Resident Evil: Phoenix by Red Hope

Chapter 22

Claire's eyes flickered back and forth under her eyelids. The sounds of a helicopter's rotors running filled her ears and gave her comfort. She didn't move though and shortly her body floated through the air. Cool material went over her shoulders then metal snapped at her waist. But still Claire didn't wake up despite the comforting presence briefly left her side. Distantly voices were shouting within minutes, but it didn't matter because the vague memories turned into a dream.

Suddenly Claire's eyes opened up, and she stared up at dimly lit white ceiling. She sharply sat up and found covers over her body and plenty of bed space to her left. Claire inhaled deeply in took in the faint scent that was Alice. Her fears ebbed, and she touched the stirred bedsheets on her left and knew that Alice had been there not long ago.

Cautiously, Claire climbed out of the bed and noted a desk straight ahead that had folded clothes piled on it. Claire brushed her hair from her face and scanned the quiet room. She wasn't back on the Arcadia so she assumed she was in Nevada, again. She disliked this damn state that held mostly bad memories, except for meeting Alice for the first time.

Claire found only one door that went outside to somewhere. To her right was an open door to a bathroom. She padded over to the desk and discovered a note left on top of the clothes. She hadn't seen Alice's handwriting until now. Claire ran her thumb over Alice's bold signature. She expected Alice's handwriting to be so neat and precise.

After a soft sigh, Claire set the note aside and decided to take her partner's advice. She did need a shower more than anything right now. Once in the bathroom, Claire studied her features in the mirror. She expected to be caked in mud, dirty, and grime but she instead was fairly clean. She barely recalled a warm, damp cloth wiping down her body. She suspected Alice had taken care of her once they made it to the underground facility. Claire finally stepped into the hot shower and washed away the remnants of the mission. All of it swirled down into the drain and was forgotten just like the Houston facility.

Claire exited the bathroom with only a towel on and her damp locks brushed back. She grinned at seeing her partner, who had come into the room minutes ago. Claire clung to the towel at her chest, but she didn't bother to get her clothes.

Alice gave a smile and approached her partner. "Hey."

Claire hooked Alice's belt buckle with her left hand. "Hey yourself." She returned the smile.

"How you feel?"

Claire saw the hints of concern in Alice's eyes. "A lot better... thank you." She still had her smile and drew her partner down for a soft kiss. But it quickly went deeper, and Claire released her towel. It slipped away and pooled around her feet. She felt strong arms circle her and pull her in closer.

Alice guided her partner to the bed while they still kissed. She ached to be with Claire again. She brought Claire into the bed with her and ran her hands over the very warm skin. Alice enjoyed Claire's soft moans, and the sounds excited her viruses. She was consumed by the need to have her partner.

Again Claire had that unusual but welcoming haze fall over her. She hadn't experienced it until she and Alice bonded that first night. After being initially weary of it, Claire welcomed it because it brought her closer to Alice. Each touch shared between them was enhanced by their bond, and Claire wouldn't have any less.

Two hours later, Claire found herself spent but secure in Alice's arms under the reorganized sheets. She drifted off for an hour before she woke up still in the same place. She stretched against her lover's firm yet soft body.

Alice had only slept for a moment. She didn't need as much sleep as humans, but she had been worn from the mission. She ran her hand across her partner's bare stomach.

Claire softly hummed from the comforting touch. "You sleep?"

"A little," Alice murmured behind the leader's ear.

Claire nodded then took Alice's hand into hers. "How's Casey and K-Mart?" But Alice's silence made her heart speed up. Concern drifted through the bond and prickled Claire's skin. "What's wrong?" She quickly rolled over and sat up onto her elbow. "Are they-"

"They're okay," Alice assured.

Claire tasted the uncertainty. Then a broken memory from her earlier dreams were of Alice's rising voice directed at Casey in the helicopter. "No... no." She started moving once she assumed K-Mart was dead. But strong hands grabbed her shoulders.

Alice was sitting up with Claire and stated, "She's alive, Claire." But the stark fear was still apparent on Claire's face. "They ran into some trouble while they were waiting for us to finish the mission." She felt Claire's erratic pulse under her hands. "Casey is fine and K-Mart..."

Claire felt a burn start behind her throat.

