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Chapter Text

Standing in that cell, Kane knew it was futile. He wasn't a fool. There was only one person who would have had the means and the guts to be responsible for this untimely prison break. One person who did things like this all the time back on the Ark. She would be told no and if that wasn’t the answer that she was looking for, she'd go ahead and do it anyways. And Jaha would always shield her from any wrath beneath his umbrella of powerful protection.

Was that right? Did the chancellor protect her, or did she redeem herself and every action because she wound up being right so consistently? She was right about the hundred project. She was right about saving Jaha's life in surgery. She was right about sending Raven to Earth. She was right about broadcasting Jake's message. She'd been told no and done it anyways and it had provided them salvation. Was that why she was never punished?

It didn't much matter. Kane was the chancellor now. And as much as he respected Jaha and looked up to him as a predecessor, he had to do things differently. Especially here on the ground. With all the chaos and uncertainty, rioting and needless injuries were just around the corner. This camp came from a united people up in space, but was falling into anarchy down here on the Earth's surface. Kane was in charge, but people didn't see it that way yet. Order had to be maintained but in such desperate times, they weren't sure how to do so. The rules were different but not nonexistent.

He'd been thinking about this since last night. Since he had to look Abby in the eyes and disappoint her in terms of the search party. That couldn't be for naught. If he was going to call it off and crush her hopes, it had to be for a reason. The reason was securing this camp from the inside out, and that was going to start as soon as possible. What he really needed was an example. Somebody to step out of line and give him an excuse to showcase his power and prove that no bad deed would go unpunished. 

That notion was on his mind as he fell asleep last night after a refresher on the Exodus Charter. They didn't have to take lives down here with a death penalty, but they did have to prosecute guilty parties. And that was precisely what he needed. If only somebody would step out of line and grant him the opportunity to exercise the power of the law. Kane needed to prove that their new charter was alive and well and that people would be punished for breaking its laws. If he could just get one good shock-lashing in, he could contain the people. Regain order.

Abby was the last person at the camp that he wanted to have to take advantage of in that way. The very last person that he wanted to publicly punish and shame through ten rounds of intense physical pain. She was the only person here that he knew he truly considered a friend. He kept her just a little bit closer than the others, even those he knew well. He was drawn to her in the way that people who enjoyed one another's company were. She had become his rock, his solid foundation here on the ground, not to mention the voice in the back of his head. Even when they were at odds, he still went to her with updates and the likes. It felt good to have a partner, even if he was the one wearing the chancellor's pin.

Why couldn't she have just waited? He cursed inside his head as he took a look around the empty cell. He knew that she wanted that search party out in the woods, especially now that they'd gotten ahold of six kids who were just as confused about the situation as the rest of them. Especially now that they knew just how brutal the grounders could be and the gravity of the danger that was upon those abducted children.

But Kane tried to look at the facts. They didn’t know for sure that the kids had been taken by grounders. What he did know was that he couldn't secure a camp that was coming undone from the inside out. And as much as the parents of missing kids would think otherwise, he knew that had to take priority. He wanted to find Clarke for Abby's sake nearly just as fervently as the mother herself did. He wanted to see the smile on her face when they were reunited, to know that she was no longer a pent-up ball of stress because she was a mother missing her child. He wanted that peace for her. And he was going to make it his priority as soon as he possibly could.

But Abby had done what Abby always did when she heard the word "no." She took matters into her own hands and put them all at risk. She was too damn stubborn. Too willing to do whatever it took. And now here they were. Kane was finally given that golden opportunity that he had wished for all night, only he was going to have to hurt his only friend in order to capitalize on it.

Now, when he thought of shocklashing her, “friend” didn't seem like a good enough word to describe what she was to him.

 "Prisoners were last seen at lights out," Major Byrne was saying with her arms crossed and a pinched look on her face. “So, they must've left sometime in the past six hours," she continued. "Safe to say they headed for their dropship, but we'll put Davis on the search team just to be safe. He taught earth skills, he's dying to get some practical-"

"We're not sending out a search team," Kane said sharply, standing from his crouched position.

Byrne meant well but didn't know Abby like he did. She had no idea who released those kids and gave them guns. Her suspicions were on a parent or a friend of the boys, or maybe they had bribed one of the guards. Kane knew precisely who it was. Hence why he sent out a page to the medical tent a few minutes earlier. 

"That'll put even more lives at risk," he continued, shaking his head sternly. "I'm more worried about finding the people that helped them."

Abby had been just clocking in for what would prove to be a long shift in the Medical sector when Jackson told her of the page. The chancellor wanted to see her in the security section. Immediately. That wasn't for the sake of providing an update. If he wanted to do that he would wait until he had the time and find her in Medical himself. No, she was in trouble and she knew it. The words 'let him come after me,' were ringing in her ears despite her never saying them last night.

Maybe she wanted to get caught. Maybe she felt as though her and Kane were still not seeing eye to eye but pretending to be friends after everything they'd endured on the Ark, and she was not okay with ignoring the fact that they still didn't like each other all that much. Or maybe she just needed him to see how important this was to her and the other parents. To David. Maybe she was trying to prove that she could make the better decisions and that she had the guts to do what it took to find those kids while he played chancellor.

Maybe she was just looking for a fight. Maybe she was frustrated and scared and disappointed that they hadn't found Clarke, that they didn't know where she was only that she was very likely in danger. Maybe she was angry that she was there on the ground and so many people that she wanted to share this time with were missing. Maybe she needed somebody to take her frustrations and her anger and her deep, profound sadness out on and once again, he presented the strongest pillar for her to use.

"You wanted to see me," Abby said upon entering the prison section.

There, she found precisely what she had expected to. An empty cell, a confused Major, and a chancellor who saw right through her. She didn't care. Abby would do it all over again. The boys agreed that heading out on their own was the best thing to do. They had the highest likelihood of finding the others. Abby couldn't pretend that they were still just children that needed to be protected. How much had they protected them over the last month? They could hold their own.

Kane found his stomach twisting as he glanced over at Byrne. "Thank you, Major," he said, dismissing her.

Major Byrne left but not before realizing what was happening. She wouldn't have thought that Dr. Griffin was capable of such crimes, but she didn't know the woman very well. Not the way that Kane did, anyways. And clearly, he thought she did it.

Now, as Kane moved to stand somewhere before Abby but kept a safe distance from her, he found himself inspired by something that she had taught him. Hope. Hope that it wasn't what it looked like. That she hadn't been so frustrated with him last night that she had taken matters into her own hands. He wanted to look at her face and know that she was telling the truth when she denied her involvement. He hoped that it was a misunderstanding.

But her stance was protective. Her mouth was defensive. And her eyes were not sorry. He didn't have to hear her speak to know that she had indeed done it.

"Tell me it wasn't you," he demanded in a tired voice.

His hope fizzled when Abby did not deny it. In fact, she didn't say anything at all. She had done it and while she wasn't about to sit down and tell him everything, she also did not feel the need to lie to him. In her mind, he should have seen it coming. She shouldn't need to be standing here at all. And if he wanted to lock her up in this prison cell until those boys returned with the rest of their children, he could do so. She forgot about the Exodus Charter. No, she didn't forget. She trusted that he wouldn't put her through that.

Sighing sharply, Kane let out a bitter chuckle as he looked down, realizing that she couldn't deny her involvement. What was she thinking? That he could keep her safe in the same way that Jaha had? That she had gone and endeared herself to yet another chancellor who would allow her to get away with anything? It was not the case, and they were both going to be sorry.

"Are we really back to this?" He asked, looking up at her with a sarcastic but disappointed look on his face.

She stared forward, unwilling to give him an expression any which way, but unable to take her eyes off his face. Abby felt herself grow inexplicably nervous. Or maybe it was excitement. He was angry with her and that was precisely what she wanted. People should be angry about this situation.

Kane raised his voice. "On the Ark you did anything you wanted without a second thought about the consequences," he reminded her, taking a step closer.

She was glad to hear that he had not forgotten about how things were up in space. Specifically, between them. Maybe he was as unforgiving as she was. Maybe they were both foolish for thinking that they could move forward without a reckoning.

"On the Ark I did what I needed to do and I was right," she prodded, and even Kane could find no inconsistencies in her words. "Just like now," Abby added.

