Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil

Restless

Chapter 3: What you left with me

36 weeks later

"Okay, Claire, push! You can do it," the doctor said.

And she did. It was painful, more pain than she could have ever imagined. Everyone who'd ever done it said it was painful, but she never expected THIS much pain. It'd been already almost 4 hours since it started, but now, it was intense.

"The head is almost out. Claire, I need you to push again, but give it your all. We're almost done here."

Sweat fell from her brow as she panted and her head fell back into the pillow. She took a deep breath and pushed, feeling as if she was about to explode, when…

"There we go! She's out! It's a girl, a baby girl, Claire."

Relief washed over Claire as she fell back, her body drained, but she still smiled and panted as the nurses cleaned off her new born baby. "She… My…" she couldn't really talk much, but when the nurse handed Claire her baby, she didn't need to talk. 'She looks like an alien,' Claire said in her head and smiled, tears of joy falling down her cheeks.

And there she was, calmer, less in pain, and cleaner an hour later, still holding her healthy baby girl, when her brother, Chris, his girlfriend, Jill, and other friends walked in.

"Hey," Chris said gently.

Claire looked up at her brother from the tiny person in her arms, smiled, and returned to look in amazement at the newborn sleeping in her arms.

"She's beautiful," said Rebecca Chambers, one of the surviving members of STARS.

"She really is," Jill Valentine added.

Smiles surrounded her, but she honestly could care less, she was too involved with her baby, beautifully and comfortably sleeping.

"She looks just like you, Claire," Chris said as he leaned in closer. Jill stepping close behind him.

"No," Claire said, with a small tone of sadness, "She looks like her father… Steve." But then, the sadness vanished and she smiled again, leaning close to the baby, unable to take her eyes off.

"What are you going to name her?" Leon Kennedy asked.

Thinking for a minute, Claire was quiet. The passed 30 weeks, since she found out she was pregnant from her one adventure in the Antarctic, she'd been going through several names, but she was settling on a certain name. After seeing the light color hair on the newborn's head, a tint of brown and red, very close to the same color as Steve, she settled on, "Stephanie." The female equivalent to Stephen or Steven, "Stephanie Redfield."

Leon sat next to Claire and place a hand on her shoulder, "That's a good name." He smiled gently at her.

She looked up at him and smiled back.

"Can I, um, hold her?" Chris asked. Right away, Claire looked shocked, and afraid. Her brother was a great military commando, but when it came to delicate things, he was a goof. "Please?" he begged and flashed her a grin.

Jill couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry, Claire. I'll be right next to him."

At Jill's comment, Claire eased a bit and slowly and gently handed her daughter to Chris. At first, Chris froze, staring in awe at the tiny person, barely bigger than his hands. "Wow," he whispered, Jill laughed, "Hey, Steph," he said softly, "It's your Uncle Chris," he smiled and looked at Jill, "And your Auntie Jill." Tears began to form in Chris's eyes, "You're so beautiful… I will always play games with you." Everyone chuckled.

"He will, too," Jill added.

Claire looked around at everyone and smiled. This was her family, Chris, Jill, Rebecca, Carlos, Barry, and of course, Leon. Everyone she cared about was around her, and now, she had a new addition, a reminder of her first love. She used to worry about forgetting him, she'd feel guilty and hate herself, and knew she would hate herself if she ever forgot. Now, she knows she won't. She's not so alone anymore, there's a part of Steve in Stephanie, there always will be, and now, he'll always be with her because she has a solid connection now, a beautiful, innocent, and amazing connection that she loved long before it was born, and will continue to love throughout her life.

'Steve,' she said in her mind, 'It's our daughter. I wish you could've been here, but I know you saw, you were here. I promise, she will grow up knowing who her father was: a great man.'

Claire Redfield smiled again as she took back her daughter. Little Stephanie opened her eyes and looked at her mother, wiggling as a newborn does and made little noises. Claire smiled; she was finally happy once again, the last time she felt like this was when she was with Steve, but now, she felt that contentment once again simply in holding her daughter. Claire Redfield was happy.

End Scene!