Resident Evil: Tangled Web

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait in between chapters. Have a lot going on in my life right now, but will hopefully have the next installment out sooner. Am really trying to have an ending to this story posted by the end of the year - fingers crossed. I am estimating it will be thirty-six chapters total, but we'll see.

Enjoy! :)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Day Forty-Six – January 20th, 2007

"Is it just me or are those two getting duller by the day?" Jessica said, watching the security monitors with her head leaned against one hand.

Raymond briefly looked up from the Solitaire screen on his phone to say, "It's just you."

She gave him a withering look. "All our guests have been doing these past few weeks is playing board games, reading, and sharing cooking tips. You're telling me you haven't gotten the least bit bored?"

He smirked. "I didn't get where I am by being impatient. Good things come to those who wait, Jess."

"And what is it that you're waiting for exactly?"

"Something I already have. A chance to work for someone who's going to change this sorry world for the better." He set down his phone and focused on her. "When we first met, I thought that was something you wanted also."

A protest was on her lips when his phone suddenly rang; the loud, raucous ringtone was enough to silence her. Jessica slumped in her seat, halfheartedly listening to Raymond's side of the conversation.

Her partner was pushing back from the counter and getting to his feet before the call even ended. "I'm on my way," Raymond said before hanging up.

Jessica looked up with tired eyes. "Let me guess. Our pest problem is still an issue?"

"They've been sighted again, yes," Raymond said, drawing his Glock and checking the clip. "Wish the boss and me luck at exterminating them completely this time." He moved to the door, then stopped and threw a glance over his shoulder. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"And if I have to take a bathroom break?"

He smirked again. "Either hold it, or call Irving to take over for you. I'm sure he'd love the chance to flirt with you."

She made a face. "Guy needs to get a clue that I'm not interested," she blurted out even though Raymond was already gone. With a sigh, she turned back to the monitor, raised the volume a tad, and prayed for something intriguing to happen.

Claire wasn't sure what made this particular day different, but she noticed several moments throughout the morning where Elliott's mind seemed to be a million miles away. It got near impossible to ignore once they sat down for a game of checkers and she had to keep telling him it was his turn. When she reached over to his side of the board and moved one of his pieces only to get no reaction, she knew it was definitely serious.

"Earth to Elliott," she said as she waved one hand in front of his face. "We miss you down here."

He looked at her with a disoriented expression. "What?" Without waiting for an answer, his focus turned to the checkerboard. "Sorry," he said as he reached down to move one of his checkers.

She caught his hand in hers. "You want to share what's bothering you?"

He hesitated. "It's nothing."

She shook her head. "No. The way you're acting, it's something. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

He was silent for so long that Claire was afraid he wouldn't talk to her. He leaned back in his chair and said, "The funny thing is, I already did tell you… It was one of the last things I said to you at the banquet hall, the night we were abducted."

She had to think for a moment about that conversation. She was surprised she still recalled it after everything they'd been through. "Your nephew, Henry…"

Elliott sighed. "Today's his third birthday… I can't keep from wondering how he's handling it, not having me there. Or if he even understands why I'm not… I keep thinking my absence might be the hardest on him." He paused. "I would have liked for you to meet him."

"If all goes well, I still could."

"It wouldn't be the same… Kids grow up so fast. And in another month, Henry's going to have a little brother or sister… Who knows when I'm going to be able to see any of my family again? That's what sucks the most about being here. Missing everything. Not knowing if my sister and her unborn child are okay. Or who's babysitting Henry if not me… I may not want Wesker anywhere near my family, but at the same time I wish he'd give me some insight on how they're doing."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It's not your fault. You didn't ask for this any more than I did… I just didn't think today would weigh on me this heavily."

She leaned forward and folded her arms together on top of the table. "Tell me about Henry. What's he like?"

"He's a sweet and pretty mild-mannered kid. Loves listening to the bedtime stories I read to him and watching Diego cartoons together."

"Diego?" Claire asked. "Don't think I know…"

Elliott chuckled. "Spin-off of Dora the Explorer. Henry's parents don't have the patience to watch it with him because they feel it's too simplistic and it annoys them… Good way to learn basic Spanish though." He paused. "Henry somehow picked up that his parents didn't understand the language and was using that to push their buttons. Before we wound up here, I was starting to teach Katherine and John how to speak Spanish… God, I miss them."

"Is there anything I could say that might make you feel better?"

He was silent for a moment, then said, "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think there is."

Claire lightly tapped the tabletop with one finger, then said, "Time to go with Plan B then." She ignored his questioning look as she got to her feet and crossed to the fridge.

He laughed when he saw her pull out a bottle of white Zinfandel and present it to him. "Going to get buzzed, are we?"

"I'd say this situation calls for it." She set the bottle on the counter and opened an overhead cabinet for some wine glasses. "What do you think?"

"Not worried I might try to take advantage of you?" he asked playfully.

"You try, and I'll kick your ass," she said in an equally playful tone.