That was the worst part of it all. She was always right. But the acts that she carried out and the decisions that she made were still inherently wrong. Perhaps he was still a prescriber to deontological ethics after all. Could he punish her for committing a crime in order to do the right thing? He had before, hadn't he? In fact, he had stood there stone-faced and emotionless as the doors were closed to the flotation chamber that would claim her life. He did not hesitate before giving Shumway the nod that would steal her very soul. He had felt nothing. What was so different about this?

"Letting prisoners go," he continued to raise his voice, listing off her crimes, "arming them." When Kane stepped closer and Abby looked up to meet his eyes, he finally softened his voice but not by much. "Those are serious crimes, Abby."

Glancing between his eyes, unsure what she was looking for, Abby still felt no remorse. Despite not looking for it, Abby was met with even more anger. Kane was madder now that he had been at the beginning of this conversation. It was written all over his face and in the voice that he was now once again raising. He was furious with her. Abby struggled to recognize it at first because it didn't feel the same anymore. It no longer felt cold like it did on the Ark. Because up there his anger hadn't meant anything. It was never personal. Right now, it felt incredibly personal, and it riled him up better than she'd ever seen before.

He was mad as hell, truth be told. Mad because she had left him with no choice. Mad because now he was going to have to punish her and he really did not want to. Couldn't she see the compromising position that she had put him in? Maybe she was not under the impression that he cared. Maybe she didn't realize why he wouldn't want to bring himself to inflict a punishment upon her. Maybe she was oblivious and blind and unobservant and so pigheaded that it wouldn't matter even if she could see the blaringly obvious truth staring her in the face. Maybe she just thought it was worth it.

"As chancellor," he continued, narrowing his eyes as he spoke, "you can't expect me to just-"

"You weren't elected chancellor," she snapped before realizing that she was perhaps being too harsh, "Marcus," she added softly to ensure that no bridges were burnt.

She did like him. It was tough to admit considering the atrocities, but she did like him. She liked him now a lot better than she had for the past 20 years anyways. And he had changed so much. She was proud of the way in which he was coming back to himself, even if his heart was still filled with holes. At least it was no longer empty. And she knew that he liked her too. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that their connection went beyond the platonic realm of friendship, but she knew that he wouldn't seek her out if he didn't like her. He wouldn't offer her kind words of friendship and understanding if he didn't like her. And she wouldn't let him if she didn't like him.

Perhaps she was being unreasonable. Perhaps she should take a step back and realize that Marcus was angry with her, not at the situation. He could punish a stranger. He likely wanted to punish a stranger. She would, if she was in his position and trying to regain order in a world of chaos. That meant that he must be mad at her because he did not want to punish her. She had to take some responsibility for the position that she had put him in, here.

But all she knew was how to fight back.

"You only got the job because Thelonious beat you to redemption," she said and regretted it the minute that it left her mouth.

Obviously, it was how she felt. She could see Marcus vying for redemption, but she couldn't yet trust it. He had wounded her too deeply. He couldn't just be her friend on the ground and pretend that changed anything. Pretend that it made up for anything.

He saw that now. He saw that because he saw the truth in her words and the regret in her eyes. A part of her still hated him, even if she wished that she didn't. And now, it was Abby's turn to be at a loss. As bad as he was with people, he could read them like a book.

Her biting words made it easier. Maybe she was doing him a favour by lashing out. She was giving him the encouragement that he needed to punish her without looking at her and seeing a friend. Someone that he was inclined to protect. She was reminding him that things hadn't changed that drastically just because they were on the ground now. Abby reminded him that a part of him still hated her, too.

