A/N: Another song fic, I know. But as a note, listen to Gavin Mikhail's cover version to get the full effect on Youtube. (/watch?v =lCPRagQHhBw)

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I Will Follow You into the Dark

Sun high up in the sky, hot desert sands below her feet, Alice stood before Claire, her duster coat flapping in the wind. Claire had hot tears leaving stains down her dimpled cheeks. Alice met her gaze again, bringing her hand up to cup the redhead's cheek in her calloused palm, thumb wiping away at her tears. They didn't have that much longer to be together, and both women knew it.

"Alice, please. Don't go." Claire whispered, leaning into the taller woman's touch. She felt her tears continuing to brim in her eyes, and she did her best to blink them away. Alice's gaze was somewhat distance, empty, and even cold, but Claire knew she was there, doing her best to keep herself together. There was no way that she didn't feel anything, not after what she had done for the convoy, not after what she had done for Claire, and most certainly not after what had happened in the last three days.

"I can't stay." She said simply, her voice grainy and rougher than normal, as if she was holding back a well of emotion in her throat. Claire bit down on her lip at the lack of a response. "You need to go, need to take these people to Alaska where it's safe. We talked about this."

"But Alice,"

"No," Alice's voice wavered slightly, glancing away from Claire's olive eyes. She removed her hand, retracting it back to lie still at her side, her other hand dabbing at her face. She couldn't cry, not in front of Claire. They had come to this decision the night before, and nothing was changing it now. They were running out of time.

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

"Alice?" Claire whispered, stepping in closer, reaching for the gloved hand that had previously been on her cheek. She interlocked her fingers with Alice's tightly in between both of her hands. "What about us? What if… what if I never see you again?"

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark

Alice slowly turned her eyes up again to meet Claire's gaze as contact was made with their hands. She felt shivers travel up her arm. Ever since the night by the fire, Alice hadn't been able to stop this feeling each time they touched. She had no reasonable explanation for it. Returning the hold, she raised her head again. "Claire, listen to me. We made the choice last night; we agreed that this was for the best. I have to let you go, and you have to let me go. There can't be any of this-"

"Alice, please, I can't, not after… not after what we have between us. I can't just let that go so easily." Claire argued back, her grip increasing on Alice's hand.

If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

"I thought you said that it didn't mean anything." Alice replied lowly. "That it was just a need to get a release, nothing more. I thought, I thought we could be okay after it."
"And we are, Alice. I just…"

"You're what?"

"I can't explain it, it's just- it's there. These feelings I have for you, they're more than just an attraction, and I can't let you stay behind here. What if I never see you again? What if I'll never know if you're still alive or not? What if I can't ever-" Claire paused, composing herself. "I'm afraid of forgetting how it feels… to love you."

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
"Son, fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back

Alice felt her chest muscles tighten across her sternum, her heart beating a few beats faster. "You don't love me," She paused. "You don't want to do this, Claire. People are scared of me, and hell, I'm scared of myself. I never want that to hurt you."

"I'm not scared of you, Alice.

If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

Again, silence fell between the pair, and their hands remained together. The moans of the undead could be heard, carried on by the wind in the distance, reminding Alice what they were after.
"Listen to me, I know this is hard, and I know what we have together is something else, but you cannot stay because of me. These people trust you to lead them, you can't just abandon al that you've worked hard to protect because of me. So please just… just go, get out of here before it's too late."

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

"I want to go with you." Claire replied simply, leaning back against the door of the tanker truck. Alice shook her head in frustration.

"No. Just, you can't go with me. It's…"

"A death sentence, I know, believe me." The redhead whimpered. "I want to be with you, Alice. Please," She stepped in closer to the other woman. "Don't go…" Alice closed her eyes tightly, a pair of tears pinched out. For the first time in years, she never felt more torn in her choice. She was torn between fighting for vengeance against Umbrella, and staying with a woman whom she considered both a friend, and lover, and the decision was more painful than any wound she had ever suffered from. Alice suddenly opened her blue-green eyes when Claire had closed the gap between them, planting her lips down for a kiss. Alice put her hands on Claire's face again, and the convoy leader's arms were around her waist, holding their bodies close together. She knew she hadn't swayed Alice of her decision; the woman was far too stubborn for that, but at least Claire had tried. The kiss lasted minutes, until the moans of the undead in the distance grew louder. Alice stood back, slowly catching her breath. They embraced again, and the dirty blonde stood back.

