A/N - uh... yep. Happy early Thanksgiving to my American readers! Wherever, however you spend it, I want you to know that I'm thankful for you! And for my non-Americans too :D :D Where would I be without you?

Chapter 45

Inseparable

Bright green eyes were staring at Anise. She rubbed at the sleepy fog, took stock of her body. It wasn't covered in blood. She was wrapped in bandages and a clean sheet. There was a mattress under her ass, pillows under her shoulders and head. A glass of thick whitish liquid was pushed into her hands.

"Drink."

Sniffing it revealed that it was probably a protein shake of sorts. Tasting it confirmed that it was. Umbrella's vanilla protein shake for MASS GAINS! tasted like shoe powder. Ah, the familiar flavors of life in the Hive. Halfway through, she set the grainy shit aside, took in the little room she was in, the woman sitting on a nearby chair.

Brain mildly functioning, her first concern came out a little breathless. "Where's Rain?"

"With the others, going through the facility's supplies."

Going through stuff meant she wasn't hurt, or at least too badly, was nice and safe and not dead. Tension bled from her frame, and she sank back into the soft comfiness. She listened, heard distant sounds of life. Good. Way better than earlier. "How many people survived?"
"Twenty."

"What was the previous population size?"

There was a small sigh. "There were 104 Umbrella employees in this facility."

Anise took another drink, shifted her aching leg. "How many clones?"

The woman stiffened slightly. "There are twelve left."

"You don't have her gifts, do you?" Anise finally looked the almost-Alice in the eye, who stared back, lips pursed, brow crinkled.

A moment went by. "How can you tell that I'm not the original Alice?"

Finishing the shake was a good way to collect her thoughts. "I'm not," she handed the glass over. "Aware of you like I am her."

"Oh." Almost-Alice studied her own knees. "I have some of her memories, but they aren't very clear. Impressions mostly. I like the name Alice, but these memories, that name, aren't mine; I know that."

"We can help you, all of you, choose names." Her weird-o-meter didn't even flinch. This was her normal life. Weird everywhere.

Color rose from under her plain blue Umbrella worker outfit. "The other woman, Rain, called me Blue."

Anise sighed. "Rain doesn't do creative, or friendly, very well." At all. "What about something like Jessie or Kristin or Vivienne?"

Hesitantly, a nod came. "Yes. Better." A shrug. "Kristin is fine."

Already? "It's your name, woman. You can take a little while to figure something out."

The blonde head was disagreeing before she'd finished. "No. I need to start being different now." She bit her lip. "I need an identity of my own."

Are you adopting the clones? Alice's soft giggle brushed her mind.

Rolling her eyes, That's me, Momma Anise. "So , Kristin it is."

Kristin beamed at her, exactly like Alice, but not.

Rain reacted pretty interestingly to the idea of you being a mother.

What? Get out of my head, you gossip.

How is your leg?

She flexed it, got stabbing pain for her stupid effort. Not gonna walk on it for a while. Any word on Buck?

Guilt, worry, and shame exploded from Alice. Sorry.

Not your fault. She reassured her friend, even though her own heart was clamoring to go chasing after her brother. I know you'll help me get him back. How are you? She demanded before Alice could push the Buck topic and tears got involved.

No more headache. Thank God. She mentally rubbed her head. Rain is glaring at me. She can sense when we talk. Anise, I'm, I, she sighed, I can feel that you're not freaked out by this, not the way Rain is or Carlos would be if he was in your situation, but I feel like I should apologize that you're stuck with me in your head now. Maybe for life.

Yep. She should be weirded out. This'll make it easier for me to drag you home this time.

Alice laughed, a simple, relieved motion that eased their shared anxiety. I promised I would go with you if I found a way to control my power. I wonder if we could have figured this out sooner if I hadn't gone off on my own like a stubborn brat.

Anise sighed, much to the clone's curiosity. Who knows? Don't dwell on it; your emotions are getting hard to separate from my own.

Sorry.

Can we have this discussion in person?

I'll be by soon.

She blinked at Kristin. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"It's alright. Were you talking to Alice?" Kristin asked.

"Can you hear it?"

"No. Alice answered a lot of our questions when we woke up, gave us enough information to fill in the gaps. We wanted to know why you and Rain were different."

Panic exploded, wrapped itself around Anise's heart. "Are there clones of us too?"

No.

"No."

I destroyed the samples of your DNA back in Detroit.

Anise mentally hugged the woman. Damn, I love you. I don't think I could handle copies of my grumpy soldier. She snorted. And I don't think she could handle copies of me.