With a nod, Kane made the decision to punish her by the book. And right now, after experiencing her biting words, he didn't even feel bad about it. She walked away then but only because he let her. He was not finished with her yet.

~~~

It was sunny and warm. A beautiful day for a public beating. For an example to be made of a deserving woman. A chance to take out his aggressions one last time.

He watched her. A group had just come back from a hunting mission, and she was cleaning up scrapes and cuts out in the yard. She was hesitant to bring anybody into Medical while Raven was still recovering. Her risk of infection was too high.

Right now, she stood before a man whose forehead she was cleaning up, but her eyes wandered. As long as Kane had known her, Abby had known when she was being tracked. That instinct never faded. Even now as he looked at her from afar, he could tell based on the ways in which she would squint her eyes and glance at him only to look away quickly and get back to work that she knew she was being watched.

And as angry as he was at her, as much as he was reminded that they might always be at odds, never see eye to eye, and he still hated the way that she chose to do things, he did not want to do this. He hadn't even yet decided what he was going to do, but he didn't want to do it. Because he knew what the Exodus Charter said. If he remembered correctly, he had worked on that portion with her. Even she knew what was coming to her, if the book was to be believed. She was an intelligent woman, surely, she knew that he was left without a choice. Intelligent as she may be, she just did not like being told what to do. 

Right now, it felt like they were worlds apart. He had been confident that even without Jaha or his mother, he could handle whatever life threw at him. Because he had Abby. Because she could be his conscience and his sounding board, someone to stand firmly beside him. He had forgotten how often they disagreed on how to handle situations. And now, she was his enemy. Only for today, until they sorted out her punishment.

But Kane still happened to feel betrayed. What did she think was going to happen here? More than that, how dare she put him in this position? Forced to publicly punish a friend. Forced to lead this assault against her despite not wanting to. What would she think? That he hated her. Or at least did not care about her. But he did. He did and he had been trying to show her that since they landed on the ground.

If he were to truly reflect, Marcus might discover that he did not really blame her. Nor was he convinced that she acted alone. But Abby was no snitch. She'd bear the punishment that belonged to others just because she was guilty and she was caught. But she was also a mother who was holding on to life by a thread. She had lost so much and was now trying desperately to piece it all back together.

That started with finding Clarke. David was in the same position when it came to Nathan. Kane understood why they'd done it, he knew how desperate they were, and he knew how much they loved their children. But he still could not publicly condone it. It would lead to outrage if the people found out. And even if they didn't, he desperately needed a sacrificial lamb. A way to whip this camp into shape and force his people back into line.

Still, she existed a world away as she blotted the forehead of the wounded man sitting up on a makeshift table beneath the sun. A world away and so different from where they had been on the Ark. She was not put together with a neat braid and a spotless lab coat. Blemish free, with charcoal on her eyelashes and smelling of jasmine. Down here, her hair was loose and wild, the front pieces held back by only a small clip as the wind moved the golden-brown strands down her back. Her face was wounded, her hands were dirty, and as for the jasmine, he wasn't sure. He hadn't gotten close enough to find out recently.

But he looked at her and despite the changes, despite the new terrain, he knew exactly who she was. Because Abby still never changed. He knew her not by her face nor her hands nor what she wore nor even her voice. He knew her by her heart. That was what never changed. And that heart always did the right thing, even if the law did not agree, even if he did not agree. And now, he was going to have to punish her for it. He had no choice.

The wind picked up again and he watched the long hair shift off her neck as she turned, exposing a feminine neck and a small portion of her upper back. He wondered where her lab coat was today. It had made the landing, but she hadn't worn it since being here. Not even in Medical. Not when she operated on Raven.

He wondered if her heart would ever change with that wind. Likely not. If it hadn't yet, it never would. No matter how hard he pushed. But he would never want it to change. Tell him a mater of weeks ago - days, even - that this was how he would be thinking about Abby's convictions and beliefs and he would have called anyone accusing him of respecting and even treasuring her heart a lunatic. Now, it came without thinking.

"You called for me, sir?"

The voice of Major Kendall Byrne shook Kane from his cross-armed, scowling thoughts. Had he called for her? He asked himself until he was reminded that yes, indeed he had. Because something needed to be done. And right now, he couldn't afford to have friends.

Without turning to look at the woman, Kane kept his eyes on Abby from afar, secretly worried that if he looked away, she was going to sneak out of the fence and join Bellamy and the other boys on their hunt.

"Dr. Griffin has confessed to helping those boys escape and giving them guns," he revealed.

Letting out a surprised breath, Byrne glanced over at the doctor. She had always respected Abby, but respect was no match for the law. Dr. Jackson had joined her now, lending a helping hand.

Kane's mouth took on a near-permanent scowl as he spoke. "She's to be supervised at all times and confined to quarters when not at work," he demanded, obviously having decided on her punishment. "Is that clear?"

It wasn't enough. His words fell flat in the air between him and the major as they both knew that he was making excuses. He wasn't doing what needed to be done. People respected Kane for always being able to set sentiment aside. He had pushed all emotion and friendship out of his life for the sole purpose of being able to do so and had prided himself on his ruthlessness for decades now. A few days on the ground and suddenly he could no longer sentence somebody to a suitable punishment? He was losing his edge.

He was no idiot. Byrne wasn't pleased with this outcome, and the sigh that she gave him spoke measures.

"What is it Major," he snapped in a tight tone, "spit it out."

Tentatively, Major Byrne braced herself. She didn't know what was going on between the chancellor and their head doctor. Frankly, she thought they hated each other. In fact, the whole Ark thought they hated each other. He tried to have her floated a month ago. He'd locked her up on the Ark, kicked her off the council. Down here, they were as chummy as could be. She didn't want to step on any toes, but she also had a part to play. And she could see the chaos unfolding before her very eyes.

"Unauthorized use of firearms and aiding and abetting a prison escape are felonies," she reminded him, wondering if the chancellor was perhaps blinded by his feelings. "The Exodus Charter is clear," Byrne stated. "The punishment is shocklashing."

In an instant, Kane was taken back years ago. He was young, full of big ideas and plans, a certain amount of hope for the future. He sat at a table with Diana Sydney, Abby Griffin, and Bruno Vaughn. They discussed the Exodus Charter, the death penalty, capital punishment. Abby herself had been the one to put forth the idea of shocklashing. It was only as a means to cushion the blow of flogging as he had suggested, but it had been her idea. The irony of this entire situation was not lost on him as Kane finally stated to realize something that people had been warning him of for decades. Every one of his decisions had consequences. Maybe not right away, maybe not until years later when everything seemed different, but consequences would always come.

And now because of his push for punishment over ten years ago, he was going to have to publicly shocklash the woman that he... the woman that he what? Tolerated? The woman that he didn't know what to feel for. The woman who, by all means, deserved it. 

He was forced to look away. He should have known that Byrne would push for it. She was too much like him. Too focused on the end goal. Justifying the means with the end. Pragmatic and by the book. It's why he liked her.

Peering at him, Byrne had to wonder where his hesitation was coming from. "I know she's your friend-"

"She's not just my friend," he interrupted in a snipped tone.

It sounded incriminating, but he really hadn't meant it that way. This was more complicated than simply getting over a sentiment or two and punishing a friend. This was punishing Abby. It would steal a piece of his soul. Just like when Jake died. Just like what would have happened if he'd managed to successfully have her floated on the Ark. It would take the sacrifice of a part of him in order to do this. More than that, it was going to be big. She was still the people's favourite, she always had been. A beloved doctor, a well-known mother, somebody that people trusted and looked up to. A beacon of light and warmth.

And in reality, it was almost too good to be true. Punishing anybody publicly would have done wonders for this camp. Punishing somebody already so powerful? It would scare them straight and then some. Or, he thought, it would give them that martyr that he was so worried about. It would encourage them to push back. He didn't know what to expect.

"She's a former member of the council," he clarified before he could sound too sentimental. "And the most respected person in this camp," he admitted.

Chancellor or not, the people didn't always look to him. They wanted to trust him, but he had hurt them all in personal ways that Abby never had. It was no wonder that they preferred her.

"Yes, sir," Byrne said with a knowing nod, already having mapped all this out in her head, "which is why it will work as a deterrent."

Did she even understand what she was asking him to do? To sacrifice his friend Abby to a greater good. Yes, she messed up by letting those kids out, not to mention arming them. It was dangerous, it was against the law, and he was going to have words with her. He was going to watch her like a hawk - which he knew she hated - until she regretted ever thinking about breaking the law. He was going to make her regret it on his own. But Byrne had a point.

And despite it being easy to condemn her to death on the Ark, this was the most difficult decision that he had ever made. How much was he wiling to sacrifice? With a grimace, he realized that he felt like Jake in the delivery room. Trying to decide between saving his unborn child or his wife. In this case, the order of Camp Jaha was Clarke and Abby was still Abby. Trying to chase that thought away, Kane realized that he still felt like Jake. When he wanted to go public with the oxygen problem. Order was telling the world what was really going on in hopes that they could come up with a solution. Once again, Abby was Abby. A never-ending cycle of collateral damage.

He never wanted to do that to her. He always wanted to be better than those who had loved, used, and abused her in the past. For no reason other than it made him sick to see her being treated that way. It worried him. And he saw what it did to her. To put her trust in someone only to have it misplaced. Betrayed by the men that she loved. Now, he was under no false pretence that she loved him, but he happened to think that she was slowly learning to trust him. Like a feral cat. He did not want to kick that cat and send them right back to where they started. Further from each other, probably.

Looking down, Kane stepped towards Major Byrne. He knew that she had a point, but he was trying to do better. That was what Abby had taught him. That what they were doing on the Ark was inherently wrong, even if it was for the greater good. That down here on the ground, they no longer had to live like that.

"On the Ark, we had to be ruthless," he said in a dark voice, explaining his point, "our hand was always forced."

Pausing, he hoped that the Major would understand what he was saying, but even he didn't buy it.

"But, down here," he gave a half-smile, "we have a chance to start over. Make something better."

Byrne was not convinced. Kane was still trying to save his friend. There was no place for that at a time like this. "I hope that day will come, sir," she said in a telling voice. "But if we lose control of this camp - and we're on the knife's edge already - we won't live long enough to have that chance."

The dilemma that Chancellor Kane now faced was that she was right. If they wanted peace, they needed to find it among themselves first. They would never get there if people did not respect the rules of order and regulation. He did not have time to concede before a round of shouting shook them both from their conversation.

Peering out at the gate, Byrne pressed a finger to her earpiece as a transmission came through. "A patrol," she began to explain hurriedly, "a grounder prisoner," she said with a shake of her head, unable to believe it. "They're bringing him in now."

Kane tried to ensure that he was the first one at the gate. Right now, he didn't trust his own people. They were scared of grounders; they might try to bludgeon the poor man. Abby was on his heels, and he tried to ignore her as he barked orders for nobody to touch the grounder man.

"They have my son!" An angry parent was saying - Kane didn't recognize him but knew that he must be somebody missing a member of the hundred. "Where is my son?" He was shouting, reaching for a nearby guard's gun.

The sound of the gunshot going off roused the entire camp. Abby flinched backwards, wondering where the shot had landed, cursing under her breath when somebody started calling for a medic.

