Angie and Becky had told her right away that Jill had stormed off with a red haired woman who had wanted to talk to her. The two girls worried about who the other woman was and why Jill was so agitated around her. After assuring her two girls that Jill would be perfectly alright and that the woman, she went off with was someone she knew they calmed down a little.
She had then sent them off to find K-Mart and Chris to get a proper tour of the tower. This might be their home for the foreseeable future after all. But she isn't so sure about that. Nothing against the tower or the people but she hates it here. Hates being back in Raccoon City. So many bad memories linger here, and she doesn't know if she could settle down here while being surrounded by all that.
Same for Jill and Angie. This city that was once their own turned into their own personal hells and she isn't sure either of them want to remain here either. She knows Jill was far from happy about coming back. And Angie was filled with trepidation about it as well. But they endured it for now.
Becky and K-Mart had no negative feelings about the city. Becky was more confused about it then anything given she was implanted with memories from growing up in the Prime facility replicate of the city.
K-Mart on the other hand was so excited about coming here. To being reunited with Claire and Chris after their months apart. She swears that girl acted like a hamster on a sugar rush when she found out both of them were alive and well.
Yet now they are standing at a crossroads. With her wanting to leave and maybe Jill and Angie as well what does that mean for their little group. K-Mart won't leave Claire and Chris again and this is their home. Angie, K-Mart and Becky are all really close. Almost like sisters. Would it be fair to them to take them away from each other. Would it be fair to them to make them stay.
Not to even think about if they did decide to leave where would they go. There's not much out there but ruins and desolate wasteland.
Could she leave Claire behind again. Is there anything left between them for her to leave behind. She doesn't know what's true or not anymore.
"Is she still alive," Alice asks the moment Jill returns to their shared accommodations.
The blonde woman rolls her eyes as she enters and drops down on the makeshift bed next to Alice. "For now, anyways." She sighs in disappointment causing both women to chuckle. Jill lies down and rests her head on Alice's lap. Her hand automatically starting to stroke through Jill's blonde hair. "I've made it clear that she can't talk to you until you're ready."
A small corner of her lip flickers up. She wonders what it was that Jill said to Claire to get her to back off. "And how did she take that."
Jill shrugs. "Upset and annoyed. But understanding. As much as I hate it, she does seem desperate to apologise to you."
Alice's hand pauses in her ministrations. "Would you accept it." Sometimes she wonders if what Claire said to her was justified and she just took more offence to it then she should have. That it wasn't actually Claire's words that hurt but everything else and Claire was just being truthful.
Fuck.
Nothing makes sense to her anymore. The memories of someone else's life in her head fighting against what her own clone implanted memorises were battling each other. If she can't trust her own mind, how can she trust anything she feels. If she's not even a real person. What does that mean about her. Is what she thinks is right perceived as right by others and whatnot. Or is that based off of what Umbrella believes to be right.
She just doesn't know anymore. All she knows is Claire was right. You can't trust Umbrella. And she is an Umbrella clone. One of their tools. Which means she can't be trusted either. But she can trust Jill. If there is ever anyone, she trusts other then Claire it's Jill.
Jill is quiet for a few moments thinking over her response. It was a loaded question and a little unfair of her to put Jill into the position to decide for her. "I don't know," Jill admits. "We're different people Alice. If you did that to me... I don't know what I would do. But I know it wouldn't be easy for you to get back in my good graces."
She is angry and hurt at Claire for what she said. To use that against her in a moment of anger. But what if holding on to her own anger and pain hurts other people. K-Mart, Angie Becky all love and cherish each other. If things go horribly between her and Claire what does that mean for them. What does her relationship with Chris look like if she and Claire don't make up. What about the relationship Jill has with all of them. Her actions whether she means it or not might decide the outcome of how this group. How this family works. "I just... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."
Jill shoots up at hearing this. "This wasn't on you Alice. None of what happened is on you. You don't hurt people."
Alice looks away not wanting to face Jill's outrage at her words. She knows Jill gets annoyed when she tries to talk about this. So sure that Alice is good that she won't accept any other response. "But everyone around me suffers. The original me started everything. Umbrella, Issacs, Wesker they did what they did because she... I... we were too weak to stop them. And I failed to do anything but get people killed. Maybe that's why I was created. To be the own to bring everyone around me down."
"Shut the fuck up, Alice." Jill snaps at her. Grabbing a hold of her face and turning her to meet Jill's ferocious gaze. "You are who you are Alice. Whatever you were meant to be for Umbrella you not. You're your own person. A good person who has had to suffer a lot of shit. You didn't get people killed Alice. You saved everyone."
Instead of picking another argument with Jill she just nods and leans back down. Jill isn't as fast carefully watching her for a long few moments. She doesn't believe that Alice has accepted her words but understands her friend isn't in the mood to start this argument now. Instead, she resettles back down on Alice's lap. And when Alice doesn't instantly start running her hand from Jill's hair the blonde haired woman grabs Alice's and makes her start earning a soft laugh from Alice.
"For what it's worth Alice. I don't think your feelings are as one sided as you think they are." Jill says fully relaxed.
Alice scoffs at this. Claire made it clear she didn't understand how Alice felt about her last time, and she had no romantic feelings in regards to Alice. "And how did you figure that out."
"From the way she watches you to the way she looks at me." Alice's face scrunches at that. She doesn't understand what Jill means by that. She doesn't notice a difference in how Claire looks at them. Then again, she has been avoiding the woman's gaze all day and yesterday which might explain that.
"And how does she look at me."
"Like you the brightest light in her life and the greatest thing she has ever seen before. Like she can't get enough of you." Jill then rolls her eyes. Groaning. "Fuck Alice. I'm not great at this sappy comparison shit. But the adoration is there. That is clear a day. She's probably more romantic at heart then I am. Get the sappy shit from her."
Holding back her laughter at how embarrassed Jill has made herself trying to be poetic she replies in an amused tone, "If she looks at me like how you look at guns, I would find that quite a compliment."
Jill scowls at her. "Bitch." This time Alice can't stifle her laughter. Jill shakes her head. "Well yeah, that's how she looks at you. Me on the other hand. When she first saw you going all protective mode on me yesterday at the gate it was as if someone kicked her puppy followed by pure loathing pointed in my direction. Especially when I said you were highly protective of me. And after that every time our gazes met there was a clear dislike and annoyance. Mainly when I was around you. It is highly entertaining."
More gloomily Alice refuses to make herself hope again only to be let down again. How many times have she and Claire done this dance only for her to be left alone at the end of it. "She loved Doc."
"She killed Doc." Jill throws back at her. "She killed him without any hesitation or remorse. Yet the thought of you being gone from her life is driving her crazy. I don't know what was between them. I don't know fully what is between you and her. But from what I've seen... It's mutual. Whatever this thing is it's there Alice. You weren't imagining that." Alice doesn't say anything back other than a deep sigh as she tries not to think about it. What it would mean if Claire does feel the same way for her. "You have time Alice. For the first time ever we all have time to just deal with our shit. And you my friend have so much shit to work through."
Now that is an understatement.