A/N: I'd like to thank all of my reader and especially Shirahane Aikawa, Lancelot-Albion and Mercenary Nemesis for taking out time to leave their reviews.

Note: Italicized part is flashback.

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

Chapter 22

(Kate's POV)

I was disturbed in the middle of my sleep and I opened my eyes to find it was still dark. I felt really weird, really uncomfortable so I turned to face towards Leon but he was not there, "two times in a row", I muttered to myself and turned on the bed side lamp and looked at the time it was 3:00 in the morning and felt more uneasy, suffocated and even more restless. I literally rushed to the stairs and caught Leon as he was about to step out of the front door, "Where are you going?", I asked him standing at the upper landing of the stairs.

He froze at the spot, "Work", Leon replied without looking at me then again began to step out.
My heart beat raised knowing he was hiding something, he never looked me in the eye whenever he lied, "Where are you going?", I asked again.
"Ashley called, she needs me", he replied again without looking at me.
"Don't lie to me", I kinda snapped as I descended down the steps, "Tell me where you're going at this late hour that you didn't even want me to know?"
"Look it's none of your business okay", he yelled turning to look at me.

(Leon's POV)

"It is my business", Kate yelled back, "Are you having an affair?", she asked staring piercingly at me.
"No", I replied calming down looking away.
"Then tell me where are you going?", she asked again.
"I can't tell you!", I replied turning back. I wasn't even sure if I would be returning and if she knew that she would stubbornly ask to tag along and I cannot let it happen, "I have to go I am getting late", I said and she didn't stop me this time.

I drove my car to the Agency's airbase, David was already waiting there with Hunnigan, "Late as always Kennedy?", Hunnigan said smiling.
"Habits die hard Hunnigan", I quipped back.
"Here's your briefing file take a look at it while we make necessary preparations", David said and I did what I was told and spent some 45 minutes reading the details of the scenario; a Research Facility, situated away from civilization in the wilderness, was found to be involved in BOW related experimentation 2 days ago after intelligence reports from BSAA confirmed the virus spill. I closed my eyes and took my time calming down my fast beating heart asking it not to give up on me.

"Leon you ready? Everything's ready", David said to me.
"Yeah I am", I said getting up and followed him, I saw the chopper from a distance.
"The pilot will drop you off at the facility, get the data and any sample of the viral strain you can get your hands on as quickly as you can, you know the consequences
once if you make any mistakes; there is no room to make mistakes Leon", David said seriously.
"I know", I looked ahead and saw Hunnigan standing by the chopper but she was not alone, Kate was with her, "Why she's here?", I asked David.
"The President gave the orders that he wanted her to be assigned to this mission, I thought you'd have told her but when you showed up alone I figured you haven't. So, I called her", David answered, "You cannot hack the systems and we can't waste time trying to access the computers from here."
"Why her? You do know I hate being with her on any mission", I asked.
"It's simple she's the fastest hacker that can fight", David replied, "Two important assets required for this mission."

I didn't say anything since we got close to the chopper and the ladies. Hunnigan wished me luck and Kate seemed uninterested and angry. She didn't waste any time and climbed up on the chopper, "Leon has the briefing file", David said to Kate and she just nodded and the chopper rose up in the sky. Both Kate and I didn't talk to each other for a while then she broke the silence.

"I need to see the briefing file", she said asking me for the file.
"I left it where I was reading it besides I know what's in it and what needs to be done", I said monotonously.
"Great!", she implied sarcastically and didn't talk again.

In an hour or so we were above the facility, "Take us here", I said to the pilot showing a digital map of the area.
"On it", he replied and steadied the chopper so we could get off it. Kate held the rope but I took it from her.
"I'll go first", I said and jumped down and she followed, "I'll go ahead, you stay behind me and keep an eye for any trouble from behind."

(Kate's POV)

"I'll walk ahead", I disagreed with him walking past him. I was really mad at him for not telling me anything about this mission.
"Stay back", he pulled me by my arm and I looked at him, it hardly showed on his face but his eyes told me he was concerned and I just nodded jerking his hand off me, "Just stay back and don't act on your own."
"You're not the boss here", I said to him.
"But you'll still listen to me", he said and then muttered something which I quite didn't hear. We didn't talk anymore since we were on a mission and besides we never talk too much if we are not pretending to be husband and wife. But this place kinda gave me a Déjà vu feeling so I had to break the silence again.

