Still throwing out a spoiler alert! Even though most of this from now on will be original plot. I still don't own anything related to resident evil. Games or movies.

Also I would like to say that if there is any confusion about their location they are in raccoon city which sources say is in the Midwest, which is cool but I didn't want to spend a lot of time making the characters travel so I made Philadelphia Raccoon City.

CHAPTER 2

Alice stood in the shower with her eyes closed. The water, that was almost too hot, ran over her body, and disappear into the drain at her feet. It washed away all the dirt, and blood that had accumulated since she had last had a chance to wash up. She would not miss the random chance encounters with water, and having to decide if having drinking water for later was more important than cleaning her wounds.

So Alice found it more than necessary to soak. Alice's hand however was a burden. She held her hand away from the scalding water, and rested in on the wall behind the faucet. She hoped that after this she could find some medical supplies, and put a proper wrapping on her fingers. Now that the T-virus wasn't in her body to heal her she had to be wary of possible infection.

Drying herself off, Alice walked over to the sink. There were toiletries sitting neatly on the countertop. Each of the six sinks had matching toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, hand towels, and a small bottle of Umbrella brand hand sanitizer. Above the sink was a mirror attached to a medicine cabinet. Inside was a plethora of pharmaceuticals. Bottles of pills that covered everything from pain, and allergy relief to anti-infective, antiviral, and respiratory drugs. Anything, and everything you would want to give to a military made to exterminate copious amounts of undead. All of the bottles bore the Umbrella Corp. logo, and even with the pain in Alice's left hand becoming sharper she thought against the pain medication. She knew too much about the inner working of Umbrella to trust any product you have to ingest. Closing the cabinet door Alice picked up one of the toothbrushes.

The toothpaste was tasteless. Not that Alice could really remember was good toothpaste tasted like she knew that it wasn't supposed to taste like nothing, but it cleaned her teeth regardless. Alice spat into the sink, and using one of the hand towel she wiped her mouth. When she looked up she locked eyes with herself in the mirror. She took a deep breath, and unconsciously brought her hand up to her face and touched lightly at all the little scars that speckled her face. She didn't look much different, a little older maybe, but only the scars were the difference between her face from years ago, and now. She could almost place each fleck of healed skin with a memory, a fight, a battle that she ultimately won. Alice noticed a long jagged scar on her shoulder, and she traced it lightly with her good hand. The scar was long enough that it dropped from her shoulder and went down below her towel across her chest. The towel around her chest was dropped, and she could see more scars all over her body. She had been stabbed, cut, shot, poked, prodded, almost ripped limb from limb, and yet somehow she still stood in front of a mirror as a whole person. Alive.

The idea that everything was over was inconceivable. What would she do after every bit of Umbrella was washed away, and every bit of infection was eradicated with time. What would she do with her life.

Alice leaned forward, and rested her hands on the counter for support. Her mind raced, and she peered into her own eyes. It was something she needed to remind herself of. She was her own person.

When Alice first received the lense from Alicia Marcus, she thought she had finally been given the thing that she wanted most. A chance to know who she really was, to get back the memories she once thought she lost. Now after finding out she was actually a clone of Alicia, it made it more than impossible to see those experiences as anything other than someone else's.

Putting her inner thoughts away for the time being, Alice dried out her hair, and tied the towel around her body again and moved out of the communal washroom back to their bunks. Claire wasn't there. She had probably gone exploring the facility. Alice, and Claire had both agreed that they could take turns using the showers. Claire had gone first, then Alice. She knew she had spent more time in the shower than was needed, and she hoped that Claire wasn't worried about her taking so long.

Almost as if she was speaking aloud there was a knock.

"Alice?" Claire's voice came from the other side of the metal door. "Hey I found the Mess Hall… did you want to join me? I understand if you don't.. After the day you had I would be upset if you just wanted to be alone."

Claire heard rustling from the other side of the door. Before she could knock again, and ask if everything was okay Alice slid the door open. "Actually the last thing I want is to be alone. Lead the way." Alice noticed that Claire was dressed in clothes similar to those she just scrambled to put on. Noticing what Alice was looking at she chuckled.

"I know, the clothing options here are worthy of a runway. So original." Claire modeled the white tanktop, and black cargo pants. Alice noticed her boots were on, and fully laced up like her own.

"You laced your boots.." Alice said, and closed her door behind her.

Claire looked down as if she really hadn't thought it over. "Yeah, I guess this might be a habit for a while. I honestly can't imagine not being on the run."

"I was thinking the same thing." Alice, said, and followed Claire.

As they walked Alice studied Claire. She had red hair that was darker than she remembered. She felt bad for not noticing before. If something had happened to Claire she might not have remembered her properly. Her friend was beautiful. She was a little shorter than Alice but not by much, and her bluish green eyes were bright. Like she was always full of hope. Claire was tough, and Alice knew that, but only now while she was getting the chance did Alice want to really appreciate the things she had.

