Saved At The Typewriter

Some battles are fought with weapons.

Others begin after the mission is over—when the noise has faded, the adrenaline has worn off, and there is finally enough silence to remember everything that was lost.

Knew You’d Have My Back follows Jill Valentine and Leon S. Kennedy through the quiet spaces between missions: an unexpected home, a fragile sense of normality, a goodbye neither of them was prepared for, and a reunion that forces them to confront everything they left unsaid.

A story about trust, survival, and finding a place—and a person—to return to.

PART ONE

Record P1-01

A Place to Return To

Record P1-02

Welcome Home

Record P1-03

Dinner for Two

Record P1-04

Settling In

Record P1-05

Silence Once More

Record P1-06

Behind the Mask

Record P1-07

Crossing the Line

Record P1-08

The Hardest Goodbye

PART TWO

Record P2-01

Home

Record P2-02

The Unexpected Reunion

Record P2-03

Old Friends, New Secrets

Record P2-04

The Truth Buried Below

Record P2-05

Fault Lines

Record P2-06

The Promise

Record P2-07

The Choice

FINAL RECORD

Record EP-01

Epilogue

ARCHIVE STATUS: COMPLETE

RECORD P1-01

Knew You’d Have My Back

The apartment always felt biggest after midnight. Too quiet. Too clean in all the wrong places.

The kitchen light she forgot to turn off cast pale reflections across untouched counters, while the other half of the apartment looked lived-in in the worst possible way — tactical gear thrown over chairs, boots near the door, bloodstained laundry shoved into a corner she kept pretending not to see.

Most roommates never lasted more than a few weeks. Jill couldn't even blame them. They came looking for cheap rent and a quiet place near campus. Instead, they found a woman who disappeared for days without explanation, came home bruised, exhausted, sometimes covered in blood that definitely wasn't hers.

One girl left after waking up to Jill cleaning a handgun at three in the morning in complete silence.

Another stopped asking questions entirely before disappearing with only a short note on the fridge.

Crazy bitch. Jill stared at the words longer than she wanted to admit.

The thing was — she didn’t even need a roommate. The B.S.A.A. paid more than enough but the apartment felt dangerous when she was alone in it for too long.

Silence had a way of dragging old memories to the surface.

Wesker. The control. The hatred.

A hatred that always made her wonder whether it had truly been hers, or something forced into her mind until she could no longer tell the difference. Eventually that line blurred, and it became hers all the same. Some nights she could still remember exactly what it felt like to want to hurt the people she loved, the people she once fought beside.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the dark kitchen cabinet. Normally, she looked away before she had time to linger on it. At forty-one, she didn't look a day older than twenty-five. Most women would have called it a blessing. Jill saw something entirely different. Her reflection was a reminder that time had moved on without her. While everyone else had grown older, she had remained frozen—a permanent reminder of everything Wesker had taken from her and everything she still hadn't learned to forgive herself for.

Having another person around helped. Even if they barely talked, it didn't take much. A roommate walking through the hallway, music seeping through thin walls or an extra mug waiting in the sink were small, ordinary reminders that the world continued to move beyond the confines of her own thoughts.

Jill crumpled the note in her hand before tossing it onto the counter.

Crazy bitch, she scoffed quietly, but the words stayed.

The apartment was already too silent again. Just the low hum of the refrigerator and her own thoughts creeping back in.

Jill immediately grabbed her phone before the silence could settle in properly.

Reactivate listing. She didn’t even hesitate. She hated dragging strangers into her mess but the silence was worse.

Maybe this one would last longer than a month.

Maybe this one wouldn’t look at the blood on her knuckles and suddenly realise they were living with someone fundamentally wrong. Her phone buzzed almost instantly.

Unknown: Hey Sarah, still need a roommate?

Sarah Reed. The fake name she used for the app - easier that way, less traceable. She frowned, that was fast. Then again, it wasn't exactly surprising. Housing in the small mountain town had always been scarce. Most apartments were rented out to B.S.A.A. personnel, seasonal workers or students from the nearby university, leaving little available for everyone else. A room rarely stayed vacant for long.

Jill: Position just became vacant.

Unknown: Great. Looking for an apt. Probably short term, not sure. Stuck here for work and will be away often, but I’d still like a base to return to.

Base. Jill’s eyes narrowed slightly. Not exactly normal roommate wording.

Unknown: Be there in 5?

Jill looked around the apartment. Tactical gear covered the couch, half-folded laundry had claimed a chair, and two empty whiskey glasses still rested on the coffee table from nights she'd rather not think about. She sighed. Five minutes wouldn't fix any of it. If her next roommate was going to be scared off, better now than three weeks from now.

Jill: Apt. 7.

The knock came exactly five minutes later.

Jill opened the door while fixing her hair, already preparing herself for another awkward introduction, another normal person she’d inevitably scare away.

Then she froze.

Blond hair.

Leather jacket.

Blue eyes carrying exhaustion she recognized instantly.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Master Story Index

RECORD P1-02

Knew You'd Have My Back

Leon looked just as surprised for the briefest moment before the familiar crooked grin spread across his face.

"Well, what do you know..." he said with a chuckle. "Jill Valentine. How's it going?"

Jill simply stared at him before she shook her head in utter disbelief.

"No. Fucking. Way." A laugh escaped her. "If that isn't R.P.D. rookie turned D.S.O. golden boy Leon S. Kennedy standing on my doorstep, begging for a place to stay."

Leon leaned slightly to look past her into the apartment. "Wow."

His gaze wandered across the living room. "And here I thought the pictures on the app looked suspiciously depressing."

Jill laughed before she could stop herself.

A real laugh. She honestly couldn't remember the last time one had come so effortlessly.

"Didn't the D.S.O. arrange a place for you?"

Leon shrugged as he stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, behaving as though he'd been expected all along.

"Turns out the hotels in this shithole aren't big fans of long-term contracts."

He adjusted one of his suitcases.

"You'd think the government would take better care of its favorite agent."

His eyes landed on the crumpled note still lying on the counter.

He unfolded it.

Crazy bitch.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "...So this is the welcoming committee?"

Jill groaned, snatching the note from his hand before tearing it cleanly in half.

"Kids these days," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Can't handle a little abnormality."

Leon couldn't suppress a grin. "Well..."

He picked up both suitcases again. "Guess I'm moving in with the crazy bitch."

Jill folded her arms. "Who said you're moving in?"

Leon stopped mid-step. "...Excuse me?"

"You're applying. She nodded toward her phone. "There are ten other applicants waiting."

Leon looked around the apartment theatrically. "Really?"

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Are they in the room with us right now... or are you actually starting to lose it?"

Jill snorted.

"Anyways," Leon continued, already walking toward the empty bedroom, "I'll await your decision while unpacking."

"Didn't know you had such a big wardrobe, Princess," Jill called after him, eyeing the two heavy suitcases.

Leon glanced over his shoulder without missing a beat. "Don't worry. One of them is just weapons and government-issued emotional baggage."

He smiled playfully.

"Only one thing lives up to the hype."

The bedroom door disappeared behind him before Jill could throw something at his head.

"Yeah..." she muttered under her breath, pulling out her phone.

"Your ego."

A faint smile lingered on her face as she deleted the listing from the app.

"There goes normality..."

She smiled to herself.

"...Again."

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-01 — A Place to Return To

Master Story Index

RECORD P1-03

Knew You'd Have My Back

When Jill got home the following evening, the apartment felt different.

The silence that had greeted her the night before had given way to something warmer.

The smell of garlic, tomatoes and freshly cooked pasta drifted through the hallway, while the quiet clatter of pots and cupboards coming from the kitchen made the apartment feel unexpectedly alive.

Leon was cooking.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Jill's lips before she could stop it.

"I didn't know you could cook," she admitted, eyeing the pasta with exaggerated suspicion as she pulled out a chair at the dining table.

Leon placed both plates in front of them before taking the seat opposite her. "Government training."

Jill raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Knife skills. Heat resistance. Emotional repression."

She couldn't suppress a laugh, taking a sip of her wine. "You forgot alcoholism."

Leon lifted his own glass with complete seriousness. "Nah. That's advanced field training."

For a brief moment, they simply looked at each other before laughing quietly.

Suddenly, the apartment no longer felt empty.

Warm light spilled across the dining table, two plates had replaced the lonely routine of one, and someone moved naturally through the kitchen as though he'd lived there for years.

It wasn't quite normal, but it was close enough that neither of them questioned it.

They ate in comfortable silence, the kind that only existed between people who had long since learned that not every quiet moment needed to be filled with conversation.

The soft clink of cutlery, the low hum of the refrigerator and Leon occasionally getting up to refill their wine made the evening feel strangely... domestic.

To Jill's surprise, she didn't hate it.

It had been several months since their paths had last crossed, and the conversation drifted easily between work, mutual acquaintances, the occasional complaint about paperwork and the kind of trivial things neither of them usually cared enough to talk about.

Somehow, with Leon sitting across from her, even the ordinary felt worth mentioning.

After a while, Jill absentmindedly turned her wineglass between her fingers, watching the deep red liquid catch the warm light.

"You know..." she began quietly. "Under different circumstances... I think we would've been good friends back at the R.P.D."

Leon smiled to himself, though it faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.

His gaze lingered on the wine swirling in his glass before he answered. "Yeah..."

His voice was softer than before. "Things got... fucked up."

For just a heartbeat, the carefully built image of the confident government agent slipped.

The crooked grin.

The effortless jokes.

The easy confidence that seemed to carry him through every conversation.

All of it disappeared long enough for Jill to catch a glimpse of the man beneath it.

A man who was just as tired as she was.

Then, almost instinctively, the smile returned. Practiced. Convincing enough that most people would never have questioned it.

"But hey," Leon said, raising his glass once more, "we can still be friends."

Then a more genuine smile returned to his face. "Here's to friendship in dark times."

Jill met his gaze before gently clinking her glass against his.

She recognized the mask because she wore one herself.

Chris did. Claire did.

Almost everyone who had survived this life long enough eventually learned to smile at exactly the right moment, hiding the nightmares behind a joke before anyone could ask the wrong question.

Leon wasn't trying to fool her.

He was surviving the only way he knew how.

So instead of asking what had caused that brief crack in his composure, Jill simply smiled back, silently letting him know he didn't have to explain a thing.

For now, being there was enough.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-02 — Welcome Home

Master Story Index

RECORD P1-04

Knew You'd Have My Back

Over the following weeks, routines settled into the apartment so naturally that neither of them ever acknowledged them.

Whoever got home first cooked dinner.

Whoever left first in the morning made coffee strong enough to wake the dead.

Whenever a mission or an investigation kept one of them away longer than expected, a short text message inevitably followed—not because either of them had asked for it, but because neither wanted the other to worry.

Some nights they barely saw each other at all, crossing paths only briefly in the kitchen at two in the morning—tired eyes, quiet jokes, leftover takeout shared straight from the container.

Other nights Leon stayed awake on the couch until Jill got home. He always claimed he "wasn't tired yet." Jill never called him out on the lie.

Leon even left her breakfast one morning, including a small sticky note:

In case you're hungry, I left you a Jill Sandwich.

Jill laughed quietly to herself while holding the note between her fingers.

She hadn't heard that joke in years.

Chris probably told him.

Or Claire.

Maybe Rebecca.

The entire surviving population of Raccoon City apparently shared stories about her behind her back.

Still smiling, Jill stuck the note to the fridge instead of throwing it away.

Only a few weeks earlier, the apartment had felt cold and hollow.

Now there were two mugs waiting in the sink, Leon's jacket casually draped over the back of a chair, his boots abandoned near the front door and quiet music drifting through the walls late at night to keep the silence away.

They were ordinary things—small, almost insignificant—but together they became constant reminders that someone else existed within these walls.

Somewhere along the way, Jill had stopped dreading coming home.

It was exactly what she longed for.

And although he would never admit it, Leon did too.

