Disclaimer : Resident Evil is the property of Capcom, who have all rights to their characters. Any OC's were created by me.
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Leon leaned into the door frame, silently watching the little girl play. She was oblivious to his presence, completely lost in the fantasy world that she had created on the living room floor. Numerous toys were spread out for her amusement, but she was paying the most attention to a platinum-haired Barbie doll. Leon watched in fascination as she chattered to the plastic woman, unfazed when she would get no real response. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, allowing the government agent full view of her jade eyes. She no doubt resembled her mother more, not that Leon minded at all. Finally, the blonde man let his presence be known, as he stepped into the living room of his house, carefully holding a glass of orange juice. The little girl noticed the sudden movement, and looked up, smiling brightly when she noticed Leon.
"Morning Daddy!" she exclaimed happily, hastily dropping her toys to run to her father. The orange juice in Leon's hand swished unsteadily when the little girl ran into him, wrapping her arms around his legs. She buried her cheek into the agent's outer thigh, prompting him to smile in pride. He stroked her hair thoughtfully, before kneeling down to greet his daughter with a kiss to her cheek.
"Good morning honey. Did you sleep well?" Leon asked with a grin, eye level with the three-year old child. She beamed happily, and quickly nodded.
"Uh huh...I had a dream, and I saw a horse!" she proclaimed, quaking in her excitement. The blonde man laughed, and offered the child the glass of juice, which she excepted gratefully, gulping down large quantities of the liquid.
"Wow, you had a dream where you saw a horse?" Leon question in mock disbelief, which went unnoticed to the little girl. She finished the glass of orange juice, gasping for breath, having clearly satisfied her thirst.
"Yeah, I even got to ride it!" she cried happily, looking up at the government agent, who towered above her.
"I guess you're a lucky little girl, huh Sabia?" Leon stated, scooping the small girl up in his arms. She burrowed her face in his neck, as he started walking towards the kitchen. He reached a wooden table, and placed the little girl into a chair. He then fumbled through his cabinets until he managed to find a bowl and some cereal, which he placed in front of the small child, who could barely sit still in her excitement. With a small smile, he gathered the milk carton from the refrigerator, and began fixing the little girl a bowl of cereal. His task completed, Leon sat down at the table to watch the little girl eat.
"Daddy, I need a spoon." Sabia pointed out, eyeing the bowl hungrily.
"Oh, right!" Leon replied, shaking his head at his own forgetfulness, instantly fetching a spoon for his daughter. He handed it to the raven-haired little girl, who was grinning widely, apparently amused with her father's bad memory. With a small sigh, the government agent once again took a seat at the table, watching as his child shoveled the cold cereal into her mouth. Her mother was a much better cook, but luckily Sabia never mentioned it. Leon turned his attention to the wall, gazing at a calender. The date read November 24, 2008, and the blonde man couldn't help but think of Spain and Raccoon City. The anniversary of his mission in Spain was tomorrow, and it was not a pleasant memory. However, the Los Illuminados incident was nothing compared to the horrors that he had witnessed in Raccoon City. The anniversary of that horrible day had already passed, but thinking of Spain always made him think of Raccoon City. Needless to say, September and November were not happy months for Leon. Hell, the only good thing that he could remember happening on either day was seeing the woman in red.
"All done!" Sabia exclaimed, holding up her spoon in triumph. Her words snapped Leon out of his trance, causing him to jump lightly. The little girl eyed her father in confusion, but he just shook his head in response.
"Okay, I'll clean this up. Why don't you go get dressed honey?" Leon suggested, gathering the empty bowl. Sabia nodded in agreement, and bounded up the steps as the agent placed the empty dish in the sink. A couple of minutes later, the young girl rejoined her father in the kitchen, wearing a red, long-sleeved shirt with blue jeans. Leon noticed that Sabia's shoe laces were untied, so he quickly bent down to alleviate the problem. After all, the child was only three, and couldn't quite get the hang of tying her shoes yet. Leon was just thankful that she also had her mother's grace, or she might have come tumbling down the stairs. The blonde man stood up, and frowned at the mess of dark hair on Sabia's head. It was a good attempt at a ponytail for a child, but Leon decided to fix it anyway. When he was satisfied that his daughter's hair was neat enough, he led her to the living room.
