Resident Evil: Tangled Web
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoy the updated and expanded Christmas story from last year. I will be leaving the original up until mid-January if anyone wants to take a look. Happy New Year, all! And now, on with the show:
Chapter Twenty
Day Fifteen – December 20, 2006
"Rise and shine, sweetie."
Claire was just starting to wake up when she heard Jessica's chipper voice. She was tempted to feign sleep out of spite, but that plan fell apart when Jessica deliberately started shaking the mattress. "Jesus!" Claire groaned as she opened her eyes. "What are you, five?"
"Twenty-eight, actually. Thanks for asking." Jessica backed up a step. "Now hurry up. We've got a big day ahead of us."
"Bite me."
"The boss was kind enough to give you and your boy-toy free rein, sweetie. He even ordered Ray and me to show you around so you wouldn't have to guess which areas you have access to. You may want to watch the attitude if you want me to continue to play nice."
"Right. Because you've been such a peach up till now," Claire said sarcastically.
"Keep it up, and you'll see just how unpleasant I can be," Jessica warned. She turned and started for the doorway. "Be a good girl, and get dressed."
In a surge of anger, Claire sat up and grabbed the pillow behind her to chuck at Jessica. The bedroom door was already closed by the time Claire threw it, and the soft projectile bounced away harmlessly to the floor.
After a few seconds, Claire got to her feet and stretched to try and cast away her frustration and any lingering fatigue. She didn't know how much time Jessica would give her and she wanted to make the day as painless as possible.
Having Elliott nearby was enough to keep her calm and in good spirits for the first few minutes of the tour. Once they were on the elevator, Elliott asked, "So what's on the agenda for today?"
It was hard to determine if Jessica was even listening since she was examining her nails. "The laboratories on sub-level two and three, and a couple rooms on level two. We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it in, so the two of you better keep up."
Claire's hands curled into fists at her side; she fought to keep cool. "Don't worry. We will."
"Good. Because Ray and me have a long drive and flight ahead."
Claire knew she was going to regret asking, but her curiosity demanded to be sated. "You're planning on going somewhere?"
"Did you really think we'd want to be cooped up in this place for Christmas or New Year's?" Jessica mocked. "Hope you won't miss us too much."
Startled, Claire looked toward Raymond. He was blank-faced like always, but the way he looked toward his partner confirmed Jessica's claim. "And you thought now was the best time to bring that up?" Claire asked in disbelief.
Jessica shrugged. "No time like the present. So sorry you can't come with." She turned at the sound of the elevator doors opening behind her.
That distraction was all Claire needed to lunge forward and land a punch on the side of Jessica's head.
The hit had enough force behind it and Jessica was seemingly caught off guard enough that it resulted in her getting knocked down. Claire charged forward and knelt, bunching part of Jessica's shirt in her hand and raising her fist to deliver another blow.
"Claire!"
Her head snapped around at the sound of Elliott calling her name in alarm. Seeing that Raymond had wordlessly drawn his Glock to aim at her instantly deflated Claire's rage. She slowly raised her hands in a sign of surrender and moved an inch away from Jessica.
The only warning Claire had that Jessica wasn't finished was the shrill, angry cry, "Bitch!" Claire jerked back around; a second later, her nose exploded with pain when the broad side of Jessica's own handgun slammed into it.
Claire fell backward, her hands flying to her face as tears of agony fell from her eyes. When she drew her hands away, she saw blood. She was a bit surprised that it didn't hurt when she sniffled. Do my healing abilities really work that fast? she thought as she dimly heard Raymond telling Jessica to back off.
Elliott was at her side before she realized it, gently turning her face toward him. "God. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she reassured him. "It looks worse than…"
"May I ask what's going on here?"
It was uncanny how Wesker's cold monotone brought all activity to a halt and made all four of them snap to attention. Claire was almost certain his gaze darkened behind his trademark sunglasses when he saw she had been injured.
Wesker's eyes could actually be seen glowing red through the dark lenses when his head turned in Jessica's direction. Claire guessed he'd heard enough of the commotion to deduce what had occurred. "I strongly advise you and your partner to go pack, Miss Sherawat. Your services will no longer be required today."
It was doubtful that Jessica could have hightailed it any faster if she tried. Raymond exited at a more leisurely pace. "I trust you are feeling perfectly fine, Miss Redfield," Wesker said once his associates were gone.
Claire wiped her nose on her sleeve to show both Wesker and Elliott that she wasn't in any pain. "I'd be doing better if you get someone other than a fucking child working for you."
One corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. "Putting out a want ad toward that end would be problematic. Miss Sherawat has her faults, but generally knows better than to overstep her boundaries. It is perhaps a good thing she will be away for the next few weeks. It will allow everyone involved a chance to cool off."
Elliott scoffed. "Merry Christmas to us, I suppose," he said sarcastically.
"You may consider the absence of my associates a gift if you prefer. Just don't set your expectations any higher than that… Now, I have some important work I can't leave unattended for much longer. Can you find your own way back to your quarters, or would you like me to accompany you?"
"You're not even going to let us explore on our own?" Claire challenged.
Wesker shrugged. "Do what you like, Miss Redfield," he said calmly. "I merely thought you'd like to get cleaned up."
Elliott cleared his throat to catch her attention. "It does look pretty unsettling, Claire."
She let out a deep breath and climbed to her feet with Elliott's help. "Fine. We'll head back."
She and Elliott were silent during the return elevator ride. It wasn't until she turned off the kitchen sink that she quietly said, "I'd been trying not to focus on the fact that we're stuck here for the holidays. That's what bugs me the most… Jessica just had to bring it up."
"Probably too much to hope that Wesker gives us something to make the place more festive."
She patted her face with a towel. "I would think you'd know by now that our warden is a cross between the Grinch and a modern-day Scrooge."
"Yeah, well, even the Grinch and Scrooge got into the spirit of the holidays at the end," Elliott said.
"Point taken. I'm giving Wesker too much credit." She turned away from the sink and leaned against the counter. "I wish my brother were here. I'm missing him more than ever now."
"What's he like? You've barely talked about him since we've been here."
"Strong. Brave. Selfless. And funny when he puts his mind to it." Claire rubbed her eyes. "You know what's ironic? I don't know if I would have seen him this year, even if I hadn't been abducted. His work would sometimes keep him away." She leaned forward. "How about you? Does your family usually fly in, or do you travel to see them?"
"This year, I would have flown out. My family alternates on whose house we're going to visit. My oldest sister, Marybeth, is playing hostess this year." A faraway look came to his eyes. "I can't even begin to name all the things I'm going to miss."
"I'm guessing being around your nieces and nephews ranks high on the list."
"It does. I also would have liked to see what extravagant Christmas light display that Marybeth would have decorated her house with. She's the one who can be counted upon to go all out." Elliott paused. "Do you have an artificial tree, or would you have gotten a live one?"
"Artificial. I would have had it up and decorated by now. Likely trying to keep my cat, Tyrant, from dragging off the garland." Claire laughed softly. "He once pulled the whole tree down on its side by trying to get a twelve foot strand of tinsel. Broke a couple of my favorite ornaments while he was at it." She looked over at Elliott, leaning back. "What kind of tree would you have?"
"I don't typically get one for myself, but Marybeth and my other sister, Katherine, would have gotten fresh evergreens. I have yet to host one of the family get-togethers. Katherine otherwise convinced me that it would be a waste since gifts are exchanged at someone else's house… Any favorite memories of the holiday?"
Claire's smile widened. "I suppose, if I had to pick one… When we were younger, Chris and I would build snow forts and engage in... Well, we called them snowball blitzkriegs. We had this game where we took turns trying to get inside each other's forts without getting hit. Whoever succeeded won the right to lob any and all remaining snowballs at the loser." She chuckled. "Chris won medals for marksmanship early in his military career, so I imagine he deliberately let me win the majority of the time." She paused, a wistful look coming to her eyes. "He doesn't smile as frequently as he did back then. Every Christmas we've spent together over the past seven years usually sees me trying to get him to grin as much as possible."
Elliott appeared so forlorn when Claire looked at him that she asked what was wrong. He quickly composed himself. "Sorry," he said. "Outdoor activities during the winter were pretty much non-existent when I was growing up. I lived in San Antonio until I graduated high school. By then, most of my brothers and sisters were either in college or starting their own careers." He paused. "The most I've done is build snowmen with my nephews."
"Too bad there are no do-overs."
"Turning back the clock might be nice, but I'd settle for knowing that our families aren't suffering too much without us."
She bit her lip. "I just wish that we didn't have to miss out this year."
Elliott remained silent, looking away. Claire watched him for several moments as he stared blankly at their living space. "Maybe we don't have to."
Claire blinked. "Sure. I'll just run down to the store and pick up decorations," she joked.
Elliott gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "We can still spruce up the place. All we need is just to be creative." He paused, then said, "This is going to sound strange, but I ask that you humor me. What color is your brother's hair and eyes?"
