- I Keep Falling For You -

Tall Oaks

The whole thing collapsed inward. Jill and Helena tumbled and fell. Ada grabbed and missed. Debra was lost in the swirling dark.

They all tumbled and fell in various places. Jill and Helena hit close to a collapsed wall on the wooden walkway a hundred feet down. They rolled and helped each other to their feet.

Leon and Ben came down further up from them, near an overturned mine cart. There was a shout, and Ben hurried over to grab Ada's hands. She was dangling over the ledge. Leon grabbed her other hand and pulled her up.

She nodded at him.

He called, "Jill! Helena! Are you alright!?"

From somewhere down below, Helena called back, "We're ok! We're fine. We're gonna make our way down, ok? Just head down."

And so they did.

They worked together to move downward. Leon and Ada, and Ben. Helena and Jill. They hurried as the mine shaft kept shaking. The rotting wasn't over. It was worse. Rock and stone kept raining down to try to take them out. They had to be vigilant as they ran down the rickety wooden walkways.

The few undead they came up against were pathetic. They barely could stand upright. The rot down here was long and ongoing. How long? How long had they been undead and seeking something to keep them from falling apart? What kind of sick shit had been happening beneath this city?

The rickety walkway had collapsed in one spot. A single piece of rope dangled, anchored down by a broken piece of stone. Ada glanced at his face and shrugged.

Leon lifted Ben to grip onto his back and cradled his hands. Ada took a running leap, pushed off his hands, and launched her out. She grabbed the rope, swirled it back and forth to gain momentum, and brought it swinging back toward them.

Leon said, "Hold on tight, pal. Ok?"

"Roger!"

He was so cute. Leon smiled as he braced, took three running steps, and leaped. He caught the rope when it swung close enough, and the combined momentum of him and Ada sent it soaring over the opening to the other side. He leaped free, and Ben made a whooping sound.

Amused, Leon rose and kept him on his back. "Hold on, buddy. We're gonna run now."

"Awesome!"

Lord. Why hadn't he brought a kid with him on every fucking mission? It was keeping him entertained. Leon and Ada started running as the walkway groaned and shook again.

They reached another opening with the same rope dangling. Leon launched Ada and waited. Ben giggled with excitement. "It's like a tire swing. You're like Tarzan!"

Leon chuckled. "I think Tarzan was just a little better at it, honestly."

"No way! You're like Spiderman and Batman! And Spongebob Squarepants!"

Leon blinked a little. "I get the first two. But why Spongebob?"

"Because you say dumb stuff all the time."

And now Leon laughed. He just laughed. Leon laughed as he leaped and grabbed the rope. They swirled, swinging toward the other side. Ada shouted a warning.

Everything slowed down.

It seemed they had all the time in the world as Debra tumbled at them, screaming. Leon let go of the rope. Ada flung herself to the side. And Ben buried his head against Leon's neck as they fell.

He scrambled his hands at the walkway. He grabbed. He tumbled. Too far, his mind shouted, you'll fucking die if you don't slow this descent. Leon rotated, he threw out his hands, and one finally grabbed onto something.

It was Jill Valentine.

She was hanging three-quarters over the side of the walkway. She gripped his forearm, and he returned the gesture. She gasped, red-faced, "I can't hold on for long! Ben! Push off Leon's shoulders and climb up my back. Ok?!"

Ben did it. The brave little thing. He pushed up and climbed up her body. She grunted, shaking with the effort. Leon spun back and threw up his other arm. She caught it, and it was a little easier to hold him without Ben's added weight.

But she was still dangling something like one-hundred and eighty pounds of muscle.

He glanced down to the bottom of the pit. It wasn't too far. Maybe two stories. He'd probably break something, but he could take the fall. He'd trained for worse. "Let go, Jill. I'll be ok."

"Shut up," Jill grunted and jerked to no avail. Finally, Ada Wong appeared above her. She grabbed Jill by the hips and jerked. Together, they leveraged him up.

He climbed up, and Jill met Ada's eyes.

"…thank you."

Ada shrugged and moved toward the bottom of the walkway.

Down below, Helena was screaming.

Debra had landed and was trying to kill her. They ran. No time to worry about friends or old lovers or liars. They ended up in a wide-open pit that had likely once been a part of the ancient crypt.

The floor had swirling stone designs that looked like snakes. Debra had Helena pinned to the floor while she tried to impale her again.

Leon dropped his knife into his hand and ran for it. Ben shouted. Jill grabbed him and shook her head. Ada shot Debra's flailing legs with her bowgun and had her reeling. Leon leaped onto her back and slit her throat in a single, smooth, almost dancer-lithe move.

