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ashrillvenheim · 25 days

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Awakening Past

Chapter 18

pairing: Ashley Graham x Leon S Kennedy.

Content: (+18) romance, angst, gore, erotic/suggestive themes at some point, slow burn, violence, action, self-harm, death talk,

If you're a MINOR DON'T keep reading, thank you.

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The clacking of the screen was the only thing echoing in the room. With the only person currently there she scratched her nose with a sigh. She had yet to get used to the smell of the freshly bleached premises. She twirled the pen between her fingers, noting the results the DSO offices had provided her with.

For now she would have to make do with the photographs she took of the specimen until they brought the fossil in tomorrow. She pulled out the rest of the images she took of the caves, the catacombs with the inscriptions and the old fused body of Salazar.

For now the pictures of Salazar and what was related to the Illuminati would be kept secret from Narsson.

She hated having to do that but she wanted to protect you. She didn't want to drag her into her problems and have her end up on the wrong end of the stick because of her.

She held the red pen and began to make little notes and then transfer them to her notebook. She took a deep breath and caught the scent of visitors coming from the direction of the lab.

Leon stretched his arms out with a grunt as he yawned. Ashley had forced him to stay home and rest after his bad night. At first he refused, but then he remembered that he was no longer her bodyguard and didn't need to accompany her everywhere.

He sighed heavily scratching the back of his neck and remembering the warmth of Ashley's soft skin and in how they held each other.

This sleeping together thing was getting to be a bad habit.

He may have been her partner now, but...it was still inappropriate.

He sighed heavily as he walked down the hallway with Pepper and Mint on either side of him, each in their nice " Service Animal" harness.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching down the hallway adjacent to his, as he crossed the corner he encountered Maria and Narsson.

“ Good morning.” he greeted them with his perfect smile.

Maria returned the gesture.

“ How is everything?”

“ We're back in one piece.” joked the agent.

Enma looked at Leon with a smile and her eyes dropped to the badge hanging around his neck. She arched her eyebrows when she saw next to his picture the title "investigation agent" and not security agent like the one Maria was wearing.

Was he no longer Ashley's bodyguard?

“ Didn't Ashley come with you?” Narsson asked subtly, the demon of curiosity taking control of his words.

“ She came before me, I don't have to be under constant supervision anymore.”

“ And I do?” Enma scoffed.

“ You don't know how to fight.” said Maria.

“ Why don't you teach me?” asked Narsson looking at his escort. Vazquez sighed.

“ Because you are a danger to yourself and I refuse to let you break your neck trying to do something you shouldn't do.”

Narsson looked at her indignantly.

“ I know how to defend myself.”

“ Correction, Ashley knows how to defend you and it was thanks to her that you weren't kidnapped.”

Enma mumbled Norwegian words that none of the agents understood as they walked to the last door in the hallway.

The door opened and Ashley lifted her head from the photographs. She slid the mobile chair back just a second before the dogs jumped on top of her and knocked her to the floor.

The three newcomers laughed as Ashley tried to get up but to no avail. Pepper and Mint decided to let her go as they showered her with drool.

Ashley grunted wiping her face with her sleeve.

“ Thank you for taking care of them again.”

Maria waved her hand dismissively.

“ It's been a perfect excuse for Enma to go out and exercise.”

“ Hey, I'm fine.” Narsson said, turning on her heel.

“ Genetics won't help you keep your figure for the rest of your life.” Maria replied with a mischievous smile.

“ Oh for God's sake, Leon, switch with Maria, be my escort please.”

Leon tensed for a second, but let out an amused laugh before Ashley answered for him.

“ Believe me it's better Maria, you don't know how many times I've wanted to strangle him.”

Leon pointed accusingly at her.

“ Hey, you're no saint either.”

Ashley threw up her hands and turned around, back to her table. Narsson and Maria laughed, but the former watched the attitude between Ashley and Leon closely, as if she was looking for the origin of the fact that Leon was no longer her guard, but... she saw them as usual.

“ Where do we start?” the teacher finally said, putting on one of the white coats from the hanger and approaching Ashley.

She spread out on the center table the photographs of the specimen she found along with other images of the specimen Narsson discovered.

“ At the moment I was looking for characteristics of the fossil I found with the one you discovered.”

Enma nodded and got down to work with her former student.

It was as if time suddenly passed more slowly. They both spent the first few hours of the morning poring over each photo and making copies to hang on the board they had provided next to the table. The main reason Leon had come, outside of keeping an eye on Ashley, was to keep Maria company.

They watched as Narsson and Graham worked quietly among encyclopedias and reports. They could see how much the blonde looked like the Norwegian, but at the same time they understood why Maria, Graham and Sasha were picking on the teacher so much.

She looked possessed.

The subtle smile that always adorned her lips had vanished and now a deep seriousness, with the faint shadow of a frown, drew her expression.

They didn't know how long it was before Ashley suddenly raised her head and turned toward the door.

“ Leon?” she said in confusion, causing the agent to turn toward her.

“ Is something wrong?”

“ Did you call Chris?”

Leon arched his eyebrows uncomprehendingly for a moment and soon after began to hear the echo of footsteps approaching. He looked at Ashley just as confused and swiveled in his chair.

“ No, I didn't.”

Maria watched them both blankly, only to turn toward the door when someone knocked and two figures entered the room.

“ Hey, how's it going?” that male voice echoed in the lab.

“ Chris?” Graham blinked.

“ Jill?” Leon was surprised.

Redfiel and Valentine smiled and walked in to extend their hands to Narson and Maria, who didn't know them.

“ Surprise .” Jill said with a laugh. “ We've been sent to take part in the search for the fossil, so we'll be with you.”

Leon watched them, knowing that was the general explanation for Narsson, but he knew that after Chris's team was in Spain two years ago, the BSAA preferred to have agents in on the new plaga research.

“ Nice to meet you, I'm Enma Narsson.”

“ Chris Redfield and this is my partner, Jill Valentine.”

The three greeted each other and decided to take a little break to catch up.

“ Sorry we're late, Chris had entered the wrong address in the GPS.” Jill apologized, looking at her partner, who grunted with his ears reddening in embarrassment.

“ Are you going to start giving me a bad name so soon?” growled the dark-haired man.

“ Welcome to the club.” taunted Leon.

They laughed and then asked about the progress as they looked at the board full of photos.

“ Any news?”

Narsson sighed.

“ Nothing so far. That bug is a parasite that has attached itself to the fossil's shell, where the cephalopod's nervous system passes through. We're looking for any specimen from that era to which it might correspond, but so far nothing.” she pointed to the stack of encyclopedias she and Ashley were sharing. “ We still have articles to go through.”

“ Shall we break for coffee?” proposed Ashley, getting up from her seat.

“ I thought you'd never say, I'm falling asleep.” Maria said holding out her arms with a grunt.

Ashley laughed and headed for the exit with her former bodyguard. Chris and Jill preferred to stay to catch up on the board they had done so far, so Nasrson turned to Leon.

“ Shall we?” she said, starting to walk toward the exit.

Leon followed her into the hallway, seeing Ashley and Maria in the background.

“ Well, well, can I invite you?” the woman's voice made him turn to her with a sigh.

“ Enma, I told you-”

“ Coffee, can I buy you coffee?”

The man watched her for a few seconds and then felt and looked straight ahead again.

“ Okay.”

They went upstairs.

“ Well, now that Ashley has graduated and we're all officially teammates...is dinner still out of the question?”

“ Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly stubborn?”

Narsson smiled.

“ A few, it's how I've earned my place in this industry.”

Leon let out another long sigh.

“ No, Narsson, I'm not going to accept a date with you.”

Enma walked beside him for a few seconds, watching the man's profile with a watchful eye.

“ Have you two slept together?”

Leon stopped in his tracks and grabbed her arm to turn her toward him, away from the ears of Maria and Ashley at the end of the corridor.

“ Can't you ask more discreetly?” he muttered under his breath.

But Narsson had grabbed the bone.

“ Yes or no?”

“ NO.”

- Umm... are you two dating?

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose.

“ Neither, may I know why you're asking me this?”

“ I need to test the waters and find out which foot you're limping on.”

Kennedy glanced quickly in the direction of Ashley and Maria, who were still chatting in front of the coffee machine.

“ I'm not limping on any foot and you don't have anything to test. End of conversation.”

Ashley glanced over Maria's shoulder, sensing Leon grabbing Narsson by the arm. What could they be talking about? it was odd that the lion seemed so... irritated.

A small prickle lodged in her chest - had something happened between them?

She stopped looking at them as they turned back to them and walked to the machine.

Maria turned to Narsson.

“ Go easy on the caffeine.”

“ Hey, I only had a coffee for breakfast.”

“ You had a latte made with two rounds of coffee.”

Enma rolled her eyes and pressed the brew button.

“ Happy? I'll take my theine then.”

Maria laughed as Ashley gave Leon a fleeting glance, averting it just before he spotted her.

“ I'm going back downstairs.” Graham announced, breaking away from the group. Leon watched her walk away for a few seconds and then turned his attention back to the other two women.

Why did he have the feeling that this week was going to be a long one?

They decided to take another approach and pulled out a world map. Between Ashley and Enma they decided to mark all the areas where similar types of ammonite were found. They marked out the area where Ashley found the fossil and spent the rest of the hours racking their brains trying to figure out how the hell that fossil got there.

