Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Monday
November 7th, 2005
White Chapel Church, Downtown
Leon stood amongst his friends, gazing into the mirror. His eyes drifted to the many scars he'd accrued since Raccoon City. A simpler time filled with hope and honest optimism, ruined by corporate greed and Biological disaster.
"Not having second thoughts are ya?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
"No. Just thinking."
"What about?" Chris stood upright and walked up to his friend.
"I'm still worried you know. I mean...fatherhood isn't really my strong suit."
"I have to disagree with you on that."
Leon turns to face Chris. "Really?"
"Yeah. I've been watching the two of you. I'm still coming to terms that my little sister isn't so little anymore, even more so that she had a kid. I couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law and Nicholas couldn't ask for a better dad."
Leon smiled, shaking his head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Chris pat Leon on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll be just fine."
Taking a deep breath, Leon tightens his tie a little and makes his way to the door.
"Shall we go?"
Pointing to the doorway with his free hand, Chris smiles. "Ladies first."
Leon chuckled. "Ass."
A few minutes later, Leon found himself at the altar, waiting for his bride to make her way down the aisle. Standing beside him was Chris and a couple friends.
Claire was waiting on her bridesmaids to finish with her dress. They'd been doing their best all morning and were almost done. After they were finished, Claire turned toward her son with a soft smile.
"So, what do you think, Nick?" Claire asked, twirling in her dress.
The boy smiled, giving his mother an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"You have the rings?"
Nicholas nodded.
"Good. Just make sure you don't lose them, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Chris kept his eyes on the open doors, his mind pulled back to the time he'd met his nephew.
Flash and Fade...
Chris's POV
I had just gotten back from one of his assignments to visit my sister properly. There had been quite a bit I'd missed since we departed.
It was strange, walking up to a house owned by my 19-year-old sister.
As I found myself in front of a dark blue door. My hand rose to knock, my fist clenching and my wrist bending forward. I hesitated, not knowing what to expect or what to say if certain questions arose.
Taking a deep breath, I could feel the knot in my stomach tighten ever so slowly, growing as it twisted. My lungs seemed to burn in anticipation, my hands shaking and twitching as my nerves began to trip as though I'd touched an electrical socket.
When my knuckles touched the door, I felt my the pace of my heart quicken. I heard footsteps, light, though quick in stride. I brought my hands to my sides, watching the door open with a smile.
"Chris!" Claire exclaimed with excitement, her arms enveloping me in a bear hug.
I was hesitant at first, but I slowly brought my arms down to hug her. It felt...good...warm.
When she let go of me, I could see something hidden in her eyes. Brushing it off, I try to initiate conversation.
"So..."
"Oh, right. Come in."
Stepping inside, I saw a beautiful interior. I then realized that the front door was made of carved Mahogany. How the hell could she afford that?
"So..."
"So..."
"Soo..."
"Sooo....your house, huh?"
She smiled, looking at the floor with slight absentmindedness.
"Yeah. A gift from the powers that be."
"So...the government."
"Yeah...an apology for my experience in..." Claire paused the memories of Raccoon City still fresh.
"They paying for your therapy?"
Claire laughed dryly, shaking her head. "Yeah."
"How's that going for you?"
"I still wake up screaming some nights if that's that what you're asking," Claire said bluntly, making her way into the kitchen with Chris in tow. "How do you take your coffee?"
"Black, strong."
"Nothing else? No sugar?"
"No thank you."
"Alright."
With the press of a button the coffee pot whirred to life, after Claire provided the grounds.
"I have to say, this is a nice place you have here."
"Thanks. A bit plain to most, but...it's homey, as much as it can be anyway."
"Well, I like it. It's not too flashy and has plenty of space. Especially if you want to have one or two munchkins running around."
Claire smirked, a scene of a group of children running through the house, laughing aloud playing in her head.
"I've been wondering..."
"About what?" Claire asked, her eyes darting a bit toward the crib in the living room.
"Are you babysitting for someone?"
Claire froze, her head slowly turning toward me, a puzzled expression on my face.
"Ah...that would be..." Claire paused, not knowing whether or not she should tell something. It was rather concerning.
"Who are they?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Claire sighed. "That would be my...my son, Nicholas."
My eyes widened, my cautious surprise evident. I slowly turned to look at the silent crib, curious. "When was he...you know...?"
"Almost immediately after the events of Raccoon City. He'd have been born much later than he was if I hadn't gone looking for you."
My brows furrowed at the implications. "What are you saying?"
"You'll want to stay in that chair for this."
"Ooh, boy. This should be good."
"While in Raccon City, I was infected."
My attention was suddenly on Claire, listening tearfully to what she had to say.
"By both the T-Virus and its G strain."
"So, why hasn't he exploded into a giant monster made of skinless muscle and dry blood?"
"Well, he was infected in the womb with a virual form."