The more time that passed following Raymond's departure, the antsier Jessica got. She tried calling her partner at one point, but it went straight to voicemail. She could only take that to mean that he was in no position to take phone calls.

Eventually, the call of nature became too great to ignore. When she made the decision to call Ricardo Irving, she was already regretting it. Even more so when he walked into the surveillance room with the greeting, "Hey, sweetcheeks!"

She cringed. "For the last time, the name's not sweetcheeks, dollface, honeylips, or whatever other asinine nickname you happen to come up with." She tried to push back from the desk, but Irving had already come to stand behind her chair and was boxing her in. "Get out of my way!"

"Say pretty please and I will," he drawled.

With an exasperated sigh, she thought, Jesus, can't the boss find an arms dealer who's less insufferable and easier on the eyes? She squirmed in her seat, trying desperately to hold it until she could begin making her way to the restroom. "Explain to me why you're hanging out here again."

"I'm here to help broker a deal between Wesker and some parties interested in his work. Not my fault they got held up by customs at the airport," Irving answered. He leaned closer, his gaze fixed on the monitor. "So, this is the infamous Claire Redfield I've been hearing so much about," he said with a whistle. "Man, she is a beaut!"

Much as Jessica was tempted to prod Irving into something that would get him in trouble, she knew she'd also be in for it if the boss found out. "And she's off limits. Don't even think about making a play for her… Now are you going to let me up?"

"Come on, dollface, you know my terms."

Jessica groaned. I can't believe I'm doing this. She drew her gun and pressed it against Irving's chin. "Here's mine. Move!"

He scowled; it made his bug-eyed expression look even more unappealing. Nevertheless, he stepped back and said, "Considering I'm the one helping to finance the whole party, you could treat me with a little more respect, sweetheart."

Jessica rose to her feet while keeping her pistol trained on him. She couldn't resist a snide comment as she carefully stepped back toward the door. "Invest in some cosmetic surgery and maybe I'll consider it."

Claire didn't drink often, and usually only had one shot when she did, but she wasn't feeling the usual buzz that came after having a good portion of Zinfandel. She frowned at her empty glass and said, "I think I found a downside to this healing factor of mine. It's not letting me get drunk."

Elliott hiccupped and slurred, "Should we get 'nother bottle?"

"Don't think that will make a difference. Besides, you needed this more than me." She looked at the near empty wine bottle, then at the stain on the floor where it had spilled when Elliott had knocked it over. "How many glasses did you have? I didn't keep track."

He looked at his hand; it seemed like he was trying to count before he said, "Two…"

"Unless you're a lightweight, I very much doubt that." She pulled the bottle off the table and stood. "You've had enough."

"Aw, jus' one more," he said with a chuckle.

Claire shook her head in amusement and stepped over to the kitchen counter, setting the bottle next to the sink. She had barely taken her hand off it when a loud thud sounded from the living room. "Jesus, Elliott!" she exclaimed when she turned to see him sprawled on the floor next to the couch. She rushed back to his side, checking him for cuts. "Are you okay?"

He looked up at her with a drunken grin. "We shoul' call Wesker o'er the intercom. Ask if he has somethin' stronger for you…"

She had to laugh at the absurdity of that idea. "Yeah, that will go over well," she said offhandedly. It didn't take her long to determine that he hadn't hurt himself. "Come on, let's get you off the floor."

Elliott slowly pushed himself up and leaned against the sofa. She wasn't surprised by the sudden change in topic when he said, "Did I tell you you're one of the mos' beaut… beautiful girls I've met?"

She felt her face get warm. "You might have mentioned it."

He cupped her chin in his hand. "Yo' are," he said insistently. "My sister… My sister woul' love you. I'll hav' t' introduce you when we ge' home."

Claire hesitated, unsure for a moment how to respond to that. She let out a breath and leaned in to wrap one arm under his shoulder with the intention of helping him back up on the couch. "We can discuss that when you're sober…"

That was all she was able to get out before Elliott surged forward and pressed his lips to hers. She made an 'mnph' sound and her face got even hotter. She was vaguely aware that her mind was screaming at her to put a stop to this before she did something that went against all her instincts.

She kissed him back.

In spite of the fact Elliott was completely toasted, the kiss was short and sweet and not at all awkward. When his hand dropped from her face and he drew back an inch, Claire let out a deep breath. She was trying to think of something to say when a sudden raucous noise startled her and got her to open her eyes. She watched Elliott in bewilderment for a couple seconds before thinking, Is he snoring?

She sighed upon realizing that he had in fact passed out. "Way to boost my morale, pal," she said lightly as she leaned back. After a couple seconds, she moved to heft him back on the sofa. It took some doing, but eventually she made sure he was comfortable and covered with a blanket.

With a warm smile, she brushed a loose strand of dark hair from his face and said, "I imagine you're in for one hell of a hangover when you wake up. But maybe I can help with that."

Claire stretched as she made her way to the bathroom. She pulled bottles of Advil and Alka-Seltzer from the medicine cabinet and mumbled, "I hope these remedies work as well for Elliott as they do for you, big brother." She shut the mirrored cabinet door with a sigh and would have turned away if something in the reflection hadn't caught her eye.