Ashley knew that the "Queen Plaga" from which she had taken the sample had probably stored the fossil for a long time, but then why was there no trace of the parasite in the area of Norway where the ammonite was supposed to be from? did it come from somewhere else? but if so, from where? and how?

There were too many questions that occupied all his mental capacity and if that wasn't enough, he began to feel the fly behind his ear every time he saw Anderson engage in conversation with Leon. He also did it with Gray and Jill, but... for some reason it bothered him more when he interacted with his former escort.

It was stupid, he knew it was and that he shouldn't dwell on it, that it wasn't appropriate for him to feel... jealousy? was he feeling jealous?

"Don't be dumb Ashley, focus, he's your friend." she said to herself turning her attention back to the investigation.

Chris and Jill tried not to talk too much about the parasites because of Enma. But they all knew. Ashley knew. She was aware that sooner or later the existence of the plague parasite was going to be discovered by Enma. Either by herself or because Ashley would tell her.

Even if she didn't like the idea at all, she had to do it at some point.

In between musings and breaks for more coffee, Narsson sensed that this was something much bigger than he thought. Ashley had told her it was personal, but to what extent?

The two filled the world map with thumbtacks, then removed or changed half of it. They debated and weighed ideas as they had always done since they had known each other.

And yet it felt different.

This bug was something important, something deep and as she had rightly said it was related to her scar, and so Leon had to be in on it too.

They put more notes on the board with the prehistoric line they had established. And yet they still didn't understand how it had made it from Norway to Spain without leaving a trace across the rest of Europe. There were no birds suffering from the parasite of that era and that ammonite was native to the Norwegian area.

So... by land? but there was no trace in a fossil of later mammals. Yes, that was the theory Ashley held, but because they were only there and the only thing connecting the existence of the plaga elsewhere was that ammonite.

The rest had been buried in the mine caves.

And she didn't intend to go back there.

While Ashley and Narsson worked on the fossil, Leon, Chris and Jill examined the photographs of the catacombs. They noted the inscriptions so that they could translate them later to hopefully get some relevant clues.

For now those photographs were alien to Narsson, but if they got any new information, then they would have to find a way to explain it to him.

Even Chris and Jill wanted to avoid involving civilians in the whole thing.

With Sasha it was easy, he was working in the Campus Library, so Patrick didn't have to worry much, but asking Narsson for help made everything a hundred times more complicated.

Hours passed and the sun began to set behind the mountains in the distance. The lab was underground so none of the people present seemed to notice.

“ I'm going to move these canisters so we'll have room tomorrow when they bring us samples.” Ashley said approaching one of the shelves.

Enma nodded and picked up the other side of the table.

“ I'll get you a dictionary.” Jill mumbled as she watched Chris write with such spelling mistakes.

“ Hey, I'm not a Professor.” growled Redfiel as he finished writing the last translation of the photos.

“ But at least learn where the aitches go, please.

Jill dropped her head back in despair. That side of Chris hadn't changed a bit. In office matters, he was still a disaster.

“ I can give you a dictionary for your birthday.” Leon teased.

“ Kennedy, I'm going to-”

A rumble echoed through the room as a boat crashed to the floor.

Everyone turned with their hands on their guns and their hearts in their throats.

Only to find Ashley covered in gray dust.

“ Shit.” Said the blonde before the party started.

She sneezed once, twice, three, four, and five times the instant she inhaled the dust for prints.

Narsson rushed to grab a broom for the windows as Ashley shook between sneezes and shakes. Maria and Leon started laughing.

“ Is-atchoo! not-atchoo! fu-atchoo! funny!” growled Graham, sneezing incessantly.

Ashley was a mess. The dust mixed with liquid from another canister and stained all her clothes and skin. They managed to keep the dogs from rolling around on the floor and picked up the mess.

Narsson rinsed Ashley's head under the faucet on the cleaning table, but she needed a shower.

“ Be thankful it was only the dust from the footprints, at least you didn't get a jug on you.” Enma said to her, wiping the excess water out of Ashley's hair with her hands. The blonde grunted pulling her head out of the sink.

“ She would have broken the pitcher before her head.” Maria joked with a laugh.

Leon's eyes rolled back in remembrance of a punch.

“ I second that, she nearly broke my nose.”

Maria looked at him in disbelief one moment and the next she laughed too.

“ You guys are such-atchoo! shitty escorts," Ashley growled in irritation, trying to recover from the sneezing fit. She scratched her nose, hating that she couldn't smell anything while

Leon and Maria looked at each other and smiled.

They decided they would leave it there for today and continue tomorrow with more clarity. Leon took care of the dogs while Ashley got rid of the soaked and soiled robe. Her clothes were in the same state and she cursed in three languages as she picked up the bag.

“ A shower and a beer.” she said heavily as she walked out of the lab with the rest.

“ And a foot massage?” joked Leon with a laugh.

“ I'm not saying no.”

The group laughed as they ascended the stairs to the second floor, when suddenly Leon or I heard hurried footsteps.

“ Ashie!”

Everyone turned toward the voice and Graham's eyes almost popped out.

“ Casey?”

Her friend went to rush over to hug her, but stopped short.

“ Did you take a bath in cement or what?”

Ashley sighed.

“ A little accident.”

“ I won't hug you like that.”

The blonde looked at her friend wearily and smiled.

“ What are you doing here?”

Sergio and John approached.

“ A little celebration for your first job.” smiled Sergio.

“ And for your birthday, which we didn't get to celebrate this year.” added Casey.

Ashley blinked.

“ It's July, Casey.”

“ Better late than never, we booked a table at the bar we went to last time. Hey, guys!” she knelt down to pat Mint and Pepper, who had come over to say hello.

“ If you haven't noticed, I'm a mess, I can't go like this.” Ashley said, pointing to her outfit.

But then Casey smiled. And it was that smile that only Casey ever smiled.

And Ashley was alarmed.

“ Don't worry, I brought you an outfit.”

Ashley's eye twitched a millisecond.

“ What?”

Sergio and John sighed, aware that nothing could stop Casey when it came to fashion.

“ We're meeting at Emily's, who lives next door to the bar, so you can shower at her place and get dressed there.”

Ashley was still on the previous sentence.

“ What do you mean you brought me clothes?” she looked at John and Sergio. “ She planned this with Ems, didn't she? Because only she knew I was coming to work today.”

John and Sergio nodded defeatedly and Casey smiled victoriously.

“ I don't see your car, so you walked here and I refuse to let you go home to change into a tracksuit, so I brought you the outfit so you can change at Emily's and we can go downstairs for dinner and party.”

This time it was a muscle in Ashley's neck that gave a tug.

“ Should we be worried?” Chris whispered discreetly to Leon. The agent gave a lopsided smile and crossed his arms.

“ Nope. Just relax and enjoy.”

And the game started.

“ What's wrong with my tracksuits?” Ashley began.

“ They're fine for being at home.”

“ And for going out too.”

“ No, not for going out,”

“ What do you mean, no?”

“ No. Not if you're going out with me. I have etiquette requirements.”

“ I refuse to wear the stilettos.”

“ I brought a better option.”

“ Did you at least bring me some pants?”

“ No. I even brought you new underwear.”

“ You're insane.”

“ I know, because I'm your friend.”

“ Oh, that was a low blow, Casey.”

“ And I've got more up my sleeve Ashley.”

“ I propose a negotiation.”

“ Denied.”

" Whew, this is heated." Leon whispered to Chris, highly amused by the scene.

Ashley crossed her arms and said her final sentence.

“ If the heels aren't comfortable or I can't walk normally I'm going barefoot and you're not going to stop me.”

“ Deal.” she held out her hand.

Ashley was surprised at her friend's assurance and cursed again in three languages as she took his hand.

“ I'll hold this one for you.”

Casey smiled.

“ I was counting on that. Let's go to Ems' house and get you showered.”

Ashley was so tired from the whole day that she barely put up any resistance. She just grunted and walked to Emily's house with Casey, John and Sergio.

Leon, Chris and Jill took their vehicles to follow them later to Connors' apartment.

“ Did you fall in fresh cement?”

Ashley rolled her eyes when Emily told her the same thing Casey did.

“ I wish, then I wouldn't have to wear Casey's outfit.” grunted the blonde walking into Emily's apartment. Leon followed her with the dogs.

“ Where are Mint and Pepper's things? “ Ashley said looking for the bags.

“ They're in the trunk, I came in your car in the morning.”

Ashley sighed in relief.

“ Thank goodness I have you to remember.”

Leon smiled and removed the animals' harnesses so they could run around the apartment.

“ Are you sure you don't mind them staying at your house Emily?” Leon asked Ashley's friend who shook her head.

“ Don't worry, they've been out all day and are very formal. You'll pick them up when we get back from dinner.”

Leon nodded, hanging the straps on the coat rack in the entryway.

“ Where's your shower?” Ashley asked with the bag Casey had given her in her hand.

“ In the back on the right. We'll go downstairs with the rest while you shower, you have the keys in the kitchen.”

Graham nodded and went into the bathroom to wash off the mess. Leon smiled and prepared to walk out the door.

“ Wait a minute, Leon, Casey found some cute shirts and grabbed one for you.” Connors said, holding out a bag.

