Tyrant thing caught up to me." She pulled the bedsheets around her and shivered. "I woke up at 3am sweating and panicking, and I saw it had snowed," she nodded towards her window, "and I struggled to get back to sleep after. It's why I slept in so late."
"I mean it's only 10am, Chloe, it's no-"
"Will I be doing the right thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"If I choose to join you in Hound Wolf Squad? Would I be doing the right thing?"
Chris sighed.
"I always said it's not the life I want for you, but your life path is for you to decide, not me."
"I never wanted to," Chloe explained. "But I never really knew what I wanted. I kept changing my mind."
"I remember you went from astronaut, to doctor, to archaeologist in the space of two months!"
"Oh, you remember?" Chloe laughed quietly. "But after seeing what I saw in Wesker's stupid lab, and what he did to Granny and Grandpa and all the others, I just didn't feel comfortable knowing that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people who need help."
"Just remember that you can't save everyone."
"I know." she sighed, "But if I can save even a few people from that kind of hell, then that's better than none at all."
She pulled her arms in and sniffed once. Chris, knowing these signs, gently touched her shoulder, and she reached with her opposite hand.
"Sometimes I think if I face it all head on, then it might help ease my nightmares off. Like maybe destroying it in real life will destroy it in my dreams," said Chloe softly, as if Chris was the only person in the world that she wanted to hear her words. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"I should've done more to protect you from it all. I'm sorry." He spoke with an equally low and soft tone.
"It's not your fault, no one knew I'd get kidnapped."
"I didn't protect Claire either."
"She chose to go to Raccoon City, Dad. Even if you told her I bet she wouldn't have stayed away, she never does." Chloe smirked and looked up at his face. "Like Jessica in Murder, She Wrote. Mom can't keep her nose out, you know?"
Chris laughed quietly, and frisked his hand against her arm.
"Yeah, I guess."
They sat quietly, and Chloe reached for his hand that was still resting on her arm.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you be really against me joining you?"
Chris breathed in slowly through his nose and raised his head. Finally, he spoke.
"I wouldn't stop you, but I'd worry about you."
"I know you would."
"You do?"
"Yeah…" Chloe pressed herself against his side and rested her chin on his shoulder; her eyes flicked to the stray greys above his ears. "Because you're a good dad."
He huffed a laugh and smiled down at her.
"I'm not."
"Yes you are."
Chris went to speak, but Chloe halted him and placed a finger against his lips.
"We've been over this too many times. You're a good dad. So shut up, Dad ."
Chris tensed up and twisted to face her, and she let him wrap his (still considerably) muscular arms around her torso. In turn she sighed and hugged him back.
"Every damn time, Dad…"
"Sorry…just that…" Chris squeezed her tighter, "I never considered myself to be a good dad, even now that you know…hell…I never considered myself to be a dad …"
"Because you weren't allowed to consider yourself in that way?" Chloe whispered into his ear, and she felt his thumb brush her on her back. "But you are. I don't even consider you my uncle anymore, because I think 'dad' suits you better. It's been four years now since I found out. Come on, embrace it."
"Heeeey!" Claire's voice called out from the kitchen, "So I know you're probably having another huggy daddy daughter moment, but the dog needs walking and Christmas snacks need eating!"
Chris and Chloe giggled, and she pecked him on the cheek.
"I'll finish my education first before joining Hound Wolf Squad, if it makes you feel better. I'll decide once I've completed college."
Chris nodded his approval.
"Good, something to fall back on if you find that fighting bioterrorism isn't for you…" He frowned and planted his finger on her nose tip, "but Biomedicine and Biomedical Research? You've been hanging around with Rebecca too much, my girl!"
Chloe grinned and tapped her temple with her finger; "Gotta do something with my brain!"
Chris planted his hand on her head and ruffled her hair before leaving the room.
Chloe hunched her shoulders at the white city around her; there were barely any footprints in the snow, what with no one moving on Christmas Day, but the dragged clumps of snow that Thor and Chris had left all but reminded her of last night's dream. Of eight foot Tyrants marching through snowy wastelands in pursuit of its inevitable victims.
In pursuit of her.