"So,Tell me about yourself, Claire Redfield." Alice said. It usually wasn't her style to attempt small talk, but she figured she should get to know the person that had kept turning up in her life since 2007.

"What do you want to know exactly?" Claire said.

Alice thought for a second. "Anything really. I have known you a long time... longer than I have known anyone actually, and I know almost nothing about you. After everything that we've been through the past 48 hours I think it's safe to say that you know everything about me."

Claire turned back to glance at Alice. "Well, I worked in an auto repair shop that my dad owned since I was sixteen. I wasn't great when it came to working on cars. That was more my brothers thing. I mostly touched up motorbikes. My mom kept the books, and made sure we stayed in business. They both died in a car accident. They never had to deal with the infection which to me is a good thing."

"What were your parents like?" The question was a bit presumptuous. Maybe her dad wasn't dead, or maybe her mom sucked, and claire wouldn't like Alice poking around in her life.

Claire lead Alice into a large cafeteria style Mess Hall, all chrome of course, with nearly sixty octagonal shaped tables with eight matching metal chairs per table. The kitchen was though two large swinging doors.

Claire cleared her throat. "My dad, was my dad. A good man with a big heart. The things I can really remember are him taking me out to learn to ride a bike, and him constantly comping people's auto repairs. He… was truly a good guy. My mom was beautiful, and the most kind woman you would ever meet, but she ran our house with an iron fist. You couldn't get anything by her."

"Ahh.. Then I know where you get it from now." Alice mused, and gave a light chuckle.

"Ha yeah, okay." Claire smirked. "Here, you sit here, and i'll go grab some food. I'm going to guess you don't have any preferences."

Alice just smiled at Claire as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Claire looked around the kitchen until she found a pantry. At least that's what she thought it was. When she open the door she found a food storage locker that was twenty foot deep, and thirty foot wide. Canned, and boxed non perishables packed to overflow on the shelves that lined the walls. Twelve fifty gallon water drums with spigots sat at the back of the room untouched, and Claire couldn't count the number of large boxes that were stacked to the ceiling closest to the far door. They were all marked MRE. Claire knew enough about MREs due to her brother being a former member of the United States Air Force turned S.T.A.R.S Alpha Team point man. He had brought home a box once for he, and Claire to try. Some were better than others. The beef raviolis were terrible. Claire smiled at the memory of her brother. She wondered to herself if he was still alive. She hoped maybe all his training might be good for something.

Claire sifted through the packed shelves and picked out a box of spaghetti noodles, and a jar of pasta sauce. Neither of the products had a brand name on it, just a generic name and a list of ingredients.

The pots and pans were easy to sort through. Everything was neat, and clean, and Claire half inspected a heavyset lunch lady with her hair up in a bun to come out of a door, and scold Claire for messing up her tidy kitchen. The redhead forgot just how long it took to cook things. It really wasn't too bad, but to Claire, taking more that five minutes to prepare, and consume a meal used to be dangerous. She couldn't count how often she ate a whole can of pork, and beans cold without a fork while sitting in a tree like an animal.

The noodles were done, and Claire spooned out the pasta into a bowl and covered it in sauce. "Hey, Alice I made food. You shoul.."

Claire turned around with two bowls in her hands and saw Alice in the doorway. "Oh hey. How long have you been standing there?"

Alice walked over and took the bowls from Claire. "I smelled something good for once, so I came to investigate." Alice smiled, and took their bowls out to a table, pulled out a chair, then motioned for Claire to sit down. The courteous action was not lost on the other woman, and she blushed softly.

Both women ate in silence which was anything but uncomfortable. Alice was more than pleased with the food. She couldn't help but feel resentful towards Umbrella because apparently when they were not out trying to kill her, the soldiers got to eat like kings.

Alice met Claire's eyes. "I'm sorry that your parents died the way they did."

Claire shrugged her shoulders, and smiled a sad smile. "They were my parents. It was tragic, and it really messed my brother, and me up. He basically had to provide for us since he was eighteen. When I went off to college Chris took the opportunity to leave for the Air Force. I always thought it was because of me. When we found him in Los Angeles that was the first time I had seen him since he came back, and joined the S.T.A.R.S. After the virus broke out I honestly thought I would never see him again."

Alice considered the possibility of Chris out there somewhere. She Knew what STARS members were capable of, and she had seen him fight first hand. "You know, I think he's still out there somewhere. We could find him."

Claire picked her plate up off the table, Then Alice's. "Yeah, I guess you never know." She took the plates to the kitchen and came back a second later. "I found this." She said holding up a first aid kit. "Let's head back to the room."

