Well, a few close together updates? Really? Well wasn't that sweet of me? Unfortunately, this chapter is not sweet. Quite the opposite, actually. So hunker down with some Kleenex, you just might need it. I almost needed some writing the darn thing.
Then leave me a review. They're just one of those things that just make me bubble with joy. =3
Arlington, Virginia. Yet another city rich with history, bustling with life, and regarded as one of the most important cities in the United States.
However, Ada hated it.
The spy sat in a small booth in one of the local cafes of Arlington. At precisely three o'clock that afternoon, Ada was to be standing down the hill behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There, she would receive her dead drop orders in the form of an unidentified man sneezing and dropping a folder. Ada was to attempt to chase the man and attempt to return the folder, only to follow him to the nearest crowd, where she was to report back to her hotel and read its contents.
Sounded simple enough, but Ada wasn't one for such tomfoolery. But, that was how Wesker wanted it to be done.
The Eurasian's thoughts then turned to the man in black. He had found out her deception of the false Plagas sample quicker than she or anyone at the Agency anticipated. However, for some odd, inexplicable reason, he did not turn his anger to her. Albert Wesker was a difficult man to figure out, but this was more than slightly baffling. Instead of the predicted outcome of Wesker attempting to possibly torture and then definitely kill the woman, he thought much deeper into the scenario than was necessary. The mysterious man had come to the conclusion that Osmund Saddler had anticipated the retrieval of the Plagas sample and therefore hidden the true one, replacing any samples on hand with fakes.
Ada didn't even receive a single word of his anger. If anything, Wesker congratulated her on her work and said "Next time, Miss Wong." The Agency was certainly pleased that somehow she retained the trust of Albert Wesker. Ada was surprised herself. She had no idea that the man trusted her word so much.
As Ada mused on the strange behavior Wesker had been displaying lately, her small PDA began to chime. She glanced down at the device questioningly as it continued to beep at her. The woman picked it up quietly and silenced it, standing as she did so. Ada wiped a raven bang from brow and looked at the snow blanketing the city. The Eurasian beauty had purposefully placed herself near the Cemetery gates as so not to lose precious time getting to her destination. Lingering around the drop site would be too suspicious.
So, the spy made her way toward her destination. She had approximately half an hour to reach the site. She knew she had time; she had been to the cemetery many times as a child and knew her way quite well.
Ada walked slowly passed the identical white tombstones. It had always amazed her at how the graves went on as far as you could see. With the snow on the ground, the cemetery held an ominous, yet peaceful look to it. She lugged her jacket around her shoulders tightly to fend off the fridged winter air. Row by row, she made her way to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a few minutes to spare. As she stood on the steps of the Memorial Amphitheatre, she watched the men preparing to perform the Changing of the Guard. All of them as still as death. She remembered watching them as a child and how she was so perplexed at how someone could stay so still for so long.
Now, considering her line of work, it wasn't as impressive as it used to be.
However, the discipline and dedication it took was still honorable, and she gave them that much. As she adjusted her small framed sunglasses, she made her way down the hill. The assassin was at her destination at last, and precisely on time, a man in a gray bowler hat and long gray trench coat was bustling down the sidewalk. In his right arm he carried a single folder; in his left he grasped a small suitcase. He kept his head down, sneezing occasionally while he quickly made his way through the graveyard.
As the man scurried past Ada, he gave out a particularly harsh sneeze. Shaking off the painful function, he carried on, not even seeming to notice the lonely folder now lying on the ground.
Like a concerned citizen, the spy quickly scooped up the folder. "Sir!" she shouted while beginning to follow, being careful not to slip on the compacted snow. The man paid her no mind and continued to hurry to his destination. "Sir!" she yelled again, but no answer.
Just as the dead-drop orders instructed, the man made his way to the nearest crowd; The Changing of the Guard. Hordes of people swarmed the steps of the Amphitheatre to watch the event, despite the weather. Ada came to a halt after the mysterious man disappeared as quickly as he came within the onlookers. She glanced around the people quickly to make sure no one was staring at her suspiciously. However, all eyes were on the soldiers, whom were now finished changing positions.
The spy sighed in relief, looking down at the small folder in her hand. Shrugging off the feigned concern, Ada turned tail and made her way back to her hotel room with a smug grin adorning her face.
