Tigerlily1987

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 50

You slept the whole night in Leon's arms, only one small nightmare but you almost immediately fell back to sleep. Leon made sure you felt safe. The next morning Leon woke up early. You woke to the smell of coffee coming from downstairs. When you got downstairs, Leon was making some breakfast. Without turning around he said calmly, "Good morning beautiful." 

"Do you have eyes in your back?"

 "Comes with the job" he chuckled."

 "I didn't want to wake you up now when you finally got some sleep." 

"Thanks, i really needed that." 

"I made some breakfast for you, i need to leave soon."

You just stared at him for a while, really enjoying having him there. "So..." 

You started carefully. "..about yesterday.." 

"I'm sorry for being so..." 

He stopped you instantly. "Hey... don't." 

"It's okay." 

"But..." 

"No buts."

A small smile appeared on your face. "Not even a just a little bit of...but..." 

Leon noticed immediately where this conversation was going. 

"You are impossible.." 

"Now i really have to go, Chris is already waiting." He kissed you on the head, took his jacket and just as he reached the door he slightly turned around. 

"And don't burn the house down while I'm gone, and stay out of trouble." 

You couldn't help laughing. "Can't promise you anything, remember that Carlos is coming over." 

"Anything could happen.." You smirked. 

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." 

Then he left. You had a few hours by yourself before Carlos would show up. You had some breakfast that Leon had made, pancakes with blueberries,strawberries and some whipped cream. It was so delicious. "I could get used to this.." you said quietly to your self. You changed into some joggers and a t shirt and sat down on the couch wondering what you should do. 

Maybe... 

The motorcycle in your garage almost screamed your name. "No..you promised to Leon" 

"If i just... just start it." You grabbed the keys and headed for the garage. 

"Hey beautiful..." You said, almost a whisper.

 You put the key in the ignition and turned them. You pressed the button and the bike came to life without any problems, even after all this time. The bike was all covered in dust, so you pushed the bike outside and decided to give it a proper cleaning. An hour later the black bike was shining in the sun, making it so hard to not run inside, get your helmet and go for a test run. But... Leon would kill you if he'll found out. And after yesterday, you didn't want to take that chance. A few hours later the doorbell rang. 

You glanced at the clock. "...That has to be Carlos." 

You opened the door. There he was. Wearing sunglasses for absolutely no reason. Holding two pizza boxes in one hand... and a bag of sodas in the other. 

"Good morning sunshine." 

You laughed. "It's almost noon." 

"Exactly." 

"Still morning by my standards."

He stepped inside and held the pizza boxes up proudly. "I brought lunch." 

You narrowed your eyes suspiciously. "...What's on them?"

Carlos smiled far too innocently. "Oh..." 

"You'll see." 

He placed the boxes on the kitchen island. You opened the first one. Pepperoni. Perfect. Then you opened the second. 

"...Carlos." 

"What?" 

"...Is that..." 

He couldn't hold the grin anymore. 

"...Pineapple?" 

Carlos looked incredibly pleased with himself. "Of course." 

"I figured Kennedy wasn't here to stop us." 

You laughed so hard you nearly dropped the lid. 

"This is going to annoy him so much." 

Carlos leaned against the counter. "Worth it." 

You grabbed your phone, took a picture of the pizza and send it to Leon with a text: Guess what your favorite idiot brought for lunch. 

A few seconds passed. 

Then Leon replied. I'm leaving the two of you alone for ONE day. 

You burst out laughing. Carlos looked over your shoulder. "What did he say?" 

You turned the screen toward him. Carlos nodded proudly. "Mission accomplished." 

Carlos dropped onto the couch with an exaggerated sigh. "...You know..." 

"I think Kennedy seriously overestimated how much trouble you'd get into without him." 

You laughed. "We haven't gotten into any trouble." 

"...Yet."

Carlos grinned. "Exactly." 

The afternoon slipped by surprisingly fast. You watched a couple of old action movies. You talked a lot, about everything. Mostly funny stuff. Later in the evening the tv was on but neither of you didn't really pay any attention to it. You still argued about how crap the movies were. At some point the room fell comfortably silent. 

Without really thinking about it... 

You leaned against his shoulder. "...Comfortable?" he asked. 

"Mhm..." 

Your eyes slowly drifted closed. A few minutes later... Carlos carefully shifted so your head rested in his lap instead. He gently pulled a blanket higher over your shoulder. "...There." 

Within minutes... You were completely asleep.

 Almost an hour later... The front door unlocked. Leon stepped inside quietly. He placed his keys on the kitchen island and slipped off his jacket. "...Carlos?" 

No answer. 

Then his eyes landed on the empty pizza boxes. Carlos looked up from the couch, trying very hard not to laugh. "...Before you say anything..." 

"It wasn't my idea."

Leon looked up. "...Really?" 

Carlos nodded with a perfectly straight face. "She practically begged for it." 

Leon looked down at the empty box again. Then back at Carlos. "...I'm gone for one day..."

 "...and this is what happens." 

Leon shook his head, smiling despite himself. Only then did he look toward the couch. You were still fast asleep. He crouched beside you. Very gently... He brushed a loose strand of hair away from your face. You barely stirred. "...She's exhausted." 

Carlos nodded. "She actually had a really good day."

Leon smiled softly. "...Thanks." 

"Anytime." 

Leon carefully slid one arm beneath your knees... and another around your back. 

Slowly... He lifted you into his arms. You instinctively curled a little closer against him but never woke up. 

Carlos watched with a small smile. "...She trusts you." 

Leon looked down at you. "...I hope so." 

Without another word.... He carried you upstairs. Into the bedroom. He carefully laid you down beneath the blankets. Pulled them gently over your shoulders. You sighed softly in your sleep... and instinctively reached for his hand. 

Leon smiled. "...Good night beautiful."

He stayed there for another moment... Just watching you sleep peacefully. 

Downstairs... Carlos quietly collected the empty pizza boxes. Before leaving, he glanced toward the staircase and smiled to himself. 

"...Yeah.." 

"...You two are going to be just fine." 

Then he quietly let himself out, leaving the house silent once more. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 49

The apartment door clicked shut behind you. Leon hung his jacket on the hook by the door. His keys landed softly on the kitchen island. Silence.

 He turned toward you. "...Sit down." 

You looked at him. "What?" 

His voice remained calm. "Please." 

You sighed but climbed onto one of the chairs by the island. Leon stayed standing on the opposite side. For a long moment... he simply looked at you. 

Then he spoke. "...Let's start with the gym." 

You rolled your eyes."It was light training." 

"It wasn't what Dr.Harris cleared." 

"They were tiny dumbbells." 

"They were still dumbbells." 

"I felt fine." 

"I know you felt fine." 

"I'm trying to get stronger."

 "I know." 

You crossed your arms. "It feels like every time I do something..." 

"...it's wrong." 

Leon took a slow breath. "...Then explain the shooting range."

Your head snapped up. 

Silence. 

"...What?" 

"You heard me." 

"The range." 

Your heart skipped. "...How do you know about that?" 

"It doesn't matter." 

"...It matters to me." 

"You weren't supposed to be there." 

"I fired one magazine." 

"That isn't the point." 

"I just wanted to know if I could still shoot." 

"You should've waited." 

"For what?...For permission?"

Leon didn't answer. You laughed bitterly. 

"There it is." 

"I'm not allowed to train, not to shoot or go on missions." 

"So what exactly am I allowed to do?"

Leon stayed calm. "Recover." 

"I HAVE BEEN RECOVERING!" 

"I'M TIRED OF RECOVERING!" 

You stood up so quickly the chair scraped loudly across the floor. "I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm broken!" 

"You almost died." 

"I'm still here!" 

"And i don't want to lose you!" 

"I'M NOT GOING TO..." 

"ENOUGH!" 

The single word echoed through the kitchen. Complete silence. Your body froze. Yous shoulders flinched instinctively. Your breathing stopped.

 For one terrifying second... the kitchen disappeared. 

The voice wasn't Leon's anymore. It was Adam's. Louder. Angrier. Closer. Your vision blurred. "No..." 

You took one stumbling step backwards. Then another. Leon saw your face change immediately. His own expression fell. "...No..."

He took one careful step toward you. "Hey..." 

You flinched violently. "No!" 

Your back hit the wall. Your eyes weren't seeing him. They were seeing someone else. "Don't..." Your voice was barely a whisper. 

"...Please..."

Leon stopped instantly. His heart dropped. 

"...Adam..." 

The word hit Leon like a knife straight through the chest. For one unbearable second... he couldn't breathe. 

"No"

Not him. 

Anything...but that.

 He had spent every single day trying to make you feel safe.Trying to convince you that those nightmares were over. That Adam could never hurt you again. 

And now... because he had lost his temper for a single second... you were looking at him with the same fear. Leon had never hated himself more. His hands instinctively twitched, wanting nothing more than to pull you into his arms... but he forced himself to stay exactly where he was. If he moved too quickly... you might only see Adam again. He swallowed hard. 

Very slowly... he lowered his hands to his sides. Made himself smaller. Less intimidating. His voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper. "...Hey..." 

Nothing. 

Your breathing was shallow. Your eyes weren't really seeing him. They were trapped somewhere years ago. Leon felt utterly helpless. He couldn't fight this. He couldn't shoot it. He couldn't protect you from it. All he could do... was wait. 

"It's me." 

Still nothing.

 He spoke again. Softer. Slower. "I'm not coming any closer." 

"You're safe." 

"I'm staying right here." 

"You don't have to look at me." 

"...Just listen."

A tear rolled down your cheek. Leon's chest tightened. "You know my voice." 

"I'm here." 

"You're home." 

"No one's going to hurt you." 

Several agonizing seconds passed. 

Then... Your breathing caught. Your eyes blinked. Once. Twice. The fear slowly began to fade. Your gaze finally focused. "...Leon?" 

Relief crashed over him so suddenly his knees almost gave way. A shaky smile appeared despite the tears in his own eyes. "Yeah, it's me." 

"I'm right here." 

Only when he saw that you truly recognized him... did he take one careful step forward. Then another. He stopped just in front of you. "...Can I hold you?" 

For a second... You simply looked at him. Then... Very quietly... You nodded. Leon wrapped his arms around you as though you were something impossible fragile. Not because he thought you were weak... but because he'd never been more afraid of breaking someone's trust. He rested his cheek gently against your hair. 

"I'm so sorry." 

His voice cracked. "I promise I'd always make you feel safe."

 "...And for a second..." 

"...I failed." 

You stayed in Leon's arms for a long time. Neither of you said anything. Eventually... You took a shaky breath. "...I'm sorry." 

Leon looked down at you. "For what?" 

You swallowed. "...For being so stubborn." 

A small, embarrassed laugh escaped you. "I know I keep doing thing my own." 

"I know I keep pushing." 

 "I just..." 

"...hate feeling useless."

Leon was quiet for a moment. Then a faint smile appeared. "...You know..."

He gently brushed his thumb across your cheek. "I understand." 

You looked up. "You do?" 

He chuckled quietly. "...Have you met me?" 

"You've seen me argue with Chris more than once." 

"I know exactly what it's like to think...I can handle it." 

