Marrying Mr Kennedy

V

"So how long have you been baking?" I question my neighbour friend as she puts our brownie mixture into my oven.
I offered to make casserole again tonight and she offered to share her brownie recipe with me.
The men were currently talking in the garden with a can of beer each as the sun was out today.
We could see them through the large double glass doors that lead straight from the kitchen to the garden.

"Since I was old enough to, my mom baked a lot growing up" she admits with a smile
"Hey, Chelsea," she suddenly says, her tone verging on anxious
I look at her as I grab for the wine
"Can I ask you some advice?"
"Sure!" I beam, happy she wants my advice when she probably has other friends she could ask
"Let's get comfy," I say, handing her the bottle to grab some glasses

A couple minutes later we're on the sofa with a glass of wine each.
"So what's up?" I ask
"I know this is personal stuff but we're women right, we talk about these things behind our men's back?"
"We talk about a lot of things behind their backs" I admit getting a laugh
"Right! Well me and Ted, were going through a dry patch, as it may" she explains and my brows raise
"Can he not get it...?"
"Oh no no no, he can! He's fine, down there, it's just. We're just never in the mood, how do you and Scott keep things fun?"
"Oh wow, what a good question!" I say, trying to keep my inside panic hidden from her whilst I also try to imagine what a sex life with Leon would be like.

"You and Suzie were chatting for a while, all Ted kept talking about was bloody fishing, where was my save!" Leon says as soon as we're sat on the sofa come 10 pm when they've left.
"I didn't realise you needed saving" I admit
"We need a signal, a save signal so next time that happens you can come and spare me" he admits as he places his arm on the sofa behind me.
I laugh at that.
"I never thought I'd hear the day, Leon S Kennedy needing to be saved" I tease and he retaliates with a playful kick which I return.
"You try listening about fishing rods and bait for over an hour!"
"No thank you, and I thought Suzie's choice in conversation tonight was bad" I admit
"Why, what'd she talk about?"
"Sex"
Leon's eyes go straight to me and his brows raise
"Do I want to know?" He asks
"No, you don't!" I laugh
"Okay then, so wifey, it's your turn to pick the film tonight," he says grabbing the remote off the table to pass to me.

"I kinda wanna know" he admits offhandedly a minute later and I find myself laughing

In the morning I wake up from Leon's mobile as it rang.
I watch as the man lying beside me grabs blindly for his phone and peers up at the bright screen and I find myself captivated by him in his morning messy state.
Every morning since being here he'd woken before me and had managed to wash and change before waking me, he really did rise with the sun.
I'd never seen him fresh out of bed before and I must admit I liked it. It even warmed me to know no one else at the office had seen him like this before, only me.
"Hunnigan" Leon greets as he answers his phone
"Leon, sorry did I wake you?" I hear Hunnigan's voice, Leon having put her straight onto loudspeaker as he answered. He peers up at his phone and then places it lazily on the pillow between us.
"No, I'm always awake at 6:17 in the morning," he says sarcastically causing Hunnigan to sigh
"What you got for us?" Leon asks turning his head to look at his phone. I look away from him that instant and instead to the phone between us.
"The latest couple to go missing, the Michaels, the husband was found dead last night, his body had mutilated and they found traces of the T-virus though it looks like the virus is being tampered with!" Hunnigan briefs
"Jesus!" Leon mutters
"We don't know what's going on"
"I'll bet my next vacation some asshole is playing god!" Leon seethes
"So what's our orders?" I ask her
"There are none, stick to your aliases and play happy families, hopefully, you'll be targeted"
"Did you search for that doctor?" Leon asks
"I did, that's why I called you last night but someone doesn't like answering their phone!" Hunnigan playfully scolds us both.
"We had company" I explain
"Well, there are over 10 doctors with the name Edward, without the last name or knowing which hospital you'll have to flick through the files I send you, see if any of them match up"
"Alright, send them over"
"Done," Hunnigan says a few clicks later
Leon picks up his phone and holds it above us both as he opens the file Hunnigan sent him, swiping through the different men's faces, none of which were of the Edward we had met in Quarters
"He's not here!" Leon mutters
"Could the Edward work out of town?" Hunnigan asks
"Could you send us all the Edwards within a 20 miles radios?" I ask her
Hunnigan sighs before she answers
"I can, you'll have to give me an hour"
"Send them through when you're done," Leon tells her
"I will, sorry for waking you guys but maybe next time you could answer the phone?!"
Leon scoffs a laugh and I find myself smiling
"Goodbye Hunnigan," Leon says condescendingly before he hangs up
"I bet she hates working with you," I say as I stretch
"It's a love-hate relationship," he says as he puts his phone back onto the unit and closes his eyes
"10 more minutes?" I ask.
Leon opens his right eye to peer at me before yawning
"40 more minutes" he answers
I smile and close my eyes, opening them again when Leon turns to face me so we're now facing each other in bed.
"Do you think that old man and his apparent nephew gave us fake names?" He asks
"Hmm, maybe. If 'Edward' is the man behind these kidnappings it's likely he wouldn't give out his real name to his next eyeful victims, just in case" I admit
"So he's a smart idiot!" Leon mocks causing me to scoff a laugh
"I guess we'll find out soon enough when Hunnigan sends you the files"
"Yeah! So, what are we doing today?"
"You're asking me?"
"Yeah! I'm always the one to decide where we go"
"Yeah, because I don't know the area" I admit
"Neither do I really, come on, what do you want to do today?" He asks me
"Honestly, I wanna stay in my pjs and binge watch something on Netflix but knowing we have to leave the house... " I say eliciting a smile from the man beside me
"Coffee! Maybe go to a cafe for breakfast then go for a walk, window shopping maybe?"
"Then cuddle up on the couch when we get home!?" He offers and I laugh
"Sounds perfect hubby"
Leon laughs then closes his eyes again and I close mine, knowing I won't be able to get back to sleep but just enjoying the warmth of the bed for a while longer with Leon as company makes it hard to leave the bed to begin the day.

