Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! Wow, I have been just blown away by the response to this little story! Thank you all so much for the follows, the favorites, the kind reviews, and just for reading in general - I'm really glad everyone enjoyed the first chapter so much! So I sat down and started writing Chapter 2 pretty quickly so all of you could enjoy it sooner, plus the ideas were flowing really easily for this chapter. This one's about double the length of the last one because apparently that's what I do when I write (LOL). So I hope you enjoy this latest chapter with a lot more content. And don't worry, there's still more to come soon!
Chapter II
Try as she might to pretend time wasn't moving forward, Ashley soon found herself facing the lab tests she was dreading. She and Leon were to have their blood drawn and x-rays taken to ensure that nothing remained within them of the parasite they'd been infected with. After that, one would undergo a few simple cognitive tests while the other met with resident psychologist to discuss what had happened in Spain. Then they would swap.
Ashley wasn't a fan of the way the latter part of the day was laid out. She didn't want to talk to anyone but Leon about what had happened over the last several days, certainly not someone who didn't care about her beyond what they were paid to care. So it was that she left the suite alongside her savior with a subtle scowl on her face. Her annoyance was even greater than her anxiety when they were escorted by their cold, armed security detail.
"Thanks for taking care of us. I'm sure this job gets plenty stressful," Leon said to one of the two men. She wondered briefly why he was talking to them. They were there in case they had to be killed. Why would he want to be friendly with them? They were already distant enough wearing those black helmets and visors. What good would talking do?
"Of course. And we appreciate that you're making our lives so easy. Sometimes we have some real flighty types in here." That was strange; his voice was so…relaxed. Like he was enjoying the conversation. She couldn't see his eyes or most of his face for the headgear that obscured him, but she could read that emotion well enough.
"Hey, we've got nothing to hide or worry about. We just have to wait for that clean bill of health." The soldier chuckled. He sounded far too jovial for the position he was in. Didn't he realize he was there to kill them if they turned…? Why was he being friendly?
"When I heard the Leon S. Kennedy was coming here, I couldn't believe it. You're like a legend to us grunts." Leon laughed in turn, waving his hand.
"Can't be that much of a legend if I wound up here. I let my guard down and got infected out in the field. But luckily, we were able to destroy the mutagen."
"I'm real glad to hear that," the second soldier chimed in at last. His voice, though deeper in timbre, was also quite friendly. "We read the report and hate that we have to carry these guns around when we escort you…"
"Just doing your job. We understand that," Leon reassured them.
"Still," the deeper-voiced man continued, "feels like a real show of disrespect to carry these damned things while we're escorting Agent Kennedy, much less the President's daughter."
Ashley bristled at his words. She hated being reduced to that. She was still in college and had hardly done a thing in her life worth being commended for, but she was still her own person. She wasn't just 'President Graham's daughter.'
"She's just Ashley," was Leon's simple reply. The two men seemed to be at a loss for words but Ashley felt her heart soar. How did he know that got under her skin so much?
"Oh, uh…sorry, I just didn't want to offend by referring to either of you too casually," the solider explained. Leon just waved him off.
"Don't fret about it. I'm sure she'd appreciate it if you'd call her by name, though. Makes us all feel less like strangers. Right, Ash?"
Ashley fought with everything in her not to blush as Leon used that name for her once again. It was sweet as honey, hearing her lifelong nickname in his resonant voice. She finally managed to raise her head and meet the visored gaze of their escort.
"Right. You're welcome to call me Ashley. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you did." The man smiled at last, the uncertain air around him finally dissipating.
"Alright then, Ashley. Thanks for that. I should introduce myself too; I'm Li, C.O. of your security detail while you're here." The other soldier who'd first responded to Leon turned and threw her a thumbs up.
"And I'm Evans. I'm a bit newer here but let me know if you need anything. We're here to escort you, sure, but we're also here to help you both out!"
"O-okay. Thanks."
As Li and Evans turned back towards the hallway, Leon gave her shoulder a quick pat. She glanced up at him and saw a knowing twinkle in his eye. Had he done all that on purpose? For her? She had been worried that their security detail had killed him before. She had been wary of them and afraid of them. Thought that they were drones whose sole purpose was to watch them in case they needed to be put down.
And yet, he had made an effort to befriend them. It wasn't out of misplaced compassion or to fulfill his needs as a social butterfly. No, he had wanted to show her that they were human, just like her. That they weren't itching to kill the two of them. Ultimately, Leon had once again done his best to make Ashley feel safe and comfortable.
She smiled up at him and nodded. It had worked pretty well, too.
Much to Ashley's relief, she and Leon would be in the same room for the first tests that afternoon. While she sat somewhat anxiously in the padded chair and waited to have her own blood drawn, she watched as Leon presented his arm to Dr. Harris. It was nice to see that a familiar face would be taking care of them again, even if it did aggravate Ashley to watch the doctor run her hands across Leon's forearm as she searched for his vein. Seriously, why was that taking so long…
Luckily, the process of actually having his blood drawn was fairly quick. The doctor inserted the needle and took a few vials of blood from Leon, chatting casually with him as she did so. He was completely relaxed, answering her questions and asking some of his own, albeit with the same directness he always did when speaking to someone he didn't know.
