Chapter 10

You keep it in, I let it loose

Jill was busy diligently typing up her fake report on the most recently mutilated redheaded victim when Claire came barging into her office and distractedly slammed the door behind her, causing the ME to slightly jump in her seat.

"It's Rain fucking Ocampo!" Claire incredulously screeched at her.

Jill furrowed her brows in questioning confusion.

"Rain is Alice's ex!" Claire shouted at her again in a strained, uncharacteristically high pitched voice. "I saw them leaving the building together. It all makes so much sense now!" The worked up detective blindly lowered onto the couch as she continued talking, seemingly to herself. "She's never been the friendliest, but ever since Alice came into my life she's been glaring daggers at me… I swear if looks could kill…" She finally shifted her stunned features to Jill. "What could Alice possibly have seen in her?" She asked. "They looked all chummy when they left. All happy fangy smiles and shit." Claire muttered, grimacing like she just tasted something unpleasant on her tongue. "Alice didn't even seem upset that she killed someone and basically threatened to kill me."

The detective stopped her rant and fell into a silent brooding state as she dejectedly slumped back into the couch. Jill watched her curiously for a long time, absorbing everything Claire had just yelled at her.

"So let me get this straight…" The ME started, her brows still furrowed in contemplation. "Rain is Alice's sex-up-a-tree ex, you know this 'cause you saw them together and Rain had fangs… And what you're struggling to deal with is that Alice didn't seem more angry at what Rain had done? The same Alice who herself had killed and displayed two women and had also told you that she didn't believe our current victim was a threat against you?" Jill voice was laced with sarcasm. "What about the fact that we've been working with a vampire for the last four years and nobody even noticed?" She asked the now self-conscious looking detective.

"Yeah, that too. Obviously." Claire sheepishly mumbled, causing Jill to chuckle softly.

"Alice said she'll handle it, she didn't say how exactly she'd be doing that." Jill reminded Claire causing the redhead to scowl. "But to be safe, you should stay out of it." She warned.

Clearly Claire was jealous, but she doubted the woman would ever admit to it, or wanted to talk about it. Claire was undeniably courageous, but that bravado would sometimes manifest itself at the most inopportune times. And given how unstable Claire's emotions were of late, Jill was concerned that her friend would do something stupid like confront Rain, the vampire, about the murder and her history with Alice.

"Let's go out tonight, take your mind off of things." Jill suggested cautiously, wondering how the invitation would be received.

Claire got up as distractedly as she had come in, but nodded her confirmation with a sheepish smile, before wandering out the door again, deep in thought.

…

The second she stepped foot in Wonderland Claire regretted her choice of establishment. She wasn't sure why she had thought it a good idea considering the last time she was there she had broken down in the vampire's arms and completely humiliated herself. Not that Alice had ever been tactless enough to put her in the position of having to talk about that night.

She let out a long suffering sigh and headed straight for the bar, Jill following quietly behind her. Claire was very grateful that her friend hadn't started teasing her about her palpable jealousy. She had been way more upset that Rain was Alice's ex, hardly considering what it meant that nobody in the police force had noticed a vampire amongst them. The implication of that was unsettling. They could be anywhere at any given time.

"Let's go somewhere else." Jill whispered urgently next to her and Claire noticed that she'd just blindly been staring at the tumbler filled with untouched Scotch in front of her.

Her brows knitted at Jill's sudden request, but she was distracted by that familiar prickling feeling at the back of her neck. Jill had taken hold of her elbow trying to drag her toward the exit, but Claire stood her ground firmly, as she scanned the crowd and wasn't surprised to find Alice on the dance floor.

The vampire wasn't looking at her though, instead her attention seemed entirely focused on a sultry Detective Ocampo writhing up against her. Seeing them like that felt like a sucker punch to the gut: startling and painful. Claire couldn't hide her grimace as she turned back to the bar and finally downed the Scotch.

"They're just dancing…" Jill offered carefully. "We don't know –

- It's fine Jill." Claire muttered, before signalling the bartender for another drink.

She wanted to leave, to be alone, to get shitfaced drunk, but she wouldn't give Alice the satisfaction. 'Not a game'. Well fuck Luther and fuck the vampire. And fuck the stupid game she was playing.

"You wanna go?" Jill asked worriedly.

"No." Claire's answer was instant. "Let's go dance."