Alice swallowed hard then softly explained, "She was bitten."

Claire started breathing harder as fear set into her heart. She bowed her head and shut her eyes while Alice continued telling her what happened to K-Mart. She heard everything, but it didn't sink into her head because she didn't want to believe it.

Alice hooked her partner's chin and lifted Claire's head. "Doctor Green thinks she'll pull through."

Claire stared at her partner in disbelief. "She thinks?" she whispered. But it sounded just as hollow to her as it did to Alice the first time. She shook her head and sharply declared, "I need to see her... now." She started getting up.

Alice couldn't calm the urgency in Claire. She could only stay at her partner's side in silent support.

Claire hastily got dressed then looked at her partner for help on where to go.

Alice quickly tied her boots last then guided her partner out of the room and through the residential area of the facility. Her pace was fast and Claire struggled to stay with her. She and Claire took the elevator down to the medical sector.

Claire hesitantly stepped off, but she followed Alice down the long hallway until they approached a jarred door. She entered after Alice and was overwhelmed to see her sister lashed down to a hospital bed.

"Oh my god," Claire murmured. Immediately she spotted the exposed wound on K-Mart's left shoulder. Each step she took closer to K-Mart's bed, the more her heart sunk into her stomach. She covered her mouth and broke a painful whimper at seeing her sister's weaken state.

Alice remained near the door for a minute and allowed Claire her space. She felt the mixture of anger and upset building in her partner.

Claire took K-Mart's limp hand into hers. She was relieved to feel warmth instead of the icy skin of undead.

Alice carefully approached Claire and placed her hand on Claire's stiff shoulder.

Claire shook her head and murmured, "This is why I didn't want her to come."

Alice shut her eyes and anger prodded her after she'd been the one to push Claire into letting K-Mart stay with them. "I'm sorry, Claire." She squeezed her partner's shoulder.

Claire was playing with K-Mart's fingers and fighting not to cry. "How long?" she asked in a shaken voice.

"The other night... before midnight," Alice whispered.

Claire was trying to think clearly. She blinked away the tears and whispered, "She didn't turn?"

"No." Alice had already spoken to Casey and especially Doctor Green about K-Mart's status.

Claire wanted to ask more but a new presence in the room made her look over at the open door. She didn't recognize the woman, but she suspected it was Doctor Green since she wore a lab coat.

"Good evening," the doctor hesitantly greeted. She already knew the redhead without asking for introductions. She approached her patient and picked up the clipboard off the foot of the hospital bed. "She's doing well." She hoped her few words comforted the pair.

Claire cleared her raw throat then asked, "Has she woken up?"

"Not yet." Doctor Green was checking K-Mart's vitals along with the readings from the machines. "Most likely her body is suffering from shock." She jotted down a few things on the clipboard's paperwork. She clicked her pen then lowered her arms. "It's a lot of trauma for her body."

"Will she wake up?" Claire tempted.

Doctor Green glanced at the teenager then back at the leader. "It's not a matter of if... but just when." She returned the clipboard but toyed with the pen. "Her blood is fairly clean now."

Claire read between the lines and narrowed her eyes. "But it's not completely clean?"

The doctor sighed and shook her head. "Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to make her blood pure again." She didn't want to gamble with the antivirus by putting more into K-Mart. She put her pen away behind her lab coat. "She will have to live with some T-virus in her system. There's no way to completely remove it right now." She slipped her hands into her lab coat pockets. "But what the effects will be on her... I don't know yet."

Claire considered her own situation since she had the G-virus in her system. She was living normal with it. But the T-virus was different and would affect her sister in other manners. "What about her blood?" She looked up from K-Mart's peaceful features. "Is her blood compatible with the T-virus?"

Alice was studying K-Mart, but she peered across at the doctor after Claire's excellent question.

Doctor Green considered how to explain it to the leader and also Alice. She bit her bottom lip and put her thoughts together. "I've been studying her blood through the hours. I've been watching how it interacts with the T-virus." She met Claire's hard stare. "It's nothing like Alice's blood."

Alice shook her head at the news. She was worried now.

