Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil.

A/N: It didn't seem right not to use a Black Keys song for this chapter title.

A/N2: You guys continue to be awesome with all your reviewing, alerts and favourites. Thanks for putting up with my inconsistent updating. I don't have a good excuse for why it took so long so I'm just going to say sorry for the wait.

A/N3: I also just want to clear something up. I fully intend to have both Alice meeting Chris and Claire meeting Mrs. Olivera, I just wanted your input on which one you'd like to see first. It was never an either/or situation. Anyway, I've counted all your votes from reviews and private messages, but you'll have to wait and see the results.


Claire bounded up the stairs of the apartment building excitedly, a bounce in each one of her many steps. Her enthusiasm over the day's events ready to spill forth the moment she set foot inside her home. With the door only a few steps away the redhead came to an abrupt halt in the hallway. She checked the time on her watch and realized that K-Mart was probably not alone inside the apartment. Alice had mentioned she'd be helping the younger blonde today and Claire remembered inviting her to come over for the tutoring session instead of going to the diner. The redhead quickly fixed her hair and smoothed out her clothing as best she could before letting herself into the apartment.

Blue eyes scanned the open space and easily spotted her two favourite blondes sitting on opposing ends of the kitchen table. K-Mart was writing furiously and Alice looked to be engrossed by the book she was reading. It was a sight Claire wouldn't mind coming home to on a regular basis and she silently prayed that her date with Alice that week would be everything she hoped it would be.

Neither Alice nor K-Mart seemed to notice her arrival so Claire stepped further into the room, depositing her jacket on its usual hook by the door. After a few steps Alice looked up from her book and upon spotting the redhead offered a small grin which Claire eagerly returned. "How's it going in here?"

K-Mart jumped in her seat and the redhead took some delight in startling her sister. "Claire you're home!" The teenager than frowned. "Why are you home? You don't normally finish at the diner this early. And why are you all dirty? Oh my God did you get mugged again?"

"No, I didn't get mugged," Claire rolled her eyes. She then looked down and properly examined herself, noticing for the first time that afternoon the grease still on her hands, running up her arms and the numerous black stains on her t-shirt. In all her excitement she hadn't realized that she undoubtedly looked like shit after her day's activities and flushed at the thought of Alice seeing her at less than her best. The redhead peeled off her ruined shirt, leaving her in only a black tank top and jeans. "I wasn't at the diner today K, and if I can help it I'm never going back there again."

"What? Why not? You didn't get fired did you?"

"No, nothing like that K. I got a better job today. Something with better hours, better pay and a hell of a lot more fun."

"You called Chase?" Alice inquired.

Claire nodded. "Yeah. He's a great guy. He told me to come in this morning for an 'informal job interview' and when I get there he put me right to work. Pointed to a car in the garage, told me to find the problem and fix it as fast as I could. When I finished he hired me on the spot."

"That's awesome Claire!" K-Mart's initial concerns vanished and a wide smile now appeared on her face. "I know you never liked working at that stupid diner."

"You're right about that. Now I hope you haven't eaten yet K, cause we are going out to celebrate."

K-Mart instantly grew more excited. "Where are we going?"

"You pick."

The teenager leant across the table whispering to the older blonde in a voice still loud enough for Claire to hear. "She must be really happy if she's letting me pick and it's her celebration."

"Five seconds K," the redhead warned.

"Big Boy!" K-Mart burst out.

"Seriously? That place is disgusting." Claire's protest however was short lived as she easily caved the minute K-Mart started to pout. "Fine. Big Boy it is." The redhead then glanced over at Alice. "You're coming too right?"

"Are you just asking because you want me to drive?"

Claire frowned for the first time that day. "No."

"I'm just kidding. Of course I'll go. Big Boy is my favourite." She smirked at the younger blonde and the two exchanged a high five.

Claire simply rolled her eyes. "How did I end up surrounded by people who love greasy food?" She then walked over to the bathroom door. "I'm going to take a quick shower before we go, so finish up whatever you guys were working on."

As she was reaching for the door knob she felt eyes on the back of her head. Turning around she caught Alice watching her and when their eyes locked the blonde smiled sheepishly at being caught staring. Claire made sure K-Mart was still packing up her things and motioned for Alice to join her across the room. Alice looked a little confused by the request but nonetheless left the teenager at the table and moved to join the redhead by the door.

