A/N: Thanks a lot for reading this story and much more thanks to the reviewers Shirahane Aikawa, Mercenary Nemesis and incursi0 for their reviews.

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

Chapter 16

(Leon's POV)

John let out wolf-whistle, when he saw Kate at the party. I could totally understand his feelings since Kate looked absolutely stunning in her gold and white dress that really complimented her supermodel figure and possibly that was the reason, why men were giving her a second look, some just couldn't take their eyes off her and I didn't know what I felt more, sad, proud, envious or protective. I was little relieved when John took her to the dance floor but I couldn't keep my eyes off her. I smiled as I watched her listening to John's joke and laugh but something was telling me that she was forcing herself to laugh. I felt that she was still upset and couldn't help but grew more concerned about her.

"She looks really great laughing like that", I looked sideways and it was Claire wearing a red cocktail dress.
"You look great in this dress", I complemented her.
"Jill and your wife got it for me together", She told me, with a smile.
"Why were you guys late", I asked her.
"Chris didn't want to come to this silent and boring party and was crying like hell", she told me taking a seat by my side.
"Yeah I know him no DJ no party", I said laughing a bit.
"That's my bro for you", she said a bit proudly.
"Where are they anyways?', I asked.
"Oh the moment Jill saw that they had some sort of music she wanted to dance and…", she told me searching for them, "Look there they are", she said pointing at them and I looked at them enjoying themselves.

I turned my head back in Kate and John's direction and noticed John was talking something over with Saunders, one of the guys at the agency. John looked at Kate and she gave a nod. It seemed as if Saunders asked Kate to dance and she agreed to have a dance with him. My suspicions were confirmed as John walked back to us.

"What did Saunders say?", I asked John.
"He wanted to dance with Kate what else?", he told me casually, ordering himself a drink.
"But you should have said no", I said to him seriously I didn't like that guy one bit.
"Oh are we jealous?", John teased, raising his brows at me.
"Why shouldn't I be she's my…", I stopped abruptly and it made me think what was Kate to me; she was not my wife, not my fiancée, not my girlfriend; I couldn't even call her my friend. She was somebody I knew but still when I see her dancing with Saunders why was my blood boiling, also she didn't look comfortable being with him.

"Leon", Claire asked and I hummed, not taking my eyes off Saunders, "Did you talk with Kate then?"
"Yeah", I told her and just then for some reason the lights were dimmed and I lost Kate, "Damn where'd she go?", I said searching for her among the people on the dance floor.
Claire laughed and I looked at her confused, "You really are getting jealous", she stated.
"She's uncomfortable with that bastard. I am going to take her back", I said getting up and moving towards the dance floor.

I searched for her and indeed she didn't like the setting the she was in now. I tapped on Saunders' shoulder and he looked at me. He smirked as if he was with Kate, "Mind if I dance with her?", I asked him.
"Liked my…", he began trying to make me jealous, maybe he didn't know Kate came with me.
"She came with me", I cut him in between and he looked at Kate and she nodded, "Now if you'll move", I said proudly taking his place. I shook my head a little seeing that guy walk away and turned to look at Kate, "You should have declined his offer", I said to her as we began to dance, "… if you were so uncomfortable with him", I almost involuntary kept her hand that I was holding on my shoulder and kept my hand on her waist. She looked up and a tear fell from her eye, "What happened?", I asked her concerned.
"I… I think something went in my eye", she lied looking away from me.
"Let's join others then?", I asked and she nodded in response. We walked towards the table where we were sitting. So many times I walked with her but she never felt so distant and now she was really getting me worried. I wished for me to read her mind, just this once. I turned my head to look at her, "Shit", I cursed under my breath, noticing that she wasn't walking by my side.

I immediately took out the my phone, feeling something was not right, to find her location with the help of the tracer she had in her ring. Her blip led me to the parking lot of Hotel, where the party was held, but I couldn't find her anywhere. Then I heard a car's security alarm, which made me run in the direction of the noise and the thing I saw reaching at the spot was the thing I didn't want to see now; I didn't want to see it ever.

I finally found Kate and she was… the scene right before me was unbelievable. Kate, she was not alone a man was lying dead near her; her white dress was now dyed red, in blood. The blood was all over the place and to make things worse, there was a knife sticking out of the man's chest, the one which I recognized so well. It was the same knife that Kate was using when I called, the same which she washed and set in the holder when I arrived home. Seeing all this only one word made it out my lips, "Kate…"

Kate looked up at me bewildered, "Leon… I… I didn't… do anything", she stuttered.
"Then what the hell were you doing in the parking lot", Ada asked. I turned and saw everyone was there, the sound of car alarm must have gathered them since the party was formal and there was no loud music.
"I didn't…", Kate tried to say, as tears streamed down her face.
"You killed him, we caught you red handed", Ada said in her cool calm tone with a smirk on her face, "I told you guys but you won't listen; see for yourself she's the BOW you're looking for", she gave us all a look of pity, "You should die here bitch", she pulled out her gun and, John, Claire and I stopped her immediately before she could shoot Kate.

