The Sound of Silence, A Resident Evil Fanfiction

Finley Piers

Going to the hospital was not the original plan.

No sir. No it was not. No, the original plan was that Finley came on time like he was supposed to, not one day early. Or in this case, not four weeks early!!!

Leon found himself bed bound, curling tightly to Chris' hand as Ashley walked the other nurses through his laboring condition. They checked his dilation and found that he was, by some saving grace, in the starting process.

But as for the epidural, since Leon was already in labor, they were worried that giving him one would be dangerous for the baby. Leon did not protest at all; if anything, he didn't like the idea of anything in his spine, since the Plagas womb would have been too close to potential damage. As the nurses departed to let his womb dilate, as they told Chris they'd check in on him every fifteen minutes or so, Leon found himself remembering when Cristiana was born. It felt too familiar, the frightening tension and the worry he had for the baby.

He grimaced and squeezed Chris' hand as tightly as he could, holding it for a few seconds, then letting go once the spasm let up. He huffed tiredly. He was so done. He hated labor. He hated being in pain.

He just hated his circumstances at the moment.

"Oh fuck...!" He managed to choke out. His throat felt dry. He needed water, something. He patted Chris' hand. "Water...please..."

"I need you to let go of my hand first, I packed some." Chris said gently, his voice as reassuring as could be. Cristi sat in her carseat beside him, contentedly sucking on her pacifier, holding her favorite blanket.

Leon nodded and let go. He glanced to Cristiana and asked Chris, "You think she's okay? Did we change her before we got here? Has she eaten ye -- AGH...!"

He gritted his teeth and curled. CHRISTFORSAKEN IT HURT!!! He counted in his mind, finally letting out a tired groan as it subsided. He whimpered and looked at Chris.

"I love you, I hope you know that," He pouted. "But I'm NOT enjoying the idea of having MORE babies after this one...!"

"I can accept that." Chris said gently, before nodding. "She was changed while we waited on the ambulance. And just finished her bottle while the nurses were in here checking on you."

Leon nodded. Good, so she was okay. Fed, changed, good.

All good.

He looked at Chris. He asked, "You think Finley will be okay? This is too early for him! What if something goes wrong?"

Leon rattled off a list of what ifs, his mind unquestionably running over a hundred miles an hour.

"Hey, hey Leon." Chris gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "He seems to think he's ready, and I'm sure everything will be alright, okay? Stressing makes it worse, I think I read somewhere, and we don't want you in more pain than you're in now."

Leon's head bowed, squeezing Chris' hand painfully tight. Stressing? Of course he was stressing! Finley was early! Not on time, not late, EARLY!

And right as the new house is halfway done!

Leon let out a choked breath as a nurse came in. She checked his dilation, and as her hand pulled away, Leon spotted just a small streak of red on her gloves. He panicked.

"Nurse?" He tried to sit up. "Is Fin going to be okay?"

The nurse smiled and told him, "That's normal. Your contractions are regular, and it feels like you're dilating smoothly. The blood might be from the placenta as it prepares to leave the womb. Just means you'll have an easy delivery, just calm down."

Leon frowned and lied back. The contractions were growing more painful, and it was getting harder to talk. It was scaring Leon, as the man found himself just fixated on Chris' hand in his.

Chris placed both hands around Leon's, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm right here, Leon. I'm right here and I'm not leaving, alright? Just breathe for me."

Leon watched Chris. It was something about that smile, those deep brown orbs, that started to calm him down. He thought about the Colorado mountains, the miles upon miles of forest on the drive there. The smell of crisp clean air. The smell of what life was supposed to be like.

Painfully, but steadily, he started to control his breaths. He listened to Chris, timing his with his spouse's breathing. Focus. Focus on breathing. He was fine. He was safe.

A good hour passed, and finally the nurses began readying Leon to deliver. When it came to Chris, however, they asked Leon; did he want Chris to stay, or leave?

The agent was unsure of how to answer, so he looked at Chris. The captain had just as much of a say as he did.

"Do you want me to stay?" Chris asked, his voice ever so gentle, and ever so low. His foot gentle rocked the sleeping Cristi, his hand still in Leon's.

Leon found himself nodding. He wanted Chris to stay. Even if the Captain managed to soothe him, he was still afraid of being left alone. He told the nurses, "Let him stay, please."

They did not object. They went on about their business, propping his legs up. Leon winced, but he was thankful that he wasn't being made to lie back. It would have doubled the amount of excruciating pain he was already in.

"Ready to push Leon?" One nurse asked. Leon just nodded; he was ready for the baby. He was done with this labor pain, and he wanted it to be over. He gave Chris' hand a squeeze. The moment they told him to push, he did. He leaned as hard as his legs would allow, counting until they told him to relax. A catch of breath, then another.

Fifteen short minutes, and it was not long before the nurses gave Chris a kicking, screaming baby who, impressively, was at a healthy weight of seven pounds, eight ounces. Early, yes...but healthy.

"He looks just like you." Chris said gently, kissing the top of Leon's head, holding the new baby in his arms.

"Right down to your angry face."

Leon scowled. He grumbled at Chris tartly, "Shut up and hold him..."

He leaned forward, one last good push, to evict the afterbirth. He lied back with a relieved sigh, then looked over. He asked, "Can I see?"

Chris sat down beside Leon, leaning over so his husband could see Finley. "He's all healthy too, so the nurses said, so no need to worry about him being early."

"Heh," Leon managed a tired laugh. He smiled as Finley settled, having had his scream fest. At least they knew his lungs were clear, with how shrill he was crying moments ago. Still, as Leon peered at the newborn, there were remarkable features that were more his than Arias'. He had Leon's chin, and dark blond hair, and no doubt his brows.

He would be a handsome boy when he would get older. Leon smiled at the thought and leaned on Chris. He let out a content sigh.

"Chris?" He started.

"Yes my darling husband?" Chris asked, resting his head on top of Leon's, bouncing Finley in his arms gently. "What can I do for you?"

Leon smiled.

"Stay with me..." he mumbled happily. "Just stay...don't leave me."

He nuzzled Chris' arm, settling down to dozing on the man. He mumbled sleeply, "Thanks for being with me...thanks for not leaving me alone..."

"I will never leave you, Leon. Not now, not ever." Chris kissed the top of Leon's head as the man dozed. "And out of everyone else in the entire universe, I'm so very happy I have a family with you."

Leon just smiled. He liked the sound of that promise.

No. It wasn't just any promise. It was the promise. It was Chris Redfield, Captain of the BSAA's sworn promise, to never leave Leon S. Kennedy, Head Agent of the Division of Security Ops, and "mother" of Cristiana Scotia and Finley Piers. It was a promise enough to break Leon's sound of silence in his heart, and fill it with the sound of love...