CHAPTER 3

Clouds Don't Have to be Grey

-3 months later-

Despair, emptiness, a void. These were the things that had swarmed
Jill's very being since that day at the facility.

Jill longed to see Chris, just to be in his presence, and maybe just
maybe to feel something more.

Everyone had been working nonstop to find the whereabouts of Chris; so
far none of them even had a clue.

For Jill the separation was far worse then when Chris was in Europe,
and she had stayed behind. Then there was hope, Jill knew he was out
there somewhere it was only a matter of time before they found him.
Now.now Jill wasn't sure of anything. And that was the scariest
feeling in the world.

One night all was quiet in Jill and the others little apartment on the
edge of Paris. Barry sat at their tiny round table playing solitaire
over and over again; Carlos was sitting in front of the T.V cursing it
for not speaking any words that he could understand. Jill, herself,
sat in her room staring out the window. That's all Jill ever did. She
just watched out the window as people walked by totally absorbed in
their own lives not one with the slightest clue that somebody was
watching them. She didn't know why she did this, maybe deep down she
hoped that one of these days she see Chris walking by.

The only one of them doing something productive was Claire. She was
constantly on the computer talking to Leon Kennedy.

Jill didn't know Leon, all she did know was that he helped Claire
escape from Raccoon, and that he had connections with some government
employees. Claire would never let on too much to Jill what kind of
employees these people were only that Leon knew them from college.

On this very night, however, Claire let on some light to whom these
people that Leon knew were up to.
They all gathered around the small table. Sitting shoulder to shoulder
Claire told them about the recent developments.

"As you all know I've been in contact with Leon Kennedy. Well Leon has
been working back in the states digging any information he can to the
whereabouts of Chris. Nothings has come up.until now."

As Claire pauses Jill's heart starts doing double time. This was the
first glimmer of hope she felt since Chris' disappearance. Straining
every muscle in her ear Jill waited for Claire to continue.

"Leon's good friend from college, Adam Skampa, now works for the
F.B.I. Well it seems like there's been a good number of reports
leading to the disappearance of several people."

"How are they related?" Barry asked.

In a very distinct voice Claire answered. "They all work for Umbrella.
The disappearances range from pop machine fillers to Umbrella
scientist themselves; there's even been one disappearance from within
the F.B.I. someone who was investigating the disappearances."

"Why isn't anyone doing anything then? The F.B.I must surely have
enough evidence to do a thorough investigation on Umbrella with all
those disappearances?"

"Here's the thing, it's too hard to prove the disappearances are
related. Umbrella, like always, did a good job of working out the
details, and Umbrella is just too large of a company to make
allegations without any solid evidence."

Carlos threw his arms. "Well if that ain't the story of our lives."

Speaking for the first time Jill asked. "What's any of this have to do
with Chris?"

Frowning Claire answers. "Nothing.well at least nothing yet. Leon
thinks that if Umbrella is holding people then they probably bring
Chris there. Now we just have to find out"-

"Where." Jill finished Claire's sentence.

"Exactly." Claire told her as the group went into dead silence.

They remained in that silence for awhile, no one knowing what to say.
All words just seemed like a lost cause at this point.

It wasn't until later when the familiar pop-up noise and the words
'you got mail' came from the computer that everyone started talking
again.

Jill gave Barry an anxious look as Claire went to the computer to
check her e-mail.

Carlos was tapping his fingers on the table annoyingly when Claire's
voice sang across the room.

"Guys," She said "I think Leon's found a clue."

* * *

An on- going war, one that could lead to the most tragic consequences that this world has ever seen. Biological, living, breathing, lethal weapons are being created, and only a handful of the general public know about it.

For Leon S. Kennedy this alone was enough for him to wage a war against Umbrella. However, this wasn't Leon's main reason for going against the bastard pharmaceutical company; it was actually only a small part of it.

When Leon was in Raccoon he met Claire Redfield and Sherry Birkin, two people who had suddenly become a major part of his life. Those two, however, weren't the only two people Leon met while in Raccoon, there was one other. One that Leon was just not able to forget.Ada Wong.

Its funny how one chance meeting, one twist of fate can bring people together. Unfortunately in his and Ada's case their fated meeting was under dire circumstances.

After Ada's death, and Leon, Claire and Sherry last second escape Leon did some heavy investigating into the mysterious woman's life.

