A/N: This is a song fic for the song Travelin' Soldier by The Dixie Chicks. I'd suggest you play it on loop if you can. This is definitely Alternate universe Alice/Claire that I took some liberty with, especially after seeing this picture of Milla Jovovich from 'the milla jovovich appreciation blog' (All one word)
tumblr/ post /22748364805 / fuckyeahmichaelthompson-theres-a-distinct
With that image in mind, here's the fic. Read, enjoy, review.
Travelin' Soldier
Glancing out at the street, a thin woman clad in green army uniform sat at the bus top, her belongings in a black duffel bag. From a distance, she didn't even seem to carry her feminine appeal, what with her dark hair tied and held back, trimmed thin and fairly short. She sighed again, eyes green in the afternoon sun. She glanced up, noting a diner across the street. Glancing to her wrist watch, she decided she had enough time for a late lunch to catch the next bus.
Two days past eighteen,
He was waiting for the bus in his army greens,
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there,
She strode in, holding the door for an older woman who glanced up at her, and nodded with a smile. Once inside, she was clear to take a seat, finding a lone booth in the corner. It wasn't too busy at two in the afternoon, and she sat down, knowing what she wanted to have before she had to leave her hometown. She waited, twiddling her thumbs before a redheaded waitress came over, dressed in a pink uniform with a skirt.
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair,
He's a little shy so she gives him a smile,
"Hey, welcome to Emily's Diner." The redhead smiled, and Alice glanced up, noting the brass name tag pinned to her shirt. It read, 'Claire' in simple lettering, much the same to her own name tag that read out Pvt. Abernathy. "Anything I can get for you to drink?"
"Just water's fine," Alice replied, eyes only briefly darting from Claire's face to the menu beneath her worn and calloused hands. She couldn't help but notice how pretty the waitress was, and felt her cheeks blushing just a little.
"Do you know what you want to order, Private?" She stated, drawing out the military term until she was able to read the name tag pinned to the soldier's chest. "Abernathy?" She finished, and the brunette glanced up again, noting the bright smile on her face.
"Call me Alice," She said, voice raspy. After a moment, she was able to return a tiny shy smile. "Listen, I know you might be busy, but would you mind sittin' down for a while, and talking to me? I'm…" She paused, taking a breath. "Feeling a little low."
And he said would you mind sittin' down for a while,
And talking to me,
I'm feeling a little low.
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go.
Claire stood, and folded up her notepad used to take orders and put it back in her pocket. She glanced up at the clock, and then turned back to Alice. "I'm off in an hour, and I know where we can go." She smiled before she went off to get the soldier's glass of water, returning to the booth, noticing the brunette had a small smile on her face. Claire hoped her shift would go by quickly.
After that hour had passed, and numerous customers came and went, Claire knew her shift was over when Betty came in to take her place. She walked back to the table where Alice had stayed the entire time, reading a paper, and drinking her glass of water. Claire had her jacket over her arm, and approached her, clearing her throat to gain the other woman's attention. "C'mon. I've got a place we can go." Alice stood up, grabbing her duffel bag to sling it over her shoulder.
"Lead the way." She smiled, feeling elated for a brief moment that someone, a complete stranger agreed to sit down and talk to her.
A short walk later, down a few streets, and up towards old Victoria park, they had arrived at the side of the river. Alice liked the pleasant nature of the place, being filled with trees and plentiful gardens, it made her think of her days as a young girl at home, her mother tending the gardens out front. Claire continued to walk, right down to the pier, taking off her shoes first before sitting down, sliding her feet into the water. Alice hesitated for a moment, then set her bag down to kneel and unlace her black leather military boots, setting them aside before rolling up her green trouser legs to her knees. She let her feet then dangle into the lukewarm water, the sun off in the distance still strong.
So they went down and they sat on the pier,
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care,
I got no one to send a letter to,
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?
"So," Claire began, now that they had settled on the docks.
"I turned eighteen two days ago, and the best thing for me to do was to enlist for the war in Vietnam. Hard to get in, but… I've got no one helping me out, no one to turn to." Alice's voice was quiet, the sounds of the river almost making her hard to hear for Claire who was right next to her. Claire turned her head, instantly feeling sympathetic towards the other woman. She was roughly the same age, and yet, had no one else to turn to, unlike Claire who had an older brother, and two loving parents.
"So you've turned to a stranger, huh?" The redhead side glanced, and Alice chuckled softly under her breath.
"A very beautiful one at that." She returned quickly, and Claire's brow arched slightly above the other.
"You're too kind, really."
"I try," Alice sighed again, adjusting the tie around her neck. "Listen, I bet you've got a boyfriend, but I don't care. I've got no one to send a letter to. Would you mind, if I uh… sent one back here to you?" Claire felt a pang in her heart at the soldier's request, and nodded solemnly.
"Of course," She took out her note pad from earlier, along with the pen and wrote out her address, before tearing away the slip of paper. Alice took it from her hand, finger tips brushing against each other. She scanned it thoroughly, noting Claire's full name. Claire Redfield, 38 Arcadian Avenue. She carefully took the piece of paper, and opened one of the buttoned pockets on her shirt, sliding it in and refastening it securely. Alice set her hand down to balance herself as she sat, the water up to her ankles, refreshing on the hot autumn day. The pair fell silent for a while, as Claire didn't want to pry too much. She was sure when she got the first letter from the woman beside her, she'd find out a lot more. She figured Alice was more of the type to express herself in writing rather than struggling to say it out loud. Taking a moment to brave her own confidence, Claire reached down beside her, taking the other woman's hand in between hers, her own short fingers meeting long and slender ones. Alice glanced up, brought out of her daze by the sudden contact. Though, she didn't pull away or move, and returned the squeeze. She noted when she gazed over Claire's face, that there were tears down her cheeks. Alice's angled brows knitted together, and her jaw tensed up.
