•Thicker Than Blood•

•Chapter 11•

Later that night, Leon headed out for work. Per usual, he showered before he put his uniform on. He combed out his hair and looked at himself in the mirror before turning on his heels and heading down the hall. He gave a gentle knock to Sherry's door. After a quiet 'come in' was heard, he entered the room. Sherry was sitting in bed, book in her hands. She smiled when she saw Leon. It had become a nightly routine for Leon to say goodbye before he left for work. Although, she knew he would be there in the morning when she woke up.

Leon moved towards her, taking the edges of her blanket in his hands and pulling them to be over Sherry. He laid the blanket over her fully, tucking it to where he figured she would be comfortable. Sherry put her bookmark in the story, laying it on her bedside table before snuggling up into the bed. She laid her head on the pillow and held her balled fist out to Leon, who bumped hers with his own.

"Hey kiddo. I'm heading out for work. You know the drill." He said.

Sherry laughed a little from the fist bump, nodding. "Mhm! Be safe out there, okay?"

"You got it, I'll come home in one piece. That's a promise."

"Make it a real one." Sherry held out her hand and extended her pinky finger.

Leon scoffed playfully, rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright. It's a real one."

The two of them locked their pinky fingers, curling them around one another and "shaking on it". Once that was complete, they unraveled their fingers. Sherry laid back down fully into her bed, pulling the covers up over her shoulders. Leon set his hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair gently before fixing his posture. He headed towards the door and shut off the lights.

"Goodnight, Sherry. Sleep well."

Slowly, he shut her door upon exiting the room. Then, he descended down the stairs, where he found Claire sitting at the dining room table. Her head was resting in her hands, hair down and falling in front of her face. Leon's jaw tightened as he approached her, pulling a chair out beside her. Claire barely flinched, even when he sat beside her.

"Everything okay, red?"

Claire leaned down, crossing her arms and burying her face in the crevice they created together. Holding her breath, she tried to give a nod. Though it was clear she was shaken. Leon held his hand out, gently placing it on her back. He rubbed it gently, trying to soothe her in a sense. Claire flinched at the touch, but she didn't bother to lift her head. Keeping herself guarded from Leon.

"If it makes you feel better... I'm going to check the computers tonight. I'm going to see if I can find anything for your brother."

"That's... that's the thing." Her voice quivered, it sounded as if she were crying.

Leon paused, his eyes widening just slightly, realizing the scene he had walked in on. He had never seen Claire cry before. He barely ever saw her show any sort of sign of weakness. She was always the pillar of support, the one everyone could rely on. Always stood tall and confident. She knew her skills and she knew she could face anything. Though... for once she was shaking and losing her balance. She had finally cracked under the pressure of her situation.

"What if I hear something I don't want to..? Chris is- all I had... What if I never see him again?"

Claire choked out a weak sob, refusing to lift her head. Her entire body shook beneath his hand, her words becoming slurred and jumbled with her sorrows. Leon watched her, nearly speechless. Despite the shock of seeing her crumble, he picked up the reign. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her shaking body against his. One arm locked around her, the other one rested on the back of her head.

Her eyes shot open and before she knew it, she was clinging to the man in front of her. She hadn't clung to someone like this since the last time she saw her brother. While he was leaving on a work-related trip. The one he never returned home from. The one that led up to where she is now. She buried her face against Leon's chest, weakly sobbing against it. For once, she allowed herself to be completely vulnerable in the arms of another person. Something she thought she would never do again.

"You'll see him again, I'll make sure of it. You'll be the first to know when I find him."

Claire finally lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes would shine in the light with her tears. Her face was hot and wet from the breakdown she endured. She reached up and cradled Leon's face in her shaking hand. With a shaking gasp for breath, she gave a nod. Another deep breath and she finally met his gaze.

"Thank you, Leon. Thank you..."

Leon looked down at her, leaning his head against her palm while he reached up and set his hands over hers. He held them both with a firm yet gentle grip. He nodded towards her, giving her a smile before letting go and stepping away from her. He grabbed a tissue from the box on the table and handed it over to her. To which, she gratefully took it, holding it to her nose.

"It's not a problem. I'm going to head out now. I'll see you in the morning."

He was about to head out the door, but Claire pulled his attention back to her.

"Hey Leon!"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Don't die out there." She said, smiling at him.

Leon cracked a smile at her comment. "I'll try."

After that, he opened the front door and left. Walking down the path and getting in the driver's seat of their shared pickup truck. He started it up and headed down the driveway. He left through the gate and headed down the open road. There was barely any traffic, ever. Considering the town the inhabited was dangerously low on population. He headed into the main town area of QuarryBend, parking at the police department. He shut off the car, getting out and heading in.

He greeted his coworkers as he got inside. Then made a b-line for the computer room. Once he made it, he sat at one of the chairs and booted up one of the computers. He typed in the code and was granted access. Once that was finished, he went to log to see if he could find anything. He searched for "Chris Redfield" and luckily, found his profile. He was a S.T.A.R.S agent.

Leon scanned over the digital profile, skimming through the basic information such as sex, height, age, occupation, family, role, and then... status. That was exactly what he needed. He clicked on status to open a more detailed description. Last known status... alive. Last known location... Europe. Last known mission... investigate the Umbrella Corporation's European facility. Last updated: 5 months ago. Quickly, Leon printed the piece of information.

Just like that, he snatched up the paper and ran and picked up the phone, ready to call their home phone. He dialed their number and it barely took more than two rings for Claire to pick up. He could immediately hear the hope in her voice.

"Leon! Did you find anything?"

"Yes I did... want me to read it off to you?"

"Please do!"