My apologies for the long wait ! I meant it when I said the next chapter was coming up soon, buuuut that changed whether I liked it or not, when my inspiration went down the drain :) HOWEVER. I have zero intentions of dropping this story and have lots of interesting ideas to incorporate in the near future, so hang with me !

Also, thank you so much to everyone who's been reading my stuff this far and waiting for more, it really does help with my motivation, and means the world to me !


Chapter 6. Breathe

Red eyes were watching her, glowing like crimson orbs in the infinite darkness. Ashley stood across from them, and yet she was also shapeless, without a physical body. "Who are you ?" She asked, and wondered to herself why she hadn't said what instead of who.

From the void a smile appeared, and the eyes responded in a garbled voice, " I am you."

Ashley woke up with a start, gasping. The one sentence was still echoing in her mind, and she shook her head to clear it – but immediately regretted the brusque movement, as her skull was pounding up a storm. To make things worse, she was so sore; her muscles screamed at her at the smallest movement.

Ashley vaguely remembered what had happened the day before. She'd been coerced into going to the lab, and then… oh god. They'd drugged her when she didn't cooperate, and the next thing she knew…excruciating pain for what seemed like an eternity, followed by Leon's strangled voice calling out to her, and then the sense of security as his arms had wrapped around her.

He had rescued her. Again. His voice had spoken to her so gently while she'd fallen in and out of consciousness throughout the night, assuring her that she was safe every single time. Hadn't she been leaning on top of his shoulder, at some point ?

Slowly, Ashley sat up and looked back. Her mouth made an 'o' at the unexpected, yet endearing sight. Leon was fast asleep at her side; he must've stayed like that for as long as he could, trying not to disturb her by moving, but it seemed he'd eventually lost the battle against fatigue.

But though he was asleep, his brows were creased into the shadow of a frown. It was both cute and a little sad – like he couldn't relax, even while unconscious. Thinking on it, it was nothing unusual for Leon, but still…when was the last time Ashley had seen him in such a vulnerable state – if she ever had, for that matter ? He was always so caught up in his role of the protector, having to put up a front for the sake of others.

He looked exhausted, if the circles under his eyes weren't telling enough. She'd never seen him without them, and they were twice as bad now…he must've been worried about her. Ashley decided to let him rest some more. He deserved it. Besides, she could probably find her way around here without bugging him.

Once she'd managed to leave the comfy confines of the couch without alerting Leon – which was difficult enough thanks to his keen senses, and now her aching body – she scanned her surroundings. Plain white walls, brown rug with a wooden coffee table, a black couch, and a small kitchen combined with the living room, among other bare necessities like lamps and cabinets. It didn't feel lived in at all, and it probably wasn't.

So, do you go on missions like these a lot ?

Yeah, I guess.

If he was as dedicated to his job as she'd seen, he probably never had any time for himself. Ashley felt a twinge of guilt at that; she knew she was partly to blame, at least for the last few months. While she'd had time to recuperate – poorly, but time nonetheless, he'd been thrown right back into another job without a break…being her bodyguard, day in and night out.

He wouldn't want your pity, said her inner voice, and while Ashley pushed the thought to the back of her mind, she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

Spying the door to the bathroom, she tiptoed towards it. The inside was medium-sized, with a combined bathtub and shower, and a sink that was littered with products . There were razor blades, aftershave , Leon's toothbrush, hand-sanitizer, and even perfume. Huh. She didn't take him for the type to use perfume.

On the shelf above the bathtub was a bottle of men's shampoo, body wash, and…conditioner ? The sight made Ashley laugh. There was something funny about imagining Leon – stoic as a rock Leon, using conditioner to make his hair all shiny and soft. But then again, it explained why it looked so good. Fair enough.

Ashley was still chuckling when she glanced at the mirror…and choked at the red eyes staring back at her.

A high-pitched scream rang through the small apartment, waking Leon faster than an alarm ever could. He shot to his feet and ran to the source of the sound, bursting through the bathroom door.

Ashley was standing in front of the mirror, clutching the sink so hard that her knuckles had gone white. She didn't acknowledge his presence, staring fixedly at her reflection. "Ashley, what's wrong ?"

"Just a moment ago, my eyes were red…" She mumbled more to herself than him. Just as she said that, the irises around her pupils flashed a bright red – making Ashley yelp and stumble back. She covered her face with her hands, backing away from the mirror.

"Hey, look at me." Leon crossed the short distance between them as she began hyperventilating. She shook her head.

Gently, he grasped her wrists and pulled her hands away. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up to him with fearful, glowing eyes. "Something really is wrong with me," She whispered.

"You're breathing too fast. You need to slow down, or you'll faint."

"I-I have to get out of here…" Ashley tried to run around Leon, but he grabbed her arm. She shoved him away.

Leon stumbled back, unprepared and startled by her uncanny strength; was this the effect of her changed DNA, like Simmons had said ? Either way, there was no time to dwell on it; he sprinted after Ashley.

She'd just made it to the front door when Leon caught up to her, and swiftly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back, holding her against his front. "No, you have to let me go !" She shouted, struggling against his hold.

