Thank you Evolution-500 for the review! Yes, I still struggle to maintain tenses sometimes, but I'm trying!
Rose watched Luis' retreating back with a heavy heart, feeling like he'd left her alone to reveal an awful truth to someone she had to admit, she cared about. "Leon," she breathed, unsure why she was so nervous. They'd been fighting for their lives since they first arrived, surely he couldn't be mad that she hadn't mentioned Ada or the plaga? They'd just been reunited, for Christ's sakes! Ashley looked absolutely terrified, and she hoped he wouldn't blow up at her in front of the girl before they'd even been properly introduced.
Leon faced her, worry breaking the shadows across his face and making the guilt feel heavier. "Rose, what's going on?" His eyes were searching hers, looking through her hesitation to see why she was acting the way she was. He almost preferred her fearful expressions to the one she was wearing now.
Rose took a deep breath, her eyes flickering to Ashley, who was clutching her arm nervously. "Leon, there's something you need to know...Ada Wong...She's here. They infected you, too. And I don't even know what's happened to me."
Leon's eyes had widened in surprise, and for once, he was speechless. Of all things to have come out of her mouth, Ada's name hadn't been something he had expected. He was piecing her words together in his head, trying to make them make sense. He had no idea how she knew Ada, but it instantly made him suspicious. There was never any good news when Ada was involved. Had he been tricked? What did he really know about Rosemarie Kidman? Nothing, he realized.
She'd just popped up one day with the twin to his mission folder and said they'd been partnered together by the DSO. While he knew this was true from his briefing, he didn't actually know where she came from. Leon's expression hardened, but he kept his composure. "We'll deal with it. But right now, our priority is to keep Ashley safe." He turned to Ashley before Rose could reply, obviously not wanting to hear her response at the moment. "Ashley, we're going to get you out of here, I promise."
Ashley nodded, her eyes wide with fear, but she had some hope. So far, Leon had done an excellent job, and though she'd known Rose for maybe twenty minutes, she wasn't uncomfortable in her presence. Rose felt the pangs of guilt, but she knew Leon was right. They had to focus on the mission. Whatever history he had with Ada was deep, and disturbed him. He had every right to be upset, particularly when they both knew that Ada was always working for the bad guys. Bad guys are paid better than the good guys.
Two Years Ago...
Rose was deep undercover on a mission in Eastern Europe. The night was cold, despite there being no wind. It bit into her skin and chilled her bones, seemingly ignoring the heavy winter coat she was wearing. The snow was thick, past her ankles, and despite what she was there for, it looked beautiful. Too beautiful for the air to be as thick with tension as it was. Christmas Eve was supposed to be cheery, but here she was, gun in hand and navigating through a dense forest. Her senses were heightened when she heard a commotion nearby.
Curiosity peaked, she crept low to the ground and tried to move silently through the snow toward the noise. As she approached, she could make out the figure of a woman in a red and black jumpsuit surrounded by armed mercenaries. The woman had short black hair, and dark brown eyes, of Asian descent. Her heels looked like their own weapons, and Rose wondered how the hell she was walking around out here with no coat and high heels.
"We cannot let her get away," said a man with a thick accent. Rose had trouble understanding every word and strained her ears to figure out what she had just walked up on. Her eyes searched for an advantage if she could safely intervene. One thing was for sure, she was sure these men were working for the billionaire she'd been sent to flush out, and this woman was, in her eyes, a random civilian. A crazy one, sure, but a civilian none the less.
"What did you take?" Demanded the same man, shoving his gun in her face. The woman smirked, tilting her head mockingly before she spoke in a voice that was very nearly a purr.
"Oh boys, you should really keep your heads in your pants. Someone might bite it off."
The mercenary closest to her backhanded her, but she remained upright in her kneeling position. Her head jerked to the side and her jaw flexed as a large, red handprint marred her cheek. When she looked back at the leader, her eyes held a fiery fury that promised violence. The leader let out a humorless laugh and pressed the muzzle of the gun to the woman's forehead. "Say goodbye," he chortled.
"Bye," Rose muttered as she lifted her rifle and shot him in the back. The group of three, now down their leader, jumped and turned on her. She dropped her rifle and dove for cover as an array of bullets hit the ground where she'd just been kneeling. Her pistol slid into her grip with ease, and the woman seized the opportunity, skillfully disarming one of the mercs while kicking out the knee of the other with such force that it cracked loudly in the tiny clearing.
Rose emerged from the shadows, her gun pointed at the merc who had fancifully pulled out a thick Bowie knife. "Drop it," she demanded, pointing the gun at his head. Her voice was heavy with authority, confidence leaking from every pore in her body. The remaining mercenaries hesitated, but Rose's glare was serious and she stiffened her frozen finger on the trigger of her own gun. "Now."