Debra gurgled, pumping blood, and he shifted the knife and drove it into one of her flailing legs. Taking a cue from him, Jill rushed forward to attack another one. Helena pressed her gun against Debra's mutated chin from the ground and pulled the trigger. Her face was blown away in a burst of blood and bone.

The high-pitched laughter she'd been throwing all around them was abruptly cut short. Helena shouted, "Deb, I'm so sorry!"

And Debra threw her surviving three monstrous legs around them and smashed them into the ground. The floor exploded. It erupted in a spray of stone and rock. They all stumbled; they all tumbled. Ada, surprisingly, grabbed Ben as –like London Bridge before them –they all fell down.

Leon hit his back on a walkway, gasping, trying to relearn how to breathe. And Jill fell eight feet from him on her face. He rolled, scrambling over the ground, and jerked her up. She was unconscious. Terrified, he felt for her pulse and found it. Not dead. Just knocked out.

He hefted her over his shoulder and ran as the walkway shook and the ceiling rained down on them. Jesus. They were so screwed here. Gripping her butt and hips over his shoulder, he hurried as fast as possible. She wasn't very heavy, but it still slowed him down.

From somewhere in the darkness, Ben shouted his name.

"Ben!?"

And Ada answered, "He's fine. He's with us. We have him!"

Thank god.

Leon staggered as the walkway shivered and tried to break under him. He kept on going. He was tossed into the wall and protected Jill's head with his back. It stole his breath but kept him motivated. And there were three corpses between him and the end of the walkway.

They moaned and staggered, moving for him.

He lifted his pistol one-handed and put a clean shot through the left eye of the first one. It went down, spinning into its friends. As he moved past them, he kicked the second in the ribs, and it was kicked clear off the walkway to tumble into the darkness. The third got his ankles and tried to take him down. The person dangling over his back reared and stabbed it in the face as it lunged for his ass.

Jill ripped her knife clean, and Leon rolled her up against his back and into his arms. She touched his face as he set her on her feet. She wanted to hold on. It was really a bad time for that.

They moved together now, hurrying as best as possible on a rickety, rackety, shaking, and falling apart wooden walkway. They ran. And Ada shouted, "JUMP!"

He did. Jill did. They leaped out into the opening and fell together into the lift that held Ada, Ben, and Helena as it lowered. Leon rolled. Jill more flopped than rolled. The lift moved steadily downward.

Ben moved to have Jill hold him close. Leon crouched to touch his hair and glanced up at Ada. "Thank you."

Again, that laconic shrug of hers. It could mean anything. It could mean nothing.

She tossed him something in her hand. He caught it, glancing down. "A ring?"

It was. A fat man's ring etched with snakes. He lifted his brows.

She grinned a little. "Don't get any ideas. You'll need it later."

The lift groaned, metal gears clunked with rusty sound rolls, and it settled onto a set of tracks. Jill eased back with Ben in her arms. She braced, and the cart made a loud snap of noise as it released and started rocketing down the mine shaft.

Helena settled back on the ground beside them. Jill glanced at her face. "I'm so sorry about Debra. You were close?"

Helena looked pale and broken. She nodded, glassy-eyed. She touched her weeping shoulder. "Yeah. She was my sister."

Leon glanced down at her. The cart cornered hard, left, and he stumbled. He finally sat down on the ground next to Jill. Only Ada remained standing, ever vigilant.

He held Helena's gaze now. "Simmons?"

"Yeah. Yeah. He took her. He threatened her. He threatened us both. I wouldn't cave for just me. He said…if I disagreed, he'd turn her into a monster." A single tear slid down her dirty cheek, "He did it anyway. That fucking son of a bitch. I betrayed everything I believe in...and he did it anyway."

Ada glanced at her with a cool, level, considering gleam in her eye. She finally said, and there was sympathy in her voice, "That sounds like Simmons, alright."

Leon lifted his eyes to her, where she stood guard. "How are you connected here, Ada? What the hell is going on?"

"Long story. Too long for a mine cart ride through a crumbling tomb. Keep digging; you'll get to the truth. The bad news? I have to take care of a few things, so I can't stay with your little party here." Finally, she hesitated and added, "I'm sorry about your sister."

Surprised, Helena nodded a little, "Thank you."

Ada nodded and added, "That's no way for anyone to die. I'll help you avenge her."

Jill blinked and glanced at Leon. He continued looking at Ada. There was something on his face that she wasn't sure of. Was it love? Were they lovers? She doubted it was that simple. The answer had never been simple if someone had asked after her and Chris. She understood complicated.

It didn't have to mean anything more than that.

