A/N: Thanks a bunch for all the reads and visits. This chapter is dedicated to my friend Shirahane Aikawa, who always helps with her critical views and of course special mention to the reviewers of last chapter, Shirahane Aikawa and red machine destroyer, thanks a lot!

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of its characters; they all belong to Capcom.

Chapter 14

(Francheska's POV)

I took the blood sample and added it in the sample I just prepared and the whole solution turned blue and I sighed out of relieved as my experimentations were successful, "I see you managed to make it", I turned around and spotted Wesker.
"I doubt that it would work", I told him the truth, "Dr. Ashford Increased the IQ of forming embryos and we have to deal with a live BOW, this can be dangerous Wesker, she could turn against us."
"Her urge for the primary target and to remove her rival from her way is definitely more than her mere human urge against us, plus don't forget she hate her rival as a human and as a BOW, so after one shot of this she would definitely get rid of her or at least get the brains to get rid of her", he took the sample from me and loaded it in the viral gun and handed it to Tiera, "I think it will be no problem for you."
"No problem but I am short on suppressors", she said taking the gun and Wesker tossed her a box of suppressors and she disappeared in thin air.

"You know using suppressors on her could put strain on her body damaging everything", I said to Wesker.
"Francheska darling, I told you before if we let her kill men like this everybody would know and she would be killed once it's revealed. We don't want that, do we?", he made his point very clear.
"Tiera reported that suppressors are not working like they used to before and that she's able to recover from its affects also her body it is rejecting it", I told him, "If it goes on like this the count will increase."
"Before that the subject will definitely reach to its primary target and by the time they would know our grand plan would already be successful", he said smirking and I couldn't argue more.

We were taking extreme risks and even doing some of the dirty works that Frank used to do risking us getting spotted but we had to save the subject and her rival from other pharmaceuticals, who had the same vision as Wesker. If they got their hands even on one of them then the truth would be revealed and everything would go down the drain.

"Have you prepared the serum which we talked about?", Wesker asked.
"It's difficult, Sera's research material is not enough; I think we just have to use the original thing and hope that it works", I told him sighing.
"Very well then be prepared because you're the one who have to do this", he said.
"I know", I told him nodding.
"I don't like mistakes Francheska", he said, "It should better work."

(Leon's POV)

"This can't be", I muttered leaving the pendant and relaxing back on my chair. The thing I just discovered was near to impossible, okay it was not near to impossible it is impossible. The existence of zombies were also impossible but they do exist I know but the thing I just saw, 'It's just a mistake, I might be dreaming', I thought taking the pendant and holding it up and it spun in front of my eyes, "Okay", I took a deep breath trying to calm my fast beating heart, "Let's try it again."

I sat up properly and kept the pendant down on my desk and looked down at it contemplating whether to do it or not to do it again, 'What if it happens yet again?', my inner self asked.
It won't, I replied, it's impossible.
'Nothing is impossible', it said as it yet happened again and I held my head in disbelief and frustration.

"Hey Leon", I heard someone call my name and saw Claire and Jill standing in front of my desk.
"Yes?", I asked looking up at them.
"Any problem?", Jill asked looking down at me.
"Nothing", I replied croakily and decided not to go in details.
"So have you found anything about the pendant", Claire asked moving to pick it up from front of me as they both sat down but I stopped her.
"Nothing that makes any sense", I told her looking down at it.

"What did you find and even if it's insignificant you should have told us", Jill said a bit sharply.
"Well I'd like you two to see this and then tell me if it's worth telling", I said as again I prepared myself and took a deep breath, "I hope it doesn't happen this time", I muttered a bit loudly so that they looked at me. I set the pendant down and kept another similar pendant close to it and both slid towards each other, joining with each other forming a miniature heart shaped pendant.
"She left two pendants?", I looked up and saw John and Chris too.
"No", I replied sighing leaning back on my chair, seeing them join again and again wasn't really good for my heart.