Concerned, Kane realized that when the gun had accidentally gone off, it hit the parent. He found himself relieved that it was not the grounder. They needed that man for information.

"What the hell happened?" He demanded, out of breath and irritated by the commotion.

Byrne was right. They needed to make an example out of somebody.

"He went for my weapon," one of the guards explained, worried that he was in trouble. "Kept saying the grounders have his son."

Kane felt her on his right side. Always hovering. Watching, just like he was. Perhaps those two would never stop surveilling one another. 

"The gun just went off," the guard insisted.

Abby was frustrated, Kane could tell by the tone of her voice. But she was also relatively nervous. She was worried that he was going to try to blame this on her, too. Quite frankly, he was. Her and people like her. Those with no respect for the rules of order. They had welcomed this anarchy.

"Get him to Medical," she was saying, hoping that Raven wouldn't mind the intrusion, "now."

They met each other's eyes before Abby followed the men to Medical and their faces did all the talking. He was still mad. She was still mad. He was frustrated, she missed her daughter. She was asking him to do betterm and he really wanted to. Because for the first time in his entire career, he did not want to punish somebody for their crimes.

Actually, that wasn't quite true. He hadn't wanted to punish the victim of a malicious abuser twenty some years ago after she got caught aiding and abetting, so he didn't. He also didn't want to punish the wife of a traitor, so he didn't. Maybe he was always making an exception for her. Except, of course, when he tried to float their best doctor for saving a life. He would admit, that was an oversight on his part.

As he watched her go, Byrne's tense face came into view. "The knife's edge, sir," she hissed towards him, reminding Kane that their footing was precarious at best.

He felt torn between the two women. Almost like he had been when Diana Sydney tried to insist that she had no part in the Unity Day explosion. He wanted to reassure Abby that he was still on her side, that he was still a friend, but he had to admit, Byrne sounded right. Her option felt safer.

So, rather than take a chance on a loose cannon, he chose the broken clock. Because at least it was right two times a day. The loose canon could not be controlled nor predicted. And Kane would always choose the safer route.

"Take the prisoner inside," he grumbled before taking a look around the camp to ensure that nobody was still flying off the handle.

After taking a quick inventory of his people, he was satisfied knowing that Abby was working away in Medical and that his guards were heading towards the prison section. The rest of the people were back to work as usual.

On his way past, Kane placed a hand on the shoulder of one of his familiar guards. A tall man who had been sprouting a beard for the last few weeks.

“Lieutenant Garcia,” he said in a low voice, “I need you to assemble a post,” he squinted against the sun and gestured towards an open area on the grounds. “There at the centre.”

“A post?” Garcia shook his head in misunderstanding, “Sir, we have guards standing post just past the Medical tent. Isn’t that-”

“No,” Kane interjected calmly, “a standing post. Two of them.” He looked up at the guard, who was slowly understanding the request. “And you’ll need tethers,” Kane swallowed dryly, “one for each arm.”

Kane was still guilty, and he hadn't even done anything yet. Well, nothing except subconsciously make the big decision, of course. But he could hardly function he was so guilty. Because as unlikely as it was that Abby ever looked at him the way that she used to, or even started to think of him as somebody worth her time, he was not blind.

Just because he couldn't let himself believe that she held him dearer than others did not mean that he could not see the way that things had changed between them. The way that she looked at him first in a grand space of people. The way that she had actually almost started listening to him. Most monumental of all, the way that his Christian name had been the only thing passing by her lips since they landed on the ground. Even before then, he thought.

When they were at odds - for decades - she had addressed him primarily by his last name. Marcus was reserved only for drastic or emotionally charged moments. The latter was rare. Now, it was all he ever heard from her. Marcus this and Marcus that. Even when they were arguing.

Even when she was spewing venom from her tongue. Even when she meant to hurt him, she cushioned the blow with his first name. He wasn't stupid. He knew what that meant. He simply refused to believe it. He wondered if she would go on calling him by his name even after he forced himself to have her shock-lashed for the entire camp to see.

And as he tried to work with his guards and question the new grounder prisoner, was the sound of his own first name spoken by her voice that haunted his otherwise convoluted mind. Why did she call him Marcus? They had built an entire rivalry off of him calling her Kane, just like everybody else. The use of his first name was how he knew she was serious. How he could pinpoint a softer moment unfolding between them. Now, it left him confused. Now it seemed all-encompassing and he didn’t know whether to read into that or not. In fact, he had a feeling that between himself and Abby Griffin, things were more complicated than ever and only going to get worse.

Still, he couldn't ignore it. Gone were the days - decades - of addressing him by his last name, contributing to the Reign of Terror that made him who he was for so long. The distancing language. It was as though Abby had decided somewhere along the line that they were friends again, even if he had never asked her to be, even if he had never done anything to outwardly demonstrate it himself, Abby had decided.

And in fact, it hadn't been an absentminded decision. Though that part of her truly did still hate a small piece of him for everything that he'd done, she'd been thinking of Marcus more often than usual lately for a few reasons. Mainly, because he had saved her life. Accidentally, of course, but still. She had seen him undergo quite the transformation lately after the death of his mother, Diana Sydney's coup that killed so many of their friends, and his attempt to stay behind and save the rest of humanity. Abby knew that he was down on the ground in search of redemption, and she had to recognize that. Instead, she'd thrown it in his face. Some friend she was.

But it didn't feel like an impossible transformation. Abby didn't look at him and now feel as though she was staring at a stranger. Someone so vastly different than he had always been. She felt as though she was merely looking at a better version of the man that she'd known all her adult life. A warmer version. One that didn't make her fear for her life or send a chill up her spine. One that was not quite so eager to be ruthless.

And in fact, Abby quite admired who he was. At times, she could even look past the atrocities committed aboard the Ark because, who was she kidding? They had all done things that weren't morally sound. She had sent her own daughter among one hundred other unexpecting children to the ground on a whim knowing that the odds should have seen them all dead. Though she still didn't agree with Kane's decisions over the years, she could at least attempt to understand them now that they were behind them.

Now, he had saved her life. Them, David Miller, and Jacapo Sinclair were the last remaining of their old friends. She had spent years blaming Kane for Jake's death when it had been just as much her fault as hers and Jaha's. She had villainized him for doing what he thought was right. And even if it turned out that none of it had been right all along, at least he had learned his lesson. And he was changed because of it. She couldn't ignore the fact that he was trying. That he was a bit softer around the edges. Nor could she ignore the way that his softer side was often reserved for her.

Where they used to bicker and fight and offer one another no warmth whatsoever, there was now a pleasant, reassuring word. A bout of knowing eye contact. A warm hand on a shoulder or upper arm. She didn't know how, but she had gone from somebody that Marcus hated and tried to have killed at every opportunity, to somebody that he softened around. It felt like a miracle, but it did not erase anything between them.

Cursing beneath her breath while she did her best to save the gunshot victim, Abby tried to continue hating Kane. But instead, her mind wandered to his first name. The kind words that he had used lately. The way that they were both guilty of looking at each other a little too long these days. And the way that now instead of constantly opposing her, he stood firmly by her side. Even when he was making calls that he knew she wouldn't like, he stood by her side to do it. He was the chancellor now, but sometimes she felt as though he was supporting her. Maybe they were leaning on each other, that's what it was. Jaha was gone, they no longer had a council, all they had was each other in terms of leadership. No wonder they were leaning.

At least they were no longer at each other's throats. He had saved her life, and he was being relatively nice to her. Abby was too wary and awkward to even think about forming some kind of thank you or expressing her gratitude, her happiness that he was here with her, so instead, all she could offer him was her friendship. And even then, she couldn't outwardly express that. She just hoped that he could see the gratitude and friendship in her eyes when she looked at him. In her voice when she spoke to him. In the way that she now called him exclusively by his first name when everyone else still referred to him as Kane. Chancellor Kane, to be exact.

And he noticed. Of course he noticed. But old habits die hard and he was trying not to get his hopes up. Rekindling a friendship was one thing but there had always been more lurking beneath his and Abby's connection than mere platonic chemistry. And he didn't have the space for that in his life, even if she did - by some miracle - reciprocate his wary feelings.

But Kane noticed every time she treated him warmer than he thought he deserved. He convinced himself it didn't mean anything. That it was a "last person on Earth" type of situation. If Jaha was here, if Jake was here, if any of their other friends were here, Abby would not be by his side. He wasn't even sure that he would be by hers. But they had no other choice because they no longer had anyone else that they were familiar and relatively comfortable with. They were each other's only option.

That was what Kane was telling himself as he watched Abby remain almost glued to his hip and him to hers ever since landing on Earth. As he saw her looking at him first when they were in situations that required a careful thought. When she bit her tongue and let him take the lead before butting in with her own thoughts. He watched as she let him become her protector whether he meant to or not, and forced himself not to think anything of it.

Besides, he had much bigger things to worry about than how Abby was feeling about him. They were friends, nothing more, nothing less. That was the easiest answer that his mind could provide. Sure, he had allowed himself to look at her in a different light when he thought he wasn't going to live to see another day.

His subconscious had hallucinated her when he was suffering from hypoxia and she was, by all accounts, dead. There were thoughts in his head up on the Ark during those final days about her beauty, her kindness, her spirit, the way that things used to be between them and just how wrong he had been for so long. But he had left such notions behind as soon as he saw the sunlight.

Anything more than friendship was unthinkable. Abby was still a widow mourning her husband. The husband that he had killed, even If she had seemingly absolved him of that guilt and placed it upon her own shoulders. That would likely make her even further from moving on. Besides, him and Abby? They had always been incompatible, hadn't they? That was why they'd never pursued anything in the first place despite the option being there.

No, that wasn't quite right. Even he knew that. They never took things farther because he was hesitant. Scared to commit to somebody. Scared to fall in love. Scared that he might be making the wrong decision. Scared to bet it all on a former criminal who hadn't even confirmed her feelings for him.

And he'd been too late for all of it. Hell, she might've been the love of his life if he'd let himself pursue it, but he was too late. Because soon Jake swooped in and was confident in the ways that Kane was not. If he was ever disappointed about it, he never let it show nor even register within him. He merely moved on. That was when him and Abby became utterly incompatible.

Marcus was forty-two years old. He was too late to have a love of his life. He was too late to have children. Too late to start all over, even if the Earth was a new beginning. He was too late to make his life worth living, but not too late to make up for everything that he had done on the Ark. That was what he had to worry about, far more than whether or not he was still secretly attracted to an old flame. He couldn't even call her that. She was only ever a match of unstruck potential. Never a flame.

He had to redeem himself. He had to save his people. To bring the kids back to their parents. To keep them all alive. He had to be the chancellor. And chancellors had no time for romance. It was irresponsible. Abby would never look at him that way. He had done too much to her. He should be grateful that he was on the receiving end of her friendship, at the very least. And he was. So, he ignored whatever had transpired In his heart aboard the Ark. He convinced himself that he wasn't interested nor even attracted to her.

The ground was a fresh start indeed. And he couldn't take any of that with him. Not if he wanted to keep his eye on the prize - salvation. 