"Let go off me, still want to save her", Ada said struggling, "She took too many lives to be alive."
"Stop this at once", the Chief of the Secret Services said, "I request the owner of the car to please stop the alarm."
"Yes", somebody said from the crowd and moved to shut the alarm and then yelled," Sir, you should have a look at this and I think the Chief of Special Division should also look at this."
"Oh My God", the Chief said as there was another body lying on the wind shield of the car and this man was more brutally murdered than the one lying at our feet, "Arrest her at once", the Chief ordered his two favorite Agents, who were known to be toughest among us. They pulled Kate rudely up by arms while she only cried helplessly.

"Beware she's too much dangerous", Ada said crossing her arms as we left her and there was a fine line of smugness on her face. I couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted towards her. I mean her hatred for Kate, is it that big she would only kill her because she hates her? Maybe that's the reason I wanted to take it slow with her, so that I know I am not making a hasty decision.
"Take her away and lock her up and you have all the freedom to use your guns if you feel threatened", Chief said and the agents took Kate away while she cried and said that she didn't do anything.

"The fingerprints match on the murder weapon nobody can save her now", Rebecca said as she threw the file on the table.
"She's in a tight spot now, BOW or not", Chris said intertwining his finger sighing deeply.
"Can't we do anything?", Jill asked David.
"Apparently we can't because someone leaked the information that we kept her lose when we suspected her of these murders", David replied.
"Ada", Claire said a bit bitterly, "I don't know what her problem is? Why she hates Kate that much?"
"Leon, think maybe you saw someone running from there", John said desperately trying to get some clue.
"There was no one", I told them truthfully
"Then lie about it", Claire, John, Chris, Rebecca and Jill said together.

"I can't everybody was there they saw me coming just before them", I said frustrated a bit. I wasn't feeling right being in this situation, "If only I was more careful and not let her slip like that, maybe we were at home right now."
"Don't blame yourself Leon", Claire said keeping a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah it won't help", Jill said agreeing with Claire.
"We can't do anything until tomorrow", David said maybe thinking of some way that we could take Kate under Special division's wing, but the Chief of USSS accused special division to hide her when we suspected her.
"But tomorrow they are taking her for interrogation, if she stresses herself too much then like I said before we are risking another coma", Rebecca's these words hurt like hell.
"I am going to see her", I said standing up. I could not take it anymore; something, something was telling me that it was all wrong and Kate needs me, maybe it was my heart which was indebted to her since it was her love that taught it how to beat not only for others but for oneself too.
"You have to take Mr. Feisher permission first", David said referring to the Chief of Secret Services.

I didn't reply since I already knew that, if it wasn't for him then I would have been by Kate's side all this time. The Chief, Mr. Alan Feisher, was young about Chris's age and head of department. He was strict and a man with little emotions, with his contacts running to the parliament, one of the major reason he rose to the position that quickly. It was hard to convince him of anything once he made his mind to it, only tangible results or evidence could shake his already set mind but I was more than determined to change his mind.

I walked to his cabin and asked his permission to get in and he was discussing Kate's case with other agents and Ada was standing by his side as he consulted her, "You want something Kennedy?", he asked noticing me.
"I wanted to talk… in private", I said bluntly and he looked up at me and kept his elbows at desk intertwining his fingers and resting his chin on it.
"You heard him chaps… go move on", he said and the agents left him but Ada didn't budge from her spot. I looked at her, she looked at Feisher and he nodded asking her to leave so she cat walked out. And I had a feeling that Feisher had his eyes glued to Ada's backside but it didn't bother me much.

"I want to see Kate", I said skipping straight to the point.
"Kate?", he queried.
"The woman you brought in as a suspect", I said monotonously.
"Murderer Kennedy", Feisher corrected me, with a smirk.
"It's not proved yet", I tried to keep myself calm, clenching my fists.
"Don't worry we will handle that", he said getting back to papers, "And I am sorry you can't meet her since Ms. Wong told me that this Kate considers you her husband, and BOW or not, family members are not to meet the suspect, as of now."
"I am not her husband", I said and felt a searing pain in my chest.
"Even so Kennedy you can't meet her", he said making his point very clear.
"Give me one good reason, Sir", I asked a bit angrily.
"I already told you", he said, "Plus we can't take any risks, what if she kills you then it would be careless on our part."

