After The Crash

Chapter 14

   Today we got out of quarantine and wold be on our way to the underground camp. Jace would finally get to him Rhylee and Cameron. The last two weeks have been the hardest for him since he lost Jess. Currently we were being taken inside the walls to the entrance of the bunker.

   "Daddy!" Rhylee yelled as she came running

   "Oh princess. I missed you so much!" Jace smiled picking her up "And Cameron, look how big you are."

   "Daddy, your eyes are peeing." Rhylee giggled

   "Yes baby girl." Jace cried

   "She never stopped talking about you." A woman smiled

   "She's daddy's little princess." Jace smiled as he hugged her closely 

   "Sure seems that way. Now why don't we get you guys settled in. Our military apartments are amazing." She smiled

   We walked down the stairs with this woman as we reached a well rounded looking civilization. Jace smiled as he carried Cameron in one arm and Rhylee in the other. The place looked amazing. It just looked like a city, but underground, it was safe, and soon, it would be home. The woman showed us to a beautiful 5 bedroom house, and Malcolm had his own apartment. 

   "Welcome home Jace." The woman smiled as she left us

   "You know her?" I asked

   "An old cadet captain. We'd been talking about me coming with you and the kids for a few weeks now. That's why they just happened to have a 5 bedroom house." Jace smiled

   "A 5 bedroom house prepared just for us." Mark smiled as he looked around

   "Yeah. They've been working on it for a while now. I wanted to make sure everything was ready before we came. I wasn't planing to leave for a few more weeks." Jace smiled as he set Rhylee down "They have an amazing school that Pa can help with, they have entertainers that I'm sure Dad could join." 

   "What about you?" Mark asked him

   "I'll figure it out. They're military set up is a little different but I wanted to do something safer anyway." Jace smiled

   I looked around at the house and it really was perfect. It was like everything was before all this happened. There was a bar in the middle of town, grocery stores, Day cares, it was perfect. 

   "We're finally somewhere safe Pa. Somewhere that we don't constantly have to worry about a breach, or anything. This is the new world. This is a fresh start." Jace smiled, leaning on my shoulder

   "It's perfect Jace." I said hugging him

   Slowly the years went by and we became more civilized in the new world. I was beautiful. Working with the kids in the high school, watching each of them grow and learn new skills. Mark was able to record his videos again as technology began to make a come back. Jace found happiness working with younger kids that enjoyed causing trouble, he ran an after school program. Rhylee is now 13, Cameron's 10 and they're just like their parents. Jace found new love with a lovely man named Nick. It all just seemed like a dream.

   "Rhylee you're gonna be late!" Jace called up the stairs

   "I'm coming Dad. Calm your man boobs." Rhylee laughed

   She came down the stairs in a black belly shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. She was also wearing Jess's old hat and a pair of black boots.

   "You aren't wearing that to your first dance, are you?" Nick asked

   "What else am I supposed to wear?" She asked him

   "Why don't we go upstairs and look?" Nick suggested

   I smiled at the two as they walked back upstairs. 

   "Dad! Dad, I got hit." Cameron yelled

   "Let me look kiddo." I smiled as he came over

   "We were playing street hockey, and the ball hit my arm." He explained as I looked at the newly formed bruise

   "Here bud. Put some ice on it and go sit." I smiled

   "Thanks Papa." He smiled as he went to sit

   "How's this look?" Rhylee asked as she came back down stars 

   This time she was wearing a light blue dress with a pair of white flats. She was still wearing her mothers hat, since she never went anywhere without it, and the necklace her father gave her when she was little.

   "You look beautiful princess." Jace smiled looking at her

   "See kiddo, this is why you have two dads." Nick smiled

   "Thanks Nicky. Now I gotta go." Rhylee smiled as she kissed each of her dads

   "Have fun Rhylee!" I called after her

   I smiled as Jace sat on the counter in the kitchen. He was smiling softly himself.

   "I can't believe my baby girl is going to her first school dance. That Cam is 10 years old already. Where did time go?" He asked softly

   "Now you see how I felt." I laughed

   "And that we're safe. I don't really care if we ever return to the surface. The kids are living a happy and healthy life. This is better than I ever could have asked for." Jace smiled

   "I know kiddo. In what felt like a nightmare up there we finally found something safe. A safe place for you and the kids, for your father and I. I never thought it would happen." I said wiping a tear off my face

   "Jess would have loved it here." He said softly

   "Yeah. I think she would have loved to meet Nick too." I smiled

   "She'd love how he treats the kids. Like how you and Dad treated me. I may not have biologically been Dads, but that never mattered to him." Jace smiled

   "Yeah. Now come on, we have cookies and a cake to back before your father gets back." I laughed

   "God you two got old." Jace giggled