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 October and I'm still working on it.
To be honest, I struggled with getting the previous chapter, but after doing some illegal planning (meaning, I worked on this at my job … in a notebook), I got over the hump. I know who the big bad will be and the climax of the story, but the issue is getting there. You know?
Chapter Eleven: On the Ground, in Mount Weather
Bella
Hand in hand, we walked to the dining hall. The meal smelled delicious, making my stomach rumble. We smiled at the young people who had been in the sky box, the prison, as they greeted us. As much as I didn't want to be a leader, people were looking to us for guidance. I also some of the girls salivating over Edward. He must have noticed them. He moved to slide his arm around my waist, pressing his lips to my temple in a very public display of affection.
Hands off, girls. He's mine.
We got our meal, a delicious venison stew with some apple cobbler. It was a recipe found in the Mount Weather database and it was delectable. After we ate, we spoke to some people and listened to their concerns about the problems on the Ark. We also talked about possible solutions for our time in Mount Weather.
After those conversations, Edward and I settled at one of the tables with some hot apple cider with Rose and Emmett. "I don't know about you two, but I'm bushed," Rose yawned, leaning her cheek against Emmett's bicep. "The technology in here is old and in massive need of repair. Having it sit unattended for almost a century didn't help matters. The hydroelectric generators kept the vital systems going, but it needs a major overhaul."
"Long story short, my repair teams are going to have a lot of work to do," Emmett chuckled humorlessly. "As a result, I'm making a decision to not stay in the presidential race."
"Not chancellor?" Edward asked.
"The term chancellor is aligned with the Ark. We're not on the Ark. Not anymore," Emmett shrugged.
"President Cullen has a nice ring to it," Edward snickered.
"So does President Rosalie Hale," Rose grinned. "Or President Isabella Swan."
"Let's not jump too far ahead," I sighed, shaking my head.
"Okay, okay," Rose giggled. "Now, enough of the heavy. You two seem to be even more nauseating. Did you …" She wriggled her brows with a saucy grin.
"No, Rosalie," I interrupted, feeling my face flame.
"Am I missing something?" Emmett asked, arching a brow.
"No," Rose and I answered, which made me even more embarrassed. Edward looked at me as he sipped his cider. Rose whispered in Emmett's ear, presumably telling him about what she insinuated. I just ducked my head, trying not to spontaneously combust from embarrassment.
"Care to share with the class?" Edward asked, his lips pressed to my ear.
"I'll tell you when we're alone," I whispered back to him, hiding my face in his arm. He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead as he slid his hand into mine.
"Okay, lovebirds, I'm hitting the hay. I've got an early morning tomorrow. I'm going with Jasper on his food expedition. We don't trust Peter with the Rover," Emmett grumbled. "Love you, Rosie."
"Love you, too, baby," Rose purred, kissing his lips. She watched him leave the dining hall with a wistful sigh.
"You've got it bad," I giggled.
"Hello, pot … meet kettle," Rose teased, balancing her heart-shaped face in her hands. "You two love each other, hmmmm?"
"We just admitted it before dinner," Edward smiled, looking at me with so much love in his verdant gaze. "Granted, I think we always had these feelings and couldn't really act on them."
"Good, I'm glad," Rose said, her face softening. "You both deserve happiness. In more ways than two … if you catch my drift."
"Rose, you're obsessed," I snorted.
"As soon as you experience what I have? You'll understand, Bells," Rose sang. "Speaking of which, I think I can convince Emmett …" She shot up, waving her fingers as she darted away, following in Emmett's footsteps, back to their suite.
"I think she has the right idea, Princess. We've got an early morning tomorrow with a lot of plans," he said, finishing his drink. Holding out his hand, he smiled crookedly at me. That perfectly crooked grin that made my stomach flip flop in anticipation. Taking his hand, we dropped off the cups into the kitchen. I made it a point to thank the people who cooked our meal. They were shocked that I took the time, but I wanted them to know that I appreciated all they did for us.
We strolled to our suite and collapsing onto the couch. Using the database, we found a television show that was popular before the bombs. It was something called a situation comedy, or a sitcom, about six friends who lived in New York City. I must have dozed off because I woke up in bed with a snuggly Edward holding me close to his bare chest. I was wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of panties. I managed to get up, padding to the bathroom to take care of personal business, washing my face, and brushing my teeth. I also got some water before sliding back into bed with Edward.
