Chapter Text
Winter in Raccoon City had the unpleasant habit of finding its way under your clothes before you even had time to close the car door behind you.
Leon Kennedy was reminded of that once again when he stepped out of the patrol car and immediately felt an icy gust sweep across the back of his neck.
“Great.” he muttered under his breath.
It was late evening. The sky above the city was almost navy blue, and individual snowflakes swirled in the glow of the streetlights. It wasn’t snowing heavily, but the snow had already covered the sidewalks with a thin, white layer.
Leon slammed the car door shut, adjusted the collar of his jacket, and headed toward his building. He’d had a long day. Definitely too long.
He had spent the last few hours on paperwork, interrogations, and listening to his superior complain about a report that, in his opinion, was perfectly fine, while according to his superior apparently still needed some work.
Leon still had no idea what exactly he was supposed to improve. More than anything, he wanted to get back to his apartment, take a hot shower, make himself something to eat, and go to bed. No surprises. No phone calls. No people. No problems. For a moment, he genuinely believed that maybe, just maybe, fate might grant him that tonight. Then he saw the girl sitting on the doorstep of his home.
Leon stopped a few meters away from her. He frowned. The girl sat completely still, huddled beneath the door of his apartment. She was wearing something that resembled a long, white robe. The material was thin and definitely not suitable for a December evening. She had no coat. No shoes. Not even socks.
Leon looked at her, then at the snow around her bare feet.
“Shit…”
He quickened his pace.
“Hey.”
The girl raised her head. She had red hair that fell over her shoulders, slightly damp from the snow. Her face was pale. Very pale. Yet she didn’t look frightened. More like… confused. As if she didn’t quite understand where she was.
Leon crouched down in front of her.
“Are you all right?”
The girl looked him straight in the eyes. And smiled. It was a gentle, almost shy smile.
“Leon.”
He froze for a second.
“Yes?”
“Leon Scott Kennedy.”
His expression immediately became more alert.
“Do we know each other?”
The girl shook her head.
“No.”
“Then how do you know my name?”
“Because you’re my human.”
For a moment, Leon simply stared at her.
“…Excuse me?”
The girl tilted her head.
“I’m your guardian angel.”
Silence.
Leon blinked. Then he glanced at the empty stairwell, as if hoping someone would jump out from around the corner and tell him it was some kind of terrible joke. No one did. The girl was still sitting in front of him.
“Right.” he said at last.
He stood up.
“Okay. Let’s start over. What’s your name?”
“Claire.”
“Claire.”
He nodded.
“Claire, do you realize it’s the middle of winter?”
She looked at her shoulders.
“Yes.”
“And you’re sitting here wearing what looks like a nightgown?”
Claire looked at her robe with genuine interest.
“This isn’t a nightgown.”
“Okay.”
Leon sighed.
“How long have you been sitting here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where are your things?”
“What things?”
“Phone. Wallet. ID. Coat. Shoes.”
Claire looked down again.
“I don’t have any.”
Leon pressed his lips together. This was getting stranger by the second. The girl looked young, although it was difficult to determine her exact age. She was conscious and answered logically, at least at first glance, but at the same time she was saying things that made absolutely no sense. And she was barefoot. In the snow.
Leon crouched down again.
“Claire, listen to me. Do you know an address? Do you have family? Anyone we can call?”
“I have a brother.”
“Great. What’s his name?”
“Chris.”
“Last name?”
“Redfield.”
Leon narrowed his eyes.
“Phone number?”
Claire thought for a moment.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t use a phone.”
Leon rubbed his face with one hand. It had been a really long day.
“Okay. Listen. You can’t sit out here.”
Claire looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because you’ll freeze to death.”
“I can’t freeze to death.”
“You’re literally sitting in the snow without shoes.”
“I’m an angel.”
Leon stared at her for a moment.
“Of course.”
Claire smiled faintly.
“Really.”
“Yeah, sure.”
He held out his hand.
“Come on.”
Claire looked at his hand as if it were something incredibly complicated.
“What do I do?”
Leon raised an eyebrow.
“Stand up.”
“How?”
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
“Just… stand up.”
Claire placed her hand in his. Leon felt how cold it was. Not cold like a person who had gone outside without a coat. Cold like ice.
“Jesus…”
He wrapped his other hand around her forearm.
“Slowly.”
Claire tried to get up on her own. She immediately lost her balance. Leon caught her around the waist before she fell.
“I’ve got you.”
Claire looked at him in surprise.
“It’s difficult.”
“What is?”
“Standing.”
Leon frowned.
“Standing?”
“Yes.”
She tried to take a step. Her foot touched the snow. Claire flinched.
“Cold.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Leon stared at her in disbelief.
“Because it’s winter.”
“But why is it cold?”
“Claire…”
For a moment, he felt like he was talking to a child.
“Come on. Inside.”
He carefully put an arm around her waist and helped her up the steps.
Claire took each step with extraordinary caution. Every movement looked as though she were doing it for the first time in her life. She tripped over her own robe, caught her foot on the edge of the steps, and nearly stumbled into Leon several times. Each time, he caught her.
“Left.”
Claire looked at him.
“What?”
“Left leg.”
She looked down.
“Oh.”
She took a step.
“Good.”
“Now the right.”
“Right.”
A step.
“Good.”
After a while, Leon began wondering whether he really had to teach her how to walk. Eventually, they reached the door.
Leon took out his keys. Claire immediately became interested in the metal object in his hand.
“What is that?”
“A key.”
“What for?”
“The door.”
“Why?”
Leon looked at her.
“Because otherwise I can’t get inside.”
“Why?”
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Because everything is interesting.”
Leon sighed.
“That much I’ve noticed.”
