It's the last chapter, so I'm breaking the fourth wall for this one and allowing Bella to talk directly to you. I hope you all enjoy reading what has happened to our characters after the Rebellion.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The construction workers have packed up and returned to their camp for the night. Emmett and Rosalie have gone back to the Meadow House, finally satisfied that their wing will be to their liking. Carlisle and Esme are at the Forks Medical Center with Uncle Michael and Aunt Carol, jumping between planning a further extension to the new hospital and treating patients. Edward is running through the forest with Jupiter, leaving me to relax in peace by the waterfall.
From my high position on the loftiest rock, I can see the upper half of a deep red skeletal frame of what will soon be a monstrous house. Where it sits there was just a muddy hole in the ground less than three weeks ago. Edward and I will have a room in there somewhere, but we've decided to make our first home together in the Meadow House once the others have vacated it. I intend to remain human for a while longer and would prefer to live separate from Edward's family as young couples should, but also until Edward can fully trust Jasper in my company. I can't wait to move in with Edward - the last three years have been frustratingly slow, but then I have to remember I have more years than most ahead of me.
A few days ago, Alice and Jasper left Seattle to live on the family's island off the coast of Brazil. (I know now where Uncle Michael's book originated from). Even Alice had to admit that thirteen years of isolating from humans hadn't been long enough for Jasper to gain full control of his instincts. With the New West's and the Brazilian governments' agreements, they will stay there until he feels a hundred percent safe among humans. We were all sad to see them go, but accept this is the right decision. I only hope that when I transition, it doesn't take as long for me to be safe. Edward has assured me that Jasper's case is an anomaly and could be due to all the drugs that were pumped into him during his treatment and how near to death he was when Alice changed him.
So, where are we now? I'm sure you're desperate to know what has happened in Forks and Lympi since the Rebellion three years ago. A lot, obviously, but let's start with a recent event.
It's been just over two weeks since a significant milestone in my life was achieved. For the first time since my seventh birthday I was happy to celebrate the passing of another year, but not because sometime in the future I will be like Edward and birthdays will become irrelevant.
My overriding reason for celebrating was that I'd reached the significant age of twenty-one without a ring on my finger. Of course, Edward has been desperate to present me with a ring for the past three years. He soon guessed why I was waiting though and that was my determination to achieve a final act of defiance toward the Elders. At my party, I was able to stick that particular finger up to five hundred years of being ruled by wretched government officials who had continued to watch this community suffer under the cosh of the rules of their idiotic Experiment. As Gran has said many times since, 'What were they thinking of?'
The party to celebrate my birthday was incredible. The recently rebuilt Gathering Hall, (which now has the new but unofficial name of 'Wolf Hall'), had seen nothing like it before. Music blasting from speakers, laser beams, fireworks, plus a selection of alcoholic beverages that made Charlie's eyes nearly pop out of his head - all this combined to make the evening unforgettable ... well ... apart from Charlie who did go to town that night and couldn't remember a thing the following day. In Charlie's defense, starting from the day after the Elders abandoned Forks, Charlie has changed his life around and rarely has one too many now, so Mom and I were more than happy to let him go for it, especially as almost everyone else was doing the same. Life is for living I assured him. But more of Charlie and Mom later.
Forks next ... that frustratingly bucolic hometown I'd spent most of my life wishing to escape from has become the place I have no intention of leaving now. The world on the other side of the Wastelands is not for me, or, it seems, the vast majority of the Lympi population. Instead of immediately ripping down the fence, or at least making gaps in it which I thought might happen, Lympians voted quickly and almost unanimously to keep the border intact, and for a very logical reason.
