Sometimes they Come Back

by diddly day

Disclaimer: A rights belong to Capcom. Resident Evil does not belong to me. I have made no profit writing this story and will not for future purposes.

Note from the Author: I wrote this story very long ago and I decided to revisit it recently. I was surprised by how much my writing style has changed and how immature my author notes were. Of course, I was a teenager. I was even more appalled to see how awful the formatting was for this story. Once upon a time, before many of you were probably even old enough to play Resident Evil, this site wasn't as user friendly as it is now. Formatting was a little bit more difficult to do. I applaud anyone who actually stuck it out and read this story because I couldn't imagine reading it myself. I actually had to go back and fix it. I also added a few new things here and there. Not much, though. Please enjoy. I hope you find this story a fun read.

Chapter One:

No.

Not the Prison.

It hadn't changed. She was there again. In the cold, dark, dank cell. The faint odor or mold and the dead lingered in the air so strongly, that it penetrated her tough. Always here, always like this.

Sure, sometimes it was different. But not enough too free her of the horrifying memories that still haunted her. She closed her eyes, trying free her mind, and think clear.

CLANK!

Something was there. Breaking her concentration like glass, she could hear the unseen being inching it's way across the stone floor. The lengthy draw of its body mixing with dust and blood. The wet, scratchy noise was getting louder with every sound of movement.

Her legs suddenly felt like the roots of a tree. Stuck in the ground until chopped down by the creature that was lurking forward. Every second that passed was a moment more to her doom. All the times that. . . Thing. . .moved meant the clock was ticking to her end. To her demise.

To her death.

Beads of sweet dribbled down her temples as her mouth went dry. The stinging sensation was now clouding its way into her eyes. Every time. Always here. Suddenly she could feel its hands on her legs. Crawling up her as if it were a snake. Her throat tightened as its icy hands grouped it her neck,cutting of all the air to her lungs. Its breath. The scent of maggots and dirt and dead washed over her.

It was getting harder to breath. Her mind was fogged with utter hopelessness.

She could never fight back. The Thing slammed her head back into the stone wall. Her cries echoed in her mind, but filled the air with eternal silence. Its icy hands got colder as her heart pounded in her chest. Her throat was now begging for mercy. She was getting dizzy. Knowing what was happening next, she braced herself for the fatal bite that would ruin her. Vessels popping. . Darkness.

Instantly her lungs screamed for air, as the fresh cold night breeze satisfied her desire. Instead of feeling the harsh stone beneath her, she was suddenly surrounded with soft warmth. Her Head wasn't smacked up against the wall, but resting on a fluffy pillow. Opening her eyes, her muscles relaxed as she faced the popcorn ceiling. Moonlight spilled in like milk as it hit her through the open doorway and out into the hall. The whisper of the tree softly hitting her open widow calmed her heart.

Relaxing, she closed her eyes.

It was only for a second. However, a second was all she needed to swear to all things holey that she saw the shadow of a dead creature creeping its way into her room as she fluttered her eyes open once more. Switching to auto piolet, she shot up in her bed. Her arm reaching for her gun, but instead, met only the glass of water that she could feel spill on her skin and hear shatter into a thousands pieces onto the hardwood floor.

"What the hell?" a man's voice filled the room. She could feel the warmth that was surrounding her move, and the room was filled with light. Her head whipped around to find he sweetest sight.

"Claire? Claire what's wrong?" Leon sat on the edge of his side of the bed still holding onto the lamp next to their bed. That was the deal. He got the lamp, she got the alarm clock on her side.

Claire looked back to the doorway. The shadowed had vanished. She sighed and shifted her gaze back to Leon who was staring straight back at her with an expression of fear, confusion, and anxiety. She covered her face with her hands and felt dampness on her cheeks.

She hadn't realized that she was crying.

"You had another one didn't you?" Leon asked. Even though it was a question, his tone told her that he already knew the answer. Hands still covering her features, she nodded silently.

"That's the fourth one this week," he muttered, still worried.

"They're getting better," Claire stated quietly.

"We both know that's a big lie."

Claire's eyes fell down to the broken mess by her bed side. She quickly grabbed a tissue and gracefully slid off the bed, beginning to clean up the glass.

