THE LAST NIGHTS
How could she be here again? It seemed like goodbyes were all she knew, and they almost always seemed to shortly follow a reunion. She found Carlos in the desert after Detroit, only to watch him die days later. She reconnected with Claire in Alaska, only to lose touch with her after Arcadia was attacked. She reunited with Luther West in Russia, only to watch him collapse less than an hour after her rescue. And now there is Jill Valentine, lying at her feet on the blackened lawn of the White House.
This was the second time they'd had one last beautiful night, yet this time Alice knows there is no chance fate might bring Jill back to her.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Toledo, Ohio: just before the end of the world…
They knew they couldn't risk staying in Detroit after extracting Alice. L.J. drove them straight down to the happening town of Toledo. Carlos secured adjoining motel rooms, one for him and L.J. and one for Alice, Jill, and Angie. Alice hadn't said much on the drive there, as she was mentally combating Umbrella's programing. Her silence was concerning to everyone.
That night, Alice woke every twenty minutes. She would go to the windows of the motel room and peer through the curtains at the highway. While Angie slept through Alice's footsteps, Jill heard them. She didn't say anything the first few times Alice got up, but she then decided to join Alice at the windows. Alice didn't seem to notice she was there, as if she were in some sort of trance.
"Alice?" Jill whispered. She set her hand on Alice's shoulder and lightly shook her. "Alice, look at me."
Alice jolted. "Jill?"
"Jesus, what'd they do to you in there?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Alice muttered.
Jill nodded at that. "You don't seem to want to talk at all."
"Not really."
"Fine. You don't have to talk. How about we go for a walk?"
Alice liked the idea of moving, of not being trapped somewhere with doctors or undead, and of being in the open air. She nodded and changed into some street clothes they had picked up for her. Jill got dressed and made sure Angie was sleeping soundly. She knew Carlos and L.J. were just next door if Angie needed anything, and she didn't intend for their walk to be too long.
They left the motel room and began walking into town. There was a stillness about the night that brought Alice some peace. She looked up at the few points of light in the sky and the crescent moon. It was nice to walk without purpose, and it was nice to be with Jill. Jill, who wasn't pressuring her to hold a conversation or make eye contact. Jill, who was just glad to be beside Alice again.
"Maumee River," Jill said as she read the sign beside the river park they'd wandered into. The water was black in the night with white ribbons sparkling on the surface. "Funny name. But pretty water. I think water is pretty at night. It's like glass."
Jill stopped to lean on the railing along the water for a closer look. She had a smile on her face as she reached for a cigarette. She offered Alice one. Alice decided to take it and leaned on the railing beside Jill. She saw the way Jill's eyes lit up with the spark of her lighter. It was enchanting. Jill Valentine was enchanting in general, whether she was fighting like a warrior or standing in place. Standing there, she looked like a statue in a museum, perhaps of a Greek goddess.
She looked at Alice with a smile. "I could use a drink. Would you like to stop somewhere for one? There must be a club open this late somewhere in Toledo."
"Are you offering to buy me a drink?" Alice asked.
"As a matter of fact, I am."
Alice blew smoke through the side of her mouth, smiling for what felt like the first time in ages. "I'd like that."
"Then let's find a bar."
They left the river park and walked a few blocks until they found a bar that was still open. They went inside, where Jill bought Alice a drink, and took a seat in a corner booth. At first, they drank without speaking. A song was on the radio, one that Alice couldn't remember the name of. Yet, she remembered the tune. She automatically started softly singing along. Jill heard Alice's voice and glanced over at her, grinning.
"Holy shit," Jill said.
"What?" Alice asked.
"You can sing," Jill noted. "This is not fair."
Alice smirked at that. "What's not fair?"
"You're the best fighter I've ever seen. You're fearless. You're kind. You're gorgeous. You can ride a motorcycle. And now I know you can carry a fucking tune? You're the entire package, and it's so not fair."
A blush crawled up Alice's neck. "I can't sing that well."
"Bullshit. I just heard you. Now, I can't sing that well. If I tried singing, they'd call the cops and say there's a wounded animal in here. But you? You should get up there and do karaoke."
"We're trying to keep a low profile, remember?" Alice countered.
Jill held up her hands. "Fine, but I will not let you say you can't sing. You can sing. Did you ever perform? At least tell me that little Alice did a talent show back in school."
"I can't really remember much before all this," Alice admitted. She glanced at Jill, the way she had her elbows on the table and was leaning closer. "What about your life before everything happened at Raccoon City?"
"What about it?"
"Tell me about it. I might not feel like talking, but I do feel like listening."
"All right," Jill agreed. "Here's the Jill Valentine story."
As Jill told Alice about her life before the T-virus took hold, Alice watched the way Jill's lips moved. She watched the subtle gestures of her hands and the sparkle in her eyes. They had a few laughs and ordered a second round. As long as Jill's voice floated to Alice's ears, Alice could block the scrambled commands of Umbrella. It was like Jill was the force fighting the monsters under her bed. Her sweet face was calling Alice home.
Yet, the bar soon closed. Alice and Jill had no choice but to walk back towards the motel. Carlos and L.J. wanted to keep driving south as soon as the sun was up, and time was running out. The sky was starting to brighten, the first stages of dawn. Alice and Jill still took their time as they moved, as neither wanted the night to end.
As they walked side by side, their hands kept bumping together. On the fourth bump, Jill's fingers snared with Alice's ever-so loosely. They briefly glanced at each other when their hands met, and then they looked away. Jill had wanted to kiss Alice since they met. She made such a dramatic entrance into her life, and Jill was glad to have Alice back. She wanted Alice to know it, but Alice seemed distant. Too distant to hear her if she admitted anything.
The truth was that Alice was fighting the words in her mind. Umbrella was trying to control her, and her orders were simple: KILL ANGELA ASHFORD. Alice didn't want to comply, but her programming was doing everything it could to convince her otherwise. She wasn't sure how long she could resist, and she wasn't sure how long it would be before Umbrella came back for her.
If she stayed with the group, Umbrella would find them. If she didn't kill Angie herself, they surely would. They'd kill everyone Alice cared about, and she knew it. The safest option would be to leave them behind.
She looked over at Jill. They had shared such a perfect night. The only way it could be better was if they kissed right then and there. A single, amazing farewell kiss. It'd be a goodbye, one she couldn't tell Jill about. If Jill knew that she wanted to go, she'd never let her. They'd gone through so much trouble to find her and rescue her, after all.
"Well, here comes the motel," Jill commented as they approached. "We might be able to get a little sleep before Carlos and L.J. drag us to the car."
Alice stopped walking, pulling Jill to a stop by their intwined hands. "Thank you for last night."
"Thank you, Alice. For everything. Really…"
Alice moved closer to Jill, keeping her gaze fixed on Jill's lips. Jill's heart was racing. She moved forward and closed the distance. Their kiss was soft and sweet. It went on for several seconds before Alice pulled away. Jill smiled at her, yet she didn't smile back. She was trying to keep her watery eyes concealed.
"I think I need a second," Alice said. She saw the concern on Jill's face and felt compelled to lie. "And I need something to drink from the vending machine. Did you want anything?"
"I could use a Coke."
"Okay. I'll bring you one."
Jill felt something was off, but she didn't want to push it. She flashed a smile and leaned in to kiss Alice on the cheek. Alice smiled then and gently touched Jill's face in return. As Jill returned to their motel room, Alice had no intention of bringing her that Coke. She was going to hit the highway, and she wasn't going to look back. It was what she had to do to keep them safe, and she hoped Jill would one day understand that.
She hoped they'd meet again somehow, someday, when it was safe to stay together.
XxXxXxX
Washington DC: after escaping Umbrella Prime…
Wesker had just shown Alice and the others what they were up against. For the time being, the defenses were holding. The human forces were regrouping for one final counterattack, one that would come at sunrise. That gave Alice and the others one night to get ready for battle. They had gotten little rest since leaving Russia, so they planned to get some downtime if possible.
Leon and Ada were off somewhere, most likely together, and Becky was sleeping in the makeshift barracks. That gave Alice and Jill some time to catch up, which they hadn't yet had. They found rations in the unofficial mess hall and retreated to the only semi-quiet and private space they could find in the White House base: a storage closet.