Once word got out that the Experiment had come to an end, media companies, businesses, and thousands of inquisitive people from the city and beyond were desperate to cross the Wastelands for a visit. Initially, they were curious to learn how we could survive without modern conveniences. Very soon after, and more worryingly, they were followed by people eager to take advantage of what they perceived to be a primitive population. We were also in real danger of becoming a tourist attraction akin to a zoo. Obviously, we couldn't stop all the unauthorized visitors barrelling through our land. The fence was too long to guard for one thing - even the coast was soon littered with boats carrying voyeurs with powerful binoculars. You can imagine the wording of some of the signs the Lympians put up along the fence and the beach. The most popular ones ended with the word, 'Off.'
Inevitably, some of the uninvited visitors were religious leaders, eager to be the first to make their mark on the population they had rudely described as being 'spiritually ignorant.' Despite being a believer, Carlisle warned Lympians to be cautious about inviting them in. He said it should be for us to find our way to Faith and not be bamboozled by whoever shouted the loudest and offered the most.
In the spring after the Elders left, several religious leaders were formally invited to a Gathering Hall in one of the other towns, to talk to whoever wanted to listen about God and the afterlife. I'm afraid the reaction of the attending Lympians during the first half hour of the lecture was raucous laughter and sheer disbelief that a person's spirit could leave their body and ascend to Heaven if the owner had led a good, purposeful, and pious life. Unfortunately, the religious leaders had pitched their language as if they were talking to imbeciles, including threats of eternal damnation, and not to intelligent men and women who had been educated about the Evolution of Man.
Carlisle took the leaders to one side after the talk and suggested that instead of preaching the content of whichever text they believed in, they should send books to the community to educate the residents about the origins of the main world religions and come back in ten years. By then, curiosity might have become their most successful recruiter.
In the three years since we took control of our border, the only alteration we have made to the fence is that Edward and Emmett have incorporated a new mile to take in the Meadow House and the lower slope of the mountain to ensure the property's privacy. Thankfully, uninvited visitors have almost disappeared now. We're yesterday's news. The only city people invited in are construction workers, medics, and approved teachers and instructors. Forks and the other towns have changed though, there's no question about that. The introduction of modern generators and, more recently, hydro-electric power, was bound to have both a positive and negative effect, an example being communal lighting.
Everyone voted for the town's streets to be lit up at night until folks realized they couldn't see the night sky anymore. Carlisle had warned us of this but after the lights were switched on, the townspeople were devastated. After a quick vote, it was decided that on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and when the Aurora is active, the lights would stay off unless the weather was bad. This arrangement has worked very well for those residents who don't have the time or ability to stand in the middle of a field to admire the Cosmos when it gets dark. Occasionally I look up and imagine seeing three giant meteorites hurtling towards Earth. What a terrifying ordeal those people must have been through in 2031 and the years after. It's still impossible to comprehend.
After the Rebellion, which is how Lympians refer to the events after the showdown in the Gathering Hall, Carlisle was invited to restructure the running of the four Distribution Centres. After long meetings with the Smiths and their counterparts from the other three towns, it was decided to continue to use a system of credit. All the excess produce the Elders had previously creamed off would now be sold to the outside world via an agent in New Seattle. The profit raised would then be put toward infrastructure projects such as repairing the roads, installing a power plant, and building the new hospital.
Rosalie quickly introduced herself to Jessica because she had always admired the quality of the woolen cloth produced in Lympi's mills, suggesting it would fetch a high price in the city. After taking Jessica on a quick tour of the city's fashion houses, Rosalie recruited specialist instructors to teach Jessica and a cohort of interested young Lympians, how to make high-quality, top-of-the-range fabrics and garments. Once modern and much safer equipment was installed in the mills, this new industry began to bring in a huge amount of income to the peninsula and has kept Rosalie occupied promoting the StanleyHale brand across the New West. Jess did find time to make Mom her new coat before the business started and before the truly cold weather set in, plus a new jacket for me too.
The first thing Esme did for the community was to start a library in a small, underused barn in Forks, and then in similar buildings in the other towns. Within six months of the Elders leaving, classics going back more than two thousand years began to fill shelves Emmett and two of Jake's cousins had built in the Forks library. Bridget Jones' Diary was one of the first books to appear – not a classic but it proved very popular with women of all ages. This was not the copy Edward told me my guard in the Gatehouse had been reading which is now at the farm. Actually, this is a good place to tell you what happened to the Compound and the Elders.
