Ok. Due to popular demand, I have decided to continue this story. (I was thinking about it anyway lol) Thank you thank you thank you all for your support and reviews!!! WOW. Now, I want to warn you that this ch is definitely romancy, and that this is definitely going to end up being a Carlos/Alice fic. They are one of the few couples that I really like and want to write about. Please be aware that I have written very little romance, and am doing the best I can here. If you have suggestions, please please please let me know! Thanks!

By the time he found the room she was in, he had lost track of time. How long he had been traversing these tunnels was anyone's guess. Heck, how long he had been 'dead' was debatable too, now that he thought about it.

Alice was seated at the one intact table in the middle of another destroyed room, doing something on the single remaining source of light, a computer. Carlos was starting to think that if he ever saw a 'normal' room again, he just might need to be put away. Destruction had become the norm.

Upon his entry, Alice snapped her head up, standing and drawing a gun with lightning speed, aiming it at Carlos' head. He stopped short, putting his hands up placatingly.

"Alice," He tried gently. "Alice, it's me, Carlos."

"I don't believe you. Who are you really?" She demanded, her voice commanding and carefully devoid of emotion.

"It's me. I swear." He said, trying to think of a way to prove it to her. If he didn't think fast he'd have to find out if he could survive a head shot too. It didn't sound promising.

"Prove it." She spat, still holding the gun level.

"I was- hoping you wouldn't say that." He sighed, dropping his head as he thought. "I don't know, uh- Ok. We first met when we were trapped in Raccoon city, trying to find Angela. You gave me the cure shortly afterwards from her lunchbox."

Alice bit her lip, still holding the gun steady.

"Look, you can believe me or you can't, just know I'm not going to attack you, so you can put the gun down." He said, dropping his hands.

Alice inched forward, still holding her gun, and reached a hand up to touch his face. She moved down his cheek to his jaw, then his throat. It was definitely Carlos, and he was no zombie. She lowered the gun, suddenly jumping on him in a tight hug. He returned it, burying his face in her shoulder.

After a moment they pulled apart, Carlos waiting for her to speak.

"But what happened, we saw the explosion……."

"I know. I can't figure it out either. My only thought is that somehow I've bonded with the T virus like you did. There is no other explanation. I'm stronger, faster, and I seem to be very difficult to kill." He finished with a chuckle.

"But, you were bitten." Alice said, puzzled. "The virus in you isn't a pure strain, you should be one of them."

"I know, but can you think of anything else?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, I can't." She paused, then continued. "How did you find me by the way?"

"I just knew you were here. Must be the virus again." He shrugged.

"Strange that I didn't sense you coming." She commented to herself.

"How long was I gone? And why didn't you go with the others?" He questioned, following her back to her computer.

"I just got back earlier this evening, but I never went with them in the first place. I had unfinished business here. You've been supposed dead for five months." She said, jabbing in his direction with her gun as she sat down to type something into the computer.

"Wow, that long huh?"

"Yea, where did you wake up?" She asked, turning her attention back on him while the computer loaded.

"Right outside."

She stopped short. "But that's impossible. You should have been devoured."

"Apparently they don't think I smell good anymore."

"They don't attack you?" She sounded almost indignant.

"No. I guess I smell like them to them. Not the most comforting thought, but whatever works." he grinned.

"That could have been useful a while back."

"Yea, tell me about it. So what have you been doing all this time?"

"I've been destroying umbrella once and for all."

Carlos looked skeptical. "Single handedly?"

"No, but it's still just been me."

Now he was completely confused. "Wha-"

"Come see." She leaned over her computer, tapping a button. Carlos moved to stand behind her, peering at the bright screen.

"Alice, meet Carlos." Alice said, speaking to the screen.

On it, was a picture of herself. No, not a picture, a video.

"Hello Carlos." It said, the same soldier like voice coming from the speaker that he was used to.

"Uh- hello. Alice, do you care to explain?" He asked, tuning his head to look at the one in the room with him.

"The scientists that lived down here had huge stores of my DNA. They've been making clones. And my clones are just as ticked at Umbrella as I am."

Carlos whistled. "They were in for a surprise. How many are there?"

"Including me? Five hundred. Or there used to be, quite a few didn't make it." She sounded sad.

"So why aren't you with them now?"

"They went their own way, pretty much doing what we used to do with Claire's convoy. I came back here to satellite for any more occupied bases. Looks like I got them all."

"Wow. Sounds like I missed one heck of a party."

"Yea, too bad huh? Don't worry, there are still plenty of zombies to pick off."

Carlos chuckled, sitting in the chair next to her. "Why don't you join them up in Alaska now? We could find you a way up, and you'd be safe."

Alice's head snapped up, a dangerous anger boiling in her eyes. "No. They're safer without me, and what would ever make you think I would leave you here?!" Her voice was as stabbing as her eyes, and Carlos drew back as if he'd been slapped.

"Where did you get that I was going to stay?"

Alice gave him a venomous glare, talking through her teeth. "You don't think I missed the 'you'd' part of that sentence, did you?"

"But I'm safe. They won't come after me! I can pick them off and survive much easier than you can, even with your powers, eventually they will kill you. There are simply too many." He said, trying to reason with her.

Praying she would listen.

"What and now you're invincible?" She asked, now in a quiet tone that almost mocked him.

"No- but-"

"They're not stupid, Carlos!" She shouted, continuing before he could argue that fact. "They may be limited, but the most ingrained, base instinct anything has is self preservation. Once you attack they will come after you. And you won't survive." She finished quietly, dropping her head, a tear threatening to spill over.

"Alice." He called quietly. "No one lives forever." He lifted her chin with his hand, bringing her ice blue eyes on level with his dark ones.

"But I all ready lost you once." She whispered, the tear trickling down her cheek and onto his hand.

Carlos couldn't take the distance anymore. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest. "All right." he sighed "I'll stay with you. No matter what you choose."

Alice let out a shaky breath, resting her cheek against Carlos' warm body, leaning her head on his collar bone. She had been living in the desert for years, but somehow she felt like she was just now thawing from an intense cold.

Almost hesitantly, she brought her hand up to rest on his throat, needing to feel the pulse beneath his skin. She had had dreams similar to this when he was gone; she had to know this was real.

That he wasn't going to become the monster of her nightmares.

He merely moved his head to rest on hers, exposing the thick artery beneath her hand, the steady pulse flowing against her fingers reassuringly.

Slowly, she moved her hand from his neck to his hair, running her fingers through the thick, dusty locks, lifting her head up to look him in the face the moment before their lips met.

Same drill! Reviews loved to bits, flames used to combat lickers, thanks!!!