A/N: When I started this, it was meant to be a quick one-shot. Now, I think it just has to be told because it won't get out of my head. I don't know how frequently I will update since my focus is really on Mass Effect right now but I will try to update at least every few weeks.

This is set during the Extinction timeline but will only loosely follow the plot.

Anything in italics is a thought, memory, dream...you get the picture.

I'm just borrowing the Resident Evil universe for my story.

The Fire in Your Eyes- Chapter 6

Claire walked through the camp making sure things were going smoothly. After burying Josh and Elaine, the convoy had settled back to their normal routine. Once Otto made the announcement that they would be having a veritable feast thanks to Alice, the mood in camp improved a great deal. Dinner had been lavish compared to their normal fare. Claire finished her normal nightly routine of checking in with everyone then called a meeting to discuss their plans for tomorrow. They were in the back of the transport truck Carlos normally drove. Carlos, L.J., Chase and a newer member of the convoy, Frank, were there. Frank had been with them for almost a year and had challenged Claire more often than she could count over decisions she had made. She thought he was an egotistical asshole but he was also a former Navy Seal and his input in these planning meetings had been invaluable. She had also invited Alice since she had actually been in the town and could provide them with needed information. The planning had gone well and Claire felt good about their strategy for picking the place clean. As they were breaking up for the night, Frank voiced his concerns about Alice being in the camp. He felt that she couldn't be trusted because she was too dangerous and an unknown. He didn't actually say it but he implied that she was not completely human…more like some sort of genetic mutant or monster. Claire looked to Alice at his words. She saw the pain Alice was trying hard to hide and it made her want to beat Frank until he shut his fucking mouth. Since starting the convoy, Claire had made a point of listening to everyone's concerns, ideas or those who just needed to vent. This time, however, she was finding it extremely difficult to allow Frank to continue. As Frank kept talking, he became more agitated with every word, insisting that he was not the only one that felt this way. Alice quietly got up and left the truck. Claire had reached her limit.

Claire raised her head and looked at Frank with deadly serious eyes. Her voice was calm, too calm if you knew her well. Carlos, L.J. and Chase knew Claire well and knew that she was okay when she yelled at you. It was when she was so angry that she was beyond yelling that made them nervous. "Frank, shut the fuck up."

"I'm part of this convoy and I have a right to voice my opinion."

Claire stood. "I'm the leader of this convoy and I have the right to tell you to shut the fuck up when I don't like your opinion. Alice is staying as long as she wants to stay. Personally, I hope she never leaves. If you don't like it, you're free to go your own way and take anyone else who feels the way you do with you. You should be able to get all the supplies you need in the town tomorrow."

Frank opened his mouth to respond but didn't have the chance before Claire grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulled him to his feet and leaned toward him. Carlos, L.J. and Chase were now standing at her back, their rigid faces a warning to Frank that he better not even think about touching Claire.

"Don't say another fucking word to me about this, Frank. Alice is worth a thousand of you." She let go of his shirt and pushed him back. She could feel the anger radiating from him as he left the truck. She asked the three men with her to keep an eye on Frank for the next few days before turning to leave.

Carlos cleared his throat. "Claire, what if he wants to leave…take others with him?"

"If that's his decision, then let him go. Make sure the vehicles are secured. I don't want him leaving with one of them."

Chase rarely said much of anything and never wasted his time complaining about others. "I hope the bastard leaves. All he does is complain about everything. He's nothing but trouble."

L.J. very colorfully agreed and managed to get a small smile out of Claire before she jumped from the back of the truck.

TTTTTTTTTT

Alice left the truck and leaned against the side. She had known this would happen and was surprised that it had taken the entire day. Expecting it didn't mean that it didn't hurt. It made her want to run, get away from these people and go back to her solitary life. If not for Claire, she would leave. She pushed off the truck to get her things from the Hummer so she could find a place as far away from the others as possible. When she heard Claire speaking, she paused to listen. When Frank left the truck, Alice, smiling to herself at Claire's defense of her, made her way to the Hummer. K-mart's head shot up from the back seat when Alice opened the cargo door.

