Author Note: Some of the timeline will be off for this one, but I was not planning on following the script of the Resident Evil movies, but instead using the characters you all love to create my own story line. Please, enjoy, be courteous, & review (I do take constructive criticism!)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters, but a girl can dream right?

Without further adieu…here comes Chapter Five

B

Update Oct-16-2015: As I prepare to add more to Calm Before the Storm I figured I should go back and look over what I posted almost two years ago to the story that started it all. This way I can make some editorial changes while also refreshing my memory on what things I left off with in the end.

Update Dec-17-2019: I haven't created any FF in awhile, and would like to get back into it, specifically with some RE stuff. To do so, I figured I would edit some old work to try and get some ideas percolating in my head before the Christmas holidays

- 5-

- Survivors -

The small group of men who decided to call themselves "The Renegades", reconvened once more in their self appointed leader's cramped stateroom. They had broken out into teams of two, following the blonde named Alice, throughout her daily routine. While lurking outside the bridge, one of the men was able to find a blueprint of the ships schematics in a storage closet. It was now laid out over top their make shift table like a blanket. They kept their curtains closed, and lights off, using candles to dimly light the room.

Their leader raised his hand as the men stopped their whispering, the room settling into a hushed silence.

"What were did we discover about our target?" He instructed, eyeing the eight men who sat, cramped around the table.

"Taking her out may prove to be a difficult task." One of then said, as the rest nodded in agreement, "But, this is not want concerns us most."

"Oh?"

The man nudged a young, scrawny boy beside him, who nervously stood, all eyes falling intently onto him.

"One of the Umbrella operatives is being held down below us." He said, as rumbles began to fill the room, "It's a woman in a purple jump suit, I think the leader of the raid that was brought upon us two weeks ago."

Suddenly the room erupted into incoherent shouts, every man talking over the other, fear levels escalating. Their leader needed to put a stop to this, he did not want to cause a panic, or have their plot foiled by men who could not keep their voices an octave lower than a bullhorn.

"Alright, alright, order I say!" He yelled, catching their attention, everyone settling once more. "What's your name son?" He asked calmly.

"Gabriel," He replied, his eyes wide, indicating he had more to add to his already harrowing tale.

"Okay Gabriel, what else did you see."

"Well, she, she had a red, metal glowing insect on her chest." He explained, voice shaking.

"What do you mean had?" Someone asked.

The young man turned to his fellow Renegade, his skin going pale., "I saw Alice tie this woman up, and well, pry the bug from her chest, destroying it!"

Their leader raised his hand to once again keep order, "What happened to the captive?"

Gabriel remained standing, his whole body shaking, "She, she just slumped over. They locked her in her cell again and then Alice left."

"We cannot trust her, or anyone else she is with!" Someone shouted.

"They never told us they had a prisoner down below decks!" Another added getting a rally of agreement from the men.

"Thank you Gabriel, you may sit." Their leader said as the young boy nodded, his legs jumping up and down rapidly. "I do agree with what both our brother's have said, this madness must stop for us to feel safe." Their leader boomed, as a cry of agreement rang out.

"But how?" Asked one of the men.

"The engines have stopped, meaning we are set to make another search and rescue mission soon. I believe that will allow us the perfect opportunity to strike."

"Agreed!" They all cheered in unison.

"It is settled then, when they ask for volunteers, we supply three of our strongest men to join the team. I want you to make it look like the infected killed her, or even better, Umbrella." Their leader proposed, as the men cheered once more.

"What about the others?" Gabriel piped up, the group going silent once more, "They will kill us if we are found out."

Their leader rubbed his chin, thinking about what the young man had said. "We must be very careful my brothers, we cannot afford to make any mistakes."

"And if we do?"

Their leader looked at him, a wicked smile spreading across his lips, "Then we kill them too."

- Claire -

She was laying on her side, head propped up in her left hand and her journal open on the bed. She had her back to Alice who was still sound asleep. This was the first night in a week she had no nightmares. Claire could not help but see a connection between what happened with Valentine and the Medusa bug, and the sudden disappearance of Alice's nightmares.

The sun peaked through the tattered curtains, greeting them with another sunshine day out at sea. The covers were wrapped around her naked torso, the aftermath of another night of romantic bliss. Her handwriting was getting sloppy as a cramp was forming from writing for the past half hour, filling five pages. This has been her longest entry in awhile.

It had become a sort of habit for Claire to spend a few minutes detailing the events of the previous day. it started when she ran a convoy in Nevada, keeping track of places they had gone, supplies, convoy members, the usual. It made the days have a sense of normalcy. Slowly the entries morphed into diary entries, a place for her to vent her frustrations, and let out her anger without anyone knowing. It had become her log; chronicles of life after the zombie apocalypse. Their fight for survival, at some point, will become bedtime stories for their children.