She spent the following half hour purposely not looking in the direction she'd last seen Alice and Rain in. It took all of her strength to not look for that amount of time, but finally she couldn't stop herself any longer and started scanning the crowd, but the two vampires were nowhere in sight.

She stayed for another hour, entirely for Jill's sake, dancing and talking about everything but Alice or relating to Alice, which proved rather difficult for Claire and she eventually took her leave from her very worried friend and went home.

….

Dragging her feet up the stairs of the Arklay mansion, Claire just wanted to go and fall into her very comfortable bed. But when she reached the top she faintly heard the strangest sounds coming from a different wing than her and Alice's bedrooms. She walked slowly toward it, but upon getting closer, she swiftly drew her side arm at the now loud animalistic growling she heard. It reminded her of a documentary she watched about a pride of lions. The deep purring sounds, albeit softer and a lot more subtle in this instance, sounded eerily similar to when they had been feeding on a water buffalo.

She hurried towards the noises, her eyes wide with horror as she realised that the vampire must be feeding on yet another victim right at that very moment. She burst through the door of one of Alice's numerous guest bedrooms, much like she had that night Alice had given her the best orgasm of her life, and summarily halted and blanched at the sight which greeted her.

Instantly a rush of nausea swept over Claire as she could just stand there and stare at Alice lying back on the couch, stark naked, and Rain Ocampo perched comfortably between her thighs. The noises had stopped when she entered and Rain had slightly turned her head in Claire's direction, smirked smugly, and then lowered her head to continue as though there wasn't any interruption at all. The guttural noises started up again, and Claire realised that it was Rain who she had heard.

How could Alice do this?

Her eyes slowly travelled over the lanky brunette's taut abdomen, up over her breasts and when she looked up into Alice's face, the vampire was gazing directly at her with a voraciously needy stare.

Claire swallowed dryly, her nausea gradually being replaced by arousal at the brunette's penetrating gaze. A low purring became audible through Rain's vicious growling and Claire recognized it as Alice's. It instantly took her back to that night where the vampire had gone down on her knees, purring in between her thighs and Claire bit hard on her lip in remembrance, wanting desperately to leave, but Alice's hungry eyes kept her glued to the spot.

She watched the flush spread over the vampire's heaving chest and up her neck, and eventually settled on the vampire's cheeks tinting them a soft pink.

God she was beautiful.

Claire's eyes drifted back down to Alice's hardened nipples, wondering what they would feel like between her teeth, but when she heard a deep throaty moan, she looked up into those passionate green eyes again, still regarding her with such intensity, it had Claire's stomach violently clenching in response.

She looked toward the lusciousness of Alice's slightly parted lips, wishing that she had kissed Alice that night, increasingly regretting that she had pulled away with each passing moment. So when the vampire sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, Claire whimpered loudly, as a wave of arousal left her weak in the knees.

Alice's eyes flashed recognition and she inhaled deliberately, reaching out to hold Rain's head in place, braiding her long, slender fingers into a silky black mane as her hips started rhythmically rolling off the couch and right into Rain's face. Alice's breaths came out in rushed, urgent, gasps and through it all, her eyes never left Claire's.

The redhead knew she should leave, she should've left a long time ago, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. She felt jealous, angry and embarrassed at what she'd walked in on, but mostly the way Alice was looking at her, as though it was Claire causing her such pleasure, left the detective with an overpowering surge of rampant desire.

She watched mesmerized as Alice's laboured breaths turned into harsh, rasping groans, while she rolled her hips increasingly faster into Rain's mouth.

Claire couldn't look away.

She didn't even try to as Alice threw her head back, arching magnificently from the couch - finally breaking eye contact with a soaked and agonizingly throbbing Claire - as her body went completely still and she let out the sexiest moan the redhead had ever heard.

Claire tried again to will her body to leave but she couldn't take her eyes off of the trembling work of art that was Alice Abernathy's, post orgasmic body. That was until a snarling Rain appeared in her line of sight, menacingly baring her fangs at a surprised Claire. Fangs she never knew the SVU detective even had.

Well Rain never smiled, and Claire never paid her much attention in any case, so the oversight was understandable.

"Get the fuck out!" Rain viciously growled and Claire could understand her anger, she really really could. But when the enraged vampire took two threatening steps toward her, Claire's arm instinctually flew up and shot Rain right through her forehead.

