A/N: I highly grateful for the supports that you guys have been showing this story. I am much more thankful to Shirahane Aikawa and Mercenary Nemesis for taking out time to leave a review for the last chapter.

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

Chapter 15

(Leon's POV)

I felt miserable I didn't expect to tell anybody about Juliet but maybe I was ignoring her too much lately but how can I be ignoring her when… , "What took you so long, dinner's got cold waiting for you", Kate said opening the door but maybe she read that I wasn't in mood for her jibber-jabber, "Did something happen?", she asked softly taking my notebook case and helping me out of my jacket.

"It's nothing", I lied moving to sit on the couch. I was heartbroken and felt like shit but it wasn't something I could make Kate understand.
"It's… it's… something I… I know are you unwell", she said hurrying over to me, checking me for fever.
"I am fine", I told her grabbing hold of her hand.
"Should I get you something, anything?", she asked concerned.
"Nothing", I said and wanted her to stop bothering me.
"Okay then I'll just heat up the dinner", she said as if reading my mind and walked away to kitchen.

I looked in the kitchen's direction and softly hit my chest where my heart was, hoping the pain would subside but it doesn't work like that. This stupid heart was only for her and will always remain for her maybe it would make room for someone new but it would never be able to replace her. I rested my head on the back of couch and felt Shadow rest his head on my lap, "You miss her too, don't you", and Shadow just whined.

Kate called me for dinner after some time. She kept her silence but she was concerned and worried about something; maybe she was worried about me since she kept glancing over at me wanting as if she wanted to ask something but she didn't ask anything. We went to sleep and she didn't say a word but something told me she was restless about something because she slept keeping her back towards me, instead of hugging me to sleep like every day. I don't know whether it was bad, since I needed her to comfort me or good, because it was easy to get up without her knowing about it, when Hunnigan called.

"Hello?", I whispered trying to not wake Kate up.
"Kennedy?", she queried.
"Yes", I said.
"Ms. Graham is well again and you have to resume being her bodyguard", she informed in her professional tone.
"You could have told me that in the morning. I mean its 3:00am now", I said looking over at my watch.
"Well you have to report in next 2 hours, since Ashley has to go for some mall's inauguration ceremony at 8:00am so you have to make her security preparations", she said a bit sternly.
"Okay I'll be there", I told her and disconnected.

I got up, showered keeping the noise as low as possible. I opened my cupboard to get my jacket when Kate woke up screaming my name out loud, "Leon!", she said sitting up and she was sweating and panting like hell, she looked around took things in details and relaxed a bit. I walked to her and sat near her feet, and she flung her arms around me but she didn't cry. It was more like she was making sure that I was there, "You okay?", she asked speaking very softly as she pulled away, "I know… I know you don't want to tell me but please tell me what's bothering you please? Have I forgot something? Okay I admit I don't remember anything but did I miss anything? Please forgive me, I am sorry", she spoke really fast crying, "I am sorry."

"Relax you… you're taking it all wrong", I told her, "I am just stressed", I lied again, pulling her back in a hug, comforting her but I knew she wasn't satisfied with my explanation.
"You're going somewhere?", Kate asked, finally noticing that I was all ready to go to work.

"Hunnigan called, have to take Ashley for some mall's inauguration so I have to head out right now, so that I can make all the security preparation", I told her still hugging her. I didn't want to leave her and didn't want her to leave me either. Why? I don't know but I wanted her to comfort me, to tell every sweet lie she could think of, wanted her to get me rid of this restlessness I've been feeling after those two pendants joined.

I don't know why, why I was feeling Juliet was still alive and was right now in my arms. One small detail that I didn't tell my friends was that Kathleen looked exactly like Juliet, same height, same dark brown hair even the dark blue eyes were same and it only occurred to me when she first wore a dress instead of her combat suit, it was the very thing I felt was missing. The inexplicable feeling that I had when I was with her, was me subconsciously missing Juliet whenever I saw her. I couldn't figure out that feeling since it was a very much unexpected feeling, born out of an unexpected encounter. Kathleen always seemed to remind me of Juliet, especially her dark blue eyes. I would have called Kate my Juliet, but Juliet didn't know the difference between a gun and pistol handling them as efficiently as Kathleen was a distant thought. Juliet, she was the worst person when it came to lying and Kathleen doesn't need a reason to lie, and Juliet could forget everything but she would die before forgetting me.

But I knew Kathleen was not Juliet and it hurt me more when I was reminded of Juliet's death, because seeing Kate everyday reminded me of her. And the more I was reminded of her the more I wanted Kate to be Juliet, and the more I wanted that, the more I wanted that she is never reminded of her past as Kat, so she could stay with me always. No matter how many times I say staying with Kate is troublesome and I want her to regain her memories, but deep inside I always wished against it, because if she knew I was lying she would hate me and leave me and I don't want that.

"I have to go", I said to her so that she would leave me but she didn't leave me and tightened her grip.
"You won't stay if I asked you to, right?", she asked in a hurtful tone which broke my already weak heart.
"I promise I'll come back early today", I said reluctantly pulling her away trying to be cheerful, "you better treat me nice tonight."
"Only if you get rid of this gloomy face", she said putting her best effort in smiling, "for me, please", and I nodded and felt my lips curl in a weakest smile, "Thank you", she said and held my hand as I was getting up and again said, "I'll be waiting for you."

I got up and I was shocked at the fact that Kate without saying any sort of lie lifted up my mood. Her simple words of concern and care were like some magic incantation. It somehow lifted everything off my chest but my heart still wanted, more of needed, something more. I opened the door and looked back at her from the door, smiled weakly before heading out for work.