"I think Alice's blood is one in... a billion." Doctor Green couldn't come up with a precise number, but chances another human had Alice's kind of blood were impossible. "But yes, in terms of K-Mart's blood working with the T-virus, it is looking good." She thought back on her recent studies of K-Mart's blood. "Alice's blood bonded with the T-virus. In K-Mart's case, her blood seems to be working in tandem with it." She rocked on her feet for a second. "That being said, it's a fine balance... anymore T-virus in her system then it'll probably take over."

Claire accepted the doctor's explanation. She had to cling to it for now until K-Mart woke up and started moving around with the living again. She prayed that K-Mart wasn't negatively affected by the virus.

Doctor Green decided not to stay further and quietly left, but she caught Alice's appreciative glance. She sensed the turmoil in Claire Redfield and hoped that Alice could do something about it. Just as she started for the labs, she saw Casey Abernathy coming towards her.

"Hey," Casey greeted. "Have you seen Alice?"

The doctor nodded at her patient's room a few yards behind. "They're inside with K-Mart."

Casey stiffened once she realized that Claire Redfield was awake now. She nodded then slipped past the doctor.

Doctor Green peered over her shoulder and frowned at the clone's hesitation to go into the room. She softly shook her head then continued to the labs. She had more tests to perform on K-Mart's blood.

Casey took a breath that gave her enough courage, and she entered into the quiet room. She instantly found Alice and Claire looking at her, but she didn't meet their gazes. She instead kept her attention on K-Mart as she moved into the room. She took the opposite side of the bed and struggled not to touch K-Mart.

Claire saw the despair written on Casey's features. But before she could verbally comfort the clone, she was hit by Alice's distinct anger at Casey, and Claire realized exactly why. She gingerly touched her partner's wrist and peered up at her. Claire spotted the anger in Alice's eyes.

Alice turned her head after she felt Claire's contact. She faltered at seeing Claire's displeasure because Alice was angry at Casey. Alice took a step back, turned on her boots, and silently left the room.

Claire inwardly sighed at Alice's attitude. She bowed her head then gingerly touched K-Mart's hand.

Casey swallowed hard but continued studying the teenager. After a painful minute, she murmured, "She blames me for what happened to K-Mart."

Claire's eyes fluttered for a second then she looked at the clone. "I'm sorry, Casey." She had a broken memory of Alice's raised voice at Casey in the helicopter. She imagined Alice had asked where K-Mart was, Casey explained it, and Alice had yelled at Casey. Claire softly cleared her throat then promised, "I'll talk to her about it."

Casey finally touched K-Mart, on the arm. "She has a right to be angry."

But Claire didn't agree with it. She shook her head once but decided not to push anymore. She would handle it later. She instead asked, "How are you doing?"

Casey nodded and looked at Claire. "I'm hanging in there." She folded her arms and slightly leaned back on her heels. "It's been a long few days."

Claire tasted the hidden tremble in Casey's voice. She'd become quite perceptive to it after being around Alice for so long. "Thank you for picking us up." She tilted her head, and her brow furrowed tightly. "How did you find us?" She'd fallen unconscious after Alice removed the bullet, but she retained a few broken memories from yesterday.

"Alice," Casey quietly supplied. "She set off some fireworks."

It made sense to Claire now after she imagined her partner using her powers to light up the sky. She had to give it to Alice.

"She said that Jill was still on an Umbrella helicopter?" Casey watched several thoughts pass through Claire's eyes.

"Yes." Claire withdrew her hand from K-Mart. "I'm not sure what'll happen to her, but Alice killed the chip in her head."

"That's good," Casey murmured. Again she studied K-Mart and wondered when K-Mart would wake up.

Claire went around the bed and neared Casey. She gently grasped the clone's tense arm. "I know you did your best for her." She found distraught earthy green eyes on her. "Thank you, Casey." She moved into Casey's space.

Casey didn't expect it, but she accepted the warm hug from Claire. She believed that Claire would be just as angry as Alice. Some of darker emotions faded after Claire ended the hug.

Claire gave the clone a confident smile then quietly left. She suspected that Casey needed the time alone with K-Mart. She sought out her partner through the facility's maze. A chill settled over her shoulders because she was in a former Umbrella facility that was heavily used for experimenting and testing. Through the corridors and hallways, Claire traced her partner to a large room that seemed to be a part of a control center.

"When will she be back up?" Alice asked the woman seated in front of the control center.

"I hope to have her back online tonight." She peered up at Alice. "Maybe in three to four hours."

