A/N: Thanks for all the support! Special thanks and mention to Shirahane Aikawa, Mercenary Nemesis and red machine destroyer for their reviews

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

Chapter 24

(Leon's POV)

"Hey Leon, come in; come in", Chris said as he opened the door for me. I wasn't in best of my moods but still I decided to attend this party, since if I didn't attend it then I really don't have a good enough reason for skipping this one. I was tired a bit too since I didn't get sleep last night wondering if I really developed anything for Kathleen. If the answer is 'No' then why I keep getting this feeling of loneliness and despair and if it is 'Yes' then why I didn't tell her. I mean I am very straight forward in these things. If I loved someone I would say it the moment I realized it but the main problem with Kate was maybe that I didn't know what I felt about her.

Do I love her? Or maybe she was really a very close friend like Claire; the only difference was that I knew there was nothing between me and Claire, and no matter what people say we would be best friends for life but I couldn't say the same about Kathleen, for many reasons. Number one: I have been thinking about her too much and frequently find myself pondering whether I love her or not. Number two: I miss her. Number three: I love it when she's around, and I can count on and on about the reason why could I love her.

The fact that she looks like Juliet wasn't helping either, maybe I was attracted to her because she looked like Juliet and my heart still wished for her to be Juliet, "Hey I didn't knew you had this", John said picking up a frame from the fireplace.
"Sherry had it from the beginning", Claire told him serving us drinks.
"She really looks beautiful laughing like that, look Leon", John said showing the picture to me.

"I have already seen it", I told him uninterested in it.
"When?", he asked sitting by me.
"Sherry showed me once", I replied taking a look at the picture but I noticed something, something that I hadn't noticed before. I was either really blind or stupid not to notice it before.

"Leon what happened?", Claire asked as I snatched the frame from John.
"Hey, you should have asked for it", he said a bit annoyed but I was busy getting the picture out of the frame as I remembered it seemed to be folded. I heard Claire gasp as I managed to pull the picture out and as I expected it was folded from centre. I unfolded the picture to reveal the other person in the picture, 'ME'.

"Shit", John couldn't help but say.
"Juliet", I thought out loud.
"You're saying Kathleen is Juliet", Claire said and I nodded, "… but you…"

"I thought that they just shared the same face, you know it happens sometimes", I said inwardly cursing myself for doubting my heart. I was so stupid, life gave me so many chances telling me she was Juliet, I had seen this picture before but I didn't noticed the pendant then; Shadow who is hostile to everyone recognized Juliet at once and maybe he tried telling me many times but… ,"I was so stupid."

"That you are", John said.
"But she never said anything, if only she could have…", I felt lost at words feeling miserable. I should have known; only God knows what turned Juliet into Kathleen. I regretted so many times that I wasn't able to save her but all this time, I should have regretted not to be by her side.

"Uh… oh", Sherry said all of sudden and we all looked at her, "I think she mentioned Leon once."
"Why didn't you tell us?", Claire asked.

"Well it was long back, the time when Wesker kidnapped me and I was too afraid to eat or drink anything, then one day she walked in the room where I was kept and I behaved really badly. She tried to get me to eat but I cried for my mom and then she told me that her father killed her mom and then she told me about Raccoon and told her how the guy she loved died there. And how she regretted not able to talk to him and warn him about it and then I told her that it was impossible for her boyfriend to get out and told her that I survived Raccoon with both your help; and the next thing I know that she was busting me out in the middle of night. She never mentioned not even showed her soft side for once after that day."

"Did you tell her about me?", I asked her.
"Yes, I told her about the both of you", Sherry said nodding.
"It doesn't make sense, if you told her about me and if she's my Juliet why didn't she work with us the moment we met", I said confused, "Why the hell she didn't come back to me?"
"Didn't she tell us before that she didn't trust the Agents at the company; she knew more than us no matter what her sources were but she was always correct, wasn't she? And that was reason why she didn't trust anyone, it was not that she didn't trust you it was more like she didn't trust the people you were working for", Jill explained.
"Then why she didn't tell me she was Juliet", I asked, it felt like something was choking my throat.
"Maybe she was afraid that you won't accept her", Claire said, "When you love someone you just want them to be safe, even if hurts you like hell inside, you always want to…"
"… hide what hurts them and lie just so that they can be happy. You would leave them hurt and crying when they want you the most just to keep them away from any harm and fight for them until your last breath", I completed her.
"How do you…", Claire began.
"Juliet said that to me once… and I believe Kate must have said this to you", I said to her, "She is Juliet!", there were no two thoughts about it.

