Disclaimer; I do not own RE, their characters (though I wish I did...); their plot, theme or names, and I do not claim ownership to them. However, I DO claim ownership to my writing, so please don't steal =)

Rating; T+ for some strong language and suggestive adult content.

Pair; Alice x Claire

It was a typical Thursday for the Claire and Alice. Since Thursdays were Spence's day at the Hive, Alice was free to spend them with Claire. The redhead had, in turn, taken the day off as well.

They were lunged on the couch, both still in their pajamas, watching movies. Claire was leaning heavily against the other woman, her head pillowed against her chest while one of the blond's arms was wrapped snugly around her shoulders. The movie playing on the TV was, as lame as it was, was X-Men two, but it was one of Claire's favorites, so Alice endured. The entire idea of mutants running around was beyond ridiculous to her.

After almost a year of being together, such afternoons came easily for the couple. They would lounge on the couch, or go out for a day in Racoon City, doing trivial things like shopping (which Alice likewise endured) or have lunch at their favorite little French bistro. Conversation came easily with without awkwardness, as it did with most couples in love, and they talked about everything - well, everything but Alice's job, which she was forbidden to discuss to outside parties.

They were a typical couple in love. The glances they received from pedestrians when they held hands had long ago lost their sting. The whispers they heard when they kissed on a park bench had long ago stopped bothering them. They were just Alice and Claire, and that was all that mattered to them. Besides, anyone that meant a damn to either of them looked upon their relationship with acceptance.

Yes, even Chris. It had taken some time, but Claire's brother had gotten over his issues with Alice, and she had likewise done the same with him. In fact, the two of them had found a comfortable middle ground. Chris had learned to accept Alice because he knew the blond would always put Claire before herself, and Alice had accepted Chris for the same reason. They had an understanding, and understanding had soon grown to acceptance and even fondness.

All was well in the world of Alice and Claire.

The sound of Alice's cell phone ringing reverberated over the movie, which just so happen to interrupt the part where Magneto escaped from prison, and Claire gave a frustrated sigh. Alice flashed a small smile and let it ring, focusing once more on the movie. Only a few seconds passed before the phone rang again, and it was Alice's turn to sigh in frustration. She couldn't think of many people that would call her twice in a row, especially on her day off, and it probably was something important, but important didn't fit into her plans for the day.

"Ignore it," Claire groaned, and Alice released a small chuckle, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her lovers head before reaching over and picking up the phone.

"Abernathy," she said simply, waiting for the voice on the other line to reply. She didn't have to wait long.

"There's been a situation. Report to duty immediately," the voice was male, and, though the blond didn't recognize it, she knew it to be that of an Umbrella communications officer.

"Confirmed," She said simply before she slapped the flip phone shut, instantly ending the call.

Immediate recall...an situation...None of that sounded good to Alice, and she didn't want to think about what it might mean. But one thing was certain. Things were going to hell. And if things were going to hell, she didn't have much time.

Claire sat up, passing her a confused look. "Everything okay?" The concern in the redhead's voice was enough to break Alice from her trance, and the blond returned her gaze.

"Far from it." With that, the woman stood, leaving a stunned Claire behind. Her steps were determined as she moved to the bedroom, and it only took a few seconds for the redhead to follow, still looking frazzled.

Claire leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Her green eyes moved over to spot Alice rummaging through the closet before the blond pulled out a duffel bag. Her lover walked over and sat the bag on the bed, opening it and spreading it out before she moved quickly back to the closet. Claire's brow furrowed in confusion, wondering what the older woman was doing even as she took a moment to admire her.

Alice was dressed scantly, wearing only her boxer-cut underwear and a small spaghetti string tank top. The woman's arms were heavily muscled, but not so much to be unattractive. Her biceps were well defined and sculpted, and Claire knew from experience that the blond was strong enough to easily pick her up. In fact, she had on numerous occasions to press the redhead against a wall and ravage her neck with kisses, and hold her in the shower while she gasped in ecstasy. Oh yes, Claire was well aware of what those arms could do.

The rest of the blond's body was no less impressive. The redhead knew that, underneath her thin tank top, Alice's stomach was flat and toned, with only the slight definition of abs. Her small breasts were perky and, under Claire's mouth, tasted like heaven. Her legs were no less muscled than her arms, but were always gentle when the blond wrapped them around her waist to pull her body closer. Claire was very much aware of just what a great body her lover had.

But, even as she was admiring the view, she noticed what Alice was doing. Packing. But, the blond wasn't packing her own clothes. Everything she pulled from the closet belonged to Claire. The redhead tilted her head to the side, now fully awake as she tried to figure out what the other woman was doing. Finally, after a few more moments of coming to no conclusions, she asked.

"Alice? What are you doing? Are we going somewhere?" she asked, approaching the older woman. Alice turned toward her, and the redhead found herself worried by the look on her lover's face.

