Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For as long as I could remember I dreamt of the Earth. More specifically, what it looked like, how it smelled, and the kinds of animals that lived there.

Countless times I have caught myself trying to imagine the feeling of sand between my toes as I stand on the shore of a beach, feeling drops of rain hit my face as I look out into the distance at a rainbow. I try to think of what the ground would smell like after a storm. But most of all, I try to imagine what it feels like to have the heat of the sun on my face as I lay in a field of wildflowers and tall grass.

Earth, that's the dream.

Only a dream.

Unfortunately, my reality was a small metal cell I have been confined to for the past year, arrested for a crime I didn’t commit, on a 100 year old space station barely keeping afloat.

After Earth was destroyed 97 years ago by hundreds of nuclear bombs, the only survivors of the human race were aboard 12 different space stations that came together to form one large colony called the Ark. However, today there is only Mecha, Factory, Alpha and Farm station left.

Each station is responsible for a certain contribution to the Ark. Mecha Station has all the engineers and mechanics. They take care of the Ark and make sure it keeps running. Factory station creates things for us. They provide the Ark with clothing and blankets and other material things.

Alpha station is where the council lives along with the guards and the Chancoller. Lastly, Farm station, where I’m from, are responsible for all the food, growing exactly what is needed for the residents of the Ark to survive.
Due to the amount of resources that need to be rationed, each family is only allowed a single child and any crime no matter how small is punishable by death, unless you are under the age of 18.

The youngest of the Arks criminals were kept here, in what we call the SkyBox until our 18th birthday. Then our crimes are reviewed by the Chancellor to determine if we should be allowed back into society or executed for our crimes. Sadly, very few get happy endings.

Laying on the hard surface of my bed, I watched out the window as we slowly passed the blue planet known as Earth. With a sigh I closed my eyes and, for what seemed like the millionth time, I imagined myself on the ground looking up at the sky.

My father's favorite thing about Earth, he would tell me, was the different kinds of flowers and the colors of them. When I was little he would take me to the library and read stories about the Earth before the bombs and how beautiful it was. Before he died, all my father wanted was to see it, only once. He was the only person I knew who wanted to visit Earth more than my best friend Jace and I did. Only neither Jace nor my father would ever get the chance. None of us would as we were told the Earth needed another 100 years before it could be considered survivable again.

Choking back tears at the memory of my best friend and father, I pulled myself into a ball trying to push them to the back of my mind. But it was no use as Earth reminded me so much of the both of them.

Jace and I had been close since birth. Our fathers were best friends growing up, and we were born only a few days a part so we were raised practically as siblings. We had always dreamed of going to Earth together and having a picnic by a lake. We got the idea from a movie we once saw at one of the few movie nights Farm Station would have when we were younger.

I missed Jace just as much as I missed my father. Watching Earth as we passed made me feel closer to them, it made me feel safe.

The sudden screaming coming from outside my cell, pulled me out of my thoughts. Sitting up quickly, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up hesitantly. Walking over to the door, I reached out to try and pull on the handle when it opened suddenly, revealing two large men in guard uniforms.

These men I recognized as York and Harrison, two guards that would often take me to and from the cafeteria when it was time to eat. Due to me being the youngest of the prisoners and my small size I had to be escorted to keep me safe from the other prisoners.

Gregory York was Jace's father, so I knew him very well. He was the taller of the two guards by an inch or so. His hair was blond and neatly cut around the ears and he had blue eyes that were considered pretty rare on the Ark.

Kagan Harrison was the complete opposite, with short black graying hair and big brown eyes that complimented his dark skin. He was shorter than York, despite being older.

"Prisoner 138, face the wall," York ordered harshly. This tone wasn't like him at all, he was usually calm and very kind to me, Harrison was the harsh one.
Not wanting to cause any issues, I did as told, turning my back to the guards staring at the wall.

"What's going on?" I asked, turning my head slightly to look over my shoulder.

York grabbed my wrist and lightly twisted it around my back. Tiny needles pricked my skin causing a small shock to run through my arm as he attached something to me. Jumping back slightly, I cradled my wrist against my chest.

"What is this?" I questioned, looking at the metal wristband that was now attached to me.

Harrison grabbed my upper arm and pulled me toward the door, much harder than he needed, before pushing me ahead of them with so much force I tripped over my own feet. Luckily, I caught myself on the railing that was right outside my door to keep me upright.

The sight in front of me made my entire body freeze. The SkyBox was three floors high with the center of the room completely open. All the calls were located on the outer edges, creating a square on each floor. My cell was on the top floor of the SkyBox, making it so I was able to look over the railing of the balcony at all the floors below me.

I watched as prisoners were being pushed and shoved out of their cells and down the long halls, doing everything they could to fight back. My heart was pounding against my chest as I gripped the railing with all the strength I had.

"Come on Ariella," York said calmly, placing a gentle hand on my back, but his voice sounded distant and echoed.

My palms were sweating and I couldn't control my breathing. What are they doing? I thought to myself as I gripped the railing so hard my knuckles turned white. My body was shaking as Harrison pried my hands from the railing.

They're killing us, I thought to myself. They are gathering us all up and killing us, why else would they do this? I tried to calm myself but it was no use, I was already so worked up. I’m not ready to die.

Pulling my arm out of Harrison’s grip, I yelled "Get off me!" Almost hitting the older guard in the process.

York grabbed my shoulders, turning my body, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Ariella, you have to listen to me," he said calmly, bending down to my level. "Where you are going is beautiful, okay? You're going to be fine, I promise. But every day will be harder than the last. I’m not going to be able to protect you, you have to learn to do that on your own okay? Stay alive Ariella, I don't care how you do it but stay alive. You're smart and you’re fast, you know how to climb. Use your skills to your advantage. I'll be watching you." Continuing to sob, Harrison grabbed me and pulled me away from York almost effortlessly.

"Let me go!" I screamed, using all my strength to try and get out of his hold. Fighting until I felt a slight sting in my neck my vision slowly dotted with black spots and my legs couldn't hold me up anymore. The last thing I remember is hitting the ground.
When I came to, I had a killer headache to greet me as my body shook and I slammed my head back against a hard chair. Squeezing my eyes shut, I reached up to hold the back of my head as I winced in pain.

"Are you okay?" a voice from beside me asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just…” I trailed off, finally able to take in my surroundings. Panic began to consume me once again as I realized that I, along with the other underage prisoners, were loaded onto some type of ship.

My eyes shot in every direction, trying to make sense of what was happening before I started pulling on the straps that kept me hostage in my seat. The buckle wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard I pulled. I was trapped.

The voice from beside me spoke again. "Hey, hey, it's alright, calm down." A hand on my shoulder caused me to jump, my head snapping to the right of me as I immediately swatted them away.

The hand belonged to a boy with shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes. A pair of goggles were strapped on top of his head. "Woah.” He put his hands up in defense. “Are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard."

Reaching up to hold the back of my head, I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Names Jasper," he introduced with a smile.

"Ariella," I replied, quietly, looking around the small space again.

The boy named Jasper lifted a brow as he shook his head. "Ariella is a mouthful, I'm just gonna call you Ari, that okay?" he asked, but I didn’t really care.

My thoughts were still running wild.

"Wh-where am I?" I asked. “What's going on?”

A boy sitting on the other side of Jasper leaned forward as much as he could to see me. He had long black hair that swept over his forehead and dark brown eyes in the shape of almonds, he couldn't have been older than 15. "You don't know?" he asked and I shook my head.

"Rumor has it we're going to Earth." Jasper smiled.

Shaking my head again, I said, "No, no earth isn't going to be ready for another 100 years." I stated more like a question. This can’t be.

"Apparently not," the boy with almond eyes mumbled.

Jasper looked me up and down, staring at my face the longest, with a confused expression. "How old are you, kid?" he questioned.

"Twelve," I answered, making both Jasper and the boy next to him look shocked.

"What the hell did a 12-year-old do to get locked up?"

Before I could answer, I was cut off by a loud crash and the ship shaking for the second time causing me to scream. Suddenly, TV screens lit up around us with Chancellor Jaha’s face, playing a video message explaining how since we are criminals we were expendable and that's why we were chosen to go to Earth.

"Your dad's a dick Wells!" someone yelled as the chancellor continued to speak on the screen.

Wells Jaha? I looked around the small space and sure enough there was the Chancellor’s son sitting next to a blonde girl.

What the hell did the son of the chancellor do to get locked up? I guess this shows just how much of a prick the chancellor is, sending his own son to be a test subject in an experiment that would most likely kill him.

Taking a deep breath, I watched as a boy around Jasper's age cut himself out of his seat and began floating around the ship. People laughed and cheered him on.

"Spacewalker strikes again!" someone yelled.

A year ago there had been talk about a boy who was locked up for taking an illegal spacewalk and wasting a month of oxygen when it went wrong.

As everyone laughed, the blonde girl sitting next to Wells shouted at the spacewalker to sit back down as two more kids followed suit, cutting out of their seats. Their joy was short-lived as another crash shook the ship violently, throwing the three floating kids against the wall before they slammed onto the ground.

Sparks flew around the small ship, as the lights flickered on and off due to the trembling ship. My head slammed against the back of my seat for the second time when we crashed. I hadn’t even registered that the ship came to a still as pain rushed through my head again.

"You okay?" Jasper asked. I nodded slowly, holding my head as I waited for the pain to go away.

The guy next to Jasper spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen over the teens. "Listen...no machine hum."

"Woah that's a first," Jasper commented.

The seatbelts automatically unbuckled, allowing us to finally get out of our seats. Unsure of what to do really, I stood up and looked around for any kind of direction when Jasper pulled on my arm to follow him.

"The outer doors on the main level," someone yelled, causing everyone else to rush the ladder, past the two dead bodies of the boys who had tried to float around the ship. The impact of the crash had killed them.

Climbing down to the first floor, the blonde yelled for the teens to wait but no one listened.

At the bottom of the ladder, a tall man with dark hair wearing a guard's uniform was urging everyone to back up, away from the door that led out. The guard went to reach for the lever to open said door but the blonde stopped him.

"Stop, the air could be toxic!" she said, climbing down from the ladder.

"If the air is toxic we're all dead anyway," the guard sassed, turning to pull the lever again but was stopped a second time. This time by a different girl.

"Bellamy?" she questioned. The girl had the same dark brown hair and facial features of the guard. Pushing her way through the crowd, she stopped in front of the man assumed to be Bellamy.

He looked down at her with a smile before pulling her against his chest. "Wow, look how big you've gotten." He smirked.

As the two continued to talk between each other a tall boy pushed in front of me, blocking my view. Standing on my toes, I tried to see over everyone but being short came with many negatives.

"Do you mind, I haven't seen my brother in a year," the girl snapped at the blonde who had made some comment I didn't quite hear.

"No one has a brother!" the kid in front of me yelled over the crowd.

"That's Octavia Blake, the girl they found hidden under the floor!" someone else yelled.
The girl, Octavia, lunged at the crowd but her brother held her back.

It was true. Octavia Blake was an illegal second child who had been hidden for over 16 years. The longest to ever be. Looking over to Jasper, who was still standing beside me, I chuckled lightly as his mouth hung wide open in awe at the girl.

"Stop drooling," I teased, elbowing him lightly. He wiped his mouth and smiled down at me.

The door to the dropship suddenly opened and a gust of wind blew at all of us.
Due to the bright light filling the space, most of the teens had to shield their eyes, allowing them to adjust. The smell filled the dropship next. It was clean and fresh and real.

This is it, we're either going to die or we're actually going to see Earth.

Earth... the place I have been dreaming of every night for the past 12 years. The place my father wanted so desperately to visit, I was going to see. I was actually going to experience it. My heart began to race as I lowered my arm getting a view of Earth for the first time. I couldn't even think, I was so excited and overwhelmed that I froze for a moment taking in the smell of the air and the view of the forest around us.

The girl, with the chocolate brown hair known as Octavia, slowly walked out of the dropship, waiting at the end of the ramp for a moment before jumping to the ground.
Everyone went quiet, holding their breath as we waited patiently.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Octavia let out an excited scream. "We're back bitches!" Everyone cheered, pushing past each other as they ran out of the dropship door in excitement.

This was real. We were on Earth. I couldn't help the smile on my face as I made my way down the ramp. Around me was the most beautiful scenery I had ever laid my eyes on. Never in my life had I seen so much green.

The trees were just how I pictured, only much taller and the air, oh the air smelt so clean and crisp unlike the heavy filtered oxygen on the Ark. No, this air was so light, I could breathe easily.

The colors of the leaves and flowers around me were so mesmerizing that I could barely keep my eyes off them as I finally made it to the end of the ramp. Closing my eyes, I looked up at the sky and allowed the heat of the sun to warm my face as I took in a deep breath, smiling. I somehow managed to get the courage to put my left foot on the ground waiting a moment before jumping off onto the green grass, chuckling to myself.

I'm on Earth... I'm actually on Earth! I giggled with excitement as I took it all in. I had no idea what to do first. Should I find a river and collect water? Should I make a shelter for myself? Maybe I should try and find some food.

Shaking my head, I pushed back all thoughts of survival to just enjoy this moment. We weren’t dead, we were very much alive and on Earth!

Deciding to explore, I slowly made my way around the area in which the dropship landed, making sure to take a mental picture of everything I saw so I would know my way back.

Turning to the left of me I noticed a small patch of purple flowers growing on a rock covered in vines and moss. They were violets I believe. I had read about these once in a book my father gave me when I was about Six.

Walking over to the small patch, I picked one from the vine and brought it to my nose, inhaling the floral scent. It smelt just as I’d imagined it. Slowly knelling down, I felt the ground below me. It was soft and damp, almost like it had rained the day before. I had to pinch myself so I knew I wasn't dreaming.

The sound of yelling pulled me out of my thoughts. Looking over my shoulder, I watched as everyone gathered by the dropship surrounding what I assumed to be a fight. This was a normal scene in the SkyBox when two prisoners disagreed. Nothing out of the ordinary but I had just assumed the fighting would take a back seat for the time being.

Getting up from my spot, I walked over, curious to see what was going on. On the Ark, whenever a fight would break out I was always whisked away ‘for my protection’ before it ever got too serious. Trying to push through the crowd of criminals was no use as they were all bigger and stronger than me and looking over their shoulders clearly wasn’t going to work.

Letting out a huff, I looked around for a moment, trying to find another path, thinking if I could just get high enough I would be able to be my noisy self and see what was going on. That's when my eyes landed on a tree a few yards away with low branches.

“You know how to climb.” York’s voice played in my head.

He was right. On the Ark, to escape the wrath of my mother, I would crawl through vents and air shafts and after a few years, I got pretty good at it. So I scaled the branches of the tree until I was high enough to see over the sea of criminals.

Wells Jaha, the son of the Chancellor, and John Murphy, a boy I've known almost my whole life, were fighting.

Murphy kicked Wells' leg out from under him, causing the boy to fall to the ground hard.

What was the council thinking sending a bunch of teenage boys to the ground? Did they not realize they would kill each other before we let them know the ground is survivable?

Despite the limp in Wells' step, he pulled himself up from the ground, ready to fight again. Before Murphy could land another hit the Spacewalker kid jumped down from the dropship, landing between the two, stopping the fight much to the dismay of everyone else.

The bossy blonde, whose name I found out later to be Clarke Griffin, helped lean Wells against a tree when the crowd dispersed.

After climbing down from the tree, I made my way over to where Clarke had put Wells and stood close enough to hear them but not close enough to where they would notice me lurking.

Wells, Clarke, and Spacewalker talked about our food supply and someplace called Mount Weather. They were debating over Clarke and Spacewalker finding the place on their own and bringing back food instead of all 100 teens going.

"How are you two going to carry enough food for 100?" Wells asked.

Spacewalker looked over his shoulder, finding Jasper and his friend. Grabbing the two and pulling them over. "Can we go now?" he asked.

"Sounds like a party, make it 5," Octavia said walking over, despite her brother's protests.

This is my chance to explore more, to get out there. "Can I come too?" I asked, cringing at how small my voice sounded.

The group all stopped talking as their eyes landed on me before looking between each other, not knowing how to answer.

Spacewalker was the first to say, "Look kid, it's probably best if you stayed here."

"I agree with Finn,” Clarke said, brushing off some dirt on her pants as she stood. “We don't know what's out there and you could get hurt. It’s no place for a little girl.”

Rolling my eyes, I asked again, this time more stern. "Please, let me come."

"Look Ari, why don’t you find something to do here" Jasper suggested, looking down at me with an unsure expression. “I get that you want you to come but I hate to point out that you are small and if something happens you can’t really defend yourself.”

I frowned and crossed my arms, not liking the answer.

"Let's go," Clarke ordered and they agreed, walking past me without a second look.

Chapter Text

Hours had passed since the group left and I was still annoyed at how they treated me like a child. They left me surrounded by criminals who did god knows what in order to get locked up. I probably would have been safer with them then I was here.

The sun had set about an hour ago and I had done my fair share of exploring, making sure not to wander too far from the dropship. The hunger was starting to set in along with the exhaustion from the excitement of the day. They didn’t feed us much in the SkyBox but on Earth there seemed to be no food. Leaning against a tree, I rubbed my stomach with a sigh as it growled loudly.

Listening to the sound of what I assumed to be crickets chirping and the loud yelling of teenagers by the fire that had been lit was my only source of entertainment. Rubbing my hands together I tried to generate some kind of heat as wind blew around me but despite how tightly I held my jacket to my body, I was still freezing.

Heat from the flames of the fire was sure to keep me warm but going towards the firs meant, going towards the group of teenagers. After much debate with myself, I finally worked up the courage to make my way over.

When I got there, I scanned the group of teens until I met the gaze of the guard from earlier, Bellamy Blake. Everyone cheered as he threw a girl's wristband into the fire after he pried it off.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I watched the process. Bellamy or Murphy, it didn't matter who, would pick a kid from the crowd, bring them into the center of the circle and pry off the metal wristband that the guards put on us, then they would throw it into the fire and everyone would cheer.

It wasn’t long before John Murphy was scanning the crowd, looking for his next victim, but I had no idea it would be me. When his eyes landed on mine, my heart rate instantly increased. With a smirk on his lips, he made his way over to me. "What do you say, Ariella? How about we take care of that wristband of yours?" he asked, pointing to my arm.

I've known John Murphy practically my whole life as his mother used to babysit me when I was younger before she died. The John I knew was a happy and carefree kid, but after his father died he became cold and angry and he always seemed to be up to no good.

All eyes were on me now as everyone waited for my answer but all I could hear in my head on repeat was York's voice saying, "Stay alive Ariella, I don't care how you do it but stay alive. I’ll be watching."

I remember the way York said those words to me, he was almost pleading for me to stay safe. He said he would be watching, but how? The only way I could think of was through the wristbands. Looking down at the metal around my small wrist. Something in my gut was telling me not to take it off, if I kept it on then York would know I'm safe.

I look up at John and meet his gaze before shaking my head. "No, I'm good, thank you."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really want to keep that on? It's a reminder of the Ark and what the council did to us. Hell, they locked you up for a crime you didn't even commit." I opened my mouth to speak but he continued. "Come on Ariella, you really expect everyone here to think that a kid like you actually did something wrong?" Leaning down to my height, he whispered, "Don't forget I've known you for a long time kid, I know you would never steal anything. So that and the fact that the council obviously saw those bruises that you tried so hard to hide and didn't say a thing, how can you not be mad at them? How could you not want to get rid of everything that reminds you of that horrible place?"

My voice was caught in my throat. The fact that he knew everything about my past, put me on edge. I didn't want anyone else to know, I never wanted anyone to know. This was going to be my fresh start. I looked down at my wrist thinking, before looking back up at John. I didn't want York to think I was dead, he was the only one watching out for me.

Again I shook my head. “I’m good, thanks.” I turned to walk away but John grabbed my arm and held onto it so tight, I knew it was going to leave a bruise.

“I’m not asking." To be honest, John Murphy terrified me. After his father died he turned into this very cold and violent person. Once when his mother was looking after me he cut my hair. For no reason. Ripping my arm away from his hold, I sent him a glare.

“If I take this off, you have to act like you never met me before, like you have no idea who I am."

John sighed, looking over his shoulder at Bellamy who was still waiting, watching. "You got yourself a deal." He pulled me towards the center of the circle, holding onto me tighter than I would have liked. "Alright Bellamy, we have another volunteer. What's your name kid?"

Glaring at him I began to say, "Ariella-" but I stopped myself, deciding to go with a much simpler name, "Ari. My name is Ari," I told Murphy as I walked into the circle to where Bellamy was.

Every ounce of my body was screaming at me not to do this, not to let them take my wristband off but I was terrified of what John Murphy may do if I didn’t.

The tall man with curly brown hair looked down at me with an amused grin. "How old are you, kid?"

"I'm twelve and I'm not a kid," I said bluntly. Trying to stand up straight to make myself appear taller.

Bellamy nodded with a smile. "Alright then." He knelt down beside a rock and I followed his motions, placing my arm down. "So what did a kid-" I sent him a glare before he continued, "A young girl," he corrected, "like you do in order to get locked up?" he asked, placing the long piece of metal between my wrist and bracelet.

"I guess that's the fun part about this situation, trying to figure out what everyone did." I shrugged.

Shaking his head with a smirk, Bellamy began to dig the piece of metal into my wrist, pinching my skin and I winced in pain. It took a few more seconds but my wristband finally snapped off as everyone cheered. Holding my arm to my chest, I let out a huff, that is definitely going to leave a bruise.

Just then Wells Jaha came storming over to Bellamy, obviously angry. Most of the other criminals rolled their eyes as he began to yell about how stupid we were being.

"You think this is a game?! You break those off and the Ark will think you're dead!" Wells yelled, causing my stomach to knot with anxiety. I knew that was how York was watching me, I knew the wristband told him if I was alive or not and now he's going to think I'm dead. What the hell have I done?

