CH 01

Everything hurts.

Jill really did a good number on her, with some additional injuries from her fight with the evil Rain clone. She thought she would die from that blow to her chest, she was sure that her heart stopped for a moment. But for some reason, she still survived.

She felt a familiar warmth covering her left hand and it was the only comfort she had to distract herself from the throbbing pain all over her body.

When Alice opened her eyes she was greeted by an almost identical but younger pair of blue eyes gazing at her. She realized that it was Becky who was holding her hand, afraid to let go and lose her mother for the second time. She reassured her with the best motherly smile that she could muster and reached out her right hand, even though it was still a little painful to do so, to affectionately tap a finger on the little girl's nose before gently brushing her knuckles against her slightly moist cheek. The little girl must have been crying, judging from the faint but apparent redness around her eyes. She had adopted Becky from the moment when she called her "mommy" and hugged her in the suburban house after raining bullets on the decaying skull of an undead.

There was a slight turbulence and the aircraft that they were on jerked a little. Alice did her best to suppress a pained groaned when a particular sore limb was disturbed, she felt Becky tighten her grip on her hand a little when the little girl noticed a small grimace betraying her facade. She gave her another reassuring smile before noticing a head of blonde hair entering her field of vision.

The brunette, thankful for the small pillow under her head, saw Jill stretching her neck to relieve the stiffness caused by the position that she presumably slept in while sitting on the seat nearest to Alice's bed. She didn't notice her there before because Becky was between them. Alice realized that Jill was near her side after she passed out from her fight with Rain, she felt her heartened to know that the blonde is her ally once again. She smiled at Jill in greeting as the other woman breathed a sigh of relief as she walked over to her side, kneeling down on one knee behind Becky, and tenderly touched her left knee which Alice was grateful for the added distraction from physical pain. Alice was expecting a less amiable Jill, even without the scarab on, after what she had done to Angie. The blonde smiled at her and said, "Glad to have you back."

Jill's voice lack the tone of malice that Alice was expecting and she released a breath that she didn't know was holding before responding, "Glad to have you back." She wasn't surprised that her voice sounded raspier than usual.

Both women shared a small laugh, or at least, tried to in Alice's part, since the pain on her bruised ribs prevented her from doing so. After a moment, the mirth in Jill's dark blue eyes were gone and she suddenly wore a serious expression, mixed with guilt and empathy, on her face.

Alice didn't notice that Becky flinched from Jill's presence until she inched away from the blonde while holding the brunette's hand more possessively with her own tiny ones. Jill must have noticed and Alice frowned worriedly at the child's reaction towards her, but she perfectly understood Becky's reluctance to be around Jill even though Alice knew that the blonde is an ally now. When she was still under the influence of the Red Queen via the scarab attached to her chest, Jill didn't have the luxury of making a good first impression on Becky.

She heard Jill clear her throat and Alice focused her attention to what she was about to say, ignoring the unpleasant throbbing on her head.

"Alice... I..." Jill paused, closing her mouth and swallowed nervously. She knit her brows together in a rueful expression and continued, "I'm really sorry... For everything."

Alice could only nod in understanding, knowing what the other woman was talking about but she also knew that Jill has no fault for what happened. "There's nothing to apologize about, Jill."

"No." Jill said, "It's my fault for pushing you away, after you..." She glanced at Becky who had her back towards her, "After what I thought you did to Angie. I eventually found out that you were under Umbrella's control back then, but I still hated you after knowing that and I didn't tell Carlos and the others where you went." The blonde reached a hand to her own chest and felt the puncture wounds left from the scarab, they would eventually turn into scars, and she involuntarily shivered at the memory when she was still under its control, "But when I was captured, I finally understood what it was like to be Umbrella's puppet. I'm sorry, Alice. I'm sorry for hating you and I'm sorry for the things I did since the attack in Arcadia." Jill looked away, her bottom lip trembling a little, "The worst part of it was that I was aware of everything I did."

"It's alright. I forgive you, even though most of the actions you did weren't under your control."