"What are these things? How they just slid like that?", Chris asked dumbly, as he joined us with John.
"The pendant we found that we assumed was broken wasn't broken exactly", I explained, "it was meant to separate and join with its pair. They are a pair of weak permanent magnets, meant to separate and attach as you all witnessed just now."
"So you went into the trouble of buying a pair for confirming your doubts?!", Claire asked surprised.
"They don't join to any other piece except their pair", I told them feeling miserable.
"So where did you get the pair?", Jill asked giving me a puzzled look.
"I had it", I almost mumbled.

"How? Did it just appear like the file in your drawer?", John asked.
"No I had it for past 11 years", I replied. I just wanted to escape this situation.
"So both the pendants are yours then?", Jill concluded.
"No", I replied weakly, feeling a painful lump in my throat.
"Leon, what are you saying is not making any sense", Chris said.
"It's not making any sense to me too", I yelled a bit frustrated.

"Relax", Jill said in an attempt to calm me down, "Look if you say that only pairs join then one puzzle is solved the owner of the pendant is the one who had the other pair than yourself."
"Yeah it's as simple as that", Claire said agreeing with her.
"Jill you're a genius", Chris said proudly.
"So who is the owner of the second piece?", John asked curiously.
"My fiancée", I answered, trying hard to shut memories from flooding my mind.

"What?!", They all yelled in unison.
"Did he just say fiancée?", John asked to Chris.
"I heard that too", Chris said shrugging.
"Leon, what is the meaning of this?", Jill asked.
"Yeah Leon no time for jokes", Claire said seriously.

"I am not joking, it was my fiancée who possessed the other part", I told them feeling a terrible pain in my heart.
"Guys she was his fiancée, Was", John said, "So it's simple let's find her maybe she can tell something about this whole thing."
"Impossible", I said shaking my head, trying hard not to shed a tear.
"We are Agents, finding anybody is not impossible", John said casually.
"It's impossible because she's been dead for past ten years", I yelled out loud, "She's dead!", I repeated more to myself than to them, "The last time I saw her, it was before heading for Raccoon. I was supposed to marry her once settling myself in Raccoon…."

"You never told us about her", Claire said as if me not telling her that offended her somehow.
"Yeah we never knew you had a fiancée", John said as seriously as he could.
"Because it hurts me every time that I wasn't able to save her, if only I would have stayed", I said ramming my fist on my desk.
"Tell us about her buddy", Chris said keeping his hand on my shoulder like a big brother.
"Yeah it would help a bit", Jill said and I looked at everyone of them as they pulled their chair close to me, ready to listen what had happen, "Please."
I nodded and looked down at the pair of pendants, "I met her when I was in my 2nd year of High School…."

(Flashback)

My mother had asked me to stay home because some of her friends were supposed to visit and she wanted a helper. She never mentioned but I knew that she liked it when I helped her around the house or with such things. Plus, she enjoyed all the boasting rights she had because me, since I was really popular guy at school. I had soccer practice that day but I stayed back because mom said she wanted me to meet her friend and I am glad I stayed back otherwise I wouldn't have ever met her.

What I thought to be mom's friends, turned out to be just one of her old friends, "Leon meet Mrs. Margerette F. Gibson my High School time friend, she bought the house next to us and meet her daughter Juliet, she'd be going to the all girl's school that's next to yours", mum said introducing her and her mom but I was a bit lost in her, "Why don't you show Juliet around?", she said smiling.

"Wait, wait, wait Juliet, is that her name?", John asked interrupting.
"Yes", I replied nodding.
"Is it like the Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet kind of Juliet?", he asked again.
"The very same", I said, "In fact I had asked her the same thing, when I was showing her around", I smiled as the memory of her smiling flooded my mind.

"Yes", Juliet replied smiling, "Please don't ask me who my Romeo is, since I am tired of listening to that thing."
"Actually I was about to ask do you have a Romeo", I was flirting with her before I knew.
"No", she said smiling and there was an immediate bonding between us and just when we were enjoying each other's company to the maximum, her mother called her and they hurriedly headed for home.

After that we met almost daily, well we walked to school and back every day. We didn't go to the same school, so I always had something to talk to her and she always had something to tell. It could be considered as our mini-dates because she told me her dad didn't like me much and she wasn't allowed to hang out with friends either.