"That's the whole point genius," Bellamy sassed, walking over to Wells. "Down here we do whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want. Now you don't have to agree with it. You can try and stop it, try to stop me, even kill me. You know why? Whatever the hell you want." His signature smirk danced across his face as he spoke.

The phrase was catchy which is why Murphy began to chant it, throwing his fist in the air, "Whatever the hell we want!" Soon others joined in chanting along with him. Looking around me, my hands shook with fear. If this was who would be leading us to safety, leading the rest of the Ark to the ground, we were all screwed.

The chanting died out as drops of water began to fall from the sky. Confused, I looked up and more small drops hit my face. Rain.

It wasn't long till the drops of water were pouring down from the sky, drenching us. I never felt rain before, none of us had, so it wasn't much of a surprise when everyone began to jump around in excitement.

Letting the cold water hit my face, I opened my mouth, trying to catch the drops as I hadn’t had any water all day. Putting my arms out, I laughed as I spun in the rain.
This was it. This was Earth. God my father would have loved this.

With rain came mud and my white boots had turned almost completely brown as I made my way into the dropship for cover. With the fire out, there was almost nothing to provide any of us with warmth. I climbed the ladder all the way to the top floor, huddling in an unclaimed corner before peeling off my jacket and laying it out to dry. I never realized how uncomfortable wearing wet clothing would be.

The floor was freezing on my back. Despite hating the place with every fiber of my being, I was starting to miss my bed in the SkyBox because at least it was warm. I was beyond tired and drained from the day but I knew I still wasn’t going to be able to sleep much.

The excitement and adrenaline was still flowing through my veins. It still felt like a dream. I was here on Earth. I lived. Never in my life had I felt this happy and terrified at the same time.

The next morning, I woke up suddenly. My body shaking and dripping in sweat from the terror that filled my dreams every night. It was a normal occurrence I found myself facing every since I was arrested.

With a sigh, I pulled my elastic out of my hair and ran my hand through the knotted mess before tying it back again into a braid.

My clothes were still damp but I pulled on my jacket anyways and made my way outside just as the sun was settling in the sky.

Outside the teenage delinquents were running around and messing with each other, pushing and shoving. Seemingly almost no one had slept. Taking in the morning air, I wrapped my arms around myself. It was chillier than I had expected it to be and the ground was wet from the rain storm the night before.

Taking a seat on a log in front of a barely lit fire, I added some sticks to the flames but they had been too wet to actually light. I had never really been a morning person, but I supposed that was because I almost never got a good amount of sleep but right now, it was peaceful being one of the first few to be awake.

Next to me on the long was a tiny long green insect. I lowered my finger and allowed it to inch onto my pointer finger and crawl around my hand. For a second I had almost forgotten about everything going on around me.

I forgot about Wells and Murphy's constant fighting, I forgot that we were stuck on the ground with no food or water and no way to contact the Ark and I forgot I was surrounded by a bunch of teenage criminals who were locked up for who knows what. I was able to just focus on the beauty that the Earth brought.

"Wells!" I heard Clarke call from the woods as she and Finn ran out of the tree line, while Octavia, who was very badly injured with three large gashes on the side of her leg, limped leaning onto Monty for support. Once Bellamy saw his sister, he instantly ran to her side. What the hell happened to them?

I looked over the four teenagers again, realizing that someone was missing, Jasper was missing.

"We were attacked," Clarke explained as I stood from the log.

My heart sank and a bad feeling began to form in the pit of my stomach as she spoke further about the ground, how everything we thought we knew was wrong. There were people living here, people who had survived the bombs.

Panic spread across the crowd of teens and everyone started talking all at once asking questions no one had answers too. Myself included.

I tried asking about Jasper but each time I was just yelled over, till finally I mustered up the courage to scream.

"Where is Jasper?!" I was finally loud enough for everyone to hear.

Clarke turned to look down at me, her blue eyes filled with guilt. "Jasper was hit, they took him. But, we're going back out to find him," she explained. My eyes shot to the ground and I stuck my hands into my pockets.

Chaos broke out again and everyone was yelling. Clarke and Monty ignored them and began walking away from the crowd.

Quickly, I followed behind. "Hey. I'm going with you guys to find Jasper," I said.
Clarke turned to me. "No, like I said yesterday it's too dangerous, especially now that we know about the grounders."

"You can't stop me," I said, crossing my arms.

The blonde rolled her eyes at me. "Just stay here," she ordered, turning around, leaving me in her tracks.

With a huff, I continued to follow a few feet behind anyway, waiting against a tree for Clarke and whoever else was going on the adventure to find Jasper. I was not giving up that easily, I was going with them whether they liked it or not. I couldn’t just sit around waiting for something to happen anymore. Plus who put Clarke in charge of me?

After a bit of waiting, Clarke, Wells, Bellamy, and Murphy all began walking down the path where I was hiding, waiting for the perfect moment before revealing myself.
"I'm coming too," I stated, making them all turn to me.

Clarke let out an annoyed sigh, shaking her head. "No, you're not," she said, walking past me, followed by Wells and Murphy.

"Why don't you go find some dolls to play with, kid," The oldest Blake teased before also making his way past me.

I took a deep breath, turning to them, practically stomping my foot. "Whatever the hell I want," I said, knowing I would get Bellamy's attention.

He stopped in his tracks, turning around to face me with his signature smirk dancing across his face. "Alright then Kid, let's go," he said and I let out a breath of relief.

Clarke rolled her eyes and started walking really fast ahead of us.

"Hey, what's the rush? No one could survive a spear through the heart anyway," Bellamy voiced, pulling his gun out from his pants and waving it around a bit.

"Why don't you put the gun down," Wells snapped.

"Why don't you do something about it." Murphy chuckled as he pushed Wells backwards. Starting yet another argument. I let out a sigh. This is going to take a while.

"Jasper screamed when they moved him,” the blond corrected. “If the spear struck his heart he would have died instantly. It doesn't mean we have time to waste."

Clarke turned to continue walking but Bellamy grabbed her wrist, pulling her so that she was facing him. "As soon as you take this wristband off we can go."

Sending a glare at his, Clarke snapped her arm away. "The only way the Ark will think I'm dead is if I'm actually dead," she spat.

The older Blake chuckled, looking over all of us before turning back to the blonde. "Brave princess," he teased.

"Why don't you find your own nickname," Finn said, coming out of nowhere as he walked up to us. "You call this a rescue party. You have to split up to cover more ground. Clarke, come with me." And just like that the two of them were gone, just walked off without a second thought.

Realizing if I didn't follow them, I would have to deal with Murphy and Wells' constant fighting, I quickly followed behind without anyone noticing.

Climbing up a close-by tree, I used the branches to move around, hopping from one tree to the other. Once the two stopped I sat above them listening to their conversation closely.

"I've been thinking about Mount Weather," Finn began, "How come they didn't attack till Jasper crossed the river?" I rolled my eyes, climbing down from my spot and dropping to the ground with a thump.

They both jumped in fright, turning to me. "They waited for you to cross first. The river's a boundary," I said, turning my back to them and walking ahead. "Which means Mount Weather’s off limits," I finished.

"You have to stop doing that," Clarke scolded walking behind me. "How are we going to get those supplies? What are we gonna do for food?" she asked Finn. They followed behind me for a little bit until we came across a beautiful waterfall that flows right into a lake.

"At least we don't have to worry about water," Clarke commented and walked over to the edge with Finn to get some water to drink.

I stayed on land and watched the two. I never was a big fan of water, to drink was fine, but on the Ark, we were only allowed three showers a week in order to preserve it for drinking and growing up I had a fear that the drain would suck me up and spit me into the endless darkness of space.

Finn jumped in the lake area and pulled Clarke in after him. I smiled as they splashed each other and just acted like teenagers. I had a feeling that with everything that has already happened, we weren't going to have a lot of time to just be normal kids anymore so whenever we could, it was nice.

I took a seat on a rock with a sigh, a slight smile on my face as I watched the two, but that smile quickly faded as I turned my head to see on the rock next to me was a splatter of blood.

Chapter Text

"Clarke! Finn!" I yelled standing up from the rock. They both quickly ran out of the water, worried something had happened.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked as I pointed to the rock.

Both their eyes widened. "Look," Clarke said, picking up the same pair of goggles that Jasper was wearing on the dropship. "Jasper was here."

Finn reached down and touched the puddle of blood that sat on the rock. It was still wet. "We're close."

Taking a deep breath, I took off ahead of them, looking around for a tree I may be able to climb and quickly stumbled up it. Once on a steady branch, I took a moment to catch my breath and think about my next move. Analyzing where I would go next.

"Damn it, Ari, where'd you go!" Clarke yelled, but I ignored her, staying up in the trees, climbing through the branches.

"Hey, where is the kid?" Bellamy asked once everyone's paths aligned again.

"Somewhere in the trees," Finn answered out of breath from the running.

A loud shriek of pain caused me to jump into action. Dropping down from the tree, I rushed towards the direction the scream came from.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Murphy asked.

Pushing a large branch to the side, my body froze at the sight before me. Jasper had been tied to a tree with a large gash on his chest. He was dirty and injured and clearly scared.

"Ari, wait!" Clarke yelled with a groan. The rest stopped behind me and looked up at Jasper. "What the hell?"

Once the initial shock wore off, I took a step forward to make my way towards the tree but my foot fell right through a pile of leaves and sticks that had been hiding a huge hole in the ground. Luckily I thought fast and gripped onto a tree root that was coming out of the ground and held onto it with all the strength I had so I didn't fall into the pit below me.

"Ari!" someone screamed. I wasn't sure who, as all my mind could focus on where the sharp rocks and sticks at the bottom of the pit that had already been covered with blood. My heart raced and my palms were sweaty. The tree root cracked under my weight and I slipped further down with a scream.

"Get her out of there!"

I hung tight to the branch for a few seconds until the root broke and I started to fall. Flailing my arms up, I tried to feel for anything I could grab onto that would keep me from falling while I screamed the loudest I could. At the very last second, I felt someone grab on my wrist and pull me up, holding me against their body. My heart was racing out of my chest as I stared down at the pit and what my fate could have been.

"Are you okay?" Clarke asked. I nodded my head and looked up at Bellamy who was still holding onto me. "We need to get Jasper down," Clarke said, turning to the boy.

Dusting off my pants I nodded. "I'll climb up there and cut the vines," I said and started walking closer to the tree before anyone could protest.

"No, wait, Ari," Finn said, trying to stop me, but I kept walking, ignoring him.

The tree was easy to climb, the branches were perfect. For me at least, Finn had some trouble as he made his way up to the other side of Jasper. I started to cut the vines with a knife Finn handed me.

"Hurry up, Ari." Murphy rushed.

"But be careful," Clarke added as I rolled my eyes.

A growling sound from the other side of the tree made Finn and I freeze and glance at each other before looking back down at the other.

"What the hell was that?" Finn asked.

"Grounders?" Bellamy questioned, but when I turned my head to look behind me I saw what looks to be some kind of animal crawling in the high grass.

"Bellamy, gun!" Clarke yelled as the black cat-like creature showed itself. When Bellamy went to grab the gun it wasn't on his belt anymore.

The animal pounced and went for Bellamy's head but luckily Wells pulled out the gun and shot the thing just in time, leaving it dead. We were all a bit shaken up now and Finn and I started to cut the vines faster until Jasper was free. Finn carefully lowered him down the tree to safety.

We put him in the Parachute that Wells brought so they could lift him. Wells and Finn carried the boy, trying their best not to hurt him while Murphy and Bellamy carried the animal back to camp for us to eat.

It was dark when we returned to camp, if you could even call it that, as the trip took a few hours of walking. Clarke began listing all the stuff she would need to help Jasper as if we just had it all at the ready. The Ark barely provided us with a first aid kit, let alone anything for a surgery.

But we followed her into the dropship anyways while Wells and Finn carried Jasper to the top level where he would be safe and Clarke could look after him.

Turns out, Clarke's mother was Abby Griffin, the Ark’s main doctor. So Clarke was able to learn a thing or two about helping people who are sick or wounded.

Sitting in the corner of the room, I watched as Clarke checked over Jasper’s wounds. My heart ached with every painful groan the boy let out. The only thing I could hear over the sound of Jasper’s moans was the ache of my stomach as it growled in hunger. Thinking that Bellamy had to have cooked that animal by now, I made my way outside to where I was shocked at the sight before me.

Bellamy wasn’t allowing anyone to eat unless they removed their bracelets. Hunger was a great motivation to get what you want. Why the hell was Bellamy so against the Ark? Isn’t he a guard?

Shaking my head, I walked over to the food and grabbed two sticks, going practically unnoticed before going back to the dropship and up the ladder to where Monty was and I handed him one of the sticks of meat, knowing he wouldn’t leave Jasper's side for anything.

"Thanks," he said and took a bite of the chewy meat. His face screeched up, making me chuckle.

"Yeah, I know it sucks." I chuckled, making him smile for a split second. “So how do you know Jasper?” I asked, taking a bite of the disgusting meat.

Monty thought for a moment before explaining, “We met when we were like six. This kid, Mason King had stolen the book I was reading and started to rip it up and Jasper came over acting all tough and tried getting him to give me my book back.”

“Did he?”

Monty shook his head with a chuckle. “This kid was three times our size. As soon as Jasper stepped in the kid beat us both up.”

“Oh my god, were you guys okay?”

“Yeah, Jasper got a black eye and I got a few bruises but after that, we became inseparable.” I smiled at his story, their friendship reminded me much of the one I had with Jace, he was always standing up for me.

It was late into the night when Clarke climbed up to the floor and Jasper was moaning really loud from the pain. Making her way over to him, Clarke grabbed his wrist, gently. "His pulse is 380,” she said looking down at her watch.

"Yo shut that kid up!" someone from the first level yelled.

I sighed and walked over to Jasper, kneeling beside him. "Don't listen to them, you're gonna make it through this. Promise." I whispered

"Can he just die already!" someone else yelled. I rolled my eyes, crossing my legs.

"I'm gonna get clean water, keep an eye on him." Clarke explained, getting up and climbing down the ladder.

Monty nodded his head and crawled next to Jasper. "Hey, you should get some sleep,” he told me but I shook my head.

"I'm good."

Monty smirked, shaking his head. "Why are you doing this for Jasper?" he asked.

"Because."

"Because why? There has to be a reason."

I shrugged. "He was the first person to be nice to me since we got to the ground, and I just feel like I owe it to him.” Monty nodded, not pushing the question any further.

Clarke came back a little while later with the water and cleaned Jasper's chest some more. It wasn’t until my eyelids fluttered on their own, that I decided I probably should get some sleep and walked over to the other side of the room and leaned on the wall, taking my jacket off and using it as a blanket. I lied there for a while, watching as Clarke worked on Jasper until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.

-

"No, no. No!" I screamed, shooting up fast. A hand on my shoulder caused me to jump and back against the wall.

"Hey, hey it's okay." Clarke retracted her hands, kneeling in front of me with a concerned expression. I let out a groan and dropped my head in my hands, annoyed at myself for waking her up.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” I apologized, not daring to look her in the eyes.

"Hey, it's okay," she said softly. "Are you all right?" Nodding, I wiped away the few stray tears. "Want to talk about it?"

I pulled my knees to my chest and let out a sigh. "I don’t usually remember my dreams, just the panic. But I know they’re always about my mom," I started to say but my voice cracked, "She, she uh..." The words refused to come out as I dropped my head onto my knees, as my lip trembled. "I always see her in my dreams.”

Clarke looked sad for me and I hated that. Putting her arm around my shoulder, Clarke tried to comfort me and I tried not to pull away from her touch, but my body tensed on its own. "It's okay," she assured softly. "Your mothers in a better place now. You're okay."

Clarke hadn’t understood what I was trying to say. My mother wasn't dead. No matter how badly I wanted her to be, she wasn't. "How about you get some rest?”

I nodded and laid back down on the cold floor, using my arm to rest my head, but sleep never returned to me.

The next morning I sat with Monty and helped him try and make a radio to contact the Ark. Before I was arrested I happened to be pretty good at building things and I was already learning so much from Monty.

"The grounders cauterized the wound. Saved his life," Clarke explained, sitting back on her heels, sounding both confused and shocked at the same time.

"Saved his life so that they can string him up as live bait," Finn finished walking over to her.

"His wound is infected, could be septic." Looking over at Clarke I stared at Jasper's pale body. He was only getting worse. "Any progress on using the wristbands on contacting the Ark? Monty?" Clarke asked again.

"No. We haven't figured out anything," I answered for him as the boy was staring at his injured best friend.

Wells came up to the floor and started talking to Clarke and Monty and I went back to the radio.

"Want to help, hold him down," Clarke said, aggravated with Wells. My head shot up and I looked over as Clarke put a knife in the fire pit.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Monty asked, his face draining of color, almost like he was going to be sick.

Wells did as told and put his body weight on Jasper's chest, trying to hold him still as Clarke used the hot blade to cut away at his skin. He screamed at the top of his lungs from the pain as Monty and I cringed. Octavia was quick to climb the ladder, her eyes filled with concern. "Hold him still," Clarke said. "I need to cut away the infected flesh."
"Stop it, you're killing him!" Octavia screamed, kneeling down beside Jasper.

The scene was making my stomach turn and I had to get out of there before I was sick. Holding my hand to my mouth I rushed to the ladder and quickly made my way outside, leaning against a tree as I gasped for fresh air. The smell of burning flesh was not going to leave my nose anytime soon, however.

Letting the cool breeze hit my face, I allowed my body to rest for a few minutes before walking through the camp. That's when I noticed a girl about my age, maybe older, sitting alone by a tree, looking down at her hands.

How had I not noticed a girl my age before now? Quickly I walked over and sat next to her.

"Hi, my name is Ari," I said smiling.

She was startled for a moment before smiling back. "I'm Charlotte."

"Why are you sitting here alone?" I asked.

"I don't-I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’m just hanging out I guess.”

“Oh…well mind if I hang out with you?”

Her smile grew wider as she nodded. “Yeah, yeah of course you can.”

“Come here, let me show you something.” I grabbed her hand and the two of us walked over to the tree I climbed the first day on the ground. “Can you climb?” I asked. She nodded and the two of us made our way up the tall tree to a steady branch.

"Wow, you can see the whole camp from up here,” Charlotte gasped at the sight.
"Yeah it's pretty cool, right."

Sitting next to each other in the tree was like we were miles away from the chaos down below. We talked for what felt like hours, learning about each other and telling the other stories about our lives.

Charlotte told me the story of how she had been arrested. Both of her parents had passed away leaving her alone. When the council came to collect their things to the distribution center, Charlotte couldn’t handle it and had a meltdown, accidentally assaulting a guard in the process.

“Wow Charlotte…I’m so sorry.”

She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “What can you do?”

I opened my mouth to say something else when I noticed Clarke walking out of the dropship, going one way with Finn and Wells, while Bellamy went another way with a group of people following him.

"Hey, I'm going to follow them, want to come?" I asked Charlotte. She shrugged and gave a nod. The two of us climbed through the branches following Bellamy and his group outside of camp and as they tracked a wild pig.

"This one's mine," Bellamy said, flipping an ax in the air and getting close to the pig.

I began to climb down the tree watching them, but my foot slipped making me lose my grip and drop down to the ground, causing a lot of noise. I took in a sharp breath as Bellamy threw the ax right next to my face.

Chapter Text

"Damn it, Ari. I almost killed you," Bellamy spat, removing the ax from the tree trunk it was wedged in. "Why aren't you back at camp?" he asked.

"I didn't want to be there anymore, I got bored," I explained with a shrug as Charlotte climbed down the tree slowly.

Bell looked at the small blonde and then back to me. "Great, you dragged someone else with you?"

"There are grounders out here, it's too dangerous for little girls," Atom, a boy with green eyes and short brown hair said looking down at Charlotte and me.

"We're not little," I spat, glaring up at him, standing my ground.

Bellamy’s signature smirk danced across his freckled face as the oldest Blake looked between Atom and me. "Okay then, but you can't hunt without weapons," Bellamy said, pulling a small makeshift knife from his back pocket, and holding it out to me. I bit the side of my cheek, looking down at the knife in his hand. "Ever killed something before?" he asked. I shook my head, not taking my eyes off the knife. "Who knows maybe you'll be good at it."

I slowly reached for the knife, glancing at Charlotte as I did so. Gripping the handle tightly, following Bellamy as he went to catch up to the others in his group who were chasing the pig. Every few minutes I would look over my shoulder, making sure Charlotte was right there behind me and she always was.

-

After a little while of walking and getting to know more about the only other criminal my age, the forest suddenly became unsettlingly quiet as everything seemed to stop. Charlotte and I slowed to a stop as we noticed there were suddenly no insects chirping, no small animals running around, and creepiest of all, there was no wind whatsoever.

The yelping and screeching of a flock of birds flying above us broke the quiet atmosphere and added to the weirdness of it all. The pig we had been following was long gone.

Turning my head up to the sky, we watched as the group of birds flapped their wings against the hard wind, a dark orange-colored fog followed close behind. It looked thick and deadly and was coming right in across our path.

"Bellamy!" I yelled to get his attention. He whipped around to face our direction. Seeing the fog in front of us, all the color in his face drained.

A loud bellowing sound of a horn made us all jump in fear, frantically looking around to try and find where it was coming from. "Is that a warning?" Atom asked as the fog got closer.

My hands started to shake and my breathing only increased as the panic set in. My feet wouldn’t move, despite Bellamy and Charlotte calling my name. All I could do was stare until a pair of hands grabbed my shoulder and forced me to look at the freckled face of Bellamy Blake.

“Come on Kid, we have to go!” he yelled, pulling my arm and snapping me out of my trance as we started to run. "Come on, there are caves up ahead," Bellamy explained. My short legs could barely keep up with him but I did the best I could. Somewhere in the chaos we had lost Atom and the other but Bellamy pushed Charlotte and I up a hill, keeping us in front of him until we ran inside the first cave we saw.