"Do we have to?" Leon groaned pathetically. Today was already turning out to be crap.
"Leon, you know how important this is to me. I've been planning this since before… you know," she trailed off. The horrid experience in Spain still haunted the young woman. The agent sighed in pity. He knew exactly how she felt about the ordeal.
"Alright then," the ex-cop sighed, defeated. He couldn't deny her such a thing. "Just let me make sure the backup is in position." Leon pulled out his government-issued cell phone and dialed a number quickly. Within seconds, the call was answered. "Randy, is everything set?" He stated in an adopted business voice. There was a short 'yes' in reply and both men ended the call. Ashley stared slightly bemused.
"Seems like its such a horrible thing to talk to people to you." Leon chuckled lightly at her remark.
"Well, don't have anything else to say to the man. Why linger on the phone with him? Besides, he's kind of an asshole. He hung up on me." They shared a laugh and Ashley glanced at the parking lot they were currently sitting in.
"Well, you ready? I am." Leon shrugged.
"Sure, lets go." The agent stretched his legs and took a deep breath, opening his door and stepping out of the car. The president's daughter followed suit, taking another round-glance at the snow covered parking lot. She was surprised to see so many cars around her even with the horrible weather. Inhaling the sweet, bitter scent of the frozen land, Ashley sighed out the refreshing air. With a glance at Leon, whom was donning the sunglasses he hated so much, they took off towards the gates of the cemetery.
"So um… do you know where we're going?" Leon piped up after a few minutes of walking. The pair had just arrived through the Memorial gate. He glanced around to see a few other agents in civilian clothing seemingly being occupied by other things. Ashley had whipped out a map that had a red dot on it marking their destination.
"Well, we take Roosevelt Drive until we see it goes two ways, and take a right onto Wilson Drive. Then we follow that for a little bit until we get here," She poked a large section on the map, "umm... 'Section Thirteen'. And then we'll just try and find it from there. My father says the grave is beside a large tree, so I guess it might be a little hard to miss." The woman looked up from the map to her escort. He smiled down at her with a thoughtful glance.
"Quite a bit of a walk, don't you think?" He paused for a moment, glancing around the cemetery. Leon shoved his hands in his pockets roughly and gestured in the direction they were meant to go. Ashley folded the map neatly and placed it back into her coat pocket.
Ashley led the way, slowly but surely. The blonde was in awe of all the deceased soldiers that were laid to rest in a single spot. Her watchful agent was in pursuit at a leisurely pace. Cemeteries had always made him feel uneasy. Leon shuddered inwardly as the countless headstones dotted the ground. The snow gave them an even more uncomfortable vibe. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to look forward at the road.
"My great grandfather was apparently a great man." Ashley said suddenly, prompting the agent to glance at her curiously. "He died long before I was born. I don't remember what war or how or whatever… but he was a three-star General. My father says he was a kind, just man that tried to make the Army a better place for the men sacrificing themselves for their country. It was honorable and all, but none of the suggestions he made were actually… you know…" She bit her lip, struggling for the correct words.
"Implemented?" Leon suggested, causing her to look back at him and smile. She dropped her pace as to walk side-by-side with him.
"Yeah, that one. Anyway, apparently that made him dislike the Army and fought for Soldiers' rights until he died." She shrugged and looked forward.
"Why do you want to see his grave though? You never knew him." Leon asked softly, trying to hold concern in such a blunt question. She kept her gaze forward.
"A man like him should be honored and recognized, even if he is dead. He just wanted the brave men of the military to feel more at home." The ex-cop shifted uneasily at the sadness in her voice and bit his tongue. Time to drop the matter.
They walked in silence for a good while, taking their time to their destination. Other undercover agents walked by and sat on benches observing them. It was slightly shocking to Ashley that there were so many men and women in the Secret Service.
She glanced at Leon.
A small blush crept on her face as she stared at his handsome features. Her head jerked down violently to avoid him spying her gawking at him. Butterflies swarmed madly in the pit of her stomach as his image lingered in her mind. The things he had done for her to save her life. The fact that he accepted her father's insistent request that he continue to protect her. That she was almost always near him.
School-girl crush be damned. She was in love.
She pulled her coat around herself tightly, occupying herself with a mundane task. However, with no avail.
