Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil

Chris's eyes opened slowly. Glancing around he realized he was in his bedroom. He realized that his head no longer felt groggy as he slowly sat up.

The wonders of good sleep never ceased to surprise him, mostly because he didn't usually have good sleep.

He glanced quickly at the clock to see it was past one in the afternoon.

'I was asleep that long?!' he thought surprised. 'Wait, was that all real then?'

A small part of him hoped it had all been a bad dream, a really bad dream. Because if it was real, then what was he going to do? Even during his early military and law enforcement careers when he had reckless moments, he had never lost control of a situation that badly.

'Although, none of those ever involved a baby,' he internally acknowledged.

That just made his situation even more pathetic. He had solved numerous cases, won shooting competitions, gone through hellish training, and fought freaking zombies, a superpowered Wesker, a Tyrant, and a mutated Alexia Ashford. And yet, it took one day with a baby to break him.

If there was such a thing as irony in the world, then this was it. he could only imagine how everyone else would react if they found out. More than likely, they would laugh their heads off (Barry and Wesker especially).

Chris was dragged out of his thoughts by the sound of movement downstairs.

"Okay, almost ready Ethan," Claire said.

And that alone confirmed to Chris that this was all real, that Ethan was real.

And so was him being a father.

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.

.

.

.

Taking a deep breath, Chris steadily stood up and walked downstairs.

Claire and Ethan were in the kitchen where Claire had just finished preparing a bottle of milk for Ethan who lay in the car seat (provided by the Nuns) asleep.

"You're finally awake," Claire greeted. "Ethan's been asleep for two hours but when he wakes up, he'll probably be hungry. Gotta thank the guys for supplying this formula. I made sure to change his diaper as well so you won't have to worry about it."

"You really know what you're doing, don't you?" Chris said without thinking.

"I had a few friends with younger siblings," Claire shrugged. "And I babysat as an extra job when saving for college. I learned a lot from it."

College? Chris vaguely remembered her talking about her job, but not much. He'd been living in Raccoon City as part of STARS. God those days seemed like a lifetime ago.

"So, have you recovered?" Claire asked teasingly.

"Somewhat," Chris deadpanned. "Still processing everything."

Claire stared at him sympathetically. "It doesn't feel real, does it?"

"No, it doesn't," Chris confirmed, his head held low. "I don't know what I'm doing, or how to even do it. Claire I." He took another deep breath. "I don't know. I don't know how to go about this, or how to look after him and… parents have time to prepare for this, don't they?"

"Nine months to be specific, though it can a little early sometimes late," the younger Redfield answered smoothly.

There was a brief silence between the siblings as Chris tried to find the right words to say next.

"She never told you, did she?" Chris looked up. "Ethan's mother I mean. She never mentioned."

"No, Saoirse never contacted me," he admitted. "I don't know why. Maybe she thought I wouldn't want to be involved or that my life was too dangerous, which I can't begrudge her for, but no. She never said anything. After that job, we got together at a bar and the next morning… I never saw her again after that." He looked down again. "And now she's dead."

The silence that ensued was hollow.

In addition to Ethan, Chris was still shocked by Saoirse's sudden death, no, her murder. He didn't know who was responsible, but he had a very good idea and why. When they first met, she was on the trail of someone very dangerous or at least associated with someone very dangerous. Without the right evidence though, he couldn't be sure.

At the very least, the killer wasn't heartless enough to execute a baby.

Claire was also curious about this woman. In all the time she had been alive, Chris had never been in a relationship with anyone. He'd had a few schoolboy crushes and done occasional flirting, but nothing ever escalated into anything more, least of all sex. This woman must have been something though.

"Claire, what should I do?" Chris asked meekly.

Claire took a moment to prepare herself. It was a small question that would impact her brother's and nephew's futures, and by extension, hers.

"First thing I think you need to do is call work and request some time off. Ethan just met you, so you'll need to spend a lot of time with him so he can get used to you and so you can bond with him," she slowly explained. "Is there anyone you can arrange that with?"

Chris thought about it. "Barry. Barry Burton. He'd be able to help."

The fact that he was a father himself helped.

"Second, I'm going to spend a couple of days here," Chris's eyes widened. "Don't give that look. You need help, and I have the skills to look after a baby, skills I'm going to pass on to you. Making milk, changing diapers, etc. Because you do need to learn them."

Chris couldn't deny that.

"Third, when I say you need to bond with Ethan, it's not an exaggeration. You need to be holding him, cuddling him, reacting when he cries, speaking to him, always smiling and making eye contact with him never stressed or angry. Those sorts of things. It's a very important part of a newborn's development," Claire said with emphasis on every action. "Ethan needs to feel safe and loved. You need to be warm, loving, and caring."

As soon as she was done, Chris remained silent for a minute as each instruction sank in.

"How do you know so much about this?" he finally asked.

"Like I said, babysitting," Claire shrugged. "That, and I read a few books on babies to give me an edge."

Chris let out a large exhale feeling more relieved than he did earlier.

"Thank you," he said.

"Don't sweat it, big brother. You've been thrown into a new role without any preparation. Of course, I'm going to do my best to help you," Claire promised. 'Like you did with me as a child.'

Before they could continue, Ethan woke up and started to cry. Claire went to get the bottle while Chris went to pick Ethan up. Taking his sister's advice, he relaxed and smiled down at his crying son.

"Hi there Ethan," he greeted. "I'm sorry about before. I didn't know what I was doing, and I still don't, but I'm learning." Ethan's wails got even louder, but they didn't deter Chris. "I guess it must have been stressful for you too, going off with a complete stranger even if you are related to him."

Claire brought the bottle forward and gave it to Chris.

"Hungry?" he asked the infant as he brought the bottle to its mouth. Almost instantly Ethan stopped crying and began to gulp down the contents at a fast pace. "I'll take that as a yes." He held Ethan and the bottle firmly (but gently) in place. When he was three-quarters through, Ethan shoved the bottle away not wanting anymore. He stared at Chris who smiled. "Was that tasty?"

Ethan made a small sound, but not one of irritation.

"Chris, you need to hold him up now," Claire interrupted. "He needs to burp so that none of the milk comes back up. Hold him to your shoulder and rub him gently."

Chris did just that. In response, Ethan made a small humming noise but ultimately made no protest. He just laid his head there while Chris gently patted his back.

"There, there," he said softly. Compared to yesterday, he felt much more relaxed. 'We'll get through this Ethan, along with your aunt Claire here. I'll get better. I promise.'

Hi there! Well, what did you think of that?

I initially planned on having Chris adapt more, but I decided to keep the chapter focused on him and Claire. Those two do not have enough scenes together in Resident Evil. The only game where they are together is Code Veronica which is a shame.

Next chapter will show Chris adapting to his role with Claire's help.

Hope you enjoyed reading! Please review!