Here we are again … I'm embarking on a new journey of a fanfiction story. This time, we're going with a post-apocalyptic vibe. I recently watched The 100 on Netflix. I'd been intrigued to write a story based off that show/series of novels. I decided to write it for NaNoWriMo. I'm starting almost halfway through the month, but I'm determined to, at least, get something going. But, here I am in June and I'm still working on it.
Chapter Nine: On the Ark
Renee
"Marcus to Carlisle and Charlie," chirped our communicators. He sounded somewhat panicked. "It's Aro …"
Charlie stepped back, pressing his communicator to his ear. "What about him? He's caused enough damage to the Ark!"
"He's not in his quarters," Marcus hissed. "He had help and he's gone."
"Check the drop ship," Charlie hissed. "He may be making a play for …"
Over the intercoms, Aro's disembodied voice filled the promenade, "Too late, Chancellor. The Exodus ship is mine and if you want to live, join me. You have one hour. Anyone who wants to leave the Ark, and get away from Chancellor Swan's lies …" A countdown flickered onto the screens.
Fifty-nine minutes, fifty-nine seconds … fifty-eight … fifty-seven …
"Is this for real?" I asked, stepping closer to my husband.
On his tablet, Charlie looked at his screen, trying to get verification. "It is. What's worse is that the Exodus ship is still tethered to the Ark. All the lines are connected and, if he tries to leave, he will completely disable us." He blinked at crowd, completely flummoxed. "We'll be dead in the water."
Carlisle jumped into action. "We need to disengage the umbilical lines to the Exodus ship. Go! Now!"
The promenade broke out into chaos. People ran off and I stood next to my husband, who was clearly at a loss. I noticed he was holding his stomach, breathing frantically. "Charlie? Talk to me."
"We should have floated him. Now, he's floating us all," he whispered, looking at me starkly. "I'm so sorry, Ren … I can't …" He grimaced.
"Not yet, Charlie," I said, taking his pale, sweaty face into my hands. "We've got an hour. We can stop this. We have to …"
He slid his arms around my waist, pressing his lips to mine harshly. Taking my hand, we left the promenade, making our way to the command center. The security team was trying, fruitlessly, to get inside since Aro obviously got help to take control of the Exodus ship. He had people in the command center.
Or so we thought.
My communicator vibrated and I picked it up, seeing Alec's face. "Alec? What is it? We're dealing with a …"
"I'm inside the command center," he interrupted, hissing quietly. "I was checking on the kids on the surface. I was granted access because of my medical clearance. I also got a radio and video signal from the drop ship."
"Are they okay?" I asked, trying not to cry. Had he spoken to Bella? Was she okay?
"They're on their way to Mount Weather. Well, most of them," he answered. "A handful are remaining at the drop ship, but Bella got them into the government installation."
"Why were they delayed?" Charlie questioned.
"There was a storm, a hurricane," Alec replied. "I would have mentioned something, but with all that was going on … I didn't. I'm so sorry. I've spoken to Rosalie Hale and Jessica Stanley. As of this morning, they were beginning their trek to Mount Weather."
"Thank you for letting us know. Did you see my daughter? Did you see Bella?" I whispered.
"I did. She's fine. She reminds me of you, Dr. Swan. She's fierce," he chuckled. "Anyway, almost everyone up here in the command center is in cahoots with Aro, but a couple of us are with you. I don't know enough about engineering to help, but those of us who do, we are trying to delay Aro's departure. Or, at least, trying to prevent crippling us up here on the Ark."
"Can you grant access to the security team? They're locked out of the command center," Charlie murmured.
"They rewrote the command codes," Alec frowned. "Only they have access to the main systems of the Ark. I have access to the communications array and medical, but that's because those systems are not tied into the computer's mainframe. They're separate systems. I'm sorry, Dr. Swan, Chancellor."
"Don't apologize, Alec," Charlie said. "You're not at fault. You're doing us a great service by being in the command center."
"I'm trying," Alec said. "Shit! I've got to go. One of Aro's goons are coming my way."
The call ended abruptly, and we left to go to the council chamber. It had almost all of the same access points to the command center, if it had been compromised. Obviously, the command center was compromised, and we needed to break those command codes to get the Ark back under our control.
Settled back in the council chamber, the best computer and mechanical engineers tried to break back into the command center. Marcus and his security team were trying to stop the launch sequence for the Exodus ship. Roughly a third of the Ark's population was on the Exodus ship, preparing its departure.