He tilted your chin up gently. "The difference is..." 

"...right now..." 

"...you're the one I have to protect." 

Your eyes softened. "I know, and I promise I'll try to listen." 

"That's all I'm asking."

Then he kissed you, a slow kiss that made everything else disappear around you. There was only you and him. And for now, nothing could come between the two of you. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 48

A week went by, no big panic attacks. A couple smaller ones, in the shower and during the nights. Maybe someday you would be ready to try to have a bath, but not yet. The bruises had faded. The sling was gone. Your ribs still reminded you of every deep breath, but at least they no longer felt like they were made of broken glass. 

Life had started moving again.

 Almost. 

Every morning you arrived at DSO Headquarters with everyone else. Every morning Leon disappeared into the conference room. Carlos disappeared. Patrik disappeared. Sometimes Chris appeared for meetings. Sometimes Hunnigan's voice echoed through conference rooms. Maps. Satellite images. Intercepted Umbrella communications. The operation was getting closer.

 And every day... you stayed behind. 

Reports. Evidence logs. Paperwork. Medical evaluations. Inventory updates. You hated paperwork. Not because it was boring. Because it reminded you that everyone else was doing the work you wanted to be doing. You watched Leon through the glass wall of the conference room. He stood at the front. Confident. Calm. Giving orders. Carlos leaned back in his chair. Patrik asked questions. Hunnigan's voice cam through the speaker. Sherry added another intelligence report. They looked like a team. Your team. 

A team you weren't part of... for now. 

The days just went past you, always the same way and you started to feel frustrated with it. You wanted something else to do then paperwork. The conference room doors closed behind Leon, Chris, Carlos and Patrik once more. Another Umbrella briefing. Another meeting you weren't invited to. You stared at your paperwork for another thirty seconds. 

Then sighed. "...Five minutes." 

You quietly stood up from your desk. A quick glance down the hallway. Nobody. Perfect. You slipped away as quietly as possible. The shooting range was completely empty. No instructors. No agents. Just the low hum of the ventilation system. 

You smiled. "...Even better."

You signed out a pistol, loaded a single magazine and stepped into one of the lanes. The familiar weight in your hand felt... right. Comforting. You took a slow breath. Raised the pistol. 

BANG. 

The sound echoed through the empty range. Then another. And another. By the time the magazine was empty... 

A genuine smile had found its way onto your face. "...Still got it." 

You unloaded the pistol, returned it to the counter and quietly left the range. You returned to your desk. Sat down. Opened another report. A satisfied little smile still lingered on your face.

  "See?" you thought. 

"Nobody noticed." 

You picked up your pen and continued working. 

You had absolutely no idea... that someone had noticed. 

The conference room doors finally opened. One by one, everyone stepped back into the office. Carlos stretched dramatically. "I swear, if I have to look at one more satellite image today..."

 "...I'm transferring to accounting." 

Patrik smirked. "You'd last five minutes." 

"Maybe." Carlos laughed. 

"But at least I'd have fewer briefings." 

You smiled. "I wouldn't mind one of those." 

Carlos looked at you. "Bored already?" 

"A little." 

 "I miss actually doing something." 

Carlos nodded sympathetically. "I get it." 

"It's only temporary." 

Before you could answer... Leon stepped out of the conference room. He hadn't said a word. His phone vibrated once. He glanced down at the screen. Read the message. Locked the phone. Then slowly looked up. His eyes met yours. Only for a second. 

Just long enough for you to notice... something had changed. 

"...Everything okay?" you asked.

 Leon held your gaze for a brief moment. Then gave a small nod. "...Yeah." 

"Everything's fine." 

You weren't completely convinced. But he didn't say anything else. A few minutes later, everyone drifted back to work. 

Expect... 

Tomorrow, you wouldn't even be here. The doctor had only cleared you for limited administration duties, and there simply wasn't any work waiting for you. You didn't know what to do with yourself. Leon had already warned you he'd be all day working the next day with Chris. Another full day of planning. Another day without you. The office had grown quieter. One by one, agents packed up for the day. The sun was already beginning to set outside. You looked up as Leon stepped out of his office. His jacket was folded over one arm. His car keys rested in the other. 

He looked at you. "We're leaving." 

You blinked. "...Already?" 

He nodded once. "It's getting late." 

You shut down your computer and stood. 

"See you tomorrow," Carlos called from across the room. 

Leon simply gave Carlos a brief nod. "Good night."

Then he looked back at you. "Come on." 

The drive home... was strangely quiet. 

The radio played softly in the background. You looked out of the passenger window. Then over at Leon. He was focused on the road. One hand resting on the steering wheel. The other on the gear lever. Calm. 

Almost... too calm. 

You frowned calmly. "...Everything okay?" 

"Mm." 

That was all. Just... "Mm." 

You looked back out the window. Maybe he was tired. Maybe the meeting with Chris hadn't gone well. Maybe he was just thinking about the operation. The silence stretched on. Long enough to become uncomfortable. 

You glanced at him again. "...Leon?" 

He didn't take his eyes off the road. "We'll talk when we get home." 

Your stomach sank. "...Okay." 

The rest of the drive passed in silence. 

For the first time all day... 

You had the unmistakable feeling... that something was very, very wrong. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 47

The two of you had barely taken a few steps when you suddenly stopped. 

Then, just loud enough for Dr.Harris to hear through the still-open door, you announced with a perfectly straight face. "Oh!" 

"Now that the doctor has officially given me permission..." 

"...maybe you can help me remember out first night together, the one i forgot." 

Silence. 

Absolute silence. 

Leon stopped walking. 

Very... slowly... he turned to look at you. "..Did you really just say that?" 

You nodded innocently. "I was just thinking out loud." 

Behind you, a muffled cough came from the examination room. It sounded suspiciously like Dr.Harris was trying not to laugh. 

Leon closed his eyes for a second. "...Please tell me you're joking." 

You smiled sweetly. "What?" 

"You heard the doctor." 

"I'm medically cleared." 

Leon looked around the hallway as if praying no one else had heard. "...Can we go now?" 

You couldn't help laughing. "What?" 

"I thought it was a perfectly reasonable observation."

Leon rubbed a hand over his face. "I can't believe this."

"You've spent way too much time with Carlos." 

"Maybe." 

You stepped closer and gently nudged his arm. "But admit it..." "...that was funny." 

Leon tried to keep a straight face. He lasted about three seconds. A quiet laugh escaped him. "...I'm not giving you the satisfaction of admitting that." 

Your grin widened. "So you did think it was funny." 

Leon pointed toward the elevators. "Get moving." 

"Before you embarrass me any further."

You smiled innocently. "Yes, Da..." You cleared your throat. "..Sir."

Leon slowly turned his head toward you. "...Don't." 

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh. "I didn't even say it." 

"You almost did." "...Close enough." 

You grinned. "Yes, Sir." 

For the first time in weeks... The sound echoing through the Medical Wing wasn't fear. It was laughter. You headed back to the office, Leon opened the office door first. 

Carlos looked up immediately. "So?" 

Before Leon could answer, you smiled. "Dr.Harris says I can finally start training." 

Leon looked at you. "...LIGHT training." 

You smiled innocently. "I was getting to that." 

Carlos grinned. "So...treadmill?" 

"And light cardio." Leon added. 

"No lifting."

 "No sparring." 

"No field work."

 "No trying to prove you're invincible."

You folded your arms. "...You're taking all the fun of it." 

Sherry laughed quietly. "So... basically he gave Leon permission to keep bossing you around." 

Leon nodded once. "Exactly." 

You rolled your eyes dramatically. "Traitor." 

Patrik looked up from his paperwork. "Anything else?" 

You answered before Leon had a chance. "Oh... apparently I also have medical clearance for sex now." 

Silence. 

Absolute silence. 

Patrik inhaled coffee. ...straight into the wrong pipe. Sherry's eyes became the size of dinner plates. "...You what?" 

Carlos slowly lowered the files he was holding. A grin spread across his face. "No." 

He looked at Leon. "...Please tell me you weren't standing there when she asked." 

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was." 

Carlos stared for two whole seconds... before bursting into laughter. "Oh my God!" 

He pointed at Leon. "She actually asked the doctor?" 

Leon sighed. "Yes." 

"In front of you?" 

"Yes." 

Carlos wiped tears from the corner of his eyes. "I would've paid money to see your face." 

Sherry finally recovered enough to speak. "I don't even know what to say." 

You smiled sweetly. "I thought it was a perfectly reasonable medical question." 

Leon looked at the ceiling. "...Of course you did." 

Then he went into his own office to continue working. You went through some reports that Sherry gave you, something light to do. It felt nice to be back, be of use for once and not just be trapped in your apartment. About an hour later you headed for the DSO gym to get some exercise. And God you missed this. You stepped carefully onto the treadmill. Five minutes. Just walking. Exactly what Dr.Harris had recommended. You looked toward the dumbbell rack.

  "...One set wouldn't hurt." 

Five kg dumbbells. 

Practically feathers. 

You picked them up. 

One curl. 

Two. 

Three. 

"...I leave you alone for one hour." 

Your eyes slowly closed. "...Oh crap." 

Leon stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "I had a feeling I'd find you here." 

"They're only five kilos." 

"They're still dumbbells." 

"I was testing them."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "...Testing my patience?" 

You smiled innocently. "...Maybe." 

Leon walked over. "Enough." 

"I was just..." 

"No." 

"But..." 

"No." 

You sighed dramatically. "...You're impossible." 

"So I've been told." 

Before you could protest again, Leon bent down. One arm wrapped securely around your waist... and a second later... you were hanging over his shoulder. 

"Leon!" 

"Nope." 

"This is embarrassing!" you groaned, covering your face with both hands. 

"No." Leon said calmly. 

"It really is." 

Leon adjusted his grip slightly without slowing down. "You embarrassed me first." 

You blinked. "...What?" 

He glanced at you over his shoulder. "At the doctors appointment." 

You couldn't help smiling. "...Maybe." 

"So now..." "...it's my turn." 

Your jaw dropped. "You got to be shitting me?" 

Carlos appeared around the corner just then. He froze. Looked at you. Looked at Leon. Then slowly reached into his pocket. "Oh, this is priceless." 

He pulled out his phone. 

Click. 

The flash went off. 

"Carlos!" you groaned. 

Carlos laughed so hard he nearly dropped his phone. "Best day I've had in months." 

Leon didn't even look at him. "Send me that picture." 

Your eyes widened. "...Wait...what?"

Leon finally smirked. "So I can remind you what happens..." 

"...when you decide to embarrass me." 

You stared at him in disbelief. "...You're impossible." 

"And yet..." 

He started walking again. "...worth it." 

You sighed dramatically. "...I hate that you had that one ready." 

Carlos laughed all the way down the hallway. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 46

Carlos pulled into the DSO parking garage a few minutes later. When you two got outside of the Medical Wing, Leon was there already waiting. 

The moment Carlos saw him... The corner of his mouth twitched. 

Then another. 

Before long, he was trying very hard not to laugh. Leon narrowed his eyes. "...What's so funny?" 

Carlos cleared his throat. "Nothing." 

Leon wasn't convinced. "Carlos." 

"I'm serious." 

"Nothing."

