Finn

The comms crackle quietly, and she isn't sure she heard them over her labored breathing until Leon speaks.

"Claire, come in. Where the hell are you?" His words are hushed and hurried. "I'm outside the building, and can't find a way in. It's like the damn door is—" he shoves against the front door to the building. It doesn't budge. "Stuck."

"I heard the explosion, please tell me you're not caught in it," he continues, grunting as he shoves a bit harder.

She lets out a weary chuckle, pressing a hand to her earpiece. "I can't do that. Considering it's not the truth."

"Shit," he curses lowly, panic squeezes at his chest. "Are you injured?"

"Ah…a little," she glances down at her torso. It's bleeding profusely, and her leg is trapped under a piece of debris. She doesn't say this because she doesn't want to make him worry more. "Are you ok?"

"Fuckin' peachy," he gives the door one more good shove, and it gives. He lets out a breath of relief. "I made it in, coming to find you now. Are you on the first floor?"

"Mhm," she nods, more to herself than anything. "I'm in the middle of some rubble. By what used to be a lab, looks like."

"Ok, I'll keep my eye out," he murmurs, eyes sweeping the building as he walks. He can hear the rasp in her breathing and he knows something is wrong—he's scared to find out what.

"I think I can see you," she manages, trying to push herself up to her feet. She lets out a soft cry, feeling the blood ooze from her side as she collapses back against the floor.

The noise alerts him, and he finally spots her—rushing over to her, and crouching in front of her. "Jesus Christ."

"Hey," she greets weakly. "You doing ok?"

"Am I doing ok?" He gapes at her, eyes darting all over her body. "Baby, you're bleeding. You're hurt, and you're worried if I'm ok?"

"…yes?" She lets out a laugh that devolves into a pained groan. "I'm a little trapped."

"I can see that," he huffs, reaching out to tenderly cradle her face. "I'm gonna get you somewhere that's not two seconds from collapsing. Then, I'm gonna call for medevac, ok?"

"I…don't know if I'll be able to move," she admits, a grimace pulling at her lips.

"I'll help you," he assures, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. "We're both making it out of here."

"Ok," she nods, leaning into the touch. Her eyes closing for a moment with a soft exhale, then opening once more.

He moves to lift the debris from her leg. It's a bit heavy, and takes a bit of effort but he manages to move it off. "Keep pressure on that wound," he nods at her torso. Then, moves to lift her into his arms.

She barely stifles a whimper as he lifts her, and stands. Her hand clutching her side to keep more blood from spilling out. "Shh," he soothes, kissing her forehead. "I'm gonna get you out of here. I know it hurts, I'm sorry. I'll try and be careful."

He starts to make his way out of the building and outside. It's a short walk to the next building in sight, and it causes some strain on him but not much. This building looks much more stable, he thinks.

He shuts the door behind him as he enters with his foot, and goes to set her down on the couch a few steps in front of him.

After setting her down, he crouches in front of her once more and starts to check her wounds. He lifts her shirt, hissing softly "Goddamn it. You promised me you wouldn't go off ahead of me. You shouldn't—" he cuts himself off, his voice cracking. "Shouldn't have done that. I could have lost you."

He grabs his handkerchief, and dabs at the blood around the wound, and then presses it against it. "Keep this here, ok?

"Mh…mhm," she nods sluggishly, her hand covering the handkerchief and holding it against her side.

"Can you feel your leg?" He gently prods her leg, looking for any sort of reaction.

"Yes," she murmurs, giving a small groan when he touches a tender spot. "I don't think I broke it, but maybe sprained it. And it's bruised all to shit."

"Well, at least it's not broken," he breathes a sigh of relief. "You are bleeding pretty heavily, but it doesn't look close to anything vital. Just hold tight, and I'm gonna contact Hunnigan."

"M'kay," she nods, trying to focus on her breathing and not on the pain. She knows he's probably lying out his teeth about it being close to anything vital, she recognizes his tells. She barely registers him moving away to call Hunnigan over comms. His voice sounds a bit muffled and her head feels a bit floaty.

It doesn't take him long to return, and he crouches in front of her again. One of his hands rests on her uninjured leg, and he rubs her knee gently. "Hey, you with me, angel?"

"Yeah, 'm with you," she hums in agreement. "I'm a little dizzy, but I'm here."

"Good, that's my girl," the smallest of smiles appears on his face. "You're doing so good."

"I'm sorry," she croaks out, covering his hand with her free one. "I know I broke a promise. But, I got the data we needed, and I took care of the bioweapons. I just wasn't expecting…things to explode."

"You shouldn't have gone ahead like that. We could have done it together, like we're supposed to. I could've lost you. I'm not willing to do that. Not now, not ever," he says firmly. "The data and the mission doesn't matter to me as much as you do. I don't ask for a lot, you know I don't—just please don't do that again."

