A/N: Thanks for reading my story and special credits to Mercenary Nemesis and Shirahane Aikawa for their reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of its characters appearing in this story. They are property of Capcom.

Chapter 9

(Kate's POV)

I turned on the shower and let the water wet my body completely and then I applied body soap over my body and just then the bathroom door opened and I jumped in surprise at that, "Why don't you knock before coming in?", I yelled at Leon, I don't know how he does it but he steps in precisely when I am in the shower, it doesn't matter if I straight away head for shower or after a crap load of work, he interrupts whenever I am in the bath or Shower.

"It's a bathroom and not your room", he said in an obvious tone.
"Yeah that's why I need some privacy when I am having a shower or at least I don't want to be startled that someone is here to see me naked", I said to him.
"Maybe it's what many want but believe me I am not interested in that", he said maybe brushing his teeth, "And if you like your privacy so much why don't you lock the door."
"Because it doesn't have one", I snapped at him getting my home clothes on.
"Oh really", he said and a creak of door told me that he was checking it, "Wow I never knew."

"What do you mean you never knew, don't you lock the door when you do your thing", I said irritated getting out of the shower.
"No, is it necessary", he said smiling idiotically and I know he said it just to irritate me even more.
"It's useless to argue with you", I walked out of the bathroom.
"Then why do you seem to do it very often", he yelled after me and I didn't reply, it was the best way to cut any arguments because if you don't say anything to other person and he kept saying things then its not much of an argument, is it?

As expected Leon didn't say anything further and I descended down the steps, prepared breakfast, gave Shadow his meal and by the time Leon got down to do breakfast, we did breakfast together without talking too much and he was busy with his PDA and almost suddenly he slapped his head cursing under his breath and got my attention.

(Leon's POV)

"Don't tell me", I couldn't help but yell out loud and I heard soft sounds of soft laughter and looked at Kate who was trying to suppress her laughter. I gave her an angry look and she concentrated on breakfast but I know she is laughing inwardly. I resumed reading through my schedule and the more I read it the more my head hurt, "Do we have aspirins?", I asked putting aside my PDA.

"Why?", Kate asked trying to pull up a straight face.
"Because I am gonna need that, lots of it", I told her, although toasts and omelets are one of my favorites but I was in a foul mood now.
"Have you decided to kill yourself finally", she asked raising a brow.
"No, Ashley has", I kinda snapped.
"Okay", she said trying not to laugh at me.
"Its not funny", I said to her standing up.
"Who said it was", she said innocently, "Sit down and finish your breakfast."
"I don't wanna eat", I said to her.

"Okay", she said, "Shadow here boy", she yelled and Shadow came running from kitchen wagging its tail and sat in front of her. I watched her roll my omelet and she was about to give it to Shadow.
"Hey stop! I haven't finished yet", I said sitting down pulling my plate but Shadow sort of snatched my omelet from Kate's hand.
"Oops", she said and I gave her and Shadow a frustrated look.
"You gave my omelet to Shadow?", I questioned surprised by the fact, usually she ate it herself or dumped it in the dustbin.
"Well, you were the one who didn't want it and Shadow was really eyeing it when I was making it for you but since he had already had breakfast so I didn't gave him but it's better to give it him than to waste it", she said getting up and Shadow barked in agreement and she took my plate away, "Its Shadow's walk time."

Kate walked in the kitchen and I banged my head on the table frustrated, that now I had to tolerate Ashley with an empty stomach. I stayed there for sometime because I was hungry, so much hungry I smelled fresh omelets. Shadow whined, "Yeah, yeah I know it's your walk time", I said sitting up straight and maybe I am dreaming but I was seeing a plate of omelets in front of me but I realized I wasn't as Shadow hoisted himself up to get the omelet, "That's mine", I said to him pulling the plate to me.

I did my breakfast and it really felt good. After putting plates in the sink I took Shadow for a stroll and when we got back I found Kate waiting for us near the car in her work clothes. White shirt, denim colored skin tight jeans and high heeled boots reaching almost up to her knees, she had her shoulder holster on with guns hanging from either side. The top two buttons of her shirt was open and her hair up in a pony tail, she looked killing in this outfit both in looks and professionally.