~~~

Abby had been expecting it. She didn't know where Kane was nor what was taking him so long. Maybe he was giving her enough time to try and save the gunshot victim. Gregory Bartlett. He was Tim’s father. A member of the hundred. father. She knew all the parents of the kids. And now, unfortunately, they would never be reunited.

"Jackson, find out if he has any family," she said solemnly despite knowing that Tim had been his only family.

Where was he? Abby thought to herself that surely Kane would have been by. Or at least have sent Byrne or another one of his minions. She saw the way that the camp was falling into chaos, she saw the familiar look in his eyes, the opportunity that had presented itself, and she also saw the way that Byrne was whispering in his ear, fanning sparks of unrest into fire. She didn't expect to spend another night in her own quarters. Or allowed to socialize with friends - not that there had been much time for any of that. She figured that Kane would have her on house arrest or, more likely, put her in lockup and only release her during the day if her medical expertise was needed. 

She hoped it made him feel like a powerful man. Arresting her, yet again. She hoped that it shook the camp back in line. She hoped that Marcus soon realizes that he did not need to be feared in order to be respected as a leader. 

Sure enough, as if on cue, Major Byrne came through the doors of the tent flanked by two other guards. Really? Abby thought to herself. Was she that much of a risk that Kane had to send three trained guards to accompany her to the prison section?

The tall woman looked at her severely. "You'll need to come with us, ma'am," she said, and Abby was reminded of Kane at his worst.

Never thinking about what his actions and words really meant. Never hesitating to make the next arrest, do things by the book. Abby didn't take it personally. In fact, she didn't mind Byrne. It was nice to see a woman on the guard, and she seemed convicted. Abby only hoped that beneath the uniform, there was a heart.

Abby wasn't surprised when Jackson came around and tried to intervene. He was her fiercest protector. He had been so when Kane was tracking her back on the Ark, and he was now that he was having her punished on the ground. But Abby already knew what was happening. She didn't agree with Kane's choice, but she understood it. And the fact that he couldn't bring himself to arrest her in the flesh or even say two words to her today past this morning told her that he wasn't altogether pleased with his decision either.

It would be easier to just get it over with. If he wanted to make a big show about locking her up and sentencing her to jailtime for the sake of maintaining order, she could live with that. She could work on him later. Insist that he let her out once the show was over. Perhaps that was why she held up a hand, stopped Jackson from intervening, and went with the guards easily and without reluctance.

Her eagerness to get this whole thing over and done with faded as soon as she saw what the guards were rigging up. In the centre of the camp. A flogging post. Two strong wooden pillars. That's when she remembered Kane's insistence on public punishment for the sake of deterrence in the Exodus Charter. The floggings. She had fought against those, and they'd agreed on shocklashing, hadn't they?

Her stomach sank and she began to feel sick. She wasn't headed for prison, she was headed for excruciating pain.

Abby was almost surprised to see Kane standing there smack dab in the middle of it all. He hadn't been able to bring himself to summon her in person, but he was going to stand there and stare at her while she was punished? A sinking feeling overtook Abby as she wondered momentarily if he was going to be the one doing the shocklashing. There would be no coming back from that.

He had spent the better part of the last hour steeling himself. Separating himself from his role. Separating Abby's heart from her body. It was going to be tough to stand idly by and watch her suffer when, ever since they'd been on the ground, his instincts were telling him to protect her. Even worse, he wasn't sure he could bring himself to make the call and command the shocklashings. All ten of them.

But now was no time for weakness. He wasn't altogether displeased that he had been affected by sentiment of late, but at the moment, it was incredibly inconvenient. He found himself wishing that he was as cold and unfeeling as he had been on the Ark when he sentenced her to death. Maybe this would be a hell of a lot easier.

Nonetheless, he stepped towards her as the guards brought Abby forth. Even he didn't know why he stood so damn close to her. This could have been done easily from afar. Maybe there was some masochistic part of him that wanted to be up close and personal with the betrayal in her eyes.

Abby gritted her teeth. "What is this?" She demanded in spite of herself.

Kane didn't dignify her with an answer. She was too smart to mistake what exactly this was.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Abby," he said in a low voice, and the worried woman spotted real remorse on his face.

Pain, even. As if he was the one lining up for the gallows. He squinted at her with furrowed brows, staring at her face as though he was all at once trying to make her a stranger, an enemy, and a dear friend. He paused momentarily to glance between her two brown eyes and take note of the fact that he had always likened them to Amber but out here in the sun, they were more akin to warm honey.

"But you left me no choice," he finished in a soft, pained voice.

Where had she heard that before? Given your confession, you leave me no choice. Up on the Ark, it had been uttered when Kane arrested and sentenced her to death for going over the allotted rations of blood and medicine in order to save Jaha's life. She had confessed to that crime too, just to spite him. Down here, she hadn't denied it because she didn't want to lie to him. Maybe they were changing after all.

Abby picked up on the genuine sadness in his voice and knew that this was not something he had decided to do on a whim. He had mulled it over, probably tried to get out of it, but ultimately knew that it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. With people freaking out and firing lethal bullets out of fear and a lack of control, even Abby knew that getting the camp under control was for the best. Kane was likely frustrated and relatively dejected that she was the one who had given him the opportunity to do so, but was too smart and pragmatic to let it pass him by. She was going to try not to take this one personally, and did not feel as though he needed another "we always have a choice," speech.

As he stared down at her, Abby's eyes never left his once. Much was said with that eye contact. Abby was disappointed and angry but underneath it all, she was terrified. She stared at him wide-eyed and fearful because she was scared. And Kane looked on sadly and with disappointment in his face, but his eyes read remorse and reassurance. His eyes read an apology that Abby was not yet sure she could accept. His eyes tried to promise her that it would be over soon and they would be better off for it.

"Abigail Griffin has confessed to aiding and abetting known criminals and trading in firearms," Byrne was saying loudly, announcing it to the entire camp and Kane and Abby still stood close before each other, looking into one another's eyes. "Under the laws set forth in the Exodus Charter of the Ark, she's been sentenced to ten lashes."

The crowd gasped. Even Abby wavered upon hearing the gravity of her punishments. One lash would do it. Two would be excessive. Ten? She wasn't sure that her body could handle that and she did not want to give Kane the satisfaction of passing out before her punishment was through. She wanted to show the camp that he was in charge, but they should still remain strong in doing what they thought was right. She wanted to keep her head up and her legs strong and she endured her punishment. She refused to be a martyr and if she was already going to be an example, she could at least decide what exactly she was exemplifying.

"You can't be serious," she breathed, still staring at Kane.

He swallowed dryly. He was, but he wished that he wasn't. Kane only hoped that she could read that on his face. 

"On your command, Chancellor Kane," Byrne was saying, giving him the power in front of the entire camp.

That was the point of this whole thing, wasn't it?

As the wind blew Abby's hair around her neck, he glanced down at her necklace. A simple chain that held Jake's wedding band near to her heart.

