Author's Note: Set after the last movie, in this one-shot the survivors of arcadia settled down in Alaska, why? Because that's the way I wrote it :)
Disclaimer: If I owned RE, I wouldn't need to write about it would I? No, no I wouldn't.
XxX
"Claire!" Alice called loudly from the small kitchen, tilting her head slightly as she waited for a reply. None came, just the relentless crying that had plagued the petite cottage for almost twenty minutes. "Claire, come on!"
Still nothing…The crying continued.
Groaning inwardly Alice stormed in the direction of the noise, her boot clad feet were loud upon the floor boards, she was frustrated…actually that was an understatement, a very big understatement. By this point she wanted to draw her gun and shoot manically in the air, yes, she understood that by doing such a thing she'd effectively mimic an excited cowboy, although in this moment it seemed worth it.
Since the survivors from arcadia had started a settlement in Alaska, Alice found herself using her weapons less and less, even though that was kind of the point for even choosing Alaska to start a community in…although not completely void of the undead, it was remote. Remote enough to ensure that border patrols and night watches only came across an infected straggler once every few weeks. It wasn't perfect. However the community was quick to start building small dwellings and had even started a communal eatery, serving mainly the remaining stock from arcadia which consisted of soup, canned spaghetti and baked beans plus the occasional catch from fishing or hunting.
Groaning under her breath Alice stopped outside the room that the crying was coming from, the wooden door doing nothing to hush the ear splitting sound. She raised her hand to knock, then changing her mind mid action clumsily reached for the door handle. Should she have grabbed ear plugs? Shaking that thought out of her head Alice pushed open the door, the crying…no, screaming seemed to multiply in pitch. Yes, she should have grabbed ear plugs.
"Are you deaf?" Alice exclaimed to the room, her eyes trying to search for the woman she was looking for, to no avail. "Claire…" she lightly added and stepped further into the room, the small handmade bed was just about the only furniture to decorate the space, save for a nicely engraved writing desk next to it.
The crying didn't let up so Alice quickly walked into the room fully, turning around quickly when a soft cloth was thrown at her face, she resisted the laugh that rose in her throat as she looked to Claire, grasping the white blanket in her hand she waved it in greeting, the redhead merely glared in response.
"Are you okay?" Alice asked, smirking involuntarily when Claire exasperatedly dropped her head down, staring at the small bundle she held securely.
"It won't stop crying Alice." Her pout was cute and Alice stepped closer as she loosely pointed to Claire's arms.
"It…?" Claire nodded seriously at Alice's question, the blonde smiled widely. "It is a baby."
"Well, it won't quit with the water works!"
Alice deadpanned her look and chucked the small blanket on the bed as she moved closer to Claire, "I hadn't noticed," she said sarcastically before raising her eyebrow slowly. "You fed him?"
Claire looked offended, "Alice…" she all but whined, tilting her head slightly to the right. "Take it."
The baby was held out carefully and Alice shook her head, Claire had been adamant merely three hours before that the idea to babysit for one of the survivors was brilliant, saying that she needed something to keep her mind focused, that and the middle aged woman of the baby boy had practically begged the former convoy leader to look after her son…why, Alice wasn't too sure, maybe because Claire could never really say no to helping someone out…oh, that and the infant had a strong set of lungs. The lady was probably desperate for a break and some decent sleep.
"This was your idea Claire," Alice stated and the redhead pouted even more, "No, don't do that, you know I can't resist when you look like that…"
Claire grinned defiantly, "That's the whole point."
Sighing loudly and purposely Alice bit at her bottom lip, Claire really did look cute and Alice's one weakness seemed to be the redheads pouting features, holding out her arms she motioned for Claire to hand over the still crying baby. Seconds later the warm bundle was being passed eagerly over, the soft feel of the woolen blanket the boy was wrapped in added to the fragile appearance of the red faced infant.
There was a moment where both women simply stood in silence, Claire staring at the baby and Alice staring at her. The small cough that escaped the infant's mouth quickly captured Alice's attention and instinctively she began steadily rocking back and forth, it felt strange yet at the same time normal. After a short time the baby had calmed down, his cries just tired whimpers as he blinked slowly. Alice heard Claire shift forward to look at the infant and watched as the redhead smiled.
"How'd you do that? I've been rocking it for the last half hour and nothing happened but more crying."
Shaking her head Alice shrugged, "Guess you were doing it wrong,"
"Wrong, how could I be doing it wrong?" Asked Claire before adding, "Maybe it likes you better,"
She seemed genuinely insulted that the baby could actually judge a person at such a young age that Alice had to laugh, looking into soft eyes she again shook her head. "It could have something to do with the small fact you keep calling him, it…"
The redhead grimaced and nodded, "teach me then." Alice raised her eyebrows at the demand, "Teach me how to hold It – him, how to hold him."
"Claire…" Drawled Alice still rocking on the spot, although before she could finish her sentence two hands cupped her face, effectively cutting off her speech as Claire talked over her.
"We have him for another five hours Alice," She sounded desperate, it was cute. "He either stays in your arms for that time or he cries, cries Alice, as in ear drum rupturing, headache causing screaming…do you want that?"
Alice didn't want that.
"Hold out your arms." The blonde demanded, Claire did exactly as directed. "Remember to support his head," Alice explained as Claire took the now quiet infant from her grasp. The redhead was stiff in her movements and Alice smiled when the younger woman strategically stuck out her tongue, focusing on rocking back and forth just like she had.
"Like this?" She asked Alice paused for a second before squinting in thought, Claire seemed to pick up on it, "I'm doing it wrong aren't I?"
She was.
Well, kind of…from what Alice could tell she was moving too fast and looked more like an uptight robot than anything else.
"Here, let me…" Alice muttered as she walked behind the struggling redhead, gently placing her arms around Claire's and in a slow motion she began swaying both Claire, herself and the baby sideways. "See," she whispered into the younger woman's ear, "nothing to it."
"He's not crying." Smiled Claire and Alice lightly pressed her lips to the woman's neck, kissing softly as they continued to swing.
"Easy isn't it?" Claire lowly chuckled and Alice smiled against the soft skin of her jaw.
Claire's head tilted sideways at Alice's affection and she grinned, "You're kissing me in front of the baby,"
"You're letting me." Counted the blonde turning Claire around to face her smoothly, the redhead was grinning widely and Alice relished how such a simple gesture from the woman could make her feel like a giddy adolescent, her hand pushed back soft hair from Claire's face before she moved closer, brushing her lips against the younger woman's teasingly before she pulled back, Claire looked disappointed. "Can't be anything but G rated around him," she motioned towards the infant and Claire all but groaned.
"You're a tease!" She lowly stated, Alice nodded as she backed up a few steps, looking Claire over before smiling.
"And you're a natural."
The redhead appeared to blush and looked down at the now sleeping baby, smiling lightly.
XxX
Author's Note: I would love to know what you thought, yes I mean you, the one reading this right now...go on click that review button, you know you want to...