Forever: A Life After Legend Fanfic (Marie Lu)

June

My phone rings. I glance at it. Anden and three missed calls from Tess. I let it go to voice mail and then slammed the phone on the ground. I was too busy thinking, what if Jameson survived and has been plotting revenge all these years?

I was angry. How could we have been so stupid? I bet she is alive and doing this to get back at me and the Republic permanently. But at the same time. I watched them shoot her. My brain was a mix of hormones and emotions, and now I wanted to find Daniel more than anything.

I thank the man for his kindness and hurry out the door.

I knew I was in no shape to walk to the Colonies. It looked like I was going to have to go back home.

I picked up my phone off the ground, and it was busted. Just my luck, but it was my own doing. I head back towards the small bar and head in there. I asked the man if I could borrow his phone. This felt like such a low point in my life. The prodigy, the First Commander of the Republic, is in the slums at some bar while pregnant. That would make some headlines for sure.

I call Tess.

"June, what the hell?! You scared everyone! What the hell do you think you're doing?" She screams into the phone and keeps rambling.

"Just send a jeep," I say throught the rambles and send her the location.

"Alright, fine. Do you need medical?"

"No, I'm physically fine, Tess." I look at my bruised knuckles that I yanked the glass out of.

"And mentally," She asks, almost regretting asking.

"Mentally, like I've been hit by a bus twice over. Just send the fucking jeep," I snarl and hang up, tired of being asked if I was okay when everyone already knew the answer.

I shouldn't take my anger out on Tess. She didn't cause this. But I wanted to blame someone so badly for my mental pain. I waited in the bar. The bartender made me some tea, and I thanked him for his kindness again. A jeep pulls upfront and outwalks Tess and Anden.

I come out, and Tess shrieks and hugs me. "You scared all of us! Don't do that again." She looks me over.

Anden shakes his head. "We can discuss this later, but I can't have you, the First Commander, going rogue again," He says, opening the jeep door for me. For a moment, I felt like I was 15 again, being reprimanded by Metias.

I slide in the jeep, feeling guilty, like when Metias would be called for me misbehaving at school. I felt like a scared teenager again with all the odds against her.

Tess sits next to me. I noticed her staring at my hands, which naturally went to twisting the wedding ring on my finger.

"I'm sorry I ruined the proposal," I murmur.

"Ruined? He is just waiting until everyone can be here together." She smiles softly at me.

"Well, I guess that's good news." I go back to staring out the window.

Anden looks in the car mirror. "You better have found something out, going rouge or all that was for nothing," he says.

"The Colonies... and Jameson," I say with pain, as if my past doesn't haunt me enough.

Tess stares at me. "Jameson is dead. And has been for ages."

"But what if we weren't successful in shooting her?! And for all these years, she has been plotting some revenge?" I run my hand through my hair.

Anden shakes his head. "She is dead. When we got her body, we made sure of that June. What makes you think Jameson is behind this?"

"People in the slums talk." I cross my arms. "It got me further than what your private investigators have."

The jeep arrives back at the newly built house, where I will be alone until morning. Anden says we shall meet tomorrow to talk about Daniel and that I should get some rest. Tess agreed with him. But how can I sleep when this house is so empty and cold feeling?

The next day, I pulled myself together. I put on my uniform, which barely fits. I struggle to put my boots on. I drink a cup of tea and eat breakfast: eggs and bacon. I hadn't cooked in months. But I was trying to be somewhat better than I had been. I didn't sleep well, but I attempted. I pick out my gun and then head to my jeep. I was ready to discuss a plan and not let my emotions get the best of me.

I sit next to Anden. This was a huge meeting. Bigger than I expected, But I was ready to tell them about my findings and see what they knew.

I stand up. "The Colonies have taken Daniel. It seems like a small rebellion against the idea of the United States started there with Falien, or so we think. During my outing, the name Jameson came up. As you know, Jameson is a criminal who was killed after she shot Daniel." I say as pictures of Jameson flash on the wall behind me on the screen.

Anden stands as I sit. "As far as we are concerned, Jameson is dead. This could be someone posing as her using her name. And as far as the United States goes, the Colonies are still fully on board with the conversion. Why they would take Daniel baffles me as much as you, which is why I believe this is a small group who are not loyal to either side but use the Colonies as a base." He says.

I nod in agreement. "We are going to send more spies to the Colonies with their cooperation, and here we are going to put more research into Jameson's background."

Everyone nods in agreement. I finally felt like I could finally have Daniel back in my arms.