"What's up?"

"Nothing, I just forgot to do something earlier." Claire loved the dopey look on Alice's face as the blonde became more confused but quickly answered the unspoken question by leaning over and pressing their lips together in a quick kiss. "That was ok right?" She asked, pulling away after a few seconds.

Alice offered a reassuring smile. "Absolutely."

Claire returned the grin before leaving the blonde and entering the bathroom. She was almost one hundred percent certain the day could not possibly get any better.


The redhead had been pacing the living room anxiously for the past half hour. It was Wednesday night, the day she was taking Alice out on their first official date. Claire didn't want the other woman to know where they were going and had only instructed to dress casual and meet at her apartment at 7:00pm. She and K-Mart only lived a few blocks away from the arena so Claire didn't need to feel awkward about asking Alice to drive them on the date she was suppose to be in charge of.

It was 6:50pm and Claire, after some unwanted fashion advice from K-Mart had been ready for almost an hour. And despite the teenager's best attempt to distract her, Claire's nerves had gotten the best of her and she was now slowly burning a hole in the floor with her constant pacing.

"Why are you so nervous Claire? You see Alice all the time." K-Mart spared a glance up from her math textbook to question her sister.

"It's just different this time K. There are certain, er... expectations that come with a date."

"Like what?"

"There has to be more," Claire explained. "The whole point of a date is to establish if two people can be more than just friends."

"Are you seriously worried about that Claire? You and Alice always look like you're about to pounce each other and I'm pretty sure that's not something friends do."

The redhead flushed vibrantly, more than a little embarrassed that K-Mart had picked up on the sexual tension. She cleared her throat loudly causing K-Mart to smirk, relishing in her sister's discomfort. "I just don't want to screw things up K. I feel like I got lucky getting her to agree to this in the first place. If things aren't perfect she'll think it was all just a big mistake."

"Is that what you think?" K-Mart asked.

Claire sighed but answered without hesitation. "No. Even if tonight is a big disaster I know I'll still want to see her again."

"Then that's all you have to convince Alice of. Things don't need to be perfect Claire, it's just got to mean something."

"When did you get so smart?" Claire grinned.

"You're forgetting, I have an excellent tutor." The teenager was quiet for a few minutes as Claire began pacing again. "You know, I can always go sleep over at Angie's if you want some privacy after the concert tonight."

Claire halted, giving K-Mart a mortified expression. "What? No!" She really didn't want K-Mart to be thinking about her and Alice doing that. "It's a school night for you K, that means in bed by 11pm not staying up all night gossiping with Angie."

"I was just thinking..."

"I know what you were thinking." Claire interrupted. "And please don't ever think that again. Besides, I am not the type to put out on a first date."

K-Mart threw up her hands in defeat. "Ok, sorry. I just don't want to be an obstacle standing in the way of your budding romance with Alice."

"You're not in the way K-Mart. Without you I doubt any of this would even be happening." Claire moved across the room to join her sister on the couch. "Besides, Alice knows that we're a package deal. She understands that you are my number one priority, she actually was considerate of the effect of us dating having on you. And even though I think you're taking a bit too much interest in my love life right now, I don't need you worrying about being in the way."

K-Mart's response was cut off by the sound of knocking on the apartment door. The sisters shared a look with the teen giving the redhead an encouraging smile before nodding towards the door.

"Go have fun Claire, you deserve it."

Claire grinned for a second before turning serious. "You better be in bed when I get home, no waiting up."

The young blonde just waved off the warning as Claire walked over to the door. She took a deep breath, composing herself before opening the apartment door to find a nervous looking Alice waiting in the hallway.

The redhead stepped out into the hall, closing the door silently behind her. "Hi." The word came out small and Claire cursed herself for feeling so nervous. She saw Alice nearly everyday and she was already acting like this was her first date ever.

"Hey," Alice replied, a small smile playing at her lips. "You look great."

"Oh, thanks." Claire looked down at her black pants and red vest over a white tank top, not expecting the compliment.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going, or do I have to guess?"