He glanced at you for a split second before looking away again. That only made Leon more suspicious. His gaze shifted to you. "...What did he do?" 

You immediately shook your head. "Nothing." 

Leon folded his arms. "Why do I suddenly fell like the two of you are hiding something from me?"

Carlos bit the inside of his cheek. "I'm not saying a word." 

Leon sighed. "...Carlos." 

"I value my life too much." 

Leon looked at you. "...You?" 

You smiled innocently. "I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about." 

Leon stared at the both of you for several seconds. 

Then he let out a defeated sigh. "I don't know whether I should be relieved..." 

"...or worried."

Carlos finally lost the battle and chuckled. 

Leon pointed at him. "I don't like either of you right now." 

You couldn't help laughing. 

Carlos gave Leon one last grin, the kind that clearly said "I know something you don't" before disappearing down the hallway toward the Operations Wing. Leon watched him leave. Then he looked back at you."...Should I be worried?" 

You smiled sweetly. "No." 

"...Probably."

Leon sighed dramatically. "I have a feeling I'm going to find out eventually." 

"Maybe." 

"I was afraid you'd say that."

A few minutes later Dr.Harris welcomed the two of you into the examination room. "Good afternoon." 

"It's good to see you both again."

He reviewed yous latest scan before examining yous shoulder. "Raise your arm for me." 

You slowly lifted it. The movement was still stiff... But nowhere near as painful as before. Dr.Harris nodded with satisfaction. 

"Excellent." 

He gently checked your range of motion one last time before smiling. "I think we can finally retire the sling." 

Relief spread across your face. "Really?"

"Really."

He carefully removed the sling from your shoulder. For the first time in weeks... Your arm felt free. Weak. A little sore. But free. 

Leon noticed the smile on your face immediately. "I'd say that's good news." 

"It is," Dr.Harris agreed. 

"But don't celebrate just yet." 

He pointed toward your wrist. "The cast stays." 

"A couple more weeks." 

"And your ribs are still healing." 

"They're improving, but they'll remind you the're there for a while longer." 

You nodded. "What about training?"

Leon quietly muttered, "Here we go..." 

Dr.Harris chuckled. "You may return to the gym..." 

Your eyes immediately lit up. "...under very strict restrictions." 

Leon smiled. "I like where this is going." 

Dr.Harris continued. "No weights." 

"No resistance training." 

"No machines." 

"No upper-body exercises." 

You sighed dramatically. "So...what can I do?" 

"Light cardio." 

"Treadmill." 

"Walking." 

"A gentle pace." 

"If anything hurts..." 

"You stop immediately." 

You nodded, slightly disappointed. 

"And one more thing." Dr.Harris folded his hands together. 

"If you feel mentally ready..." 

"I think it's reasonable to let you return to light administrative duties." 

"Paperwork." 

"Reports." 

"Office work only." 

He looked directly at Leon. "No field assignments. " 

"No operational work." 

Leon nodded without hesitation. "Agreed." 

You looked from one man to the other. "Do I get a vote?" 

Leon smiled. "When Dr.Harris says yes..." "You get a vote." 

"When he says no..." "...not so much." 

You rolled your eyes. "I liked you better before this appointment."

Dr.Harris laughed. "I hear that surprisingly often." 

He closed your file and stood up. "Other than that, you're making excellent progress." 

"If you keep taking things slowly.." 

"I expect you'll continue healing well.." 

You nodded. "Got it." 

You stood up from the examination table, pretending to think very hard. "Actually..." 

Dr.Harris looked up. "Yes?" 

You kept a perfectly straight face. "...When am I allowed to have sex?" 

Silence. 

Complete silence. 

Dr.Harris blinked once. 

Leon looked like his brain had completely stopped working. "...I'm sorry?" 

You didn't even smile. "I mean..." 

"...I figured I'd ask."

Leon slowly closed his eyes. "...Oh, no..."

Dr. Harris cleared his throat, trying very hard to remain professional. "Well.." 

"Technically..." 

"As long as there's no strain on the ribs or shoulder..."

 "...and you stop immediately if it causes pain..." 

"...there's no medical reason to forbid it." 

You nodded thoughtfully. "Good to know." 

Leon stared at the floor. "I cannot believe this conversation is happening." 

You finally looked at him. "What?" 

Dr.Harris couldn't hold it anymore. A quiet laugh escaped him. Leon thanked Dr.Harris before opening the examination room door. 

"Come on." 

"We've taken enough of the doctors time."

You nodded and followed him into the hallway. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 45

The days slowly began to blend together. Not because nothing happened... But because life was trying, little by little, to become normal again. Every morning, Leon left for DSO. Sometimes before sunrise. Sometimes after breakfast. He always stopped by the couch before leaving. Always kissed your forehead. Always asked the same questions. 

"Phone charged?" 

You would roll your eyes every single time. "Yes, Leon." 

"Pain medication?" 

"Yes, Leon." 

This morning you felt like teasing him about it. 

"You need anything before I go?" 

You smiled innocently. "...Yes, Daddy." 

Silence.

Leon blinked once. "...I'm sorry?" 

You couldn't hold it anymore. 

A laugh escaped before you could stop it. "I've always wanted to say that." 

Leon stared at you for a long second. "Don't ever call me that again." 

You grinned. "Yes, Daddy."

Leon pointed a finger at you. "I'm confiscating your phone." 

"You said it was important that it stayed charged." 

"...I'm beginning to regret teaching you logic." 

You laughed so hard your ribs immediately protested. "Ow..." 

Leon was beside you in an instant. His expression softened immediately. "Easy." 

His hands instinctively settled against your side, careful not to put any pressure on your bruised ribs. "

You okay?"

You nodded, still smiling despite the ache. "I'm okay..." 

Leon searched your face for a long moment, making sure you really meant it. Seeing you laugh... Seeing you smile like that. It was something he hadn't seen nearly enough lately. You reached for him before you could overthink it. Your fingers gently curled around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. For a split second, Leon looked surprised. Then he smiled softly. He met you halfway. The kiss was slow. Gentle. Neither of you rushed it. When you finally pulled away, your forehead rested lightly against his. 

A small smile spread across your face. "...Worth it." 

Leon let out a quiet laugh, his thumb gently brushing against your cheek. "...You know..."

He looked into your eyes for another moment. "...you just made it a whole lot harder to leave for work." 

"Maybe that was the plan." 

"I should've seen that coming." 

He stole one last quick kiss before reluctantly stepping back. "I really do have to go." 

"I know." 

He sighed dramatically, as he picked up his jacket. "If Chris asks why I'm late..." "...I'm blaming you." 

You folded your arms with innocent smile. "I'll gladly take responsibility for that." 

"Somehow..." 

"I don't doubt it."

As he reached for the front door, your eyes wandered for just a second. A grin slowly spread across your face. "...Nice view." 

Leon stopped mid-step.

 Slowly...

 He looked back over his shoulder. "...Seriously?" 

You shrugged innocently. "What?" 

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I thought we settled this back at the hospital." 

He raised an eyebrow. "...You're checking out my ass again?" 

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh. "...Maybe."

Leon let out an amused sigh. "You know..." 

"...it hasn't changed since the last time you said that." 

You tilted your head playfully. "I know." 

"I was just making sure." 

Leon stared at you for a second. Then laughed, shaking his head. "...You're unbelievable." 

"I've been told." 

"I'm starting to think Carlos really is a bad influence." 

"You just have a really nice...view." 

Leon covered his face with one hand, laughing quietly. "I'm never getting to work on time again." 

He walked back over to you one last time. "You know..." 

He leaned down, stealing one last quick kiss.

"...I'm going to be thinking about that comment all day now." 

You smiled innocently. "Good." 

Leon chuckled. "You're dangerous." 

"So I've heard." 

He pointed a finger at you with a smile. "Behave while I'm gone." 

"I'll try." 

"...That's not very convincing." 

"It wasn't supposed to be." Leon laughed one last time before finally opening the door. 

As he stepped outside, he called back over his shoulder... 

"... And stop checking out my ass!" 

You couldn't help laughing. "No promises!" 

"Oh..." 

"I almost forgot." 

You looked up. "What?" 

"Carlos is picking you up later." 

"For what?" 

"You follow-up appointment." 

"Oh..." 

You had almost forgotten. 

"I'll meet you there."

There was something about the way he said it... Simple. Matter-of.fact. As if there had never been another option. 

He smiled one last time. "See you later." 

This time, he actually managed to leave. The doorbell rang shortly after lunch. You already knew who it was. Without even checking the peephole, you opened the door. Carlos leaned casually against the frame, keys twirling around one finger. 

"Ready?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be." 

Carlos started the car, pulling away from the house. For a few minutes, neither of you said much. The radio played quietly in the background. Carlos was the first to break the silence. 

"So..." 

"How have you been?" 

You looked out the window. "Better."

He nodded. "You've been sleeping?"

 "A little" 

He glanced at you briefly. "Anything else new?"

 "...Maybe." 

Carlos immediately looked interested. "Oh?" 

A smile slowly crept onto your face. "I might've..." "...called Leon Daddy this morning." 

Carlos slammed the brakes. Fortunately... The traffic light had just turned res. He slowly turned to stare at you. 

"...You WHAT?" 

You immediately burst into laughter. 

"Oh my God..." Carlos covered his face with one hand. 

"Please..." "...tell me you're joking?" 

"I'm not."

Carlos started laughing so hard he had to lean forward over the steering wheel. "I..." "I can't..." 

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "What did Kennedy do?" 

"He just stared at me."

You couldn't stop laughing either. "Then he blamed you."

Carlos pointed dramatically at himself."ME?" 

"He said..." You tried your best to imitate Leon's voice. "You've been spending entirely too much time with Carlos." 

Carlos laughed even harder. "I knew it!" 

"I knew I'd eventually corrupt you." 

"I am so proud." 

"You are impossible." 

"No." 

"I'm a great influence."

 "You absolutely are not." 

The traffic light turned green. Carlos pulled away, still chuckling. A few minutes later... Carlos suddenly smirked. 

"You know..." 

You immediately became suspicious. "What?" 

"I'm definitely bringing this up later." 

You pointed a finger at him. "No."

 "Oh yes." 

"Carlos!" 

"I'm going to look Kennedy dead in the eyes...." "...and call him Daddy." 

"Carlos!" 

He laughed so hard he almost missed the next turn. "I'm kidding!" 

"...Mostly." 

"You are absolutely not telling him."

Carlos looked offended. "So now we're keeping secrets?" 

"It's for your own safety." 

"My safety?" 

"Leon might actually shoot you."

Carlos nodded thoughtfully. "...Fair." 

A beat of silence.

 Then he grinned again. "...Still worth it?" 

You looked out the window, unable to hide your smile. "...Worth it." 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 44

The room grew quieter. 

Downstairs... 

The soft tapping of Leon's keyboard gradually faded into the background. Your eyelids became heavier. 

Just for a minute... 

You told yourself. 

Just to rest. ....... 

Darkness. 

Cold. 

You couldn't move. 

Water.

It was everywhere. 

The pressure around your chest. Your lungs burned. 

"No..."

 "No..." 