She turned and looked at the bright neon blue light behind the vent grate. "So, the would-be savior is back," she said sarcastically. "Didn't think I'd hear from you again so soon, RogueChild."

The light-generated sentences that formed on the wall opposite the grate didn't help her mood. Fortune smiled on both of us. Thought you'd like to hear I've started the ball rolling to get you and your friend out of there.

"Still expect it to take a year for your scheme to reach fruition?"

Sadly, yes.

"Are you ready to tell me who you are?"

No.

"Then I'm not interested. You're only wasting your time and mine."

MISS REDFIELD, STOP!

She had started to leave the room, but the urgency of this last sentence halted her. She still crossed her arms and, assuming that RogueChild could see her, glared at the grate. "Why? You had your chance to help, and you blew it! I don't care what complications you faced, but you could have been more forthcoming in the email you sent me a week before Elliott and I were abducted! If you knew in advance that I was in that kind of danger, why didn't you give me more of a heads-up?"

I couldn't.

"You couldn't," she mimicked with a scowl. "Why am I not surprised?" She took a step toward the door. "I think I'll take my chances with the devil I know. At least he's presented the better offer."

At the threshold, she turned to look at RogueChild's last message. Nothing good will come from trusting Albert Wesker. Please reconsider!

"Fat chance," she mumbled as she stepped back into the main room and shut the door behind her.

"What did I miss?" Jessica asked as she re-entered the surveillance room. Much as she'd dreaded coming back, she suspected that Irving would sooner or later get bored waiting for her and jump ship. Her desire to avoid leaving the room empty trumped her strong dislike for the guy covering her.

It was easy for her to take enjoyment in the fact that Irving jumped and hurriedly folded his laptop closed. Jessica barely caught a glimpse of what looked like a chatroom before the screen vanished from view.

He fidgeted in his seat and nervously said, "Hey, don't sneak up on someone like that, dollface."

Jessica smirked. She threw a glance at the security monitor and noted that Claire was coming out of the bathroom with some medication bottles. "Looks like our boy lost consciousness," she said casually when her gaze locked on Elliott. "Not surprising." She turned her gaze to Irving. "Anything noteworthy happen while I was gone?"

"Not that I saw. Okay to leave now?"

She sauntered closer. "What's the hurry? You were practically dying to spend time with me earlier." Her hand drifted to the laptop in an effort to reopen it. "What are you up to?"

Irving violently pushed back from the desk, holding the computer closed in a viselike grip. "Not seeing how that's any of your business," he spat out. He nodded to the monitor showing Claire and Elliott's apartment. "You're here to watch them, not me!"

"Whatever," Jessica said with a chuckle as he made a swift exit. She settled back in her seat and quickly decided she wouldn't bother giving the guy a second thought. She was too tired to care what sent him packing.

She threw a quick glance at the empty seat next to her and murmured, "Hope your little exterminating job will be over soon, Ray. Be nice to know when you might be coming back." After some thought, she raised the volume for the monitor so that any loud noise would be sure to rouse her and curled up in her chair to rest her eyes.

Day Forty-Seven – January 21st, 2007

The good news was that when Elliott woke up sometime after midnight, his mind was no longer with the family he was missing. The bad news was that his head felt like it had been split in two. The pain was so intense that he was gagging within seconds, and Claire barely got a metal trash can over to him before he started throwing up.

Slumped over the edge of the couch while he rubbed the side of his head, he groaned, "Kill me now."

"Now who would keep me company if I did that?" she softly joked.

Elliott chuckled and instantly regretted it. "Oh, God, don't make me laugh… I don't think I've ever felt this horrible before."

Claire reached for two Advil tablets and a glass of water on the table. "Try this. It should help."

Just looking at the pills made him gag again. "Don't think I can."

He heard her sigh. "Do you want me to get you an icepack?"

"Yes, please." Through hooded eyes, he watched her get up as he fought back a wave of nausea. When he felt a cold compress settle against his forehead, it startled him.

"Any better?" she asked after a minute of silence.

"Not sure."

"Just give it time then, Elliott. Close your eyes, just breathe in and out, and try to relax."

He cracked a smile and said, "It's nice having a nurse… Thank God you're not as bad off as I am. You have to let me in on your secret." Claire was silent was so long that he looked up at her curiously. He couldn't be sure, but she almost looked disappointed.

"You don't remember much of what happened, do you?" she asked tentatively.

He rested his head back on the sofa cushion. "No… Maybe it will come back to me when it doesn't hurt to think."

She put one hand to his shoulder to lightly caress it. "No more talking then. Let's just concentrate on getting you better."

In spite of himself, Elliott shifted slightly to rest his hand on top of hers. Closing his eyes, he focused all his energy on the icepack chilling his head and slowly alleviating the ache.

(up next - Claire's uneasy truce with Wesker takes a deadly turn.

Also, if you haven't already, feel free to check out the poll on my profile page. last chance to vote before it's closed at the end of August.)