"And that's the end, cuties. It's time for bed now," the old woman said, softly stroking the long, black hair of the little girl sitting on her lap. 

     "You always tell such good stories, Grandma!" Another girl with bright, icy blue eyes exclaimed. 

     "Yeah! Tell us another one! Please!" A boy around eleven-years-old begged, causing the other children sitting around the old woman to stir in an uproar. 

     "Now, now," the old woman chuckled, "That last one was quite long. I promise tomorrow I'll tell you three bedtime stories. How does that sound?"

     "But, Gramma Della," the blackette girl sitting on her grandmother's lap yawned out, breaking up her sentence, "We're not tired."

     "Mhmm, it sure sounds like it. I know I'm tired. I'll tuck you all in, and give you all goodnight kisses," the old woman offered. 

     A chorus of approval rang around the room as the graying woman stood up with her youngest granddaughter in her arms. Shifting the tired girl to one arm, she reached her wrinkled hand out towards the blue-eyed girl who gladly took it. Sending a smile down at her, the boy followed closely behind, careful as to not step on his grandmother's deep blue kimono. He held his grandmother's favored tea in his hands. 

     "Grandma? What happened to Charlie and Genni?" The youthful boy asked, his platinum hair faintly glowing blue due to the light that bounced off it. 

     "Well, Carlisle, Aradella practically searched the entire world looking for them. She eventually was able to track them down not too far from where the Arena used to stand. They'd managed to hole themselves up in a shelter long forgotten underground. Once Aradella told them the story of what happened to their friend, the two girls followed her to safety and they all lived together in Aradella's home," their grandmother explained to them. 

     "But how did Aradella manage to get off of Alaska?" The blue-eyed girl pondered aloud, and her grandmother chuckled. 

     "Luckily there was a book left on the plane that explained how to fly it. It was extremely difficult, but she managed. She was always a wild one after all," the grandmother said with a faint twinkle in her eyes.  

     "Gramma, what about the little girl with green hair? Was she ever found?" The tired girl with black hair curiously asked. 

     "Sadly, no. Aradella was never able to track her down, and neither Charlie nor Genni had a clue either," the old woman softly said, pulling the blackette closer. 

     "Violet, dear, would you mind opening the door for Grandma?" The knowledgeable old woman asked. Nodding her head, the nine-year-old opened the white-painted door leading into a room with a galaxy on the ceiling. 

    Rushing inside, the two children jumped onto their respective beds while the older woman elegantly placed the child in her arms onto her own bed. Looking forward towards the dome window, the eldest child, a teenager, sat in it. The old woman sent her a glance that told her she had been noticed before focusing on the younger ones once more. The three children all called out at their great-grandmother to tuck them in first, but she only chuckled. 

     "We'll do oldest to youngest tonight," the thin woman said before moving towards the boy's white bed. Placing a kiss on his forehead, she pulled his covers up to his chin and moved onto the middle child. 

     "Grandma, what exactly did that note say?" The blue-eyed girl asked, her short blonde hair perfectly framing her small face. 

     "Wow, you three seem to be full of questions tonight!" The old woman exclaimed before kissing the girl's cheek and pulling the girl's purple blankets up around her that had a metallicy blue tint if looked at correctly. 

     "The note told Aradella to search for Charlie and Genni, bring them back to her home, and treat them well. The note also told Aradella to find someone to love, settle down with him, and raise a family; bring children to her home; make sure the garden thrives; and most importantly, take care of Orson and Violet," their grandmother explained to them with a far off look, as if reciting the note from memory. 

     "The doggy has sissy's name," the youngest child giggled before reaching out to her grandmother. 

     "She sure did, cutie," their grandmother replied with a wink and a smile. 

     The teenager in the room looked at her grandmother with a suspicious gaze before carefully setting her feet on the ground so as to not disturb her younger siblings. Her rust-brown eyes followed the old woman as she made her way to the youngest child, Eleanora. The six-year-old's black hair lay sprawled out around her as she held small arms out to her grandmother for a hug. 

     "I love you, Gramma Della," the small girl said with a wide smile as she squeezed her grandmother in a death grip. 

     "I love you, too. Now get some rest, okay? Sweet dreams," her grandmother wished her as she kissed the girl's cheek and tucked her in with deep crimson blankets, the same color as her eyes. 

     Right as the children's grandmother turned on her heel to exit the room, Ellie spoke out once more. 

     "Gramma Della, I think that's my most favoritest bedtime story you've told us yet," the small girl said before releasing yet another content yawn. 

     "But did it ever end happily?" Violet asked soon after. 

     "Yeah, did it ever end well?" Carlisle repeated. With her back still turned, their grandmother felt a melancholic smile creep up on her face.  

     "Their happy ending is still in the making, little ones," was all she replied with while her teenage granddaughter followed silently behind her. 

     When they both had exited the room, the teenage girl quietly shut the door. Turning back to the old woman, her long ringlets of a deep aqua hue fell gracefully around her shoulders. Peering up at her grandmother who had always remained tall no matter how old she had gotten, she sent the same suspicious look at her before speaking. 

     "There sure seems to be an awful lot of detail in that story for it all to be just a simple bedtime tale, Grandma," the teenager said. 

     "Indeed there is," was all the old woman said cryptically before walking forward, only to stop and motion for the teenage girl to follow her. 

     "Why do our names seem to match up so well with them?" Was the next question the girl asked while glancing at her grandmother from the corner of her eyes. 

     "Why not? You seemed to always love how your name was the same as the protagonist's when you were a child," the old woman rhetorically said. 

     "And just like she says in the 'story', you can't keep me in the dark forever," the bull-headed girl stubbornly said before her grandmother sent her a sly smirk. 

     "I suppose not. Well, if you insist on knowing the truth... Follow me," the girl's grandmother said with an exaggerated sigh. After passing through a few different hallways, the two made it to a nondescript door. 

     "Isn't this the room us children aren't allowed in?" The teenager asked with confusion. 

     "That's right, sweetie, but I suppose your old enough to finally know the truth in the so called bedtime story I've told you before," the woman replied before slowly opening the door to reveal a bedroom filled with knicknacks. 

     "What is all this stuff? Wait! Isn't that the necklace the girl had in the story?" The teenager asked while rushing over to it. The mentioned necklace was behind a glass case, and it shone as brightly as the first day it was gifted to a certain person. 

     "That girl didn't just come from a story, young one. I knew her personally. One might have even considered us friends for a time," she reminisced with a sad smile. Turning her body to face her grandmother, the teenager looked at her with a gaping mouth. 

     "Wait... Do you mean to tell me that entire story is real? ​​​​" the teenager asked incredulously. 

     "Every word of it, my dear," came the grandmother's reply. 

     "What happened to them then? Are their bodies still in Alaska? Why haven't you told me any of this before?" The teen asked as quickly as the words could come out of her mouth. 

     "All in due time, child. It's gotten quite late. You should be in bed. Rest up on this, and I'll explain it all to you in the morning, alright? No more secrets, I promise," the teenager's grandmother vowed. Still stuck in an awestruck position, the girl only stayed rigid as her grandmother pulled her close into a hug. 

     After a few moments, life seemed to come back to her as she returned the hug. 

     "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, Grandma Della," the teenager said before pulling away. 

     "It's alright, believe me. It's all but a faint memory now," came the old woman's whimsical reply. 

    "I guess I'll go to bed now... Goodnight, Grandma. I'll be in here first thing in the morning, though," the younger girl said with a determined look in her eyes that caused her grandmother to chuckle. 

     "I didn't think otherwise, child. Goodnight," the wrinkled woman bid her farewell as the teenager slunk out the door, carefully shutting it behind her. 

     Turning away from it, Aradella made her way towards the golden necklace her dearest friend never took off in life that had also caused the jagged scar along her right hand. Resting her fragile fingers gently against the case, she trailed them down with a small smile before moving on to the next relic. The picture cube Aradella's own grandmother had given her dear friend lie in the next casing, and it remained exactly the way it had been left. 

     A small picture frame rested on a table by itself, and it contained a small note. The note was the last thing and only thing Aradella had been given by her brother's beloved wife. 

     "I've done everything you've asked of me, (Y/n). I hope it's been enough. I've been wishing that I'd be able to see you breathing one last time before my own time runs out. Thank you, my dearest friend," the old woman softly said while dusting the wooden frame off and setting it back down gently. 

     Leaving the room, the old version of Aradella, now complete with silver hair that contained the smallest traces of the dark blue it once was, a pair of slightly less vibrant pair of red eyes, and a face wrinkled from years of smiling due to the joy the one person she once considered an enemy had brought to her. She gracefully made her way down the hallway to the room she had taken as her own once her grandmother had died. 

     Entering it, she released her long hair from the tight bun she had wrapped it in. Making her way to her bed, she slid off her soft blue slippers and layed down into the bed. Right as she got comfortable, she spoke to the empty space her once living husband used to occupy. 

     "Alright, sleep, let's hope tomorrow brings joyous news. All I ask for is-" her quiet prayer was cut off as her door flew open revealing one of her gasping first grandchildren, now in their thirties. 

     Sitting up from her comfortable bed, she sent a confused look at her grandson who was adjusting his wire-framed glasses over his rust-brown eyes. After a few more gasps of air, the male started gesturing down the hallway, and the old woman's gaze became even more confused. 

     "What is it, Nicholas? You look like you've seen a ghost," Aradella spoke as her grandson started sputtering out his words. 

     "W-we... Th-they... We've," he stuttered out as the old woman threw the blankets away from her old and tired legs. 

     "Well, what is it? Spit it out, child!" Aradella ordered as she moved to her feet. Getting closer to her fidgety grandson, he pulled her into a tight hug as Aradella stood with even more questions. 

     Finally, Nicholas released the woman and smiled brightly at her, showing off his row of pearly white teeth. Holding her at arms length, the older woman took in his appearance. He was wearing his lab coat, which surprised the old woman for she wasn't accustomed to seeing her family in those mostly due to her telling them that she never wanted to see one again after she nearly accepted defeat. 

     "What's gotten you all roused up for, child?" She questioned as Nicholas's grip loosened and they fell to her fragile hands. Gripping them tightly instead of her shoulders, he looked directly into her eyes, smile not faltering for a single moment. 
     

     "Grandma... We've done it. ​​​​​​They're awake."

_______________________________________

THE END