"The umbilical lines are still attached to the Exodus ship," Marcus said. "We can't access them. Aro isn't opening the door for anyone."
"He said he wanted to let on people who still supported me," Charlie snarled derisively.
"So far, no one has come to get on board. Only security teams and mechanical engineers, trying to separate the Exodus ship to prevent damage to the Ark," Marcus huffed. "It's not going well."
"How much time left?" Carlisle asked.
"Half hour," Esme answered, reading one of the monitors. "A little less, actually."
"I'm going to make an announcement to encourage everyone to get to the center of the Ark. If the Exodus launches, the furthest parts of the Ark will be pulled away from the main structure," Charlie said, maneuvering to be in front of a camera. He made his announcement, making it repeat since the communication array. We also managed to access the emergency systems, sounding the alarms all around the station.
With fifteen minutes left on the clock, Aro came back on the Ark communication system. "Time's running out. If you want to come with me, you have ten minutes and then we'll begin the final launch sequence. We're going to the ground, reclaiming our ancestral home. It's ours for the taking!"
Aro's message ended, and our emergency alarms resumed their blaring. Charlie walked over to one of the bulkheads, pulling out two portable breathing apparatuses. He handed one to Carlisle before he turned to me. "Ren, take this. If Aro takes that ship, there could be a strong possibility that the Ark will depressurize. You have to be safe. You have to survive," he said, trailing his fingers down my cheek. "I know that I didn't say often enough, but I love you. I love Bella …"
"You're not saying goodbye to me, Charlie," I said, pressing my lips to his. He held me close, cradling my body against his. I tried to move closer to him, but I heard him groan. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he answered, caressing his hand down my back. "I know that I haven't been the best husband since I became Chancellor, but you and Bella are my world. I will do everything in my power to make things right."
"But, not by sacrificing yourself," I snapped.
There was an eerie groan and a violent shudder. I gripped Charlie's arms, whimpering quietly. Carlisle looked at the security display inside of the launch bay for the Exodus ship. The doors were closing. "We need to get to the Promenade, medical bay, ideally," Carlisle said, tugging on Esme's hand.
"Demetri," Esme gasped. "He's in our quarters."
"I'll get him," Carlisle said, kissing Esme's forehead. "Go!"
"Come on," Charlie commanded, leading us out of the council chamber. The Promenade was filled with the remaining citizens of the Ark, all terrified and panicked. We opened up the medical bay and sat down in the surgical suite. Esme held my hand as we waited for Carlisle to come back with Demetri.
A few moments later, Carlisle pushed his way inside of the surgical suite with a sobbing Demetri. I opened up my arms and he snuggled against me. The Ark gave another shudder.
Charlie pulled out his communicator. "Marcus, talk to me."
"We tried our best, but Aro was completely unhinged," he said, panting heavily. "The ship is going to destroy the D and E blocks of quarters. Farm station may also be a casualty, along with one of our largest oxygen recyclers. He's going to cripple us, dooming all of us to death."
"Where are you?" Charlie asked.
"We're almost to the security station. If we get there, we should be able to weather the launch. We're too far away from the Promenade," Marcus whispered, punching in the codes into the security office. "If I haven't said it, it's been an honor serving with you Chancellor. May we meet again …"
Charlie swallowed and frowned. "May we meet again, Marcus."
Aro's voice filled the speakers. "We're returning home. The rest of you … you will float up here for all of eternity. History will remember you as the losers and us as the heroes," Aro sang maniacally. "What is that saying you all say? May we meet again? Well, we won't meet you again. You'll be gone and we'll be free."
The lights flickered and thunderous boom resounded throughout the Ark. We could feel the space station rip itself apart. I held onto Demetri and Charlie held onto me as our home was being destroyed by a madman. I cried against my husband's shoulder, praying that we survived this.
With another powerful shudder and scary groan, the lights blinked out and the artificial gravity gave way. We all began to float within the surgical suite. I couldn't see anything in front of me, but I knew that the instruments were inside their magnetic cases. Thankfully, the blowers were still working, which meant the portion of the Ark was still pressurized and oxygenated.
My communicator rang. While trying to keep myself close to the ground, holding Demetri and grasping onto Charlie, I managed to answer it. "Alec?" I breathed.