She shut her eyes hard before opening again. No way in hell would a Tyrant or B.O.W or outbreak ever happen in New York. No way.
Chris turned a bag inside out over his hand and reached for the snow powered grassy verge.
"Damn, Thor, what did we feed you…?" he grumbled as he scooped up whatever the hell the dog had passed through. Chloe on the other hand was watching the big boy with concern as his front paw seemingly dragged across the snowy concrete, but she tried to fill her mind with other thoughts.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, sweet?"
"Um…" Chloe looked away as Thor limped again, "where was the closest bioterrorism attack to here? Was it Raccoon City?"
Chris tied up the bag full of dog shit and looked around for a suitable trash can.
"No uh… there was one here, actually."
Chloe's eyes went wide at his answer. Here?! In New York?! Her own thoughts had aged worse than milk in summer, and she took a few seconds to compose herself.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, did you not know? I thought you knew?"
"No, I didn't. When was it, I don't remember anything?"
"You wouldn't, you were only a year old, if that."
"Claire? Claire! Goddamit, why did you take so long to answer?!"
"Hey, sorry, Chloe sprung a shitty leak in her diaper, what's up?"
"Claire, I need you to do me a huge favour!"
"What's going on?"
"Hell's about to break out, and I need both you and Chloe to stay inside the apartment. Lock all of the doors, lock you and Chloe into one of the bedrooms. Keep the windows closed."
"Chris?"
"If at any point you feel at all unusual, leave Chloe in her crib and lock yourself in another room."
"What's going on?"
"I'll explain later, but please! Please do as I say!"
"Why can't you tell me now?"
"I told you, hell's about to happen, and I need you to keep yourself and Chloe safe. Please, do this for me."
"Ok bro, but you owe me an explanation."
"And you'll get one, but for now, try to get Chloe to sleep if you can, put her in the crib, and as I said, if you feel ill, lock her in our room and lock yourself in the office or something."
"Yeah."
"Please, Claire, I'd hate for something to happen to you both. I love you."
"I love you too, stay safe Chris. Come home."
"I always do, you know that."
"So…" Chloe blinked. "What happened?"
The pair began walking again once the dog poop bag was disposed of, and Chloe again shied her eyes away from the limping dog. The snow before her still brought back painful images from her nightmares, and so she gazed skyward.
"Bottled water supplies from The Great Lakes were deliberately contaminated with the Animality Virus, or A-Virus," he explained, "the water was the first trigger, and the virus would remain dormant inside the body."
"If it was dormant then what was the trigger to activate?"
"A gas. Glenn Arias had tankers placed around the city to distribute the Trigger strain gas, and anyone who carried that Latent strain of the virus then turned into a zombie when exposed."
"Jesus…" Chloe gasped, "did it get a lot of people? Did it get Mom and me?"
Chris adjusted his glasses and nodded.
"There were casualties unfortunately. A vaccine cloud was dispersed over the city after Arias was killed, but it wasn't going to save those that had fallen victim to zombie attacks. You weren't affected at all since you were only a baby and had only ever had boob milk and baby food by that point."
"Ehehehe…boob milk…" Chloe giggled, and Chris rolled his eyes.
"Claire was never infected even with the Latent strain, since she only ever drank water from the city's supply and not bottled water. New York's supply doesn't come from The Great Lakes. But because she got too paranoid, she fed you until you were about ready to explode, she rocked you to sleep and then locked herself in the bathroom."
"What about you? Well, I mean, clearly you weren't infected."
"Being in my line of work I'm on my feet a lot, so bottled water is a convenience." Chris lifted his hand in the air before lowering it again, "so I was actually carrying the Latent strain, but I was vaccinated before I went in to oust Arias."
"Will there ever be another outbreak in New York?"
Silence fell between the pair; only a taxi slowly crunching over the snow coated road and Thor's dragging feet gave away any sounds of activity.
"As long as it is prevented, then no, there won't be another outbreak here."
Chris reached into his jacket pockets and pulled out a single cigarette. He lit it up and blew the smoke away from Chloe.
"Bit early for the second one, isn't it?" Chloe remarked, and Chris chuckled.
"I don't like smoking around Claire anymore. I try to smoke when I'm out."
