A/N: Hello everyone! So here's chapter 4, thanks to my Lifesaver this has been fixed like a million times. Thanks dude :) I'm thrilled because aparently a lot of people enjoy my story, thanks for the rewiews it truly helps me to see what people thinks about the chap and thanks for the favs and follows too.

Disclaimer: Same :)

4. Good Night and Good Body

Rue de la Jardin, Paris.

The black car is moving slowly through the city, Claire is at the wheel while Alice is looking out the window, trying to identify the right building.

"Slow down. No, don't stop, just slow down." Alice says to the other woman.

"Did you find it?" Claire mutters still looking down the road.

"I think so, this is what the directions say, it must be this building"

Both look out, gazing out at a rather large building, elegant but cold.

"Look familiar?"

"Not at all." Alice sighed.

Claire continues to drive, Alice stares back at the building as they pass it.

"I'll try to find a place to park." Claire says and Alice just nods.

Claire is turning at an intersection, her eyes scanning, looking for a place to park the car. She angles into an alleyway and cuts the engine.

"So this is it, right?" She asks.

"I guess."

There is a dead pause. Claire is waiting while Alice is still scanning the street.

"I don't remember any of this."

"Alice I ..."

The blonde turns back, Claire is staring at her. Alice looks at her with her eyebrows raised, expecting before realization hits her.

"Oh! Sorry, the money right?" She says smiling apologetically.

Before Claire can say anything, the other woman is digging in the bag. She pulls out another stack of hundreds and hands it over. Claire takes it, this is not what she wanted, but she's used to being disappointed.

"Ok, so ..."

"Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime."

"Look, I know I said we could get in contact with your brother once we got here but the thing is don't know what's up there." Alice is looking up at the building.

"You got me pretty fucking curious."

"Yeah well… You could come up, or you could wait if you want, I could go check it out first, you could wait… then maybe we could, uhm, go find a phone or something. I mean, I've probably got a phone right?"

"Nah…"

Alice is trying to hide her disappointment. Apparently Claire manages to catch it.

"No, I mean, I'll come up with you." She laughs nervously. "You'd probably just forget about me if I stayed here, right?"

Now Alice is smiling happily. "How could I forget about you?" She starts. "You're the only person I know."

Claire smiles back, and Alice surprises herself when she realizes how fond of Claire's smile has become.

Umbrella Corporation. Zurich. Upstairs hallway.

Spencer and Birkin are walking side by side. They are agitated and having to keep calm and quiet as they walk pass the crowds of people.

"She's out of control, it's very clear what needs to be done." Spencer is whispering.

"We cannot proceed with her extermination without Wesker's approval." Birkin murmurs.

"Wesker is becoming soft. He won't do anything without an order sent from above! The business with this woman is creeping me out, I don't know what they want, or what they intended, but it's rapidly spiraling out of control. This whole thing is starting to interfere with my interests." Suddenly he stops, Birkin is watching expectantly. "Our interests ..." He corrects.

"Look, I'm not entirely happy with this, but look what happened to Nivans ... you really think that if Wesker realized that his cherished project was removed from the map he'll think it twice about doing the same to us? We'll be eliminated. Just like Nivans."

They've reached Spencer's office, he nods at his partner to precede him then he closes the door behind them and snaps the lock across.

"So what do you think we should do?" Spencer starts talking as he moves to his seat behind the desk.

"We'll keep him happy for now." Birkin replies. "It's reasonable to continue with the original plan, leave Hunk in charge of the women, bring the project to our facilities, after that we can continue with the main plan to get rid of Wesker and the rest of them. But until we have the project, or more importantly her DNA, there is little we can do."

Spencer smiled. Neither of the men were aware that they were being watched by the Umbrella defense system.

Alice and Claire are looking to the building directory, just five apartments, one per floor.

"Here." Claire points a finger towards an intercom, five different names, A. Abernathy clearly marked at the top.

Alice approaches the intercom and presses the buzzer. After a moment she presses it again, but nothing happens.

"I guess you're not home." Claire is trying to disperse the concern that is radiating from Alice. She smiles at her and bumps their shoulders together.

"I guess I'm not."

Claire tries to look in the windows while Alice is checking the door. She´s trying to identify the shadows and blurred objects through the glass, but she cannot see anything in particular, suddenly a shadow becomes visible and the door opens.

The concierge seems around 70 years. Plump and proper, duster in her hand. She starts opening the door.

"Mademoiselle Abernathy, there you are, I was wondering why I haven't seen you in a while." The woman says, looking at them both curiously.

"Yes, well here I am ..." Alice says nervously to the women. "Uhm I've been outside the country. Traveling. Abroad." She's acting really jumpy, Claire just smirks at this.