"I know. I'm sorry," she moves her hand to cup his cheek, thumb brushing over the cheekbone. "I can't guarantee I won't do it again. But, I am sorry. I'm expendable, Leon. You aren't. The DSO would much rather lose me than you."

"You aren't expendable," he argues, his brows furrowing. "Don't ever say that. Fuck what the DSO thinks. You're too important to me. When we get out of here, we're taking our vacation, ok?"

"You keep saying that," she chuckles, brushing the hair out of his face. "Yet here we are. Guess you've still got a little optimism, huh?"

"Yeah, just a little. We could both use it. You've been a little short of it lately. What's with that?" He leans forward, resting his chin against her good knee.

"I'm just…tired, Leon. This fight never ends. I think you, me, and the others are going to be fighting bioterrorism until we croak. Any chance, or idea of normalcy I've had has all but imploded. I thought about kids once, y'know? But, I'm content with Sherry. Even if she is only…a handful of years younger than me." She admits softly, a wistful look in her eyes. "You'd be a good dad."

"You think so?" He sounds a bit unsure, the thought makes him feel as if he has a lump in his throat.

"The best. You'd be such a girl dad. Spoil a little girl rotten," she smiles at the thought. "I see how you are with Sherry. She was our kid even before we got together. I don't know if I'd be a good mom, honestly. After losing my mom growing up, I never really had much to base things off of."

"I think you'd be an amazing mom," he sighs. His words help supply some comfort. "You're wonderful with Sherry, and who she talks about the most. You were a mother for her when she lost hers. Even if I know you blame yourself for what the government did to her. You're so kind, caring, and nurturing. And…can I tell you the truth?"

"Of course," she gives a small nod. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I've always wanted kids, too. I was just…after everything, I've been scared of having them," he utters, mindlessly pressing a small kiss to her clothed knee. "Having a big, happy family, is something I used to dream about when I was growing up. I wanted to give a kid what I couldn't have. I still think about, sometimes, having that family with you. About leaving this life behind, and living in some little house in some little mountain community, and having a little girl and maybe a cat. I work as an officer for the local force, and you work as a mechanic, or something you think you'd enjoy."

"I'd like that," she hums, taking a ragged breath. Her brows draw up and she lets out a quiet "fuck."

"I know, baby, I'm sorry," he frowns. "They said they'd be here in like…ten minutes. And it's been five, maybe. So just keep talking to me. We're gonna make it through this."

"You're an angel," she grits out, her hand trembling as she caresses his cheek.

"Says you," he huffs. "You're my angel. Always have been. You're such a comfort to me, and the love of my life. I don't ever want to lose you."

"My sweet angel," he nuzzles his face into her thigh. Eyes half-lidded as he looks up at her. "I wish we weren't here right now. I wish…" he laughs quietly, pausing. "I wish we were in our apartment, laying in bed with less clothes. I wish you weren't wounded and bleeding. I wish we got our vacation."

"I know, sweetheart, me too," she groans, leaning forward to kiss the top of his head. "Oh, that was a mistake." She gasps, slumping back against the couch. More blood spills over between her fingers.

"Baby, careful," his head shoots up, and he tenses. "Careful…" he breathes, rubbing small circles on her thigh. "Keep breathing through it, you're doing good."

"Fuck-" she whimpers, a ragged breath escaping her. "Ooh that smarts."

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I'm so sorry. Help is on its way, ok? You're doing great."

"Thanks…sweetheart," she pants, writhing uncomfortably. She tries to keep the hankie pressed against the wound to the best of her ability, but she's hurting and she's starting to feel a bit faint. "I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

"Just try…" he pleads, eyes searching her face worriedly. "Keep trying for me. You're doing just fine. Just keep those pretty eyes open for me, ok?"

"'m trying," she assures, her face twitching in pain. "Listen, if I don't—if I don't make it out of here-"

"Don't. Please don't finish that sentence."

"Please, Leon. Just listen to me. If I don't make it out of here, I just want you to know that you've made my life so much better. I love you so much. I'm proud to be your partner, and your wife. You matter more than almost anything in the world to me," she croaks out. "You're so lovely, and so wonderful. You make my world brighter."

"Baby…" he chokes back a whimper of his own. His throat and chest feeling tight. "I love you. Keep holding on for me. You can do it. You're the strongest person I know."

"I'm trying, I promise," she runs her fingers through his hair. "I'm trying the best I can. I've just lost…a lot of blood, and you know I have. It's getting harder to keep my eyes open."

"Please just keep trying," he pleads, resting his chin on her leg. "Please, angel. I've already lost enough. I can't lose you. Please don't make me lose you."

"It's okay, sweetheart," she coos, cupping his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. Not yet. Wipe any thought of it from your mind, ok? I just…want to make sure you know how much I love you, and how much I want to hold on for you."