Feeling much more at ease now, Claire took a hold of one of Alice's hands and began to pull her back down the hallway. "I'll let you figure it out when we get there. It's only a few blocks away." The redhead grinned when Alice interlaced their fingers as they walked down the three flights of stairs in her building and out into the unusually warm April weather. Claire led them towards the arena and when it was in sight a lot more people came into view, approaching the same building from all sides.

"Is that where we're going?" Alice asked and the redhead thought the other woman sounded a little hopeful.

"Yeah, I got us tickets to the concert tonight. The Black Chords or something."

"The Black Keys? You got tickets to the concert tonight?"

Claire nodded. "Is that okay?"

"Fuck yes it's okay. That band is awesome! I can't believe this is where we're going." It was now Alice who led the redhead towards the arena and Claire was more than a little shocked, having never before seen the blonde look so excited or enthusiastic about anything. It was a side of Alice she hoped to see more often and Claire gave herself a mental pat on the back for unintentionally picking the perfect date activity.

Loud. That was the only way to describe it. It was probably the loudest thing Claire had ever heard in her whole life. The bass, the drums, the crowd screaming, the lead singer wailing; the redhead could feel it all thudding in her chest. It was also dark, the only real source of light directed on the stage. A flashlight in her face drew her attention to the usher standing in front of them. Wordlessly Claire showed the woman their tickets and reached back for Alice's hand so they didn't get separated as they were shown to their seats.

Once seated, Claire noticed that Otto actually managed to score them some decent seats. Most of the seats around the pair were already filled and there were some people up and dancing while others were content to bob their heads as the opening band on stage played. The redhead's people watching was soon distracted though by the feeling of hot breath tickling her ear as Alice leaned in extremely close in order to be heard over the loud music.

"I still can't believe you got tickets for this. It's been sold out for months."

Claire smirked. "Well, L.J isn't the only one with connections." The blonde nodded for Claire to continue. "I use to work here, and one of my coworkers owed me a favour."

"I'm glad you took this as your opportunity to cash in that favour. The Black Keys are one of my favourite bands." The blonde then motioned to the stage. "These guys are pretty good too, what band is it?"

"Cage the Elephant," Claire replied with a shrug. "As you know, these days my musical exploration doesn't get much more in-depth than Justin Bieber, so it's good to hear some real music for a change."

When Cage the Elephant finished their set both Claire and Alice enthusiastically joined the crowd in cheers until the lights came up. During the break between bands the pair easily fell back into conversation.

"So how's the new job?" Alice asked with genuine interest.

"It's great. I love the work and getting home at a decent hour everyday is something I'll never take for granted again. And even though you'd think I'd get sick of her, it's been nice getting to spend more time with K-Mart."

Alice just shook her head as she smiled. "How is K-Mart?" The blonde hadn't seen the teenager the last two days. K-Mart's marks had made noticeable improvements in the last few weeks and therefore the daily tutoring was no longer necessary.

"She's good. I think she's sitting at home with her fingers crossed that I don't blow this date tonight so you'll have a reason to come around more often for something other than to help her with homework."

Alice grinned. "Well if it helps, you're definitely not blowing it so far."

Claire scoffed. "Of course I'm not. I'm an excellent date." Her smugness caused Alice's grin to widen and Claire hoped the other woman couldn't see the insecurities hiding beneath the facade. She was still worried this whole evening might go horribly wrong and she was trying her best to keep her cool.

It was at that moment the lights dimmed again and a spot focussed on the stage as the Black Keys made their arrival. The crowd went completely crazy, everyone up and out of their seats, cheering emphatically. As Claire and Alice stood side by side as the first song started, the redhead felt a gentle nudging at her fingertips. She glanced over at the blonde but Alice had her eyes firmly fixed on the stage, though Claire could make out the small smile on the other woman's face. Turning back to face the band Claire gently nudged back at the questing fingers until she and Alice were holding hands, their fingers interlaced. The redhead couldn't stop her own grin from emerging at the feeling of how well their hands always seemed to fit together; and as Alice's thumb rubbed along the back of her hand, Claire knew the other woman felt it too.

About an hour into the band's performance, Alice grew noticeably more excited as another song started.