My eyes dart toward the crib, my curiosity piqued.
"I was able to fight of the viruses because of him. Over the course of the night, I experienced dramatic swelling of tissue and flesh. The G strain caused accelerated growth and budding."
"Budding...in the womb?"
"Yep. Nine children over the course of two days, Chris."
"Jesus..."
The rumbling of the coffee pot stopped, giving Claire something to distract herself while I took a moment to think about what she'd told me.
Making herself and I a cup of coffee, she quietly hummed to herself. Placing a cup on the table, she stood up straight, bringing her free hand to her cup.
"What happened to the other eight?"
"They passed away in the NICU shortly after they were born."
I watched Claire's shoulders slump a bit, a small twitch in her hand. Standing up, I made my way toward the crib to find a small baby boy sleeping soundly inside.
"What's his name?" I asked, keeping my eyes trained on the boy in his sleeping form.
"Nicholas, Nicholas Walter Redfield."
"After our grandfather?"
"Heh...yeah. The one thing he ever asked for from me."
"Do you know the father?"
"Never properly met him and don't care enough at the moment to try to get him to be part of his life. Just focused on moving on."
"I see."
"So...what about you and Jill?"
No One's POV
Chris was ripped from his reminiscing to see Claire standing in the doorway with their uncle, Theodore (my OC), holding her arm, his grizzled appearance frightening the pastor.
As the organ began to play "Here Comes The Bride", everyone turned their attention to Claire, Nicholas already by his father's side with the rings in hand.
Claire felt her cheeks heat up from the attention. Luckily, no one could beyond her veil, at least not in too much detail. Leon could hardly believe his eyes, Claire was beautiful. Even more so than normal.
Standing in front of Leon, Claire felt her heart race.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two individuals hardened by the greatest of trials and tribulations, forming an unbreakable bond of love, trust, and hope. Such bonds are not to be taken lightly, and yet can be so easily broken. Weakened by mistrust only as strong as it weakest link. The Bride and groom have prepared their vows."
The pastor gave the two a look of expectation.
Turning to face Leon, Claire stood there for a moment, her eyes gazing deeply into Leon's.
Taking Claire's hands into his, Leon smiled softly. "I never thought I'd be standing here after Raccoon City. Figured I'd have put a bullet in my head long before. Tried my best to forget the pain of what I'd seen. I nearly succeeded once, but...I heard your voice on my answering machine and I remembered that I wasn't alone. Everything seemed to be so blurry before that moment, and then...everything was clear. I'd started going to therapy, excersicising, and doing my best to make the best of things. I know our relationship has been Rocky at times but...since Harvardville, I can't see my life without you in it. You been there for me whenever I'd needed you to be, even when I didn't want you to be. I want to be with you, for better or worse, taking care of you when you're sick, and holding you in my arms when you've hit a low. I love you, Claire."
Claire felt tears stream down her cheeks, hitting the collar of her form-fitting yet slightly fluffy dress. She smiled, her heart fluttering.
"If I'm being honest, if you'd told me that I would be wearing a white dress in a white church getting married to a handsome man a few years ago, I'd have called you an idiot. Now, I can't help but feel a thousand emotions all at once. I'm happy, sad, and ecstatic at the same time. I never imagined that my life would turn out this way. I know that I have been a bit brash at times and quite...stubborn at others. It's part of the package. You've been there for me when I needed you the most especially after both Raccoon City and Harvardville. Saving my life twice. I want to be there for you at your lowest and your highest, knowing that you can always talk to me, holding you in my arms when the days are rough."
The pastor turns to Leon. "And now, Leon Kennedy. Do you take Claire Redfield to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and hold her when times get tough and the going is hard?"
Leon smiles, his hands trembling a little. "I do."
The pastor then turns his attention to Claire. "And do you, Claire Redfield, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and hold when the times are tough and the going is hard?"
Claire takes a deep breath before offering a warm smile. "I do."
The pastor smiles. "Then, with the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife." He turns to Leon. "You may kiss the bride."
Leon lifts the veil and leans in for a kiss, only for Claire's lips to smash into his own much to his dismay.
Later, at the reception...
Nicholas was standing near a table, eating a piece of cake when a boy walked up to him with a tired look.
Nicholas paused as he was about to take a bite, the cake resting on the fork in his open mouth. Watching the boy in front of him take a seat, he set the fork down.
"H-Hi."
The boy looked up at him and offered a smile.
"I'm Charlie!"
"I'm Nicholas."
"So, who's your mom?"
As the two boys were introducing themselves to each other and asking seemingly mundane questions, a lone figure slowly lumbers toward, groaning softly. Upon reaching Nicholas, the figure opens its mouth and starts leaning in toward his neck.
Bang!
"Not tofuckingday zombitch," an angry Claire whispers, holding a smoking Desert Eagle in her right hand, holding her dress up with the other, the zombie hitting the ground with a thug.