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'd starting almost halfway through the month, but I'm determined to, at least, get something going. My goal is to finish the story for NaNoWriMo July Camp …

Up next will be Bella's reunion with her mother, and some work on Alice's recovery with Renee's help. Leave me your thoughts and thank you for reading.

Chapter Sixteen: On The Ground

Bella

"Hey, Bells," Lauren smiled from her spot in the command center. "How are things?"

I walked over to her, sitting down and scrubbing my face. "Stressed, to be honest. Did you hear about the visitor who appeared like a forest fairy from the Drop Ship?"

"There was a hubbub about someone arriving, but not who," Lauren said, her smile falling. "Where they injured?"

"Yeah, but I can't really say much since I want to protect their privacy," I explained. "Long story short, things are not okay at the Drop Ship."

"I can imagine," Lauren sighed. "The Drop Ship had some tech, but not a lot. Plus, the people who remained back there were not the smartest tools in the shed, especially with Jacob as their leader. He doesn't seem like a planner like you and Edward. If it weren't for you two, we'd be a mess and still be searching for this installation. You know?"

"Thank you, Lauren," I said. "I don't know how much I needed to hear that. There are moments where I feel like I have no clue what I'm doing."

"I beg to differ. You got us here," she began, ticking off the positives. "You set up a working government and an amazing community in the mountain. We don't feel like prisoners from the Sky Box. We feel like a family. Plus? You've got an amazing partner with Edward. He clearly adores you. He'd give everything to protect you. Hell, it was because of him that we're down here."

"I'm grateful for Edward … in more ways than one," I whispered, sitting down next to her. "He was a friend when I needed a friend. He gave me human contact when I felt isolated from the world. And, now? He's my best friend and so much more … I can't imagine not loving him."

"Wait, you love him?" Lauren asked.

"Very much so," I blushed. "The way I told him wasn't the most romantic, but it worked for us." I bit my lip, twisting my lanyard around my neck. "Now, I'm up here to check on the Ark. Have they left orbit?"

Lauren's fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up the satellite feeds on the big screen. "See that reddish blob? Upper left corner?"

"That's it?" I asked.

"It's currently tracking across the United States. It broke through the atmosphere about ten minutes ago," she explained. "Unfortunately, it broke into two pieces. The larger of the two will probably land twenty miles from here, close to what was the nation's capital. The smaller of the two will land somewhere in between."

"When will they land?" I questioned. I checked the time and tried to calculate when the Ark would touch down. "In the morning?"

"Just after daybreak," Lauren replied. "Do you want to send Rovers to help with survivors?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I will be in the Rovers. I want to triage the survivors, explaining what's happening down here."

"What about Edward? He's …" Lauren trailed off.

"He'll be here and in charge while I'm out in the field," I yawned. "Now, I'm going back down to medical. I have to monitor my patient. Call me if there's any issues with the Ark."

"I will, Bells," Lauren nodded.

I sent her a wave, leaving the command center. I said hello to some of the security guys doing their rounds, riding down to medical. When I came back, Austin was cleaning up his mess and heading out to his suite. I asked for an update on Alice.

"She's resting comfortably after I gave her some more morphine," Austin said. "Her blood pressure spiked, and she shifted on the gurney, moaning in pain. I made note of it on her chart."

"Thanks, Austin," I smiled. "You have a good night."

"Page me if you need more help with her, Bella," Austin said, giving me an exhausted smile.

"Get some sleep, Dr. Marks," I chuckled. "I think she'll be okay with close monitoring."

"How long do you think you'll need to keep her mouth wired shut?" he asked.

"I'll check her progress in two weeks," I answered. "She needs more than a feeding tube. She's lost a lot of weight."

"And, she was pretty little to begin with," Austin noted. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dr. Swan."

He gave me a smile, leaving medical with Jessica Stanley. Another nurse, Makenna and her partner, Meredith, relieved the two of them. I gave them the rundown of what happened. Makenna, who had known Alice prior to her incarceration, was heartbroken at what happened to her. Meredith was shocked at how cruel Jacob had been. I agreed with her, leaving them to their ministrations in medical.

Inside the private medical bay where I'd left Edward and Alice, I found Edward asleep while holding Alice's good hand. I gently brushed his hair back and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Despite his surly exterior, he had so much love to give. He just played his cards close the vest, only allowing the people he loved and trusted the most to see what lay beneath his prickly façade.