"Actually I need to tell you something. It's about why we have to go back to D.C., and I just want to tell you, because I figured maybe you wouldn't want to go with me." Alice said.

Claire sat back down. "What is it?" Without missing a beat she began to unwrap Alice's hand. This time there was antiseptic cream for the nubs of her fingers, and clean gauze.

Alice wasn't sure where to start. So she decided to tell the shocking news first.

"Well, I have a nine year old daughter back in D.C. in a bomb shelter under the white house."

Claire had stopped moving initially as Alice spun a tale of her adventures to Russia, and the Umbrella Corp testing facility under the frozen waters. Where she found Becky, a clone of a girl, who thinks Alice is her mother due to the memories Umbrella implanted into her for the simulations they were performing in order to sell the T-virus to opposing countries.

"So, Becky is your daughter?" Was the first thing Claire asked.

Claire had regained her composure, and finished wrapping Alice's hand.

"Yeah, well, more like adopted daughter. I couldn't leave her. She had a mother who was a clone of me… well I guess now I know it's Alicia Marcus, but you get what I mean." Alice said. She tried to hide her anxiety. I'm literally all she knows."

The look on Claire's face was one of surprise, and confusion, but mostly understanding. "I get it, It's like how I was with K-mart. So, We are heading to Washington D.C. tomorrow?"

THis was a comforting question to Alice. "Yea, I had a hunch that some weapons were hiding in this bunker some where, so I hoped we could get suited up, and head over there tomorrow. It's only about an hour thirty from here."

"Absolutely. So you said there are others there?" Claire inquired, and stood up from the table.

Alice got up from the table, and followed Claire back to the bunks. "Yeah. I left Becky in the care of a friend. Jill Valentine. She can be trusted."

Claire stopped, and turned around to face Alice. "Wait, Jill Valentine, the STARS agent?"

Alice nodded in response.

"Well, shit. I know Jill. She, and my brother were close. Can't believe she's still alive. I also can't believe she's also a friend of yours." Claire said incredulously.

Alice, and Claire moved through the hallways, and noticed the lights flickering. Alice thought about what the Red Queen said about the bunker only being powered by two generators, and she mentally cursed herself for not turning off the lights back in the Mess Hall. She hoped that the generators did not control the doors.

The room was as comfortable as it could be. All chrome everything which was beginning to hurt Alice's eyes. When they entered the room Claire raised the lights slightly with the touch dad by the door.

"The anti-virus might not have moved that quickly south so we should pack heavy tomorrow." Alice said. She set an alarm on her bedside clock, and laid back onto her bed above the covers. She situated herself with her bad hand resting on her stomach.

Claire laughed softly as she also got situated in her bed. "You know, It would feel wrong to no pack heavy."

Both women hummed soft laughter, and all was quiet as the lights were dimmed once more.

Claire settled into a position she could easily fall asleep, and began to feel drowsy when Alice spoke softly from across the room.

"I'm glad that out of everyone I could have made it out of this with, it was you, Claire."

Claire teared up a bit, thinking of all the times she could have not made it. She thought of all the times it could have been over. and she would've been dead, and Alice would have been with another person, who might have dragged her down, or who might not have been a good person, or what was more likely she thought of how possible it would have been for Alice to be alone right now, because no one was a strong or determined as her. Claire knew she was only alive through blind luck.

"I'm glad too." was all she could say back, but she hoped Alice could feel how thankful she really was.

The bunker that the two women slept in was nearly seven stories underground, and Alice was aware of every inch of concrete, and soil. It was so quiet, and it was unbearable. Sleep wasn't going to happen for Alice. Every-time she attempted to close her eyes she saw her mattress flipping up into the wall and she would be swallowed by the depths of Umbrella again. This time with no weapons, and she would be nearly naked in a T-shirt and cargo pants.

On the other side of the room Alice could hear Claire's slow rhythmic breathing. She sounded like she was deep asleep, and that calmed Alice. Even is she wasn't going to be able to sleep, she was comforted knowing that Claire felt safe enough to sleep.

Alice didn't know what was in store for them tomorrow, or the rest of their lives, but she lie there thinking about what she wanted to do.

Tomorrow she would rescue her daughter. A little girl who counted on Alice more than anyone had ever relied on her before, and she would hopefully find Jill, and anyone else that was still alive in DC. Then she planned to find Claire's brother. Where she would go after that it wasn't clear, but one thing Alice was more than certain.

She wasn't going to let anyone else die. She wanted to save anyone, and everyone she could.

Hey there I hope this chapter was enjoyable! I'm still ramping up to the action, (trust me there will be action) the infection isn't gone yet, and there are still soldiers for Umbrella out there needing to be stopped. Also Alice and Claire's relationship is slowburn. It will happen though, just bear with me. If anyone has any suggestions let me know! Expect another chapter soon!