"You should've let them kill me." I mumble, staring out of the window. Leon pulls the car to the side, I watch with wide eyes as he cups my bruised face and leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.
"Don't say that. We protect each other, and I'm not leaving you again. I don't care what you've done, I know deep down you're a good person and you tried to help when you felt helpless." Leon murmurs, his thumb brushing my cheekbone.
I nod, feeling understood. Though I regret the path I went down for a while, I'm glad Leon once again pulled me out of the darkness and saved me. "I've got a backup lab where I stored all of my research, if we can get there we can destroy it all...Leon, I think I found a cure too."
Leon smiles, grabbing my hand as he nods and pulls back onto the road, never letting go as we drive to redemption...
Turns out the road to redemption is longer than anticipated, especially when most of it I'm in and out of consciousness, my cuts and bruises ache and overall I feel like shit.
We spend numerous nights at different hotels on the way to my lab, Leon insists on us staying together so we end up sharing a bed, Leon never crosses any lines, most of the time I'm too doped up on painkillers to do anything anyway. Leon grabs us food and helps me change my bandages before we're back on the road, repeating the cycle.
Four days later the roads become smaller and less busy, with my instructions Leon turns off down a heavily forested area, the trees block out most of the sunlight creating an eerie darkness, I remember the road well, and if my memory serves me right, there should be a cabin just up ahead.
Twenty minutes later Leon stops the car, his eyes glance at mine in confusion as I nod. "This is it."
"Are you sure? Because this looks more like a weekend retreat than a super secret lab full of top secret and deadly information." Leon shrugs, giving me a dashing smile before getting out of the car and heading to the back, he pulls out numerous guns and knives, passing me a few as we gear up and get ready.
I roll my eyes at Leon and head into the cabin first, using a key I kept as a necklace to unlock the door. It opens revealing a run down classic cabin, with armchairs, rugs and a few bookshelves. The smell of dust makes Leon sneeze, and I turn to smirk.
"That was adorable." I mumble, Leon playfully flips me off but then comes behind me and presses a kiss to my head. With a deep breath I pull the rug revealing a trap door, I knew how cliché it was when I had it installed, and figured nobody would really fall for it if they happened to find this place.
"Really?" Leon huffs, a brow raised as he confirms my thought process. I shrug as I go the bookshelf and pull out a worn copy of 'Frankenstein' then the trap door opens with a hiss. Leon pulls out his gun and aims it as he carefully approaches the door, with one final look at me he kicks it open to reveal a set of stairs that go down deep into the ground. A speck of light is dim at the bottom as I nudge Leon out of the way with my shoulder.
I put a hand on his shoulder and smile at him. "I hope you like stairs." I tease before beginning the descent. Leon follows, the narrow staircase seems nevernding and the only sound is our footsteps and breaths. When finally down a bead of sweat coats my forehead, however Leon seems fine.
The entire room looks exactly how you'd picture a secret lab, it's small with only a few rooms, and tables are littered with papers and testubes, in one room the entire wall is surrounded by shelves filled with different chemicals, and another room is solely used for computer work.
Leon lets out a whistle, he spins around taking it all in as I head to the room with computers, firing them up and typing in a few codes. Leon drags two chairs towards me, gesturing for me to sit as he takes the other, watching me as he keeps watch. His eyes flick to the door, as if expecting something to jump out.
"Don't worry," I reassure as I put my hand on his, "none of the creepy shit was stored here, this is just where I used to complete my theory work."
Leon nods, picking up my hand to press a kiss to the back of it. I continue typing away numerous codes, searching for the backup files that should have been sent here when I deleted them from my main computer back at the facility. That seems ages ago now.
"I'm sorry we got split up," Leon murmurs after some time, he stands up as if to shake off the awkward feeling, "when we were rescued after Raccoon City, I should've stayed with you, fought harder, if I did then maybe you wouldn't have turned to all this, maybe we could have worked together to do something."
I frown as I grab a blank memory stick from nearby and plug it in, "It's okay, we didn't have a choice back then, and besides it was my choice to do all of this. I know I fucked up but if this is really the cure," I say gesturing at the computer, "then none of it matters."
Leon's lips narrow but he nods anyway, then runs a hand through his hair. "I'm going to- I need a minute." He mumbles, turning on his heel and walking out of the room. I sigh, thinking we'd already got past all this, clearly Leon's still conflicted about me, I guess the whole secret lab thing freaked him out, reminded him that for a while I was the bad guy.
