A/N: I am really grateful to all the readers for showing their patience and support to this story. I would also like to thank Adela for reviewing; and since you asked about the sequel, I'd like to tell you that I won't me making one and I am really sorry about that. Maybe I'd write and upload more stories with the same pair, since Kate has become more or signature character for me.

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

Chapter 57

(Kate's POV)

"I've bandaged his paws, it was minor cuts he'd be okay in few days, that is if he eats properly because it seems he's not been eating properly", the vet said and I looked at Shadow concerned. I didn't really need the vet to tell me that, I've never in my life seen Shadow so beat up and I was really worried about him.
"I'll take care of that", I assured the vet with a nod of determination.

I cleared the bills and walked with Shadow to the street from where I could get a taxi. He was limping a bit and if Leon was here, he could've lifted Shadow up in his arms but Shadow was a bit heavy for me. I hailed a cab and opened the cab door to let Shadow in first and then from the corner of my eyes I saw something and I turned to get a better look, "Lady, you getting in?", cab driver asked me.
"Yeah, I am sorry", I said getting in and again looked from the back window and I could swear that it was Leon's car that was heading the other way.

Shadow kept his head on my lap and I stroked his head. The drive was silent and I couldn't help but wonder if I really saw Leon's car or was it my mind playing tricks on me. I shook my head and reasoned with myself that even if that was his car, he might have been just passing by and it wasn't like he was there to see me. He's probably at work, working till he wants. I sighed and stared out of the window, running my hand in Shadow's fur gently. I knew if I kept thinking about Leon, I won't be able to heal this wound in my heart but I couldn't stop thinking about him.

When I reached home mom was setting dinner and I had dinner before heading to my room. I changed into my home clothes and relaxed on the bed; Shadow jumped on it and settled next to me. I opened a novel to read but I was reading the same lines over and over again since it was not making sense to me because I kept thinking about Leon. I rested my head back on the headboard on the bed, thinking if I should go back and I felt a searing pain in heart as my inner self asked me if I was even needed.

There was a knock at my room door and I looked in the direction saying, "Yes?"
The door opened revealing Liza, "Hey, I am not disturbing am I?", she asked me.
"No, not at all", I said sitting up straight, "I was just reading this novel", I showed her the cover before setting it aside.
"I wanted to make sure you're free tomorrow", she said to me with a smile.
"Yeah I am, why?", I asked her.
"Well I've to take this friend for jewelry shopping and I want you to come with me", she said sitting on my bed.
"Yeah sure, what time?", I asked her.
"In the evening around 4:00 PM, would it be fine?", she responded.
"Yeah", I replied with a nod.

"You really seem so dull today", Liza said pouting a bit, "Oh, you must be missing Leon!", she added slapping her head in realization, "Why don't you call him?", at that Shadow lifted his head and gave a bark of agreement.
"No, he would be at work now and I don't want to disturb him", I made an excuse, shaking my head in negative.
"Oh come on no work is important than wife", she said countering my excuse.
"He's is a very busy guy and I…", I was saying.
"Where's your phone?", Liza asked cutting in between and spotted it on the side table and grabbed it before I could.
"Liz, no!", I exclaimed as I saw her dial Leon's number.
"Talk to him", she handed me the phone grinning. I looked at her from the phone. I didn't even know what to talk to Leon, "Take it!", Liza pushed it in my hands.

I put it against my ear and my heart was beating ten times the normal as I waited for the call to connect. I just hoped that he won't yell at me like the last time I called him but the only thing I heard was the automated message telling me, his cell phone was switched off," His phone is switched off", I told Liza and felt a bit disappointed.
"Aww", Liza said in disappointment too and then our heads turned in the direction of loud voices, coming across the hallway.

