The Fourth Eaton

Epilogue 🔪 Proud

A/N: Second part of a double updateeeee! 

I've already said most of what needed to be said in the last chapter. Anyways, you're in the home stretch now! And I promise you that you won't expect this epilogue. :) Hope you enjoy!

Rays of fading sunlight shine into the office, illuminating the lone occupant. Light catches onto blonde hair, giving the figure's short, practical tresses an almost otherworldly glow.

"How is production going?" The woman asks, her words simple and straightforward. She faces out the window, towards the sprawling city far below, her calculated gaze wandering over it even as most of her attention is focused on the device she holds at her ear.

"There have been some delays." The deep voice at the other end of the line replies. "Some inquiries by the Abnegation Council forced production to pause for several days."

She mutters a mild curse under her breath. "And how far back does that set the production?"

"Quite a bit, ma'am. These few days were critical. All batches of the serum will now be complete in a little over eight months' time."

"That's a shame. The Dauntless leaders were all for setting the plan in motion on Councillors' Day."

The voice on the other end of the line lets out a chuckle. "Even the Dauntless can appreciate the irony of that."

"Indeed. I suppose it could be put off until after their next initiation, though. Get a full production report on serum D2 on my desk by the end of the week." She barely waits for an affirmative from the deep voice before hanging up.

By now, the sun has all but disappeared under the horizon. The artificial lights in the office flick on without prompting. She doesn't have to check her watch to know that the lights are right on time. Seven o'clock, on the dot. She, along with some of her brightest scientists, invented the system, after all.

There's little to see out the window anymore, with the city darkened, so she turns back to the room, blue pumps clicking efficiently against the floor with every step she takes. The new light sources hit her from different angles, still giving her hair a glowing effect, but it's far colder, far harsher, than that of the sun.

She sits down in her desk chair, her gaze wandering to the framed photo on her desk. It's a man, with brown hair and a sharp, searching gaze.

Absently, she reaches out, trailing her fingers down the frame containing the photo. The man's dead now, but he and his brilliant ideas forever live on in her memory, and in her own life's work.

She shouldn't be thinking about him, she knows. Emotions are weaknesses, chinks in a person's armor, and she, of all people, can never have chinks in her armor. But she's alone, locked in her office high above the rest of the city, away from anyone who could see her, and so, she lets herself have these few moments.

Jeanine Matthews smiles, allowing herself to reminisce over a few memories with her mentor, before turning to the computer sitting on her desk, which hums in wait. There's more work to be done, after all.

I'm going to make you proud, Norton. Even if it's the last thing I do.

Fin

A/N: AND IT'S DONE! Short and sweet. Did any of you expect the epilogue to be focused on Jeanine?

Anyhow, it's time for the sappy stuff. If you're not a sappy person, then just... don't read it. 

This book has been a eighteen-month labor of love, and, I'll admit, I didn't enjoy every moment of it. I frequently struggled with writer's block, as well as balancing my time spent on this book with my growing responsibilities as a high school student (I'm sure that struggle is very evident, if you've read my rants of ANs). But every moment spent on this book - every word written, every chapter title agonized over, every time I stared at the screen and struggled to write - it was all worth it. When I started this book, it was to make my vision come true. To take a cliché trope and turn it into a story I would want to read. Not in a million years did I expect every good thing that I have gotten out of it. 

Firstly, posting this fanfiction on Wattpad introduced me to a community that I have since fallen in love with. Sure, Wattpad has its flaws, but that just allows the gems I've found on here to shine even brighter. I've gotten the opportunity to read so many absolutely incredible stories, and I can only dream to be as good as some of the writers on this platform.

Secondly, looking back at some of my earlier chapters, I am astonished at how much my writing has grown since I started this book. Without even meaning to, I've become a better writer than I was a year and a half ago. And that's perhaps the greatest gift I could have recieved - personal improvement. It gives me hope, that by the time I close Cammi's story, I'll have become a better writer than I thought possible when I started it. 

Finally, all of you. Every time we hit a new milestone, I've emphasized this, and I'll do it again now. Every vote, every comment, heck, every view, that I've gotten, has made my days a bit brighter. Even if I started this story for me, it has evolved to become equally for you guys, as well. I've gotten several comments, talking about how this book keeps them going, and I'm so, so honored that my writing was able to make your days a bit brighter, too. And, no matter how many words I type here, I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately express how much I appreciate your guys' support. 

For once, I'll end this off in English. I'm not a super emotional person, but I have tears in my eyes right now (although that might be because of my mom potentially cutting onions for dinner). Once again, thank you all for taking the time to read Cammi's story. This is the first full-length book I've ever finished, and there are few times I have ever been more proud of myself. And I'm looking forward to where Cammi and the crew will take me, going forwards. Because you're insane if you think I'm writing them; they've evolved to become characters of their own, and they're the ones holding the reins, now. 

Final page count (Google Docs): 289 pages

Final word count: 141,878 words (minus the chapter titles, because I was too lazy to subtract them) --> aka. roughly 36,735 words longer than the actual Divergent book!