Finally, Dr. Harris removed the needle and wrapped Leon's arm with some gauze and a bandage, turning her attention to Ashely at last. She wheeled her equipment across the room and went about sterilizing everything. It was only as the older woman approached her with the needle that Ashley felt herself tense up.
The last time there had been a needle near her, it was when those psychopaths had injected her with Las Plagas. She still remembered the sharp pain in her neck as the point pierced her skin. The long-winded monologue of that deluded Saddler freak as that sickening sycophant Krauser watched from his side. She remembered feeling sick immediately following the injection. Somewhere deep within her she could feel something crawling around. Even now, it was enough to make her skin prickle with goosebumps and her stomach turn over.
After that, she had been handed to the Village Chief who had carried her to the church she'd been confined in until…whatever ceremony they had been preparing for her. She understood now that their plan was to take control of her and send her back home as their marionette. But at the time, she had thought they would simply sacrifice her beneath that stained glass altar. Cut her throat as those demented puppets with pitchforks and torches cheered and shouted. After Leon had rescued her, she began to wonder if a giant worm-like creature would have sprouted from her own head if she had stayed there…
She was faintly aware that her breathing was speeding up again as her mind played that horrible theatre for her once again. She was starting to panic and she couldn't control it. It was a ridiculous fear, she knew; there was no way Dr. Harris was going to infect her again. She had just watched the woman do to Leon exactly what she was planning to do to her – a simple, routine, by-the-books medical procedure. Ashley had had her blood drawn many times in her life. This wasn't a scary thing. So then…why did it feel so awful right now?
"Would you give us a minute, Dr. Harris?" Leon's sonorous voice sounded from her left and she turned towards him, feeling her hands tremble and her body shake. She wanted nothing more than to reach out for him, to hide against him.
"Yes, of course," the doctor responded. "It seems like this might be a little much right now." She stepped deliberately away and set about readying Leon's samples instead.
Leon, meanwhile, stood and approached Ashley, grabbing a nearby stool and sliding it next to her armrest. As he sat beside her, he took her hand in his, his firm grip grounding her somewhat.
"Ash? What's going on? Try to keep your breathing under control, okay?" She squeezed his hand as best she could and tried to focus on what he asked. It was working a little better this time. She wasn't so far gone that she was completely out of control.
"Sorry…I'm sorry…" she managed. Leon shook his head and held eye contact with her.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, remember? That's still true. Is this about something that happened in Spain?"
She nodded but couldn't manage to say anything else. He grimaced as if something had occurred to him.
"I should've thought more about this. It's the way we were injected with the parasite, right? With a needle, right into our bloodstreams…"
Ashley just nodded again, feeling more timid this time.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner."
"It's…not your fault…I know Dr. Harris isn't going to hurt us…"
"But it doesn't stop the fear."
She nodded again.
"What if I stay here like this with you? Would that help?"
She hesitated for several moments…before nodding once more.
"Then I'll keep this arm and Dr. Harris can have the other. Is that okay?"
"Y-yeah…"
The doctor moved her equipment into position and sat down on Ashley's other side. She jumped as she felt the older woman's fingers begin to run along her arm. Leon was quick to draw her attention though.
"So what'd you think earlier?"
"Uh…about what?"
"About our new friends. You know, Li and Evans."
"O-oh. They were…friendlier than I expected."
"Right? I know you already figured out that I struck up that conversation to make them feel a little more human to you, but I didn't expect they'd both be so chatty." There was a quality of exasperation in his voice that made her laugh a bit, albeit nervously still.
"They really seemed to have a lot of respect for you. Do you get that a lot when you're around soldiers?" She was distinctly aware of his hand still gripping hers firmly. It was a calming feeling. Something she could relish in forever, no matter the situation.
"Sometimes," he admitted, though his voice was casual. "I used to be one of them after all before I became an Agent. I guess it's a story they can use to inspire themselves. Even if you start as a grunt, maybe someday you can make a difference for someone else."
"Do they not think they're making a difference already?" Ashley asked, her brow furrowing.
"Some do. Most don't. I never did. Figured if it really came down to it, I was just fodder at best. Not that I had much of a choice in the matter. But the people around me made me into something more than that. Guess I don't really have the right to comment on what drives and motivates those soldiers; my path was basically forced on me."
"I…didn't know all that. I'm sorry you were put in a position like that…" Leon shook his head easily.
"Don't fret about it. Besides, everything that's happened in my life ultimately led me to being able to save you yesterday. So as far as I'm concerned, it was all worth it."
"You really mean that?"
"How could I not? Just look at the great company I get to keep now." Ashley felt herself laugh a lot more easily than before, squeezing his hand without giving it any thought.
"You said something like that back in the castle too. Am I really that fun to talk to?"
"You can take it-"
"However I like? You used that line in the castle too, remember?" she chided, grinning at him. Her spirits were so much higher already; it was truly impressive how much his presence alone could affect her mood and mental state. Leon laughed and shook his head.
"It's not like me to slip up like that. I better work on my one-liners; guess I don't have enough if I'm already reusing them."
"You could just tell me if you really enjoy my company that much, you know," she scoffed, making sure to keep smiling at him so he knew she was joking. Leon finally let slip a chuckle of his own, one that seemed to reverberate to her very core.
