Pairings; Alice / Claire, eventually. A past version of Alice / Carlos.
Characters; K-Mart and Claire for this chapter.
Disclaimers; The story line is the only thing that belongs to me.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling.
Everything's on fire.
The war outside our door keeps raging on.


The rain pounded against the windows, while it made a lulling ding every now and then against the metal bars. "I can't sleep, Claire." K-Mart muttered under her breath, hoping Claire wasn't actually sleeping. "And, I love the Hummer. I really do. But, why…" Claire looked up and K-Mart perked up. "I knew it!" She yelled ecstatically, almost dramatically. "It's the rain, isn't it?" Claire raised a brow, before looking outside. K-Mart was her best friend, almost like a daughter to Claire. Claire would do anything for K-Mart… anything, but sometimes the younger woman just talked too much. No, Claire wasn't sleeping. She barely slept, her body felt like it was weakening each and every day, she was mentally and physically stressed. "Claire…" K-Mart's voice was soft, caring and it made Claire look back at the young woman. How did she do it? How did K-Mart always stay so positive, even in this world?

"How do you do it?" Without her even realizing, Claire had voiced her personal thoughts. While K-Mart didn't originally have a smile on her face, the younger woman's green eyes still looked positive, but right now, they looked sad. K-Mart should never, ever look sad.

"Do what Claire?" The sentence was spoken awfully soft and slow, before K-Mart wrapped both her arms around Claire's left arm, laying her head on the older woman's shoulder. Claire breathed out, with the thought of ending the conversation she didn't want to have right then and there. She could see her own green eyes, full of despair in flashes against the window pane whenever the lightning striked. Fortunately for Claire, the young woman she found surviving in a K-Mart, just barely getting by was incredibly intelligent for an 18 year old. "I just can't ever give up, Claire. What if…" K-Mart paused. "The world is messed up, but I know I'm not alone. You're my hero, Claire. Don't ever forget that. You saved me and I owe you one, I owe you a few. What if there's a chance? There's always a chance. I feel safe with you, that's all I need." And, for once in over a month, a few months - who really knows, Claire doesn't really keep track of the days, anymore - she smiled. A small smirk curled up Claire's lips. "Alright, I'm going to try and sleep, again, Claire." The young blonde exclaimed, giving Claire a squeeze and climbing ungracefully into the back, where she curled up in the same sleeping back she was using at the K-Mart Claire found the young woman at a few months prior.

What if… it was certainly good advice. She was getting tired of surviving, though. Always on the run, always moving. Right now, they were low on gas, low on food and low on ammunition. They needed a major run. Even though the odds were less then rather slim, maybe Claire would wake up and the government would save them tomorrow because tomorrow they'd have to run into a small town to gather supplies. Claire would have to risk K-Mart's life, just so they could make their trip to Alaska.

Just to hope. Claire stopped praying, she tried a few times, but obviously God had a sick sense of humor. He took her brother away a few years ago. Now she has to hope he isn't dead. She doesn't know where or what he is. Is that a fate worse then death? It's such a powerful feeling of loss, because that's what he is…. lost. At least she has K-Mart, bright company, someone to guide her from her own thoughts of being lost. Someone to protect.

She isn't alone in this world.

The redhead awoke with a start, her hand instantly going for the gun on the passenger seat. She raised it, pointing at where she heard the sound that awoke her. Then she realized she was pointing it at her best friend. Claire's face went from angry and frightened to feeling something more powerful then regret and that's coming from an accidental thought of shooting K-Mart. But, K-Mart was a different kind of beauty, she had a beautiful heart. While most of the trees around them in this countryside forest were dying or dead, K-Mart was trying with all her might to jump up and reach the one leaf that wasn't. Claire shook her head, opening the door to the Hummer and jumping out, stretching her arms over her head and feeling the satiable popping of bones, by the time she looked back at her younger friend, the woman finally got the leaf and was smiling at, just like it was the eighth wonder of the world. Maybe it was, it's hard to find anything that's living. Everything in this world is just… dead. There's no love, there's no beauty, there's just the will to survive and that's far from beautiful and enjoyable.

"We should get going." Claire called out, waving a pale hand towards the blonde. She ran her hands through her red locks, wishing the pony tail holder she had a few days ago didn't break. K-Mart practically skipped over, but for being a pleasant girl, Claire could ask until her voice broke, but K-Mart would never, ever give up the hair tie holding up her blonde locks. K-Mart climbed into the vehicle after Claire, opening the glove box and grabbing the last remnants of her make-up. "What are you doing, blondie?" Claire asked jokingly and mockingly. K-Mart just glared at Claire out of the corner of her eye. It's not like K-Mart actually has the opportunity to do it, they didn't have enough water last night for the luxury of brushing their teeth or washing their face, so K-Mart still has make-up on. But, that's the apocalypse for you. They're both still wearing the same clothes at the day they met. Yeah, they've been washed. They have extras, but just a few sets. So, Claire likes to use those as emergencies.

