AN: A bit of a long author's note here. Um, yes, I made Wesker act nicer to his apprentice but in no way is it romantic… The only reason I'm saying this is because there are some Wesker/Sherry fics out there and personally I don't like that pairing.
But anyway, Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews! Sorry if this chapter seems a little choppy, even after taking a few things out, it still ended up being a bit long. So I decided to split it into two. Hope it's still enjoyable :D
Chapter Nine: Reasons
AND THERE THEY WERE, SITTING IN A PARKED CAR on the edge of the I-83 interstate after being shot at, while cars on the highway sped passed them and the night around them was consumed by darkness. Leon turned to look at Ada in disbelief, "Hostage?" he repeated, wondering if he had heard her correctly, or had the bursts of gunshots made him deaf? "Yeah, that's right." she answered, perfectly sounding normal, as if taking people hostage was routine for her. When he didn't say anything, she continued, "It's the only way we can work with each other without the Secret Service asking any questions." She explained. "So you're asking me to just disappear for a while?" he asked, still in disbelief. He watched as she slightly shrugged, a light smirk returning to her lips.
Leon couldn't believe he was actually considering the idea. He could easily turn back, but the part that surprised him the most was the fact that he didn't want to go back. As crazy as it seemed, he wanted to stay. "You still have a chance to get out…" she stated, but Leon felt her attempt at letting him go was halfhearted. Did she really want him to stay? With Ada, he really never knew for sure, at times it seemed that she cared, and others it seemed she could care less.
Leon crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing; his way of saying he wasn't going anywhere. Ada started the engine, which quietly came to life, and continued down the interstate, at a much more reasonable speed. They both stayed silent, Leon staring out the window thinking about how easily his day had changed. He remembered waking up late in the morning, and rushing to get to the White House on time. And his memory of the DSS briefing about the threats seemed oddly distant, though it only happened a few hours ago. Could Ada know something about that? He would remind himself to ask her later, he knew that she'd given away enough information tonight and that there was no way he'd get anything else out of her.
He then remembered the moment he opened the door and watched as Ada walked into his life once again, and that's when everything had gone wrong. And now he was on the road to… "Where are you taking me?" he asked, choosing his words carefully to match his situation, he was after all, her hostage. "I'm driving to New York. It should take about five hours to get there." She answered, keeping her gaze focused on the road. Leon took a look at the dashboard, it was seven forty-three, almost two hours have passed since he arrived home, and meaning they'd reach New York past midnight.
"What's in New York?" Leon asked curiously, and feeling like he had the right to know. "My place." She simply answered; however, those two little words gave Leon quite an unexpected reaction. For so long, he'd seen her as an image, one that appeared and disappeared without a trace. Ada was more of a dream than reality, a mysterious and stunning figment of his imagination, seeming distant, untouchable. Until now, as she sat inches away from him, she suddenly seemed more real than ever, and beginning to know more about her felt strange. Maybe it was because everything seemed to be happening so fast, but it wouldn't be the first time. Despite Leon's protests, his memories stubbornly surfaced, forcing him to sit in silence as he watched the events of that dreaded night flash before him like a picture slideshow. He sat quietly, waiting for it to end.
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Minutes passed but it felt like hours as the road seemed to stretch on forever, but to their luck, the interstate was oddly empty, except for a few cars that passed here and there. Although darkness had heavily settled, Leon could still make out the plain and flat terrain that the interstate cut through. Leon's eyes settled over the shadowy scenery, though there wasn't much to look at, it was still something to do. He heavily leaned against his seat; he was both physically and mentally exhausted. His limbs felt heavy, and his eye lids appeared to be carrying weights. His eyes stung from staying open, and slowly his vision blurred, but there was no way in hell he was going to allow himself to fall sleep, not when Ada Wong sat beside him, the energy of her presence poking at him every time she moved.
"Can you say something?" he finally asked out of the blue, feeling frustrated. The silence that had fallen between them had become excruciatingly uncomfortable and it was getting harder to stay awake. Ada turned to look at him, her stare filled with slight surprise but yet extremely intense. Leon often wondered if she was aware of how she stared at him, with fire burning in her eyes. Had he done something wrong? Whenever she gave him that stare, he always looked away, perhaps fearing rejection? Of course as he turned to look out his window again, moving away from her petrifying gaze, he played it cool; there was no sense in letting her know he was sweating it.