Helena nodded again. "Avenge. That's the right word. I'm going to kill Derek Simmons."

Ada held her gaze. "I believe you will."

And the cart rocked. Jill lifted her gun and pointed it at Ada.

Ada blinked, watching her. "Going to kill me? Why? Because I had him first?"

And there was the truth. But it was ill-timed. It was ill-placed. And Jill fired the gun to prove it.

Helena shouted. Leon jerked. And Debra was blown out of the air an inch from Ada's face. Blood splattered Ada's profile as she jerked, falling to the side. Jill rose to her feet, keeping that gun aimed.

She said, "Whatever you were to him, whatever he was to you…I don't give a damn. Unless he was a saint, he had women. I don't care about them any more than I care about you. Don't be stupid, Ada. I'd heard you were the smartest in your field. Pandering to jealousy doesn't help anyone here."

Ada blinked. They held gazes. Finally, she nodded. Jill offered her a hand up. Ada took it and rose.

"Well…this is lowering. And humbling. It seems I owe you an apology."

Interested, Jill held her eyes, "No, you don't. Just quit trying to play me. I don't like games. And I don't shoot women for knocking boots with Leon Kennedy. None of my business."

Jill turned back to check for Debra. And the cart rocked again. No time for jealousy or confusion, or regret. They were no longer alone.

Debra landed on it, and her face was restored. She laughed, delighted, and smashed one of her legs into Jill. Jill's shot went wild and pinged off into the shaft somewhere. She was thrown up and out.

Leon caught her, and the momentum threw them both to the floor to smash into the cart wall. Ben covered Jill with his body to protect her.

She blinked and loved him.

Ada pistol-whipped Debra in the face with her bowgun. Helena followed it up by driving her knife into her sister's breastbone. Debra wailed; she smacked them around like bowling pins. And the cart hit the end of the horrible track they were on.

For a brief moment, it was airborne, flying through the dark. Debra was tossed clear in a wailing mess. Helena leaped. Ada leaped. Leon threw Ben on his back and leaped. Jill leaped. It was a lot of leaping and desperation. The cart turned down, they pushed off, and it plummeted toward the darkness. It went end over end. It was GONE.

Ada and Helena hit the far side and rolled. Jill plummeted and caught rock ten feet down. Leon threw Ben like a dart, hitting Helena and sending them both skidding along the ground. And then?

Well, down he went.

Jill screamed.

The wind rushed up and tore at his face and hair. He thought, how many times can I take a tumble toward death? And there was a pop, a whiz of sound, and he was caught against a slender frame. Desperate, he grabbed on while Ada zipped them up with her grapple gun like…well…Tarzan.

She dangled them from the ceiling with her legs looped around his waist. His arms were curled around her shoulders. Amused, she winked at him. "This seems familiar."

He had to laugh.

And she released the gun, they dropped a few feet, and she fired it again at the far side. Taking the initiative, he leaped as they flew over the ground and rolled. He rolled a good ten feet and finally slid out of the skid to a stop on his back. Jill helped him to his feet.

He quipped, "Nothing like a good plummet into the abyss to wake a guy up, huh? This face is too pretty to be road pizza, though. So thanks to Ada for pulling a Charlie's Angel there and saving the girl."

Jill slapped him.

It rang. And it surprised the shit out of him. He blinked and looked down at her.

She grabbed the lapels of his dirty black shirt and shook him. "Jokes? Really? Jokes?"

He lifted a brow at her. "Too soon for jokes? What about a pun? I'm afraid this is it for us, Jill…Helena's sister just, literally, swept me off my feet. I think I was falling for her…"

She went to slap him again, and he tugged her into him to hold her. Undone, she wrapped around arms around him and breathed. Ben ran over to wedge between them.

Leon, well, he'd never had anyone give a shit if he died. And no one had ever hugged him after a bad pun. Usually? They just rolled their eyes and coughed in sympathy. So, he was pretty sure he had to keep them now.

Down the narrow walkway, a big door awaited them. Helena was poking at it to get it to open. Ada eyed the three of them standing together. She smirked a little and gestured with her head.

"Leon? A moment?"

He let them go. He brushed his hand over Ben's hair and cupped Jill's cheek. "I'm fine. I'm ok."

Jill nodded; she slapped his chest once more and took Ben's hand to give them privacy.

Ada studied him as he walked toward her. "Tell her about me. All of it. The truth. It's how you keep her. If not? You'll lose her."

"Advice on women, Ada? Really?"

She held his gaze. "Tell her. Don't be stupid here. And be careful of Simmons, Leon. Very careful. He's smarter than he seems. I'll handle what I can. You? Get the proof to nail him the wall."