Alice nodded and folded her arms, but she looked at her partner.

Claire approached the pair and curiously took in the woman's round features and very full lips. She shifted closer to Alice when the woman stood up from the office chair. She offered a warm smile.

"Claire, this is... Doctor Heather Addison." Alice had faltered only because she almost introduced the clone as Lisa Addison. She watched her partner take Heather's extended hand.

"Claire Redfield," Claire introduced herself. She noted that Heather wore a lab coat like Doctor Green.

"Yes, I know." Heather slipped her hands into her coat's pockets. "It's nice to meet you finally." She had an inch or two more height than Claire. She indicated the control panel behind her. "I'm in charge of the White Queen."

Claire's interests were awaken by the mention of the White Queen. "I haven't... met her." She wasn't sure how else to say it.

Heather grinned at the leader then glanced at Alice briefly before explaining, "She's offline for maintenance."

"I see," Claire murmured.

Heather decided to dip further into her role and the White Queen's place. "The White Queen helps Doctor Green with the testing. I keep the White Queen free of... bugs."

Claire shifted her weight to her right foot and brushed hair behind her right ear. "So you're a programmer?"

"Yes," Heather replied. "I was educated at Raccoon City University and actually was taught by Doctor Barr. I also worked with him at the Hive."

Claire was overwhelmed by the information that sent her mind racing in several directions.

Alice sensed her partner's distraught reaction. She broke through Claire's thoughts by explaining it more clearly. "Doctor Barr was instrumental in designing the Red Queen and the White Queen."

Claire nodded but focused back on Heather. "You... survived the Hive?" She thought only Alice had made it out from the infected Hive.

Heather cautiously glanced at Alice but looked at the leader. "I'm... I'm a clone."

Claire dropped her shoulders once she realized her mistake. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that..." She didn't finish her words now that it seemed like she was digging a hole.

Heather had a small smile. "It's alright." She shrugged and explained, "I was cloned from Lisa Addison."

Claire nodded and smiled too. "I'm glad you're here to help out."

Heather softened after the leader's kind words. "I am too."

Claire now peered up at her partner. "You want to introduce me to your other sister?"

Alice softly hummed at Claire's choice of title for Janus. She nodded but looked at Heather. "We'll see you at dinner."

"Nice to meet you," Claire offered to the programmer.

"You too." Heather watched the couple leave the control room for the AI. She sighed but returned to her work. She wanted to finish her work tonight rather than carry it on any longer. Every hour that the White Queen was offline put them at greater risk. But having Alice, Casey, and Claire was welcomed company and extra security while the AI was offline.

Claire walked quietly alongside her partner. She was absorbing the facility's place in the grand scheme of things. She hoped that Doctor Green and the AI could develop a vaccine for humans. But it was too early to tell when they would succeed, if ever.

"This way," Alice instructed towards two sealed metal doors.

Claire paused in front of the doors, which slid open for them. She immediately took in the labs that were brightly lit. A chill scurried down her spine, but she followed Alice into the lab. She noted that Doctor Green was seated behind a laptop. What caught her attention was Casey's exact look alike approaching Doctor Green from behind. She assumed it was Janus.

Janus started to bend down next to the seated scientist. But she faltered and straightened up after she saw the newcomers. She folded her arms and watched them come around the table. She wore a plain white top and grey pants that covered her brown, aged boots. Her distinct khaki colored belt stood out against her attire.

Claire immediately recognized the boots and belt as Alice's from when she first met Alice. She wondered if Janus and Casey had claimed pieces of Alice in memory because they feared Alice would die in Japan.

"Janus, I'd like you to meet Claire Redfield." Alice wasn't use to doing introductions, which showed in her hesitant tone.

Janus stepped around the seated scientist and held out her hand. "Pleasure," she politely offered.

Claire took the clone's hand into a firm shake. She briefly recalled the first day she'd met Alice. But Janus, unlike Alice or Casey, had brown hair that looked longer despite it was clipped up. She took a step back though when the scientist stood up next.

Doctor Green faced the leader of the humans. "We weren't properly introduced. I'm Elisa Green." She offered her hand next.