Since there were currently no known active outbreaks or suspicious deaths for once, most days found Jill at the B.S.A.A. training facility.

She shot until the recoil became muscle memory, sparred until every movement felt instinctive and repeated drills until exhaustion drowned out everything else.

It grounded her.

As long as she kept moving, thinking became optional.

"Hey, Valentine! Heard you got yourself a new roommate!"

Chris' voice carried easily over the sound of gunfire.

He was finally back after a mission somewhere up north—one he insisted on doing without her.

Jill lowered her weapon with practiced precision, performing the safety check at unbelievable speed before removing her hearing protection.

"Yeah, apparently the world's smallest coincidence," she said with a grin.

"But seriously—stop telling people stories about me. Especially the Jill Sandwich thing."

"Me?"

Chris placed a hand against his chest dramatically.

"You exposed yourself there."

Jill narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Chris immediately started laughing.

"You seriously don't remember that night after Death Island?"

Alcatraz Island…

…but they had simply called it Death Island ever since, because that's what it had been.

Bits and pieces surfaced immediately.

Loud music.

Too much whiskey.

Claire unsuccessfully trying to water down their drinks.

Leon leaning against the bar, looking unfairly attractive for someone so annoying.

Chris nearly doubled over laughing.

"Leon spent all evening flirting with that girl just for you to walk over and steal her in like thirty seconds."

Jill finally groaned, covering part of her face.

"Oh my God."

"Poor guy looked absolutely devastated."

"Oh please," Jill scoffed.

"Leon Kennedy survives bioweapons on a weekly basis. I think his ego recovered."

Still…

She vaguely remembered Leon staring at her afterward over the rim of his whiskey glass.

Amused. Curious. Maybe a little offended.

The buzzing of her phone pulled her from the memory.

Leon: Won't make it home in a while, no need to worry tho. c u soon enough ;)

The small smile on her face faded before she even realized.

Now the thought of going home alone made something heavy settle in her chest.

Nights were the worst.

Too quiet.

Too much room for memories.

She didn't realize until now how quickly she had grown used to his company.

Chris noticed the change before Jill had fully recognized it herself.

Of course he did. After everything they'd survived together, Jill sometimes thought Chris could read her expression faster than she could herself.

Years with S.T.A.R.S., followed by years in the B.S.A.A., had taught them to read each other almost instinctively.

They had dragged each other from collapsing buildings, stitched wounds together in abandoned safehouses and stood back-to-back against nightmares no one else would ever believe.

Somewhere along the way, the lines between partner, family and something else entirely had blurred beyond recognition.

Neither of them ever talked about it.

Maybe because there was nothing left to say.

Or maybe because Jill could still remember the feeling of wanting him dead under Wesker's control.

Even now, years later, the guilt still sat too deep in her chest to fully look at.

"Everything alright?" Chris rested a hand gently against her shoulder. The gesture was familiar enough to hurt.

Jill forced herself to smile. There were things she couldn't tell him anymore. Not because he wouldn't understand. But because he would. And Chris worried too much already.

These days he was her partner, her oldest friend and unfortunately also her superior officer—which meant the second he realized she was spiraling again, he'd pull her from any field duty without hesitation.

"Yeah, absolutely," Jill said lightly. "Just means no dinner tonight. Guess it's takeout again."

Chris narrowed his eyes slightly.

Jill quickly added, "Man, I got way too used to this guy's cooking."

He wasn't convinced.

But he let her.

He knew that if she wanted to talk, she would.

Not sooner. But later.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-03 — Dinner for Two

Master Story Index

RECORD P1-05

Knew You'd Have My Back

As expected, the apartment was empty when Jill got home.

The silence hit immediately.

No low music from Leon's room.

No smell of food.

No sarcastic comment greeting her from the couch.

Just darkness and the low buzz of the city outside.

Jill lingered at the B.S.A.A. base longer than necessary that evening, stretching paperwork and training reports into excuses not to go home yet.

But eventually there was nowhere else to be.

She ordered takeout she barely tasted, left the TV running mostly for background noise and sank deeper into the couch with every glass of whiskey.

Claire was busy working at TerraSave.

Chris was probably still working too.

Leon wasn't coming home tonight.

Somehow, that bothered her more than it should have.

By the time she finally dragged herself toward the bathroom, the bottle was already half empty.

Steam slowly filled the room as she stepped beneath the hot water, letting it wash away the smell of gunpowder, sweat and exhaustion.

For a while she simply stood there with her eyes closed.

Quiet.

Safe.

Home.

She repeated those words to calm herself.

Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation with Chris earlier that day.

The bar after Death Island.

Too much alcohol.

Leon laughing somewhere beside her. The smug look on his face when she stole his girl right in front of him.

Jill smirked faintly to herself.

Her past flings were men and women alike, although she had always found herself drawn a little more toward women.

She admired their softness. Their warmth. Their beauty. Innocence.

It was something she had quietly missed in her own life.

But it had been months since she had last been close to anyone.

Months since anyone had been close to her.

The realization settled heavily in her chest.

She rested her forehead briefly against the cool glass of the shower wall.

When the water finally stopped, the silence returned almost immediately.

Worse this time.

She closed her eyes.

God…

She missed being wanted.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-04 — Settling In

Master Story Index

RECORD P1-06

Knew You'd Have My Back

Leon entered the apartment, although he had texted Jill earlier that he wouldn't make it.

Things had changed.

They usually did.

Plans rarely survived first contact with reality.

He looked around the apartment, hoping to see her, but was only greeted by the empty takeout boxes on the coffee table and a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's.

He recognized it immediately.

Too many nights of his own had ended exactly like this.

The drinking was never really about getting drunk.

It was about quieting the noise in your head long enough to survive the night.

About blurring the sharp edges of memories that never truly left.

Leon's eyes lingered on the bottle for a moment longer than necessary.

Somehow, seeing Jill slip into the same habits unsettled him more than his own ever had.

Assuming she had already gone to bed, he quietly made his way toward his room.

He was a little disappointed, realizing he would have actually liked to spend the evening with her.

Jill had a way of making even silence feel less exhausting.

Somewhere between shared dinners, sarcastic banter and evenings spent watching whatever happened to be on TV, Jill had quietly found her way into parts of his life he had deliberately kept empty for years.

Now, even something as small as coming home to an empty apartment felt strangely disappointing.

She always had the right answer to his jokes.

But beneath them she carried a seriousness that made him feel understood in ways he rarely allowed himself to think about.

Especially tonight.

Today had gone to shit.

And for the first time in a long while, Leon found himself wanting someone to talk to about it.

He'd never say that aloud.

He didn't need to.

He already knew Jill would ask.

Already halfway down the hall, Leon paused.

The bathroom light was still on.

The door stood slightly open, steam drifting lazily into the dark apartment.

At first he only meant to check if she was okay.

The half-empty whiskey bottle on the table had put him on edge more than he wanted to admit.

Through the fogged shower glass he could only make out parts of her silhouette.

Wet hair.

Bare shoulders.

The outline of toned muscles softened by steam.

But then he heard her breathing. Uneven. Quiet. Intimate.

Realization hit him all at once and Leon froze immediately.

He should leave, he knew that.

But after the kind of day he'd had, the simple proof that another person was there—alive, warm, breathing only a few feet away—rooted him to the spot for one second too long.

He had never looked at Jill that way before.

Not really. Not beyond the legend. The survivor. The woman who always seemed stronger than everyone else in the room.

But standing there now, half hidden behind steam and exhaustion, desperate to feel something, she suddenly felt terribly human.

Suddenly, the water shut off.

Leon snapped back to reality.

"Woah, Valentine," he called out quickly, loud enough to announce his presence.

"Do you always leave the bathroom door open?"

Jill startled violently.

"Fucking hell, Kennedy! You scared the shit outta me!"

For a split second she reacted on instinct before realizing—far too late—that she had stepped into his view.

Leon looked exhausted.

Shirt torn.

Hair disheveled.

Every muscle in his body seemed tense beneath his skin.

Something had clearly gone wrong.

For a moment, the carefully crafted government agent disappeared, leaving behind someone much more familiar.

Jill saw it in his eyes.

A glimpse of the rookie beneath all the years of trauma and training.

The vulnerability Leon usually buried beneath jokes and easy confidence.

But she caught it anyway.

And suddenly he didn't look like a legendary agent.

He just looked tired.

Human.

The realization pulled at her more than she wanted to admit.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

Leon mumbled apology after apology, unable to meet her eyes for more than a heartbeat at a time.

Jill quickly reached for a towel and wrapped it around herself before retreating to her room.

A few moments later she heard the shower turn on again.

The thought alone sent warmth through her chest.

Jill groaned softly into her pillow.

This was bad.

Really bad.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-05 — Silence Once More

Master Story Index

RECORD P1-07

Knew You'd Have My Back

She tried to sleep. Tried to ignore the restless tension still lingering beneath her skin.

But every time she closed her eyes she saw: tired blue eyes, messy hair, the torn shirt clinging to his body, the way his raspy voice had softened when he apologised…

Eventually her hand slipped beneath the sheets almost out of instinct. This time there was no faceless memory from some bar.

Just Leon.

Leon’s hands. Leon’s mouth. Leon looking at her like he finally saw her.

The thought alone unraveled her embarrassingly fast. But afterward the same emptiness returned.

Even the familiar feeling of her combat knife beneath her pillow didn’t bring any peace.

Sleep didn't come either. Jill tossed from one side of the bed to the other before finally giving up with an annoyed sigh.

Pulling on an oversized shirt and shorts, she stepped quietly into the hallway.

The soft glow of the TV illuminated the living room.

Leon sat on the couch in dark sweatpants and a loose shirt, hair still damp from the shower, one arm resting against the backrest while her half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels sat beside him — noticeably emptier now.

Of course he couldn’t sleep either.

“Mind if I join?”

Leon glanced up at her, tired but amused. “Think it’s technically your couch.”

Jill grabbed the bottle from his hand before he could protest and vaulted smoothly over the backrest, landing beside him.

Leon watched her for a second. “Show-off.”

“Jealous?”

„Haven‘t you had enough of that?“, he asked toneless, trying to grab the bottle from her hands.

„Jeez, what're you, my mother?“, Jill defiantly took a big sip straight from the bottle, before pouring herself a glass. „Wanna talk about what happened today?“

„I didn‘t mean to scare you…“, Leon began, but Jill interrupted.

„You know I don‘t mean that“

Leon sighed quietly before giving her the short version of the mission report. Detached. Precise. Like he was briefing a superior officer instead of talking to a friend.

He hadn’t waited for backup like he’d been ordered to. Things escalated. Good men died.

Jill knew that tone. The flatness people used when guilt had settled too deep to properly touch.

“That’s not your fault and you know it,” she said softly even if she also knew that logic rarely mattered after nights like this. She had stood exactly where he was now more times than she could count.

Leon looked away quietly, jaw tightening. And somehow, sitting here beside him in the dim apartment light, Jill wondered if maybe this was the closest thing people like them ever got to healing. Not fixing each other. Just understanding. Staying.

They sat in mutual silence, taking turns in emptying the bottle.

“What about your day?” Leon finally asked, breaking the silence. Maybe he was trying to distract himself. Or maybe he simply didn’t want the conversation to end there.

Jill groaned dramatically and leaned deeper into the couch. “Chris bullied me emotionally for at least twenty minutes.”

Leon snorted quietly. “Sounds like quality team bonding.”

“Apparently I publicly destroyed your chances with some girl after Death Island.”

Leon slowly turned his head toward her. “You remember that now?”

“Bits and pieces.”

“Wow,” he muttered, taking the bottle back from her. “And here I thought my trauma response was bad.”

Jill laughed into her whiskey. “Please. You survived it.”

Leon narrowed his eyes at her. “You really cock-blocked me that night, you know that?”

“Oh don’t whine about it,” Jill scoffed. “I’m pretty sure your body count is still high enough to disgust me.”

“Jealous?”

“Concerned for public safety.”

