Sniperbro1998: Yeah, it's a bit complicated! A lot of writers like to depict Ada as emotionless and heartless, but she's never really been that way, she just chooses to put her lifestyle and career first. Doesn't put too much stalk in love because working with Simmons back in Raccoon City disillusioned her to it all. As for Wesker, yes, you are right. He didn't necessarily 'let' her be adopted, so much as he never had parental rights to her in the first place. He didn't have the time or want for a child, even if he had his rights. All Wesker sees is whether or not someone is useful, and children are not useful to his current agenda. Up until she was fifteen, she was basically just another casualty of Project W.

"Ashley?" Rose shook the girl, wincing when she accidentally shook her a bit harder than she had anticipated. The blonde's head wobbled as if it were attached by a limp rubber band, but she remained fast asleep. Her skin was graying, black veins crawling up her arms. "Oh, no," she whispered to herself.

Since Ashley wasn't waking up, she spun in her spot, looking for anything she could use to get them out of there. The room itself was fairly large, with a sliding gate keeping them locked in. There were computer servers of some kind lining the wall by Ashley's head, and her wrists were zip-tied behind her back. Rose looked around for her backpack, but it was gone. A quick inventory of herself told her all she had left was what remained in her pockets. A couple of magazines of 9mm ammo, her knife, and a light bag of money. "Damn," she cursed, disappointed by how vulnerable she was.

She quickly took out her knife and broke the zip ties, though Ashley was still knocked out. Where the hell was she, anyway? And how did she get here? The last thing she remembered was...Leon. Her breath caught in her throat as the memory came rushing back to her. Leon had watched her fall into the ocean. But...was that right? She didn't remember crashing into the water. She didn't remember anything after she'd let go of Leon's hand. It had been clear to her that he was going to die if she hadn't chosen his life over hers. The rest of that bridge was going down, and he had no intention of letting her go, so she'd chosen for him.

Rose walked over to the bars, peering out into the dark room beyond. At least it was warm in here. Before she'd fallen, her eyesight had been decent, but the darkness would nearly blind her. She'd kept a flashlight for utmost visibility. But now it was like her eyes had super adjusted and she could see the crates lined up along the walls and the door at the opposite side of the room, clear as early evening.

"Ashley!"

Rose spun around, her heart leaping when she saw Leon pressed to the observation window a story above them.

"Leon!" She yelled and ran over to stand by Ashley. The look on his face would have made her laugh if the situation was different. He looked like he'd seen a ghost, at the same time his world exploded and he wasn't sure if he was going crazy or not. He clutched the bars harder, his knuckles white. His gaze darted between Rose and the girl on the table. He had to focus on getting to Ashley, but there was something wrong. The way she was looking at him—it was like he didn't even recognize her.

"Rose?" His voice was barely a whisper, the disbelief dripping from the word. "Rose!" He looked like he was going to pry the bars apart to get into the room with them. "Rose! How?" He did a double take at her eyes, finally noticing the color change. "What the hell is going on here?" His gaze flickered between her and the eerie transformation he had just witnessed. Her eyes—those bright eyes—had shifted. The color was wrong now. They were... different. Unnatural, almost predatory.

Rose took a deep breath, holding his gaze with a calm that belied the chaos around them. She didn't seem scared. She wasn't running for cover. She was standing there, grounded, as if everything had already changed, and she had accepted it. "It's really me, Leon," she said softly, but the words carried a weight that settled on his chest like a stone.

He blinked, his grip loosening on the bars for a moment as he processed her words. His mind flashed to the hell they'd been through together, back to the time they spent fighting through the horrors of the village and of the castle. He was stuck in a whirlwind, trying to keep his bearings. "Your eyes…" He trailed off, unable to process the full extent of it. "What happened to you?"

"I don't know. I can't remember anything after I fell. I woke up in here. What are you talking about? My eyes?"

Leon continued to stare at her, his world turning topsy-turvy and he kind of wanted to through up. Those bastards had to have done something to her! It was the only thing that made sense. He set his mind on his next task. "Hold on, I'm coming for ya."

Leon dashed out of sight, and Rose felt a lump in her throat, fear making her heart pump faster. What was wrong with her eyes? Why did he have such a reaction? Sighing, she went and sat on the end of Ashley's makeshift bed, her whole body tense as she heard the sharp sounds of gunfire and the unmistakable sound of a grunting pigman in the room nearby. The sounds were coming in crystal clear, which was another thing that distracted her.

Maybe she had Ada to thank for this. The woman always turned up when she needed her...and now she knew why. Well, she didn't really know why but now she could remember Ada from her childhood. From when she'd been seventeen. The woman had just shown up out of the blue, claiming she knew her real father and had pretty good insight into Derek, as well. She'd somehow gotten her hired into the DSO without parental permission. Ada had been there, constantly looking after her.