"You are. I'm not," she said softly, the words striking Claire like a physical blow. Her mind began working furiously, trying to figure out what her words meant, or could possibly mean. But, one question furiously repeated itself, even amongst all the others. Was Alice leaving her? Just the thought of such a thing had her heart beating furiously, and her throat dry. She couldn't even imagine her life without the blond.

"Wh...what.." she asked, the fear in her face, apparently, evident, as Alice immediately dropped what she was doing and took a step forward. Immediately, Claire found herself in those strong, protective arms, and her thoughts went away. But her fear didn't.

"No, baby. It's not like that," Alice said immediately, putting Claire's fears to rest. The blond woman always had a talent for knowing what her lover was thinking, and vice versa. They just had a natural connection, one that ran deeper than anything either woman had ever experienced before. To her distress, Alice soon found that the woman she held in her arms was shaking. She pulled the redhead tightly into her embrace.

"Something came up...at work. Something bad," she said, pulling away to look into her lover's beautiful green eyes. "I need you to get out of the city. If something goes down, I don't want you here. I can't have you here," Alice quickly explained, watching as the fear of her leaving was replaced with fear of her lover's words.

"What's happening?" Claire asked quickly, leaning slightly into the other woman's embrace.

"I don't know," Alice lied easily, "They didn't give me details. But they wouldn't call me this early, or on vacation for that matter unless something bad was going down. Something serious," Alice answered, moving back toward the closet and grabbing the rest of Claire's clothes. Once she had placed them into the duffel bag and zipped it up, she turned back toward the redhead. She opened her arms silently, waiting for her lover to come into her arms. Claire was only too happy to comply, quickly moving into the blonde's embrace.

"I need you to listen to me, Claire," Alice said as she held the woman in her arms tightly, making sure every word was closely accentuated, so she would understand the seriousness of the situation. "You have to get out of the city. You get Chris and you get out of the city. Go anywhere, but don't stay here, and don't come back until I either come for you or call you. Don't tell anyone where you're going, or why. Not even work. Just go. Do you understand?" she asked, pulling back to look intently at the woman she loved more than life itself. Claire could feel the pressure of the dire situation they were in, and the look in her eyes showed it.

"I want you to know," the blond said softly, reaching up her hands to cup the others cheeks, "that I love you more than anything in the world." With that, she bent her head and placed a soft kiss on the redhead's lips. But soon, passion took over, and both women were pressed against one another feverishly, each trying desperately to savor as much time as they had.

"I'll leave," Claire said, as they broke apart, looking deeply into Alice's bright blue eyes, "On one condition." Alice's relief quickly turned to hesitation, and she waited for the shorter woman to continue. "I'll leave if you promise me that you'll come back to me. Promise me, Alice. I can't leave knowing that I will never see you again," Claire pleaded, her own hands reaching up to caress Alice's face in return.

"Nothing could ever keep me apart from you. Not Umbrella, not the end of the world, not even death," the blond whispered feverishly before crushing her lips down on Claire's, as if to seal the promise. But, the redhead pulled apart after a second.

"You didn't promise," she whispered, her eyes fearful. Alice couldn't resist a small smile at the redhead's stubbornness.

"I promise." Once more, their lips met, the shorter woman's arm's reaching up to wrap around the other woman's neck, deepening the kiss in an attempt to make the moment last forever. But, in the back of her mind, Alice's words kept repeating themselves. 'Not the end of the world...Not the end of the world...'

Finally, the pair pulled apart and moved almost as one, each woman going separate ways without another word. The worried, loving glances they threw to each other on occasion said everything words couldn't. Claire began dressing in the few clothes she had left, pulling on a pair of tight fitting jeans and a worn ACDC t-shirt. She pulled on a pair of old, black combat boots she had picked up from an army consignment shop, and took the extra time to turn to watch Alice.

The blond's outfit was a bit more extensive. Firstly, she slipped on a pair of black pants, the clinging fabric accentuating her firm calf and thigh muscles perfectly, much to Claire's delight. Next, on top of her black bra and thin creme tank top, she pulled on her Umbrella issue Kevlar vest, just as a precaution and, over that, a long sleeve sweater sporting the Umbrella logo on the arm. On top of the sweater came her 'name vest' as she called it, or a thick vest which had a rather large Umbrella logo printed on it, and the name 'Abernathy' painted in white across her shoulder blades. Alice, as well as Claire, slipped on her black combat boots, though her own were distinctly less worn and brightly polished. After that came weapons.

Moving over to the dresser, she pulled open the top drawer and typed in the seven-digit access code, waiting for the screen to pull back and reveal her most prized possessions, aside, of coarse, from Claire. But, holsters came first. Around her waist she snapped a utility belt, complete with holster's for two Heckler & Koch MP7A1 sub-machine guns as well as pockets for numerous other weapons, including places for multiple shurikens, a couple of hand grenades, and a bowie knife. At the back of the belt were multiple slots for spare magazines. To her thighs she strapped holsters for two twin Para-Ordnance Nite-Tac pistols. On top of her identification vest, she put on her shoulder holster, which had a place between her shoulder blades for a Katana sword, and holsters for two pistols at her sides.