Bellamy waited by the entrance, looking for any signs that would tell him the other were okay, but sadly none came and as the fog got closer, he was forced to retreat into the cave with us.

Leaning against the wall, my chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. Running was not something I was used to. Charlotte gasped from beside me, putting a hand to her chest.

With a grunt, Bellamy dropped to the ground and ran his hands through his curls.

It was silent for a while as none of us spoke, not really sure what to say. Trying to wait out the fog was taking forever as it didn’t seem to end. With no one speaking the time only dragged on, until Bellamy muttered something about trying to make a fire.

But the cave was too damp and there was little to no wood to be seen and we were back to sitting in silence. An uncontrollable shiver ran through me as a gust of wind passed by giving me goosebumps.

"Oh uh here." Bellamy began, pulling off his jacket.

"Oh no, you don't have to," I tried to protest but he hung his jacket off my shoulders anyways. The fabric came down to my knees and I had to roll the sleeve a few times before I was able to see my hands again.

After another hour or so in silence, I couldn’t take the boredom anymore and began pacing back and forth to keep myself busy. Charlotte had fallen asleep but Bellamy and I were still wide awake.

"Can you please stop pacing?" The oldest Blake asked, a little annoyed after a few minutes of my back and forth.

“Oh uh…I-i’m sorry,” I apologized, playing with my hands to keep me busy as I sat down again, not making any eye contact.

He let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "It's fine, it's just, it's getting late. Shouldn't you be getting to sleep like her?" He pointed to Charlotte who was laid on the uncomfortable rock, her eyes closed as she slept.

I shrugged, pulling the large jack off me and draping it over the sleeping girl. "I don't sleep much," I explained before sitting back down next to Bellamy. "You aren't a guard are you?" He looked down at me, confused. "It's just, you came down with us in the dropship dressed as a guard yet you seem to hate the Ark and everyone on it. I don't think a guard would be that hostile towards the people who he's employed by."

He took his time thinking about how to respond. "It's a complicated situation."

"So you are a guard?"

"No," he shook his head, "I'm not a guard. I snuck on the ship so I could be with Octavia, so I could make sure she's okay."

I nodded. "Well, you're a great brother," I confessed. “It's nice that you look out for Octavia. I never really had that.” Something in his eyes shined for a split second before it went away almost as quickly as it came.

“What about your parents?”

I shook my head and he seemed to understand that I didn’t want to talk about it much. My stomach growled, aching for food that I hadn't eaten in about a day. I chuckled to try and play it off, as my cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

Bellamy looked down at his ax, picking at the wooden handle. "You should get some sleep." I nodded, lying on the ground, using my arm as a pillow, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

It took me a while but eventually, I was able to fall into the darkness of sleep that didn’t last long due to the curse of my nightmares.

Shooting up from my position on the hard ground, I gasped for air, gripping at my throat as it felt like someone had a tight grip on it. Continuing to crouch, I turned my body until I was on my hands and knees.

Bellamy’s brown eyes came into a line of vision. Concern written all over his face.
"Hey, Ari, calm down, it was just a bad dream," Bell said calmly and gently, placing his hand on my back. Still barely able to breath, I tried to shrug his hand off.

When I was in this state, the last thing I wanted was a pair of hands on me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as Bellamy looked helpless in front of me.

"I-I'm sorry," I sobbed, once I was able to breathe again. Leaning back against the wall, I pulled my knees to my chest, sniffling.

"Does that happen often?” Bellamy asked and I gave him a nod, keeping my eyes closed tight. "What are you scared of?"

Letting out a shaky breath, I didn’t dare tell him the truth. “You know what, it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you do about it." I slowly opened my eyes to look at him as he rested his arm on my knee. For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t immediately cower away from the touch.

"B-but I'm asleep, how can I do anything if I'm asleep?" I asked, lifting my head up a bit.

"Fears are fears.” Bellamy shrugged. “If you slay your demons when you're awake, they won't be there to get you when you're asleep."

"Yeah, but how am I supposed to 'slay demons' when my only demon is gone," I asked.

"You can't afford to be weak, not anymore. Down here weakness is death, fear is death," he made it a point to look me right in the eyes. "Now whenever you feel scared or worried, I want you to close your eyes tight and tell yourself that you're not afraid." I gave him a reassuring nod as he waited for me to do as told.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes tight. "I'm not afraid," I stated before opening my eyes again. He lifted a brow slightly, giving a look that told me he knew I could do better. "I am not afraid," I said this time with more force and power in my voice.

He smiled proudly. "Slay your demons kid," he said smirking, "Then you'll be able to sleep." I nodded, giving him a weak smile.

The guy who had been known for his harsh behavior and rudeness towards the other prisoners put his arm around me gently in order to comfort me. The last thing I thought I would be doing was resting my head in the lap of Bellamy Blake.

Unknown to the two of us, the girl who we thought was fast asleep was actually wide awake and listening to our whole conversation. Had we known she was awake, Bellamy could have explained the idea behind slaying your demons more, and the events of the following days may not have occurred as they did.

-

The next morning I woke up to the sun shining into the dark cave, filling it with light. Rubbing my eyes, I let out a yawn as Bellamy walked over to Charlotte and I.

"The fog cleared up. Come on, we have to find the others and get back to camp" he said. Following his lead, I pulled myself up and adjusted my jacket. "Anybody out here!?" Bellamy yelled, pausing at the entrance of the cave, keeping Charlotte and I behind him for a moment. My eyes adjusted to the bright light as Bellamy called out to the other prisoners. "Jones!"

"We're here!" a voice called back. We followed the sound of the voice, finally meeting up with the rest of the group that was hunting yesterday, all except for Atom.

"Lost you guys in the stew. Where'd you go?" Bellamy asked.

"We made it to a cave down the hill. The hell was that?"

"I'm not sure. Where's Atom?" Bell looked around at the group. Everyone glanced at each other and shrugged.

My attention turned to the bushes behind us as I heard faint groaning and movement.

I grabbed Charlotte's arm. "What?" she asked.

"There's something over there." I pointed to the bush and the two of us slowly followed the sound as the others continued to talk.

The sight we came across after pulling back the leaves of the bush was one that neither of us would ever forget. Lying on the ground, struggling to breath, was Atom. His body twitched with pain from the burns that covered most of his skin. The boy was burned really badly, with blisters all over him and his green eyes were clouded over. His eyes were clouded over with and boils ran up and down his arms and neck.

Charlotte and I grabbed hold of each other, trying to make sense of what we were seeing as we screamed. Bellamy was quick to rush over to us, stopping in his tracks when he saw the injured boy. His face fell with sadness and what I assumed to be a little fear. Letting out a sigh, Bellamy put his hand on my shoulder and moved to walk over to Atom, kneeling down beside him.

Scanning the body, Bellamy froze, unsure of what to do as Atom struggled to speak. The rest of the group came over, gasping at the sight. The fear in the fears of these criminals was unforgettable.

"Go back to camp," Bellamy told us, his voice cracking. But I didn’t give any signs that I was moving, I was too shocked. "You too girls.” Charlotte gripped my hand, pulling me away.

Once back at camp, Charlotte and I sat in silence for a while until Bellamy returned. He, along with Finn, Wells and Clarke followed, carrying a body on a makeshift stretcher. A jacket covered the face of the boy we all knew was Atom. He had passed in the time it took us to get back to camp.

The expressions that covered their faces were cold and sad, giving the vibe that they were not to be talked to. Octavia was the first to approach the group pushing past Bellamy as he tried to hold his sister back. But it was no use, Octavia dropped to her knees and pulled the jacket back. Covering her mouth to quiet her sobs.

Deciding I couldn't stand the sight anymore, I made my way into the dropship and up to the top floor to check in on Jasper. Monty was sitting beside him just as I expected.

“Where have you been?” he asked as I sat down.

“Got caught in the fog. I had to hide out in a cave with Bellamy and Charlotte,” I explained.

“Charlotte?”

I nodded.

"Is Clarke back?" Monty questioned and almost on cue, Clarke came up the ladder with boiled water, followed by Finn. While Bellamy, Charlotte and I were stuck in the cave, Clarke, Finn, and Wells had gone to find a special seaweed to make a tea out of for Jasper to drink. It was apparently supposed to help his infection.

Placing the seaweed in the water, Clarke mixed it together, letting it brew for a bit before feeding it to Jasper.

Now we play the waiting game.

-

Hours had passed and the sun had set. Octavia had joined Monty, Finn and I in the dropship while Clarke went out to talk to Wells. Passing a bottle of clear liquid to one another, the older criminals gagged with every mouthful of whatever they were drinking.

Waiting for Jasper to wake up had lasted longer than we had thought it would.

“Can I try?” I asked as Monty took a sip of the bottle and made a sour face.

"Think you can handle it, kid?" Finn asked, smiling.

Monty shook his head. “Absolutely not. We are not giving alcohol to a twelve year old.”

“Oh come on Monty, it’s fine,” Octavia encouraged.

With a sigh and shake of his head, Monty passed the bottle over to me.

They all watched as I lifted the glass to my lips, hesitating before letting the burning liquid run down my throat. Instantly, my face scrunched with disgust and I let out a cough while the others laughed. "Ech. That was gross! Why are you drinking that willingly?” I gagged, shaking my head. "Seriously, why would anyone drink that?"

“More for us!” Octavia practically cheered as she took the bottle from my hands. Not thinking twice before swallowing the 100 year old liquor, giving almost no reaction. "Disgusting, love it," she confessed, handing the bottle back to Finn.

"Can I uh, have a hit of that?" Jasper asked, lifting his head up slightly. The three of us froze for a moment, not expecting him to practically rise from the dead so soon. Once the initial shock passed away, we jumped up and raced over to him.

"Let's start with the soft stuff," Finn chuckled. Picking up a cup of water and helping him drink.

"Was that a dream or did I get speared?" Jasper jokes, making us laugh.

From the ladder, Clarke let out a laugh, before walking over to the injured boy. "You'll have a very impressive scar to prove it."

"My Savior." Jasper smiled at the blonde who bent down next to him.

"Thank you, for not dying," Clarke said with a sigh.

Jasper laughed, turning his head to see her better. "I'll try not to die tomorrow too if that's cool." We all supported this idea. "Oh, hello." He perked up seeing Octavia by his side. There was not one person in that room who wasn't smiling. It was the perfect atmosphere, one we would wish for the next few days. This was the calm before the storm and no one knew it.

Chapter Text

Most would think that with Jasper’s recovery, the mood would be light and happy. We were getting things done in the camp. Setting up tents and building structures to catch rainwater, everything should have been happy, but it wasn’t.

The morning after Jasper’s recovery, the body of Wells Jaha was discovered outside the small perimeter of the camp. He had been murdered sometime in the night, stabbed in the neck. The death had been concluded to the grounders since no one expected it to be one of our own.

Boy were we so wrong.

The incident motivated the teenage criminals to prepare better. Bellamy had ordered for a wall to be built around the camp and he came up with a rotating schedule for people to keep watch over the camp with makeshift knives and spears as weapons.

Wells was buried that same day with a small ceremony that Charlotte and I attended with some of the other kids. Clarke had said a few nice words and then sat at the grave for the rest of the night.

Charlotte and I shared a spot under the stars, not saying much as the overall mood of the day was dark and heavy. We weren’t sure if the grounders were going to strike again and it was safe to say that a lot of the teens were scared.

The next day was just as bad. Everyone was stressed with building up the walls as fast as we could for our protection but we were tired and hungry and trying to work with no energy. Each of us had specific orders to follow and knew what we were to do.

Charlotte and I were building a post to put in front of the wall, made up of three large pieces of wood sharpened at the end, tied together so they were pointing in different directions. They were going to line the outside of the walls to stop someone from coming in.

"Okay okay, how about this one,” I began, telling another joke to Charlotte. “What did one wall say to the other?" I was trying to lighten the mood and telling jokes was the only way I knew how. "Meet you at the corner," I answered, laughing at my own joke. "You get it because the walls...they meet at the corner."

Charlotte didn't respond, keeping her head hung low and her attention focused on the knot she was tying. Ever since Wells was found, she had been acting distant, not talking to much and just keeping to herself. I chalked it up to the overall mood of the camp but I hated seeing her like this, especially after we spent so much time getting to know each other.

"Okay, what's wrong?" I asked stopping what I was doing and turning to her. "You always laugh at my jokes."

She opened her mouth to answer when next to us, a boy named Connor dropped the large tree trunk he was carrying to the ground out of exhaustion. This upset the one and only John Murphy who came marching over to the boy.

“You think the grounders are just gonna sit around waiting for us to finish the wall? Maybe we should let the little girls do the lifting for you!" Murphy pointed to us. Charlotte and I shared a look of uncertainty.

"I just need some water then I'll be fine," Connor explained, practically panting.

"Murphy, get this guy some water," Bellamy ordered, walking over before turning to us. "Hey, you guys got this?" he asked. Without a second thought, Charlotte and I ran to lift the large tree. "Girls, I'm just kidding." He smirked stopping us.

We smiled and went back to what we were working on before but Charlotte was still distracted by her thoughts. "Seriously Charlotte, what's wrong?" I asked.

She shrugged, shaking her head. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"That's a lie and we both know it."

She let out a sigh, looking over her shoulder. "Okay, but if I tell you something you have to promise not to tell anyone else."

I nodded. "Of course."

"Promise me."

"I promise, now what is going on with you?"

She took a step closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, "You know how Wells died the other day?”

My heart dropped as I slowly nodded my head. "Y-yeah, what about it," I asked, starting to grow worried.

"I know who killed him."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the world seemed to stop and my brain was racing, trying to figure out what she meant.

"Yeah... a grounder did." I really hope so at least. Charlotte didn't say anything. "It was a grounder, right?" I asked, raising my brows at her. Still, Charlotte didn't respond. "Charlotte, tell me it was a grounder."

"No, Ari it-it was me," she confessed, looking down at her hands. No, there is no way that small girl was able to kill a teenage boy. This isn't happening. "You can't tell anyone okay,” she quickly added.

"Wh-why would you do that?" I asked, raising my voice a little bit.

Putting a finger to her lips to quiet me, Charlotte looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I was slaying my demons like Bellamy said."

"You were awake the whole time?" I accused, shaking my head. "That's not important. Charlotte that's not what Bellamy meant, he didn't mean to actually kill a person."

"Please don't tell anyone. Please," she begged, gripping onto my arm.

I ran my hand through my hair, letting out a shaky breath. "Charlotte, you do realize what you did right? You killed a person," I snapped, throwing my arms around.

"Shhh." The small blonde placed her hand over my mouth to quiet me. "Please, you can't tell anyone. You promised."

A yell from across the camp pulled our attention to Clarke as she continuously pushed Murphy. "You son of a bitch!" Putting his hands up in defense, Murphy tried to get away from her as Clarke pulled out a knife from her pocket. "Recognize this?"

Turning to Charlotte, her face pale as she slowly removed her hand from my mouth. "Is that what you used?" I whispered. She nodded her head not taking her eyes off Clarke and Murphy.

"That's my knife, where'd you find it?" Murphy asked reaching to grab it back from Clarke but she pulled it away.

"Where you left it after you killed Wells."

I held my breath as they continued back and forth.

Murphy shook his head. "The grounders killed Wells, not me."

"I know what you did and you're gonna pay for it!" Clarke yelled.

"Bellamy, you really believe this crap?" he yelled at the oldest criminal.

Grabbing Charlotte's hand, I pulled her away from the commotion of the crowd that had formed.

"Charlotte, you have to tell them." She shook her head. "Charlotte-"

"They'll kill me!" she cried.

"They'll kill Murphy!"

"I say we float him!" someone yelled and Charlotte's face went completely white as she whipped her head in the direction of the yelling. Everyone had gathered around Murphy, beginning to chant 'Float him! Float him!'

Covering my mouth in shock, we watched the group of criminals begin to beat Murphy, kicking him to the ground and tying his arms behind his back, rendering him defenseless as they continued their beating.

I hadn’t even realized my feet had made their way over to the commotion. There was nothing I could do as the criminals tied a noose, throwing it over a tall branch and setting Murphy up on a stool as the rope was placed around his neck. They were seriously going to kill him.

"Charlotte, you have to tell them!" I yelled over the constant cheering.

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "No, I can't."

Despite Clarke's pleading for the criminals to stop, they only continued. I had my own reasons for hating Murphy but I didn’t want him dead.

"Bellamy, you should do it!" Connor yelled to the older boy. Suddenly, the criminals were chanting his name, urging him to be the one to kill Murphy.

Giving in to the pressure, Bellamy pushed past Clarke and kicked the stool Murphy had been standing on, causing the boy to hang by his neck, cutting off any airflow to his lungs. After screaming something at Clarke I couldn’t hear, Bellamy’s eyes landed on mine and for a moment I thought he might have looked guilty.

"What the hell is happening!” Finn screamed, returning to the chaos that the camp had fallen into. “Stop! Cut him down!” Pushing through the crowd, his sight fell on Charlotte and me. “You two, get out of here!” Finn continued to try and make his way through the crowd of screaming criminals.

No one was sure who had been right in this situation and that chaos had caused a fight to break out between everyone. There was nothing but screaming and pushing. It took everything in me to remain standing as the much taller teens bumped into me.

Charlotte gripped onto my arm, trying to keep me upright. My heart was pounding, my body was cold with fear as we continued to be shoved.

"Just stop it okay! Murphy didn't kill Wells!" Everyone paused, silencing as they turned to look at the 5'1 blonde. "I did!" Charlotte confessed.

Clarke quickly grabbed the ax from Bellamy's belt and ran to cut Murphy down from the branch he hung from, saving his life with only minutes to spare. Bellamy’s eyes were back on Charlotte and me as he gave us a disappointed stare, making my chest tighten in fear that he might think I had something to do with it too.

It didn’t help that I had Charlotte's hand in my, making us look more together than I had hoped but I wasn’t going to move, I wasn’t going to leave her to deal with this on her own so I squeezed her hand tighter.

Bellamy rubbed his forehead, trying to think of what to do quickly before walking over and grabbing Charlotte's arm. He pulled her towards his tent and forced us inside before Murphy had the chance to get to her first.

We stood in the makeshift tent as Bellamy paced from one side to the other, rubbing his head and face, not knowing what to do or say.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte cried.

"Why Charlotte?" Bellamy asked for the fifth time as Clarke and Finn walked into the tent.

The young blonde didn't hesitate to hold back her tears as she tried to explain her reasoning, "I was just trying to slay my demons like you said."

"What the hell is she talking about?" Clarke asked.

Bellamy sighed, putting all the pieces together. "I told Ari a way to deal with her nightmare, told her to slay her demons. I guess Charlotte heard and misunderstood me," he explained to Clarke but started right at the girl. "I did not mean for you to go out and kill people Charlotte!" he began to raise his voice. “Did you have anything to do with this?” he then asked me, putting his hands on his hips.

Both Charlotte and I shook our heads. “No. No, it was only me, I swear,” Charlotte confessed.

"Bring the girl out now!" Murphy yelled from outside, making us jump.

"Please don't let them hurt me," Charlotte sobbed.

Letting out a huff, Bellamy turned to Clarke and Finn. "You guys have any ideas, speak up." But no one said a word or moved. The tension in the small tent was so thick it could be cut with a knife. "Now you stay quiet?"

"Those are your boys out there," Finn spoke, pointing to the tent flap.

Dumbfounded, Bellamy shook his head. "This is not my fault."

"Bring the damn girl out!" Murphy yelled again.

Charlotte shook her head. "No, please Bellamy." Her watery blue eyes met Bell's stern brown ones, pleading with him, but not saying a word.

"Charlotte, it's going to be okay. Just stay with them," Bellamy said and left the tent.

They were going to kill her. When Murphy got his hands on Charlotte he was sure to kill her. I knew him. He was violent and angry and those were never a good mix. So without thinking I grabbed Charlotte's wrist and ran out the back of the tent, holding her arm not looking back as we ran. Finn and Clarke followed right behind us, calling out my name to stop.

"Wait up. I know where to go." Finn said, running in front of us when they caught up. Pushing Charlotte behind me, Finn put his hand on my shoulder. “I promise, I won't let anything happen to you two.”

Nodding, I agreed and allowed him to lead the way.

After a while of walking in silence, I finally spoke up. "Finn, it's going to be night soon, where are we going?" I asked but he didn't answer.

"At least tell us you have a plan and we're not just wandering through the woods," Clarke added.

"I have a plan," Finn said as he kept walking.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Finn and I turned to the sudden shouting. Clarke was bent down in front of Charlotte who had tears brimming in her eyes at the blonde sudden outburst. "Just because we saved you doesn't mean you're forgiven. Got it."

"Clarke, she's just a kid," Finn said quietly.

"She's a killer. You killed someone Charlotte. Ended his life! Did you stop to think about that for one second?!" Charlotte's head hung low as she moved her foot around in the dirt. "Look at me!" Clarke yelled, shaking the girl's shoulder. "You can't just kill someone to make yourself feel better."

Stepping between the two, I quickly pulled Charlotte behind my back. "That's enough, Clarke. I get that Wells was your friend or whatever but there are other killers in that camp. I don't agree with what she did and I'm just as pissed at her as you, but you can't talk to her like she's the worst person in that camp because we all know she's not."

The older girl glared down at me with her blue eyes. If looks could kill I would be six feet under but I did not stand down.

"Charlotte, where are you!" We heard Murphy call out from deep into the woods.
Clarke sighed, turning back to us. "We should run."

"That's one way to go. I like my plan better." Finn said, opening a hidden hatch that led to an underground bunker. With a glance between each other, we started to climb down the ladder and entered a dark room.

Pushed against the far side of the bunker wall was a bunk bed, with a couch on the opposite wall. A small table covered in art supplies and a few toys sat in the corner of the room, seemingly untouched for years given the large amounts of dust that covered everything.