The day after the Rebellion, prominent residents from the other three towns rode into Forks after word had got to them that the Elders' hold on the community had come to an end. When Edward, Alice, and I returned to Forks later that day, the decision to storm the Compound the following morning was taken. It was also decided that if anybody, Elder or otherwise, remained, they would be physically tossed over the fence, unless they were children of course. I wanted to go with Edward to see what was inside the Compound, but Charlie and Edward insisted I stay behind. Edward had already warned the posse of men raring to settle scores, that the Elders may have guns - weapons we had never encountered before. Before they set off, Edward also spoke to them about electric power, saying they would probably see objects inside the buildings that wouldn't make sense. I was disappointed not to go, but I accepted Edward would have been distracted by worrying about keeping me safe.
The hundred-strong raiding party was gone for most of the day and I'll admit I had begun to think the worst until we heard horses returning. Charlie was raging. Edward was philosophical. Uncle Michael was speechless. After Edward single-handedly battered the doors down they found the Compound deserted. Not one person had stayed behind for Charlie and the others to question. How they got away so quickly remained a mystery until a few days later when a single-track road was discovered leading from the rear of the compound northwards towards the coast which then skirted the Wastelands before arriving at an abandoned port. No horseless carts, sorry, cars or trucks, were found in the Compound. Initially we presumed they had used them to escape to the city.
Leaving aside the luxurious accommodation which contained every electrical appliance you could think of, inside several locked sheds situated in the middle of the Compound were huge walk-in freezers containing the best cuts of meat, fish, and lobsters, previously plundered from all four Distribution Centers, plus well-stocked larders of other food items that had no doubt been brought in from the city. Before they ran for it, the Elders sabotaged the electricity generators knowing we would find the supplies. Fortunately, they had forgotten about an emergency generator that had kicked in automatically to keep the freezers running. This at least ensured the people of Lympi had additional good quality food during the coming winter, plus we now had the means to preserve our excess produce for ourselves.
What enraged Charlie the most was that the Elders had abandoned their horses. After more than forty hours of being tied up without food or water, the poor things were severely distressed. Two of the men offered to stay behind to look after them and when the animals recovered, they were fairly distributed to any farm that could use one.
Charlie told me he watched Edward enter the Gatehouse, but through the door this time, not the hole in the wall. He emerged sporting a big grin but wouldn't say why. I found out what amused Edward later when he presented me with my guard's copy of the Bridget Jones novel. If that's what women in the twentieth century got up to, I'm glad I wasn't around then, but I'll admit I enjoyed reading the story.
Jess, Jack, and their dad were allowed to visit Mary but not until about six weeks later. The treatment Mary was receiving made her vulnerable to infection so they were obliged to stay away until her doctors permitted the family to visit. Comms devices kept them in touch until Mary got the all-clear and by all accounts, the first meeting was very emotional. Mary is still being monitored every few months but it looks like the treatment has worked. She handed the tailoring business over to Jessica when she returned to Forks, and during the past year has been able to help out in the newly fitted-out workshop.
What was both emotional, but in some cases devastating, were the mixed experiences of the people who had lost a loved one to the Catchers going back over the past forty or so years. In many cases, there was a glorious reunion – in others, that brief but hoped-for meeting didn't materialize because their loved one had either passed away or in a few cases, didn't want to return because they preferred their new life in the Village. Also, some folks on this side of the fence had remarried, which was a dreadful shock to their previous partner. I understand that the Elders would have given the game away if they had tried to prevent someone like Jess's dad from finding a new wife, but this situation highlighted the fact that the whole Experiment had not been thought through properly.
The Elders … well, they just disappeared, not just from Lympi, but apparently from New Seattle too. We've never found out who they were, but one of the doctors who came to help Carlisle plan the new hospital said he had an idea how they were recruited, and why they agreed to be cut off from modern society for the rest of their lives.