Alice had flushed cheeks at her mistake but promptly explained, "Doctor Green was the head researcher at the Hive." She clearly remembered the original Doctor Green being reanimated by the T-virus and attacking Spence in the labs.

Claire was surprised, but she hid it well. She released hands and offered, "It's nice to meet you both." She returned to her spot beside Alice. "I was told you're working on a vaccine for the T-virus."

Doctor Green reached up and removed her black framed glasses. She set them on the Sony laptop. "It's cumbersome, but I'm dedicated to finding one."

Claire admired the doctor's attitude. "Is it possible?"

"It is possible," Elisa Green assured. "We have every bit of technology here that can help us."

"But it'll take time," Janus coolly stated.

Elisa's lips turned down, and she reluctantly nodded. "I'm afraid it will." She tucked her hands into her lab coat's pockets. "I hope humans have the time to wait."

Claire softly sighed but replied, "I'm giving them more time." She peered up at her partner and recalled another issue at hand other than the T-virus. She turned back to the scientist. "There's also another virus out on the market." She watched the tension rise in Elisa. "It's called the G-virus."

"The Gene virus," Doctor Green clarified.

Alice narrowed her eyes. "You know of it?"

"It was in development at the Hive," Elisa explained. "My team was testing and comparing both the G-virus and the T-virus."

"What happened?" Janus prompted.

Elisa glanced at the clone then shook her head. "The G-virus was incredibly unstable." She looked back at Claire and Alice. "We scrapped it and focused all our efforts on the T-virus."

Janus frowned and looked at Claire. "Umbrella has brought back the G-virus?"

"Not Umbrella... another company," Claire explained.

Elisa released a shaky breath and touched her brow for a second. "That isn't good news at all." She read Claire's desire to know more. "The G-virus cannot be controlled unlike the T-virus."

"The T-virus can be controlled?" Claire was skeptic.

Elisa nodded. "Small amounts of T-virus are controllable. There was another team in the Hive that was devising ways to... intercept the adverse conditions of the mutation." She freed her right hand from her pocket and started moving it while she spoke. "But the G-virus is far more violent with the carrier's body. We could not halt the carrier's mutations, and the mutations seemed limitless."

Claire sensed her partner's tension rising so she briefly touched Alice's lower back. "Did you ever experiment with combining the two viruses?"

Doctor Green lowered her hand to her side and shook her head. "No. Once we determined the instability of the G-virus, the project was shut down."

Claire swallowed hard but peered up at her partner.

Janus carefully observed Claire and Alice. Her earlier suspicions were easily confirmed by the charge coming off the two. She wasn't surprised by Alice's choose in a mate such as Claire Redfield. But what she didn't expect was the silent communication going on between Alice and Claire. Janus couldn't make out the particulars, but she knew they were silently working something out. She held her tongue and didn't intercede despite she smelled Alice's changed blood, Claire's unusual scent, and the thick air between them.

Claire focused on Doctor Green and carefully mentioned, "Alice is a G-virus carrier."

Elisa seemed shaken by the news and reached for the desk for support. She nervously eyed Alice and aged memories from her research in the Hive flooded her. "I thought..." She quickly looked at Claire Redfield.

Janus took a few deep breathes, but her heart still jumped into overdrive. She resisted from grabbing her gun in natural reaction to danger.

"Both viruses are in my blood," Alice calmly informed the scientist.

"We think the T-virus is what's stabilizing the G-virus," Claire told the scientist.

Elisa took a deep breath that calmed her nerves. She licked her dry lips then nodded after feeling a bit more comfortable than before. "How long now?"

Alice considered when Wesker jammed the needle in her neck. She subconsciously rubbed the spot on her neck. "Over seven months ago."

Elisa visibly relaxed after she heard how long. She actually became curious and checked, "You have mutated?" She glanced at Janus, knowing that Alice had once looked just like the clone. She turned back to Alice when she spoke.

"Yes." Alice sighed then added, "My powers have developed further."

Doctor Green had done several studies on Janus's blood and her powers. She more or less knew what powers Alice should have, but the idea that new ones were apparent excited Elisa. "Do you mind if I take a sample of your blood?"

Alice shook her head then indicated her partner. "You may want to take a sample of Claire's." She studied her partner's calm features but looked at Doctor Green again. "There is a mild amount in Claire's blood too."

"We want to know how it's affecting us," Claire explained.