I watch the download bar fill up as the research on a possible cure to the virus downloads. Once done I slip the memory stick into my pocket, already knowing briefly of who I can give it to, I've heard rumours of a girl named Rebecca who's some kind of scientist, maybe she can do some good with it. I then begin erasing all my research in this lab for good, once it's gone they'll be no more trace of any of my work ever again, anywhere.
Once done I feel lighter, happier. Knowing the weight is off of my shoulders I stand up and stretch, looking down at my watch shocked as I realise it's been half an hour since Leon left, it doesn't feel right.
I make sure my gun is loaded and ready to go before stepping out of the computer room. "Leon?" I call out, checking each room carefully. There's no sign of him.
I begin to panic, surely he hasn't left me, right? I begin heading up the stairs, there's nothing left in this lab worth destroying or that could be incriminating, my legs burn as I get near the top, I look down to see something shiny, gasping as I pick it up and shine it in the dim light, seeing its Leon's knife...with fresh blood on it.
My heart picks up speed as I practically run up the rest of the way, as soon as I get back in the cabin I'm yanked up and thrown to the floor, my old wounds sting as tears of pain fill my eyes. I look around to see Leon sat on an armchair, a gun pointed to his head as numerous men surround us.
"Fuck." I mutter, sitting up as Leon's eyes stare into mine, usually he's calm in these kind of situations but right now all I see his hopelessness and fear, but something tells me it's for me and not for himself.
"You've both been busy, and we're already sick of chasing you down, tell us everything you had on those computers of yours, or better yet give yourself up and show us what that pretty little head can do." One man, presumably the main one says.
I shake my head, the man nods to another who loads the gun aimed at Leon's head. "No!" I scream, Leon's breath steady as I stand, careful to keep my composure, I carefully back away, acting scared rather than looking like I'm pulling out my knife.
"We won't hurt you if you just coopera-" the man begins, but I throw the knife at the one holding a gun to Leon's head and he drops. Leon springs into action, grabbing a lamp nearby and launching it at the main man as I roll to the side and begin shooting at the others.
Bullets fly as windows shatter, and I narrowly avoid being shot as I dive behind a couch, Leon follows milliseconds later, grinning at me before quickly pressing a kiss to my lips "I fucking love you." He murmurs as he begins shooting back.
I'm stunned and don't move, by time I do all the people are dead and Leon's pulling me up. "I love you too." I say softly, Leon smiles and grabs my hand, pulling me back to the car. I stop and turn to one of the bodies, rummaging through pockets and luckily finding a lighter. I kiss it before setting fire to the cabin and the lab below.
"You've got the cure?" Leon hopefully asks as we get back in the car, he puts the radio on and begins driving as the sun begins to set.
"Yeah, I think so, I mean I've got it but it needs verifying, I thought maybe we should take it to this girl called Rebecca Chambers, she seems to-"
Leon cuts me off with a laugh, I look at him as if he's gone mad. "What?" I ask hesitantly as Leon grabs my thigh.
"Nothing. It's just funny how my life keeps circling back to the same people. I know her, yeah that seems like a good idea." Leon affirms, my shoulders slump in relief as I finally let myself relax for the first time in days.
"What will we do about the people that keep coming after us?" I softly ask once we're back on the normal road, "I mean they're after me, so you could just leave me behind and-"
Leon shakes his head, "No fucking way, not after you tell me you love me back, it'll take a trip to hell and back to keep me away from you baby."
I huff a laugh as I lean my head against the window. "It's been years but you're still the same as you were before when I met you in that police station."
"You mean still smitten with you and your beautiful brain?" He teases.
I laugh and playfully whack him as he chuckles. "No, I mean loyal, protective. Even when I'm the one making the monsters you're still ready to stand by my side."
Leon's smile falters a bit as he looks at me, "It's the monsters that make the people, you didn't hurt anyone with what you did, but Umbrella...they took out a whole city. You're still good even when you don't believe it."
I nod, looking out of the window and up at the night sky. Our mission is mostly accomplished, and being reunited with Leon is a dream I never thought would come true. I've made mistakes but redeemed myself, and hopefully soon my goal to save the world will be completed depending on my possible cure. The future is dawning and for once I'm looking forward to it.