"You okay, Princess?" he asked with a raspy, deep voice.
"I had to take care of some human things," I said. "I'm sorry I crashed and that you had to carry me to bed."
"That was hardly a bad thing," he yawned, nuzzling my neck. "Sleep, Princess. Tomorrow, we have work and then we're spending some quality time together. No stress of being down on the ground, no worries about where our next meal was coming from and just an opportunity to just be. I love you so much."
"I love you, too," I whispered into the darkness, kissing his jaw.
He gently captured my chin, brushing his lips over mine. It was a sweet, loving kiss that I felt all the way down to my toes. He pulled back, kissing my nose and grinning sleepily. He enfolded me into his arms, scratching my back like the night before.
The next morning, we ate breakfast. Before Jasper, Emmett and his team left, I performed their medical examinations. Like the rest of us, they were dealing with minor sun burns, malnutrition, and exhaustion. I sent them out with a small med kit along with a list of herbs that I'd need in order to begin restocking the medical stores, along with some botanicals to make soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent.
Throughout the day, it was a steady stream of patients, either dealing with minor injuries or checking on everyone, performing their physicals. When I wasn't working on that, I was reading all I could about surgical procedures, general medical practice and how to treat PTSD, namely for myself. I was struggling. My nightmares were torturous, and it was only Edward's grounding presence that kept me from completely losing my shit.
Rose came in around three, hopping onto the examination table. "Austin is coming to relieve you, Bells. You have a date to get ready for," she sang.
"How can I get ready? It's not like I can wear a pretty dress or anything," I argued.
"Oh contraire, my friend," she said. "Lauren and I found a huge closet with various clothes, ranging from casual attire to sexy dresses."
"They should be falling apart," I frowned.
"Apparently, this place was prepared for all contingencies, even if no one lived here. They gathered all types of clothes, shoes, undergarments, and coats, keeping them in a sealed space so the humidity and such didn't get to them. They're like brand new. Obviously, there's enough for everyone to get two outfits along with patterns to make more and instructions on how to make cotton clothing and wool yarn. We can even make new boots with the forms they left in there, too."
"I'm not jumping the line, taking clothes from this community closet," I argued. "I'm like everyone else. I should get the same treatment."
"Bells, you found this place. You got us inside. If that doesn't give you preferential treatment, I don't know what does," Rose said, tugging me away from the computer console. Austin walked in, smiling as he took my spot and resumed my work of reading all he could to be a better physician.
The closet was on the second level along with a slew of artwork, library, archives and the computer that held the database and operating system for the mountain. Rose found the section for dresses, grinning as she flipped through the fabric and found a pretty blue dress. She held it up to me, wrinkling her nose. "Too frilly."
"No one has a need for that much poof," I snorted. "Something that can be used for more than one thing."
"So serious," Rose teased, plucking out a red dress. "Oooh, I like this for me."
"Rosalie Lillian Hale," I sighed.
"Right," she laughed, finding another dress that was a deep plum color, with longer sleeves that would reach my knees. "This will work, yes? It's utilitarian but sexy." She handed the dress to me, darting into another part of the closet and pulled out a coupe pairs of shoes. One was a pair of knee-high boots, and another pair were flats. Draped over her arm was some sort of black fabric. "I think this will work." She gave me the items, grinning. "Edward won't know what hit him."
We went back to my suite and Rose helped me get ready. She pinned up my curls, leaving a few face-framing pieces down. The dress hugged every curve, making me feel pretty and feminine. Underneath, I wore the leggings, as they were called, tucked into my boots. "Okay, you're gorgeous. Then again, you always were, Bells."
I shot her a flat look. "Compared to you? I'm a troll."
"No. You're not," Rose argued, hugging me close. "Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"That doesn't leave much," I chuckled.
"Be grateful you still have your contraceptive implant. You can have all the fun without fears of creating a baby," Rose sang. "I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to be a mom."
"Me, neither. I can barely handle myself," I snickered.
"Well, you might be handling all of us," Rose offered. "Early polls indicated that you're the favorite to win with Emmett dropping out."
