Matt+

I kissed her! I can't believe I kissed her!

She didn't seem to mind it though. Alice had already told me that she loved me too. I guess I couldn't hold it back any longer, I had to do it. My heart swelled within my chest, feeling as if it were going to explode. It was hard to breathe, I just acted on instinct and pulled her close to me taking the first kiss. She tasted divine and I wanted to hold her longer. But there was a knock at the door and I had to release her.

With a sigh as she went to talk to Carlos, I rolled over and lay on the bed. I half-assed listened to the conversation as my mind raced. The thought of holding her some more crossed my mind and I grinned. I shivered and pulled the covers up around my shoulders. Maybe I could try and get some sleep?

I started to doze off when the light went out and a body crawled in behind me, coming close. Alice… I rolled over with a lazy smile and put an arm around her. I loved her, I could see that now. All that time in the Hive, the feeling of wanting to be with her always, wanting to touch her… That was all love. I was confused at first, but yes I knew it perfectly well now.

As I drifted off into sleep, I could feel this dull pain in the back of my skull. I pushed the feeling away and tried to concentrate on sleeping. I was tired.

I was surprised that Alice wouldn't let anybody hurt me. After I'd almost taken her life. No… Nemesis did it, I didn't have any part in it. The dull pain turned into a burning roar in my ears. Nemesis was trying to pry his way out again, I could feel it. No! Stay back! I yelled silently.

"Kill" He knew Alice was laying here beside me, and he fought to just snap her neck. It was what he was created to do… To destroy the primary target. I groaned and put a hand on my head as the back of my head pounded. Alice just snuggled closer to me, fast asleep.

Her being so near caused Nemesis to go mad with bloodlust, he needed her blood. He roared and clawed at the back of my conscience, I tried to keep him back. I found that in loving Alice, I had the strength to keep Nemesis caged. For how long, I didn't know. I scooted away from Alice, getting ready to get up and go to the bathroom. Once I broke contact, Nemesis quieted. He felt her! He felt that she was no longer in my grasp and he calmed.

Reluctantly, I moved to sleep on the other bed. Alice was fast asleep, so she wouldn't notice. I looked at her, my eyesight amazing in the darkness. I smiled as I saw her sleep. It was good for her to get a peaceful rest. I crept to the other bed and lay under the covers. I couldn't let Nemesis escape again. I didn't want to hurt Alice. So… I slept opposite from her.

My sleep was far from pleasant. Nightmares plagued my dreams all night long…

I ran down black streets, Alice at my side. "We have to hurry! That thing is right behind us!" She yelled in panic.

I glanced back to see what "that thing" was. Nemesis walked calmly toward us, knowing he would get us… We'd tire quickly. The sadistic smile on his lipless face made me feel uneasy. What was he planning? He roared, and I understood him. "I'm going to get you… Just you watch."

I grabbed Alice and shoved her through the door of an abandoned building. "Climb! Climb!" I yelled and began pushing her ahead of me up the stairs. She obeyed and hurried up the stairs, me right behind her. But something grabbed my leg. I looked down to see a slimy tentacle wrapped around my ankle. I tried to kick it away, but it drew me closer to it's body. Nemesis growled, drool dripping from the large fangs.

Alice jumped down from the stairs in a fighting stance. She had no weapons, was she really going to fight him? Nemesis grabbed me by the head and suspended me in the air, his tentacle became stiff, the tip sharp. Suddenly, it shot out at Alice and struck her right in the chest.

"NO!" I screamed, trying to pull my head free from the death grip.

Nemesis laughed as he watched Alice fall to the floor, surrounded by a pool of crimson liquid. Her heart had been ripped from her chest by the tentacle. He looked at me and grinned as her heart neared his lipless mouth. I watched in disgust, tears streaming from my eyes, as he opened his mouth and took a bite from the vital organ. Blood seeped from the bite, running all along his face, the red liquid dripped off his chin and some ran down his arm. He was enjoying every bit of it!

I snapped awake just as the door was kicked in. What the hell? I jumped out of bed as soldiers filed into the room, guns trained on us. Alice was standing by me in an instant.

"Very good Alice." A voice rang out as a man stepped through the crowd of soldiers. "You lead us right to him. Although I can not believe he is alive, not after what happened." The man shook his head. "Remarkable what the T-virus can do. And Cellular regeneration as well! Incredible!"

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Alice demanded, her voice quivering. These guys were umbrella, and she knew it. But I figured she was trying to stall them.

"We want you to come home with us. Both of you… We need to, eh, run a few tests." The man grinned.

Alice and I glanced at each other, somehow knowing what each other's thoughts were. A slight nod from both of us sent us both in a flurry of martial arts moves. We each split the soldiers in half and took them down one by one. This caught the man off guard and he jumped back screaming "Shoot them! Shoot them!"

But before anybody could fire off a shot, they were down and out, the guns they carried had never let off a single round. The soldiers toward the back, however, escaped with their obvious leader. Just who in the hell was that guy? He sure wasn't like the other Umbrella soldiers who would order an attack, even when they were down in numbers. We looked around at the soldiers. I didn't know the full extent of my strength! It all happened so fast, I didn't even know what happened until I looked at the lifeless bodies around me.

I looked at my hands in amazement. Did I do that? "We have to get out of here." Alice said under her breath as she looked around with cold blue eyes. "We have to get out of here, now. They'll come back, and there will be more."

I agreed and we both headed outside. She stopped by the other room to say good bye to Angie and the others… But they were gone. "Those bastards!" Alice growled as she clenched her fists tightly. "They're gone, we've got to go after them!"

Umbrella had taken the others hostage. Obviously knowing we'd follow… Follow right into their trap! I gave a sigh and hung my head once we were in the vehicle. Luckily, they'd left the keys, and our ride out of here.

"I'm sorry Matt." Alice said, voice barely above a whisper. "But I have to get them out of there. They did it for me…" she didn't look at me as she kicked the car into gear and drove off. She knew where Umbrella was, and probably knew what we were coming up against. But I went along with her, knowing I probably wouldn't make it out.

I smiled at her and reached over to grab her hand. I loved her. I loved the way she always wanted to help, even when the odds were against her. And I'd fight by her side until the very end. This was something we had to do together. We started it down in the Hive, and it was time we finished it. Umbrella was going down!

She gave my hand a squeeze and glanced at me. Did… Did I see fear in her expression? Was she that nervous? My thumb rubbed the top of her hand gently, comfortingly and she relaxed. Nemesis however… was another thing. The dull pain at the back of my skull started up again, the growling rang though my subconscious. Casually, I took my hand from hers and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't want her to know what was going on… not until I could figure it out myself, and find a way to control it… I would… Even if it killed me, I would hold Alice.