When she saw us she gave up relaxing leaning over my car and stood straight as Shadow made a run for her. She bent to pet him while I walked to them and unlocked the car for them. Kate held the back seat door open and Shadow jumped in the car. She got in the side seat and I started the car to drive to work.

I always dropped her to work no matter what, it was a habit. It doesn't matter if I had to report to the other part of the city, I would always, I mean always drop her to work and she took Taxi home or mostly John or sometimes Claire dropped her home. The whole drive was silent like always, it was not like I didn't want to talk or she didn't want to talk but it was more like we didn't know what type of conversation won't lead to arguments because one thing was common between us that we didn't like to argue much even though, there wasn't a day we didn't argue.

"We're here", I said to her stopping the car at front of Agency. And she released her seat belt and opened her side door.
"Oh almost forgot", she said opening her handbag, "We have Aspirins", she gave me a whole strip of the medicine, "Have fun with Ashley", she said and got out before I could quip back to it. I kept the meds in my pocket and drove to white house from where I had to take Ashley first for her music lesson at which she sucked totally, then I had to take her for shopping, where after spending hours and roaming in each and every shop she would buy something that would look worse than house draperies and then finally I had to escort her to her friend's birthday party, where a bunch of women would try to hit on me. I'll consider as an achievement if I didn't dropped on my doorstep after reaching home.

(Leon's POV)

'I am taking an off tomorrow', I thought opening the house door closing it once Shadow was in, 'Like I really would', I thought again as I watched Shadow run up the stairs. I was hungry but I was tired more, so I will just take a shower and go straight to sleep. I opened the bedroom door and to my surprise Kate wasn't there, 'Maybe she's in the bathroom', I thought but it didn't look like it so I pushed the bathroom door open and there was no one.

I again descended down the steps and checked for any notes in the kitchen but there was none, I turned on my answering machine and there was just a message from Mum asking for our well being and nothing more, 'Where'd she go?', I thought taking out my phone checking if she texted me but there was nothing. I called her not only once, but twice and a couple of more times; her number seemed dead. At last I had to call Claire and she didn't pick up at first and I had to call her again.

"Hello?", she said.
"Its Leon", I said.
"Yeah Leon, its 2:00 in the morning", she said groggily.
"Is Kate at your place?", I asked her.
"No", she replied.
"Okay, thanks. Sorry for disturbing", I said and without waiting for her reply I disconnected and called John.

"Hello", his girlfriend picked up the call.
"Rachel, its Leon. Is John awake", I said to her.
"No, but wait", she said and then I heard some noises, groaning, "He's asking what happened?"
"Ask him, did Kate stayed back at work?", I asked her.
"Yeah wait a minute", and then I heard some more noises, groaning, Rachel's voice asking something and John replying, "John's saying she didn't came today."
"That's impossible I dropped her, wake him up and ask him once more", I said to her and there was some more noises.

"It's John", John said yawning.
"Where's Kate?", I asked him straight.
"I don't know, I haven't seen her at work", he said casually, "Is everything's alright?"
"She haven't come back home yet and I dropped her at work myself, like every other day", I told him speaking fast..
"Do you want me to come over we can search for her together", John said and I heard ruffling.
"No, I'll manage on my own; you two don't worry and I am sorry for calling this late", I said to him.
"No problem buddy, I know I get worried too", John said and with that I disconnected and thought of calling her family, thinking maybe she went there but it would be the last thing she would do. She hated to visit there after we got married especially when her old man was on vacation. She only went there to visit her loving step-mother and younger sisters, "Maybe she went to see them", I was thinking fast, her step mom and twin sisters always made her late, '… but she'd leave a not in that case', the moment the thought sunk in, I had no idea where she could have been and the only option was to call her home and hoping that she or her sisters pick up but its 2:00 in the morning they must be sleeping.

"Damn Kate", I thought and dialed her number again and heard stupid recorded message again, 'What should I do?', I thought sitting down on the stairs, then it struck me that David might know about her, at least he can give me a solid proof if Kate came to work or not, if not then I can assume that something is not right. I immediately called David.