"Okay, you win. You're the best company I've ever had on any assignment."
Ashley felt her face heat up at once. She'd asked for it, after all, but the directness he sometimes spoke with always caught her off guard. He knew how to joke and skirt around an issue all day but he didn't really know how to say something delicately. Maybe that was her fault too, though. She had pushed him into giving her an answer. Perhaps that directness was his way of getting a little payback.
"Uh, so, Dr. Harris, how's it going over there?" Ashley asked quickly, trying to change the subject.
"Oh I've been done for about two minutes now," the woman's voice replied. Ashley turned her head in disbelief to find that the doctor wasn't kidding. There was no needle in her arm, she was all patched up already, and several new vials of blood rested nearby. She was busy labeling them and preparing them for the lab.
"I…didn't even feel a thing." Leon squeezed her hand one last time before pulling away.
"I did my part well, then."
Ashley found that her hand felt quite empty and lonely without Leon's steadying grip but decided not to dwell on it for now. After all, Dr. Harris was still with them in the room. This wasn't the time to be getting clingy like before lunch. Not yet, anyway.
"Thanks, Leon. You really are the best."
"Don't mention it."
The x-rays were quick and simple, both Ashley and Leon taking turns in the room, before splitting up to finish out the day. The cognitive tests Ashley had done first were quite simple. Addition, pattern recognition, a few questions about her own life. It was exceedingly easy but then she hadn't expected anything difficult. This test was simply to make sure she hadn't lost her mind, not to guarantee she passed a college course. As a result, she was done quite quickly and waited for her own meeting with the psychologist.
Leon returned from his appointment, escorted by Li, right on time. They were only meeting for an introductory session today for about half an hour. Ashley was fine with that. It was the daily meetings after this that she was aggravated by. Wasn't she here to make sure she wasn't going to turn into a parasite-ridden worm monster? Who thought she needed to talk to some stranger about what had happened to her? How would that stop her from turning if she really was infected?
"How'd your tests go?" Leon asked her as he sat down next to her. His presence alone was enough to chase away all of her annoyances.
"Piece of cake," she answered, giving him a wink and a thumbs up.
"Glad to see your spirits are up again," he commented.
"You are?"
"Of course I am. I don't like seeing you upset like you have been today."
"Uh, t-thanks. It's all because of you, you know."
"If I can make any difference at all, I'm happy to."
"How was your session?" Leon rolled his eyes.
"I've done this kind of stuff before; it's always the same. They ask some questions about how I'm handling the 'challenges of being an Agent' or something like that. And I tell them I've gotten used to it. Then we talk about whatever happened right before I met them. It's all a waste of time honestly; they can't hope to understand a thing, really."
"So, you don't like psychologists then?" Leon let out a derisive laugh.
"Guess you're picking up my directness. Not even a little bit."
"Sorry you had to meet with him today."
"What are you gonna do? It's standard procedure. Though I doubt I'll meet with him again after tomorrow." Ashley felt her eyes widen.
"Really? Why not?"
"I never usually meet with a shrink after one or two times. They realize there's not much of a point and I don't really get anything out of it."
"Huh. Well if you ever do feel like talking, I think I can relate a lot better to some of what you've seen now." Leon grinned at her.
"You can say that again. In fact, you're one of very few people who can." Before Ashley could respond, however, Li spoke from the doorway.
"Ashley? Are you ready for your session? I'll escort you there if you are." She sighed, suddenly coming back to reality. She couldn't get out of this either.
"Sure, I'm ready."
"Don't relive more than you can stand," Leon cautioned her as she began to rise to her feet.
"I won't. Promise"
Ashley couldn't think of anything to say to Li but luckily it was very short walk to the psychologist's office. Once they arrived, he turned and smiled towards her.
"Here you are, Ashley. Sorry again for not using your name earlier, by the way." She felt a tiny smile tug at the corners of her lips.
"Don't worry about it. I really appreciate that you're using it now. Thank you."
"Have a good session. I'll be here once you're done." He opened the door for Ashley and she reluctantly crossed the threshold.
The office she found herself in was surprisingly colorful. Every other room and hallway had that sterile, monochrome look to it. The best colors she could hope to find there were varying shades of black, white, and grey. This room, by contrast, had all sorts of color splashes. Tan couches with chocolate pillows. Burgundy floor rugs with gold accents. Seafoam candy dishes with a rainbow assortment of mints. A sparkling, mahogany desk with cerulean decorations. It was as if she'd entered a child's bedroom, a far cry from the lifeless spaces she had endured all day.
"Ashley Graham. What a pleasure to meet you at last."
The voice that spoke drew her attention at once. A shorter man was rising to his feet from one of the couches in the center of the room. He was only about her height, perhaps even slightly shorter. It was a bit hard to tell at a glance. He had wild black hair. Was it wavy or curly? Ashley couldn't even begin to guess. All she was really aware of was the fact that he was dressed in a sharp suit and offered his hand to her with a warm smile on his face.
"Uh, nice to meet you too," she managed, shaking his hand. He seemed…odd. Not odd like the people in Spain had been…but still odd.