"Hey, K-mart, didn't mean to wake you. I just need to get my stuff."

"Aren't you sleeping in the Hummer? Where are you going? You're not leaving are you?"

"I'm not leaving. I just want to find a quiet spot for the night. See you in the morning."

Alice reached for the cargo door to close it. "Alice."

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're staying with us. Thank you for saving Claire's ass today."

"I don't think Claire likes it when you swear."

"Claire talks like a fucking sailor so she can't complain about me."

Alice smiled, starting to understand why K-mart meant so much to Claire. "And for the record, Claire saved my ass today too. Night, K-mart."

"Good night, Alice." K-mart settled back down wondered what had made Alice look so sad.

Alice slung her bags over the motorcycle she had taken from the town and pushed it to the very edge of the perimeter. It was as far away from the others as she could get and still be in the camp. She took a blanket from her bag, wrapped it around herself, leaned back against her bags and stared at the billions of stars dotting the night sky. Feeling the loneliness that had been her constant companion for years squeeze her heart, she closed her eyes and thought about Claire Redfield and the things she said to Frank.

TTTTTTTTTT

Claire left the truck and went straight to the Hummer to find Alice. As she approached, she noticed the motorcycle was missing. She opened the Hummer's cargo door and saw that Alice's bags were missing. If she left, I'll fucking kill you, Frank.

"K, you awake? K-mart?"

"Claire? What's wrong?"

Claire's voice was shaky when she spoke. "Have you seen Alice?"

"She came by to get her stuff. She said she wanted to find a quiet spot for the night."

"What else did she say? Was she upset?"

"She looked sad." K-mart was not used to seeing Claire on edge like this. She realized that Claire was afraid Alice had left. "I asked her if she was leaving. She said that she wasn't and would see me in the morning."

"Okay, good. Go back to sleep, K."

Claire closed the door and walked the perimeter of the camp until she saw Alice sitting alone, a worn blanket wrapped around her. Her pounding heart slowed now that she knew Alice was still with her.

"Alice."

"Hey, Claire. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I don't sleep much most nights. Mind if I join you?"

Alice patted the ground beside her. "The accommodations aren't much unless you're a sucker for a sky full of stars."

Claire sat down beside Alice and looked up at the sky. "You okay?"

"I'm fine Claire. You don't need to worry about my hurt feelings. You already have too many worries…probably why you don't sleep much."

"Frank's been trouble since he joined us. I told him to leave if he couldn't shut his fucking mouth. Honestly, I hope he does leave."

"I heard."

"Oh, you did?"

Alice couldn't keep the smile off her face. "I'm worth a thousand Franks, huh?"

Claire had butterflies flying around in her stomach. She felt like she was 14 years old again trying to tell Billy Jones that she liked him. "Yeah, you are. When I went back to the Hummer, I thought you were gone."

"I won't leave without telling you, Claire."

"Are you planning to leave?"

Alice had thought about leaving but she didn't plan on going anywhere as long as Claire wanted her to stay. "No, I have no plans to leave."

"Good. You know, you don't need to sleep out here. We can make room in the Hummer. It might be crowded but it's safer for you."

"It's probably best if I just stay here. You should go get some sleep. Tomorrow will be busy."

Claire wanted to stay with Alice but didn't really have a reason to delay going back to the Hummer. "See you in the morning."

"Good night, Claire. Thanks for defending me."

"Any time."

Alice felt her loneliness return as she watched Claire walk away from her isolated corner of camp.