I checked on Alice, seeing that she was resting comfortably. I adjusted her medications to give her more regulated doses of morphine and I went to my office, working on updating the medical records for all the Drop Ship survivors. It would keep my mind occupied until I had to leave with the Rovers, driving to the Ark landing site.

Or crash site …

Don't go there, Swan. Think positively.

A couple hours passed, and I was dozing off at my desk. I got up, checking on Edward and Alice. He'd moved to the cot I'd arranged for him and was sleeping fitfully. He must have heard me come into the medical bay. With a sleepy grin, he held out his hand. Not being able to deny him, I walked over to the cot, and he pulled me onto it, tucking me to his side. "I sleep better with you," he mumbled. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, sighing contentedly as he curled around my body, creating a barrier around me.

Within moments, I was completely down for the count.

xx MWMA xx

"I hate to wake them," hissed Emmett.

"You don't need to wake up Edward, just Bella," said Tyler. "She wanted to come with us to the Ark landing site. At least, that's what Lauren said to me when she came back to our quarters."

"I'm up," I mumbled. "Give me a few minutes. I need to tell Edward about my plans."

"Sorry, Bella," Emmett frowned. "You were sleeping hard."

"I woke up when you came in," I chuckled, yawning widely, and snuggling closer to Edward. "I can fall asleep anywhere, but I'm a light sleeper unless I'm in my bed."

"We'll wait for you in the garage," Tyler explained. "We're taking two of the Rovers, leaving the third here in case of an emergency."

"Smart plan," I agreed. "I'll be up in ten minutes. I need to check on my patient and … have a few human moments."

"We won't leave without you, Bells," Emmett grinned, dragging Tyler out of the medical bay.

When they left, I turned to Edward, who was still in a deep sleep. I ran my fingers through his messy bronze hair, wanting to gently rouse him from his slumber. I pressed kisses to his forehead, his cheeks and ending with his lips. I felt him smile against my mouth.

"Good morning," he said in a deep rumbly whisper. He blinked a few times, seeing where we were. "Oh, it wasn't a dream."

"Unfortunately, not," I sighed. "On top of Alice's arrival, the Ark has landed, and I don't know if there are any survivors … I want to be there to …"

"Bella," he interrupted. "I want to be there with you if the Ark landed or worse, crashed. What if no one survived?"

"I can handle it," I pressed. "Besides, I need you to stay here. I don't want to take you away from Alice. She needs your support more than I do at the moment."

"I wish that I could clone myself," he said, enfolding me in his arms. "I want to be there for you. You're my … everything. I love you."

"As you are mine," I smiled, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "I adore you and I don't know what I'd do without you, Edward. I do need to go. I'll have a radio, but I'm not sure the range. The Ark landed about twenty miles from here." I extricated myself from his hold. "I should be back later today."

"I'll radio after I do my rounds," he said, trailing his fingers down my cheek. "Call me if …"

"I will," I said, kissing his lips. He held me tightly, letting me go with a sigh. I begrudgingly took a step away, leaving him on the cot. I told Makenna and Meredith that Austin would be in an hour before leaving medical with a bag of medical supplies. I swung by our quarters to grab a jacket and to brush my teeth. The last stop was to the command center to pick up a radio before I went up to the garage. Emmett, Tyler, Jasper, Charlotte, and Peter were waiting for me. "Sorry …"

"No big deal. Lauren informed us that the smaller of the two pieces landed five miles from here. The larger of the two will make a safe landing twenty miles to the northeast," Emmett said. "We should leave now. Tyler, you drive Rover II with Peter and Charlotte. I'll take Jasper and Bella."

I clambered into the backseat, putting the medical supplies in the seat next to me. Emmett slid into the driver's seat, starting the Rover, and pulling away from the mountain. Jasper held a tablet with a topographical map of the area, along with an estimate to where the landing sites were located.

It took about an hour and half to find the landing site for the Ark. I knew it was big, but seeing it on the ground made it seem larger than life. "Whoa," Jasper breathed. "It's almost completely intact."

"The aft section is missing," I said, pointing to the back portion of the Ark. "I think the smoldering patch we passed on our way here must be the missing part."

Jasper held up a pair of binoculars, grinning widely. "We have survivors … Sinclair and … Bella, it's your mom."

He handed me the binoculars, which I held up. Immediately, I saw my mom standing on the hull of the Ark, shielding her eyes from the sun as she watched the Rovers make their way toward them. Seeing her made me eager to hug her and tell her everything. I was vibrating with anticipation.