A hand grabbed your wrist. You looked up. Adam. His eyes were empty. His fingers dug painfully into your skin. 

"No..." 

His grip tightened. "You don't get to leave me." 

Water rushed over your face. Your mouth opened instinctively. Nothing but freezing water filled your lungs. You kicked. You fought. You couldn't breathe. 

"Let me go!" 

His grip only tightened. 

"No..." 

You tried again. "Please..." 

Your voice broke. "Let me go!"

Downstairs... Leon froze. 

His fingers stopped moving across the keyboard. He heard it. A muffled voice upstairs.

  "...No..." 

His chair scraped violently across the floor. 

Then... 

"LET ME GO!" 

Leon was already running. He took the stairs two at a time. Throwing the bedroom door open. You were sitting upright in bed. Breathing so hard your entire body shook. Your eyes were open... But they weren't seeing the room. They wee still trapped somewhere else. 

"No..." 

You pushed yourself backward against the headboard. 

"Stay away!"

Leon slowly raised both hands. "It's me." 

You didn't hear him. "Don't touch me!" 

You stared straight through him. "No..." 

"No..." 

"Please..." 

Leon felt his heart sink. You weren't awake. Not really. The nightmare hadn't ended. It had followed you into reality. 

He took one careful step forward. "You're safe." 

Your breathing only became faster. You stared at him with pure terror. 

"...Adam..."

Leon stopped. 

For a second... 

That single word hurt more than he expected. You genuinely believed he was Adam. He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.

 "I'm here." 

"You made it home." 

"You're safe." 

Still... Nothing. 

Your entire body trembled. Tears streamed silently down your face. 

"Stay away!"  Your voice cracked as you pressed yourself harder against the headboard. Your entire body shook. 

"No..." 

"Please..." 

"Don't..." 

Leon kept both hands where you could see them. He didn't move any closer. "I'm here." 

"You don't have to fight anymore." 

Your hands were trembling so violently you could barely keep yourself upright. 

"Look at me." 

Just for a second... Your eyes finally met his. Not through him. At him. Leon didn't rush you. He simply stayed where he was. 

"It's okay." 

"I'm right here." 

Your breathing hitched. Your gaze slowly traveled across his face. His eyes. His hair. The scar beneath his haw. Familiar. Safe. 

Your lips parted. "...Leon...?" 

His shoulders relaxed immediately. "Yeah." 

"It's me." 

For a second... You simply stared at him. Then everything hit you at once. The nightmare. The water. The panic. The realization that Adam isn't there. 

A sob escaped your throat. "I'm sorry..." 

You broke completely. 

Leon caught you before you could collapse forward. You buried your face against his shoulder shaking uncontrollably. 

"I'm sorry..." 

"I'm sorry..." 

Leon gently stroke your hair. "You have nothing to apologize for." 

"It was just a nightmare." 

"You hear me?" 

"It wasn't real."

 "I've got you." 

You clung to him desperately. "I thought..." 

Your voice cracked again. "I thought it was him..." 

"I know." 

"I know you did." 

He rested his cheek lightly against your hair. "But you're here now." 

"With me." 

Slowly... Your breathing began to settle. The panic loosened its grip. Little by little. Only when Leon was certain you were beginning to recognize your surroundings... did he pull back just enough to look at you. 

"I'm not going anywhere." 

You nodded weakly. Still holding onto he front of his shirt. Only then did Leon stand. Without a word... He pulled off his shirt. Dropped it onto the chair. Then his belt. His trousers. Leaving only his boxers. No weapons. No tactical gear. Nothing that could remind you of work... Or violence. Just... Leon. He carefully slid beneath the blanket beside you. Not forcing you. Just close enough. After a few long seconds...

 He wrapped one arm carefully around your shoulders. "It's okay." 

You felt his heartbeat. Steady. Warm. Real. Your shaking hands instinctively grabbed the front of his shoulder. 

"...Leon...?" 

"I'm here." 

Another tear rolled down your cheek. "...Don't leave..." 

"I won't." 

"I promise." 

You buried your face against his chest. The panic slowly began to loosen its grip. Minute by minute. Breath by breath. Until... Exhaustion finally won. Your grip relaxed. Your breathing became slow. Even. Peaceful. Leon didn't move. Not even when his arm began to go numb. He simply held you. Listening to every quiet breath. Making sure they stayed steady.

 Outside... Night slowly gave way to morning. 

And for the first time... 

Since Adam. 

Since everything... 

You slept through the rest of the night. 

Without screaming. 

Without waking. 

Without drowning. 

And Leon never let go. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 43

The image of you casually walking down the hospital hallway with a bottle of Coke and a bag of chips flashed through his mind. "...Seriously?" 

He stepped outside. The Porsche was still in the driveway. His pulse immediately picked up. Then... He noticed the small garage door standing slightly open. 

Leon exhaled. "...Found you." 

Inside the garage... You hadn't heard a thing. Your fingertips rested gently against the motorcycle's fuel tank. "...I missed you." 

You smiled faintly. "I'll get you back on the road." 

"...Soon."

 "Hopefully." 

Behind you... Leon quietly leaned against the doorway folding his arms. "...You know..."

 "...most people announce when they're leaving the room." 

You nearly jumped out of your skin. "Oh!" 

You spun around. "...How long have you been standing there?" 

"Long enough." 

You blinked. "...Why are you looking at me like that?" 

Leon raised one eyebrow. "You disappeared." 

"...Again." 

You looked genuinely confused. "I walked ten meters." 

"You vanished." 

"I was in the garage." 

"You didn't tell me." 

"...I didn't think I had to." 

Leon let out a long sigh. "...Last time I didn't know where you were..." 

"...I found you eating chips." 

You couldn't help laughing. "To be fair..." 

"...they were actually good chips." 

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wasn't worried about the chips." 

"..I know." 

"I was worried about you." 

The smile faded from your face. "...Sorry."

A small silence followed. Then you looked at him mischievously. "So..." 

"...am I grounded now?"

Leon stared at you. "Don't tempt me." 

You grinned. "I'll take that as a yes." 

Leon couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from lifting. "...You're impossible." 

"And yet..." 

You gently patted the motorcycle. "...you still found me." 

Leon shook his head. "...I'm starting to think I should put a GPS tracker on you." 

You gasped dramatically. "Oh!" 

"So that's the plan?" 

"I knew the moving in thing was suspicious!" 

Leon sighed. "...I'm never going to win an argument with you, am I?" 

You smiled innocently. "Nope." 

Leon stared at you for a long second. "...You know..." 

"What?" 

He sighed. "You're spending way too much time with Carlos." 

You blinked. "...Excuse me?" 

Leon crossed his arms. "His bad influence is starting to show." 

You gasped dramatically, placing a hand over your chest. "Carlos would be honored to hear that." 

"I know."

 "...Which is exactly why I'm never telling him" 

You couldn't help laughing. "So that's my diagnosis?" 

Leon nodded once. "Unfortunately." 

"I think it's permanent." 

You grinned. "So.." 

"...does that mean you have to Carloses to deal with now?"

Leon gave you one of his trademark deadpan looks. "Don't even joke about that." 

You burst out laughing. "Oh, come on." 

"You'd survive." 

"Barely." 

"I think you'd secretly miss us if we ever stopped annoying you." 

Leon sighed. "...I'm choosing not to answer that." 

"Because you know I'm right." 

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "...You're impossible." 

"And yet..." 

"...you still moved in." 

Leon looked at you for a moment before letting out a quiet huff of amusement. "...Yeah." 

"I did." 

Leon opened his laptop, spreading a few case files across the kitchen island. "I've got a few reports to finish." 

You walked over, looking down at the paperwork. "...Need a hand?"

Leon looked up. "You?" 

You shrugged. "I can still type." "

My wrist isn't completely useless."

He looked at you for a moment before shaking his head. "...No." 

"Oh come on." 

"No." 

You folded your arms. "I've been lying in a hospital bed for days." 

"I'm bored." 

"I need something to do." 

Leon closed the file in front of him. "You need to recover." 

"I am recovering." 

"By arguing with me?" 

".. It's excellent therapy."

Leon let out a quiet huff of amusement. "...Go get some rest." 

You sighed dramatically. "So that's an order?" 

He didn't even hesitate. "...Yes." 

You pointed at him. "I knew moving in was just a cleaver excuse to boss me around." 

Leon raised an eyebrow. "I was already your boss." 

"...Fair point." 

You couldn't argue with that. Still muttering under your breath, you headed upstairs. The exhaustion had settled over you like a heavy blanket. You walked into the bedroom. The bed looked inviting. Too inviting. You sat carefully on the edge of the mattress. Your ribs protested immediately. 

"...Ow." 

You lay back slowly.

Just to rest. 

Not to sleep. 

Never to sleep. 

You already knew what was waiting the moment you closed your eyes. 

The cold water. The panic. The feeling of drowning. 

You didn't have to wonder if the nightmares would return. They would. They always did. Your gaze remained fixed on the ceiling. 

Downstairs... 

You could hear Leon quietly typing. The occasional rustle of paper. The familiar sounds were oddly comforting. You weren't alone anymore. That should have made it easier. 

Instead... 

A different thought crept into your mind. What if i fall asleep anyway? What if i wake up screaming again? Your chest tightened. You slowly turned onto your side, immediately regretting it as pain shot through your ribs.

 "...Damn...'" 

The laughter downstairs. 

The teasing. 

For a little while... It had almost made you forget.

Almost. 

But now... 

The room was quiet again. And you knew. 

Sooner or later... 

You would have to close your eyes. And when you did... The nightmare would be waiting.

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 42

The drive home was... quiet. 

Not uncomfortable. 

Just quiet. 

Leon kept his eyes on the road while the city slowly disappeared behind you. You watched the rain slide down the passenger window. Neither of you seemed to know how to start a conversation. About forty minutes later, Leon pulled into your driveway. "Home." 

You looked at the familiar little house. For the first time in weeks... You felt like you could finally breathe. Leon came around the car before you could even reach for the door. 

"I've got it." 

"You know..." you muttered. "I can still open a car door." 

"I know." 

"But your shoulder says otherwise." 

You rolled your eyes." "...Bossy." 

He almost smiled. The front door clicked open. Everything looked exactly as you had left it. The blanket on the couch. Your favorite mug on the kitchen counter. The faint scent of vanilla candles. 

Home. 

You stood silently in the hallway. Leon quietly carried your overnight bag inside. "I'll put it in the bedroom." 

You nodded. 

When he returned a minute later, he found you standing in the living room, simply looking around. "You okay?" 

"...Yeah." 

A pause. 

"I just..." 

You swallowed. "I missed this place." 

"I know." 

Silence settled between you again. You slowly sat down on the couch. Leon remained standing for a moment before sitting in the armchair opposite you. 

For a while... 

Neither of you spoke. 

Then, quietly... "Can i ask you something?"

Leon looked up. "Of course." 

You looked down at your hands. "...Why didn't you answer my text?" 

Another silence. Longer this time. Leon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I wrote a reply." 

You frowned. "...You did?" 

"I deleted it."

 "...Why?" 

He let out a slow breath. "Because I was still angry." 

The honesty surprised you. 

"I didn't want to answer while I was upset." 

