Title: Wage Your Wars (4/11)
Fandom: Resident Evil (movie-verse)
Pairing: Alice Abernathy/Claire Redfield
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Claire had loved Alice once. Maybe she even still did. And she couldn't stand the idea of leaving the last person she'd ever known to travel the desolate world alone.
Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil, or Claire and Alice.
Notes: Yay, an action-y chapter!
XXX
You're like a mirror, reflecting me
Takes one to know one, so take it from me
You've been lonely
You've been lonely, too long
Dust to Dust - The Civil Wars
XXX
Alice's POV
A week had passed, and Alice could see the improvement.
Pilot was an annoying little shit at times, she wouldn't deny that. He was always curious and sometimes he climbed on her head and chewed on her ears when she was trying to sleep. But when Claire was playing with him or working on training him, she seemed like she was finally returning to herself. Her shattered pieces were reforming the mosaic that had once been her true personality.
She had her firm leader voice back, and she used it well. It had taken only a few days for Pilot to fairly consistently remember "sit" and "stay". Alice was impressed, both with Claire's training abilities and with the puppy's quick learning. Thankfully, he was quiet and didn't bark when it was unnecessary. He wasn't totally bad, and Alice was grateful he'd found them.
Claire even talked to her more. Not much more, and Alice usually had to start the conversations. But Claire would answer questions in multiple words and sentences, and she would smile at jokes. She was even becoming sarcastic again, and Alice didn't mind the teasing Claire gave her one bit. Because Claire was talking and that's really all she wanted. At least for now. One step at a time.
They were staying in a cabin outside of Colorado Springs, in the woods at the base of Pikes Peak and the smaller mountains around it. The cabin was settled among a collection of many different types of trees. A thin layer of fog blanketed over everything, just enough to curl like a whisper between the trees, but not enough to seriously corrupt visibility.
The woods hid animals. They hadn't seen any besides birds, but it was obvious there were creatures living in the trees. The infection hadn't created as much destruction here as other places, and Alice planned to take advantage of this and try to find some bigger game. Deer and elk both lived around this area. Surely she would stumble upon something.
Alice was loading her rifle at the kitchen table in the cabin when Claire sat across from her. Alice could sense the redhead's desire to speak, and she looked up and met her eyes. Claire bit her lower lip for a second, then asked, "Can I go with you? I hate sitting around like I'm worthless. I want to do something useful, not be a dead weight."
"I didn't realize you felt that way," Alice said, because Claire had been so jumpy lately and Alice had genuinely thought the redhead preferred staying behind. Oh, the consequences of not talking. Alice slid the rifle across the table, "I would have let you go all the other times if you'd mentioned it. Let me go get the other rifle and we'll head out."
Claire smiled at her, relief and a hint of excitement filling her face. Alice smiled back, squeezing Claire's shoulder as she walked by her.
Within fifteen minutes, they were ready to go. They locked Pilot in the cabin and headed out quietly into the woods. Alice set some basic snares along the path they took from the cabin, to catch squirrels and rabbits, and also prevent them from getting lost on the way back. They found a spot near a clearing and took refuge there, waiting for something to pass by.
It wasn't an incredibly interesting process. The leaves were cold and damp. The air left dew sprinkled on their skin. The silence was unnerving because the chance of an undead (or multiple undead) stumbling across them and causing problems as well as scaring away all the game was always a very real concern. Alice looked over her shoulders as much as she looked towards the clearing, and she couldn't shake the tension that always burrowed itself into her shoulders.
Alice was so focused on making sure nothing surprised them that she nearly jumped when a deer came in the clearing. She carefully aimed her gun, and right as her finger tightened on the trigger, she heard a report of gunfire from next to her. The deer's head shot up, but in a matter of a couple of seconds, it crumpled to the ground. Alice gave a low whistle, "Nice shot."
Claire gave her a smug smile and slid out from hiding. They walked over to the deer. It was a doe, a white-tail. It wasn't very old, but it would provide enough meat to last them a few days. Alice grinned at Claire, "I'm impressed."
