•Thicker Than Blood•

•Chapter 38•

As time went on, things would change. Though, one thing would stay the same. The family bond they all shared. Leon would come to finish his training after months or hard work and effort. Some days, he was too tired to function after training and work. Though, he found it was all worth it when he managed to land a better job to better support and protect his family.

Claire eventually came to trust Leon and his decisions to become an agent. She wasn't expecting to go nearly as smoothly as it did. Though, she was glad they were able to work something out. She continued to work as a mechanic and eventually even she was a pro in her field. She was especially happy when she gained a new project. She got a motorcycle to fix up. It became her personal project she would work on at home. God, she missed those motorcycles.

Sherry would also begin her therapy sessions, which went very well! Depending on who was home, Leon or Claire would take her to sessions. She was able to talk about her emotions and they concluded it was from some sort of PTSD from her life before Leon and Claire. She endured a lot of mental pain after Raccoon City. I mean, who wouldn't? Though, she was able to find her healthy coping mechanism through her paintings. Which were proudly displayed and hung up throughout the house.

Leon and Claire always supported her habits and coping mechanisms. While there were still tiffs between the two of them every so often, they always made it a point to keep it out of Sherry's line of sight. After the fiasco, they seemed to realize just how much their fighting and or stability would mean to the young girl. They would never mean to hurt her. So, they did everything in their power to do what was right for her. Even if they did mess up along the way sometimes.

Though, of course the therapy and improved home life didn't just fix Sherry's panic disorder. Nothing would go away that easily. So, after a while of Sherry doing well at her therapist sessions, Leon and Claire decided to do something nice for her. They went out and arranged a plan to get her a service dog! This dog would be able to sense her panic attacks and help her calm down when her anxiety got too high. He was a golden retriever named Wali.

When Sherry came home from school one day and saw the little puppy dog waiting back at home for her, she was ecstatic! She couldn't believe what she had seen! The dog was bursting with energy, running around and yipping happily. Happy to have found a new home. Wali was the sweetest puppy known to man. Once he was old enough, he started his training too. Eventually, he would even get his service dog vest. He almost never left Sherry's side.

Though, they weren't the only family that had been working their way through life of course. Genevieve and Chris had their own story as well. Chris had managed to adopt Genevieve legally, just like Leon and Claire did Sherry. Genevieve changed her name to 'Genevieve Ovega Redfield', as Sherry encouraged her to keep her original last name too. She enjoyed the idea... as if it were a bittersweet memento to her family before Chris.

They would continue to travel around the world on missions together. Chris always came back to her in the base and she happily returned to her noses lifestyle. She continued and furthered her writing skills as well. Though, something new had caught her attention. She asked Chris if he would be willing to teach her the basics of combat. And after some convincing, she was able to get a yes out of him and they would train together when they had the free time!

Life would go on as time would pass... Chris and Genevieve maintained their schedule. Leon was officially a government agent and he did have to travel occasionally. While Claire and Sherry never liked it when he had to leave, they let him go, trusting that he would return home. And he did! Every single time... always coming home with some new little knick knack for them upon his return. They remained safe... comfortable.

Soon enough, years had gone by and Sherry was in highschool by then. Leon was a busy bee as usual and Claire was the head of the auto shop. She was the one who managed it all and taught all the new mechanics. Both of them went decently far in their careers. But, they would always come home to one another. Always.

Just like this time. Leon had to travel cross country for one of his missions... tonight was the night he finally came home from that. After weeks of nothing but mail correspondence and phone calls, he was returning home. Sherry and Claire waited back at home for him, ready to give him the greeting of a lifetime. The door would click open and the creak of his boots on their floorboards could be heard once again!

"There he is! Leon!" Claire got up and ran forward, flinging herself into his arms

"Claire! I'm back!" His arms immediately wrapped around her, pulling her close.

The two of them were practically inseparable. They clung to each other for what felt like forever, swaying back and forth while they held on. Just relieved to see that the other one was okay still. Claire reached her hands up and cupped his face, pressing a kiss to his lips while they swayed. She could feel Leon smilin against her lips, the new scruff he had grown somewhat scratching her face.

They held that kiss till they needed to breathe, parting only slightly to catch that breath. Their foreheads touched while they leaned together. Claire's arms slowly laid over his shoulders, crossing behind his head while his hands remained on her waist, guiding her along with the swaying motion they shared.

"I missed you so much, red." He whispered to her, his nose touching hers in an eskimo kiss.

"I missed you too, agent..." She returned the nose rub, giggling while she did. "I'm so glad you're safe..."

"Well, you know me. I always come home in one piece. I'd never leave my girls behind." Leon said, suddenly shifting and lifting Claire up into the air, spinning her around just once before setting her back down. "Speaking of my girls." He looked at Sherry, who had Wali right beside her.

"There she is! God, how you've grown. I feel older and older every time I see you, Sher-Bear." He held his arms out.

Quickly, Sherry got up and ran into his arms. "Dad! Maybe you just are old!" She laughed. "I missed you so much! You're never going to believe what happened!"

"Oh? What happened?" Leon asked, ruffling the younger girl's hair.

"My painting was placed in the art show at school and it actually won! My painting of Raccoon City and the sunset... it actually won in the school art show!" Sherry chirped. Wali picked up on her excitement and responded with excited barking and pants.

"See? I told you that your art would be appreciated! We've known you were a brilliant artist from the start." Leon said, reaching down and patting Wali on the head. "Congratulations, sweetheart."

"Thanks dad! I really appreciate it."

"Of course, kiddo..." Leon looked back at Claire, who had a huge smile plastered on her face.

Claire came over and joined the group. Her arms wrapped around Leon and Sherry while they moved to hood onto her too. They all leaned against each other in a moment of silence. Even Wali laid down and curled up beneath them, comfortable with the family he had been taken into. They were together once more. Where they were always meant to be. A family full of love.

It didn't matter that they weren't related by blood. It didn't matter that they all came from incredibly different places in life and in the world. The only thing that mattered was that they came together after something. They survived something that no one else had been through. Their experience was unique to them and it brought them together. They always say that blood is thicker than water. But in this case, that quote just didn't hold its justice. In this case, their bond was thicker than blood.