I didn't know when I fell for her but I realized it only when I fought for her in my last year at High School, when a guy tried to get physical with her and maybe I would have killed him for touching her if she hadn't stopped me, "You shouldn't have picked a fight with him, look how badly you're injured, and besides I could take care of that guy", she said as we walked home.

"Yeah, yeah I know you know Karate and 43 other dangerous words", I said a bit gruffly.
"It's true I know Karate", she said smiling which was so contagious it made me smile, "I could beat you at it anytime. You've too many openings."
"Yeah, yeah", I said airily, not taking her seriously.
"So does it hurts", she said touching my reddening arm which that guy had hit with a baseball bat.
"No", I said acting all tough.
"Really?", she asked raising her brow, not believing me.
"You want to know why because your touch is as light as a feather", I said and she blushed.

"Dad would get mad, even if I am late but a second", she said changing topics and tried to walk away but I grabbed hold of her hand.
"Hey, I love you", I confessed turning her to face me and leaned in for a kiss but she pushed me and ran away smiling, "I'll take that as you love me too", I yelled after her.
"In your dreams", she yelled turning back sticking out her tongue at me and I chased her back to our homes.

I saw her dad wasn't at home as she ran inside her house so I followed her there and into her room, "Now you're trapped", I said panting and fell to my knees due to body exertion since I ran after having a fight.
"Are you okay?", she asked and I didn't let her speak as I pressed my lips against hers in a warm kiss. It was my first ever kiss and I am glad I kissed her, it wasn't a brief kiss but it wasn't a long one either and we both pulled away at the same time.

"I was feeling fine", I told her smiling, "But now I am even better and I can do better", I said pulling her again in another kiss and we kissed really long this time.
"No more practice now", she said pushing me a bit.
"Want me to do the real deal then", I asked her smirking.
"No, no not at all, not at all', she said shaking her head, "I don't have the breath for that."
"I know CPR", I said not letting her go.

"She's not like you Greg", we heard her mother shouting at the lower levels.
"You'll see Margerette, she's like me. She is a true genius we both know", her father said climbing the stairs.
"Dad is coming", Juliet said nervously, "You should better hide", she said getting up and hiding me under her bed, "Don't make any noise, please."
"Okay", I said nodding.
"Sh…", she said keeping a finger on her lips.

"Greg, keep her out of this, I am begging you", Her mother literally pleaded. I had never seen her father just knew he was extremely strict but listening to her pleas and seeing her nervous about her father finding me in her bedroom aroused my suspicions that he was sort of psychotic, "Keep my daughter out of it."
"I am her father", he said bursting open her room door, "Aren't I?", he asked and maybe she nodded.
"No Jules you don't understand sweetie, don't listen to him", her mother said, "Greg, I am begging you please", her mother dropped to her knees and spotted me and then cried louder begging more and more.
"Okay", her father yelled and he walked out with her mother and Juliet closed the door.

"I wanted to tell you before but…", Juliet said not looking at me leaning against the door.
"I understand", I just said getting out from under her bed.
"Guess we won't be seeing each other again", she said sadly not looking at me.
"Are you mad?", I asked, turning her to face me and saw she was crying, "I love you, I don't care a damn about your dad", I said pulling her in a hug and just then her room door knob turned. We both held our breaths and were relieved when we saw it was her mother.

"Leon, c'mon, he's in the bathroom run home before he knows", she said urgently beckoning me.
"Mrs. Gibson, I may be a teenager but I know when things are not good", I said as she saw me off the door.
"I know honey, will you do me a favor take my Juliet away from this madman as far as you can", she said trying to hold herself together.

Later I came to know that, Juliet's dad was actually her step-father and her mother married him when Juliet was extremely young. At first he was okay for a couple of months or maybe Jules didn't have any idea of the fights that her parents were having but she wasn't that dumb nor she was to remain a child forever. Her mother was afraid of her father cruel intentions so she took a place near her old time friend, my mother, so if anything happens she can give Juliet in my mom's care.

As time passed we graduated and I told mom about my feelings towards Jules and she got really happy about that. She called Juliet and her mom over, and I proposed to Juliet then, I knew she was the one I wanted to spend my rest of the life with. We got engaged that day, in our mothers' presence, our dads being already dead and her step-father would have never approved of it. It was that day only when I got these necklaces, one for her and the other for me. She was very happy that day but as always she couldn't stay long and had to leave before her step dad came home.