He nuzzles his face into her palm, pressing a soft kiss to it. Then, he takes a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down. He's never felt so helpless before.

She admires how vulnerable he's being at the moment, even if it's hard for him. And her heart squeezes at the sight of his worry. "It's okay…" she soothes once more. One of her fingers wiping at a stray tear that she's sure he doesn't even realize has seeped out.

"I don't mean to make you worry. I never have. I just…wanted to say that I love you, just in case," she murmurs. "Please don't cry, honey. I'm still here. Still holding on."

"I-I don't…I'm sorry," he sniffles quietly. "I love you more than anything. I don't wanna lose you."

Her eyes start to droop without her permission, the noise in the background muffling. She can hear Leon call for her, and her head jerks slightly.

"Keep your eyes open," he coaxes gently. "I know you're tired, but you've only got a little bit longer, ok?"

"Mhm…" she slurs out. "'m trying."

Their comms crackle to life and Leon jolts. Hunnigan's voice filters through. "Leon? You there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," there's the slightest quiver to his voice. "ETA?"

"They said they're about a minute or two out. How's she doing?" Hunnigan sounds a bit worried herself, he notes.

"Not well," he rubs Claire's knee gently. "Bleeding heavily still and on the verge of passing out. I don't know how much longer she has."

"'m fine," Claire croaks, blinking owlishly. "I'm fine, I promise. Still hanging on."

He shoots her a glance, shaking his head. He knows she's anything but fine. Yet, she's still trying to assure him for his sake.

"She's full of shit, isn't she?" Hunnigan sighs, and he can practically hear the exasperation in her voice. "Keep her as calm as you can, keep pressure on her wound, and keep her awake. I'm sorry there's not more I can do for you right now."

"I appreciate it," Leon murmurs, ending the connection. He monitors Claire closely. "Hey, sweetheart. You hear what she said? They're only a minute or two out, then we're getting out of here."

"M'kay," she gives a short nod, inhaling raggedly.

"Hey, talk to me. Tell me things," he coaxes.

"Like what?" She grumbles.

He thinks for a moment. "Tell me…what would you want to name our daughter if we had one?"

She groans quietly, her head jerking as she tries to keep herself awake. "I…dunno. Um…Aurora, maybe?" She gives a small shrug. "I had a few, just can't think of them right now. Brain is…fuzzy."

"I know baby," he reaches out, smoothing her hair back. "That's a pretty name. Do you think you'd rather adopt or try for one?"

"I…adopt, probably," she sounds a bit breathless, he notices. "I don't think I can get pregnant, after being infected more than once, and everything else that's going on with my body. And, frankly, I'd rather not."

"Either sounds perfect," he muses, before tacking on. "You're perfect."

"You're full of shit," she lets out a noise that's half-cough, half-laugh.

"I am not!" He guffaws. "You are perfect. Don't be difficult."

"Liar," she hums, smiling somewhat teasingly. "You're just saying that because I'm in pain."

"You're a pain. Arguing with me while you're hurt," he wrinkles his nose. "Even though you know I'm telling the truth."

"You love it."

"I love you," he acquiesces. He straightens up, his hand moving for his sidearm as he hears footsteps outside the building.

"Agent Kennedy, Agent Redfield? Are you in here?" They hear the door open, and see a set of armed men.

"We're here," Leon calls back. The men make their way towards the duo.

What comes next is a blur of movement—the men transporting Claire into their vehicle and Leon following behind. One gets her comfortable in the back, while the other starts the vehicle and radios in to Hunnigan.

They get Claire's wound patched to the best of their ability, starting on their way back.

Leon sits beside her every moment, holding her hand, and murmuring to her to keep her placated. But, despite his insistence not to, she finds her eyes closing and her consciousness drifting.

Leon sits by her side—eagerly and patiently. It's been almost three days. He thought she was gonna die, but by the grace of pure luck and great surgeons, she made it.

It's the middle of the night, the nurses tried to kick him out but he refused to go. He's starting to nod off when he hears a quiet whimper.

He jerks himself awake, eyes flitting over to Claire. He can see her eyes flickering open, her brows scrunched in a mix of confusion and pain.

In her confusion, she attempts to sit up, and lets out a soft cry of pain. Leon lurches forward, and lowers her back onto the bed. He shushes her, rubbing her shoulder. "Easy baby. It's okay."

"Where…am I?"She croaks, blinking owlishly.

"Hospital," he explains calmly. "You're at the hospital."

"How…how long have I been here?" She reaches her hand out, weakly grasping his.

He covers it with both of his, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "Maybe three days?"

"Jesus," she groans. "Too long. I can't even imagine what work needs to be done."

"Don't worry about that," he soothes, his thumb rubbing over her palm in soothing circles. "I've been taking care of it."

