Chapter 13

Ivan was scrolling through the records, printing them out and highlighting the important facts in the articles. It's been three hours and he didn't call Leon yet on what he found. He was still studying and taking notes an Anya. His eyelids were about to shut on him, but he couldn't fall asleep just yet. Leon needed this information and he needed it now. He heard footsteps coming from behind him. It was Boss.

"Ivan, you've been working on this for hours now. You need to rest."

"I'm almost done. When I'm finished, I'll rest, but I'm fine now." Boss put a hand on his shoulder. Ivan looked up at the Boss and gave a soft smile.

"Ivan please. I'm not asking you as a co-worker, but I'm asking as a friend. With rest, you will finish quick. Rest now Ivan rest." Ivan heard Boss's voice cracked at little. He nodded to Boss's plead and he wanted to know if Claire was okay.

"Okay, I'll get some rest, but I do want to visit Claire first to see how she is doing."

"Okay, but I will tell you this, there's not much of a head trauma and she's recovery slowly. She'll be okay, but recovering slowly."

"You didn't want her to be on this case, do you?

"I admit, I didn't want her to be on this case because I was afraid that it would repeat the past. I didn't want her to get hurt nor killed. She's all the family I have left."

"I understand. You want to protect her. I would've done the same thing for my daughter too."

"However, it's her decision whether she wants to continue being in this case in this case. I won't stop her, but Ivan if something did happen to Claire, I won't forgive myself."

"I'll watch over her if you want me too. We've known each other since grade school. She trusts me with her life. I'll watch over her and protect her. I won't let the past repeat itself." Ivan cared about Claire for a long time. He would do anything for Claire. He would sacrifice his life to save her. That shows how much he cares about Claire. Boss knows that Ivan loves her, but he knows he won't admit it to him or Claire. He knows he can trust Ivan with Claire's life, but doesn't want to risk losing a good field agent or a good observation. He didn't want to lose them both. Boss sighed out loud and broke the silence.

"I know you love Claire. You care for her and you would do anything to be with her. You don't have to hide it from me Ivan. I won't be mad. Claire has been through a rough time. She needs someone to lean on and get her through the day. You've been by her side when I couldn't and Leon the same. Leon beats himself everyday by not being by her side when she needed him. You were there for her when she needed someone to be by her side." Ivan knew that Boss would be saying all of this to him.

"I just don't want her to get hurt anymore."

"I know." Silence came upon them both and Ivan couldn't stand her anymore. His heart was breaking inside and he didn't want to hear anymore. Ivan started to walk away and need to the medical station. Boss stood there and let Ivan go and see Claire. "Take care of my daughter Ivan. She needs you. She loves you."

We stayed at another hotel somewhere, he still won't talk. It was silent for the rest of the car ride and I didn't bother him and silently cried to myself. Thinking about all that was making me hurt. I was taking a hot shower to get my mind off things and my wound needed to be cleaned. I was taking a long time, but I needed it so bad. The warm water made my skin tingle. My hair was warm and running though my fingers it made all the soap runs down through my hair and down the drain. I looked down at my wound and it was getting a lot better. The hot water felt good on my wound and the rest of my body. I turned off the water, grabbed a towel and dried my wet body. As I got out, I tripped over my belt and feel on the floor hard against my head. I felt my sight go into a gaze and my whole world go into an instant blackness.

"Anya! Can you hear me! What happened! Answer me!" Leon banged on the door, frustrated that he couldn't get in door; Leon felt helpless and didn't know whether if Anya was okay. Leon made his hand into a fist; he couldn't afford to lose Anya, not yet. He backed up a few inches and kicked the door a few times. The wood on the door cracked and he opened the door and saw Anya on the floor unconscious. He kneeled down and slowly picked me up and held me in his arms like a baby. "Anya, can you hear me? Please answer me?" I didn't answer him. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't bare to lose anyone he's close to especially the he loves. Holding me and seeing being all lifeless in his arms. Tears started to drip on my face knowing that I wouldn't wake up. "Anya, please, please wake up, please wake up." Leon's heart was breaking slowly and couldn't bare the pain. More tears stream down his face and dripping on my face.

