Unwanteds High (AU)

After the War

Heyyyyyy it's been awhile lol. Sorry this isn't a new chapter. I know it's been since April since I last updated this fanfiction. You all don't deserve to be left hanging for months on end, I know. But I've really been focusing on writing my own book that I really hope gets published one day. This fanfic will always have a special place in my heart because of all of you guys supporting. I can't thank you all enough. Trust me, I won't abandon this project. But I wanted to give you more content anyways. This is a story that is after the war in book 7. This is the what if if Liam would have survived with saving Claire. I hope you guys enjoy.

I thought I would give you a small playlist if you listen to music as you read. These were the songs I listened to when I wrote this.

• I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young
• Hurts Like Hell by Fleurie
• War of Hearts (Acoustic version) by Ruelle
• In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars

Again, I hope you enjoy!

It was hard to believe, but the war was over.

They had won. Artime had come out victorious... But at what cost? They had lost so many lives, so many dear friends. So many wounded. So many hearts shattered by the fight.

Claire didn't remember much. All she remembered was blacking out fighting a pirate. And then suddenly she was here, alive. She should have probably died back there.

But how... how was she still alive?

Claire slowly woke up and noticed chaos around her. Was she in the infirmary? All the nurses were desperately trying to help everyone. The whole sight was too much for her to take.

Her mind forced herself to go back to sleep. To wake up again when things were less hectic.

• • •

Claire woke up to a different sight. This time, only nurses were walking everywhere. Less hectic than before, but still a bad situation for Artime to have this many wounded. Groggily, she tried to look around with her tired eyes. She then noticed a man sitting on her left.

Gunnar smiled softly down at her.

"Hey...How are you feeling?"

Claire used all her strength to sit up. She only had a few bad wounds. She knew others were way worse off than she was. Sitting up still hurt, but she could manage.

"Better..." Claire said honestly.

"They injected some medication in you," Gunnar said. "Some pain relief."

"That explains it then," Claire sighed, trying to slowly wake up still.

Gunnar handed her a glass of water, which she chugged down since she didn't realize how thirsty she was until the water hit her tongue. She gave the empty glass back to him, which he put on the side table.

Claire frowned as she noticed almost all the beds were full.

"What..."

"My daughter is in here..." Gunnar gently told her. "It's... well. It's not looking good."

"I'm so sorry..." Claire frowned.

He swallowed, and she could tell he was trying to keep it together. First his wife, now his daughter in danger once more.

"Well, I'm just thankful that she's alive. And that my son and you are safe," he said softly to her.

Claire could only manage a weak little smile. He gave that same energy back. Claire noticed that Gunnar had many bandages too, but wounds that were just stitched up.