A/N: Thanks for reading this story and supporting in the previous chapter hope you keep me company through the upcoming ones too. A lot more thanks to Lancelot-Albion, Mercenary Nemesis, Deep Shadowz and Shirahane Aikawa for giving me their feedback on this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any of its characters appearing in the story, they all belong to Capcom.

Chapter 21

(Leon's POV)

"Shit!", I cursed out loud firing bullets taking as many headshots as I can, I can't believe I keep getting myself in this mess again and again.
"Leon help!", Ashley yelled and I looked sideways she was crouched down cowering her frequent yells were distracting me.
"Take her out, I got you two covered", John said urgently.
"Okay", I replied taking my last head shot as John got me covered. I helped up Ashley.
"Leon I am scared", she said crying.
"No time for that", I replied without giving a thought what she said.
"Claire!", someone screamed and I looked back, I shouldn't have done that. I saw my best friend cornered by those hideous monsters.
"Ashley go hide", I only said, "I can't leave my friends", as I made a run towards Claire but someone reached there before me. It was Kate.

"What is she doing here?", I muttered to myself and doubled up to reach there because she not only saved Claire but also put herself in a dangerous place. Since I was focused on Claire and Kate I didn't see another zombie jumping over me and pinning me down, my gun skidded away from me and I saw from corners of my eyes that girls were out of bullets, "No, no, no. NOOOOOOO!"

I sat bolt right up on the bed panting, taking in that what I experienced just was another of my nightmares. I looked around the room was still dark and it took me a while before my eyes adjusted to the darkness as I reached for the jug full of water and emptied it in one go, I didn't even need a glass, I drank straight from the jug and from the corners of my eyes I noticed Kate was not by my side. I immediately put the jug down and turned my bedside lamp to confirm it and yeah, she wasn't there otherwise, she would have been scolding me for getting up like this. I got off the bed, Shadow wasn't there either.

"Shadow here boy", I called but he didn't come and I looked outside the bedroom, everything was so quiet, it was quite unnerving. I gulped, "Kate", I called out loud but no answer and then I heard something hitting the floor. I looked back and was relieved for not noticing the bathroom before. The light was escaping from the small space between the floor and door.

I moved towards it and pushed it open, "You're never gonna learn are you?", I heard Kate from the shower.
"It's not my fault the door is without a lock", I replied.
"But you could at least give me some privacy", she said pushing the shower curtains to one side stepping out.
"I need to get to White House at 7:00 am unlike you", I argued.
"So why are you standing get going", she said moving past me, "But you know what I must appreciate your timing I don't know how you do it but whenever I am in shower you have to barge in no matter what the time is, I mean I don't follow any kind of schedule", she said making the bed.

"Shadow wakes me up", I replied and she looked at me and evaluated me for a bit.
"You know I'll buy that", she said setting the pillows properly on the bed.
"Where is he?",I asked.
"He's out in the backyard", she replied, "I think he got bored being locked in that room and roof."
"Yeah", I just said watching her.

(Kate's POV)

I moved to Leon's side table to switch off his side table lamp when I noticed the empty jug and couldn't help but sigh, "Again?!", I asked looking at him and he just looked away, "Go get ready if you wanna report at 7:00", I said dropping the topic as I left the room. I couldn't help but wonder at times if he has nightmares every night and I really don't have any idea what could scare a man like him?

I went downstairs and let Shadow in so I could give him his breakfast after which I busied myself with the breakfast. By the time it was ready it was break of dawn. Shadow ran up the stairs to get Leon. That idiot very well knew he needed sleep yet he agreed to go to work. Well he got down we did breakfast together and his silence told me, whatever nightmare he had today was really bad 'cause he kept thinking about it over breakfast, sometimes he would just stop eating and only came back to senses whenever Shadow barked.

"You feeling okay", I asked Leon touching his head, everything seemed normal.
"I am fine", he kinda slapped my hand away but something told me he did that reluctantly. He tried to concentrate on breakfast and since it was not my habit to start an argument I didn't say anything and went upstairs, "I am going", Leon yelled after sometime from below.
"Wait", I yelled back and rushed out.

"You going to work?", Leon asked me.
"Yes, since I am up I might as well go to work otherwise I would be just bored here", I told him.
"Shouldn't you be taking rest", he kinda scolded me. I looked back at him, "We returned 1:00 in the morning."
"The man who gets back home at 3:00 in the morning and gets up 5:00 in the morning to report to work, should be the last person to say that you know", I said to him, "Plus you too are going to work, if you can do that why can't I?"