The blackness I was still in was keeping me from waking up. I felt my eyes change into those purple cat eyes. Shadow figures started racing towards me. I went into my stance and was ready to fight. Moving fast, I spin kicked the shadow and flew in the distance. The other shadow was charging at me from behind and I backed flip and dodged the shadow's attack. I raised my custom 23 and fired one bullet to its head and it disappeared. Another shadow came out, but it was human. He attacked me by using mortal combat, big mistake. I was a master at mortal combat and everyone knows that. I reversed his attack and knocked him to the floor. I took out my knife and sprinted towards the shadow figure. As I reached the shadow figure, I heard a familiar voice.

"Stop!" I stopped sprinting and turned around and saw an old friend and partner.

"Ino?" This can't be a dream, but my old partner is standing right in front of me. How is this possible? Then again anything can be possible because of me. "Ino what are you doing here?"

"I'm your alter personality."

"How is that possible? You were a person. I know I saw you and felt you. You are a real person."

"Was. I used to be, but not anymore."

"How?"

"When we did the ritual with Master Zero, a part of me resides in you and within your mind if I die or killed." When she said that, a memory flashed back when she was killed. I closed my eyes as she screamed. After a minute, I opened my eyes and she was still in front of me. She spoke again. "After I died, my spirit split in half. The first half sleeps in your necklace that Jenna gave you and the second half is in your mind where I am now, standing in front of you."

"So the purple cat eyes and the levitation were all you?"

"Yes, it was master's idea. He knew that the Myers Massacre would leave you alive to suffer the loss of the squad. He knew that you would kill them both including your own partner, Alex Myers."

"Don't say that name in front of me! He betrayed everyone on the squad including me! He deserved to be killed, he deserved it!"

"He had to do what he was told to do. He was being blackmailed by his own brother."

"Ryan? Ryan blackmailed Alex? Why? Why would he betray his own brother?"

"Because he had an attachment. An attachment that would kill everyone around him."

"The squad. He grew attachment to the squad."

"Yes and he knew the consequences and he paid the price for it. He had no other way, so he betrayed you and joined back with Ryan. However, he didn't know that Ryan would go on a killing spree. He didn't want to kill you because he was attached to you."

"But why me? Why was he attached to me?"

"Because he loved you and saw greatness in you and didn't want that be thrown away. Alex did everything to protect the squad and you and keep everyone safe. So the only way to protect you and keep you alive is by fighting and betray Ryan."

"But I killed both Ryan and Alex with my own hands; I saw them die with my every eyes!"

"We converted what you did and what you saw. We converted your memory so you would think you killed them. It worked."

"Why did you do this to me? What happened to Alex?"

"I can't say anymore Anya. Only you can find the truth within your own memories, but you won't be on your own. You will have me to guide you through each timeline of your memory. For now, you must go back to your world. You have someone who cares for and loves you, but he won't admit it to you and to himself." At first I didn't know who she was talking about, but I kind of figured who she was talking about. Leon. I could hear his voice in the distance. I felt tears dripping on my face. I whipped the drips of tears with my hand more started to fall. Leon's tears became rain. His voice started to get louder. I closed my eyes and breathed in slowly and sighed. Ino was right in front of me and I felt her walking through me and a bright light was flashed. All darkness was gone and pure white was whole.

I felt my eye lids slowly opening to the colors of reality. More tears dripped on my face, he was still crying silently. His warm arms were holding my tight to his body. He thought I died. Leon was leaning his head against my chest and I could feel his hair tinkling my chin.