They both laughed and, without really noticing it, Jill leaned her head against his shoulder. It felt strangely natural.

Maybe it was the alcohol loosening her tongue, but before she could stop herself, she murmured: “Maybe I just wanted to preheat the oven for you that night.”

Leon shifted slightly beside her, suddenly very aware of how close they were. He could smell the faint coconut scent of her shampoo. Feel her breath against the bare skin of his neck.

“So,” he said slowly, turning his head toward her, “you’re saying you owe me a threesome, Jill Valentine?”

His eyes looked darker up close, the usual bright blue softened by exhaustion, whiskey and something else Jill suddenly didn’t want to examine too closely.

Goosebumps spread across her skin when he continued, quieter now: “Maybe we should figure out if we even work together first.”

Leon’s fingertips traced slowly along her collarbone, brushing over the old scars on her chest.

Such a small touch. Way too much impact.

This would be a mistake. A big one.

But Jill couldn’t remember the last time she had craved someone’s presence this badly. Leon understood her in ways most people never could.

Maybe because beneath the sarcasm, flirting and carefully maintained facades, they were built from the same kind of damage.

“I’m a ride you wouldn’t survive, Kennedy,” Jill murmured, resting her hand against his thigh as she leaned closer.

Leon’s mouth twitched slightly. “Hard to evaluate when you’re just sitting there talking.” His voice had dropped lower now, roughened by whiskey and heat.

He leaned closer too, close enough for Jill to feel his breath ghosting over the sensitive skin of her neck. A shiver ran through her instantly. Before she could second-guess herself, she swung one leg over his lap and settled there naturally, like she had been moving toward him all evening without realizing it.

“Looks like you didn’t lie about your size,” Jill murmured softly, feeling the heat of him even through the thin fabric between them.

Leon let out a quiet laugh against her skin, hands settling instinctively at her waist before sliding upward. When she pulled her shirt over her head, his expression shifted for just a second — confidence cracking beneath genuine admiration. “Jesus, Valentine…” The way he looked at her sent warmth rushing through her whole body.

His rough hands traced slowly over her skin, reverent at first, before she felt his mouth against her throat, then lower to her breasts and finally her nipples, until her breath caught completely.

Jill moaned quietly, refusing to give him too much satisfaction this early. His ego was already unbearable enough.

He let his hands slide to her side lifting her a bit, then sliding down to take off her shorts, realizing that she didn’t wear panties. She lifted her knees and letting him take off those shorts completely in one smooth movement.

He leans back, fully admiring her body. „Shit….you’re beautiful…why didn’t I notice this earlier…“ His hands were everywhere, as if he didn’t know what he wanted to touch first. Her soft skin felt incredibly and he grew bigger by just thinking about the things he’s willing to do. Jill gave herself fully into his touch.

She wanted his closeness so much, that touching alone made her soaking wet.

Jill found the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it across the room.

She looked at him, the same way he’d looked at her. Using her fingertips, she traced his muscular arm, across his chest, down his abs until she reached the hem of his shorts, biting her lip.

He pushed his hip upwards, pressing against her and slowly taking off his shorts, his cock now standing upwards between her thighs. She continued tracing with her fingertips where she left off, across his pelvis but before touching his cock, she stopped to lick her fingers, making them nice and wet for him. She placed her dripping fingertips on his tip, making him twitch slightly.

She then drew circles around the tip, making him spill precum. He threw his head back „Fuck, this is torture, it’s everything and nothing all at once.“, he couldn’t suppress his moaning, but Jill didn’t mind, she liked it and it gave her confirmation.

She loved to see him defenceless, giving into her touch, enjoying it. When she looked up to him his eyes were closed, eyebrows frowning, as if he’s concentrated.

To wet his tip even more, she shifted forward a bit, sliding her dripping wet pussy along his big cock.

He opens his eyes wide suddenly, making Jill chuckle softly. She enjoyed making him feel like this so much. If she teased further, maybe he begged. She would love to hear him beg.

But he’d never give up that dominant part of him, he loved having control. And then she saw it in his eyes, sudden determination. „Oh you love teasing, right? I can see how bad you want that cock inside of you. After all that women you finally need a man to fuck you stupid, am I right? I make you work for it.“ With a swift movement, he lifted her up and turned her around, as if she weighed nothing.

Her knees now resting on the backrest, her beautiful pussy right before his face, deliciously dripping. Jills sight was just as encouraging as his. His cock shiny and wet right in front of her, still dripping with precum from her teasing, ready for her mouth.

„Smooth“, Jill praised him, waisting no time and take his cock into her hands, making her mouth water. She spit on his tip, letting the saliva slowly run down his shaft before licking the tip like a kitten, making sure to hit every sensitive spot. She let out a whimper as Leon placed his thumb on her clit, rubbing it gently and making her shiver. She never would’ve thought to wrap her legs around his pretty face like this.

Leon replaced his thumb with his tongue, and god, he was good. He used his whole tongue, fully eating her out, constantly stimulating her clit with just the tip of his tongue. When he let his first finger slide into her, she moaned his name. He would never make her forget this later.

The second finger slides in, her walls wrapped tightly around them. He could only imagine how it would feel to finally fuck her.

Jill had problems concentrating on her own task, when Leon was such a good boy up there. She tried to refocus on his big cock, again circling her tongue around the tip and then slowly letting his whole cock slide deep inside her throat. She was rewarded with a muffled and deep moan, that vibrated in her whole body.

She sucked on his dick as if their lives depend on it, making sure to give extra attention to his tip. She occasionally moaned into him when he just hits her spot right, rewarding him instantly with his cock deep down her tight throat. She got back up, sucked his tip hard and made small movement, up and down just around the very first inches. Suddenly his movements were unsteady, offbeat, his tongue no longer on her pussy. A grunt leaving from deep down. „Fuck…Jill….oh god, that’s it, keep going, please“, Jill wasn’t planning on stopping but hearing him beg just felt so satisfying, that she just sucked harder and faster, her nails craving into his thighs.

Suddenly his hip thrust forward, his cock deeper into her mouth and with the second thrust she could feel his warm cum spreading in her mouth, tasting him everywhere. She swallowed it, like a good girl. Not wanting to waste a bit of it, she licked his cock clean, making him gasp overstimulated.

When he caught his breath, he twirled her around again, so she could sit on his lap again.

“Gorgeous girl“, he whispered, caressing her face gently.

She nestled her face inside his big hands and stayed like that for a brief moment, feeling secure. When she finally looked back up at him, she smirked „Don’t fall in love.“ She joked teasingly.

„Me? Never.“, Leon laughed, a bitter truth behind his words, that didn’t matter now.

Then he kissed her, just gently on her lips. Jill drew back in surprise.

„What? I just ate you out, came in your mouth and now you’re scared of kissing?“, Leon laughed.

„Still worried, you’d fall in love“, Jill joked, covering her own sudden insecurity.

„Kinda feeling, you’re the one falling“, he teased her, grabbing her head closer.

Then Leon pulled Jill into a real kiss, their tongues intertwined and she bit his lower lip, making him flinch. But he kept kissing her, growing more demanding and Jill absolutely gave into him.

He shifted his hips and Jill felt his hard cock pressed against the entrance of her still dripping pussy.

„That was quick, for someone your age“, Jill teased, excited that she was finally going to feel him inside.

„Rude“, he spanked her pretty ass, leaving a mark and making her gasp.

Again he placed himself at her entrance, Jill shaking in excitement. He drew back again. „Wanna take this to the bedroom?“, he asked. Jill scoffed, „Whatever, stop teasing!“

Leon clicked his tongue, „You’re so impatient.“

He lifted her up with ease and carried her to his bedroom. He layed her down on her back, hovering over her and started kissing her again.

Jill felt his bodyweight on her, his heat, his breathing.

Her hands were everywhere on him, in his rediculous soft hair, his bisceps, his strong back.

As if he could dissapear any second leaving her alone in her empty apartment, she locked her legs behind his back.

As both gasped for air over the intense kiss, he straightened up, positioning himself between her thighs, placing his tip at her entrance -again.

„No teasing!“, she said, almost a threat.

„Yes ma’am“, he said, locking eyes with her as he slowly pushed inside of her.

She was so tight, just as he imagined after already fingering her. But she was so wet for him, such a good girl. He looked down on her, eyes rolled back in pleasure, hands grabbing the blanket tight.

„I’m not even halfway there and you already look like you’re about to cum.“, he looked so pleased with himself it was almost annoying.

„Less talking, more fucking, Kennedy.“, Jill grunted.

„Yes ma’am“, he repeated. This answer alone was pure pleasure for Jill. He let her have her dominant part, that she enjoyed and giving her what she wants.

Despite he wasn’t able to talk anymore, she was so tight around him, she must feel every twitch. He was so concentrated on not cumming again, that he had to close his eyes again. But not for long, he wanted to see how her breasts move in the rhythm of his thrusts, how her mouth opens a bit to let out small moans. How he hoped, that she screamed his name again tonight.

Jill could feel his cock stretching her, rubbing against her G-Spot with every thrust. No man had ever make her feel like this, he was just so good. She couldn’t help but moan into every firm thrust he gave her. She looked up at him, eyes closed again, it must be so hard for him not to come. „Oh.. Leon…“, she let out a small sigh, so quiet and gentle, lost in her pleasure.

He brought his upper body closer to her, grabbing her throat with light pressure, testing. Her eyes instantly flew into the back of her head, moaning. He pressed harder, choked her until she tapped-out. He released the pressure, smirking at her, before pushing his thumb softly between her lips for her to suck on it only to use it to draw gentle circles around her clit while he kept fucking her.

She could feel a knot inside her belly, tensioning building up, desperately needing a valve for the pressure, that she couldn’t control any longer.

Her nails craved into his big bicep, her moans came at shorter intervals - she was close.

Leon could have come from this view alone, but he needed to last out. With the next thrust Jill couldn’t hold on any longer „Just like that…oh..right there…yes, oh please Leon…“, he put a little more pressure on her clit, spit at it.

This time, Jill screamed his name, her orgasm made her walls enclose tightly around his cock, making him feel every movement.

He was not prepared for this feeling, he grunted „Fuck…Jill….“, and came a second time, inside of her.

Jill could feel his hot liquid spilling inside of her, reigniting her orgasm, making her twitch and shaking uncontrollable.

She pulled Leon closer, into a sloppy kiss, moaning into his mouth, locking legs behind his back, not wanting to let go of that feeling.

After several long moments, they finally relaxed, their breathing gradually falling back into a steady rhythm.

Leon let himself fall onto the mattress beside her with a quiet groan, instinctively wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against his chest as though there had never been another place for her.

Jill settled into the warmth without thinking about it. For once, she didn't question the closeness or wonder whether she should pull away. She simply stayed.

"That was…" she murmured, still catching her breath.

Leon let out a quiet laugh. "Unbelievable," he finished for her.

"Honestly…" He glanced down at her with mock seriousness. "I think we should do that again."

Jill laughed softly against his shoulder. "Careful, Kennedy." She tilted her head just enough to meet his eyes. "You're starting to sound emotionally attached."

Leon placed a dramatic hand against his chest. "Terrifying accusation."

"You survived, though."

"Barely."

They both laughed again, quieter this time, until the laughter faded into a comfortable silence.

Jill traced absent-minded circles across his chest before speaking again. "Any time, Roomie."

His arms tightened around her ever so slightly and her resting her head against his chest, Jill listened to the steady beat of his heart.

For the first time in years, sleep came without a fight. No nightmares. No memories waiting in the dark. Just warmth. Just Leon.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-06 — Behind the Mask

Master Story Index

RECORD P1-08

Knew You'd Have My Back

Jill absentmindedly sipped her coffee, her gaze lingering on the two suitcases standing neatly in front of Leon's bedroom door.

She was still wearing one of her oversized sleep shirts and a pair of shorts, her hair hastily tied back after rolling out of bed only a few minutes earlier.

The apartment was unusually quiet.

