A/N: I'd like to thank all the readers for reading this story so far and an extra special thanks to the reviewer vintage87.

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of its character, Capcom does.

Chapter 21

The days again flew by and before Leon could know he was getting ready for work. "I don't want to go to work", he mumbled as he pulled his jacket on. Kathleen was downstairs, doing god knows what. When he woke up all he could see was her silhouette leaving the room. He decided to get ready for work before it was too late 'cause he was already late. He moved down the stairs and a delicious smell which Leon took to be of omelets and cheese toast filled his nostrils and his mouth started watering in reflex.

"Got breakfast ready", Kathleen said when she spotted Leon.
"Smells delicious what's for breakfast", John who had just entered the house said taking in the aroma.
"Wanna have breakfast?", Kathleen asked him with a smile.
"If it smells this good I don't think it would taste bad, bring it on babe", he said taking a seat and Kathleen disappeared in the kitchen.
"How come you are here", Leon asked John taking another seat.
"Thought I might pick you up", John said looking towards the kitchen.
"Here", Kathleen said as she served the two men their breakfast.
"Tastes awesome", John said as he ate the breakfast, "I am sorry that I underestimated you. Leon you are damn lucky you know Ingrid can't even boil eggs."
After having their breakfasts both of them hurried off to work.

'I am so tired', Leon thought as he made his way back to home. John had dropped him right in front of his house and hurried off saying he had a date with Ingrid. Even though he was in front of his house, just a couple steps away he felt so tired that he could barely walk. This was not new to him, at least he was early. Actually it was 10:00 pm but it was definitely early, since the actual time he usually returned was 1:00 AM in the morning or even later. He stepped on the porch and was about to open the door with his keys, when the door flew open. He looked to see his wife standing there, smiling at him and Leon felt his tiredness lift away.

"You're early", Kathleen said as she let him in the house.
"All because of you", Leon said sitting on the couch getting his shoes off.
"Put them in place", Kathleen snapped at him.
"What?", Leon looked at her, without any further words she picked his shoes which he randomly threw in the opposite direction and placed them together.
"From tomorrow on you've to do it by yourself get it", she told him, "Now go freshen up while I get dinner on the table."

Without much delay Leon did what he was told. He decided to directly change into his sleeping clothes, so later it saves his time. He got down and found that hot supper was already waiting for him. This morning he didn't expected to be treated with Kathleen's handmade food and until this morning he didn't know that he loved the food which she made. From the time she moved in with him, she occasionally made meals for them, most of them they ended up having their breakfasts at Maggie's Café and Dinners at Barry's. Then she was away for a whole week and having her hand made food was out of question, plus after they got married he went on a trip to Australia for a whole week , then went on that vacation and with all the festivities going on, they never got to eat her cooked meals but now.

"What are you thinking?", Kathleen asked taking a seat by his side.
"That dinner tastes good", he told her sincerely.
"Thank you. By the way how was your day?", she asked giving him some more rice.
"It was terrible", he told her casually, "can you pass up the salad please?"
"What are you saying, you looked pretty happy when you got back", she said passing him what he asked for.
"I was happy to see you, otherwise my whole day was full of trouble", he said truthfully letting out a laugh.
She laughed, "I thought you love to work", she said.
"Who in the world loves to work? I work because it kept me busy at all times. I worked at night because I couldn't get any sleep. I was ready whenever they asked me because I really had nothing to do. I worked late 'cause I had no one to come home to unlike now", he said going with the flow.
"Aww… that's so sweet of you", Kathleen said smiling, pulling his cheek and he couldn't help but smile.

Kathleen walked out of shower, drying her hair on a towel when she heard a buzzing sound. She looked around to find the source and it turned out to be Leon's phone, which was buzzing from his side table. She looked at him sleeping peacefully almost without a care in the world. He was really tired beyond everything last night; otherwise he would already awaken by his phone even if it wasn't sitting by his bed side. She bend down to see that it was Chris who was calling him, since it was someone she knew she decided to take the message instead of waking her husband up, who needed sleep among other things.