Leon found that Ada Wong wasn't really Ada's name at all. It was actually Jessica Wakuci, an employee for Umbrella. He also discovered that Ada, or Jessica, had done a lot of work for some of the worlds most elite underground organizations. She was wanted by the F.B.I and the C.I.A. Despite all this Leon couldn't stop thinking about her.well, at least until he started hearing from Claire again.

Upon escaping from Raccoon the first thing that Claire and he did was get Sherry safely to her aunts. Once they knew she was safe they started searching for Claire's brother.

Leon had called upon his college roommate, and now F.B.I agent Adam Skampa to help their search. Together the three had discovered the whereabouts of Umbrella's Paris headquarters. Leon wishes they hadn't. The next morning he wakes up to a note on his bed stand reading.

Gone to Paris, I'll be in contact.
Always,
Claire

It was over ten whole days before Leon heard anything from Claire. She was somehow at Rockford Prison, and had run into some trouble.

As Leon was preparing to go rescue her Adam broke into Claire's e- mail. There sent only a day before was a message from Chris, Claire's brother. Leon e-mailed Chris back telling him Claire's situation. Chris insisted that he go rescue her, and after some debating Chris ended up going after Claire alone.

Leon hadn't heard from either of them again until just two months ago.

Chris, it seemed, had once again had gone missing, and Claire contacted him asking once again for help. He was just so relieved to hear that Claire was okay that he eagerly enlisted his help. And so since then Leon's been pulling in all his recourses to once again find Claire's brother.

It wasn't until recently that Leon got any real information at all. Adam, Leon's F.B.I friend, from college had dug up a small facility owned by Umbrella located in the southern part of Iowa. It was too small to be doing any experiments, but just the right size to hold a small group of people. It was a long shot, but it was worth checking out, so he e-mailed Claire.

Now Leon had a midnight flight to Iowa where he was to wait for Claire, and her group to arrive.

That night as he was packing Adam was over. Leon was just shoving several pairs of socks into one of his side pockets of his traveling bag when Adam asked.

"Why are you doing this man?"

"Doing what?"

"Going so out of your way for this girl? I mean Raccoons over; you've already helped her find her brother once, isn't that enough?"

"There's more to it then that. Umbrella is a dangerous company, a company that's the entire world's enemy. Wouldn't you, a F.B.I agent, of all people want to try to stop them?"

"Okay I understand that part, but what's it got to do with helping Claire Redfield find her brother?"

Leon didn't answer.

"Don't tell me it's another one of those 'about the girl' things. Jesus Kennedy you fall faster then anybody I know."

"Would you shut-up Adam!" Leon snapped.

"Fine. Fine I'll stay quiet if you tell me this. What about that girl Ada, the one you can't stop thinking about? How does she fit into all this?"

Leon didn't know what to say to that. Ada was dead, at least as far as Leon knew. Anyways as hard as it was to get Ada out of his head that fact remained that Ada Wong was a double agent that used Leon. Claire never did any of that.

"This isn't about Ada." Leon finally answered. "This is about helping a friend that needs me. There's nothing more to it then that."

"But"-

"Come on." Leon ordered before Adam could get any further. "I have a plane to catch."

The two of them drove in silence, not saying a word until Adam parked the car at the airport. They sat there for a moment still not saying anything. It wasn't until Leon started getting out of the car that Adam finally said something.

"Listen man the only reason I give you a hard time is I don't want to see you hurt. I just want to see you come back in one piece. Physically and emotionally."

Leon grins and pats his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks bud I know your hearts coming from the right place, there's just things that sometimes you have to do."

The two men hug in a stiff way that only man can. Leon then grabs his bag from out of the trunk, and with one last wave to Adam he leaves the airport.

Leon didn't know what he was getting into, he usually never did, but this was one of those things that he knew he had to see through to the end.

With that thought in mind he boarded his plane to Iowa.

* * *

It had been awhile since the last time Claire had seen Leon. It had been since that night before she left for Paris, with leaving him nothing more then a note.

Claire never wanted to leave Leon like that, but she also didn't want him to put his life in danger for her. All she wanted was for him to help her gather some information, not for him to help her find Chris.

