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Preface
My name is Alice. A little over fifteen years ago the Umbrella Corporation released the T-virus for the sole purpose of killing the entire population of Earth. They nearly did it, too.
Their first mistake was creating me.
Their last mistake was telling me that they did; it made the choice of sacrificing myself to save the world that much easier.
At least, it was supposed to be a sacrifice.
** *** **
The road has seen better days, Alice acknowledges as she angles her motorcycle to avoid a large patch of cracked pavement.
She squints against the glare of the sun, not quite directly in her eyes, but enough so that she wishes she’d thought to find another pair of tinted goggles or sunglasses after losing the last in a fight.
In the distance, she can just make out the shape of familiar buildings. Her grip eases on the throttle, and a moment later she’s flicking the kickstand down with her boot.
She reaches a hand up to tug the worn bandana down from around her mouth and nose.
“You’re sure they’re expecting me?” she asks, still staring at the far-off buildings. She clears her throat. Her voice is rougher than she remembers it but, then again, she’s had little chance to use it.
“Of course, Alice. Claire seemed particularly pleased to hear of your imminent return,” comes the disembodied voice of the Red Queen.
Alice resists the urge to glance down at the small display panel. She doesn’t like to look at the Red Queen, even years after the revelation of their true origins.
She tightens her lips as she continues to stare. It’s been a long time since she’s made it back this way, and even longer since she’s stopped at Claire’s settlement.
“Well then, I guess shouldn’t keep her waiting.” There’s a moment of silence that has her ignoring the dead-eyed stare from the panel, and then she’s tugging her bandana back into place.
*
The settlement is bigger than she remembers. She supposes that makes sense with all the survivors she’s managed to funnel back this way, but it’s still surprising to see just how much it’s grown.
There’s movement between the buildings and out in the fields of growing crops, the citizens stolidly going about their day to keep their budding town afloat.
She navigates the dirt road carefully, pleased at how well-maintained it is despite its more primitive state than the endless miles of now-abandoned pavement.
Her motorcycle is moving at a slow crawl as she absorbs the reality of this small, thriving hub of life. Claire has done amazing things here, just like Alice knew she would.
She parks in front of the central building, a renovated farmhouse that’s informally become where decisions are made—Claire’s house.
Alice doesn’t bother hiding her smile when the screen door is unceremoniously pushed open to reveal a gap-toothed little girl with wild, dark hair and bright blue eyes.
“Aunt Alice,” the girl cries out with the barest hint of a lisp.
There’s a twinge of something in Alice’s chest at the moniker. “Hey, short stuff. Your mom here?”
Addy grins up at Alice, showcasing her missing teeth. “Yep.”
Without warning, Addy rushes forward and jumps at Alice.
Alice reacts on instinct, catching the diminutive figure with a jolt. She shakes her head at the child. “Addy,” she begins sternly, “you need to be careful. What if I hadn’t caught you?”
In response, Addy only sticks her tongue out.
“Adeline Christine Redfield, tell me you did not just run outside without your shoes.”
Alice swallows at the sound of the familiar voice, and then winces and glances down. Sure enough, Addy’s feet are bare and dirty.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Claire continues as she steps out onto the porch. Her bare arms are crossed but the corners of her lips are upturned. “You’ve always been her favorite.”
For a long moment, Alice is silent. Claire has hardly changed, still favoring denim and the faded red vest they’d salvaged together just after the final fall of Umbrella.
It always feels odd coming back here. She’s never had a home, but whenever Claire gives her that smile, she wonders if maybe that’s what it’s supposed to feel like.
She shakes herself at the thought. This isn’t her home, either. She isn’t meant for one of those.
“I think it’s the motorcycle,” Alice declares softly as she sets Addy down. “Not too many left around here.”
“Maybe,” Claire concedes with a nod. Her attention focuses on Addy. “You, young lady, are going to go wash up and put on your shoes.”
Addy scowls and hunches her shoulders, but grudgingly stalks toward the front door. She pauses with her hand on the knob and looks back. “You’re going to stay for a while, right, Alice?”
Alice shifts her weight from foot to foot, aware of Claire’s presence. She looks directly at Addy. “For a little while, yeah.”
Addy whoops with glee and then scampers into the farmhouse.
“I’m glad to hear it. You’ve been missed around here.” Claire’s voice is even, with just a hint of warmth.
Alice makes a noncommittal noise in her throat. “I see you guys expanded the crops.”
Claire’s lips twitch, her blue eyes seeming to twinkle for a moment. “One of the survivors you brought had a stash of seeds. Said her mom always loved to garden. We’ve got tomatoes and squash now.”
Finally, Alice allows herself to smile again. “Nice.”
“Let me show you around. There’s been lots of changes since your last visit.” Claire tilts her head in such a way that lets Alice know there’s no point in disagreeing.
So Alice doesn’t. “Sounds good.”
***
Alice had only ever asked about Addy’s father once… the first time she’d come back after her extended search for survivors and seen the unmistakable swell of Claire’s stomach.
Claire had only shrugged. “Things were crazy here for a while after you left.”
As always, Alice had understood. She’d taken comfort now and then where she could find it. Well, she had. Before.
As she admires the deep tan the sun has given Adeline, Alice wonders who Addy’s father had been. She looks almost nothing like Claire, but her mannerisms and determination have given Alice an idea of what Claire might have been like as a child.
Before, Alice hadn’t really stopped to wonder about her own parents and childhood. There hadn’t been time. Now, she doesn’t have that luxury.
Despite the memories Alicia had shared, Alice has never had parents. The memories, while nice, are not and have never been hers.
“Does it hurt?” Addy asks; the slight lisp and concentrated frown pull Alice from her thoughts.
“Hm?” Alice blinks and adjusts her back against the solid tree trunk.
Addy climbs over her extended legs and reaches for her left hand. “Does it hurt?” she asks again as she holds up Alice’s left hand.
Alice examines the small nubs that remain of her three missing fingers. “Not usually, no.”
Small fingers brush carefully over the scar tissue. Addy’s face is serious as she looks up at Alice. “Good.”
The blue eyes, so much like Claire’s, make Alice look away. Guiltily, she remembers the small part of her that had been upset when she’d first seen evidence of Claire’s pregnancy.
“There you two are.”
In unison, Alice and Addy’s heads twist to face Claire.
Claire is obviously trying not to smile, the fine lines around her mouth and eyes giving away her struggle. “Dinner’s ready. Come on.”
A feeling of something indescribable fills Alice when her eyes meet Claire’s. She affixes a smile on her face and nudges Addy. “You heard your mom.”
Addy scrambles off her lap, and then Alice is bracing a hand against the trunk of the tree as she rises.
She’s surprised to see that Claire’s lingered once she finishes standing.
Claire studies her silently. “In case it isn’t clear, we’re both glad you’re back.” She pauses. “Talk after dinner?”
Alice nods, understanding Claire actually means after Addy is off to bed. “You know,” she says as they begin the short walk back to the farmhouse, “I haven’t had real, fresh tomatoes in a long time.”
“I know.” Their arms brush as Claire stops to open the back door. “Don’t you hate tomatoes?”
A surge of affection rises in Alice. She’s forgotten what it’s like, being around someone that knows her so well. “I don’t hate them. It’s just, the texture…”
Claire’s hand briefly squeezes her forearm. Her stomach flutters.
“Right, sure. Yeah,” Claire says in an overly cheerful way.
Alice holds back a laugh as they cross the threshold into the house. She’s forgotten what it’s like to be around Claire.
*
“So that’s it, then?” Claire’s voice is flat, her eyes focused on the amber liquid in her glass. Addy has been in bed nearly an hour and they’ve moved to the living room.
Alice shifts in her seat on the floor, adjusting her raised knees so she can rest her elbows on them. She can almost feel the warmth of Claire’s legs near her shoulder. The couch is big enough to fit the both of them but Alice had moved to the floor out of habit.
“That’s it.” She shrugs and studies a small hole that’s forming along the knee of her jeans. “I’ve swept through twice to confirm. The Red Queen says North America is completely clear of infection. She said the rest of the world isn’t doing too badly, either.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Claire slump back into the couch. “I hope you’re both right. I don’t want Addy to ever have to face one of those things.”
There’s a weariness in her voice that Alice understands completely. It’s hard to believe the world they’d come from compared to the world of today. Some part of Alice had thought her fight against the seemingly endless horde of undead would never stop.
“She won’t.” Alice reaches toward the rough-hewn coffee table for her own glass. She winces as she takes a sip. “You call that whiskey?”
“It’s a work in progress.”
Alice smiles at the amusement in her voice and takes another sip. And winces again. No, it isn’t any better the second time around.
They sit in silence for several minutes. Alice is reminded of the quiet there’d been just after the fall.
She shies away from the memory but it won’t be suppressed.
Claire had woken her to a new world.
She wonders if Alicia had been aware of the cruelty of her final act, well-meaning as it might have been. Facing the memories that weren’t her own, Alice had finally, completely comprehended that she had no place in this world. The anti-virus should have killed her, just another of the Umbrella Corporation’s many experiments. A fucking clone.
“Alice.” The soft voice is accompanied by an equally soft brush to her shoulder.
Alice’s throat works as her eyes sting. Claire had held her then, when the tears wouldn’t stop. She aches for that again, almost as much as she wants to run off and climb back onto her motorcycle and drive as far away as possible.
She keeps her head studiously facing forward, waiting for both feelings to pass.
Claire’s hand settles on her shoulder completely. “Alice, what will you do now? You don’t need to hunt them anymore. You’ve helped establish lots of settlements.”
Alice clears her throat and shrugs. “Someone needs to keep an eye on things.”
“I thought that’s what the Red Queen was for.”
“You trust that thing? You know how many times that AI tried to kill me? It’s just another piece of Umbrella tech.” She clamps down her jaw when she nearly says ‘like me’.
Claire’s hand shifts on her shoulder, lightly rubbing. “Do you remember what she said?”
Alice frowns. “The Red Queen?”
“She said that you became more human than they could ever be. And she was right.”
When Alice leans forward to smack her glass back down on the table, she almost misses Claire’s hand on her shoulder. “High praise coming from an emotionless killing machine.”
“Alice.” Claire’s voice is a hiss of exasperation.
Alice sighs, her head half turning back toward Claire. “Sorry.”
Claire’s boot gently taps against her leg. “You’re making this really hard, you know.”
“Making what hard?” Alice asks with a raised eyebrow.
Neither move for several heartbeats.
Claire releases an audible sigh. “I want you to stay here. With us.”
Alice blinks slowly. “What?”
“You heard me, Alice.”
It stirs an odd feeling, considering what Claire has asked. It’s the exact opposite of their first meeting, when Claire had been grateful for her assistance but ready for her to leave. She shakily shoves up from the ground and begins pacing around the room.
“Why?” she asks when her mind becomes too loud for her to think.
Claire stands, hands squared on her hips. “Now that there’s peace, it’s only a matter of time before people get stupid. There’s only one adult left on this earth I fully trust, Alice.”
Understanding strikes Alice. She meets Claire’s eyes. “For Addy.”
Claire purses her lips and nods.
“People die around me, remember?” Alice says halfheartedly.
“I didn’t.” Amusement flickers over Claire’s features before she becomes serious again. “Help me keep Addy safe.”
And, framed like that, there’s only one thing Alice can say. “Okay.”
***
There’d been a certain monotony on the road, even in the beginning with the Red Queen guiding Alice’s path to stop undead horrors from eliminating the last pockets of humanity.
The monotony of the settlement is different from her transient life, albeit not unpleasant.
It’s difficult getting used to being around so many people again, the odd two hundred or so that have built a makeshift town up around Claire. More had opted to stay behind in the remnants of Raccoon City, but Alice is glad that Claire had resolved to rebuild at the far side of the Arklay mountains.
Out here is a chance for a fresh start—or so Claire had said. Living here, as temporary as it may be, Alice is inclined to agree.
She helps out with different things, filling in where needed. It’s what Claire does, and Alice finds it helps her from getting too restless.
After a month, she takes to only wearing her favorite knife around. There’s no real need for more, though Alice can’t find it in herself to stay completely unarmed.