Leon's rejection on the Jet Ski was still a very fresh wound, even if it was months ago. She had offered herself to him and he said no, but he was still by her side. Still her guardian angel. It was baffling, to say the least.
She glanced up again, her thoughts fading as she noticed Leon was no longer beside her. Ashley furrowed her brows in confusion, looking backwards to see him standing rooted to the spot with his mouth hanging open. He looked scared and in disbelief. Cocking her head, the woman spun in the direction of his gaze.
A woman was walking briskly toward them, glaring at a folder in her hands. Raven hair and flawless skin.
Just like the woman she had seen in Spain.
"Is that…" Ashley managed to get out before the woman looked up, a horrified expression dawning her beautiful face. She stopped immediately in mid step and paled.
Leon stood gaping as she stared back like a deer in headlights.
"Ada…" He whispered through his shock. Ashley glanced at him, then back to the Eurasian.
"Ada?" The First Daughter questioned. Was that her name? How do they know each other?
Why were they standing like such fools?
The color returned to her face and Ada spun around, bolting in the direction she came from. Leon shook off his own surprise and took off after her.
"ADA! Wait!" The blonde screamed after her, slowing his run into jerky steps, and falling to his knees. Sorrow flooded into the poor agent's gut as he watched his butterfly fluttering away, knowing she was much faster and agile than him.
"Ada… don't go…" he croaked, tears dancing at the brim of his eyes. Why did she flee from him? Why did she always run? A few stray tears streamed down his face unwillingly as she made her way out of sight. Leon punched to snow-covered road with all his might, producing a sickening crunch from his hand. "God DAMMIT!" he screamed, convulsing into heavy sobs.
Ashley watched in a mixture of horror and deep understanding as the man she had come to love, the toughest, most fearless person she had ever met in her life, hunch on the ground in tears. She stood by, unsure of what to do as his form racked harder with sobs, screaming profanities at the top of his lungs and continuing to punch the ground. This was why he rejected her. This is why he didn't share her feelings. Because of Ada.
The snow was dotted red.
She made her move, lunging forward to grab his arm. She stilled its assault on the pavement and Leon shot her a dirty glare. His sunglasses had fallen off at some point, revealing his bloodshot baby blue eyes. His face was twisted with anger and confusion, but somehow she saw past that. Straight to the underlying sadness his eyes screamed with.
"Leon…" she whispered gently, running her hands down his arm to coax him into relaxing it. Reluctantly, the agent complied, letting it fall helplessly to his side.
"Why doesn't she stay?" His voice cracked with emotion. Tears ran freely down the contours of his face. "Why does she keep doing this to me? She comes to my apartment, pours out my booze and takes her gun. She doesn't stay. She never stays. Why does she keep breaking my heart?" He rambled, nearly inaudibly. Ashley felt her heart sink into her stomach, where her butterflies had withered and died. He jerked his face away from her, falling on his bottom and cradling his face in his hands.
"I can't let her go. I love her. I love her Ashley! Why doesn't she love me?" He screamed into his palms. He trembled in the cold and in pain, rocking back and forth in the snow.
Ashley felt a few tears of her own travel down her face. Leon had never talked to her about anything that happened in his life. She didn't know how to comfort him, either, and the young woman was scared he would hurt himself some more. So she did what she instinctively felt.
She embraced him.
Leon immediately leaned into her, crying into her shoulder. Ashley had never seen him as a broken man who was sensitive with a horrid past. Only the battle seasoned, fearless hero that she had met and been saved by in Spain. Never this.
Never this.
A few concerned agents slowly made their way to the heart wrenching scene. Leon all the while letting years of emotion pour out into the arms of the woman who felt the same way toward him.
Her paced slowed as she heard Leon scream in frustration.
Ada hated to run away from him like that, she truly did. But, he would never understand just why she had to.
She dared a peek around the bend, Leon still very visible. What she saw tore all of her emotional walls to shreds. However, as much as it hurt her, she gritted her teeth and made no move to return to him. Instead, she watched. Watched him scream and pound the ground in fury and hurt.
Because of her.
The Eurasian beauty looked down at the folder she had received mere minutes ago, and then to her snow covered boots. She sighed regretfully as broken butterflies feebly flapped in her stomach. She glanced up again. Leon was still screaming and punching the cement. In a wrenching decision, like her butterflies she took flight, unable to watch the man she loved in such pain.