"I just want to hear your voice." He added but immediately regretted it, it came out… wrong. He turned to face her again, daring to see her expression. Her eyes were slightly widened but as his gaze met hers, she quickly turned to focus on the road ahead. Before she had a chance to respond, Leon attempted to clear things up. "I mean, I need you to talk to me so I don't fall asleep." His mind fumbled for the right words, and he mentally sighed, not smooth at all. "Are you sure you want to stay up?" she asked, sounding amused. Had she read him that well? "You look tired…" she trailed off, "Yeah, you're not the first to notice." Leon said, glad that they were at least talking again.
"So, why aren't you sleeping?" she asked, genuinely sounding concerned. Leon reminded himself that Ada was a person, even though she tried hard not to seem like it. Leon thought about her question and he planned to answer honestly, the only way he knew how. "My dreams…" he began, "They've been kind of keeping me up lately." He answered, and though she didn't look at him, he sensed her disturbance. "What have you been dreaming about?" she quickly asked, her voice keeping steady, controlled. Leon stayed quiet for a moment, how should he answer? That he was dreaming about her death?
Possibly analyzing his silence, she answered for him. "Raccoon City" she said quietly, and by the way it left her lips, he knew it was hard for her to remember too. Leon knew that Ada was maybe the only person who truly understood how he felt, and that shared the same haunting memories as he. Maybe that's why he felt the impulse, no, the need to stay close to her. With Ada, he didn't feel so alone. With that comforting thought, Leon unwillingly drifted into his much needed sleep, but at least he knew when he woke, she'd still be there.
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Between the realm of his dreams and his consciousness of reality, a delicate touch ran down his arm, "Leon" a voice called out to him, soft and somehow distant. "Leon" the voice sounded much louder, and Leon opened his eyes, Ada's voice completely tugging him from his sleep. He forced himself to snap out of his drowsy state as quickly as possible. He hadn't planned on dozing off, but at least he wasn't as tired as before. "We're here." she said quietly.
Leon's eyes explored the new surroundings outside. He had expected a neighborhood, streets and crowded houses. But all he could see was darkness, fields of emptiness. He did see the shape of a rather massive house, more of an estate really, but it was too dark to have a good look at it, but it was the only property there. "So this is your place huh?" he said. "Yeah" she answered lightly. "Surprised you didn't blindfold me on the way over here." Leon teased with a smile. "If you hadn't slept, maybe I would have." She teased right back, humor igniting in her eyes.
Leon glanced over at the digital clock on the dashboard of the car; it was just a little over midnight. "We got here in four." She stated referring to the amount of time it took to get there. "With your driving, I'm not surprised." He said, his previous smile widening, but as soon as Ada smiled back, his faded away. He stared at her, awed by the beauty of the joyful gesture that spread across her face, true and genuine."What?" she asked after a while of his staring, she even sounded mildly self-conscious. "Nothing, it's just that…" Leon paused, "I've never seen you smile like that before." He answered.
Ada's gaze dropped, her smile becoming almost coy as she looked down. Was this the same Ada Wong that he knew? She suddenly looked back up to meet his gaze, "You're not supposed to notice things like that." She lightly scolded him, her smile never fading as she opened the car door and stepped out. Leon lingered inside the car for a bit, trying to decode the strange emotions that sent electric waves throughout his body. Whatever she was making him feel, he liked it.
As soon as he opened the car door, a slight breeze ruffled through his hair. He stepped out, immediately consumed by a strong floral smell; it was the same scent that clung onto Ada. What was it exactly? It smelled like… Lavender. Through the corner of his eye, he watched as Ada climbed a few steps that led to the front door belonging to her house. His eyes traced over the enormous estate, it looked rustic from the outside, majestically placed in the middle of nowhere. A faint light, maybe candle light, glowing from a balcony a few floors up, caught his attention. The light allowed for a glimpse of color to bloom in the darkness, the color coming from crimson drapes that flailed along with the strengthening breeze, her room?