The mercenary on the ground stopped reaching for his weapon, which he had dropped to cry in the snow. The other threw his knife into a nearby tree trunk petulantly. Still within reach, but complying with his orders in a petty fashion. The woman didn't waste time, scooping up a rifle and ramming the butt of it into the side of their heads, one after another, moving faster than any of them could react. Rose stared in astonishment and lowered her gun, first walking over to retrieve her own rifle.
The woman didn't run like she'd almost expected. Instead, she turned to offer Rose a charming smile. "I didn't expect to see anyone else out here," she said, her voice silky. She extended her hand. "Ada Wong. I owe you one."
Rose shook her hand firmly. "Rose. And you can consider us even if you help me get out of here."
Ada chuckled, her eyes scanning their surroundings. "Sorry," she says. "I'll see you around." With that she pulled out a hook shot from the belt on her hip and shot out into the trees, leaving Rose alone feeling dumbstruck. A pattern she would repeat twice more before Rose ever stepped foot in Spain.
~/~
The rain was still a nuisance as they avoided puddles and thick clumps of mud. Silence hung in the air with a tenseness that words failed to describe. Leon was on his communicator with Ingrid, and Rose's stomach felt like she'd swallowed lead and her eyes kept trailing from the rocky walls, to her boots, to the back of Leon's head religiously, her mind racing to try and find a way to make things better. She hadn't a clue how to do that, though. Instead, she needed to start taking an active role in her secondary job.
"Ashley," she said, capturing the girls attention. The blonde was clutching her orange jacket close to her, trying in vain to keep herself dry and warm. "I just wanted to introduce myself formally. I'm Rosemarie Kidman, Leon's partner and team psychologist. If there's anything you need or want to talk about, I'm here. We can keep it as casual as you like."
Ashley gave a small smile, nodding her head with brown eyes full of gratitude and exhaustion. "Thanks, Rose," she replied. "It's been really overwhelming, you know? I never thought I'd be in a situation like this...but with you and Leon, I feel safe. Plus, it's nice to have another girl around."
Rose nodded. "I get it. It's a lot to handle. But just remember, you're not alone. We're all in this together."
A flickering blue flame cast an eerie yet comforting light across Leon's features as they approached a tiny cabin at the end of the pathway they'd been walking down. The merchant was here. Bugger got around fast. Leon went inside without a word to Rose, and Ashley followed, surprising the older woman by first squeezing her hand, and then leaving Rose alone standing in the rain.
Rose took a deep breath, trying to shake off the chill that had nothing to do with the weather. She followed them inside, the warm glow of the merchants lanterns offering a stark contrast to the cold indifference she felt from Leon.
"Welcome back, stranger...pretty stranger," said the merchant, looking between the both of them. His glowing eyes held secrets in them, and he seemed almost smug to see them together again, though he didn't mention it. "What are ya buyin'?"
Leon stepped forward, his eyes scanning the array of weapons and upgrades. He didn't look at Rose, avoiding her gaze and saying her name altogether even as he spoke about her while unsheathing his knife and handing it to the merchant. "I need this repaired and sharpened. And my partner's firearm upgraded."
The surprise on her face would have been comical if he'd been in the mood to laugh. Though they couldn't see it, Rose was sure the Merchant was smiling underneath that cloth around the lower half of his face. He held out his hands, waiting. Rose hesitated for only a moment before placing her pistol in his expectant palms. As it passed from her hand to the merchants, Leon's eyes caught on the butterfly engraved in the hilt. He stared at it for a moment, his expression unreadable, but they both knew that wasn't her gun.
"Nice touch," the merchant commented, noticing the butterfly. "Adds a bit of personality, don't ya think?"
Leon didn't respond, his gaze still fixed on the engraving. Finally, he fished out a large sum of currency. Rose hurried to supply what she'd managed to collect, but he knocked her hand away, shaking his head. "I've got it. Put that away." His tone was heavy and left no room for argument. He still didn't meet her eye.
"Thank you," Rose muttered, afraid that if she spoke any louder he might spook and go back to pretending she didn't exist. The merchant handed her gun back, and repaired and sharpened Leon's knife. Leon finally, almost reluctantly met her eyes again.
I'm sorry, her eyes said.
Leon wasn't even really angry with her. He didn't like that he couldn't trust her anymore after putting so much of himself out there already. He'd started to open up to her, and now he felt like he should have kept those things locked inside. If she betrayed them...if she was working with Ada, well, he wasn't sure he could handle that. How did he always get involved with women he couldn't trust? How did he always end up with the shitty straw? And who was holding the damned cup in the first place? But her eyes were so sincere...
For a moment, the tension between them seemed to ease, but it was fleeting. Ada's eyes had been sincere too, when they'd shared their only kiss. Leon's expression hardened once more as he turned away, his jaw set in a firm line. "We need to keep moving," he said, his voice devoid of any warmth Rose had once known. Ashley glanced between them, her concern evident, but she said nothing. The rain continued to fall, a steady rhythm that mirrored the unease in Rose's heart. She bowed her head, accepting that he needed to take his time with this. He couldn't press him, or else it might push him further away. She had to show him that he could still count on her. That she was still on his side, and always had been.
