AN: Okay guys, last chapter.
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Chapter 70
Michael Archer sat with Robert Stanhope. They were writing down everything that they had learned over the last few months. Robert was Octavia's second-in-command, and as such he knew everything she did. Once she went to live with the Trikru, Robert would take over. He was showing Mr Archer everything he'd written down in the hope that Mr Archer could help him to organise it into a readable manual and not a collection of notes on several sheets of paper.
Mr Archer was the oldest person still alive and the hundred treated him with respect because he treated THEM with respect. After a lifetime of dealing with the Ark's council and knowing of their machinations to keep themselves in charge, he found it refreshing that the kids were now in charge. He'd watched as they had done things that no-one on the Ark knew how to do. He watched those same kids teach the adults how to do them too. He saw the leadership cadre of the hundred making decisions for the entire Skaikru clan. So far they hadn't made a wrong decision. He had no doubt that if justice meant killing someone, then they would do it themselves and not remove themselves by getting a subordinate to do it for them.
He was surprised when he saw the Trikru. He had no idea that people had survived down here, but as he thought about it, he realised that he should have - natre was nothing if not tenacious. Humanity and nature often found a way to cheat the odds.
Mr Archer was too old to do the physical work that the younger Arkers could do, so Heda Adara had asked him if he would be a kind of historian and write out the instructions and tips for the jobs they were learning and help the hundred to detail their knowledge of this new world. He was pleased to be asked and felt like he could make a good contribution to his new clan. He worked in the library and had already helped Atom and Harper with writing of their exploits in exploring a brand new world. He included the discovery of those who died in their homes as a reminder that this world would be full of people who died in the war and were probably right under their feet. A macabre thought, but it was one that should be kept in the forefront of everyone's minds.
Mr Archer and Robert carried on with writing instructions for future generations.
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A week later and Adara was finishing the work on the chest of drawers she'd made for Charlie. It had taken her quite a while as she couldn't work on it for long before she was needed for something or other. She was just finishing applying a stain to the wood that the Trikru used. It would dry to a light brown colour and protect it from woodworm and other burrowing insects like termites. She had one of the metalworkers make some small plates that Charlie could put a label in them. Adara had also made small wooden blank labels. She had asked the other carpenters and woodworkers to help Charlie burn the label name onto them. Tomorrow she would be able to present her with it and she couldn't wait.
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The next day and Adara had brought the small chest of drawers to the cabinet chambers and put it on the table, covered with a cloth. Next, she asked Raven to go get Charlie. Raven smiled as she went to get her.
Charlie came in and looked around.
"Hey, Adara, you wanted to see me?"
"Yeah, Charlie. I made something for you."
"You did?" Charlie was surprised and excited. Apart from her parents, no-one had made anything for her. Adara nodded and she gestured to the wrapped package on the table.
"Go ahead, unwrap it," Adra said. Charlie grinned as she went up to it. She carefully unwrapped the blanket and saw the chest of drawers.
"You made this for me!?" she exclaimed.
"Yeah. Charlie, you were one of my first friends I made after my mom died. You helped me down here and I thiank you for that. This is my way of saying thank you." Charlie looked at the chest and pulled out and put back each draw. In the top left one, she found the labels. She turned to Adara, frowning.
"They're labels for the drawers," Adara explained. "Any of the carpenters will help you to burn the names on them." Charlie flung herself at Adara and hugged her hard.
"Thanks, Adara, it's beautiful. I can use them for my medicines!"
"That's why I made them, Charlie. Now you have a place to store them and the ingredients you need."
"I'll cherish it always!" she said.
"Good. I'll carry it to the hospital for you," adara said.
"Yeah. Can't wait until Abby sees it. You'll have to make her one as well, I expect!"
"No doubt," said Adara, smiling as she picked up the small chest and followed a giddy and dancing Charlie out of the cabinet offices.
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5 weeks later, Monty and his team trudged wearily into Lake town. Monty went straight to Adara to report.
"All missiles deactivated, disabled and otherwise destroyed. They are unusable," Monty said, exhaustion evident in his voice.
"Outstanding, Monty! Get your team some food and then sleep for the rest of the day." Monty nodded and turned around to tell his people. He was so exhausted, his head dropped the second he had dismissed them. He slowly trudged to his bed and was asleep before he even took his shoes off.
Harper stopped in the doorway and leaned her shoulder against it, feet crossing as she watched her boyfriend sleeping crosswise on his bed, feet over the side and still fully clothed. She smiled wistfully and went to him to take his shoes off. She tried to wake him but the man was dead to the world. She called for the nearest person to help her and Drew came in, saw Monty's state and helped Harper lay him on the bed. Drew grabbed his own blankets and covered Monty to keep him warm.
"Thanks, Drew," Harper whispered.
"No problem, he's my friend," Drew whispered back, smiling at Harper as he left.
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Meanwhile, Raven had come to Adara's side as they watched Monty head to bed.
"So, that's it? Everything's done?" asked Raven.
"Yeah, he got the missiles deactivated."
"I meant that we've dealt with everything that went wrong last time. Mountain men, Nia, Pike, Jaha, ALIE, trouble with the clans. That stuff." Adara moved her head to look at her.
"Oh," Adara said, thinking of everything that had happened. "Yeah, I guess we did. ALIE may still cause trouble, but for now, we did it." She turned fully to Raven as realisation came to her. "We did it!" She threw her arms around Raven's neck and hugged her close. Raven grabbed Adara around the waist and hugged her back.
Adara turned back around to see people staring at them.
"WE DID IT!" Adara shouted. "Everything we have done and we're still here! We survived coming to Earth, we survived meeting Anya and Indra and the Trikru, we survived the mountain men and we have made a place for ourselves among the people who already lived here. We made it, people, we made it!" Adara thrust her clenched fists into the air, yelling with happiness. Everyone else yelled with happiness and excitement too. "Okay, okay. After winter, I think it would be a good idea to throw a party to celebrate our good fortune to land here. We'll invite the Trikru and the Commander as well." Adara let the shouting continue for a few minutes.
"This is the start of our future. We are the only generations who can honestly say that we came from the stars. From now on, any child born to us will be born on the ground, live on the ground, and eventually die on the ground. They will be grounders - remember that. I've heard that one of the Skaikru is pregnant. She'll be the first to welcome a new generation of grounders to our village and our culture. We will not let them forget that we came from the stars, but we will also tell them that the ground is our destiny now. We are grounders. We are Skaikru and Arkers. We survived the war, we survived the ground and we will survive to help keep this planet free from those who want to destroy it. This is our way of life!" Adara waited until the hollering had died down.
"Now, back to work so we won't starve and freeze this winter." Everyone laughed and went about their lives and jobs glad that the ground was now a place to live instead of a place to fear. A place to survive and thrive instead of just existing and dying in a metal station above the world. Life was for living, it was time for them all to start doing that. Life was hard, but it was also good. Life was amazing!
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The End - for now. I am writing a follow on story, but I won't post it until I've finished it (just in case I don't). Think I did alright? Let me know.