The people looked surprised.

“ Did she buy me clothes? She didn't really have to do that.” he said humbly, taking the bag.

“ Why don't you try it on, I'm sure Casey would be thrilled to see you wearing it.”

Leon hesitated for a second, reaching into the wrapper, but when his fingers touched the fabric he changed his mind. He looked around and Emily pointed down the hallway.

“ You can change in my room, there's a full-length mirror behind the door.”

He hesitated for a second, but then headed for the back room. Emily heard the sound of the shower and a soft humming of the tune Ashley always sang, her mother's tune. Then she heard a bag open and footsteps before she saw Leon's figure emerge from his room.

Emily was going to have a very serious conversation with Ashley.

The man walked into the living room smoothing out his wrinkles and pulling the buttons on his black denim button up shirt tight.

Casey had hit the mark.

“ I think it's my size, but I'm not sure.”

“ Nonsense.” Emily said, walking over to him and pulling the collar tight. “ It fits you like a glove. And this button, undo it too.” she said undoing one more button to expose some of Leon's collarbone.

“ Isn't that too much?” he became alarmed, not being used to wearing his chest so bare.

“ Not at all, you have the body to wear it like that, I'm sure even to your friend, what was he like... Chris? Yeah, I'm sure Chris would look great in one of these too.”

Leon laughed under his breath hopelessly.

“ I can tell you and Casey have been in this together from the beginning.”

Emily patted him on the chest after tucking in the hem of his shirt.

“ If it weren't for us Ashley would be wearing pajamas to class.”

“ Oh come on, it's no that bad.”

Emily warned him.

“ That stuff about not caring what people say is fine, but when it gets to the point where you don't care about anything , even the clothes you wear to class, no, I won't let it go.”

“ Then I'd better not contradict you.”

“ That's it, you're a quick learner. Come on, they must be waiting for us downstairs. Ashie, when you're done, close the door!”

A female voice affirmed and Leon and Emily left the apartment after saying goodbye to the dogs.

Ashley turned off the faucet and after drying her hair and body opened the bag Casey had brought her.

“ You're kidding me…”

“ I knew it would look great on you.”

Leon smiled at Casey's words, thanking her for the gift.

“ Casey has been telling us that you threatened her with a gun.” Chris said, crossing his arms with a smirk.

Leon scoffed and crossed his arms as well.

“ And did he tell you that they snuck into Ashley's house? Because I thought they were burglars.”

Chris turned to the copper blonde and she looked up at the sky.

“ Minor details.”

“ I almost had a heart attack.” Sergio said remembering the fear and stress Leon put them through. Jill let out a soft laugh.

“ That's good, if he didn't intimidate what a bodyguard he'd make.”

Leon gave the woman a friendly tap on the shoulder and then looked at the time.

“ When do we have the reservation for?”

Emily confirmed it in her notes.

“ Nine o'clock. Ashley shouldn't take long to get downstairs.”

Leon sensed footsteps on the stairs and a voice mumbling under her breath.

“ Casey, I'm going to kill you.” Graham's voice was heard inside the doorway and her friend smiled.

“ Oh come on, you sure look cute, come let us see you.”

“ Give me some regular clothes.”

“ Not your size?”

Ashley's voice fell silent in the hallway.

“ Yes, but-”

“ Then shut up and come out.”

Leon caught a few more curses before he saw a figure emerge from the shadows of the building's doorway.

The shock that coursed through his body might have been enough to light a light bulb.

Ashley looked down at the ground not knowing what to do. Her cheeks were the same color as the lipstick she wore.

Casey admired her handiwork. A light black satin dress gently cinched Ashley's waist and then fell looser over her hips to mid-thigh. The soft straps exposed her strong shoulders and scar and matched the Roman wedge heels tied around her ankles.

“ So, are the heels comfortable?” Casey said with a victorious smile.

Ashley grunted looking away and sensing Leon watching her. Her amber eyes were transfixed when she saw Leon's denim shirt and how it gaped open revealing his strong neck and collarbone.

When she realized she had been watching him so much, she looked away. The embarrassment was so strong she didn't know what to do.

Fuck, how good that shirt looked on him ajar. The fabric subtly strained his broad chest and made her have to restrain her most primal urges to undo the rest of the buttons and....

But what was she thinking? No, no and no. That was terribly indecent. He was her friend and now research partner... but also one of the most attractive men she'd ever met and he only had to throw his head back to make her want to bite that Greek sculpture neck....

“ Ashie!”

“ Huh?” she turned suddenly, stepping out of that forbidden garden her brain had dragged her into.

“ Are the heels comfortable?” the woman repeated for the umpteenth time.

“ Um... yes, yes, I can... walk without problems, yes.” she managed to make a halfway coherent sentence even though her mind was producing images it shouldn't. What the hell was wrong with her?

“ I've had good taste then.” Emily finally said with a playful smile.

“ Was it you? Why am I not surprised?” sighed Ashley rolling her eyes and looking away.

But Emily had seen it all.

Her caramel eyes rotated to the man beside her, who was still static. And even if she could get an idea, she wondered what had gone through Leon's head at the sight of Graham.

The answer was NOTHING.

The instant Leon saw Ashley's outfit his brain went blank. He simply looked at her. He watched the embarrassment in her gesture, in how the satin dress caressed her figure and revealed her long, athletic legs with those wedge heels with some platform...that made her the same height as him.

There had only been a second. One instant when she had tensed every muscle and it had been when Ashley had stared at her collarbone and chest. He'd had to clench his fists to appease a growing urge to grab her thighs.

God, the way that dress was riding up her thighs had to be criminal. He was lining to want to swipe a finger and lift the fabric up to.....

“ Leon.”

As if she'd been given a slap in the face, he turned toward the voice and saw Emily's amused eyes.

“ Mmm?” was all he could say as he was still unable to formulate a sentence.

“ What do you think?”

He blinked uncomprehendingly.

“ What do I think of what?”

“ Ashley's dress, do you approve it?”

Leon arched his eyebrows in confusion.

“ Me? Approve it? Why should I be the one to approve it?”

“ It's kind of a daring dress and as her former escort, aren't you worried about strangers approaching her?”

“ She can wear whatever she wants and if she gets close to anyone she can knock their teeth out. If she doesn't, all she has to do is ask us and we'll take care of it.” he answered without thinking.

Leon didn't realize it at the time, but Emily was testing him. She wanted to know if he would react negatively to Ashley wearing something more provocative than usual. She had chosen to ask him now that he was surprised by Graham's image and she had to admit that the answer had been to her liking. As her former bodyguard he could have stepped in and suggested she dress in something more modest, or failing that become possessive or aggressive towards others.

But she had only felt a protective air. If she was picked on, he would defend her.

“ I see.”

“ Connors said with a subtle smile, still watching him.”

She could perceive how those blue eyes tried to turn away, but every now and then her curiosity betrayed him and he couldn't help looking at Ashley's legs.

But she wasn't invisible to Emily's astute eyes either and he caught her glancing glancing at Leon from time to time and especially at the man's neck.

Emily smiled inwardly. They were going to have a good time today.

She was chagrined to admit that it was comfortable to walk in those heels. They weren't very high so they didn't keep her from her normal stride. But the dress...she wished Casey had been nice enough to put some short athletic tights underneath, just so she wouldn't worry about it riding up too high...in the rear.

They finally made it to the bar and when they went to their reserved area they had to pull another table together to get everyone in.

The music echoed as it had the previous time, enveloping them softly. They ordered dinner with laughter and their drinks were brought to them. The chatter was pleasant. They told each other stories and laughed and Ashley was glad that Jill and Chris fit in so well with her friends. She liked that group more and more.

But...it was getting hard.

She had Leon in front of her and her amber eyes were being terribly treacherous that night. Every time he laughed he couldn't help but watch out of the corner of his eye as the muscles in his neck tightened, as they defined themselves until they joined his broad collarbone and sternum....

At times she thought she had a strange fixation on men's necks and collarbones, but she never gave it a thought.

Now she had discovered that they were definitely her weak spot.

And God when Leon took his first sip of the drink.

The way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down made her throat go dry and she unconsciously swallowed as well. She had been so entranced that Leon had almost caught her staring at him.

So she decided to start drinking to take her focus off that divine chest.

“ Were you a real pilot?” John asked in amazement. It seemed that Chris had managed to get the attention of Ashley's stoic friend, someone who didn't show his enthusiasm so effusively, let alone with strangers.

“ Yes, when I started working, but after a few years I quit, I wasn't convinced by the atmosphere. “Chris said, taking a sip of his beer.”

“ He always says he left, but I'm convinced he got fired. “ Jill mocked, looking at her partner in front of her. Leon and Valentine had sat next to Maria, Narsson and John, and on the other side Ashley next to Chris, Emily, Casey and Sergio in front.

Ashley finished her first mojito while listening to the conversation.

“ Hey Jill, what did I ever do to you to make you tell them that?” Redfield said indignantly.

“ Snore. That's what you did, you didn't let me sleep a wink.”

Chris rolled her eyes and Emily interjected.

“ I know a home remedy that might help, but I don't know entirely.”

Jill looked at Connors carefully.

“ Anything to shut this mastodon up, I'm all ears.”