"What is this place? I think I have seen something like this before", I said to no one in particular but hoped Leon would answer me but he didn't and then I had to ask him, "Where are we?"
"It's a Research facility", he told me.
"Research facility?", I repeated, "I've been to at least 6 research facilities with you. What exactly Agency wants from these facilities?", and just then the smell that was faint in the beginning got really strong, "What's that awful smell", I covered my nose.
"Must be chemicals", Leon replied monotonously, "It's a Research Facility."
"Smells more like blood and rotten flesh", I coughed a bit, "I think…"
"No time to think, just get hacking this electronic lock", Leon said cutting in between and pointing towards the mentioned lock.

It took me a few minutes to hack the lock and I couldn't be more surprised to see the deserted security surveillance room. I don't know if Leon plans it or is it coincidental that we always first head for security room where Leon would ask me to access the undamaged video cameras or recorded tapes.

Leon pulled me inside and closed the door, "Easy what's the rush", I said since he pulled me really roughly.
"Check for undamaged videos or tapes", he said and I moved to the control panel.
It took me a while to connect my computer to the server of this area and I had access to everything, "Done", I told Leon and he moved to my side and looked carefully at the monitors, "I can't clarify the image, I think the receiver or transmitter is broken."
"No need there's nothing there", he said backing away, "Can you access the research data from here?"
"Of course", I said and with a hit of the button all the research data was available to me, "here."
"Download it quick", Leon said hurriedly, he always seemed in a hurry when we were at some place like this.
"Half of it is already done", I told him and then from the corner of my eyes I saw something moving on one of the monitors and I turned to look at it fully and barely missed the glimpse of a woman's silhouette.

(Leon's POV)

"What happened?", I asked Kate cause she was staring at the monitor.
"There's a woman here", she pointed to one of the monitors.
"Impossible", I said doubting that it was a woman which she saw.
"Let's have a look then", she said tried to walk by me but I stopped her.
"You stay here", I said to her, "I'll go and check."
"The downloading is almost done I can go with you, maybe that woman needs help", Kate said meaningfully.
"No, you stay here! I'll just go and check besides I want you to find out about the research sample, its somewhere in the facility we need to get it. You try to find something about that meanwhile I'll go and check."

(Kate's POV)

"Okay", I said but didn't buy his reason, the moment I find there is nothing like the sample I'll head after Leon.
He walked to the door and then said without looking at me, "Promise me one thing", he spoke really softly.
"What?", I asked a bit confused.
"Whatever you do, you won't follow me", he turned to look at me, "And if I don't come back in next 15 minutes you're gonna call the chopper, go back and report me dead."
"What! Are you mad?!", I couldn't help but scream at him.
"Promise me you won't leave this room to look for me and you'll leave if I won't return in next 15 minutes", he repeated the same thing.
"I won't", I said to him.
"Please", he literally begged and I couldn't answer him. I didn't want to say Yes nor I had the heart to say no to him, "Thank you!", he said and left the room.

I stared at the door for a minute and then turned to the data and tried to find what Leon asked me too, "The Sample", I muttered. I thought he was joking but it was really there, I quickly searched for its location and what do you know, it was safely locked in the vault of the security room, 'Who would have thought it to be here', I thought.

But the problem was that there was no such vault here in this security room. I re-checked the info simultaneously checking if the facility has more than one security rooms but it had only one, although it had small officer's check posts scattered in the area but they were not large enough to hold a vault. I just looked around taking the vault to be a mini vault but there no such thing. Just as I was thinking all this my gaze rested on a part of the wall, it seemed a bit suspicious.

I examined it closely the paint on the wall appeared newer than the paint on other walls. I tapped the wall and yeah it sounded as if it was hollow. I looked around and there was a metal chair and I lifted it up and banged it against the wall and the plaster came off revealing a electronically locked mini vault. It took me a little time to get the code and then the sample, "Come in Leon, this is Kate", I spoke in the headset.

"Leon here", he replied.
"I got the sample", I told him.
"I told you not to leave…", he said hurriedly.
"I didn't leave the room, it was here only", I said cutting in between.
He sighed, "I am coming back nothing's here", he said and I moved to the monitors to have a look at him. He was in the room where I saw some woman.

As he walked out of the room I sensed something and quickly ducked to avoid an attack and tried a low spin kick which the enemy avoided by jumping up and away from me but tried to grab her foot but failed, "You're fast", the woman in red purred as I stood up.

"I'd like to the say the same to you, but I don't lie", I said and we both withdrew our guns and pointed at each other. The woman looked near about Leon's age, Asian by ethnicity but her eyes told me she was up to no good.
"Give me the sample sugar", she again purred.
"Like I would", I said breaking a small laugh.
"I am here to have that", she said.
"Over my dead body", I said to her.