What would he think of this? Would he understand? Would he have tried to stop it? Kane's face and spirits fell further. If Jake was here, those kids would have been found days ago. Abby wouldn't have had to take matters into her own hands. Or at the very least, he would have been able to successfully reassure her that she did not need to. Jake always knew what to say to Abby. Kane wished that he could do the same - if for no other reason than to keep her at bay - but worried that he would never understand her the way that Jake did.

Glancing over at Byrne but once, Kane reluctantly stepped out of Abby's way, indicating that it was time to hook her up and make her regret her actions. Abby thought it altogether cruel that as he was stepping out of her way, he somehow managed to get even closer to her. To close that as she was ushered by, they nearly brushed. It was cruel because she would have much preferred to be comforted in this moment than marched off to her punishment. And it looked as though Kane almost wanted to comfort her. Was she crazy for thinking so? Or was she crazier for wishing that he would?

The whole camp could see Abby being as brave as humanly possible as she was tethered to the two posts. She didn't let the guards manhandle her, she moved on her own, she kept her chin up and an unafraid look on her face, but when her right wrist was clamped in - tighter than anticipated - she gasped and looked down at it, suddenly fearful. Kane felt something twist inside of him but knew that he too had to be brave. She was in a much worse position than he was. At the very least, he had to look her in the eye as he inflicted her punishment. It was the least that she deserved.

And even as Byrne went around to Abby's back and tore her shirt open from behind in order to reveal enough of her lower back as necessary, the restrained woman stared at the chancellor. Out of vengeance, perhaps. A red-hot fury that she wanted to convey as she stared at him. But also, because it often felt as though he was her only friend, and she could really use a friend in this moment.

"We don't have to do this down here," Abby was saying, but her voice fell upon deaf ears.

Major Byrne did not care what they did and did not have to do - nor what they should do - she cared about her orders. Following the law. Doing what the chancellor instructed her to. She wasn't heartless and she wouldn't have been able to do this if Abby was a loved one, but she was pragmatic.

Wondering if this was really happening, Abby continued to stare at Kane as Byrne readied her weapon. Abby heard the buzz of the machine and twisted her hands in order to get a firm grip on the tethers that were restraining her. She needed something to squeeze and would have preferred something to bite down on too. What would the grounders think if they heard her screams? That the people from the Sky tortured their own?

Once he knew that Abby had successfully braced herself, Kane heard his own hollow voice ring out. "Proceed," he said, but couldn't remember saying it. 

Abby thought she was going to be able to handle upwards of half her lashes. She hadn't expected it to hurt so bad. But she felt the shock through her entire body, right down to the enamel in her teeth. It made her brain feel as though it was seizing, her heart feel as though it had stopped, and her lungs feel as though they could not inflate. It took her breath, her strength, and her dignity all at once. And when it was over, she was only allowed mere seconds to recover before Kane's voice was requesting another shock.

She nearly fell after the second one. The tethers on her hands would not allow her to fall completely, but her legs could go limp, and she could stop holding herself up. She forced herself to get back up and meet Kane's sad eyes. She was growing angry. What right did he have to be sad? She was the one being publicly shocklashed and he was acting as though he was the one on the receiving end of the baton.

After the third lash, she really did fall. Her legs could no longer hold her up. Her head was threatening to go limp, and her lower body was already there. She hung by her arms and Kane watched helplessly as Abby Griffin fell. It was what they needed to see, but it hurt all the same. At that point, he had to look away.

Jackson was on the verge of tears, desperately restraining himself from running to her air and getting sentenced to a similar beating. Kane felt Abby's eyes on his as she picked up her head and continued to grab at her tethers for support, but he was too solemn to meet her eyes. He knew that he was a coward for it, but just couldn’t do it.

Was this really how he wanted to run things? Leaving a group of children to fend for themselves when for all they knew, the poor kids were being tortured? Disappointing their parents but telling them there was nothing that could be done when it just wasn't true? Shocklashing his closest friend because she was desperate to save the child that her chancellor was actively abandoning? The rest of the camp wanting to reach out and help but now scared for their own lives as the law bound them to silence? Did Kane really want his Reign of Terror to continue down here on the ground?

Abby lost consciousness at lash six and Kane decided that enough was enough. She was in and out, but no longer holding herself up, not grabbing the tethers, not her body was twitching with pain. She had learned her lesson and the point was conveyed. He did not feel as though killing her was necessary.

"Sir," it was Jackson's sullen little voice that had Kane blinking away his own pain, "please," he begged under his breath.

The chancellor swallowed. "That's enough, Major Byrne," he said, holding up a hand and stepping towards the scene.

Byrne blinked. "Sir," she interjected, obviously in disagreement, "she's only had six lashes."

"I know," he said with a nod, almost desperate to get Abby off those posts but keeping his voice level and certain as he spoke in front of the camp. "The point's been made."

Abby was not conscious enough to know what was happening. She heard voices but not frantic ones. It sounded like Kane, but she couldn't make out his words nor focus her eyes enough to catch a glimpse of him. She did know that her lashes had stopped. She had only counted about six or seven but wondered if she had been unconscious for more and forgotten. That would be lucky.

The Major shook her head defiantly. "Sir, the Exodus Charter st-"

"I know what it says, Major Byrne," he said more forceful now but careful not to overstep but he had written that portion of the charter. "I don't intend on killing her for the sake of ten lashes."

They all looked over at her. When writing the charter, the ten lashes were based on the stereotypical profile of a criminal. A strong, dangerous, large man or woman. Usually brutish, usually with more meat on their bones. Usually more well built. Abby was from Factory Station. She was a woman who would never see one hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. She was thin, she was small, and she was more physically fragile than she would ever admit. Ten lashes might honestly kill her, and Kane only intended on punishing her. He had to imagined that his point had been received and then some.

Dropping her hand, Major Byrne gave him a sharp look. "On the Ark-"

"We're not on the Ark," he snapped, shutting the woman down.

She meant well but, in this moment, came off as misguided. No punishment should be unduly cruel or unreasonable. Abby had been shocklashed over and over again until she lost consciousness. That was good enough.

"Dr. Jackson," he barked backwards, gesturing with his head for the young man to approach the scene, "get her down from there."

That was all the direction that the boy needed. In an instant, he was removing Abby's small wrists from the tethers and helping her stand. She was still fading in and out but conscious enough to know that she didn't want the entire camp to see her wounded. With that in mind, she used the very last of her strength to use Jackson's help and walk herself to Medical, but she was unable to keep her head up and her chin strong while doing so.

"Byrne," Kane continued, making a point not to watch as Abby limped away, "you're with me."

Interrogating that prisoner was the best way Kane could think of to get his mind off of the torture that he had just inflicted. But as soon as the flogging was over, everyone went back to their posts. There was no anarchy, no chaos, no running around, nobody grabbing at guns, and not as much fear. Now, they knew how powerful Chancellor Kane was. They were confident that him and his guards were well equipped to protect them so long as they did their jobs.

Back at Medical, Jackson hadn't bothered cleaning Abby up. She passed out as soon as they got into the tent. Not due to exhaustion, but from pain. Her body had suffered something that it was not prepared for, and the pain of the immediate injury was too much for her to handle without morphine or another strong painkiller. So, she slept. She slept in a blacked-out state of half-pain half -pleasure until her body would decide that it was okay to wake up.

Meanwhile, Kane was getting nowhere with his prisoner. Exhausted, guilty, emotionally wrought, he had sat back and let his Major take the lead on interrogations, but she wasn't very good at it.

"Answer the question," she was saying, sneering in the face of the grounder man who had seemingly taken a vow of silence.

Kane had questioned Clarke and Bellamy thoroughly back when there was a live transmission between the Ark and the ground. In terms of grounders, he felt as though he knew what to expect from them as a people. He suspected that they all spoke English but pleading ignorance was a good way to avoid getting tortured for information. Still, he wasn't about to torture an innocent person anyways. If this grounder had attacked, then maybe. But he was a prisoner of war. If he didn't want to talk, he didn't have to. And Kane wasn't going to make him.

He watched tiredly as Byrne repeated herself before taking out her gun and pointing it at the man who still did not flinch. The chancellor was irritated. He had done something inexcusable this morning to a close friend of his and it was taking its toll. It had been necessary but still an emotional experience for him. He wasn't yet used to those. Now they had a grounder who refused to acknowledge their existence and a Major who was holding on to her humanity by a thread.