"I can't believe he did it," Alec snarled. "The entire back third of the Ark is gone, Dr. Swan. Completely gone …"
"Were there any people inside?" Charlie asked.
"According to the readouts, about fifty people were trying to get to the Exodus ship," Alec said.
"What about the security office?" I pressed.
"It's still there," Alec said. "The security office is about twenty meters from where the Ark came apart. Unfortunately, I don't know if there's life support, gravity, or emergency power." There was some clicking over the communication line. "Speaking of which, you should have emergency power now."
Lights flickered back to life, revealing everyone floating and crying in terror.
"What about gravity?" Carlisle asked.
"We're working on it. Aro's goons left, and I think they were the ones who were killed when the Exodus ship detached from the Ark. We have gravity in the command center, but everywhere else? It's out," Alec said. "We're working as best we can, but the command codes are still under Aro's control."
"Get the rings to start their spin," Charlie said. "That's what created the artificial gravity. With the departure of the Exodus ship, it must have disrupted their movements. Before I was Chancellor, I worked as an engineer."
"This might be a long shot, but can you track the Exodus ship?" Carlisle asked.
"Not through sensors, but we're able to see it through the exterior windows," Alec answered. "Its descent is not controlled and it's spinning dangerously fast. The people on board are more than likely dead from having all their bones broken as they reenter the atmosphere – in theory."
"Keep tracking it, Alec," Charlie ordered. "We'll try to make our way to command center. We need to come up with a plan to survive our time here on the Ark and make up an exit strategy. This place is no longer habitable."
xx MWMA xx
Bella
Edward and I took a small contingent of people to investigate the crash site. The rest of the people would continue on to Mount Weather. The fire from its engines lit up the night sky with an eerie glow.
"What's the probability that anyone survived?" asked Charlotte, one of the younger members of our team. She was turning sixteen in a couple of weeks. She was thrown into the prison for the smallest infraction … using an unauthorized communication array to contact her parents to say she was running late from her shift in medical bay. Charlotte was tossed into the prison. Prior to her incarceration, she'd received some basic first aid training. I knew I wanted to bring her with me as a nurse, in case there were survivors. "Bella?"
"Sorry, based on the speed at which the ship entered the atmosphere, its spin, and the fireball? Slim to none," I answered honestly. "If anything, we can scavenge for spare parts."
"With the fire burning, we probably can't do much," Edward suggested, squinting his eyes toward the eerie light filtering through the pine trees.
"We can't just leave them there to die," I argued, tears welling in my eyes.
"I get that, but we won't be able to help anyone. We don't have any means of stopping the fire, except for rain fall," he said. "We, at least, have that in our favor."
As we loaded up into the Rover, the clouds rolled in, and a steady rainfall began.
"If we can't help them, then why are we going?" asked Austin, another healer-in-training. He was a year behind me, with strengths in genetic engineering, cardiothoracic and orthopedics, working closely with Carlisle. I was more like my mom as a general practitioner, psychology, and general surgery.
"The people on that ship are our families," I said. "Though, I don't understand why they came down to the ground so hastily."
"Maybe Rose and Lauren can get some information for us," Edward suggested. "If they're not asleep."
"Knowing Rose, she set up a rotation schedule of people monitoring the computers and radio," I said, giving him a sad smile. I found the radio, calling Mount Weather. "Swan to Mount Weather, come in."
"This is Lauren, over," Lauren replied. "Have you all left the drop ship?"
"Yes. Seventeen remained at the drop ship, but the rest are heading toward Mount Weather," I said. "Hey, can you reach the Ark? Over?"
"About an hour ago, the Ark went dark. No communications, no power," Lauren explained. "Alec did reach out and said that there was sort of coup going on with Vice Chancellor Aro Volturi. He said something about the Exodus ship, and it still being tethered to the Ark. Over"
"That explains the uncontrolled entry," Edward said, arching a brow. "If Aro took the other drop ship, with it still tied into the Ark's main systems, it would wreak havoc on the Ark and on the Exodus ship."
"Lauren, try to raise the Ark. Do you get any sort of response or is it static?" I asked. "We need to verify if they're still alive up there. Over."
"Hold on," she said. I heard her try to contact the Ark, but with no success. "It's static, but there's a weak signal. To be honest, it might not be strong enough to reach the surface, through the atmosphere. It could just be the communications array on board the station. The only way we can see if the Ark is still in orbit is by going topside to check with a telescope. The incoming weather is putting a damper on that. Over."
