Kitana- Hello all, I was wondering could you tell me what you think about Mike and Miriam. They are new and I would like to know if they are worthy of being in this story. If they annoy and why…stuff like that…

Anyway enjoy the story as always ;o)

33


Leon picked up the shotgun and sat in one of the two couches. Miriam locked the door shoving a wooden chair under the doorknob. She sighed and walked to a cupboard taking out a bottle filled with brown liquid.


"You want a drink?" she asked.


"It depends. What your serving?"


"My favourite, Brandy" she twisted the cap, breathed in the contents and took a long swig, "Muy bueno."


She smiled handing the bottle to Leon; he took it taking a mouthful.
He sighed feeling the warm sensation heavily within his chest, "Now that's some good booze."


"Yeah imported all the way from Andalucia," she took it back staring into the beautiful liquor, "I brought it in for the girls," she looked at him and took another swig drowning the pain, "but they're all dead now."


"How did you survive?"


She pointed up at him to a vent, "I panicked. I climbed the sofas and tore the grate off. I don't know how long I was in there, but I got out not long ago, when the power came on." She closed the bottle hugging it close to her chest and slumped next to him, "I locked the door, switched the lights off and just sat in the corner," she laughed quietly, "I thought that someone would have to come eventually. But no one came except for you."


She blinked snapping out her trance, "So how many are there of you?"


Leon cleared his throat and shifted slightly within his seat. He had a feeling she wouldn't like the answer, "Err, two."


Miriam started laughing, and he honestly thought she was laughing because it seemed funny to her, but that was when her laughs turned to sobs that he thought differently. She stood up and began pacing her area. She took off her glasses and rubbed her stressed eyes, she replaced them and stared down at him, "Two?" she whimpered, "Two? I'm sorry to say it Leon, but we're screwed!"


"Hey no we're not. You just need to calm down," his face softened, "Chris - the other who's with me – is very good, and he's been through these kinds of situations many times before and always survives."


She calmed down and stopped pacing, but her hands were still shaking, "Yeah and one man is gonna make everything better? I don't think so," she said unscrewing the cap, "I need a drink."


Leon frowned, "And another thing. Maybe you should lay off the booze."


Miriam pulled the bottle away from her mouth and wiped the excess from her lips, her eyes were narrowed and very unpleasant, "Don't tell me what to do! I can't deal with the shit out there. I need a drink to ease myself!"


Leon relaxed in his seat, his hands were up in defence, "Fine, whatever." As long as she didn't get drunk then he was perfect with it.


Miriam took one last taste and closed it; she exhaled while walking to the back of the room. She picked up a black bag and shoved the bottle inside, "You know this was my night off. I would have been home a long time ago."


"So why didn't you?"


She turned round and sighed, "I was covering for a friend, she wanted to swap shifts. I said yes and here I am. Strange but I had seconds thoughts about swapping earlier," she pushed off the edge of the table and moved towards him, "Oh well, it looks like I wasn't destined to have a good night."


"Me either," he stood up, "Well let's go."


She looked at him, "Out there?"


He simply nodded.


"But it's dangerous. Shouldn't we wait for the police or something?"


"I wish that was an option Miriam, but to be frank if we don't do something about our situation now, then we will be screwed. And don't worry," he paused taking out his Desert Eagle, "You seemed capable enough handling this before, so take it and keep it close."


Miriam reached out; her fingers lay on the metallic butt of the gun. It was cool, but still a little unsettling. He moved closer taking her hand gently and wrapping her fingers around the butt, he smiled, "Don't frown so much. You'll be fine."


She grasped the gun and took it in. She narrowed her eyes and aimed the gun at the far wall, "So all I have to do is pull the trigger?"


Leon came round standing behind her and glanced at a vase on the table. He moved into her and laid his hand on hers, "Relax and follow me," he said through some strands of her hair. Miriam stood very still; he was so close, his body dug into hers as he concentrated. She felt a little aware of him, but didn't mind. His faint scent of aftershave clung to his skin and collar of his shirt. It smelt nice, not too strong but subtle. She giggled as his stubble tickled her cheek. Leon glanced through the corner of his eye and realised his body was practically encasing hers. He coughed nervously, "Umm, err, yes. Focus on the vase."


She smiled and leant backwards into his chest, "Like this?"


He cleared his throat again; sweat ran down his forehead, "Once you have the object in place pull the trigger."


She focused for a second, steadying her hand and viewed the far object, "I see," she whispered, "Thank you Mr? You know I don't know your full name."


Leon stepped back. Miriam turned round and smiled, "Leon. S. Kennedy," he bowed sweeping his hand back, "At your service."


She laughed, "Miriam Hernandez," she said curtsying, "Pleased to meet you." She stood up straight and offered her hand; he took it and shook hers gently, "What does the 'S' stand for?"


