AN –So far so good. This chapter contains a small element from one of Mazzie May's stories, and I have notified her and she has given me permission to use such material. This chapter will be a little shorter than normal, so if you have a short attention span, here you go. Thanks to BurningBridges and Jarhead-where would i be without you two?

Chapter 3: Something in the Mail

Friday, March 26, 2006

Location: Washington D.C.

Relaxation was the only thing on Leon Kennedy's mind as he slipped on a navy blue t-shirt. Even though he might be the best agent the Secret Service had ever seen, he still needed some relaxation time. Today would mark the beginning of two week vacation; part of a deal Leon had worked out after saving Ashley, the president's daughter.

After returning from Europe, he was met with a bigger paycheck and was given an almost infinite amount of requests. Being somewhat modest, the only thing that Leon had asked for, as of date, was that he could take time off so that he could spend time with Claire, and Sherry. After about thirty seconds of deliberation, his superior gave him the okay. His vacations were never too long and he always came back early if they needed him. These next two weeks he would be spending in Bavaria with Claire and Sherry. Of course, he couldn't begin his vacation if he was still in the men's locker room.

Finished with changing, Leon grabbed his suit, folded it neatly, and placed it in a small gym bag. Take it to the dry cleaners today; pick it up tomorrow. He had just shut his locker when a chorus of laughter echoed of the grayish tiles of the locker room. "Oh no…" Leon muttered, a small grin on his face, "It's Montero again."

Gio Montero –he was, in every sense of the word, a joker. So much so that even some of his superiors had heard of his good humor and began to call him "Agent Joker". But it wasn't some on going thing; no, there were times when he was quite serious –a meeting was some of these occasions. During meetings, he would be stone cold serious, completely focused on the topic at hand. And then for several minutes afterward, he would remain in that serious state. But then he would just revert back to joking again. Leon had never been on an op. with him, therefore couldn't know if he was serious or not during actually ops. Have fun, Joker. See you in two weeks.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Leon made for the exit, unaware of what would happen next.

"Hey Leon…" A manly-feminine voice called out to him. Leon spun around, only to turn back, trying to hold his laughter in. Before him stood a half naked Joker, in all his 5'9", Mexican, wonderfulness, wearing a towel past his nipples and another on his head, as if he were a woman. Laughter erupted from the small group of people behind him. Holding in his laughter, Leon simply muttered, "How you doin', Joker?"

"Where were you last night? I was waiting for you for hours!" Joker shouted, looking almost somewhat hurt. A chorus of "Ooohs" came from behind him.

"Well, I was at home last night," Leon answered, truthfully.

"You could have at least called me, you pig!" Joker shouted, attempting to suppress his own laughter and show his anger at the same time. To Leon, it looked like he was sucking on a lemon.

"I was with Claire last night, and that rarely happens with our schedules."

"Well, you know what? You're gonna have to choose between me or Claire," Joker demanded, hands on his hips and tapping his foot. Another

"What, now?" Leon asked, becoming quite irritable.

"YES! RIGHT NOW!"

"Fine, then; I choose Claire, you ugly, she-male, bitch," Leon said. And then he was off, headed for the door, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Joker, however, wasn't finished.

"I thought you loved me! I thought we really connected that one time in the lounge with the jar of peanut butter!" Joker shouted after him.

Peanut butter, what the fuck? "Only you're mother could love you, Joker." Leon turned to the door, not wanting to discuss anything any longer.

It was cool in the hall way, compared to the mugginess and humidity of the locker rooms. It also smelled better, too. The egg shell white walls also went well with the overhead lighting, as did the steel blue carpet; they both made the light softer to the eyes. But it wasn't the smell, or the light that was bothering Leon, no, it was that feeling that someone was watching him from behind.

Perhaps it was the length of the hallway or because there were no windows to let in any true light. Either way, Leon felt the strange form of anxiety grow as he walked down the long corridor. He couldn't remember when it started, the build-ups of anxiety. He figured they'd begun after his escape from Raccoon City. No doubt Claire feels the same way.No doubt any of them feel this way. After Umbrella went under, the feelings had dissipated, a little, but after the mission in Europe, he was all shook up again. True, the feelings of anxiety had dumbed down in the last two years, but he was still being bothered by it –by thoughts of Umbrella and their abominations, and Saddler and Las Plagas. I just need to forget everything. Easier said than done, but he was getting there. At the end of the hallway, Leon turned a corner and the feeling of anxiety disappeared.

He now stood in the main atrium, looking down from a balcony, being on the second floor. Leon looked up, through the big windows, checking the weather outside. Raining. Dang. He was so focused on the rain that he barely missed the UPS man run inside and almost slip on the marble floor.

"Those marble floors can be dangerous," a voice said from behind.

"Hmm…?" Leon looked around to see Joker and his small company behind him. Didn't I just leave this party? "What do want?" Leon asked, heading for the elevators, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Oh come on, don't be that way," Joker said as the elevators opened.

"Then stop messing with me. Go play with your buddies," Leon said as he, Joker and his three companions walked in to the elevator. Once inside, Leon hit the Lobby button, and positioned himself right in front of the door so he could be the first one out. That's when the snickering started. Leon let out a long sigh. "What's so funny now?"

"Can I ask you a question?" Joker asked, the elevators reopening to the Lobby.

"What?" Leon asked, stepping out of the elevator.

"Did you forget to dye your hair this month, or did they just run out of the stuff?" Joker asked, chuckling,

Leon frowned. He was hoping that no one would notice. He'd gone about a week from the last time he was supposed to dye his hair. But like before, the store he'd been going to had gone out of stock. They probably saw the dark roots in the elevator. DAMN IT! The least Leon could do was shut Joker up.

"You do know that I am something of your superior, right?" Leon asked, turning around to face him.

"…What?" Joker asked, being caught off guard by the question.

"So that means two things: one, I could write a report to have you transferred outta here…"

"You're gonna write a report?" Joker asked, almost mocking him.

"…Or I could kick your ass all up and down this building without anyone giving so much as a double take." Leon stared into the eyes of the Joker, and for a minute they stared each other down until Joker "surrendered".

"Fine then, kill-joy." And he walked off. The other three just smiled at Leon, and then caught up to Joker.

Feeling a sense of self accomplishment, Leon strolled off toward the Parking Garage Elevators before being stopped by the woman at the front desk.

"Mr. Kennedy?" she called to him.

Leon grimaced. Being called "Mr." was still an odd thing to him. "Yes?"

"A package came in for you."

"Oh really? From who?" He asked as the woman handed him the small package. Leon's blood turned to ice as he found the sender's name on it. "Ada…" he whispered.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"Oh, nothing," Leon assured. But obviously there was something.

What had Ada sent and why did she send it? Such questions wandered through Leon's mind as he walked to the Garage elevators.

A.N.You know what to do. Review it please be constuctive. I'd like to know how I may improve it.