Discreetly, Ashley asked the bartender for another mojito while Chris grunted in embarrassment.

“ I'm going to ask to switch partners.”

“ Good luck finding someone to put up with you like I do.”

The rest laughed at the pitched battle that broke out between Chris and Jill, who only calmed down a bit when their dinner was brought to them.

Ashley looked back to the front and licked her lips unconsciously as she saw the drops of water from Leon's glass slide down his neck.

She picked up her mojito and drank half of it in one gulp.

"Ashley Graham, you're going to behave like a decent person, okay?" she said to herself turning her attention back to the rest of the group, trying to focus on something other than the man in front of her.

And so the minutes passed and the dinner went by.

“ Well, I could give you a little training for the gym if you're interested.” Jill said to Sergio.

“ I'm not very good at sports.” said the brunette, a little embarrassed.

“ Don't worry, it's not hard.” said Chris, finally finishing his beer.

“ You don't count, you're like one of those Renaissance sculptures. “ Casey said with a laugh.

And this time Ashley spoke up.

“ We'll have to be careful at the museum, you and Leon attract a lot of attention.” saw the blonde giving Redfield a gentle slap on the bicep. “ I'm going to put up a sign for you to get in line and I'm going to charge you.” she sipped her mojito again.

Leon subtly arched his eyebrow, noticing the slight change in Ashley's voice, as if... she was slurring her words a bit when she spoke.

He looked down at her glass. How many drinks had she already had?

He didn't know, but the answer was four. That was Ashley's fourth mojito and her flushed cheeks drew her face as she drank again.

“ Don't overdo it Graham.” Chris told her with a soft smile, nudging her. A gesture that made her lean back against him with a loose smile.

“ But have you seen yourself? You are the fantasy of many. If you were on my faculty I'd worry about you being kidnapped.” she paused thoughtfully. “ You're the perfect model for art majors, so I'd keep an eye out if you dropped by campus.”

Chris felt Ashley lean against him and began to notice the change in her tone.

“ Hey, how many drinks have you had?” he teased.

Ashley looked at the drink and was silent longer than one should take to answer that question.

“ Two.”

“ The first ones.” Sergio said mockingly.

Ashley stuck her tongue out at him and drank again to lean back against Chris.

“ I feel like it today.” she mused, leaning her head against Redfield's shoulder.

A gesture that made Leon stare at her.

His blue eyes were riveted on one of Ashley's shoulder straps that was threatening to slide down her shoulder and... show a lot more of her cleavage.

For a few seconds he stood static, his gaze locked on her like a Doberman, but when he saw her laugh and her shoulders shake, the strap eventually fell off.

All his muscles acted on impulse and he reached up to grab the strap. Ashley looked at him in surprise and felt her skin tingle as Leon's fingers caressed her shoulder to quietly reposition the garment.

“ Maybe you should be the one with an eye on the museum, I have not seen women as beautiful as you.” Maria said with a smile to Graham.

Ashley let out a giggle and leaned almost fully on Chris's shoulder to answer her former escort.

“ Well, let's see if it's true, I seem to scare them away.” She finished her drink and almost leaned back against the backrest towards the aisle. “ Bring me another mojito please!” she asked the waiter.

“ You shouldn't dri-”

Maria stopped Leon's sentence and the agent turned to her with a serious look on his face.

“She's drinking too much,” he said, but Vazquez just smiled.

“ Let her be, this time listen to me, I know this side of her better myself.” he said, glancing at Ashley, who had been brought her fifth drink.

Leon hesitated for a moment, but agreed with Maria.

But that didn't make it any more enjoyable for him to watch her lean back against Chris' arm more and more, giggling like a schoolgirl and whispering with an amused smile on those full lips.

He knew it was silly, that he shouldn't think about that, but through his mind wandered that little demon that sometimes appeared. The same little monster that came out at Ashley's celebration dinner with him and at her graduation party when that man tried to touch her.

He was a pretty annoying demon when he made an appearance.

And all through dinner it was the one who made her look sideways at her every so often or stare at his lips more than usual when he spoke.

He knew Chris was a good man. Fuck, he was her friend.

But there was something that scratched at him. That little devil was clawing at the back of his skull, causing a burning in his chest as he wasn't the one she was leaning against.

By the time more people started coming out to the karaoke, Ashley was pretty drunk and Leon was thankful he hadn't had more than a beer to drink and then drive.

Ashley had started to get more mellow and her tone had softened and subtly aggravated, tinging it with a more... sensual air.

Leon pinned his eyes on Maria, asking her with his gaze if she knew what she was doing, to which Vazquez only nodded with an amused smile.

“ And then it turned out that the person that employee had been talking to all day was his incognito boss among the workers.” Casey said, holding back the laughter that followed.

The table burst out laughing, but Leon didn't know what about, he hadn't been following the conversation.

“ That happens to me and I shoot myself, I don't wait to be called in.” Jill laughed imagining the scene.

Chris agreed with her this time and noticed the empty mojito glass resting next to her hand.

“ Well, Miss Graham, you've had enough alcohol for today.” Redfield said picking up the glass and pushing it away from the woman's grasp.

“ Oh dear, are you going to forbid me to drink anymore captain?” Ashley's voice was a whisper that made Chris's eyes widen in surprise and then look at Leon fleetingly.

“ I think we can all agree that you're pretty drunk.” the brunette told her and she smiled softly.

“ I just have a looser tongue, that's all.” he purred.

Maria sensed that tone and spoke.

“ How loose? to confess some secret?”

Leon tensed for a second, fearful that she was telling something intimate.

Leon tensed for a second, fearful that he was telling something intimate between them.

But what he heard was ...different.

“ Enough to drag someone into a warm bath with candles and champagne.”

Kennedy wasn't understanding those words, but unlike Jill, Chris and him, the rest were smiling.

They did know about that facet.

The beep of the mic echoed and they all turned to the small stage.

“ Anybody up for a chance to go next? It's a long night guys!”

Maria cocked her head to Ashley and smiled mischievously.

“ I would like a wine and blues session in the dark of a fancy hotel, what do you say?”

Were they talking in riddles? Because Leon was already getting very lost in the conversation. He looked at Ashley in the hope that it would clear up some of his confusion, but what he found was even more puzzling.

Those amber eyes had darkened and sparkled along with a seductive lopsided smile. This was not the Ashley he knew.

“ Marching, Miss Vazquez.” She purred in a deep tone and rose from the table raising her arm. “ Here!” she exclaimed towards the presenter who was looking for a volunteer and smiled at the sight of her.

Leon looked at her in surprise, since the previous time he almost had to convince her to sing.

Ashley got out of her seat and as she took her first steps she stumbled. She looked down at her feet and with a sigh, bowed. She untied her laces and removed her heels to walk to the stage barefoot. Something that made Leon tingle for some reason.

She moved her hips with a different sensuality, with more undulating gestures. Leon realized he was staring too fixedly at that waist and cleared his throat ordering a non-alcoholic beer.

He needed to entertain himself with something else, but... his eyes betrayed him.

He heard a soft chuckle from Ashley as he walked on stage and took the mic in her hands, Sergio and John got up to go plug in their cell phones for a cover they had been working on. They used a song titled "Almost touch me" by Maisy Kay.

Ashley was smiling with her friends with her cheeks flushed from the alcohol and couldn't help but think how gorgeous she looked and how good that burgundy lipstick looked on her.

Then the lights dimmed and a soft piano melody with a bluesy feel began to play.

The spotlight focused on Ashley's figure, who was subtly wiggling her hips with the smoothness of a snake.

Leon seemed somewhat confused by how different she looked compared to the first night she sang there. He leaned a little closer to Maria to ask her.

“ Hey, is this what you meant when you said Ashley was a show when she drank?”

Maria gave an amused lopsided smile without taking her eyes off her former protégé.

“ Oh, it hasn't even started yet.”

Leon arched his eyebrows.

“ What do you mean?”

"Baby, I've been longin'

For the darkness hidden past your grin

See the secrets buried in your skin..."

A shock jolted Leon's spine as that voice began to sing. An erotic, velvety tone that was in total contrast to her previous performances. Maria smiled when she saw those blue eyes widen like saucers and turn towards the stage. She decided to answer him in a whisper.

“ She sounds like she's making love to you when she sings like that.”

The song was softer than the original, deeper and... Seductive.

They were just lyrics, but Ashley made them sound like caresses.

The way she slurred her voice or sighed some words seemed to take them into a darkened room, where her voice was the burning caresses on the skin of the listener.

Leon took a very long swig of his beer, trying to calm his unbridled heart and dry throat.

"In the midst of flirtatious innocence..."

Ashley fixed her jaguar eyes on Leon. A strange twinkling glow and her darkened amber irises, which made the bottle static against Leon's lips.

"See your eyes in a darkened room

Look at mine, see where your thoughts stray to..."

His heart lurched so violently that his pulse trembled and a gasp escaped from between his lips.

She was drunk, totally, it was chance...that she still had her eyes riveted on him.

Those golden eyes did not blink as she sang. Her melody made a strange sensation wash over the man, almost as if...if he was being touched. As if there were hands slipping under his clothes and gently caressing his body. The sensation was so vivid that he held a faint gasp in his throat, almost like a moan.