Claire paused, feeling Alice stir slightly. There was no date was at the top of the page. Claire could barely remember the last time she looked at a calendar. Instead she just numbered the entries; this was entry number forty-seven...

... Recently, things have happened that have both pleased, and plagued me. I do not want to discuss my relationship with Alice with the others, especially my brother. It is bad enough that Luther knows, and has caught us now twice, but at least he knows how to keep his mouth shut. I'm afraid that if word gets out, the survivors will think we are not as strong as we once were, and that's not true. I failed those I was responsible for in Nevada, and like them, the people aboard this ship depend on me, and the rest of our crew, to keep them out of harms way. I guess, that's really why I'm so torn on what Alice did last night...

Claire paused, collecting her thoughts. She looked out the porthole, noticing a flock of gulls dive bombing the water for food. It was nice to see some areas of the world were still operating as usual. It was better than dive bombing the survivors out on deck, hungry for uninfected flesh. The thought of carnivorous birds reminded Claire of the first she met Alice. It was like something out of a horror movie; her ability to control things with her mind. At the time, Claire did not want to know the story behind her powers, best to leave some things shrouded in mystery. Now that Alice told her, her story, she knew how she had those powers, and the people responsible for it.

Claire and the others will always be thankful for everything Alice has done. Infected or not, she still loved her, and would never let anything happen to her. Ever.

...I have never felt the way I do for Alice for anyone in my life. When we're apart, it's like missing your soul. I love her unconditionally, and I can feel that Alice is the same for me. At first I thought I was angry at Alice's friendship with Valentine, how she treats her more like a soul worth saving than an enemy, but that's not true. It's jealousy, something I never felt about another human being before. Valentine is from Alice's past, a reminder of a life and time that no longer exist, but more importantly, a life I am jealous I was never apart of. When Jill recovers from the effects of the Medusa Bug, I fear that I will be forgotten, replaced even. I know it seems silly, but the connection we have when we kiss, or make love, is sometimes not enough...

Claire glanced over her shoulder, making sure Alice was still asleep, before she continued with the next part of her journal entry...

I don't think I will ever trust Valentine, even if her recovery is similar to my own a few months ago. I know Alice is optimistic to have her friend back, but what Alice doesn't know, what I will never tell her, is that I still don't feel whole. There are parts of my memory that are still missing, pieces that I don't honestly think I will ever get back. I'm afraid that Alice will blame herself if Jill's not the same, that she will convince herself that it was because of something she did or didn't do, just like how she believes she is the cause of the extinction of the human race.

Alice saved me from a Medusa Bug up in Alaska and I am thankful for that. However, the eighteen months I was in Alaska on my own, fending for myself, I cannot remember. I do not know how I was able to survive, what I did for food, for shelter. Did I too become a killing machine, a drone like Valentine and Alice?

I have no doubt Valentine would make a valuable member to our crew, but I will do whatever it takes to protect the people of this ship, and most importantly, Alice.

Claire stopped, feeling Alice squirm under the covers. She quickly closed the journal, slipping it under the mattress, back into its hiding spot.

"I hope you only said good things in that journal of yours." Alice muttered, draping her arm over Claire's abdomen.

She knew about Claire's journal, about how it was her way of retaining her humanity, putting her thoughts and feelings in a safe place instead of eating away at her from the inside. Alice would never violate Claire's privacy by looking at what she wrote, even though she was certain it was about her.

Claire turned, facing her lover, "Sleep well?" She asked attempting to change the subject.

Alice brushed Claire's hair from her shoulder, "For once, yes." She stated, giving Claire a kiss, "And how about you, birthday girl."

The significance of today was lost on her. It had been years, even before the end of the world, that Claire had formally celebrated another successful trip around the sun. Granted, there was never a need when your parents were dead, your brother was away in the army, and all of your friends would rather eat you than the birthday cake.

"How?" Claire replied stunned.

Alice smiled, cupping Claire's face, "Even in this messed up planet we call home, we sometimes need to act human."

Claire blushed, "I thought you weren't human." She muttered against her lover's lips.

"For you, I can make the exception." Alice replied with a grin.

Swiftly, Alice pinned Claire onto the bed, squeezing her legs around the woman's torso and smiling playfully. Claire giggled, prepared to enjoy the best birthday present she had ever received.

T.B.C...

Questions:

- Should Jill join the "Crew"?
- Is Claire right in not trusting Jill?
- Is Alice blinded by her humanity and making a costly mistake?
- Do "The Renegades" seem like the type to succeed at their plan?

Let me know what you think! Any and all suggestions are always welcome! As usual, please review!

B.