"Please, have a seat," he offered, gesturing to the couch opposite him. She sat down and immediately noticed how comfortable the cushions were. If she had to come here every day for a while, at least she'd be able to enjoy this couch. A tiny silver lining.
"Allow me to introduce myself – I am Dr. Ellis Wolfe. As I said, I am quite pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Um, thanks. You already know me, but I'm Ashley Graham."
"But of course," he acknowledged, sitting back down on his couch. He reached out and plucked a pale green mint from the bowl and popped it into his mouth before gesturing in front of him. "Mint?"
"Uh, no thank you."
"Feel free to take some if you change your mind."
"O…okay."
"Now then. I feel I must apologize for the fact that I was required to read yours and Agent Kennedy's profiles, given the circumstances of what happened to bring you here. It always feels as if I'm intruding in the personal lives of my patients when I'm forced to do that."
"Oh, that's okay. It's not like what happened in Spain is a big secret. At least not in here."
"It's as you say. Though while the matter of 'in here' has come up, please feel free to be as frank and honest with me as you're comfortable being as we go forward. Nothing you say will ever leave this office."
"I'll do that," she agreed, trying to relax into the couch some. She felt a bit awkward being in this situation now. The focus would be squarely on her from here.
"So, the events that transpired in Spain are no big secret here, as you so wonderfully articulated. Then is it safe to say you would be willing to discuss those events with me?" Ashley considered him for several moments before deciding to take his request to heart and be entirely honest.
"Not really."
"I appreciate your candor. Might I ask why?"
"I don't really know you."
"That's true. Perhaps that might make it easier to discuss certain things with me, though. I'm someone you'll likely never see again after you leave this place."
"Still, it would be hard to open up to you."
"That's understandable. What if I told you a bit about myself?" Ashley was a bit surprised.
"Huh? Why?"
"Then you could say you know me."
"I don't really consider that 'knowing' someone." Dr. Wolfe nodded and considered her, reaching for another mint, this one a pale blue.
"Then your definition of 'knowing' is much more personal than just factoids and tidbits about the other party."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Would you say you know Agent Kennedy fairly well then?" he asked as he rolled the mint between his fingers.
Ashley hesitated. Why was he asking about Leon? Wasn't this about her? Though it was hard to deny that Leon was intrinsically a huge part of what had happened to her in the last several days.
"I…I'm not sure…"
"Why is that?"
"I've only really known him for about two days. But it feels like it's been a lot longer."
"I'd say that's understandable, given the situation the two of you survived together. Do you feel like you know him?"
"…I do. Decently well, at least. I don't know much about his past, but…I know some things about him."
"Are you comfortable sharing what you know?"
"Um…will that help?"
"Anything will help, Ms. Graham. In my professional opinion, the best thing for you right now is to simply talk. About whatever you'd like. If you're not ready to discuss certain topics, we'll simply focus on those that you do wish to discuss." Ashley blinked and tried her best to wrap her head around this man, even as he popped the mint into his mouth at last. This wasn't what she had expected.
"Uh…okay then. I know that Leon's had a troubled past. I know he survived Raccoon City years ago and that ultimately led to him becoming an Agent. I know he's strong and dependable. I know he's perfectly willing to put himself between me and danger to keep me safe…no matter the situation…
"I know he went through hell and back to protect me when we were in Spain. He fought for me. He killed for me. And yet…I also know he was doing his best to make sure I was okay emotionally too, not just physically. He was always checking on me and cracking little jokes to make me smile. I know he tried to keep things lighthearted as much as he could so I wouldn't focus on the horrors of what was happening to us. I know that even when I was taken away from him…that he never stopped trying. He never stopped fighting to save me.
"I know…I know that I hurt him…" she trailed off, her eyes starting to sting yet again. She had never cried in front of so many different people so much in her life before this incident. She managed to hold back her tears for now. "When that monster Saddler took control away from me…I stole Leon's knife and I hurt him with it…then he tried to make me shoot Leon later. But…I couldn't. I didn't. I managed to resist him twice and then the gun jammed…"
"You seem to harbor a great deal of guilt about that particular topic," Dr. Wolfe noted. Ashley nodded.
"Of course I do. He did everything he could to save me. And I hurt him…and almost killed him…"
"But you were being forced against your will, weren't you?"
"Yeah…"
"Then you can't blame yourself for that."
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"Because they were my hands that hurt him. They were my hands that leveled a gun at him. I wasn't just being coerced; I was being controlled like a puppet on strings. I could barely will my body to do what I wanted it to do…"
"And yet you managed to resist that power all the same, with no prior training yourself. Why do you think that is?"
"Because I care about him." There was no hesitation in her voice. It was almost as if she had fallen into a trance while talking about Leon. She was just being honest and open about everything. Had Dr. Wolfe put her under some kind of spell?
"Again, I would think that's perfectly understandable given the situation. It's a kind of reverse Nightingale Effect. You've developed strong feelings for your rescuer after a harrowing ordeal." Ashley shook her head.
"That's not the reason."
"No? What makes you say that?"
"Anyone could have rescued me. Leon saved me." It was Dr. Wolfe's turn to consider her.
"You seem to have quite specific definitions for those words. Might I ask what you mean when you say he 'saved' you?"
