Chapter Text
Blood sat thickly against the inside of his mouth as Leon bent over to cough, putting his whole back into it to try to clear his struggling airways. He had finally reached the top of the stairs, the swimming yellow light filling his vision as he dragged his battered body to the door. As he reached out to it, he felt a more violent episode erupting in his breast it shattered his composure causing him to bend over and instead of gently touching the glass door; Leon ended up slamming his shoulder into it. A groan ripped through his throat as he continued to cough up the vicious fluid. It splattered against the once clear entrance. With swimming vision, Leon tried to brace himself against the study door but as he let his back hit it all strength in his legs left him. The next thing he knew he had slid down and was sitting against the stain he had created, it was still warm on his back.
Leon’s body hurt more than he ever thought it could. It ached worse than when the Las Plagas had fought to take over his body, worse than being shot saving Ada in the sewers – it felt like he had finally gone far past his limits. That the reaper that had always dogged his steps since that day in ‘98 had finally caught up to him.
The old man wanted to laugh, but black dots swam his vision as an unwitting chuckle escaped his lips. They grew, and shimmered threatening to take away the boring vision of the yellow room. The dread that had been building slowly increased just a little bit more, but it was a soft, comforting feeling. Leon had always felt like he had been living on borrowed time, that he continued to exist at the expense of others. He had to admit to himself, dying here, in the depths of Raccoon City – trying to make it right for the final time, felt poetic. It felt right.
Or, at least it would if there wasn't a glaring issue.
A woman, sitting in a home that they had created together and an unruly teenage girl blaring music upstairs – two of his most precious people waited for him.
Leon remembered that moment as clear as crystal still; he had been in their room putting some of his weapons from their gun safe into a bag to have for the mission ahead, when he heard from behind him the familiar noise of someone racking a gun. He should have felt tense, but he knew before turning it was his wife, and as he did he saw her sheathing the offending pistol into a holder at her hip. Her face grave, intense but tear ridden. Leon had laughed, not because of her expression but because she claimed she was going to come along. That he was already defying the government by looking into the cases, what would it matter if a civilian, with no training on how to fight biohazards, came along? Leon knew she was doing this out of frustration and that had endeared her to him further. His eyes had lingered on the light smile lines, at the pinch of her brow that deepened the wrinkles there. They had made those together. He had stood, gathering up in a hug he hadn't wanted to end, as she finally broke down crying. Leon had explained, not just to her, but the teenage girl whose blonde head poked around the door frame that he was not just going for himself. That Sherry – a girl that was incredibly important to their family, was also showing symptoms.
His wife, in her brilliant frustration had pushed back then and had given him an ultimatum: that he was not allowed to contact him, a rule that they had always had because of DSO’s strict confidential policies, unless he thought he wasn't going to make it home. And, that she expected for him to show up for dinner within a weeks time.
Leon had kissed her, and given his unruly teenager a hug that she seemed desperate for before leaving.
It was probably late evening now. Maybe she was finishing up dinner, yelling at their kid to start getting ready for bed. Or, maybe she was stressed letting their little girl stay up as late as she wanted. Keeping her from school a day or two. The vision that his darling, beautiful, and brilliant wife was sitting in her chair flicking aimlessly through pointless television channels took up Leon’s minds eye.
It comforted him, until pain blossomed in his chest, unwilling to be forgotten. The coughing fit that followed caused his entire vision to black and his breath to become ragged. His sight came back in patches, making him groan.
Oh, he knew the reaper was close, the bastard was but a few feet away.
Leon forcefully took in a deep breath.
“Sherry,” He choked, those bottomless pits in his vision blurring his ability to see even further. “Sherr-” The static that answered him caused a bit of panic to rise, what if he was to deep in the facility to reach her?
“I’m here Leon.” It was soft, scratchy, but she answered him.
Leon laughed in relief, the movement causing his chest to flair up in agonizing pain. His voice stuttered, a cough wretched itself from his breast as he forced himself to speak. “Good,” God, it hurt to talk. “I need you to patch me through.”
“Leon,” Sherry practically whispered. “Are you sure? I don’t know how long the signal will hold.”
“Patch me through Sherry.”
“I’m on it.” The woman’s voice pitched down. It was quieter now, and Leon could have sworn he heard her choke back a sob.
He should reassure her, but he just couldn’t bring himself too despite his death also likely meaning hers. It was unfair, but all he wanted was to hear his wife's comforting, familiar voice. The tone of a phone ringing filled his left ear, and it only took a few before he heard the sound he longed for.
“Hello?” Her voice was strained, panicked and breathy like she had sprinted across the room to get to the house phone.