I sighed closing my eyes and flashes of my past with Juliet came rushing in, which were then replaced by the flashes with Kathleen. All my life I thought Juliet was dead, tried a million times to replace her to forget but I can't believe she was so close, I was just too blind to see. All this time I kept wondering why I felt so comfortable with her, why I missed her, why she was able to understand me even without me saying anything, why she made me feel the way no other women did and why I liked staying with her?

I am leaving DC tomorrow, her words rang in my mind.

"Damn", I cursed opening my eyes standing up.
"Leon, what happened?", Claire asked concerned.
"I have to stop her", I told her as I hurried out to my car.
"What?!", she asked confused.
"She told me that she's leaving DC today", I told her unlocking the car getting in the driver's seat.
"I'll come with you?", she said getting on the side seat.
"When did she tell you?", John asked getting on the back seat with Shadow.
"Yesterday", I replied, "I met her yesterday", I said reversing my car and kicking on the gas heading towards the airport full speed, breaking many of the traffic laws that maybe two policemen where chasing us.

I hurriedly parked my car and ran inside the airport terminal. The metal detectors must have picked up my handguns as I rushed past them, elbowing the guard at the entrance who tried to stop me, an offensive technique used in football. I ran aimless bumping into people, a few guards grabbed me and I knocked them with a few punches and then I began searching for Kate.

I saw people collecting there boarding passes and I ran to the counter, "Excuse me", I said to the lady fumbling for my ID, "Uh… I am… ", I was searching for my ID because she won't tell anything without it, "I… Uh… needed information…", I frantically searched every pocket when I felt two security men grab me from behind.

"He has a gun", the woman over the counter yelled to the security men. I struggled to get lose but four men were pinning me down as a fifth took my handgun away.
"Listen to me… I am an US government Agent", I yelled struggling and successfully elbowed one of the men restraining me.
"Yeah and I am President of US", one of the man said as he punched me hard.
"I am not lying", I yelled louder.
"Say that to police", he said.

"Excuse me!", David came to my rescue.
"David, tell them the truth", I yelled to him.
"Relax Leon", he said to and then turned to the Security Chief, "This man is with me, I am the Chief of Special Division of US Government Agency", he said showing his ID and all the proof.
"So this guy is really an Agent", he said looking at me.
"Yes he is… if you leave him, he can show you his ID", David said and security chief ordered his men to release me and I searched for my ID which I found within minutes this time. If only I had found that before we wouldn't have wasted so much time.
"Rookie Agents… be more careful next time. My boys would have killed you", the security Chief said handing me my ID.

"Well it doesn't look that way", John said pointing at a couple of men, who I had injured getting here.
"You say too much", the Security Chief flared.
"Even I can take your men", Claire said.
"What did you say girl", he said angrily.
"John and Claire!", David warned, "I am sorry they're with us too."
"A bunch of Rookies", he huffed and walked away.

"What are you guys doing here?", David asked, "Leon, you should have shown your ID at the gate. You were lucky that I have to board a flight to Texas in an hour or you'd have been behind bars."
"Kate is leaving I have to stop her", I said to him and moved to the counter, "Look lady please, please check the records and tell me which flight Kathleen Cornor is boarding."
She pushed some buttons on her keyboard, "I am afraid sir, the name cannot be found in records", she said, "No such person had boarded the plane today."
"What about the passenger that will be boarding flight today", I said hopefully.
"No sir", she replied.

"Damn", I punched the desk.
"Who told you she's leaving", David asked.
"Can you search the records for anyone named Juliet Gibson", I asked to the attendant, thinking Kate might have used her old name, "She met me yesterday and when I asked her to come meet us at the party she denied saying she is leaving DC today."
"No sir, no records found", the lady informed me.
"Did she say she was leaving by an airplane", David asked me.

