"Alright boy scout. All you have to do is go in there, speak to the contact, and get the data he has. After that, high tail it and that's a wrap," said the voice in Leon's ear as he gave the valet the keys to his car.

"Roger that, oracle," replied the agent before adjusting his black suit jacket. The earwig he had in his right ear was the only piece of wiretapping he had on him for this undercover operation. Well, he had a SIG in an underarm holster but other than that he was dressed casually. Casual as in the suit he wore cost more than he made in a month working as a cop in Raccoon City would have. If he had made it past his first day, that is.

"We'll be on the line, watching from secured camera networks and if you need back up just let us know."

Leon didn't verbally acknowledge the voice and instead went on inside the fancy building set before him. The meeting location was a restaurant called The Garden of Eden, a place that had been open for only a year but was the talk of the town in Washington, especially among the newest members of the special forces. One of the new guys had said he had gotten tips there from outside contacts on a coming arms deal and got a promotion out of it. Not that Leon needed something like that, he was just happy to be doing something other than going headfirst into a place where he'd shoot first and ask questions later.

He was led to a table and he took in his surroundings. 'Garden of Eden is right,' thought Leon. Fake vines were everywhere, wrapped around white marble pillars and draped like curtains over the windows and even used on the tables. Flowers of varying sizes but real as far as Leon could see were all over the place. White tables with fancy and expensive silverware numbed a couple dozen in the dining hall and they were all packed with guests in even fancier clothes. Even more so than Leon was. Which made him wonder how much he was going to be spending by the end of the night. 'Something tells me I am not going to be seeing the bill by the end of the night.'

He checked his watch. 'It's almost eight, the contact should be here by now.' He was hoping he hadn't been stood up. He didn't like having his time wasted.

He sat down and tried to relax, easier said than done for him. He toyed with the silverware, making sure he had something to defend himself should things go badly. He hoped it wouldn't, but a butter knife was better than reaching for his gun in close quarters.

He leaned on his elbows on the table and closed his eyes. A form of meditation as some would put it, but to Leon it was a relaxing tool. He wasn't used to undercover work and so when he had to do something like this he was a bit on edge. He just hoped it would be over sooner rather than later.

"Excuse me sir? Would you like anything to drink?"

Despite hearing the waiter, Leon didn't open his eyes, "No thanks."

"Very well," replied the waiter. "The lady has arrived, by the way."

This caused Leon to open his eyes, 'Lady? Last I checked the contact was a guy...' He turned his head to look in the direction of the entrance and there she was. Dressed in a red and white form fitting qipao with a slit up her right side and sticking out amongst the black and white surroundings in the room. In her hands was a small purse but other than that she didn't appear to be armed.

"Your table, Ms. Wong."

Ada Wong nodded once at the waiter and faced Leon, a sly smile on her exquisite face. "Hello, Leon."

Leon should have been surprised, but he wasn't. Instead he stood up from his chair and walked over to her. They exchanged looks and while Leon tried to read her face, she continued to give him that smile. A smile he had seen countless times over the years, and he thought that just maybe it was one she gave only to him.

The stare down lasted a few more seconds before Leon did the only thing he could do in that moment. He helped Ada into her chair and pushed her up to the table, as any gentleman should do, before going back to sit in his chair across from her.

"Would Ms. Wong like anything to drink?" The waiter was the only one oblivious to the situation and went about his business without asking anything unnecessary.

"Only if Mr. Kennedy would share with me."

This sent the ball into Leon's side of the court, so to speak. He played it cool. Though he had refused a drink earlier he knew he had to keep the ball rolling now. "A bottle of champagne, doesn't matter what." He almost asked for a bottle of scotch for the headaches that were to come, but he had refrained from doing so.

The waiter nodded, saying he'd get something old, before he left the table.

That left Leon and Ada alone. Not the first time in their lives, but the first since 2006 in a certain nation in Eastern Europe.