(Leon's POV)

I watched Kate opening the front door and getting out. I let out a sigh and followed her. We both got in the car and I drove towards the Agency to drop Kate off. I looked at her briefly and her face told me she needed rest, she was tired to hell, "I really think you should take off today", I said to her keeping my eyes on the road, "I know you want me to stay and take rest but…"
"I know", she said cutting in between, "I know they called you back and don't worry I am not going to work just because I got up early. I am not a workaholic like you, Greg called me this morning and wanted me to take care of a few things."
"I am not a workaholic", I muttered, I was a bit hurt hearing this from her from all the people.
"Yes you are even though you hate to work but you work like hell, so you are a workaholic", she said smiling.
"Working like hell does not make you workaholic", I argued looking at her as we stopped at the signal.

"Oh yeah so does waking up early so you can work late counts", Kate asked, "maybe that the fact the only vacation you take by yourself are the ones when you're force to stay in bed since you are beat up pretty bad. You forget your friends and parents anniversaries but you remember your one week schedule as if you have almost by-hearted that. It takes you 20 minutes to get to work when you have to drop me and it takes you 30 minutes back from it when you are driving alone on almost deserted streets. You are a workaholic", she said glaring at me.

Before I could answer, my phone rang and it was Hunnigan, "I am on my way Hunnigan", I told her.

"Good, you might reach here at time after all", she said and disconnected. I looked at Kate she was again staring out, there was no point getting back to the discussion that was heading towards an argument so I kept quiet and she didn't say anything but I never like this silence that was between us, it always pulled us apart and we didn't need that we needed to move closer but we were stuck and didn't know where we had to go it was like hitting a dead end, the relationship we shared was stuck like us too. I just hope we could find a way before it's too late or maybe it's already too late.

(Kate's POV)

Leon stopped the car in front of the Agency and I got out and I don't know what made me but I said, "I know it's kinda impossible for you but try to get home early, you need rest."
"I'll try", he replied nodding and I smiled and he smiled too.
"Now get going before you get late", I said to him and he drove off and I turned to get inside the Agency's building.

"Cornor", somebody called and I turned around it was Saunders, "Good Morning."
"Good Morning", I said to him as dryly as I could.
"Your boyfriend dropped you to work?", he queried.
"My personal life is none of your business", I said to him.
"You do know I am your superior", Saunders reminded me.
"Yeah, sorry about that", I had to apologize since he could pull me off the job.

"Hey Saunders", somebody yelled and it was John, "Morning Kate."
"Good morning John", I wished him too.
"I didn't know you and Andrews were on first name terms", Saunders asked.
"Of course, we are", John said swinging an arm around my shoulders, "She's is my best buddy."
Saunders looked at me and I nodded, I mean he was my friend, "I didn't know", he said gritting his teeth for some reason.

"How come you're early John?", I asked him.
"Rachel is visiting her parents", he said casually and I glared at him, "What you can't sleep when she snores", he grinned stupidly because we both know he didn't mean that.

The three of us got in the elevator and John kept me company otherwise there was no way I was to share elevator with Saunders, he was a sick jerk. Leon hated him but John said he was the perfect victim for his pranks and if by any chance John and Leon encounter Saunders together then god help Saunders but it never happened I guess otherwise Saunders won't be able to show his face to anybody.

Saunders walked to his cabin while John and I walked towards our desks, "Now Leon would have to treat me", John muttered under his breath sighing.
"What do you mean?", I asked him.
"Well I saved you from Saunders", he said.
"Yeah thanks a lot", I thanked him, guess Saunders image is really out in public then again John knows something before any of us know.
"Do you know when Saunders was appointed your supervisor when old man Mikhail retired Leon was almost mad that he wanted to kill Saunders", John told me.
"You're joking right?", I asked him.
"No really", John said, "He really cares a lot about you."
"I know", I said to him and just then Saunders called me and I walked to his cabin.

"Mind telling me Cornor, how you know John Andrews", he asked me.
"I know him through my Dad", I told him and he gritted his teeth more, "Take this file, it's your new mission you have to escort senator's wife while she shops, no other agents involved", he literally threw the file at me as if he wanted to hit me. I took the file and left his cabin and then took the taxi to meet up with the woman whom I had to protect.