I remembered hard and all that came to mind was that she only said she was leaving but she didn't say how, "Shit!", I cursed.
"Exactly", David said, "She is smarter than you think. She knew you would eventually try to stop her so she didn't tell you how she's leaving."
"Then why she told me she was leaving", I said to him.
"So that you won't wait for her to come back", David said, "You know Leon she always thinks ahead and that's makes it impossible to find her."
"I'll find her David", I said to him with firm determination, "I'll find her and make her stay with me, if it's the last thing I do."

(Kathleen's POV)

A sudden chilly wind blew my hair and I looked back, "Leon", the word just escaped my lips. I don't know why all of a sudden everything felt cold… very cold.
"Meow", cookie meowed and I looked down at her, she curled herself in my arms.
"Yeah its cold", I mumbled to her, "Sleep for now", I said putting her in a small basket and dragged my luggage to a couple of seats and asked the family to look out for the luggage just until I get myself a train ticket and maybe a hot cup of coffee.

After getting those I settled on one of the seats and looked at my ticket as I sipped my coffee. The ticket would take me very far away from DC, well not that far away just to California, where all my maternal property was. I think after spending nearly everything, I was left with one-tenth of Mum's property, which included a small cozy house in the outer part of the state. With the little of my Parents' insurance money that I managed to save, it wouldn't be much of a problem to get myself settled there and then all that is left for me is to find a job, which would be quite easy with my over-flowing talents. I smiled that such a silly thought.

But it was short lived as again, everything seemed lonely and quiet. I shook my head to get the gloomy thought out and looked around as I waited for my train to arrive at the platform. The station was full of people, some happy to receive their loved once; some crying as they bade goodbyes to their dear ones.

"I'll miss you sweetheart", a man said to his wife as they hugged and briefly kissed. Then he lifted his crying son and said comforting words to him and then trains' siren declared that it was about to leave and the couple kissed once again. And then the man get on the train and the door closed. The woman cried a bit and then walked out holding her son's hand.

"Don't you go anywhere till I come back!"
"I won't. Don't you forget me."
"Never"

I kept my hands on my ears to cut off the voices from my past and closed my eyes but the flashes of my past, every lovely moment I spent with him, everything that I wanted to forget came running back; his stupidity, his innocence, his confusion, him being dependent on me for some small things, his frustration and his love. I felt a terrible pain and tears made their way down my face.

"Are you okay?", the lady sitting by me asked.
"I am fine", I told her wiping my tears, "I broke up with my boyfriend", I lied.
"Don't worry you'll get better", she tried to console me and I fake smiled at her, "So you are heading for?"
"California", I replied.
"Your family stays there?", she asked warmly.
"No, its my hometown", I told her, "my parents died in an accident", I lied again. It was so easy to lie to others then, why is it so hard to lie to this heart? I talked to the lady for a bit and played with her kid and it took my mind off Leon.

Then the announcement for my train was made and I said goodbyes to them to get on the train. I found myself a seat and took a deep breath and said Goodbye to DC and Leon. I looked through the train's window as again people said goodbye to each other and oh how I wished to say goodbye to him personally, see him one last time as I am leaving him forever. The train whistled one last time asking the passengers to get abroad and maybe it was my imagination but I saw Leon.

(Leon's POV)

"I'll just check the ticket counter", Claire said and I nodded.
"You go that way, I am going there", John said and ran off in a direction and I ran in the said direction.

I was at my third train station asking for the girl I loved, the last two didn't have any clue about her leaving from there. I wasn't even sure that she was leaving by train, she could leave by bus or rent a car as well, but despite the odds my friends were helping me to search for her and I just hoped we find her before she leaves, "Excuse me, have you seen a girl brown hair, blue eyes; she has a cat with her", I asked a random guy and he shook his head and I moved on, asked a lady the same question.

"Maybe I have but I am not sure if she had blue eyes looked more like charcoal to me", the lady answered.
"She's the one", I said happily, "Where you saw her?"
"Well she was here then her train arrived, so she left", she replied and some train whistled, "That's her train leaving", she pointed behind me.
"Shit!", I cursed as I made a run towards the train as it gained up speed.

I ran fast and luckily, I saw her sitting at one of the window seats, "Kate!", I yelled and even though I was sure she didn't hear me, she looked out and our eyes met. I tried to run faster but my legs and lungs were failing me. She smiled sadly and waved me goodbye. I noticed a tear stream down her face as I lost the speeding train.

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.