Late into the, after the sun had gone down Charlotte and I lay on the bottom bunk of the bed next to each other, trying to get some kind of sleep after the long day we had. Finn quietly pulled the blanket over us, making sure we were comfortable before walking back over to Clarke when he had thought we were asleep.

"Are you okay?" I asked Charlotte in a whisper, knowing that she was still awake. Her eyes opened and she slightly nodded. "Everything's going to be okay Charlotte. I promise."

She sighed, gripping the blanket tighter. "I just don't see how it will be."

Reaching out, I held her hand in mine. "Just trust me okay?"

The two of us lay quietly, listening to Clarke and Finn as they talked about the situation, not realizing that we were awake. "What are we gonna do about her?" Clarke asked, referring to Charlotte. "If I hadn't confronted Murphy none of this would have happened."

I closed my eyes tight, not wanting to hear any more of what they had to say. It was too much.

-

Later that night I woke up to movement on the bed next to me. Turning over, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I watched Charlotte pull her jacket on. "What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Don't worry about it Ari," she explained and walked over to the ladder. “Just go back to sleep.”

"Wait." I sat up, glancing over to Clarke and Finn, making sure they were still asleep before climbing out of bed. But Charlotte was already halfway up the ladder. After pulling on my boots and jacket I rushed after her. Calling her name once I got to the top of the ladder.

“Ari, go back!” Charlotte yelled at me before she took off running, not knowing where she was going at all.

"Charlotte stop!" I yelled, racing after her but she was already so far ahead of me. "Charlotte please!”

Out of nowhere, a figure darted out of a bush, pulling Charlotte over their shoulder as she let out a yelp. My heart dropped as she yelled, making my feet pick up the pace.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. It's me," Bellamy said, covering her mouth and setting her down. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally caught up to them. "Come on, we have to go." Bell grabbed her arm and tried to pull her in the direction he wanted, but Charlotte ripped her arm back.

"Let go of me!" she yelled, "I'm not your sister, stop helping me!" Bellamy wasn't sure how to respond to that, lucky for him he didn't have to because Charlotte started yelling loudly, trying to get the attention of Murphy's group. "I'm over here!"

My eyes widened as I grabbed her arm. "Are you trying to get us all killed," I asked.

Whipping her head in my direction, Charlotte pushed my arm away. "Just go, Ari. I'm the one they want, not you. I have to turn myself in. I had to pay for what I did.”

Squinting my eyes at her, I practically scoffed. “You really think I’m just gonna listen to you? I’m not leaving alright? You’re stuck with me.”

Bellamy continuously looked over his shoulder before turning back to the two of us. "We have to go."

"Please guys just go, leave me."

With a sigh, Bellamy ran his hand through his curls before pulling her over his shoulder again, trying to run in the opposite direction of Murphy.

But Charlotte wasn’t going to make it easy for him. She writhed in his grip, punching and kicking while screaming.

"Charlotte, please stop," Bellamy begged as he kept running. We could hear Murphy and his men close by, hollering out taunts at us.

Much to our dismay, we came to a cliff, and there was nowhere else for us to run. Looking over the cliff, we were so high up that I couldn’t even see the bottom.
Setting Charlotte down next to him, Bellamy held onto her arm as she attempted to run again.

“Please stop!” Charlotte cried.

Murphy's voice caused all of us to turn in his direction. "Bellamy. You can't fight all of us." We hadn’t expected him to catch up so quickly. Bellamy was quick to stand, pushing Charlotte behind him. “Give her up!"

Unfortunately, I hadn’t had the luxury of Bellamy’s protection and I had been standing between him and Murphy. Grabbing my arm, Murphy spun me around and brought his knife to my throat, threatening my death if Charlotte didn't hand herself over.

"Stop!" Clarke yelled, coming from the tree line with Finn behind her, "This has gone too far."

Murphy shook his head. "Shut up Clarke!"

“Let her go, Murphy!” Bellamy yelled, putting his arm out.

My voice shook as I tried to reason with Murphy. "Why don't we all just calm down and we can talk."

The knife dug into my neck and I tried not to show my fear. I wouldn’t cry for Murphy, I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. But truth be told, I was terrified and he probably knew that from the way my body was shaking.

"Please don't hurt her!" Charlotte sobbed.

Murphy gripped me tighter, holding the knife so close it was beginning to cut my neck. "You don't want me to hurt her. Fine, I'll make you a deal, you come with me right now and I'll let her go."

I shook my head. "Don't do it Charlotte."

But she tried anyway and Bellamy held her back behind him. "No, I have too!" she screamed, pushing away Bellamy's arms, fighting to get past him.

"Charlotte, he's not going to do anything. I promise." I didn't even believe myself, the words that were coming out of my mouth, why would she?

The young girl's eyes filled with more tears as she stopped fighting against Bellamy. "I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did." Charlotte gave me one last look, mouthing an 'I'm sorry’ and I knew what she was going to and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

"Charlotte, wait!" I screamed as I watched her turn around, her back to me before she jumped off the side of the cliff, falling to her death. Bellamy had tried to grab her but it was too late and she slipped out of his fingers.

Murphy was just as shocked as everyone else and his hold on me loosened, giving me enough space to elbow him in the stomach and run over to the edge of the cliff. Dropping to my knees next to Bellamy, I screamed for the girl I knew was gone.

"No, no!" I sobbed loudly. "Charlotte!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing into the dark. "We have to go down there.” I turned to Bellamy, grabbing onto his arm. “We have to. She could still be alive, Bellamy."

He didn't say a word as he stood up, walking towards Murphy as the criminal stuttered over his words trying to back away.

“Bellamy!” I yelled for him as he sent a punch across Murphy's face. Tears streamed down my face as my chest tightened. My arms wobbled as I leaned on my knees. Catching my breath was no use as I gasped through my sobs.

Turning back to the cliff, I cupped my hand over my mouth trying to silence my cries but there was no hiding them. My stomach curled as I instantly felt sick at the thought of Charlotte’s body. I hadn’t even realized Finn had knelt next to me until I hunched over, throwing up beside me as he held back my hair and rubbed my back.

Once my stomach had been completely empty, I gasped for air as sobs continued to rip out of me.

"It's okay Ari, it'll be okay,” Finn assured, his own voice cracking. His touch made my skin crawl and I quickly pushed him away.

“Please! Don’t!”

Putting his hands up in defense, I instantly felt guilty by the look on his face. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me but in that moment the only thing on my mind was getting away.

“Ari, you need to calm down, you're gonna make yourself worse," he tried to reason with me, noticing my panic attack, but I didn't listen. “You have to get away from the edge, please.”

I hadn’t even realized how close I had gotten until Finn physically pulled me back. Not having any more energy to fight, I fell against his chest and sobbed. Looking over at Bellamy he continued to send punch after punch at Murphy until he fell to the ground.

Clarke grabbed his arm before he could land another blow. "Stop Bellamy."

"He deserves to die!" Bellamy screamed.

Clarke shook her head, standing in front of him. "No, we don't get to choose who dies."

“You guys are making it worse!” Finn yelled at them, referring to me who was curled in his lap hyperventilating. Bellamy’s eyes instantly softened with guilt before he turned away. Running his hand through his thick hair, Bellamy let out a defeated sigh before turning back to Clarke.

I felt almost numb, burying my face in Finn's chest, as he held me. It wasn't long before Bellamy and Clarke were banishing Murphy for his crimes and we headed back to camp. Finn took the liberty of carrying me because I physically couldn't walk due to the shock I was in.

Once back at camp, he placed me on a bed in the dropship and pulled a blanket over my body, sitting next to me and rubbing my back until I fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Time passed faster than I had realized. It had felt like a black cloud loomed over me for days, causing my body to go numb, leaving me with no energy. There was no motivation to get out of the bed Finn set me down on days ago. Nothing to keep me going.

Bellamy and Jasper had tried to get me to eat, visiting a few times a day, but my eyes stayed glued to the gray metal wall of the dropship. Others had come and gone, but I didn’t care to interact with them or hear the stories that Jasper told me at the end of every day.

They had tried every approach. Starting with understanding and sweet tones of voice, to them motivational, and lastly, they tried ordering me in stern voices. Nothing worked and finally, they left me alone.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the third day after Charlotte's passing that I actually found the energy inside myself to sit up and take in my surroundings.

Sitting a few feet from me was a girl who looked about 18 wearing a red jacket. I didn’t think I had ever seen her before. Thinking back to what Jasper had told me, he did mention a girl and something about a radio. Opening my mouth to say something, I was stopped by a sudden raw and burning sensation in my throat. I could barely open my mouth to speak, it was so dry. Suddenly I regretted not drinking any water that was brought to me.

The girl noticed this and turned to face me. "Oh hey, welcome back kid." She smiled before going back to the device she was working on.

Sitting up a little more, I rubbed my neck, choking out a question. “Where is Bellamy?”

"I don't know anything, just got here yesterday. You were still out," she answered, putting a set of headphones on her head.

Jasper's face lit up upon walking into the dropship and seeing me. "You're up!" he practically cheered, bouncing over to me. "How are you doing? Are you okay?"

Nodding, I asked, "Water please?" Jasper obliged and handed me a metal cup. I instantly drank it almost in one sip, not leaving a single drop behind. Dropping my hand to my lap, I ran my finger around the rim with a sigh. "So it wasn't a dream?"

Jasper’s eyes dropped as he shook his head. "They told us all about it when you guys got back. I'm so sorry Ari, I know you and Charlotte were close-"

"Hey, how are you doing?" Clarke asked, cutting Jasper off as she walked into the dropship.

With a shrug, I answered, "I have a headache."

She nodded. "Yeah, you're probably going to feel a bit light-headed for a while, you haven't eaten anything or drank water so you're probably dehydrated. It should pass soon and you'll be alright, just keep drinking water, and don't go running around just yet." Clarke tried to give me a weak smile that I didn’t return as she turned to Raven to talk with her.

"So, what did I miss?" I asked as Jasper sat down on the bed next to me rubbing his hands together with a smile.

"Where do I even begin?" he said more like a statement.

For the next 20 minutes, we sat in the dropship as he retold me everything that had happened since we got back to camp while I nodded along.

"So, just to summarize,” I began, “Ravens from the Ark, you guys had to set off missiles to try to get the Ark to believe we're alive, but it didn't work so 300 people were killed to save oxygen. Octavia was taken by a grounder and held hostage and that same grounder also stabbed Finn, poisoning him, so Clarke had to save him. Then Bellamy took the grounder and had him locked on the top floor of the dropship. Raven fixed some radio from her pod so now we have contact with the Ark. Is that it?" I asked, summing up everything he said.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You sure it's only been three days?" I chuckled.

He smiled, looking down at his lap. "I missed your laugh.” My cheeks blushed from embracement as he dug into his pocket. “Oh, we also collected a bunch of nuts and berries and groups are going out to hunt too.” He pulled a small pouch and held it out to me. "Here, you must be hungry."

Lifting my arm, I noticed just how pale I had become as he poured the contents of the pouch into my hand. I picked one up and plopped it onto my tongue. The juice filled my mouth as I crushed it with my teeth, making me realize how hungry I was. I shoved the rest of my handful into my mouth, trying to ease the pain in my growling stomach.

"Slow down there. Don’t make yourself sick." Jasper laughed, patting my shoulder. Standing up, he held his hand out for me to take. "Come on, let's go say hi to people." I reluctantly took it, not really wanting to get out of bed just yet, but I knew I had to.

The words Bellamy told me played in my head on repeat, 'Weakness is death.' I didn't want people to think I was weak, they already saw me as this little girl who had no idea what she was doing and I hated that.

Jasper helped me up and as I set my legs on the ground, they went numb, stinging a little bit every time I took a step. He held my hand as we made our way outside.

Lifting my hand up to block the light, I practically cringed at the bright sun, allowing my eyes to adjust as I hadn’t been outside in days.

A few feet away from the dropship door, Jasper led me over to a table filled with different types of nuts and berries.

"Look who's awake." Monty smiled, throwing a nut in the air and catching it in his mouth. I returned the smile and stood next to Jasper, leaning on the table as they both started cracking the nuts open with rocks. "How are you doing Ari?" he asked.

I gave him a weak nod. "I'm doing better." Monty smiled and went back to work.

Taking a nut from the table I tried to catch it in my mouth like Monty had done but I had completely misjudged how hard it would be. The two boys both laughed at my attempt and I threw a nut at them in retaliation.

-

Later that day, I walked back with Jasper and Monty to their tent.

"Earth is scary," Jasper muttered walking into the tent behind me.

I gave him a confused look. "Earth is amazing. Fresh air, trees, nuts." Monty rambled as I took a seat next to Jasper on his bed. "These nuts taste better than usual, right?" he asked, popping another in his mouth. "I'd like to give Earth a giant hug." He laid back on his bed with a sigh.

"You're acting weird," I said truthfully.

Monty nodded, "I feel weird but in a good way." He winked.

"I'm gonna pee," Jasper announced and walked out of the tent.

"We didn't need to know that," I yelled after him.

Suddenly, Monty got up from his bed, grabbed a fuzzy hat that sat on a pile of stuff and began mumbling about how amazing the earth is.

"Uh, are you okay?" I asked as he almost lost balance standing up.

"I'm great." Monty smiled.

Opening my mouth to respond, I was quickly cut off by Jasper running back into the tent a few seconds later. "I think I'm going crazy, or the grounders are here." He grabbed my shoulders, practically shaking me.

"Okay just slow down, what happened?" I asked, placing my hands on top of his.

"I saw a grounder," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, you saw what?"

He looked out of the tent and pointed to an open spot. "Him."

Looking for myself, I was confused when there wasn’t a single soul standing where Jasper was pointing.

"Jasper there's no one there-"

"Right there!" he yelled, pointing more aggressively to the empty spot. "We have to run now!"

"Woah Jasper, calm down."

He ran his hand through his hair, muttering to himself. "We're all going to die," he said, going to place another nut in his mouth but I took it from him.

"Is this all you've eaten today?" I asked.

"Yeah, but what's it matter?" he said, his voice cracking, "we're all going to die."

Grabbing his face, I forced him to look me in the eyes. His pupils were huge and couldn’t seem to focus. It was a look I had recognized almost instantly and I was surprised I hadn’t realized sooner.

"You're drugged.” I let go of his face, trying to think of what I should do next. "Um, okay just stay here." I set him on his bed slowly and he began to rock back and forth. "You too Monty, stay." I ordered before climbing out of the tent, looking for someone to help. Octavia was sitting by the table of nuts, sorting them. "Octavia, Jasper, and Monty are going crazy. I need you to talk to them, Jaspers seeing things," I explained.

She got up, looking at me a little confused. "What?"

"Jasper and Monty ate these nuts and now Monty's talking to himself and Jasper is seeing things," I explained again.

"Where are they?" she asked and I led her in the direction of their tent, taking the time to also look around at the other campers. This is when I noticed it wasn't only Jasper and Monty who seemed to be going crazy, everyone in the camp was roaming around in a daze, mumbling to themselves.

Monty suddenly ran up to me, grabbed my shoulders, and started rambling about some kind of physics and the moon. I just smiled, nodding my head, continuing to walk past him.

Jasper had moved outside of the tent and started rocking back and forth on the ground. "Grounders, there are grounders everywhere," he mumbled.

"What's he on?" Octavia asked, turning to me. I shrugged, not sure, I just knew he ate the nuts like everyone else. "Alright, um here take this," she said, picking up a stick and handing it to Jasper.

"But it's just a stick," he voiced, confused.

Octavia shook her head. "No Jasper, it's an anti-grounder stick. If you hold this, a grounder can't get you."

"Oh makes sense." Jasper took the stick and held it close to his chest.

"Okay, yeah makes perfect sense. Ari, watch him." Octavia ordered, walking away before I could protest.

Letting out a sigh, I took a seat on the ground next to Jasper.

"How'd you get your hair like that?" he asked, reaching out to touch my braid.

Annoyed, I swatted his hand away. "This is going to be a long night."

After some time, Jasper had finally fallen asleep, cuddling his 'Anti Grounder' stick. The sun was beginning to set, making the air cold so I made my way over to the lit fire where Finn was sitting, dumping out the small pouches of nuts into the flames, while people were still seeing things.

"Are you seeing things too kid?" he asked as I took a seat next to him.

Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around myself. "Nah. I didn't get a chance to eat as many nuts as everyone else." Finn nodded his head and dumped another bag of nuts out.

To the right of me, Miller and another one of the teens were complimenting each other back and forth, causing me to let out a slight laugh.

"How are you doing, with everything?" Finn asked.

"I wish people would stop asking me that. I'm fine, people die every day." My mouth was saying one thing but I meant the complete opposite and it was clear that Finn saw right through me.

"Ari, you didn't get out of bed for three days.” Finn looked over to me, “You wouldn't eat, drink, or talk to anyone. It was scary, we were starting to get really worried about you," he explained truthfully.

Picking at the skin around my fingers, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, too ashamed. "I'm sorry," I said, almost in a whisper.

"You don't need to apologize. You and Charlotte were close, it's understandable that you were going through a hard time, but just understand that people are worried about you because they care."

Those words hit me hard. I've never had people who truly cared for me before, not to this extent. People who cared enough to take the time to make sure I was okay, and I was just writing it off.

I turned to Finn and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Thank you."

He smiled and rubbed my back. "You're welcome, kid." When we pulled apart, a smile crept on Finn's face. “You know I think Bellamy even has a soft spot for you.”

“Bellamy Blake?” My eyes widened as if I hadn’t realized this before.

“Yes, Bellamy Blake. I’ve never seen him more concerned about anyone besides his sister.”

“Where is he anyways?” I asked, realizing that I hadn’t seen Bellamy all day.

“He and Clarke went to go check out a bunker,” he explained, “it's supposed to have supplies that will help us through the winter. They should be back any minute now.”
Later into the night, Monty joined Finn and I.

"How was your night?" Monty asked, once most of the effects of the nuts had worn off.

"My head hurts from watching all of you going crazy," I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I ate a pine cone... because it told me to." I couldn't help but laugh.

"He's gone! The Grounder's gone!" Miller, the one who was supposed to be watching the Grounder, yelled coming out of the dropship. This woke up Jasper and he, still holding his stick, quickly walked over to Miller along with the other teenagers.

"What if he brings other Grounders back?"

"They'll kill us, or worse." Someone else called out.

"Let the Grounders come!" Bellamy yelled, walking over to the group of worried teenagers, gaining all their attention. "We're afraid of the Grounders, why? Because of their knives and spears. I don't know about you, but I'm done being afraid." He and Clarke each dropped a bag full of guns. "Tomorrow we start training and if the Grounders come, we'll be ready to fight." The teens cheered, excited about their newfound safety precautions.

After the crowd dispersed, Bellamy’s eyes met mine and he made his way over to the fire. A gust of wind blew past, causing me to shiver. "Here." Bellamy rested an orange blanket over my shoulders, taking a seat next to me.

"Thanks." I smiled and pulled the itchy fabric closer to me.

“I’m glad you’re up. How are you?”

"I could be better,” I decided to answer honestly with a shrug.

He let out a sad sigh, “Yeah, I know, kid. But it will get better.”

Nodding, I tried not to tense up as I moved closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me.

“So, we start gun lessons tomorrow?” I asked, looking up at him.

Bellamy instantly laughed. “You don’t. Not a chance.”

I pulled back from his hold. “Why not?”

“I’m not giving a gun to a twelve-year-old!”

“Oh come on! You want me to be unprepared if something happens?” Crossing my arms over my chest, I raised my brows at him.

“No, because nothing is going to happen.” Even I didn’t believe his words. “And if something does, you wouldn’t be one of the people fighting.”

Rolling my eyes, I let out a huff. No matter what, everyone was going to look at me like a child.

"Hey Bellamy, can I talk to you?" Clarke asked, walking up to us. He looked over at me and I nodded, getting up to leave the two alone. I sighed and made my way over to the tree I had grown fond of. I held the blanket and began to climb up the trunk effortlessly before taking a seat on a branch that looked over the entire camp.

I just watched for a while, observing the teenage criminals. Till a thought came into my head. Pulling out the small knife that I kept in the lace of my boot, I began carving into the tree.

After four letters I heard movement below me. I looked down to see Jasper climbing. "Hey," I called out.

He let out a groan. "I don't know how you do this all the time."

"How'd you find me?" I asked, sliding my knife back into my boot.

"I followed you," he explained, taking a seat on a branch opposite of me, a bit out of breath. "What are you doing up here?"

"I like it up here.” I shrugged. “Plus there's really nowhere else for me to go. I don't have a tent and the dropship is basically claimed. This is kind of where I go to get away from people. Charlotte and I would come up here sometimes," I explained, smiling at the memory.

"I see why, it's quiet and you can see the whole camp from up here." He paused for a moment, biting his lip as though he was thinking of what to say. "If you want, I know a place you can stay." Jasper began to climb down the tree and I watched him confused for a moment. "You coming?" he asked. I quickly followed him.

Once we got out of the tree he led me to his and Monty's tent. "What are we doing at your tent?" I asked. With a smile he opened the flap to the tent and walked inside, urging me to follow.

Inside the tent, Monty was standing in front of a piece of the parachute that was hung up, adjusting it so it was covering whatever was behind it.

"Oh hey." He smiled turning to face Jasper and me. He moved out of the way to reveal the hanging piece of fabric, if you could even call it fabric. "Surprise!"

"What am I looking at exactly?" I asked.

Rolling his eyes, Jasper lightly pushed me forward. "Well go look behind it you goof."
Doing as told, I moved the parachute flap to the side, looking behind to see a little area with a makeshift bed.

"Do you like it?" Jasper asked, seeming a little worried that I wouldn’t
They had made a little room in their tent, just for me. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for me.