She blinked again. "Brown hair, blue eyes. Why?"
"You'll see," Elliott teased. He got to his feet, turning around to face her after taking a few steps. "I challenge you to come up with at least one Christmas gift based on what we have at hand. You can leave the rest to me."
/*****
Day Sixteen – December 21, 2006
It was intrigue over what Elliott had planned that kept Claire from focusing on how depressed she was. She spent the next twenty-four hours scouring their apartment and wracking her brain before inspiration struck. She soon hid in the bedroom while she worked on constructing a suitable present. She found an opaque gray plastic bag to place it in, and it was then set next to a rectangular object wrapped in brown paper on the coffee table.
Claire had to laugh when she focused on what Elliott was working on. He had unplugged one of their floor lamps to drag out into the middle of the room and was currently affixing pieces of two broken stools to it. When she asked what he was doing, Elliott said, "Making us our own Christmas tree. Want to help?"
She giggled, taking a step closer. "You know Wesker's going to have a fit if he sees us doing this."
Elliott shrugged. "I imagine if anyone were watching, we would be getting a visitor right about now. So, until that door opens, I intend to keep going." He paused, working at taping on one of the wooden legs. "Maybe you could look around and pick up whatever green objects you see."
Though she felt silly, Claire obliged. The more she gathered, the more her inhibitions faded. It was fun, she had to admit. Once Elliott finished putting together the base of the tree, they began decorating it with cut up camouflage clothes, parts of other plants, a cardboard Kleenex box that had been ripped apart, notebook paper that had been colored with a green marker, lime peels, and pineapple shells. Using thumbtacks, staples, or glue was sufficient for securing the objects into place.
Since Wesker didn't show during their little project, Claire and Elliott felt inclined to keep going. She fashioned a tiny snowman out of a couple washcloths and cotton balls, using markers to draw on eyes and a mouth. Elliott pulled the stuffing from a couple throw pillows to add a snow effect to their makeshift tree. By the time they sat down to rest, their apartment was looking quite festive indeed.
Gazing at her with a wide smile, he said, "Did you want to wait until Christmas day to open the presents, or do so now?"
She debated for a few moments. "Might as well do so now, before our warden has a chance to kill the mood."
Elliott chuckled, reaching for the gifts on the coffee table. "Open yours first," he said, handing the rectangular one to her.
Claire held the wrapped present in her hands for a couple seconds, marveling over how heavy it was. She tore into the brown paper, puzzled when she caught sight of a dark wooden frame. She recognized the frame as belonging to one of the paintings within their living space. When she caught sight of what he'd tacked on over the canvas, her breath caught in her throat.
Staring up at her was a crude drawing of a brown-haired, blue-eyed man in military fatigues. Above the drawing, Elliott had written the name, Chris, in case there was any confusion. Tears pricked Claire's eyes when she saw a wide smile drawn on her "brother's" face. It didn't resemble Chris much, but the thought that had gone into it still affected her.
"I did the best I could considering I don't know what he looks like," Elliott said offhandedly. "Hope you like it."
Claire gazed over at him. "I love it," she said softly. "This is..." She broke off, unsure for a moment how to finish the thought. "Thank you, Elliott. This is the sweetest gift anyone's ever given me."
"You're welcome," he answered, his eyes lingering on her for a long while.
She cleared her throat, her face growing warm under the weight of his stare. "Okay, your turn."
Elliott nodded, focusing on the plastic bag sitting in his lap. He took his time working the knotted handles loose. At first, he couldn't make sense of the eight cotton covered objects nestled within until he lifted one out. He couldn't determine what Claire had used for the core, but the weight and round shapes gave him a bit of a clue. "Are these supposed to be snowballs?"
She nodded with a silly grin. "Thought you'd like a taste of one of the pastimes you missed out on. Care to give it a try?"
He laughed. "You're on, Redfield..."
/*****
When he entered the surveillance room late in the day, Wesker wasn't sure what to make of the display shown to him on the monitor. At first glance, it looked like a bomb had gone off in the main room of Claire and Elliott's cell. The sofa had been flipped on its side, but also rotated so that the top portion was facing the wall. On the opposite end of the room was what looked like all the pillows, towels, and quilts arranged into a tall half-circle. Claire was kneeling within the latter, and it looked like she was throwing something at her companion standing in the center of the room.
Wesker shook his head in disbelief, wondering if perhaps he'd left them alone too long and they'd finally snapped. All he could think was, What on Earth are they up to?