For a few moments they didn't say anything and for entirely different reasons. If there was one thing Leon knew about the femme fatale before him was that she was never anywhere without reason. That and he knew she was not just going to play along with him but against him, especially if she was the contact he was supposed to meet.

Eventually the silence was broken by the waiter returning with the bottle he had suggested and he poured a couple glasses for them. Ada was leaning on her elbows while looking at Leon with a playful smile.

Time to break the ice, thought the agent and he spoke. "So, you're playing for the CIA now?"

She sat back in her chair, almost looking disappointed in the first words he had said to her. "Business as usual, isn't it Leon?"

"I just don't want either of us to get into trouble. Or in your case, any further trouble."

"I was cleared of all charges because of last time, I'll have you know."

He knew that but had to ask about it, just to get it out of the way before he changed subjects. "Alright then. You have what I came for?"

He didn't expect her to answer, and she didn't play along. "Since we're here, why don't we have something to eat? I'm sure you don't get to be in a place like this often."

True, Leon thought, but his business mindset was hard to shake. "What happened to the contact, Ada?"

"He met a tragic end, and so I was called to replace him." She turned to the waiter, "I think I'll have the salad entree first and-as long as Leon is buying I'll have the special."

Short and to the point, just the way Leon wished all things in life were. Ada usually didn't go that route but he at least got that out of her. As to the food, he spoke to the waiter, "I am paying. The lady can have anything she wants."

She gave a half smile. "I always knew you were a gentleman at heart."

"Never had a chance to show it before now," he said. "Our last few meetings had been less than ideal."

"A monster infested town and a cult infested Spanish village were not ideal for us," added Ada as she turned in her chair and crossed her legs. Whether she was doing that for her comfort or to entice Leon no one knew but he was thinking she was doing it for a hidden third option.

He didn't take that bait though and kept on the road on which he had started. "You have the information?"

Seeing how this wasn't going to go any further, Ada reached into the diamond encrusted purse she had on hand and took out what looked to be a hard drive and pushed it across the table. "Your friend had this on him."

Leon reached for the drive but Ada picked it up before he could grab it. He gave her a puzzled look.

"Why don't we enjoy ourselves for once, Leon?"

He wanted to tell her no, that he had things to do and people to talk to, but something in his mind forcibly changed that thinking process. "I think I can do that, just as long as you behave, Ada."

"Don't I always?" That was the playfulness Ada was known to use in her interactions with anyone, but it was especially useful in dealing with Leon.

"Depends on whether the situation favors you or not." He played her skillfully there, but it was a small victory.

"How observant you are."

"I'm far from the rookie cop I was when you first met me," he said.

Ada tapped the tabletop with her delicate fingers thoughtfully, "Now you're an agent for the United States President. Talk about a leap in career choices, don't you think?"

"It helps that I was thrown into a conspiracy at such a young age, and now I hope that Raccoon City will never happen again."

Such a statement was admirable but there was a downside to his words. "How naive, Leon. Don't think you can stop everyone from making bioweapons."

"A guy can have goals. And what about you? You seem to be going any and everywhere."

She had the perfect response to that. "There's a proverb I live by. 'Goals are deceptive; the unaimed arrow never misses.' Not everyone wants to save the world like you and your friends."

The champagne arrived as Leon responded to her, "I wouldn't go that far. I like to work on a smaller scale compared to the Redfields, so to speak." Chris and Claire Redfield were sibling warriors against bio-organic weapon experiments and distribution. Chris had founded the BSAA, an anti-bioweapon organization that took down threats militarily, while Claire was a protester against large pharmaceutical companies. Both had come out of the events of the summer of 1998 with stopping Raccoon City from happening again. Just like Leon.

Then there was Ada Wong, the silent assassin who did whatever she wanted for a price.

Her glass was filled with champagne and she took a drink. "So, when was the last time we saw each other?"

"China, during the C-Virus outbreak," answered Leon. He and Ada had interacted a lot during that disaster. Hard to believe that was a year ago.