"We're stuck in a rainstorm, driving to whatever fell from the sky," I said. "Keep trying to make contact with the Ark and get verification that it's still in orbit. Over."
"Will do. Who's going to the crash site? All of you? Over."
"Edward, me, Charlotte, and Austin. If there are any survivors, we'll bring them to Mount Weather," I sighed. "Thank you, Lauren. Swan, over and out."
"Be safe, Bella. I hope, for all our sakes, that the Ark is okay. Mount Weather, out," Lauren said softly.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the crash site. As Edward suggested, the site was engulfed in flames, and we could not even approach it. It was highly unlikely that anyone survived this landing. There was crater, half a kilometer wide and about the same depth, too. Debris littered the area and probably covered the area for miles.
"Once this is all cooled off, will we be able to access the computers?" Austin asked from the backseat.
"If there's a functioning terminal," Edward answered. "But, from the appearance of the wreckage, the probability of that is nonexistent." He turned off the Rover. "We can't do much of anything until the fires are out. Let's get some rest. Charlotte, Austin, you guys can use the backseat. Bella and I will be in the cargo hold in the rear. Blankets are underneath the seats."
We walked to the back of the Rover. Edward left the back door open since the air was sticky inside the vehicle. Covering us with his jacket, Edward curled around my body. I reached up, tracing my fingers down his scruffy cheeks. "Do you think …?" I asked.
"What, Princess?" he whispered to me.
"Are our parents on that ship?" I sniffled, trying to stay quiet. "What if …"
"I don't think so," he answered, pressing a tender kiss to my lips, silencing my concerns. "I think that Aro is a crazed madman, who was determined to live his own life here on the ground, the consequences of actions be damned. Hell, I think that Aro was the one who put a hit on your dad, Bella. He got the gun to Jacob, who snuck onto the drop ship, and Aro believed that the Ark was his for taking."
I bit my lip, burrowing closer to him and sliding my arms around his waist. "I hope that you're right that it's Aro and not …" I trailed off.
"Me, too, Bella," he breathed, tightening his hold around my body. "Sleep, Princess. I'm here …"
I sniffled some more, pressing my ear above his heart. The steady thrum of his heartbeat eventually lulled me to sleep, but did little to quell the nightmares that assaulted my subconscious.
The next morning, the fire had subsided, and we were able to investigate the wreckage. Edward called into Mount Weather, asking if they'd heard anything from the Ark. Unfortunately, it was still radio silence, but there was a sighting of the Ark in orbit. It was missing the back third of the station, presumably from the departure of the Exodus ship.
What happened up there?
Charlotte, Austin, Edward, and I began searching through the wreckage, seeing if there was any proof of life. We found scraps of metal, hunks of technology, burning remnants of fabric and evidence of shattered bones.
No survivors.
They'd been smashed against the walls of the Exodus ship, completely pulverized when they reentered the atmosphere and the Earth's gravity.
In a pile of smoldering fabric, I saw an ID. I picked it up, seeing my mom's smiling face. "Mom?" I whispered, looking at the fabric. It was one of the coats the physicians wore to protect their clothes. "Mommy?" I fell to my knees, reaching my hands out to see if my mom was buried under the fabric.
"Don't, Bella," Edward said, pulling my arms back. "You'll burn your hands."
"My mom," I sobbed, turning in his arms. "She was on this ship. I … I have no one." I broke down, the grief becoming too much for me. Edward's held me in his lap as I cried brokenly into my hands. His arms were tight around me.
"You're not alone, Bella," he murmured. "I'm with you, Princess."
"But, my mom?" I sniffled.
"It might not be her," he argued, kissing my temple. "Someone might have grabbed her coat, which had her ID on it. Why would she be on the Exodus ship?"
"I don't know," I answered weakly. "But, why wouldn't she be? Maybe Aro grabbed, her forcing her onto the ship to act like a doctor?"
"Maybe, or maybe this poor soul took your mom's coat," Edward pressed, brushing my tears away. Cuddling into his arms, I allowed my grief to pull me under for a few moments. He tenderly held me, whispering comforting words while I felt like my world was imploding.
How much more could I take?
"I hate to say it, but I don't think this will be a rescue mission," Austin said to Charlotte, who was standing, overlooking the crash site.