"I would've said something I'd regret."

His eyes met yours. "So I decided..." 

"...I'd wait until I could actually talk to you." 

You nodded slowly. "I thought..." 

You hesitated. "...I thought maybe you were done with me."

Leon blinked. "...Done with you?" 

You gave a tiny shrug. "You disappeared." 

"For three days." 

"I figured..." 

"...maybe I'd gone too far." 

Leon shook his head immediately. "No." 

His answer came without hesitation. "I was angry." 

"I was frustrated." 

"I was worried." 

"..But I was never done with you." 

Your shoulders relaxed a little. 

"I still checked on you." 

You frowned. "...What?" 

"I asked the doctor every day how you were." 

"You...did?" 

He nodded. "I just didn't think seeing me would help wile we were both still angry." 

A tine smile appeared despite yourself. "So..." 

"You were hiding." 

Leon sighed. "I was giving us both time." 

The silence between you finally felt... lighter. You looked down at your hands before a tiny smile crept onto your face.

  "...At least this time I didn't disappear into a cafeteria." 

Leon blinked. "...What?"

 "You know..."

 "..No cola." 

"..No chips."

A sigh escaped Leon before he could stop it. "...Don't remind me."

You couldn't help smiling. "You should've seen your face." 

"I did." 

"You looked like you were about to arrest me." 

"I was considering it." 

You laughed quietly. "For buying chips?" 

"For disappearing." 

Another small silence settled between you. Then Leon shook his head. "I still can't believe you just looked at me and said..." 

He lowered his voice dramatically. "...Oh, crap." 

You buried your face in your hand. "...I panicked." 

"You panicked?" 

 "...You looked like you were about to write me up for crimes against vending machines." 

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Disappearing without telling anyone is still a crime." 

"Buying chips isn't." 

Leon stood up, took his bag and went upstairs. "I'm gonna unpack this if it okay?" 

"Yeah, sure."

A minute later Leon walked back into the hallway. "[Y/N]?" 

Silence. 

He frowned. "[Y/N]?" 

Nothing. 

He checked the kitchen. 

Empty. 

The bathroom. 

Nothing. 

Leon closed his eyes for a second. "...You've got to be shitting me." 

He walked through the house a little faster now. "Where are you?" 

Still no answer. 

He rubbed a hand across his face. "...Please don't tell me..." 

"...not again." 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 41

Dr.Harris stepped into your room carrying a folder. 

You looked up hopefully. "...Please tell me that's discharge paperwork." 

The doctor smiled. "It could be." 

You immediately straightened. "...Could be?" 

He pulled up a chair. "I think you'd recover better at home." 

A relieved smile spread across your face. "I knew it." 

"But..." 

Your smiled immediately faded. "...There's always a but." 

"There is." 

The doctor folded his hands. "I have one condition." 

You sighed dramatically. "Of course you do." 

"I don't want you spending the first couple of weeks completely alone." 

You frowned. "...That's it?" 

"That's it." 

You thought about it for a moment. "...I can do that." 

"You have people who care about you." 

You nodded. "I do." 

"So if someone checks in on you..." 

"...whether that's stopping by, calling or spending some time with you..." 

"..I'm comfortable signing the discharge papers." 

You smiled. "I can promise that." 

The doctor studied your face for a second. "You won't try to isolate yourself?" 

You shook your head. "No." 

"I promise." 

He smiled. "Good." 

"Then I think we have a deal." 

He stood up and offered his hand. You shook it. "...Thank you." 

As he reached the door, he turned around, "Someone is waiting for you outside so get changed so you can go home." 

Dr.Harris quietly closed the door. 

Leon was waiting in the hallway. "Well?" 

The doctor smiled. "She agreed." 

Leon let out a relieved breath. "Good." 

"She believes that friends will simply..." 

"...check in on her."

Leon nodded. "Which isn't technically a lie." 

The doctor chuckled. "No."

 "...Just not the whole truth." 

Leon couldn't help smiling. "...Let's keep it that way, for now." 

You carefully picked up your small bag with your good hand. Opened the door and walked out to the hallway. 

Dr.Harris nodded, "one more thing." 

"I'd like to see you again in about two weeks." 

You frowned slightly. 

"The wrist." He nodded toward the cast. 

"If everything looks good, we'll remove the cast. We'll also check your shoulder and ribs to make sure they're healing properly."

 "...Sounds fair." 

He smiled. "And if anything gets worse before then..." 

"I know."

 "..Call." 

"I will." 

The doctor gave a satisfies nod. "Good."

He stepped aside for you to get going. Then you stopped. Leon was standing a few meters away, leaning quietly against the wall with his arms folded. For a second... Neither of you moved. Three days. He hadn't visited once. Your chest tightened before you quickly pushed the feeling away. 

"...Hi." 

Leon straightened. "Hi." 

An awkward silence settled between you. Dr.Harris looked between the two of you before clearing his throat. "I'll leave the paperwork and some painkillers to Mr.Kennedy." 

He glanced at you one last time. "Two weeks."

You nodded. "I'll be here." 

"Good." 

Dr.Harris smiled politely before walking away, leaving the hallway strangely quiet. 

You shifted your weight. "So..."

Leon rubbed the back of his neck. "...Ready to go home?" 

You looked at him for a moment. "...I thought you were still mad." 

His eyes met yours. "I was." 

A small pause. 

"... I also figured you needed some space." 

You let out a quiet breath. "...Fair enough."

For the first time in days... The tension between you eased. "Come on," Leon said, reaching for your bag before you could protest. "I've got it." 

"...I can carry my own bag." 

"I know." 

"...I'm carrying it anyway." 

You rolled your eyes dramatically. "...Bossy." 

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Leon's mouth. "...Occupational hazard." 

Leon unlocked the door to his office. "I'll only be a minute." 

You nodded, stepping inside. 

"...Home sweet home," Carlos announced dramatically from the couch. 

Patrik looked up from his laptop. "There they are." 

Sherry smiled warmly. "Glad you're out." 

You smiled back. "Thanks."

Leon disappeared into his office, already looking through a cabinet. "I just need a few case files and my laptop." 

Carlos watched him disappear. "So..." 

He looked at you. "Ready for your new roommate?" 

.... You blinked. 

"...My what?" 

Carlos froze.

Patrik slowly lowered his laptop. 

Sherry closed her eyes. "...Carlos..." 

"What?" 

The room became painfully quiet. You slowly turned toward Leon's office. Leon stopped walking. "...Carlos." 

"What?" Carlos repeated innocently. 

"You... didn't tell her?"

You looked between them. 

"..Tell me what?"

Leon sighed. "...I was going to." 

"When?" you asked quietly. 

Silence. 

"When we get home?"

Still silence. 

Then it clicked. Your expression changes instantly. 

"...No." 

Leon took one careful step forward. "Listen.." 

"No." 

"You need someone with you..." 

"You lied to me." 

"I didn't..." 

"You did!" 

Your voice echoed through the office. 

"You let me believe people would just check in on me." 

"They will." 

"You are MOVING INTO MY HOUSE!" 

Carlos took a slow breath. "Hey..." 

"No one's trying to trick you." 

You crossed your arms, still glaring at Leon. Carlos continued carefully. "The doctor was actually the one who suggested sending you home." 

Your expression shifted slightly. "...What?" 

"He thought you'd recover better there." 

"...But.." 

Carlos pointed a finger toward the ceiling. "There was one condition." 

"He wouldn't sign the discharge papers unless someone was with you." 

"All the time." 

Silence. 

You looked at Leon. 

Carlos shrugged. "Leon knew how badly you wanted to get out of that hospital." 

"So.." 

"He agreed." 

"He'd move in." 

"Not because he wanted to control you." 

"...Because it was the only way the doctor would let you leave." 

You stared at Leon. "...Is that true?" 

Leon met your eyes. "...Yeah." 

"I knew you'd choose home over another week in that hospital." 

"So when the doctor gave me the condition..." 

"I accepted it." 

"I figured you'd be angry with me..." 

"..but at least you'd be angry at home." 

Silence. 

Your shoulders slowly relaxed. "...You still should've told me."

Leon nodded immediately. "...I know."

 "I should have." 

Carlos looked between the two of you before grinning. "...Well..." 

"I'd say that ended better than expected." 

Patrik chuckled quietly. "I was expecting someone to throw a chair." 

Carlos laughed."I was expecting Leon to be sleeping on the sidewalk before the day was over." 

You couldn't stop the tiny laugh that escaped you. The anger slowly drained from your face. Only exhaustion remained. Carlos glanced at Leon with the biggest grin imaginable. 

"I told you."

Leon frowned. "Told me what?" 

Carlos shrugged innocently. "I said she'd start yelling in five minutes." 

He looked at his watch. "..Actually..." 

"...I don't even think it took five."

Patrik laughed. "I'd say about three." 

Sherry smiled. "I was going to say four." 

Carlos pointed at them triumphantly. "See?" 

"I know her."

You shot him a look. "Oh, you think this is funny?" 

Carlos immediately took half a step back, still laughing. "...A little." 

"A lot actually." 

You reached for the nearest folder on Leon's desk. Carlos's eyes widened. "...Whoa, okay!" 

"I deserve that." 

Leon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Carlos." 

"What?" 

"You are making this so much worse."

Carlos couldn't stop grinning. "I know." 

"But admit it..." 

"...that was impressive timing." 

Even Leon let out a quiet, defeated sigh. "..Yeah." 

"...it was."

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 40

Dr. Harris knocked gently on the office door. "Mr.Kennedy." 

Leon looked up from the report on his desk. "Doctor." 

"I'd like a word." 

Something in the doctor's expression immediately caught Leon's attention. "What is it?"

Dr.Harris stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "It's about her." 

Leon straighten in his chair. "What happened?" 

The doctor hesitated for a moment. "First..." 

"I think there's something you should know." 

He took a slow breath. 

"She hasn't really slept." 

Leon frowned. "...What do you mean?" 

"I mean exactly that." 

"She's been getting maybe an hour here... two hours there." 

"But she hasn't had a proper night's sleep since she woke up." 

Leon eyebrows pulled together. "...That's impossible." 

"She told me she was sleeping." 

"So did she tell us." The doctor nodded. 

"She smiles." 

"She jokes." 

"She tells every nurse she's doing fine." 

"But the night staff have been documenting something very different." 

Leon felt his stomach tighten. "...Why didn't anyone tell me?" 

"We wanted to understand what was happening first." 

A long silence settled between them. 

Then the doctor continued. "I offered her sleeping medication this morning." 

Leon nodded slowly. "...And?"

Dr.Harris let out a quiet sigh. "I didn't go well." 

Leon frowned. "How bad?" 

"The tablets never reached her." 

Leon looked confused. "...What?" 

"She knocked them straight out of my hand." 

Silence. 

Leon's jaw tightened instantly. "... She did what?" 

He was already pushing his chair back. "I'll go talk to her." 

"Mr.Kennedy." Leon stopped. 

"If she's throwing medication at doctors..." 

"Please." 

"Sit down."

The calmness in the doctor's voice made Leon hesitate. After a few seconds... He slowly sat back down. Dr.Harris nodded. 

"Thank you." 

"I had exactly the same reaction." 

