Chapter Text
January
Claire loved it when she got to go to work with her dad after school. She loved getting picked up in the cop car, especially when her dad would flash the light in the pick-up line. It wasn’t something that happened often, but she always felt special when it did.
She especially loved going to the police station without Chris. When they went together all the officers fawned over him, asking him if he was going to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Chris always gave them a noncommittal “Sure, maybe.” He wanted to fly planes. He’d always wanted to fly planes, but Dad still thought he would change his mind and become a cop like him.
Thankfully they never asked Claire. They just gave her candy and treats, while letting her rattle on about her current interest of the week. That particular week was dinosaurs.
“Did you know the Stegosaurus had a brain the size of a walnut?” Claire asked, sitting next to her father’s desk, a book on her lap.
“Oh did they, now?” Dad asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, scientists think they were the dumbest dinosaur. They should have called them the Dumbosaurus,” Claire said, biting back a giggle.
Her dad let out an undignified snort, making her giggle harder. “You gotta work on those jokes Claire Bear.”
She was about to defend her joke, pointing out he had laughed when another officer rushed into the small office. “Redfield got somebody you probably want to check out.”
“I’ll be right there,” he said, already out of his chair. He turned towards Claire, the fun dad of a second ago gone as he pointed a stern finger at her. “You stay right there, got it?”
“Got it,” Claire said, holding up her book to show she could keep herself occupied. He gave her another look, trying to reinforce the demand before heading out of the office.
X
Leon hated the police station. He hated the stiff leather couch. He hated the grouchy old man sitting at the counter who scowled at him every few minutes. He hated the fear his dad would be taken away again.
He wasn’t sure what happened, or why they were there. One moment he was picking him up from school and the next they were getting pulled over words like warrant and reckless driving thrown around before they were put into the police car.
“Leon!”
Leon looked up as the door to the waiting room swung open, his mother rushing in. “You okay, sweetie?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Leon said.
She bent down at eye level with him on the couch. “Good. I have to go talk to some people and then we will be out of here in no time. Can you hang in there just a little bit longer?”
“Yeah,” Leon nodded. “Is Dad going to have to stay again?”
“Don’t worry about that,” she said, smoothing out his hair. “That stupid cop’s just singling him out again. We’ll all be home in no time.”
X
Claire tried. She really tried to stay put, but she was bored after finishing her book. So she wandered. The police station was an odd building, having previously been an art museum. It was full of weird back halls and shortcuts that Chris had taught her, making it easy to sneak around. She came across a few officers as she went through the library and up the stairs, but they all greeted her like normal, not knowing she wasn’t supposed to be wandering.
She made her way around the 2nd floor to the waiting room hoping Cindy was working. She always had the best candy for Claire. Unfortunately though, when she opened the door she found Arnold, the most ancient man she’d ever met, older than her grandpa ancient. Her dad told her he used to be a cop back in the day and refused to fully leave it behind. She thought about trying to sneak out before he saw her but stopped when she saw a grumpy-looking boy sitting on one of the couches. He was around her age, but she didn’t recognize him.
“Hey!” Claire greeted, stepping fully into the room. Both Arnold and the boy looked up at her, Arnold huffing out a small grunt as a greeting but otherwise ignoring her.
“Are you talking to me?” the boy asked, pointing at himself as he looked back at Arnold.
“Yeah! I don’t see many kids around here. I’m Claire,” she said, walking over to him and holding out her hand, trying her best to remember all the manners her mom tried to teach her.
The boy stared at the hand for a long time, before finally uncrossing his arms and shaking it back, the confused look never quite leaving. “Leon.”
“Nice to meet you, Leon. Would you like company? It seems boring up here alone with Arnold,” Claire grinned. Arnold muttered something under his breath that sounded vaguely like ‘I’m going to tell your father;’ but she didn’t care. She wasn’t scared of him.
“Uh sure,” Leon said, scooching over some even though he was already sitting in the middle of the couch.
Claire took a seat next to him, making sure to give him plenty of space. She debated on what to say; her first instinct was general questions like what grade he was in and what school he went to, but she didn’t think that would make him less grumpy. Instead, she went with her old standby, random facts. “Did you know a cheetah could outrun any dinosaur?”
“What?”
“If cheetahs and dinosaurs existed at the same time, cheetahs would be able to outrun any of the dinosaurs,” Claire explained.
Leon cocked his head to the side, seemingly deep in thought. “That doesn’t seem right. Dinosaurs are so big even if they weren’t as fast their strides would be so much longer.”
“True, but what cheetahs lose in size they more than make up for in speed. That’s what my book said at least,” Claire said, swinging her feet against the couch. Leon nodded but didn’t say anything else to keep the conversation going. “What grade are you in? I don’t think I’ve seen you at school?”
“I’m in 4th grade. I don’t go to Raccoon Elementary. We live on the edge of town so I go to Riverpark Elementary,” Leon said.
“Hey, I’m in 4th grade too!” Claire said, excitedly. “It sucks you don’t go to Raccoon, but maybe we will be in junior high together. Riverpark feeds into Raccoon Junior High right?”
“Why do you care?” Leon asked, looking at her like she’d grown a second head.
Claire grinned back at him with a small shrug. “It’s always nice to have friends.”
Shouting out in the hall ruined the moment, her dad’s distinct voice and two others she couldn’t place. Claire couldn’t make out much of what they were saying, but what she could wasn’t pleasant. Leon slid further down the couch, his arms returning to the folded position.
“Which dinosaurs were the best policemen?” Claire asked suddenly, trying to think of a way to drown out the shouting.
“What?”
“Which dinosaurs were the best policemen?” Claire repeated, elbowing him.
“Which dinosaurs?” Leon asked, finally playing a long, a small quirk to his lips.
“Tricera-cops!”
Leon laughed, and Claire felt triumphant, the sound blocking out the adults outside. “Where did dinosaurs buy things?” He asked, surprising Claire with how quickly he jumped in. Tricera-cop had taken her ages.
“Where?”
“The dino-store,” Leon said, and the pair fell into a pile of giggles. Before she could think of another joke, the door slammed open revealing her father and a couple beside him. Both Leon and Claire were up and at attention immediately.
“Claire.” Her father didn’t yell her name, but the quiet sternness he used was so much worse.
“Sorry. I got bored, but I made a friend,” she said pointing to Leon.
Her father’s scowl hardened as he studied Leon beside her. “Out in the hall. Now.” Claire did as she was told, sparing a small wave for Leon, as his parents moved to his side, the man shooting her a glare. She didn’t understand why all the adults were so angry, but she didn’t push it as she followed her father into the hall. “That kid go to your school?”
“No, he goes to Riverpark,” Claire said, as they walked back towards his office downstairs. She wasn’t sure why where he went to school mattered. She wasn’t sure of a lot of things right then.
“Good. Stay away from him. He’s nothing but trouble.”
Claire looked up at her father confused, but he stared straight ahead. She didn’t know how the boy who made dinosaur jokes with her could be trouble, but she knew better than to argue when he was in a mood like this.
“Looks like Chris should be out of baseball practice soon,” Dad said, looking at his watch. “I’ll have him come walk you home. You guys can order a pizza.”
“Okay,” Claire said, looking down at her feet. Usually, when Chris’s baseball practice coincided with their mom’s extra shift at the hospital Dad would buy them sandwiches from the sandwich shop next door, but for once she was okay with going with Chris instead of staying at the station.