The movement had startled Claire. Rain had looked so feral that Claire was certain she would attack. Mutilating redheads and leaving them up trees had done nothing to convince her otherwise. She stared down at the lifeless looking body bleeding all over Alice's expensive carpet and her eyes flashed to the lanky brunette, wide with dread.

"Did I kill her?" Claire asked the woman who had wrapped herself in a thigh high, blood-red silk kimono, looking the epitome of poised serenity. "I'm so sorry Alice, she was coming at me and I just reacted." Claire hastily explained, turning back to Rain.

She looked so human laying there that Claire's stomach churned uncomfortably and the feeling of nausea returned.

Alice said nothing as she walked passed Claire and Rain toward her bag and took out her phone, pressed one on the keypad and held it to her ear.

"Everything is fine brother." Alice sighed into the phone after a few moments. "Rain had been posturing and Claire misconstrued it as an actual threat and shot her through the head."

Claire was flabbergasted at the nonchalance of Alice's tone and behaviour. Didn't she care about Rain at all?

"…Yes. Seems to have penetrated the dorsolateral prefrontal… Difficult to say, but I cannot keep her here, it's not safe for Claire, but I will go with Dr Warner to ensure everything goes smoothly… Thank you… Yes, she is quite something; I did inform you of this…" Alice grinned proudly into the phone. "…Yes I will come and see you soon so we may speak in person." Alice laughed softly, before she hung up.

"How can you be so cold hearted?" Claire shouted at the vampire, her own guilt at what she'd done strongly showing.

"Rain will be fine Claire." Alice told her with a hint of amusement. "However, I cannot guarantee your safety should she regain consciousness and she's still in this house with you. I will move her somewhere secure and ensure that she heals." Alice sounded like she had to go and do a chore she wasn't quite fond of.

"But…" Claire squeaked out. "But… She's shot in the fucking head Alice!" Claire pointed at the body as if prompting the vampire to see what she was seeing. "She looks dead, she's not even breathing!"

"Her heart is still beating, however faintly that may be. She's not dead."

Then Claire remembered how Alice had pressed the gun against her own head and told Claire it wouldn't kill her.

"Oh…" Claire relaxed slightly, but then tensed up again when she realised that if Rain didn't plan on killing her before, she would surely want to now.

"You should get some rest Claire. Rain will recuperate and she will not come after you. I promise." Alice guaranteed as though Claire had spoken her concerns out loud.

The still stunned redhead only nodded distractedly and wandered out the guest room toward her own, feeling too exhausted by the day's events to do much else.

….

Alice only returned to the mansion after the sun was up, mentally fatigued from her long conversation with Rain. Talking had never really been their forte. She sighed as she closed the door behind her, turning around to find Claire descending the staircase. The vampire was delighted at how much healthier the beautiful detective looked compared to only a few weeks prior. The dark rings under her eyes have gone and her skin wasn't as pale anymore.

Claire was wearing a cobalt blue button down silk shirt - which perfectly matched her eyes - tucked into a pair of black pants. On her belt, her gun was holstered at her side and her badge rested on the front of her hip. Her hair was freshly washed and dried falling in waves just passed her shoulders.

The vampire resisted the urge to growl out her possession at the sight. She doubted Claire even realised how appealing she looked. Alice envied the entire RPD for getting the chance to just look at the gorgeous detective whenever they wanted. The previous night, the redhead's blatant jealousy mixed with arousal had turned Alice on so much she couldn't bring herself to even attempt to stop Rain's eager tongue.

They had made so much progress the day before. From the light hearted car ride to Claire's subconscious attentiveness. Alice was hopeful and things seemed to be finally falling into place.

She watched as Claire reached the bottom of the stairs and casually leaned a shoulder against the wall, crossed her arms over her chest and settled a hard gaze on the vampire.

"Since you clearly aren't as in love with me as you claimed, maybe I could move back to my house now?" Claire suggested with a hint of bitterness she very poorly tried to hide.

Alice's immediate laughter echoed throughout the large, quiet house, causing the redhead to angrily narrow her eyes at her.

…

She didn't understand why Alice was laughing. This wasn't funny at all.

"Is this just a game to you?" She asked the infuriating woman. "Uprooting my entire life and then laughing about it?" She hadn't meant to sound so hurt, but at least it got the vampire to stop her laughing and seriously look at her.

"When had I ever proclaimed to be in love with you?" Alice asked.

Claire frowned and straightened from the wall, dropping her arms to her sides. Now that she was thinking about it, Alice had never actually said that she was in love with her.