"This one is my favourite." The blonde confessed and for maybe the fourth or fifth time that evening she sang along.

The look of the cake

It ain't always the taste

My ex girl she had

Such a beautiful face

I wanted love

But not for myself

But for the girl

So she could love herself

My next girl

Will be nothing like my ex girl

I made mistakes back then

I'll never do it again

With my next girl

She'll be nothing like my ex girl

That was a painful dance

Now I got a second chance

Glancing over at her companion, the redhead noted that Alice seemed much more engaged with the concert than she had all night. Claire had never seen the blonde so animated before and she was somewhat jealous that a mere song could easily bring the usually guarded woman so much Claire pushed her sour feelings aside, not wanting to miss even a second of this carefree version of Alice, not knowing when it would appear again.

A beautiful face

And a wicked way

And I'm paying for her

Beautiful face every day

All that work

Over so much time If I think too hard

I might lose my mind

My next girl

Will be nothing like my ex girl

I made mistakes back then

I'll never do it again

With my next girl

She'll be nothing like my ex girl

That was a painful dance

Now I got a second chance

It was fairly soon after that the band finished it's set and after a brief encore the concert was over and people were filing out of the arena. Alice and Claire walked hand in hand, following the current of the crowd out into the brisk night air. They idly began walking away from the venue, but in the opposite direction of the redhead's apartment, neither woman ready to let the evening come to a close.

"I know it's kind of late, but do you want to go get something to eat?" Claire asked, wanting a plan to get them off the street. Even though she felt safe with Alice, she still wasn't comfortable with wandering around the city this late at night.

"Sure," Alice agreed instantly. "Wherever you want to go is fine."

The pair ended up at a corner café that was open late. The two women shared a slice of apple pie while each nursed a cup of coffee as they sat close together at a small circular table in the centre of the room. There were a few other couples occupying the café but no one was paying them any attention, not that either woman noticed as they were too occupied with each other.

"So, I know I enjoyed the concert" Alice stated, leaning back in the chair and leaving Claire the last bite of pie. "What did you think?"

"It was good. I really liked the opening band and the song with the whistling." Claire finished the pie and also leaned back in her chair. "I don't know if it's good idea for me to admit this, but I haven't had a lot a free time the last few years to just go out and have fun so we could have seen some lame magic show and I'd still probably have enjoyed it."

Alice's eyes widened in mock surprise. "You don't like magic?"

"Magic is for children." Claire's sceptic smile caused the blonde to grin.

"Agreed. So what do you like? I mean besides cars and my fabulous artwork," Claire rolled her eyes; "What would you like to do if you had the free time?"

The redhead was forced to think long and hard before answering. She'd never really thought about it before. The last few years her sole focus had really been on K-Mart. She'd taken shitty jobs and lived a hectic schedule just so they could make ends meet. Their parents had by no means been wealthy, in fact all the money the Redfield siblings had accumulated from selling the house in Nevada had been barely enough to cover the cost of the funeral and settle all their parents debts and the rest had been spent on the move to Raccoon City.

Claire knew she was by no means a selfless person, she had been completely self-centred in the last few years before her parent's death. She'd moved out right after highschool, wanting nothing more than to be independent; it was hard being the middle child after all. Claire hadn't gone home for visits as much as her mother and K-Mart wanted, she had been too involved in her own life. And then very late one night she got the phone call that changed her life forever. But even then, there had never been one single doubt in her mind about taking on the parental responsibilities for her K-Mart even though she barely considered herself an adult at the time. And since then, many of her own interests had fallen to the backburner.

"I'm not sure," she finally answered. "I mean, I'm not the same person I was three years ago. So the things I liked to do back then don't really mesh with who I am now." Claire avoided the blonde's eyes as she spoke. "I moved away from home as soon as I could, I was alway sort of jealous about how much my parents were proud of Chris and how much they spoiled K-Mart for being the youngest. It's stupid but at the time I thought being independent meant doing whatever I wanted. So I visited home less and less and wasted so much time I could have spent with them." Claire felt Alice lay a hand over top of hers on the table, a silent pleading for the redhead to look at her. When she finally did she found Alice staring at her with a mixture of concern and understanding.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Claire shook her head. "You didn't. It's just that whenever I think about doing things for myself I feel sort of guilty. Being self-centred caused me to miss the last few years my parents were alive and I don't want to do that with K-Mart too. So I let her pick the movies we watch, the places we eat and the furniture we have. And it's why I work hard so we can live in a relatively safe neighbourhood so I can send her to a decent school." The redhead then turned her hand over so she and Alice were clasping hands on the table. "And I never let myself really be open to dating anyone. K-Mart thinks I'm smothering her but I just couldn't let the things I wanted get in the way of taking care of her the best I can."