"How long have you been here?" She murmurs curiously, trying to blink away the tiredness.

"I haven't left except to grab my laptop so I could finish reports," he answers.

She huffs, her brows furrowing. "You shouldn't have to be here all the time. I'm sure you have stuff to do."

"I'm not leaving you until they clear you to leave," he shakes his head. "So you can wipe that thought from your head."

"Stubborn," she grumbles, rolling her eyes with an exasperated fondness. "You really wanna wait here…god knows how long?"

"Yep," he raises a brow, as if daring her to question him again. "And?"

"I hate you," she grouses, flexing her fingers with a slight grimace. "Ugh, everything hurts."

"No you don't," he snorts, his brows furrowing in concern. "Need me to get you a nurse?"

"No," she shakes her head. "It's not that bad to the point I wanna be looped out on pain meds. Just nauseous and sore."

"I know, baby," he frowns. "I'm sorry. I'm here, and I'm not leaving."

"I know. I don't deserve you," she murmurs.

"Don't deserve me?" He guffaws. "I don't deserve you. You're so incredible, sweetheart. I had all but given up on having a family before I met you and Sherry in Raccoon. You two gave me a reason to live. You were my saving grace, and you still are."

She purses her lips for a moment, searching for the right words to say—her brain swirling with pain and thoughts of what to say to him. "I can't imagine my life without you, you know that?"

"Me either," he hums, bringing her hand up to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "You're my everything."

"You're such a sap," she smiles faintly. "It's cute."

He opens his mouth as if he wants to protest, then closes it and shakes his head in amusement. "Only for you, sweetheart."

They're both quiet for a beat, they want to say but aren't sure how to say it—both their brains addled with exhaustion.

Leon finally speaks, his words tentative and uncertain. "Hey, I need you to make me a promise, ok? And this time I need you to keep it, please."

"You know I can't make any promises," she mutters, her lips turning down slightly into a frown. "Things change constantly and with how we work, I always have to make calls, and those promises can't always be kept."

"Please baby," he pleads, his voice thick. "Please, this is one promise I need you to keep. I can't—" he cuts himself off, his voice cracking.

"Hey, hey, shh," she moves her hand to gently cradle his cheek. It feels a bit ironic, her comforting him. But, she would have it no other way. "I know, ok? I feel the same way. But, you know that this life is unpredictable. I couldn't ask you to make me any promises you can't keep."

He nuzzles into her palm, the tears spilling from his eyes without his permission. The worry having a vice grip on his heart, making his chest tight. "I don't wanna lose you again. Not again. You died again, you know that? There's only so many times I can watch that happen, before I lose you completely. There's only so many times you can get hurt before it's your last time. I can't do things without you. Please, just…please at least promise me you'll try and be more careful, ok?"

He doesn't give her a chance to answer before continuing—hiccuping out a soft sob. "We can't have that future that we talked about—have those kids—if you don't make it. I want so badly to give up this life, right here and right now. Because I can't handle watching this happen anymore."

"Baby, I can't…"

"I know you can't, I just…" he lets out a small, soft whimper—a noise unbecoming of him. "I'm a strong man, or I try to be. But I can only take something for so long until I break. Seeing you, under all that rubble, losing all that blood—and then later, here in the hospital, so pale after they revived you…I…fuck…" he blinks, looking away.

"I can't do that again. I won't do that again. Even if you're lying to me, just promise me, regardless," he reaches up to palm at his cheeks, trying to wipe the tears.

She sighs, feeling an unbearable amount of guilt for everything that's happened—and a warmth for him and the way he's willing to open up to her. "Ok."

"Ok?" He perks up a bit.

"I promise. I'll try, but just so long as you can make the same promise to me," she says gently. "I won't tolerate hypocrisy, when you know it scares me just as much when you get into situations."

He nods slowly, his features softening some. "Okay, I can promise that. It's only fair." He raises her hand to his lips, pressing soft kisses over it. "Thank you, sweetheart. You've provided me at least a little peace of mind for now."

The sensation of his lips against her skin causes her to let out a small laugh. "That tickles, you ass."

"Yeah, maybe, but at least I got you to smile," he chuckles, pressing one more kiss to her hand before setting it back down on the bed. "You should rest some more. The more you rest and recuperate, the faster we can get out of here."

"Alright," she acquiesces with a sigh. She is still exhausted, and in pain—but she's too stubborn to admit it. "I love you so much. You know that?"

"I know, sweetheart. I love you too. More than anything," his voice softens as he sees her eyes fall shut. Watching her quietly as she slips back imto sleep—her features relaxing some.

With the sight of her resting as peacefully as she can, and the knowledge that she's made a promise to him, he too finds himself falling into a brief slumber. The tension, and worry in the room falling away as the world fades around them.