"What I had said was that you are –

- I'm yours, yeah I remember." Claire finished offhandedly crossing her arms again, as she tried to mask her wounded pride at her assumption, but the vampire was nonetheless warmly affected by hearing Claire say those words.

"We do not exist in the wonderful world of Twilight Claire." Alice grimaced as she said it. "We are getting to know each other. Our connection is unquestionable. I truly believe that you are meant to be mine, but you seem less convinced of that fact, and having been around for quite some time, I know that life is not always fair and that we create our own fate." She gritted her teeth as though Claire had reminded her of an awful truth. "You are here in my home so we can get to know each other so that we may actually get the chance to develop deeper, less carnal feelings for one another. And in all honesty Claire, it has not been that long, but I already care about you a lot more than is sensible." Alice sighed. "It had not been my intention to have you see what you saw last night and I do apologise for that. I was not expecting you home, you and Doctor Valentine usually stay out much later, and the situation fast got out of hand. Rain and I have always been better at expressing ourselves physically and she understood that it would be our last time together. She had accepted my intentions toward you, and might I add you have yet to do so, leaving me a bit perplexed as to why you are questioning me on this matter?" Alice finished and sent a challenging gaze at Claire.

The redhead uncrossed her arms again, straightened up and averted her gaze guiltily. She didn't even realise that Alice had just called her out on feelings she hadn't even voiced out loud. The topic was regarding Alice's feelings. Not Claire's.

No, the detective was too absorbed in her own confused emotions to form a defence. She knew she had no right to be upset. She had interrupted them, Alice didn't owe her anything. In fact the vampire had made sure to be way on the other side of the house for her rendezvous. It would've been preferable if they'd gone to Rain's place, Claire thought, but it was Alice's house and the vampire could do whoever the fuck she wanted to in it. The sooner Claire could forget about the previous night, the better. So instead of rising to the challenge, she did the only thing she could and lamely deflected, praying Alice would let it go.

"What's your issue with Twilight?" She had noted Alice's distaste when mentioning it.

Alice visibly bristled at the question.

"It is a blatant defamation of character!" The vampire exclaimed. "Had my brother not stopped me I would have relished in exsanguinating that author." She growled in frustration.

Claire tilted her head inquisitively, trying to hide her amusement at how worked up the vampire suddenly was at the subject.

"Look at me." Alice arrogantly stated, lifting her arms in the air, palms up, to display herself for Claire's viewing pleasure. The detective had no qualms obliging the command. "I have a pulse, a heartbeat." She emphasized. "I am not some cold, undead statue with crocodilian teeth which appear and disappear at will. Where do they go? Is it magic?" She asked Claire who really had no answer and found it increasingly difficult to bite down the laughter building inside of her at Alice's rant.

"Vampires do not exist as a result of some mystical curse." She seethed, lowering her arms and managing to straighten her dignified frame even further. "I am the pinnacle of evolutionary perfection." She stalked ever closer to the detective. "I am on the very top of the food chain." She halted right in front of Claire. "I. Do. Not. Sparkle." Alice heatedly snarled and Claire bit hard onto her bottom lip, to keep from giggling at the raging woman.

Had she been anyone else, and had Alice been any other vampire, she would've been scared shitless by the show of belligerence. But as it were, Claire could only smile at how adorable Alice was when she was raving like that.

"Actually, when the light hits you a certain way…" Claire murmured, uselessly fighting her grin. "…it gives you a kind of luminous –

She was stopped by a ferocious roar as Alice glowered at her, daring her to finish her sentence.

"Okay, okay." Claire chuckled softly, grinning widely as she held her hands up in surrender. "I get it. And I'm sorry 'bout shooting Rain. It was a reflex." She apologised honestly. "She's not gonna attack me at work is she?" Claire asked only half joking. Well, an eighth joking.

Alice took a step back and relaxed considerably.

"Rain will not harm you." She stated confidently and Claire took her at her word, like she should've done from the beginning of this entire Rain fiasco.

She felt a whole lot more confident now that she knew that a bullet would at least stop a vampire when aimed correctly.

"Well, I gotta go." Claire stated, suddenly feeling awkward now that Alice was staring at her with that tenderness again.

The vampire sure as hell looked at her as though she was in love with her, but that was a matter Claire was glad not to debate on any further.

"Jill loves Twilight by the way." She couldn't resist the jab at the vampire's expense. "Maybe I'll borrow her DVD's and you and I can watch a movie or two tonight? You can tell me everything that's wrong with it."

