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“Are you coming?”
Ashley doesn't even know her name, just that this woman had saved their lives. She looks at Leon who…oh. She wants to laugh suddenly all the flirting and the hints he brushed off. She'd never had a chance.
Leon was staring at her with such longing Ashley disregards everything she's considered up until now. No, she immediately decides this man, her savior, deserves happiness. And also, she frankly wants nothing more than to get the hell off of this island.
“Yeah, we're coming.” Ashley agrees as she walks past Leon to the woman.
The woman just chuckles before turning back to Leon who was blinking stunned before letting out a sigh and also walked over. Boarding the plane Leon immediately got between her and the mysterious woman, his eyes blazing.
“And what of the amber are you just going to hand it over to whoever you're working for. Ada, you saw what it can do and the danger it poses.” He all but growled.
The woman, Ada, didn't blink at the outburst and Ashley suddenly wondered what exactly she'd just involved them with.
Ada just held up a hand before she took a pair of headphones and started speaking with who she could only assume was her employer. The conversation, while one-sided from their perspective, still gave Ashley chills.
After a moment of silence after Ada spoke for the last time, she took off the headphones, looked at the amber once, opened the sliding door and threw it out of the plane into the ocean below. Ashley looked at Leon who was staring at her with wide unsure eyes.
“You happy now rookie?” Ada asked as she turned to look at Leon once more after closing the door again.
“Ada…”
“Look, I may not always be on your side, but I do have morals.”
The woman sighs as she takes a seat now and Leon hesitantly copies her taking the seat in front of her. Ashley sits next to him because where else would she be?
“You know I'm going to have to go into hiding now.” Ada grumbled lowly, “Wesker is…tenacious.” She muttered the last part under her breath before looking up and locking eyes with Leon. “You could come with me.”
“I can't just come with you.” Leon argued.
Ada hummed, “That's true the government does own you doesn't it?”
“You've been keeping track of me.”
She snorts, “Of course I have.”
Ashley held up a hand, “Wait hold on what? What do you mean own you?”
Leon frowned and it was the first time during this nightmare that she'd seen true hesitation in his eyes.
“After Racoon City I wasn't exactly given options.” He chuckles but there's no humor to it. “Guess that's the price of knowing too much.”
Ashley frowns, “What…what do you mean. I know about Raccoon City but not any more than anyone else.”
“Your father probably doesn't know about me, considering I don't think he'd take it well. But the government was involved with Raccoon and Umbrella. I dug too deep and learned too much. Afterwards, once they found us I was given a ‘choice’. Either I could join them or we'd be killed.” He sighed and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling
“Sherry was a hell of a bargaining chip considering she was well…I guess I considered her my kid even back then only knowing her for a few weeks.” Leon shook his head before looking back at her.
Ashley felt sick suddenly, Leon wasn't that much older than her.
“W-what would happen if you left?”
He shrugged, “I have no idea.”
“Who cares they wouldn't find you.” Ada pointed out rather untactfuly.
Leon just snorted.
Ashley looked at him, actually looked at him. Leon was slumped into his seat, blood and gunk covering him. She's sure he's hurt and beyond exhausted despite the front he puts up. He's looking at Ada with a mix of longing and bitter acknowledgment like he already knows how this is going to end.
Ada has offered up what he wants like a carrot on a stick, and yet Leon doesn't bite. Ashley can't help the sudden despair she feels as the reality of his situation hits her. Like a dog in a cage longing for the outside as he looks out a window. There is clearly nothing more he wants, yet he is trapped with no escape.
Except…that's not true.
“You died then.” Ashley says suddenly as she breaks the silence.
The two turn to look at her, Leon seeming more confused than Ada.
She gestures at Leon, “You died fighting Saddler, you managed to take him out but you died to your wounds. There just so happened to be a third party here for something else that got me to safety. I was so distraught I didn't question it.”
Ada’s eyes light up and a small smile appears on her face.
“Ashley wh-”
She cuts him off, “Leon, you've done so much for me. If you really want to leave, to get out of this, you should. You don't deserve to be used as a weapon just because you're good at it. Go with her, you obviously want to.”
Leon paused and actually thought it over frowning at the floor of the helicopter before looking back at Ada. She said nothing, just raised an expectant eyebrow.
Finally, he chuckled to himself.
“You didn't have this planned when you pointed the gun at me on that bridge did you?”