"What about when everyone from the Ark make it down to the ground?" I asked. "My father will want to continue his reign as Chancellor."
"They may not, Bells," Rose suggested, sitting down on the couch. "Look at all we've accomplished!" She gave me a wide smile. "Enjoy this and have fun with Commander Cullen." She got up, kissing my cheek and breezing out of the suite.
I settled on the couch, checking my schedule for the following day when I heard a quiet knock on the door. I stood up, smoothing my skirt down my legs. I opened the door, seeing Edward on the other side, holding a single daisy. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue pants with a white button down. He grinned crookedly, handing me the flower. "Did you forget your key card?" I asked.
"No, I still have it, but it's customary on a date that I come to your door," he blushed.
"Where did you hear that?" I chuckled, letting him inside to our shared suite.
"I did some research," Edward smirked, his blush deepening. "On Earth, before the bombs, a first date would entail dinner and a movie, possibly a good night kiss."
"I think we're past the first date," I whispered. "I mean … we're living together."
"Our relationship has been unconventional, but I wanted to do something right," he explained, moving to pull me into his arms. Almost immediately, I felt at ease. "So, tonight, our meal is being delivered here and I found something called a romantic comedy on the database."
"Are we supposed to watch the movie?" I quipped.
He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "According to my research, people would be in the last row of the movie theater, making out while the movie played."
"Hmmm, I like the sound of that," I smiled, pressing a kiss to his chin. He moved to brush his lips over mine, but was interrupted by another knock. Groaning, he padded away from me and opened the door. A couple of the kitchen staff came in with two trays. They placed it on the counter in our kitchenette, leaving quickly after saying their goodbyes. "It smells delicious."
Edward took my hand, settling me onto the couch. He got the meal from the counter, placing it onto table. There was a healthy serving of venison, sauteed vegetables and wild rice. It was similar to our first meal in the mountain, but with different veggies. There was also some dessert of apple cobbler and apple cider. Picking up the glass with the apple cider, he grinned crookedly. "To the first of many dates and tomorrows, Bella," he said. "I can't imagine a world without you in it. I love you."
"I love you, too," I blushed.
We sat down at the table in the living space, enjoying our meal that the kitchen had prepared for us. Over the meal, Edward told me about his day and his plans for training the new security recruits before sending them out to patrol the mountain. I shared as much as I could, but I wanted to keep my patients' privacy.
After we ate our dinner, we worked to clean the plates. We decided to keep the apple cobbler for later. "We've got a couple of options for movies. All of them are romantic comedies and come recommended for first dates." Edward opened a menu, grinning widely at me.
"How did you research? How to plan a first date or something?" I teased.
"Pretty much," he laughed. "Which one do you want to watch?"
"Um, the dancing one," I answered. "I've always liked dancing, but I'm not capable of doing it."
Edward arched a brow. "It's all in the leading, Princess," he quipped as he pulled up the movie Dirty Dancing. "Not the choice I would have made. I was hoping you'd pick The Princess Bride."
"Next time," I giggled.
"I don't know if I told you this, but you look gorgeous, Bella. I don't think I've ever seen you look so … exquisite," he murmured as the music from the movie filled the room.
"Rose found this closet thing and picked out this dress," I blushed. "You also look handsome. What's this fabric for your pants?"
"Emmett must have colluded with Rose because he took me to the same closet. It's called denim," he answered. "It's sturdy, but looked nice enough to wear tonight."
"We both had the same idea … be utilitarian with our clothes," I laughed.
"Apparently so. Emmett found this matching suit by a designer called Armani. He was bummed it didn't fit his large frame," Edward shrugged, sliding his arm around my shoulders, and pulling me to his side. "If only we had something called popcorn. This would be a perfect first date."
"It already is a perfect first date," I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw.
"This is one thing we have down to a science … the kissing," Edward purred, cupping my jaw, and brushing his lips over mine. "I love kissing you, Princess."
"Hmmmm," I replied as he slid his tongue into my mouth. I tangled my fingers into his hair, losing myself in his mouth, which moved confidently over mine. He pressed me to the couch, commanding my lips. Our hands wandered over each other's body, teasing and taunting. At one point, his shirt ended on the floor. I trailed my fingertips along his warm skin, reveling in his muscular body.