"I remember. You seem to attract trouble."

"Not as much as you. If I recall, the whole thing started because of Simmons' obsession with you."

Derek Simmons had been the former National Security Advisor for the US President before his death and he had started the C-Virus outbreaks for nefarious purposes. He had been killed at the end of the China outbreak by Leon.

Ada rolled her eyes and for the first time since she had sat down, had lost her smile. Clearly the topic at hand was not to her liking. "Don't remind me of such garbage."

Seeing how annoyed she was, Leon put his hands up in surrender. "My bad."

"Changing the subject..." Ada leaned on the table towards him. "How's your normal life? You always seem busy."

"A normal life? Haven't had one since I was a cop," he answered perfectly. He had to count the years since that time and even he was astonished by the number. "Sixteen years ago...? Damn, time flies."

"Still single?"

Now that came out of nowhere. "What? You trying to pry into my private life?"

"No. Just curious that a nice guy like you could still be single."

"My luck with women hasn't been very good." That was something Leon didn't have much luck in. He could survive countless zombie outbreaks, be attacked by maniacal Spaniards, and be targeted for treason by an egomaniacal madman without too much trouble. Yet when it came to the dating side of life, he clearly sucked.

Not that he didn't try. He had met many women on his trek through life, but none had stayed long. Claire Redfield had been the first but her duty to helping others and loyalty to her brother stopped her from being more than a friend. Angela Miller, a former police officer from Harvardville, had tried dating Leon after the outbreak there but she had ultimately decided she needed distance to recover from the loss of her brother. Ashley Graham, daughter of the former President, had tried to make moves on Leon but he had politely refused her on the grounds that dating his boss' daughter would be a bad idea. She had taken that reluctantly before moving away to resume her college degree. Ingrid Hunnigan, Leon's intellectual partner when on missions, had been the next woman he had set his eyes on but she had turned him down because of professional reasons. Finally, there was Helena Harper who Leon had met during the outbreak in 2013. They were in the same department and while that made it perfect for seeing each other, Helena had also politely turned him down but her reason for doing so wasn't as plain.

Thus, Leon remained single his entire life. Not a bad thing, but it did bother him from time to time.

Yet, there was the obvious one he hadn't addressed yet, and it concerned the Asian woman sitting right across from him. Ada and Leon had had a rather tumultuous relationship (if one could call it that) in the years since Raccoon City. It had never been addressed and yet neither of them had thought to address it.

"And what about you? You never seem to be doing anything other than work."

Ada knew he would try and go in that direction but she was coy. "A woman has to have a job to pay for what she needs."

"Oh I know that, still it bugs me that I know very little about you. Care to share?"

"How about...no?" She chuckled, and so did Leon. He wasn't bothered by her answer.

"Very well then."

The food they had ordered had arrived shortly after and they casually talked while they ate. Leon tried to manage eating and staying on track of what he was supposed to be doing. The disk that he had been ordered to retrieve was lying on the table just within reach of him but he knew if he tried to grab it Ada would retaliate.

But as much as he needed to do his job Leon liked just talking with Ada for once. As far as he could remember this had been the first time they had interacted and there wasn't a gun being pointed at either of them. It was comforting.

Still, he felt the need to get to the point of why he was here. "I need that disk, Ada."

"After we finish this meal you bought for us."

Should have seen that coming, Leon thought. "Very well, Miss Wong."

The meal came and went rather uneventfully with few words exchanged between them. Yet when they did talk it was about menial things such as what assignments Leon had done since the last time they had spoken or what Ada did following the incident in China. The bottle of champagne was halfway gone by the time they had finished their meal. Neither of them were showing any signs of being tipsy either.

To be frank, Leon wished it would stay like this for the rest of his career: less chaotic and no use for firearms.

But when Ada was involved he knew trouble could not be far behind. So with that in mind he wanted to avoid trouble altogether. "What do you want, Ada?"

Her dark eyes found his and she sat back in her chair, "I'll be straightforward this time."