Leon nodded, watching her face. She held that look, head tilted. "What is it?"

He was picturing her erupting from one of those pods. What would they call those? Chrysalids. He wanted to ask: Are you human, Ada? But it sounded ridiculous in his head. It would likely sound worse out loud.

He'd spent one very naked night on top of her. She'd felt incredibly human then. She mewled and gasped and came like a human…anyway. Leon shook his head to clear it. Ada smirked a little. "Would you like to talk about that night?"

And now he laughed, as he always did when faced with her. She was such an enigma. He wasn't sure he liked her or disliked her or knew her at all. He was pretty sure her name was not Ada Wong. He was reasonably sure she had fifty-two end games in play. And he was pretty sure he was only around when she needed something from him. That night? She'd needed sex. Clearly.

But he couldn't shake her. Whatever else was true, she was a part of him he couldn't get rid of. She'd been dancing with him for almost fifteen years, good, bad, or otherwise—a long time to spend trying to figure out a puzzle.

He eyed her a little, "I think any other time, but now is a good time to talk about that night."

Ada grinned a little as her phone jingled a message at her, "I'm pretty sure you said that last time we spoke, you coward. Take care of things here, Leon. And be careful."

Ada fired her grapple gun, winked, and shot off into the darkness.

Jill started to say something, and his communicator signaled. He popped it open to see Hunnigan's face. "Leon! Jesus! I couldn't pinpoint you. I couldn't find you at all. I was worried!"

"Hunnigan – listen to me very carefully. Is Simmons there?"

"Yes, he's right here."

"You need to be careful. I think he's the one who di—"

"Agent Kennedy," And the weaselly face of Derek Simmons appeared beside Hunnigan. He was grinning like a cat who'd eaten the canary. Helena stepped beside him, "Agent Harper…fancy seeing you both together. The President spoke highly of you, Mr. Kennedy."

Leon twitched but kept his face droll. "You as well. He said you were friends for thirty years."

Simmons smiled snidely. "Well…we were indeed. Of course…you must know how it looks…seeing as you were the last person to see him alive."

Leon felt his blood go cold. Helena blinked a little. "What are you saying?"

Simmons was grinning. Hunnigan looked horrified. They all knew where this was going, though.

He said, "Surely you know that you are both prime suspects in his murder."

Helena made a sound of distress and disbelief. "Are you kidding?! Simmons! You're the one who did all of this, you son of a bitch!"

Simmons looked mortally offended. But there was that priggish smile in those beady little eyes on his sallow face. An ugly man, he looked like a hawk through the nose, a weasel in the face, and a wolf in the eyes. The bastard. "With what proof can you base such an outrageous accusation? Agent Harper, at the time of the attack…you had abandoned your position beside the President. A somewhat sensitive moment to leave your post…don't you think? Agent Kennedy…weren't you with her when the president…died? Or perhaps it was the other Agent with you? Valentine? Reports say she has a penchant for turning against American interests when it suits her. What did they call her? The Lizzie Borden of bioterror?"

Jill shook her head, turning away from the conversation. Manipulative, evil prick. Was it not enough to have dealt with Wesker all those years? It seemed wicked never took a break from it.

Leon snorted out a laugh mirthlessly, shaking his head. "You weaselly little bastard…."

Simmons laughed as well now, "Well, of course, if you're both innocent…you should have no reason not to turn yourselves in...immediately."

Hunnigan gave them a tortured look, and the transmission was clicked off instantly.

Helena threw her hands to her face and screamed. Her skin muffled it.

Leon glanced at Jill. "He didn't implicate you. Not directly. He can't make it stick to you. He implied he'll pin it on you if we don't turn ourselves in. But I doubt he can even do that. You can call the B.S.A.A. You can take Ben and get the hell out of here."

Jill tilted her head, watching his face. He was serious. Without a drop of humor, she laughed with utter and complete sarcasm and turned away toward the door at the end of the hallway. Ben hurried after her.

Leon shook his head at her retreating back. She was mad. Why? He was trying to protect her and Ben here. Surely, she knew that.

He muttered, under his breath, "Women." Because they were constantly being a pain in his ass. Why couldn't he ever get mixed up with just one uncomplicated woman? Ever? His mind said: you kidding? Strong women have been flipping your switch since puberty. You'd go nuts tied to some sweet little ordinary teacher that giggled and never rocked your world. True. Yes. Very true. And that one that was driving him nuts right now? That one had saved him, smiled at him while a train raced by, and left him breathless.

Ordinary? Not at all. Extraordinary? Entirely. And even that word sounded mundane applied to her.

Helena looked up at him. "Well, you're fucked now. I'm so sorry. I should have known. I should have known he'd take you down too."