The lighting changed in the room, and we broke apart. The movie had ended. Scrolling on the screen were the actors and people responsible for making the film. "Yeah, we totally fulfilled the first date expectations. It wasn't the back row of a movie theater, but …" he snickered.
"Considering we don't have a movie theater, I think tonight was magical," I said breathily, running my fingers over my kiss-swollen lips. Looking at him, I continued, "This is what the doctor ordered. And … I know it seems slow …"
"No, it's not. Are you ready to make love?" he asked.
"No, not yet," I answered honestly. "Are you?"
"I want to explore you and your body before we take the huge step. I know I love you. I want it to be special for both of us. Not raging hormones or something rushed that will result in regrets," he murmured.
"It'll be special because it's you, but you're right," I breathed, snuggling in his arms. I tried to hide a yawn, but failed miserably.
"Come on, Princess … I'm tired, as well," he said, sweeping me in his arms.
"Are you going to do this every night?" I giggled.
"Until I'm incapable of doing so, yes," he answered, kissing my nose. With a soft, crooked grin, he carried me back to our room and we spent more time kissing, or making out as I'd read, until we fell asleep.
The next couple of days were spent in similar fashion, minus the date. We went to dinner with the rest of the prisoners, or survivors as I'd begun to call us, trying to garner more votes, and communicating with everyone. Rose was friendly and well-liked, but she wanted everyone to like her. Edward interacted with the crowd, but he was more comfortable in the background, observing and planning.
I was a combination of both. I was friendly, but wasn't afraid of ruffling feathers when it came to decisions. However, I handled it diplomatically. I also just observed, but taking those observations and plans, putting them into action.
Emmett banged his meaty fist on the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, survivors of the Ark, may I have your attention please? We have the election results for our president and vice president down here on the Ground." He picked up a tablet, opening up the results and he grinned. "Let us raise a glass to President Isabella Swan and Vice President Edward Cullen!"
Cheers erupted in the dining room as Rose hugged me tightly. Emmett shook Edward's hand with a wide grin.
"Speech!" Jasper commanded.
Edward held out his hand to me and I stepped closer to him. I blew in a breath, looking at the eighty faces that elected me their leader. "I don't know what to say, but I'm … grateful to be among you all. We've made this place our home and in time, Earth will not feel so alien to us. I welcome you to come and talk to me at any time. If I'm not available, please speak to Edward. I may be 'in charge', but this is not the Ark. We'll learn, we'll grow, and we'll become a family."
"To being family," Edward said, holding up his glass of apple cider.
"To being family," everyone replied.
xx MWMA xx
Edward
A week later, I was leading an expedition to the Exodus ship crash site. Emmett, Mike, Austin, and Tyler were on the team to check for any salvageable tech. We wanted to come sooner, but another storm came through the area, blanketing the mountain with rain. It wasn't nearly as bad as the first hurricane. From what Tyler discovered, it probably was a tropical storm, or a tropical depression.
"Do you think we're going to find survivors?" Mike asked.
"I was here when we first saw the wreckage. No one could have survived this," Austin mumbled, eying the huge crater. "We're going to find bodies in various stages of decay. It's going to be gruesome."
"Fabulous," Mike grumbled. "My breakfast is going to make a reappearance."
"Focus on the technology," Emmett commanded. "We need the tech to repair parts of Mount Weather."
"Also, look for anything that can be reused and fabricated into something," I said. "We can also use this expedition to hunt, as well. Deer, moose, elk … we need more." I shifted gears, looking at my team. "Emmett and Tyler, look for salvageable technology. Austin, try to identify the bodies from the ship. Mike and I will also look for tech, but also use this opportunity to hunt."
"Excellent, fearless leader," Emmett beamed.
"Stop it," I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm just a guy on this mission. Rose is VP in my absence."
"Who's in charge of security?" Austin asked.
"Lauren is the point person," I replied. I parked the Rover, pressing down the emergency break. "Let's get this done."
"This will take more than just us, Edward," Tyler said, looking at the wreckage. "I mean …"
"We're just a preliminary team. We'll try to salvage what we can and bring back more in a couple of days. This is all we could spare. Jasper wanted us to prepare the outdoor fields for spring planting. Most of the survivors were working on that," I said, picking up a shot gun, bow and arrow and shovel.