"We're almost there, Bells," Emmett chuckled.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing more amazing than a hug from your mom," I whispered. I put up the binoculars again, trying to see if my dad was on the hull. I saw a lot more people, including Carlisle, Esme, and a little boy. I didn't see Rose's parents or some other members of the council.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up to the Ark. Using the roof of the Rovers, we began helping people out of the Ark and finding the other exterior hatches. My mom was lowered down to the Rover by Sinclair and Carlisle and Emmett helped her onto the ground. She ran toward me, enfolding me into her arms. "My Isabella!" she sobbed, cupping my head, and holding me tightly. "My sweet, beautiful girl! I never thought I'd see you again."

"Mom," I cried, kissing her cheeks. I threw my arms around her, practically tackling her to the ground. "I've missed you so much. It's been … It's been so hard."

"I can imagine," she said, brushing my hair back and smiling tenderly. "But, you did it, baby girl. You got them to Mount Weather and everyone is safe."

"Not everyone," I frowned. "We lost two on the first day …"

"I know. The cuffs did a great job in transmitting your medical telemetry. We lost about twenty of them," Mom explained.

"That must be the people from the Drop Ship. We had about seventeen people stay at the Drop Ship, including Jacob Black," I frowned. "He said he shot Dad. That he killed him."

"Your father survived the gunshot," Mom said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "He lost a lot of blood and got sick, but he survived."

"Then, where is he?" I sniffled.

"He was in the command center," Mom whispered. "We couldn't break away from the outer ring. Your father had to be the one to break the Ark free from the outer ring. He's still up in orbit."

"What? No! He was supposed to come down with you," I breathed. "Mom! How am I supposed forgive him when he's up in orbit?" My mother took me into her arms as I cried, my heart breaking over the fact that my father was going to die a slow and painful death.

"He said that saving the Ark was his penance, sweet girl," Mom soothed. "He wanted to do right. He needed to reunite us and by being in the command center, he did." She wiped my tears away. "I know you're overwrought."

"I know. I shouldn't be," I said. "But, it's been so hard, trying to keep it together for everyone. They voted me as the leader of our group. I'm in charge with Edward being the second in command. I don't know what I'm doing."

"I beg to differ. We expected to arrive and try to get to the mountain on our own, but you showed up with the welcome wagon. Bella, you have done an amazing job. Better than me. Better than your father," she said. "Edward got you down here. You made it a home." She smiled at me, giving me a look of pride. "I don't know about the rest of the council members; we might need some fresh blood as our leadership." She slid her arm around my shoulders. "Now, I want to practice medicine, side by side with my daughter, Dr. Swan."

"I'm not a doctor, Mom," I argued.

"Yes, you are," Mom said, dragging me back to the Ark. "And, I'm so proud of you."

xx MWMA xx

Edward ~ At Mount Weather

A couple of hours after Bella left, Austin kicked me out of medical. He said that he needed to check on Alice's dressings and wounds. He eyed me as I walked to the elevator, walking to the dining hall for some breakfast. On one of the scouting missions, Jasper and his crew found chickens. He somehow managed to capture them all, bringing them back to the mountain. Now, we had eggs as a form of protein after we had our first group of chicks.

I made myself a plate, pouring myself a cup of coffee. I'd slept hard with Bella in my arms, but for only a couple of hours. I'd need coffee to get through the day. I sat down, tucking into my meal. Rose sat down across from me. Her face was splotchy with tears.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my heart jumping to my throat. Did something happen to Bella?

"The Ark landed," she said quietly, tears streaking down her pale cheeks. "Emmett called." She sniffled, looking at me. "My parents didn't make it. From what we heard from your dad … they were both killed because of the departure of the Exodus ship. I don't know what to feel."

"Oh, Rose," I breathed, standing up and moving to sit next to her. I held her in my arms while she fell apart. I knew I wasn't the person she wanted comfort from, but I was an adequate substitute for the moment. "I'm so sorry."

"Aro killed my parents with his insanity," she cried, pulling back, and wiping her cheeks. "He was so hell bent on getting down to the ground that he didn't care who got in his way. My parents were collateral damage. I hate him and I hope he suffered."

"Believe me, he suffered. The Exodus ship was obliterated," I snorted humorlessly. "I wish I could do something to make the pain of losing your parents …"

"You're doing it by giving me a shoulder to cry on," she sighed. "Not as beefy as Emmett's shoulders, but you'll do." She leaned against me, threading her arm through mine. "Can I hang out with you today? I don't want to be alone. I want to be around someone who's family."

