Claire sat in her apartment that she shared with her boyfriend, Leon. He left suddenly without telling her. All that told her that he was on a mission was the scrap of paper that sat on their coffee table.

Claire, I'm sorry that I'm not home right now with you. I got called on another mission. I'll try to be back soon, babe. I'll try my best to come home quickly.

The young Redfield stared at the letter over and over again. Her eyes felt like they burned as they stared at the scrap. Leon's handwriting was sloppy and quick, he must have been in a rush to get ready. She didn't want to admit it out loud, but Claire's heart was torn. This was the first time that Leon went out on a mission while she lived with him. She was lonely and somewhat scared. What if he got hurt? What if he died…? That thought ran a shiver up Claire's spine.

She didn't want to think that Leon would die. He was Leon Kennedy, the man that survived countless biohazards, fought against the undead, killed ungodly creatures. There was no way that he could die!

With a sigh Claire picked up the small piece of paper. She walked down the cold hall to their bedroom and stepped inside. It was cold, just like the hall. It didn't feel homey like when Leon was there. His gave off this warming comfort, even though he seemed ice-cold at times. He was trained not to show his feelings to anybody, not to Claire, and even to himself.

The redhead kicked off her boots and climbed into the cold bed. The sheets and comforter just didn't feel right to her, but it also might have been because she wasn't wearing bed clothes. Of maybe it even was because the lack of another body in the bed. Leon and Claire had been living together for a while, and she was used to sleeping in the bed with him. He was warm, soft, and so comfortable to lie on or next to.

Her heavy eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. It was almost like she hadn't slept in days. Yet last night, her boyfriend was sleeping right beside her. He was there, he was always there for her, but now he's gone. Claire had gotten used to not depending on Chris so much, it was always Leon. Ever since he told her to 'get down' before shooting that zombie, Claire depended on him.

The Redfield slept soundly throughout the night, dreaming about Leon and her. She felt so safe around him, and that safety even went to her dreams. If a monster came up in her dreams, he killed it. If something didn't go right in her dream, he'd go and change it. It was so comforting to her, that she barely heard the phone ring outside her sleep.

With a groan and a mumble, the redhead picked up her cell phone. She didn't even look at the name as she answered, "What?" she said unkindly. It was one thing to call when you're sleeping, but at five a.m.? That's just crazy.

"Well hello to you too." Said the voice on the other end, it seemed to sound tired.

"Leon?" Claire asked surprisingly. She thought he was going out on a mission, most likely one that involved terrorists and viruses. She rubbed her hazy eyes and turned on the light.

"Who were you expecting? Another man?" he laughed very softly, as he is was hiding the fact that he was on a phone. Was he secretly calling her?

"I wasn't expecting you…" she replied. Her voice started to crack as she held back tears. Was the Claire Redfield crying? Impossible! Or was she human after-all too?

"Babe, don't cry, please…" said Leon in a soothing tone. He'd only heard her cry once, and it was heart wrenching for him. The Government agent never wanted to hear her cry again.

"Leon…." She said with more emotion. Tears freely streamed down her cheeks as she spoke to him. How was she going to cope with him being gone of God knows how long?

"It's ok, Claire. It's ok. Just think, as each day goes by, we'll be closer to seeing each other again. Please baby, please be strong for me. I promise I'll be back. I promise you that."

Claire closed her eyes tightly and let out a sob, how was she supposed to live without him right now? She needed him more than anything. But his job was his job, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Come on, Claire. Where is that tough girl in you, you know you can do it. I'll be back before you know it. We'll be together again and I'll be watching Ashley, so you know I won't be going anywhere again. Please promise me that you'll always smile when I'm gone."

"I don't think I can," she replied with a cry, "Leon, I need you…"

"I love you, Claire. Always remember that. I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

"Leon… I love you too."

With a click on the other end of the phone, Claire heard the ending of their phone call. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed. Leon was right; she shouldn't be depressed that he was gone. She should be counting down the days that he'll come back to her.

She lies there a few minutes more and then heard the alarm go off. Leon always loved to be the first thing that woke her up so he could be the first thing that she could think about in the morning. He always brought a smile to her face when she thought about him. He was right; she'd always be smiling because she'd always be thinking about him.

Claire Redfield got up from her bed and walks over to the window. She opened the curtains and looked at the City streets below her, how she wished time would fly by.

A/N: I live!! This story was written for my boyfriend. (Aint I nice? XD) I'm working on a sequel to this story as we speak. I didn't wanna post it as a second chapter because it's gonna be longer and awesome. I'm sorry for the lack in writing lately. I've just been working a lot and I'm kinda sick right now.

Thanks for reading!! :D