"Leon didn't just get me away from those freaks. He made sure I was okay the whole time. He joked with me, bonded with me, cared for me. It wasn't just about removing the parasites and getting me back home in one piece physically. He wanted to make sure I survived mentally, too. He didn't want me to break. I understand now it's probably because of what he was forced to survive alone in Raccoon City."
"And no one else would have been able to do that for you?" Ashley shook her head.
"Not like him. After I was forced to try to stab him…I ran away. I was scared I'd hurt him and I didn't want to. But he tracked me down. Do you know what he told me?"
"No, but I would very much love to hear it if you're willing to share."
"He told me…that it's okay to be afraid. It's okay to be scared. But I had to keep moving forward. Keep pushing and fighting. That was the way we'd survive. That was when I realized he was fighting the same parasite I was. After that…it felt like things were different. From then on, it wasn't just Leon trying to drag me through hell and escape on the other side. We were a team. We worked together to get through the trials ahead of us.
"He got trapped while we were trying to get a door open. A big cage sprang up around him, like a medieval trap. I was outside of it and those cult people were closing in. He was in danger but he told me to run. He put me first again. And that was the first time I knew I had to be strong for him." Dr. Wolfe watched her as she spoke, never interrupting. He had a clipboard and pencil in his hands but he wasn't using those them. He didn't reach for another mint, either. He was simply listening.
"I…I never thought I'd be strong enough to do what I did next. I went down to the castle's crypt and…I found an old crest that was meant to open a door. It was protected by these possessed suits of armor…the parasites had overtaken them and were causing them to move. To chase me down. I barely got out alive. I had no guns to fight with like Leon. No training. I'm not even very athletic. But…I just wanted to save him so badly that none of that stopped me. And I did. I managed to find the key for him to get out of that cage right before I was captured again."
Ashley finally became aware that she'd been talking quite a bit. She had told Dr. Wolfe she didn't want to talk about Spain and yet she was doing just that. Was it because it was more about Leon than about Spain itself?
"What a harrowing ordeal," Dr. Wolfe offered, his brow creased. "It is truly amazing the strength we can find in ourselves when the alternative is for harm to come to someone we care about."
Ashley just nodded her agreement.
"Ashley…ah, forgive me. May I call you Ashley?"
"Please do."
"In that case – Ashely; do you believe your feelings for Agent Kennedy are stronger than simple care for his well being?" At once, Ashley recoiled into herself. She also felt her face flush rather badly.
"I…I-I'm not sure…"
"If I may say so, you exhibited quite the reaction just then. To the well-trained eye, it seems as if you do feel more strongly but don't yet wish to admit it. At least, not to me."
"Um…"
"In which case, my question would be…can you admit it to yourself?"
"I…"
"You don't have to answer that question aloud. Just ponder it yourself. We can come back to it next time. Or not, if that's what you would prefer. Alas, I'm afraid our time today has come to an end." Ashley blinked several times.
"It…has? Already?"
"Indeed," he reiterated as he grabbed yet another mint, this one white. "Though I think we made some great strides together today. At the beginning of our session, you told me you'd rather not speak of Spain with me. And yet you have already opened up to me somewhat. I thank you for your willingness to do so."
"I didn't even realize I was, to be honest."
"Sometimes that's the best thing that can happen. It makes one much less likely to become overwhelmed when reliving particularly traumatic events. In any case, I see that we're scheduled for an hour tomorrow afternoon. I shall look forward to seeing you again and speaking with you more, Ashley."
Ashley considered her first meeting with the psychologist before her. He was an interesting man. Eccentric, she thought to herself as he popped the mint into his mouth and savored it, but not necessarily in a bad way. The session wasn't nearly as painful as she had expected. Perhaps it had been because she was speaking of Leon for most of the time, but it had almost been enjoyable.
What did he mean by 'ponder it to herself' though? He didn't want to hear if she was developing romantic feelings for Leon? Was she? She couldn't deny the possibility; she had certainly felt her heart flutter like it never had quite a few times since she'd met him. But she'd need a lot more time to sit down a think about things than she'd given herself so far.
"I'll look forward to it, too. Thanks, Dr. Wolfe."
"Dinner is served!"
Ashley grinned to herself as she placed their food on the table. She had insisted Leon let her make dinner as a way of thanking him. He hadn't wanted to put all the responsibility on her but she had basically pushed him out of the kitchen towards the couch and promised it would make her happy if he'd let her. He hadn't argued anymore after that, though he had kept her company by chatting with her from the couch while she worked.
"Thanks for cooking for me," Leon called out as he crossed the room to join her at the table.
"My pleasure. It's the very least I can do after everything you've done for me."
"Just know you don't owe me anything."
"Then think of this as a thanks for calling me the best company you've ever had on an assignment earlier instead." Leon chuckled as he sat down at the table.
"I'll do that, then. What are we having tonight?"
"Pasta! With a homemade alfredo sauce. And some side salads." Leon cocked an eyebrow.
"You had the stuff in there to make your own alfredo sauce?" She grinned.
"Sure did! You'd actually be surprised how much they gave us to cook with. I know you saw the fridge earlier, but it's just huge inside! I can stick my whole arm in and not reach the back!"