The concierge looks at Alice, as if she'd never seen her in that state, then she moves her eyes at Claire, looking her up and down with suspicion, as though she's the reason Alice looks like shit.

Alice realizes this and quickly tries to force a smile. "Uhm, I seem to have lost my keys, and I insisted on showing my apartment to my friend here…before continuing our journey."

The older woman just nods. Instant chilly disapproval. "I see. I've been ringing your bell. It seemed odd that you left without warning, and for so long!" She's looking at Alice through her glasses. "I hope nothing bad has happened?" Another stern look at Claire.

"No! No, of course not." Alice says.

"Eh, maybe its good you were away, we had some trouble with the hot water but it should be fine now."

She still looked at Claire like a piece of gum sticking undesirably on the sole of her shoe. Claire was trying not to laugh; amused by the way the woman was trying to drill a hole in her forehead with her eyes, and for the obvious discomfort of Alice.

"Great!" Alice begins. "We both need a bath. I mean, I need a bath, then, she needs a bath. Two baths. Me, then, uhm, right." She decides to stop talking rather than dig the hole deeper. Claire is looking at her smiling broadly, trying really hard not to laugh.

The concierge is looking at Alice speechless, and Alice is looking anywhere but at her. "Uhm, ok, I think we should go up to the apartment… uhm would you please give me a key?"

The old lady is starring at her.

"Uhm ma'am…" Alice says.

"Uh? Oh, Yes… right…the keys."

The concierge gives the key to Alice and then steps aside while they are heading to the stairs, Claire giggling softly.

Alice puts the key into the lock, exhaling audibly. She doesn't know what to expect, she begins to turn the key slowly, taking her time and then the door opens...

Nothing…

No bombs. No husband or wife and kids. No one.

She steps inside, there's a huge, rambling flat with a large entry hallway, and both women stand there looking around. It's obviously expensive, but cold, completely impersonal; there are no photographs, no mementos, and no human touch.

Alice walks into the living room, Claire following, both exploring their surroundings.

"It's big." is all that Claire manages to say. She goes to a large window. "Nice view."

Alice is silent. Struggling to get a feel for the place.

"This is really yours?" Claire continued. She likes the apartment.

"I guess so." Alice continued, she seems paralyzed.

She's trying to soak it all in. Willing herself to feel at home, she's touching things as she passes, as if the texture, a smell, anything will become familiar. She's deep in thought as they both go to the bedroom, Claire stands in the doorway, checking it out. It's so clean and simple, but it's not the décor she's most interested in. Alice walks towards an armoire, and stars to open it.

Just female clothes, no male competition Claire thinks, she's feeling weird and relieved at the same time.

"These are my clothes." Alice says, moving her hands through every piece of clothing.

Claire moves to the door again, heading for the kitchen. There are lots of gadgets around the walls, but there's no sign of food.

"It seems I've got some shopping to do." Alice has joined her, and now she's picking up a frying pan. "This is my frying pan." She knows she's sounding a little stupid, but she can't help it.

"Uhm Alice, while you get reacquainted with your pots, you mind if I take a bath?" Claire looks down at herself. "Feel kind of gross."

Alice lifts her gaze."Well if you can find the bathroom ..." She smiles. "Of course, there's no problem, go ahead."

Claire just smiles and goes to the living room, trying to find the bathroom, there are a couple of doors through which they have not yet entered, she tries with the first one.

"Ah ha!"

The master Bathroom. Claire looks around, it's a fairly large room, but like the rest of the house there's no personal décor. There's a big tub, and a large comfortable looking shower with a sliding transparent curtain. She goes to the shower, catching a glimpse of her own reflection in a mirror.

"God, I really do look like shit."

She looks down at the sink, there's a toothbrush, only one. Claire smiles at this and without waiting any longer she begins to undress.

Alice is back in the living room, she can hear Claire in the room on the left, so she heads to the door on the right, an office.

There's a desk, a chair, a phone, basic stuff. She starts to open a folder that is on the table when a scream cuts the silence of the house.

"HOLY SHIT!"

She grabs the first thing on the desk and charges towards the bathroom, without thinking she kicks at the door and runs in waving a staple gun in the air.

The door swings closed behind her as she looks around, her eyes landing on Claire.

Oh Wow.

The water is running, no sign of danger, no one is attempting to harm Claire. No one is attempting to harm a naked and wet Claire. In the shower. Where she is standing, wet and naked. And looking at Alice with wide eyes.

Well, she was not wrong about the view.

"You need something?" Claire is looking at her indignantly.

"Yeah, l ... Wait, I heard you scream!" Alice is trying to look anywhere but at Claire, it doesn't help that she's not attempting to cover her naked body. Her naked, wet body. In the shower, where she is standing…

"Alice?" Claire practically shouts at her. Alice snaps her eyes to Claire's face and offers a great impression of a statue. "I'm so sorry." Claire begins. "Your housekeeper was right about the hot water, it keeps changing from the North Pole to Mordor."

Silence. She just stands there. Like a statue.

"Well, that makes perfect sense." Is all that she manages to say.

"What makes perfect sense?"

"Uhm the scream and I…." She looks at the staple gun in her hand. "Oh God, I'm sorry I should be leaving like right now."

Claire is laughing. "Good-bye then." She says moving her eyes to the door.

"Yes, yes uhm good-bye and may I say good body ..."

Oh my God.

Did those words really come out of her mouth?

Claire's eyebrow rises to her hairline. Alice assumes that means she did in fact say that out loud.

"Shit. I mean ... Shit."

Now she's heading towards the door, but instead of being in front of the living room she's facing a rack of towels.

Damn it.

Now Claire is laughing at her.

"Lovely cabinet."

Claire just laughs harder. "I think it's the other door." She says.

"Yeah, this way ..." Alice runs to the exit without looking back, feeling her face burn with embarrassment.

When the door closes behind her, she slaps her forehead with her hand letting out a frustrated groan. The staple gun makes a thud sound as it hits the floor.

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris.

Hunk is walking in long strides, he's in a hurry, there is little time left to complete his mission and failure is never an option. He has never failed in his career, and this will be no exception. He walks, arrogantly towards the nearest cab, outside the terminal building. Another man walks toward the cab as well, but with a couple of huge strides Hunk manages to arrive before the other man.

"In another life, mate" He says, while entering the back of the taxi and arranging his suitcase beside him, smirking.

He looks at his watch, six hours, it's all he needs to prepare a strategy and execute it in time. He smiles to himself; he thrives on this kind of challenge. Quickly he gives the direction to the driver.

Alice and Claire leave the car in the busy street of Paris, after the incident in the shower; a dressed Claire had left the bathroom not saying word about it, much to Alice's relief. After taking a bath for herself, Alice suggested they go buy a few things as she was hungry.

"We can grab some food." Alice offered. "You must be starving, and we can find somewhere to put a call into the States since apparently my phone is disconnected."

Claire had nodded her agreement and after making sure to ask to the housekeeper to inform the telecom company about the phone, both had taken to the streets to find a supermarket or café and make a call about Claire's brother.

"So you've remembered something?" Claire says, pulling the shopping cart around a local AM/PM.

Alice is looking between various types of pasta. "Well, if remembering something is that you know which is the best macaroni for cabonara, well, yes."

Claire just smiles. "Well, that's something"

"I don't know, I hope to find something in the drawers of my desk, I started to do it earlier but ... uhm." Alice begins to turn red again. "Well… I'll do it after dinner… we'll see."

Claire smirks at her. "At least you know you have a staple gun, you know, for emergencies."

Alice groans. "I promised that we would look for your brother, but I think it will take time, we might perform better without an empty stomach."

Claire laughs softly. "Yes, I've noticed you have a voracious appetite"

Both women are still smiling as they head toward the cashier, there's a small television on a shelf, the woman is completely absorbed by the image shown on screen.

Alice clears her throat, catching the attention of the women.

"Oh excuse moi." she says and begins to pass objects by the electronic bar. "This business in Raccoon City? Terrible, so creepy. I have a relative who lives there!."

Both women look at her with curiosity, then to television.

"Oh my god." Claire whispered.

Indeed it is Raccoon city, or what is left of it. It can be seen from above, from a helicopter, the whole city is on fire, explosions booming out of the speakers, screams, shooting and some unidentified roar. The news man begins to speak.

"This really is terrifying, are you seeing this? There is no way to explain what is happening here, people have gone mad! On the streets there is constant fighting, people running around in groups massacring anyone they come across."

Suddenly a shout can be heard above everything else.

"Oh my God, look at that it's like ..." The pilot is speaking, but the transmission cuts out. Suddenly the screen turns black, and after a minute the screen switches back to newsroom in Paris.

"This was the live broadcast that transmitted almost 12 hours ago from Raccoon City, it looks like something from a horror movie, it's incredible how in a few hours the situation has changed so much in the city. We tried to restore the connection with our partners in the USA, but so far, we have not been able to reach them. Apparently all phone lines to the country are down. We've managed to talk with representatives of the Umbrella Corporation in Europe, who have reported that they are working with the U.S government to find a solution to this riot."

"We should go." Alice whispers to Claire.

Claire just nods. Alice pays for what they bought and with a look of concern she walks towards the exit, carrying the bags. When they finish loading the bags in Claire's car, they head to a pay phone, however after several attempts to connect with the States they had to accept that the news was correct, there was no way to make contact.

They tried to call again from an internet cafe; however the phone connected far too quickly to an answering machine.

"Thank you for calling the Raccoon City Umbrella headquarters. There was a problem when trying to connect your call, please try again later."

"This is bullshit." Claire said. "It's not working, there's no way that call made it to the States, that was a local call. I'm starting to dislike this whole thing with Umbrella. What the hell are they doing?"

Alice just watched thoughtfully.

"Let's go back to the apartment, perhaps they've already connected my phone."

Exterior McCulkin Horse breeder Farm, Montana.

The violet horizon is turning orange, but it's still quite dark when a crusty old farm-hand, Rake, opens the creaking door of a stable and with an oil lamp and lead three horses out into the morning breeze.

Two dogs, a Schnauzer and a Spaniel, romp at his heels as Rake opens a log gate. Two of the untethered horses trot obediently into a large corral, the third, a beautiful stallion, resists, snorting, tossing its head in high spirits.

"Get in there, Igor. Quit horsin' around." The man is yelling. "Get in!"

Igor moves into the corral, strutting proudly.

Rake shuts the gate behind the stallion, which begins to gallop around happily inside the fence. All seems well, until the dogs suddenly go on point. Their ears perked, sniffing the air, they begin to whine.

"What's wrong with you two? You're going to wake everybody up."

A startling sound makes Rake spin around to find Igor and the other horses, their eyes flaring, trying to kick their way out of the fencing. They seem terrified. Something is moving, fast, running to the barn.

Whatever it is that's running, charging slathering hungrily has reached the corral, darting through the fence, past the kicking horses, and leaping at Rake, who whirls around and cries out in pain as the oil lamp falls to the ground leaving everything in darkness.

Inside the main house of the farm, green eyes snap open. A girl of about 16 years wakes up scared from a bad dream, she tries to continue sleeping but then she remembers that her father must be in the barn with the horses. She smiles and quickly jumps out of bed heading to the kitchen, where she puts on her rubber boots and leaves the house. The morning is cold now but she doesn't pay attention to this and heads toward the barn with quick steps, yawning every now and then.

When she gets closer to her destination she sees three large shapes lying in the grass of the corral. Something is wrong, rushing over, the girl realizes they're the horses; one of them is Igor, her stallion, dead, in a pool of blood, with its belly torn open and a huge chunk out of its neck.

She moves away from the picture she has before her eyes screaming, taking deep breaths trying not to vomit, she hears a weak moaning sound, she turns and sees…Her father, Rake, lying near a water pump.

"Oh no..."

She rushes to the man's side and finds him brutally slashed, barely clinging to life.

"Daddy no!" Is all that manages to say before breaking into sobs, throwing herself down beside the man.

"Dahlia..." Coughing blood. "They ... they came outta the trees, I don't ... I don't know what they are…"

She knew that his wounds were fatal.

"I ... I never seen 'em comin' ..."

"Dad! ... What should I do? ... MOM! MOM!"

"I just ... never seen 'em comin' ... never even had a chance to ... turn a gun on 'em"

"Please daddy ..." She starts.

There's a thunder in the sky. Dahlia looks up. A fleet of black Hueys appears on the horizon; they split up, seven banking off toward the town, the remaining three grinding ahead over the forest, slowing down, dropping in altitude.

"Listen to me Dahlia ... you need to get out of here." The man is trying to concentrate all his strength to speak. "You gotta go, you, your mother and your brother go into the village and alert everyone."

"Daddy but.."

"It's too late for me honey. I don't know if those animals will return, you have to protect your family, understand?"

The girl just nods, her eyes filled with tears.

"Now…Go away!"

Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital. Denver, Colorado.

A man in a white coat runs along a hospital corridor. The lights turn on and off at intervals and all around him is lying on the floor, beds, surgical instruments everywhere, and blood, lots of blood on the walls.

"Stay away from me!" The man shouts to no one in particular as he runs down the hall, he seems to be running away from something, his eyes are open showing terror, he's looking like a madman.

There's a room at his right, he can read a sign that says Research Laboratory, and he enters, closing the door behind him. This man, Dr. Marcus, as his badge says looks around, searching with his scared eyes at a sound that can be heard clearly in the room. He's surrounded by different fluids on the floor, broken test tubes everywhere, a complete disaster but he cannot find the source.

Dr. Marcus is close to the central laboratory table moving slowly and there, behind the table he gets to see a figure, a hunched figure, also in a white coat, however it is stained with blood everywhere. He's leaning over a human body, apparently ... feeding!

"Oh dear God." The doctor's voice comes out as a whisper, but enough to catch the attention of the other being who is in the room.

With a grunt, the figure turns and lunges, its face covered with blood looking with bloodshot eyes at the terrified doctor.

"For God's sake, don't come any closer." It's all that the man manages to say.

From the closet behind Marcus, a shadow is darting frantically moving towards his new target. The doctor walks backwards, moving away from the bloodied man walking toward him.

"Please …" A hand suddenly lurches into the doctor's back; there are lesions on the flesh. Having no time to look at his attacker, Dr. Marcus falls to his knees, screaming in pain, the creature behind him furiously biting his neck.

McCulkin Farm Horse breeder, Montana.

Combat boots are heard on the grass, suddenly they stop when they find bits of dogs and horses parts strewn all through the surrounding brush, remnants of what was obviously a feeding-frenzy.

"Jesus Christ." One of the men says.

"You ever eat road-kill, Sullivan?" Another man says.

"Aiken, a guy with a brain your size would be better off dead." A tough, body-built babe steps in, looking carefully at the pieces of animals. "It looks like the work of a wolf."

"You take everything so seriously Ocampo." Aiken is saying.

"Want me to shoot ya, Aiken?" She replies. Aiken just smiles.

A shot breaks the conversation, the four commandos look and quickly move to the origin of the shot, the edge of the woods, just in time when one of the farm dogs, the Spaniel, not the entire animal, but one of its three separate parts is trying to crawl. Its front end crushed head, bloody neck and a single broken paw is starting to rise.

Fifty yards away, Rake's hand relaxes. The earth spills out through his fingers as the dead man's eyes pop open.

It was night. Alice and Claire are sitting at the table, next to a pair of empty plates and a bottle of wine that is about to end. Both leaning back in their chairs, full from dinner.

"Thank you very much for all this, I know I didn't trust you, with all that "drive me to Paris for twenty grand" stuff, but you have been really sweet, helping me with my brother, giving me a place to stay tonight. I feel wrong about taking the cash. I should give it back, I mean you can pay for the gas but it feels wrong."

"Don't." Alice shook her head. "I should give you more." She laughs. "I don't know many people that would have helped. Claire I really want to help you find your brother, I'm worried about this thing with Umbrella and Raccoon. I don't know why, but it seems that something about this is tugging at the back of my memory, I just don't know why yet."

"I feel like I'm taking you from your own problems, you still don't remember who you are."

"I know it sound weird but I can't shake the feeling that this thing with Umbrella will help me find who I am." She didn't add that she was starting to feel sure she wouldn't like it when she did.

Claire is just staring at her. Alice leaned back to the table behind her and lifted the phone up. Still no tone.

"Damn. Nothing yet, "says looking at Claire apologetically.

"I'll go downstairs and I'll talk to the…"

"No." Claire says. "We'll try again tomorrow, it's late and I'm tired, I'm pretty sure you are exhausted, lets get some rest"

Alice nods.

"And I'll return the money."

Alice smiles. "No need, I gave it to you for the ride, a deals a deal, not many people would have done what you did."

Claire is smirking. "Well at least you have to let me pay for breakfast tomorrow." She says, taking a sip of her wine and feeling the rest of it going to her head.

"Not a chance."

"Hey." Claire laughs and shoves her shoulder. "Are you trying to score points for something? Paying for everything we need?" The wine is definitely bringing out her playful side.

Alice snorts "Maybe." She drawls with a wink, Claire is laughing at her.

"I'm curious. What would that be?" Claire voice is low, a little seductive.

"Uhhm.." Alice leans closer. "Double points on my credit card. I won't lie to you Claire, I'm gonna have enough to select from a hair dryer or a toaster soon." She said smiling sweetly.

Claire only laughs harder.

"Very Funny."

"So it seems." She winks again.

"Well we should probably stop drinking this." Claire says lifting the bottle. "Otherwise we won't find a damn thing in your office."

Alice agrees.

"Come on." Claire gets up from her seat, shoving Alice with her hands to get her to move. Alice just smiles and gets up from her seat, following Claire.

"You're going to help me look through my drawers?" Alice begins.

"Sure! It's the least I can do to help." Claire stops for a moment.

"What is it?"

Claire is turning around to face the other woman. "Do I get points for that? I mean I would really enjoy toast for breakfast."

Alice just shakes her head from side to side, laughing softly.

"We'll see."