TTTTTTTTTT

Claire climbed in the Hummer and closed the door as quietly as possible so she wouldn't wake K-mart again. She was exhausted after the past few days. She knew sleep wouldn't come quickly because her mind was filled with too many thoughts screaming for her attention, mostly concerning Alice. She had been terrified that Alice wouldn't be coming back when she went in to the town today, terrified that she would leave after the incident with Frank. The thought of Alice leaving squeezed Claire's heart and left her feeling nauseous. She told herself that it was because she wanted to help Alice find a place where she could belong, a place where she wouldn't have to be alone anymore. Sighing, Claire grabbed her blanket and pulled it over herself wondering if Alice was cold with only the thin, worn out blanket she was using. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind so she could sleep. She was almost successful. She had just started to drift off when she remembered the jealousy she felt earlier. It was obvious that Carlos was interested in Alice. Claire remembered the way Carlos was looking at Alice and then there was the kiss. There was no reason she should be jealous of Carlos kissing Alice. It wasn't like she had any sort of romantic interest in Carlos. Even if she was attracted to him, she had never been jealous a day in her life. Shit! Am I interested in Alice? No, I've never been attracted to women. Shit. Okay, slow down Claire. I think Alice is attractive but that's not so unusual. I think Betty is attractive too. That doesn't mean anything. Of course Betty doesn't send my heart racing and I don't ache to be near her or have the urge to put my hands all over her when I am near her. Fuck. I'm attracted to Alice. Okay, I can deal with that. At least I know why I've been feeling all messed up. It's okay to be attracted to someone. I just have to keep it hidden and not let Alice find out. God, what would she think of me if she knew? Claire's thoughts tumbled around in her head for the next few hours until her exhaustion finally won out.

TTTTTTTTTT

The next morning, despite only a couple of hours of sleep, Claire was awake before dawn. She looked back at K-mart, smiling at the sweet look on her face when she was sleeping. She pulled K-mart's blanket up and left the Hummer. The camp was quiet at this time of morning. Claire had always enjoyed this time alone before the others were awake, making demands of her. Today, she didn't want to be alone. She walked to Otto's truck, hoping he had put the coffee Alice found yesterday to good use. She could smell it before she reached the truck.

"Otto, I think I love you. That smells wonderful. Can I have a couple of cups?"

Otto took two cups and poured the coffee. "It does smell good, doesn't it? Brings back memories of before the world went to hell. I've got some of those little sugar packets."

"Give me a couple of those, too. Thanks Otto."

Claire took the coffee and sugar packets. She started walking through the camp hoping Alice liked coffee. Her face flushed slightly as she remembered her revelations from the night before. She could see Alice sitting in the same spot, looking out toward the town. Alice turned when she heard Claire approaching which made Claire nearly stumbled as Alice's face lit up in an amazing smile directed at her.

"I hope you like coffee."

Alice stood and took a cup from Claire. "I love it. Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me. You found it. I have sugar if you want it."

"Claire, you've discovered my weakness already." Alice dumped one of the sugars into the coffee and closed her eyes in bliss as she took a sip.

Claire bit her tongue to pull her thoughts back from wondering what it would feel like to reach out and wrap her arms around Alice. It's okay, Claire. You're only thinking about it, not doing it. Shit, what if she can read minds. She can move things with her mind.

"Alice, can you read minds?"

"What?"

"You know, is that one of your powers?"

Alice smiled at Claire's discomfort and wondered what Claire had been thinking. "Why? What's in that mind of yours?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just, you know, curious about what you can do."

"Relax, Claire. I can't read minds and even if I could, I would never do that to you."

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that; I was just curious."

Alice smirked, wishing she knew what Claire had been thinking. They sat together in silence drinking their coffee until the rest of the convoy began to stir.

TTTTTTTTTT

Claire walked through the camp one last time before they left for their scavenging mission. Chase and several other men skilled with weapons would stay behind to protect most of the convoy. Claire and Alice would drive the Hummer in first to make sure the town still seemed quiet then Carlos and L.J. would follow in the two transport trucks. They were taking twenty people with them to help load the trucks. Once the transport trucks were full, they would return to camp and bring the tanker in to fill it. Thanks to Alice's recon yesterday, they knew where to go to find the most stuff. As Claire made her way back to the Hummer, she saw Frank climb to the back of one of the trucks and regretted that he hadn't decided to leave. When she reached the Hummer, K-mart hugged her, told her to stay safe and asked her to look for some new books and clothes. Claire hugged K-mart back and promised to look for the things K-mart wanted.

