Jonas recognized them instantly. It was Rosemary and Giver. They sat side by side on the edge of the Community. Their legs dangled over the Edge into the mysterious mists below, yet no fear came from either of them. Instead, Jonas could feel bliss and excitement radiating from both of them. Their foreheads were nearly touching as they traded whispers too quiet for Jonas to hear. Jonas took a step forward towards them, but then everything changed. After that one little step, the whole image dissolved into a mist and suddenly, Jonas was standing in a world of pure white. Was it snow? No. It wasn't cold and nothing was falling from the sky and he couldn't feel that familiar crunch under his foot. Was this even a memory? He shook his head in confusion and worry, hoping that he would be able to find his way back home eventually.
"Don't be afraid," a gentle voice from behind him said. Jonas whipped around to see Rosemary smiling warmly at him. She wore a white dress so long you could only see her arms, neck, and face. All else was cloaked from view in that brilliant whiteness.
"Rosemary," Jonas breathed, astounded by her beauty. He'd seen her before, in Giver's memory, but never had she seemed so… glorious.
"That's right," she chuckled lightly, as if she could hear his thoughts about her. Jonas suddenly felt embarrassed and awkward. "Don't be afraid," Rosemary repeated affectionately, walking towards Jonas until they were only inches apart.
"I'm not," he answered truthfully, surprisingly unbothered by her close proximity.
"Good," she answered, a small smile playing at her red lips. Her blue eyes seemed to shine with pride.
"Why are you here?" Jonas asked. She shook her brown curls in reply, like she couldn't tell, but she her smile grew. I will be your guiding light. Jonas woke with a start. He was back in his bed. He turned to his clock to see that it was only 2:00 am. Then he blacked out again.
Jonas peddled faster and faster through the Community. He was running away and he was taking baby Gabriel with him. Originally, he had planned to leave in a week and he planned to speak with Giver one last time first, but then word spread that baby Gabriel had failed his health tests again and was to be Released. Killed. Not wanting that to happen, Jonas cut corners and changed plans, leaving the Tuesday night following his strange dream instead of holding on for a few days more. He silently apologized to Giver for his abrupt change in plans, but he would not let anything harm Gabriel. Besides, he knew Giver would understand. Jonas gave a quick look down in his bike's basket. There he was. Sweet little Gabriel. Lost in a wonderful dream and totally ignorant to the war raging on all around him.
"Don't worry Gabe," Jonas whispered, peddling faster still. "I'll protect you," he vowed. And as he tore on through the night air at 2:00 am, he could've sworn he saw a light at the Edge of the Community. The idea of going there terrified him, but instinctively, he knew he had to. It was the only chance he had to save himself and Gabriel because it was too late to go back and apologize now.
Suddenly, though, a strange sense of calm surged through him and Jonas was no longer afraid. It felt like somebody was running alongside his bike, guiding, encouraging and racing him to his fate. It was almost as if somebody was there, in spirit, watching over him and standing beside him. Rosemary! Jonas couldn't see her, but he somehow knew that indeed, Rosemary was watching over him.
"I will be your guiding light," she promised, voice softer than the wind as she followed Jonas during his escape from the world he once knew.
Over the next few months, as Jonas faced perils untold, Rosemary never left his side. As a spirit, she could do naught but offer him comfort in his darkest hours but for Jonas, that was enough. No matter how long the day's work was, when night fell, he knew he'd see her again and such an idea gave him peace and hope. For that, he was able to protect Gabriel like he promised and even though the poor little baby was no longer the same, happy child he had once been, he was still alive and that was all that mattered. Jonas, himself, was very changed, both in body and mind, but the relief of getting to see Rosemary every night as she followed him on his epic quest was enough to revive him every morning.
"Oh, Jonas. I'm so proud of you," a sweet, loving voice echoed in Jonas' mind as he fell asleep under an old jungle tree with Gabriel in his arms. Jonas' lips twitched up. He recognized that voice.
"Rosemary," he breathed and her beautiful visage came into view. She was smiling, tears of joy and grief both running down her face.
"Please don't cry," Jonas frowned, not liking to see his guiding light looking so sad. He brushed her tears away, but more came in their stead.
"It's ok, Jonas," she whispered, catching his fingers in her own. He smiled weakly and she suddenly seemed even brighter than before.
"Are you sure?" he breathed back, twisting his fingers around hers until they were both holding hands.
"I am," she whispered.
"Good," Jonas' voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, but both of them heard it and smiled. They continued to stare deeply into each other's eyes as they had done so many nights before. Jonas was no longer shy around her even though her radiance had not dimmed one bit.