"Hah! Sounds like I need to look a little more carefully then. Thanks again for doing all this, Ash." She felt her face get a bit hot as he used her nickname again but it was already starting to feel a bit more natural than it had earlier. At the very least, it didn't reduce her to a total stammering mess anymore.
"I was happy to! Besides, we were going to chat over dinner and get to know each other better so I figured I'd go all out."
"Why don't we dig in then? I'd hate for your hard work to go to waste by letting it get cold."
"Good point. Let's eat!"
As Ashley joined him in her seat, he smiled across the table at her. It was a very warm smile, not at all like the joking grin she was more used to. "You seem happy tonight."
"I am." She smiled over at Leon as he took his first bite of the pasta. Her heart fluttered as his eyes widened.
"Wow Ash, this is excellent."
"Thanks!"
"It's always a coin toss if college students cook for themselves or live off cup ramen."
"Well hopefully you know which one I am now. Which were you?" She felt the corners of her mouth twitch as lifted her own pasta towards her mouth. Talking with Leon put her in such a good mood.
"Take a guess."
"Hmm…you seem more well-rounded than the rough Agent exterior might suggest. I bet you cooked for yourself and did it pretty well."
"Ooh, swing and a miss. Appreciate the compliment though." Ashley couldn't help but laugh.
"Really? You were a cup ramen guy?"
"I sure was. Sometimes my roommates and I would go out and grab food if we had some money left over for it, but usually it was the poor, starving college student path for me."
"I wouldn't have guessed that if you'd given me a million tries."
"No matter what your answer was, it was gonna be fun for me," he shot back with a grin of his own.
"Oh?"
"Either you'd get it wrong or you'd have to judge me pretty hard."
"…so you set me up."
"Yep." He gave her the most amused face she'd ever seen him wear.
"Remember when I said you were no fun back on the island?"
"I do. You ready to take it back now?"
"Nope. I decided just then I was more right than even I realized."
The two of them started laughing together, the fake tension dissolving into mirth in an instant. Ashley hadn't had this much fun in a long time. For a while in Spain, she had wondered if she'd ever have fun again. Yet here she was, laughing like she didn't have a care in the world. All thanks to him.
"You know, I stand by what I said earlier – you're the most fun company I've ever had on any assignment. Or outside of one, for that matter." Ashley's cheeks warmed up but she didn't look away this time.
"Thanks! You're pretty excellent company yourself, you know."
"Me? That'd be a first."
"Being the life of the party, you mean?" she joked. He let slip a derisive chuckle before wrapping more pasta around his fork.
"Something like that." Ashley got the sense he was being a bit evasive.
"Seriously, though," she continued, meeting his eyes deliberately, "it's been a long time since I've enjoyed taking to anyone this much."
"I'm glad. Thanks for saying so, too."
"You're welcome. So, Leon…I don't really have a great segway into this, but do you mind if I ask you a little about what happened in your life before we met?" Leon nodded, lifting another bite of his dinner.
"Go right ahead, I told you I'd share. What are you curious about?" Ashley paused for a moment as she took another bite herself and pondered what she wanted to ask.
She wanted to know if that woman in the red dress meant something to him. It had been eating away at her the way he'd spoken about that woman as they'd made their final escape from Luis's lab. She had appeared from nowhere and saved them. For that, Ashley would be forever grateful. But she had to find a more graceful way to bring her up than to just say something like 'are you dating that woman in red?' So she decided to start more broadly.
"I guess my first question is how did you wind up being an Agent?"
"It's a bit of a long story. I don't mind telling you the whole thing sometime, but for now I'll give you the short version. After what happened Raccoon City, the government sought me out and 'asked' me to join STRATCOM. Having survived what I did, I guess I had the skillset they wanted for an Agent." Ashley was frowning as she took in his words though.
"Wait, I know you said earlier your path was forced on you, but I thought you meant once you had already signed up. You were…coerced into joining from the beginning?"
"Basically," he admitted at last, sighing a bit. "See, the first day I was supposed to join the Raccoon Police Department, the virus outbreak happened. I met a woman named Claire Redfield on my way to the city to help any survivors I could find." Ashley felt herself tense up a bit. Just how many women had Leon met that she had to be worried about.
"And while we were both fighting for our lives, she found a little girl named Sherry Birkin." At least this time it was a child, not someone else for Ashley to concern herself with.
"Her parents died during the Raccoon City incident and Claire and I looked after her for a while. But Claire was searching for her brother Chris and left pretty quickly after things settled down again. That was when the government found Sherry and I. Ultimately, I traded my joining STRATCOM for her being protected by the government."
"Wow…that's really amazing that you would do something like that for someone else. She was special to you then, huh? Sherry, I mean."
"I guess you could say that, yeah. I didn't spend a lot of time with her, but she was just a little kid whose parents put her in a terrible situation. She didn't deserve what happened to her. So I guess it just felt right to do whatever I could to guarantee her safety."
"And you did the same for me over the last few days even though we'd barely met. You're amazing, Leon." He shook his head gently.
"I think I still have a long way to go, to be honest with you."
"Do you feel that way because of Raccoon City too?"
"In part, yeah. I guess I'm thinking about it more lately because I ran into Ada again."
"Ada? That woman in red from the island?"
"Yeah." So that was her name.