Ada hums non-committally, “I admit I didn't exactly imagine we'd end up here. But I suppose it wasn't out of the realm of possibility once I realized I couldn't bring myself to shoot you.”
Leon laughs hard at that, his voice crackling into a cough. “That might be the most romantic thing you've ever said to me.”
“And to think we've known each other for two days.” She responded dryly.
Ashley blinked. What?
“Two days six years apart, and I guess this is just the beginning.”
Ada huffed and nodded, “Well it's decided, Leon S. Kennedy you are a dead man.” With that she got up and pointed a gun at the pilot.
oO0Oo
Ashley watches them leave as they touch down in some landing pad in the middle of nowhere Georgia. There is a car waiting and Ashley is sad to see them go.
She'd made Leon promise her that once her father was out of office to give her a way to come see him again. He'd nodded and hadn't stopped her when she pulled him into a hug.
“Thank you so much, I'll see you again one day Leon.” She mumbles into his chest, and she bites back tears when his arms wrap around her and return.
“One day.” He agreed before pulling back and hopping off the helicopter.
When she gets home, she tells the story she'd been rehearsing since she saw them disappear beneath her. It seemed to work as they don't question her much and take her at her word. She's not sure if she's relieved or upset about it. Do they not care about Leon?
As the years ticked by, she never stops thinking about them. She'd lay awake at night and wonder if they're happy, if they'd settled down or never stopped doing what they specialized in.
She never forgets them of course but over the years she thinks of them less and less. That is until she gets a text message that's just a set of coordinates. She blinks at it confused for a second before suddenly it clicks.
It had been a year since her father's presidency was over and she was finally out of the public eye in that regard.
Sure, she was trying to make her own place in politics fighting against bioterrorism, but that was a different kind of attention.
Her heart was pounding as she searched the coordinates, and sure enough it was some small house in the middle of nowhere North Carolina. It's deep in the mountains, not terribly far out of Allegheny. It would take a while to get there but that didn't matter, she just looked for the soonest flight as she started packing.
Right before she left for the airport did she text that she was flying in. She didn't get a response and she hadn't expected one. Next, she called into work saying it was a family emergency and cashed in her vacation days.
And like that she was free.
She arrived at the little cabin in the woods and knocked on the door. Her heart was pounding and she felt like she might throw up. But when the door cracked open suddenly nothing else in the world mattered. The feeling of dread disappearing is quick as it settled into her bones.
There stood Leon unmistakable with his bright blue eyes. He took her in before opening the door more, and she saw he had a gun in his hand that was previously hidden behind the door.
“Hey Ashley."
His voice was deeper, his hair was longer and slightly darker, and there was the start of smile lines around his eyes and on his forehead. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, and he returned the hug immediately.
“I've missed you.” She grumbled into his chest as tears pricked at her eyes.
“I've missed you too, and even more so over the years. I owe you more than you could know.”
“Considering you saved my life time and again I'm pretty sure we're even.” She disputed as she pulled back.
He chuckled and shook his head lightly before opening the door completely and gesturing her inside. She went easily as she took in the cabin. It was a cozy thing, a mix between rustic and industrial, and it smelled of pine and faint lemon.
“You like it?”
Ashley turned to see Ada walk out of the hall. She looked nearly identical to Ashley's last memory of her. Not a hair out of place and impeccable in a way Ashley couldn't quite understand.
“It's beautiful, wish I could have something like this in DC.”
The woman chuckled, “Yes well, it was one of my more out of the way safe houses. Didn't know if we'd stay but we did.”
Leon walks over to the woman and wraps his arms around her waist, his eyes going soft in a way Ashley never thought she'd see. He kissed the side of her neck before placing his chin on her head.
“Not that we're here all the time. But it is weird to have somewhere to call home.” He agreed.
“Not retired then?” She asks.
Ada snorts, “Please, I don't think either of us could if we tried.”
They all took a seat, Ashley the cozy chair next to the fireplace, while Leon pulled Ada down on the couch next to him. Not that Ada put up much of a protest as she was pulled into his side, and an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“Clingy bastard.” She grumbled with a roll of her eyes.
“Your clingy bastard.” He corrected lightly with a smile so bright Ashley felt tears try to form again.
Thinking back to her memories of that dawn in Spain, the Leon who'd saved her life and risked everything for her time and again. She compares it to this Leon in front of her, and they're nearly unrecognizable to one another.