(Leon's POV)

"Really bold statement", I heard the cold voice from outside the room and immediately recognized it as Ada's. I rushed to open the door and saw what I didn't want to see. Both the women were holding each other at gun point, "Ah… you're here too I see", Ada said smiling foxily at me; "it's been months. I thought you worked alone."
"You thought wrong", Kate said to Ada.
"Yeah I did", Ada said to her, "I'll give you one chance to give me the sample. You see I don't like shooting people, so give me the sample in exchange for your life."
"If you want the sample have it over my dead body, I am not afraid to die", Kate said to her.

"Ah Leon tell her, how serious I am", Ada said to me.
"You know her?", Kate asked me not taking her eyes off Ada.
"Of course he knows me", Ada replied instead of me, "Can't you see how happy he is to see me. Aren't you Leon?"
"What are you doing here?", I asked her.
"Getting the sample what else", she said casually, "So ask her to give it to me", she said coldly.

(Kate's POV)

"Give her the sample", Leon said to me.
"What?!", I couldn't believe him, "We're two, she's one."
"Just give her the sample, Kate", Leon repeated, "She's not kidding she'll really shoot you."
"Whose side are you, huh?", I asked him.
"Look it's about your damn life I am talking about", he yelled frustrated, "One bullet and you're gone."
"Isn't that what you want", I stated that on a personal basis, "You won't even have to bear with the guilt that you didn't try to save me."
"I never wanted that", he yelled and then there was a gunshot which Leon took it for me.

I fired at the bitch in the red dress and she jumped through the window to get away. I looked at Leon he was clutching his arm luckily the bullet went past his arm and the wound wasn't that bad, "You okay?", I asked as he stood up and he seemed a bit distracted.
"C'mon get up fast", he pulled me up by his good hand, "We've to run, you take the lead."
"You're hurt, let me look at the wound", I said to him. He did ask me to lead the way but he was one pulling me out.
"No time, this place is probably gonna blow up", he said to me.

"What?!", I said surprised.
"Just keep your eyes open and lead", he said pushing me ahead while he looked back, there was something he wasn't telling me and I didn't ask him either. I contacted the chopper and told the pilot to the get to the rendezvous point and then I heard a roaring sound, an animal roaring. I can't make out what animal but it was definitely something not pleasant. It roared again, this time loudly and I realized that no animal in the earth could make that sound.

I turned to see what was making that sound because it seemed to be following us, "What was that?", I said as I turned to look back.

"Nothing, just run", Leon totally blocked my view and forcefully made me face forwards and asked me to run faster. Whatever it was it roared louder, "Shit!", Leon cursed and grabbed my hand tightly in his, "Don't look back", he warned me, "concentrate on running faster", I looked at him. I have seen this face before, late at nights when he's woken up by his nightmares. I never knew what those nightmares were about and he never told me even when I mentioned it to his friends thinking maybe out of embarrassment he would tell me but it never happened, "Don't look back", he repeated again as I again tried to look back.
"Okay, okay", I said agreeing with him deciding it was the last thing I wanna know right now, since it was really irritating whenever Leon warned me not to look back.

(Leon's POV)

I looked up and saw the chopper waiting for us, all my effort was in trying to run away from the following monster. Every time it was like living a nightmare, the monster roared again as if agreeing with my thought. We literally skidded to halt and I lifted Kate by waist and helped her in the chopper, "get in quickly", I said to her and then jumped after her yelling to the pilot, "Up, up fast."
"Going up", he replied as the chopper soared up in the sky.

I lied on my back all that fast running was getting on to me as my lungs and legs hurt like hell but I sighed out of relief closing my eyes avoiding Kate's inquisitive and confused gaze. I know she needed those I answers which I wasn't ready to give. I wanted to tell her. It wasn't like she wouldn't believe me or anything but knowing all would definitely put her in more danger and I don't even want my enemies to experience something like this, then she's just my wife. I know she'll get mad at me for not telling her but its for her own good, if she had been in my place I think she would have done the same. Plus its not like that she won't get mad at me if I tell her, she gets mad at me for no reason, that's why she's 'The Kathleen Cornor', my wife.

I opened my eyes and saw her staring out of the chopper and I couldn't help but smile as I sat up. She turned to look at me as and I could feel her mentally asking me, 'What was all that, back down there?' But like I said I am not willing to give her any explanations, so I just behaved as if I picked up nothing and looked away.