"You might want to get your jacket on sweetie, it's kinda cold outside." Leon informed, motioning to the closet.
"Are we going somewhere Daddy?" Sabia questioned, making her way to the closet's entrance.
"Yes. I'm taking you to Kevin and Cindy's house so that you can play with Zach." the agent responded, watching as the little girl pulled her jacket on. Sabia walked beside her father, as he bent down to zip up the front. She had not yet mastered zippers either.
"Will you be there too?" the small child asked, her jade eyes growing wide as she waited for an answer.
"No sweetie, I'm going to see your mother. Then I have to go to work." Leon answered quietly. Nothing tore his heart up more than the look of disappointment that flashed across his young daughter's face. It was a look that he was all too familiar with.
"Can I see Mommy too?" Sabia inquired, as the agent opened the front door of his house.
"I'm sorry honey, but I won't have time to drop you off at the Rymans afterwards." Leon explained, leading the small girl to his Jeep. The blonde man was correct in assuming that it was cold outside, so he quickly opened up the passenger's side door for his daughter. After Sabia had climbed in and buckled her seat belt, Leon shut the door, making his way to the driver's side. He hastily entered the vehicle and started it, turning the heater up as far as it would go. After the SUV was successfully warmed up, the agent put the Jeep in reverse, and soon he and his daughter were riding the streets of Washington D.C. Sabia remained unusually quiet on the journey, and before Leon knew it, they had arrived at Kevin's house. Exiting the vehicle, the father and daughter walked to the entrance of the house, instantly missing the heat that the SUV had provided. After a couple of knocks, Cindy, Kevin's wife answered the door.
"Hi guys! Come on in Sabia, it's freezing outside!" the blonde woman exclaimed, ushering the small child into the familiar house. It wasn't long before Kevin made his appearance, followed by his son, Zach.
"Hey Leon, got time for a quick cup of coffee?" the dark-haired man implored, motioning in the direction of his kitchen.
"No, I have to get going. Hunnigan wants to see me about something." Leon stated, turning his attention to his daughter. He kneeled down to give her a quick kiss goodbye, and turned to exit.
"Daddy...when is Mommy coming home?" Sabia suddenly asked, stopping the government agent in his tracks. He turned to look the little girl in the eye, before turning his gaze to Kevin.
"Uhh, Sabia, why don't you and Zach go play upstairs. He just got a new video game." Kevin suggested softly. Zach nodded in agreement, and led the raven-haired child to the stairs. Leon reluctantly turned around again, and started for his Jeep. Cindy slowly shut the door in his absence, as the blonde man carefully walked towards his vehicle. He entered the SUV and inserted the key, instantly awakening it. With a sigh, he pulled back onto the Maryland streets, alone. They say it gets easier, but Leon begged to differ. Half of marriages end in divorce. Leon knew this when he proposed, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Slowly, the government agent's mind took over, and the drive soon became a blur.
"Leon, do you remember what I told you in Spain? About keeping the sample safe?" the woman in red asked, as she lay on the blonde man's chest.
"Well, it was only two months ago, but yeah. Why?" Leon inquired. He watched the Eurasian woman's head rise and fall with his chest, as she struggled to find words.
"I want you to know that...I never gave it to Wesker." she replied, looking up at the agent with her big, jade eyes. The revelation was somewhat of a shock to Leon, who couldn't help but feel slightly relieved.
"That's good news. But why tell me this now?" he implored curiously. Once again, the spy looked deep in thought before answering.
"Because, I have to be truthful to you. Now, more than ever." the raven-haired woman responded, clutching tightly to the agent's chest. He could tell that something was either seriously wrong, or she was about to drop a bomb. When she looked up at him, Leon nodded softly, urging her to continue.
"Leon...I don't really know how to say this, but...I'm pregnant." she confessed, attempting to gauge his reaction.