"Thanks," Claire replied, and Alice could see the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.
Soon, they were heading back towards the cabin. Alice was carrying the deer, and Claire had a loon that they had caught in one of the snares. Alice had cracked a joke a few moments earlier, about how Claire would fit in perfectly in a flock of loons, and she couldn't drop it because Claire's facial expressions were just too hilarious, "You know, I can see the resemblance between you two." She motioned towards the dead bird, "Is that your cousin?"
"Shut up," Claire told her. Claire Redfield Death Stare, activated. Too bad it didn't really effect Alice.
Alice snickered, "Ooh, touchy. Must be your relative, then. You wouldn't be this pissy if it wasn't a family member."
"I'm not pissy," Claire argued. She gave Alice the finger, and the brunette pretended to clutch at her heart as though Claire had physically wounded her. The younger woman rolled her eyes at the dramatics, "God, Alice. You're so mature."
Alice grinned, "At least I'm not a loon!"
"I'll tell you where I'm going to put your loon," Claire muttered, waving the bird carcass at Alice threateningly. There was mock anger on her face, and Alice feigned fear at the prospect of where Claire was going to put the loon.
Claire's own expression shifted into a similar fearful one, and Alice laughed, thinking Claire was mocking her. At least for a moment. Then it hit her that the joking glint in Claire's eyes had faded away, and something heavy dropped into Alice's stomach. It was real fear on Claire's face.
Oh shit.
Alice's muscles automatically grew taught as she braced herself for whatever Claire was looking at over Alice's left shoulder.
"Duck!" Claire yelled, and Alice let the deer fall from her shoulders and dropped to the ground, rolling to the side so she could get right back on to her feet out of the path of immediate danger. Gunfire sounded from Claire's direction, and Alice looked at what the redhead was shooting at.
A mountain lion stood just feet from her. Its fur was patchy with mange. Its claws were extended, and Alice could see the muscle rippling under its coat. There was an oozing crater in its side, and Alice knew it was a result of one of Claire's bullets. It probably would have been a kill shot in an everyday situation (not that this was an everyday situation by any means, her mind decided to add). But Alice was close enough to see the creature's eyes. They were pale and cloudy blue and pupil-less, and Alice knew the creature was undead.
The realization sent hot, liquid terror pumping through her veins like molten lava beneath her skin. She scrambled for her gun and shouted, "Claire, get out of here! Now!"
Alice didn't have time to see if Claire listened. Her voice caught the cougar's attention, and it snarled in her direction. Its hackles flexed and tensed as it sat back on them, and Alice braced herself for the leap.
The mountain lion sprang like it was shot out of a slingshot, and Alice rolled to the side, hard. She fired the gun twice, but the creature moved surprisingly quickly. Her bullets pierced its torso again, but that didn't accomplish anything except making it more angry.
Faster than Alice would have imagined it could, the mountain lion shot out a paw, and her handgun was sent flying to vaguely the same area where her rifle and the dead deer had fallen off of her back in the initial roll. Alice cursed loudly and searched for her knife. It was in a holster on her boot, and she struggled to free it as adrenaline caused her hands to shake violently. Come on, come on. I don't want to die like this.
Alice hadn't realized how much she relied on her powers until now, when she desperately needed them. She also had never fought anything besides undead humans, except for dogs. But dogs were much smaller and less agile than mountain lions. She would much rather have a pack of zombie Dobermans in front of her.
But she didn't have that choice. Alice freed her knife at the same time the creature leapt again, and Alice rolled once more, knowing that if it pinned her, she had no chance. Her knife hand shot out, and she plunged it into the cougar's skull. It shrieked, and Alice knew the wound was fatal.
But not instantaneously so, apparently. The cat rounded on her again, and Alice could do nothing but brace herself. She had no more weapons. If it sunk its teeth or its claws into her, then she was doomed.
