I do not own Delirium. I just admire and imagine what could have happened.

Set mostly post-series. These are just some stories about Lena, about her thoughts, her memories, her family and those around who mean something to her. Call it "deleted scenes". 'Cause everyone who has read "Requiem" agrees on the fact, that the book seems unfinished.

It will be updated.

May contain spoilers.

*Relicuum - lat. future, remainder

And yes, since we don't know much (in fact, particularly anything) about Lena's future, that's how I see it, so don't judge me. And I see her with Julian.

1. After

When I look back, I see blood.

The past bathes in it.

But for freedom we'll dive into it and swim.

We took over Portland - and it was our first victory. But many of us considered it to be the biggest and the last one.

This wasn't true.

Surprisingly, many people joined us after the triumphant night on which the walls were taken down.

At first it was just children, frightened little children who lived in small dark dusty apartments who were told awful tales about the disease from the very moment of their birth. And yet they were even stronger than some of the Invalids.

Because they were young. Because love was still there for them. And it was the force that kept them moving. They were the ones to shake the world and bring the truth to the crowds. The ones to convince.

Portland wasn't destroyed. Well, obviously, the four houses and those which surround them (including Fred Hargrove's house) were blown to bits. But everything else remained just as before.

What was weird to me is that the cureds kept doing what they were used to. The next morning they came out of the houses ignoring the mess on the streets, the fact that the regulators vanished, that the officials were dead. (The sympathizers and a couple of the Invalids - Tack, Julian - took the control of the city). People went simply to their work and soon cleaners came to restore the order. The streets were tidied up. Well, it took longer to clear the land of the buildings' chunks, of the wall remains.

But the city was restored and renewed. And there was that feeling in the air, like everything is changed and healed and beautiful. Or will be. Now I understand – it is what hope feels like. And the cureds were slowly relaxing and - against all odds - becoming less zombie-like. The iron grip of fear, lies and non-stop control had loosened (and I still believe that it worked even better than the procedure).

The Invalids settled in the city. It was bliss - being able to shower again, to switch on the fan, to prepare coffee. And we were truly enjoying this.

In less than two weeks people - cureds - started joining us. They longed for a change, for a fight, for riot, for love. After all those years they could finally give in to their instincts. They could say what they wanted, without turning back in fear. They could hug their kids. And I believe - I know - there is nothing in the world, no knives to cut out, no cures to suppress, no force to banish the mother's love for her child. And I understand now why the cure didn't work eventually.

Luckily, the incident in Portland was being unknown - or ignored - for quite a long time. Of course, not everyone joined us. But then we had a whole city in our possession, thousands of people, armed, fed, and hopeful.

The fairytale didn't last long. Soon the government troops emerged into the town. And the bloodbath began.

We were taken aback, that's for sure. I don't know what had saved us - clever strategies or the strong will to live and love.

The second victory overwhelmed us. And we began preparing for war.

Now when I look back, I am surprised, that almost everyone I knew made it out alive. It's not that we were avoiding the battles - we were in the damn center of them.

It took years. Years of campaigns, unions, plans and riots. We were trying to make people believe us. And I know that Julian played the key part - the victim, miraculously saved - once the face of the DFA, he became the face of the rebellion.

I can still smell blood and burning. It is haunting me. My dreams are filled with red liquid. And sometimes even Julian's arms softly embracing me can't chase it away.

It took years. Years filled with explosions and smoke. We were outnumbered, weak, disorganized, and young.

But for a strange reason we won.

Now I know why - love was on our side.

Three years have passed since then. Since the borders have been opened again. Since our country, choking on the smoke and coughing under layer of ash, has been returned to free people again. Since love has been legal again.

I still don't know, whether it was right. It may sound weird and insane; after all we've been through for it. But that's how I feel. Maybe no one is sane anymore. Anyway, that's why Tack (who is the President now) agreed on building whole towns where people, who still believe in the cure, can live. They have the evaluation and pairing system. You can say that it doesn't make sense, but it does. It makes a huge difference. Now people are free to choose. And even their children are offered a choice.

It's been three years, and my country is slowly regaining its cleanliness and beauty. And I'm looking forward to better days.

Julian was offered the presidency of the USA. But he turned it down. And he stayed with me. He says, that there's only one thing he can belong to - the country or the woman he loves.

So we returned to Portland instead. Here I live with my family - people, who mean everything to me - Julian, Grace, Hana, my mother, Coral and Alex. Hunter and Bram visit us occasionally. They are helping Tack.

The life has never been happier.

P.S. By the way, please don't be picky - I'm Russian, I have spoken Russian for my whole life and I only study English at school (apart from reading books :D). So, that's it. I'm not quite sure, what will be the next story about. But if you have any thoughts - you're welcome. :)