One month after that I had to go to university, in a different state, so that I could become a cop like dad and she had to stay behind following her real dad's footsteps , that was to become a doctor, "Juliet, I'll be leaving tonight", I told her as she pretended to tend flowers and I pretended to be playing with Shadow, who was just a pup at that moment.

"All the best", she wished me luck, giving me a thumbs up.
"I wish you could come with me, there are many good medical colleges where I am going", I couldn't help but express my disappointment.
"I wish the same", she said sincerely, "But dad doesn't want to let me off his sight."
"I understand", I very well knew her situation, "But you've to come and see me off at the station", I demanded.
"Leon I… I can't you know", she said looking inside to her step-father.
"You're coming or I am not going", I said stubbornly.
"Leon I…", she was saying when her father called and she walked inside.
"I'll be waiting Jules", I said just so only she could hear me.

After a few hours, I was at a train station waiting for her but she was nowhere to be found. I felt anxious and with every moment, my resolution of leaving her behind was shaking.

"Leon, if you don't get on the train right now, you won't be making it", my close friend Matt who was also going with me said.
"I said I am not going if she's not coming", I told him stubbornly looking over at the entrance.
"At least let us get your luggage on board", Mum said a bit nervously, since it was barely a little more than five minutes for the train to leave.
"She's not coming and I am not going", I repeated crossing my arms and closing my eyes.
"She's here", I heard mom's voice and opened my eyes and saw her with her mom.
"Matt get my things on the train I don't want to leave it now", I said smiling at Juliet.

I pulled her in a tight hug the pendants around our neck joined to form a heart, "Don't you go anywhere till I come back", I said to her.
"I won't", she said crying, "Don't you forget me."
"Never", I said making my grip tighter on her.
"Now go you'll miss the train", she said pushing me a little and we pulled away from each other, the heart broke again into simple pendants as the train started to move.
"Write to me okay", I said getting on the train knowing that she won't be able to call me with her dad around.

I waited for her letter but I didn't receive any news from her for a few weeks. I kept asking mom about her and thank god we were neighbors 'cause mum kept me informed about her. Then she started giving mom letters, which my mother would post on her behalf and I would always receive letters from her every week. She would always begin by hoping for my wellness, telling me that she loves me a lot and it always brought smile to my face. She would often write about her college and how she misses me walking with her, like we used to when we were in school. But as I neared my college graduation her letters were becoming less frequent and in the last 3 months of my training I didn't receive any and my mother wasn't able to tell me anything about her either. It was as if her father kept her and her mum locked up.

When I got back I was expecting to see her, "Where is Juliet?", I asked mum.
"I wasn't able to get to her, her father has been staying at home a lot lately", my mom replied, "Maybe he took both of them somewhere else."
"Are you sure?", I asked looking at her window from mine.
"It's possible that he got her married", mum said speaking out her doubts and I looked at her sharply, "I mean that's the only reason that girl won't stay in touch with you. She loved you too much to let you go away like that."

I couldn't hear her more so I went straight up to my room and showered. When I got back I saw a silhouette at her window and then heard her father's car and saw that he just arrived, that meant somebody was at home when her father wasn't.

I waited for her father to leave again and called at her home phone. It rang and rang and rang. It was down to its last ring when somebody picked it up, "Hello?", in came her sweet voice.
"Jules, thank god you are okay", I said relieved.
"Leon", she only said and I knew she was crying but it wasn't tears of joy.
"I am coming to meet you", I said to her.
"No, no, no, he's mad, Leon! He'll kill you don't come here! Please, don't come!", she cried on phone, "Forget about me please! I don't love you anymore; it was just our teenage stupidity."
I knew it was all a lie otherwise she wouldn't be crying and begging like this, "I am coming now", I said to her more determined than before.
"Please don't come! He'll kill you please! He…", just then I heard her dad's car and she said, "he's here please don't call me ever", these were her last words before she disconnected.

I saw the man hurry inside and I don't know what happened but I knew one thing, I had to meet her right that instant, so I walked outside my house, "Leon where are you going?", mom asked.