"I love you," she finally admitted to him one night, then she kissed him. They had been holding hands and standing face to face again when she said this. She leaned in slowly and closed her eyes right as she pressed her lips to his. He melted into the kiss with amazing ease, having slowly been falling for her just as much as she had been falling for him. The moment their lips met, he responded with just the right amount of tenderness and passion. Her kiss felt like being caressed by feathers, but there was a sturdiness in that kiss too that gave something for Jonas to cling to in the ever-changing world he now lived in.
"I love you too," he replied, breaking the kiss just for a moment to say this before pulling her back in and cupping the back of her head as he kissed her. She sighed into his mouth and tilted her head slightly as they continued these gentle kisses for a good while more. He knew she would always be with him through his journey and she knew that he knew.
The rest of the journey continued in the same way it had always been, Rosemary guiding and watching over Jonas from afar, but after that kiss, Jonas was sure he could see her now. It was like looking at a hologram, wavering and transparent, but he could still see her. He could see her running alongside him through the desert, climbing up snowy mountains just a few ledges above him, and helping him weave through the long and leafy terrain of a jungle or a forest, dancing in and out of view amongst the trees. He would smile and laugh with her as they turned every trial into a game, both of them seeing who could run faster for longer or who could clear more terrain by the end of the day. With Gabriel at his back and Rosemary in front, Jonas was sandwiched between the two people he loved most in the world and as brutal as life became, it was never to the point in which Jonas considered giving up. Not so long as his guiding light was willing to shine for him and shine she did, for every day and night.
But Rosemary wasn't just helping Jonas. Jonas was also helping Rosemary. She was more than willing to brave every storm and monster that crossed their path because of how much he had done for her. He was redeeming her, completing the quest she failed to go on so long ago. He was saving her, giving her another chance to right her wrongs. He was strengthening her, finally giving her the courage to go on this journey. He was enlivening her, being the friend and confidante she had lacked in life. And most importantly, he was loving her. Rosemary had never really felt romantic love for anyone because, even in her happier days, she had understood that there would be a permanent divide between her and her peers and she couldn't deny that those thoughts sometimes troubled her. Then, after her Release, she considered herself unlovable. When she saw herself, she could only see a coward and fool, but she could see herself through Jonas' eyes and what she saw then was nothing less than a miracle. She hadn't felt so loved in so long and he was teaching her how to love again as well. He was teaching her how to be strong, selfless, and caring. Then, even weeks after it happened, the soft feeling of her lips on Jonas' refused to fade from his mind. It was Jonas' sweetest memory. It was the one that carried him through the longest. All of his other memories helped, but they faded with time and he sacrificed some of them to keep Gabriel strong too. The memory of Rosemary's kiss, however, never left. For that, he was eternally grateful for his guiding light and the protection she gave him. So as he climbed mountains, charged through rivers, trekked through forests, slunk under trees, and forged on through deserts, that strange yet familiar and comforting presence never left Jonas' side. He could hear her breath, soft yet determined. He could see her brown hair, flying in the wind as they ran on to freedom together. He could feel her heartbeat, strong and steady.
Then finally, Jonas came home. Not the Community, but the Village. His guiding light led him here, dropping him off in this new place that thrived on love and choice instead of perfection and obedience. Here was a place Gabriel could live safely and grow up without the fear of being slaughtered for his weaknesses. Here, Jonas could speak his mind and live a free and moral life, not weighed down by guilt, fear, or twisted tradition. The two boys were home and when Jonas crossed the border into this new world, all of his memories were freed to the Community. His quest was a success.
Then, in time, Jonas became leader of the Village and he learned that his old home, the Community, was doing much better too. They still had an awfully long way to go, but they were no longer as heartless as they once were and the Releases had stopped. Jonas releasing the memories to them had done a world of good, though they had since appointed a new Receiver of Memory in order to help them cope with the big changes going on all around them. This was a girl named Katharine. Jonas remembered seeing her back when he was still living in the Community. She had only been a seven at the time, very small and sweet and cute. He knew that she would do wonderfully, tending to the Community with the same determination that Giver and Jonas had both done before her.
Speaking of Giver, in time, Jonas learned that Giver had died. He always knew it would happen, but hearing that Giver was dead forever without Jonas ever getting to say a real goodbye hurt badly. What was worse was that Jonas also realized that he hadn't seen Rosemary in a long time. She'd been absent from his life and his mind for years now and he somehow hadn't noticed. He hadn't seen his beloved guiding light since his arrival to this new world. The realization that he'd lost both of his best friends hurt so much that Jonas spent the next year in mourning for them both. Gabriel was his only source of strength during that time.
