[YouTube]

Swan: how it started and how it's going
ClarityIsClear
Posted 8 years from now

(The first image in the video is of Leah Clearwater, her hair as short as it's ever been with both sides cropped closely to her scull and a longer section of inky black over the crown of her head. She looks both tired and happy, and her tone when she speaks is one that is bathed in quiet elation - as well as more than a little mirth.

"So," she starts, clapping her hands together. She's sitting on a chair in a dark room, a row of three monitors behind her showing various video editing programs. Leah lifts her brows. "I've been running this channel for forever, guys. Like, basically my entire young adulthood. It's kind of wild, actually. At the beginning, this entire channel was to help me build my skills as a filmmaker, but it's grown into, like, this organic thing. I'm documenting a life, you know? I'm documenting my sister's life and she's such a good sport about it, I don't think she even notices the camera in her face anymore….Anyway, I have a point in all of this!"

Here, Leah spins around in her chair and pulls up video files on one of the monitors. "Okay, so, we've obviously been following Bella since the Big Bang, so we all know what's up in her life. But, I mean, looking back on everything...It's kind of crazy. It feels like forever but also only a second. So, in the spirit of a good montage, let's take a look back at the last couple of years. I'll only play the highlights…"

The video dims to black, only for the next frame to show a now-familiar text reading HOW IT STARTED in white font on a black backdrop. On the next frame, viewers recognize the sound intro of the Wedding March from a previous video, posted only two years ago.

The camera view whirs around, taking in the view of a truly beautiful garden draped in twinkling lights and gauzy white and silver fabrics. Teak wood folding chairs are separated into two rows and most of the seats are already filled. Leah, operating the camera, must be toward the middle of the garden since she has a view of the entire procession; glimpses of Rose, Alice, and Esme in dove silk dresses, walked by their partners in charcoal suits and cloud grey ties; a long lapse of time watching Bella and her father, Charlie, walk down the aisle arm-in-arm, Bella dressed in a simple minimalist wedding dress, also made from gleaming ivory silk; the image of Masen Cullen's face, standing in front of a simple twinkle-light altar, his suit a shade lighter than the groomsmen, his expression unmistakably soft.

The camera ownership must shift hands because Leah appears behind her sister with a cluster of white peonies. The vows are said and the rings are exchanged and Leah cries, earnest and quiet, while her sister smiles shyly at the wedding guests. Bella hugs her sister for a long moment, and then her friends, before she walks back down the aisle hand-in-hand with her new husband.

When the camera control shifts back to Leah, the viewers can hear Alistair teasing her. "You said you wouldn't cry."

Leah sniffs. "I wasn't crying. There was something in my eye."

Alistair has the grace to not contradict her, and the video continues on. Unlike the original video, this recap speeds through most of the reception and all of the shenanigans Peter encouraged, right up until the bridal bouquet toss. Happily, and as if by magnet, the bouquet lands right in the face of the camera, much to the laughter and jeers of the crowd, and that's where the video fades out.

The next frame is a jump in time to what must be a few months after the wedding. Viewers are already aware that Midnight Sun, now a regular feature in these videos, has recently graduated to a new office building to accommodate new employees in the wake of the rapid success of the Dawn of Warcraft 2 launch, which had happened right before Bella and Masen's wedding. There is a flurry of movement, many people toting big cardboard boxes and desks being scraped into place in a new - and larger - office. The space is just as bright and white, all exposed brick and fond neon signage, as the old office, with the exception of a half-loft above the main office space where there appear to be at least two or three offices. The kitchen is notably larger, too.

The real space of attention in the video is Bella and Masen, who are squared off to each other in the middle of the chaos. Bella is holding Atari and Masen is holding what appears to be a box of cat-related objects, including a cat tower that looks suspiciously like Godzilla. Atari looks between them, back and forth, like watching a tennis match.

The camera moves close enough to pick up sound over the general noise of moving into a new office.

Bella says, "Atari likes to be where the action is. His things should be downstairs."

But Masen disagrees. "Atari likes the quiet. His office furniture should be upstairs near the offices."

"If he's too close to the stairs, he's going to trip someone. You know he likes to nap."

"Bella."

"Masen."

The two stare at each other, and then sigh. Without a word, Masen sets down the box in an area Bella indicates and then kneels down to remove a scratch post and a domed eyelash cat bed, which he then takes upstairs.

