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63. Leon

"Hey, Leon," Chris called. "Do you have a minute?"

Leon stopped short when he heard Chris's voice. The agent turned to look at the soldier with a frown and nodded. Leon looked at Helena and made a sign indicating that he will go ahead with Claire. Both men watched Claire and Helena walk away before resuming their conversation.

"I don't know if I like the whole thing about connecting with those BOWs," Chris said, crossing his arms as he watched his men lift the monster's body. "That's bad news. Mobius can use those things to track Claire anywhere."

That was something that had already crossed his mind to Leon, and indeed it was something that worried him as well.

"Claire says she can block it at will," Leon said. "I think I believe it. Let's be fair, Chris. Claire knows how to deal with those things a thousand times better than any of us."

"Yeah, that's something I don't like, either. It shouldn't be like this, shit."

"I don't like it any more than you do, Chris, but the only way we can fix this is by finishing Mobius."

"I know, and that's the plan. The arrangements with the Irish branch are ready. I'll call you tomorrow to give you the details."

Leon nodded.

"About Claire..." Chris began.

"You don't need to say it," Leon replied. "You know I will protect her..."

"Yeah, right. Sorry," Chris said, rubbing his face. "I won't keep you. Go, Helena and Claire are expecting you."

Leon nodded. The two men said goodbye, and Leon headed to the vehicle where Claire and Helena were waiting for him. The journey was silent. This time, Helena was at the wheel, so Leon and Claire sat in the back.

Claire rubbed her neck as if it would bother her, and Leon automatically put her hand on it and massaged it lightly.

"Tired?"

"Overwhelmed," Claire replied, leaning against him. "I'm out of shape; toying with the connection used to be something I did daily, so it became a habit. I haven't done it in months. I forgot how much it affected the mind."

"We'll be home soon. You can rest then," Leon whispered.

"Who knows if I will..."

It didn't take them long to get home, and after saying goodbye to Helena, the couple returned to their apartment. Claire and Leon ate a light meal and took a shower before retiring to the bedroom.

As Claire combed her hair, Leon noticed the marks covering her pale skin. Bruises that ran from her neck to her shoulders and disappeared under the fabric of her shirt. The BOW had probably caused them when it had her pinned against the ground.

"It isn't a big deal," Claire said, noticing his look. "Jacob's MO was strangling his victims. His human side was still strong when it attacked me."

That made Leon's gut twist.

"You mentioned him before. Did he ever touch you?"

"No," Claire said, tilting her head slightly. "Even if he tried, you know I am not a damsel in distress. Jacob came to Blackwell a while after I arrived. I am not clear when, since tracking the days wasn't that easy when you spend half of your days drugged,"

Claire put the comb on the night table and sat against the bed's header. Leon watched her, sitting by her side.

"He was problematic from the beginning, hypersexuality, erotophilia, and borderline personality. It wasn't long before he became fixated on me since I fulfilled all his was interested, but I don't think he ever tried to touch me. I think he raped one of the nurses and got taken away. Never saw him again."

Leon snorted with anger. That man was lucky that the BSAA had him, or he would kill him with his own hands.

"I guess he got moved to another experimental facility or something," Claire said. "Either way, he got what he deserved. He was a monster even as a human. I can still feel traces of him in my head, and that's disgusting.."

"Traces of him?"

"It's like a residual trace that remains after you keep a connection for some time. It affects your head, and since each frequency is different, it is as if you had traces of a particular individual in your head. It's complicated," Claire sighed. "It took me some time to figure it out and get used to it, but as I said, I am out of practice."

Leon didn't say anything as he tried to process it. There were so many thoughts in his head, and he didn't know where to start.

"Claire?"

"Yeah?"

"How much do you remember of what happened to you?"

"You mean in Blackwell?" Claire asked. The woman scoffed sardonically and leaned her head against the header. "I remember almost everything. There are blanks that I can't fill out because I was drugged or something; honestly, I don't know, but I remember enough."

"You do?"

Claire looked at Leon and sighed.

"TPh-10601ZP07, Claire Redfield. T-Phobos variant, Phase 7," Claire said. "Convergent mutation, non-infective, no beta producer. Perfect alpha. At least, that's what the researchers said the last time I heard them."

"What does that mean?"