The song was ending. The light reflected the soft beads of sweat on Ashley's skin, which moved her hand up to her thigh and began to ascend, tracing her silhouette as she intoned the last lines, as if she was reaching a climax.

"Hands on my waist

You make it so I can barely breathe..."

The pitch rose along with the pulses of everyone listening to her and they felt a shock break through their bodies as she held that heartbreaking note. Like a scream in the dark.

Leon almost dropped the bottle and drank to put something in front of his eyes unable to look away.

He felt sweat soaking his back and his pulse pounding in his neck. His breathing was ragged and he had to gulp down the rest of the beer to calm his burning body.

It had definitely been a show.

Maria hadn't been kidding at all. Everything about Ashley had radiated a sensuality and eroticism he'd never seen.

And she was only barefoot in a simple satin dress and lipstick. She hadn't done anything provocative, just subtly moved her hips and hands to the sound of the song.

And she had managed to silence the whole bar.

Suddenly a wave of applause boomed in Leon's ears making him grunt and lower his head.

Casey whistled loudly and Ashley made a reference then swayed as she walked down the small stage with heels in hand.

Leon cleared his throat looking up at the ceiling as his eyes betrayed him as he moved down to Asley's cleavage, shiny with sweat.

" Leon, swallow, breathe and try again" he said to himself calming down.

He looked at her again and this time he was riveted on her burgundy lips.

"Fuck."

“ You were great.” Emily said extending her arm towards Ashley. “ I still have my hair standing on end.”

The blonde smiled happily and then turned to Leon. She looked at him with intensity, as if she was waiting to know what he had thought of her.

Leon swallowed, in a hurry for her voice to come out choked.

“ You've done well.” he held back, his muscles throbbing. Ashley's smile turned into a pout of disappointment.

“ Just well? - she said in a slightly more childlike tone, as if her inner child had taken on more strength.

Leon felt terrible at her words and wanted to quickly make amends.

“ No, no! You've been... impressive Ash, really!” he told her with a slight blush on his cheeks, a detail that made Emily smile and John, who also noticed it.

Ashley took a second to smile again from ear to ear, jumping up and down.

“ Hey, be careful Graham.” Chris said pointing at Ashley's bare feet.

Leon's body moved too fast. Long before he could think what he was doing.

“ Let me.”

He took the heels from Ashley's hand and dug his knee into the floor to put them on.

She felt her heart almost break her chest and had to lean on Leon's shoulder as he lifted a foot to put the shoes on her.

No one said anything, but everyone thought the same thing.

Leon remained stoic and stood up again with a neutral expression.

“ There, let's go.” He sounded calm, but inside his other self was banging his head against a wall.

" Idiot, idiot, idiot..."

Ashley followed Leon with tingles in her legs.

His hands had been so soft and... warm. The way he had squeezed the cords had almost made her gasp and her mind had only imagined one thing.

In those broad hands moving up her calves and up the back of her thighs until they slid under her dress and....

“ Watch out for the step.”

Jill's voice snapped Ashley back to reality. They all went outside and started walking towards Emily's house, where the dogs were.

“ This one goes to the blog Ash.” Sergio said looking at his cell phone excitedly, where he had recorded the performance.

Ashley smiled and grabbed Sergio's arm, stumbling.

“ Do you have any other projects?”

“ John is working on a couple of original tunes.”

Graham jumped up and now clung to John. Her dress lifted a little more than it should have and Leon noticed.

“ Yes, I'll show them to you when I finish them.” John said to her just before he noticed Leon throw his jacket over Ashley's shoulders.

“ Don't get cold.” said the agent looking straight ahead.

She watched him for a second and then felt the edge of the skirt of the dress much higher. Her face turned red and she pulled it down, only to realize that the lion's jacket covered her rear.

Had he been staring at her? She turned to him, but he had turned to talk to Casey. For a second a glimmer of lucidity made her think of the gestures she had made that night.

Still embarrassed, she slipped her arms inside the jacket that covered her carelessness, and gently inhaled the cologne that permeated the garment.

Between that and the alcohol that was still creeping up on her, she pranced around with her friends, humming and gyrating like an ordinary schoolgirl.

For that night she wanted to forget her worries and limits.

She didn't want to think, just let herself go.

After discussing some more time with Casey, talking about future projects with Sergio and John, and telling Emily off for being a traitor, they went by Connors' apartment to get the dogs.

After Ashley threw a tantrum, Leon carried her off like a sack over his shoulder as the rest of them laughed and said goodbye.

Kennedy turned the key to Ashley's apartment and when she finally entered the apartment she let out a long grunt of exhaustion. All day outside.

He took the harnesses off the dogs and hung them in the hall closet.

Ashley stumbled in and unlaced her heels between snorts. She tossed them into a corner and turned on the kitchen light to get a drink of water. She offered Leon a glass and he obliged and then watched her walk down the hall to her room. He couldn't help but smile at the situation. In the end he had indeed ended up drunkenly escorting her back home.

He finished his glass as he listened to Ashley open and close drawers in her room. He poured the dogs' feed into the feeders and made sure they had clean water in the mangers.

Ashley went out in her summer pajamas to the living room, where Leon was hollowing out the large canine beds.

The woman looked at the broad shoulders of her now co-worker and the alcohol clouded any judgment that might have stopped her actions.

“ Is someth-”

Leon's words were cut off as Ashley climbed on his back with a giggle. He laughed as if it were a game, struggling with her gently as she was drunk.

And before he knew it Ashley tied her legs around Leon's arms and waist and stretched him out on the floor. He tensed as she sat on his abs and his heart raced.

“ Come on Ash, you're drunk, you're going to hurt yourself.” He told her in a subtle nervous tone, trying to pull his arms out of her tight grip on his legs. But he couldn't.

“ Oh, come on, play with me Lee. - she complained, resting her hands on his chest.

"Lee? that was new."

“ You should go to sleep.” he tried to convince her, noticing her soft tan pajamas with straps. “ Tomorrow we have to go to the lab.”

But Ashley wasn't listening to him. She just watched the way Leon's lips moved as he spoke, mesmerized. The sound became secondary and she didn't know what he was saying to her.

“ Have I ever told you that you have beautiful lips?”

That made Leon go completely silent. His mind short-circuited, causing him to stutter.

“ What?”

He almost bit his tongue when Ashley ran her thumb across his lips, caressing his mouth like one would caress a flower.

All of Leon's muscles tensed. A fire siren began to sound in his head and his inner self hammered his heart with a sledgehammer.

And yet he could only lie there.

Soft gasps came from him as Ashley slid her fingertips along the man's cupid's bow.

And he could hear her unbridled throbbing.

He looked into her amber eyes and saw them totally lost in her mouth.

Because she was.

Ashley was only able to focus on her full lips and then whisper.

“ How lucky the person who can kiss them.” she paused briefly, which almost made Leon gasp. “ I bet red looks great on you.”

Wait a minute.

Wait.

This wasn't happening.

Ashley was smiling at him still without having removed her makeup and still wearing that red lipstick. He saw her lean toward him and a growl caught in Leon's throat.

She wasn't thinking and he was unable to react.

No. This couldn't happen. It wasn't right, he had to stop her. Fuck, why wasn't her body moving?

She leaned closer and a gasp came out of his mouth.

" Ash, react, no, wait."

Ashley ran her thumb across his lips and painted Leon's with the smudged finger. She smiled leaning back to look at her handiwork and let out a childish giggle.

“ Everything looks great on you.” she said with such an innocent and happy tone that contrasted with the situation.

Suddenly she let go and stood up.

“ I'm going to bed, good night Lee!” she hopped away and went into her room.

For a second he didn't know if he had a heart attack.

He stared at the ceiling holding his breath. When he realized that his lungs were burning he took a breath of air and put his hands to his face.

What the hell had just happened?

He was almost panting from how fast his heart was going. He felt like a hurricane inside him and he didn't know how long he lay on the floor until he managed to breathe somewhat normally.

Finally it was Mint who got him to react by giving him a lick and earning an angry growl from Leon.

He hardly thought much. He managed to get up, grab his keys and walk back to his house still bleary-eyed.

When he reached the bathroom and turned on the light he saw the red stain on her lips. His mind ticked off a sprint of successive images that only made his blood boil.

The demon in his head came out and began to rummage through situations that hadn't happened but... could have.

He banged his head against the wall.

"Enough."

He stood there. Static and tense. How long? Long enough. Long enough to strangle that indecent demon that only made him feel like a dirty dog.

Long enough until Ashley's words echoed against the walls of his skull in stereo and other memories began to mingle.

Memories and people he didn't want to think about.

That night was the first in two years he'd spent staring at the ceiling for something that hadn't been a nightmare.And it was absolutely... confusing.

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ashrillvenheim · 2 months

Text

Awakening Past

Chapter 17 part 2

pairing: Ashley Graham x Leon S Kennedy.

Content: (+18) romance, angst, gore, erotic/suggestive themes at some point, slow burn, violence, action, self-harm, death talk,

If you're a MINOR DON'T keep reading, thank you.

Archive of our own / WORK LIST / Awakening Past Masterlist

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Her amber eye twitched.

“ That scratch wasn't there.”

Casey tensed and looked at the corner her friend pointed to.

“ Yes it was, I've barely used the car.”

Ashley looked up from the scratches on the side of her vehicle and circled around.

