Heart and Home | Leon Kennedy x OC

Abduction

"That son of a bitch!" Pat fumed, his fists clenched tightly as if he were ready to punch someone. "Does he genuinely think this baby isn't his?"

I nodded, spooning another generous scoop of ice cream and savoring the cold sweetness against my tongue.

"Let me grab my bat. You call him and tell him to meet me."

At first, I thought Pat was joking, but when he stood up with a determined expression, ready to storm out of my room, I realized he was dead serious.

"Wait, Pat, hold on!" I quickly set down my precious tub of Ben & Jerry's strawberry cheesecake and rushed over to grab him. "Please don't do this."

"He can't just say things like that to you," he said, seething with anger. "I mean, I get if he doesn't want to be involved with the baby, but he practically called you a whore."

"He didn't call me that." I reasoned.

"But he made you feel like it." That, I couldn't deny.

A sigh escaped me. "Honestly, Pat, I wasn't holding out hope for him anyway. At least now I know for sure he won't be involved." Pat still looked furious, so I tried a different angle. "And, you know, I don't want you to end up in jail. If this baby doesn't get to have their dad around, they sure as hell need their Uncle Pat."

That brought a smile to his lips. "You make a good point. Uncle Pat can't impart his wisdom if he's behind bars." He leaned down and directed his words to my bump. My heart warmed at the sight, but I hated that my brain was picturing Leon instead of Pat. Damn it, I need to get a grip. Leon was out of the picture. And I need to be strong for my baby.

A sudden knock on the door disrupted my thoughts. I opened it and found Dana, a girl from a few doors down who also shared a few classes with me.

"Hey, Meg," she greeted cheerfully. Her eyes flickered down for a moment, trying to discreetly sneak a peek at my belly, which was covered by baggy sweatshirt. "I ran into Professor Maxwell's assistant in the cafeteria, and she asked me to let you know he's waiting for you in his office."

"Okay. Thanks, Dana." I smiled.

"You're welcome~," she said sweetly, yet still unmoving from my door.

"Is there something else?"

Her eyes moved to my belly again, not bothering to be subtle this time. "I know it's rude for me to ask, but I just have to. Is it true? You're pregnant?'"

I sighed. I didn't know how and when the gossip had started or even why people would care if I was pregnant, but I guessed there was no sense in hiding it. "Yes, I am Dana."

"Congratulations!" Dana squealed. "James must be so happy."

"It's not James's," I clarified quickly. "Oh God, is that what people have been saying? That I'm having his baby? Did they tell him that?"

"Well, no. But I mean, I'm just guessing here. You are dating James right?"

"No. We broke up a long time ago."

Her mouth formed an 'o'. "Well, that's good to know. Because I happened to see him and Lily making out in the park, and I wasn't sure how to break it to you. Especially with you being pregnant and all."

Ah, Lily, the gorgeous blonde Olympic swimmer he had cheated on me with. Good to know they're still together.

"Thanks again, Dana. Bye." I barely heard her reply as I closed the door. "Well, I'm heading to Maxwell's office," I informed Pat, who was currently busy digging into my ice cream.

Pat raised an eyebrow, curious. "At this time? It's almost ten."

"Yeah, I know. But beggars can't be choosers," I grumbled as I put on my coat.

Maxwell kicked me out of class when I was in my waiting for Leon's call phase. And, of course, that was when he decided to spring a surprise pop quiz at the end of the class. I had to beg him to give me a chance to make up for the quiz, so I couldn't say no to his call.

"Come on, I'll walk with you," Pat said, sliding on his coat.

As we stepped out into the night, I realized something was off—the streetlight that usually lit up the path toward the main building was off, casting a slightly creepy atmosphere over the familiar surroundings. It was also suspiciously quiet. Usually, there would be students walking around even when it was nighttime, but today there was no one.

"That's weird," Pat said, evidently noticing the same thing. "Why is it so dark and quiet tonight?"

"No idea. But let's not stick around," I picked up my pace, unease settling in.

My unease escalated into full-blown panic when a shadowy figure emerged from the bushes. Before we could react, he swung something at Pat's head. The dull thud echoed through the night as Pat crumpled to the ground, unconscious. My heart raced, and a cold shiver ran down my spine as I tried to process what was happening. Fear welled up inside me, threatening to suffocate me.

The figure turned to me and pounced, restraining my movements and gripping me tightly in his arms. He covered my mouth so I couldn't scream. I tried to bite his hands, but they were covered in thick gloves; I doubted he even felt anything.

"Now, now little girl. I wouldn't do that if I were you," he whispered as I thrashed around. Something was touching my belly, and I looked down to find the bastard had pressed a knife there. "You wouldn't want to lose the little guy now, would you?"

The threat was enough to freeze me, stripping away any will to fight back.

"Good girl," he said, and I recoiled at his slick tone. "Now, let's do this the easy way, shall we? My employer is quite eager to get his hands on the little guy."

A sudden prick on my neck sent a jolt of shock through me, and my vision began to blur. The man had loosened his grip just enough for me to turn my head and catch a glimpse of his face. Though the darkness obscured much, one chilling detail stood out—the twisted, sickening smile etched on his face.