Wiping my tears, I stood up and helped Edward to his feet. "I agree," I muttered. "We can't retrieve any tech until it's cooled down. Let's head out and we can bring back a bigger team. This will take us weeks, if not months, to sort through this shit."
"So, are we going to Mount Weather?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, we are," Edward said. "We'll come back here with a bigger crew to salvage what we can. But, not now."
"Before we go …" I trailed off. "I'd like to honor the fallen. They may have been crazy and suicidal, but they were a part of our Ark family."
We stood up, walking to the highest point in the valley, overlooking the wreckage below. Edward slid his arm around my waist, twining his fingers with mine. "In peace, may you leave this shore," he began.
"In love, may you find the next," Charlotte sniffled after him.
"Safe passage on your travels, until our final journey to the ground," Austin whispered.
"May we meet again," I finished.
"May we meet again," everyone intoned after me.
Edward held me tighter, pressing his lips to my forehead. "There are days where you amaze me, Princess," he said against my skin. "Despite what these people did, you still honor them."
"They may have made choices that … stranded everyone on the Ark," I shrugged. "But, their deaths were violent and unnecessary." I turned, wrapping my arms around his waist. He enfolded me into his embrace. "Let's go to Mount Weather. I don't know about you, but those showers seem like a dream."
"Don't forget the beds," he said, grinning crookedly down at me.
"Are you perving on me?" I quipped.
"Slightly," he answered, his cheeks flaming. A slow, sexy grin spread over his face, making my insides tingle. With a sigh, he blinked to where Austin and Charlotte were waiting at the Rover. "We'll come back, Princess. I promise." He cupped my chin, brushing his lips over mine. Pressing his forehead to me, he whispered, "I hope, I pray that your mom was not on board, Bella. If she was, I'm here. You're never alone. I promise you that."
"What if something happens to you?" I asked, fear gripping me. "My parents …. They could be gone. If you're gone? I will be alone."
"Bella, I'm not going anywhere," he pressed. "I'm vow that to you." He kissed me tenderly, making me forget, for just a moment, that he was with me. He would be with me …
Right?
Edward
It took a couple of days to get to Mount Weather. The hurricane had caused a lot of damage to the route we took there initially. Bella was quiet, seemingly worried about her mother and the lack of communication from the Ark. We'd checked in with Lauren and Rose, hoping that they'd got into contact with the Ark, but there was no luck when we'd radioed.
Upon our arrival, I parked the Rover in the garage, and we went inside. The change from when we left to our arrival was like night and day. The bustle of people filled the hallways. The air was cool and clean. The stale scent was gone, and it was brimming with activity.
"Bells!" Rose sang, running toward us and throwing her arms around Bella. "Thank goodness you all made it."
"Have you heard from the Ark?" Bella asked, gripping Rose's arms.
"In a way," Rose answered. "The power is negligible up there because of the departure of the Exodus ship. They've been sending us messages in morse code. The initial message took about an hour to be sent down before it was out of com range. It took us about three hours to decipher out morse code. The only person who was familiar with it was Mike Newton and he was quite rusty."
"We found a book in the library that helped a lot more," Emmett snickered, shaking my hand.
"Did you hear anything more?" Bella breathed.
"We did, but let's get you settled. There's enough room for all of us to have our own quarters," Rose said. "Though, I'm bunked up with Emmett. I've gotten attached to him."
"Ditto, babe," Emmett grinned, pressing a smacking kiss to her cheek.
"I want to stay with Edward," Bella blurted. "I-I-If that's alright with you."
"I definitely want that," I murmured, giving her a tender smile.
"The nice thing is that the quarters have their bathroom facilities. Why don't you both clean up and then we can talk about what we heard from the Ark," Rose said, wrinkling her nose.
"Are you saying we smell?" Bella deadpanned.
"Bells, I love you, but yeah," Rose chuckled. "It's not so bad when you're all surrounded by it, but now that a majority of us are clean, smelling like proverbial roses. You both smell like … well … a combination of a campfire, dirty feet, and shit."
"Got it," Bella sighed. "Where are we staying?"
"Suite four twenty-seven," Rose answered, giving her an electronic keycard. She handed me the other one. "Down a floor and make a right. It's the last suite on the left, across from me and Emmett. There are clothes and toiletries inside. We had every suite given the basics once we got our inventory going."