"Her murderous intent is increased when I am not with her, I think Ms. Wong didn't tell you that", I said but it was hell lot of difficult for me to think that way now.
This sentence did the trick and Feisher tensed up a bit. Even though he was a strong guy, a great investigator but almost everyone knew he broke under pressure, "Okay you can see her", he said acting as if he did me a favor but in reality he chickened out fearing for the worse.
"One more thing I want this case", I played my next card.
"I can't give you that much freedom", he said, trying to negotiate.
"Okay as you wish don't come running to me when she gets out of your hands", I said getting up and pretending to be uninterested in the subject. I made my way towards the door and pulled it open this was the last moment if he didn't stop me now then I would never get another chance to see Kate again.
"Kennedy", Feisher called and I looked back pulling up a straight face but I was happy inside, "you've the case", he tried hard not to stutter, "But only on one condition you won't let this… Kate know, otherwise she won't give in plus you won't interfere in conducting procedures, you get me", he said and I nodded and exited.

I tried not to run to the lock-up cell, where Kate was held, two guards were posted at the door. I gave them my authorization to get inside. The room was small, painted cream, dimly lit with only a bed and an end table, quite suffocating if you ask me. Kate was sitting on the bed hugging her knees still wearing the blood stained clothes and her head buried in her knees, weeping so softly that I only noticed it when I got close. The clean clothes I sent her were resting at her feet.

I sided the clothes and sat in front of her. She looked up at me her eyes were red from so much crying and she looked pale, as if all the color had been sucked out of her, "I see you haven't changed", I said trying to start a conversation.
"They won't let me use a changing room", she said, her voice a little shaky and she lifted her eyes to look at me searchingly, "they have me on surveillance here", I looked up to see that there were two cameras, placed diagonally in two corners so that there wasn't a blind spot and I felt like punching a hole through Feisher's brain for being so sick, "Why are you here?", she asked sounding miserable and I wanted to comfort her right now.

"I wanted to talk", I said trying hard to hold myself from hugging her, but maybe she didn't think that way and flung her arms around me crying. I couldn't help but curse at my inability to comfort her right now, if they found me doing that then I am off this case. Her grip became tight on me and I knew she was scared out of hell, she was feeling vulnerable and insecure and she wanted me to protect her but the only thing I could do now was to pull her away from me, with all my effort, "I am here as… ", I tried to tell her.

"I didn't… didn't do it… I swear Leon… I didn't… ", she cried shaking her head as I held her away from me, trying to keep my expressions neutral, as her eyes again searched for something in me.
"Look I am not saying that", I said.
"But you aren't believing me either", she said crying and more tears streamed down her face, and seeing her like that was hurting me as hell or maybe even more than that.
"So what am I supposed to do? You were there with that knife and the fingerprints match", I said but it sounded as if I was yelling, due to the small room.
"I didn't kill anyone!", she screamed releasing herself from me.
"But you… ", I began but she cut me in between.
"We are done talking", she said shaking with a mix of emotions, hurt and feeling of betrayal were possibly among them. She had stopped crying now as if she had lost all her hope and faith.
"But…", I tried to speak.
"If my own husband doesn't believes me than who else will believe me?", she said seriously and I couldn't counter that, "Please leave, I don't want to see you again", she said burying her head in her knees once again.

I somehow wanted to tell her to not lose her hope but I just couldn't find the words that she'd understand and people on surveillance won't. I sat there looking at her and for the first time in many weeks, my heart wished her to regain her memories, because if it was Kat, I knew she could escape this place. I was in middle on thinking all this when someone kicked open the door to that room and I turned to look that is was one of the crazy female agents, working directly under Feisher's command.

"You one hell of a…", she stopped abruptly when she spotted me but then smirked and moved towards Kate and pulled her head up by holding her hair, "I told you to change your clothes", she began slowly while Kate just shivered in fear, "But you bitch, don't you understand we need these clothes for tests, get it off now", she yelled at Kate and grabbed the sleeve and almost involuntary my hand grabbed the Agent's hand and she looked at me.
"Take her to a changing room", I almost ordered her, trying to hold back my anger and the urge to forget that she was a woman and punch her in face and she smiled flirtatiously at me.
"Get up", she barked, holding Kate by her arm, "This is your lucky day since the hot Kennedy is speaking for you", she said more to me than to Kate, "C'mon", she pulled Kate rudely as if she was a rag doll.

I got up and headed back since Kate didn't want to talk to me and I didn't have anything good to say to her to make her feel better. There was nothing I could say and there was nothing that I could do to save her. If only I could love her a bit of what she loved me, then maybe I could have avoided this situation. Guess I am not that good for saving women. I wasn't able to save Juliet; though she might have survived, but I was not the one who saved Ada and now I won't be able to save Kate.

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.