She had always known this day would come.

From the very beginning, Leon had only been looking for a temporary place to stay while the D.S.O. investigation kept him in town.

Knowing that, however, didn't make it hurt any less.

Some irrational part of her had hoped there would be another investigation.

Another report.

Another reason for him to stay just a little longer.

She almost smiled at the thought.

It was selfish.

Leon had a life beyond these four walls.

Responsibilities waiting for him in Washington.

A life that had existed long before he'd ever knocked on her door carrying two suitcases and that familiar crooked grin.

Still, she couldn't ignore the quiet heaviness settling in her chest.

The apartment already felt emptier than it had yesterday.

Even though he hadn't left yet.

Inside his room, Leon took one last look around.

A few months ago, he had only been looking for a place to sleep.

A temporary solution somewhere between assignments, investigations and a life that had never truly felt like his own.

Instead, he'd found something he had stopped believing existed.

A home.

And someone who had quietly become part of it.

He had never struggled to meet people.

That had never been the problem.

The problem was letting anyone stay.

Somewhere along the way, Leon had convinced himself that people like him weren't meant to have ordinary lives.

How could they?

Too many names still followed him home.

Too many faces.

Too many moments he replayed in his mind, wondering whether one different decision might have changed the outcome.

Survivor's guilt had long since stopped being something he carried.

It had become part of him.

And Jill...

Jill had somehow slipped past every wall he'd built without ever trying to climb them.

She never asked him to open up.

She never tried to fix him.

She simply shared his mornings.

His terrible jokes.

His silence.

She saw him after the missions, when the exhaustion outweighed the confidence.

She saw the man behind the government agent—and somehow never looked away.

Living together had started as a coincidence.

Somewhere between shared dinners, late-night conversations and quiet evenings where neither of them had to pretend they were okay, she'd become part of his everyday life.

And eventually...

Part of his heart.

His assignment had actually ended weeks ago.

He simply hadn't told anyone.

Every request for an extension had been another excuse.

Another report.

Another interview.

Another lead that was probably nothing.

Anything that bought him one more day.

One more morning waking up to Jill making coffee.

One more evening hearing her laugh from the other room.

One more night pretending this life wasn't borrowed.

But borrowed time always ran out eventually.

The vibration of his service phone pulled him from his thoughts.

HQ.

With a quiet grunt Leon answered immediately.

His expression changed the moment he heard the voice on the other end.

Whatever warmth had lingered disappeared behind the familiar professionalism he'd perfected over the years.

He listened without interrupting.

The investigation was officially closed.

His presence was required back in Washington immediately.

No more delays.

No more extensions.

"Understood," he answered quietly after a brief pause.

"I'm on my way."

The call ended.

Leon closed his eyes for just a second before taking a slow breath and stepping into the hallway.

Jill was still standing at the kitchen counter.

A second mug sat beside her.

Untouched.

The coffee inside had already gone cold.

She had made it for him without thinking.

Just like she had every morning for weeks.

Leon stopped halfway between the kitchen and the front door.

There weren't many things capable of leaving him speechless.

This was one of them.

After several long moments, Jill finally broke the silence.

"So..."

Her voice was quiet.

"This is it."

Leon nodded almost imperceptibly.

He heard the words.

But more than that...

He heard everything she wasn't saying.

After their first night together, neither of them had wanted to put a name to whatever had happened between them.

It had simply been easier that way.

Neither of them believed there was a future waiting for people like them.

Not with the life Jill had chosen.

Nor with the burden Leon had never truly chosen.

Not with the responsibilities they carried.

Sooner or later, duty would always pull them in different directions.

So they never made promises.

Never spoke about what came next.

They simply accepted what they had while they had it.

But somewhere between shared mornings, sleepless nights, quiet conversations and the comfort of simply having someone waiting at home...

They had both broken that unspoken agreement without realizing it.

Before Leon could think better of it, he crossed the distance between them in two quick strides.

His hands gently cupped her face.

Then he kissed her.

Not carefully.

Not hesitantly.

Like someone trying to memorize another person before losing them.

Jill's mug slipped onto the counter as her hands found his hair, pulling him impossibly closer.

Every unspoken feeling of the past months found its way into that single kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, neither of them moved.

Neither wanted to be the first to let go.

"HQ called..." Leon said quietly.

"I know."

"I have to go."

"I know."

Silence settled between them once more.

After a moment, Jill looked up at him.

"Thank you, Leon."

She didn't have to explain.

Thank you for the dinners.

For waiting up after missions.

For making this place feel like home again.

For reminding me that I'm still human.

Leon understood every word she hadn't spoken.

He simply nodded before pulling her into one last embrace.

Neither of them made promises.

Not that they'd see each other again.

Not that they'd somehow make this work.

People like them knew better than to bargain with fate.

So they simply held each other until, almost at the same moment, their arms loosened.

"Goodbye, Jill."

"Goodbye, Leon."

She watched him walk toward the front door.

Just before he stepped outside, he glanced back one last time.

Then he was gone.

Jill remained standing in the kitchen long after the sound of his footsteps had faded.

The apartment had never felt this quiet.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-07 — Crossing the Line

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-01

Knew You'd Have My Back

1.5 years later...

Jill came home late that night.

The mission briefing for her next field operation had gone longer than expected.

Better to be prepared than surprised.

With a small team consisting of Chris, herself and another partner team whose names she still wasn't entirely familiar with, they would be heading out within the next few days.

Their destination was a laboratory hidden deep inside an old mine in the Alps, located in Germany near the Austrian border.

At first, they had believed it to be an abandoned Umbrella facility.

But new intelligence suggested otherwise.

There were signs of activity.

Someone had continued the research.

And worse—

there had been an outbreak.

That was why the B.S.A.A. was sending an evacuation team.

Their mission was clear:

Contain and eliminate the threat.

Rescue any survivors.

Recover any evidence before it disappeared.

She couldn't even think about sleeping.

Instead, she found herself walking into the room that had once belonged to Leon.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she stepped inside.

The memory of him still lingered as naturally as if he'd only left that morning.

After he'd moved out, looking for another roommate had never even crossed her mind.

She simply hadn't needed one anymore.

Living with Leon had changed something she hadn't believed was possible.

For the first time in years, the silence no longer frightened her.

The past had finally loosened its grip.

The room had changed, too.

It no longer felt like a reminder of someone who was gone.

Over time, she'd turned it into her office—a place that belonged entirely to her.

A large desk now stood where Leon's belongings had once been.

Its surface was neatly arranged with reports, mission files and the occasional piece of equipment waiting for the next deployment.

A wardrobe along one wall held her tactical gear.

Her boots were lined up neatly beneath it.

Yet it wasn't the paperwork that made the room feel alive.

Her eyes wandered across the shelves instead.

Framed photographs stood between books and neatly stacked folders.

Others were pinned to a corkboard above the desk, surrounded by small keepsakes collected over a lifetime.

There was a faded photograph of a much younger Jill sitting in the grass beside the dog she'd grown up with, long before uniforms and bioweapons had become part of her world.

Nearby hung a picture from the police academy.

Followed by an old S.T.A.R.S. team photograph she still couldn't bring herself to take down.

Chris stood in more than one frame.

Barry, too.

Rebecca's bright smile somehow made every picture feel lighter than the memories surrounding it.

Claire appeared in a handful of more recent photographs, usually laughing at something just outside the frame.

And tucked almost casually between them all was a newer picture of Leon, taken by Claire after Alcatraz.

Neither of them had even noticed she was holding a camera that evening.

A small yellow sticky note sat beneath the frame.

In case you're hungry... I left you a Jill Sandwich.

Jill smiled to herself.

She still couldn't believe she'd kept it.

None of it was there because she refused to let go.

Quite the opposite.

For years she'd believed healing meant forgetting.

Moving on meant leaving everything behind and pretending none of it had ever happened.

Somewhere along the way, she'd realized how wrong she'd been.

These weren't reminders of everything she had lost.

They were reminders of everything she had survived.

Of the people who had stayed.

The family she'd found along the way.

The room no longer belonged to the woman who had been haunted by silence.

It belonged to someone who had finally learned that the past would always be part of her story—

without defining the chapters still waiting to be written.

And somehow...

Leon had been the one who helped her understand that.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P1-08 — The Hardest Goodbye

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-02

Knew You'd Have My Back

The abandoned mine swallowed the B.S.A.A. team one by one, the last traces of daylight disappearing behind them as they descended deeper into the mountain.

Every operative was equipped for a hostile environment—tactical gear, secured comms, rifles, sidearms, and enough ammunition to withstand a prolonged engagement.

Their movements were disciplined and deliberate, each step echoing through forgotten tunnels where rusted machinery and abandoned equipment had remained untouched for years.

Only the narrow beams of their flashlights pierced the darkness ahead, revealing decaying support structures, corroded rails and walls that hadn't seen daylight in decades.

Chris led the formation, as he always did.

His rifle remained raised, his eyes sweeping methodically across every corner, every doorway and every blind spot.

The mine had supposedly been abandoned.

It wasn't.

Fresh boot prints interrupted the layer of dust covering the ground.

Power cables disappeared into recently restored walls, and equipment that should have been buried beneath years of neglect looked as though someone had used it only hours ago.

Someone had been here.

Recently.

The team slowed instinctively, clearing each section before moving deeper into the facility.

"Area clear," Mitchell reported quietly.

Jill acknowledged him with a brief nod.

This was the first operation she'd worked alongside Chris' new second-in-command, and she found herself observing him as carefully as she observed the environment.

Mitchell looked every bit the experienced field operative.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Somewhere in his late thirties.

He carried himself with the quiet confidence of someone who had survived enough operations to know when to speak—and when not to.

He rarely raised his voice, yet the team responded immediately whenever he did.

Derek, by contrast, moved with an entirely different rhythm.

Where Mitchell relied on presence, Derek relied on precision.

Lean and quick on his feet, he navigated the narrow tunnels with practiced ease, his attention drifting naturally toward control panels, security systems and anything mechanical.

Chris hadn't chosen him for his strength.

He'd brought him because every mission eventually reached a door that refused to open.

Derek had a habit of changing that.

Chris suddenly raised a closed fist.

The team froze instantly.

Something felt off.

It wasn't simply the silence.

It was the feeling that the silence was waiting for them.

He advanced another few careful steps toward a heavy steel door leading deeper into what had once been the laboratory complex.

The door stood slightly ajar.

Not damaged.

Not forced.

Simply...

Open.

Chris exchanged a brief glance with Jill before carefully pushing it wider.

The room beyond was almost completely dark.

His flashlight swept methodically across concrete walls, abandoned workstations and overturned equipment.

Nothing.

Then—

Movement.

A figure stepped out of the shadows.

Chris reacted on instinct, his rifle already aimed before conscious thought caught up.

The stranger mirrored the movement just as quickly, raising a handgun with practiced precision.

For several long seconds, neither of them moved.

Chris couldn't make out a face.

Only the outline.

Tactical gear.

Controlled posture.

Professional weapon handling.

Whoever stood opposite him knew exactly what they were doing.

"Identify yourself."

Chris' voice echoed through the empty laboratory.

The answer came immediately.

Calm.

Steady.

Familiar.

"Leon S. Kennedy."

A brief pause.

"D.S.O."

For the briefest moment, Chris forgot about the rifle in his hands.

Because he'd recognize that voice anywhere.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-01 — Home

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-03

Knew You'd Have My Back

Leon squinted against the sudden flash of light, unable to see anything beyond the blinding beam.

His gun remained raised at the potential threat, his finger resting along the trigger guard.

“And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“Drop that damn gun, Leon. It’s me. Chris.”

“Leon?!” Her voice was enough to make his steady pulse quicken.

He lowered his gun immediately as Jill stepped into the beam of light, revealing herself against the bleak surroundings of the abandoned facility.

For a moment, it felt like no time had passed at all and Leon forgot where he was.

Jill was standing right there.

Alive.

Unhurt.