"Let me finish my meal and you can come around with me on my rounds," I said, kissing Rose's forehead. "Maybe, we can go to the gym and beat the hell out of the punching bag. Get some of those emotions out in the form of aggression. If I could, I'd find a picture of Aro, taping it to the punching bag, and we could beat the shit out of him."

"Hmmm, tempting," Rose deadpanned. "I'm going to get some coffee. You want some more?"

"That would be great, Rose," I said. She got two cups of coffee. We sat in silence while she drank her coffee. After I finished my meal, dropping off my plate in the kitchen. Rose followed me to my office, putting on a security jacket. I slid my side arm into its holster and picked up my radio. "I start from the bottom of the mountain and make my way to the top."

"Any particular reason?" she asked, tossing her long blonde locks into a messy bun.

"Because the command center is on the bottom floor and it's easier to start here," I shrugged. "Commander Blake always said work smarter, not harder."

"Smart man," Rose said, nosing through my desk. "Both you and Commander Blake."

"Rose, you can go on rounds with me, but I'm still the head of security. No being nosy," I sighed, pressing my hand on a file folder with reports from all the department heads.

"I'm just checking if I turned in my report," she smirked.

"Sure, Rose. And, you did turn in your report," I snickered. "Let's go."

We walked out of my office, smiling at Eric. He explained that Rover I was on its way back with a couple of injured Ark residents with Bella, my father and Bella's mom. Once it returned, Rover III would drive back to take its place. I asked Eric to call me on the radio when Rover I arrived, along with contacting Austin down in medical.

Across the hall, we checked out the hydroponic garden. Jasper's crew was working its magic with encouraging the growth of the crops. His assistant, a petite woman named Maria, gave Rose and I some apples as a snack. I thanked her, leading Rose away from hydroponics and up to the next two levels, which were mainly living quarters. I relied on my crew to make sure that the living quarters were okay.

The next level was the access to the hydroelectric generators and the dormitory. Rose wanted to check on the generators. We split up and I checked on the dormitory. Most of the younger members of the Ark chose to stay in here. They didn't want to have the responsibilities of having a full suite, or being alone. Twenty-five people shared this space. They made it homey, and it was a fun space to hang out. A few of the boys found a gaming system, setting it up on the large screen. We'd had some gaming nights, disconnecting from the stress of our lives.

We were nearly done with the rounds when Eric called me on my radio. "Yorkie to Cullen … Rover I is about ten minutes out," Eric said.

"Thanks, Eric," I replied. "Do we know how many people are coming from the Ark?"

"Just two other people besides the medical staff," Eric answered. "We've got a broken leg and some minor head trauma, a concussion."

"Did you let Austin know?" I asked.

"He's on his way up with Jessica and Meredith with a couple of gurneys," Eric answered. There was a pause, and I heard some crackling over the radio. "They're pulling up now."

"We're on our way. Cullen out," I said, ending the communication with Eric. Rose and I got to the elevator, pressing the call button. To our surprise, the elevator opened, and it was filled Austin, Jessica, and Meredith along with two gurneys. Rose hopped inside, dragging me into the elevator. It was a tight fit, but I was eager to set my gaze on Bella. I was worried about her.

At the top level, I helped Austin with one of the gurneys as we rolled them out into the garage. Bella was working with her mother, wrapping a bleeding head wound. "Mr. Murphy, it won't stop bleeding if you keep taking off the dressing," Bella chided. "We're trying to prevent you having staples in your head, sir,"

"It was itching," Mr. Murphy huffed. "And, I don't want staples."

"Depending on how deep the wound is, that determines if you get staples or stitches," Bella said.

"She sounds exactly like a doctor," Renee sang, hugging me. "You look good, Edward. Sunburnt, but good."

"Hi, Renee," I breathed, hugging her back. "We went out yesterday to scope out some possible living options for you."

"We can stay in the Ark. Most of the living quarters were spared. It might be a tight fit, but we'll make it work.," Renee said, turning me around.

My father was grinning widely, hugging me tightly. "Dad," I breathed, returning his hug. "You made it."

"So did your mother, but she's at the Ark," he said. "Sinclair and Eleazar are getting people settled on the ground. We're also using one of the Rovers to check out the other part of the Ark."

"How many people did we lose?" I asked.

"We were still doing a head count when I left, but when we left the outer ring, we had about nine hundred people. I want to say we have five hundred, approximately, who made it," he explained. He took my face, staring at me. "I never thought I'd see you, son."