"You still trying to quit, Dad?"
"A little. But as you know, I only smoke three a day now."
Chloe nodded. Ever since Mom had lung cancer four years ago, she herself had successfully quit smoking with little effort and no withdrawals, meanwhile Chris had tried and failed multiple times. Three cigarettes a day was certainly better than the whole pack he used to get through, that's for sure.
Chloe looked down quickly at a yelp, and she dove to Thor's side as he whimpered and raised a paw. She worriedly looked at Chris, who returned the same expression, before Thor's hot tongue dampened her cheek.
Chris placed Thor's lead and harness on the hook in the kitchen, but he watched with sorrow as Chloe quietly retreated back to her bedroom. He sighed and turned to Claire, who eyed him with concern.
"Everything ok, Chris?" Claire asked quietly, and he twisted his lips as she hugged him.
"It's Thor," he whispered. He cast his eyes to the Shepkita, who slowly shambled into the living room with water dribbling from his jowls.
"Oh…is he getting worse?"
Chris sighed again.
"He tripped on some kerbs and at some point he sprained his front paw. I don't think he can see them, and-" Chris pushed off Claire and briskly walked over to the couch.
"Hey, boy, come on, don't." Chris gently scooped the dog under his chest and placed his front paws back onto the floor.
"I was just about to stop him too," came a voice from Chris' left. He watched Thor creep to his big cushion bed, and shakily lowered himself to a lying position.
"It's fine, Pop," Chris gestured his hand and turned to Paul, his father.
Chris, Claire and Paul wordlessly watched the Shepkita as he circled aimlessly on the floor after only a few seconds of respite on his cushion bed. That limp was evident, for sure, and Claire stood by Chris' side and touched his arm.
"She knows, doesn't she? Chloe I mean?" whispered Claire. Chris glanced at her only with his eyes and sighed.
"I think so…there isn't much more that we can do for him anymore. He's already on loads of meds, and nothing seems to help him now."
They all watched Thor again as he whimpered quietly, and Claire placed her other hand on Chris' arm, interlocking her fingers.
"You know what? I'll split the portions more," announced Claire, and Paul tilted his head at her.
"Portions?"
"Yeah, for Christmas dinner. I'll let Thor have some meat and some roasted veg. No onions though."
"Yeah… he'll like that," nodded Paul.
"I'll speak to Chloe tomorrow," said Chris, "it's not fair for him anymore."
Chris' eyes briefly widened at the sound of a door click, and they all turned to look at Chloe's door.
"She was listening…" sighed Chris, and Claire looked up at him with a sorrowful look.
They all looked back down at Thor, who had now found his way back to his cushion bed, and Chris swallowed the lump in his throat.
"If she was listening, then there's no point in making her wait for me to speak to her…" Chris curled his lips and took a shaky inhale before touching Claire's arm.
"You're going to do it now? On Christmas Day?" quizzed Claire, and Chris shrugged at her.
"It won't be any less painful any other day," Chris remarked, "and she's nineteen, she's not stupid, she never has been. She's a grown woman that is able to take the truth."
Claire scrunched her nose at his words; she always did when she remembered that their daughter was an adult now. Chris softly gripped her arms and kissed Claire's nose.
"Our girl is strong enough, she's always known that this time will come one day."
"Yeah…"
"I'll go speak to her. Start dinner, you hear me?"
"Yeah, Chris…"
"Pop, do you mind helping Claire at all?"
"Not at all, son."
"Good. I'll see you in a bit."
Chris took another deep breath and strode to Chloe's bedroom door, placing his knuckles by the wood. Inside, he could hear soft sobs, too close to be from her bed, perhaps at her desk?
He rapped the wood; "Can I come in, sweet?"
He heard a sniffle, followed by a brief silence, and finally a weak grunt of confirmation.
He stepped in, closing the door behind him, and there she was, at her desk, with a tissue in her hand.
"Chloe…"
In front of her, her laptop was open, and with a little push of the bridge of his glasses, Chris could see the folder that she was viewing; 'The Boy'.
"Sweet…"
"I don't want him to go…"
"Hey…hey…"
Chris stooped down from behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and she heaved a massive sob.