"Did she do something to you?" Ashley asked, frowning. Maybe she had misunderstood their relationship completely. Leon considered her for a moment, as if he were searching for the right words.
"Not anything premeditated, no. She just used me to get a job done. Probably twice now."
"Did you meet her in Raccoon City too?" He nodded.
"I did. She convinced me she was an FBI agent but that obviously wasn't the truth. I actually thought she had died for a while, but you know as well as I do that she's very much alive. We had a chat on our way to that island in Spain." Ashley felt her heart drop. Leon had spent that much time with her?
"What'd you talk about?"
"Not a lot. She did say something that stuck with me though."
"What was that?"
"I haven't changed a bit. I just think I have."
"What were you trying to change?"
"How trusting and naïve I was."
"I don't think you're naïve at all. I do think you're trusting, but that's part of what makes you who you are. At least, that's the way I see it. And there's no way that can be a bad thing."
"Hah. Thanks, Ash. That makes me feel better than you might expect."
"How are you feeling about all that now that things have calmed down again?"
"A bit strange, to be honest, but not for the reasons I expected. I thought Ada was dead for years but seeing her in the castle barely even registered as a shock. My first thought was just 'how is she planning to use me this time?' Maybe that's a little jaded but I guess that's my training with STRATCOM paying off – she was." Ashley considered him for several moments, her heart sinking for a different reason.
"When you were training…you were assigned under that psychopath with the red beret, right? Jack Krauser…"
"Yeah, I was. How'd you know that?"
"It was one of the things he talked about as he took me to the island ahead of you. He had one hell of a rivalry with you. That's how it felt to me, at least."
"I couldn't even begin to fully tell you why. He was my C.O. and we went through hell together a few times. He taught me everything I know about using a knife, helped me hone my instincts to the point I'm at today. He used to be a good man. A little rough around the edges maybe, but still a decent person. The man we met back in Spain…that wasn't the real Jack Krauser. That was just a shadow of who he once was."
"You…had to kill him, didn't you?" Leon nodded. There was no hint of sadness or regret in his eyes.
"I did. He made it clear it was him or you. And I chose you."
"I'm sorry you were put in a position like that…"
"I haven't been dwelling on it, don't worry. He made his choices and stood by them until the end. There's no point in thinking about 'what-ifs' after the things he did. I don't regret my choice now and I won't ever regret it. It was part of what let me save your life."
"Yep, I was right." Leon raised an eyebrow at her.
"About what?"
"You really are amazing."
"If I am, it's only because I've had opportunities to learn how to better myself. To become better than that. But obviously I'm not the only one who had to deal with Krauser. You had at least a few run-ins with him too, huh?"
"I did. I don't have very many kind words to say about him." Leon chuckled.
"I don't anymore either. Feel free to say whatever's in your heart, Ash. I'll never judge you for that." She hesitated for a long moment, twirling the last of her pasta aimlessly with her fork.
"He was the one who kidnapped me as I was on my way home from campus." Leon nodded. This time his eyes did fog over with sadness.
"I learned as much from him during our duel. He used the trust he'd gained from the government to take you away and hurt you."
"I'll never forget the look in his eyes as that Saddler monster injected me with the parasite. He looked…so smug and satisfied. Like I was some kind of collector's item or a trophy he'd won. His eyes made my skin crawl more than the bug did…"
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Ash. We can change the subject if you want; we don't have to dwell on him."
"…eyes out…" Ashley mumbled under her breath.
"Sorry, what'd you say? I didn't quite hear you." Of course Leon hadn't heard her; she'd tried to stop herself from saying it at all but hadn't managed it in time. She sighed heavily and shook her head, putting on the best smile she could manage.
"No, it's okay. I don't want to speak badly of someone you used to respect so much." Leon gave her a calm smile.
"You won't offend me by being honest about your feelings. You went through hell too; if anyone has a right to hate the people that were around us in Spain, it's you. Besides, Krauser threw away any good will I had towards him once I found out what he'd done to you."
For just a moment, Ashley's mind transported her back to the dark, dank little room Jack Krauser had taken her. Saddler, his robes swishing around him, the pungent stink of rot and acid dripping from him, entered the room with a flourish and personally injected the parasite into her body. The whole time, even as she screamed and struggled and fought with everything she had, the Major's eyes had never left her. It was as if Saddler were preparing a meal for him. He looked at her like he was ready to consume her any second.
"Ash, where'd you go?" She snapped out of her reverie as Leon watched her, concern etched onto his face. She blinked several times before speaking again, all the dark emotions she'd felt since her kidnapping spilling over for just a moment.
"I wanted to gouge his fucking eyes out…" Leon's own eyes widened considerably. He'd never heard her speak like that. She rarely did, either. But she hadn't been able to stop herself that time.
"Krauser's?" Leon asked, never breaking eye contact.
"Yeah…the way he looked at me…even now it just makes me sick. If I had been given a choice between escaping from that little cell or taking him by surprise with that knife he loved so much…let's just say you and I still would have met. I still would have needed rescuing."
"I understand; I've felt the same way in my life." Ashley shivered a bit as her mind continued to overflow with the dark memories she'd tried so hard to ignore.
"I feel like I'm an awful person when I remember some of the thoughts I had in those cells…" Leon shook his head.
