Title: A Very Undead Christmas
Summary: [AU, Afterlife]: Christmas in a Post-Apocalyptic world makes for a less than celebratory event, but then, Chris never needed a reason to celebrate. Alice/Chris.
Prompt: None
Disclaimer: "Resident Evil" and all things related are property of Capcom, Paul W.S. Anderson and Sony Pictures.
It was a well-known fact that when fall and winter rolled around, survivor morale was at it's worst. The lack of luxuries from days gone bye and the absence of loved ones made it harder to keep their spirits ups. This was made worse when certain events, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, rolled around. Life wasn't much to celebrate when there were pieces of it missing.
It was a better known fact that shopping for a girlfriend, let alone for Alice - Clint Eastwood herself -, in a world where every unsecured space was populated by the undead, was next to impossible and not recommended by sane people. Alice was not a fan of gift giving, let alone the holidays in general.
Personally, Chris never considered himself to be among the sane. He did join the military after all.
K-Mart - or "Dahlia" she revealed once just an hour after her 19th birthday ended - accompanied him on a scavenger hunt for supplies for the Arcadia in the snow covered city when he saw it. The perfect gift for Janus. The hilt of the blade, which protruded from the head of the T-virus victim, was fit for a hand such as hers and the blade itself was sharp and curved enough to suit her needs. Tactical skinners were hard to come by these days. He was surprised to come across one in a place like this.
K-Mart questioned the confidence in his choice with a simple, "How do you know she doesn't already have one?" Chris gave the young woman a wry smile. "Easy," He said. "I've seen her collection." Thus, the matter was settled with that simple reply. K-Mart didn't think it was a good idea to try to give out presents, let alone attempt to celebrate Christmas anymore, but it was Chris' decision. Not mention his funeral, she thought warily.
The scavenger hunt resulted in a few cans of beans, carrots and two packs of dried potatoes - nothing new. Alice, who had gone off on her own some time after they left, returned around the same time they did. She found six bottles of distilled water left behind by a survivor and brandished them in victory. "It's not much, but it should do for now," She explained. That night, when the survivors were settled on the lower levels of the ship and they were alone in their bedroom (the captain's quarters), Chris thought it best to reveal his Christmas present.
"Here, thought you mind like it," He said, presenting the weapon, clean of any traces of blood and gore. To say that she was surprised would be an understatement. She wasn't expecting a gift from him at all.
"Oh." Alice studied the weapon with quiet concentration, leaning across Chris' stomach when she wanted a better look at the blade in the light. Chris kept his exterior noncommittal as she ran a finger lightly across the flat of the curved blade, looking for any hint of disappointment in her green eyes. Finally, she drew away from the lantern and laid back into the bed, knife raised above her chest. Chris propped himself up on one arm and watched her with curiosity. "Well?"
Alice turned to meet his gaze, one eyebrow raised. "Well, what?"
"Do you like it?" He asked, unable to hide his expectance. If she didn't like it, he reasoned, he would always have an extra knife to use. It certainly would be smaller than the one he typically toted on his back. An eternity seemed to pass before she answered. Sliding the weapon under her pillow, she turned on her side and mirrored his position. Her fingers plucked the wool blanket absentmindedly as she replied, "I do. It's nice."
"Really?" The relief behind his question sounded odd even to his own ears so it made him feel a little better when she cracked a grin. "Yeah, I always wanted a Mini tac." A comfortable silence washed over them, Chris watched as Alice's expression gradually shifted from amused to contemplative to annoyed in a matter of moments and he could guess why.
"Did I ever tell you how much I hate the holidays?" She wondered.
"You could stand to mention is less, but, yeah," Chris chuckled.