When they have a celebration after the first big harvest of the year, she’s glad for the instinct.
She isn’t sure who starts the fight, or why, but at the end of it there are four men on the ground and another staring at her from the other end of her knife. “If you can’t handle your whiskey,” she grits out between clenched teeth, “then you shouldn’t have any at all.”
He nods stupidly, nearly nicking himself.
“Well, maybe next time you’ll listen when she tells you to stop.” Claire examines one of the still-groaning men on the ground. “Was your little shoving match really worth it?”
Another groan is her only response. Claire gestures to someone in the crowd and then back to the man at her feet. “This guy is your friend, isn’t he? Help your other new friend get the rest of these guys to the east barn so they can sleep this off.”
Alice steps back as the last troublemaker sputters out his agreement, clumsily reaching for one of his fallen compatriots.
“It’s hard to believe they survived long enough for you to rescue them,” Claire says under her breath as she moves to stand next to Alice.
“I think he’s from your old Raccoon City group, actually.” Alice’s lips twitch when Claire snorts.
Claire bumps their shoulders together. “Hey, remember that wasn’t my group. I was just staying there for a while.”
“That’s what you say now.” Alice only manages to keep a straight face until Claire sends her a dirty look.
“I’m going to take Addy home,” Claire says in a blatant change of subject. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“Not long. Just going to make sure Sam and the others will keep an eye out for more trouble.” Alice’s arm tingles when Claire squeezes it.
“Good. Addy won’t be able to use your absence as an excuse to stay up.” Claire’s hand lingers while they share a look, and then Alice is watching as Addy clasps her mom’s hand.
Addy turns back to look over her shoulder. That was so cool, she mouths.
Alice quickly suppresses a laugh when Claire lightly taps Addy’s oblivious forehead. “Fighting is never cool, Adeline. That’s what started that whole mess.”
Addy scowls and looks down as they begin their trek home. “Yes, Mom,” comes the dutiful reply.
The crowd shifting and murmuring breaks Alice from her reverie. She makes eye contact with a few trusted people and goes about making sure the party will stay in hand long after she and Claire have settled down for the night.
It doesn’t hit her until she’s made it to the porch just how… domestic everything is. As much as she’s fought the concept of home, that’s what this place is becoming to her.
Her palms become sweaty and her pulse accelerates. Internally, she braces herself. She needs to act normal when she faces Addy.
*
There’s a soft knock on the door that makes Alice pause in her packing. Even after her sojourn to Addy’s room, she’d been certain Claire would be busy with Addy for a while longer yet.
She runs a shaking hand through her hair and fights the urge to hide her mostly-packed saddle bags.
“Come in,” she declares softly.
The smile on Claire’s face disappears almost as soon as she steps through the door. “You’re leaving.”
“Yes.” Alice raises her chin. She has nothing to be ashamed of. It’s the right decision.
Claire crosses her arms over her chest and her lips press together until they’re pale around the edges. “I thought you were going to stay, help me keep Addy safe?”
“I did. For a while. You’ve got good people here. Despite what you think, you don’t need me.”
The tension in Claire’s body intensifies. She rocks on her heels a moment before stalking forward. “You know what, Alice? You’re right. I don’t need you here, not like this.”
The words sting more than Alice likes but she doesn’t show it. “I’m glad you agree with me,” she says roughly.
Something changes in Claire’s face then as she takes another step closer.
Alice holds her breath. It’s the same look Claire had given her that morning, the one she wasn’t supposed to have survived to see.
She sucks in a breath when Claire’s hand finds its way to her cheek. The sense of déjà vu is strong.
The last time Claire had looked at her this way, Alice had been crying. Then, Claire had…
And, as if an echo from the past, Claire tilts her head and leans forward.
This time, Alice doesn’t move away.
“You know what I am,” Alice whispers unsteadily when the kiss ends.
Claire laughs lightly under her breath, her mouth still a scant distance from Alice’s. “I know who you are,” she gently corrects.
** *** **
My name is Alice. The Umbrella Corporation created me to be a tool in their quest for world domination.
Turns out, I don’t give a shit.
There are more important things to focus on, like rebuilding the world.
With Claire and Addy.