He opened the door.
Claire stepped inside. She stopped. Her eyes widened. Leon closed the door and watched for a moment as the girl looked around the apartment.
She looked as though she’d just walked into a museum.
“What is that?”
She pointed at the lamp sitting on a small table.
“A lamp.”
“What is it for?”
“Lighting.”
“How?”
Leon walked over, pressed the switch, and the light came on. Claire actually flinched.
“Oh.”
She looked at the lamp.
Then at Leon. Then back at the lamp.
“That’s amazing.”
“It’s… a lamp.”
Claire stepped closer. She touched the lampshade. Then the base. Then the cord.
“And this?”
“A cable.”
“What for?”
“It carries electricity.”
“What is electricity?”
Leon closed his eyes. The police officer in him immediately began running through possible explanations. Kidnapping. Cult. Brainwashing. Injury. Mental illness. Maybe someone had been keeping her somewhere for a long time. Maybe she’d escaped. Maybe she was under the influence of something.
She didn’t look drunk or drugged, but Leon didn’t want to make any assumptions.
Meanwhile, Claire discovered the lamp switch. She pressed it. The light went out. Her eyes grew wide. She pressed it again. The light came back on.
“Oh.”
She pressed it again. It went out. Again. It came back on.
Leon watched her in silence.
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“Stop.”
“But this is amazing.”
“It’s a light switch.”
“I know.”
“You literally just said you didn’t know what electricity was.”
“I still don’t.”
She pressed the button.
Leon sighed.
“Okay.”
He took off his jacket.
“Sit down.”
Claire looked at the couch.
“Where?”
“There.”
He pointed to a spot.
Claire walked over. Instead of sitting down, she began touching the fabric.
“It’s soft.”
“Yes.”
“What is it for?”
“Sitting.”
Claire looked at him.
“How?”
Leon felt a headache coming on.
“Just sit down.”
Claire tried. She sat far too carefully, as if she were afraid the couch might attack her. Once she was settled, she looked around curiously.
Leon went into the bedroom and returned with a thick blanket.
“Here.”
He draped it over her shoulders.
Claire touched the fabric.
“This is soft too.”
“A blanket.”
“It’s warm.”
“That’s the point.”
Claire looked at him.
“Thank you.”
Leon nodded. Only then did he notice that the girl was trembling slightly.
“Are you cold?”
Claire was silent for a moment.
“Yes.”
“That’s pretty obvious.”
“I don’t understand why.”
Leon stopped.
“Excuse me?”
“Why am I cold?”
“Because you’re wearing a thin robe and you don’t have any shoes.”
Claire looked at her bare feet.
“I see.”
Leon sat down in the armchair opposite her. For a moment, he watched her in silence.
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“Where do you live?”
“Heaven.”
Leon sighed.
“Okay.”
“Really.”
“Sure.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“No.”
Claire looked genuinely upset.
“Why?”
“Because angels don’t exist.”
“They do.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m one.”
Leon nodded.
“Right.”
He reached for his phone.
Claire immediately looked at it.
“What is that?”
“A phone.”
“What is it for?”
“Calling.”
“Who?”
“People.”
“Can I see?”
Leon looked at her.
“Sure.”
He handed her the phone.
Claire took it in both hands. She turned the device over.
“Where’s the button?”
“There isn’t just one button.”
“What?”
“You unlock the screen.”
Leon showed her. Claire stared at the screen with such wonder that it looked as though she’d just witnessed magic.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It’s just a phone.”
Leon took it back.
“All right. Now I need to call for help.”
Claire looked at him.
“Help?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you need a doctor.”
“I’m not sick.”
“You also need someone to find your brother.”
Claire shook her head.
“Chris knows where I am.”
Leon stopped.
“You know where your brother is?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know he knows where you are?”
Claire shrugged.
“He’s my brother.”
Leon looked at her in disbelief. He stood up. Claire suddenly pointed at the television.
“What is that?”
Leon looked over.
“The TV?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve never seen one?”
Claire shook her head. Leon picked up the remote and turned it on. The screen suddenly came to life.
Claire jumped.
“What happened?”
Leon almost laughed.
“It’s just the television.”
A man appeared on the screen, talking about the weather.
Claire stared at him.
“He’s inside.”
“No.”
“He is.”
“He’s not.”
Claire looked at Leon with complete seriousness.
“Then where is he?”
Leon sighed.
“Never mind.”
Claire kept watching the screen.
After a moment, she smiled.
“I like it.”
Leon shook his head.
“I have a feeling you’re going to like everything.”
Leon shook his head.
“Okay. I’m calling the station. Someone will come and help you.”
Claire suddenly straightened.
“No.”
Leon stopped.
“What?”
“Don’t call.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to.”
“Claire, you don’t have any ID, you don’t have a phone, you don’t have shoes, and you’re sitting outside my door claiming to be a guardian angel.”
“Because I am one.”
“Exactly.”
Leon shook his head.
“I don’t know what happened to you, but someone needs to take care of you.”
Claire looked at him sadly.
“You’re supposed to take care of me.”
“No.”
“It’s my job.”
“What job?”
“To watch over you.”
Leon was silent. Claire continued.
“I’ve been watching you for a very long time.”
Something in her voice made Leon feel a strange chill.
“What does very long mean?”
“Since you became a police officer.”
Leon stiffened.
“How do you know I’m a police officer?”
Claire looked at his jacket.
“Uniform.”
“I wasn’t wearing it when you saw me.”
“But I saw you before.”
“Where?”
Claire didn’t answer immediately.
“In many places.”
Leon put the phone down.
This had stopped being funny.
“Claire, were you following me?”
“No.”
“You were watching me.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“From the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?”
“Your life.”