Leon folded his arms. "Then help me understand." 

The doctor was quiet for a moment. "When i asked her why..." 

"...she finally told me." 

"She isn't afraid of being awake." 

"She's afraid of falling asleep." 

Leon's expression changed completely. "...What?" 

"She told me that every time she closes her eyes..." 

"...she's drowning again." 

"...she sees Adam." 

"...she's relives everything." 

"And if the medications forces her to sleep." 

"...she's afraid she won't be able to wake herself out of the nightmare." 

The room fell silent. Leon slowly leaned back. "...Jesus..." 

The doctor nodded, "That's not stubbornness." 

"That's fear." 

Dr.Harris closed the file and looked at Leon. "I've been thinking." 

Leon looked up. 

"About discharging her." 

Leon frowned. "...Already?" 

"Physically, she's healing well." 

"It's her mental state that concerns me." 

Silence. 

"I don't think another week in this hospital will help." 

Leon nodded slowly. "...Neither do I." 

The doctor folded his arm. "But..." 

"I don't want her spending the first weeks alone." 

Leon answered almost instantly. "She won't." 

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" 

"I'll move into her apartment." 

The doctor blinked. "...You'll move in?" 

"For a while." Leon shrugged. 

"She needs someone there."

 "And when you're working?" 

"Carlos." 

The doctor looked surprised. "Carlos?" 

"He'll stay with her if he's off." 

"And if both of you are working?" 

Leon thought for a moment. "Then Patrik or Sherry can stop by." 

"They don't have to stay all day." 

"Just... make sure she's not isolating herself." 

The doctor smiled. "So you've got quit a support network."

Leon nodded. "She won't be alone." 

The doctor closed the chart. "I think that's exactly what she needs." 

Then he chuckled quietly. 

"I'm just convinced she'll appreciate the idea." 

Leon sighed. "...She won't." 

"She'll say she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself." 

"And she'll probably accuse us of plotting behind her back." 

The doctor smiled. "Well..." "...to be fair..."

 "...we kind of are."

Leon couldn't argue with that. "...Yeah." 

"We are." 

A few minutes later... Leon stood behind his desk as Carlos, Patrik and Sherry stepped into his office. Carlos glanced around. "...Okay." 

"Why do i suddenly feel like I'm in trouble?" 

Patrik smirked. "Maybe because you usually are." 

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Very funny" 

Leon gestured toward the chairs. "Sit down." 

The room quickly fell quiet. Leon folded his arms. "I just spoke with Dr.Harris." 

Sherry's expression immediately turned serious. "How is she?" 

"Physically..." "...she's recovering well." 

"But she's barely slept since she woke up." 

The smiles disappeared. 

Carlos frowned. "...She told us she was sleeping." 

Leon nodded. "She told everyone that." 

"But she wasn't."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Leon continued. "Dr.Harris wants to discharge her." 

Carlos looked surprised. "Already?"

"He thinks she'll recover better at home." 

"But..." 

"...he doesn't want her left alone." 

Leon took a slow breath. "So here's the plan." 

"I'm moving into her apartment for a while." 

None of them looked surprised. 

Carlos simply nodded. "Yeah." 

"I figured you'd do that." 

Leon continued. "When I'm at work..." 

"...I'd like one of you to stop by if you're off." 

"Carlos." 

"You live closest." 

Carlos nodded immediately. "I'm in." 

"Patrik." "If Carlos and I are both needed here..." "... I'd appreciate if you could check on her." 

Patrik answered without hesitation. "Of course." 

"And Sherry..." 

"You understand what she's going through better than any of us." 

"If you have time..."

 "...I'd appreciate you visiting too." 

Sherry smiled gently. "You don't even have to ask." 

"I'll be there."

For a moment... 

Nobody said anything. 

Then Carlos leaned back in his chair. "...You know she's going to hate this, right?" 

Patrik laughed quietly. "He's got a point." 

Carlos pointed at Leon. "No." 

"She's going to look straight at you..." 

"...and say you've plotting behind her back." 

Leon sighed. "...Because technically..." 

"...I have." 

Carlos bursts into laughter. "I can't wait."

Leon looked at him. "...For what?" 

Carlos grinned. "For the moment she finds out." 

"I give it five minutes before she starts yelling." 

Patrik shook his head. "I'll stay out of that conversation." 

"So will I," Sherry said with laugh. 

Carlos stood up and patted Leon on the shoulder. "Don't worry." 

"We've got your back." 

"..But you're definitely taking the first hit." 

Leon closed his eyes for a second before letting out a long sigh. "...Thanks." 

Carlos couldn't resist one last grin. "Seriously, though..." 

"...good luck explaining to her that she accidentally ended up with a room mate..."

 "... and thee part-time babysitters." 

The room erupted in laughter. Even Leon couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face. 

"...Don't ever call yourselves that in front of her." 

Carlos raised both hands innocently. "No promises." 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 39

In the middle of the night you were awake, you just couldn't close your eyes. The room was silent. Too silent. The digital clock beside your bed read 2:47 AM. You tried to close your eyes, and each time your mind wandered back to the same conversation. 

"I nearly died following one of them." 

"...Idiot." The words barely left your lips. 

"I didn't mean that..." 

Not really. 

You knew Leon had never forced you into that mission. You would've gone anyway. You always would have. 

Because if the roles had been reversed... 

...he would've done exactly the same. 

You rubbed your tired eyes. "I shouldn't have said it..." 

You pictured his face. The way he had gone completely silent. 

Not angry. 

Hurt. 

That somehow felt worse. A long sigh escaped you. "...I'm sorry." 

There was nobody there to hear it. 

The next morning a gentle knock echoed through the room. "Good morning." 

You looked as though you hadn't slept at all. "...Morning." 

He didn't comment. 

Not yet. 

Instead he checked your shoulder and wrist. "Pain?" 

"Tolerable." 

He nodded. "And sleep?"

You hesitated. "How many hours?" 

"...Maybe two." 

The Dr.Harris quietly wrote something down. "I'd like to help you get some proper rest." 

You already knew where this was going. 

"I'm fine." 

"I'm not talking about anything long-term." 

"Just something to help you sleep tonight."

He reached into his pocket. A small blister pack. You stared at it. 

"No." 

"They're mild." 

"No." 

"They'll simply help your body..." 

"I said no." 

Your voice became sharper. 

Dr. Harris remained calm. "You need sleep." 

"I don't need pills." 

"They're only temporary." 

"I DON'T WANT THEM!" 

The words exploded from you. Before you even realized what you were doing... You slapped the medication from his hand. The tablets scattered across the floor. 

Silence. 

The sound echoed through the room. Your breathing became heavy. Dr. Harris didn't move. Neither did you. 

A nurse passing by stopped in the doorway. "...Everything okay?" 

Dr. Harris answered without taking his eyes off you. "We're fine." 

The nurse quietly closed the door again. You stared at the tablets on the floor. 

"...I'm..." Your voice cracked. 

"I..." 

The anger disappeared as quickly as it had come. "...I'm sorry." 

Dr. Harris slowly crouched down and began picking up the tablets. "It's alright." 

"No..."

 "It isn't." 

He stood again. "I know you weren't angry at me." 

You looked away. "...I don't know what that was." 

"I think I do." 

He placed the medication back into his pocket. "I'm not going to ask again today."

 "...Thank you." 

"But..." He met your eyes. 

"If tonight is like last night..." 

"...please tell me." 

You didn't answer.

Three days went by exactly the same. No sleep. Dr.Harris coming to check on you in the morning and you were getting more and more tired and frustrated. You wanted to go home. Leon hadn't been by. You knew he was working. Hunnigan had mentioned they were making progress. 

Still... 

You missed him. 

You picked up your phone. Typed. Deleted. Typed again. Finally... 

"Hey.. About the other day... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what i said. I know you were just trying to protect me. 

You stared at the message. Then pressed Send. 

Seen. 

Nothing. 

Five minutes. 

Ten. 

Thirty. 

Still nothing. 

You placed the phone face down on the bedside table. "...Guess I deserved that." 

In the evening someone knocked on the door, "...Yes?" 

You had hoped that it was Leon. But no, it was Dr.Harris. He looked at you carefully. He took a seat beside the bed. 

"I'm not worried because you're awake." 

"I'm worried because you're trying to stay awake." 

You looked away. "I just don't feel tired." 

He didn't believe you. "You've slept less than four hours in almost three days." 

Silence. 

"...Why don't you want to sleep?" 

You took a long breath. "I don't know." 

"You do." 

Your jaw tightened. "I close my eyes..." 

"...and I'm back there." 

No answer. 

"The water." 

"...Adam." 

"..His voice."

 "...I can still feel it." 

Your hands had begum to shake almost imperceptibly. "When I wake up..." 

"...it takes me a few seconds to realize I'm not there anymore."

Dr.Harris remained silent, giving you time. 

"And if I take sleeping pills..." 

You swallowed. "...What if I can't wake myself up?"

He frowned gently. "What do you mean?" 

"What if..."

 "..I get stuck there?" 

"What if I can't tell what's real anymore?" 

"What if I keep drowning..." 

"...and I can't wake up?" 

The room was completely silent. Finally, the doctor spoke. 

"That's not how those medications work." 

"I know." You answered almost immediately. 

"I know that." 

"But my brain doesn't." 

Another pause. 

"I'm terrified that if I let go..." 

"...I'll never find my way back." 

Meanwhile Leon stood in his office, your message still open on his screen. He had read it the second it arrived. His thumb hovered over the keyboard. He started typing. Stopped. Deleted everything. How was he supposed to answer? 

"It's okay." 

It wasn't. 

"I'm still angry." 

That wasn't true either. He sighed quietly and locked his phone. 

"...Later." 

Not because he didn't want to answer. Because he wanted to find the right words. And right now... He simply couldn't. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 38

Leon's jaw tightened with every passing minute.

"She couldn't have gone far," Patrik muttered. 

Carlos rubbed the back of his neck. "Unless she actually escaped."

Leon shot him a look. "Not helping." 

They continued down another corridor. The search had already taken them through nearly every corridor of the Medical Wing. Every empty room only made Leon's unease grow stronger. 

"She's not on this floor," Patrik muttered. 

Carlos sighed. "She can't have just vanished." 

Leon didn't answer. He kept walking. 

Then... 

At the far end of the corridor...

A familiar figure slowly rounded the corner. 

You. 

One arm secured in a sling. The other balancing a bottle of cola and a open bag of potato chips. You were carefully limping back toward your room, completely absorbed in trying not to spill either of them. 

Leon stopped walking. 

Carlos looked past him. "...No way."

Patrik blinked. "...Seriously?" 

You took another chip from the bag. Then looked up. Your eyes met Leon's. He wasn't saying a word. He was just standing there. Staring. His expression told you everything. Your shoulders sank. 

"..Oh.." 

A tiny pause. 

"...Crap." 

Carlos immediately burst into laughter. "I KNEW she wasn't kidnapped!" 

Patrik let out an exasperated sigh before shaking his head. "We've spent the last twenty minutes searching the entire Medical Wing." 

You looked down at the cola bottle in your hand. "...In my defense..." 

"..I was thirsty." 