I turned to the boys, a smile on my face, and pulled them into a hug. "I love it. Thank you!" We pulled back and the worry on their faces seemed to subside.

Excitedly, I bounced towards the bed and placed down the orange blanket Bellamy gave me, smoothing out the wrinkles. I took off my jacket and set it at the end of the bed before sitting on the edge and lying back.

Despite being made out of insulation from the dropship, that bed was actually rather comfortable.

Yawning, Jasper stretched his arms over his head. “I don’t know about you two, but I am beat. It’s been a long day.”

Monty and I agreed and the three of us each tucked ourselves into our respective beds. Cuddling into my blanket, I pulled the small curtain closed, happy that they thought to put it up to give me my privacy.

Chapter Text

Talking and movement from outside the tent woke me up one morning a few days after the events of everyone seeing things and going crazy. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes before pulling my boots on and rehiding my knife in the laces like usual.

The past few days had consisted of us gathering more food and finishing building the wall. We had full contact with the Ark now and it was looking like they would be joining us on the ground soon.

Moving the curtain to the side, I took in the sight before me. Monty sat on the floor, mixing some kind of drink while Jasper stood next to the boy, handing him various items to add to the brew.

Both their attention turned to me for a second as they froze before quickly turning back to their concoction.

"I'm not even going to ask." I put my hands up and walked past them, leaving the tent and looking for something to eat because I was starving.

Today was Unity Day, a yearly holiday celebrated by the people of the Ark. It was meant to acknowledge the day that the 12 space stations came together 100 years ago. Now everyone just uses it as an excuse to party. everyday. It didn’t help that no one ever seemed to mention that the day was built off of lies.

The Ark came together only after the 13th station was blown out of the sky as an example to the rest of the stations if they didn't comply. Unity Day was built by the deaths of many, just like a bunch of other dumb holidays.

A group of teens gathered around a monitor Raven had set up by the dropship, watching as the Chancellor went on and on about Unity Day and how important it was to everyone.

But Jasper’s yells from our tent pulled everyone’s attention. "Monty strikes again!" Goggles over his eyes, Jasper held a pot in the air. "We'll call this batch Unity Juice!"

Everyone cheered as he began to hand out cups of whatever the hell it was that Monty had made.

Not even thinking twice, Jasper handed me a cup and when I held it up to my nose to sniff it, I gagged at the sour stench.

Walking back into our tent, I held the cut out to Monty who was still boxing more stuff together. "Are you going to drink the juice?" he asked, taking the cup from my hand.

"After the other night, I choose to not consume things that could alter my thinking."

He smirked, shaking his head. "It won't 'alter your thinking' I promise."

"With you, I'm not so sure." I chuckled.

Jasper stumbled into the tent, his hair all over the place and he was out of breath. "We're going to need more Unity Juice, these people are going crazy." Monty and I exchanged looks before chuckling to ourselves. "Hey, you going to drink that?" he asked, pointing to the cup now sitting beside his best friend.

Monty shook his head and pushed it towards Jasper. "Alright more for me." He grabbed the cup and drank the whole thing in one gulp, not leaving a single drop.

Later that day, as the sun had begun to set, replacing the light with darkness and the feeling of recklessness, I found Bellamy hanging around one of the campfires by himself.

“Bellamy!” I sang out to him.

Looking over his shoulder he gave me a fake sigh, shaking his head. But I could see the smirk on his face. “Oh boy, here comes trouble.”

“Trouble?!” Acting offended, I stopped in my tracks and put a hand on my chest. “Wow, how rude. Fine.” Turning around I went to walk away but Bellamy quickly caught up to me.

Laughing he said, “Hey, I’m sorry. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to wish you a happy Unity Day, but now I don’t think you deserve it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Aw come on Ari, I was just joking.”

“Fine, you're forgiven.”

“Are you enjoying the fun?” he asked.

Looking around at the teenagers laughing and playing games, I shrugged. “Eh, Unity Day’s never really been my thing.”

“How is it not your thing?”

“Celebrating just doesn't seem right when the Grounders are out there ready to kill us at any moment.”

“Try not to worry about that kid. The exodus ship from the Ark will be here in two days to help us and all the fun will be over. So enjoy it before it’s gone.”

I let out a sigh and looked around again. With everyone else being older than me, it was intimidating to just go up to a group and ask to join whatever game they were playing. “Okay, come on.” Bellamy grabbed my hand and led me over to an empty table with what looked to be a makeshift chess board. “You ever played chess before?” he asked.

Nodding, I explained that my father had taught me as we began setting up the paper board, using things like nuts for pawns, rocks for rooks, and sticks for the king and queen.

We started the game off slow, going back and forth between turns. “So how has training been going?” I asked, trying to make conversation as I took one of his pawns.

Studying the board, Bellamy shrugged. “It’s been going fine. If there’s an attack before the Ark gets here, we’ll be ready.” Nodding, I watched as he made a terrible move with his rook. It was silent between us for a few more moves until he asked me, “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Unsure of what to say I just shrugged. “Nothing, just thinking of the perfect way to beat you.”

A smirk danced on Bellamy’s face as he realized I was two moves away from winning. Or so I thought. Out of nowhere, Bellamy pulled a move that I wasn’t expecting, captured my knight, and checked me.

My shoulder fell in disappointment as I really thought I was going to win but he just pulled the rug out from under me.

“Want to play again?” he asked. Not having anything else to do I nodded and we set up the board again. “So I’ve been meaning to talk to you these past few days but with training and everything I’ve been busy.”

“Talk to me? About what?”

“Nothing serious, I just wanted to check-in. See how you were dealing with…everything.” He wasn’t going to mention Charlotte by name for fear of upsetting me, and maybe even upsetting himself.

No matter how much Bellamy pushes out his appearance of a stone-cold bad boy, who doesn't care about anyone but himself and his sister, I will always be able to see right past his hard exterior for who he is. Charlotte's death had taken a toll on him. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, a part of Bellamy blames himself for her death, believing he could have done more for her. I know because I feel the exact same way.

Bellamy is just like the rest of us. He's a kid who was thrust into the dark reality of life and forced to grow up quicker than intended to take care of his sister. The same broken and defeated look that most of the teenage criminals had, was identical to his own.

With a shrug, I stared down at the board, trying not to look him in the eyes, in fear that he may be able to read me like an open book. "I miss her. I miss talking to her and telling her my jokes. No matter how stupid she thought they were, she always laughed. She was the only other kid my age so it was nice being able to relate to someone.” My voice broke as I spoke.

Letting out a sigh, Bellamy made the first move on the board. "You know, It's okay to be upset, Ari. It's alright to cry and miss her, I miss her too."

"You barely knew her." I unintentionally snapped, instantly regretting my tone of voice.

"That doesn't mean it hurts any less."

"I'm sorry.” I looked down again. “I didn't mean that." Pausing for a moment, I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing. "I just can't help but think there was more that I could have done to save her."

"You can't think like that Ari, there's nothing anyone could have done. We didn't know she was gonna do what she did-"

"I could have stopped her from leaving that damn bunker." I pointed out, tears began to fall as the memories of that night came flooding back. "If I had just told her to go back to bed and wait it out till morning, she could still be here."

Bellamy walked around the table to stand in front of me, our game of chess quickly forgotten. Putting his hands on my shoulder, he forced me to look up at him.

"Maybe, you’re right, but after what she did to Wells, Charlotte carried a lot of guilt with her and who's to say she wouldn't have still done what she did a few days later when she was alone." I used the back of my hand to wipe away a few of my fallen tears. "It's not your fault Ari, you weren't even near the edge of that cliff, Murphy was holding you back. If anyone could have stopped Charlotte it was me. I was standing right next to her and I just let her turn around and..." He couldn’t finish his sentence as his voice broke and his eyes fell to the ground, his arms dropping to his side.

Bellamy tried to turn away from me to hide his way, but I reached out and grabbed his arm, lightly pulling him back. It was my turn to assure him now, not that I thought he would listen to a twelve-year-old girl.

"You’re right Bellamy." He looked at me confused. "It's no one's fault. It's not mine or yours." Letting out a sigh, I walked over to a tree and leaned back. Sliding down to the ground, I pulled my knees to my chest. Bellamy followed and sat beside me. “There was nothing either of us could have done,” I whispered.

He agreed and together we looked up at the stars in the sky, falling into a comfortable silence for a few minutes until I broke it again. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded, turning to give me his full attention. "Ye-yeah, of course."

Taking a deep breath, I licked my dry lips as I reworded the question a few different times in my head before asking it out loud. "This is probably weird but...do you, do you think we go somewhere after we die? Like do you believe Charlotte's in heaven or something?"

Bellamy looked unsure of what to say, rather shocked by my question. "Well, I would like to think that we find some kind of peace after we die. I can't be positive, but I'm sure Charlotte's somewhere nice." Bellamy answered perfectly, putting his arm around my shoulders as a way to comfort me. He wiped away the rest of my tears with his thumb, smiling at me and letting me snuggle into his side.

"Thank you," I said quietly resting my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
He responded by rubbing my shoulder and whispering, "You're welcome, Kid.” I closed my eyes and held him close. We sat like that for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

However, it wasn't long before we were interrupted. "Bellamy, can I talk to you?" Clarke asked, walking up to us.

Sitting up, I rubbed my red puffy eyes, trying to hide any evidence that I had just been crying.

"Uh..." Bellamy looked down at me, not sure if he should leave a little girl who was clearly still upset about the death of her friend alone. But I gave him a nod, telling him that it was okay. "You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm probably just gonna go to bed anyway."

"If you need anything just find me okay," he said, standing up.

With a weak smile, I agreed. "I will, I promise." With that, the two walked out of hearing distance, trying to speak in private but my nosy self couldn't let that happen.

So after a few minutes of waiting, I quietly got up and followed the direction they did, making sure to keep a safe distance between us so they wouldn’t realize I was there. Hiding behind a tree, I listened to their conversation.

Apparently, Clarke had planned a meeting between her and the leader of the Grounders, to discuss a truce. It was Finn's idea to have Lincoln, the Grounder that we had kept hostage and that Octavia was slowly falling in love with, talk to his leader about us. Finn didn't want to bring any weapons as a way to show that we meant no harm but, of course, Clarke thought otherwise.

"I need you to come be our backup. Bring guns," was the last thing I heard Clarke say before walking off in the opposite direction to Bellamy.

Following behind Bellamy, I watched him walk into the dropship before coming back out with three loaded guns. Looking around to make sure no one had seen him do this. Always staying a few feet behind, I continued to follow as he walked into Raven’s tent. Jasper and Finn entered a few minutes later.

Listening to their conversation inside the tent was impossible. I couldn’t get any closer without looking suspicious and I couldn't make out their hushed conversation from where I was standing due to the loud teenagers still celebrating around me.

So, instead, I made my way over to the front gate of our camp to wait. Trying to make myself look busy, I began picking up random sticks until a few minutes later, everyone approached the gate.

“Oh hey guys,” I practically sang as they got closer. “Crazy seeing you here.”

“Ari, what are you doing?” Bellamy asked, letting out a disappointed sigh.

“I was just…gathering sticks.”

“For what?”

“For…my…stick collection?” It was clear none of them believed a word I said.

“Were you listening to us?” he accused.

“What?! No, of course not. I would never do such a thing.” Tilting his head to the side, Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest, causing me to break. “Okay, fine I may have been listening.”

“Go to bed Ari,” Bellamy ordered as they attempted to walk past me.

“Wait, I want to come with you,” I tried to follow.

Bellamy immediately shook his head, turning back to look at me. "No way, you're staying here."

"Why won’t you let me help?”

Ignoring me, he continued to walk away, the other following him.

"Ari, it's just too dangerous," Jasper explained. "So much could go wrong and we don't want you getting caught in the crossfire." I crossed my arms, sending him a glare. "Monty!" he yelled to his best friend who wasn't too far away. "Watch Ari, make sure she doesn't go anywhere."

Monty nodded, standing next to me. Together we watched as the group made their way out of the gate and into the woods.

To hell, if they actually think I'm staying here.. "So..." Monty trailed off.

"Goodbye," I sassed walking away from him.

"Ari, you're not supposed to leave camp!" Monty called after me.

"Does it look like I care?" I yelled back.

He let out a sigh, looking around him, unsure of what to do, deciding to ultimately let me do what I wanted as he knew he couldn’t really control me.

I waited until I thought the group was far enough and climbed over the fence, walking in the same direction they went. It was hard to see in the dark, but I was able to catch up to them while still keeping a far distance.

Chapter Text

The sun was just starting to peak over the mountain, turning the sky a light pink color when I began to regret my choice of sneaking away to follow the group. The effects of not sleeping for 20 hours were starting to set in.

The morning fog rolled in, making the grass wet and slippery with dewdrops and a light wind blew, causing me to shiver.

Rubbing my eyes as I yawned, I made sure to always keep one of the others in my line of sight so I wouldn’t get lost. Finally, after a few hours of walking, they stopped.

Bellamy, Raven, and Jasper hid in bushes by a river while Clarke, Finn, and Octavia made their way up onto a large bridge that crossed over the rushing water. The bridge had become overgrown with nature, vines and moss covered it and the railing was rusty and hanging off the side.

The group below the bridge was tasked with staying out of view, guns at the ready, in case anything went south. On top of the bridge, Octavia was pacing back and forth, worriedly biting her fingernails until a Grounder appeared from the tree line, scooping her up into a tight hug.

This had to be the same Grounder that we had kept locked up in the dropship for stabbing Finn. It was clear now how he had escaped.

When the two pulled from the hug, a clicking could be heard from across the bridge and soon the sound was matched with a small group of four Grounders riding on the back of horses. My eyes widened as the horse's mains flew in the light morning wind.

Horses had been my favorite animal to read about ever since I first learned about them back on the Ark. When we were little my best friend Jace, used to steal books about them from the Library, for me.

A woman, dressed head to toe in animal fur and wearing what looked to be a crown, climbed off her horse, making her way across the bridge to meet Clarke halfway. They each stopped when they were standing about five feet away from each other.

So far everything seemed to be going smoothly as they spoke. Neither of them was hostile from what I could tell and things were okay. But of course, there is always a calm before the storm.

From his spot in the brush, Jasper began to mumble something about the Grounders as he continued to look up at the trees through the scope of his gun.

"This is bad, this is really bad." I heard him say it over and over.

Bellamy tried to calm him down but his words went unheard. Jasper, with his gun ready to kill, ran out of his hiding spot into the shallow river, screaming for Clarke to run as he shot randomly into the treetops, hitting and killing a hidden Grounder in the process.

The others cursed and followed his lead. Suddenly arrows and bullets were flying through the air. In just a few seconds, a peaceful meeting about forming a truce turned into an all-out war. Somehow, Jasper managed to kill two Grounders in the process.

My body was frozen in shock, not knowing what to do as I watched the scene unfold. I cursed at myself for not listening to Bellamy and Jasper when they told me to stay at the camp. My heart was beating so hard against my chest, that I could have sworn the Grounders could hear it.

“Ari! What the hell?!” My attention turned to Bellamy who was standing a few feet away, his face red with anger at the sight of me. “Get over here, now!"

Doing as I told, I spirited towards him. Mistakenly not making sure I was clear before doing so. Running through the shallow river, my feet soaked as my boots took in water.

I was halfway to Bellamy when an arrow flew from the trees and jabbed itself right into my left thigh, causing my leg to buckle beneath me. With a shriek of pain, I went crashing to the ground, hitting my head on a rock in the process of falling into the river.

For a moment, my vision turned black and my ears were ringing. I was confused as to why my head was spinning and why I was underwater because I couldn’t swim so there was no reason for me to be here. Around me, I could hear shouting and gunfire that was muffled by the water in my ears.

Luckily the river had only been about two feet deep and when I finally came to my senses I was able to push myself up with my arms. Gasping for air, I sat back on my knees but I shot forward again when a searing pain flooded my leg and I realized what had happened.

It was hard to make out what was going on around me as my vision was blurred and my hearing was still muffled.

“Ari!” I heard someone scream, but I couldn’t bring myself to try and find where the voice was coming from.

I watched as blood flowed with the currents of the river. Groaning in pain, I turned to sit in the river, clueless to the arrows that had missed my body but a few inches. Lifting my hand to my head, I let out a groan. Looking down where the blood was coming from I saw the arrow for the first time.

Oh, that can’t be good.

"Ari!" I heard the voice yell again. Suddenly the sounds around me were no longer muffled and my head felt like it was being slammed against a wall with every bang of a gunshot. Suddenly, I was lifted from the water and my entire body filled with pain and I let out a shriek.

"Bellamy, we have to go now!" Raven yelled out to him before shooting off her gun.

He had been the one to grab me. Hosting me up as if I was as light as a feather. “Bellamy?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“I gotcha’ kid,” he assured me before running back towards the others.

There was no more holding back my tears as with every step Bellamy took my leg would hit against his arm, sending waves of pain through my body. The splitting headache I had, became more prevalent as well.

It wasn't until we were at the front gate of camp that they finally stopped running. Catching their breath as they stood outside the fence. Finn sent Bellamy a glare as they practically gasped for air.

"Got something to say?" Bellamy snapped at him.

I buried my head into the man's chest to hide my face, embarrassed by the stream of tears that ran down my cheeks, my puffy red eyes, and the fact that I was getting blood from my multiple wounds all over Bellamy's jacket. Plus I was shivering from being soaking wet from my fall into the river.

"Yeah, I told you no guns!" Finn yelled back. A sharp pain shot through my skull as their voices grew louder.

Clarke stood beside Bellamy, pointing her finger at Finn. "Yeah and I told you we couldn't trust the Grounders!" she snapped, making everyone else start to fight. They continued arguing, barely noticing my sobs or the fact that I had an arrow stuck in my leg.

"Okay!" Bellamy yelled, finally getting them to quiet, "Now can we stop fighting and get Ari some help?!"

All attention turned to me as the group realized the gravity of my situation and how badly I was injured.

"How did that even happen?" Raven asked. "I thought Monty was supposed to be watching her."

Clarke walked up to Bellamy and me, taking a quick look at my wounds. "We need to get her to the dropship."

The gate opened and Bellamy rushed me right to the dropship, ignoring the weird looks and questions of where we went and what happened to me. He gently placed me on the table and stood back, next to Jasper and Finn as Clarke began talking while examining me.

"The arrows in her thigh, shouldn't be hard to remove. I just need to clean the wounds," she stated, grabbing a piece of torn fabric and wetting it with the alcohol Monty had made for Unity Day.

"What if there was poison on the arrow, like with the dagger Lincoln used to stab Finn?" Jasper pointed out.

Clarke took a closer look at my leg causing me to groan in pain at the light touch to my leg. "I don't think the arrow was poisoned. If it was, the effects would have started by now."

"What about the pain when you pull it out?" Bellamy asked, concern on his face.

Using my forearm to cover my eyes, I let out an embarrassed sob. Angry at myself for crying so much in front of them.

The blonde bit her bottom lip, deciding on if it was smart, to tell the truth or not. "Bellamy, Jasper you're going to need to hold her down. Finn, find me something I can use to stitch the wound," she ordered, moving her hair out of the way.

Panic had fully set in now. The pain in my leg was already so bad, I don't know how much more I can take. Shaking my head as the boy walked towards me, I begged for them not to touch me.

"Ari, you're going to need to stay as still as possible," Clarke said, ripping the fabric of my pants. Which caused my leg to sting even more. To keep from yelling out, I bit my lip so hard that the taste of copper filled my mouth.

Jasper held my legs down and Bellamy held my shoulders as Clarke began by pouring a bit of the alcohol on the wound, making sure it was clean so it didn't get infected. The sudden pain made me jump and let out a scream, causing the arrow to get shoved deeper into my skin as my leg moved.

"Hold her still," Clarke ordered, gripping the arrow.

The boys tried to do as she said but my body was uncontrollably pushing them away.

"Ari, you have to stop moving!" Bellamy snapped, grabbing my arms and holding them over my chest. My yells of pain continued as my lungs felt tight, making my ability to breathe get harder.

Jasper grabbed my legs again, trying to help but I ended up kicking him in the stomach. I didn't mean to but when he grabbed my ankle, it sent a wave of pain through my leg and my reaction was to kick him. Bending over in pain, he gripped his stomach.

"Finn! Finn, get down here!" Clarke yelled to the boy who was on the top level of the dropship, trying to find a thread to stitch me up.

He climbed down the ladder and held out a small coil of wire to Clarke. "This is all I could find." She took the wire and set it beside me on the table.

"Great, now hold her down."

Nodding, Finn moved my legs and held them with more force than Jasper had.

People touching me without my consent always sent me into a panic and in this case, I was already panicking so the unwanted touch of three men sent me spiraling. It didn’t help that I felt trapped under their hold. I knew in my head they were doing it to help me, that it would be for the good in the long run, but my body didn’t get the message.

"Just pull the arrow out!" Jasper yelled. "What are you waiting for?"

"She has to stay still, I could rip the muscle in her leg even more," Clarke explained.

My chest heaved violently as I hyperventilated. My body went limp from lack of energy but now breathing felt almost impossible. I’m going to die. I thought to myself. I can’t breathe and they don’t realize.

Never had I felt a panic attack this bad. Maybe it was a panic attack. Maybe the arrow had been poisoned and it already made its way to my heart. That would make sense as my heart felt as though someone was squeezing it with all their strength.

"What's happening?" Jasper asked, backing up slightly. Looks of concern flashed across all their faces.

"She's having a panic attack," Finn explained, still holding me down.

Bellamy loosened his grip on my arms, the weight on my chest lifting only slightly. He leaned down next to my head and whispered. "It's okay Ari, just breathe. You'll be alright, it's gonna be over before you know it. Just breathe. What did I tell you to say?” he asked.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, “I am not afraid. I’m not afraid.” I repeated.

“That's my girl,” He encouraged, wiping away tears from my cheeks.

It took me a minute or two but I was able to get my breathing under control and calm my body down enough.