"You know he's ill, Chloe…the vets have said they can't do any more for him after his last round of meds…"
"I don't want him to go…" she repeated, and Chris kissed the back of her head.
"I know, neither do I, but we've got to do right by him; he's suffering, he's in pain…you can see that…"
"I know…"
"It's the kindest thing we can do for him, to let him go, you hear me?"
"Yeah…"
"Your mom is gonna set aside some meat and carrots for him, maybe with some gravy, ok?
"Yeah…"
Chris cleared his throat and gently twisted her chair around so she faced him, before crouching in front of her. He clasped his hand over hers and bit his lip as a tear slipped from her cheek to his knuckle.
"You've done an amazing job looking after him. Always a happy boy, always active, you gave him all the love that he could ever need. Be proud of the brilliant life you've given him."
"Yeah…"
"But it's time to make the call for him, you hear me? Vets should be open tomorrow, if not then the day after. I think that's when to let them know, ok?
"Yeah…"
"Come on, Chloe, these one word answers you're giving me…come on, talk to me…"
"What the hell do you want me to say, Dad?" Chloe angrily brushed her tears from her eyes and looked down at him, "My dog is dying, what do you want me to say?"
"I don't know," Chris held his hands up, "Just tell me that you understand what is best for the boy."
"I understand, it's not fair to keep him suffering. Better, Dad?"
Chris lowered his hands again, this time to her knees.
"Better. I know it will be hard, it will be for all of us but-"
"I'm the one who has grown up with him…"
"I know you did, sweet, I know. Listen, maybe I shouldn't be talking about him like he's already gone, but if you get him cremated, I can get a little stone added into your necklace, from his ashes."
He pointed at the little hollow heart on the chain around her neck, with four little stones embedded in it before continuing; "They'll only need a tiny amount, and you can keep the rest of him in your room if you want. He won't leave you, Chloe."
"Where is he?"
"He's on his bed, but he did get up and wander again before settling back down."
Chloe sniffed again and leant forward to hug Chris.
"Everything that could be wrong with him is wrong with him…"
"And that's why you need to make that call, Chloe," said Chris softly, "but I know you'll do what's right for him."
"Yeah…" she pulled away and rubbed her nose with her sleeve, "I'll check the opening times and give them a call when they open again."
"Good girl." Chris pulled her in, refusing to let her end their embrace, "For now, spend some time with him, let him know how loved he is-"
"I want to sleep in the living room with him until he's…gone."
"That's fine, Chloe."
Chris adjusted on his knee and watched the pain on her face.
"Hey…" He clasped his hands gently on her cheeks and kissed her forehead, "I'm proud of you, Chloe. I still can't believe you're a woman now…"
Chloe shrugged with a wry smile.
"Was gonna happen eventually, Dad…"
Chris laughed low and kissed her forehead again.
"Of course, you weren't going to be a kid forever. Come on, wanna help me use up some of that Irish cream without your mother noticing?"
Chloe's wry smile turned into a smirk.
"I'm going for a solo sauna session, I'll be back in a bit!" exclaimed Chloe to her family, finally mentally cooled down after the revelation of Thor's health. After a series of grunts and affirmations, she checked the fresh text on her phone once more and grabbed her swim bag. She strolled out of the front door, took the steps down in two or threes all the way to the bottom floor before reaching the lobby. She slid across the polished marble in her fluffy socks before opening the door to her Christmas guest.
"You weren't gonna buzz me u-"
After a prolonged kiss on the lips, Chloe pulled back and stuck her tongue out.
"I wasn't going to buzz you in, can't have Mom and Dad knowing you're here yet, can I, Steve?"
Steve Burnside smiled and coiled his hand around her waist, bringing her against him before returning the kiss.
"I don't know who would be more pissed to be honest, but come on, they know we date." He grinned again as they kissed, this time Chloe's hands cupping his jaw, but he pushed her away gently with one more peck, "and you can't tell me that they don't know what we've done."
"Oh believe me, they know. You're a dumbass and left a condom in the bathroom trash. And it was Dad that found it."
"Oh boy…" Steve rubbed the back of his neck nervously and glanced at the stairwell, "did he say anything?"