That was easy...a little too easy, thought Leon. It wasn't like Ada to just apparently fold in a game she was so well known for.

She gave a relaxed sigh. "I just wanted to spend time with you. No games, no guns, just you and me."

Leon made a sound in his throat, still on the defensive about her true intentions. She could be lying after all, though why she would at this point in the night eluded him. He decided to roll with it. "Well, it's been nice being able to just talk."

"Without monsters being involved," added Ada as she leaned forward on the table.

"Very much so," replied Leon. "And did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did, and it was nice of you to buy my meal."

"Like I had a choice," Leon thought with a subdued laugh. Still he would have done it anyway. "A gentleman would, especially for a woman of your caliber."

"You flatter me Leon, and you know what they say about flattery."

Crossing his arms over his chest Leon knew he had missed the next base in this game. "It will get me nowhere."

"But some women like their man to keep trying."

At this comment Leon blinked, "Is that what I am to you?" His tone was playful.

"Maybe. We've been at this game for long enough that we could say we belong to each other."

Leon shook his head, "I wouldn't go that far..."

Ignoring that phrase, Ada couldn't help but continue on with it. "I sometimes wonder about what would have been."

Hearing the thoughtful tone in her voice Leon relaxed himself into his chair. "About what?"

"After Raccoon I had to recover from my injuries. While I was resting I always thought about what my life would have been like had I not met you."

Now things were getting serious.

Leon leaned forward, his elbows on the table, "I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. So I don't like to think about what-ifs."

"Even after I betrayed you, you still forgave me."

"I could never ever hate you, Ada." True she had played the rookie cop like a fiddle with her feminine charms and sultry attitude and he pretty much allowed her until the very end. Yet Leon could never hate Ada, and after everything they had been through together he doubted he ever could.

Still, in their minds, both of them wondered how long this little game of cat and mouse could go on before one of them ultimately lost. Winning was not on the table for either of them.

Smiling, Ada got up from her chair and reached into her handbag. A loud vibration was heard coming from inside the bag.

Leon looked up at her, a feeling of apprehension began to flow into his body. "You leaving?"

Ada pulled out her phone and checked the front screen. Though she had put it on vibrate as to not interfere with her dinner. It was a notification from her new employer about a job. She sighed and put the phone back in her purse. "Sadly, I must."

Sighing loudly, Leon didn't hide his disappointment. "I see."

Ada surprised him by pulling the disk out of her bag and setting it on the table in front of him. "Here you go."

Quickly he put his hand on the disk, on top of Ada's own hand. He had expected her to pull it back so he moved as fast as he could to secure it.

If he had expected Ada to be offended by that action he was elated to know that she was smiling down at him when he looked up at her face.

"Thanks for the meal, Leon."

He made a noise in his throat before moving his shoulders, "Sure thing, though give me a better heads up next time."

Her smile widened before she surprised him by leaning in towards his face. When her lips met his Leon was genuinely caught off guard but he silently appreciated the surprise kiss. It reminded him of the one he had shared with her back in Raccoon City, under much different circumstances. He could taste the champagne on her skin and it was immaculate.

Ada's lips lingered for a moment, and a few bystanders noticed this but she didn't care.

She pulled back, casually licking her lips as she did. "Take care of yourself Leon."

Another reminder of Raccoon, a vivid memory returning from the depths of years past, and Leon nodded, "And you stay out of trouble."

She chuckled, "No promises but I will try." He knew she wasn't really joking this time. Trouble always seemed to find Ada no matter what. Her hand left the table but trailed up Leon's arm to his shoulder before leaving him entirely.

Leon turned in his chair to watch her leave, and at the door she turned and gave him a sensual smile before she disappeared. Just like the many times before she had come into his life she had left as quickly and mysteriously as she had arrived.

Sighing loudly Leon called for the waiter, "Check please."

Life moved on, but at least he had someone to remind him that there was some excitement to look forward to in it.