"That means...I am a freak among freaks," Claire jeered. "I have an abnormal mutation induced by the viruses, and unlike other alpha forms, I can't infect healthy people to turn them into my pawns. I am not infectious to you, Chris, or anyone, but I can infect other virus carriers. Why am I supposed to be perfect? Well, I don't know. I guess Mobius has a weird taste."

Claire looked at her hands, and Leon had to restrain himself from grabbing them.

"The result is the same. I am a BOW whose blood turns out to be poison for other BOWs. That's why I was developing a serum from my blood. I figured if we used it in the ammo, it could work. Rebecca was helping with that."

"That was that project you were doing?"

Claire nodded.

"I wasn't sure if it would work. I could always just take my blood, but the effect is much slower. I figured that if we could purify the viral particles in my plasma, then maybe we could accelerate the effect and instantly kill them."

That was a lot of information. Leon knew Claire had recovered her memories of her captivity, but he didn't expect that her knowledge about the virus was that extended.

"If I am a monster, at least I want to be a useful one..."

"Claire, you're not a monster..."

Claire let out a defeated chuckle and looked away.

"You're kind, Leon, but you know I am. No matter how you look at it, I am a BOW. How ironic. I ended up becoming one of the things I thought I was trying to stop..."

"Claire..."

Leon reached out and grabbed Claire's hand. It was cold, and he could feel the slight tremor she had. Claire didn't look at him immediately. She took her time before her clear eyes finally locked with his. There was a silent torment within her pretty orbs that was enough to break Leon's heart.

Claire, who was always the face of hope and cheer, was...hopeless. Her eyes revealed the sadness that she wasn't saying out loud and the tears that she so skillfully kept to herself. The sight was enough to make Leon decide that he had to prove how wrong she was.

"What if you are a BOW? That doesn't change who you are," Leon said.

"And who am I? I'm not even Claire Redfield these days, and I'm definitely not human anymore," Claire replied. "There's no way I can go back to how things were before like this."

"Claire, I've been living with you for the past months, and I would say I've spent 99% of my time by your side. I can assure you that you are still Claire. The Claire that I met in Raccoon. The Claire, who would do anything for her friends and family. The Claire that protected a girl in the middle of an outbreak in an airport and dared to slap a politician for her sake and the Claire that was willing to sacrifice everything so that people that she didn't even know could be safe," Leon said, caressing her cheek. "You are right. There are lots of things that will never be the same, but I don't think all of them are bad."

Claire looked at him without saying a word. She was right. Too many things had happened, and too many had changed in ways that it was impossible to turn back, but not all changes were bad. Their relationship was one of those significant changes that had no return. He knew it, and even so, he had decided to kiss her that night.

The pair exchanged looks, and Leon knew that she was thinking the same thing only by seeing the spark in her eyes. The blonde approached Claire and kissed her while he caressed her face lovingly.

Just like the night when Leon kissed Claire for the first time, the agent decided to forget about everything and do what his heart dictated.

An incoming call was what woke Leon up from the most comfortable he'd ever had, and it took the agent a couple of minutes to process it and fully wake up.

It was morning, sunlight was streaming into the room through the window, and the clock on the bedside table read 7 am. Claire slept next to him with her head resting on his chest and curled between the sheets. It was then that the events of a few hours ago returned to the agent's mind, and Leon smiled, caressing the woman's dark hair.

However, the agent couldn't duel too much in his thoughts. His phone kept ringing persistently, and the last thing Leon wanted was for it to wake Claire up.

The blonde sneaked out of bed and dressed hastily, making sure to be as quiet as possible. Leon gave the sleeping woman a last glance before leaving the room quietly to take the incoming call.

"Hello, Chris," Leon said as he looked through the living room window.

It was somewhat ironic that Chris was the one to wake him up after Leon had had an intimate night with Claire.

"Hey, did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but that's fine. I inadvertently overslept."

"That's fine. You had quite a night yesterday," Chris said. Leon snorted, pinching the bridge of his nose. If only Chris knew. "How's Claire?"

"She's fine. She's still asleep," Leon answered.

"Ah, let her sleep then," Chris replied. "She can take a break today. Rebecca said she would handle the BOWs' autopsies. She'll send her the samples that require her assistance."

"I don't know how she will take that," Leon replied. "Did the other one die?"

"Nope, it is still alive, but it's a matter of time. Its condition is getting worse as time passes. Claire wasn't kidding when she said her blood was poisonous to them."

"Did you corroborate his identity?"