“Hey beautiful,” Leon started, clearing his throat and trying to sound as strong as he could.
“Honey?” The sound of her voice hitching made his heart sputter. “Whats wrong, are you okay is -”
“Tell me about your day baby,” He asked, letting his head fall back against the glass. It was a soft hit, but pain jolted through his body anyways. “How’s our girl -” Leon paused to cough struggling to keep it minimal. “How was her day at school?”
“Um, uh,” She was clearing her throat. “My day was fine, she skipped her after school sports to come home because she was worried about leaving me alone.”
“My little agent,” Leon laughed, the taste of blood much more prominent. He always hated that his daughter had latched onto the idea of being some form of government agent, but the nickname had stuck. “You just finish with dinner?”
A sob came through the line before she answered. “Yeah, we had a pizza from your favorite place up town.” Even through the crying, she teased him lightly and Leon’s heart soared.
Another painful chuckle escaped him. “Traitor.” He flirted lightly.
A choked laugh echoed across the line, a little bit of static blurring the edges as she spoke, “When, when you,” Her voice was weak as she tried to fight back more tears. “When you get home, I’ll order a big pie, Sherry can come over. It’ll be a party.”
“I’d like that,” Leon breathed, swallowing the blood that had come up with his laughs. “Do you want to go on a date when I get home too?”
“I’d love that.” Her voice broke finally, the crying obvious now. In the background he could hear a younger voice come up to her asking if shes okay.
“Can you wear that little blue dress for me?” He asked, closing his eyes to shut out what little yellow light he could see.
“Of course honey,”
“Daddy?” Came that smaller voice, of his little girl who was trying so desperately to be an independent adult at the big age of seventeen.
“Do you want to talk to him? Baby would you like that?” Leon’s beautiful wife asked.
He hummed, his voice coming out weaker. “Yeah, but my little agent on.” The static was starting to get a bit worse now, and he worried Sherry was right that he might be to deep and the connection wouldn't last.
But, he needed this.
“Dad?” His little girl asked, her tone sounding stronger as she was clearly trying to assert herself as someone who wouldn't worry about him.
“You being good to your mom kid?” Leon queried, doing his best to keep the reaper away with every word that he forced from his battered body.
“Duh,” In typical teenage fashion she scoffed at the question. But in reality she was nothing but a good kid, did her homework, stayed out of trouble, played sports – sneaked out sometimes but always made sure to text them when she was on her way home. Leon’s little pride and joy. “When are you coming home dad?”
His heart clenched, his eyes opened back up as a surge of adrenaline shot through his system. In the background he heard his wife try to softly remind her of the deal that they made, that him calling was telling them that he might not come home. But he heard her loudly disagree and then into the receiver. “Dad, when are you coming back? You promised to teach me how to use the rifle.”
Leon stared off into the shifting amber room. Perhaps it was the adrenaline but the black dots where receding. “Soon kiddo.” He coughed out, an episode hitting violently – as the static came back, perhaps his connection was dependent on where he was sitting. But he couldn’t help it, as he pitched forward choking out more blood. It splattered in between his legs coating his already dirty pants. The line was quiet, and he worried that he had finally lost them. “You know the code to the safe agent?” He asked.
“Yeah.” Came his daughters voice, then quietly she said. “I wont tell mom that your roughed up dad.”
“Thanks pumpkin,” Leon smiled, using his right hand to brace against the floor as the other pressed tightly against his chest. “Can you put your mom back on?” His breath was coming quick, harshly.
“Dad, are you sure?”
“Kiddo please.” Leon murmured, a small sniffle at the other end was all he heard before the phone was turned over.
“I love you Leon Kennedy.” That wonderful woman told him, with deeper conviction than she had even had at their wedding.
“I love you too baby.” He said, frustration at the situation finally eclipsing every other emotion he had. He knew he couldn’t promise her that he would be home, he wanted too, but he couldn’t.
“Please,” She said between sobs. “Come home one way or the other.”
Leon leaned back, forcing himself upright, because despite the adrenaline he could feel his consciousness ebbing. “I’ll try,” He breathed, worried his voice sounded to rough that it was starting to be a little to obvious. “Honey, I have a selfish request.”
“Anything handsome.”
“Stay on the line till it disconnects,” Leon asked, it was incredibly selfish, but the static was getting worse her voice was nearly fully drowned out by it. Soon he knew the connection would be terminated that he wouldn't even be able to reach Sherry that it would be up to fate then.
“Of course honey, let me sit in my chair,” Her voice was still choked up – she was still crying, but doing her best to be strong. “Should I tell you more about my day?”