"Well…he had the decency to speak to me in private instead of in front of Mom and Grandpa."
"So…."
"He just said that he was glad that I was being safe about it."
"Ah ok, so he's not going to tear my dick off for banging his daughter then, no?"
Chloe giggled and kissed him once more.
"I can't guarantee anything. By the way…" Chloe reached behind his back and touched the red lengths of hair flowing past his shoulder blades, "I am so glad you fucking grew out that 90s boy band hairstyle."
Steve patted the back of his head; "Got a bit of a man bun going on too, what do you think?"
Chloe leaned around and hummed her approval.
"Anything is better than the curtains you had. And er…liking the gym work you've been putting in too."
Steve pushed her further into the lobby and kissed her nose.
"Christmas sauna session before food? You can stare at my new gym bod all you want then." enquired Steve, and Chloe twitched her eyebrow at him.
"Sure, if I can keep myself far enough away from you to observe the view!"
Chloe leant against the wall of the apartment complex's basement; the gym doors to her left, with the over the top drum and bass music and the sound of someone lifting weights pushing through the open doors, and the pools to her right, and she giggled quietly to herself. Ever since Steve had decided to grow his hair out, he was thorough in its care, and boy did she respect that. The only downside was that his hair got a little bit in her face earlier when they…
Chloe paced, and grimaced at the aching in her pelvis…shit, was anyone going to notice the way she was walking right now? She hoped not. Finally Steve emerged from the pool room and she pointed at him.
"You got way too horny again, mister! You better hope I can walk this out by the time we get up to the apartment!"
As Chloe jokingly scolded him Steve's face dropped in mild horror, and the clearing of a throat from the doorway of the gym made Chloe slowly die inside. Without looking, she addressed the person.
"Hi Dad."
"Hello Chloe," Chris answered, "And Steve."
Steve awkwardly raised a hand to greet the Redfield man.
"Hi, sir."
The air was thick with tension as Chris paced past her and twisted on his heels to face them both, but she couldn't look at him.
"Did the love birds have fun in there? You know, in a public place?"
Chloe smirked and bravely met his gaze.
"As if you and Mom never quote unquote had fun in a public place, come on, Dad."
Chris dismissively raised his hands at her; "Hey I'm not judging, just don't get caught, it's not worth the punishment. And no accidents, you hear me?"
At those last words he shot a glare at Steve, who nodded frantically.
"Well, I mean, we're too young, I mean Chloe's too young, I mean coz I was…," Steve coughed awkwardly, "I mean yes, sir."
"Good," nodded Chris, and his supposedly serious demeanour changed to a smile as he gestured for them to leave for the apartment. He watched them disappear up the stairwell and he leant against the wall where Chloe was only minutes before, sighing and ruffling gym sweat from his greying hair.
"When did my baby girl grow up? Jesus."
Chris sat at the balcony table with Steve that Christmas evening, his stomach full of one of the best Christmas feasts he had ever consumed. It was also the first Christmas where Steve had been present, after he had learned that Chloe had been dating him for nearly two years already without anyone's knowledge. The method of how he had learned of their relationship was a lot left to be desired, but he knew it would be something Chloe would eventually do, she wasn't going to be a child forever.
The two men both lightly grasped glasses of whiskey on the rocks and Steve stared intently but nervously at the older man, who himself was idly swirling the ice in his brown drink. They both wore sweaters even in this temperature, but Chris knew Steve, with his advice from Chris about how to use the gym correctly, to use weapons and to learn hand to hand combat, Chris knew he was trying to meet him on his level in terms of masculinity.
Maybe he was. Of course the only man Steve could even remotely look up to for all that time inside Wesker's England lab was Paul. It wasn't surprising to Chris that the man who lost so much as a seventeen year old boy now considered his girlfriend's father and grandfather as role models.
Finally Chris looked up, but he wanted Steve to know that he wasn't fucking around, and he stared sharply right back at him.
"On one condition."
Steve leant back in his chair, but he held the gaze; Chris knew he didn't want to cut eye contact.
"What's that, Chris?"
Chris listened to the barely audible Claire and Chloe chattering in the kitchen as they filled the dishwasher, oblivious to the conversation that the men were having. Chris poured his drink down his throat and placed the glass back down with a clatter.
