The Sound of Silence: Fire in the Dark, Fanfiction Book #2

Prologue (The Sound of Silence)

"Mom?"

Leon blinked blearily as he peered at little Cristiana. She stood at the edge of the bed, her hair half over her face, her eyes beautiful oaken brown. With her was little brother Finley, looking at their mother rather curiously. Leon's eyes hurt, his whole body hurt, even deep to his bones. He frowned, dwelling into thoughts...

After a happy and quiet marriage of close to four years now, Chris Redfield was called away by Blue Umbrella to handle a bioweapon attack in Louisiana. Then, for some mysterious reason, Chris never came home. Patiently Leon waited, checking in with Hunnigan and Claire as days passed into weeks. But as the first year passed, Leon began to worry. His checking in grew more constant, but once again, no one heard a word. Leon's searching lessened as the next months passed...

It had been years...and still, no one, not Nadya, not DC, no one of the Silver Daggers branch of the BSAA heard a single word from Chris Redfield. Not even from Claire, nor from Hunnigan.

"Mom...we're hungry, and Cristi can't cook."

"Shut up, you!"

Leon blinked back at Cristiana, now a beautiful young lady of thirteen years old with the prettiest of dark brown hair. Her eyes were oaken brown, just like her father. Finley had more of Leon's younger features even at twelve, his brassy blond hair short with one tuft over his forehead and eyes like icy blue. He smiled, forcing himself to sit up. He told them, "Okay, I'll make breakfast."

"Mom," Finley asked him in a nigh near unrecognizably deep voice, "Are we going to be going to school late?"

Leon sat for a moment. He slapped a palm on his forehead and ran a hand through his hair, now a snowy white instead of blond; shit, he must have overslept. He told them, "It's Friday. I think the teachers can excuse you for today. I'm sorry kids, I didn't mean to oversleep...I just had a headache..."

He stood up from the bed to their level. He told them, "I'll work on breakfast. Just tell me what you'd like."

Cristi and Finley nodded. However, they looked at each other, then Cristi asked, "Mom..is Dad ever coming home? Doesn't he love us?"

Leon frowned. He braved a shuddering inhale; Christ it hurt, that phantasmal darkness that was depression gnawing at the back of his mind. He told them, "We're doing the best we can. Aunt Hunnigan and Aunt Claire are keeping ears out for him, and Nadya and DC are keeping eyes out. I promise he is going to come home."

He hugged them both. He told them, "He loves you both, very much. Okay? He loves you and he's never going to forget you."

The kids hugged their mother tightly. His daughter told him, "We miss him...we want him home."

"I know you do," Leon sighed softly. He then parted and asked, "So, how about it? Breakfast?"

The kids nodded. Leon made his way to the kitchen, picking up a skillet as he went. He peeked into the fridge and pulled out eggs, then milk, butter, salt, pepper, bacon, and some bread to toast on the oven. As they sat down and Leon worked away on breakfast, his phone chirped, telling him he had a call incoming. He looked over, seeing that it was Hunnigan.

He picked it up in a hurry and propped it on his shoulder, listening. "Hunnigan? Anything?"

"Leon," Hunnigan gasped in relief on the other end. "Thank goodness you're okay. Listen, we've found Chris Redfield."

Leon perked. He asked while he whisked away at his eggs, "Where is Chris?"

"He's somewhere in Romania, Europe," Hunnigan explained, "We intercepted a contact between Blue Umbrella and the BSAA Headquarters, something about Chris Redfield taking an assignment there."