She had just got into Spain, and as soon as she got off the plane, Helena slumped down in the airport bar. It had been a tense flight, trying to keep her head down, trying to keep quiet. It was hard though, stuck between a teenager with a computer, the news sites he was frequenting splashing her name and picture everywhere, and a teacher, 'who just couldn't believe the terrorists coming out of the United states these days!' Helena had barely squeaked through customs, the fake ID Hunnigan and Redfield had cobbled together a few weeks earlier had been scrutinized, but accepted. She had ordered a drink, and had just started it, when someone sat down with her, and called her by name.
"Well, hello Miss Harper. What are you doing in Spain?" Ada Wong crossed her legs, sweeping her long coat out behind her. She looked amazing, a million times more rested than Helena, and for a moment she was jealous. Wong was supposed to be dead, an "international terrorist", and she still looked better that her!
Helena flushed, before shushing her. "Quiet! Don't use my name right now." She looked around the bar, basically empty but for them, before sighing. The bartender was at the opposite end of the bar, checking his phone, and there were no security guards nearby. She was mostly safe. "I'm going by Laurie right now. Laurie Jenning. So what are you doing here?" she asked instead of answering. All she wanted was a drink and to sleep for a solid eighteen hours. Too bad she'd have to drive for at least 6 to get to her destination.
Ada arched an eyebrow. "Laurie, huh? Doesn't suit you. Helena's such a pretty name. And-" she paused, "I believe I asked you what you were doing her first." The other woman leaned on the bar, a smirk on her face.
Helena sighed. "Fine. Long version or short version? And I can't stay too long. I need to figure out how to rent a car so I can head to one of Leon's safe houses. My id is anything but foolproof." She had no idea how she was going to get a car. Last time she'd had to rent one, they'd done such a thorough check she'd almost think she was a convicted felon.
"Go with the short version. I have a flight booked for take-off in three hours that I can either catch or cancel." Ada replied. "And I think I want to see these safe houses, just in case I need to lay low next time I'm in Spain."
At least she asked for the short version. The long version would probably take a while to tell, and there would be more people coming into the bar later, a risk she didn't want to take. "Okay, so the short version is that, despite your information that cleared me and Leon from any wrongdoing in Tall Oaks, I'm still being blamed for voluntarily helping Simmons destroy the place and killing the president. So now I'm heading to a safe house while Leon and Hunnigan try and get me cleared. Leon apparently has three or so in this village that he spent time in for a mission, so I'm going to lay low there for a while." She shrugged, taking a gulp of her drink. "So, what about you then? Why are you in Spain? I'd thought you'd be lying low for a while."
Ada smiled, thinking over Helena's short and weak explanation, before replying. "Just a job, a spot of harmless espionage. Besides, I'm not the one to lay low. There's always too much to do." Ada stood, dusting off her skirt, and turned to leave Helena at the bar. "So Leon has safe houses there then? Maybe I'll come with you, then. I want to hear the entire story too."
"Wait, if you're coming, then where are you going?" Helena asked, quickly finishing her drink, clinking the glass down.
"To rent a car. Unless you want to walk to the interior of Spain, and if you say that your Id is a little flimsy, then it probably is." She sauntered out of the bar, and Helena slapped down a few bills, before going to where she'd stashed her bags. At least with Ada getting the car, she thought, they were guaranteed to get a nice one.
After shoving her suitcase, her carry-on, and a small weapons trunk into the back of the car Ada had rented, as well as maneuvering around Ada's luggage to get it fitting inside the trunk and the floor of the back seat, Helena got behind the wheel.
"So, did Leon tell you why he has safe houses in Puablo?" Ada asked from in the passenger seat, looking over the directions Leon had given Helena. "You would think he would want to completely forget about that place."
"Uh, well he said he knows this guy there who helped him, and they got a few places fixed up, just in case. And so he could keep an eye on the place, make sure there's no more cases of the Plaga being exported from that area." Helena said, concentrating on driving. There would be plenty of time to relay her story, once they were out of the city and off the freeway.
"Hm…I wonder how he managed to keep in touch with that merchant?" Ada asked herself, quirking an eyebrow. "I doubt he has a phone."
"Probably not. Leon said it's a pretty rural area. But he's gone back a few time, since the first time he was there." At Ada's inquisitive look, Helena elaborated. "He went back a few weeks ago, while I was still hiding out at Claire Redfield's place, to double check that the places were still secure, and I asked where he was headed."
"You were staying with a Redfield? I suppose they told you that I was dead, hm?" Ada said, leaning back in her seat.
"Well, yeah, they told me that, but then I saw you and Leon punching the shit outta Simmons. They also said you were this big evil genius mastermind behind the China attack. I doubt that though." Helena shrugged, before realizing what she'd said. "Well, not to say you're stupid or anything. Just…I don't know. You don't seem like the kind of person to set a place on fire and then try and save the people inside from dying."
Ada went quiet, and for a while, Helena was worried that she'd offended the woman.
"Simmons had figured out how to clone people. A sample of my DNA, an unsuspecting close genetic match, and an injection of the C-Virus created my clone. She used to be a woman name Carla…Carla Radames." Ada sighed. "I looked her up after the incident. She was a brilliant woman. I don't know why she hung around someone as dense as Derek though."
Helena just hummed, not to sure what to say. "So, you want to hear my story then?" she finally asked, and Ada smiled.
"Oh yes. I've been waiting for you to start ever since we got in this car. So how did Derek manage to dupe everyone in regards to you?"
Helena shook her head. "It wasn't that hard, really. Just some incriminating papers with my name on them, a few recorded meetings after he took my sister, and they had all the "proof" they needed. Anyway, Leon and I hadn't even picked up Chris, or Jake and Sherry, when Hunnigan told us the ruling…"
A/N: This started as a 'Helena still gets blamed for Tall Oaks and has to hide out while Leon and Hunnigan beat people in to understanding she had nothing to do with it', evolved into a 'maybe she hangs out with Jake doing Merc work?' and is now, finally, a 'Hangs out in Spain with Ada and chats and gossips about Leon' thing.
I think I'll try and lay out this as drabbles? Like, the first few chapters establishing the plots, and then the rest random points in time dealing with the Helena Issue ™ or having Helena and Ada swing down and save Leon's ass?
idk tho haha OTL