She watched a broad smile spreading over Alice's face.

"Your presence might just make it worth the torture." The vampire suavely responded and Claire smiled back with a slight blush settling on her cheeks.

"See you later Sparkles." She had to get in a final teasing remark, laughing as she rushed out the door and away from the scowling vampire.

…..

It was only when she was sitting at her desk back at work when she realised that she sort of planned to have a date with Alice that night. Her heart sped up in a mixture of excitement and panic and she tried in vain to talk it down again. It wasn't a date. They lived together. It was just a pair of roommates having a movie night. That was all it was.

When she had arrived at the station, Kennedy had informed her that Rain had gotten a transfer and a promotion out of state. His former partner had called him up with the news that morning.

"She also said I should give you a message." Leon's distracted confusion as to why his former partner would have a message for Claire of all people, helped the redhead to hide her trepidation as to what choice words Rain had for her after the events of the previous night.

After Claire's expectant stare and no offer of clarification as to why Rain would have anything to say to her, he reach into his pocket and took out a post-it he had clearly written to help him remember. Instead of just handing it to Claire he chose to read it out loud.

"Tell Redfield her month is almost up and that I'll be there waiting for when she goes and fucks up the best thing to have ever happened to her, in her miserable, pathetic life. And fuck her for being such a great shot and ruining what was sure to be an epic goodbye fuck." Leon looked curiously at Claire. "She then growled into the phone very angrily." He chuckled. "Were you screwing Rain? 'Cause she sounded really pissed at you." He whispered conspiratorially.

"What?! No!" Claire replied exasperated at the thought, but calmed herself quickly. Leon's curiosity was already sparked enough. "Anyway, thanks for the message." She muttered and hurried away before Leon could ask her anything else.

At least the bit of gossip about Rain's abrupt departure kept everyone else distracted for the rest of the day as Claire desperately tried to sort out the mixture of emotions swirling around inside of her.

…..

A/N: Alice breaks into Claire's home, main suspect in her murder investigation: Claire has her gun but does nothing. Alice admits to eating a 'mousy brunette', Claire lowers her gun, does nothing. Alice tongues Claire against her bedroom wall: She throws gun to the side and does nothing (Well not nothing, she came fucking hard, but you catch my drift). Poor Rain Ocampo gets upset 'cause Claire interrupted her sexy times. BANG! Redfield out, Biatch!

Thanks for reading, sure there'll be a lot of feeling re: Alice x Rain

Tlc125: So the jealous ex was done and dusted in one chapter. I'm not one to drag a thing on too long. What do you think? Was it wrong for Alice to go that far with Rain?

Avienda: Lol who doesn't want an Alice of her own. I was actually considering not updating tomorrow. Since it's Friday and I plan on getting drunk… But now I'm gonna be forced to for your health… Who knows what Chapter 11 is gonna look like when I'm done.

StarrH: I just love reading and writing women who can make anyone piss themselves in fear lol Alice's arrogance is one of my favourite qualities, 'cause she has reason to be and she can back it up. Nothing that's more of a turn off than people trying to fake their way through unmerited cockiness.

Jeyz107: I HAVE BEEN IMPREGNATED! I had never heard of that song btw, but downloaded and listened to the dirty martini remix. THANKS, I LOVED IT. I think that's the song that plays in Claire's mind every time she's staring at Alice hahaha V for Vagina!

Webminky: It's definitely animal magnetism, of the likes that you and I share ;-P Undoubtedly, had Claire not experienced the loss she has, she probably would've join Chris and the SWAT team to try and eradicate vampires from Raccoon City, 'cause that's what good girls do. Alice was attracted to the raw Claire, who was stripped naked to her very essence when she forced Slater to his knees and then revelled in him begging for his life. I'm gonna watch the Hunger when I get home later at like fucking 11pm. Can you believe it? Fucking work's sucking this week. May only mail you tomorrow. Sorry babe. Anyway, just 'cause Alice loves 80's doesn't make her ancient, I love 80's music and I'm turning 29 in 6 days. Send me them beads bitch!

Belette: So much of pressure on me. Thank you for the extremely encouraging review. Why don't you just open a profile? Then you'll get notified. And we both can relax ;-P Do you think Alice will lose control and drink Claire dry? Claire's taking her sweet time and even I'm tempted to just bite her into submission.