Rain is antsy. Should I encourage her to see you first? Alice probed.

I'm scared to face her. Anise hung her head. I almost got her killed.

Anise... Exasperation, guilt, concern, they flowed from Alice to Anise. We're on our way.

Several tense minutes later, there was a light knock on her door. Anise eyed it silently as it swung open. Alice was there and behind her was Rain. Seeing the petite fireball had Anise craving her warm touch, but the sour expression that Rain was wearing said there'd be no friendly touching any time soon.

Hand firmly tugging Rain into the room with her, Alice announced, "We need to talk."

Anise frowned. Rain's lip curled away from her white teeth.

Alice turned to her clone. Emotion flashed from her, too quick for Anise to get a clear read, but she aimed a nice smile at Kristin. "Could you give us the room?"

Face crooked in concern, Kristin nodded and left the room to the enhanced women. Alice grabbed the vacated chair, put it in front of the door and sat in it. Anise looked everywhere but at Rain, who had folded her arms, turned her head away, and leaned against a wall. Guilt boiled up in Anise.

"I'm sorry," burst out.

Muscles stiffened, and slowly, Rain's neck shifted, putting her face toward Anise.

"I was a stupid, selfish bitch, and I said horrible things that aren't true." Anise plowed forward. Her fingers twitched, wanting to brush stray hairs from Rain's glittering eyes.

Surprise written across her, Alice leaned back.

Remaining silent and stony, Rain gave no indication of how she felt. Anise struggled to get a response. She dug into her memory, hazy and clouded with fear, rage, and guilt, and scrounged out the stupid things that she'd yelled at her lover. "I know that you would have done everything in your power to protect Buck and Alice." She swallowed. "And what I said about Claire..."

Her impetuous courage failed her, and she plucked at the blanket covering her legs.

"What, Anise?" Sneered Rain. "What the fuck did you mean?"

Tears boiled at her eyes, and her tongue refused to twist right. How could she talk about her dumb jealousy and petty reaction that didn't make her sound even more like a terrible person?

"Get out of the way." Rain was in front of Alice, demanding an exit.

Alice only shook her head.

Dropping her arms to her sides, knees loosening, "Move."

"She feels awful, Rain." Alice whispered. "She was terrified that she was going to get you killed."

Harsh breathing and a quickening heart rate responded.

Come on, Anise. You need to tell her.

If possible, Rain stiffened further. Support emanated from Alice. It was enough for Anise to scrape at her courage, find enough to squeak out, "I'm jealous."

Rain didn't start throwing punches. Anise took another breath.

"Claire has had your company for years. She knows things about you that I don't. You two have a connection that I can't," what? She struggled for framework. "I'm not part of." She choked on her next thought. "I'm scared of loving you as much as I do."

Through Alice, she knew that Rain had closed her eyes. Her heart was thudding heavily, but not readying for a fight anymore.

"I've never had a serious relationship before. All this extra shit, with Alice and Umbrella and the world..." Snot was starting to drip along with her tears. Harshly, she scrubbed at it with the blanket.

"I'm afraid that you love me only because our blood was compatible." Barely audible, Rain's whisper tore at her. "What if this thing between us..." Fists tightened. "What if the only real thing not induced by your enzyme is the physical attraction?"

At least that was easy to answer. "I don't care."

Faster than she could blink, Rain whirled to face her, emotions twisting at her beauty.

"A long time ago, I decided that I didn't care if it was. Fuck yes, I'm afraid of it, but isn't love just a chemical reaction anyway? So what if it had a little manufactured help. It's my enzyme."

Three hard steps put Rain within touching distance. Shivering hands reached out to trace Anise's cheekbones, cradle her jaw. "You're such a fucking puzzle."

Sounded like a compliment to Anise. Chapped lips curled up, and she carefully touched the spot on Rain's stomach where Isaacs had nearly gutted her. "How's the wound?"

The hands retreated to tug the shirt up, revealing white bandaging. That too was moved aside. Bright pink flesh winked at her from around circular scabs. "I didn't lose as much blood as you, and I got to eat sooner."

"I'm sorry."

Back over the wound, the bandage was pressed. Rain let the shirt fall. She stared down at Anise.

"I should have waited for you."

Rain huffed. "If you had, Alice would probably be dead." Anise's sight jerked up to Rain's own. A tiny, wry smile softened her words. "She's a pain in the ass most of the time, but she's got her uses. It would've been a shame to lose her."

Alice's indignation was good-humored. Tell her that her ass looks fat in those pants.

A sharp Rain-death-glare was thrown at Alice, who smiled innocently.

Maybe she can hear us.

"She doesn't need to hear your words to know you're starting trouble," replied Anise.

Alice's smile grew sweeter.

"Have you told her what happened to us?" Anise shifted the conversation, earned Rain's dark regard again. "Sit the fuck down. It's weird having you tower over me."

"I haven't even forgiven you yet, and you're ordering me around?" Rain demanded.

Oh, shit. Closing her eyes, Anise let her head fall back to the pillows. Her idiocy had bottomless depths. There was no way she was getting Estella-cuddles now.

Weight shifted the mattress, and warmth settled beside her. "We need to talk more about this."

One eye peeled open to look at Rain's serious expression.

"Without an audience." A scowl took over. "I know she's in your head, but I at least want to talk without her in the room."

Alice's expression was calm. "Do I leave, or do we discuss how I can't control my power without Anise?"

"You can't?" Rasped from the soldier.

Fiddling with the blanket again, Anise stared at Rain's profile, wished she hadn't fucked up and could hug her without wondering if it was okay now. She wanted reassurance and warmth to hold onto.

"Would you hug her before she explodes?" Muttered Alice.

Watching Rain's shoulders tense and fists curl, Anise wondered if Rain was more upset that Alice was poking or that Alice knew what was in Anise's head. Being a third wheel...

Her eyes flicked up to Alice's strained grin. "It's probably a good thing that Alice isn't into chicks." A horrible thought occurred to her. "Oh fuck. I'll be there when she finally jumps Carlos."

Tinkling laughter filled the little room. "We don't hear everything each other thinks all the time, Anise. We can probably learn to build up mental barriers."

Hands over her face, Anise tried to block out the world. Through her fingers, she asked, "Were you there with us when..."

"I've had worse dreams." Alice chuckled. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Why are you in each others heads?" Low, irritated, Rain's growl stilled the air.

Anise remained hiding behind her hands. "Umbrella."

Calloused fingers gently pried at her own until her hands were being held, and she was looking into an irritated, but concerned face. "I'd like a little more explanation than that, mi cielo."

The warm touch and soft endearment smoothed Anise's nerves. Rain was willing to forgive her and move on. At least, that's what she hoped it meant. She glanced around her lover to Alice, who stood, shifted the chair to the end of the bed so that they didn't have to lean around Rain for eye contact.

"You remember how I died after Raccoon City, right?" Alice asked Rain.

A light huff. "Yea."

This looked like a good time to snuggle closer. Rain glanced down at her efforts, sighed, and shifted until they were both hip to hip and leaning back into the pillows, Rain's arm around Anise's waist.

Feel better now? Alice poked.

Yes. "They brought her back with a stronger T-virus strain, but it was more than they bargained for."

"Anise's enzyme was used to stabilize me." Alice continued. "With the onset of my psionic abilities, my mind couldn't cope by itself, and it began reaching out for help."

"I've been having dreams about Alice's life for years."

"We didn't realize the connection until we met in Kansas."

Creepy mutant child flashed in Anise's head. Creepier Alice clones followed.

The skin between Alice's eyebrows folded. "What?"

Anise shivered. "Those freaky clones that Isaacs made? Buck and I ran into a little kid version before you saved my ass from that lion."

A hand ran through blonde hair. "That's why I felt creeped out and worried all day."

"Is that why you were around?"

"I was following the weird feeling when I heard your cry for help. Here," she touched her ear, "And in here." She tapped her skull.

Fingers pressed into her hip, and Anise started to flesh out the tale for Rain, but a shaking head interrupted. "Buck told me about that. Tornado. Those hick farmers. Umbrella's failed attack." A snort. "That Alice and you are both immature pranksters."

Two sets of unabashed grins made her groan. Alice took pity on her and continued the story. "I knew what Umbrella had done to me, and I felt the connection, but I wasn't ready to face it." Her smile faded. "I was afraid of myself and what Anise would think. She was one of the few people who didn't see me as a freak."

I think that we can pull some epic pranks with our superpowers.

Alice blinked and giggled. "You should finish making up with your girlfriend before you start fresh trouble."

"Good point." Thoroughly chagrined, Anise agreed.

Breath was sucked in, held, and slowly let out of Rain's lungs. "God, grant me patience."

"Anise, were you having headaches before the crows?" The days of silence, then the day of excruciating pain flashed through her. Alice's eyes went wide. "Oh."

"Why do you seem to have more insight into my head than I do yours?" The hell was up with that?

Alice shrugged.

"She is the one psychic powers." Rain spoke. "Can you hear anyone else?"

"No." Emphatically, Alice sighed. "And I'm grateful for that."

Memories of people who they'd rather forget drifted in the silence that followed.

"I know that Angie died. What happened to Kap and the cheerleader?" Blurted out of Anise. She bit her tongue at Rain's sharp inhale.

Several heartbeats passed before she spoke. "Angie's death broke Jill. She left shortly after Alice did."

Green eyes lowered, and Anise did her best to send a mental hug. She got a weak smile in return.

"Never found out what happened with Kap." Rain sighed.

"Me either," whispered Alice.

Feeling terrible, for the loss of friends, for Rain's loss, Anise drew her closer, kissed her temple. The burden of guilt and sadness lifted as Rain tightened her hold and twisted to suck in her scent.

I should tell you stories about Rain first learning to control her new strength and nose?

"What?" Learning to control them?

"She ran into things." Alice grinned. "A lot. When we first woke up in the hospital, she made the best impression in the walls."

Rain shifted, probably glared at their friend.

"You don't look threatening at all cuddled up with your Amazon."

What? Indignant, she demanded, "Amazon?"

"We're talking about you two being connected, not me," groaned out.

Later. You'll tell me everything. Anise warned.

Deal.

"I hate you." Rain told Alice.

"You shouldn't make me feel too bad, Estella." Rain's jaw flexed. "Anise might feel it and be sad."

"The inside of Alice's head is an apartment that she used to have." Anise interjected before a fight could start. She was still making up with Rain, after all.

"Anise's mental projection of herself wears designer clothes and heels."

She did? Anise rubbed at her neck.

Rain chuckled. "Not surprising."

Alice leaned forward a bit. "Inside her head, she's softer, doesn't have the hard muscle, rough edges. Better hair. Her eyes were still hazel."

Not so surreptitiously that her company didn't notice, Anise ran a hand over her abs. The muscles were hard and defined, made even more so by her nearly complete lack of body fat. Her stomach rumbled. Before Umbrella, she hadn't been such a fitness nut, even could have been accused of having a muffin top in tight jeans. After Raccoon City, she'd worked harder at fitness to make sure she was ready for the apocalypse and as a way to keep occupied. Competitions with Buck were practical ways to amuse themselves and make sure he was ready too.

"I used to be pudgy."

"You were probably short at some point too." Rain kissed her jaw. From a pocket of her cargo pants, she pulled out two foil packages. "Pop-tart? I found them in a," pause, "Vacated room."

Pop-tarts? Sweet, entirely manufactured, berry-flavored breakfast horror? "Yes!" She ripped into the packaging, was assaulted by the scent of flavored sugar. One pastry, she told herself as she popped a crumbled bit into her mouth. As it exploded on her senses, she reeled. Three bites, was the immediate reassessment, or she'd die of a sugar crash. Rain gave her an eyebrow when she carefully set the package aside. "I think I just had more sugar in those bites than I've had in the past five years."

Wrinkles formed as Rain curled her lip, did funny things with her nose. "Shit stinks." She tossed the other one to Alice. "I used to love these fucking things too." To the little bedside table, she removed the open package. "Tell me about Alice's head."

"It smells like good coffee."

A hum of longing came from Alice. "I miss good coffee."

I don't know how to explain it to her. Anise muttered.

Alice's finger tapped at her knees. "If my power was a bullet, then I'm the trigger, and Anise is the barrel."

Great image! Anise cheered Alice's imagination as Rain nodded.

"The connection between us has grown as my power did. More or less recently, it's begun to spiral out of my control. I'd wake up in the night to find everything around me floating. Migraines followed. The day before the crows, I had one so bad I ended up in tears." Alice brushed hair from her face. "It was like someone was pounding at my skull, reminded me of this kid neighbor I used to have who always beat on my door."

"Felt like I was beating my skull against a door." Anise moaned.

"Then Anise and I were in my old apartment. She swept in and made me feel human again."

A light squeeze around her middle said that Rain approved.

Alice put her elbows to her knees. "In Vegas, it took Anise's suggestion for me to destroy the satellite that was paralyzing me."

"Is that going to happen again?" Of course Rain would ask the important, practical question.

Anise growled. "Not if I can help it."

Thank you. "No."

"Good."

