𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 • 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎 : 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ( 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐 )

   Anna sat quietly, looking at the S.T.A.R.S patch that she held in her hand. This had been the key to changing her life. Her going S.T.A.R.S lead her to Umbrella. She didn't know specifically how but it did. Joining them, led her to Wesker and to becoming what she was today. So many questions rattled around her brain. Why had joining this been so important to her? Why did she do this? Who had the answers besides herself? The answers she had been blocked by her memory loss. Somewhere behind the wall were those memories, those feelings she should feel when being in the presence of the family that she hadn't seen in so long. Her fingers ran over the stitching as she sat lost in her own thoughts. She wanted answers so desperately. She wanted to know who she had been before all this. The woman that had been stripped away and hidden so long from her. These pictures, this box of stuff was only pieces of the puzzle that she didn't even have a picture to follow. Would the memories ever come back to her or was she stuck like this? Reaching for the clues, so close yet so far away from the answers to all of it. Would it slowly come back over time or would it all come back at once?

   A hand gently touching her wrist and soft voice broke her out of her trance, bringing her back into the real world. Back to where she was, sitting on Leon's couch in his living room. She glanced up, looking over at the blue eyes that were staring at her.

   "It will come back eventually." Leon said, a tiny, optimistic smile on his face.

   Chris and Claire had left a short time ago, leaving her boxes of clothes and a few other possessions. It was going to be nice to get into her own clothes, not that she minded being in his. She nodded a bit. It helped that he seemed so hopeful, that he believed she would get them back, that she would remember her life. Leon stood, grabbing the other box of her stuff, bringing it over for her to look through. Anna looked inside, pulling out various CDs and books. She looked through them, reading the titles and artists. Leon looked through them with her, chuckling as he looked at some of the CDs.

"What?" Anna asked with a soft laugh.

"Nothing, just didn't take you for a girl who liked The Eagles." He said, holding up the one CD.

"Well I didn't know, I don't even remember any of these." Anna said, rolling her eyes with a smile. She looked through the other things, a high school class ring, a few picture frames containing family photos. She sighed softly, wishing she could feel some sort of emotion as she looked through all of this. Leon noticed how sad this all was making her. He stood up and walked over to his radio, putting the CD in.

"Come on blondie." He teased, grabbing her hands and pulling her over. He pressed play, voices filling the living room. Anna gave him a confused looked as he put his hand on her waist and held her other one.

"I don't know how to dance Leon." Anna said as he started to move them. She was already stumbling over her feet.

"Don't think of it as dancing. Think of it as just sparring with a partner, working together." Leon said with a lopsided smirk. Anna nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She glanced down at their feet, not wanting to step on his toes. Leon chuckled, lifting her chin up.

"Eyes on me."

Anna took a breath, her blues looking at his own as he started to lead them, the song filling her ears.

It's another tequila sunrise

Anna let him lead her, listening as he would tell her instructions in a quiet voice. He led her into a spin, Anna letting her body go with it as she went under his arm. She looked up at him as she finished the spin, stumbling a little. She laughed, her cheeks turning a faint pink. Leon couldn't help but laugh in response. He made sure they didn't stop, keeping the time as the song played for them.

Oh and it's a hollow feelin'

She was getting more comfortable and confident in her movements as the song went on. Leon spun her out and spun her back in, seeing the wide grin on her face as she collided with him when he brought her back. Her smile was so contagious. He was happy that he was able to bring her away from her thoughts and get her to smile again. It was odd for him to not be alone. It was the first time he had actually had someone with him in this house. It was a nice change for once. The kind of break he needed for his missions. As the song slowed down and ended, the two stood swaying in the middle of the living room.

"Thank you, for all of your help Leon." Anna said quietly. Leon smiled and nodded his head, stopping their swaying.

"You don't have to thank me, after all I owe you one for the help back on the island." He said. Anna nodded with a smile. She tucked a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes glancing downward at their feet.

"Come on, you should get some sleep. The DSO wants to talk to you tomorrow." He said, letting go of her. Anna sighed, knowing he was right. She would need some rest before being questioned by them. She headed upstairs and to her room, Leon behind her and heading to his own room.

"Goodnight blondie."