"Holster that weapon," he demanded in a sharp voice.

Byrne narrowed her eyes at the prisoner. "Those men you killed were my men," she said.

Kane understood. Finding those three guards crucified to that tree was difficult on all of them, himself included. But Byrne worked closely with them. She took the attack personally. And even if this particular grounder man had nothing to do with it, she was still going to blame him as a symbol of his people. That was precisely how innocent civilians became casualties of war.

"I said stand down," Kane stood from his seat, speaking to his Major, "now."

With a sigh and a glance at her chancellor, Major Byrne finally put her weapon away.

Kane moved towards her. "You get some air," he demanded coldly, "that's an order."

It was defiant the way that she looked at him then, keeping her chin up as she moved past him. Kane nearly scoffed. Did every woman at camp have to treat him that way? Obeyed but only conditionally. In line until he made a call that they disagreed with. He dreaded a day when Abby and Byrne somehow teamed up against him but figured that it would never come. Those women were as different as night and day.

Alone with the prisoner, Kane felt his head begin to spin. What was the right way through this? What did he need to do? If the grounders had the children, he needed to figure out a way to get them back while spilling as little blood as possible. He also wanted to live in peace with the grounders. He did not want either race wiping one another out. He supposed that in order to accomplish both goals, he would need to talk to whoever was in charge of the grounders. 

"We can't keep this up and hope to survive," he said beneath his breath, as though he was addressing the grounder but really just as a means of having his thoughts turned into words. 

He paced back to his chair, wracking his brain for the right way to go about this. Now that the camp was in line, he could leave for a real mission without feeling as though they were going to fall apart without him. But they would still need leadership.

Byrne would stay behind. She had been raffled by the grounder attack, but she obeyed orders. She remained principled and disciplined. She would need to stay here and keep everyone in line. So, he would take some guards of his own and...what? Head out into the woods in hopes that they find grounder headquarters, whatever that may be? They would wind up lost and dead by the elements.

"There's got to be a better way," Kane added quietly.

They needed a guide. And though he very likely wouldn't be a willing one, they had this man right here in the cell. A grounder who would know what to do. And if they were led into a trap, then at least they might get a good look at whoever ruled their tribe of people. With any luck, they would be understanding and open to diplomacy. Kane's years of debate and council meetings had prepared him to face off against just about any adversary. He knew that he had to be the man to make the trip. Besides, he wouldn't ask anyone else to put themselves at risk like that.

So that was the plan. Take some guards and head out. Byrne would watch over camp. No, that wasn't good enough. He would not allow Camp Jaha to become a police state. That was the best way to lose control entirely. Even though the guards had guns, the people were more plentiful. They needed somebody to look to during this time. A chancellor. But he couldn't be in two places at once.

What did the people need most in terms of leadership? Somebody emotionally strong. Somebody unwavering. Somebody who understood them. Somebody willing to do anything to protect their people. And how did he avoid people from uprising against their new chancellor - considering there, once again, would be no vote? He wasn't sure.

Diana Sydney was voted in for her promises but fell out of favour for her radical ways. Jaha had his ideas but people grew despondent with his authority. Kane himself was respected in reputation but feared, sparking unhappiness. So, what did those three leaders lack? What were they missing?

Hope. He settled on hope. Perhaps that was what they needed right now more than anything. Hope that his mission would be successful, hope that a peace agreement could be reached, hope that the children would come home. Hope had gotten them to the ground, and it was hope that they needed with them in order to survive here.

And that word was only synonymous with one person.

~~~

Kane paced outside of Medical. Would he even be welcome there? Much like showing his face in Section 17 after the culling, would his presence only make things worse?

He didn't necessarily care about upsetting Abby at this point. He figured that she couldn't get much madder. That was only the excuse he used because he was not yet ready to see her. Anger he could deal with. Betrayal was digestible. Hurt? He only hoped that she did not display it.

He was surprised upon entering that tent. He had been with the prisoner for upwards of half an hour and Abby was only just now sitting up on a table as Jackson tended to the wounds on her lower back. She sat rigidly, wincing her way through his prodding. But as surprising as the timing proved to be, the way that Abby softened her voice and immediately dismissed Jackson was even more shocking.

In fact, she had been expecting him. When Jackson's hands stopped moving, she cast a glance over her shoulder to find the boy looking straight ahead at something. When she followed his gaze, Abby realized that something was somebody and the chancellor was here. Earlier than she expected.

Kane wondered how Abby was feeling as Jackson shot him a look - like a protective dog - before taking his leave. He had expected Abby to allow her apprentice to rip into him or at least give him the cold shoulder. He expected to be turned away or at least met with fury. But Abby just looked tired. Tired and willing to hear him out, or so it seemed.

But the man looked reticent and underneath it all, Abby knew why he had done it. Order was imperative. They could not achieve peace without it. She only wished that she hadn't been the collateral damage in achieving that order, but she supposed that she did deserve it. In truth, she was only offended by it because she didn't think that Kane would do that to her. But upon reflection, she found nothing but a fool inside of herself. Kane had nearly killed her on the Ark. He sentenced her to death, he locked her up, he didn't flinch when she was nearly floated due to his charges. Why would he hesitate to shocklash her?

Marcus Kane upheld the law, no matter what position he was in. That was the man that Abby had almost always known. She'd only seen him make exceptions on rare occasions and she never expected them. Why did she expect one made for her now? If anything, it confirmed that despite him warming to her, he did not feel a certain way for her. Their friendship was shallow and rooted in necessity and convenience. Now, she never wanted him to look at her differently, but it was painfully clear now that he did not.

"So," Abby surprised him by being the first to speak, "did it work?"

Looking up at her expectantly, Kane realized that he did not know what she meant. Once again, he had been expecting something different. A "how could you do that to me," or even a "did that make you feel like a man?" Something bitter and hateful. Something that he could store inside him and use to create distance between them.

"Is the rest of the camp back in line?"

Now, Kane understood. What had he been telling himself all day? She was an intelligent woman. Of course she understood in part why he did what he did. Kane only wished that she could see all of it. 

Struggling to meet her eyes, Kane realized what she thought. That he needed a way to exercise his power and get everybody back in line. She was a handy opportunity. At its core, that was the case.

But there was so much more to it than that. It hadn't been an easy thing for him to decide. He hadn't immediately decided upon her confession that she would be shocklashed. He hadn't wanted to do it nor jumped at the opportunity, even if he'd asked for it.

Why? Because it was her. He wouldn't have hesitated if it were anybody else. That was the past that he wished she could see but didn't know how to express without sounding strange. Without compromising the fragile state of their friendship.

"This wasn't something I..." he began, looking down and sighing when he realized that he wouldn't be able to explain how he truly felt without overstepping, "...I considered lightly."

That was the best that he could do.

Abby let out a sigh herself. He sounded truthful. She had seen the sadness on his face. Maybe she wasn't foolish for thinking that he would hesitate. Maybe he had hesitated, she just hadn't seen it. She was good at leaving him without a choice, after all.

"You don't have to justify yourself," she said quickly before he could say something that really hurt her.

She didn't want to know. If he didn't care, she didn't want to know. Maybe it was easier to go on connecting themselves through politics and necessity rather than connection. Maybe they didn't need a friendship. He had certainly never wanted one before.

Furrowing his brow, Kane had a feeling that she still did not understand. That she still could not see how difficult this was for him. Or maybe she could see that it was difficult, but she certainly could not see why. He wanted to explain to her that he cared. Hell, he cared a lot. She was perhaps the only one down here on the ground that he truly cared about beyond professional and legal obligation. 

"I broke the rules," Abby continued pragmatically, "and I accept the consequences."

Kane met her eyes. Her tone was colder than necessary, but he realized now that whatever they had been building was now crumbling. Maybe a little distance was necessary after all. In that case, Abby was going to love what he would eventually tell her.

"But you can lash me a hundred times and I am still gonna do whatever it takes to find those kids," she said strongly, leaving no room for uncertainty in her statement. "My kid."

Kane's face twitched. "I know that," he revealed, looking down at his hands.

Abby's own eyes fell downwards as she fixated on the ground. "Then I guess we're done here," she said coldly, lowering herself off the table while stifling a wince.

She paced around in search of something to busy her hands with. Kane tried not to allow his eyes to wander to her wounds now that her back was to him.

Kane had to wonder what she expected from him now. An apology? Another lecture? A warning that he wasn't afraid to lash her again if she kept acting out? No, he was here with a white flag and a remorseful look on his face, even if he couldn't bring himself to say sorry. She'd seen the apology in his eyes since before the lashing even took place. He didn't need to say it, and she wouldn't have accepted it from him anyways, based on her current tone.

"I'm leading a mission to bring them back," he revealed, throwing the announcement into the air between them.

Abby stopped. Her hands stilled, her eyes looked up from the downturned position they'd been in, but she kept her back to him and winced. It would have been easier if he was here to once again declare them public enemies. It would hurt, but she could handle it. She couldn't handle the confusion that now came with realizing that after everything, he was listening to her. Giving her what she wanted. And putting himself on the frontline of it all.

"This won't be a..." slowly, he began walking towards her, "...bunch of kids looking to stir up a fight," Kane explained in a soft voice reserved only for her these days, "but a diplomatic mission to make contact with the grounder's commander and negotiate for peace."

Abby gritted her teeth. It was exactly what she wanted. So, why did she now feel as though she should be arguing with him?

"I'm taking the grounder prisoner with me to guide the way," he finished.

Pursing her lips, Abby knew that she couldn't keep this up forever. She couldn't pretend to hate him for lashing her. She couldn't pretend to still be mad at him for not going after the kids sooner. He was doing the best that he could, and she had been immature for being upset that he wasn't prioritizing her wishes. It wasn't fair to hold that against the chancellor of an entire people.

"Marcus, he could be leading you into a trap," she said quickly, taking Kane by surprise.

He arched an eyebrow, unable to stifle his shock. He had expected her to turn around and wish him luck, to tell him not to bother coming back without those children. He hadn't expected her to now suddenly try to talk him out of it just because it was dangerous. He realized yet again why this woman confused him but knew there was no time to try and figure out where her sudden hesitation came from. Nor why she was still calling him by his first name with a sigh, as If allowing a facade to crack.

What he did not see was that Abby rolled her eyes as she spoke, irritated with herself. She'd begged him to go after the kids, broken the law in order to send out an unauthorized search party of felons, been shock-lashed over it, and now she was trying to dissuade him against heading back out into the fray and doing exactly what she wanted him to.

Why? In spite of herself, that's why. Because she cared about him. Because she did not want to lose him too.

Smiling weakly, Marcus saw some of this. He knew that she didn't mean to care about him, but she must. "Perhaps," he responded, "but..." Kane trailed off momentarily, looking down at whatever was in his hands, "...it'll give us a chance."

Finally, Abby turned around to face him. She wasn't sure what to say. Was a thank you now altogether inappropriate?

Thank you, I'm sorry, and I love you. Three things people on the Ark had never been good at saying. At least the third sentiment had a way to work around it with "may we meet again." The other two could be conveyed only through the look in their eyes.

"I did hear you," Kane added in a voice barely above a whisper, staring her dead in the eyes, wishing he could say more, "you know."

Abby had no time to get sentimental. No time to wish she had done things differently.

Clenching her jaw, she looked up at him. "Then I'll go with you," she said sternly, stepping towards him.

"No," Kane responded quickly, giving a surprised, breathy laugh as he glanced down momentarily before back up at her, "no, you're needed here at camp."

He wasn't surprised by her insistence on going with him. Of course she would want to. This was Abby Griffin he was dealing with. Very few things would keep her at that camp and away from the mission that was meant to rescue her daughter. Like, perhaps, the weight of responsibility towards her entire people. It wasn't fair to trap her that way, but Kane couldn't have her on that mission. He didn't trust her, and he didn't want to risk her. Not only that, but she was the only one who could properly lead the people in his absence.

"Jackson can handle Medical," she said flippantly, unsure where his hesitation was coming from.

He had to know that she would want to be a part of the rescue mission. Or diplomacy with the grounders, for that matter. Nobody plead a case better than a worried mother.

"It's not just your medical expertise that'll be required," Kane revealed slowly, making Abby feel as though he knew something she didn't. "I need to know that while I'm away, you'll set a good example for our people."

Abby could have laughed. She understood what he meant - she was the only council-adjacent member left. The people respected her as a chief officer and would look to her while Kane was gone. But she hadn't been doing a very good job of leading by example lately and the chancellor knew that well.

"If you do this," Abby breathed, "I'll be a model citizen."

Kane stared at her, realizing that she thought he was just asking her to mind her manners while he was gone. No, there was much more to it than that.

"I need you to be more than that," he said in a level voice, continuing to stare, "I need you to be chancellor."

Setting the pin down on the table, he glanced at her, wondering how she was taking this heavy request. Abby stared down at that pin. She did not want it. In fact, if there had been a campaign and an election when they got to the ground, she wouldn't have run. She had her hands full enough being a doctor and a mother. Abby knew that she was perhaps the only person that Kane trusted to do it - she never thought she'd believe that - but she did not want this honour. It was more of a burden than anything.

Gazing up into Kane's eyes, she realized that perhaps he never wanted it either. After all the bickering and the fighting for power on board the Ark, neither one of them wanted to be the chancellor in the end. But somebody had to do it. Kane had his turn, and now it was time for her to step up to the plate.

It felt wrong. Her taking his job while he went off to find her daughter. Like they really should have traded tasks. But he was the best person for the job in terms of the search party. He was a trained marksman and an experienced diplomat. Abby was a doctor with a sharp tongue and a defensive side. Great on the council but not so much at a table full of strangers holding her daughter hostage. She would only grow nervous and desperate.

"Please, Abby," Kane lowered his voice upon realizing based on the look on her face that she did not want to bear the burden of the chancellor's pin. "For your people."

It was only fair. He was doing her an immense favour by going after Clarke. And if this was the price she had to pay in order to get her daughter back, then she'd have to grin and bear it. If he was going to go out on a limb, she'd have to do the same.

"Marcus..." she said with a sigh, letting her tone do all the talking.

Standing up straighter, Kane looked her in the eye and tried to convey his seriousness. "The camp needs a chancellor," he said in a heavy tone, "the people need you to do this. I need you to do this.”

Taking in a deep breath, Abby winced upon feeling the pain on her skin near her lower back. "I should be with you while you look for the kids," she tried to insist, but Marcus was already shaking his head.

"I trust you to wear this pin while I'm gone," he began, "you're going to have to trust me to get the kids back."

Abby's eyes darted up to him. She supposed that was fair. They simply weren't used to trusting each other. They had warmed, they'd been friendlier than in the past, but trust wasn't really dallied in. Now, their arms were both twisted. It was either trust or fall. Neither one had a choice.

"Okay," was all Abby said.

When Marcus headed out with his search party later that afternoon, Abby had to wonder why they didn't wait until morning and leave at first light. They'd cover more ground that way. Maybe he was so desperate to leave this place that he didn't even consider it. She'd seen the look on his face when he was lashing her. Even if she had already forgiven him for it, he'd never forgive himself. Abby only hoped that he did not carry the weight of that for too long. A while, but not too long.

He caught her eye, turning back somewhere near the gate to gaze over the camp that he had built. It wasn't much, but one day it might just thrive. And maybe once he returned, they wouldn't even need the fence. But he didn't look around the camp, because as soon as he turned back his eyes settled on one person. Abby. Standing at the centre of it all, her long hair tumbling down her shoulders as if it was begging to be let out of the clip holding It back and fly free in the gusts of wind that were coming and going. She was already looking at him.

They hadn't said goodbye. He hadn't said sorry. She hadn't said thank you. But right now, as they stared at each other, they were saying "may we meet again." They both heard that despite it never being uttered.

And Abby truly hoped that they would meet again but was too logical not to wonder if this might be the last time she ever saw the man. She didn't know what the grounder's commander would be like. Maybe they were told to kill on sight. Maybe the prisoner responsible for leading the party was going to walk them right into a trap that secured their doom. Abby did not know.

But just as she knew that Marcus had to head out into the fray and bring the kids back, she had to stay put and worry about her people. Their people.