It explained the pull she felt. How no matter what, neither of them could leave the other alone. Ada was basically the mother she never had. Even though Ada was only a handful of years older, she carried herself so much older. She made a mental note to get back in touch with her own therapist when she got home. There was no way she could work this all out on her own.

~~/~~

Rose's eyes fluttered open to the sharp, jarring sound of the gate clanging open. The metallic screech echoed through the dimly lit room, and for a moment, her head swam as she struggled to wake from the fog of unconsciousness. She was disoriented, groggy, and her body felt heavy, like it hadn't fully returned from wherever she had been.

Her eyes shifted quickly to the figure rushing toward her, a silhouette she knew all too well. Leon.

He was running, his boots pounding against the cold floor, his face a mask of determination and something darker—fear. It was a look she hadn't seen on him before, and it made her stomach twist. What happened to him?

Rose sat up from where she'd been lying beside Ashley, curled up against her back like sisters sharing a small mattress. She blinked a few times, her mind clearing as she tried to make sense of everything around her. The room was still unfamiliar, the lingering scent of chemicals heavy in the air, but it was the panic in Leon's eyes that immediately seized her attention.

"Are you alright?" Leon's voice was rough, his hands gripping her arms with an urgency that felt out of place, like he wasn't sure if she was real. His fingers searched her, as if to make sure she hadn't evaporated into thin air.

The concern in his eyes was raw, real. For a moment, Rose felt a lump in her throat as she watched him, feeling the pressure of the past few days settle into her chest. But then, all at once, it was gone.

Without thinking, she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in. The relief flooded through her, almost dizzying in its intensity. She felt his heartbeat beneath her, steady and strong. For a brief moment, it felt like everything was going to be okay.

Leon huffed in surprise, his body jolting slightly from the unexpected strength of her embrace. For a second, he stumbled, as if he wasn't prepared for this much raw emotion, this much… her.

But then she realized what she was doing. She pulled back quickly, cheeks flushing with sudden embarrassment as she saw his pained expression.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice softer now. "I didn't mean to—"

His hands came up to gently cradle her face, his thumb brushing across her skin as if to reassure himself that she was, indeed, real. "It's okay," he said, his voice tight. He took her in, eyes searching her face, drinking in every detail like he had been starved for it. His gaze softened, but the worry never left his eyes.

"You fell," he said, his voice barely above a whisper and sunk her heart. "Rose, I'm so sorry."

The air in the room seemed to shift, pressing in on her. She couldn't stand it—his guilt, his self-blame. Not after everything. Not now. She shook her head, pushing the thought away.

"Stop," she begged, her voice unsteady. Her fingers gripped his wrists, pulling them down from her face. "It wasn't your fault. If I hadn't let go, you would have died."

Leon froze, the muscles in his jaw tightening. She could see the words hit him like a physical blow, but it was the way his eyes darkened that made her heart skip.

"I thought you did die," he shouted, the words tumbling out in a burst of raw emotion. His voice cracked with the terror he had been holding in.

The sound of his anguish hit her harder than she expected. She felt the breath catch in her throat, a knot of guilt twisting in her stomach. The last thing she had wanted was for him to feel like she was some sort of loss—like a failure.

"I didn't want to die," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I didn't want to leave you. But I had to—"

"You don't get it, Rose," he interrupted, his hands tightening around her arms as he pulled her closer, his face inches from hers. "I lost you once, and I almost lost you again. And it's my fault—all of it." His breath was hot against her skin, his chest rising and falling in shallow bursts. The dark circles under his eyes, the way his body was trembling with the effort to stay on his feet. Leon was exhausted, emotionally and physically. This mission was pushing his limits, reminding them both of their days in training, only they couldn't have been prepared to deal with everything that had come from this.

His words made her heart ache, but she didn't have time to break down. There was no more time for sorry or what ifs.

Rose placed her hands over his, gently pulling them away from her arms and holding them in hers. She looked him squarely in the eyes, grounding him. "Leon… this isn't your fault. None of it is. I'm still here. I'm alive." Her voice was steady now, a quiet conviction in it that she hadn't felt in a long time. "And we're getting out of here. Together."

He blinked, his gaze flickering between her eyes and her lips, like he was trying to convince himself that she wasn't slipping away. His features softened, and for a moment, she saw the man she had known before this nightmare had started—before the darkness had come and swept them both into this hellish world.

But then his expression hardened again, that familiar resolve settling back into his bones. "I'll never forgive myself if I lose you again, Rose. So, no more falling, okay?"

Rose stopped herself from making the joke she wanted to make, not knowing how it would come across, and not wanting the extra stress it would cause if either of them realized just how unjoke-like it actually was. Rose didn't know if she even believed in love. She'd never experienced it. How was she supposed to know what if felt like to be in love with someone? Especially one she'd only met almost two weeks ago? Jesus, how long had they actually been in this shit hole?

