A/N: Thanks for reading and supporting the story so far guys, it means a lot for me and I am really very grateful; and I am even more grateful to Mercenary Nemesis, Shirahane Aikawa and Malika84 for reviewing.

Note: The italicized part is Leon's flashback.

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

Chapter 31

(Kate's POV)

I looked at Leon intently, waiting and hoping to get the answer to my question but in the quiet moment as I waited for him to tell me the truth he succeeded in making up that wall, "let's talk about something else", he said trying to change the subject.
"Okay, so there are some things I want to know about you", I said holding my tears and relaxing back on the chair, "What I mean to you?"
He looked up at me, "You mean…", he began but he couldn't say it.
"Okay leave that, what place do I have in your life?", I asked him as tears welled up in my eyes.
"I don't think I can give you a place in my life, you…", he was saying.
"Hmph…", a sarcastic laugh escaped my lips and I stood up, "Thank you… for being honest with me for once. I have to leave now."

I started to leave when I felt my hand being grabbed by someone and I looked back to see it was Leon. He looked to me as if saying, 'Please Stop!', but he didn't say those words out loud.
'Why are you stopping me?!', I couldn't help but ask him mentally as I jerked my hand a bit so that he lets go, "Let go!", I said calmly, "Let go, Leon", I pleaded with him, "Please let go off of me", I said pulling my hand off his grip this time.

Almost out of instinct I looked at my hand and it didn't take me much time to realize that, my ring slipped off my finger. My gaze scanned the floor in search for the ring and when I couldn't find it I bent down to look for it but I couldn't seem to find it.
"Can I help you ma'am?", one of the waiter asked me.
"Yes please I lost my ring", I said to him still looking for it.
"Hey Sis, what happened?", Leslie asked as the three of them moved to us.
"Look for my ring!", I told them as they pulled me up.
"Okay you sit here and we'd look for it", Jessica said seating me next to Leon again.

Within minutes everyone in the restaurant knew that I had lost my ring. And for next few minutes I watched the hotel staff frantically trying to search for it, giving up on it after some time because they had business to run and customers to tend to, "I am very sorry Ma'am, that you lost your ring", the manager of the restaurant said, "But I assure you that if any of us find it we'll inform you immediately."
"Yeah you better", Leslie said faking a furious tone.
"Do you want anything else ma'am", he asked me and I shook my head, "then I'd like to take your leave."
"Don't worry Ms. Cornor, I'll buy you another ring", Ashley said trying to comfort me.
"It was my wedding ring Ms. Graham", I told her and looked at Leon, "Look like its lost too", he looked away.
"Oh, I wish I could do something to find it", she said concerned.
"Your thoughtfulness is enough", I told her smiling, "If you don't mind I'd like to head home."
"No, not at all and I can understand", she said shaking her head understandably.
"Thank you", I again rose from the chair.
"Good bye then guys", twins chorused to Leon and Ashley.

(Leon's POV)

"Bye bye", Ashley said as she and I stood up too, "Oh and Ms. Cornor I'd like to hang out with you and your husband too next time."
"You hang out with him all the time, Ms. Graham", Kate said with a slight smile to her and looked at me, "Good day to you."
With that Kate left and when I finally tore my eyes off her I found Ashley staring at me dumbfounded, "Let's go, we should get done with your shopping too", I said and paid the bill.
"Leon, wait", Ashley called catching up to me, "Was Ms. Cornor talking about you? I mean are you married to her?"
"Yes", I replied.
"But you two are nothing like a couple", Ashley said and I didn't need to hear it from her, "I mean you two are cute and all but you…"
"It's all right Ashley", I told her, "We are married for 5 years and this is usual between us."
"5 years!", Ashley said surprised, "I thought it wouldn't be more than a couple of months", she added in an undertone.
"Shall we go then", I asked getting in the car.
"Yeah right", she said getting in the car.

Ashley didn't mention the incident again and got busy with her shopping within the first few minutes of being in a clothes store. But I didn't need Ashley to remind me of the incident, my aching heart was a constant reminder. Whole day my thoughts kept drifting to Kate, although it didn't show up on her face and she tried to hide it but her initial reaction gave it away that the ring was important to her and maybe so was this marriage. I couldn't bear the fact that she was upset but it wasn't that hard to hide my feelings behind a poker face, thanks to my training.

(Kate's POV)

I couldn't stop myself from thinking about today's event or should I call it a mess. Everything was going fine but it was all ruined when he uttered the word RPD, 'Cop for a day', I thought. Leon always pushed me away whenever his past was mentioned. I don't know why he doesn't want to tell me but as his wife I have every right to know about his past and why he's guarding it. I tried to sleep as I thought about it all, but I just couldn't sleep when Leon wasn't around.