No amount of amazing coffee could help lighten our moods two hours later as we sat in the window of a nearby cafe. Hunnigan had worked hard gathering up all the Edwards in the vicinity but still, none of them was of the man we met that afternoon in Millberry Quarters.
Leon sipped his mug of freshly ground coffee silently, his brows creased with thought. I just watched him, waiting for him to tell me his thoughts, which eventually he does.
"We can't risk going back to Millberry again and our anniversary is still a while away, I'll send an agent there for dinner, get him to ask the workers about the man, giving him their description, hopefully, they can tell us something about the men if they even are our kidnappers"
So he was doubting them, wanting to learn more about them quickly to squash his doubts. He was right about Millberry, that place was expensive and only a special occasion restaurant and bar, we couldn't show our faces there again, at least not yet.
"I want to know how he slipped out without your spy seeing," I say annoyed, picking up my own coffee that I had barely touched with it still being a bit too hot.
The day we met the men Leon had ordered someone to come and stand outside to follow him when he left but Leon's man was standing out there for hours and when he slipped inside in search of his target he wasn't there. Our theory was his man didn't get there fast enough and Edward and his nephew left just after us.
"I've been thinking about that too, there's a back entrance, I don't know why but it's possible they could have left that way" Leon answers
"I don't like elusive men" I state and Leon smirks
"Most women don't!"
I smile and blow on my coffee

Our moods picked up when I ordered us both croissants and another coffee then we left the cafe hand in hand and decided to explore the town we were in as we haven't walked the streets of the town once since moving here. The awkwardness of holding my boss' hand for longer than a minute soon disappeared as the minutes ticked by and we entered shops, attacking each other with toys and buying little cheap things just to make up for appearances of a couple out shopping.

"Leon!" I warn, about to say more as I keep my eyes forward as we walk down the busy street but Leon spoke before I could say more.
"I know" Leon keeps his eyes forward too, not wanting to look back to let on we know we're being followed.
"Let's try and get a better look at him shall we," he says steering me inside a large clothing store.

We ride the elevator to the top floor of the clothes store, our follower not joining us and Leon steers me towards a sale rail full of dresses. Leon peers around as I look through the clothes. "Anything?" I ask
"She's just come out of the lift" he says and I force myself not to look at the mention of it being a woman.
Leon pushes a few dresses aside and stops on a grey dress with a nice flower print with netted short sleeves.
"Here, try this one on," he says, taking it off the rail and handing it to me.
I smile, approving of his idea. With me in the changing room, Leon could get a good look at her.
We make our way over to the changing area and Leon takes a seat on the sofa to wait for me.
I take my time in the changing room and admire myself in the dress. It was a snug fit and looked great on. Did Leon get lucky guessing my size or did he know? I'd have to bring Leon shopping with me in the future.

I walk out in the dress and ask Leon what he thinks, spotting our follower in the distance, her cap hiding her eyes although I could tell they were looking at us. She had blond hair but her baggy clothes hid her figure. It was hard to get a good look at her with how covered up she was.
Leon holds his hand up, his fingers gesturing a circle as he stands, a silent order to twirl. I do and he walks up to me with a smile.
"You look, beautiful honey, shall we get it?"I smile and embrace him in a hug as my eyes go towards our blind stalker, currently heading towards a different rail of clothes.
"Hunnigan's running her picture through face recognition," he says before we pull apart
"Hopefully I'll have something soon" I hear Hunnigan say through my earpiece and I smile
"I'll go get changed"

Inside the changing room, Leon's voice comes through the earpiece as he gets impatient with Hunnigan
"Anything yet?"
"Not yet, the picture you sent me wasn't exactly high quality" Hunnigan admits
"It's the best I could do" Leon whispers getting agitated and I find myself laughing
"Let her do her job Leon, have you not gotten a good look at her yourself?" I ask as I step into my jeans
"No, she's keeping her distance" he admits
"Got it!" Hunnigan suddenly says causing me to halt
"Her name is Stephanie Doyle, I've got her home address"
"Send everything you've got on her to me!" Leon orders
"Sending it now"
"Thanks Hunnigan"
"Anytime"

"So what do we do about her?" I ask Leon as we leave the clothing store, Stephanie still inside, keeping a safe enough distance that any ordinary person would have no idea they were being followed.
"Nothing"
"Nothing?"
"Nothing!"