"Take care of the others, Claire." She said, finally stepping away from the redhead's tight grasp on her waist. Claire put her hand over her mouth to keep her sobs contained. She watched, moving out of the way as Alice yanked open the old rusty door of the tanker truck. The sides were littered with explosives, and the fuse was on the edge of the cabin. Claire turned her head away as the engine started, and the heavy truck moved against the sands, heading for the compound. She couldn't bear to catch one last glimpse of Alice as she drove away. She wanted their one last kiss to be her remaining memory, and not what Alice was about to do. Claire reached her familiar Hummer truck where most of their nights had been spent and before she even got inside of it, she let out choking sobs, shaking her body. This truly was a final goodbye.

You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down

A year and six months had passed. A long year and six months, and Alice Abernathy had never thought she'd be seeing the familiar olive eyes belonging to Claire Redfield glaring at her ever again. Sitting by the fire in the cold northern landscape, Alice sat silently, observing her. She didn't remember anything, having been under the control of one of Umbrella's devices clutched into her chest. It was heartbreaking; after all this time, Alice had thought that finding Claire was a miracle. Though clearly, with the lack of civilisation and other people, the proclaimed Arcadia had been a lie, and it pained Alice to realise Claire had barely escaped whatever else had taken the lives of the other survivors, including K-mart. Sitting, she fiddled with her Smith and Wesson revolvers, trying to keep her mind busy to no avail. Claire had stopped fidgeting against her holds, and simply watched the now-brunette's hands work deftly at cleaning the chambers of her large handguns.

"Alice?" Claire croaked out, her voice rough from lack of use. Alice shot her head up in shock. She never thought she would ever hear Claire's voice again, even when it was tainted rough from a sore throat. She set her revolvers down, and moved to sit down beside her. They met gazes again, and without saying another word, Alice drew the knife that Claire had used to fight her with earlier, and cut her binds. Claire let her arms fall slowly to her sides, unsure what to do with herself. Alice then cupped her dirty cheek just like she did back in Nevada.

"You remember." Alice whispered.

"And you're alive."

"Claire,"

"I never thought I was going to see you again." She replied, turning to face Alice, leaning into the familiar touch. "I thought you would've been dead."

The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
Cause we'll hold each other soon
In the blackest of rooms

In the dark sky, the moon shone down, stars blinking in the far distance of space. An owl hooted in the forest, and Alice sat closer to Claire, wrapping her arms around the redhead's torso, holding her close. Claire's tears had returned to her eyes yet again.

"What are you crying about?" Alice asked softly, wiping at them with her sleeve of her coat.

"Everything. The thought that I had lost you, and couldn't remember what you looked like, or, or tasted like. I couldn't remember that last kiss…" Alice shifted, leaning against the base of the red biplane, moving to hold Claire in her lap. She leaned in slowly, her heart beat increasing again as they made contact after so long of being apart. The kiss wasn't needy as much as it was missed. If Alice had gone on with never being able to do this again, she could live with it. Claire on the other hand needed the touch; she needed the contact to happen between them.

If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

Breaking apart, Claire snuggled close, pressing her ear against Alice's chest. She heard the steady heart beat in her ears. It was a foreign sound, one she had never had the chance to listen to in the desert. Alice was here, she was a real breathing being in holding her. Relief flooded over Claire, and she simply fell into silence again. Words did not need to be said between the two women. Alice had come back for Claire, even if it was a year and a half later. She knew that the day in the desert had torn them both apart, but now, in Alaska, here they were, reunited. Alice kissed the top of Claire's head. "I never thought I'd be coming back," Alice began. "Never thought I was going to come out of that compound alive. Once I settled some things, Tokyo happened, and I thought I was going to die again, but somehow, somehow I lived, and that was when I knew I had to come back and find you, Claire. I had something to live for because of you. Coming here, finding it empty, and realising Arcadia had been a lie, I regretted ever sending you away." She swallowed a bit, keeping her composure. Claire continued to gaze into her eyes. "Finding you here, alive… I knew I had made the right choice to follow you. I didn't recognise you until after our fight, but my gut had told me to go, and…here we are. And Claire?"

"Mm?"

"I'm never leaving your side again, I promise." She stroked Claire's cheek again, putting a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. "I promise to be here for you until the day I die. I love you, Claire," Alice paused, leaning down to kiss her lover again deeply. "… and nothing is going to ever change that."

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark