Chapter 4

As the boy walked closer towards Claire's sights, she could see he was no longer the frightened boy she first thought he was. He had a sort of hardened look to him Claire couldn't quite put her finger on - the appearance of a person who had seen many grim events. He stood about a head taller than Claire despite his young age and his body was lean, but fit.

Claire couldn't find it in herself to relax - to calm her taut muscles that remained ready to take him down if necessary, but Steve didn't show any signs of attacking them. He stood before them with his attire of a military pant and simple combination of t-shirt and vest, with his arms splayed out by his sides.

"I'm not armed, I swear," he said, his voice steady and convincing. Claire saw a small hoop earring sparkle in his left ear under the sun, and she wondered if he thought himself a rebel - he sure had the smug look of one.

K-Mart moved from behind Claire and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Steve!" she said cheerily. Steve was taken aback by K-Mart's personable and trusting nature. "This is Claire," she pointed to Claire as if she were Vanna White and then to herself, "You can just call me K-Mart - don't ask why, it's a long story."

Steve hesitantly smiled and then shook K-Mart's hand. His eyes sparkled as he looked at her and Claire's stomach churned at the thought of what was going through the boy's mind. "Nice to meet you, K-Mart," he said with a smile tugging on his lips. "Claire," he said simply and nodded curtly in her direction.

Claire glared at him and only grunted a response. He merely remained smiling and then turned his attention back to K-Mart. "What's a pretty girl like you doing amongst this heap of rubble," he said flirtatiously, as he spread out his arms to point out the less-than-pretty surroundings that was left of Las Vegas.

K-Mart flinched at Steve's unexpected forwardness and Claire had enough of his toying with her. She stepped forward in front of K-Mart, only inches away from Steve - daring him to say or do anything else she deemed inappropriate.

Steve's smug smile was still etched onto his boyish face and he stepped back. His orange-red hair whipped around from the wind gusting by them and he chuckled. "Sorry," he said amusedly as Claire glared at him. "I didn't know I was overstepping any boundaries," he said with a grin and looked at K-Mart and then at Claire - his mind assessing the situation between the two.

Claire stayed threateningly silent while K-Mart only stood still behind her. Claire knew the boy couldn't be trusted, and now she had wished she had just shot him when she first saw him.

"Permit me, if I may be so bold," Steve said with a bit of a snarky tone. "But just how old are you exactly, K-Mart?"

K-Mart's eyes widened in surprise from the unexpected question directed at her, "I-I," she stuttered, but Claire cut her off before she could continue.

"What does it matter?" she said dangerously and stepped forward in a defensive manner.

Steve only smirked and waved a hand dismissively. "I just want to know," he said matter-of-factly. "She does look quite young is all. Possibly, still a minor?" he said, subtly questioning Claire's moral character.

Claire felt her blood boil as her anger peaked at a dangerous rate - it took all she had not to shoot Steve in the face, but she would never do such a thing in front of K-Mart. "Leave now," Claire said lowly, and the chilly tone in her voice made K-Mart shiver slightly - she had never heard Claire speak this way.

Steve didn't seem to be affected in the slightest from Claire's threat, his smile only faded slightly, but he didn't budge. "Did I strike a nerve," he softly said, in his usual cocky tone.

Within seconds, Claire had her gun to his temple. All she saw was red, and she was capable of anything at that moment. Steve was caught by surprise and his cocky grin faded away to Claire's great satisfaction.

K-Mart ran to her side and was trying her best to soothe Claire's now raging anger. "Claire, please, he's not worth it," she whispered in her ear urgently as Steve started t o choke from Claire's grip around his throat. She pressed her pistol's barrel even further into his temple's skin, but K-Mart's calming attempts brought her back to sane ground.

Claire's temper had got the best of her, and she wasn't about to kill the creep in front of the only person she cared about. She furiously released her hold on Steve and left him gasping and choking from her deathly grip around his throat.

"If I see your face around the two of us again, I swear, I won't be so merciful next time," Claire warned as K-Mart held shakily onto her arm.

Steve was still choking and gasping for breath as Claire guided K-Mart onwards. "Ha ha," he chuckled weakly as they turned his back on him. Claire turned her head to see him still smirking as he coughed violently while doubled over. "Y-you're nothing but a pedophile," he spat out, causing Claire to turn back towards him.

"No, don't, Claire," K-Mart begged as she struggled under K-Mart's hold on her. "Don't listen to him, he's just a dirt-bag," K-Mart said to her. Steve unsteadily stood back up and narrowed his eyes at the two, "Me and Wesker will see you two ladies later," he said deeply before he ran away. He was quick and Claire couldn't stop him in time.

She cursed aloud for letting him escape so easily. Wesker? She thought to herself. He was still alive?

K-Mart stood frozen in spot and clutched onto her bag. "Wesker's still alive?" K-Mart asked aloud what Claire was thinking.

The hair on Claire's back and neck stood on end at the name, and she couldn't help but feel an ominous shift in the air. Claire walked up to K-Mart to hold her in her arms. She could feel K-Mart shivering from either the dropping temperature or from fear. Claire knew how frightened K-Mart was of Wesker ever since she was held captive by him. She's had nightmares almost every night about the man since that awful time.

Claire smoothed K-Mart's golden hair and kissed the top of her head. "I thought you and Alice killed him," K-Mart whispered as Claire held onto her. "I thought it was all over," K-Mart said sadly.

Claire only held onto her tighter as K-Mart muttered about fearing death and losing her, but Claire was too lost in her own thoughts to process K-Mart's words well. She was still thinking about the threat Steve had given them. She didn't want Wesker to take K-Mart away again - the last time nearly killed her when she found out she was taken captive for an experiment. Claire and Alice had done all they could just to bring her back alive.

The last thing Claire wanted was to lose K-Mart again. She picked K-Mart's face up towards her own to stare deeply into the girl's hazel eyes. She gazed in them and saw a youthful innocence that neither reflected her own or anyone else she knew that was still alive. K-Mart was a diamond in the rough - the only light Claire believed still shone a ray of hope in the ruined world and in her own.

"I won't let him take you away again," Claire vowed and kissed her soft lips gently.

K-Mart relaxed in her arms and pressed further into Claire's body. She mumbled something against Claire's lips, but Claire couldn't quite catch it.

"What did you say?" Claire said sweetly as she rubbed one of K-Mart's cheeks.

"I said, please don't stop loving me," K-Mart answered and looked sad with her large eyes sparkling under the bright sun.

Claire felt her cheeks flush from K-Mart's sudden plea, and she kissed her forehead once with a pause of love as she laid her lips against her warm skin. "I will always love you," Claire whispered sincerely and caressed K-Mart's cheek with lingering, tracing fingers.

"Thank you, Claire," K-Mart mumbled against Claire's neck as she longed to simply lay with her in a never ending embrace of comfort and security.