"Hello", Kathleen spoke softly in the phone not wanting to wake Leon up.
"Kathleen is it you, where's Leon?", Chris spoke in a serious and urgent tone.
"He's asleep, what happened he said he had an off today", she said looking briefly at her husband in concern; she didn't want him to call him to work like she had been witnessing for some weekends now.
"Yeah I know and I am really sorry about it but a very important stuff came up and we need his help", Chris spoke on the other side, "So wake him up and ask him to get to BSAA base", it was more of a order than asking.
"Alright", Kathleen said sighing.
"Thanks", Chris said and disconnected. It seemed he was busy with some important stuff on his end too.

Kathleen moved to Leon's bedside and sat next to him, she felt very reluctant to wake him up like this but she knew it was important too. She kept her hand on his shoulder and slight shook him. Leon opened his eyes with a start and sat bolt right up reaching for his handgun.

"What happened?", He asked her seriously.
"Relax!", she calmed him down, "Everything is…", she was saying when he pulled her in a hug and she felt his fast beating heart. She didn't say anything until he calmed down and let her go.
"Why you wake me up?", Leon asked her, since he knew it was not like his wife would wake him up like this, if he wasn't having a nightmare.
"Chris called he needs your help and asked you to show up at BSAA", she told him Redfield's message.
"Anything else?", Leon asked and she shook her head.
"I should better get ready then", he said siding the blankets.
"I'll hurry up and fix breakfast then", Kathleen said getting up as well.

Kathleen moved to the kitchen as Leon headed for the shower. By the time she prepared breakfast, Leon got down talking on the phone with Chris discussing some important details. They both had breakfast together and Leon assured that she doesn't have to worry about this and that he'd be back soon. She saw him off the porch and then returned to take care of her household chores.

Leon made his way to the BSAA headquarters, where he straightaway headed to Redfield's cabin, where he was already expecting him. Some of his friends were already present there and after waiting for few more of them to join, Chris started to explain the situation to him. BSAA's Intel while trying to track down black market dealers of T and G-virus had accidentally stumbled upon a group of terrorists, who were planning to implement bio-organic warfare to make US government agree to their demands.

Leon used his contacts to get this info to the President and ask for, government assistance to locate the said group of terrorists. Fortunately CIA were already targeting the group and with enough evidence from both CIA and BSAA Intel against the group, all that was left was to personally pay them a visit and apprehend them before they so much as suspect that their plan's already out in open. So, they prepared a team of people including people from different organization to ambush the group at their own base.

They easily infiltrated their base and took their position, waiting for their orders to start their operation, "Kennedy here, do you copy?", Leon spoke in his headset.
"Copy", their communication personnel at the BSAA base responded, "What's your status?"
"I am ready", Leon informed.
"Redfield ready too", Chris said taking his position as well.
"And I am born ready", John spoke as he too secured his position and soon enough more people informed that they were ready.

Once they got there order, Chris asked the group to surrender but of course nobody yields in that easily and the group open fired at them. Leon just tried to immobilize as many as he can, not wanting to take any lives unnecessarily. All he could hear were the sounds of gunshot and he didn't notice as one of the enemies lunged at him from his blind spot, and then there was blood.

Kathleen was doing the dishes when suddenly she felt uneasy, 'Why am I feeling like this, I don't like this feeling. Something's not right", she thought stopping to think if she missed anything, if she did everything that needs to be done and if she was forgetting anything. 'It happened before and it was not good news, Grandma died that time but this time there's nobody…. Oh no, no, no', the thought made her drop the plate she was holding and it shattered as it hit the floor. 'God I hope I am wrong', she prayed hurrying towards the phone, 'Leon please be okay, no what am I thinking, he's okay", she snapped herself for having such a thought, "Who am I kidding he's on some mission and… no this can't be happening', she dialed her husband's number after a number of futile attempts as she keep pressing the wrong buttons but he didn't answer his phone and it went to his voicemail.

'No, no, he's okay, relax', she tried to console herself and gather her courage as she sat on the couch with the cordless phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her breathing shortened, her mouth felt dry, throat ached as if she was choking and her eyes wanted to cry. She took a deep breath and called John.