We followed Rose and Emmett to the elevators. The security lock out had been removed from the residential floors, but you'd need security access if you wanted to go to the administrative level or to enter any restricted area. We rode to the fourth floor, getting off and walking to our suite. Swiping our card, the door clicked open, and we stepped inside. The floor plan was small, utilitarian, but clean, warm and ours. To the right, there was a small living area, with a functional grey couch, a dark wooden table and a matching chair and ottoman. There was a large flat screen television on the opposite wall.
"I wonder if this works?" Bella murmured, picking up the remote. To our surprise, it did. It displayed a menu of various shows, sporting events and movies. "It must be some sort of computer program that holds all this stuff."
"More than likely," I said, stepping into a small kitchenette. It had a small, refrigerated unit. I opened it, finding glass bottles of water, along with some fresh produce. I picked up an apple, inhaling it deeply. "Real fruit." I took a large bite, moaning at how sweet and juicy the apple was.
"There was a hydroponic garden in one of the lower levels," Bella said, flipping through a tablet. "A lot of it died, but the apple trees, lemon trees and …" She trailed off. "There's a lot of work to do."
"Not now. We deserve a nice, hot shower, clean clothes, and a more substantial meal than an apple and whatever we scrounged up as we drove back to Mount Weather," I smirked. I took the tablet from her, handing her another apple from the refrigerator. "You can take the first shower, Princess."
"We could conserve water," she quipped. Her eyes darkened into a lustful haze.
"The first time I see you completely naked, it will not be in a rush in a shower," I whispered. "I want to take my time with you …"
Bella's cheeks flushed. "Let's check out the bedroom." She bit into her apple, tugging on my hand and into the small hallway. There was the bathroom, with a toilet, sink and a stand-up shower. Despite it being a military bunker, it was strangely homey, with warm accents. Fluffy towels were on top of a shelving unit above the toilet and the light had a soft, incandescent glow. Large bottles were in a small alcove inside the shower, presumably shampoo and body wash.
The bedroom was probably the most surprising. It was airy, despite it being almost fifty feet underground. There was a large bed, with a crisp, clean comforter and a mound of pillows at the headboard. The wood accents were a warm brown, with black accents. The only indication that it was in a bunker was a conduit that ran above the bed, presumably for ventilation.
"This is nicer than I'd anticipated," Bella mused, walking over to the small dresser, and pulling open the drawers. She picked up a fresh pair of pants, a clean tank top and some other things. "The offer to join me in the shower still stands."
"Princess, that shower will barely fit you, let alone me," I snickered. "I'm going to have to duck to get under the spray. It's like the people from this time were much shorter than me."
"Not everyone can be a giant, Edward," she giggled. "Besides, I like you being tall. You can wrap yourself all around me, with room to spare. I feel … safe." She looked up at me. "I'll be quick. I promise. I don't want to waste any water." She hugged me before ducking into the bathroom.
I did some more exploring inside our quarters while she showered. I tried to focus on anything besides the girl … the woman … who'd wormed her way into my heart. A woman, who was as naked as the day she was born in the shower and tempting me in too many ways.
About ten minutes later, she called out and said that the shower was mine. I walked into the bedroom, seeing Bella in nothing but a towel.
Fuck my sideways, her legs went on for days and her skin glistened with lingering water on her pale flesh.
She looked over her shoulder at me, giving me a coy grin. "Go shower, Edward. I can now smell what Rose was saying," she giggled. "You're hot, but damn …"
"I get it," I laughed, finding clothes for myself before kissing her cheek. "I want to smell as good as you, Princess." I went into the bathroom, which was still steamy from her shower. I closed the door and stripped out of my clothes. I wrinkled my nose, tossing them next to the pile that Bella had created. I went inside the steaming shower, scouring my tired and sore body.
When I finished my shower, I found a razor in the medicine cabinet, along with some basic medical supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and grooming supplies. I saw a pair of scissors. My hair was getting too long, and it was heavy. I quickly shaved and walked back into the living space, holding the scissors and the garbage can. "Bella, what do you know about cutting hair?" I asked.
"I cut my dad's hair all the time. My mom could suture like no one's business, but she butchered hair," Bella snickered. "Do you want me to tame the beast?"
"Please," I breathed, sitting down on the ottoman.
Bella gave me a sweet smile, combing through my hair. She expertly cut my unruly locks, making me feel like a new man. "You may want to hop back in the shower to get all the hair off your shoulders," she suggested.