"Simon."


"Simon," she repeated and smiled, "I like it."


Leon blushed, lightly, it wasn't obvious but it did add colour to his pale cheeks. He moved quickly to the door and switched to rookie-police-cop-Leon. S Kennedy mode, although he really wanted to stay where he was with Miriam, and get more equated…


…So to speak.


He pulled away the chair, lifted up his shotgun and opened the door. He stood under the doorframe very quietly glancing from left to right of the hall. His body relaxed and he glanced at Miriam, "Let's go."


She understood and followed behind him walking out into the corridor. The next-door zombies were still groaning and hitting their pathetic excuse for a door, Leon glanced at it, the hinges were practically broken, "Stay close," he whispered hoping that the hinges would hold for a little longer. There was one door to the left; it was a little bit down the hall away from them. He took a deep breath and trod towards it.


"Leon, the exit is behind us."


He stopped, "I'm not going to the exit, I need to search for someone," he looked at her, "There's no way out of this hospital. It's been locked down by metal shutters."


She smiled weakly and walked in front of him, "Nice of you to mention it now. Oh well let's find your 'friend' then."


He moved up next to her, "So is your friend male or female?"


"Female. Her name's Claire and she's the sister of Chris." He stopped at the door, "Stay by the wall."


She nodded. Leon twisted the knob; he held the shotgun close, pushed the door in and switched the lights on. Aiming his gun outwards he stopped, he calmed down and turned to her, "Clear."


She laughed exhaling her anxiety, "For a second there I thought I was going to have a heart attack."


"You and me both," he said joining in with the laughter, "But it means that we need to go up."


"So do you have anyone waiting at home for you?"


Leon looked at her, "A girlfriend?"


"Yeah."


"Why Miss Hernandez are you coming on to me?"


She laughed shaking her head, "Bit of a lame come on don't you think?"


"Not when a beautiful woman is asking," he grinned.


She sighed, "You ever talk to Claire like that?"


"Yeah, why?"


"How she react?"


"She calls me a perve."


"No wonder. You're cute Leon but you're just a bit cheesy."


"Does that mean you like me?"


Miriam rolled her eyes back, "I think we have bigger problems to solve. Like not getting killed," she began walking down the hall, "Come o-"


She stopped walking, the zombies had broken through the door and were now scattered in the hall. He ran after her, "Move away!" he yelled.


Leon came charging by her blasting his shotgun at the un-dead. Most of them groaned as fragments of the shell hit them. Red patches emerged from their tattered clothes. They were like brainless humans, some even looked fresh, alive. Like they never changed. But it was when looking in their black, soulless eyes that she truly saw their nature.


She froze unable to move. The sounds from his shotgun stopped. She wasn't sure if he was there anymore, she wasn't even sure if he even existed, "Miriam! Shoot them!"


She heard him, almost like a distant voice within the loud groaning and moaning. She forgot how to shoot, but she lifted her hand out anyway and pulled the trigger. Nothing came out, just a silenced clicking sound.


"Put the safety off!" Leon panicked she was closer to the zombies and she wasn't firing on them. He finished reloading his gun, pumped the chamber with a bullet and moved up closer to her firing into the zombies at the same time.


"Miriam!" she wouldn't move, she looked like a living statue, "Miriam!" he pumped his last bullet into the chamber and fired it. The target zombie fell down on the floor. Leon ran behind her and wrapped his hands around the gun. He put the safety off. He didn't have enough time they were coming, so he used her to pull the trigger. A zombie went down. He dragged her back while encasing her fragile body. She could feel him as he tried to prevent her unnatural death. He focused bringing up their hands and fired on the zombies, they when down slipping in their own blood.


Leon halted; his heart was pumping out of control. He honestly thought Miriam was going to die. He released a deep breath and relaxed himself. Almost slumping against her. They stood weakly surrounded by dead corpses and rotten blood.


"I froze," she whispered, "I wanted to defend myself, but I couldn't move my hands." She gazed down at the gore; metal nametags shimmered under the red. Miriam fell to her knees and sobbed, "Oh God, I know them," she cried, "They were alive only a few hours ago."


Leon crouched down and wrapped his arms around her. He rocked her gently trying as hard as he could to comfort her. He pulled the gun from her hands and laid it on the floor, "I'm so sorry Leon. I froze."


"Shhh," he said softly, "It's alright. No damage done."


She turned to him, her eyes blood shot, her cheeks damp with tears, "But that's the thing. Imagine something did happen?"


He simply smiled pushing back her hair from her face, "Nothing happened Miriam. We're both alive. It's in the past."


She smiled at him, wiped her eyes and got up, "This really isn't what I wanted in a job."


Leon laughed, "Welcome to my world."