Monsters of the Night

Chapter Sixteen

The next morning, the Rangers were seated in the hall to finally do the conference...again.

When Jemma stepped in, she was greeted with cheers and applause as the Rangers stood for her to make her way inside. Reminded strangely of earlier in the week, she raised her head high and marched to the front taking her seat.

Before she sat, she heard her name being called out.

Turning, she saw her mother, Alyss, smiling and holding her arms out. Jemma beamed, quickly accepting the invitation for a hug.

"Your father caught me up on all the activities you've been up to." She said with a grin. "You've been busy, haven't you?"

Jemma smiled. "You don't know the half of it."

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered in her ear, then held her at arms length. "I'm supposed to be hear as a Courier to bring back word on the results of the conference, but I hear that I have two grandsons, that I would love to meet later."

"Of course, Mother." Jemma smiled into her shoulder. "Thank you for coming."

"I'm just glad I can see my baby again."

"I'm not a baby anymore."

"No." Alyss mused, "I don't think you are."

Alyss kissed her cheek once more, then the two moved to their respective seats, Jemma thankful that the applause was finally dying down.

"This meeting is in session." Gilan looked around at the gathered Rangers. "Finally."

A laugh rang around the hall.

"Let's begin."

...

Later that evening, Jemma sat next to Lydia as the Herons had a campfire to celebrate the news.

"So, that's it?" Lydia asked, "It's been decided that females are still allowed in the Ranger Corps."

"Yeah." Jemma nodded, watching as Jesper cackled as he threw some branches onto the already growing fire.

"I'm happy for you." Lydia said quietly, then turned to watch as Stefan tackled Jesper to the ground to get him to stop.

"Thank you, Lydia."

In front of them, Jesper and Stefan were scurrying away as Thorn stomped over, growling about the two being immature. Lydia turned back to Jemma.

"What I said, the other day? It's true." Lydia said, "I am really going to miss you. Over the past few years, you've become my best friend."

Jemma smiled softly, wrapping her arms around her. "You've become my best friend too. I know I can always come to you if I have a problem, and you've helped me through so much."

They were silent for a moment, before she continued.

"You know, I spoke to Gilan...with your skill in tracking and everything...you could become a Ranger."

Lydia looked up at her.

"You even have your own weapon..." Jemma continued, then stopped. "I'm serious, though. Gilan told me to give you a legitimate offer. If you want to be a Ranger, the position is yours."

Lydia smiled, watching the Herons fool around. She sighed.

"Thanks for the offer. I'd love to take you up on it, spend more time with you..." She looked at Jemma, "but I'm afraid I'll have to say no. These guys...I've spent so much of my life with them...they've made me happy, given me a home...I don't think I could give it up."

Jemma nodded.

"Besides, with them, I'm never truly lonely." Lydia continued. "And I don't think you are either, any more. You have David back now, and the twins. You have your family. The Herons are mine."

The two women exchanged a look, before they smiled softly, wrapping their arms around each other in a hug.

"I love you, Lydia." Jemma said quietly.

"I love you too." Lydia whispered back.

"Thank you, for everything."

"It was my pleasure." Lydia stood, then held out her hands to the younger.

With a grin, Jemma took the extended hands and stood with her best friend, the two racing down to the others, where they began to dance to nothing. Smiling, the others joined in. Thorn shook his head with a smile and sat down with a beer, watching as Hal and Stig took Jemma's hands and swung her around, Lydia laughing beside them.

Jesper, Stefan, Ulf and Wulf linked arms and started to kick their legs, bellowing a tune.

Everything was bliss.

...

"You ready?" Jemma grinned at Harold.

Harold looked up at her from his sick bed, eager to leave.

"I can get out of bed now?"

Jemma laughed and nodded.

"Yep. We can take you home now. It's been agreed that now that Halt has retired, Will is the official Ranger for Redmont, but as a larger fief, extra assistance may be required, so David and I have the fief next to it. We can visit whenever we'd like."

"Really?" Harold grinned, "Sweet!"

Jemma smiled. "Now get out of bed, you lazy lump! Go pack your stuff so we can leave!"

Harold laughed and quickly got out of bed. As he left the room, his presence was replaced by that of David, who strolled across the room and wrapped his arms around her.

"You ready to go?" He mumbled.

"So ready." Jemma let out a deep breath. "We can finally settle down in our own fief. Maybe everything can finally get back to normal."

David grinned. "I don't think 'normal' is a word that can be associated with our lives."

"Maybe not." Jemma smiled. "But this is our chance for it to be."

"Yeah." David smirked. "But you're going to be training Harold to be a Ranger with two small children running around."

She laughed. "I don't think anything will ever be not chaotic, will it?"

"No." David said. "But maybe chaotic is our normal."

The two exchanged a look and laughed.

"Let's go home."