Ah, Gabriel. Sweet, brave, wonderful Gabriel. The bouncing baby boy grew into a fine, sturdy young man and became a father in his own right. What a proud moment that was for Jonas, to see his "son" running at him with a baby girl in his arms.
"We're naming her Rosemary!" Gabriel bragged as he allowed Jonas to hold her. Gabriel had never seen Rosemary, the strange guiding light that Jonas so loved, but he understood her importance. Jonas had spent many a-night telling him about that mysterious and wonderful girl and for that, Rosemary had become something of a goddess in Gabriel's eyes. He didn't need to have seen her to know how much she meant to Jonas. It was why he decided to name his daughter that. Jonas agreed heartily. So from that moment on, Jonas was a grandfather. He watched over this Rosemary the way Ghost Rosemary had watched over him all those years ago. He became her guiding light.
"Jonas?" Rosemary asked Jonas while they were walking through their Village. Gabriel was out fishing with his wife for their anniversary.
"What, little love?" Jonas looked down at his beloved grandchild as she tugged on his old brown pants playfully.
"Who's that lady over there?" the child pointed into the dense wood that surrounded the Village.
"Over where?" Jonas asked, moving towards the place where Rosemary had pointed.
"The three trees. Where they make that triangle shape," Rosemary clarified. Jonas gave her a confused look, but he could sense that she wasn't pranking him. She looked too sincere and she had the same, pensive blue eyes that he and Gabriel had. Those eyes could not lie.
"Let's go take a look," Jonas offered, then he led the way over. He peeked through the triangle hole of the trees but saw nothing.
"But I know I saw something!" she huffed, stomping her little foot. Rosemary pouted in confusion.
"What did you see?" Jonas encouraged gently. "I believe that you saw something, I just want to know what it was," he asked. Rosemary perked up to hear that her grandfather did believe her. She had been worried that he'd accuse her of lying like her Daddy did sometimes, but he didn't. Jonas would never. He understood her better than either of her parents. Rosemary loved him very much and was relieved that he believed her.
"A girl," Rosemary explained to him. "I saw her. In the trees. She had brown hair and big blue eyes. She wore a long white dress too," she described, measuring with her hands to show how long the dress had been. Jonas' eyes went wide.
"Impossible!" he gasped.
"I'm serious!" Rosemary protested, looking close to an outburst again. Jonas quickly realized what he had done and amended his words.
"I know darling, I know," he said. "I do believe you, it's just that… well… your description reminded me of an old friend I had long ago…"
"Who?" Rosemary pleaded as Jonas trailed off, lost in his memories.
"I'll tell you later," Jonas promised. Ignoring Rosemary's sigh of impatience, Jonas gestured for the girl that it was time to go home. Just before the triangle-shaped hole of the three trees was out of sight, however, Jonas turned back. Sure enough, there in the little hole, was his guiding light.
That night, Jonas went back to the triangle-shaped hole in the trees. She was still there.
"Rosemary," he whispered, still just as breathless as the first time when she met him in that dream years ago.
"Jonas," she answered. They were still several inches apart, yet Jonas heard her say his name as though she'd whispered it right into his ear. He shivered pleasantly. She hadn't changed a bit.
"I owe you a debt I can never repay," he whispered, thinking about how the memory of her kiss and the feeling of her presence had been the only things keeping him alive during his dangerous, painful trip to the Village.
"On the contrary, it is I who owes you," Rosemary corrected with a small smile. "You saved my father when I could not. You saved the baby boy against all odds. You saved the Community when they didn't deserve it. You did all I failed to do. You saved them all. Jonas, you are a hero!"
"On the contrary," Jonas echoed Rosemary with his own small smile. "I was just doing my duty."
"And that's so much more than what so many do," Rosemary sighed.
"Perhaps. But I had you to pull me through. I missed you," Jonas reached out to brush her cheek. She was a ghost, but somehow he could still feel the warmth of her skin under his aged fingers. She smiled, blue eyes overflowing with love.
"It's because I found somebody strong enough to invest in," Rosemary whispered. "I found the person who could redeem me and save my family," then she pulled him in for another kiss after so very long. He reciprocated it gladly. "I found my guiding light."
AN: Strange as it is, I really ship these two. And yes, since I'm treating them as a romantic couple, they are NOT related. I've seen headcanons where they're both children of Giver, but that doesn't hold in this story. Also, once again, this contains book and movie elements and I hope you liked it, strange as it seemed. It's just that the movie clip of Jonas riding away from the Community with Rosemary's theme in the background gives off the idea that she's with him for his whole trip, hence this fic…