Behind the camera, Leah comments, "You two have the weirdest arguments."

Bella frowns at her and Atari licks the underside of her chin. "We weren't arguing. We were compromising. That's what a healthy relationship looks like, Lee Lee."

Leah snorts. "Is it healthy to argue about a cat?"

"This cat is our baby," Bella says seriously.

Leah laughs, and so do a few people in the vicinity. Bella blushes bright pink.

The video fades to black again, and this time the screen resolves into a zoomed-in look at what appears to be a box for a crib. The camera zooms out and takes in a new room, a minimalist nursery with sloths and pandas on the walls, everything decorated in warm greys with stark white furniture. In the middle of the room, kneeling on the floor in front of the separated parts of what must be a yet-to-be-constructed crib are Masen, Peter, and Emmett.

Alistair stands before them, scowling down at the directions. He says, "Is this bloody thing even in English?"

"Well, it's not in French," Leah snarks behind the camera. "I read the directions too, you know. They looked simple."

Emmett makes a face. "This isn't simple," he says, gesturing to the mess.

Peter nods his head, looking about two seconds from crying, and Masen is blank-faced and tense, blinking down at the crib parts slowly.

There is a massive sigh beside the camera and the view swings over to Bella, who is holding two hands over her very obviously pregnant stomach and looking less than impressed at the unfinished crib.

"Unbelievable," she mutters, frowning at the men. "This is just like that ridiculous coffee pot all over again."

"Coffee pot?" Leah questions.

Bella sighs again and doesn't deign to answer. Instead, she steps into the nursery and raises her voice. "It's been three hours already. Are you not done?"

Peter turns immediately to whine. "But Bella. This is, like, Ikea level of evil instructions. None of them make sense. Look at this diagram," he says, snatching the directions from Alistair to brandish at Bella.

Bella snatches them and reads over them quickly, flipping the pages. "This is easy," she tells them. "Move aside. Let me do it."

At this, Masen looks up with a crinkle in his brow. "Bella."

She huffs at him. "It's not strenuous work! It came with an allen wrench, for God's sake. It isn't difficult!"

Masen's frown deepens.

Bella stomps her foot.

Masen doesn't appear moved at all.

"Fine!" Bella exclaims, reaching blindly toward the camera, where she must snag some part of Leah given the way to camera jerks around. "My sister will help me build it!"

Leah coughs. "Your sister will what now?"

Bella ignores her, now flapping her hands at the men. "All of you, shoo. Get out of here," she demands. "And someone call Garrett!"

The video speeds through a hasty retreat from Emmett, Peter, and Alistair, catching Masen murmuring something to Bella and Bella rolling her eyes, grumpy. The camera must be transferred to someone else, since in short order Leah is kneeling down in front of the crib parts and Bella is standing over her with the directions, one hand smoothing over the swell of her stomach. Bella seems to have an easy time deciphering the instructions since she hands over various tools and screws to Leah, who grumbles about it but puts the pieces together correctly.

"Wow, Leah. I didn't know you had it in you," Peter calls from somewhere out of view.

"Fuck off, Pete," Leah shouts back. "You think I can grow up with someone who once took a toaster apart for fun and not pick a few things up?"

"I didn't do it for fun," Bella protests. "It was broken and I fixed it."

Leah snorts. "Yeah, okay. Explain that weird contraption in the living room, then."

Bella rolls her eyes. "That weird contraption is part of our virtual reality program. We're tooling around with a slimmer device. Also, you forgot to put on the washer," Bella adds, lifting her brows.

Leah curses colorfully and corrects her mistake.

Only a couple of minutes later, the camera shifts aside and both Masen and K.O. come into the nursery. At the sight of K.O., Bella lets out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. Please, finish building the crib."

K.O. glances at Masen, who nods and then shrugs. Between Leah and K.O., the crib comes together very quickly, K.O. seemingly having the skills Bella has been looking for. Still, while Bella can not be as hands-on as she obviously wants to be, she still gives verbal directions after Masen guides her to sit down in a plush rocking chair, his hand on her shoulder. When the crib is finished - finally - Bella smiles up at him with stars in her eyes.

The video fades to black again and when the next frame appears, it also comes with a multitude of sounds - voices in doctor lingo, someone saying stop pushing now, the beeping of a machine, and Leah's panicked, "Oh, holy crap. Oh, shit. Oh, my God. Oh, my God, guys."