The doctor told Carlisle that one of her neighbors was a government official everyone suspected to be corrupt. When the doctor got home from work one day, the whole family had gone – wife, children, cars, apartment contents, everything. A few weeks later, he heard a rumor that this guy had been given an ultimatum – prison or Lympi. He'd taken the Lympi option. If the doctor's story is correct, our Elders were corrupt government officials who should have been in jail. That makes perfect sense when you think about how they ripped us off.
So that's enough of what happened in Forks. I guess you want to know how my friends are doing who helped me, and my family ... and Jake? Be prepared for one very big surprise! (I still can't get over it either).
Jess and Mike are still courting. I'm sure they'll get married soon but Mike is away doing advanced medical training in cities across the New West. There's no need to rush now as Aunt Carol is now in charge of the purpose-built Obstetric unit that opened about fifteen months ago. This was very timely, because, would you believe, I now have a baby brother. Yes, that shocked you, but nowhere near as much as it did me, or, more importantly, my parents. Mom was forty-two when Charles Junior, known as Junior, arrived. I'll never forget the look on Charlie's face when Mom came home from the Medical Center with the awesome news that no, she was not going through early menopause, but they were going to be parents again. Charlie had more than one stiff drink that night, which was a totally understandable reaction. Selfishly, I hope that Junior's arrival will be some compensation for me not being able to present them with grandchildren in the future.
Angela and Eric dated for a while but both are happy with other partners. Tyler is in the middle of writing a book about life in Lympi for future historians which he's asked me and Edward to contribute to. When Lauren laid eyes on Rosalie and Alice for the first time, she decided to train as a hairdresser and beautician. Rosalie sourced a two-year course and accommodation for her in Seattle which she completed in June. Now she's looking for premises to open the first beauty salon, not just in Forks, but in Lympi.
Jake! I suppose you've been wondering what happened to him. Amazingly he survived, but only because of werewolves' ability to heal rapidly. However, being impaled in two places and healing somewhat before doctors more qualified than Michael Newton could get to him has compromised his outcome.
While I was asleep in Cullen Tower, Edward told Carlisle and the others what had happened in the Gathering Hall. Carlisle immediately called a doctor he knew who agreed to assist Michael Newton as long as it was without the knowledge of the government. When Jake's survival was established, the doctor traveled with two other colleagues to Forks and put Jake into an induced coma so he wouldn't transition if he became delirious. With the agreement of everyone involved, Michael Newton informed the government, through Edward, that Jake had died of his injuries thus preventing Jake from being persecuted if he survived.
Despite great efforts by a team of doctors who were excited to work on a Werewolf, Jake's leg couldn't be saved and had to be amputated. While Jake was being treated, Billy met with Edward who told him why and how Jake turned into a Werewolf and gave him some books on the old legends. After Jake recovered enough to be discharged, Billy secretly took him to Canada as it would be impossible for him to remain in Forks, now that Edward's family had decided to return there. A Werewolf would still be a danger to the Cullens, even a three-legged one!
Now what else haven't I told you – let me think. Ah yes, Sam. Within two weeks of the Rebellion, he was taken to the Village Medical Center where he underwent an operation on his brain. The surgeons in the Center carried out a procedure that I believe drained fluid from around or under his skull to reduce swelling. I'm not sure I've got that right though – much too technical for me. Anyhow, this procedure helped Sam enormously in that he isn't in pain anymore. He'll never be right – even modern medicine cannot reverse brain damage, but he can communicate reasonably well and drive a cart.
Sam told his dad he had no recollection of how he got his injuries but would never get on a horse again. What is nice though is that Samuel has relented and allowed Emily to spend time with him. Being uncharitable, I suspect Samuel realizes his son is lucky to have anyone who wants to care for him and might be willing to marry in the future. 'A low-life wife is better than no wife at all,' is what I guess altered Samuel's opinion of Emily, even though the family is in no danger of losing the farm anymore. I just hope Emily has the strength to not put up with any of Samuel's shit if she does move in.