"Kathleen", He answered his phone immediately, his voice sounded really serious.
"John, tell me where is Leon, he's not taking my calls", she asked really worried and his answer actually made her cry.

John kept his phone back, after talking telling Kathleen that they were in hospital. She only said that she'd be there soon and disconnected. He moved to find Rebecca, who was treating Leon. He called out to get her attention and she waited while he caught up to her.

"Becky where is Leon?", John asked her.
"This way", Rebecca said showing the way.

They talked a little about his condition as she led him to Leon's room and he told her that he already informed Kathleen and that she'd be there soon. She pushed open the door to the room and Leon was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. They both made their way to him and he opened his eyes to look at them.

"Becky", Leon said, "Tell me that this is going to be okay soon."
"Huh? What?", Rebecca said confused as Leon sat up.
"Yeah tell me it's all healed and I can go home", Leon said distressed about his injury.
Rebecca let out a laugh, "Leon, you know it doesn't work like that", she said, "And you can go home, its just a cut."
"I know", Leon said looking at his bandaged hand, "but I can't go home with this cut, can't you make it heal faster."
"I wish I could do that", Rebecca said sighing, "why are you so bothered, you've had worse, you know."
"I know but Kathleen doesn't", Leon said a little tensed, "If she sees this, she'd be really worried and that's why I haven't even told her yet."

"So, you were not planning to tell her soon", John asked Leon giving him a remorseful expression.
"You didn't tell her, did you?", Leon asked him fearing the worse.
"Well I didn't know, I wasn't suppose to tell", John said in his defense.
"What did you exactly tell her and what did she say?", Leon asked him.
"Well she asked where you so I told her that you were here in hospital, hearing which she said that she's…", John was saying.

"Here", Leon said cutting in between as he noticed Kathleen appearing at the door of the room, "Kate?", Leon tried to act oblivious, instinctively hiding his bandaged hand. The very first expression he read on her face was that of relief, "What are you doing here?"
Kathleen gave him a look of disbelief, "I should be asking you this?"
"I… I am here for a routine checkup", Leon tried to make an excuse, "isn't it Becky?", he looked back at her.
"Oh yeah… yeah routine checkup", Rebecca tried to support him.
"Then why are you hiding your right hand?", Kate asked pulling his right hand, breaking into tears.
"I am out of here", Rebecca said and hurried out of the room.

Leon didn't know what to say to her now that his lie was busted and seeing her cry was hurting him more than his injured hand. He looked back at John, who was definitely regretting telling Kathleen that Leon was injured. He reached to wipe her tears with his good hand, her tears were something that he hated more than anything, "Kate, please stop crying!", he requested her, "I'll explain everything just stop crying", she calmed down a little, "We were trying to arrest a group of terrorists and during the fire fight, this attacked me with a knife and I had no choice to but to block with my hand."

"You're an idiot", she cursed and hit his arm with her purse furiously.
"Hey that hurts", Leon complained.
"Oh does it now", she said and to his surprise hit him again.
"Hey I am hurt and you're hitting me", Leon said trying to dodge her feeble attacks.
"Oh now you think about it, should've thought it when you were blocking that attack with hand", she said throwing a pillow at him.

"Kate?!", Leon didn't know what to say to her to make her stop as she threw things at him, nothing that would really hurt him but still she seemed a little for herself, "Don't you laugh help me out", Leon said to John, who was cracking up in a corner as Leon ducked to evade a rolled up blanket.

Kathleen tried to find something to throw at Leon, she was furious at him for hurting himself. She couldn't explain the mix of emotions she was feeling now, she was relieved that he was fine; she was concerned about the pain he was in now, almost feeling it herself; she was angry at him for his ignorance and she was scared for almost coming face to face with her worst of worst fears. She knew it wasn't Leon's fault but she didn't know how else, she could react to this whirlpool of emotions, after all he was the only one she could vent out on.

Leon took his chance while Kathleen paused to get something to hit him with and wrapped his arms around her from holding her from behind, "Leon, just leave me!", Kathleen said infuriated struggling to get free but once he took her in his arms, he knew she was tensed.