Without any further words we both rushed in the direction of noise, it seemed our parents were arguing, "How can you do this to your own child?", Mom asked dad yelling.
"I thought it was best…", dad tried to say.
"Best? Look at her she's compelled to fake a relationship for her own mother", mom said to him, "What were you thinking, Hank?"
"Mom?", Liza called out to her in a puzzled tone, as twins joined us too and mom looked at us.
"Kate!", she moved to me hurriedly, "I am sorry sweetie that you have to go through all of this but not anymore. You don't have to go back to that man and you don't have to live this lie of a relationship."
"Barbara, think…", Dad tried to reason with mom.
"I know I am thinking right, divorce is the best option here", my mom said to dad and then looked at me, "Come with me", she said to me and dragged me to my room closing the door.

"Mom…", I began as tears streamed down my face. I knew it was no point hiding now that dad had told her all the truth.
"I know, your dad told me everything", mom said wiping my tears, "how he tricked you to marry Leon. And honestly I didn't like that guy from the start and now that I know the truth you don't have to go back to him", and that came as a shock to me, "And after you know the truth you would not want go back to him either."
"Truth?", I repeated puzzled.
"Leon knew about you and him getting married and he still went along with it. Your dad said Leon tried to convince him otherwise but I don't believe him. Your dad is just covering up for him", Mom said somewhat bitterly, "Leon is a liar."
"I am liar too then", I said to her as more tears run down my face.
"No, sweetie no", she said to me, again wiping my tears, "You're not like him, he knew but didn't tell you…"

"He did", I told her cutting in between and my mother looked at me shocked, "We both knew what dad was planning. It was Leon who told me about it. Dad doesn't know about it because I didn't tell him but Leon did tell me about it."
"He did?", mom repeated puzzled and shocked, sitting down on my bed.
"Yes the day he came to know about it, he came to warn me about it", I told her sitting in front of her and I began telling her the incident, as the tape of past started to roll in my head.

It was night time and I was stressed about the new development in the mission. I had been trying to convince dad that it wasn't a good idea everyday for past two weeks, but nothing I could say changed his or our superiors' mind. I sighed as I stared out of my room's window, that was when I spotted a jacket being thrown in over the high fence of the backyard and soon after someone jumped over the fence and picked up the jacket. I don't know why I didn't moved to call police but I was glad I didn't since it was Leon. He spotted me looking at him and he walked closer, as I waited thinking what couldn't wait till the next day.

"Thank god! I had no idea which one was your room", he said getting close to my window.
"Why are you here?", I asked leaning on the window sill.
"I have to tell you something very important", he said, "let me come in", he grabbed the sill and climbed inside my room and bumped into me.
"Are you drunk?", I asked as I caught alcohol on his breath.
"A bit", he replied, "I needed to reach a decision."
"Is that how you reach a decision?!", I asked him confused.
"Yes, the hard ones", he replied with a slight smile, "didn't know whether I should wait or see you now."
"So you decided to see me now", I said to him, "Leon, you could have called if you wanted to talk to me", I was beginning to doubt his reason, after all he was drunk.
"This is not something I could talk it over on phone", he said seriously.
"Then tell me what made you sneak into my room in the middle of night?", I asked him a bit concerned, it didn't showed on his face but I was beginning to think he was super drunk to do something like this.

Leon fumbled in his pockets and withdrew a tiny box, "I bought it", he said giving me the box.
"What is it?", I asked opening the box and gasped when I saw it was the ring I was looking at the other day, "Leon, where did you get that, don't tell me robbed that store?"
"It's a fake", he said clearing my doubts, "I can't afford that one yet."

I sighed in relief, "Why are you giving me this", I asked him.
"Because we are getting married a month from now", he said seriously.
"Oh that's a nice ring you bought for the ceremony", I said to him trying not to be too rude, "but you could have shown me tomorrow, it's still a month for that to happen."
"No, Kate", he said grabbing my shoulders, "We are getting married… for real."
I almost let out a laugh, "Leon, you are too drunk go home and sleep", I said handing him the ring.