John stared at Casey and Sergio, aware that they had done something when he hadn't been there.

“John, do you have proof?” the blonde asked, crossing her arms. The light-eyed man sighed.

“ Even I don't know where it came from.” he paused. “ But I think I have an idea.”

Casey glared at her roommate and was reproachful when Sergio dropped to his knees on the floor.

“It was my fault, Ashi!”

Casey interjected.

“ No, I was the one who asked him to, Sergio just did what I told him to do.”

Ashley looked at her two friends.

“And what did you ask him to do?”

“ I..." the woman grunted inwardly.” I forgot that I was the one who had to drive when we went out on Saturday and... Sergio had to bring me back.

“ I didn't see the tree properly when I parked.” Sergio sobbed, defeated and with his head down.

Graham watched them for long seconds in silence. Leon was behind her, leaning against the airport parking lot post, listening and holding back laughter throughout the contest.

Ashley finally sighed. She noticed that the car was spotless and the interior had been wiped down to remove the last bit of dog hair it might have had.

“ Did you clean it?” she asked Sergio.

The dark-haired man nodded crestfallen.

“ I tried to hide the streaks with a product, but it didn't work.” he apologized and the blonde finally gave in.

“ I forgive you for cleaning the car and telling me.” she reached over to make him stand up again and reached out to give casey a slap.

“ Ow! Why is that?”

“ So that next time you remember not to drink when you're the one driving.”

The copper blonde mumbled under her breath, but ended up nodding and apologizing as well.

The five of them got into the car to head back to Boston.

And that's when what Ashley had feared started to happen.

“How was the trip?” Casey asked with a smile. “Did you find anything?”

“ We did.” Ashley replied with that perfected smile. “We found remains of Roman catacombs.

All three looked at her in surprise.”

“I'd love to see your first discovery." Sergio said happily, but this time it was Leon who followed.

“ Yeah well, that's going to be difficult, we almost didn't get out of the tunnel.

All three exclaimed and Ashley elbowed her partner even though they had already talked about this on the plane.

“ It's an exaggeration, but yes, there was a landslide. It seems there had already been several in the last few years and this one had ended up crushing the ruins. “

“ Oh boy...and can't the ruins be excavated?” Casey asked somewhat hopefully.

Ashley sighed.

“ You could, but it's too big of an investment and I don't know if it will ever get done. Besides, they were quite deep and that makes it even more complicated, so who knows, maybe in the future, but I honestly don't think so.”

“Wow, too bad Ashi, we would have liked to see your first discovery.” Sergio said discouraged.

“Don't worry I just started, I still have plenty of time to discover more things.”

Leon looked sideways at Ashley, seeing how she was subtly drumming on the steering wheel, that little mania she knew to perfection.

And then Casey decided to get back to business.

“So, what's the news?”

Ashley arched her eyebrows as John sipped his water.

“What's news? What do you mean?” Graham asked.

“Have you two slept together yet?”

John spat.

Ashley swerved.

And Leon let out every curse he knew.

“Casey!” Sergio exclaimed indignantly, although his face indicated the same interest.

“Leon, do you carry the gun?”

“Always with me.”

“In the ditch over there looks good to you?”

“Out in the open. There might be a more discreet place in that service area.”

“How many bullets you got left?”

“One's enough for me.”

“Good.”

“ Great.”

Casey held on to Sergio and the car's doorknob while Leon and Ashley pulled on her legs.

“I'm sorry!!! I won't ask again!!!!!” she shrieked, desperate to get back to the safety of the car.

“ Leon, get out the chloroform.”

“ASHIII!!!”

The rest of the trip was uneventful.

The five of them got out of the car and Casey went up to her apartment with Sergio, crestfallen. John smiled at her friend's downcast look and turned to Ashley and Leon.

“You've only added fuel to the fire.” he said to Leon.

“What's to blame me?” said the agent indignantly.

“ Being Ashley's friend before Casey. She's too fond of love gossip.”

“Ems doesn't fall short.” sighed Ashley, making his friend laugh.

“ The difference is that Ems thinks it, but doesn't say it.”

“ I don't know which is worse.” exhaled Graham in exasperation, then gave John one last hug. “I'll see you soon, let me know when you're free.”

The boy nodded and watched Ashley and Leon turn towards the car. He watched them for a few seconds in silence before speaking.

“ Hey.” They both turned to him. “Whatever you're doing, be careful.”

They both looked at John and Ashley couldn't help but smile gently. She was trying to hide the truth from them and even if they didn't know it, they were aware of many things, especially John.

“ We'll have it.” Leon told him firmly.

John nodded and turned on his heel to go upstairs.

They drove calmly back to Amherst. It was soon dark and the rhythmic passing of the streetlights lulled them into a kind of trance.

Leon took over at the end of the trip and put on some blues to entertain himself. Ashley hummed a few songs in soft whispers and Leon accompanied her on the bass, something that made the time pass more slowly or made them feel more abstracted from reality.

They finally reached the street of their apartments and calmly carried their bags upstairs. Ashley entered her apartment and the first thing she did was follow a scent to the refrigerator. When she opened the metal door she smiled as she saw that Emily had left them dinner ready for their return.

She set down the bags and began to take out the food.

“ Hey Leon, Ems played chef for us.” laughed Graham calling out to his partner.

Leon left his bags at home and went over to Ashley's place.

“ Remind me to roll out the red carpet for her next time she comes over.” he thanked with a sigh, glad they didn't have to cook or order food.

They set the table at Ashley's house and both felt the lack of the dogs still with Narsson, but the quietness in the atmosphere made them keep their feet on the ground. Leon felt surprised when they started dinner. Amazed that he felt more at home there in Amherst than in Washington, where he had been living for the past few years.

He had only been here four months and...it felt like home.

His blue eyes lifted to the woman eating next to him as they watched a program.

Maybe she had made everything feel cozier.

He drank water and his memories dragged him back to many years ago, when no place seemed safe to him, when he watched every corner with his pulse racing and terrified of the beasts that lurked in the dark.

When everything he knew as reality was destroyed in a single night.

They almost knocked over the table when the phone rang and Ashley cursed in fright. She pulled the cell phone out of her pocket and saw it was Narsson.

“ I didn't know if you were awake.” she said to Ashley.

“ Casey called Maria to tell her you were on your way, so I wanted to call you, how was your trip?”

The blonde sat on the couch while Leon put the dishes away in the dishwasher.

“ A bit bumpy, but pretty good. A pity that a landslide left all the ruins buried.”

“ Well, at least they won't move from there.” Enma joked, but Ashley was silent in thought.

"I hope so." she said to herself and then resumed the conversation.

“ Yes, that's true.” she paused, leaning back in her seat. “ I'll pick up the dogs tomorrow, they haven't given you much work, have they?”

“ Don't worry, you know I get along with them.”

Ashley arched her eyebrows.

“ Tell me you haven't given Mint coffee, you know what happened last time.”

Narsson laughed on the other side.

“ Don't remind me, don't worry, I didn't. I just gave them some extra dog cookies.”

Ashley scoffed softly.

“ You're going to spoil them.”

“That's what Aunt Narsson is for, otherwise who would give them to them?”

They both laughed and chatted some more about banal things. Enma asked about the trip to Spain, but Ashley was terse and didn't give her many details. She told her about the Roman catacombs and that they had to climb to find an entrance. She just hoped it would be enough to convince Narsson.

For now.

“ I'll call you tomorrow Enma, I have to talk to my father first.” she finally told him, her eyelids feeling heavier and heavier.

“ Okay, good night Ashley.”

“ Good night Narsson.”

She dropped the cell phone to the side and sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

“Do you know how you're going to approach her?” Leon asked her from the kitchen and she grunted.

“ I haven't the slightest idea.”

How was she going to ask him to join the investigation without telling her too much? Her head was spinning and as the minutes ticked by she was finding it harder and harder to focus.

She was good at improvising but she didn't know if this was one of those situations. Maybe the best thing to do would be to plan the details, think about every possible question Narsson could ask him about it and prepare it beforehand, yes... that would be the best option, plan everything...

“ I've already put everything away Ash.”

Leon wiped the countertop dry and hung up the rag. He arched his eyebrows in the direction of the living room.

“Ash?”

He walked over to look over the couch and a sweet smile formed on his lips when he found her sound asleep. He crossed his arms over the back of the couch and watched it for a few seconds.

He had to be thinking about so many things... he reached out unconsciously and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. As he did so he caressed her pink cheek and paused at the touch of her soft skin.

Leon felt a tingle, remembering her sweet caresses when he had been delirious, but which he now remembered sharply.

Then his eyes traveled to her half-open lips and he spent too many seconds staring at them.

He shook his head and cleared his throat and then rounded the couch and took her in his arms to carry her into the bedroom.

He didn't look at her anymore. Not if he wanted to keep his self-control.

He took off her shoes and jacket and went back into the kitchen.

"Focus Kennedy, you're her partner now. Don't waste her father's trust." he said to himself as he grabbed his keys and locked up behind him to go back to his apartment.

The next morning William called Leon when Ashley didn't answer her cell phone. He was no longer surprised by the president's calls.

He had to go get Ashley so the man could explain to both of them the latest developments.