"Did you break something?" he asked.

"Yeah, my water glass. At least it's the alarm clock I threw across the room the last time."

She knew the attempt at a weak joke failed, because instead of hearing Leon's soft laughter, she felt his gentle hand on her back.

"What was your nightmare about this time?" his voice was full of calmness and love.

"The same thing every time. Ah!" She jerked her hand away from the glass she had just sliced her hand on. She could feel Leon's body jump behind her from surprise of her harsh movements.

"Dammit!" Claire whispered to herself.

Leon was off the bed in one swift motion. She covered her wound in another tissue from the box that she kept close to her bed. Leon left the room for a moment, but was back within seconds, holding a wet washcloth, and a bandage.

"Here, let me see," She let him grasp hold ofher hand. "Ow."

Despite Claire's sudden depression, she giggled a bit.

"My, what big words you use."

"'Ow' is the only thing I can come up with. That's what your hand looks like. Ow," Leon smiled and continued to clean her cut. They stayed silent for a moment, both lost in thought.

"I'm worried about you," he broke the silence.

"I know."

"But?" he always knew there was a but.

"But you worry too much," Claire finished for him. He bandaged her wound, then turned and finished cleaning up the mess on the floor.

Claire got off the bed and paced slowly around their bed. She stopped as she felt Leon's strong hands slide around her shoulders. Running them from her shoulder blades down her forearms and then gently grasping her fingers. His right hand stoked her injured one, as he twisted her wedding band with his left. His warm, moist breath on her ear, she shivered.

She moved in surprise at his fiery lips brushing her neck. A tingle ran down her spine as he brushed her soft hair away from her shoulders. One of the few times she wore it down.

"I love you," she breathed.

"What can I say to for you to know how much I love you?" Leon asked as he turned her around to face him.

"Don't say anything," She slid her arms around him in a tight embrace. Pressing herself against him. "Show me."

His lips met hers in a moment. Tenderly at first, then giving into their passion as she pulled him down to the bed. For the rest of the night, Claire Kennedy was content.

I I I

"Kennedy! Wipe that grin off your face!" shouted Rick grinning as he walked into the office.

"Sorry Rick," Leon said as he shuffled through his papers.

"You got some, didn't you?" Rick said sitting down on the edge of Leon's desk. Leon just smiled and nodded.

Ever since Leon had gotten almost run down in a drug deal a few weeks before, his department had offered him a desk job for a limited time. Just until he settled himself in his new position. The post traumatic-stress that he was under after Raccoon had almost driven him into a horrible depression. If it hadn't been for Claire. . . .

"How's your wife?" asked Rick.

"Claire? She's okay. . .I guess," Leon's smiled faded at the mention of her well-being.

"Still having the memories, bad dreams, nightmares, whatever you call them?"

"Yeah," his answer was short. This was Rick, always butting in.

"So? How is she handling them?" Leon bit his lip, leaned his chair back, and looked straight into Ricks eyes.

"She's a lovely person every day. Calm, cool, and happy, but when the night comes, that's when the ghost come out."

That should hold Rick over on the cop gossip he let himself think, but deep down, Leon really did need to talk about it. It was always there in the back of his mind, and as for Rick. . . . for some odd reason, he was grateful.

"Maybe you should take her to go see a shrink," Leon almost burst out laughing at that comment.

"Yeah right! Claire would go nuts if I suggested that."

"Just something to think about," Rick smiledas he walked out.

Just how was he supposed to pitch that idea to Claire?

Honey you need help?

He couldn't do that. It wasn'thow he felt, anyway. She was an strong person. And therapy was now considered a healthy way to let you anger, aggression, or problems out. With Claire though, she had a lot of pride. She would think asking for help would be weak. But then again, maybe she would go as nuts has he thought. They had only been married for six months. He thought he knew her pretty well by then. Nevertheless, he was always finding out new things about her. He loved that.

He'd never forget how their relationship blossomed. Slowly at first, but then sucking both of them in. To the point where they couldn't go back to the friendship they had before. They didn't want to. He had never felt like this before. What he loved most about his marriage with Claire, was that he knew that his feelings were reciprocated.