In our explorations in the garage, we found the armory. It was filled with handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, grenade launchers and enough ammo to end the war. In addition to the guns, we found bows and arrow, crossbows, and some other weaponry. As of now, I was the only one allowed to shoot a gun. I was training my security team to become comfortable around handguns. They'd need to pass a written exam, which I found in the database of the computer, and meet my exacting standards when it came to gun care and firing the weapon.
"Meet back here in two hours. Radio if you need assistance," I said, turning on my comm unit. "Channel six."
Mike and went north, moving toward through the drop ship camp, trekking through the debris. Most of it was junk, not even worth the trip out to the wreckage. At most, we could use the metal for scrap, melting it down for new components.
"Didn't the people down here have domesticated animals for food?" Mike asked. "Like pigs, cows and sheep?"
"They did, but I haven't seen a pig, cow or sheep since we've been down here," I answered. "It would be nice to not have to send out hunting parties, but those animals would not be domesticated any more. Most of them died off in the bombs in the first place."
"We could domesticate the deer, then," Mike beamed.
"I'll add it to my to do list, Mike," I snickered, finding a display that could possibly be repaired. I picked it up, jumping when I saw burnt body. "Holy shit! That's the shit out of nightmares."
"Hey, boss man, you said that there might be no survivors, right?" Mike said lowly. "If no one survived, how can someone walk away? These prints are fresh."
"Not ours, right?" I verified.
"We came from the south. These prints are heading northeast, away from Mount Weather," Mike explained, pointing in the direction to the drop ship. "How far do you think the drop ship is from here?"
"About a three-day hike," I surmised. "Do you think someone from the drop ship came here, rescued the survivor or survivors and brought them back to the ship?"
"The evidence clearly proves that," Mike said. "We could always check."
"Yeah, I don't think so," I frowned. "They made their choice. They have to make it on their own and without us interfering."
"Or, another theory … someone walked away, heading toward the drop ship. They saw their campfire and headed that direction," Mike hypothesized.
"I doubt that could happen," I said. "The spin at which the ship was rotating would have been lethal for everyon on board. Every bone would be broken in their bodies."
"But, it's possible," Mike pushed. "Not out of the realm of possibilities."
I arched a brow at him, seeing movement out of the corner of my eye. Slowly, I pulled out an arrow and notched it into the bow. Raising the bow, I took aim and let the arrow fly. It rang true, thudding into the body of a large animal. It took off, but I shot another arrow. The large elk fell to the ground. "It's not out of the realm of possibilities, but it's highly unlikely, Mike. We can't know until we check out the drop ship, which we aren't doing."
"How are you able to be so calm when it came to the elk?" Mike asked. "I would have …"
"Years of training on the security force, Mike," I chuckled, running to the felled animal. I pulled out my bowie knife and ended its misery. "Go find two large branches so we can bring this guy home. Something new besides venison."
Our expedition found a trunkful of salvageable technology and three large elk, twenty rabbits and two deer. With the elk, we called back to Mount Weather for backup to help bring back our meals. As we were loading up our finds, I felt the distinct feeling of being watched. Coolly, I looked around and didn't find anyone other than our original group or the other groups that came to join us.
I bent down, tying my boot and picked up a pair of binoculars. I took a slow sweep of the forest, trying to assuage the niggling feeling that someone was watching our movements.
"Fearless leader, we're ready to roll," Emmett called.
"Don't call me that. Do I have to make it an order?" I snorted, walking back to the Rover. I tossed him the keys.
"No, I'll stop. I'm sorry, Edward," Emmett said sincerely. "You ready to head back and see your girl?"
With that, a smile spread over my face. "Very much so," I answered. "Let's head back home."
A/N: I'm hoping to get this story finished by the end of summer. I have it planned. I just need to write it. Plus, I've got a couple of new stories in the back burner … Stay With Me and a SuperHeroWard (title TBD).
Not many pictures with this one, but what I have is on my blog. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, Hive and Spoutible, too: tufano79. Leave me your thoughts! Thanks for reading and for your patience with this one! I do apologize for the sporadic updates.