Graham had already talked to the Springfield Natural Museum and they had given over one of their labs for Ashley's new team's research. They had made a deal to invest in refurbishing the museum and updating their lab equipment, so it didn't seem to have raised any suspicions.

He mentioned to them that Patrick and Maria were already aware, but they hadn't told either Narsson or Sasha, especially the latter, who was only Narsson's secretary and needed to be involved as little as possible. Fortunately he was working in the administration of the faculty library, so he would be out of danger. For now Patrick still had an eye on him.

When they finished their conversation with William, Ashley decided to start moving things along and it didn't take long to call Narsson and summon her to the museum.

“ We need to stop by and do some paperwork, I'll see you there.” was all the blonde said to her former teacher.

Leon could sense his partner's racing heart all morning, but said nothing, even though Ashley was aware that her nerves were not escaping his ears.

They prepared Ashley's car for the dogs and after grabbing the DSO reports and folders they climbed into the vehicle.

Graham rested her hands on the steering wheel and stood silently for a few seconds staring at a distant point.

“Is something wrong?” Leon asked.

“ I don't like bringing Narsson into this, I don't know if it's a good idea.”

“ They tried to kidnap her Ash. Before our trip to Spain she was already a target. Her knowing more about the parasite is inevitable. If they had taken her she would have found out anyway.”

Ashley drummed on the steering wheel.

“ Yeah... you're right. I may... still be trying to get as few people as possible into my business.”

“ You learned that from me. I'm getting better at it, but don't follow my example.” the man told her with a smile, remembering how when he went to Spain, he would dismiss all the attention she gave him just so he wouldn't worry her.

But in the end that only made her more distressed.

So he had to learn too.

“ Besides.” he wanted to add. “ You are going to offer her this proposal. She is within her rights to refuse and not participate. You are not forcing her.”

Those words seemed to calm her down a bit.

“ You're right. I guess I'm making a mountain out of a molehill.” she exhaled deeply. “ Come on, we don't want to keep her waiting.”

He started the car and Leon smiled.

“Didn't you say punctuality wasn't Narsson's forte?”

The blonde got out of the garage and pulled onto the road.

“ But it is Maria's, and she has a very bad temper when people don't show up at the appointed time.”

They both laughed.

Just as Ashley had said, Maria and Narsson showed up at exactly the right time.

It was ironic, Leon thought, after all both Maria and he were agents and Kennedy had always been unpunctual.

Both for the good... and for the bad.

The dogs ran out of Narsson's hands towards Ashley and him. Mint jumped on Ashley who grabbed him like a child and Leon knelt down to hug Pepper who licked his face nonchalantly.

The two laughed at the welcome and took a few minutes to catch up on their mundane lives.

Before getting into the storm.

Narsson and Maria couldn't help but watch the dogs walk alongside each of the youngsters, with their favorite humans. They looked like a little family.

They walked through the halls of the museum. Ashley put special harnesses on her dogs as guard animals so they could go with her. They all rode the elevator down to the labs and walked to one of the back rooms.

When they entered Narsson looked the room up and down.

“ Wow Ashley, you sure did hurry, though it's ironic.” she smiled, turning to her former student. “ The one who said she wouldn't work in a lab.”

Ashley gave a slightly nervous smile.

She didn't know where to start or how to go about it. How was it possible, she had been able to give a confidential talk to her own father and she wasn't able to do the same with her teacher?

The difference was that she didn't know anything .

Ashley's smile slowly faded.

Enma knew nothing about biological weapons or deadly viruses or medieval parasites.

So did she. Before she was kidnapped and taken to Spain.

Just as they had tried to kidnap Narsson, but... this time she was able to prevent Enma from suffering the same fate.

And yet, there she was, planning how to tell her something she had kept secret from her ever since she had known her.

Part of Ashley wished that when she told her everything she would slap her in the face and walk out the door.

But all those what ifs were no longer valid. They were there and she had to talk.

Now or never.

“ Yes, that's what I had you come over for.” The blonde finally said, still not quite sure how to continue the conversation.

Leon had been sensing Ashley's uncertainty ever since they had opened the lab door. With his hands in his pockets he leaned back against the edge of one of the long lab tables and met Maria's gaze.

“ So, do you need some advice?” Enma asked.

Maria knew Graham and in her expression she could see something that didn't fit. Vazquez looked at Leon, who looked back at her silently. The man's expression made her understand that now she had to listen.

“I... I could say yes.” she paused, taking a deep breath. “I rather need your knowledge, Enma.”

Narsson arched his eyebrows without quite understanding. Leon and Maria watched in silence and the man heard Ashley's heart thud.

"You can do it, princess." he thought to himself.

“ My knowledge?”

Ashley nodded and leaned against the table.

“ In Spain... we found some fossils that reminded me of the specimens you discovered on your first expeditions and... I would like you to take part in our research.”

Narsson's eyes widened and his index finger glowed with excitement.

“ Can I see the fossil?”

Leon's muscles tensed under his clothes and his blue eyes slid softly to Ashley. He could see Ashley's body react the same way for an instant and her heart flutter.

“ Sure.” Graham said pulling a folder out of her backpack. “They haven't been able to bring it here yet, but they probably will tomorrow.” she reported with calculated calmness, pulling out some photographs.

She spread them out on the table and Narsson approached.

Maria watched the two women from her position next to Leon and whispered quietly just for him to hear.

“ Leon, can you explain to me what's going on? What did you find there?”

The agent did not take his eyes off the archaeologists.

“Did you read my report from Spain?”

“ When Ashley crossed the Atlantic to come after you I was asking Hunnigan to let me read it so I could understand why she was doing something insane like this.”

Leon took a soft breath and exhaled through his nose.

“We found remnants of those things much older than what I described in the report.”

Maria opened her eyes wide and without gave the blood rushing through her body.

“Do you think those parasites could be a danger?”

Leon frowned.

“I don't know and I don't want to check, that's why Ashley wants Narsson's help, to find them as quickly as possible, before something like Spain can happen again.”

Narsson looked at the photographs of the specimen and paled on the spot.

That was... a specimen too well preserved to be a fossil.

That shell was very similar to an ammonite specimen that survived into the early Cenozoic, but not much. It was that discovery that opened up a lot of paths for her when she started out in that world, but....

This one she was showing Ashley was... different.

The specimen looked a lot like the one she found over a decade ago, but this one had... something embedded or even... fused with its shell.

Enma took the photos in her hands and sat down at the wide table with a serious expression. She looked carefully at the photographs, analyzing that strange shape that was attached to the cephalopod's shell.

It did not look like a sea plant that had grown on the shell. Nor was it a deformation of the shell, since the patterns on the shell were clearly linear, so....

That was another living thing.

And in all her years of studying and exchanging knowledge with other paleontologists, they were not at all familiar with the existence of such a creature.

Enma remained silent and understood that what she was seeing was something new. Something that seemed not to have been discovered yet.

Her heart began to pump hard, but she tried to remain calm as she raised her greenish eyes to her former student.

“ This... is something else Ashley, there is something else.” the teacher told her seriously.

Ashley nodded cautiously.

“Yes, that's why I wanted to show it to you, so you could help me... discover its origin.”

She may have been impulsive and selfish at times, but she was no fool. That tiny pause in Ashley's sentence, that hesitation was enough for her to know that there was more, that there were many coincidences since she'd known her.

Too many.

Narsson gently sat upright in his seat, looking calmly at his former student

“Ashley... this isn't your ambition for wanting to get into the industry sooner rather than later, is it?”

Graham kept her emotions at bay, but her fingers twitched imperceptibly against the edge of the table. She took a soft intake of breath with the intention of denying what Narsson was telling her, but the teacher was quicker.

“It's personal, isn't it?”

Ashley was left with the words half-spoken, aware that there was no way to make Enma think otherwise.

Student and teacher looked at each other for a moment.

“A little.” she finally replied.

Enma crossed her arms.

“When I suggested that you study paleobiology, but you didn't know how to answer me until you came back from a "vacation," was it because of this?”

Ashley knew at that moment she was lost and Enma knew she couldn't lie to her anymore, the question was, to what extent could she pry the information out of her?

The blonde sighed.

“That trip influenced my decision, yes.”

Narsson did not take her eyes off her and added with the same temper he rarely showed.

“Is this the reason your father got angry at the party?”

“One of them.” she nodded, keeping her cool and calm.

Narsson took a few seconds longer to ask his last question, one that even Ashley wouldn't have thought he would ask.

“This creature... is it related to the origin of that scar of yours?”

This time Ashley couldn't help but widen her eyes. She knew that Narsson never bought her story of surgical treatment in Europe, well, yes to some extent, but with doubts.

And this was the question as to whether he could place his trust in her.

Ashley took a few moments to answer, shifting her weight on her leg several times, thinking about not lying to him or telling him the truth.

She shouldn't. It was confidential information, she shouldn't tell him details.

Although... it wasn't a detailed question, but... a probing one.

He raised his amber irises to his former tutor and stared at her.

“ Yes, it is.”

Narsson held Graham's gaze and something in her felt... warm, as if she had just managed to jump over that little wall that had always stood between them and had been getting smaller and smaller since the kidnapping attempt.

Enma gave a faint smile and let out a faint laugh.

She raised her greenish eyes and smiled defiantly. This was an enigma that was too much for her.

“ Count me in.”