"Are you ready?" Clarke asked and I nodded, keeping my eyes closed. "Okay. On three. One-" An indescribable pain shot through my leg as Clarke pulled the arrow out of my thigh causing me to let out a scream I didn’t realize I was capable of making.

Quickly, Clarke held an alcohol-soaked rag over the wound trying to stop the bleeding but also cleaned out the wound in the process, making my leg sting even more.

"What the hell happened to three!?" I asked.

The guys continued to hold me down as Clarke did the best she could to stitch the gash with what she had. Biting down on my hand to stop myself from screaming, I did everything I could not to move. But my leg felt like it was on fire as the thin wire was pulled through my skin.

When Clarke was finally done stitching me up, she wrapped my leg with a piece of cloth and moved on to cleaning the wound on my head. I winced back in pain as she cleaned the area.

"Alright, Ari you are going to be in a lot of pain-"

"No shit!" I snapped, cutting her off, making Jasper chuckle slightly before trying to cover it up by clearing his throat.

"You're going to be in pain for a few days,” she repeated, trying to be patient with me. “You’re gonna need to stay off your leg and try not to fall asleep for about 12 hours, you probably have a concussion from hitting your head so hard," she ordered, cleaning her hands. “I’ll check on you later.” She gave me a nod and pulled Jasper and Finn out of the dropship with her, knowing that Bellamy would want to speak with me.

We sat in silence for a while, the only sound was the chanting coming from outside and my constant sniffling.

"Just say it." I couldn't look him in the eyes. I knew Bellamy was beyond pissed at me despite him being the one to calm me down just a few minutes ago.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he snapped. "You could have been killed."

Wiping my puffy eyes, I shrugged. "I wasn’t, I guess. I'm sorry. I just…I don't want to be treated like some little kid," I explained, my voice slightly cracking. The pain in my leg and head is very prominent now.

"But you are still a kid, Ari. You're twelve years old. You can't go running around the woods, unarmed and unsupervised while there are people who want to kill us. What if I hadn't seen you? What if we left you there, hurt and bleeding out? What if I...what if I lost you too?" Bellamy's voice shook.

Shame filled me and I instantly felt awful. I hadn't realized the danger I put myself in or how it could have affected the people around me. "I'm sorry Bell." More tears began to roll down my face, "I-I wasn't thinking. I won't do it again," I apologized, lifting my hands to cover my face.

Getting up from his seat on the other side of the dropship, Bellamy walked over to me as I cried. He bent down and wrapped his arms around me, lifting my back off the table a bit.

"It's okay," he whispered before pulling back. "Come on, I'll carry you to your tent." Bellamy reached under my legs and lifted me up without a problem and carried me to my tent, lying me down on my bed carefully so I wouldn't bump my leg. Taking off my boots, he helped to elevate my leg before pulling the covers over my body.

Burying my face in my pillow, I waited for him to leave before sobbing. I felt awful and stupid for putting everyone through that and for disappointing Bellamy. Why didn't I just stay in camp? Why do I have to be like this?

Chapter Text

Boredom was a feeling I became all too familiar with these past few days and I was starting to lose my mind. Clarke had confined me to bed rest because of my leg and since I tend to have a hard time following instructions, she ordered Miller to sit in the tent and watch me to make sure I don’t get out of bed.

He was taking his orders a bit far though as every time I made the slightest move he yelled at me to stay still as if I would die from slightly moving my leg half a centimeter.

"Miller, dude. I just have to rest my leg, I don’t have to lay like a freakin statue. It’s been three days. I promise you, I’m fine." He shook his head, holding his gun close to his chest. “You know you don't need that, right? I'm not some hardcore killer or anything," I joked, pointing to his gun.

He rolled his eyes and held the gun closer to himself. "You're not getting up. Clarke's orders."

"Yes, because little Ms. 'Doctor in training' knows everything," I mumbled, crossing my arms.

"Do you want your leg to get better?" Miller asks, causing me to let out an annoyed huff.

The only interesting thing that was going on around camp was Jasper basically bragging about what happened at the bridge the other day. Occasionally I would hear bits and pieces of the exaggerated story as others walked by the tent. I do have to say that his storytelling skills are quite entertaining, he even almost convinced me.

During my third nap of the day, a scream from the gate woke me up suddenly.

"Miller, get out here!" Connor called for him.

Miller quickly stood up, building out of the tent before returning a second later. "Stay here," he ordered and rushed out again, gun still in hand.

As the tent flap opened I was able to catch a brief glimpse of a body being carried. At least that’s what I thought it was but it was hard to tell due to the cuts and blood that covered the person.

Propping up on my elbows, I tried to get a better look but the flap closed before I could. Annoyed, I laid back on my bed and let out a huff, running my hands through my hair.

But that's when it hit me. I could move. There was no one here telling me what to do. I had no plans of leaving my tent but practicing walking seemed like a great idea as my back was sore from not moving for days.

Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, I took a deep breath before attempting to stand. Instantly my leg burned with pain and I let out a shriek as I sat back down.

“Damn,” I muttered to myself, biting my lip as I waited for the pain to subside. After a moment, I took a deep breath grabbed onto one of the large sticks that supported the tent, and hoisted myself up, this time keeping pressure off my left leg for as long as possible.

I would have given up after the first try but my body was screaming at me to move and stretch out my muscles. Defying Clarke’s orders hadn’t been my intention, I just knew I couldn’t keep staring at the same spot for any longer.

Once I gained my balance, I slowly began to add a little bit of pressure at a time. Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth to focus my pain on something else, I took one step forward, continuing to keep most of the pressure on my right leg.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Monty asked, quickly rushing to my side and wrapping his arm around my waist.

“I’m just stretching my legs, Monty.” I rolled my eyes, allowing him to set my back down on my bed. “I’m bored out of my mind and my back is killing me from laying here all day and night.”

He knelt in front of me. “Well, luckily you won't have to stare at the walls of this tent much longer.

Raising a brow in confusion, I asked, “What do you mean?”

“Bellamy gave Jasper a new tent for his ‘heroic actions’. So we’re moving.”

“You’re kidding?” It took everything in me not to laugh. Jasper’s actions were far from heroic but I guess if that's what it seemed like to the others, who were we to judge?

Monty shook his head with a sigh, “I wish I was. But hey, at least it benefits us right?” He gave me a crooked smile. “Come on, grab some of your stuff and I’ll help you over there.”

Doing as told, I packed my things into a makeshift bag and then allowed Monty to wrap an arm around me and lead me towards the new tent.

After being set down on the bed, I took a look around. The space was bigger than the last tent as were the three beds which would be a nice change going forward. Maybe I would be able to sleep better?

The thought was almost laughable. The nightmares still lingered, though they weren’t every night, they were still frequent enough to be an issue for my sleep schedule. Being in pain all hours of the day didn’t help much either.

“Home sweet home,” Monty sighed. “What do you think?”

“It's nice,” I said truthfully.

“Alright, I’m gonna go get the rest of our stuff. Stay here and don’t get up.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I rolled my eyes as the boy ordered. “Be quick. I need someone to talk to, I’m going out of my mind,” I called after him.

With a sigh, I fluffed up the pillow and leaned back against it. Staring at a new spot was someone interesting, and I knew I would soon become familiar with every crinkle, speck, and hold in the lining of the parachute that was used to make our tent.

A deep voice from outside, caused me to sit up fast, my heart skipping a beat in fright.

"Where is he!?" Bellamy suddenly began to yell over and over. His voice was stern and full of anger but he was gone just as quickly as he passed by.

Monty hadn’t returned for a while and I assumed it had something to do with whatever was happening outside. My curiosity was killing and I was thinking of every possible scenario as to who had been the one brought into the camp and why was Bellamy so angry about it.

Had they taken another Grounder prisoner? Were they tormenting him too?

When Monty finally came back with the rest of our things, I wasted no time asking him what was going on.

“Uh, I’m not sure…” he trailed off, trying not to look me in the eyes, a habit that gave away that he was lying.

“Monty Green, tell me right now what is happening.”

“Nothing, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he shrugged, keeping his back to me moving things around to try and appear busy.

Annoyed, I pulled myself out of bed and fought through the pain to stand right behind him. When he finally turned around he jumped back in fright.

“If you don’t tell me what's going on, I will walk out of this tent and figure it out myself.” I tried to sound intimidating, crossing my arms over my chest but my face gave away the pain I was in.

“We’re not supposed to tell you,” Monty explained, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

“Says who?” My question was practically answered when Bellamy walked into the tent.

"Hey, what are you doing out of bed?” His face was stern with what had almost been a glare.

“I was just asking Monty what the hell has been going on today,” I responded, limping back over to my new bed.

“Nothing going on Kid, don’t worry about it.”

Cocking my head to the side, I looked up at him confused. “Which is it? Nothing’s happening or I shouldn’t worry about what’s happening?”

“Nothing is happening,” Bellamy answered, bending down beside my bed.

“Really?” I scoffed, “Because you came back to camp screaming 'Where the hell is he?'." I made my voice deeper as I tried to imitate him.

“I don’t sound like that.”

“Yeah you do,” Monty commented, not skipping a beat.

Bellamy sent a glare towards the boy before turning back to me with a sigh. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Everything will be fine. Now, how are you feeling?”

“Well to start, I’m bored out of my mind. Like I think I’m actually going to die of boredom Bellamy.” He couldn’t help but laugh at how dramatic I was being. “I’m serious, when I die, you’ll have to put it on my tombstone. I’m more than ready to get the heck out of bed.”

"Does your leg still hurt?" he asked with a slight smile.

I shook my head, “Nope not even a little bit.”

"I highly doubt that. It's only been three days, your leg can't heal that fast."

"Mine can, I'm perfectly fine, I promise." I sat up.

Bell turned to look at Monty, who now had his attention on some kind of device. “Monty?”

"She still whines every time she moves," he explained, not even looking up from whatever he was doing.

"You snitch, I do not!"

"Just give it a few more days, Ari." He gently rested a hand on my right leg. "Rest up a bit and then we can talk alright."

Throwing my head back with a whine, I said, “I’m not asking for much. I don’t want to leave camp, I promise, I just want to get out of this damn tent.”

"I promise, you'll survive just a little while longer.” Bellamy gave me a reassuring smile before standing up. "I’ll check in on you tomorrow okay? G'night kid."

“Yeah, yeah, goodnight.” I huffed, crossing my arms as he disappeared into the darkness. "I don’t like that he's hiding something from me."

"Maybe he's just trying to protect you,” Monty tried to reason with me but that wasn’t going to work with how angry I was already.

-

The next morning I was awoken by the sound of talking from inside the tent.
"Jasper, you're on in 15." I heard a girl's voice say.

"Thanks, I'll be right out," Jasper responded.

Pulling my blanket over my head, I closed my eyes and tried to fall back to sleep, but to no avail. They continued to talk.

"I like your tent," the girl complimented. At that point I was able to put my finger on where I recognized the girl's voice, it was Harper, one of the kids who kept watch at the fence. "Maybe I could come by after your shift. Hear about the bridge again?" she asked.

I smiled to myself, happy for Jasper that a girl was interested in him. I cuddled into my blanket as I continued to listen to them speak.

"Um… I'm actually busy later,” Jasper responded, causing me to roll my eyes.

Really Jasper, what could you possibly be doing later?

The tone in Harper's voice changed from cherry to disappointed. "Oh okay, some other time then," she said before walking out of our tent.

Once I knew for sure she was gone, I sat up and quickly moved the curtain that separated my space from the boys, giving Jasper an annoyed look. "Are you kidding me?" I said more like a statement. He shrugged his shoulders and continued to tie the laces of his boots. "She likes you, man. Can't you tell?"

Jasper shook his head. "Harper? Nah, she's low-hanging fruit."

I was shocked by the boy's statement as I had never heard him talk mean about anyone before this. "Don't tell me you're still hung up on Octavia."

Jasper refused to make eye contact as he stood up from his bed. "I gotta go," he mumbled.

"Jasper, Octavia is not going to happen. She's with that Grounder guy and she really likes him."

He stopped in his tracks, turning to me, his face red with anger. "Go float yourself, Ari."

My mouth hung open, in shock at what he just said. This wasn't the Jasper I had come to know while on the ground. This person was completely different. "I'm just telling you the truth," I spat, growing more angry.

"No, you're telling me your truth!" he yelled, pointing his finger at me. "Look, I'm not like you and Monty anymore."

With a glare, I asked, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you're jealous. People think I'm cool and that upsets you."

I tried my best to hold back my laughter towards his ridiculous statement as I shook my head. "No, you see I thought you were cool, but no one had to die for me to see that."

Jasper crossed his arms and glared at me. "You know what, this is my tent, Bellamy gave it to me. If you have a problem with that, find somewhere else to sleep."

With a nod, I agreed. "That's probably the best idea you've ever had Jasper. With me gone, you'll have more room for your ego."

His face grew a darker shade of red as he balled his fists at his sides, resisting the urge to say anything else before he stormed out of the tent.

Furiously, I swung my legs over the side of my bed and grabbed my makeshift bag, stuffing my things inside, replaying the conversation in my head as I mumbled to myself. "'Bellamy gave this tent to me', what a joke." I scoffed, placing my knife into the lace of my right boot. “Who the hell does he think he is?”

Running on nothing but anger and adrenaline, I had forgotten about my injury and stood up with no preparation and instantly regretted it. Letting out a shriek of pain, I almost fell forward but was able to grip the side of the tent to keep me upright.

The pain had decreased over the past few days but putting that much pressure on it when I wasn’t prepared hurt like hell. I would never fully admit how much pain I was in out loud though.

After taking a few moments to collect myself, I grabbed my bag and took a deep breath. "Okay, you can do this. You got this Ari," I mumbled before slightly leaning to my left, just testing the waters, seeing how much it was actually going to hurt. Surprisingly, when I took my time, it wasn't that bad.

So what if it felt as though I was repeatedly getting hit in the leg every time I took a step, it was still better than what I felt before.

Continuing to hold onto the side of the tent, I was able to wobble to the opening, stopping once I got there. Looking outside, I tried to see if there was anything close by that I could see to lean against but to my dismay there wasn’t. Groaning, I threw my head back to look at the morning sky. "Why couldn't you make this easy for me?" I asked more to myself.

Taking another deep breath, I let go of the tent and began to make my way towards the dropship, wincing with every limp. After walking a few feet, I had to practically throw myself forward toward the nearest tree just in time to hold myself up.

This continued for a while longer. Each time I would make it a few feet before having to rest as I looked around camp for an empty tent I could claim.

Though I had only made it about 20 feet before Bellamy found me leaning against the dropship, catching my breath. "Ari! How many times do I have to tell you to stay in bed?!" he scolded, marching up to me.

“Yeah, well I don't really have a bed anymore," I explained, between taking in breaths of air.

"I thought you shared a tent with Monty and Jasper?"

"Jasper and I got into a fight and he told me to find somewhere else to sleep so that's what I'm doing. The tent we used to have has already been taken by someone else so I can't go back there." I sighed. "It's fine though, I don't want to share a tent with that jerk anyway."

"There's an empty tent by mine.” Bellamy sighed, “It's small but at least it's something.”

"Thanks, Bell." I smiled.

"No problem, kid." He returned the grin before scooping me up into his arms.

"Really?" I asked, glaring up at him.

He chuckled and made his way towards the tent. “Yes really, you’re supposed to be on bed rest, remember.”

“Yes I remember, you’ve all been drilling it into my head for days now.”

"I was actually on my way to talk to you."

"Talk to me about what?"

Bellamy let out a sigh, going to respond but he was cut off by sudden yelling coming from the firepit in the center of the camp.

"Clarke! Where's Clarke!" a teenage boy screamed, fear lacing his voice.

I glanced up at Bellamy and he was just as confused as I. He walked over to where the yelling was coming from to see Connor kneeling on the ground, blood running down his face from his nose and his hands were coated in red too. Clarke ran over to him, blood dripping from her eyes.

It was like a scene out of a nightmare.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Chapter Text

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, my voice shaking as Bellamy held me tighter.

From behind us, Derrick, a boy with shaggy blond hair and big brown eyes, suddenly bent over holding his stomach as he coughed harshly, throwing up blood in the process. My eyes widened at the sight of the dark red liquid hitting the ground near us.

"Clarke, what's happening?" Bellamy asked, taking a step closer to her, obviously worried.

"Bellamy, get Ari away from us," Clarke ordered, putting her hand out, stopping him from getting any closer.

My stomach dropped. "Why?"

"They're the ones who brought Murphy in," she explained before running toward the dropship. Bellamy's face went pale as he realized what was happening. Not being able to think right, he brought me to his own tent instead, placing me on his bed.

"I'll be back later, stay here," he said sternly and left before I could protest.

It wasn't for a few more hours that he finally came back. I passed the time by looking at things around his tent, trying to distract myself from the anger building inside me at the knowledge of John Murphy being back in camp.

The last time I had been in here was about a week ago and I didn’t look around much then as I was preoccupied by the possible execution of my friend. His tent smelt like him, as did his blankets. I hadn’t gone out of my way to sniff them or anything but it was just something I noticed.

When he finally came back, Bellamy handed me water and a pouch of berries before asking how my leg was. He was avoiding making eye contact as he could already tell by my body language that I was furious.

"It's fine. Now tell me what the hell is going on?"

With a sigh, Bellamy took a seat at the end of the bed. "There's a sickness going around camp, it was brought in yesterday by Murphy.”

“Murphy?!” I practically yelled.

Ignoring my outburst, Bellamy continued to explain. “The Grounder kidnapped and tortured him in their camp for three days until he was finally able to escape and he came here because he had nowhere else to go. After some thinking, we realized, the Grounders probably let him go with the virus knowing he would come back to camp and spread it."

"Why was he even let back into camp?" I asked with a glare. After everything Murphy has done, why did they take pity on him? He's just going to cause more trouble for everyone, that's the kind of person he is.

"He might know things about the Grounders. He was in their camp for three days, he could have heard something."

Shaking my head, I moved closer to him. "We can learn what we need to know about the Grounder from Lincoln, an actual Grounder."

"That's exactly the reason why we can't talk to him. Lincoln is one of them, anything he tells us could just be a lie."

Narrowing my eyes, I wondered if Bellamy actually heard what he said. "And Murphy hasn't ever lied before? Right? Yeah, it's not like he's a criminal or anything.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Lincoln has no reason to lie, he clearly isn't like the rest of them. He saved Octavia for god's sake, he helped us try to make peace with the Grounders," I said, beginning to raise my voice.

Bellamy stood up from the bed, his face becoming hard with anger. "Yeah, he did that after he took her hostage and poisoned Finn, and that 'peace meeting' was just a setup that ended in a shootout, that almost got you killed!"

"The shootout was because Jasper went trigger-happy.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed, glaring at Bellamy. “Regardless of anything they have done, we deserve it. We are the ones in the wrong. We burned down one of their villages with the rockets. We intruded on their territory, we may not have known at the time but we did it and me getting hurt… that's my fault, I should have stayed in camp."

Bell cupped his hands over his face and turned his back to me, letting out a sigh, before putting his hands on his hips. "Look, I just… please stay here." He turned back to look at me, his face softening. "I can't risk losing you Ar, two people are already dead because of the sickness."

"Oh look, more people Murphy has helped kill," I mumbled, looking down at my hands in my lap.

"Don't be like that please." He knelt in front of me, resting his hands on my legs.

I met his gaze, instantly regretting my harsh comments. "Bellamy, you don’t know him like I do. Are you really going to let him stay in camp, after everything he did? After Charlotte?" I asked quietly.

"We have to at least let him stay until he gets better and can tell us what he knows."

“And after?"

"Once he tells us what he knows, he's gone." I nodded, believing him. "Now will you promise me that you will stay here until this passes?"

I threw my head back and groaned. "Bell, I've been in a tent for almost four days now, doing nothing. I'm bored!"

He chuckled, standing up from his kneeling position. "You can survive another night. I'll be back later, and tomorrow I promise I’ll get you your own tent."

"Wait, where are you going," I asked, reaching out and grabbing his wrist.

"Octavia talked to Lincoln and he said the Grounders are coming at dawn and we need to slow them down. So Raven made a bomb and we're going to blow up the bridge."

I tilted my head to the side. "I thought you didn't trust Lincoln?"

"I'd rather be safe than sorry." He shrugged.

"Are you sure that blowing up the bridge is going to slow them down?"

He nodded. "They'll think we have multiple bombs and not just wasting the one we have. Hopefully, it'll work. Now stay here alright.”

“Can I at least walk around and stretch my legs?”

“Ari-”

“Come on Bellamy, I feel way better. Watch!” I stood up from the bed, trying to hide the slight bit of pain I had been in.

“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when your leg doesn’t heal right.” It was meant to be a joke and I would have laughed but the sudden spinning of the room distracted me. "Ari?" he asked as I put the palm of my hand to my head feeling slightly dizzy and light-headed.

"I don't feel so good," I began, leaning to my right side, unable to catch my balance.

Luckily, Bellamy rushed over and was able to catch me before I hit the ground. Despite my blurred vision, I could see his expression of concern as Bellamy tried to think of what to do.

My cheeks suddenly felt wet, like I had been crying. When I lifted my fingers to touch the stream rushing down my face, I felt a warm sticky liquid. My stomach tightened in knots at the sight of red on my hands.

“Bellamy?” My voice shook at the realization I had somehow caught the sickness that Murphy had brought in. My arm dropped to my side as it suddenly took too much energy to keep it raised.

“You’re okay. You’re gonna be okay.” His words were meant to calm me down but his eyes gave away his fear. Bellamy lifted me in his arms and held me protectively against his chest before rushing out of the tent.

In a matter of minutes, my entire body felt heavy and stiff. Lifting any of my limbs felt impossible as did taking deep breaths. The sun made me squeeze my eyes shut as the brightness caused a stinging sensation to fill my head.