"I'll be fine," I said, brushing my hands over my arms and shoulders. "Thank you, Princess." I picked up the shirt from the couch and pulled it over my body. "I feel so much better … clean body, shorter hair and the promise of a comfy bed?"
"Yeah," she said, giving me a tentative grin. "I'm still worried about the Ark."
I moved to sit back on the chair, pulling her into my lap. "I am, too," I whispered. "I want to know what the hell is going on up there, but … we may not know."
She sighed, idly brushing her fingers along my arms. "Let's go up to the command center. See if they got any more messages from the Ark. I have to … I'm not giving up." She moved her fingers from my arms to my cheek. "Hmmmm, smooth."
"I was pretty gnarly," I chuckled. I kissed her forehead, relishing in the clean scent that clung to her skin. It was almost floral, but with a spicy warmth. "You ready?"
She nodded, getting up off my lap and picking up the electronic key. She slid it into her back pocket before threading her fingers with mine. We left our tiny home, our own private space, and rode up to the command center. Rosalie, Lauren, Emmett, and Mike were inside the large room. Mike had on a pair of headphones, jotting down some things on a pad of paper.
"Good, you're here," Rose beamed. "We've got some good news about the Ark."
"What is it?" Bella asked, pulling away from me.
"It's still there and when they're in range, they're able to send messages using morse code, which I mentioned," Rose explained.
"This is what I decoded from that first message," Mike said, handing me a piece of paper.
Ark is 67% intact. Exodus ship departed while still intact to the umbilical lines. Caused irrevocable damage and the Ark is no longer a viable option for survival.
"Wait, it's not a viable option?" Bella asked, looking up at Mike. "All those people …"
"There's more, Princess," I whispered, handing her another sheet of paper.
We're almost 85% certain that we can use the Ark as a drop ship. We're preparing for it for departure, under the Chancellor's orders.
"He's alive," Bella gasped. "My dad is alive."
"So is your mom," Rose grinned. "This is for you and Edward."
Bella took the last piece of paper, reading it quickly and letting out a choked sob. "They're all alive. A little worse for wear, but alive. My mom's alive. Your parents are alive and safe," She threw her arms around my neck, crying raggedly. I held her as Rose looked at me in confusion.
"In the wreckage of the Exodus ship, we found a medical coat with Renee's ID tag," I explained, cradling Bella's trembling body to mine. "I'm going to take her back to our quarters …"
"I'll drop off some food," Rose whispered, looking at Bella sadly.
I picked up my shattered, emotionally wrought girl and carried her back to our quarters. While I made my way through the labyrinth of hallways, Bella must have cried herself to sleep. All the feelings and stress had caught up to her. I managed to wriggle the key out of her pocket, opening the door and carrying her into the bedroom. I laid her down on the covers, brushing my hand down her cheek. A quiet knock pulled me away and I went back into the main living space. Opening the door, I found Rose outside with Emmett, holding a couple of trays. "Thank you for bringing this."
"With this place, we're able to hunt and store food. We're also working on bringing the hydroponic farm back to life," Rose said. "Venison with wild rice and sauteed carrots. There's a small convection oven in the kitchenette."
"I'll figure it out," I nodded. "Rose, thanks."
"Thank you for being the rock that Bella needs," Rose said, handing me the trays. "We'll talk more after you've got a chance to rest and recuperate."
"I'm glad you're back, man. Take care of your girl," Emmett murmured, giving me a sad smile. He took Rose's hand, guiding her away and letting me close the door.
I put the food into the refrigeration unit before walking back to Bella. Like she described, I kicked off my shoes and curled around her tiny, feminine body. She turned, clinging to me like a vice and I whispered against her skin, "You're not alone, Princess. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."
"Love you, too," she mumbled, almost incoherently.
Pressing a kiss to forehead, I held her closer and allowed my eyes to drift shut. I prayed that the Ark could survive reentry into the atmosphere. I prayed that I'd be reunited with my parents and that Bella would be, as well. I prayed that I could get to know my sister.
Hell, I just prayed.
A/N: Not gonna lie, this chapter took forever to come together. It took me rewatching The 100 and doing some 'illegal planning' while at school to get the muse to come back.
Anyway, there are pictures on my blog for this chapter. There's a link in my profile for that. You can also find me on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.
Up next, we'll find out about what happened on the Ark, their plans and getting Edward and Bella some quality alone time. You know?
Leave me your thoughts.
Thank you for reading.