Carlos pointed dramatically at the chips." "And the evidence says otherwise." 

You glanced at the half-empty bag. "...Those were...emotional support chips." 

Carlos doubled over laughing. "I'm never letting you live this down." 

For the first time since the search had begun... Even the corner of Leon's mouth twitched. Only for a second. Then his expression hardened. 

"Room. Now!"

Carlos immediately went quiet. 

Patrik glanced toward Carlos. Carlos whispered, "...Yeah... he's actually mad." 

You finally got back to your room. Carlos was still grinning. "I'm telling this story for years." 

"You realize Security probably has footage of Kennedy sprinting through the hospital?" 

Patrik laughed. "He nearly knocked over two nurses." 

"I did not." 

"You absolutely did." 

Carlos looked at you. "Congratulations." 

"I've never seen him panic like that." 

Leon finally spoke. "Carlos." "...Out." 

Carlos blinked. "What?" 

"You too Patrik." 

The smile disappeared from both men's faces. 

Patrik immediately understood. "...Come on." 

Carlos looked between the two of you." "...Uh-oh." 

He quietly followed Patrik into the hallway. The door clicked shut. 

Silence. 

Leon folded his arms. "...Do you any idea what you put us through?" 

You sighed. "I went to the cafeteria." 

"You disappeared."

"I walked fifty meters." 

"You left without telling anyone." 

"I'm a grown woman." 

"So act like one." 

The words landed harder than he intended. 

You stared at him. "...Excuse me?" 

"You've just survived an operation that nearly killed you." 

"You have a fractured wrist, broken ribs and a shoulder that shouldn't even be moving." 

"And you thought it was a good idea to wander off alone?" 

"I wanted five minutes." 

"You could've told a nurse." 

"I didn't think i needed permission to buy a cola." 

"You don't." 

"You needed common sense."

Something inside you snapped. "Oh, for fuck sake!" 

Your voice echoed through the room. 

"I'm not a prisoner!" 

"No one said you were."

"Really?" 

"Because everyone keeps telling me where to sit..." 

"...when to eat..." 

"...when to sleep..." 

"...who I should talk to..." 

"...and now I can't even buy a damn bottle of cola without half the DSO searching for me?" 

Leon stayed quiet. 

You pushed yourself carefully upright despite the pain. "I want to go home." 

"I know." 

"No...you don't." 

"I am sick of this room." 

"I am sick of being watched." 

"I am sick of everyone acting like I'm going to break if they look away for five seconds!" 

Your breathing had become uneven. Leon noticed it immediately. 

"So let me leave." 

"You know I can't." 

"You can't..." 

"..or you wont?" 

He hesitated. "As your commanding officer..." 

"...I'm ordering you to remain here until you're medically cleared." 

You laughed bitterly. "There it is."

 "What?" 

"My commanding officer." 

"I wasn't talking to Leon anymore." 

"I was talking to Captain Kennedy." 

The words hit him like a punch. 

You looked away. "'I've followed every order you've ever given." 

"I nearly died following one of them" 

Silence. 

Leon's face fell. "I know." 

"No." 

"You don't." 

"If i want to go home..." 

"...no one can actually stop me." 

"I can."

You looked back at him. His voice was calm. But firm. "I can report you unfit for duty." 

"I can suspend your field clearance." 

"And if i believe you're putting yourself in danger..." 

"...I'll do exactly that." 

You stared at each other.Neither willing to back down. 

Finally Leon spoke quietly. "I'm not doing this to control you." 

"I'm doing it because i thought I'd lost you yesterday." 

The anger in your eyes faltered. Just for a second. Then the wall came back up. 

"...I'm tired."

Leon nodded once. "So am I."

Without another word, he turned and walked out. The door closed behind him. 

Leon dropped heavily into his chair. The office was quiet. Too quiet. He replayed the argument over and over in his head. 

["I'm not a prisoner."]

 ["I wasn't talking to Leon anymore." ]

["I was talking to Captain Kennedy."]

He rubbed his forehead. None of it had been about the cola. None of it. His phone buzzed. Dr.Harris. 

Leon answered. "...Kennedy." 

"How did she seem?" 

Leon didn't answer immediately. 

Finally, he sighed. "You were right." 

"What happened?" 

"She exploded." 

"Over nothing." 

"No.." He corrected himself. 

"...Not over nothing." 

"Over being told what to do." 

"I've never seen her react like that." 

"I think she's trying very hard to stay in control." 

"And today..." 

"...for a few minutes..." 

"...she couldn't." 

"The walls she's built..." 

"...weren't built in a day." 

"They won't come down in one either."

Leon looked toward the window. For the first time... He realized the doctor hadn't been warning him about what was happening today. He'd been warning him about what was still to come. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 37

The conference room slowly emptied as the briefing came to an end. Chris's image disappeared from the monitor, leaving behind only a long list of files projected onto the wall. 

"Same time tomorrow." Hunnigan said before gathering her notes.

 One by one, everyone headed back to work. Leon was about to leave when Patrik caught up with him in the hallway. 

"Hey." 

Leon stopped. 

"How's she doing?" 

A faint smile crossed Leon's face. "Physically?" 

"The doctors are happy." 

"And otherwise?" 

The smile disappeared. "...I don't know." 

Patrik frowned. "What do you mean?" 

Leon let out a slow breath. "It's hard to explain." 

"She's..." 

"..almost too okay."

Patrik looked confused. "What?" 

Leon leaned against the wall, rubbing the back of his neck. "She jokes." 

"She teases everyone." 

"She smiles." 

"It's like..."

He searched for the right words. "...like nothing happened." 

"But something did." 

"A lot." 

Patrik remained quiet. "I've known her long enough to know she's stubborn." 

Leon nodded. "I know." 

"But yesterday..." 

"Something just felt..."

 "...off." 

Patrik thought for a moment before answering. "Leon..." 

"She almost died." 

"She's got broken ribs, a fractured wrist, her shoulder's immobilized." 

"And she's probably exhausted." 

"You really think she's going to sit there crying in front of everyone?" 

Leon didn't answer. 

Patrik continued. "Some people deal with pain by making jokes." 

"Some people get quiet." 

"She's always been the sarcastic type." 

A small smile returned to Leon's face. "...That's true." 

"And don't forget the painkillers." 

"They can make people seem a little..." 

"...different." 

Leon let out a quiet laugh. "I hadn't thought about that." 

Patrik gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Give her a few days." 

"Let her heal." 

"I think you're worrying because you nearly lost her." 

Leon looked down at the floor. "...Maybe." 

Patrik smiled. "Go easy on yourself." 

"She's alive." 

"And if she's already making fun of you..." 

"...I'd say that's pretty good sign." 

Leon couldn't help smiling. "...Yeah." 

"I guess it is." 

For the first time that morning... 

He allowed himself to believe it.

Maybe Patrik was right. 

Maybe it really was just the pain. 

Maybe all she needed... was time.

Leon was just about to turn toward the Medical Wing when he heard someone call his name.

"Mr.Kennedy." 

He stopped and turned. 

Dr. Harris was walking toward him, a patient file tucked under one arm. 

"Do you have a moment?" 

Leon glanced at his watch. "...Of course." 

The doctor led him to a quieter corner of the corridor. "I wanted to speak with you before you see her." 

Leon's expression became serious. "Is something wrong?" 

"...Not physically." 

The answer immediately caught Leon's attention. 

"Her recovery is progressing exactly as we'd hoped." 

"Then what is it?"

Dr.Harris chose his next words carefully. "I'm concerned about how she's coping psychologically."

Leon frowned. "She seems...okay." 

"So she wants everyone to believe." 

Silence.

"I've noticed a pattern." 

"She answers difficult questions with humor." 

"She changes the subject whenever the conversation gets close to what happened." 

"And every time I ask how she's really feeling..." 

"...she gives me the answer she thinks everyone wants to hear."

Leon looked down the hallway toward her room. "...I noticed something like that yesterday." 

The doctor nodded. "You're not imagining it." 

"Do you think she has PTSD?" 

Dr.Harris shook his head. "It's far too early to say." 

"What I can say is that she's experienced several severe traumatic events over the course of her life." 

"And this operation may have brought some of those memories back to the surface." 

Leon remained silent. 

"I suggested she speak with one of our psychologists." 

"She declined." 

"Firmly." 

Leon let out a quiet sigh. "That sounds like her." 

"I'm not asking you to convince her." 

"In fact..." 

"I'd prefer that you didn't." 

Leon looked surprised. "Why?" 

"Because if she feels cornered..." 

"...she'll build the wall even higher." 

The doctor pause before continuing. "You know her better than i do." 

"You're her commanding officer..." 

"...but from what i have observed..." 

"...you're also someone she trusts." 

Leon didn't deny it. 

"I'd like to keep an eye on her." 

"Nothing obvious." 

"No interrogation." 

"No pushing." 

"If she wants to talk..." 

"Listen." 

"If she doesn't..." 

"Simply be there." 

Leon nodded slowly. "I can do that." 

Dr.Harris offered a faint smile. "And one more thing." 

"If you notice changes..." 

"Anything that doesn't feel like her..." 

"...please let me know." 

Leon felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "...I will." 

The doctor gave a small nod. "I'm hoping I'm wrong." 

"So am I." 

For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Leon looked toward the Medical Wing once more. 

"...Thank you."

Dr.Harris stepped aside. "Go see her." 

Leon nodded once before continuing down the corridor. But the doctor's words stayed with him every step of the way. "If she feels cornered...she'll build the walls even higher."

Leon stayed only for a short while. He had to get back to work. A few hours later his phone rang.

 Dr.Harris. 

He answered immediately. "Kennedy." 

The was a brief pause. "...We have a problem." 

"What happened?"

"We can't find her." 

His stomach dropped. "What?" 

"She isn't in her room." 

"The nurses assumed she was with you." 

"I've checked the floor." 

"So has Security."

 "She's gone." 

Leon was already running. "Lock down every exit." 

"I'm on my way."

Carlos and Patrik caught Leon in the hallway. "What's wrong?" Carlos asked. 

"She's missing."

Both men froze. 

The three of them searched the Medical Wing first. 

Nothing. 

The rehabilitation gym. 

Nothing. 

The garden. 

Nothing.

 Every patient room. 

The rooftop terrace. 

Nothing. 

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 36

The soft knock on the door barely registered. "...Morning." 

A nurse stepped quietly into the room, carrying a blood pressure monitor. 

She stopped. "You've only just fallen asleep, haven't you?" 

You opened one eye, trying to sound more awake than you felt. "...No." 

"I've been asleep all night." 

The nurse gave you a knowing smile. "The night nurse documented that your light was on until almost five." 

"...I couldn't get comfortable." 

"Because of the ribs?" 

You hesitated. "...Yeah." 

It was easier than telling the truth. 

She didn't argue. 

She simply nodded and wrapped the cuff around your arm. "Try to get some rest today." 

"I will." 

Another lie.

 About an hour later... 

A familiar knock echoed through the room. 

You looked up.

 Leon. 

His tie was slightly crooked, dark circles beneath his eyes making it obvious he hadn't slept much either. 

"You look terrible."

He laughed. "I was about to say the same thing." 

You smiled. "You first."