She had been so quite when he met up with her after she had busted out of being captured in the Paris facility. Although she and Chris never talked about it at first, Leon knew something terrible had happened to Claire. Her voiced never wavered when it came to talking about it. Her eyes still sparkled. No, it was something else that told Leon how effected Claire had was.

How deep were her scars? It was in the way she walked, she never stood tall, proud. Her voice became softer, and she was more and more serious every day. Little things that no one would ever notice. But he did.

All Leon could get from Chris was something about some guy named Steve. A kid who had helped her escape. Leon owed that kid everything. Even if he did make it plainly clear that he was in love with Claire. However, if it hadn't been for him, Claire wouldn't be here. With him.

He thought that Claire was also in love the kid at first. He had suspected that she had fallen head over heels for Steve. But that all changed one night. He'd never forget.

He had found her in the kitchen at her brothers house. At first, he had thought she was getting something to eat, or writing a letter to Sherry to ask how things were going. But then he heard her soft sobs, sniffs, and gasps of anguish. His heart broke and every one.

"Claire?" he asked.

All noise that was coming from the kitchen suddenly stopped. He could picture Claire shifting in her seat.

"Yeah?" her voice was strong, but he caught the hint of a slight quiver.

Poking his headin the kitchen, the sight of her made him want to cry.

There she sat in her PJ's, hair down and tangled, eyes glazed over and red, leaving tear streaks down her cheeks. She had never looked more beautiful. They just stared at each other for a moment.

"I couldn't save him," Claire choked out. Leon came over to her side. She looked away as her heart broke in front of him. "I'm sorry I couldn't love you the way you loved me," She whispered through her tears. And Leon knew she wasn't talking to him.

He just held her all night until Chris found them both asleep the next morning, Claire in the chair, and Leon half on the floor, half on the chair with his arms around her. It was that night that he had fallen in love with her.

Leon had always wondered when she had felt that spark of love in her for him. She had joked once or twice about it.

"From the moment I saw you pointing that 9mm in my face, ready to blow my head off, I knew you were going to be the man I would spend the rest of my life with."

"Go home Kennedy," Ricks voice once again interrupted his deep concentration. "You looked wiped. I swear, even at a desk job, you still work too much."

Leon nodded and began to gather up his things. Friday was coming and he was thinking about taking Claire away on a long weekend. Just to get away from the stress of life. Maybe they could go up to his friends cabin by the lake. He had just started to shake the thought from his mind as he walked to his car. He pulled out his keys to unlock his door when he realized it was already unlocked. His eyes then focused on the tape setting on his dashboard.

Betting ten to one that he couldn't dance to it, Leon popped the tape into his cassette player. Fuzz filled his care for a few moments. His heart pounded in his chest, burning with curiosity, and fear. The pounding in his heart just about stopped as he heard a familiar voice ring out into the air.

"Albert Wesker is now unstoppable. He has recently dumped working with Umbrella, and now continues to work for a unknown sponsor."

What the hell?

"As it is a suspected a rival of Umbrella, this new incorporation has given Wesker some sort of injectionto make him. . . ."

There was a pause. . .then.

"invincible. But everything has a weakness. Wesker has now set out to destroy all the S.T.A.R.S members. Killing each one off, one by one."

Leon's blood ran ice, as he identified the low, husky, monotone, feminine voice. No. It couldn't be. Not now, not after all this time. It just wasn't possible. He jumped as he heard a knock at his window. His blue eyes trailed it's way to meet the pair of Asian brown that awaited him. There she stood, after so looked almost just as he had remembered.

"Hello Leon," she spoke slowly to him, stretching out her words to let him know she was really there.

"Ada?"

He could barely breath, it was like he was face to face with a ghost. She smiled.

"Get my message?" The casualty in her voice shocked him. How could she just walk back into his life, after betraying him, and act so calm? The startle in him soon became igniting fury.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He practically jumped out of his car and slammed the door with such force that it even made him uneasy. If his anger bothered Ada, she didn't show it.

"I take it you aren't happy to see me."

"Wha-how did you. . .you died! I saw it! You feel down that shaft!"

"Things aren't always as they seem," Ada muttered softly.