"When I was fighting Isaacs, I couldn't control my power enough to keep him at bay. It hurt too much, and I lost the fight." Were there bruises hiding under her clothes or had her mutant powers done away with them already? "But then Anise showed up, held my proverbial hand, and we kicked his ass. Thank you, Rain, for coming to our rescue."

Rain muttered something about White Knight Syndrome. "Try not to let yourself get kidnapped again, okay?" At 'kidnapped,' thoughts went to Buck and how to rescue him. She pushed them away to stay in the present. Rain considered him family too. Getting him back would happen.

A short laugh. "I'll try."

"Does this mean that there's a limitation on distance between you two?"

Green met gold. Alice replied. "I was several levels away when I felt her wake up."

"This'll be better than having a walkie." Anise could be practical too. Silent communication, across distance? Hell yes that was an advantage! If distance wasn't an issue, they could split up and cover way more ground looking for people! Looking for people. Would she still want to now that she'd found her family? Minus Buck, but that was going to be rectified soon. She'd have them all safe, back at Haven.

That underground place of safety. She could get her regular sunlight by helping in the up-top fields, walking the fences, disposing of undead that got too close. No more roadtrips. No more wandering. No more exciting chases.

Fuck yes, she'd want to go back out to look for people. Kap was still out there. Maybe. The cheerleader. She wasn't bad enough to leave out for the T-virus. What was her name?

Jill Valentine.

Narrowed eyes focused on Alice.

You're thinking loud.

Noted. Anise sighed. She gave Rain a little smile before returning to audible conversation. "She was reminding me what Jill's name was. There's still people out there we have to find after we get Buck and take the convoy to Haven." Speaking of the convoy, "Who didn't survive Umbrella this time?"

Around her waist, the arm tightened. "A lot of good people."

"Damn."

"But at least we had your antivirus. It saved a lot more." Rain added. "Betty said that it took three or four doses a person to keep them healthy."

"Fascinating." An unwanted voice joined them.

"Shit!" After recovering from jumping out of her skin, Anise found and glared at a red dot in the corner of the room.

The AI's voice went on. "After being bitten by one of the latest experiments, no amount of the antivirus in this facility could have kept Isaacs human."

"Is it in every room?"Anise demanded.

Rain and Alice's expressions darkened. "Yea."

"You and I need to have a talk about privacy, White." Alice sighed.

"I apologize. I did not-"

Anise interrupted. "Should we be worried about our friends becoming like him?"

There was a heavy pause. The women looked unhappily at each other. "Without having a reference sample of your antivirus, I cannot say for certain."

Shit.

"However," that however better be offering hope. "Given that there seem to be no immediate mutations after only four injections, I doubt that any will appear in the future."

"I like you a lot better than your sister," was Alice's friendly statement.

"I," the AI paused, "Thank you."

Anise shifted. "Tell me that there's enough lab left that we can create some more antivirus."

"Not from our current resources."

Rain's shoulders drooped.

"Your resources suck. I meant, with my blood." Fucking AI's. They took everything too damn literally.

"Oh." Its too-human breath of surprise was disturbing. "Then, yes. I should also mention the possibility that Project Alice's blood may also hold a cure."

A cure?

"The white coats at Haven have been trying for a cure for years. It doesn't exist." Tanya had spent too many nights drinking with Anise over that terrible knowledge.

"They did not have access to Project Alice."

The tiny wiggles of hope stirred in her heart. She started to get her legs off the bed. Pain stopped her. "Someone get me some morphine and a wheelchair."

Rain was already glaring at her. "Morphine won't last more than a few minutes in your system unless you take enough to make yourself useless. If you're going to be stubborn, I can carry you."

"I need to be able to move around the lab." She softened the irritated retort by adding, "Though I wouldn't mind spending a few more minutes in bed with you." Remembering naked skin and Rain's hot moans emphasized her willingness.

Nostrils flared. "Dammit, Anise," hissed out. "Didn't you lose a ton of blood a few hours ago? You're still pale."

How long had it been? She ran a hand along a thigh and gave a smile. "I can stand to lose another pint or two if it means some antivirus or a cure."

Is that how you win all your arguments? It looks useful.

Dark eyes cut away to narrow at Alice, and Anise growled. Dammit, Ali.

Alice stood. "I'll be back with lunch in an hour." Her toothy smile and wink were unnecessary, if amusing.

Anise had her own plans for getting Rain's blood boiling. "Why don't I keep you occupied until then?"

"But your leg..."

She squeezed the thigh in her hand. "Distract me."

Lips caught on her own, and she smiled at her victory.