A ringing in my ears made any noise around me sound muffled, almost as if I was underwater and my vision was fading in and out.

"Ari? What happened to her?" Jasper asked, running over from the fire.

"Jasper... stay back," Bellamy stopped him before he got too close.

His face drained of any color as he looked down at my frail body in Bellamy's arms. "Why, what's wrong?"

"She's sick." Bellamy swiftly rushed to the dropship where everyone who was sick was supposed to be quarantined inside until this all passed. Clarke, being sick herself, was tending to the others. "Clarke." He walked over, holding onto me tightly. "It’s Ari's…she's sick," he explained.

The blond turned to face him, looking down at me. The expression on her face dropped and her eyes became soft. "Alright put her down."

"Where?" Bellamy asked, glancing around the small area that held many sick teenage criminals.

"Here-" Murphy got up from the hammock he was lying on, "-put her on here."

Bellamy didn't hesitate as he laid me down gently. Just then I felt a tingle in my throat that caused me to cough violently. Once I started it was almost impossible to stop as it felt as though fire ants were crawling around in my throat.

The more I coughed the more raw my throat got and it wasn’t long before clots of blood came up with it. Looking at my hand, my stomach tightened in knots at the sight of the blood. I typically wasn’t one to get sick from seeing blood, but everything about my body was different today and my face flushed green. Bellamy was quick to respond, rolling me onto my side so my head was hanging off the hammock.

A combination of bile and blood from my stomach ran up my throat and hit the ground below me, covering Bellamy's shoes.

Doing his best to hide his face of disgust, Bellamy continued to rub my back. "It's alright Ari, you'll be okay." He handed me a cup of water as I sat back up. I weakly took a sip but it was room temperature and didn't help my burning throat or the taste of metal in my mouth.

"I'm sorry." I coughed, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. "I'm sorry I got sick and threw up on your shoe."

He sighed looking down at his feet. "It's alright, Kid. You're going to be okay. I promise." I grabbed onto his arm and held tight. “I have to go talk to Clarke now, alright?” He spoke in a whisper, trying to pull his arm away.

My brain was practically mush and I wasn’t thinking straight at that moment which is why I closed my eyes and said, “Please don’t go, Dad.”

I felt Bellamy tense in my touch but it hadn’t registered in my head what I had said or why it affected him.

Clarke walked over to us and with the back of her hand, felt my forehead, causing me to let out a small whine.

"I think she's going to be okay," Clarke voiced, sounding tired and sore. "Just rest for now and hopefully this will pass like the flu." She tried to assure me.

"This is way more than the Flu Clarke, people are dying from this," Bellamy spat, trying to keep his voice down to not upset me. His tone wasn't unwarranted, he was scared and worried about me so he lashed out and that's understandable.

"And people have died from the flu too, but a lot more have lived through it," the blonde snapped back. "Ari is going to live through it. Now you need to get out of here before you get sick too.”

Bellamy looked between me and Clarke, trying to decide what the right move would be. As much as I wanted him to stay and comfort me, I knew it would only put him in danger of becoming sick. So I squeezed his hand lightly, so he would look down at me. "I'll be okay," I whispered, not having the energy to say much else. "I'm not afraid."

Smoothing my hair back, he smiled at me. “That’s my girl. I know you’ll be fine.”

My eyelids felt like weights as I tried to fight the overwhelming power of sleep but I had almost no energy. It didn't take much for the darkness to consume me and I felt my body go limp, allowing me to fall into a deep sleep.

Throughout the day I would wake on and off, either to cough so violently that my chest would tighten and I couldn't breathe or to throw up the little food I had eaten the day before. Each time, I would look around the dropship to see more and more teenagers packed into the small space, praying that I wouldn't see Bellamy or Monty or hell, even Jasper.

My fifth time being awoken was due to loud coughing coming from beside me. Weakly, I opened my eyes, my vision still slightly blurred, and turned my head to my left. Seeing the curly-haired, freckled face of the boy who would sacrifice everything for one person, made my heart drop. Bellamy Blake was lying on a few blankets, blood running down his face as he coughed over and over, trying to catch his breath. Clarke rolled him onto his side, that way he wouldn't choke if he threw up.

“Bellamy?” Covering my mouth with my arm, I began to cough harshly myself. My throat felt as if I had drunk boiling water, it burned so badly.

Clutching my side, I hissed in pain from the cramp brought on by the coughing fit that also left me gasping for air. When it was finally over I leaned back and held my side, groaning.

"Here." I looked up at Murphy as he held out a cup of water to me. If I had the energy, my eyes would have widened in shock from the state he was in. His face was covered in deep cuts and dried blood, his eyes swollen and black and bruises covered his arms along with many other wounds. His once gray shirt was ripped and turned dark red around the large gashes in his body. "You need to drink so you don't get dehydrated."

Shaking my head, I refused. "Get away from me."

Murphy let out a sigh. "I'm just trying to help you."

"I-I don't ne-need your help." I stuttered, looking past him to Bellamy and Clarke talking. The only thing my mind could focus on was whether Bellamy was okay or not.

"Ari-" Murphy tried to put his hand on my shoulder, so I grabbed his wrist tightly.

"Never, touch me again!" I spat, giving him an evil glare before letting out a harsh cough.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion in the distance followed by the ground rumbling to the point the dropship shook with it. Once everything calmed again, the crowd began to mumble in shock and confusion.

Pulling myself off the hammock, I let out a hiss of pain from putting too much pressure on my leg. Murphy put an arm out, prepared to steady me but that only earned him a glare, and leaned against the wall.

Using the support, I began to limp towards the door, still feeling a slight pain with every step. Once outside the smell of smoke filled my nose. I concluded it to be the result of the large cloud of black filling the sky in the distance.

"They did it," Bellamy mumbled from his spot on the dropship floor.

Looking over my shoulder at him, I asked, "Who did? I thought you were going to blow up the bridge?"

"Jasper, he did it. I got too sick."

Turning back to the sky, I couldn’t help but smile. "Of course he did."

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked, standing beside me now.

I nodded, glancing at her. "A bit. Still not 100 percent but…better.”

Clarke physically looked to be doing good too. Her face wasn't as pale and her eyes had gone back to their regular shade and the dark bags disappeared altogether. Squeezing my shoulder light, Clarke gave me a warm smile before putting her attention back on the others who were still sick.

I followed her lead and knelt beside Bellamy, who was now leaning against the dropship wall, wiping the blood from his face. "Hey, kid." He smiled as I held his hand.

"Hey." I let out a sigh and looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm probably the one that got you sick, you could have died because of me," I rambled.

Bellamy shook his head, instantly stopping me. "Ari, this camp was infested with sick people, this was not your fault, at all. Okay?" I nodded slightly, still feeling guilty and unable to look him in the eyes. "If I blamed you, do you think I would have gotten you this?” He reached into his pocket, letting out a small cough into his arm before holding out a chain. "Happy birthday." He smiled holding up the rusted silver chain with a butterfly charm attached to it.

My eyes instantly widened as I let out a gasp, taking the necklace into my hand. "How'd you know it was my birthday?" I asked, looking down at the charm. One of the butterfly's wings was broken but I didn't care, I loved it anyway.

"Miller told me. He said you wouldn't stop complaining about how you're going to be a teenager soon, and how you should be able to do whatever you wanted because you'd be 13." Bellamy explained between coughs. I laughed remembering how I annoyed the hell out of him, and Miller told me to shut up multiple times about my birthday. "Can I?" I nodded, handing him back the necklace, and turned so my back was to him. He brought the chain around my neck and clasped it.

Moving my hair to the side, I looked down at the charm again. "Where'd you even get this?" I questioned.

"When Clarke and I found the guns and blankets, I also found this. I was saving it for you."

I smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Bell."

He smiled and hugged me back. "You're welcome, kid."

"They're back!" Harper yelled from her watch post on the fence. The gates opened to reveal Monty and Jasper, arms swung around each other, and instantly everyone cheered.

They couldn’t help but smile at the attention and this time Jasper had actually earned his heroic title.

The look on Jasper's face as he made his way over, told me that he was shocked to see me there clapping for him as well.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, actually concerned.

"Better.” I nodded. “My leg doesn't hurt as much anymore and I haven't thrown up blood in about six hours so that's good."

He chuckled and sat beside me on a log by one of the lit fires. "Look I'm sorry about the other day I let the attention get to my head."

I nodded with a shrug. "It's alright. I guess I still think you're pretty cool, however, if you ever act like that again, I will personally take you down a few pegs."

Jasper chuckled, putting his arm around me. "Deal."

The rest of the night was spent sitting around the fire, the whole camp listening to Monty and Jasper tell their story of what happened earlier that day and this time, I don't think they were exaggerating.

Chapter Text

It has been quiet since the bombing of the bridge. No one had gone missing or killed by Grounder, giving the camp a good amount of time to prepare.

We were thriving. We had a fully useful smokehouse where we would store meat the hunters brought back. There was a good system to catch rainwater and we had round the clock guards on duty at the fence. There was a set job for everyone, we all knew our place and stuck to our schedule.

We had to be strict. The exodus ship had been pushed back due to an explosion of the Ark so we were left alone for just a while longer.

For me, I worked in the smokehouse with Octavia and a few others, which somehow included Murphy. I had tried to get Bellamy to train me with a gun so I could be a part of the watch group but he refused over and over.

Del, a rather tall criminal with raven black hair, walked into the Smokehouse where I was cutting up some rabbit and added more wood to the fire, causing the flames to rise and the heat to increase.

"You don't want the fire too big so maybe try to knock it down with some wet leaves," Octavia explained, hanging up some meat onto the wall to preserve it.

"Did you get that from your boyfriend, Grounder Pounder?" Del asked, crossing his arms. I rolled my eyes at the stupid insult.

"She's right,” Murphy voiced, walking into the small area, carrying a pile of fish in his arms. “A hot fire is not going to preserve the meat as well.”

Del glared at Murphy, trying to think of a comeback. "If you can't take the heat, get out of the smokehouse!" he snapped before storming out.

"Bellamy couldn't get you girls better jobs. Anything would be better than working in a meat furnace." Murphy commented, setting down the fish next to me.

I refused to even look at him, let alone speak to John Murphy. I couldn't, not after everything that has happened. He was supposed to be kicked out after he told us what he knew about the grounders but of course, Clarke talked Bellamy into letting him stay, again a horrible idea but no one ever listens to Ari.

The sound of Octavia's loud scream pulled me out of my thoughts and caused me to spin around, grabbing my knife thinking Murphy had done something. My eyes widened in shock at the sight of the wall being completely engulfed in large burning flames.

"Come on Ari, we have to get out of here!" Octavia yelled, grabbing my arm, pulling me towards the door.

Once outside we both fell to the ground, coughing up the black smoke we had just inhaled. Looking back at the smokehouse, it had become completely swallowed by flames and crumbled in on itself.

"What happened!?" Bellamy asked, rushing over and kneeling down to make sure we were okay.

Murphy angrily jumped up from the ground, shoving Del forward, gripping his shirt. "This is all your fault!" he screamed. “We told you!”

Bellamy let out an annoyed sigh before getting in the middle of the two to separate them. "Save it for the Grounders!"

"Bell, what are we going to do? That was all the food?" Octavia asked worriedly.

Whispers were heard throughout the crowd of criminals as we all looked from one another, scared for what's to come of this horrible event. For the first time since coming to the ground we hadn’t been hungry, we had a system to keep us fed and now it was all gone in the blink of an eye.

It wasn't till late in the afternoon that the fire had finally been put out. All the remains of the smokehouse and our food was a pile of charcoal.

"We have to hunt." Bellamy turned to the crowd of scared and hungry teenagers. "Take anyone we can spare, we can rebuild this. There is no need to panic." The teens were in agreement, though still a little nervous due to the Grounders that were still out for blood.

Making my way over to Bellamy with a smile plastered on my face, I couldn’t help but practically jump with joy.

“No.” He instantly shook his head.

My smile dropped. “What? You can’t say no. I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Fine, what are you about to say?” He crossed his arm over his chest.

“You need people to hunt-”

"No.”

“Bellamy,” I practically whined, dragging out each syllable of his name.

“Ari, you just got better, I don't need you getting shot again and you’re not trained.”

“We haven’t seen any grounders for days. We’re fine Bell. I'll be fine. You need people to hunt and I'm a people so I'm going whether you like it or not," I said crossing my arms, trying to look intimidating but I more so looked like a spoiled child.

He let out a sigh, looking over his shoulder at the group of teens that gathered around the weapons. "Okay fine." I clapped my hands together, happily. "But, you have to stay with Clarke and Finn," he ordered. "I mean it, no going off on your own to do your own thing, got it."

With a smile, I nodded. "That's fair."

"I’m serious Ari, if I hear from anyone that you ran off, you’ll be stuck in camp until the Ark gets here. Understand.” I nodded. “Alright…go ahead."

I skipped over to Clarke who was standing by the weapons rack talking to a kid who I swear I've never seen before. He looked only a few years older than me, maybe about 15.

"Looks like I'm coming with you guys," I said smiling.

Clarke seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, grab some gear and we can head out," she said and kept talking to the guy she was before. Well more as he talked and she listened. The dropship is where we kept the majority of the weapons so I walked inside, grabbed an ax from the rack along with a belt to keep it at my side and tightened it as much as I could.

When I got back to Clarke and the other boy, Finn had joined them. "Ready to go?" Clarke asked.

I nodded my head and we began our way out of camp.

"Do you even know how I got locked up on the Ark?" The kid asked.

Letting out a sigh I said, “No, and you're going to tell us, aren't you?"

After spending about an hour or so walking in the woods, listening to the non-stop talking of the kid whose name I still don't know, I was growing bored. We hadn't come across any sign of animals yet which didn’t worry me much as there were hunting groups in every direction. Someone was bound to catch something before the end of the night.

"And that's how I ended up eating dirt," the kid chuckled to himself. I really should figure out what his name is but I think it would be awkward at this point. Maybe it's something interesting like Malcolm or Jaxson.

Finn stopped suddenly in his tracks and knelt down, examining the ground in front of him. Imprinted in the ground was track marks from some kind of animal, probably a boar.

"Is it one of those scaly panthers?" the kid asked, gulping nervously.

"No, a boar," Finn responded, keeping his eyes on the tracks.

"Good because that panther meat is nasty."

I rolled my eyes and sighed as he kept on rambling.

"Myles, be quiet!" Clarke finally yelled looking over Finn's shoulder.

I perked up, happy that I finally knew his name. "Myles!" I accidentally shouted aloud. The boy turned to me, his brows knitted together in confusion as to why I just screamed his name. A red flush appeared on my cheeks out of embarrassment. "Uh... Myles, that's a great name, how do you spell that?" I stuttered, trying to cover up my outburst.

"Both of you be quiet!" Clarke snapped, bending down next to Finn to get a closer look at the track that had been left behind.

My lips glued together, not wanting to anger the blonde or distract the only guy in camp who could track animals. A sudden silence came over the small group, not a comforting silence either, it was more of an eerie silence that made it feel like something was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked my hand ghosting over the ax at my side, ready to grab it at any moment.

"These tracks..." Finn trailed off.

"They're perfect," Clarke finished, "Almost too perfect."

My breath hitched in my throat as I put the pieces together, realizing we were being set up.

A gust of wind whipped past me as an arrow flew into Myles' shoulder. I quickly dropped to the ground, covering my head, watching as Myles was hit for a second time in the leg, causing him to fall back to the ground.

Arrows came flying at us from different directions. Out of pure adrenaline, I was able to crawl to the closest tree and begin to pull myself up. From behind me an arrow shot, grazing so close it left a small cut on my cheek, causing me to let out a small shriek. Hugging the tree trunk tightly, I let out a breath, my eyes wide and my heart beating against my chest.

"Ari, where'd you go!" Clarke screamed from a bush she and Finn hid in.

If they came out and tried to get to me, I knew it would end with one of us getting hurt. They had to stay hidden, as did I. So I gulped down my fear, took a deep breath and yelled out to them, "I'll meet you back at camp! Get out of here." I continued to climb until the leaves of the tree protected me from view.

"Clarke, we have to go." I heard Finn say before they both got up to run. I watched to make sure they got out safely but of course, they didn’t. There was always a calm before the storm and now we were in the eye of the hurricane.

Their path had been blocked by a large Grounder, dressed in animal fur and bones as armor. Lifting his arm in the air, using the handle of his knife, the Grounder hit both Clarke and Finn upside the head. They both fell to the ground unconscious.

Unable to move, my hand covered my mouth as I watched the Grounder drag away two people I was supposed to stay with. Bellamy gave me one instruction, one rule to follow and I broke it the minute things went south.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go, it was a simple hunting trip and it had ended horribly.

“You’re so stupid,” I cursed at myself, gripping my hair at the roots. “Stupid, stupid, stupid. A coward.”

I just ran away, I hid. Proving to everyone that they were right, I am just some scared little kid who shouldn't be out here. Why didn't I try to help them? Why did I hide? What is wrong with me?

Too scared to move, I stayed sitting on that damn tree branch for hours, thinking about how Clarke and Finn were probably being tortured or killed. I placed my head in the palm of my hands, I allowed myself to cry. Lose my head for only a few minutes before wiping away the tears and figuring something out.

Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to run through different ideas, different plans in my head and how each of them could turn out. I decided that my best option was to wait till dark as I wouldn’t be seen as easily. Camp was a straight shot. All I had to do was run in one direction and I would be back home.

The night grew closer as I watched the sky change from blue to light pink and once all light had disappeared, I put my plan into action. Taking a few deep breaths, I finally built up the courage and climbed down.

“Okay, this isn’t so bad. You got this Ari.” I told myself.

A group of birds suddenly flew out of the tree, squawking loudly. The abrupt noise made me jump, causing me to lose my footing and fall about 6 feet, hitting the ground forcefully on my back. All the air left my lungs as I stared up at the darkening sky. I wondered if this was how I was going to die. In the woods, with no one around to help me as I gasped for air.

Letting out a groan, I rolled over onto my side finally able to breath again. I pulled myself up and leaned against the tree.

Alright, that's okay. We ran into one bump in the road, but I can keep going. I can make it home.

Dusting off the dirt on the back of my pants and picking out the leaves from my hair, I looked around to make sure no one would follow me but the only light was from the moon and even that didn’t do much for me.

After hearing a twig snap, I knew it was time to get out of there and I took off running in the direction of camp. Going as fast as I could. My chest heaved as I tried to control my breathing and take in all the air I could. But I wasn’t in the best shape as I didn’t get many chances to run in my prison cell.

I was able to work my way around the many roots growing out of the dirt and knocked down trees but the thing that stopped me was a spider web built between two trees. Running right into the thick webbing, the sensation caused me to close my eyes, making it so I couldn't see where I was going. Imagine my surprise when I collided right into a low hanging tree branch that knocked myself right onto my back for a second time that night.

Letting out a groan, I rubbed the bump growing on my forehead as I cursed myself even more. I would have stayed there for the rest of the night if I hadn’t heard the sound of movement deep into the dark woods. Sitting up in my spot, my eyes darted in every direction, noticing a large Grounder running up a tree close by.

My heart stopped and I couldn't move. No, not now. Please, not now. I begged myself, knowing I wouldn't live through this if my body shut down and I had another panic attack. It took everything in me to push myself to my feet, sprinting to the nearest climbable tree, praying that the leaves would help me blend in easier.

When I came to a steady branch I sat for a moment, catching my breath. My lungs were screaming at me to take a break as my heart slammed against my chest.

There were sounds of movement all around me. My breathing quickened again as I gulped down my fear. There was no way the Grounder didn't see me climb up here. He knows where I am and he has the advantage, being both faster and better at blending in then me. He could kill me before I even knew that was happening.

Glancing up at the tree, an idea popped into my head when my eyes landed on a small hollowed out hole in the side of the trunk. Quickly I climbed up the tree. The hole was big enough that I could fit inside with a tight squeeze but there were multiple different kinds of bugs and spiders crawling inside the small space that was making my skin crawl. The sound of deep mutters from below me encouraged me to take my chances with the insects.

Pulling my hood over my head, I crawled inside the howled out tree trunk, thanking God for my small size. I pulled a close-by branch in front of the opening, hoping that it would help to hide me even more.

The movement was growing closer and closer. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to silence my whimpers as the tree branch I was previously sitting on now occupied a large Grounder carrying a long and pointed spear. His face had been hidden from view by a piece of fabric that revealed only his eyes but I could tell he was looking for something, someone, most probably me.

With the rate at which my heart was beating, I was shocked we couldn’t hear it slamming against my rib cage. My hand shot to my mouth, trying to keep my gasping muffled.

I am not afraid.

I am not afraid.

I am not afraid.

The words made me feel only the slightest bit better but it wasn’t until the Grounder moved from the branch that I felt as though I could breathe again. Letting my hand fall to my lap, I let out a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, I had yet to realize that I would be spending the rest of the night out here alone. After what just happened there is no way I'm gonna go walking around these woods, especially since the sun had fully set making it pitch black.

Pulling my knees to my chest, a tear slipped down my cheek as the pit in my stomach only grew. I wished Bellamy or even Jasper were here to comfort me and tell me it's going to be okay because right now that's all I need.

Almost as if it were on cue from below me I could hear muffled talking. I let out a whimper and back as far away from the opening as I could. But the sound of radio static calmed my nerves. Grounders don't have radios. Neither did we but we were more likely to have them then the Grounders. Not daring to climb out of the hollow tree just yet, I sat and listened, trying to make out what the person was saying.

"Just keep the moon on your left and you'll find us." That sentence made all the weight that rested on my shoulders just fly away. I could recognize that deep voice from anywhere.

I let my head fall back, a smile spreading across my face. "Oh, thank you," I whispered to myself. Crawling out of the tree trunk, I looked down to see Bellamy and a few others walking by.

