•Thicker Than Blood•

•Chapter 30•

The next day, it was Saturday. So, everyone was home from work and school till Monday once again. Since, both Claire and Leon wanted to make it a point to spend weekends with Sherry, whether something was going on or not. Though, there was something new happening that weekend that was out of the normal. The workers had come to start setting up the training facility on the property.

Leon had already warned Claire that they were coming. So, both of them would be outside while the workers were there. They set up an area where the grounds would be built. It was squared off with orange tape, signifying where the area under construction would be. Claire and Leon were outside, giving the orders and answering any questions the workers had.

Meanwhile, Sherry was inside at the kitchen table. There was a cup of water to her left and pallets of paints to her right. While she was at school, she was given a little pop up easel from the art room. The teacher had suggested it may be therapeutic for her to attempt painting. Sherry always had an admiration for artwork, but had never really considered picking it up herself.

She had a pencil in hand, trying her best to sketch out a picture on the canvas before putting any sort of paint on it. She had decided on painting something she remembered. A scene was what it was. A scene from Raccoon City. She sketched out the horizon and the setting sun. She tried her best to sketch what the texture of the cracked ground would have been. There was a chain fence off to the side. The city could be briefly seen before said fence.

Once she grabbed the paint, she started with painting the sky in the background. It was a mixture of red and orange, with a slight hint of yellow in some places. She mixed the paint colors and blended them into the colors of a typical sunset. She looked it over, though she had been told she needed to wait before adding another layer of paint. That was just how acrylics would work. It was a time consuming process that required a lot of patience.

She swirled the tip of her brush around in the water, watching as the once clear liquid became stained orange. She sighed heavily. Leaning her head against the table while she waited for the paint to dry, it would be easy to confirm that watching paint dry was indeed...boring. Though, it wasn't long before her attention was pulled elsewhere.

The front door clicked open and she could hear someone coming inside. She looked back towards the door and saw none other than Genevieve and Chris! That was odd. They weren't supposed to come home for another week. Quickly, she got up and bolted over to them. She enveloped Genevieve in a hug while also waving towards Chris.

"Hey! I didn't think you guys would be home so early!" Sherry chirped, clearly happy to see them despite.

"Well, I managed to get the job done pretty early. So, Genevieve suggested we came home early to surprise you guys for the weekend," he explained. "Oh yeah. The hell is going on back there? Are they doing some sort of renovation?"

"No, not exactly. Well, kinda? It's sort of a long story." Sherry said gently. "A big one at that. You might want to sit down."

Chris and Genevieve glanced at one another briefly before heading over to the table. Each of them sat in one of the chairs while Sherry pushed her still drying painting to the side. She set her supplies on the kitchen counter before officially sitting with the rest of them. She folded her hands in front of her, her lips pursed. It was obvious to the other two that this wasn't a story she was necessarily fond of.

Sherry went on to explain the argument that Leon and Claire had. She mentioned how Leon was offered the job as a government agent while Claire didn't quite approve of it. She mentioned how they came to an agreement and now the renovation in the backyard was for an at-home training facility ground. Chris raised his eyebrows, seeming a bit surprised by the situation. Meanwhile, Genevieve seemed hesitant to say anything at all.

"So, Kennedy is about to start working with the government... gotta say, that doesn't surprise me. In the end, we all work for the government. Just not directly under them like that." He spoke. "I know why Claire wouldn't like that. Neither of us were too fond of the higher ups in life." He laughed under his breath. "Nobody likes what happens up there. But, I suppose someone like him being there could try to make some good changes."

"That's exactly what they said!"

"Oh, I bet. The government doesn't have the best things in mind all the time. If anything, it's all for the show. They'd rather cover something up than actually acknowledge and sort out a problem. That's where I come in, trying to stop the evil from the source. They'd rather put a pacifier on it. That's why you hardly hear of anything Umbrella Corporation has done." Chris said.

Sherry shuddered at the thought. "It's scary thinking these are the people who rule over everything..."

"Tell me about it." Chris leaned back in his chair.

Soon enough, the back door opened. The three of them glanced back towards it. Claire and Leon were just coming inside. Leon held the door while Claire walked in. Immediately, the two realized what happened. Claire gained a smile and ran in, standing beside Chris with an excited puppy-like demeanor.

"You're home early!"

"Yup. Just heard about everything that's going on too. You're a big shot now, huh, Kennedy?"

Claire's mood seemed to drain when he mentioned the current situation the family was in. Leon did his best to seem enthusiastic, a small smile on his face while he gave a nod. The workers could be heard from the back. Their tools whirred while the construction was happening. Luckily, they didn't have neighbors that were too nearby... otherwise the noise would have been a nightmare for them.

"I suppose you could say that." Leon responded.

"Hell yeah. Taking the issue head on." He held his hand out to Leon. "Don't let them corrupt you too, man."

Leon laughed and grabbed onto his hand for a firm, friendly shake. "Oh, you know I'll do just fine out there."

"I bet you will." Chris said.

Though, Claire wasn't too interested in their enthusiasm by the situation. She glanced around, spotting the easel on the counter. Tilting her head, she went over to it. She seemed to recognize the scene immediately. Raccoon City. The day they had escaped from it. They walked hand in hand towards the sunset while they left. That was when their journey officially began as a family.

"Sherry, did you paint this?" She asked.

Finally, Sherry looked up and gave a nod. "Yeah... it's not nearly close to being done."

Leon then looked over, recognizing it too. "Raccoon City... you've got an eye for detail."

"Well, I remember it like it was yesterday... how could I not?"

Claire and Leon exchanged glances then smiled toward each other. A new feeling settled in when they saw this work. Despite how everything changed, they all started in the same place to get to where they were now. Despite the changes, they all shared something common. No matter what, they will always have those experiences. The experiences that bonded them together in the end. Their bonds will always be stronger than their situation.