As she looks at the two on the couch. She's never been more sure in her life that she made the right decision.
She spends the next few days with them catching up and learning what they'd been up to in the past six years. The answer was quite a lot actually. Ada still did jobs though with much less frequency, and Leon tagged along more times than not.
In return she told them what she'd been up to since Spain. As it turned out they had been following her quite avidly and Leon especially was thankful for her work.
She was sad when she had to leave but promised to come visit again. Leon had given her his actual number and said to contact him whenever just not to get specific in messages. She'd agreed happily and as he walked her out, she'd given him a final hug.
“I'm so glad you're happy.”
He let out a small sigh, “Me too.”
True to her promise, she visited many times after that throughout the years. Whenever she can spare the time and they're home, she drops by. She gets questioned about it of course after people realize the pattern. She just shrugged them off, saying she was visiting close friends.
She hadn't even realized she'd drawn attention from someone else until she noticed the car following her down the hidden away driveway. She called Leon immediately as she parked.
“Leon, someone followed me.”
He cursed over the line and told her to get her ass inside. And like on autopilot she listened, It was funny in a way the idea that even after Spain listening and following his directions was instinctual.
Leon was at the door waiting, pistol in hand. Ada was right next to him with a wicked-looking crossbow.
“Let us handle it.” Leon told her with a nod and she stepped back further into the house.
The other car came to a stop, before without any preamble a woman exited the car. Leon went lax immediately, tension draining from him.
“Hunnigan?” He muttered under his breath in disbelief.
Ada blinked, “Your old handler? What the hell is she doing following Ashley?”
“I don't know…shit we're caught.”
Ashley took a steadying breath, “Let me talk to her then. She's following me for a reason.”
The two shared a look before nodding.
Hunnigan came up and knocked on the door. Ashley gave it a second before opening it as she peaked her head out.
“Hello?”
“Hi, I'm Ingrid Hunnigan. You wouldn't really know me, but in Spain I was the one over the coms.”
Oh…Ashley hadn't known that. She takes a step outside.
“I see, what brings you here then?”
Hunnigan shrugged lightly, glancing around the property. “I've been keeping track of you. Considering my position in the DSO and your position with your strong stance against bioterrorism.”
Ah, she thought this was nefarious.
“You're suspicious of me I'm guessing you've tracked my movements and seen that I come here often?”
There's no shame in Hunnigan as she nods, “Call it understandable skepticism. It's quite weird being in the middle of nowhere so consistently.”
“That is understandable, but just a vacation house to get away from the city for a while. Why look after me specifically? There's plenty of other people you can keep an eye on.
“It's not guilt but considering I was the one behind the mission in Spain…I feel like I owe it to him at least.” The woman sighed.
“To me?” Leon asked as he peaked his head around the door.
Hunnigan froze her eyes going wide as Leon just smiled brightly, “I'm flattered Hunnigan.”
Ashley didn't know if she should laugh or hit him. She settles for glaring over her shoulder.
“I thought I was handling this?”
He shrugs, “I think we're in the clear she won't rat us out.”
“You think, thank you very inspiring.” Ada snarks as she too rounds the door draping herself over Leon's shoulder.
Ashley silently thought they were doing a great impression of The Three Stooges.
Hunnigan for her part seemed to be short circuiting. Leon just gave her a sheepish expression.
“YOU!” The operative snarled, stepping forward with something like murder in her eyes.
Leon immediately threw up his hands, “I'm sorry, truly I am none of this was ever personal. Honestly, I liked you better than anyone else there.”
It only calmed the woman's anger slightly.
Ashley stepped in then, “It was my idea.”
That did the trick as Hunnigan's attention snapped to her.
“It was completely my idea. I suggest that he faked his death and disappeared and even gave him the cover story.”
Hunnigan looked back to Leon who just nodded, “She did. I fought it but…she made some good points.”
Hunnigan's eyes then landed on Ada and there was so much emotion there that Ashley couldn't begin to decipher it. Ada just raised a brow at the woman before finally speaking again herself.
“I offered to take him with me. Ashley seemed to think it was a good idea.”
“... I…I'm confused.” Hunnigan admitted reluctantly.
Leon sighed but opened the door, “Come and then and we'll explain.”
And like that they're little secret was extended to one more person. And if it went well maybe a few more.