A tan/white tank top tucked into tan pants, a small tote on her side carrying ammo, a hunting knife strapped to her thigh and a gun in her belt. The pants were tucked into a pair of combat boots and she wears a green jacket when the nights get cold. Claire usually likes to keep the sunglasses on, even when it's dark. Maybe she can hide from the world. The younger blonde was a little more vibrant, but she had a small pocket in her vest that held bullets. She didn't carry a gun around, but a gun belonged to her in the backseat. A rifle, not something you'd expect from a sweetheart, but if you ever got a story about K-Mart's normal life, it was always hunting stories, with her father. Claire's positive K-Mart hated her family, though. K-Mart never speaks of them, nor of her real name. K-Mart has always just been K-Mart to Claire.

The ride into the town was short, until they just got there. The zombies were few in number and they parked the car, off road behind a set of dense trees. They both got out of the car and this time, K-Mart had her rifle. "Just watch the vehicle. If I'm not back in an hour, don't come looking for me. Just go." Claire always had a sense of leadership, but K-Mart stopped listening. There's no way K-Mart would travel to Alaska without Claire, especially if it was infection free. Claire deserved to see that world. Claire watched K-Mart climb to the top of the vehicle, the gun planted in both hands, ready to fire at any moment's notice.

"I don't have to worry, you'll be back." K-Mart spoke with pride, she had no doubt in Claire. Claire breathed out, a shotgun strapped to her back and two hands on her familiar small, black glock. She wouldn't call it luck, the smaller towns usually were more vacated. She only got attacked once and by the time she got to the small mart, she was incredibly cocky. Her hunting knife reeked of infected blood and that's from only two, but still she filled a duffel bag with cans and chips, grabbed water and headed out. Her heart was still beating out of her chest, though. She debated whether to get back to K-Mart or actually get the ammunition, but is there really time to decide. The blonde slid into an alley, the police station in view. She rounded the last corner, the problem was that there was a FEMA set up and this area was crowded with the undead. She could easily turn around. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.

The growl was soft, but it rang through her ears painfully. She turned around slowly. Her gun was still out and her reflexes were quick, the infected dog that jumped at her feel, but the gunshot echoed loud and the crowd of walking dead turned, instantly running, limping or crawling towards her. "Fuck." She mumbled, sweat instantly appearing on her forehead. She turned and headed back towards the Hummer and K-Mart… safety. Out of panic, she tripped, her hand catching on an old garbage can. It was torn and it ripped open her arm. The tear wasn't bad, but it was blood. She scrambled for the gun she dropped and ran, again.

But, between the sensitive, blood thirsty senses of smell the dead had and the noise of her gun, the numbers of dead seemed to be rising. Her gun went off a few more times and she was getting close, but a walking dead. One completely missing legs, reached a hand out from behind a car and she fell face first to the ground. When she grabbed her gun, again and scrambled to her feet. She was surrounded. Claire quickly found the quickest way to escape, her breathing heavy and her thoughts negative. Incredibly so. I should just give up.

Claire didn't, though. She promised K-Mart she'd stand by the blonde's side. Claire circled, a walking dead dived and she shot him, a small opening appearing. Not the way to K-Mart, but she ran. The redhead yanked open a set of doors, closing and locking them behind her. The dead crashed into them, there's no way those doors would hold them. She only had a few minutes. When she noticed the gate, a false sense of hope enlightened her. She went from only having a few minutes, to a few hours. They'd get through the gates.

"Fuck." She muttered, trying to catch her breath. She felt hopeless. "I am fucked." She muttered, again before she grabbed the nearest object and threw it. The jar shattered and it wasn't until that moment she realized she was housed in a Pharmacy. She cracked her neck. Her feet didn't stay still for long, they picked up, running towards the back. She flung the back door open without thinking. When did so much dead appear? They all growled and ran towards the door, she shut and locked the door. This one thankfully metal. The redhead grabbed a bar and shoved it through the handle, keeping it shut for longer.

There were few windows, her hope was completely dwindling. She had a walkie talkie to communicate with K-Mart, she left it off to keep from large noises through the system, but turned it on. "K-Mart." Her voice was lacking all emotion, but a chill ran through her spine when the voice that came through the other line wasn't K-Mart's at all.