“I’d like that.” He muttered pushing himself back into a sitting position.
So, she talked. About every little thing she did. Leon didn’t quite pay attention to the specifics rather content to listen to her voice even as she began talking about subjects that had nothing to do with her day – things her friends had said, what the news was talking about, what kind of party she would throw after he got home. As time went on he found that even if he tried he couldn’t, that her voice was sounding further and further away, his consciousness he realized absentmindedly, was fading. Leon couldn’t tell if it was death or not but it caressed him like an old friend.
Maybe, on the other side Officer Branagh waited to tell him that he did well.
Darkness eclipsed his mind completely then.
But it only felt like seconds before it consciousness came roaring back to him.
“Hey! Its me, it’s Grace!” A soft but urgent voice awoke Leon, whose eyes blinked rapidly trying to return to the present. “Oh, please wake up. Come on, wake up wake up.”
There was not the voice he was expecting, but the gentle static told his struggling mind that at some point the connection had been cut off, maybe by Sherry or just the interference of the laboratory. Blinking Leon tried to focus on the present as someone bent down to his level. At some point he must have slouched further towards the floor.
“Hey you, I was just resting my eyes.” Leon garbled looking to the blonde headed woman before him, briefly his addled brain thought his daughter had miraculously found him before he recognized Grace. “Grace,” He hissed trying to sit up as she rubbed his knee in an attempt to bring him fully back to reality.
“Y,yup! That’s me, you okay?” She asked, a little unsteadily as she helped him stand upright. His own legs buckling a little despite his attempts to remain steady.
Grunting as he stood, she slung an arm over her shoulder. “Oh, I feel like fantastic, never better.” It was a smooth lie, easier than it had been earlier. Although Leon could tell that the woman beside him doubted him by the pinch in her brows. Together they hobbled through the doors which opened for Grace without even asking for identification it was only silent for a moment before he halted their progression. “Before we do this, I have a favor to ask.” He rumbled, his voice surprising him by being a bit stronger. Perhaps it was the finality of the situation they where in, but he felt a bit better. The pain had receded ever so slightly and he felt some of his strength coming back. Leon turned his gaze downward towards Grace, who looked up at him with her large weepy eyes.
Her expression was clouded with concern as she spoke. “Sure, what is it?” Her bony grasp growing tighter around his own hand with the hesitancy of her words.
“In one of my hip pouches, on the right side there’s a ring,” He spoke carefully trying not to insinuate that death was inevitable – despite him still feeling it waiting for him like an old friend. “Its incredibly important to me, if something happens to me,” Leon watched as Grace’s face, which was already pale from the various horrors she had experienced up to this very point grow sickly in the yellow light. “Please make sure it gets home.”
“H, hey,” Grace stammered clearly disliking the sudden turn in their conversation. “You and I are going to get out of here together, right?” Her insistence was sweet, and Leon gently squeezed her hand trying to comfort her.
“Yeah, we will, but just in case,” Leon wanted her to promise though. He was going to make sure she got out one way or another, she was young, she deserved to be free. Raccoon City was his burden to bear it wasn't fair to her, or even the family he could be leaving behind. But that grave waited patiently for him, old, dusty, and worn from time.
“I promise.” She blurted out through gritted teeth, her gaze turning away from him.
Internally Leon apologized to the young woman, but when she was free of this place even without him he knew that his wife would take her in without a second thought. She would see that Grace needed a family and in his place that brilliant woman would become a rock for her. So, instead of an apology Leon sucked in a ragged breath as they began forward again towards the man in the white suit and the awaiting terminal.
“You know, wife's going to throw a little pizza party when I get home,” He shifted his weight trying to regain the full use of his legs as they trudged slowly forward. “Your invited, if you want to come.”
Out of the corner of Leon’s eye he saw her pause, her steps stalling to a halt as she looked up at him with confusion. It once again was probably death dogging his steps that made his mood fluctuate much more wildly than it usually would, but he watched as an inkling of relief spread across her expression. Leon couldn’t tell if he was lying anymore or not. Could they get out of this? Would they both survive? He wasn't sure.
He had made sure to say his goodbyes, in his own way, to his family. But he would also be lying to himself if he didn’t act like he was going to just let death take him without a fight. It may be waiting patiently, but he wouldn't fall right into that grave. He just knew if it was the end, he would be content with it. Leon kept his expression schooled into comforting indifference as Grace searched his face.
“I’d love that,” She finally said, a small unexpected laugh tumbling from her lips as she adjusted her grasp on him.
A honest smile spread across Leon’s face then, peaceful finality settling into his gut.
“Lets do this then, together.”