Let's go to Gran's story now ... Obviously, I've left the most important person to the end.
When Edward, Alice, and I returned from Seattle, Gran took my hand and led me outside so we could sit for a while on our bench. I just cried and cried and cried. I'd become a seven-year-old girl again pretending my favorite person had never been away. I guess Gran had wished for a moment like this many times during the past eleven years. At least she had hope that one day this might happen. For those eleven years, I had no hope. Whatever, she's here now and I treasure every moment I spend with her.
Rocky was found. To this day, we don't know who had him but we suspect it was someone from the Dementia Unit, but that is no matter. The doctor who had come to assess Sam brought him to our door and just dropped him in front of Jupiter who was being nosy about who was knocking. Their meeting was hilarious. Can you imagine a full-size wolfhound spread-eagled on the floor so he could look Rocky in the eye, while a mad poodle is repeatedly barking while spinning in circles not knowing which way to run? Eventually, Gran picked Rocky up and took him into the living room where she sat in her chair to pet him until he calmed down. Rocky and Jupiter never became best buddies, but they tolerated each other's presence until Rocky died about nine months ago. Jupiter was morose for days.
While I've been updating you on these past three years, I've been listening to Jupiter crashing through the undergrowth which is lush this time of year. He appears soaking wet after obviously having had a dip in the river. Behind him strolls Edward looking just as gorgeous as the day I first saw him on the beach. Of course, he'll never change which is so weird. They say women look their best at age thirty, so maybe I'll wait until then before going through the transition. You don't think that's being vain, do you? I haven't told Charlie or Mom yet about my decision. There's no point yet. Anyway, I don't want to miss any of Junior's early years which I'm sure Mom will find exhausting. Looking after a toddler in your forties calls for a lot more energy than being a parent in your early twenties, even with the benefit of Gran being around to help, and a washer, and a dryer. (Mom cried when they were delivered.)
"Hey," Edward says as Jupiter flops down on the rock and he places himself next to me. As usual, Edward reaches for my nearest hand and kisses it. "What do you think?" he says, nodding toward the house.
"It's a monster," I reply. "It would be like living in a school, or a hospital. It's not cozy like the Meadow House. I'm glad we won't be living there."
Edward laughs, pulls me towards him, and throws his arm over my shoulder.
"Esme will make it beautiful, don't you worry. When we moved into the city over five hundred years ago, she placed all our furniture, artwork, Persian rugs, and other personal items into storage. You have no idea how fabulous the house will look when she's worked her magic on the place."
"Magic? You still haven't explained to me what that is, Edward."
"Magic … actual Magic, is trickery, sleight of hand, deceiving the eye. There's a second type of magic which is what I feel whenever I'm with you. You can't believe how wonderful that is."
"You say the nicest things," I laugh.
"I've had a thousand years to practice."
We sit for a while and listen to the forest preparing for the night. The evening chorus is diminishing daily as birds fly south for the winter. Fauna, invisible unless you know where to look, is bedding down in their hidey holes. Some won't be seen again until the Spring. Already the color of Fall is evident on leaf tips. The forest's scents are rich again, now that the earth has regained moisture. Ferns and moss that have benefitted from recent rains are green and springy, giving the forest floor a final flourish before winter descends. I heard wolves … real wolves … last night, and owls, and many of the other nocturnal creatures that have lulled me to sleep over the years. Listening to nature's lullaby is absolute heaven.
How could I have ever dreamed of leaving Forks to live in what can only be described as a concrete jungle? I said that to Edward a while ago and he played me a song with that title by a guy called Bob something or other. I now feel sorry for people trapped in the city. Waking to the sound of trucks, cars, and airplanes instead of birdsong and the wind in the trees - do they not know what they are missing? Mom told me that Gran told the crowd at the Gathering Hall meeting that we have it good living here, and she was right.
