Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Divergent. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and Veronica Roth.
Writer's note: Thank you Navywife, Goddess, Roxhall, and munzke for your reviews! Welcome to the very last chapter of Valiant. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story, I know I have. Up next is Not the Good Guy. It'll be posted up later on. Thank you everyone for your support! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!
Jack Kang, Johanna Reyes, Natalie Prior, Charles Swan, Carlisle Cullen and the Factionless leader Evelyn Johnson delivered the news of the trials of the Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews along with her followers. They used serum to get the truth out of everyone, like Jack had done that day with Bella and the others.
Bella was relieved to see the trials end, when they sentenced the lot to banishment beyond the wall. No one had ever left the wall and it was said that it was a radioactive zone on the other side. Caleb Prior was banished as well, his parents not wavering on the decision, but that was because during Caleb's trial, he admitted to following Jeanine willingly. Edward was pardoned, the truth coming out that he was another inside man that Eric used to help get the right codes from Erudite since Jeanine didn't tell him every last detail. She was especially happy to see Caius and Maria go down with Jeanine as well.
With the banishments and trials, it took two weeks to sort everything out. There was a meeting, a meeting that Bella was invite to by the faction leaders to discuss what to do next and that made her a little nervous.
She looked at the large Candor doors that opened into a conference room that Jack used on occasion and took a deep breath, before she walked forward, pushing the doors open and joining the rest of faction leaders, which include Eric.
Everyone looked up as she entered and that made her nerves jump around. She was 11 weeks pregnant and had barely begun showing, but she wasn't hiding the pregnancy. It was safer for the news to be out, rather than keep hiding in secret.
Carlisle stood, sweeping a hand to an empty chair. "Come join us." He said, a smile on his face.
Bella took the seat and looked around the table, her eyes capturing Eric's and he just smiled at her. "So. The trials are over, and Jeanine is banished. You wanted me to sit in on next steps?"
"We're dismantling the faction system." Jack said. "We think that it's important to keep some separation, but we want to make this city a community. We see how the system could have been the reason behind Jeanine's madness."
Bella nodded her agreement. "Okay, then what?"
"We're forming this council because it's still important to keep the peace. People still commit crimes, so we're establishing laws. Historically, it worked before. We want to bring humanity back and the only way to do that, is take these steps to ensure the survival of our city and people." Carlisle explained.
"Right, but why am I here?"
"As a Divergent leader." Natalie said with a smile. "It's true that Divergents are different from those of us that have been conformed into a single faction. Which is why we need Divergents like you, to help humanity flourish."
Bella looked to Eric, who was silent still. "Okay, I'm not sure I can help that much."
"You can. By being an example." Charlie said. "I can't be prouder of you. You have shown so much growth and now, with the factions as they are, we need strength, and you have that."
"Dad, I'm not sure that I can really be this beacon of hope. I have too much to think about."
"I know. Carrying a child takes a lot of energy and it is one of the most joyous things you and Eric can experience." Charlie said with a nod. "But this will be a process. We have the factionless to place into homes and we have the city ruins to rebuild. This will take time. You are also not alone. There are several Divergents throughout the city. Some, that I know personally and know that they will be helpful."
Bella blew out a breath. "Okay. So, what do we need to do next?"
"Stay united." Eric spoke now. "Unity makes this whole thing flow better. We're a united front, we decide things as a council and we move forward as one. Without unity, this can very well fall into chaos and we want to avoid that."
"Yes, chaos wouldn't be good." Bella agreed.
"We're going to start with getting the factionless in nice homes." Renee said. "We want to make an effort to get them fed and welcomed. Evelyn isn't on the council because… well… she's one to watch carefully. But we know that without her, it would have been harder to take on Jeanine."
Natalie spoke next. "With that, Johanna will help find jobs for everyone and work on opening a school for all the children, not just the schools divided amongst the factions. We want everyone to learn together."
Johanna nodded. "Yes, we will text the histories and move forward towards a new era."
Bella liked the idea of there being a new era. A new beginning for everyone.
[6 Months later]
The city was undergoing so many changes and all of them for the better. Dauntless still ran the police force in the city, because they were trained, but the force was open to anyone who wanted to join. Eric came up with a physical fitness test they would have to pass in order to join. Those that wanted to go into medicine, learned through Jack Kang's people or the new Erudite head of the council, which was Edward surprisingly. Seattle was prospering, which is what the entire plan was.
Bella was 9 months pregnant now, and due any day. According to ultrasounds, Amy was certain that Bella was pregnant with a boy.
"You should be resting." Eric said as he walked into the apartment that Bell and he shared. It was located inside Candor, but not in the main building. Most of the council lived in Candor prefect now.
"I can't sit still." Bella whined. She rubbed her hand over her large belly. She felt some discomfort and she winced a little and that had Eric going forward towards her. "I'm fine. I'm fine." She grumbled.
"No, you're in pain." Eric said calmly. "Are you having contractions?"
Bella wasn't sure. "Maybe? I don't know, just some slight discomfort."
"Alright, let's go. We're going to the hospital here."
"Wait, it could just be nothing. Like him stretching or something."
"Now is not the time to be stubborn." Eric said. "We'll get you checked out. Amy said that any day now he could come, so let's go." He said and steered her out of the apartment and to the elevator.
When they got to the hospital, Bella's water broke. "I told you." Eric said then helped guide her to sit in a wheelchair and Amy arrived to get her back in a delivery room.
"Bella, we're going to check to see how far along we are and when we can start pushing." Amy said, her voice cheerful.
Bella couldn't believe this was finally happening. "Okay." She said, still in a bit of shock.
Eric grabbed her hand then brought it to his lips and kissed it gently. "It's okay babe, just relax."
Bella blew out a breath and relaxed on the hospital bed while Amy checked her out.
"You're almost there already. We'll start pushing in a little bit. Eric, can you raise her bed up just a little?" Amy asked.
Eric nodded and raised Bella's bed up a little. "How are you feeling?"
"Some more pain now." Bella admitted and closed her eyes as the contractions rippled through her. She was tough, the pain not becoming unbearable yet, but it was enough to make her brows draw in.
Two hours later, Bella gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. His hair was dark like Bella's and curled slightly. He had a lot of hair too. His eyes were a brilliant grey-blue like Eric and he mostly favored Eric. He weighed 8 pounds exactly and Bella delivered him natural, no medication to help.
"He's beautiful and perfect." Bella murmured as she stared down at his tiny face. He was bundled up in a sky-blue blanket and had a little hat on to keep his head warm. It was September now and it was getting cooler out lately.
Eric smiled, leaning in and kissed the top of Bella's head. "Yeah, he's perfect. Mikael Charles Coulter."
Bella smiled and looked up at Eric. She was tired, but nothing would take away this moment. The moment of absolute happiness. Her family, with Eric. She couldn't believe that she was here. This moment seemed to be so surreal and if you asked her last year if this is where she would be, she would have said absolutely not. She started her journey as Dauntless, but was Divergent in the end. The key to humanity and now, the children born from this day forward, would prosper and enlighten the city with their humanity too. There was still so much left to do in the world, but for now, this was a beautiful beginning to a new life, for Bella, for Eric and all of Seattle.