"Le-on" I whispered, but I don't think he heard me. "Le-on." My voice was crackling and I could feel my head throbbing in pain. "Leon." My voice was coming back, but this time, he heard me. His head was slowly looking at mine. Those dark, forests, green eyes hit me like ice cold water in my face. My eyes were half open and my voice was coming back. "Leon." I don't know how many times I said his name, but I thought he was deaf. Oh well, if he still thinks I'm dead. I guess saying his name one more time will make believe that I'm not dead. "Leon." His eyes didn't go wide, but I could see the relief in his eyes.

"Anya."

"Leon, the more I say your name, the more I wished I am dead." I think it was a bad time for a joke, but he smirked at my joke. He stroked my cheek with his soft hands that were warm and made my skin tingle.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"You thought I was dead, didn't you?"

"I didn't know what I thought or what to believe at first."

"You lost someone dear to you. It still haunts you till this day."

"I just hate losing people that I get close too and I can't save them." He sounds a lot like me. The people I got close to ended up hurt or killed. It's like were the same, but different personality. We had one thing in common and that made us connect. I put one hand on his cheek and broke the silence.

"You just like me, but different. You don't show emotions because you don't want to show weakness to your superiors. I know the feeling; I know you've been through. You're not alone." Leon was staring at me with those dark, forests, green eyes. They were beautiful and memorized eyes I was in a trans. He strokes my cheek again and leaned in towards me and our lips met. A soft kiss made my body freeze and all thoughts went away. We were bond to each other, a strong bond that cannot be broken so easily. Just being with him I feel normal to him. Leon broke the kiss and he pulled me closer to him and carried me out of the bathroom and laid me down gently on the bed. He was on top of me and gave me another soft kiss on my lips. A pure bliss went throughout my whole body. I kissed him back soft and slow and he followed my lead. His hand was slowly exploring under my shirt. I sighed out and my head started to hurt. "Leon, wait."

"What is it? Did I hurt you?"

"My head hurts. I need some sleep."

"I'll see if I have some pain killers in my bag. How much pain do you have?"
"Its medium pain, but I know it will gradually be in more pain."

"Okay, wait here, I'm gonna get the pain killers from my bag."

"It's not like I'm gonna get up and go somewhere. I'm in too much pain." I chuckled a little and so did he. He went through his bag to find the pain killers. The pain was slowly growing inside of my head. I felt my head and I was burning up. Sweat started dripping down my neck, chills all over my body and shaking uncontrollably. He got up quickly and sat on the bed next to me and felt my forehead.

"You have a fever."

"No shit sherlock."

"We need to get you to a doctor."

"It's 11:00 at night. I don't think a doctor would still be up at this hour."

"I'll call the lobby and see if they have a hotel doctor around." He took the hotel phone and called the lobby to see if there was a doctor in the hotel. I was getting tired of exhaustion. My breathing became heavy and short, more sweat dripping down my face and the chills started to get worse. I gripped on Leon's arm and noticed something was very wrong with me. He was still on the phone with the front desk person and was on still on hold. He pulled me his arms to give me body heat.

"Excuse me sir?"

"Yes?"

"We found a doctor that's working late tonight. Do you want me to send him to your room?"

"Yes please and hurry, she's getting worse."

"What's your room number?"

"Room 204."

"Okay, I'll send him up right away."

"Thank you." He hung up the phone and held me closer to his body and kept me warm. My shaking went down a little, but I still felt cold. Even though I was given body heat, but the pain in my head was getting worse. I felt tears coming out of my eyes and down my face. Leon held me tight until the hotel doctor gets here. My eyes started to grow tired, the exhaustion in me was taking my life energy away. I felt Leon patting my cheek to keep me awake.

"Hey, stay with me Anya. The doctor is coming."

"Leon, I need to rest. I'm exhausted; I have no more energy to keep me awake any longer."

"Just a few more minutes. Hang in there Anya." I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. My eyelids shut without me noticing. Leon looked down and noticed I didn't respond to him. I was in a deep sleep, deep within my own thoughts.