JULY PROMPT: FIREWORKS/ISLANDS/PARROTS/INTERRUPTED VACATIONS/DINOSAURS/TREASURE HUNTING

OPTIONAL GENRE/THEMES: ACTION/COMEDY/HORROR

Synopsis: Barney eats Leon. Sort of.

#Post-Resident Evil 7 #Post-Resident Evil: Village

Note: Got to take a break from writing. Work had been hell. Life was shit. But I survived. Let's start with something simple. Have fun reading!

They had been debating on what to do with celebrating her nephew's belated birthday. The toddler was dear to them both. They had been watching the boy grow closely since he was born. It reminisced their memory of their early adulthood when they closely watched Sherry growing up. Only a couple of years ago, Jill decided to move to the West Coast of Canada for safety purposes. Hence the missing birthdays.

Claire knew it was a bad idea. She restrained herself from tackling the 44-year-old man in the iconic purple dinosaur suit. She already warned Leon prior about the idea, half-heartedly though. Things were rough for both of them for the past months. Their work did not meet to their liking. Zombie attacks, BOWs threats, victim kidnapping, illegal virus trade, unregulated drug manufacturing the list of biohazards-related threats, the list went on and on.

Even though they had been in the business for 30th years, truthfully they were used to it. They tried to separate every sentiment in their line of work. But in the end, they were just human after all, in which of her sporadic husband's stubbornness and her lack of defiance that oversighted to this.

Yes, the purple T-Rex was Kit's favorite TV character. Children sometimes perceived what was on the screen differently in real life regardless and Claire had second thoughts now. Seeing Kit wailing his heart out, horrified, made her want to smack the heck out of Barney's head.

"NO! Uncle Leon!" The 3-year-old screamed his cry. His legs had given up, as he prostrated on the carpeted floor. In an instant his mother rushed closer to the child, rubbing the child's back to get his attention.

"It's okay. Just Uncle Leon in Barney's suit.", said Jill, trying to console the child. Claire realized there were no worries in Jill's expression, only to give a tender smile to the child as Kit climbed into his mother's embrace.

"No. Kit, it's me! Uncle Leon!" Leon tried to reason with the child. "You love Barney."

Claire exhaled her aggravation. She did not know how much she could take it anymore. To see Kit scared of something was a rare occasion. Usually, he was fearless, and eager, and opted to do and try something new. But today was not it.

"Hush... No, no, Uncle Leon is there.", assured Jill. Kit was in Jill's arms, with her cleaning his face. Not only were tears that glistened his face, but snots were coming running from his nose.

"IT ATE UNCLE LEON!"

When Claire heard the devastating shout of her nephew's fear, she ordered on a high note. "Leon, take it off. Take it off!"

There was urgency and irritation in her voice. Claire's patience was wearing thin evidently and it was discerned by Leon quickly. Before Leon let Claire thwack Barney's head, he hastily took the head off. While Claire helped him by unzipping the suit, Leon left with sock-covered feet after he chucked out across the puffy T-Rex's feet. During the time Claire helped to unrobe the suit from Leon, Jill's small chuckles went unnoticed by Claire. The younger woman wondered how his brother's partner could be so nonchalant with the whole situation.

"Christopher, look at me. Your Uncle Leon!"

"Kit! Look here, it's Uncle Leon." Claire cupped Leon's face by his cheeks and brought his face to the same level as hers. Effortlessly, she pecked his lips like she usually does, to give the child some familiarity. She could see Leon's surprised look due to her action.

Kit tried to form words, under his broken voice and hiccup breath. "Un...ca...Leon?"

Walking toward where Kit and his mother at, Leon convinced the child. "Yes. See. Barney did not eat me."

"But you...voice...in Barney?" Kit extended his hand, trying to reach Leon. Jill transferred her son into Leon's arms, complying the the toddler's request.

"It's me. Happy Birthday! I thought you wanted Barney for birthdays?"

"But not you are gone. I don't wanna Barney if he eats you. I don't wanna you gone."

"No, I'm not gone. I'm right here. Okay, no more Barney."

"Promise?"

"Promise. I won't let Barney eat me again."