It definitely took me sometime to drown myself again in work so that everything was back to normal and I was again able to hide the pain inside my heart. Seeing those two pendants join had opened a long time healed wound. But it was definitely took too much of my efforts this time, since Kate always seemed to remind me of Juliet, not only that she was able to read me like book but never asked anything and it made me wonder why?

"Leon can we talk?", my thoughts were disturbed when Claire asked me this.
"Yeah sure Red", I said sitting a bit straight, since I was leaning on my chair, and tried hard to sound normal if not cheerful.
"Uh… look you know I can't talk in circles so…", She began sighing, "What I want to say is Kate called just now."
"She hasn't called me", I said, picking up my cell phone and checking it for any missed calls but there were no calls from her, "What did she say?"
"Well she was worried a bit", Claire said looking at me a little concerned.
"About what?", I asked as I tried hard to act casual.
"She didn't say and it seemed, she called me after dropping the thought many times, you get me?", she asked looking at me intently, maybe trying hard to send some mental signals.
"Yes but she never discussed anything of that sorts with me", I told her although I knew Kate tried to ask me sometimes.
"Well I don't know about that, Leon, but she seemed really upset", she paused for bit, as if thinking whether she should say it or not, "Uh… maybe she was crying on the phone Leon."

I sighed leaning back on my chair and ran a hand over my face. I don't know what to say to her now, I never thought Kate was that much worried about me, "I'll talk to her", I said with determination on my voice.
"Talking won't do anything, Leon", Claire said shaking her head a little, "Take her somewhere, maybe on dinner, movie or stuff and try to make her see that you're happy with her."
"Happy with her?", I repeated sitting up straight again almost with a start, "What do you mean happy with her?"
"She thinks that your behavior is odd these days", Claire said trying to avoid it.
"No, no, no you just said she thinks I am not happy with her", I said leaning over the desk, dragging back the conversation to main point.
"What!? No", Claire lied and it seemed she wanted to cover it up.
"No Claire! You said Kate thinks I am not happy with her", I emphasized on the topic.
"That's what I think she thinks", Claire replied giving up, "I mean she said that from past couple of days your behavior is odd and you're gloomy all day."

"So how does that suggests I am not happy with her?", I asked her to elaborate.
"Because she asked me about your and Ada's past get it", Claire almost yelled it to my face, "She was crying maybe, and asked me to tell her all about yours and Ada's history. She also asked me herself, how she was before the accident, before she lost her memories. I am not sure but maybe she is stressing herself thinking about her past and missing memories."
"You should have told me this before", I said to her dialing Kate's number, "When she thinks something like that, it's a sign of danger."

At this Claire glared at me as Kate picked up the phone on the other end, "Hello?", she answered softly.
"Uh… Kate honey where are you right now?", I asked her in a cheerful tone.
"At home", she replied softly.
"Have you already prepared dinner?", I asked her.
"I am just chopping onions", she sobbed a bit, "do you want anything special?"
"Uh… no there is this Agency party which we have to attend, so don't bother about the dinner, okay?", I said looking at Claire who had her arms crossed.
"Okay", she replied a bit timidly.
"I'll just see you in a bit", I told her putting up my best act.
"Hmm…", she just said and I disconnected.

I looked at Claire who was still angry at me, "What?", I asked her getting up.
"You still think she's behind all the murders", she asked me furiously.
"Well it doesn't hurt to be on the safe side, does it", I said a bit monotonously, being practical.
"Oh does it really don't hurt when it's about her", Claire asked as I took my jacket.
"No", I replied coldly although it was a lie, "I have to get home now."

I got home and found Kate in the kitchen, filling Shadow's bowl and then she filled her cat's bowl with milk, since it had started drinking milk by itself. She was doing all this so absentmindedly that she didn't even notice I was watching her from the kitchen door. She moved to the counter and picked up the knife and looked at it a bit before washing it under water. She set it back and then started cleaning the counter, and when she was done she finally noticed me.

"When did you came?", Kate asked trying to be cheerful, forcing a smile on her face.
"Just now", I told her with a smile.
"I was a bit lost thinking, I… I didn't notice you", she told me and she seemed a bit off.
"I saw", I said keeping my eyes on her as she moved to me. We looked at each other maybe hoping or expecting something of each other. Well I knew what, more correctly who, I wanted her to be; but I wasn't sure if she was hoping something out of me or if it was just a figment of my imagination, "So ready to go to the party then?" I asked being a bit cheerful, snapping out of my wishful thinking.
"Yes", she replied again forcing a smile.

We headed upstairs and I couldn't help but notice that she was a bit gloomy, for some reason, as she picked her clothes from the wardrobe. Every day she was quiet but I couldn't say that she was upset, but now she was both worried and upset about something.

"Is something bothering you?", I asked her concerned. I don't know why but I somehow felt that the reason for her sadness was somewhere related to me. She smiled weakly and shook her head, then walked in bathroom's direction but I caught hold of her hand, not buying that silent reply. This was not the Kate I knew, "What happened?", I asked her, "You seem upset; look if it's because of me then please don't worry about it sweetie. I am a bit stressed", I told her and it wasn't a lie.

Kate dropped the clothes she was holding and moved a bit closer to me, "Please hold me Leon", she almost pleaded and I couldn't say no. I wrapped my arms around her and my heart again wished her to be Juliet, and my grip tightened around her. I don't know how long we held each other but every second felt like an eternity, and suddenly it struck my mind that maybe she came to know I am not her husband, maybe accidentally anyone of us dropped a hint that I was not her husband and I felt a sudden rush of pain in my heart thinking that she's about to leave me.

Very slowly Kate pulled away from the hug and I smiled looking down at her, selfishly hoping she doesn't remember anything. She gave me the weakest of her smiles, "Let's get ready okay", I said to her and she nodded. And moved to pick up the clothes she dropped earlier, and headed for the bathroom to change.

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.