A/N: I noticed a few places that my story tends to not make sense in, or that my previous info. doesn't add up. I'm going to try to fix that as I go, that was my fault for not proofreading beforehand. FYI, this is my first real "zombie" action story so I apologize for the lack of suspense. I'm working on getting better at it. Also, this story is supposed to focus on Leon and Helena, with the infections we know and love thrown in.
"You two have done well…now Agents, go finish this." Hollis said, taking the scientist by the arm and guiding him to the Brig they had set up.
Helena, Leon and Claire got back in the truck.
"Are you sure you want to do this Claire? You can always stay here." Leon asked.
"Nope, I'm good. Remember, we're on the same team here Leon." She smiled, turning her attention to Helena. "So, I've heard a bit about you. Anything you want to know about me?"
"Is now the time?" Helena asked, eyebrow cocked.
"Hey, we may not make it out alive. Tomorrow's never certain." Claire said, looking out the window. "No one knows what the morning will bring."
Helena bit her lip and glanced over at Leon to find his gaze on her. He took her hand, forgetting Claire presence for the moment, as he brought her fingers to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
They reached the final rally point and met up with Chris. Cautiously, Claire emerged from the truck and locked eyes with her older brother.
"Claire?!" He said, amidst gunfire. "What the hell are you doing here?" He ran up to her and took her arm. "You need to get out of here!"
She pulled her arm from him and stood her ground. "No, I can fight Chris. There's a lot you miss when you don't talk to your sister for years." She held her rifle close and looked up at the remaining B.O.W. the unit was fighting. "I can do this."
Chris wore a look of pain as he nodded. "Stay low and out of the line of fire, understand?"
She nodded and regrouped with Leon and Helena. "See that on his back?" Chris called out to them. "That's its weakness, aim for it."
"I've got this." Helena said, making a break for a doorway
"Helena!" Leon called, taking off after her. "Chris, what about the infected?"
"My guys are using a bait-and-trap technique, reinforcements will scrounge for others and annihilate before sunrise. Go get her."
Leon chased Helena up a flight of stairs to the roof and watched as she slung her rifle around her shoulder. She took three steps back from the ledge before jumping onto the back of the B.O.W. and grabbing hold of the large, plug like, projection emerging from its shoulders. At that moment his heart sunk. He had just watched the woman he loved put herself in the most dangerous situation they'd faced other than Simmons.
"Helena?!" He called.
"Just give me cover fire!" She answered as she began tugging at the monster. Much like the ones Chris and Piers had fought in Europe, Helena figured out what to do quick from the stories she had heard. She took her Hydra and began blasting the plug like protrusion. Once her three shells were spent, she resumed to try and remove it, dodging blasts from Leon's rifle as it came lose, she tossed a frag round in the fresh opening as the monster shrieked and tried to throw her off. She lost the struggle and was thrown, hard, onto the roof she had jumped from.
Momentarily losing consciousness, she barely felt the set of arms that pulled her too familiar warmth as the thundering sound of the dying B.O.W. crashed to the earth. Lips where pressed to her temple and sweet words began to become clear.
"Helena, honey, talk to me." Leon said softly. He stroked her hair as she blinked open her eyes, until then she had not realized how tired they were.
"Leon." She breathed, his eyes betraying him as she saw his terror which was quickly replaced by relief. "I'm okay." She moved to sit up and winced.
"Stay still, give yourself a moment to rest. I'm not going anywhere."
"Leon, do you copy?" He heard through his ear piece.
"Yeah, we're both here."
"Thank god, I saw what happened. Claire is working on securing the infected from the building, get down her as soon as possible; we have one more thing to do."
"Roger." Leon replied. "Duty calls, can you move?"
Helena nodded and began to get to her feet, Leon taking her hands to help. As they made it to the stairwell, Leon gently pinned her against a wall and anxiously gazed into her eyes.
"Never to that to me again, understand."
"Yes." Helena said softly, taken aback by his bold move.
He nodded and sealed his lips over hers, urgently intermingling their tongues as he kissed her deeply. A moan escaped Helena's throat as she welcomed his intrusion. She ran her fingers through his hair, taking in one man she knew she'd risk everything for, as his hand gently raised the back of her shirt, rubbing his thumb against her bare skin.
"Leon? Helena? Everything alright?" Claire called from downstairs. The two broke apart and tried to catch their breathes.
"We're fine, be down in a second." Helena called, "Looks like we'll have to finish this later."
"The sooner the better, fear makes people do crazy things."
"That's what you're calling it?" Helena asked, smirking as she and Leon broke apart to join the others.
Once in the street, Chris pointed to a Humvee, "My guys have a majority of the infected rounded up. It's time to assist them." He said. Claire joined Helena, pulling her behind the others.
"So…what were you two up too?" She asked, humor on her lips.
"Taking out the threat." Helena answered, puzzled.
"Your lips are giving you away, Harper." Claire said with a smile as she jumped into the truck.