Claire was already beside them, narrowed her eyes, and lightly swatted his shoulder which prompted a cheeky smile from Leon. She knew he was happy because of this mishap, he got a free-passed kiss from her.

"Wanna open the gifts I saved for you? For every single one of your birthdays that I missed."

Kit gave him a small nod, while Leon juggled to swiped the tears from the kid's face.

"Yeah... Let's open them."

They both walked passed the dining area and went to the family room with the large IKEA bag in Leon's hand that was passed by Claire earlier. Leon winked at Claire before leaving her with disregarded Barney on the floor. It was his affirmation to tell her even though she was right but his 'terrible idea' worked out fine.

"How did you find this funny?" Claire argued, disproving of Jill's laughter.

Jill defended herself, "You wanted to decapitate Barney. Of course, it's funny."

Claire gathered the suits while Jill collected his son's toys that were scattered on the carpeted floor in front of the TV screen. Still bewildered by Jill's lax reaction to what happened, Claire stopped what she doing and stared at Jill.

"What?"

"I couldn't believe you were so chill bout this."

"About what?"

"Leon freaked the fuck out of your son."

"Relax, Claire. Kids cannot be fearless all the time. Knowing there is something he scared makes me less worried.", explained Jill, putting down the toy box into the cabinet and then taking a seat on the couch. Claire settled the suits on the coffee table and joined Jill on the couch.

Turning to Claire, Jill added, "Plus it's Leon. I wouldn't worry a thing. The closest my son got to his dad is him. I trust Leon." Jill paused and then continued, "You too."

Claire returned the look at his brother's partner. It somehow provided comfort to Claire on what happened to them for the past year, their moving away had nothing to do with what she thought was the repercussion of what she did. And now even though the whole incident was spontaneous, it did not take away the trust that Jill had in them concerning his son.

They both peered their head over in the direction of the family area upon hearing Kit's crackling. Leon for sure knew how to entertain the toddler. Leon was the closest male to match his father's figure, Kit had ever known since he was a baby. Both women unequivocally acknowledged the close relationship of the child with Leon.

"He's a dad material."

Claire snickered, "You make this conclusion after witnessing him scaring your son? That's so unusual."

"The guy trying. Plus I was not the one who said it first."

"Who?"

Jill smirked, "Your brother did."

"Really?"

"Yup. Yeah, he doubts Leon sometimes, but in the end, he does admit Leon is a good guy."

"Are you making this up?"

"No."

"Are you sure Chris Senior said that?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was your brother. Convo we had right after we made him." Jill pointed her finger to Kit, who beamed a smile at Leon.

With a slight discomfort on her face, Claire retorted, "Ooh...oooh. TMI, Jill."

As Jill's giggle subsided, Claire sensed her eyes were on her. She noticed the older woman could detect her distress, especially when her smile did not reach her ear. Her invisible lines of worry could be vividly interpreted by Jill. Claire caught the meaningful look on Jill's face.

"I heard what happened to you. These last few months have been tough on you. And I'm not talking about the part where me and Kit moving across the continent."

"There's nothing I couldn't handle." Her voice sounded fragile when Claire replied to Jill's notion, therefore Claire masking it with a nervous chuckle at the end.

"Still."

Jill's lips turned upward, Claire met her with a soft smile. The situation with Chris had it rough on them, especially Jill who had to raise Kit alone with him at the moment still nowhere to be found. Nonetheless, Jill never failed to take care of Claire and be interested in Claire's matters.

Tears pooled in Claire's eyes. The image she saw was blurred like the vision one would see from the frosted glass. Her face felt warm, the manifestation of the overwhelming emotion she presently experiencing. Eventually, Claire enveloped Jill into a full hug.

Trying her best to stifle the crying sob, Claire said, "I missed you, Jill. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're both here again."

"Same here. We missed you too, Claire-bear. And we are here now with you.", promised Jill with the gentlest voice. Jill's hand tenderly patted Claire's back consoling her similarly what she would do to a weeping little child. Regardless, Claire did not care. Because right now, she was the closest person that Claire could have in regard to her brother whom she missed dearly.