"Yes Leon, is everything alright", he said picking up the phone.
"Did Kate came to work today?", I went straight to business.
"Yeah she did, didn't you drop her yourself, she said you did as always", David replied yawning.
"Yeah, I dropped her but I called John and he said that she didn't come to work today", I said explaining everything.
"Well she left for a mission before he arrived, so he doesn't know", David replied clearing it out.
"Where did you sent her? She… she hasn't returned yet", I asked him as I felt a lump in my throat.
"What?", David yelled over the phone, "When she didn't report back I thought she went home to study the other mission which needed her to go out of DC, since the mission was small time I asked her to submit report after she gets back from the other mission…", he was saying.
"David, I need to know where did you send her?", I said standing up, something was wrong and I hoped it not to be that way.
"Yeah let me check the records", David said and just then my house's front door opened and Kate stepped in and Shadow ran to her.
"No need David she's here. I'll… I'll call you later", I said looking at her.
"Okay, Good night", he said and without waiting a moment further I disconnected.

(Kate's POV)

"Where were you?", Leon asked me and he was a bit angry, "Why didn't you tell me, at least you should have told where were you to base. The last thing I want after a whole day of jibber jabber is when I return home my wife is missing, do you even have any idea how worried I was, thinking that something had happened to you", his last sentence left me speechless, he not only addressed me as his wife, he said he was worried for me, I don't know why it felt really nice when it came from him, "Why in the hell were you not picking up your phone, if you were in trouble you should have called for back up, forget about the back-up you should've…", he stopped abruptly.

"Should've… what?", I asked him, I so wanted to hear the end of his lecture. Usually I lecture him and he listens but this was the first time we changed roles.
"Why didn't you inform me?", he asked sighing.
"My phone broke", I told him but I was still hoping to get the answer.
"Could have used a payphone", he said to me.
"Well in the mission there was this other female agent and she got hurt during a small fight…", I began my explanation.
"How much hurt exactly", he asked suspiciously.
"She nearly died", I told him crossing my arms but then what came after that made me think I was dreaming all this.
"Are you hurt?", he asked me stepping close.

"No", I replied doubting that it wasn't Leon, "but the other Agent was and since there was no hospital nearby and also because it was not a very civilized area, it took me a lot of time to get her to hospital and then formalities calling her family didn't gave me time to contact base and I didn't even know it was evening. I was returning home when I saw one of my old friend admitted in the hospital, she was supposed to have a baby and her husband had gone to get something and she needed company, so I waited till her husband came."

(Leon's POV)

"What moron leaves their wife when she is pregnant?", I couldn't help but say a bit irritated.
"He came after 10 minutes", Kate said, "He was only gone to have water for her."
"So what in the hell you wanted to wait for her 100th husband", I said frustrated.
"Can't I spent my time with my friend?", she asked back.
"You can as long as you inform me. I was worried to hell", I yelled, "Thinking something bad has happened to you."

'Shit', I cursed realizing what have I just said. It was unbelievable for me too.
"What did you say?", Kate asked walking closer to me.
"I said you should have informed me", I said making a cold reply.
"Why?", she asked looking deep in my eyes, those oceans piercing me with that serious gaze, "You were worried… that… that I haven't returned home?"
I didn't want to answer that question something was stopping me so all that I came up with was, "Let's just get some sleep… I am tired", I turned and began ascending the stairs without looking back at her and she followed me after I had reach half way up the stairs.

(Kate's POV)

After so many years I felt like smiling, smiling with all my heart. This stupid feeling in my chest was making me feel uneasy as well as happy at the same time; it was something I haven't experienced before. Leon opened the bedroom door and got in and began getting his clothes from the wardrobe and I had to wait since there was only one bathroom excluding the ones in the guest's rooms' and since it was locked for a while now, so it must need some cleaning for being usable. The door opened and Leon emerged, and I stood up and made my way to the bathroom as he made his way towards the bed. I haven't told him that I'll be leaving for a mission tomorrow, although he didn't quite react to them but something tells me that every time I tell him, he doesn't takes it very well either. Oh well the news have to wait till tomorrow morning.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for any inconvenience you had whilst reading.