He pulled a chair closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?" 

"My wrist still hates me." 

"And the ribs?" 

"They also hate me."

Leon smiled faintly. "So... basically everything hates you." 

"Pretty much." 

The conversation drifted effortlessly, neither of you mentioning the operation. Or the water. Or the nightmares. 

Eventually Leon glanced at his watch. "I hate this." 

"Work?"

He nodded. "Chris wants everyone back in the conference room." 

You waved him away dramatically. "Go." 

"I still be here when you get back." 

He stood, leaning down to kiss your forehead. "Try to rest." 

"I will."

He searched your eyes for a moment. "...Promise?" 

You nodded. "I promise." 

He smiled. "I'll see you tonight." 

"I'll hold you to that." 

The room fell quiet once more. 

Barely twenty minutes later... Dr. Harris stepped inside. 

"Good morning." 

You gave him a tired nod. "Morning." 

He studied you for a second. "How did you sleep?" 

"...Fine." 

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at the chart in his hands. "The nurses tell me otherwise." 

You sighed. "I slept enough." 

"You slept less than two hours." 

Silence. 

"It happens." 

"It does." 

He sat down. "I'd like someone from Behavioral Health to come by." 

You frowned. "...Why?" 

"Just to talk." 

"I'm not crazy." 

"I didn't say you were." 

"I don't need a therapist." 

"No one's saying you do." 

"Then why are we talking about this?" 

The irritation in your voice surprised even you. 

The doctor remained calm. "Because what happened to you would affect anyone." 

"I'm fine." 

"I know that's what you're telling everyone."

 "I AM fine."

 "You almost drowned." 

"I know what happened." 

The words came out louder than you intended. Silence filled the room. You looked away immediately. "...Sorry."

Dr. Harris shook his head gently. "You don't have to apologize." 

You rubbed your forehead. "I don't want to talk about it." 

"I just want to go home." 

"I know."

He stood slowly. "I'm not going to force anything." 

"But if you change your mind..." 

"My door is open."

He quietly left the room. The room fell silent once again. You stared at the closed door for a long time. "...I'm fine." The words sounded hollow now. Even for you. 

Meanwhile in the conference room...

The conference room slowly filled as against took their seats. A large screen at the front displayed dozens of recovered Umbrella files.

 Hunnigan stepped forward. "Let's begin." 

The room fell silent. "As of this morning, we decrypted approximately thirty percent of the data recovered from Mercer's laboratory." 

Several photographs appeared on the screen. Destroyed laboratories. Containment chambers. Research notes. 

"Most of it confirms what we already suspected." 

"Mercer wasn't developing a new virus." 

"He was collecting existing samples." 

Leon frowned. "For what purpose?" 

Hunnigan changed the slide. A world map appeared. Several locations were highlighted. Eastern Europe. South America. New York. 

"The samples originated from multiple former Umbrella facilities." 

"They weren't random." 

"They were selected." 

Chris's voice echoed through the speakers. "BSAA has confirmed something interesting."

Everyone looked toward the monitor. 

"We've finished searching the South American facility." 

Another image appeared. 

An underground laboratory. Destroyed. Abandoned. 

Chris continued. "We've found evidence that research stopped there almost six years ago." 

"So why is it relevant now?" Carlos asked. 

"Because someone removed every storage drive. "

The room fell silent. 

"They knew exactly what they were looking for." 

Hunnigan nodded. "The serial numbers match equipment recovered from Mercer's lab."

Leon leaned forward. "So Mercer inherited the project." 

"Not created it." 

"Exactly." 

Chris folded his arms. "Mercer wasn't the head of this operation." 

"He was continuing someone else's work." 

Another slide appeared. 

Several names had been blacked out. Most of the documents had been deliberately erased.

  "Whoever funded this..." "...covered their tracks well."

Patrik frowned. "So we're looking for a ghost." 

Chris nodded. "For now." 

"But ghosts make mistakes." 

One document remained on the screen. Unlike the others... It hadn't been deleted. Only partially damaged. Hunnigan enlarged the image. A shipment manifest. 

Destination: New York. 

Date: Three weeks before the operation. 

Leon narrowed his eyes. "So whatever they moved..." 

"..it made it here." 

"We believe so." Chris nodded. 

"And until we know what it was..." 

"...assume this isn't over." 

Silence filled the room. 

Finally Hunnigan closed the file. "Our priority is identifying everyone who financed Mercer." 

"And finding out who took over after his death." 

"No assumptions." 

"No shortcuts." 

"We follow the evidence." 

Chris looked directly into the camera. "Mercer is dead." 

"But the organization behind him..." 

"...isn't." 

[tigerlily1987]

Hello, I have been informed that your story and artwork are all ai generated, is that true? If it is, I am afraid I cannot support your work as I appreciate artists that don’t rely on ai to generate content. I wish you the very best of luck and would encourage you to write your stories without ai…. Even if you feel your own writing pales in comparison to other’s work, it doesn’t matter—write for yourself. You will improve your writing by practicing at it, ai can’t replace your ideas or you and yes, it may be a tool you think you need but I would encourage you to be authentic…. We are all better than we give ourselves credit for!

Best wishes to you and I hope your writing improves under your own creativity. Thank you for your time and have a wonderful weekend.

~Hoovie

Hi, and thanks for your message. Only the pics are made with ai, not the story 🤗 everything is written only by me 🤗

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 35

Leon finally stepped toward the door. 

"I should probably get back to work." 

You nodded. "Someone has to save the world." 

He smirked. "I'll come back after my shift."

He reached for the door handle. "...Leon?"

He looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah?" 

You smiled far too innocently. "You should leave more often." 

Leon raised an eyebrow. "...Why?" 

You tilted your head. "...The view's actually pretty nice." 

Silence. 

"The view?" 

Your eyes slowly drifted downward... just enough. 

Then back up to meet his. "...Yeah." 

He followed your gaze.

 It took exactly one second. "...Seriously?" 

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh. 

"I mean..." 

"...I'm just appreciating the scenery." 

Leon let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "You are unbelievable." 

You grinned proudly. 

"So I've heard." 

He opened the door... 

Then paused. 

Without turning around, he said, "...Careful." 

"Keep talking like that..." 

"...and i might decide to stay."

Your cheeks warmed. "...Is that supposed to be a threat?"

Leon finally looked back, wearing that same small, confident smile only you ever got to see.

  "No." 

"...A promise."

He disappeared into the hallway before you could think of a comeback. You stared at the closed door for a second... 

Then laughed to yourself. "...Show-off."

Your eyes wandered toward the window.

 Late afternoon sunlight painted soft golden lines across the floor. For the first time in what felt like forever... Everything was quiet. 

No alarms. 

No shouting. 

No gunfire. 

No monsters. 

Just... Quiet. 

A soft knock interrupted your thoughts. The door opened slowly. Dr. Harris stepped inside, carrying a tablet under one arm. 

"Am I interrupting?" 

You smiled. "Unless you're bringing another cast...no."

He chuckled. "I think you've had enough of those."

He pulled a chair closer to the bed. "So..." 

"How are you feeling?" 

You looked down at the cast around your wrist. "Sore."

He smiled knowingly. "I was referring to everything else." 

You shrugged. "I've definitely had better weeks." 

He studied you quietly for a moment, and made a couple of notes on his tablet. 

"Physically..." 

"You're recovering well."

 "A few weeks and those fractures should be healing nicely." 

"No field work for quite some time."

You sighed dramatically. "There goes my exciting weekend." 

He laughed. "I somehow doubt you'll listen to me." 

"I'll pretend to." 

"That's all i can ask."

Dr.Harris remained seated for a moment after you finish speaking. He had treated enough soldiers, agents and first responds over the years to recognize certain patterns. Some patients cried. Some couldn't stop talking. Others shut down completely.

And then... 

There was people like you. The ones who smiled. The ones who jokes. The ones who made everyone else feel better. They often worried him the most. Because behind every joke... there was usually a conversation they weren't ready to have. 

He closed the tablet. "If you need anything..." 

"...anything at all..." 

"Press the button." 

"I will."

He smiled warmly. "And..." 

"I'm glad you're still here." 

You smiled back. "So am I." 

The doctor quietly left the room. 

Once again... Silence. 

You leaned back against the pillows, letting out a slow breath. Your eyes drifted toward the window once more. Everything was changing. The operation was over. You were alive. Leon was alive. 

For now... 

That was enough. 

You watched the door close. "...I'm fine." 

The words slipped out before you even realized you'd said them. 

Fine. 

It was funny.

You'd repeated that word so many times over the last few hours... that you almost believed it yourself.

 Almost. 

You looked down at the bruises covering your arm. The cast. The sling. The bandages. Physical injuries made sense. Broken bones healed. Stitches came out. Scars faded. 

Everything else... 

You pushed it somewhere into the back of your mind. 

Not today. 

Tomorrow, maybe. 

You reached for your phone on the bedside table. 

One unread message. 

Leon: Still at work. We're barely scratched the surface of everything Umbrella left behind. Looks like i'll be here most of the evening. I'm sorry. Get some sleep, okay? I'll come see you first thing tomorrow. Good night. 

You stared at the screen. "...Pff." 

Sleep.

 Everyone kept telling you to sleep. As if it were that simple. 

Your thumb hovered over the keyboard before you finally typed: I'll try. Don't work too late. 

A few seconds later... 

Leon: Promise me. 

You looked at the message for a long time. Eventually... 

I promise. 

You hit send. 

Then quietly placed the phone back on the bedside table. The room fell silent again. Your expression changed almost immediately. 

The smile you'd worn all day... 

Gone. 

Then the phone vibrated again. This time it was Sherry. 

Hey. Just checking in. How are you really? 

You stared at the question. 

Still alive. Still annoying everyone. Doctor says I'm recovering well. 

A few moments later. 

Sherry: That's not what i asked. 

You looked away from the screen. After a long moment... 

I'm okay. Promise. 

Sherry took longer to answer this time. 

Okay. Get some rest <3. 

You didn't reply. 

Another vibration. Carlos. 

Without even opening it, you already knew it wasn't going to be serious. 

Carlos: You're evil. 

You couldn't help rolling your eyes. 

Carlos: i was THIS close to believing you'd forgotten who we were. 

A second later... 

The doctor deserves an Oscar.

You shook your head. 

You deserved it. 

Carlos: I absolutely did not. I was emotionally invested. 

Sure you were. 

Carlos: Okay...maybe a little. Just don't pull that stunt ever again. 

I won't. 

Carlos: Good. The boss was already scary enough. Leon looked ready to murder the poor doctor. 

He really did, didn't he? 

Carlos: Yep. Remind me never to get between you two :) . 

You put your phone on the table and leaned back against he pillow and stared at the ceiling. Sleep. The word alone made your chest feel strangely tight. You weren't afraid of the pain. Or the broken bones. You were afraid of something far more irrational. 

What if... 

You closed you eyes... and never opened them again? 

Your fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket. It was ridiculous. You knew it was. You glanced toward the dark window. 

"...Just a little longer." 

You'd stay awake a little longer. 

Just until you stopped thinking. 

Just until the room felt quieter. 

Just until... you felt safe enough to close your eyes.