A little dust covered her tactical gear, strands of hair had escaped her ponytail, and exhaustion lingered beneath her eyes.

She looked exactly like someone who had spent the past hours clearing an abandoned mine.

She had never looked more beautiful to him.

And then her face lit up.

A bright smile appeared on her lips, one he hadn’t realized how much he had missed. He couldn’t help but return it.

God, how he wanted to close the distance between them and pull her into his arms.

But they both knew better.

They were still in the middle of an active operation, surrounded by an unknown threat.

So they stayed professional. For now.

But Chris couldn’t miss the immediate change in Jill.

The way her entire expression softened.

The way that smile brought a familiar spark back into her eyes. A smile he'd spent years trying to bring back.

Chris stepped forward, moving beside Jill — almost slightly in front of her. A small, instinctive movement. Protective.

The beam of Leon’s flashlight caught him, leaving Jill standing partly in Chris’ shadow.

His eyes stayed on Leon.

“What are you doing here?” Chris asked, his voice calm but guarded. “This is a BSAA operation, Kennedy. Unless the President personally sent you here, you’re outside your jurisdiction.”

“Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing.” A faint hint of arrogance slipped into Leon’s voice. “And believe me, I do act on the President’s orders.” A brief pause. “Classified.”

The way he said it wasn’t accidental and Chris noticed the edge behind his words.

The tension between them kept building, neither willing to look away, both too stubborn to give in and reveal anything about their mission. Then a loud metallic crash tore through the strained silence, followed by a ragged groan.

Jill, Chris, and Leon immediately raised their weapons toward the sound.

At the door, Mitchell and Derek secured the hallway, keeping watch while the others focused on the threat ahead.

Chris was about to move forward when Leon stepped past him. “Out of the way,” he said quietly.

Chris’ expression hardened, ready to argue, but Jill’s hand lightly caught his arm.

She shook her head. Not now.

Leon moved toward the source of the noise with quick but careful steps. His eyes scanned the room as he advanced, taking in every detail. The abandoned laboratory revealed itself piece by piece in the beam of his flashlight — old metal worktables, outdated scientific instruments, and industrial shelves lining the walls, all covered in dust and decay.

A sudden movement caught Leon’s attention.

A hand emerged from beneath one of the metal shelves, grabbing his ankle.

Leon reacted instantly. Instead of pulling away, he used the momentum to drag the person out from underneath the collapsed equipment. A man in a white lab coat slid across the floor.

Chris’ weapon immediately shifted, his trigger finger moving into position. His orders were clear: Eliminate every potential threat.

“No!” Leon said firmly. “I need him alive.”

His flashlight moved across the man’s clothing until it found the name tag attached to the coat.

Dr. Falkenstein.

Leon managed to free his foot and secured the scientist on the ground, keeping him from moving.

He directed the beam of his flashlight toward the man’s face. Black veins spread across his neck, crawling upward toward his eyes. His pupils moved unnaturally, his body twitching as if fighting something inside himself.

The sound coming from his throat grew louder. A broken, desperate gurgle. As if he was trying to force words out.

Leon leaned closer, trying to understand. Most of it was meaningless. Fragments. Noise. Pain.

Until one name cut through. “…Hargrove…”

Leon’s expression changed, he lowered the flashlight slightly. The scientist repeated it, barely audible.

“Secretary… Hargrove…”

For a moment, nobody moved.

Leon slowly looked up to Chris, then to Jill. Both of them staring back at him with the same disbelief.

“Secretary William Hargrove,” Leon repeated quietly. Frowning, he turned back to the scientist. “What about Hargrove?” he demanded. “What are you trying to tell me? Is he here? Is this his doing?”

The questions came one after another, each carrying a little more urgency than the last.

Leon searched the scientist’s face for any sign of recognition, any indication that the man behind the infection was still there. But there was nothing left.

The black veins continued to spread beneath his skin, his grotesquely twisted eyes staring without focus as another violent convulsion ran through his body.

Leon had seen this far too many times to hope for another ending. Before the transformation could fully take hold, Leon pressed the muzzle of his pistol against the scientist’s forehead. “I’m sorry.” He pulled the trigger.

The contact shot ended the man’s suffering instantly, destroying whatever parasite had already consumed his mind.

Silence settled over the laboratory once more.

Leon lowered his weapon, his gaze lingering on the body for a brief moment, hoping he could rest now.

They searched the laboratory thoroughly, making sure there were no more surprises waiting in the shadows. With no sign of further hostiles and no way of knowing what awaited them deeper inside the mine, Chris decided to use the room as a temporary command post.

The discovery of Leon had changed everything. What had started as a routine BSAA containment mission no longer looked like an abandoned Umbrella offshoot. It looked like something much bigger.

The five of them gathered around the least damaged workbench in the room, spreading out maps of the mine and the few documents they had recovered.

Leon remained silent for a moment.

He trusted Chris.

And he trusted Jill more than anyone.

But Mitchell and Derek were strangers.

DSO briefings didn’t come with a need-to-know policy for nothing. Chris noticed his hesitation.

“They’re good,” he said. “You can talk.”

Leon glanced at Jill.

She gave him a small nod. That was enough.

“My orders came directly from the President,” Leon began hesitantly. “Intelligence believes someone inside the U.S. government has been using this facility for years.” He paused, carefully choosing his words. “Officially, the project doesn’t exist. The site is far enough from the United States to deny all involvement if it was ever exposed. The working theory is that a senior government official reopened this abandoned Umbrella laboratory to continue bioweapons research.”

Mitchell frowned. “For what? Selling B.O.W.s?”

Leon shook his head. “No. According to the intel we have, the research is being justified as a national security program.”

“A deterrent,” Jill concluded. “A way to ensure the United States could respond to bioterrorism with weapons of its own if it ever came to that.”

Leon glanced at her. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Even after a year and a half, she still understood him with only half the information. Some things, it seemed, hadn’t changed.

Silence settled over the room. Chris crossed his arms. “Far away enough from the USA to deny all involvement, sure, but also to lose control quickly. And now a containment failure.”

Leon nodded. “Looks that way.”

His thoughts drifted back to the scientist’s final words. “If Hargrove’s name wasn’t just delirium,” Leon said quietly, “then we’re no longer dealing with rogue scientists.”

He let the words hang in the air for a moment. “We’re looking at someone with unrestricted access to classified military programs.” His gaze shifted from Chris to Jill. “We’re dealing with the Secretary of Defense.”

The final plan came together quickly.

Recover any hard evidence Leon could bring back to the President. Contain the outbreak. Neutralize every biological threat they encountered.

The possibility of finding any survivors was slim to none, but it remained part of the mission nonetheless.

Radio communication was nonexistent beneath the mountain. The thick layers of rock blocked every signal, leaving them completely on their own.

No contact with HQ. No backup. No prepared evacuation. Just the five of them.

While Mitchell and Derek checked their weapons and repacked their gear, Chris quietly made his way over to Jill. He waited until the others were out of earshot.

“So…” he said, keeping his voice low. “You and Kennedy.”

Jill looked up from the magazines she was reloading. “What about us?”

Chris glanced across the room. Leon was studying the mine layout spread across the table, completely absorbed in the mission.

He looked different from the last time Chris had seen him. Older. More worn. Not weaker—just carrying more. The years had sharpened him. The young rookie who had once been thrown into a nightmare in Raccoon City was gone. In his place stood a seasoned operative who had survived things most people never even knew existed.

He wore a dark blue long-sleeved shirt beneath a tactical vest, the fabric stretched over the lean strength he had built through years of combat. Spare magazines and equipment were secured across his gear, his radio clipped in place, always ready for the next order.

Dark combat pants and worn tactical boots completed the familiar image of someone who had spent far too much time in the field.

Even standing still, Leon looked like he was waiting for the next threat to appear.

“I knew you stayed in touch after he moved out.”

“We tried.”

“Tried?”

She gave a faint smile. “Our jobs don’t exactly make keeping in touch easy.” Chris nodded. He understood that better than anyone. „But…” He looked back at her. “I didn’t know.”

Jill frowned. “Know what?”

“That he means this much to you.”

Silence.

“I saw the way you looked at him.”

She didn’t deny it.

“I’ve known you for a long time, Jill.”

“I know."

“I’ve seen that look before.”

Her expression softened. “So have I.”

Chris let out a quiet breath. “I guess I just never expected to see it directed at someone else.”

Jill rested her forearms on the table. “It wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“No,” Chris said with a faint, almost amused smile. “It never is.”

Another moment passed.

“You could’ve told me.”

Those words hit harder than she expected. “It wasn’t a secret.”

“It felt like one.”

She searched for the right words. “I didn’t even know how to explain it myself.”

Chris looked down at the magazine in his hands before sliding it back into his vest.

“We’ve always told each other everything.” There was no accusation in his voice. Only quiet disappointment. “Or at least… I thought we did.”

Jill lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

He gave a slow shake of his head. “I’m not looking for an apology.” His eyes met hers. “I just realized… somewhere along the way… I’m not the first person you turn to anymore.”

A sad smile crossed Jill’s face. “No.” She let out a quiet breath. “When you brought me back… from Wesker… something changed.

It wasn’t just that I had to find my way back to myself. I carried so much guilt. For what I did… for what all of you had to go through because of me. I spent years trying to make up for it. Trying to prove that I was still me. Trying to be the person everyone needed me to be.”

She paused.

“I became so focused on making peace with my past… that I forgot to build a future.” Her eyes drifted toward Leon. “Leon never tried to fix me. He never expected anything from me. He never asked me to be who I used to be. He was just… there. He gave me something I hadn’t had in years. A normal life. For the first time since all of this began… I wasn’t just Jill Valentine, the soldier. I was simply… Jill.”

She looked back at Chris. “You’ll always be one of the most important people in my life. And nothing will ever change that.”

Chris smiled faintly. “I know.”

His gaze wandered across the room until it settled on Leon, still discussing the route through the mine with Mitchell, completely unaware of the conversation.

“But some things already have.” He let out a quiet breath. „And maybe… that’s a good thing.”

Jill followed his gaze, her eyes lingered on Leon for just a second too long. “…We never really had a chance.”

Chris looked back at her. “You wanted one.”

She hesitated. “…Yeah.”

“And he did too.”

She smiled almost imperceptibly. “I think so.”

Chris let out a quiet, knowing chuckle. “Figures.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Chris gently squeezed her shoulder. “I’m glad someone finally managed to give you something we never could.”

Jill looked at him. “What?”

“A place that felt like home.”

When everyone was ready, Chris naturally took point. Mitchell and Derek fell in at the rear, leaving Jill and Leon in the middle of the formation.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, Leon spoke quietly. “As surprised as I was to see you today… I’m glad I did.”

Jill glanced sideways at him, a warm smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “So am I.”

For a brief moment, their eyes met before they returned their attention to the dark tunnel ahead.

“Are you doing okay?” Leon asked. To anyone else, it would have sounded like nothing more than casual conversation. They both knew it wasn’t.

Jill nodded. “Better than before.” A faint smile crossed her face. “I turned your room into my office.”

Leon couldn’t help but chuckle. “My room, huh?”

“I never looked for another roommate.” There was a hint of pride in her voice. “I didn’t need one anymore.”

Leon smiled to himself. “Well… hard to find someone who could live up to me.” He shot her a quick grin. “Guess you got spoiled.”

Jill rolled her eyes, trying—and failing—to suppress a smile.

After a moment, Leon’s expression softened. “I never found a replacement either.”

He paused.

“Truth is… I never looked.”

Chris suddenly raised a clenched fist. The team came to an immediate halt.

A reinforced steel door was set into the rock wall to their right. Chris motioned toward Jill, then pointed down the corridor. She nodded, taking up a position to cover the hallway.

Two quick hand signals followed. Mitchell moved to the opposite side of the corridor while Derek dropped back a few steps to secure their rear.

Chris positioned himself beside the door, one hand resting on the handle.

He looked at Leon who aswered with a silent nod.