Now Claire was on the plane, she couldn't help the different emotions that were running through her. So much had happened since Raccoon, she had lost her brother twice, and she really lost Steve. The only two things that she had actually found were Sherry and Leon.

Claire wasn't sure of the feelings she had for Leon. All she knew was part of her wanted him to stay home where it was safe, and another part of her wanted him to come with Claire in her search for Chris.

Either way Leon was in Iowa waiting for her.

Claire and the others arrived at the Iowa airport around noon. As they were coming out of the terminal 'he' stood there. His wavy blond hair lying messily on his head, his baby blue eyes glowing, even from the distance.

Without even knowing what her feet were doing Claire broke out in a run. She didn't stop until she came face to face with Leon.

The two smiled awkwardly at each other.

"Hey there." Leon said smiling stupidly.

"How's it going?" Claire replied.

"Oh you know." Leon said offhandedly.

Just when things couldn't get anymore awkward Jill, Barry and Carlos walk up to them.

"So this is the boy toy Claire?" Barry asked in his father like tone. Claire could have shot him.

"Barry," Claire said in the most composed voice she could muster. "This is Leon Kennedy," Claire turns to Leon. "Leon these people are Barry Burton, Carlos Oliveria, and Jill Valentine."

Leon lifts his hands, and gave a slight wave.

After another few awkward moments Leon rubs his hands together,

"Well do you guys want to get going? I already have a few hotel rooms, and then bright and early tomorrow we set out.

"Set out where?" Jill asked skeptically.

"To find Chris."

* * *

Time has a funny way of going by. When you really thought about it Chris was in the worst of circumstances, trapped in one damn room, given little food and water, and there was never anything to do. Chris, however, wouldn't let himself get into that psyche. It would be the end of him if he did. Instead Chris tried to take out all the negative and just focus on the positive, as few things as that may be.

Chris grew to care for his five inmates very much, especially Luke and Jamie. The others Chris liked a lot, but Luke and Jamie seemed to draw Chris to them. Luke reminded Chris of himself, at times Luke would get angry at the world for anything, and everything. Chris remembered feeling the same exact way when he first ran into the horrors that Umbrella bestowed upon him. Now Chris didn't see it as if the world was against him, he saw that the world was a victim too, and he was only one of a few that could actually put a stop to Umbrella. Once he stopped feeling angry, and instead felt like he had a responsibility everything changed. And that change made all the difference.

The one thing that was killing him was how much he was missing the others. His sister, Barry.Jill, he missed them all terribly, he even missed Carlos even if only a little bit.

To avoid the pain Chris would try not to think about them, but that seemed to make things worse, because then they weren't in his life at all.

The only person who he talked to about them was Jamie. Jamie had become his confidant, he appreciated her greatly. Chris hoped she realized that.

Chris recalled the last conversation he had with her. It was closes he come to falling apart.

"What are you thinking about?" Jamie asked him one day as he lay dreamingly on his bed staring at the ceiling.

"Oh nothing." Chris lied.

"I know you better then that Chris." Jamie told him. "Now come on."

Chris gave a half-hearted smile, and then in a teasing voice replied. "Has anyone every told you that you can be a pest?"

Jamie frowns. "If they have I can't remember.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean"-

"It's alright Chris it's been so long that even I forget that I had a life before this."

"Jamie when I promised that I help all of you guys escape from here I meant it."

Jamie smiles sweetly at him. "I know you did."

The two grew quiet for awhile before Jamie repeats the question she asked before.

"So what were you thinking about before?"

"Just about my friends. There probably searching the world for me. I'm worried about them, and what they actually might do to find me."

"You miss them terribly don't you?"

"It's amazing how much you care for someone. I mean Claire goes without saying, she's my sister, but Barry.and Jill."

Chris turns his face into his pillow; the thoughts of his loved one's were just too much to bear.

Chris felt Jamie take his hand, and in a caring yet determined voice she says too him. "You'll see them again Chris that's my promise to you."

When Chris turned away from his pillow to look at her Jamie bent down placing a gentle kiss on his forehead then without a word walked away.

He lay in his bed a long time after that thinking about this and that. Pretty much just thinking about everything.

Chris ached to see the others again, but considering the circumstances Chris had to admit he was pretty content here. So Umbrella could just kiss his ass because it was going to take more then a damp room to bring Chris Redfield down, they could count on that.