The reason for all the noise becomes clear enough when the video resolves itself into the image of a hospital room, everything blue and white and bright with unforgiving lights. Bella is reclined on a hospital bed, her hairline wet with sweat but her expression otherwise serene; on the other side of the bed is Masen, who is leaning over the bed and holding Bella's hand, his eyes riveted and unblinking. By the looks of it, his hand is being crushed hard enough to bruise, Bella's grip so tight that his skin is alternately leeching white and red.

"You're doing very well, Mrs. Cullen," the doctor says, and the camera swings to the side to view the tent of fabric over Bella's lap and the physician between her knees.

"Renata, please," Bella murmurs. "You should call me Bella. You're Carlisle's work wife, you saved Masen from a coma, and you're Jane's cousin. We're friends."

Beneath the mask, Renata's eyes seem to crinkle in a smile. "Fair enough," she concedes. "Now, are you ready to push?"

Bella smiles gently, her face turning red from exertion as she follows the doctor's directives, and she squeezes Masen's hand hard enough that viewers can hear his knuckles cracking and his low grunt of pain. In fact, the only sign that Bella is in any significant pain is when she starts crying after the wail of an infant can be heard just off-screen.

"Oh, my God," Leah breathes, the camera following along as the newborn is washed and weighed and inspected and wrapped up in a primrose pink blanket. "She looks like an angry little potato."

Bella sniffles, reaching for the baby as she is placed on her chest. "She's beautiful," Bella says. "Hello, Carlie," she coos, eyes watery as she smiles up at Masen.

Masen kisses first Bella's forehead, and then Carlie's. And then the video again fades to black.

The next clip of the video is different than the others. This time the camera is obviously set up somewhere high since the vantage point is a bit birds-eye, and the view depicts Leah and a toddler with nutmeg brown hair and freckles, the spitting image of Bella. Leah and the toddler are playing some convoluted game with plush robots and animals, Leah very obviously humoring the child.

"And what do cows say, Carlie?" Leah prompts, her tone baby-light.

"Cows don't talk," Carlie says very seriously. "They moo."

Leah sighs, her shoulders slumping. "You are so your father's daughter."

"Moo!" Carlie says. "Moo! Moo!"

In the corner of the video, a darting cat can be seen charging toward what must be the front door. There is a yowl off-screen and a clatter of metal falling onto the hardwood, probably keys from the sound of it. "I'm home!" a familiar voice calls.

Leah cranes her neck around and then grins. "Oh, good. I can be done babysitting."

Carlie frowns up at her aunt. " 'm not a baby," she pouts. And then she catches sight of her mother coming into the living room and she lights up, a very familiar smile on her face. "Hi, Mommy!"

Carlie runs and hugs onto Bella's knees, bouncing on her little toes. Bella picks her up, hoisting her onto her hip with a sweet smile, pinching gently at Carlie's cheek. Masen is only a few moments behind, not even flinching when Carlie shrieks Daddy!

Leah, meanwhile, has made her way behind the camera again and is zooming in on the little family reunion. "Isn't it gross how happy they are?" she wonders, but she sounds terribly fond about it, and even lets herself get dragged into more babyish talk even as the view fades back to black.

The next - and final - view on the screen is once again Leah in her workspace. Leah is smiling at the camera, kind of vague. "I'm an aunt now," she says, shaking her head. "That angry little potato is my niece, Carlie, and she's so cool already. She's...her own little person, you know? It's crazy. It's so crazy…"

Leah shakes her head again and sighs, clasping her hands together. "You know, like, not to be maudlin about it, but, I can't believe all that's happened. Can you? Bella is a mom now. She's married. She's the same Bella she was when we were kids, but better. I think she's happy. I think we all are."

Here, Leah pauses in self-reflection, smiling slightly as she twists a plain gold band around her finger. "Yeah. We're really happy."

The video ends here.)


A/N: And that's a wrap, folks! The final chapter! It's hard to let these kids go, but they've told their story and it was such a lovely one. And yes, Carlie is absolutely named after Charlie and Carlisle, the most functional male role models for each of our lead characters. It's a better name than Renesmee. Fight me.

As always, be honest. I can take it. Stay safe and stay smart, folks.

~Rae