"Take her to that spot where my mother was scattered. Take her to view the sunrise, but wait for the roads to be less dangerous. Maybe wait until Spring."
"Erm…" Steve cleared his throat and sat up straight, "I mean, sure. I'll do that."
Chris slid his elbow across the glass surface as he pointed a finger at Burnside.
"If you ever so much as raise a finger to her, I will break every bone in your body. She's my girl, Steve, and I will protect her until I draw my last breath. You hear me?"
"I hear you, sir," Steve nodded. Chris still glared at him, finger still aimed towards the younger man's face, before he outstretched his fingers with a smile. Steve smiled back, and accepted the handshake. "I'll keep her safe."
Chris extinguished his cigarette into the ashtray as he stood up, and he viewed Chloe smiling widely at her mother in the kitchen.
"My girl really has grown up…" he whispered.
Chris woke up on New Year's Eve to the sound of muffled sobs, and he rolled in bed to check on Claire.
No…wasn't her…she was sound asleep.
He sighed to himself and kissed Claire's cheek, before sliding off the end of the bed and grabbing his dressing gown.
It was still dark out, and Chris could only make out a figure sitting by Thor's bed in the living room. He crouched down and squeezed Chloe's shoulder.
"Hey…it's ok…" he whispered gingerly, but Chloe hunched herself up more, digging her fingers into the plush fabric.
"This is the first time since I was ten that he's not here…" sobbed Chloe quietly, and Chris pulled her in for an embrace, but her hand didn't for a second leave the vacant bed.
"I know…but you did what was right…"
He thought back to earlier in the day, where they took Thor on a short walk and treated him to a sauceless chicken burger. They all crowded and fussed him in the centre of the living room until the vet arrived, and Paul chose to go back to his room, while Claire remained on the couch. Chloe held Thor tightly as the vet injected the pentobarbital, and Chris held his arm around Chloe as Thor slowly relaxed and slumped, before the vet declared that he had gone. Chris had cried with Chloe as she grabbed handfuls of his fur, apologising to his motionless body and telling him she loved him. After some time, Chris carried his body to the car, and together he and Chloe drove to the pet crematorium.
He let Chloe cry uninterrupted into the fabric of his dressing gown, and he slowly cast his eyes around the dark room, deep in thought.
"I'd say at least Minnie could tell you he's happy on the other side but…"
"Yeah, not anymore, I had the Mold and t-Phobos cleared from my body, remember?"
"Yeah, and I'm glad you did, Chloe."
Chloe shakily sighed, pulled the cushion from Thor's bed and took it to the sofa. Even in the dark Chris could see that she was beckoning him to her, and he did so without question. He sat next to her, but the force of her falling into his chest pushed him back into the backrest, and he smiled thinly as she rested her head on his chest, curling herself into him, not unlike her spells of sorrow from when she was a young girl.
"Chloe…?"
"Hmm?"
"Just know that…you may be a grown woman now, but you'll always be my baby girl."
"Ugh, Daaad…"
"I mean it. I spent fifteen years not being able to tell you that, let me get it all in now before I go senile, you hear me?"
The pair fell silent as Chris waited for a response from her, but after some time he could hear her soft, slow breathing. He smiled to himself and twirled his finger in her hair..
"Well, looks like I'm not going back to bed."
Chloe woke up with one side of her face sweaty, and she peeled her cheek from Chris' dressing gown. He himself was still asleep, his head tilted back as light snoring left his mouth. She slowly shuffled away from him and stretched, but Thor's cushion was not on her lap where she left it. It suddenly hit her chest with a light thud, as if thrown, and she looked up to a figure sitting at Chris' desk. Long red hair tied back, a solid figure, and Chloe sighed dejectedly. The woman stood up and pointed a finger at her before speaking;
"How long are you going to keep lying to our father, little sis?"
The song for this work is A Winter's Tale by Queen
Yup, canon to the MiH series, sorry! Thor has had his day. And sorry not sorry for shipping Chloe and Steve ;p
On that note, let me make it known here that the next work in this series will be a prequel, followed then by a sequel, so at opposite ends of the timeline!