Chapter 28: Separated Ways

The whole month of October was spent in the quarantine camp. Claire had proven true to her words. She had convinced Rick to give a relationship together a try.

Every single private moment spent together was one of unbridled passion. They had sex almost anytime, anywhere. The first week, Claire had been the one initiating it but by the beginning the second week Rick began to be pro-active. By the third week he was starting more than she did.

The simple reason for that? His new enhanced body and the look of utter pleasure Claire had on her face once he was done railing her.

Eyes rolled or crossed, her skin coated in his cum, her face glazed like a donut. He couldn’t get enough of seeing her completely undone like this.

The more he had her, the more he wanted her.

It wasn’t the only thing that had happened during the forty days.

Annette had been very forthcoming with information on Umbrella once she got her protection deal for Sherry and herself. They’d both be under watch for the rest of their lives, especially Annette, though.

To avoid prison, she threw her late husband under the bus. An easy thing to do now that the man was dead and responsible for most of what happened to begin with. However, she still acknowledged the atrocities she had committed. Not that she felt any guilt about it but it would have made things more complicated had she hidden that information when Rick, Claire or perhaps Leon would have spoken up about it.

Sherry was the one who took this long time out the best. In those four weeks she had spent more time with her mother than she did in the past four years.

She was aware of what her parents did. And while she was forgiving about certain things regarding her mother’s actions, she was done and over with her father. Not that he had been one for her to begin with.

Annette, as a result, was able to see first hand what her future would have been had she not finally put her daughter first. She promised herself that she wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

Mother and daughter’s relationship was strained in some aspects but for now they avoided talking about those issues and focused on getting to know each other.

Sherry spent the most time with Leon for the simple reason that Claire and Rick were most often than not nowhere to be found. She knew one and she was happy to see them together.

Leon had been good company. He was kind if not a bit sarcastic and talked at length about why he chose to become a cop in the first place when Sherry asked with interest.

The rookie cop was a bit frustrated to be quarantined when the people responsible for the nightmare he had gone through were still free.

Irons’ journal and ledge about his bribes had been tangible proof to use against Umbrella in concert with Annette’s testimony. So far her words had weight because she had been a higher ups of NEST but she didn’t have concrete evidence.

Leon’s information, while not directly important, gives credibility to Annette but also Jill and Rick who not only talked about what was now known as the ‘Raccoon City Incident’ but also the Arklay Mountains outbreaks.

Two FBI agents had shown up within days at the camp to ask questions about the information Leon had sent them through e-mail.

Apparently the President of the United States himself wanted to know everything about the whole ordeal and dragged through chains to justice the ones responsible. After all, he was the first president in the history of the country to order a nuclear strike on US soil and people wanted answers he didn’t have.

Jill had introduced her companion, Carlos, to the group, since he was in the same situation as them. He was a bit of a flirt but he had a heart of gold. A rare thing for mercenaries.

He had been part of the USBC deployed in Raccoon, tasked with protecting and evacuating people. The truth was revealed to be more sinister. Umbrella had sent them there to get combat data on their bio-weapons. They had been used much like STARS had been used in Spenser Manor.

Together, they had tried to make a timeline of the events. Jill had felt touched that Rick had come to search for her as soon as he could and never stopped looking even after he found her entire residential building burning in flames.

Jill and Carlos had been moving for three days all around the city and dealt with another of Umbrella’s currently ultimate weapons, the tyrant. This one even had its own code name: Nemesis.

She had been infected during the fight by the T-Virus but Carlos had found a cure at the Raccoon Central Hospital.

Rick had found it amusing that this Nemesis had been the one to destroy the wall separating the men and women shower in the Police Station. Without the monster, He, Claire and Leon would have been stuck in there.

When the quarantine period was officially over. Each went their separate ways. Jill was supposed to have started a new job as a member of Baltimore’s police. Carlos was a mercenary so he went to chase his next contract.

Leon had been told that he would be best for him to join the secret services. His testimony about the events in Raccoon City and his survival made him a prime candidate. To make sure he’d agree, they subtly threatened Sherry. Without much of a choice he took up the offer.

Claire had been moved and pleased that Rick would help with finding her brother. At least until early January. From Chris' letter she had found in the STARS Office, he was in Europe.

It was clear to her that he was investigating Umbrella and Umbrella Paris was the biggest European location of the company.

Rick, being seventeen, couldn’t travel without a guardian’s permission outside the country. The solution to that particular problem came from Major Hunt.

He presented a five year contract and by signing it Rick became officially a member of the US military making it its guardian. The credentials and papers allowing Rick to travel were done within days. That was military efficiency and it impressed him greatly.

When Rick asked Hunt about why he was trusting him with this, the Major simply answered Jill told him he was a young man of his word and that was enough for him. That left Rick perplexed and pondering. Trusting someone from the word of someone else.

He thought it was foolish but also impressive in a way. People couldn’t be trusted out of the blue in his opinion. They’ll just stab you in the back. A lesson he had learned the hard way in his first few months in the streets.

“Are you sure you want to come? You don’t have-” Claire was looking at him packing a duffle bag.

“Yes. I may not have too but I want to. Who knows what kind of trouble you’re going to attract to yourself?” He zipped his bag and carried it on his shoulder. “Besides, you’re my girlfriend. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't support you?”

Claire bit the corner of her lip. Her heart fluttered at his words and the small smile Rick gave her. He may not be perfect but he was genuine in his affection. Marvin had been right when he had told her that Rick wasn’t disloyal or dishonest.

He walked towards her and held her hand, their fingers lacing together. They left her room and went outside. Claire had recovered her motorcycle she had left behind at the gas station when she had met Leon, and got into the driver seat. Rick sat right behind her and wrapped his arms around her mid-section, his chin resting on her shoulder.

“Ready?” She turned her head to the side. When Rick gave her a nod, she pecked his lips and brought down her visor. Rick did the same and Claire started the engine.

Leon had already left and so did Jill. Sherry and Annette were supposed to leave the next day and the two teenagers already said their goodbyes to the schoolgirl. Rick had given her his e-mail address if she wanted to write and so did Claire.

It took them days of travels to reach Denver, stopping into small towns along the way and sharing a bedroom in cheap motels. Once in the state capital, Claire rented a small unit to park her bike instead of leaving it on the airport parking lot at an exorbitant price.

Claire may have had some money inherited from the life insurance of her parents but that didn’t mean she would spend like she was rich. She was careful with her spending. The two plane tickets for Paris had been a necessary purchase and she waved away Rick’s need to repay her.

Within a day they were in Paris. Claire had a sheepish look when she found out that English was rarely spoken in the country of wine. Rick hadn’t mocked her for it but his facial expression was telling enough. Thankfully Jill knew a bit of French thanks to her ancestry and had encouraged him to learn it with Spanish.

It was rough and he had needed a translating book but it had been enough to go around without being lost.

“Alright! I have it with your smug face!” Claire grabbed him and pushed him down onto the bed of their hotel room.

She was still embarrassed by her lack of thinking regarding the language barrier. Rick’s constant amused face had grated on her nerves the whole way from the airport.

Rick grabbed her wrists to defend himself. “It’s not my fault you’re a meathead!” he laughed.

“I’ll give your meat head!” Claire freed one of her hands and it immediately went to his belt’s buckle. Soon enough Rick was putty in her mouth.

In the years to come, he would consider those days with her the happiest in his life.

Even if it didn't end well.