Leon shook his head. He patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad he can't get his hands on us now. Now? Now we destroy him. Let's go."

She watched his face. "You're not mad at me?"

"You kidding? What choice did you have? No way you could have known what that asshole would do. Let's go and finish him. And I'll back you up on the why of it."

She stood there in surprise as he walked toward Jill and Ben.

He was a good man. She'd heard that. She'd heard he was loyal. Apparently, she was earning his loyalty, too, now. Helena said a quiet goodbye to her sister and ran forward to help avenge her death.

Jill waited beside an enormous double set of stone doors. There were two levers to either side. It was flanked by tiny torches that flickered torchlight in shadows and soft orange all around them. It felt like looking at someone through an oncoming car's wavy passing brightness of headlights.

He took her arm and turned her to him. "What? Tell me what you're thinking?"

Jill held his gaze in the dim light. He was filthy. His face was streaked with blood and dirt. The blue of his eyes was lost on one side beneath a smear of something oily. His iconic hair was matted in places with gunk. This close, in the soft lighting, she made out the shift of shadows from his long eyelashes.

She thought desperately about his face; would she ever tire of looking at it? She brushed her thumb over his left eye's suggestion of smile lines. He lifted his hand to put it over hers. And there was that, she thought, he was loving. It was in his bones. It was reactionary. He didn't shy away from her. He also appeared to have little or no understanding of women at all. Apparently, he thought they all wanted to be protected. Did he think she needed a white knight to save her?

She'd heard about those two things: Leon Kennedy - crashed everything he drove. Leon Kennedy - was stupid as hell about women. Both of these things? Charming. One of these things? Annoying as balls at the moment.

Jill answered him softly, "You can't get rid of me. It doesn't work that way. I'm in it now. Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

When he spoke quietly, his voice was so low and gruff it was like a bear talking. She liked it. It was another thing about him that drew her. She had the skin hunger for him. Why? Was it a matter of adrenaline and surviving? Was it simply not having enough time to touch him before they'd been thrown, tits deep, into the maw? Both, most likely.

"Stop trying to protect me. I'm not some simpering girl, Leon. I can take care of myself."

Ben said quietly, "I can protect you too, Jill. Boys do that. They do. It's not his fault. His Mom told him to do it."

And now Leon grinned, painfully white in his dirty face. "See? Vindicated. Boys protect girls. It's what we do."

Jill grinned back, unable not to, "You know what else, Ben? Girls protect boys too. So how about we protect each other?"

And Ben laughed gently. "Ok. Deal. But…well…"

Jill studied him. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Well…you're just a girl, Jill. I don't really think you can do that good. You know? Girls.." He seemed to be looking for the right answer to what girls did. Inspired, he claimed, "... make pies. Maybe I protect you, and you make pie. Deal?"

Oh, Leon's face was so amused it was hurting her. Jill's lips were pursed, and her eye twitched. Delighted, Leon snorted. A sweet little boy had just given him all the tools needed to be a bullshit white knight.

Jill pointed at him, "Laugh. I dare you. You won't like what happens. I swear to god."

Leon lifted his hands, showing himself unarmed. But the humor on his face… was infectious. His eyes twinkled. She had to smile back. She slapped his chest. "Neanderthal. Pig. Laugh it up. Go ahead. Chucklebutt. Har har har."

Ben said, "I like blueberry pie, Jill. Ok?"

And that was it. Leon couldn't hold it in anymore. He smirked, "Yeah? I like apple pie, buddy. You think we can get her to make both?"

Ben seemed so serious. "Sometimes, my mom made three pies."

Jill shook her head at them, "How about humble pie? You could try a slice, Mr. Kennedy."

Leon seemed thoughtful, considering it. "Mmm. Doubtful. I might choke on it."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. Go grab your lever, please…shut up and look pretty."

He couldn't stand it. He dropped his hand off the lever he was reaching for and bent over to laugh. It felt good. It felt great. Ben was happy too. He had no idea the can of worms he'd opened, but he liked seeing them laughing.

Even Helena was rolling her eyes.

She hip bumped Leon out of the way while he laughed and gestured with her head at Jill. "Ready?"

Jill smirked, "I dunno. Two girls...you think we can handle it?"

And Helena snorted as they pulled the levers. "Maybe we make pies and throw them at him when this is done."

"Oh, I like that idea." Jill and Helena chuckled together now.

There was a clunk of sound, a grind of gears, and all the torches along the walls in the circular chamber burst to flame. The world was suddenly alight with flickering fire. They waited and the doors opened with a rolling squeal of stone on stone.

A gateway to the dead.