Elisa nodded then took a step back. "Let's go into one of the labs now." She led the group down a hallway.

Claire noted a few rooms that had glass paneling all around them. They looked like meeting rooms, but she wasn't sure totally. She glanced over her shoulder at Janus and Alice together. She softly grinned at the pair.

"I thought you smelled funny," Janus muttered.

Alice revealed a toothy smile. "Thanks, sister." She enjoyed the shocked glance from Janus after she called the clone 'sister'. She liked the reaction.

Elisa ducked into an empty lab that resembled a doctor's regular examination room for patients. "Sit up there." She pointed at the raised examination table. She heard the movements behind her while she gathered her supplies for taking blood.

Alice was wearing a sheer white blouse that was unbutton to reveal her tank top underneath. She nearly removed her top, but she instead simply rolled up her sleeve so it as out of the way.

Claire stood at the foot of the examination table. She didn't look forward to giving a sample, but she didn't plan on denying getting answers about her altered blood. She carefully watched Doctor Green extract a sample of Alice's reflective blood.

Elisa was fascinated by the blood that reflected a purple hue under the light.

Janus stood off to the side and simply observed everything. She watched the needle wound in Alice's arm easily heal over faster than what Janus's body would have done.

Claire claimed Alice's vacated spot and gave the scientist a sample too. She stole a glance at the blood, but she didn't see any color reflection in it.

"Thank you," Elisa mentioned. She had the vials in her possession. "I'll start tonight and hopefully give you some answers before you leave." She was following the group out of the room. "If the White Queen is back online soon then I'll have something by the morning."

"Thank you," Claire offered to Doctor Green. She then covered her stomach, which growled against her hand.

Alice softly grinned and mentioned, "Ready for dinner?"

"I think I was ready a day ago," Claire joked.

Alice touched her partner's lower back but under the black tank top. "Let's get something then."

"I'll join you both," Janus offered. She canted her head and had a slight view of Doctor Green's profile. "Elisa?"

Elisa was inspecting the vials but glanced back at the women. "Go ahead. I'll catch up." She lowered the vials and broke away from them once they entered the lab. "I want to get this started at least."

Janus understood the scientist's needs to do her job. She relented and instead went with Claire and Alice. She quietly walked along with them to the mess hall where dinner would be ready thanks to the facility's life support systems.

Claire glanced at the clone and commented, "You and Casey are rather different."

Janus gave a grin to the leader. "We're no different than twins... we may look the same but we act differently."

Claire softly hummed then nodded. She found Casey to be more outgoing while Janus was reserved. Both those characteristics were like Alice in one way or another. "Thank you, by the way." She caught Janus's curious glance. "For helping my sister... I know the risk it posed to your facility."

Janus felt slightly on the spot but nodded. "It was Casey's doing... not mine." She'd attempted to shoot K-Mart and felt gratitude wasn't hers to take from Claire Redfield. But a gentle touch on her shoulder made her look at the leader.

"But you didn't turn them away even though you probably should have, considering things." Claire knew that her sister would be undead right now if it wasn't for Janus taking them into the facility.

Janus could only nod again, but she still didn't accept Claire's appreciation. She let it go and instead entered the mess hall. She helped the newcomer since Claire hadn't been to the facility really. She could tell that Alice hadn't forgotten a thing. Just after they sat down, Heather and Casey entered next and shortly joined the group.

"Where's Elisa?" Heather inquired, but her question fell on Janus.

Janus played with her white rice then peered up at the programmer. "She's doing some work in the lab. She'll be here shortly." She canted her head and asked, "How's the maintenance going?"

"I hope to be done after dinner." Heather was clearly relieved.

"What kind of work is it?" Casey was sitting next to Heather and across from Claire.

Heather brushed a blond lock behind her ear and looked at Casey. "Some upgrades then a major change to her hologram." She saw Casey's interests rise so she explained, "She wanted the hologram image to be changed to an adult rather than a child."

"Really?" Claire prompted. She found Heather's attention on her now. "Why was that?"

"A change," Heather replied. She touched her glass of water but didn't take it yet. "She's becoming more sentiment every day."

"Less of a bitch, I hope," Alice muttered. She stiffened after Claire elbowed her. She gave a low sigh after Claire's displeasure filtered through their bond.