"I am serious, I overheard your dad telling someone on phone that it's fortunate that we were going to get married and with the mission in view it would just happen earlier", he told me speaking in a very serious tone, "I confronted him; he plans to get us married for real. He asked me to keep silent about it and not to tell you anything but I can't betray you like this and I wanted to tell you not to show up for the wedding."
"What?!", I barely kept myself from screaming it out loud in astonishment, "are you kidding me?"
"No", he replied shaking his head.
"Why don't you walk out, if that's the case?", I asked moving close to him.
"Your dad asked me not to", he replied with a smile, "And also…", he leaned and pecked my cheek, "I like you."

I don't know which of the things shocked me the most, dad planning to marry me without my knowledge or Leon liking me or the fact that he just kissed me and I didn't even so much as punch his face. Leon stepped backwards, "Wait, if I don't show up what would happen to the mission?", I asked him.
"They would probably get another agent to stand in", Leon told me with a shrug.
"Why did you buy this ring?", I asked him.
"I can't afford the real one yet", he replied smiling, "I promise someday I will get that ring for you", he moved to jump back out of the window. It was just too much for me to handle dad's plans, his feelings and mine too, and I wanted all of it sorted now.

I moved to stop him, "Wa..", and at the same moment he turned and pulled me close and kissed me on lips. I forgot what was I about to say and I kissed him back, for how long I don't know but our first kiss was nothing short of wonderful.
When we parted Leon smiled and I knew I was blushing, "You are like a thousand shots of vodka", he said staggering a bit now, "Remember don't show up at the wedding", he again warned and jumped out of the window.

I wanted to stop him, ask him a bunch of questions and talk to him but he didn't wait, leaving me to wonder if he really liked me or was he saying that because he was drunk. I watched him climb off the tall fence and couldn't help but think that he must have been more than drunk to do something this crazy and possibly by the next day he won't even remember the incident, the ring or the kiss.

I spent the whole month contemplating whether I should show up or not. I wanted to ask dad about it but I didn't, somehow I believed Leon more than my own father. I met Leon many times but he never brought it up again and I couldn't bring that up again. That one month flew so fast that I didn't realize it. It was only when he saw me on the wedding day, he brought it up again.

"You came?!", Leon said puzzled when he spotted me.
"Yes, what do you expected?", I couldn't help but say, I was convinced he didn't remember that night.
"That you won't show up?", he said to me looking at me puzzled, "at least not after the warning. Did you think I was drunk and speaking rubbish?"
"I just thought…", I began but I was cut short as dad dragged me away so I could get ready and again we couldn't talk about it.

"I guess he tried to talk to me one more time, just before the ceremony but I guess dad had a hunch that Leon would spill the beans not knowing that he had already told me all about it", I explained everything to mom.
"If you two knew that, why did you went along with it?", Mom asked me.
"I don't know mom", I told her letting out laugh thinking about the past, "I guess we were just being stupid."

"Barbara! Kate! Open the door", dad yelled from the other side. Mom walked and opened the door to let him in, "Barbara, it's not that simple…", dad said looking at me over her shoulder.
"Yes, I can see it now", Mom said with a sigh, sparing a look at me and left the room.
Dad walked in the room, "You trust me right?", he asked me, "I'll talk to her, you don't worry alright."

I just nodded at him and he left in a hurry following my mother. My sisters were staring at me from the door before they came and hugged me in their own sweet attempt to comfort me. Guess it was too much drama for even twins to be emotional like that. And for once I didn't feel worse, if not better. My feelings were sorted but my relationship with Leon was still seemed more than a mess.

(Leon's POV)

I downed another glass of whiskey and asked the bartender for another bottle. I didn't remember for how long I was going on and on with it but alcohol was just not acting up tonight. Even after downing so many glasses of alcohol her face was not dissolving in my consciousness and the pain in my heart wasn't fading away. I felt a woman about to touch me and before she could even lay a finger on me I said, "Not now sweetheart!", and downed another glass.
"Oh come on you seem lonely", she said leaning on my shoulder.
"I am lonely, not desperate so buzz off!", I told her looking at her and she backed away.