"Not yet. It's New Year, and everything seems slower than usual," Chris said with irritation. "I already contacted the Irish branch. They are expecting us in three days."

"Three?"

"Yeah. We will do a quick strategy meeting with the local agents," Chris replied. "Then we'll board one of their ships and head off to that damn island. The request for your participation got sent half an hour ago; so, you can expect a call from your boss soon, Leon."

"Hopkins would call me even without the news," Leon said. "He'll want a full recount of what happened yesterday."

"Probably," Chris admitted. "I'm glad I don't have to spend the first day of the year writing those damn reports. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that so that you could prepare for the trip."

"Ok, thanks for telling me. I'll let Claire know, too."

"Good. Tell Claire that I'll check in with her later today."

"I will."

The call with Chris ended with a friendly goodbye, and Leon couldn't help but snort. The older Redfield had sounded in a good mood, which was rare, but if Chris had known that Claire was actually sleeping naked in Leon's bed, the soldier's temper would surely turn murderous.

"Was that Chris checking on us?"

Leon turned around and found Claire leaning against the breakfast table. Like him, the woman had dressed up sloppily. Her hair was still a little messy, but her face was radiant.

Leon left the phone on the table and walked to her, and hugged her from behind. The scent of her shampoo filled his nostrils like an addictive drug.

"He wanted to pass some news," Leon replied. "Rebecca is dealing with the corpses, but she might need your help later."

"Rebecca? Well, I can't say I don't appreciate not having to deal with an autopsy first thing in the year, but is that ok?"

"I'm sure she can deal with that."

"What else did Chris have to say?"

"The arrangements with the Irish branch are ready. We depart in three days..."

"Three? That's sooner than I thought."

"I know, but if you need more time..."

"No, I'm fine. I should get done with it."

Leon agreed with that. He was anxious to find and destroy Mobius as soon as possible.

"Hey, you went quiet. What are you thinking?"

"Honestly? That you look gorgeous in your sleepwear, but that I prefer you without it."

Claire's face went furiously red with the comment. It was an unexpected reaction, but Leon found it adorable.

"What nonsense are you saying, Leon?"

"You asked what I was thinking," Leon laughed. "I answered..."

"Don't taunt me..."

Leon smiled. He hugged her tighter and kissed her neck.

"I am not," he replied, turning her around. "I mean it."

"Sweet talker," Claire sighed, but she didn't hide her smile.

The woman hugged and kissed him, and the agent pulled her closer.

"It's early," he said mischievously. "We could have another go..."

To his surprise, Claire didn't refuse the idea. The experience was as pleasing as it had been the first time, if not better. Both were more aware of each other's real feelings and weren't as hesitant as they had been the first time. There was agreement in their movements, their words, and their acts. The things they were too shy or not eloquent enough to express with words, was easily said through their actions.

After a while, the pair laid in each other's arms, feeling exhausted but content.

"Chris might kill you," Claire chuckled.

"Yeah, I should prepare for it, shouldn't I?"

"He'll forgive you. Eventually..." Claire smiled. "Won't you get in trouble, Mr. Super agent?"

"Well, I've done nothing wrong," Leon snickered, "I just slept with my wife, didn't I?"

"I thought you're not supposed to get emotionally involved with your target."

"You know I broke that rule even before I accepted this mission."

He brushed away a strand of her from her face and stared into her clear eyes. Claire smiled and kissed him.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"I am all ears."

"I really wanted to do this a long time ago."

"Really..." Leon smirked, "I think that makes us two."

Claire smiled. She was about to kiss him again, but this time it was Claire's phone what interrupted them. The woman let out an annoyed groan and got up to attend to the annoying gadget.

"Happy New Year, Saya," Claire said. "Yeah, I am planning to work today. Oh, you don't get to judge for that, especially if you are already in the lab. Me?"

Claire looked at Leon, and the agent raised an eyebrow curiously.

"No, I am home. I was busy doing other things."

Leon tickled her lower back and gave her a meaningful look. He was pleased to see Claire get the message and turn bright red. The woman slapped his hand and looked away. Leon didn't picture Claire being so self-conscious, but he had to admit she was adorable when she was embarrassed.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Ok, see you."

"People are starting to wonder why are you late?"

"Not really," Claire replied, picking the comb and brushing her hair. "She's more surprised that I plan to go to work today. As much as I am enjoying this, I've got work to do."