"Dad," I whispered, feeling my eyes tear. I shook my head. I was one of the lucky ones. My parents survived. Rose's family didn't. Turning to face Rose, I pulled her forward. "You remember Rosalie Hale, right?"

"Edward, you don't have to …" Rose sniffled.

"No, I do," I argued.

"Rosalie," Dad began, taking both of her hands in his. "I'm so sorry for your loss." He pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could have done more for your parents, but …"

"You're one of the best doctors on the Ark, Dr. Cullen," Rose said. "If anyone could have saved them, it would have been you. It was Aro's idiocy that caused their death."

"Once we get everything settled, we'll have to have a memorial for all we lost," Renee suggested, her voice cracking on the last word. "For now, we follow your lead when it comes to navigating life down here on the ground."

"Wait, what about the power structure on the Ark?" Bella asked.

"You've created something new, and it works down here," Renee said, brushing Bella's hair back from her face. "Chancellor Swan …"

"President Swan," Bella corrected with a half-hearted smile. "Now, let's get Mr. Murphy's head stitched up and cast up Mrs. Stephens' leg. We have all the supplies in medical." She blinked to her mother and my dad. "I also have a patient that I'd like a second opinion from both of you. I'm not sure if I handled her treatment appropriately."

With that, Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Stephens were loaded up onto the gurneys and brought down to medical. Bella brought her mother and my dad into the private medical bay to examine Alice. I wanted to be in there, but Bella said that some of the bruises were in places that a brother should not see. Ten minutes later, my father walked out of the private medical bay. His eyes were filled with concern for Alice, but pride was there as well.

"Will she be okay?" I asked.

"Bella did a great job in treating her medical needs. The jaw was set well, and the stitches will leave minimal scarring," Dad said. "I couldn't be more proud of a student. She's surpassed me, to be honest."

"Bella's the best," I agreed, giving him a smile. "But, will she …"

"Renee will speak with her when she's awake," Dad explained. "She'll need our support."

"I don't think that she'll accept your help," I frowned. "There's a lot of animosity toward you and Mom."

"I'm thinking that you, Bella and Renee will be her biggest allies," Dad interrupted. He pulled me into his arms again. "I'm going to head back to the Ark. Renee is going to stay here. Bella said that there's available quarters?"

"I'll make the arrangements for her, for you, as well," I said. "We have room here for about four hundred people in the mountain."

"Like Renee said, we're going to stay in the Ark," Dad smiled. "Some might come here. For now, we'll keep things as is." He hugged me, almost like he was trying to remember who I was. "I'm so happy to see you again … I've missed you so much, as did your mother. We're so proud of you."

"I'm not proud of myself. I should have been able to protect Alice," I frowned.

"From what Bella said, Alice made her own choices to stay with the group at the Drop Ship," Dad said. "It's not your fault. It's not Alice's fault. The fault squarely lies on the men who decided to hurt your sister and they will get what's coming to them."

"Float them all," I sneered.

"I agree with you," Dad snarled, his gaze turning dark. "For now, be the best support to Alice and to Bella."

"Yorkie to Dr. Cullen," Eric said, calling my radio.

"Here, Dad." I handed him my radio.

"Dr. Cullen here," Dad answered.

"Rover III is leaving in ten minutes. If you want to go back with them, you need to be up in the garage," Eric explained.

"Understood, Mr. Yorkie. I'm going to grab some medical supplies and try to navigate my way back to the garage," he quipped. "Hopefully, I'll be able to get up there in ten minutes."

"I'll help you, Dad. This place is a maze and if it weren't for the maps we found on the database, we'd all be wandering around aimlessly," I snorted. I took the radio. "Delay the departure of Rover III for about fifteen minutes and we'll be up there."

"Understood, Commander Cullen," Eric affirmed. "Yorkie out."

"Commander," Dad smiled. "I'm so proud of you. So proud."

"Thanks, Dad, but let's get you ready to head back to the Ark," I said, dismissing his praise. It would be some time before I felt and understood that pride.

If ever …

A/N: So, I had a plan for this chapter, but it ran away from me. Not many pictures with this chapter. The few that I do have are on my blog. You find a link for that on my profile. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, Spoutible and Hive, too: tufano79.

Up next will be some more time spent with Renee and Bella, trying to come to grips with Charlie's decision. Also, the Drop ship has been awfully quiet … what's happening with them? Leave me your thoughts!

Thank you for reading!