I refilled my glass, "that was very cold of you", I heard a familiar female voice. I looked sideways to find Ada but I didn't feel like entertaining her, "So words around the street, that your so-called wife left you", she pulled her seat closer to mine, "She's not meant for guys like you, women like her can't handle a fire like you."
"She was doing just fine, actually pretty great, for five years", I told her calmly, I felt a little irked when she was trying to bitch Kate.
"Come on really?! She's nothing like me", she purred in my ear.
"I am glad she isn't, she was there when I needed her", I said downing another glass.
"Huh, where is she now?", Ada said with a ironic laugh, "I don't see her around here", she added with a wide smile leaning close to my face and almost whispered, "Give me a chance and I'd prove it to you that I am better than her", she put a hand on my lap.

"Go away Ada", I said to her.
"What she has that I don't have", Ada yelled in frustration pulling on my jacket but I didn't feel like replying, "I am going kill that bitch", I don't know what overtook me but before I knew I was already grabbing Ada by her throat.
"If you even so much as scratch her, I swear I am going to find you and kill you, if it's the last thing I do", I said to her slowly and clearly.

Ada's eyes widened as I let her go, she grabbed her neck and looked at me with eyes filled with pure horror as she left me to my business. No one approached me after that and I was left to drink as much as I wanted and to my heart's content. I didn't feel like going to my house, it wasn't like someone was waiting for me at home.

(Kate's POV)

I just stared at the opposite wall of my room, I couldn't make myself sleep. I was just thinking about Leon and the moments I spent with him, the sad one, frustrated ones, annoyed ones, flirty ones, sweet ones, happy ones and the romantic ones. I closed my eyes and let the tape of memories roll in my head.

"Kate!", I opened my eyes with a start as I heard Leon's voice, "Kate!"
I left my bed and almost ran through the hallway and living room to get to the front door and pulled it open, "What are you doing? She must be sleeping", John was trying to stop him from yelling any further and Shadow barked grabbing their attention as I stepped on the porch.

"Kate", Leon said smiling stumbling to me, his eyes literally shone bright seeing me and I stepped towards him to see him.
And he almost fell on me, "Are you drunk?", I asked supporting him.
"A bit", he replied with a weak smile, getting a hold of himself.
"Go home and rest, you don't look so good", I said to him. It looked like he hadn't slept, didn't eat and just worked and worked for the past 4 days.
"That's a house not a home", he told me, "home is where Kate is, this is home right here", he said and wrapped his arms around me and it felt great to be in his arms once again, "I don't like it there anymore, it's frustrating to stay without you. I can't find anything, I don't like the food at the restaurants and if I do I don't feel like eating, I can't sleep, if I sleep I have too many nightmares, even Shadow left me to be with you and I am really lonely sweetheart please don't leave me", he said so only I could hear. I closed my eyes and tears streamed down my face as I held him too. When we parted he held my hand and said, "let's go home!", he smiled slightly and pulled me along.

"Leon, wait!", I said to him as he half dragged me to the car, "Will you tell me everything?"
Leon stopped and let go of my hand, he stood there for a bit, before he moved away from me and got in the car without me, "Let's go John!", he said to him.

John looked from him to me, "He's totally wasted!", John told me in a low voice, "the bartender knew us and he called me to pick him up but Leon told me he wanted to go somewhere important, showing the way by lefts and rights and we were here before I knew. I am really sorry!", he tried to explain the situation.
"It's okay John! Take him home safely", I said to him and looked at Leon, he wasn't looking at me but had his eyes covered by the palm of his hands.
I turned to head inside, "Kate!", John called me and I looked at him, "Don't be so cold, he really misses you. He won't say it but he does every time you're away and he…."
"I know, John", I said to him and tried to smile.

John sighed and muttered something under his breath and got in the driver seat and drove off with Leon. I watched till the car disappeared round the corner. It was painful to know, Leon wasn't doing really well without me but even when I knew that, I hoped against it. I turned to head back inside the home and saw everyone else looking at me, "I am sorry that it disturbed your sleep", I said to them before moving past them to head to my room.

A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for all the grammatical mistakes, typos, if there were any, and for making Ada out of character once again but it was kinda a necessity for this one as I said before so hope you can overlook it. See you all next week with the final installment of the story!