"So why are you and I sitting here, holding hands on a date?" The blonde asked with a coy smile making Claire relax and return the grin.

She gave Alice's hand a firm squeeze. "Because I feel drawn to you in ways I can't understand for reasons I cannot explain. Because being with you doesn't feel like I'm being selfish for spending time away from K-Mart. It may take me some time to figure out some new hobbies, but I do know that I want to spend as much of my free time with you as I can. As long as that's alright with you of course."

Alice's smile widened, revealing her perfectly white teeth. "I think I would like that too." And she leaned across the short distance between them, kissing the redhead with assurance. The blonde pulled back after a few seconds, mindful they were in a public place. "Come on, let's get out of here." She stood and pulled Claire out of her chair, their hands firmly entwined as they exited the restaurant.

The pair strolled hand in hand up the street, enjoying the comfortable silence between them. Claire was so use to K-Mart's incessant need to fill every quiet moment with talking or music and she liked the calmness Alice personified with her silence. Every now and then the blonde would tug her a little closer or run her thumb along the back of Claire's hand, or just spare her a quick glance and Claire loved every unspoken action reflecting that Alice was still thinking about her despite their lack of conversation.

The walk back to her apartment was over much too soon for Claire's liking and she didn't want the date to end. She had to keep reminding herself that this was only a first date, and the end of the night would only mean the beginning of their relationship. Of course, that was only if the blonde enjoyed the evening as much as she had, but Claire was pretty confident about her chances.

"So," she began awkwardly breaking the long silence as they stood on the front stoop of the apartment building. "I, uh, had a really great time tonight." Claire was fumbling all over her words but Alice didn't seem to mind, the blonde waiting patiently for Claire to find her voice. "Would it be something you would want to do again?"

She waited anxiously for Alice to reply and the blonde seemed to take a long time in making up her mind. "On one condition," the redhead nodded for her to continue. "Next time, I get to plan the date."

Claire breathed a sigh of relief. "Deal," she immediately agreed and then gave a cocky smirk. "Although good luck topping this, I unknowingly got us tickets to one of your favourite bands" she boasted. "How do you plan on stepping up?"

"Please," Alice scoffed. "Who said I would want to even try topping this? But I bet I could if I wanted to. You forget, I have a secret weapon."

"Oh yeah?"

Alice nodded. "K-Mart." She answered simply. "She knows you better than anyone, and if I asked her, I bet she would tell me anything about you that I wanted to know, and then some."

"You wouldn't dare." The last thing the redhead wanted was her little sister blabbing to Alice all of her secrets.

"Hmm," Alice hummed, not really replying to the Claire's look of dread. The facade didn't last though and the blonde chuckled slightly. "You're right, I wouldn't." Taking a step closer, Alice brought a hand up to Claire's face, gently brushing away the stray red locks caught in the breeze. "If I win your heart Claire, it won't be because someone wrote me a cheat sheet. I want to learn the things you like and find out the things you hate first hand. If I brought you roses only to find out you like lilies, I'd never make that mistake again." Alice cupped her cheek while her other hand played with their still tangled fingers. "I can't believe you were so worried to ask me on a second date," the blonde all but whispered. "I had the best time tonight. You really are an excellent date Claire" she smirked, quoting the redhead's earlier words. "And I can't wait to do it again."

Claire didn't need any more incentive to lean forward and as great as the rest of the date had been, Claire knew the good night kiss was what she would remember the most about the night. Her passion and the blonde's steadiness equated to a balance between rushed and relaxed, heat and tenderness. The hand cupping her cheek moved to thread through red hair. Claire had never felt lighter and thought she might actually float away had Alice not been there acting as anchor.