On a silent count to three Chris pulled the door open and stepped aside.

Leon entered first, weapon raised, slicing the room into sectors with practiced precision. His flashlight swept from left to right, lingering on every corner, every shadow, every possible hiding place.

Nothing moved. No breathing. No footsteps. No threat.

Only abandoned equipment covered in dust.

Keeping his gun trained ahead, Leon found a light switch with the beam of his flashlight and flipped it.

Fluorescent lights flickered overhead before finally bathing the room in a cold, sterile glow.

“All clear.”

Only then did the others enter the room.

The room appeared to be an archive.

Rows of filing cabinets lined the walls, while computer terminals and towering data servers filled the center of the room.

“Bingo,” Leon muttered. Without wasting another second, he made a beeline for the nearest terminal.

If Hargrove was involved, this was where Leon expected to find it. Emails. Authorization logs. Personnel records. Funding.

Anything that tied the Secretary of Defense—or anyone else inside the U.S. government—to the facility.

He tapped the keyboard. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the monitor flickered to life.

“Mitchell, Derek—check the files,” Chris ordered. “Anything with names, project designations, funding records. Bag everything.”

The two soldiers spread out immediately, pulling open filing cabinets and stacking thick binders onto the nearest table. Chris joined them, carefully sorting through folders marked with faded Umbrella logos and newer classification stamps.

Meanwhile, Jill let her flashlight wander across the room. Unlike Leon, who was focused on the servers, she searched the archive itself.

The details. The things people overlooked.

Her beam swept over shelves lined with dusty storage boxes before stopping at a corkboard mounted beside one of the desks.

Pinned to it were shift schedules… A grocery list. A faded birthday card. ...And a child’s drawing.

Jill stepped closer.

It showed a family of three standing in front of snow-covered mountains, the figures drawn with uneven crayons. In the corner, a smiling sun peeked out from behind a cloud.

Across the bottom, written in careful, childish handwriting, were the words: For Daddy.

Her expression changed.

“This wasn’t just a research site,” she said quietly.

The others looked up. Jill carefully removed the drawing from the board.

“People lived here.” She glanced around the room once more. “Long enough to bring their families.”

Silence settled over the room, no one seemed to know what to say. Jill carefully placed the drawing back onto the corkboard, exactly where she had found it. Her gaze lingered on it for another moment before she reluctantly stepped away.

While everyone’s attention remained on her, Leon’s eyes returned to the monitor.

There it was.

Everything he had been looking for: Authorization logs, Funding records, encrypted correspondence.

Enough to raise questions he wasn’t prepared to answer yet.

Without drawing attention to himself, he removed the encrypted drive from the terminal and slipped it into the pouch on his vest.

As he looked up, Chris’ eyes briefly met his.

Just long enough for Chris to notice the subtle movement.

Not long enough to know what it meant.

Leon broke the silence. “We should keep moving.” He nodded toward the only remaining door. “If there’s an archive, there’s a good chance the research labs are further in.”

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-02 — The Unexpected Reunion

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-04

Knew You'd Have My Back

They left the archive behind, the heavy steel door closing with a dull metallic clang.

The deeper they ventured into the mountain, the less the facility resembled the abandoned Umbrella laboratory they had expected to find.

Rough stone walls gave way to reinforced concrete corridors. Modern LED emergency lights cast a cold white glow over the polished floor, while neatly bundled cables disappeared into freshly installed junction boxes.

Someone hadn’t merely reopened the facility. They had rebuilt it. And not long ago.

The air felt strangely warm for being so deep underground. Somewhere in the distance, machinery hummed steadily. Water dripped from the ceiling, each drop echoing through the empty corridors.

Every now and then, a ventilation fan groaned to life before falling silent again.

The mountain itself seemed to breathe.

Yet despite the unmistakable signs of recent activity… There wasn’t a single person.

No voices. No footsteps. Only abandoned coffee mugs. Half-filled notebooks. Disposable gloves left beside microscopes. Computer screens glowing quietly in standby mode.

It felt less like the staff had left and more like they had simply vanished. Chris slowed for a moment, his eyes sweeping over every doorway they passed.

Almost unconsciously, his gaze drifted back to Leon once again.

Jill noticed. She had known Chris long enough to recognize that look. It wasn’t distrust - Not yet. It was caution.

Questions he wasn’t ready to ask.

She understood why, Leon had appeared out of nowhere. He clearly knew more than he was saying. But she also knew Leon. If he was holding something back, there was a reason. She trusted him enough not to ask.

Not here. Not now.

“Movement,” Mitchell whispered, raising a clenched fist.

The team froze instantly and five flashlight beams cut through the darkness ahead, rifles following close behind.

Silence.

Then—

A metallic bang echoed somewhere deeper inside the facility.

Not loud.

But close enough to remind them they weren’t alone.

The sound came again. Closer this time.

Chris lowered his hand, pointing down the corridor. “Move.”

They advanced cautiously, every step measured, every weapon trained on the darkness waiting ahead. The corridor widened with every meter until it finally opened into a massive underground chamber.

The sight before them made everyone stop.

An enormous experimental hall stretched out beneath the mountain. Towering support pillars disappeared into the darkness above, while rusted overhead cranes hung motionless from steel rails crossing the ceiling.

Rows of shattered containment tanks lined the walls, their thick glass cracked open from the inside. Pale green fluid had long since leaked across the floor, mixing with dust, broken glass and spent shell casings. Research stations had been overturned during what looked like a desperate last stand.

Deep gouges scarred the reinforced concrete walls.

Steel doors had been bent inward as if they had been made of paper. Someone—or something—had torn through this place with impossible strength.

Leon slowly swept his flashlight across the room. “…Looks like somebody already tried to contain whatever got loose.”

Chris crouched beside one of the bodies lying near the entrance.

Not a scientist. Tactical gear. Body armor. Modern assault rifle. He turned the corpse over.

The helmet was gone, but the uniform remained intact enough to identify. “No BSAA markings.”

Mitchell stepped closer. “No military insignia either.”

“Private security,” Jill concluded quietly. “Whoever financed this place… they brought their own people.”

A low metallic groan echoed through the darkness. The team froze.

It wasn’t the sound of an old structure settling. It sounded… alive.

A moment later, another noise followed. Slow, heavy footsteps echoed somewhere beyond the reach of their flashlights, each one reverberating through the chamber.

Chris tightened his grip on his rifle. “Contact…”

The footsteps stopped. Silence settled over the cavern. Then, two pale, glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, watching them. Another heavy step broke the silence.

The massive silhouette emerged into the pale light filtering through the fractured ceiling, its grotesque form becoming clearer with every step.

For a brief moment, everything stood still.

It had once been human.

Now it stood well over two meters tall, its proportions grotesquely distorted. Thick layers of mutated muscle stretched the remains of a black tactical uniform to their limits, seams torn open where flesh had outgrown the fabric.

Its arms were the worst.

Each was nearly twice the size of a normal man’s torso, swollen with dense muscle and ending in enormous hands tipped with blackened claws capable of crushing concrete.

Its grayish skin was laced with dark, bulging veins that pulsed beneath the surface.

Scars, bullet wounds and surgical incisions covered its body like trophies from countless experiments.

The creature slowly lifted its head.

Its pale, lifeless eyes locked onto the intruders.

Its jaw hung unnaturally loose as it released a deep, guttural growl that reverberated through the entire chamber.

Jill stared at it for only a second before muttering under her breath, “…Holy shit. Not again.”

Chris didn’t take his eyes off the creature. “Open fire!”

Chris fired first. Jill, Mitchell and Derek followed a heartbeat later, their rifles erupting through the chamber. A fraction of a second later, Leon's handgun joined the barrage, its sharper reports cutting through the heavier rhythm of the assault rifles.

The Tyrant barely reacted.

Bullets struck its chest, shoulders, and neck—each impact producing small bursts of dark fluid—but the creature only staggered half a step before continuing its advance.

“…It’s not slowing down!”, Mitchell shouted.

“First time with a Tyrant, huh?” Leon shouted back.

The Tyrant answered by swinging its massive arm.

Chris barely had time to react. “Move!”

He threw himself sideways as the arm crashed into a reinforced lab table, shattering steel and glass in an instant. A wave of debris exploded outward, forcing the team apart.

“Chris!” Jill called out.

“I’m fine!” he snapped back immediately, already regaining his footing. Leon didn’t stop firing, but most importantly he was watching.

Tracking. Analyzing. His eyes moved rapidly across the creature’s frame even as he backed away.

“The joints!” Leon suddenly shouted. “Aim for the joints! Knees, shoulders—slow it down!”

Without hesitation, the team adjusted.

Chris shifted fire to the left knee.

Jill targeted the shoulder joint.

Mitchell and Derek provided suppressing fire, forcing the Tyrant to keep its focus forward.

Leon didn't waste ammunition. Every shot was deliberate, carefully placed into the joints he'd identified seconds earlier.

The effect was immediate—but partial.

A round struck the knee cleanly.

The creature staggered, dropping slightly to one side.

Leon seized the opening, firing controlled bursts into the exposed neck and upper torso.

For a brief moment— It worked.

The Tyrant roared in pain. Its movement faltered.

“Keep pressure on it!” Chris ordered.

The team pushed forward. Then—

The creature snapped back.

With a deafening roar, it tore a heavy steel storage rack from the floor as if it weighed nothing. Metal screeched as it ripped free from its bolts.

“DOWN!” Chris shouted.

The rack flew across the hall. Everyone scattered and the newly formed effective formation broke instantly.

The Tyrant exploited it immediately, charging forward with renewed aggression, forcing each of them into individual movement rather than coordinated fire.

“Don’t let it isolate you!” Chris yelled. “Regroup on my mark!” But the hall was too wide now.

Too chaotic.

Leon kept moving, circling wide to draw the creature away from Jill and Mitchell, firing in short bursts while retreating step by step.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Each shot bought him seconds.

The Tyrant followed him relentlessly, closing the distance with terrifying patience.

Leon exhaled sharply, backing up toward a fallen support column.

Another burst. Bang. Bang. Bang.

He squeezed the trigger again.

Click. Leon’s heart sank. Empty.

The Tyrant didn’t hesitate. With a thunderous roar, it charged.

Leon instinctively reached for his spare magazine.

Nothing. His fingers met an empty pouch. “Damn it.” The distance between them vanished in seconds.

“Leon!” Jill’s voice cut through the chaos. Without a second thought, she ripped the last magazine from her vest and threw it across the room. “Catch!”

Leon spun around just in time, catching the magazine cleanly out of the air. Fortunately, they both trusted the same handgun.

A faint grin crossed his face despite the situation. “Knew you’d have my back.”

He slammed it home, chambered a round, and immediately opened fire again.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The first rounds struck the Tyrant’s damaged shoulder, forcing the massive creature off balance just enough to halt its charge.

“That’s it!” Chris shouted. “Keep him off Leon!”

Mitchell and Derek immediately poured suppressing fire into the creature’s legs, drawing its attention away for another precious second. Leon didn’t waste it. He advanced instead of retreating, firing carefully aimed shots into the joints he had identified earlier.

The Tyrant bellowed in fury.

It wasn’t dead but for the first time it was losing ground and stumbled back under the relentless barrage, its massive frame riddled with fresh bullet wounds.

For a heartbeat, it seemed as though they had finally found its limit. But then it straightened. Its chest rose with a deep, guttural breath before its pale eyes swept across the room.

Not aimlessly. Calculating.

“It’s changing tactics,” Leon warned.

The creature suddenly abandoned him. Instead, it pivoted and charged straight toward Mitchell.

“Mitchell, move!” Chris shouted.

Mitchell dove aside just as the Tyrant’s enormous fist crashed into the concrete floor, leaving behind a crater and sending shards of stone flying through the chamber.

Derek seized the opening, firing a controlled burst into the creature’s exposed shoulder but the Tyrant barely reacted. Instead, it swung its oversized arm backwards.