Claire gave him a meaningful look and got up to get dressed. As much as he lamented it, too, Leon was conscious that they had a lot of work to do.

"Sadly, I do, too," Leon sighed, getting up as well. "We'll find time later on..."

Claire snorted at the comment and disappeared into the bathroom. Half an hour later, the pair had arrived at the laboratory. Neither Sanaya nor Wallace seemed to be in, and only Hiwamura greeted them when they entered the office area.

"Happy new year," Hiwamura said. "We got quite a few things to do today. BSAA left us a long list."

"They came already?" Claire asked, tying up her hair.

"Yes, about an hour ago. I heard you had a bumpy end of the year."

"We dealt with it. It was under control," Leon answered.

"Uh, I see..."

Leon's phone began to ring, and he excused himself with the ladies to attend the call, leaving Claire in a conversation about the new year with the Japanese doctor.

The agent stepped out to the corridor and answered the call with his usual down-to-business tone.

"Hello, Hunnigan."

"Good morning, Leon. How was the new year?"

"Started better than how I ended it. I suppose you already heard?"

"Yes, I was informed about last night's incident. Is Claire alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She was a little down, but I managed to cheer her up."

"That's good to hear. BSAA sent some information about the upcoming mission in Ireland."

"I figured," Leon said. He glanced back into the office, where Claire and Hiwamura seemed to be in a cheerful conversation. Claire was laughing, and that made him smile. "Chris called this morning with the news."

"Hopkins already issued the approved request for you, Helena, and Clara, so I'll handle the rest of the arrangements."

"Yeah, thanks."

"He also wants you to come in and give him a summary of what happened yesterday."

"Yeah, I knew he would. I'll go as soon as I tell Claire," Leon sighed. "By the way, did you look into what I asked you?"

"About Jacob McMillan? Yes, I did. It's interesting," Hunnigan replied. "He was jailed in 2010 under the accusation of sexual assault and manslaughter. He was declared guilty and given a life sentence, but according to the HM Prison Edinburgh's records, he died in May 2016 due to severe complications after suffering food poisoning."

"Dead? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I found the death certificate included in the file."

"That makes no sense. How can he be dead if Claire met him in Blackwell?"

Claire was sure of the man's identity. Hunnigan's research supported Claire's allegation, but then how could the man be dead if he was currently under BSAA supervision?

"Well, BSAA requested a DNA identification of the subject. We will know for sure later."

"Yeah, I'll think about the possibilities later. Anything else?"

"Nothing for now," Hunnigan answered.

"Alright, then we'll talk later. I'll speak to Claire, and I'll head to HQ."

"Send her my regards."

"I will."

Leon hung the phone and wrote down a quick message to Helena before he pushed it into his pocket before entering the office area again. He stood behind Claire and tickled her lower back, making her jump.

"Don't do that!" Claire pouted.

"It's not my fault that you have tickles there."

"Leon, behave..."

"I always do."

Claire rolled her eyes, ignoring a smirk from Hiwamura.

"Was it Hunnigan?"

"Yeah, she sends you her regards," Leon nodded. "I have to drop by HQ. Hopkins wants to see me. Will you be ok alone?"

"Come one. I am not that useless. This lab is the safest place I can be, and you know it."

"Ok. Helena will be here soon, but I can stay until she arrives..."

"You don't have to do that," Claire said. "Isn't Hopkins waiting for you?"

"Yeah, but..."

"It seems to me that agent Kennedy is looking for an excuse to stay," Hiwamura laughed. "Reluctant to leave, Claire, aren't you?"

"Don't be silly, Saya," Claire said, shaking her head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine here..."

"Sure?"

"Absolutely," Claire replied. "Can you do me a favor while you're there?"

"Of course."

"Marie has some documents for me. Would you pick them for me?"

"Naturally," Leon chuckled. "I'll go then. Call me if anything happens."

Claire was going to say something about that, but before she could, Leon had given her a peck, leaving her speechless.

Leon arrived at the DSO office in less than ten minutes. The streets were empty since most people had to be either sleeping or recovering from the hangover from the festivities.

Even the office was almost empty, except for some agents working in their cubicles in silence. Leon paid them no attention and walked straight to Hopkin's office. Hopkins had probably given the day off to his secretary since the front desk was empty, so Leon walked to the door and knocked.

"Come in."

Leon pushed the door open and stepped into the office. Hopkins was standing in front of his window holding a cup of coffee and watching the snowy city scenery. The man turned to him and smiled.