"Are we sure this is edible?" Alice asked as she poked at a tin of processed meat. "I think this is how food is supposed to look when it comes out the other way…"
Jill ate a spoonful of an MRE with a wrinkled nose. "Don't look at it. Just shovel it in."
"Good idea," Alice said. She stopped looking at it and started eating. She glanced at Jill, noticing the downtrodden way Jill was looking at her boots. "What's on your mind?"
"Alice, I'm sorry about everything I did when I was under Umbrella's control. You know I'd never hurt you on purpose."
"I know. Believe me, I do."
"I could see what was happening, but I couldn't stop it," Jill went on. She finally gazed into Alice's eyes. "I'm really glad you brought me back. I never stopped thinking about you. Even when they put that thing on me, I'd sometimes dream. I'd go somewhere safe in my head, a place they couldn't reach. You were there. You, and that river with the silly name, and the bar with the song you sang. By the way, you still owe me a Coke."
Alice smiled at that. "I'll get you one when we get out of here."
"You know, we panicked when you disappeared. We looked everywhere for you. I thought that maybe Umbrella had nabbed you again. Until I realized you said you were going to the vending machine…but you had no money on you. You'd sounded so sure of yourself I didn't doubt you. That's when I knew you had left us. I never understood why. Was it because we kissed? Was it something I said or did?"
"No. No, Jill. It was nothing like that. Umbrella wanted me to kill Angie, and I knew they'd come for me eventually. I had to leave to keep you all safe, and I knew you'd try to stop me if you knew I was leaving. I always hoped we'd meet again someday. And I hoped you'd understand and forgive me for leaving like I did."
"I don't know if I can forgive you," Jill said with a hint of playfulness. "I think I might be able to. But you'd have to do something for me. More than buying me a Coke."
Alice smirked and played along. "What can I do for you, Jill Valentine?"
"You can sing me that song. The same one you sang the last night we were together. Right here, right now."
"Talk about putting someone on the spot," Alice grumbled. Jill lightly kicked her in the foot with an expectant expression. "Hey! I'm trying to remember the lyrics."
"Nice try. You're trying to get out of it. I know you remember."
Sighing, Alice cleared her throat. She started to sing that old song, the one whose title she still couldn't recall, in a clear and melodic tone. Jill watched her, infatuated with her beauty and talent, and could scarcely believe they were together again. Alice didn't stop until she'd gone through every verse and refrain, hoping to ensure Jill's forgiveness—though she knew she already had it.
When the song was over, Jill tossed her inedible meal aside and pulled Alice into a kiss. Alice had nearly forgotten how Jill's touch made her crumble. She brought Jill closer and deepened their kiss by burying her hand in Jill's flowing, blonde hair. They only stopped when the need for oxygen forced them to break apart.
"Am I forgiven?" Alice asked breathlessly.
Jill nodded. "Yeah. You know you are. I'm just happy we're together again. What happens after tomorrow?"
"After the battle? I don't know. But I'm not leaving you again."
"No?"
"No. And we have all night to make up for lost time."
Jill liked the sound of that. "We do have this closet to ourselves. I wonder if that door locks…"
"Hang on," Alice said as she gently moved Jill off her lap. She found a broom and used it to jam the doorknob. "There. Problem solved."
Laughing, Jill held out her hand. Alice took it and joined her on the floor. They spent the night together, undisturbed by the horrors waiting for them. They couldn't have guessed that night would be the one time they'd be happy, the one moment when they believed everything was going to work in their favor.
XxXxXxX
By sunrise, they were at war with the biohazards. Alice was on the White House lawn with Jill when the defenses finally broke and Wesker had betrayed them. They were overrun, and Jill fell. Alice stood over her in disbelief before finally falling to her knees at Jill's side. She gathered Jill's body into her arms as the tears came, wondering what she had done to deserve so many losses, so many unhappy endings.
Yet, she'd always remember a river with a funny name, a bar with a familiar song, and a storage closet with the most beautiful woman she'd ever known…
They were the final nights of a love that would never be final in her heart.
THE END