The backhand caught Derek square in the chest. His body was thrown several meters through the air before crashing into a bank of laboratory equipment.

“Derek!” Jill called.

“I’m… good!” he groaned, struggling back to one knee.

The distraction was all the Tyrant needed. It lunged again but this time…Toward Jill.

She immediately raised her gun. Three precise shots struck the creature’s shoulder.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

It didn’t stop. She retreated, keeping her aim steady, forcing it to follow her away from the others.

“Jill, fall back!”, Chris ordered.

“I’m trying!”

The Tyrant closed the distance with terrifying speed. Jill fired again.

Bang. Bang.

The creature was almost on top of her now. She planted her feet and squeezed the trigger once more.

Click.

Jill froze.

Her eyes instinctively dropped to the gun. Although she knew she had given Leon her last magazine, her hand instinctively reached for the spare magazine pouch.

Empty. She had nothing left.

Her eyes met Leon’s for the briefest moment. She gave him the faintest smile before turning back to the creature towering over her. She braced herself for the inevitable impact. She didn’t regret giving him that magazine. Not for a second.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-03 — Old Friends, New Secrets

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-05

Knew You'd Have My Back

Time seemed to slow.

Leon heard the unmistakable click of an empty chamber before he saw Jill’s eyes meet his.

That faint smile.

His stomach dropped.

"No…" The word escaped him before he even realized he had spoken.

The Tyrant raised its massive arm. "JILL!"

Leon was already moving without thinking.

He sprinted across the chamber, ignoring the debris beneath his boots, lowering his shoulder as he threw himself toward her.

He reached her just as the Tyrant’s arm came crashing down.

Leon slammed into Jill with all his weight, shoving her out of the creature’s direct path.

The blow meant for her missed by inches.

Instead, the back of the Tyrant’s oversized forearm caught them both.

Leon was thrown to the side, rolling across the concrete floor.

Jill wasn’t as lucky.

The impact hurled her through the air.

She crashed shoulder-first into the reinforced wall with a sickening crack before collapsing to the ground in a cloud of dust.

"Jill!" Leon was back on his feet within seconds, already sprinting toward her.

He never looked over his shoulder.

He trusted Chris and the others to keep the Tyrant occupied long enough for him to reach her.

He dropped to his knees beside her. "Jill!"

His gloved hands immediately began checking her for injuries. "Look at me."

For a terrifying second, she didn’t respond.

His pulse hammered in his ears.

Then she let out a quiet groan, her eyelids fluttering open. "...Leon…"

Relief washed over him so suddenly it almost made him dizzy. "Easy. Don't move."

His hands moved with practiced precision, quickly checking her for bleeding before carefully supporting her neck.

His thumb brushed across her cheek almost absent-mindedly for comfort.

He wasn’t quite sure if for his own or hers.

No blood.

No obvious fractures.

Then his eyes fell to her right shoulder.

It sat noticeably lower than the other. "Damn…"

Jill followed his gaze before letting out a pained laugh that ended in a sharp hiss. "I've… had better days."

Leon didn’t smile.

Not this time.

His jaw tightened as guilt settled heavily in his chest. "I'm sorry."

Jill frowned despite the pain. "For what?"

"You gave me your last magazine."

He couldn’t even bring himself to look at her. "And because of that…"

His voice trailed off.

Jill studied him for a long moment.

Then, despite the pain radiating through her shoulder, the corner of her mouth lifted into the faintest smile. "Knew you'd have my back."

Leon finally looked up and for just a second, the battle around them seemed to disappear.

Her words hit harder than any blow the Tyrant could have landed.

He shook his head. "You shouldn't have needed me."

"You came."

"I wasn't fast enough."

"You were."

Another roar echoed through the chamber, followed by Chris shouting orders somewhere behind them.

Jill winced as another wave of pain shot through her shoulder.

Leon carefully slid one arm behind Jill’s back, supporting her while his other hand gently stabilized her injured shoulder.

He studied the joint for a moment.

"Good news," he said quietly. "Nothing feels broken."

Jill let out a weak laugh that immediately turned into a grimace. "...There's bad news, isn't there?"

Leon gave an apologetic nod. "Your shoulder's dislocated."

He shifted his grip, making sure to support her arm.

"I'm going to put it back."

Jill looked at him, then down at her shoulder.

"...This is going to suck, isn't it?"

A faint, almost guilty smile crossed Leon’s face. "Yeah."

She took a slow, steady breath.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "...Do it anyway."

Leon nodded once. "On three."

She closed her eyes.

"One…"

His grip tightened just enough to keep the joint stable.

"Two…"

With one swift, practiced movement—

Crack.

Jill cried out despite trying to suppress it, instinctively grabbing the back of Leon’s tactical vest with her free hand.

He immediately steadied her as her breathing became uneven.

"Easy," he murmured. "I've got you."

She kept hold of his vest for another few seconds, waiting for the sharp pain to subside.

Only then did she realize she was still clutching him. "...Sorry."

Leon gently shook his head. "Don't be."

His gloved hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing away a streak of dust without him even realizing it.

Jill leaned ever so slightly into his touch.

For just a moment…

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

The battle around them faded into distant echoes—gunfire, shouting, the Tyrant’s roar—all swallowed by the single moment they shared after so much time apart.

Then Chris’ voice cut through the chamber. "Leon! Move!"

"Can you move?" Leon asked, still supporting her.

Jill nodded once. "Give me my gun."

Leon picked up her gun and checked it out of habit before meeting her eyes. "It's empty."

Jill glanced at the weapon for only a second before letting out a quiet sigh. "...Right."

Before either of them could say another word, Mitchell stepped over, slinging his rifle behind his shoulder.

"I've got this."

He drew his sidearm and held it out to Jill, grip first.

"I still have my rifle. Take it."

Jill accepted the pistol with a grateful nod. "I owe you one."

Mitchell smirked. "You can buy me a beer after this."

Leon helped Jill back to her feet, keeping a steady hand on her until she found her balance.

"You good?"

She carefully rolled her shoulder once.

It still hurt like hell, but it held.

"It'll do."

She gripped the unfamiliar gun, her determined gaze settling on the Tyrant once more.

"Let's finish that son of a bitch."

The corner of Leon’s mouth lifted.

"There she is."

Across the chamber, Chris fired another controlled burst at the Tyrant before glancing over his shoulder.

"Glad you're done flirting!" he shouted. "Get back in the fight!"

Leon couldn’t suppress a smirk. "Didn't look like you needed my help."

Chris snorted, never taking his eyes off the Tyrant.

"Less talking. More shooting."

Leon raised the gun, a renewed sense of determination settling over him. "Now that, I can do."

Within seconds, the five of them fell back into formation.

Chris held the center, drawing the Tyrant’s attention.

Leon and Jill spread out to either flank, creating crossing fields of fire.

Mitchell and Derek secured the rear, ready to exploit any opening the creature gave them.

For the first time since the fight had begun, they were fighting as one again.

The Tyrant roared and charged once more, but this time it met a wall of coordinated fire.

Chris drove it back with controlled bursts to the chest, forcing it into Leon’s line of fire.

Leon immediately exploited the opening, targeting the creature’s damaged joints with practiced precision.

Jill covered his advance, each shot buying him another step.

Mitchell and Derek flanked the creature, pinning it down whenever it tried to break through.

The Tyrant fought with desperate fury now.

Every movement had become slower.

Less coordinated.

Its damaged leg buckled beneath its own weight.

"Now!" Chris shouted.

Leon didn’t hesitate. He sprinted forward, closing the remaining distance.

The Tyrant swung one last time.

Leon ducked beneath the massive arm, planted one boot against a fallen slab of concrete and fired three rapid shots straight into the creature’s exposed brainstem.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The Tyrant staggered.

Its enormous body swayed for a heartbeat before collapsing onto the concrete with a thunderous crash that echoed through the entire mountain.

Silence followed.

Only the sound of heavy breathing remained.

For several long seconds, nobody lowered their weapon.

Chris was the first to break the silence.

"...Target neutralized."

Only then did the team slowly relax.

The nightmare was over.

Chris was the first to lower his rifle.

"Everybody good?"

A chorus of tired nods followed.

Leon glanced around the devastated chamber before looking toward the reinforced blast doors at the far end of the laboratory. "We're done here."

He holstered his gun. "We destroy the facility."

Nobody answered.

Chris looked around the room one last time. "What about the evidence?"

Leon answered without hesitation. "We've seen enough."

Chris frowned. "Have we?" His eyes searched the room. "There has to be something left. The research, servers…the personnel."

When Leon remained silent, Chris turned toward him.

"You found something back in the archive."

It wasn't a question.

"I saw you."

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-04 — The Truth Buried Below

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-06

Knew You'd Have My Back

Mitchell and Derek exchanged a brief glance before looking between the two men.

Jill’s expression tensed because she had noticed it too.

Leon exhaled slowly. “…I did."

Chris waited. "So?"

Leon reached into his vest.

For a brief moment, everyone expected him to hand over whatever he had recovered.

Instead…

His fingers closed around the data drive without taking it out. "It isn’t BSAA evidence."

Chris’ expression hardened. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Leon replied evenly, "it’s classified."

"Classified by who?"

Leon met his gaze without flinching."The President."

Chris didn’t say another word.

Instead, he slowly straightened his posture. His rifle hung loosely from its sling as he folded his arms across his chest. His expression remained unreadable.

Only his eyes never left Leon.

It wasn’t an act of intimidation. It was expectation.

Leon met his gaze without flinching.

Neither man looked away.

The silence stretched.

Mitchell and Derek exchanged uncertain glances but wisely stayed out of it.

Jill looked from Chris to Leon. Then her eyes settled on the data drive in Leon’s hand.

She wanted to ask—

but she simply looked at him.

There was no anger in her expression. Only disappointment.

And something even harder for Leon to bear. Uncertainty. As if she was asking herself whether she had been wrong about him all along.

Leon felt something tighten in his chest.

He had stood his ground against presidents…

Against monsters…

Against impossible choices.

But not against that look.

He let out a slow breath. "You deserve an explanation," he said toward Jill, not Chris, and his voice was quieter now, softer.

"I know exactly what the BSAA stands for." When he looked at Chris, his voice became firm again. "And I know your intentions are good."

His gaze shifted back to Jill. "But if what’s on this drive is what I think it is…" He hesitated for the first time that day. “…then releasing it right now would be reckless."

"The people deserve to know the truth," Chris said quietly.

"They do," Leon agreed immediately. "But not before we know the whole truth."

He turned the data drive over thoughtfully between his fingers. "If this really reaches as high as the Secretary of Defense, then this isn’t just corruption. It’s a conspiracy involving classified military research. If we go public with incomplete information, we risk far more than a political scandal."

He looked around the room. "Governments will react before they understand what they're reacting to. People will disappear. Evidence will be destroyed. And everyone truly responsible will have a head start."

He looked directly at Chris again. "I was sent here because the President believes there’s still a chance to expose everyone responsible. Every financier. Every scientist. Every official who signed off on this. To end this once and for all."

Leon closed his hand around the drive. "If we act too soon…the rest will vanish. And we’ll never get another chance."

His eyes finally met Jill’s once more. "I’m not trying to bury the truth. I’m trying to make sure all of it comes to light."

A long, heavy silence settled over the chamber.

Only the mountain remained alive around them.

Leon’s decision had been made long before this mission began.

He didn’t need the B.S.A.A.’s permission.

He had his orders and he would see them through, just as he always had. He'd made peace with those a long time ago.

But there was one thing he couldn’t order. One thing he couldn’t force.

Trust.

His eyes found Jill’s. He needed to know that she believed him.

Not that she agreed with every decision. Not even that she would choose the same path. Only that she believed his intentions were genuine.

That everything he had done—

everything he was about to do—

was to protect people.

He had spent too many years watching trust being manipulated.

Turned into a weapon.

Broken.

He refused to let that happen here.

Not with her.

Jill held his gaze. Behind her blue eyes, he could almost see the thoughts weighing every possibility. Every consequence. Every risk.