Now that her holsters were in place, it was time to accessorize. One by one, she pulled the firearms from their respective places in the weapons case, checking to make sure all were loaded and undamaged before slipping them into their holsters. Next, she removed her sword and easily slid it into the place on her back, ready to slice and dice in an instant. After that, she pulled her shuirkens out and slipped them into their places on her belt before they were joined by two grenades and four magazine clips; two for her Nite-tac's and two for her Heckler & Kocks. The small Smith and Wesson pistols resting at her sides were really only backups, so they didn't merit any extra ammunition. Next, she slipped a dangerous looking bowie knife at her side, before slipping another into her boot. All in all, dressed in full Umbrella issue combat gear, Alice was nothing less than terrifying.

Claire looked with awe at her lover for, though she knew that the blond was extensively trained in combat, not to mention dangerous as hell, she had never seen the other woman look so incredibly intimidating. Claire actually found herself slightly afraid of the woman she loved. Now completely dressed, Alice turned toward Claire, seeing she was too. As if in afterthought, Alice reached back into the weapons case and pulled out a Glock 17 pistol and two spare magazines before pressing a button and watching the case once more lock.

She approached Claire with a serious look in her eyes. Without a word, she grabbed Claire's hand and placed the sleek black handgun into her palm. Claire looked up at her questionably, but took the weapon nonetheless. If Alice was giving her a gun, things must be really bad. Not only a gun, either, but spare clips. Claire couldn't imagine what she would need the seventeen rounds already in the gun for, let alone thirty-four extra.

"Do you remember how to use it?" the blond asked, her blue eyes serious and concerned.

"Yes," Claire said confidently, all the times Alice and Chris had taken her to the shooting range coming back into her mind.

At the time, it had seemed like just an out-of-the-box way to spend the time, but now she realized what it had really been; they had been preparing her. For what, she didn't know, but she knew it was no joke. In that instant, all the times Alice and Chris had shared a concerned look came back to her as well, but she had passed that off as well. Now, she knew that the pair knew something she didn't, and it worried her.

Silently, Alice grabbed the duffel bag, quickly tossing the extra ammunition in a side pocket, with one hand and held her other out for the redhead. Without a word, Claire grasped the hand offered to her and went along with her lover, cold dread filling her as Alice lead her toward the garage that attached to the small apartment they shared. Flicking on the lights and grabbing the two sets of keys hanging on the wall next to the door, Alice released her lovers hand and moved toward the yellow hummer, opening the back door and tossing the bag inside. Quickly, she moved toward the far corner of the garage and grabbed another bag, filled with emergency food and water, and tossed it in the back as well.

"You take the hummer. I'll take the jeep," the blond said, moving back toward the woman and handing her the set of keys for the reinforced Umbrella vehicle.

Unlike most Umbrella possessions, however, the bright yellow vehicle lacked the red and white logo, for which Claire was grateful. She nodded slowly, walking toward the driver side door. Before she ever had time to open it and slip into the leather seat, Alice had flipped her around and pressed her body against the yellow vehicle, her lips crashing down on the redheads with need. Claire was only too happy to return the kiss, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck and pulling her as close as possible, which, to her disappointment, wasn't as close as she would have liked due to the combat gear her lover was sporting.

The kiss ended much sooner than she would have wanted, but she allowed the blond to pull back, her green eyes meeting blue. "Remember what I told you. Get out of the city, no matter what. As soon as possible," Alice whispered fervently, her eyes desperate.

"Remember your promise," she replied just as desperately, knowing full well this could be the last time she saw the woman she loved.

"I will if you will," the blond teased, whispering against the redheads lips with a small smile. "I love you." Their lips pressed together one more, desperate time before Alice finally forced herself to back away and move toward the sleek black jeep parked beside the hummer. Unlike the hummer, the bright logo of the most powerful commercial entity in the world was painted on both the passenger and driver side door.

"Alice!" Claire called beside the yellow hummer's open driver side door, waiting for the blond to turn and look at her before she continued. "I love you too." The words held every ounce of emotion the redhead felt at the moment; Fear- mostly for her lover-, uncertainty, hesitation and, lastly, love. Alice flashed her a smile before blowing her a kiss, and with that, Claire pulled herself into the drivers seat, slammed the door shut, and revved the engine.

Comments; Yes, Alice is combat gear would be terrifying, not to mention the hottest thing in the world. 'Jus sayin'. Be jealous of the images in my mind after writing that. You should be. Their great images. -waggles eyebrows- You gotta love Claire in jeans and an ACDC t-shirt too.

I thought it would be cute if Claire's precious hummer and Glock 17 were from Alice...you know, the last things she has of her and all that. AH-DORABLE.

There will probably only be one (maybe two) more chapters for this story, but don't worry. The sequel is already planned ;D