And what do you know she's next to me a moment later, grabbing my arm and I looked at her and could make out she was furious, "Do you have a first aid kit", she asked the pilot.
"It should be there at the back", he replied.

Kate got up to find that and then literally dropped it hard by my side as she wanted to hit me but she was holding herself back. She cleaned the dried off blood with a piece of cotton giving me death glares every now and then but I was enjoying that, she looked beautiful when she was furious. She threw the piece of that cotton and then put some anti-septic on another piece. And just out of curiosity what her reaction would be I fake screamed and she looked at me concerned and I just shook my head saying it was nothing and she got back shaking her head in disbelief but there was something on her face that wasn't on her face before, a really faint yet a beautiful smile which made me smile too.

The one thing I liked, okay almost loved about Kate was her beautiful smile, the one that would make anyone fall in love but I haven't seen that for past five years. I only saw it when I saw her for the very first time. It was our first mission together, my and her first ever Mission as US Agents.

"As an Agent this would be your first ever mission, it's not very challenging but it's not too easy either", David said to me, at that time he was just a senior Agent like Kate's Dad, "Another Agent will be coming along with you."
"A senior Agent?", I asked out of formality.
"A rookie", he told me, "A female rookie", he smiled.
"I am good with women", I smiled too as we pushed the door to get in the office to see that time Agency's Chief. The first thing I saw was my Mentor there in the cabin and couldn't help but think maybe David joked about the female Rookie.
"Leon!", my mentor i.e. Kate's dad said happily seeing me, "Paul, I give in writing that this guy is gonna be the best Agent in next 3 years", he said to the Chief.
"I thought you'll be talking about your daughter", the Chief said.
"Well she'll be following him closely behind", David answered on his behalf smiling.

Just then there was a knock and the chief asked whoever on the door to get in, "Here's the coffee you wanted", Kate entered with a tray having five coffee cups, her Dad picked two cups and gave one of them to Chief, "I saw Mr. Trapp", she moved to David and offered him coffee, "…and…", she moved to me offering coffee.
"Leon S. Kennedy", I introduced myself.
"Mr. Kennedy getting in so I got coffee for them as well", she said smiling at me.
"The Coffee is great", the chief said as she took a cup for herself and said Thank You, "Now let's discuss the mission shall we?"
"Okay", we all said together.
"So first of all Leon this is Kathleen, Kathleen this is Leon", the Chief said and we both shook hands smiling, "Now since we're done with the introductions, let's actually move to the Mission. If you look at it it's a simple mission but basically a tough one to pull off."

The flashes from the past stopped as the chopper made it to the ground and David ran along with Rebecca to check on us, "Let me check you for…", Rebecca was saying.
"I am fine I guess", I told her shaking my head slightly in a 'No'.
"Okay", she said confused, "But I need to check your bullet wound you get me."
"Yeah", I said to her.

(Kate's POV)

Rebecca moved towards me from Leon to check for any sort of injuries, "None", I replied.
"Give her the sample", Leon said to me and I did what I was told.
"You managed to get the sample, that's great", Rebecca said happily, "But I have to check on you, anyway", she said to me, "Well all looks well, no cuts or any sort of opening for the foreign body although…"
"… for preventive measures, she has to follow the standard procedures", Leon said cutting in between and both Rebecca and I looked at him, "Know this dialogue like the back of my hand."

I rolled my eyes and headed to carry out the first standard procedure i.e. to have a bath from disinfectant water so that if I carried any infections accidentally, I may lose them. I turned on the shower and stepped under it, the water was really chilly as if it was coming from the refrigerator. I took the disinfectant soap and rubbed it over my body and couldn't think about my missions with Leon.

The strange thing that bothered me was that Leon had a habit of saying this whenever we returned from a mission regarding any research facility. He always acted in the same manner. At first he would strongly oppose of me going with him to any such missions whereas other missions don't quite bother him. Then when the authorities won't approve of it and I go with him, he acts all bossy asking me to stay behind him. Then the first place we'd go would be the security room where he would ask me to get the old tapes and any sort of recording I could get my hands on and then I would download the system data and then he would ask me to lock all the door that can be locked electronically from the security room and then we'll head back to the rendezvous point and fly back.

The last mission was the only exception, maybe it was because that woman showed up. Leon knew her, she knew him too. I wrapped my arms around my body and closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to relax myself, and threw out the thought from my head. It really doesn't matter to me what Leon did with his life, all I want is as long as I live, I remain somewhat happy.

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