Helena touched her lips, realizing they were swollen. She shook her head and attempted to hide her reddening cheeks as she got in the vehicle.
At a large plaza, the climax of their mission was about to take place. Surrounded by artillery, the undead residents tried to claw their way to their living prey. Chris began to bark orders over his mic to the others as they opened fire on the crowd of infected. From what Leon could gather, ground troops where thoroughly taking out the stragglers as they took out the mass in the plaza.
Claire opened the top hatch of the vehicle and joined in the ambush, quickly taking the gunners seat to the mounted weapon. Helena and Leon opened the back hatch, Leon keeping her close to his side as they laid more fire into the horde, tossing a few incendiaries and frags in the process.
By the end of an hour, the dead were already being piled on top one another as the BSAA agents began to set a large pyre. Helena was leaning against the front of a Humvee, the pain from her earlier assault sinking in as every joint ached and bruise formed. Leon took a place next to her as she let out a long sigh.
"They deserved better." She said softly.
"They did." He affirmed, taking her hand as everyone else busied themselves with clean up. "They always do."
"Don't you ever wish that none of this kind of thing ever happened?"
"Every day. But if it hadn't, I wouldn't have met Claire, Chris, Hunnigan…" he took a deep breath and looked over at her. "Or you. Most importantly, you."
She closed her eyes momentarily and shook her head. "That's the only thing we should be grateful for."
"Leon." Chris said, breaking them from their reverie. They let each other's hands go and broke their gaze, turning attention to Chris. "I just wanted to thank both of you for what you've done. Especially you Helena, although I wouldn't make it habit to jump right in like that again. I'm going to have the two of you taken back to the airstrip, I'm staying here for a while to help the clean-up. I'll call you when I get back stateside Kennedy, we'll have a drink."
He shook Leon, then Helena's hand.
"Stay safe." Helena said, squeezing the Captain's hand before letting go.
"Always do. Take care of my sister." He said as he turned to join his men.
"Take care of me?" Claire scoffed as she lit a cigarette. "Yeah, right." She smiled. "Come on, I'm getting hungry." She jumped into a truck, leaving the door open for them.
"That's our cue." Leon said, guiding Helena to the passenger side and opening her door for her.
Back on the air strip, Claire headed for the closest thing to a mess tent she could find as Helena climbed on top of the truck, Leon joining her. Together, they watched the sunrise. A mixture of pinks and dark blues as the fires died down over the city.
"Looks like we saved this one." Leon said softly.
"I hope we did. This is a major city. Everyone in the world knows where Moscow is."
"They sure do. And I'm sure Hunnigan and the rest already have a story to tell the media."
"I want no part of that." Helena winced as she stretched out her limbs. In the early morning light, Leon could see the scrapes to her forehead, the bruises forming on her arms. She looked older than she was in this light. They were both dirty and in desperate need of a shower, but she had taken the worst of it.
Gently, he pushed locks of hair out of her face and ran his thumb over her cheek. Close to a kiss, they once more were taken out of their little world.
"Final boarding call." Hollis said from the front of the vehicle. "But don't feel interrupted by me, my apologies." He said with a smile.
They jumped down and shook hands with their second Captain of the night.
"Thank you, for all your help. I already said thanks the Redfield's sister. Gave her an MRE." He laughed. "Girl can eat when she's hungry."
"Should have seen her after Raccoon." Leon said with a smirk. "She ate enough for both of us."
As if perfectly timed, Claire walked toward them, digging the last of the contents of an MRE main course out of its pouch.
"Can we go? I need a hot shower and a nap. Not necessarily in that order." She said.
"Thanks again, I can never repay the three of you. Have a safe travel."
"Until we meet again." Leon said with a quick salute.
After turning in gear and picking up their initial bags they boarded their plane. The sun became blinding during takeoff, and Claire was quick to get her iPod ready and try to get comfortable enough for sleep.
"While I'd love to catch up, I need rest first. I suggest everyone does the same and once on safe ground we can catch up, or Helena, get to know each other." Claire said, popping in ear buds and rather quickly dozing off.
"How can she do that?" Helena whispered to Leon.
"If you do this long enough and it becomes simple." He unbuckled his seat belt as they reached cruising altitude. "Come on, you and I have unfinished business."
Helena cocked an eyebrow and was quick to follow suit. He led her to a small onboard office, much like the one on the flight to China, and locked the door.
Not needing many words, he pinned her against the door and once again assaulted her lips with his. She pushed his jacket from his shoulders and began to unbutton his shirt as he did the same. Breaking for air, they looked in each other's eyes, Helena seeing nothing but passion and desire.
"Are you sure?" She asked, her question pertaining to so many things.
"I've never wanted anything more in my life." He smiled, "Besides, I've never joined the Mile High club before."
With his confirmation, they finished undressing each other and on the floor of a very expensive, company jet, Leon took her in the most intimate way two people could show each other love.
Once finished, as they basked in their post-coital bliss, Leon wrapped his arms around Helena and gently told her, "Don't ever scare me the way you did today again. I don't think I could live without you."