Author's note: Here is the next, short and medial chapter. I hope you enjoy.
Molotov: Thanks, this one's for you.
Tifa: I think that a great story is one that tries to get rid of stereotypes. Wish me luck.
Hallaena: Wow, touching, o ito, dalawang tao lang, simpleng simple! Kailangan e…
Serena: That works just fine, thank you. My favorite songs are those from Javert and JvJ, as well as One day more and Bring me Home/ Lead me to Salvation.
Chapter 5: "Truth"
Claire ran through the darkness, clothed in her usual style of red and black. Her gasps for air echoed through the shroud of nothingness. She didn't know if there was a ceiling or a floor, if there was an exit to where she was headed. Claire did not even know why she was running. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped. Leon was in front of her. Neither of them said a word.
The police officer reached out his hand, hoping that Claire would give him hers. She didn't. Still, no words were passed. He called her name, but no voice came. She just stood in front of him, like a lifeless drone. Then Leon's eyes opened.
Leon woke up to another bout of rain cascading down his window. He had a feeling that this day was not going to be a good one. The officer knew it in his heart, and that did not let him sleep up to at least 2 hours before dawn. He always despised that feeling, like something was swelling in your heart, something that you were desperate to get rid of, but you feared of how to do it.
"God, I'm sick of feeling like this…" he thought as he got out of bed, still groggy from his lack of sleep. Rachel wasn't there, as she was already cooking their breakfast by then. He rubbed his arm to get back the feeling, and grabbed a green sweater and a pair of slacks from a seat just by a cabinet. The idea of telling Rachel the whole truth in nothing but his boxers seemed to make the whole situation a little less dramatic for him.
"God I'm sick of feeling like this…." Rachel thought to herself as she set up a plate of morning toast and bacon. She wore a pink bathrobe with her brown hair tied back to a bun. The sound of footsteps then alerted her of the man she loved, and the last few seconds of comfort she could have for possibly her whole life. She gripped the handle of the coffee maker tightly. "Just ask him what's going on…" The woman watched as Leon went down the stairs, which was in perfect view from where she was, by the kitchen.
"Good morning." Leon greeted, giving Rachel a soft kiss on the lips just as he reached her.
"Hey." She replied, putting the coffee maker down.
"What smells so good?" he asked, looking over the food, trying his best to start up a conversation before he talks about Claire.
"Oh, it's the regurgitated pig meat that you love so much."
"Figures."
"Coffee's about done in three seconds."
"…Warm…"
"That new videogame is coming out today, the one you always liked?"
"How'd you know?"
"Internet, history, pages visited."
"You check that?"
"I like to see what my fiancée ogles at when I'm not home."
"Really?"
"Well, a friend told me to check if you searched porn."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry, she lost our bet."
"Oh. Emily?"
"Uh-huh. So, do you want to get that game?"
"Yeah… but the line is probably longer than hell by now. I hear that people camped out all night."
"Boys and their toys."
"You know you make that sound dirty?"
"Shush. Here's an early bridal gift to you." Rachel then said with a hearty smile. She handed him what looked like a rectangular, thin jacket covered in plastic.
"You got me…?"
"Yeah, Resident Gear 2: Code Liberty X. I had it pre-ordered and signed by Shinji Kojima himself."
"…You rock my world, you know that?" he told her as he wrapped his arms around her.
"You owe me 200 bucks."
"Do you accept coupons?"
"I'm going to need a lot." She replied with a giggle. "…Lord God help me, here it goes…" she thought as she gently pushed Leon away. "Or…you could tell me the truth."
"…What?"
"About Claire."
"…Rachel…"
"I was there that night Leon, you can't deny anything."
"You mean?"
"I…was there when you talked to that person on the phone…when you asked where she was. I heard everything." Rachel told him in a voice that seemed like it trembled. Leon could see the pain and confusion in Rachel's eyes, and it was something that he had wished he'd never seen. He bit his lower lip and hung his head.
"…She…needs help."
"What do you mean? Why? What do we have to do with this?" Rachel asked him with eyes that pleaded for him for a straight answer.
"Rachel…?"
"…Yes?"
"Remember Heaven?"
"…Yes."
"Remember my story, how we escaped, and how we thought that the feeling of…being alive was like heaven…?"
"…Yes."
"That's all…getting torn down."
"Why?"
"Because things are becoming too real again. People are taking Sherry away from Claire, and that little girl is the only tie that Claire has had with humanity ever since…"
"Oh…and who…who are these people?"
"I don't know. Family? More agents? I…just…"
"…You know what I'm going to ask you."
"…I love you Rachel, more than anything." Leon said reassuringly, even though everything inside him doubted what he had just said. Rachel nodded and looked away. "…I'm…getting my wedding dress today…finally…" she said, keeping her hands on the back of a chair.
"…"
"How do you think…would I look like?"
"…"
"…Do you even want to see me?" she asked weakly, covering her mouth as she tried to keep back her tears. "Of course…I…" Leon stuttered.
"Leon…I wasn't about to ask you if you loved me." She told him in a voice just above a whisper.
"What?"
"Do you doubt…what we have so much…that you'd think that…that was what I was going to ask?"
"No! Of course not."
"Leon, don't lie to me…"
"I'm not lying to you, Rachel! God…don't…psychologize me!"
"I'm not trying to do that!" she was crying now, and each tear fell like a spear on Leon's inside. The young man wanted to shoot his head off for shouting at her. "Ever since she called…you haven't been yourself. You…act so distant, like I'm not even there!"
"Can't you see you're always there? Why I can't sleep, why I can't eat, sometimes why I can't even breathe! Because I'm trying my best, I'm…desperate not to ruin what we have!" he felt as if his own tears would be gaining the best of him soon.
"Leon…you should trust me enough to know that I love you no matter what…"
"But you act so different whenever she comes up!"
"And can you honestly blame me for that? You were in love with this girl!"
"Rachel…!"
"And you probably still are!"
"Not as much as I love you!" he rebutted, realizing that it was the wrong thing to say a second too late. He held his breath just as the words escaped his mouth. Rachel held a hand over her chest, her face clenched in anguish.
"…"
"God…"
"So…you really do still love her…"
"…I… never meant that…"
"Well, what did you mean?"
"…I loved her…loved…that's what I meant."
"You are a bad liar."
"…What…what do you want me to say!?"
"I don't know!"
"Don't accuse me of not trusting you, when you don't even trust me!"
"How could you say that!?"
"After everything, you still have to ask!?"
"Leon, I just want you to be honest with me!"
"I am! Okay? I fucking am!" he grabbed her by her shoulders, making her cry out with a loud sob. "I love you…more than life itself, why can't you just believe me?" he asked her, tears were also strolling down his cheeks as well.
"I want to Leon…but you aren't really giving me a reason to…" she whispered.
"What more do you want from me? How can I make you believe me?"
"I don't know. I…just…don't know." She replied in a small voice.
"…" Leon closed his eyes, turned, and left the house. Rachel fell on her knees and cried louder than she has ever did before. No earthly torment matched what the two were going through.
Author's note: Kind of intense since I practiced the scene with a girl, how we acted and what we said eventually turned up here, with a few modifications of course. Well, I've never actually written four pages of dialogue before, so I am tired, sleepy, and in need of a hug.