trans_9 | You got some splainin' to do. [closed]

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You got some splainin' to do. [closed]

Thank god for pants.

Chris had a look around the room where his sister had been sleeping for the past year, getting the feeling he'd never quite get used to the whole "alien organs" motif this place had going for it. It seemed nice enough, though, and he was curious to know who all the things on one side of the room belonged to.

"So, I guess it'd be an understatement to say I missed a lot," he said, giving Boon a belly rub on the bed next to him.

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Chris remembered all too well how much the kid's death had hurt her, and didn't want to imagine what running into him again must have been like. Nevermind the fact he was alive in the first place, somehow. This place was starting to get more messed up by the minute.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "That can't have been... easy."

She sighed, shaking her head.

"It wasn't. It's still not, some days," she admitted, frowning a little, and straightening up completely. It had been hard, and it had been harder dealing with it without Chris. But she'd adapted. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands together.

"Leon was there for me, though. Which I know is so not what you want to hear, but he made sure I didn't go crazy." Crazier, anyway.

"Claire," Chris sighed, a little crossly, "That's not it."

He turned towards her and leaned forward, looking her in the eye. "I just want somebody to always be there for you. And I'm always gonna be there. But if I can't be around, for whatever reason, if I'm across the world or in a space-coma or whatever... it's gotta be one hell of a good guy to deserve you."

She smiled slightly at that, shaking her head.

"Once this virus stuff is done with, talk to him, then." Normally she'd be severely opposed to any of her boyfriends having a conversation with her brother, but that was because a lot of the guys in the past she'd dated had never really even met her standard of total approval. At least when it came to holding up against her brother. Leon though, she was pretty sure he'd do fine.

"You say that like he has a choice," Chris replied, smirking at her. "Big brother gets to take your boyfriend out for a few beers. That's the rule. No breaking it, even in a place like this."

She just laughed, shaking her head a little. She wasn't going to fight him on that one. "It's not really that, he's just a pretty busy guy," she said after a moment, rubbing the back of her neck.

"He's Captain of the ship, actually." Which was still something she wasn't happy about, though she was proud of him, if for nothing else than that him being in the position he was in made it obvious that he was well-loved by people besides her and their daughter.

"Captain, huh?" Chris regarded her suspiciously with that news. "Well, I'm sure he'll make the time to meet me if it's important to you." He was mostly kidding about the strict inspection... mostly. Brotherhood came with certain obligations, and giving your sister's boyfriends the once-over was at the top of the list.

"And when do I get to meet all the orphans you're taking in while I'm away?"

Her face fell at that, and she looked down at the floor, shaking her head.

"I don't know." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck again, before slowly looking back up at him. The look she'd been carrying with her since Sherry had first started getting sick, that of a mother scared for her child's life, was back.

"Sherry's one of the people who got infected by the virus that's leaked. She's being kept unconscious until a cure can be developed."

He winced a bit at the news, and he recognized that look of despair on her face. It was one she saved for the times when she couldn't even feign confidence, when she couldn't pretend away the worries.

"Oh, Claire," he sighed, and moved over to sit beside her, putting his hand on her shoulder. He didn't know what else to say, considering he really didn't know much about this virus or whether Sherry really was going to be all right or not. Either way, he had a year's worth of supporting her to make up for, and it was frustrating he couldn't get started right now.

She'd been mostly fielding this one on her own. Leon was busy trying to contain and being captain, so she'd been spending the long hours down in Contagion watching their child sleep. So having Chris show up right now was pretty nice, considering.

She let out a slow breath, looking over at Chris for a moment before scooting closer to him and leaning her head against his shoulder, loosely wrapping her arm behind him.

"She'll be fine, Stacy says there's a cure, and I trust the Contagion team more than I've ever trusted any scientists before." She bit her lip, frowning down at the floor again. "It doesn't stop me from worrying, though. She's been through so much."

He slipped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze. "She'll be okay," he said. "She's lucky to have a mom like you. You know if you've been raising her, she's gotta be tougher than the average kid."

It came along with the Redfield name, after all.

Claire smiled a little at that, nodding her head.

"Yeah, I know she is. I just... wish there were something more I could do than just sit by and wait for a cure to be found."

"There's nothing worse than that helpless feeling," Chris agreed. That was something the two of them definitely had in common.

"But you know she'll be glad just to have you around, even if there's nothing you can do, right?"

"I know," she repeated, frowning slightly, before looking back up at Chris. "You know your timing kinda sucks, right?"

He smiled a little awkwardly, shrugging his shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry. It's really my worst habit."

She smiled, nudging him gently with her shoulder, tilting her head to the side.

"One of your worst habits."

"Right, right," he sighed. "That and leaving you out of the loop."

"And smoking," she replied, giving him a pointed look.

"Hey, I quit smoking," he insisted. "Remember?"

Claire rolled her eyes, shifting so she could poke him in the ribs with her elbow.

"You said you quit smoking, but you're such a liar."

"I am not." He frowned in mock offense. "I haven't smoked in a while now."

"And there's no cigarettes around here anyway," he added a moment later. "I already checked. How's that for cold turkey?"

"The goo stasis doesn't count as a while," she replied, smirking at him a little.

When he mentioned that there weren't cigarettes around she didn't say anything, because she knew there were, though he'd probably have to do some bargaining with assholes like Luthor if he wanted them. So she was just not going to point that out to him. Instead she nodded her head.

"Works for me."

"Okay. One habit down, and a couple more to go," he said triumphantly.

He paused for a moment, then rested his hand on top of her head. "I know we're the kind of tough people who don't like talking about things, but-- let me know if you need anything, okay? I've got a lot of time to make up for and I want to help you however I can. Even if it's just hitting a few people for you."

She laughed quietly at that, shifting so she could wrap her other arm around him, pulling herself closer and leaning her cheek against his shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind. But right now? You being here is enough for me." She finally felt like she was complete, again. That little nagging feeling she'd had at the back of her mind for god only knows how long was finally gone.

Chris smiled at that and put his other arm around her. "I'm glad you're here," he said. "Just imagine what I'd do without you."

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You got some splainin' to do. [closed]

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