"She's changed a lot since you've last seen her," Heather argued with Alice. She held Alice's stare for a moment before she went back to her meal.

Alice couldn't be too hard on the AI since she did have help from the AI with Doctor Isaacs. She saw Doctor Green coming in and recognized weariness in the doctor's pace. She suspected that her and Claire's blood would give Doctor Green a headache in the coming hours.

"So how's K-Mart's condition?" Heather gently asked. She looked at Casey.

Casey bobbed her head and replied, "Stable." She toyed with her mixed vegetables then mentioned, "She should wake up any time now."

Elisa took a seat next to Heather since Alice, Claire, and Janus took up the other side of the rectangular table. "Her blood looks good," she mentioned to Heather.

"That's good news." The programmer had stayed away from the initial chaos after K-Mart and Casey's arrival in the facility. She didn't reemerge until after Elisa had K-Mart stabilized, and it was only then that she discovered how close Casey had grown to K-Mart.

Elisa was eating some bread but brought up, "So what's the plans from here?" She pointed at Claire Redfield. "You're in a messy spot between those humans and Umbrella."

Heather shook her head and murmured, "Umbrella won't stop."

"You just slowed them down," Elisa seconded after Heather.

"You two are comforting," Claire chided.

Elisa grinned but went serious. "Heather and I understand Umbrella." She put her half eaten bread back down. "Everybody at this table understands Umbrella except for you, Claire."

"I think I have a pretty clear picture," the leader debated.

"All of us worked for Umbrella," Elisa reminded. "What you did in Houston... it's just a surface wound."

"But it's enough," Casey cut in.

"Enough to do what?" Elisa argued.

"To give the humans time to get off the mainland and rebuild," Casey explained to the scientists.

Elisa's eyes grew wide, like Heather's too. "Off the mainland?" Her curiosity shifted to Claire.

Claire couldn't help a small smirk. "We plan to go to Hawaii, settle there, and rebuild."

"Hawaii?" Elisa murmured. She sighed after Claire nodded. "Damn." She looked at Heather.

"I always wanted to go there," Heather joked. She traded a smile with the scientist.

Heather and Elisa were close friends back in the Hive, in a previous life. Their lives and friendship were abruptly cut off after Spence, from security, destroyed their long term plans to sneak out a sample of the virus with Alice's help. But Fate was funny, and now Heather and Elisa had a chance to seek vengeance for what happened in the Hive. They dedicated long hours to finding a vaccine to the T-virus in hopes that humans would be protected from it on a cellular level. They'd already secretly dubbed it the T-vaccine.

"What about Jill?" Casey asked.

Claire paused from cutting the chicken and looked at the clone across the table. "I don't know." She looked at her partner then back at Casey. "Jill could be anywhere... we don't even know if she's alive." She hated to admit it, but there was little she could do for Jill now.

Casey didn't have much history with Jill despite her memories from Alice. "We can search for her."

Claire struggled not to agree with Casey. She wanted to find her friend, badly. "We can't." She finished cutting the chicken but with more aggression than necessary. "I want to, but we can't afford the time."

"The humans need to be transported to Hawaii," Alice reminded Casey.

Casey agreed that the sooner the humans were taken to Hawaii the safer they would be from Umbrella. There was no way telling how Umbrella would react to their Houston facility being blown up.

"We'll wait a few days for her," Claire softly revealed. "But that's all I can do." She hated it too. She wanted her friend to come back, yet she had no way of knowing if Jill survived her fate.

"Once the humans are taken to Hawaii then what?" Janus was next to Claire.

The leader of the humans took a deep breath and decided tonight was the night to work out plans. She could finalize them after everybody gave their opinions. She explained several of her ideas and found it charged the group. Claire listened to each person's thoughts and suggestions, which excited her further. But two hours later, she was mentally spent by all the talks. Alice knew it too and cut into an argument between Janus and Heather.

Heather let it go for tonight because she did want to get back to her work. She leaned back in her chair and rested her hands in her lap.

Alice urged her partner from the dinner table so they could retire to their room. She and Claire said goodnight, and they were soon followed by Elisa Green. Claire was happy to get back to their small room that was quiet.