"K, while I'm gone, you need to stay inside the perimeter and be alert. Do you have the gun I gave you?"

"K-mart lifted her shirt to show Claire that she had the gun and the radio Claire insisted she have with her at all times."

"Good. See you soon."

TTTTTTTTTT

Claire and Alice did a complete circuit of the town, which, once upon a time, had been called Parson. They didn't find any undead. Claire radioed the Carlos and L.J. to meet them at the first location, the largest grocery store in town. In an hour they had cleaned it out and nearly filled the first truck. In addition to canned foods, they had grabbed batteries, books, liquor, bottled water, packaged foods that may or may not be edible and, much to Claire's delight, enough cigarettes to last for quite a long time. Claire sent L.J. back to camp to unload the truck then return to meet them at a surprisingly large outlet mall. All of them could use new clothes. Claire made a point of grabbing some things she knew K-mart would like before it was all loaded up. She also picked some things for herself and noticed that Alice was doing the same. In three hours they had filled both trucks with clothing, shoes and camping/survival gear. Once the trucks left to unload, Claire and Alice visited the local weapons store and loaded the Hummer with every last gun, knife, crossbow, arrow and piece of ammunition in the place. As they were driving to their next target, a pharmacy, Alice saw just what she had been looking for and asked Claire to stop. She got out of the Hummer and admired the motorcycle. It wasn't quite the same model as the one she destroyed the night before meeting the convoy but it was close. She turned to look back at Claire who was watching her with a smile on her face. She held her breath and tried to start it. On the third try, the engine came to life. She backed it up and pointed her new ride toward the Hummer to see Claire inside on the radio, her face twisted in anger.

"Claire, what's wrong?"

"It's Frank and his band of loyal troublemakers. They tried to take both trucks and leave with everything. I need to get back there. Can you go to the pharmacy and meet me back at camp?"

Alice didn't like that idea. "I'd feel better going with you."

"I'll be fine. We need the stuff from the pharmacy and after this crap with fucking Frank; we may not be able to get back here."

Alice wanted to go with Claire but she also wanted to respect her as the convoy leader. "Okay, give me the list. I'll be quick." Alice captured Claire's hand when she passed Betty's list to her. Claire looked up and felt lost in Alice's oh so blue eyes. "Claire, be careful with Frank. Guys like him react without thinking. He could hurt you. If he does that, I'll kill him."

Claire nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Alice turned, got on the motorcycle and left for the pharmacy. Claire watched her until she was out of sight then she drove back to camp, her hand still trembling from Alice's touch.

TTTTTTTTTT

Within minutes of Claire's arrival, she was able to calm tempers and take control of the convoy. She ordered men she trusted to guard the trucks and told everyone else to get back to what they were doing. She looked around for Frank but didn't see him. She searched the camp and still didn't see Frank. Finally, she walked to the edge of camp and looked out, hoping to see Alice on her way back to camp. A smile creased her face when her hope was answered. Alice was about halfway back to camp. Claire stood watching her get closer and her heart responded by beating faster. The quiet was suddenly broken when a gun shot rang out; less than a second later, Alice pitched sideways off her bike.

"Alice!"

Carlos and Chase caught Claire at the Hummer. She was on the radio telling Betty to follow her in the ambulance. Claire saw the two men approaching. "Claire, what happened?"

"Alice was just shot. I know it was Frank. Find him and bring him back here. Kill him if he leaves you no choice. The shot came from the east."

Claire started the Hummer and left the camp as fast as she could. She increased her speed once she was past the perimeter. Her hands were shaking and she was praying to a god she had never believed in that Alice would be okay.