Any further thoughts were pushed from her mind at the blonde's tentative request for entry, her tongue searching the edge of Claire's lips. Claire immediately granted the other woman access as the pair stood kissing outside her building blissfully unaware of the world around them.

It ended all too soon for the redhead's liking and Claire groaned in frustration when Alice reluctantly pulled away from the kiss.

"I hate lilies." Claire blurted out, trapped in a daze following the separation of their lips.

Alice smiled adoringly. "Noted." She took an extra step back, creating far too big a distance than either woman wanted between them, despite their still tightly clasped hands. "I'll call you tomorrow. Goodnight Claire."

"Night Alice, drive safe." Claire stood rooted in spot, making no effort to move forcing the blonde to be the first to walk away.


Alice knew what the redhead was doing, it was sort of evil in a way. She had been the first one to end the kiss and now Claire was forcing her to be the first one to walk away. She forced herself another step backwards until they were separated enough to cause their hands to slip out of each other's grasp. With a final smile Alice turned around and headed towards her truck parked a little further down the street. And as much as she wanted to, the blonde didn't look back to see if the redhead was still there. She knew Claire hadn't gone inside yet, she could feel the other woman's eyes staring at her retreating form and in this silent test of wills between them Alice was determined to win.

She had been a little too honest with her words before the kiss and Alice cursed herself for not holding back as much as she had planned. There was just something about Claire she couldn't deny. When the redhead had become all shy and unsure at the end of their date all Alice wanted to do was reassure her that she had a good time and wanted to do it again. And then she had started spouting stuff about winning her heart. That was way too much, way to soon for the blonde's liking; yet she had been the one to say it so deep down there must be some truth to the words.

Alice had just reached her vehicle when she heard it, the sound of incoming footsteps. Judging by the sound she guessed the person was running. She turned around just in time to catch the redhead as Alice was slammed into the side of her own truck by the shear force of Claire's body. Before she could open her mouth to speak it was covered by Claire's lips again. The blue eyed woman was kissing her with abandon and Alice did not hesitate to respond. She didn't know what had sparked her into action but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying it. She wanted Claire, maybe more than she'd ever wanted a woman before in her life but despite the frenzy of their embrace, Alice was still acutely aware of their position outside for all the world to see.

Claire had Alice pretty much pinned against the truck but Alice really didn't mind. Assertive-Claire was such a turn on and the kiss was growing more heated by the second. It took all of Alice's control to keep her hands to herself, forcing her palms against the cool metal of the passenger door instead of seeking out the warm skin she knew was just waiting to be touched under that red vest and tank top.

The redhead was not being nearly as conscientious as she pressed herself flush against the blonde, one hand on Alice's waist while the other gripped the back of her head. Her hold on the blonde only lessened when they were forced to separate for air.

"Shit," Claire breathed, at a loss for words.

"I should walk away more often if that's the response it'll get me." Alice half joked.

The redhead pulled Alice off the vehicle and wrapped her arms around her. The blonde followed suit and realized a moment later they were sharing their first hug. It was nice, and their bodies moulded together perfectly as if each one was made solely for the purpose of fitting with the other. The intimacy of it all was almost too much for the blonde. She didn't want to rush things with the redhead. Claire deserved a lot better than being another notch on Alice's belt and she didn't want them to give into their mutual desire until she was sure that it meant something. After only one date, Alice knew she wanted more than just sex from Claire and it scared the shit out of her.

Alice placed kiss into soft red hair as she slowly rubbed Claire's back. They stayed in that position for a bit, neither one willing to let go. And it was only when Alice heard the other woman yawn that she forced them to disentangle.

"Go inside and get some sleep Claire." Alice gently instructed. "I'll call you so we can make arrangements for the awesome date I'm going to plan." Her boasting causing Claire to scoff.

"I still don't think you can top this, but I'm going to love getting to watch you try." She gave Alice a final peck on the lips and slowly walked backwards back up to her apartment. "Goodnight Alice." The blonde waved and waited for Claire to disappear inside the building before rounding her truck and climbing inside.

It may have only been a first date but it was getting harder and harder for Alice to walk away.