"Is there something wrong?" Alice asked curiously, and Claire sniffled a little.
"I just… to do what you're doing and to have no one, it's… it's really sad, and… I don't even know you but…" Claire dabbed at her olive green eyes with the back of her free hand. "The minute I get your letter, you can damn well bet I'm…" Another sniffle. "Writing one back to you as soon as I can."
"It…" Alice shifted for a moment, hesitant in her actions before taking her hand out of Claire's grip to put her entire arm over Claire's shoulders. Claire took a moment before leaning into the touch, resting her head on Alice's strong shoulder, watching the sun slowly begin to set.
I cried,
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy,
Too young for him they told her,
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier,
Our love will never end,
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again.
Never more to be alone when the letter said,
A soldier's coming home.
Once the afternoon had been spent, Alice had to leave for the bus to head off to the military base outside of town. Not wanting to let go quite just yet, Claire gave the taller woman a lengthy hug before seeing her off, and heading home. It was a few weeks before Claire had gotten the first letter from Alice; the writing somewhat messy but still legible. She sat on her porch on the chair-swing, and opened it up carefully.
So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam.
"Claire,
I hope things are going well. It's been quite the change at camp then what I expected. Hard being here, let me tell you, but I'm fitting in with the other guys. Another month or so here in California, then we're off to Vietnam. It scares the hell out of me. I've heard stories of soldiers out there, and what the enemy does to them if they're caught. I won't tell the details, but it hasn't made sleeping at night easy. But then, when I do have a hard time sleeping, well, I think of you and writing this letter. Gives me reassurance that I'll have someone to come home to, if that's all right with you and all.
I hope you're well, and I hope to see a letter from you soon.
-Alice Abernathy."
And he told her of his heart,
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of.
He said when it's getting kinda rough over here,
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier.
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile,
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while.
It sure enough had been a few months since Alice had started writing letters to Claire, all of which she kept in a wooden box under her bed, folded in their envelopes, kept away by the date they were received. Every time she got one in the mail from her mother, she always hurried upstairs to sit on her bed, and read it, hearing Alice's raspy voice in her head as she read the soldier's writing.
"Claire,
Finally here in Vietnam. Lots of Jungle, gunfire, and it's really, really damn hot, let me tell you. Sweating throughout the night even. I never expected it to just be this muggy. The gunfire is something you get used to the more you hear it, though you still feel uncertain sometimes if one stray bullet or two is going to come through the barracks and nail you. One gunshot's not so bad; it's the multiple ones that kill you. Guys come in, thinking they might make it, but they don't last as long as they first thought. Regardless, things are getting a little difficult. Things are starting to scare me, dying especially. But when I think of that, I instead think of that day down at the pier, and I think of your smile and your pretty face when I close my eyes at night. It's… really reassuring. For being here for me, all these times, it makes me happy on the inside. At least I have you, Claire, and believe me when I say it, you mean the world to me. Here's the bad news. I'll be going off to actually fight soon. Don't worry, but I won't be able to write for a while. In the meantime, I just want to say that… I think I'm just falling more in love with you the more I think of you, and the more I write home. Take care of yourself, as always.
Love,
-Alice."
I cried,
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy,
Too young for him they told her,
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier,
Our love will never end,
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again.
Never more to be alone when the letter said,
A soldier's coming home.
With that last letter in her possession, Claire sat up in her bed at night, thinking of the blue-green eyed woman who was writing her all the way from across the world. She felt tears welling up again as she too realised what she felt for the woman who had once been a stranger to her was now love. Claire curled up again, rereading the letter again and again in the dim light, praying for Alice, praying that she lived to come home in one piece. She then rolled out of bed once more, and tucked the letter away in its envelope, taking out the wooden box beneath her bed before putting it back in its place. She curled up in bed, clutching her pillow to her chest, trying not to let out the sob welling in the back of her throat. She didn't know how it had happened just by means of letters, but she knew she loved Alice all the same. What she didn't know, was that that letter was the last one she would ever get from Alice.
Months had past, and Claire had not heard a word. Every night she went to bed, the same prayer running through her mind that Alice was okay, that she was just busy, and didn't have access to the postal service. As the days dragged on, Claire couldn't help but think of the woman every chance she got.
One Friday night at a football game,
The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang.
Claire was in the marching band for her high school, and being the season opener football game, they were expected to put on a grand show. Many parents had shown up, including her own, and during her performance of the national anthem, she forced herself to smile. After the football game was finished, before people began to leave, a man came forth with the microphone to address the large crowd. He instructed them to hold a moment of silence for a list of local soldiers who had died in Vietnam. Claire excused herself for a moment, and found a place of solace, dreading to hear that one name she hadn't heard in months.
A man said, "Folks, would you bow your heads,
For a list of local Vietnam dead."
Crying all alone under the stands,
Was a piccolo player in the marching band.
And one name read but nobody really cared,
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair.
Claire tensed, and with tears already forming, she heard Alice Abernathy's name read out. No one really said another word before they began filing out solemnly, leaving the field, and Claire under the bleachers. She set her piccolo down, and leaned against the wooden siding of the bleachers, and cried, sobs racking her body. It was all over too soon, just like that. For what had turned from meeting a stranger, to falling in love with a soldier, to feeling grief for a loved one, Claire felt her heart breaking. If only she had gotten to know Alice more in person, she felt they could've had something even greater together.
I cried,
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy,
Too young for him they told her,
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier,
Our love will never end,
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again.
Never more to be alone when the letter said,
A soldier's coming –
I cried,
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy,
Too young for him they told her,
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier,
Our love will never end,
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again.
Never more to be alone when the letter said,
A soldier's coming home.