"What are you thinking?" Edward says, and kisses the top of my head. He's been playing with my hair ever since he sat down. I don't think he'll ever stop doing that. I wonder how he'd react if I cut my hair short like Alice and many girls in the city?
"What am I thinking?" I reply. "I suppose I'm thinking how lucky I am to be here with you, and that I'm so grateful it was you who took Gran away that night rather than Alice. Do you think you would have found me anyway?"
Edward shakes his head. "I honestly don't know, Bella. I like to imagine I would've caught your scent somewhere in Forks and made the effort to find out where it came from. Whatever, I can't imagine my life without you now."
"Me neither, with you."
"Correct reply, Bella, so when are you going to allow me to put a ring on your finger, or are you keeping that significant digit naked forever as proof of your independence from evil Vampires like me?"
I laugh at that comment which he's said many times before.
"I'll be happy now to wear your ring, Edward, as long as you wear one too. Deal?"
"Deal, and thank Christ for that. Now give me your hand."
"What?"
"I've been carrying this thing around for almost three years. It's been through the washer at least five times."
"Are you serious?"
"Yep! Now don't keep me waiting a minute longer."
"This isn't very romantic, Edward."
"Agreed, so we'll have al fresco sex afterward, now give me your hand."
"You really are desperate, aren't you?"
"I would rather say my patience has run out, you ungrateful wench."
Edward takes my hand and slides a perfectly fitting ring onto my finger - a row of beautifully set emeralds and diamonds that suit my small hand perfectly. A crazy warm feeling envelops me like a soft blanket and instinctively I know that Edward will protect me for the rest of my life. Okay, I like to believe I'm feisty and independent, but there's nothing better than being in love with someone whose sole purpose is to ensure you also feel loved, and happy.
"Do you like it?" Edward asks.
"It's beautiful, Edward," I reply. "And I'm honored and proud to wear it. Can we go home and show Mom and Charlie?"
"So you don't want to be banged then?"
I punch Edward in the arm, which hurts me more than it hurts him.
"Not now, but maybe later."
Edward pulls me up from the rock, kisses me passionately, tells me he loves me more than life itself, and then, as always, flings me onto his back so he can carry me through the forest rather than walk which would take hours. Before he starts running though, he throws an idea at me that nearly leaves me speechless.
"You know if you really want to have babies, there is this thing called IVF. The kids wouldn't be mine, but you can get pregnant without having sex with the father. If you'd like kids I'd be supportive. What do you think?"
"Are you serious?" I sort of shriek. "Wouldn't I be tempted to eat them when I transition in a few years?"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I haven't thought this through, have I."
"No Edward, you haven't. Anyway, looking after you will be a full-time job. I think I'll concentrate on that for the moment."
Edward laughs and sets off for the farmhouse with Jupiter running beside us. The sun is blazing orange and heading rapidly for the horizon. The end of another perfect day with my sparkling Vampire. How many more such days are ahead of us – thousands, definitely, millions, possibly? It's impossible to get my head around. All I know is that if those over-zealous atheists hadn't thought up the idea to cut Lympi off from the world and recruited Edward and his family to be Catchers, I would never have met Edward, and Vampires would never have gained their freedom. All I can say is …
Thank God and Jeepers for that.
The End
Awww - not too corny I hope? It's a shame Edward can't change Jupiter into a Vampire Dog!
Thanks to everyone who has liked, followed, and reviewed this story, especially while FF was having a serious meltdown which still isn't over. I've loved reading your reviews, especially when you get passionate about your favourite character,or are guessing which way the story will go. As I've said before, this is what makes FanFiction so special.
I do intend to be back. Thinking up an original storyline gets more difficult though the older I get, and also because other amazing writers on this site have already nicked the best ideas. I even watched Twilight on the TV a couple of nights ago to see whether it would prompt another angle.
Anyway, thanks again for making it to the end (sniff). Take care.
Joan xxx