"You betrayed me. You died to me when you fell down that hole." Leon's anger matched her own.

"My gun wasn't loaded. I never intended to hurt you," she trailed off. Leon stayed mute. His nostrils twitched, and his eyes blazed and she continued to gaze back at him.

"But you used me. You used me for the G-virus. And if it came down to it, I know you would have left me there to die. If you had to," his words hit her hard.

Her mood switched rather dramatically.

"Do you want to know what I have to say or not?" the impatience in her voice was unmistakable. Leon shut his mouth again.

"I came here to warn you. Albert Wesker is now more powerful then ever. He's going to come after you, and all the other S.T.A.R.S members, or anyone who survived Raccoon. That means you. I need your help to stop him."

"I don't believe you," he stated simply. She gently took his hand. Opening her mouth to speak, she halted when she saw what was on his hand.

"You're married?" she said instead at the sight of his wedding ring. He nodded.

"Six months," she stayed dumb. "Do me a favor and stay away form me, okay?" he said as he started to get back into his car.

"If he comes after you? He'll come after Claire."

He stopped. How did she know?

"Burn in hell," he said before he slammed his car door. And sped off, leaving his tiers screams echoing in the parking garage.

I I I

"Leon?" shouted Claire into the empty house. She had just gotten home from work.

Between working in med records at St. Luke's Hospital, taking tella-corses at the college, and Leon, she was about ready to pass out. She refused to sleep, because sleeping meant it was becoming increasingly harder to thinkof joyous thoughts. Anything to take her mind off the repulsions of Raccoon. Or anything else related to Umbrella.

One of her favorite memories was when he asked her if she'd have him as her husband. It wasn't anything spacial. There was no love poems, or romantic dinners. No ring, or public announcements. Just them.

He had come over for dinner at her and Chris's house. He had acted a little nervous, she realized, looking back on it. After everyone else had gone to bed, accept the two, for fun Claire pulled out her brothers old guitar. They laughed as they made up stupid songs. She would give him an odd topic, and he would have to sing a song about it off the top of his head. She didn't think anything of it when she asked him to sing one about them. And that's how he asked her, through a song. Of course, she didn't have to think twice about what the answer would be.

Another memory was of when she broke the news to her brother. That was a fun one. He had been out working on the car. He was standing on a ladder getting tools from his tool box out in his garage when he asked her how her day was.

"Fine," she had responded.

She told him on how she had gotten an A on her final, and how she had gotten praised at work by one of her co- workers. About the old lady flipping her the bird on the freeway. Just as she was about to shut the door to the garage, she threw in,

"Oh, by the way, Leon and I are engaged."

Behind the door she could hear Chris falling off his ladder.

Those memories where the only thing that kept her sane sometimes. At night, when her mind would stray, she would think of them. And then, if she was lucky, drift off into a peaceful sleep.

"Leon?" she called again. She then saw the blinking light on the answering machine.

"Claire? I'm coming home. I just had a shocking run in. I'm a little freaked out. I'll be home as soon as I can. I love you, bye."

Shocking run in? The disturbed tone in Leon's voice made her just as nervous as well.

She stopped. Something was creaking upstairs. It was coming from their bathroom.

Carefully, she grabbed Leon's baseball bat that he kept behind their bedroom door. Where was his gun when she needed it? Walking slowly to the bathroom, she could hear someone. . .or something shuffling around. She eased the door open ever so slightly. The shower was on. Her hand trembled as she pulled back the shower curtain. . . .

Only to find no one there.

Letting out a relief sigh she turned to leave when she saw something hiding behind the open bathroom door in the mirror. Before she had the chance to turn around, she saw the description of a beautiful woman. That was the last thing her eyes held as the stranger struck her. Making her head hit the now shattering mirror.

To be continued. . .

A/N: Oooooo! Cliff hanger! Aren't I evil? I hope you liked it. I'll continue, if I get good reviews that you guys liked it. If not, I won't waste my time. I don't hate Ada or Steve, after all. . .she did save my freaking life as Claire at the end of RE2. But she's any easy target for a bad guy. Very different from my last fic, huh? Sorry for any typo's I was in a hurry.