Suddenly, more gunfire rang out. The mountain lion let out another horrific shriek, then it collapsed with a surprising grace, a large paw coming to rest just inches from Alice's head.
The brunette breathed out heavily, feeling the exhalation shudder between her ribs. The creature was peppered with bullet holes, and Alice counted three in its skull. She looked over at the opposite side of the clearing, and there was Claire, Glock in hand, looking wide eyed and wild.
She rushed to Alice's side, shoving the large body of the animal out of the way. Both women were breathing hard, and Alice was glad to see she wasn't the only one who was pale and trembling. Claire's hands touched Alice's face, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Alice told her. She sat up and winced at the protests in her back and sides. She surveyed the damage mentally. Her body fought her but it wasn't a full-out riot, and Alice knew she would be fine in a couple of days. She nodded at Claire, "Pretty bruised, but I'll be okay."
Claire bit her lower lip, then replied, "Good. I'm glad you're not too badly injured."
"You didn't run," Alice said, surprised. She would have expected any sane person to run away. An angry, undead mountain lion was not something Alice would have wanted to face if she had the opportunity not to. But that was Claire, and Alice simultaneously loved and hated her selfless bravery.
Claire's eyebrows shot into her hairline at Alice's statement, "Run? Since when do I run from anything? Who do you think I am?"
Alice paused for a moment, fighting the grin that wanted to spread across her face. However, she couldn't resist it, and smiled at Claire toothily, "A loon."
"Oh my god, you asshole. Why did I even bother to save you?" Claire asked. She threw her hands up in the air in desperation.
Alice's heart was still hammering against her ribs and she still felt queasy and shaky. Lifting the deer was more painful than it should have been. She had almost just died, an occurrence that was far too common for her liking.
But it still took her ten minutes to stop laughing about the fucking loon.
XXX
Claire was lying on her back on the couch, Pilot sleeping on her legs, when she asked, "Hey, Alice?"
"Yes?" Alice responded. She was sitting on the opposite couch and cleaning her nails with a knife, but she paused and looked up at Claire's voice.
The redhead stared at the ceiling, "Can I ask something? You might think it's dumb, but I have to know."
"Shoot," Alice told her.
Claire scratched at the side of her head, a gesture she did when thinking. She opened and closed her mouth once or twice, trying to find the words. Whatever it was, it had obviously been plaguing her for a while. For a moment, Alice was worried something was seriously wrong. What could it be, though?
Finally, Claire found her voice, "Can we go to Arklay Ridge? It's a neighborhood about 50 miles outside of Raccoon City." Claire looked at Alice then, and her expression was undeniably pleading, "I used to live there. And we're heading in that direction. We could go to my old house."
"I don't know, Claire," Alice said, not even having to think about it before apprehension hit her, "Are you sure that's a good idea? We don't know what we might find there." We could find undead, or worse. Alice thought it but didn't speak it, and something told her Claire probably could sense the unspoken worry.
Claire swallowed. Her mouth quivered nervously, "I need closure, Alice. I've wanted it for five years now. And I've never been able to get it, because I had people to lead. But...now I have that chance."
Alice sighed, running a hand through her hair. It wasn't a good idea. She knew it. But she couldn't stand the sad, pleading look on Claire's face. It was desperate and begging, and Alice couldn't fight it. She looked away, trying to compose a reason to say no. But instead, she gave in, "Fine. I don't like the idea, but we'll set our course for Arklay Ridge."
Claire didn't smile, but genuine gratitude painted itself across her face. Her blue-green eyes shone, and she murmured, "Thank you so much."
Alice nodded and went back to cleaning her fingernails, praying she wouldn't regret the decision.
Dundundun. What will happen? What will they find when they go to Claire's old house? Tune in next time to see!
But seriously, dramatic TV announcer spiel aside, thank you guys for reading, and I hope you'll continue to stick with me. Feedback would be great also. I don't want to be that person who holds chapters hostage due to a lack of comments...
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