"Listen to me", Leon said to her trying to comfort her.
"I don't want to…", she said again on verge of tears.
"Ssshhh…", Leon silenced her, "I am fine. I am okay and I am never gonna leave you", he whispered in her ear sincerely, meaning every word of it.

Kathleen stopped struggling and Leon let go of her. She turned to look at him and he pulled her in a hug. It was the very thing he wanted to do, the moment she arrived but it only now that he could manage it and it felt nice, it always did. She buried her head in chest and cried for bit, "Don't you ever so that again", she said even though she knew, he couldn't entirely control it but he liked it the way she cared for him.

John cleared his throat making them aware of his presence, "John, don't you know when to leave", Leon said annoyed, since Kathleen pulled away feeling a little embarrassed.

"I do know but I really was curious who is this Kate?", John asked smiling at them.
"It's what he calls me", Kathleen replied casually, "Since Kathleen is a little long name."
"Oh and here I thought it was an endearment", John said smiling implicitly at Leon.

Leon just acted indifferent to it and steered Kathleen away from John, because he was just beginning to get annoying and Leon didn't want to be part of it. He felt tired from the mission and hungry; he just wanted to head home, have dinner and sleep.

Leon dropped his toast letting out a scream of pain. He cursed inwardly as the pain in his hand surged up for a fraction of a second. Kathleen came rushing from the kitchen, "What… what happened?", she asked concerned.

"I still can't use my right hand", he told her as slowly the pain subsided.
"Leon", she said taking her usual seat at the dining, "can't you wait for a few minutes, I was just getting coffee for you and just how many times do I have to tell you that it was deep cut, you have stitches on your hand, it would take at least 10 days, that's 6 more days. If you keep testing your hand, it would take time to heal you know", she scolded him a little.
"Yeah but it doesn't hurt trying", Leon said with a shrug and Kathleen gave him a serious look, "well it does but…"
"Leave that", she said cutting him in between, buttering a toast, "here", she held up a toast to him and helped him with his breakfast.

It had been a couple of days and Leon couldn't really utilize much of his right hand, any sort of movement of those hand muscles, just brought pain and misery literally. Kathleen had been helping him out with all the work that required his right hand or two hands, although many times he could do away with just his left hand but he didn't stop his wife on the accounts that he found it really cute, when she aided him. When she was just finished helping him with breakfast, John joined him.

"Morning guys!", John wished them cheerfully.
"Morning", they both wished him together.
"I see you are still helping him with breakfast", John said teasing them.
"You want breakfast?", Kathleen asked him totally ignoring his comment.
"Yeah of course, why else would I come here", John said taking a seat next to her and she went in the kitchen to set him a plate, "So does breakfast tastes better when she feeds you?", John tried to tease Leon.
"I don't know what kind of stupid stuff you read or see", Leon couldn't help but comment sipping his coffee, "but you should stop."

And before John could respond, Kathleen set a plate of hot omelets and toast in front of John. Food was the only thing that really shut John up, although they talked about work and stuff while John had his breakfast when Kathleen commented, "I really don't get the logic of you working when you're injured."

"Well he can shoot a gun with his left hand, can't he?", John said making a point.
"I still don't get it", she said collecting their plates, "Don't even try to explain it to me, you and I won't ever see eye to eye on this one", she added to Leon, who was about explain something to her.

"Alright", Leon said as she moved to kitchen, "By the way you going somewhere?", he asked her as he and John lifted themselves off the chairs too.
"Yeah, Jill wanted to see me, so I'll go see her", she replied returning back.
"You want us to drop you on the way?", Leon asked her, as they made their to the main door.
"No, I'll manage", she said shaking her head, "when you'll be back?"
"By 7:00PM", Leon replied.
"Okay see you then", she said and saw him off to work.

A/N: Thanks for taking out time to read. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I tried my best to eliminate the mistakes and typos but if even then you had some trouble because of it, then I sincerely apologize.

Next Chapter...

"Since the time Jill went on maternity leave. Sheva and I had been partnered up with Angela for three man missions and sometimes she is paired with one of us for two man missions and all she talks is foul about your wife. Well she pulled up some strings at work and will be joining us at White House", Chris told Leon.