I just lied awake on my bed thinking about past; thought about everything that came across my mind but I couldn't make myself sleep. I couldn't sleep soundly when I knew there was someone else who needed sleep more than I do. I looked at the clock it was past 2:00 in the morning and he hadn't returned yet.

I moved to stand by the balcony when I heard his car which was followed by the front door opening. I got back to the bed and pretended to be asleep like always. The creak of the door told me he entered the room. I watched him stealthily as he removed his jacket and set it on the loveseat and then moved to get his night clothes. He sighed looking at something or remembering something and then looked back at me and slowly walked towards me without making noise. I closed my eyes and I knew with every moment he was moving closer.

I felt him grab my right hand and I opened my eyes to look at him. He fumbled in his pocket and withdrew my ring, he put it on my finger and kissed my hand, "I am….", he tried to apologize and I could read the pain in his eyes.

I knew it was painful for him to hide things from me. I wanted him to tell me, so that he's relieved of this pain because I could feel his pain and I knew the pain I am feeling it a mere fraction of what he's feeling and it's too much painful for me, I don't know how he manages to hide all of it, "It's okay", I said closing my eyes when I couldn't bear it anymore.

(Leon's POV)

"Thank you!", I thanked Kate as I wiped the tears welling up in my eyes. I felt like dirt when I made her cry. I just hope she always has the patience to deal with me, always scold me for no reason, that she always care about me and she never ever tells me she wants to leave me.

Kate nodded and I stood up and walked back to the wardrobe and withdrew my clothes, had a shower and joined her on the bed and by the looks of it she was already asleep since if she would have been awake then she would have been facing the other way. Many things had changed in past couple of months and one of them was that I no longer stared her back to sleep, most of the times her pretty face but when we have disagreements like the one today Kate keeps her back towards me, indifferent to me apologizing or not, but today she was facing me, so it's one more change to increase the count.

I just stared at her face and couldn't help but wonder if only things could have been a bit different. If only we met in normal circumstances, maybe at a subway station, bumped into each at some library or shared a same table in crowded café but not as we actually met. I tried to shut up those memories but they just wouldn't stop.

"...If you look at it it's a simple mission since you two are rookies", the Chief said giving us the briefing file. We took the file and opened as the Chief explained the mission, "This is a special request from General Kevin Mcgrath, who's been in charge of an international criminal. He's been getting threats from the underworld mafia for some time now and he's concerned about his daughter and her upcoming wedding, your job is to take care of her till her wedding because after that the criminal will be handed over to the other country. You got any questions?"

"No", we both said closing the file together with a snap and looked at each other and smiled. There was that immediate bonding between us.
"Alright, then head off to meet General Mcgrath. If you want more details, everything is in your briefing files", the Chief said and we both headed out walking side by side without talking.

We broke the silence when we reached the elevator, "So…", we said together, "You go first", we even laughed together and it was her laughter that gave her time to say what she wanted to say since I got lost in it.
"Leon S. Kennedy… I have heard so much about you", she said with an appreciative smile.
"How?", I asked her a little puzzled.
"Well other female to be Agents with me always mentioned you", she told me, "Don't you have any idea how much popular you are among women?"
"No", I answered, "By the way are you Kathleen Cornor?"
"Yeah, that's me", she replied with a bit of surprise in her tone.
"I can see why are you popular among men", I said with a flirty smile and we both laughed as we got off the elevator, "I'll stop a taxi", I added moving to the side of the road

"No need Agency gave me the keys to a car for this mission, you drive", Kate said tossing me the keys.
"You don't drive Cornor?", I had asked catching them, as we walked to the car.
"I do Kennedy but I don't want to freak you out", she quipped back as we got in the car. I drove towards the destination and we kept our silence again.

"It's a long drive, I am bored", I said a little while into the drive, it was a four hour drive to the General's place, since it was in some other city.
"Um… how about I read the file and tell you about the details of the subjects, this will keep both of us busy", she suggested and I agreed and throughout the ride she kept reading the file and I frequently made her laugh with my comments and she laughed whole heartedly. We had such a good time that we never realized when we reached our destination. We were shown to our rooms; the General wanted me to be with the Groom and Kate to be with his daughter all the time.

Everything at that moment seemed too much perfect for the relationship to start between me and her. I had an instant attraction for her even though I had a girlfriend and maybe she too would have mirrored my feelings after some time but it never happened. It was all like a world of glass, which slipped from both of our hands shattering into a million pieces. Its tiny glass pieces dug deep into our flesh hurting us and we are still trying to pull them out but it's getting painful for both of us.

A/N: Thanks for reading the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed. Sorry, for any sort of inconvenience you had whilst reading due to typos or anything.