Instead of answering, she simply walked back into his arms, gently this time, and enjoyed the feeling of his arms encircling her. They stood like that for a moment before Leon seemed to have an 'oh shit!' thought and sprang away from her to round on Ashley. Rose suddenly felt very foolish, and a little selfish, as she too had forgotten all about Ashley. The veins had crawled up her face now, worse than before. But, Leon pulled out a long syringe, filled with some kind of red liquid, and injected it into Ashley's neck.

"What is that?" Rose asked, peering over at it curiously.

"A parasite suppressant Luis gave me right before he died."

"Before he...what?" Rose looked at him in shock. "But I just talked to him right before I met up with you with that stupid statue."

Leon gave her a puzzled look. "Huh? No, Krauser killed him before I even made it that far."

Rose furrowed her brows, not understanding what was happening. She didn't even bother asking who Krauser was, but she noted the new gash on his cheek and felt a flare of anger, penciling in whoever the guy was on her hit list, blaming him for it even if he hadn't been the one to mar Leon's face. They had two different versions of events, but her memories were notably unreliable. But she could have sworn Luis was still alive.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Are we going to carry her out of here?"

Leon glanced at Ashley, his heart heavy with indecision. She lay there, still unconscious, her face pale and fragile under the harsh lights of the room. The veins had receded, and she was breathing a little deeper now, a relief in itself. But after a long moment, he shook his head, exhaling slowly.

"No," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Too dangerous. The monsters here... they're worse than anything we've faced so far." He glanced around the room, the dirty walls closing in around him. "It's gonna take both of us to keep her safe. She needs to be walking on her own."

He leaned his head back against the cold, metal frame of the table, trying to steady his breath, his muscles aching from the strain. "And I need to catch my breath."

Rose didn't argue. She understood. The things they had seen in this place—this hellhole—were beyond anything they'd ever faced. Every corner seemed to hide new horrors, more grotesque than the last. And Leon was right. Ashley had to be able to move. To walk. To fight, even if just a little, in case something went wrong.

She gave him a brief nod, then lowered herself carefully to the floor beside him, sitting with her legs crossed and her back against the metal frame of the table. Her hand instinctively reached for his, lacing her fingers through his in a silent promise.

"Okay," she said softly, the word carrying more weight than it should. "Take a nap. I'll keep watch."

Leon looked at her, his brow furrowing as if he was going to argue. There was a brief flash of doubt in his eyes—an unease he couldn't fully shake. He wasn't sure if it was his training kicking in, telling him not to rest when they were in enemy territory, or something else... something deeper. Something about the way Rose was looking at him. About how he hadn't seen her in so long, and now, after everything they'd been through, she was here, right beside him.

But as her hand settled in his, her touch warm and steady, Leon's mind began to calm. She was still here. Still alive. He wasn't losing her again.

Even so, the fear lingered in the back of his mind, gnawing at him. He knew it wasn't rational, but he couldn't help it. If he closed his eyes for even a second, what if everything disappeared again? What if this was all a dream? What if he woke up and Rose was gone, slipping away like so many others?

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he simply turned his gaze back to Ashley, watching her closely, every muscle in his body taut with readiness.

Rose felt his hesitation. She could see the conflict in his eyes, the deep-rooted fear that he was trying to hide. It's not about rest, she thought. It's about trust. Trusting her to be here. To keep him grounded. To keep them both grounded.

"You don't have to worry about me," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the turmoil she felt inside. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere."

Leon's eyes softened, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he let out a quiet, shaky breath, his body slowly beginning to relax. He knew she was right. He needed this rest. His body was running on fumes, and his mind had been on high alert for days. He just had to trust that Rose would be there if something happened. That she wouldn't leave him.

"Just... don't let me sleep too long," he muttered, his voice still low but with a hint of amusement in it. "You know how I get."

Rose smirked, a touch of playfulness in her eyes as she leaned her head against the metal table. "I'll wake you up if you start snoring."

Leon chuckled softly, the sound surprisingly comforting. His eyes drifted shut for just a moment, and he let out a deep breath. Just a moment, he told himself. Just enough to let his body rest. He needed it more than he realized.

But even as his body began to relax, his hand tightened around Rose's. Not because he was afraid of losing her, but because he needed that connection—needed to feel her there, present, to remind him that they were still fighting together.

For a while, the only sound in the room was the soft, rhythmic breathing of the two of them. Leon's mind, exhausted and strained, slowly began to drift toward the edge of sleep. His head lolled slightly to the side, his body starting to relax into the ground beneath him.

But before he could fully drift off, he felt Rose's hand gently pull away, just for a moment. He didn't stir—he couldn't have, even if he wanted to. His senses were half-dreaming, but the sudden emptiness was enough to cause a slight flutter of unease deep within him. His fingers instinctively reached for her hand, finding it once more, and when Rose placed her palm back in his, the tension in his chest eased.

He wasn't sure if it was exhaustion, or something else, but for the first time in days, Leon let himself feel something other than fear.

For the first time, he let himself fall into real sleep.