"Ashley, you're not safe out there." He said, wrapping his other arm around her torso – locking her in place so that she couldn't escape.

"And you're not safe with me !" Ashley cried. She stopped struggling then, her strength fading as if she'd admitted something shameful.

Though she couldn't see it herself, Leon's expression had softened at her words . "Come on, take a deep breath."

"I can't. I can't breathe."

Leon leaned forward so that his chin was brushing the top of her shoulder, and his cheek touched her own. "Yes, you can. Breathe with me." He took a deep breath, and felt Ashley's chest rise at the same time. "Again," He said, and they kept going for about 6-7 minutes.

"Tell me something funny ?" She eventually asked. Her voice was now quiet, and while it's clear the nerves were still there, she wasn't panicking anymore. Good.

Leon frowned as he tried to think of something, but he wasn't much of a 'jokes' guy. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind, "…did you know your code name was baby eagle ?"

She didn't answer anything at first, and Leon wondered if he'd done something wrong, when he caught the faintest huff – a laugh, albeit weak, but a laugh nonetheless. " Baby eagle ? Really ?"

He could hear her old self slowly coming back. "I think it suits you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean ?" He didn't have to see her to know she was pouting.

This time it was his turn to chuckle. "Nothing bad, I promise." But his relief went out the window when he felt Ashley's knees wobble. He tightened his hold around her – thinking she was going to collapse, but nothing happened. "Why don't you sit down ?" She nodded, and he helped her back to the couch.

Sitting next to her, he felt her forehead; yup, her fever was returning. It seemed to be was related to shock, and her mental state in general. Her eyes were back to their natural green color, though. "You should rest. Here," He placed the blanket around her – but Ashley grabbed his wrist, stopping Leon.

"I want to know what happened. Please."

He pursed his lips, but didn't argue. Leon didn't think talking about what happened was the best course of action, right now – not with the sensitive state her mind was currently in…but he also knew she wouldn't just give up and go back to sleep, either. Sighing, he said, "What do you remember ?"

"Well…going to the lab, and when I was there – when I refused to cooperate…they drugged me with this fog-like chemical. The next thing I knew, there was pain like nothing I'd ever felt, and then you were there. What were they doing to me ?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know what they were trying to achieve, but when I found you…you were strapped to a chair that – according to the lead scientist, was an upgrade of Luis's machine."

"Luis's machine ? Lead scientist ?" She repeated.

"Derek Simmons. He said the machine proved that…"

Ashley's brows furrowed as Leon's sentence trailed off, unfinished. "What ? Tell me."

"He said you didn't have the Plaga, anymore. That…you became it. And he knew that, because the machine was killing you."

Ashley exhaled as the pieces clicked together. Her body…it had felt like she was being ripped apart from everywhere at once, and burning at the same time. Not just here or there, but from the top of her head to the tips of her toes – continuously burning alive.

She looked to Leon, whose face was tense with concern. Maybe he expected her to lose it again, but…she felt strangely calm. Still scared because of the uncertainty of the situation, but safe in Leon's presence. Try to find a silver-lining. Ashley blinked at the intruding thought, and her lips parted in surprise. She looked at Leon, a sudden understanding dawning on her.

"Ashley ?"

Not now, she told herself, saving the realization for later. Focusing once more, she asked, "I thought the D.S.O was on my side ?"

Leon sighed, leaning back into the couch to cross his arms. "They're supposed to be. I don't know what the hell they're up to…but I'm thinking, maybe, this Derek Simmons acted on his own – or the D.S.O weren't told the whole truth about his intentions."

Ashley scowled. Hadn't she heard that name before ? Derek Simmons…who was Derek Simmons ? "Can we look him up ?"

" I'll look him up. You get some rest."

"But –"

"No buts. Your fever's back, and I know you still haven't recovered from the effects of that machine." He stood up – but it was Ashley's turn to grab his wrist.

"If I'm it, and let's say someone else takes Saddler's place and tries to control me…"

Leon shook his head. "I don't think it would work. The Ganados are controlled by the Plaga, but like you said – you're it…and something different at the same time. Don't worry, we'll figure out what."

Ashley's brows lifted. "We ?" She repeated, a question in her tone.

Leon seemed surprised that she'd even point it out. "What, you thought I'd just drop you after everything ?" Was he… offended ?

She tried not to smile. "What I mean is, you don't have to do this. You've done so much already, and it's not like you're obligated to me – even if my dad did ask you to protect me." Though she meant every word, it cost her saying them. There was nothing in her that wanted Leon gone – even if she had tried to run away from him, but that's because she thought she was going to hurt him.

The stoic façade melted away from Leon's expression, and something else replaced it – an expression Ashley couldn't decipher. "I'm not here because of your dad. Now rest up. I'm going to take a shower – call me if you need anything."

Without waiting for her answer, Leon disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Ashley blinked, replaying the words he'd said in her head…if he wasn't here for her dad – the president, then…was he here for her ? Her heart raced at the thought.

To be continued...


To anyone who's getting a little bored of the "damsel-in-distress" act, know that Ashley is soon going to make a change for the better ! I just needed to get one last freak-out scene out of the way, where Leon comforts her, before I can move on to greener pastures.