AN: And we're here – the end of the story! At least for a while, I do have a sequel that's not quite finished yet, it was inspired by a review from months ago… hoping to wrap it up soonish, though maybe not until mid-January or so, with everything with the holidays and work and stuff... hope you like the epilogue in the meantime!
I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank each and everyone who has stuck with the story from the beginning, or jumped onboard along the way. Your kind reviews and encouragement has been amazing, and I'm so, so grateful for you all!
I don't own anything relating to The 100
Epilogue
Clarke closes the front door behind her and is immediately greeted by an annoyed howling. She leans down to scoop up Bastet and scratches her behind the ear.
"Is Bellamy ignoring you, huh?" she asks, knowing full well that the cat's probably been enjoying belly rubs on the couch up until she heard the key in the lock.
Bastet just purrs in reply. She has a few grey hairs these days, and Clarke realizes with a pang that she must be getting old. The shelter had put her at around three years when Clarke adopted her, and that was eleven years ago.
"I have done no such thing," Bellamy tells her when she slumps down next to him on the couch, Bastet immediately curling up in her lap. "She was practically asleep two minutes ago, then she heard you and shot away like I'd kicked her."
Clarke chuckles before leaning over for a hello kiss. She might just have been out for an hour and a half, but they have their routines.
He happily returns the kiss for a moment before pulling back and grabbing the remote, turning down the sound on the TV where some sitcom is on.
"Did you get the email about relocation?" he asks.
She frowns. "Not last time I checked, but I haven't opened my email since last night… hang on." She manages to get her hand into her pocket without disturbing the cat, but when she pulls her phone out, Bastet jumps onto the floor with an annoyed huff. "Yup, got it," she says when she opens her email and finds the message there. It's the standard text, 'time has come to move on from your current assignment, if you have any preferences for your new position, do reply to this message and they will be accommodated'.
"Do you have any thoughts?" he asks, voice carefully neutral. But after six years, Clarke knows him too well.
"I'm pretty open," she replies. "But I'm guessing you have a suggestion?"
He shrugs casually. "I was thinking maybe… Dublin? Could we go there?"
"Of course."
Honestly, Clarke has been waiting both for the relocation instructions and for Bellamy to suggest moving to Dublin for the last few months. She knew the former was coming, and was pretty sure about the latter.
Octavia and Lincoln got married four years ago, and Bellamy got to walk his sister down the aisle just like he wanted to. About nine months later – a honeymoon baby, according to O – Aurora Amelia Woods was born, though nobody calls her anything but Rory. Since Octavia and Lincoln haven't wanted to fly with her while she's little, Clarke and Bellamy usually go to visit them at least four times a year. Rory, who just turned three, absolutely adores her uncle and has him completely wrapped around her little finger.
And with the approaching arrival of Rory's baby brother at some point in February, it's really just been a matter of time before Bellamy wanted to cross the pond.
"Really?" he now says, a big smile spreading on his face.
"Yes," Clarke replies with a laugh. "Did you not read the email? I have told you that we get to choose our assignments if we want to, right? Why would Dublin be out of the question? It's a pretty big city."
Bellamy shrugs. "I don't know, I just didn't want to get my hopes up in case it wouldn't work out."
"It will," she assures him. "And after that, maybe Belfast? It was a nice city, right? Or the Irish countryside, if you want?"
"You're saying we can stay there for a while?"
"Absolutely." She pauses. "I mean, I know it won't be the same as… but you'd get to watch your niece and nephew, and any future kids O and Lincoln decide to have, grow up. That's something, right?"
He must know what she's referring to, even though it's been over five years since they had the conversation.
"That's everything," he tells her with a soft smile. "It's family, and that's all I ever wanted."
Clarke reaches for his hand and squeezes it. "Good. Then Dublin it is."
She knows that they will eventually have to deal with first Lincoln, and then Octavia, passing away, and with time, their children and grandchildren and so on. That's the way it is when you don't age. She has no doubt it will be a horrible experience for both of them, but she also knows that they'll get through it, because they'll have each other.
And until then… they have a pretty good life. Bellamy ended up getting first his bachelor degree in history, and then a teaching certificate, and has been working part time at the community center with Miller and Zeke for the last few years, helping mostly older kids with homework and papers, which seems to suit him well. He also offers history tutoring online to college students, which he should be able to continue doing in Ireland, and she's sure there will be other opportunities as well.
Or maybe he'll just offer to take care of the kids while Octavia and Lincoln are working for the next couple of years, she's sure he'll want to be there for both of them as much as possible, and it's not like they need the income.
No matter what, Clarke knows that they'll be happy in Dublin, and wherever they end up going after that. They have each other, and they have their family, and they have their friends.
Ten years ago, she never could have imagined her life turning out like this.
Now, she can't imagine it any other way.
AN: Again, thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, or favorited the story, I hope the epilogue lived up to your expectations! And happy holidays to everyone who celebrates in the next few days!