Claire disappeared into the bathroom to get cleaned up and changed into her sleep attire that Alice had found for her. While she prepared for bed, her thoughts were on K-Mart the whole time. She was worried and scared for her sister. She wasn't sure she'd sleep tonight.

Claire exited the bathroom and saw Alice had changed too, but she grabbed Alice by the hips and sat on the side of the bed. She held onto Alice and pulled Alice between her open legs.

Alice shook her head at what was on Claire's mind. "I don't want to talk about it, Claire."

The leader sighed and gently tugged on her partner's hips. "You're being too hard on her."

Alice looked away and refused to give into Claire's wishes.

Claire bit her bottom lip and argued, "Casey did her best to protect K-Mart."

"And it wasn't enough," Alice sharply replied. She quickly looked down at Claire. "K-Mart is on that bed because Casey had a lapse."

"You're so perfect, right?" Claire wasn't pleased with her partner's harsh attitude. She saw the pain cut across Alice's face. "You left K-Mart and I in this exact spot about three hundred feet above our heads."

"That's not fair, and you know it, Claire." Alice had to stop Isaacs and his experiments. She reversed out of Claire's hold and moved away.

"You're not being fair either," Claire fought. She stood up and snapped, "You're actually being an asshole about this." She had no problem stating the cold truth to her partner, who swiftly faced her. "If K-Mart had been bitten around anybody else, she'd probably been shot or left behind. But Casey flew her here then darted back to Houston for us."

Alice shook her head. "Casey promised to protect K-Mart." A blue fire lingered behind her eyes.

Claire came over and turned her partner's head towards her. Her fingertips lingered on her partner's flushed cheek. "She did protect her." She started understanding what was causing Alice's angry reaction to K-Mart's situation. "Alice, your opinion is getting clouded by the G-virus." Claire was convinced Alice wouldn't react this way if the G-virus wasn't in her system. She was starting to understand that Alice viewed K-Mart as a part of their circle or perhaps pack. What happened to K-Mart triggered Alice's heightened protective instincts and caused Alice to pick Casey with little to no reason other than Casey being the only target.

Alice took Claire's hand from her face. She heard Claire's last words and seriously considered it. She did see people either black or white anymore. There was nothing much in between after the G-virus settled in her blood stream. She softly sighed.

Claire was relieved she was breaking through her partner's contempt for Casey. She laced her fingers through Alice's and whispered, "Casey is already beating herself up about this just fine."

Alice knew that her partner was right. She lifted her eyes and studied her partner.

"I think she needs you, Alice."

Alice let out a heavy sigh then after a minute, she nodded. She struggled with her cut and dry attitude about Casey and found how difficult it was not to be angry about what happened to K-Mart. She bowed her head until Claire cupped her chin.

"I know," Claire murmured. She was overwhelmed by Alice's battle to curb her anger. "Casey is a part of this family as much as K-Mart."

Alice flexed her jaw then nodded at Claire's reminder. "Why is this so difficult for me?" Her voice was strangled and taut. She shook her head.

"I think it's the virus," Claire softly confessed.

Alice moved her head again, but she slipped into Claire's arms. She nuzzled her partner's warm neck and muttered, "How much more am I going to change?"

Claire shut her eyes and wished she had an answer. She couldn't say anything back, but maybe Doctor Green could tell them soon. She hoped it would be good news. Regardless, it didn't change Claire's feelings for her partner.

Alice lifted her head then turned her bewildered features towards the door.

"What is it?"

Alice stared at the door and whispered, "Janus... she's coming for us."

Claire was confused until a sudden knock at the door made her jump. She covered her pounding heart then called, "Come in." She was impressed when it was Janus pushing the door open.

Janus was ragged and had clearly run to the residential sector of the facility. "K-Mart is waking up."

Claire was initially shocked, but she grabbed her partner's hand. She cut across to the door with Alice behind her.

Janus backed away but urged, "We need to hurry." She broke into a run.

Claire chased after Janus with Alice on her heels. She was excited and scared to see K-Mart. She didn't know what to expect, but she prayed K-Mart was her spirited self. Or else Claire swore she would tear Umbrella apart piece by piece until nothing and nobody was left. Claire pushed away her violent thoughts and instead kept running despite her knees were becoming jelly after each step. God please give K-Mart the strength, Claire desperately pleaded.

Continued.