Disclaimer: Blah blah, Resident Evil, yadda yadda yadda Capcom.

My love of Hunnigan shows through here.

Chapter One: Num3ers

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Leon was met with applause and wolf whistles when he walked into Agency Headquarters two days after he had arrived home, the occasional agent and trainee slapping him on the back. He took it in good faith but continued on his path, ignoring the cries of what had happened from his fellow spooks. The rumors would be making their way around soon enough, and no matter how bizarre they got, they'd still be more believable than the truth.

He had to go through two checkpoints to get to Ingrid Hunnigan's office, but once past those he breezed through the doors as if he owned the place, shutting her thick oak door firmly behind him.

The slam of oak in the doorframe sent several papers flying from Hunnigan's hand as she sat up in her desk, glasses held lightly in her left hand as her right shuffled the scattered papers before her.

"Kennedy!"

Leon smirked at the flustered tone in her voice before replying in kind, "Hunnigan."

Ingrid put her glasses down on the desk as she shuffled the papers into a semblance of order, using the distraction to do the same with herself.

In the short time he had known Hunnigan, Leon had never seen her look anything other than the picture of calm. He had to admit, with her face flushed and hair hanging loose around her shoulders as she tried to reel herself together, she had never looked cuter.

"You know," Leon ventured, striding up to lean against her desk, "You never did answer my question the other day."

Ingrid paused halfway between brushing her hair from her face and reaching for an escapee paper that had slid to the far side of her desk.

"What question?" It was asked in the breathless way of a woman who couldn't believe she had forgotten something.

Leon's grin turned predatory.

"Whether or not you were going to give me your number."

Ingrid actually blushed, the color rising up her neck in a flush of heat as she tried to busy herself once more with cleaning up her desk.

"I thought I gave you an answer." She avoided looking at Leon when he handed her one of the stray papers.

"No, you just reminded me that I was still on the job. Now that Ashley is home, safe and sound, I thought I'd ask again. You know," Leon winked, "Now that I'm off."

The color rose up Hunnigan's face as she tried to redirect the conversation, "Surely that isn't the reason you came in today?"

Leon grabbed a nearby chair and straddled it, all playfulness aside as his arms rested on the back, "My resignation."

Had Ingrid not studied Leon's file and personality evaluations, she would have been surprised at the sudden change in his behavior, as it was however; she was just slightly caught off guard. She rolled with it though.

"I suspect the reappearance of your old squad mate, Jack Krauser, had something to do with it, but I'm still fuzzy on the full reason behind it."

Leon looked down at his interlocked arms, "Off the record?"

Hunnigan frowned, but nodded after a moment of consideration.

"There was someone else there. Someone I knew from before."

"Leon--"

"I don't want to get them involved, so don't bother asking names. They're not in any of your little files on me either. The important thing is I know who they're working for, the same person Krauser was reporting to as well."

"I thought Saddler was…" Ingrid trailed off at Leon's look.

"Krauser was working for a man called Wesker, Albert Wesker. One of the men directly responsible for the creation of the T-virus, as well as it's sub sequential infection of Raccoon City, and also the only known possessor of all variants of the virus to date, and now a queen sample of the parasites as well."

He chewed nervously on his bottom lip, an old habit that he'd never been able to shake.

"I think he's trying to rebuild Umbrella, and from what I can gather, he's already well into the process of it."

"And you want to stop him from accomplishing that?"

Leon laughed, but the sound was anything but joyful, "Want has nothing to do with it. This is something I need to do. I thought I could close the door on all my skeletons, but that seems to have turned and bit me on the ass."

They sat in silence, contemplating what had been said.

"I've already got a replacement lined up; he can take over for me while I'm gone. He's a good man, I've worked with him before and he has a similar background. It'll take him a few months to wrap things up where he is now, but I can stay on till then."

Leon stood up and dug a scrap of paper from his back pocket, "He's on loan to another agency at the moment, but he can transfer fairly easily if you put in a request."

Hunnigan took the paper and smoothed it with practiced ease, taking in the swift handwriting in a glance.

"Ark Thompson. Why do I know that name?"

"He had a run in with some of Umbrella's nastier products out on Sheena Island."

Hunnigan nodded, "You weren't kidding about the similar backgrounds. Alright, I'll put in a transfer request," Hunnigan looked up from her desk at Leon, "We can count on you till then." It wasn't a question.

Leon had turned to go when Ingrid stood up, her voice halting him at the door.

"Wait, Leon!"

He turned halfway, one hand still on the door handle as she walked up to him.

"I just wanted to give you this, " She handed him a card with her name and station printed on it, on the backside written in blue ink was a number.

"It's my number." A raised eyebrow and smirk from Leon almost brought the flush to her face again, but she managed to shake it off, "It's my home number, so call me, sometime, before you leave town."

Cheeky grin, "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me."

Ingrid laughed as she pushed Leon out of her office with a casual, "later, Mr. Kennedy."

"You can bet on that." And then he was gone, his parting remark leaving her giggling like a schoolgirl against the heavy oak door of her office.

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Next: Months have past, during which Leon and Ingrid have grown close, but before Leon's replacement can take over, something unexpected happens that almost stops his pursuit of Umbrella before it can begin.

Chapter One Completed 11-15-05