"Are you coming? Or are you planning to stay outside?" Leon heard Ada call to him. He tore his gaze away from the captivating sight and walked over to her. She watched him intently and opened the door as he reached her. She stepped in before him and he followed, letting his eyes take in the spaciousness of the foyer. Inside, it was warm, the room grand with high ceilings and well adorned with luxurious woods and rich shades of red. "Welcome home." She said, being fully casual with him, tilting her head to meet his gaze while standing a few inches beside him.
Without waiting for an answer, she walked past him, and Leon stared after her, not expecting her sudden change in mood. "I'll show you were you'll sleep." She told him, continuing to walk further inside. Leon followed her though the rooms within the house, light being minimal, not all the rooms they walked through were illuminated, but the room they were in now was clearly the kitchen. The counters gleamed slightly, perhaps made out of marble or granite. "Watch your step." Ada softly warned as they reached a flight of stairs. Leon wondered why she would live in a place like this alone, assuming she did live alone.
After another flight of stairs, they reached a long hallway, lined with windows, the moon outside providing most of the light until Ada stopped in front of a door and opened it, leaning in to flip the light switch on, the light spilling out from within the room and into the hallway. "This is it. And the bathroom's right there." She said gesturing to the closed door to the right of the room. Leon didn't turn to look; he kept his eyes on her instead. "Get yourself comfortable and…" she paused, letting her eyes settle over his. Leon didn't know what she saw in his stare but it became clear to him that she was having a rough time looking at him. "Help yourself to whatever you need." She finished. "Thanks." Leon answered, filling his voice with as much gratitude as he could.
She smiled, but not the same way she had earlier, before turning away from him. He watched her walk away, disappearing around a corner. Leon silently sighed, would he ever figure her out? He walked into the bedroom, the color scheme in this room being dark tones of blue. He let himself plop down onto the corner of the bed, staring down at his hands, the small amount of blood on them already clotted. Not a minute passed when he snapped his head up, noticing that Ada had returned, walking into the room with a cloth in hand. Without saying a word, she sat next to him, her weight slightly pressing against the bed as she took hold of his arm.
Leon didn't know how to react, but his body did. His heart quickened, and those strange electrical sensations came back, warming the pit of his stomach; whatever problems she was having with him earlier sure seemed to be gone now. The gauze cloth she held in her hand was slightly moist, and it didn't smell like water, it was most likely antibacterial. Leon allowed her to have complete control over his hand, liking the way her touched made him feel. It relaxed him, soothed him in a way no one else could. She was quiet, and he wasn't about to say anything, fearing that she'd become distant again.
Letting her clean his wounds, it reminded him of all the other times he'd depended on her. He wondered why she always went out of her way to help him. Now that he thought about it, Ada had been his only cover and backup both in Raccoon City and in Spain. But why did she do it? "Why are you helping me?" he quietly asked, and she stopped her tending to look at him. She revealed her saddened eyes, and it felt like a slap to his face. He hated seeing any woman sad, but when it was her, it was hardly bearable. But he saw that she was thinking about it and she answered. "Because…" she began, "it's my fault you're in this mess." She responded honestly.
"How is it your fault?" He asked, not agreeing with her at all. "Every time I'm around you, you get involved in things that you shouldn't." she explained. Was this what was bothering her? "Really? I always thought that I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He added, attempting to cheer her up and lighten the mood. She sighed and rolled her eyes at him, not buying into his attempt at easing her. Leon sighed too, "Why does it always have to be this way with you?" he asked, not covering up the frustration in his voice. "What are you talking about?" she quickly responded, slightly shaking her head.
"You're always blaming yourself for things you have no control over. It's no one's fault." as his words sunk in, he could see her considering what he had said. She stood up and nodded at him, offering him a faint smile, but when he stared into her eyes, she was different, as if she weren't really there. Maybe he should learn to keep his mouth shut, maybe then she'd stick around longer.
As she prepared to leave him, he could tell she still didn't believe in what he said, she still thought it was her fault, and Leon wondered if he'd ever make her think otherwise. She began to walk away, but Leon didn't want to leave their conversation on a sour note, he stood, "Ada…" he called out from behind her, feeling strange as he said her name, and she turned to look at him, "For whatever reason you are helping me… thank you." He said, and he felt relieved when her expression lightened. "If you need anything," she spoke, her voice soft, lusciously silky smooth, "I'm right next door."