(Leon's POV)

I knocked at the door that lead to President's office and his secretary opened the door and let me in, "You called for me Sir", I said softly stepping in his office.
"Come in Kennedy, take a seat please", he said to me and I made myself comfortable.
"Thank you sir", I said politely.
"Well the BSAA Chief sent me this file and I want you to take a look at this", the President said shoving a file towards me and I had a look at it. It was a report about an illegal Research Facility that has been discovered the BSAA probably by Redfields.
"I want you to take a look at this facility", the President said to me, "That too tonight Agent."
"Yes sir", I said determined.
"Good also as always you would be taking a Hacker along with you, I have asked Mr. Trapp to assign this mission to the topmost Hacker", the President said, "The name of the Hacker is…", he tried to search for the name but I didn't need to know that.
"She's not going", I kinda snapped still studying the case.
"Who?", the President asked still searching for the name.
"The Hacker you spoke of, she's a woman and I don't need her on this mission", I said to him.
"You know her?", the President said, "That saves me the trouble of finding that name."
"Sir I request you not to send her please", I said meaning every word of it.

"Kennedy I don't know why are you saying this but get one thing straight she's going, there might be important data there and she is the one who can get everything out before things get worse for you, plus she's also trained in combat, I think she can help out here", he said not budging from his decision, "Now you can leave Kennedy, just to be sure I'll ask Mr. Trapp to inform her."

(Kate's POV)

I paid my fare to the taxi driver and moved towards the home. Escorting someone was really tiring since you have to be friendly with them and do whatever they want, its like being their personal assistant. Unfortunately the lady I escorted today was real headache, since she shopped anything and everything, and I had to carry her shopping bags. I don't know what she was shopping for but by the looks of it I don't think she needs to shop until next year.

I unlocked the door and headed straight forward to shower and showered till my satisfaction. Then I went downstairs and looked in the refrigerator to decide what to make for tonight's dinner and then spent a whole hour on that, had my dinner watching TV and then watched more TV, called Leon's parents since I haven't talked to them for a while.

"Leon isn't home?", his mother asked.
"Yeah he's working late", I told her although I had asked him to show up early but he didn't heed me again I guess.
"If you weren't there my child I would have been really worried about Leon", she said and our talk continued a while after which I put the leftovers for Leon and did the dishes and then filled Shadow's bowl.

"He's gonna kill his dog", I muttered to myself, "I'll see if I can bring him home with me", with this last thought I walked up to the kitchen drawer. I opened it and took out notepad and wrote a note to Leon and stuck it on the Refrigerator with a tape which said, 'Dinner is in the red bowl, 3 minutes in microwave should be enough to heat it. Wake me up if you need help!'

Completing my last responsibility I headed upstairs, I should sleep if I wanted to get to work sharp at 8:00 am since Leon would get up early if he had to work and on weekends if he ever got off he slept till noon, sometimes until evening. I never disturbed his sleep because it was clear to me after five years of marriage that he has trouble getting sleep.

I changed into my sleeping clothes and sat on the bed and tried to get sleep by reading a novel, although it was only 500 page novel but I had been reading it for months, since I never got enough time to read it, sometimes I had to back track just so the story can make any sense to me, 'just like my marriage', I thought sighing and when I had read a half page or so, I heard Leon's car, I listened to it making sure I wasn't making any mistake.

Then I heard the front door open and Shadow's bark, "He's early", I muttered looking at the time, it was only 11:20 now maybe he did listen to me. I got out of the bed and headed downstairs thinking since I was awake I should help Leon if I wanted to make sure that our house didn't catch fire.

I descended the steps and walked in the kitchen, as expected Shadow was having his meal and Leon was drinking directly from the bottle. He looked at me and capped up the bottle and kept it back in Refrigerator and took out the White pot, "That's the meat I got for Shadow", I said to him.
"Now how the hell am I supposed to know", he said a bit frustrated keeping back the pot.
"It says here that the dinner's in Red serving Bowl", I said to him and closing the refrigerator door to make him see the note but like last time there was no note.
"Where?", Leon asked which didn't give me any time to think about it.
"I stuck a note here like everyday", I said in tone which was both confused and stern.
"Well there was no note today", Leon said shrugging making fun of me.
"You threw it right", I said checking the dustbin but it was empty since I had already taken out the trash, so that the trash collecting truck could take it in the morning.
"When I didn't find it, how in the world I could throw it", Leon replied and I looked suspiciously at him but I didn't argue any more.

(Leon's POV)

Kate didn't say a word after that and angrily opened the Refrigerator door. She took out the Red Bowl, took the lid off and put it in the microwave, setting a 3 minutes timer, "Get it when it beeps… ", she said furiously pointing at the microwave.
"Okay", I said coolly, relaxed.

Kate walked out of the kitchen angrily while I just smiled, I loved to annoy her, that way she looked livelier. Of course there are other ways to get a woman to get livelier but all the ways end up with either making her cry or leading to an argument like just now. It was better to make her angry then to make her cry. The microwave beeped and I moved to get what was maybe my last dinner.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. I apologize for any inconvenience due to any mistakes in the text.