Resident Evil: Tangled Web

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Twenty-Two

Author's Note - The ending scene has been altered and additional dialogue has been added. Enjoy! :)

"Say what you will about Wesker, but at least he makes one of the best antihistamines I've ever tried," Elliott said.

Claire opened her eyes and lazily looked at him. "Good to know you can breathe easier. Bonus if that pill doesn't make you grow claws or scales or something just as bad."

Elliott chuckled. "I don't see him doing something that underhanded at this point." He turned his gaze back toward the rows of plants and flowers opposite the bench where he and Claire were seated. They'd discovered this makeshift greenhouse a week ago. In between the artificial UV sunlight, the scent of the various flora, and the mist saturating the air, it was easy to pretend they were outdoors. "It's nice being able to enjoy this without worrying about a sneezing fit… I didn't think I was allergic to anything up until last week."

"First time for everything." She sighed. "What do you think of Dr. Yamata? She seems pleasant enough, but…"

"I know," Elliott said. "Hard to trust anyone who's allied with Wesker… The most I can determine is she's probably not someone whose bad side you want to get on, judging by how Jessica reacted to her."

Claire half smiled. "As long as Dr. Yamata remains civil toward us, I'm not sure I care. I'll take whatever peaceful moments I can get."

"Me too." He stifled a yawn and stretched one arm out over the top of the bench behind her. "And that shouldn't be difficult. It looks like we're going to have a lot of free time for the duration… Maybe you could tell me more about yourself."

"I think you pretty much know everything already," she said offhandedly.

"Wouldn't say that… How old are you?"

Claire regarded him with wide eyes. "Twenty-seven," she said after a short silence. "You?"

"Twenty-eight as of last October… And you were an office supervisor for your company? That's impressive."

"A position I worked hard for," she said. "It's a moot point now. I've been gone for a month. Pretty likely I've been replaced."

Elliott shifted, feeling uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to bring you down."

She laid her hand on top of his. "No… Elliott, it's okay. I don't expect the world I left behind to stand still. I just… I hope it won't be hard to ease back into, once this is over."

"Wish I could say the same. That blog I told you I was a part of… Including me, there's only three writers submitting material," Elliott said. "I sometimes had to light a fire under my fellow bloggers to get them to write a piece to submit. I'm not sure they'll have the motivation to keep it going without me."

Claire blinked. "I thought writing for a blog was what you did for a living."

He cleared his throat. "I may have let you think that because I was trying to impress you," he reluctantly admitted. "Seemed more glamorous than saying I worked as a busboy for a pizzeria… Or that my sister, Katherine, was helping me out financially until I could find something better."

"Nobody's perfect, Elliott. It wouldn't have mattered," she said sympathetically.

"I didn't know you well enough then to make that determination. If we hadn't wound up here and if our dates had continued to go well, I would have shared it." He paused. "Guess we'll have a lot of time to get to know each other."

"Hardly the place to pursue a romance," she said flippantly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about romance?"

With wide eyes, Claire looked at him. She was silent for a beat before burying her face in her hands. "Oh, God, I did not just say that."

Elliott half-expected her to get up and flee. When she didn't, he hesitantly said, "You don't have to worry. I'm not going to be one of those jerks who presses for something serious. Especially considering where we are… And far be it from me to come between you and your friend, Steve."

Claire's eyes widened even more. "That's not… Did I give you the impression I loved him?" She didn't give Elliott a chance to respond before she muttered to herself, "Oh, God, shut up, Redfield! You're making it worse!"

In spite of himself, Elliott couldn't help but feel a little bit thrilled at the notion that she wasn't pining for anyone. To put her at ease, he rose from his seat and went to stand opposite her. "Claire, calm down… Look, I'm not asking to be anything more than friends. Why make this any more complicated than it has to be, right?"

He thought he saw some sort of conflict in her eyes before she collected herself. "Yeah, being friends is good," Claire said abruptly. "I can handle that."

Elliott was very tempted to call her on the mixed message she was sending; he had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something he'd regret.

Claire spoke when he didn't say anything, wringing her hands together. "I should… I'm going to head back to our apartment. Did you… want to come with me?"

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll hang out here for a while," Elliott said.

She looked down, but not before he spotted another bout of anxiety in her gaze. She rose from her seat and quietly said, "Yeah, that'd be fine."

Elliott watched her leave before letting out a deep breath and returning to his spot on the bench. He was trying to make sense of Claire's behavior and what exactly her expectations were when someone's hand slid over his shoulder. He glanced over, his first thought being that Claire had a change of heart. However, the pink-painted nails were a telltale sign of who was behind him. "What do you want, Jessica?"

"Just thought I could keep you company."