Leon shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He had arrived at his destination, so he exited the vehicle, allowing the frigid wind to pierce his skin. Today was terrible, and it was only bound to get worse. The sky was dark and foreboding, threatening to open up and drench the land with it's tears at any minute. Leon hated this place, for it screamed nothing but sorrow. With a sigh, he began to journey to the spot where he always met with his former wife. The wind picked up as he neared, chilling the government agent to the bone. As if some terrible joke was being played on the blonde man, large drops of water began to fall from the sky. They slowly pelted his shirt, soaking through and stealing any warmth that he had left. Finally arriving at the meeting place, Leon looked at the ground ruefully. His former wife was here, as she always was. Already feeling his stomach knot, he allowed his gaze to rest on the large granite slab. A slab that read "Here lies Ada Wong Kennedy. Beloved mother and wife. May 16, 1975 - June 11, 2006".
"Hi honey..." Leon trailed off shakily, eyeing the cold, unforgiving stone. The rain began to lightly drizzle now, as the agent searched his heart for words.
"I, uh...I'm sorry for not stopping by lately...but, it's still hard, you know?" he started, already feeling his eyes begin to mist. Every time he came here, the image of her name burned itself into his brain, reminding him that he had failed. He couldn't protect her like he promised. She was shot to death, and Leon couldn't do anything about it. His superior, Maxwell Pescner had told Leon to meet him at the morgue to identify the body. Sabia was only one at the time, but the agent had to leave her with friends of his. When Pescner lifted the sheet concealing the body, Leon felt like he had slipped into paralysis. Lying on the bed was the pale, lifeless form of the woman that he loved. Her skin's lack of color seemed to amplify the darkness of her hair, and her lips were no longer full and healthy. Her features were soft...dead. Leon fell under a deep depression; barely eating, sleeping, or talking.
"Sabia keeps asking about you. Every time that she asks when you are coming home...it breaks my heart, because she just doesn't understand." the agent continued, feeling a hot tear roll down his cheek.
"How can I tell a three year old child that Mommy's not coming home?" Leon questioned regretfully, wiping his cheek. Not that it mattered, because by now it was pouring. Tiny droplets of rain bombarded puddles in which they created.
"I taught her how to write her name the other day." the blonde man informed to the ground, which hid the casket of his beloved. He felt his throat slowly close up, as a large lump nestled itself in his airway.
"She's so smart Ada...she's just like you, I s-swear!" he choked on his words, as the burning tears finally overpowered him. Leon dropped to his knees in sorrow, not caring how wet his pants were becoming. He sobbed in grief, trying to get his emotions in check.
"Every time I look at her...I see you...I just can't..." Leon trailed off again, as his misery threatened to destroy him. He tried to swallow his saliva, but it was beginning to get thick with his agony.
"I just...I'm sorry honey. I t-tried so hard...but I f-failed..." he cried in anguish, causing his stomach to go into painful spasms. The agent ignored his physical pain, as he glared through his blurry vision at her name. The rain pounded against him mercilessly, and Leon was shaking uncontrollably from the cold.
"I w-wish that I c-could have k-kept my promise. I'm t-truly sorry...I love y-you honey...f-forever." Leon promised, standing up, which was more difficult than he had imagined. He trudged through the graveyard's muddy path in melancholy, making his way back to his Jeep. When he finally reached his vehicle, he hastily turned the heater on, and tried to calm down. God, how he hated coming here. Ada's gravestone taunted him, and he would usually feel depressed for several days after the visit. Leon backed out of the parking space, and started traveling in the direction of the government building in which he worked at.
"Leon, feel this! The baby is kicking!" Ada exclaimed, grabbing the blonde man's hand to place it on her stomach. She was seven months pregnant, but already the baby was kicking like crazy.
"Oh yeah, it's definitely ours." Leon replied, feeling several small vibrations from the Eurasian woman's belly. Ada laughed, and lightly smacked the side of the agent's arm.