"To get some air mom, I'll be back soon", I told her and walked under Juliet's balcony and climbed up to it and then inside her room. I found her sitting on the bed, her back was towards me, "Jules", I called and she turned to look at me and tears filled her beautiful blue eyes. I reached and wipe them.

"I told you not to come. Don't you understand? I don't love you anymore…", she spoke pulling my hand away, "Please go back where you came from, before he comes to know about us."
"If you don't love me anymore why are you wearing that necklace and this ring?", I asked her, "I have come to take you away from this madman, I love you!"
"If you love me just go… leave me… forget me… just go please", she said crying really hard, "It's not like it was used to be. Please Leon, try to understand me, please… it's much more complicated now."

No matter what I said she didn't budge from her decision. I didn't know what to do and I just could not see her like that, so I just pulled her in a hug and it felt the same as it felt before. She had everything that I wanted, "I'll take you away", I said comforting her. I kissed her forehead and she just cried. I touched her lips with mine as I kissed her after what felt like an eternity, and just then there was a sound of something breaking and somebody's hurried footsteps can be heard from ground floor.

"Just go now", Juliet said pushing me away, and since I didn't want to see her in trouble, therefore I got back down.

She started showing up for our late night talks that we had without speaking words. She would always ask me to forget her but how could I forget her she was my life. There were days when her father could be heard yelling at her and anyone would just say that he was a madman, talking to himself since neither her mother nor she could be seen, even at the window but every night at 11:00 she would surely show-up to talk to me.

"I found myself a job", I told her.
"Great", she gave me a thumb up, "So you're a cop now", she said with a smile. She knew all about my ambition to become a cop.
"Yep, I'd be a cop at Raccoon city", I told her not more than a whisper and she asked me to keep my voice down, "And I'll be taking you with me", I told her.
"I won't be going Leon", she denied my offer shaking he head in negative, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
"You're … just get to Matt's place tomorrow morning. You know, I won't be leaving without you", I told her yet again stubbornly.
"Sorry Leon, Dad won't allow me to get out. He even goes out and does grocery to keep me here. The last time when we returned Mom and Dad had a big fight", she told me crying but I felt she was hiding something.
"That's why, I'll be waiting", I said to her and our talk ended for the day.

I had to join work the day after the day I was heading out from my town, but since Kate didn't show up that day I didn't leave, and that was the day Raccoon city was infested. While I was waiting for her, mom somehow convinced me that I could come for her later, and that it would be better to take her once I am settled. So, I headed for Raccoon but just as I was about to enter it, Juliet called me and tried to say something but her voice was cut off by static sounds. I couldn't hear a thing so I disconnected not knowing it was the person I was dying to hear from.

I entered Raccoon saw a woman's corpse, was attacked by zombies, met Claire and joined forces with her to get out of the city, met Ada and I guess I got too much attached to her.

(Flashback end)

"What do you mean attached, we thought you loved…", Chris began.
"Loving a person in situations like Raccoon is natural", I told him, "and I was hurt when I thought she died falling from that bridge, but when I got back home from Raccoon and mom told me that Juliet's father burned down the house along with Juliet and her mother, it was the time when I understood what being hurt really means. It was then I understood that what I had with Ada was attraction and what I had with Jules was true love. I could never in my life love anybody the way I loved Jules and nobody could love me the way she did. I was happy to see Ada alive but I'd like to die just to see Juliet one more time. I don't know why but Ada reminds me of her maybe that's why I kept chasing her all this time."

"Maybe she survived", Claire suggested.
"Police found the bodies of three people two women and one man there age groups are similar", I told them, "Only if I could have saved her."
"How could you have saved her?", John said, "You were in Raccoon…"
"Didn't I tell you she called me, if only I would have followed my instincts I could have saved her", I told him; "This pendant reminds me of her and has been my good luck charm for years. She died but left her love behind, which was so powerful that it keeps me away from any sort of harm", I said closing my eyes as first time in 10 years tears streamed down my face, 'But Jules, Romeo cannot live without his Juliet', I thought painfully.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. I apologize for any typos or mistakes in the context that might have caused an inconvenience. Feel free to share your views about the story.