The next set of heavy wood doors caused Leon's back muscles to strain as he pushed them open himself. It revealed the next passage with wooden structures above and on either side of them, as well as several wooden panels in front of them, zig-zagging down the way. Torchlight bounced of the slick walls, reflecting off of the water running down them. "We've got company," Leon whispers. "Keep moving, but quietly."
They move into their regular formation with Leon taking up point and Ashley in the middle with Rose following up behind. Crouching low to the floor, they make their way to the first wood panel. Leon motions for them to wait while he sneaks up behind the first assailant. Rose peeks around to see him covertly throw his strong bicep around the ganado's throat, choking any sound out of him before jamming his newly sharpened knife into the man's throat and gently dropping his corpse. He waved them over and moved forward to the next wall. Without looking at her, he pointed his head in the direction of the shelter over to the left, and Rose moved around Ashley expertly as she led the way inside, hanging out by the doorframe to block any chance of Ashley being in sight.
Leon, meanwhile, scouted ahead. He was gone for long enough that Rose was getting antsy, worried about him taking as long as he was. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat a reminder of the fragility of their situation. What if he was wounded and couldn't tell her? She peeked out and couldn't see him anywhere, couldn't even hear him over the rain. She'd never the get the chance to apologize to him if he died out here.
She couldn't afford to let her emotions cloud her judgment, not now. Ashley's safety depended on her staying focused and vigilant. This is the exact reason that if anyone at the DSO knew she harbored this...this crush on Leon, they'd be separated and in trouble. She was seconds away from just telling Ashley to hang tight while she went to go find Leon, and that was a big problem. He was a big boy-he could handle himself. Still, the ache in her chest was hard to ignore. She missed the Leon who had shown concern for her well-being, who looked at her with something other than indifference.
The minutes ticked by, and Rose's anxiety grew. The shouts and screams she could hear made her jump, only feeling herself calm down seconds after realizing that it hadn't been Leon's voice screaming. She strained to hear any sign of worst-case scenarios. She couldn't lose him, not when they'd come this far. She wasn't sure she could get Ashley out of here on her own. She was trained well, but she'd never been on a rescue mission. God, she wished she'd bought a knife for Ashley to be able to defend herself with, just in case. Maybe the next kitchen knife she saw, she'd confiscate and redistribute.
When a loud whistle pierced the air, echoing down the long pathway, Rose's head snapped up, her eyes searching for the source. Relief flooded through her as she caught sight of Leon standing by the next set of doors. A wave of gratitude washed over her, and she felt her shoulders relax, the tension slowly melting away. In that moment, seeing Leon safe and sound, she knew how stupid she'd been to worry so much.
You and Leon must be superheroes, Luis' voice said in her head, and she chuckled inwardly. Well, at least one of us is, she thought.
Rose quickly motioned for Ashley to follow her, moving swiftly towards Leon. As they approached, she couldn't help but notice the weariness in his eyes, a mirror of her own exhaustion. He pushed open the doors, and Rose steeled herself for more fighting. As they stepped through the doors, Rose's mind was already on high alert, scanning for any potential threats and looking for that kitchen knife she'd promised herself she'd find for Ashley. Every step forward was a step closer to safety, and she was determined to see it through.
They walked out into a rickety platform, made of loosely nailed wood planks that made Rose's already sour stomach drop to her feet. It felt like too soon after nearly falling to their death on a wood bridge for them to be walking across this thing so casually. Over to the right was a pyre of some sort glowing so brightly she couldn't see what was actually over there, and burning so hot that it actually fought off some of the chill the rain was leaving behind. The further they went down, the more on edge the three of them got. Eventually, they hit a split in the road. Doors straight ahead, and a path to the left.
"Don't suppose we'll be lucky enough for those to be unlocked?" Rose asked, trying to break the silence. This gate was different than the others. Instead of just being topped with barbed wire, sharp wood logs were surrounding it, over the top included, and they were more heavy-duty. It would probably take two of them to open it. Leon huffed in quiet agreement and went over to try yanking on the handle.
"Looks like I need a key or something," he said, mostly to himself as he turned to follow the only remaining pathway. Ashley and Rose followed behind him, not really knowing what to say. There were yet more wooden structures around them, sheds and shacks and fences. Rose had never seen so much wood in one place that wasn't a forest. "Sure is quiet," Leon mumbled and Rose looked at him wide-eyed like he was crazy.
"Leon, you know better than to jinx us like that," Rose groaned, eyes darting around nervously.
Leon shrugged, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Just stating the obvious," he replied, but his hand instinctively moved to his weapon, ready for anything.