The door opened and a long sigh echoed behind him. Ashley plopped down on the couch and the dogs ran around, happy to be back home.

Leon removed their harnesses and hung them on the perches in the entryway and then turned to his companion.

“It wasn't so bad, was it? You didn't have to tell him about the plaga.”

Graham leaned her head back against the back of the sofa.

“But she'll figure it out, Leon. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on her for safety.”

“We'll have to keep an eye on her.” Leon punctuated by gently slapping her forehead and looking down on her. “I'm your partner now, not your escort.”

Ashley stared at him for a few seconds and then smiled.

“ You are right. It's a shame, I won't be able to play bodyguard jokes on you anymore.”

“Be careful, now I can take more liberties.” he joked, tapping her on the forehead.

Ashley pushed his hand away with arched eyebrows.

“More than you already had? That's going to be hard, we looked like roommates.”

“That's true.” laughed the man softly, turning away and heading for the exit. “I should go inform Hunnigan about today.”

Graham waved goodbye.

“I'll attend to my father.” she turned on the couch to look at Leon.” Would you like to go for a run later?”

Leon gave him a thumbs-up gesture.

“ Sure, let me know when you want to.”

She watched him leave and the two of them briefed their respective contacts on recent events.

Now they just wanted to enjoy a bit of a normal afternoon before returning to work the next day. A breather before the storm.

***

Broken glass crunched under his boots.

His breath formed a haze that blurred his vision.

Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck, soaking his uniform.

He didn't know how long he had been hanging around the police station.

The wood of the stairs creaked again, over jumping him and making him point the gun behind him.

He was alone.

He sensed the tremor in the gun he wielded and bit his tongue to keep his pulse steady.

"Don't hesitate. If you miss you are a dead man." he repeated to himself in the silence of his mind.

He had to find a way out.

Marvin was running out of time.

The thunder echoed outside like bombs and the rain pounded the glass in the corridors loudly.

The sound was overwhelming.

Too much noise. Too much noise.

His heart was pounding like a hammer, the only thing that made his body able to move, to keep going.

Time had stopped in that place. Everything seemed static.

The silence was deafening and the smell of blood that stained his uniform made his eyes sting.

Why did this have to happen?

Why did he always have to be late?

He was late when that mercenary broke into his house to kill them all and he was too late to call the police. He was eleven years old, but... he could have been quicker.

What about now?

He was late for his first day of work because he had too much to drink in his grief.

If he had arrived earlier... maybe they could have evacuated faster, maybe Marvin wouldn't have been attacked, and maybe....

A grunt made him react and raise the gun with muscles tensed like wires.

His body ached.

Every muscle ached horrendously.

But terror was fueling his survival instinct.

The growling stopped and he turned down the hallway cautiously.

There was nothing. He was still alone.

He let out the air he hadn't realized he was holding and lowered the gun.

He had to get back to Marvin now that he had the key to the exit.

He turned on his heel and his heart stopped.

That wasn't the hallway she had come down.

He turned his head and the corner disappeared, revealing a long corridor behind him.

Where was he?

Then he began to hear sobbing. A female voice echoed down the hallway along with strange ...wet sounds.

He picked up his flashlight and gun and began to walk cautiously.

With each step, the pained moans grew louder and he began to hear a sort of rustling sound.

“Marvin?” he called out into the darkness with his heart in his throat.

No one answered. Then his flashlight illuminated a figure kneeling on the ground. It looked like a woman.

“Claire?”

The figure was sobbing and leaning toward the ground. Where a body seemed to be resting.

And from the paleness it did not appear to be alive.

The flashlight illuminated the woman's blonde hair.

“Hello?” His voice was shaky as he approached cautiously and then he began to perceive that familiar figure. That voice he had heard even in his sleep and that shiny, silky hair that was now stained with blood and grime.

“Ash...ley?”

The figure stopped with shaking shoulders. A sob echoed loudly in the hallway.

“Ashley it's me...are you okay? what are you doing here?”

She shouldn't be there, his memories were jumbling.

Ashley was still on her back, but she seemed to sob again before she started to get up and turn to him.

“Ash...we have to get out of-”

The flashlight shone on her abnormally pale, almost cerulean skin, with half a face full of blood and her mouth chewing something before swallowing.

Her crimson eyes glowed in the darkness and dark veins stretched across her half disfigured face.

“Le... on…”

Her voice was a chilling mix between a croak and a sob. Her brow was furrowed in pain and his abnormal fangs protruded from her scarlet lips.

Then he cried blood.

“Kill...me.” she moaned.

His whole body and the gun trembled in his hand.

She took a step toward him, staggering as if her body had forgotten how to walk.

“No...no... not you....”

She shuffled limply toward him, crying in red tears and sobbing as if breathing brought her pain.

“Kill... me…” she repeated desperately in an almost unintelligible gurgle.

He stepped back with the gun, hesitant, cold sweat pouring down the back of his neck and his sanity hanging by a thread.

“ No…”

She cried raising her hands, now claws, towards him.

“Kill me…”

He couldn't breathe.

His lungs were burning.

He couldn't blink.

His muscles ached.

His hand was shaking. The gun was shaking.

Come on.

Shoot.

That's what she's asking for. A quick death. Come on. COME ON.

His heart broke along with the brink of his madness.

He lowered the gun.

“I can't.”

Those once-golden eyes flickered like glowing embers, red as blood. From her throat emerged a growl that no longer resembled any human sound, as dark veins engulfed her soft skin.

“I'm... sorry..." he sobbed, unable to pull the trigger.

She cried blood.

She screamed his name.

And lunged at him.

***

He screamed getting up suddenly on the bed. He felt something touch his shoulder and his reflexes were quicker than his reasoning, throwing his hand out to grab whatever it was that had touched him.

He heard a muffled gasp.

“ Leon…”

He blinked with bated breath and sweat soaking his clothes. His pupils took a few seconds to get used to the dim light of a cell phone and he stared at what he was still holding tightly.

The blood left her heart when he saw his hand clenched around Ashley's throat. She held his wrist tightly and her golden eyes met his blue ones.

“It's me, Leon.” She whispered watching her partner's dilated pupils.

The images still flickered in her mind, but she felt everything falling apart.

He released his grip and clutched Ashley's face with both hands, looking down at her in terror.

She could feel the panic in his hands, in his quivering lips and his wild eyes.

She'd never seen him like this, so scared... just... coming to her that one time, years ago, when he told her about his murdered family after a nightmare.

But this was... different.

Leon's whole body was shaking. He gripped her face so tightly he couldn't move his neck.

It hurt to see him so vulnerable, so terrified, so... broken.

Ashley reached up and caressed his wrists.

“You were calling me in your sleep.” she whispered to him in the dark. - you weren't waking up, you couldn't hear me, you didn't-

Leon brought his face close and rested his forehead against hers, shutting her up.

Ashley looked at him with pain and concern, reaching out a hand to touch his jaw.

“Do you want to talk?”

He took several seconds to respond, taking his time to separate reality from his recent nightmare. He smelled her soft scent, clean and pleasant. He tangled his trembling fingers in her straight hair, soft and without any dirt in it. The iron smell gradually faded as her breathing returned to a more normal rhythm.

“No." his voice was almost aphonic, hoarse from sleep and broken by the scream upon awakening.

Ashley shivered at the shudder it gave her and pulled her face a little closer until their noses were touching. She brushed the tip of Leon's with hers from side to side, gently and calmly, slowly bringing him back to earth.

“I'm here…” she whispered keeping the caresses of her nose on his.

“Don't leave…”

She half-opened her eyes at those words and brought her hands to his hair.

“I won't.”

They didn't know how long they stayed in that position, or when they started to move. Ashley pulled his soaked shirt off and before she knew it she was in Leon's arms.

He laid her gently on the bed with him, not letting go at any point, as if he needed her constant touch to keep him sane.

They said nothing. They didn't utter a sound.

Leon just hugged her against his chest with fervor, almost terror. She wrapped him around her waist gently, listening to the violent throbbing in his chest.

This time the nightmares had returned to him and she felt curious enough to ask, but...he had told her he didn't want to talk, so she wouldn't.

Ashley stroked Leon's broad bare back with her fingertips, with great gentleness and affection.

Leon let those caresses soothe him little by little, clearing his tormented mind.

Everything had gotten mixed up in his head, the past and the present had played with his senses, making him believe that he was really there, that he was still locked up in that cursed city.

Only to then be reminded of what might have happened, of what Ashley might have become years ago or... No, he didn't want to think about it, not now.

“I was in Raccoon City.” He mumbled against her hair, unable to hold back his words. He didn't want to talk anymore, didn't want her to ask him and have to reminisce about the dream.

“You're home now, with me. You're safe.”

She didn't ask him. She just spoke softly to him, like in quarantine.

He closed his eyes, let her words rock him, being the only person who had ever seen him in such a... weak and vulnerable state.

And not once did she say anything to him.

She just listened and soothed him.

“I'm home…” he repeated with her, slowly falling back into sleep from exhaustion and tension.

They both caressed each other in silence. For a moment, returning to those dark nights in hell, where the other's body kept them warm, where the other's voice made them understand that they were alive and together.

They went back there, to those endless minutes that they managed to rest and cling to each other to keep going.

To be able to not lose in the face of madness.

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