"In case you forgot, I had an ultrasound today." she informed, crossing her arms playfully. Leon's eyes widened, as he realized that she knew the baby's gender.
"And?" he asked in an excited tone. She smiled at his reaction, and grinned devilishly, allowing several precious moments to pass before answering.
"We're having a girl!" Ada cried happily, throwing her arms around the agent's neck. His shock soon turned to joy as the revelation sank in.
"We're having a girl? We made a baby girl?" Leon implored gleefully, pulling the woman in red closer. She nodded into his neck, making the blonde man feel even more elated.
"What should we name her?" Ada inquired, pulling away from the agent.
"I have no idea." Leon admitted, scratching his head.
"You take the first name. I'll take the middle." she suggested with a small shrug.
"The first name? I don't wanna be in charge of that!" Leon exclaimed.
"Oh, and it should be a name from both of our heritages. And nothing too common." Ada stated, ignoring his words. They both thought for a minute, before Leon spoke up.
"Okay, I may have one. How about Sabia?" the agent offered. The spy smiled, and nodded in agreement.
"Sabia is an Irish name?" Ada asked, keeping her smile.
"Yeah...I think it means sweet one." Leon answered truthfully.
"I like it. I think it will fit too. How's Lien for a middle name?" the Eurasian woman implored.
"It's close to my name. I'd like it to be closer to yours." he confessed, lightly rubbing her stomach. Ada thought for a minute, before her face lit up in excitement.
"How about Adelia?" she asked. A smile slowly formed on Leon's face, as he nodded.
"Yep, that's it! Sabia Adelia Kennedy." Leon proudly announced, gazing fondly at the mother of his future child.
"Well, who says she gets your last name?" Ada teased with a smirk. The blonde man laughed, and maneuvered behind the raven-haired woman, resting his chin on her shoulder. He then wrapped his left arm around her, placing his hand on her stomach, as he reached into his pocket with his other hand.
"Well...because I was kinda hoping that you'd..." he trailed off, plucking the small velvet box from his pocket. He finally brought his other arm around her, revealing the object. Her eyes grew wide when she saw it, prompting Leon to smile.
"Marry me." he finished, popping open the box with his thumb. Ada's eyes watered, as she covered her mouth in disbelief.
"Yes..." she answered softly, tightly pressing her lips against his.
Tears streamed down Leon's face, as he sat in his Jeep, which was parked in the lot in front of the government building. He had no idea how long he'd been there, lost in his head, as memories of a happier time flooded his thoughts. It seemed like it was only yesterday that Ada was walking down the aisle, beaming in joy, ready to accept his last name and everlasting love. At the same time, it felt like it was ages ago, lost in the endless sea of history. He must have been there for some time, as the rain had stopped, and small beams of sunshine had managed to penetrate the thick clouds. Leon reluctantly glanced at his watch and realized that he was late. As much as he wanted to go home and bury himself in his lonely bed, he knew that he couldn't. No matter how he felt, he still had a job to do, and it was the only thing that supported him and Sabia. Keeping his little girl happy and safe was one promise that Leon would not break under any circumstance. So, with a heavy exhale, and a heavier heart, he opened the door of his Jeep, and began walking towards the entrance of the building, taking special note of a butterfly that flapped through the air towards it's own destination.
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Well, my birthday is tomorrow, so I am in a giving mood. I actually managed to bum myself out with this story...I'm not sure how. I had a lot of inspiration for this, from the music video of Guns N' Roses "November Rain" (for which this is named after), and even a scene in Forrest Gump. I tried to make something powerful...I hope I succeeded.
Anyway, I'd like to know if I actually fooled anybody into thinking that Leon and Ada were divorced lol. Surprise, right? Oh, and because it's my birthday tomorrow, I better get some reviews (or you can't have any cake! XD). Also, the last line in the summery is an excerpt from the song "November Rain", so please don't sue me GN'R!
So, I decided to keep this as a one-shot afterall...a friend of mine helped me come to a decision, and I think it makes a lot of sense. Oh, and sorry if I depressed anyone lol.