"I promise you're not. You can tell me any thoughts you had there if you want to. It might help to just get it out." She shivered again as she recalled the events that had transpired before Leon had found her.
"I wished them all dead. Over and over again. Krauser, Saddler, the Village Chief, every single villager…I just kept wishing that they'd all just keel over and die. That the bugs would rip them to shreds from the inside…"
"After what you went through, I'd be more surprised if you hadn't felt that way."
"But…I know there used to be decent people there. Saddler destroyed all of their lives and it makes me sad to think about the fact that normal, innocent people were made into puppets by that lunatic…"
"And you say I'm amazing." Leon's eyes were almost shining.
"Huh?"
"The fact that you can have pity and compassion for the people who held you prisoner is an amazing thing. Don't ever lose that part of your heart, Ash. It's what makes you so special."
Ashley felt her cheeks flush scarlet; there was no hiding this blush from Leon. It had caught her so off guard to hear such sweet words from him. Her mind couldn't think of anything else and instead she just let a small smile steal her face as her eyes dove for the plate before her.
"T-thanks, Leon."
"Oh, uh. You're welcome." He had definitely noticed.
"Anyway, thanks for telling me a little about your past. I know it must be hard to talk about. I'm really glad you trust me enough to tell me those things." Leon smiled at her.
"Thanks for caring enough to ask me about it. But hey, I want to ask you a few questions of my own that don't have to do with Spain." She tilted her head, curious.
"Oh? Sure, ask me anything!"
"You were studying at the University of Massachusetts before all this happened, right?"
"Yeah! If this had to happen, I'm at least glad it was at the end of a semester and not during one. I only have one more year until I graduate, I don't really want things to be ruined after I've worked so hard for so long…"
"What are you studying there anyway?"
"Political Science! I wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps eventually. But…"
"Hm? What's on your mind?"
"Don't tell him I said this, okay? I'm scared he'd be disappointed."
"Hey now, I doubt your father would ever be disappointed in you, especially after everything you just survived. But you don't have to worry at all; I won't ever repeat something you trust me with to anyone else."
"Thank you. I know it's a bit premature so I haven't decided on anything for sure yet, but…hearing what our government has done from your stories and experiences…and even from Krauser the other day…I don't know if I really want to dedicate myself to supporting something like that…" Leon nodded.
"I get that. Just do me a favor and don't go off the deep end like Krauser did."
"Oh I guarantee you I won't ever wind up like that guy." The two laughed together at last and Ashley felt the rest of her bad memories starting to disappear again.
The two stood and began to clear the table, Leon insisting that she at least let him do the dishes. She gave in, wanting to go shower and get cleaned up after a long day. As they placed their empty plates in the sink, Leon spoke suddenly, as if the thought had just occurred to him.
"So what would you do instead of Political Science?" Ashley pondered his question for several moments.
"I don't know yet, honestly. But changing majors this far along would be a bit tough…so I'll really have to think about it if it's something I actually want to commit to."
"Hey, you're smart. I know you won't jump into something you haven't fully considered."
"You really mean that?"
"Absolutely," was all he said as he flashed that handsome grin at her.
"Well it makes it a lot easier to think about stuff like that when I know you're supporting me."
"I'm glad. You'll always have my support, no matter what."
"Thank you, Leon. That means more to me than you know."
Ashley didn't consider herself the most confident girl in the world when it came to gestures of romance. She had dated a few guys in high school and college, but usually they all wound up the same – trying to use her for her political connections to further their own desires. As a result, she wasn't all that used to really warming up to someone like this.
So it was with no small measure of surprise that she felt herself rise onto her toes and place a small kiss on Leon's left cheek. She hadn't planned it. She hadn't even had a conscious thought about doing it. Her body just seemed to react automatically. The idea that Leon had assured her that she had his support always was such an impossibly wonderful feeling. This was one of the very few ways she could accurately express what she was feeling right at that moment.
Leon looked down at her with surprise evident in his eyes. There was a noticeable amount of warmth in his gaze too as he lifted a hand towards the cheek her lips had just brushed against. Ashley couldn't stop her face from catching fire once more as she turned hurriedly away from him.
"Uh, I-I'll go shower now! Be…be back soon!" she managed to stammer before darting off.
She was worried maybe she had gone too far. What if he didn't want to talk to her now? Or felt that he should distance himself from her? Once she disappeared into the hallway, however, she stopped and peeked around the corner just slightly. Her curiosity and anxiety had gotten the better of her. She had to know if he was upset by what she'd done.
As she leaned around the wall, she noticed Leon was moving to turn on the kitchen sink. He tested the water and evidently decided to wait for it to warm up. While he did, however, his hand reached up and rested against his cheek where she had kissed him once more.
"She sure knows how to keep me on my toes," he said under his breath. It was still loud enough that Ashley caught his words though.
Was that a good thing or a bad thing? She was just about to start toiling over this new uncertainty when Leon chuckled a bit to himself and grinned. He was smiling about it?
As Leon turned back to the sink and began washing the dishes in earnest, Ashley felt her heart skip and flutter in her chest. The implications had finally started to sink in; her kiss had caused him to smile like that.
Ashley all but skipped off down the hallway, feeling much lighter and happier than she had in a long time.
4/16/2023