"Ah, Leon. I didn't expect you so early," Hopkins said. "Coffee?"

"No, it's fine. I already had some with Claire," Leon replied.

Hopkins smiled and signaled Leon to take a seat.

"I heard about yesterday," Hopkins said, placing the cup on the table. "I'm glad that none of you got hurt. We already have enough fallen agents."

Leon sighed, knowing that Hopkins was referring to everyone who had died during the Christmas party at the hands of the BOWs.

Leon proceeded to retell the details from the incident to his boss. The man listened attentively, without making any comments until the end.

"We still don't know what Mobius is planning," Hopkins sighed. "Their MO is random and without any particular objective. Regular terrorist groups like to brag about their achievements, but they haven't claimed responsibility for any of the recent attacks."

"Indeed, Mobius's methods don't match with other terrorist groups, but something is certain, sir. They want Claire."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Hopkins sighed. "How is she doing?"

"She's fine. Her health has improved a lot since she started with that experimental treatment."

"You sound relieved," Hopkins smiled. "You two do an excellent job with the couple act. If I didn't know better, I would believe it myself."

Leon felt tempted to tell him that he and Claire were indeed a couple, and they weren't acting at all, but he decided against it. It wasn't the time yet.

"We know each other well. That helps," Leon answered simply.

"Of course," Hopkins nodded. "Now, did Hunnigan tell you about the mission in Ireland?"

"Yes, sir."

Hopkins opened one of the cabinets from his desk and pulled out a folder that he passed to Leon.

"Your objective doesn't change much. You and agent Harper will assist the BSAA with the mission. Claire's assistance as a guide is vital, but her safety is a priority as well, so you and Helena must be wary at all times and prioritize that."

Leon nodded. He didn't need an order for that, but he had to admit that it was rare that those were their only orders. Wasn't the DSO interested in getting information from the island?

"Ah, that's right. Dr. Chambers sent this for Claire," Hopkins said, picking up another folder. Leon picked it and checked its contents before nodding.

The meeting did not last long. Hopkins took it upon himself to provide some additional details about the mission and the agreement with the BSAA. Once finished, Leon said goodbye to Hopkins and headed to the Research and Development department where Marie worked.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he stumbled with Ms. Smith. The tiny woman was carrying a bunch of papers that she ended up dropping due to the surprise.

"Oh, Agent Kennedy," the woman said, smiling shyly, as she picked the papers. "Happy new year."

"Happy new year, Ms. Smith," Leon replied, helping her with the documents. "Sorry about this."

"Oh, it is alright. You are alone today?"

"You mean Clara? Yes, she had things to do, so I came in alone."

"I see. Send my regards. It feels like it's been ages since I last saw Mrs. Kennedy..."

Leon smiled vaguely. Claire had apparently befriended Smith without him realizing it. Well, it wasn't something that should surprise him. Claire had always had a knack for making friends.

"Well, I don't want to impose on you, agent Kennedy," Ms. Smith said. "Have a good day."

"Thanks, same to you."

Ms. Smith nodded and stepped into the elevator as Leon turned and walked down the corridor. To Leon's surprise, Marie was already waiting for him. The petite woman greeted him with a smile and the documents Claire had mentioned.

"These are heavy," Leon observed when Marie passed him the envelope.

"Oh, well," Marie replied. "Those were many tests, so, hehe. Clara told me you were coming. You are such a doting husband, agent Kennedy."

Leon smiled.

"Clara is a busy woman, and she's doing more for the world than I do. The least I can do is be the message boy."

"Clara is such a lucky woman."

"No, I am the lucky one. Thank you, Pineda. I'll see you around."

"Bye, agent Kennedy."

By the time Leon returned to the lab, Helena had already arrived. He found the three women chatting in the office area. While Claire and Hiwamura worked on the tests, Leon took it upon himself to update Helena on the details of the mission.

"This is it, huh?" Helena said. "No looking back, just pushing forward."

Yes, there was no going back. The mission at Blackwell was going to be dangerous. If there was one thing Leon had learned from all his years of service, it was that when there were BOWs and secret labs involved, things were bound to be chaotic. Claire was their best chance, but was it really the best decision?

She would have to relive so many bad memories.

"When we come back from this one," Helena said. "You better marry her for good, Leon."

Leon snorted. Maybe Helena was right. Marriage didn't sound like a bad option.