"I forgive you, too. For what happened about Angie. And thank you for everything you did." Jill tried to reach Alice's hand, but seeing that it was held by both of Becky's hands, she settled on gently squeezing the brunette's knee instead.

They both smiled at each other before Alice redirected her attention to the IV bag hanging above her, there was a question that she wanted to ask Jill, but she dreaded for the answer. Her thoughts went to a familiar redhead, and she looked at her friend who was gazing expectantly at her as if she knew that Alice wanted to ask her something. The brunette swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "Were there survivors from the attack on the Arcadia?" She wasn't ready to know yet, but she has to. She needed to know.

There was a pause as Jill's eyes glazed over, then she responded slowly, "Yes, but..." Alice felt her heart sink as the blonde continued, "I don't know what happened to them. You were the top priority, followed by Chris Redfield and Claire Redfield."

"Umbrella is after them, too?" Alice always thought that she was Umbrella's only target, now she knows that she was wrong.

Jill nodded before continuing, "You were on the osprey that I was on and the Red Queen ordered me to return immediately after we captured you. Chris and Claire were captured too, but they were on a different osprey with other survivors. There were four ospreys carrying survivors and only one of them returned with us because there was something..." Alice felt a small surge of hope coupled with uncertainty when she heard that, "Or someone prevented the others from not coming with us. Only one osprey that carried survivors came with us and Chris and Claire weren't on it."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief, maybe there's a chance that Claire, K-mart and Chris are still alive. "Who prevented the other ospreys from coming with you?"

The blonde shook her head, "I don't exactly know what happened since the Red Queen didn't show me enough information about it. All I know though is that there was one osprey that was from the Arcadia..." She furrowed her brows, trying to recall the events, "It fired at some of the ospreys, destroying two of them, while the three that carried survivors just stopped following us as the Red Queen told me to order the pilot to flee the area immediately."

"So is Claire still alive? Safe?" She needed Jill to say it, she needs the reassurance that she could see the redhead again. The physical pain she was in is a far cry from the void that she felt in her heart, knowing that she failed the people she vowed to protect.

"Alice," The blonde said as she scooted closer to Alice as much as she can without touching Becky, "Everything's going to be fine. If they weren't able to follow us to Russia, then they're in a safer place."

Alice raised her right hand towards Jill, ignoring the protesting ache, and the blonde grasped it immediately, black and purple intertwined with each other, "Promise me, Jill."

"I promise you." Jill said it with conviction that Alice believed her, despite the pessimistic thoughts nagging at the back of her mind. Alice then felt her energy draining and Jill noticed it as she lowered her hand on her torso, "Rest." She heard Jill say as Alice struggled to keep her eyes open, "We still have an hour before we reach our destination."

After making sure that Alice is asleep, Jill brushed a purple gloved hand against the other woman's cheek. Her friendship with the woman started when they met at Raccoon City, though Jill was cautious towards her at first. But her respect for Alice grew when the brunette showed determination to help them get out of the city alive and it grew deeper when Alice took a shrapnel for Angie when the helicopter crashed. Perhaps she grew feelings for the other woman, but she never had to opportunity to explore it when Jill's misplaced anger towards Alice tore them apart after witnessing Angie's death. She didn't tell Carlos what actually happened after Alice's absence and they eventually encountered Claire's convoy. She stayed with them for a while before drifting away from the group in order to track Alice down and avenge Angie's death.

But after being captured by Umbrella and eventually turned into the Red Queen's puppet, she finally understood what Alice have been through and she felt horrible for everything that she had done before and after the scarab was placed on her. She dreaded at the thought if the survivors from the Arcadia and the other groups that she had raided under the Red Queen's influence would recognize her and might be hostile towards her.

Jill realized that she needed Alice's support for whatever she would face once they arrive in Washington, but she must first repair the bond that they once had as comrades. In order to do that, she had to find the Arcadian survivors that Alice cared so much about. She couldn't help but retain some of the habits she had picked up on while under the Red Queen's control as she set her top priority.

Finding Claire Redfield.