Leon’s heartbeat felt impossibly loud in the silence.

For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t afraid of failing a mission.

He was afraid of losing something far more difficult to earn.

Her trust.

The silence stretched into what felt like an eternity.

Then Jill’s expression settled.

Not softer.

Not warmer.

Simply certain.

When she stepped forward, her eyes never left Leon’s.

"I trust you."

The words were quiet, yet they carried through the chamber louder than any gunshot.

Chris looked at Jill.

He had trusted her judgment with his life more times than he could count.

He also knew how hard it was to earn her trust.

After everything she’d been through, Jill didn’t hand it out lightly.

If she believed Leon...

Then so would he.

Slowly, Chris uncrossed his arms. His posture relaxed ever so slightly and he looked back at Leon. "You’ve got one chance, Kennedy. Don’t make us regret it."

For the first time since the conversation had begun, Leon allowed himself to breathe.

He gave Chris a single nod. "You won’t."

He looked at Jill.

"I’ll bring everything to the President. And I give you my word:

If he buries this…

…I won’t."

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-05 — Fault Lines

Master Story Index

RECORD P2-07

Knew You'd Have My Back

The journey out of the mine passed in near silence.

Before leaving, they had planted demolition charges throughout the remaining laboratory, ensuring nothing buried beneath the mountain would ever be recovered.

With radio contact restored near the entrance, Chris had called for extraction.

Now all that was left was to wait.

The five of them stood on a rocky ridge overlooking the valley, the mouth of the mine barely visible in the distance.

The first explosion came without warning.

The mountain trembled beneath their boots as a deep rumble rolled through the valley.

One detonation followed the next, each echoing farther beneath the rock until dust and shattered stone burst from the mine entrance.

Within seconds the entire tunnel collapsed in on itself, the sound reverberating through the surrounding peaks before...

Silence returned.

Umbrella’s hopefully last secret buried itself beneath thousands of tons of stone.

No one spoke.

But they finally allowed themselves to breathe.

The mission was over.

The adrenaline that had carried Jill this far finally began to fade.

She shifted her weight instinctively before a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.

Her knees nearly gave way. Before she could steady herself, a familiar hand caught her elbow.

"You okay?" Leon asked quietly.

She nodded automatically. "...Yeah."

He raised an eyebrow. "Liar."

Despite herself, she let out a quiet laugh. "I'm fine."

"No," Leon said gently. "You're exhausted and injured and it's okay, that you're not okay."

He didn’t let go because he knew she wouldn't admit if she needed the support.

A few steps away, Mitchell glanced toward Derek. "You seeing this too?"

Derek smirked. "Oh, yeah."

Neither of them said another word. Instead, they quietly wandered a few meters farther down the ridge, suddenly finding the surrounding landscape incredibly interesting.

Chris watched the exchange from the corner of his eye. A faint smile tugged at his mouth as some things were becoming painfully obvious.

He walked over to Leon and for a second, neither of them spoke. Chris gave Leon a firm pat on the shoulder.

Light enough to encourage him.

Firm enough to remind him what was at stake.

"Don't make me regret this."

Leon met his eyes. "I won't."

Chris studied him for another moment before giving a single nod. "I know."

For a brief moment, neither man felt the need to clarify, as they both knew the words carried more than one meaning.

Whether Chris had meant the data drive…

or Jill.

Leon intended not to fail either.

Without another word, Chris turned and headed toward Mitchell and Derek, deliberately giving Leon and Jill the privacy they hadn’t asked for.

For a while, they simply stood there, watching the dust slowly settle over the valley.

The mountain had fallen silent. So had they.

Leon was the first to break it. "I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again."

Jill smiled faintly. "I wasn't sure either."

Another quiet moment passed.

"I missed you," Leon admitted. The words came easier than he had expected.

Jill looked at him. "I know." She smiled to herself. "I missed you too."

Leon let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "One and a half years…"

Jill followed his gaze toward the valley.

"Felt longer."

"It did."

Another comfortable silence settled between them.

"I thought about calling you," Leon admitted.

Jill turned her head. "Why didn't you?"

He let out a quiet breath, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "What would've been the point?"

He shrugged lightly. "We both knew how it would've gone.

I'd be back in Washington and everywhere else, where they send me. And you'd be wherever the B.S.A.A. needed you. A few days… maybe a week…And then one of us would've been deployed again."

Jill listened without interrupting.

"It would've hurt even more," Leon finished quietly.

She studied him for a long moment before saying, "I would've answered."

Leon looked at her. There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her voice.

Not a trace of doubt.

She wasn’t trying to comfort him. She was simply stating a fact.

"I guess I was trying to make it easier."

"For who?" Jill asked gently.

Leon looked down with a quiet chuckle. "...Mostly for myself."

"I wish you hadn't."

Silence settled between them once more.

Slowly Leon turned toward Jill and looked at her, really looked at her. "So much of our lives has never been ours to choose." A faint smile crossed his face. "But this…"

He took a careful step closer. "...this is."

His hands slowly came up, gently cupping her face. "I don't want the easy choice." His thumbs brushed lightly over her cheeks. "I want you...no matter what comes with it."

Leon searched her eyes, waiting for the silent permission he would never take for granted. The permission to close the distance. To kiss her.

Despite everything that had happened.

Jill’s eyes never left his. A gentle smile found its way onto her lips.

Barely above a whisper, she said, "I choose you."

Every ounce of tension left Leon’s body. His forehead rested against hers for the briefest moment.

"...Thank you," he whispered.

Then slowly, he closed the distance.

His hand remained against her cheek as he slowly leaned closer, giving her every chance to change her mind.

She didn’t.

Their lips met softly.

Carefully.

Almost like they were both afraid that moving too quickly would break the moment they had fought so hard to reach.

For a few seconds, nothing else existed.

Then Jill’s fingers found the front of his vest, pulling him slightly closer to deepen the kiss.

A quiet confirmation of everything they had never been able to say.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-06 — The Promise

Master Story Index

RECORD EP-01

Knew You'd Have My Back

Jill knew Leon was home before she even reached for the door handle.

It wasn’t the light spilling into the hallway or the faint clatter of cookware from the kitchen.

It was the smell.

A proper meal, warm and inviting, drifting through the apartment and wrapping around her the moment she stepped inside.

A smile found its way onto her lips.

Exchanging spare keys had easily become one of the best decisions they’d ever made.

Their work still pulled them in different directions more often than either of them liked, but whenever duty allowed it, they no longer had to wonder when they’d see each other again.

They could simply come home.

"Leon?"

"Kitchen."

His voice carried effortlessly through the apartment.

She followed it without another thought, finding him exactly where she had expected.

Not cleaning a weapon.

Not buried beneath classified reports or mission files.

Just standing at the stove, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his dark blond hair slightly tousled, quietly focused on whatever was simmering in the pan before him.

For a long moment, Jill simply watched him.

It still felt surreal—not because he looked out of place, but because he didn’t.

After everything they had survived…

after everything they had lost…

this simple, ordinary evening somehow remained the hardest thing to believe.

A home.

A warm meal.

Leon.

"You know," she said, leaning against the doorframe,

"I still find it strange seeing you like this."

He glanced over his shoulder, an amused smile already tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Cooking?"

She shook her head.

"No."

A small pause lingered between them before she added softly,

"Happy."

The teasing smile faded into something gentler.

"Yeah."

His eyes drifted back to the stove as he absentmindedly stirred the sauce.

"Still getting used to it."

Jill crossed the room until she stood behind him, slipping her arms around his waist before resting her chin against his shoulder.

"Me too."

Without a word, Leon covered her hands with his, absentmindedly tracing slow circles across her fingers.

There were no alarms demanding their attention.

No radios crackling to life.

No orders waiting for them.

Just a quiet evening they had both spent years earning.

"What if we have dessert before dinner?" Jill asked, her voice carrying an innocence neither of them believed for a second as she pressed a soft kiss against the back of his neck.

Leon laughed under his breath.

"So that's the thanks I get for cooking?"

He gave the pan one last stir before turning off the stove.

"I've been standing here for almost an hour. And this is how you repay me?"

"I haven't seen you in weeks," Jill murmured, her fingers drifting into the hair at the nape of his neck. "I've missed you."

The playful expression disappeared from Leon’s face almost instantly.

He turned within her embrace until they stood face to face. "I've missed you too."

His hands settled naturally around her waist, drawing her just a little closer.

"So…" Jill smiled. "Dinner can wait?"

Leon glanced toward the stove for barely a second before looking back at her. "I suppose…"

A familiar smirk appeared on his face. "...dessert does come first sometimes."

Jill laughed, the sound bright enough to fill the apartment.

"I knew you'd make the right choice."

"I've been making a few more of those lately."

Their eyes met and neither of them felt the need to say anything else.

Leon closed the remaining distance, kissing her slowly, unhurriedly, as though time itself had finally decided to leave them alone.

Somewhere behind them, dinner continued to simmer on the still hot stove, forgotten almost as quickly as it had been finished.

Neither of them seemed to mind.

A quiet laugh escaped Leon as he pulled her closer, lifting her effortlessly and settling her onto the kitchen island.

His hands caressed her thighs and with light pressure he pushed them apart to place himself between them.

The touch alone made Jill feel the familiar knot in her stomach.

She could nearly instantly feel his heat pressed against her.

A soft moan escaped her and her tongue immediately intertwined with his.

The grip around her thighs tightened.

"Wanna take this to the bedroom?" Leon whispered as they both catched their breath.

"No." Jill smiled against his lips, refusing to let him go. "I want you here. Now."

Her hands already found the buckle of his belt, starting to undo it.

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes in pleasure. Seeing this side of Jill—the one who knew exactly what she wanted—was something he had grown to love.

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured, the familiar teasing tone returning as he pulled her closer.

Their clothes disappeared somewhere between laughter, stolen kisses and impatient hands.

Jill couldn’t help but admire him, the way she always had.

Even now, after all this time, he still had the remarkable ability to make her stop and simply look at him.

The way his arms tensed as he touched her, the veins on his arms clearly visible.

His muscular chest, down to his abs.

Her touch grew more desperate, not sure what to touch first.

As if he read her mind, he took her hands and placed them on his bare chest.

"I'm not going anywhere, no need to rush."

Jill calmed down a bit, now looking into his eyes.

"Still not used to it…"

"I know. We'll work on that as well." He gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "But right now, we kinda need to hurry or dinner will be cold."

With that, he placed his hands around her ass pulling her closer.

He could already feel the wetness between her legs as her wet folds slid over his dick.

Without wasting another second he let himself slide into her carefully.

"God I've missed this..." He took a sharp breath. "I missed us."

He moaned into her ear, before thrusting into her a few times, slowly and carefully, giving her time to adjust to his size.

Jill crossed her legs behind his back, securing him right where he belonged. Her grip in his hair grew tighter with every thrust. "You have no idea what you're doing to me."

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea."

"Still confident as ever, Kennedy."

"You make it easy."

They both laughed quietly before letting themselves get lost in the moment, chasing the high.

They both reached their climax almost in sync, overwhelmed by how much they had missed each other.

When they had both caught their breath, Jill leaned in for another kiss, unable to hide the smile on her face.

"Can't wait for more," she whispered.

Leon smiled back, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm not going anywhere."

A small pause followed before he added, almost casually: "I put in for some time off."

Jill looked at him, surprised.

"And I asked Chris to approve the same for you."

Her expression softened. "He agreed?"

Leon nodded, a quiet smile appearing on his face. "Apparently, even Chris Redfield understands that we deserve a break once in a while."

For the first time in years, there were no monsters waiting in the dark,

no conspiracies left to uncover,

and no countdown to the next mission already ticking away.

The world could wait.

Tonight,

they were exactly where they wanted to be.

Home.

And for once,

surviving wasn't the goal.

Living was.

FILE NAVIGATION

← Previous Record: P2-07 — The Choice

Master Story Index