He chuckled derisively. "What makes you think I'd want to spend time with you?"

"Maybe because I could make it worth your while, sweetie," Jessica purred as she rounded the bench.

Elliott was ready with another scathing comment when he spotted a pack of Marlboros in her hand. With a chuckle, he said, "You really expect me to believe that your intentions are honorable?"

"Just because your girlfriend and I don't like each other doesn't mean that we can't be pals… Besides, I'm smart enough not to put my neck on the line by harming you. The cigarettes are safe."

Elliott couldn't argue that logic, but the scenario in general still made him uncomfortable. He turned to look over his shoulder. "I thought you and Raymond were a package deal. Where is your better half?"

"He's off doing God knows what. Probably something boring like paperwork or overseeing a delivery."

Elliott shifted his weight. "I thought this facility was top secret. Who's making deliveries here?" he asked.

Jessica wasn't fazed, much to his disappointment; he'd hoped she would slip up and reveal something worthwhile. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased. She tossed the pack of Marlboros on the bench next to him and slowly began sauntering back the way she'd come. "They're yours, no strings attached. Knock yourself out."

"I doubt your boss would appreciate me smoking in here."

Jessica turned back in his direction just long enough to say, "There's a note inside the box telling the location of a vacant, well-ventilated room. Have fun, sweetie."

Elliott fleetingly suspected that she was trying to trick him into wandering in a dangerous area. But even that didn't make sense; certainly Jessica wouldn't risk doing anything to land herself in hot water. His gaze fell on the box of cigarettes as he wondered aloud, "What is she up to?"

He was determined to just get up and leave, but the urge to take the Marlboros with him was too great. He couldn't be sure if Jessica would provide him another pack at some future date. He gripped the box in one hand with a deep sigh. He didn't have to partake in the vice, but surely it would be alright to keep it around for any particularly rough patches.

After some thought, Elliott stuffed the box deep inside his pants pocket. It would probably be best not to tell Claire. It would only make her paranoid and add to the tense vibe between her and Jessica.

"I hope I don't regret this," Elliott muttered to himself as he got up and made his way out of the greenhouse.

The only thing worse than letting Elliott know she had feelings for him was not having any resolution. By the time she returned to their quarters, Claire was feeling utterly alone and empty for the first time in weeks.

It took roughly two hours for him to return; it was all she could do to not go looking for him. She looked up from the book she'd been trying to distract herself with once the door clicked open. "You're back," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Was there any doubt?"

Claire mentally told herself not to come across as needy. She leaned back and crossed her arms. "You tell me. You've been gone a while."

Elliott shut the door behind him and leaned against it. "Spent some time wandering the corridors. I needed to think about where this is going. The conclusion I kept coming to was I should ask you… Do you want us to just be friends, or something more?"

"Don't suppose we could just forget I even said anything. It doesn't matter in the long run."

"Of course it matters. For God's sake, Claire, we're sharing a living space. This is not a subject we can tiptoe around… And I'd be lying to you and myself if I said I wasn't attracted to you."

Her lips parted slightly in shock; she couldn't speak for a moment. "Are you trying to make this more difficult?"

He took a step toward her. "Absolutely not. I wouldn't even be saying anything if you hadn't acted like you were disappointed that I wouldn't come back here with you right away." He paused. "This… Whatever we have… It doesn't have to go beyond the friend stage unless that's what you want. I'm just trying to figure out what you're thinking."

Claire leaned forward, her gaze softening and arms dropping to her sides. "What I want… is for things not to be strained between us."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took another step forward, a wry grin on his face. "Just to be clear… You believe this situation is more stressful than when you saw me naked?"

A hot blush rose to her cheeks and a small squeaking noise escaped her lips. "That was embarrassing." She paused and let out a deep breath. "I do like you, Elliott. But nothing can come of it. This is far from an ideal place to start anything."

He smirked. "Relax, Claire. It's not like I'm suggesting we settle down and start a family while we're here."

"Touché," she said with a small laugh.

"Just trying to keep things in perspective." He closed the distance between them and settled on the couch next to her. "We're going to be fine, Claire. There's no harm in admitting we care about each other. We could just take each day as it comes, and whatever happens, happens… At least we'll have some good stories to tell our families when we get home."

She laughed. "You really think Chris and Katherine will see the bright side of our time in captivity?"

Elliott made a so-so gesture with his hand. "I don't know how your brother would take it, but could go either way with my sister." He paused. "All that's left is figuring out how to spend all the free time we'll have. For starters, how do you feel about board games?"

Claire snickered. "Remind me to have a camera handy when I tell Chris I spent months playing Scrabble after being kidnapped..."

(Next up - RogueChild contacts Claire and Elliott once more.)