Quickly, I wiped away the escaped tears from my cheeks, smearing the dried blood in the process before I began to slowly climb down, my hands scraping against the tree bark.

"Bellamy!" I called after him, making everyone jump and point their guns at me. Instantly, I put my hands up to show I was harmless, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Bell was the first to lower his gun, his face softening as his brown eyes widened. "Ari?" he asked, seemingly in shock for a moment before he let the large gun he held fall to his side, hanging around his shoulder by the strap as he ran to me. Wrapping my body in his arms he lifted me off the ground slightly. "Thank god." He breathed out. We stayed like that for a moment before he set me down again and pulled me from the hug. He took his time examining my face, lightly brushing his thumb over the growing bump on my forehead caused by the tree branch I ran into. "What happened?"

I chuckled lightly, holding onto his arms. "I ran into a tree," I explained as he also looked closer at the cut on my cheek. "I almost got hit by an arrow again, when I was running from Grounders."

Bellamy's brows furrowed together. "Are you okay?" I gave him a reassuring nod. "The others, where are they? They're not..." he trailed off, not being able to finish his sentence.

"No," I shook my head, "Myles, h-he got hit and the Grounders, they took Clarke an-and Finn," I stuttered.

"Alright, it's okay, calm down." Bell put his arm around me, rubbing my back as he pulled out a walky-talky. "Raven, Monty, We found Ari. She's with us."

"What about Clarke and Finn?" Raven's voice came through the small makeshift static box.

"The Grounders took them," he explained.

It was silent for a moment when we heard Raven whisper, "There someone in the bushes," into the radio.

The color in Bell's face grew pale and he jumped into action. Holding my hand, Bellamy pulled me in the direction I assumed was to be towards Raven. He kept me at his side and when I had a hard time keeping up, Bellamy slowed his pace.

After running about half a mile, we finally found Raven and Octavia. They were bent down beside a body. Myles body. Who was laid on the ground, an arrow in his shoulder and his leg. The young teenager was having trouble breathing due to blood loss. He was alive. Myles was alive,

Bellamy knelt beside him, assessing the situation before figuring out what to do. "Take it easy Myles, you'll be okay," he soothed, turning to face us, "We have to get him back to camp."

"Bell, what about Clarke and Finn?" I asked. Everyone went silent, seeming to hold their breath as they had no idea what to say.

Bellamy gave Raven his rare soft eyes. "Raven-" She stood up and turned her back to the oldest criminal.

"We need to make a stretcher," she said, her voice breaking. It was clear she was holding back her feelings.

In the short time that I've known her, I don't think I've seen her show any kind of emotion other than excitement and anger.

"Raven, I'm sorry," Bellamy apologized, standing up, but Raven ignored him, collecting items to make the stretcher. He shook his head, pulling the radio up to his mouth. "Monty, we're heading home, you copy? We have Ari and Myles." Silence. "Monty, can you hear me?" Still no response. "Monty...Monty, where the hell are you?"

Chapter Text

When we finally got back to camp, I instantly went to my tent, hiding from all the questions and comments from the other campers who had heard about our disappearance. My body was sore from the fall and run in with the tree and the last thing I wanted was to deal with all the questions.

Pulling the elastic out, I let my hair fall down my back before running my hands through to try and comb out any knots. My hair was disgusting from the amount of dirt that had been caked in there from the fall and my time in the trunk of the tree. When Bellamy walked into my tent, I jumped in fright, not expecting him to follow me.

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” He put his hands out. “You just rushed in here so fast, I didn’t have time to talk to you.”

Turning my back to him, I began going through the small box of things that I was able to call my belongings, looking for a different shirt I could wear. “I’m fine Bellamy. You don’t need to check in on me. I’m not a baby.”

“I know that, but everyone needs to be checked on from time to time.”

“I’m fine,” I sighed, turning to face him again.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Once we find the others, I’ll be better.”

“And if we don’t?”

I know Bellamy was preparing me for the harsh reality of what was probably to come but I couldn’t hear it. Not right now. “That’s not an option.”

“Ari-”

“No Bell.” I put a hand up to stop him from speaking. “I can’t. If we don’t find them…” my voice trailed off as I closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I recollected myself.

“This isn’t your fault.” He took a step towards me.

“Don’t. I really don’t want to feel better about this so if you could please skip the speech that would be great.” I was a coward. I ran. I allowed Finn and Clarke to be taken while I hid in a damn tree! I didn’t deserve to feel better. “Once I get the rest I need, I’m gonna go help find them and when we do…I’ll be better.”

“You’re not going back out there. Not again.”

Rolling my eyes, I tried to walk past him, out of the tent but Bellamy grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Flinching, I glared up at him. “Don’t, grab me like that, ever,” I spat tugging at my arm but he kept his hold on me.

“We’re not having this conversation again, Ari. You’re not trained, you don’t know how to fight, and I shouldn’t have let you out there in the first place.”

“Then train me!” I yelled, ripping my arm out of his hold. “Give me a gun! Teach me how to fight! Stop expecting me to be okay with everyone else doing it for me.”

“You’re a child Ari, you’re not supposed to fight.”

“Stop calling me that!” I yelled, running my hands through my hair. “Did you forget the reason we’re on the ground? That it was only criminals sent here? Do you realize that makes me a criminal too? I’m not this sweet innocent girl you think you need to protect! I’ve been fighting, one way or another, my entire life. You don’t know me Bellamy! You don’t know a thing about me so stop acting like you have a say in my life!”

My words were laughable. I wasn’t a criminal. I was arrested for a crime I hadn’t even committed. But I was just so angry. Angry at him for treating me like this. Angry at myself for being scared and running. Angry at the world.

It was clear Bellamy wasn’t impressed by my outburst either as he had a blank expression on his face. That only made me more angry.

“Like it or not kid, I’m responsible for you. I’m not going to give you a gun and send you out there to be killed.”

“I didn’t ask you to be responsible for me! I’m not your daughter and I’m not your sister. You have just as much say in my life as my actual father, and he’s dead.”

Grinding his teeth, Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ll see about that.” Turning around, he left me alone in my tent, frustrated beyond compare.

-

The next morning my body was more sore than it had been the day before. With every move, it felt like I was being ripped apart. Sighing, I began to sit up slowly, wincing at the pain in my body. Only then noticing Jasper sitting on the ground leaning against my bed.

"Oh, morning." He smiled.

“Uh morning?” I stretched out my arms over my head.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Considering I slept on a bed made of sticks and padding from the dropship," I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, "not so well." He gave a slight nod. "What are you doing here? Don’t you know it's weird to watch a young girl sleep?”

"Oh right. Bellamy told me to ask you if you would help Raven and me with the landmines."

With a look of disbelief, I asked, "Bellamy? Bellamy Blake? The same Bellamy, who refuses to let me do anything that is remotely dangerous, really told you to get me to help set up landmines...a job that could potentially kill me?"

“Yeah…I guess that fight last night may have got him to change his mind.”

“Oh uh…did you hear that?” My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Yeah…everyone kind of heard it. But don’t worry, most of us are team Ari. Now come on, we only have so much daylight.

With a groan, I fell back onto my bed, pulling the itchy orange fabric over me again. "That sounds like work."

"Oh, come on," he stood up from the ground, adjusting the pair of goggles on top of his head, "you'll be working with Raven and me, two pretty awesome people may I add, it will be fun." I raised a brow, giving the teenage criminal a minute to think about what he had just said. "Okay so maybe setting up bombs that could potentially blow you into a million pieces might not be fun," he voiced, "but Bellamy wants everyone doing something to help out the camp."

“Yeah exactly, Bellamy wants it done. Screw him.” I joked, pulling my blanket over my head.

"Come on Ari." He shook my leg, trying to get me to sit up and look at him.

I closed my eyes, gripping the blanket tightly. "No." I yawned.

Jasper let out a sigh, "I can't believe you're making me do this." He pulled my blanket off my body completely. A rush of cold air ran over me causing the hairs on my arms and legs to stand up.

"What the hell, it's freezing!" I yelled, shooting up from the bed.

"If I have to help, then so do you." I shook my head and flipped over to my stomach, trying to get comfortable in the freezing air.

"Fine," he sighed, "I guess I have to eat this stale, 97-year-old chocolate bar, all by myself," he teased sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Wait." I sat up straight. "You have chocolate?" He nodded with a smirk. "Okay, I'm up, I'm up." Jasper took out the bar from his pocket and held it out to me. "Hershey?" I asked, reading the dark brown packaging.

"I don't know, Finn gave it to me a while back, all I know is it's chocolate," he explained.

With a grin, I grabbed the corner of the wrapping and peeled back the paper. Instantly, I dropped the chocolate bar and shrieked due to the old candy having many tiny yellow bugs crawling all over it.

"Well, that's disappointing." Jasper frowned, picking up the bar and examining it closer. "I don't know what I expected, it did expire 97 years ago."

Crossing my arms with a pout, I playfully glared at the boy. "You got my hopes up for nothing. You know I've always wanted to try chocolate."

He smiled, standing up. "Yeah, I know, but hey at least you're up now and you can help."

With a sigh, I rolled my eyes and finally agreed. "Fine, but you owe me," I said, giving him a pointed glare, which he returned with a laugh.

As I was tying up the laces of my boots, Jasper pulled a makeshift walkie-talkie from his back pocket and held it out to me.

"Bellamy also wanted you to have this." I reluctantly took the piece of metal with exposed wires connected in all different places. "It's a radio, Monty made it yesterday when you guys went hunting before he...ya' know." Jasper hadn't been doing all that well since Monty went missing yesterday while looking for Clarke, Finn, and me. He was noticeably making fewer jokes and kept his gaze at the ground.

"Jasper-" I tried to comfort him but he cut me off.

"So you just hit this red button to speak," he explained, "and you let it go to listen, and this button-" he pointed to a small black square. "-turns the radio on."

I nodded my head and set it next to me. "Thank you."

After the exchange, Jasper waited outside my tent allowing me to change into my long-sleeved black shirt, the only other top I had. It didn’t fit me much as it had been taken from one of the other prisoners. To keep it from looking like a dress, I had to tie the bottom of the shirt in a knot and fold up my sleeves.

Once dressed, I grabbed my jacket and radio after quickly braiding my hair to the side and walked out of the tent to meet with Jasper. He led me to the gate and over to Raven, who was lying on the ground burying something in the dirt.

"We are here to help." I smiled down at her, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets.

"Really? You?” she asked, looking up at me. “Alright, great, pass me that wire," she said pointing to a coil of wires that had been pulled from the interior of the dropship. I did as asked and knelt down beside her, helping to connect the wire. “What are you doing here?”

“Jasper said that Bellamy wanted me to help.” I shrugged.

“Interesting considering last night Bellamy told everyone you weren't allowed to leave camp till further notice. He was pretty serious about it too.”

Looking over my shoulder I glared at the man who was walking around making sure we were all working. His eyes would occasionally meet mine before darting away.

"Better hope those landmines work, with all the gunpowder we're wasting we could be building more bombs," Bellamy muttered, strutting up behind us, gun held tightly against his chest as if it had been permanently placed there.

Raven only stopped for a single second, delivering a quick and witty line without missing a beat, "Want to come here and test one?" she asked.

I couldn't help but chuckle, glancing over at Jasper who also had a smile spread across his face.

Not knowing how to respond to her comment, Bellamy just shouted more orders at everyone. "I need this entire section done by morning then do the south field."

He went to turn away from us but Raven stopped him, getting up and grabbing his shoulder. "Hey, I told you we're going after Clarke, Finn, and Monty tomorrow."

The tall freckled-faced boy shook his head, "Nobody leaves this camp!" he snapped, putting his foot down just as a gunshot fired off, causing everyone to jump to fright.

The group of criminals outside the gate turned in every direction, trying to find where the source the shot came from. Leaning against the wall of the fence, one of the boys on watch stared down at his gun in shock, almost afraid to be holding it.

"What the hell's the matter with you?!" Bellamy yelled as he stormed up the incline of the hill as the young boy who couldn't be any older than 16 continuously apologized for his mistake, explaining he had been up all night and accidentally fell asleep, hitting the trigger.

Bellamy didn't see it that way though as he finally let his gun fall out of his hands and to his side, dangling by the strap before grabbing the boy's shirt, pushing him against the outer wall. "We've all been on watch all day, we're all tired!" he screamed in the boy's face.

"Well, at least we know why Bellamy's so cranky," I whispered to Jasper, making him chuckle.

Octavia walked up to her brother, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Bell, you're scaring people," she commented.

The older Blake turned to the younger. "They should be scared!" He let go of the boy's shirt, turning to address the small group of teenagers who viewed him, of all people, as their leader. "The bomb on the bridge saved us some time, but that time is up. The Grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave. Clarke, Finn, and Monty are gone, probably dead-" I glanced over to Jasper as he stared down at the ground to hide his expression of worry and doubt. "-If you want to be next, I can't stop you, but no guns are leaving this camp! They are the only thing keeping us alive." Bellamy shifted his weight from his left to right, bringing his hand up to rub his stubbly chin with a sigh, thinking of what to say next, when he came up with nothing he just yelled out another order. "Get back to work!"

No one hesitated to get back to what they were doing in fear that Bellamy may snap at them next. I looked at Raven as she folded her arms over her chest and what seemed to be a permanent scowl danced across her face. She made her way back over to the landmines she was previously working on and knelt down.

I followed suit, kneeling next to her. "I'm sorry," I blurted out, feeling like it was the right thing to say but I instantly regretted it when the brunet gave me a confused look. "I didn't stop the Grounder from taking them, it's my fault they're gone."

Raven shook her head as her face softened. "It's not your fault Ari. You're like the size of an ant, I wouldn't expect you to take on a Grounder."

I let out a sigh, helping to put one of the small bombs in the ground. "I know but I still wish I could have done something."

Raven nodded. "Hey why don't you grab me some more gunpowder, we're running out," she asked, trying to get me to change the subject.

I gave her a nod. "Sure thing." I stood up, wiping the dirt from my jeans.

"It's in the dropship on the middle level," she explained, extending a long piece of the copper wire across the path. I kept that in mind and made my way back into camp and to the dropship.

From the outside, I could hear the sounds of Myles groaning in pain due to his injuries. The noises reminded me of when Jasper had been speared in the chest. The memory made me cringe as I walked inside, not knowing that Bellamy was inside as well.

He glanced up from the table of plans that were laid out in front of him, curious as to who had invaded his space.

"Hey." Deciding to ignore him, I shook my head and walked over to the ladder, beginning to climb up. "Ari, come on. I’m sorry about last night.”

“I don’t care. Banning me from leaving camp is one thing. I get it, you think you’re protecting me or something but not allowing anyone else to look for the other is insane. It’s like you’re on some kind of power trip.” I shook my head, walking past him and begging to climb up the ladder.

“Don't you think I want to go after them too?" He asked.

His statement made me stop mid-climb and let out a sigh, turning my head. I was able to look him head-on due to finally being eye level with the position I was in on the ladder.

"If it was you out there, do you think Monty, Clarke or Finn would hide behind these walls?" I asked.

Bellamy put his hands on his hips. "No, they'd go after me and be dead too." Rolling my eyes, I looked up to the second level and shook my head. "I am doing what I think is right for the group," he tried to defend himself but I didn't care to hear it as he was being completely unreasonable with the whole situation.

Chuckling to myself, I looked back at him. "It's funny, you didn't think that way when Octavia went missing."

He sighed, rubbing his face as I went climbing again.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To get some more gunpowder for the minefields that you want to be built so badly," I spat before making my way to the middle level, ignoring Bellamy as he tried to continue to talk to me. To add an extra flare of dramatics, I slammed the hatch shut, cutting him off mid sentence before walking over to the table that held the gunpowder.

I smiled at the label Raven put on it. 'Gunpowder: Can blow your fuck'in head off'. Turning back to the ladder and opening the hatch I made my way back down.

The closer I got to the first level, the louder the sounds of struggle got. My stomach dropped as I looked to the right of me. Murphy was standing at the head of Myles bed, his back to me so I couldn't see what was happening until he turned slightly, getting a better grip on whatever he was doing. He was holding something over Myles's face, cutting off his air supply as the boy struggled to breathe.

My body instantly clammed up at the frightening sight of Myles' body going limp. My grip on the ladder was beginning to slip due to my sweaty palms and I had no choice but to reposition my hold. The movement made the metal tin I was holding tap against the ladder, giving me away. Mentally cursing at myself, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that the murderer's attention was now on me.

"He uh, he stopped breathing. I...was, I was trying to help him," Murphy stuttered, trying to make excuses for what he had done.

Knowing better than to upset him, I just nodded my head and continued to climb down the ladder slowly, glancing over my shoulder to the gun Bellamy had left sitting on the table. At the moment I thought I was being slick but Murphy noticed my looks and we both made a dash to the heavy gun. Jumping from a few feet in the air, my thigh stung at the impact of my feet on the ground.

Reaching my hand out, I tried to get to the table first but Murphy was much faster and had longer arms. He didn't hesitate to point the weapon that could rip through flesh right at my face. Of course, I raised my hands in the air showing that I was surrendering.

"Murphy, please put the gun down," I begged, swallowing the lump in my throat. I made sure to look him in the eyes, trying to get him to see that I wasn't the enemy, that I was just a kid. This tactic was something York taught me back on the Ark years ago.

"He tried to kill me!" Murphy yelled looking back at the body of the boy he had just murdered. He was referring to when Myles had helped tie the rope that hung Murphy. \

"Yeah," I nodded my head, beginning to inch my way backwards to the Dropship door, "I get it, Murphy I do."

"Don't move!" he screamed, his finger now resting against the trigger.

Knowing what I do about John Murphy, there was no way I was getting out of this alive. He doesn’t care about right or wrong, or a person's life. Murphy only cares about his own survival. He’s bigger, stronger and carrying a gun. I had nothing to protect myself except a can of gunpowder and a radio.

I have a radio!

Rambling on and on about his reason for killing Myles, Murphy hadn’t noticed me slowly bringing one of my hands down into my pocket that held the radio. My only connection to safety. I held down the talk button, that way anyone with a radio could hear what was going on inside the dropship.

"Okay, alright Murphy. It's cool, we're cool. It's fine," I babbled, trying to get the message across to anyone listening while also doing my best not to get shot. “Murphy, you know me. You’ve known me almost our whole lives. I can keep a secret.”

The criminal in front of me shook his head, "No, it's not okay, Ari. You hate me. You’re gonna run out of here and go tattle to Bellamy, and you know exactly what will happen to me if you tell Bellamy."

"Tell Bellamy what?" The moment his deep voice came through the radio it felt like the world around me was crashing down.

Why couldn't he have just stayed quiet and came to find me?

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh, keeping my finger on the talk button.

Murphy's face fell as he realized what I had done. "Give me the radio Ari," he demanded, gun still pointed at my head.

“Murphy…” my voice broke.

“Give me it!”

“What the hell is going on?” Bellamy asked.

Knowing that I could possibly be killed if I didn't do as Murphy said, I slowly pulled the radio out from my pocket, going to hand it to Murphy but before I did, I brought it up to my mouth quickly. "Murphy has a gun, he killed Myles." I explained the situation as fast as I could while also making a run for the door.

Angry Murphy charged at me. Snaking his arms around my waist as the gun hung off his shoulder, I let out a yelp, as he flipped me over his shoulder, throwing me deeper into the dropship.

Chapter Text

Out of instinct, I extended my left arm, thinking that it would somehow make my blow to the ground a little less painful, but boy was I wrong. I hit the ground hard, falling right onto my arm and bad leg and rolling once before hitting the wall of the dropship. In the process, I dropped the radio, my only connection to the outside.

Grinding my teeth in pain, I held my arm and rolled onto my stomach, resting my forehead against the cold ground as I bit back tears.

"Murphy, what the hell are you doing?" Bellamy's voice was comforting to hear, especially in this situation. Even if it was only over a radio call.

I lifted my head to look up at Murphy, glaring at him as I held my stinging wrist against my chest. It wasn’t broken. I knew that much. Probably just a little bruised but at the moment, it hurts like hell.

He didn’t know what to do. Murphy hadn’t planned this far ahead. His green eyes met mine. An emotion crossed his face that I couldn’t quite place.

Was it concern? Worry? Or was it possibly fear?

Lucky for me I never had the chance to figure that out, for as quick as the foreign look appeared, it was gone as he snapped back into reality. The whole exchange hadn't lasted longer than a few seconds before Murphy was running towered the dropship door, pulling the lever that would lock me inside a metal hell hole with a teenager psychopath.

From the other side of the door, I could hear Bellamy screaming out to him before banging on the metal door as it closed.

Pacing back and forth, still unsure of what to do, Murphy ran his hand through his shaggy long hair.

"Murphy, open the door!" Bellamy demanded but Murphy did not comply.

"You try to be a hero and Ari dies!" he yelled back.

I was able to crawl to the ladder, using it to lean on as I held my arm close to my chest, keeping my eyes trained on Murphy as he frantically gathered rope and ripped seat belts from the walls. I’ve never hated anyone more in my entire life than I hated John Murphy, and if you knew my mother you would think I was crazy for saying that. He reached out to grab my arm but I pulled back.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped through gritted teeth.

"Ari, come on." He was stern as he grabbed my arm again, this time with more force.

He knows my life. He knows what I’ve been through and the reason I don’t like people touching me but Murphy didn’t care.

Thinking quickly, I grabbed the hand he used to hold my arm and bit it, causing him to scream in pain, while also letting go of his tight grip on me. I made a run for the door but he was faster.

Coming up from behind me, Murphy was able to grasp my shoulder and pick me up again.

"Let me go!" I yelled as he walked me over the ladder. Murphy tied my hands together with rope and made sure the knots were as tight as he could make them. "Murphy please. Let me go," I begged. “At least loosen the ropes. Please. I can’t…I can’t be tied too tightly.”

"Shut up!" he spat, using a cloth as a gag so I would stop talking.

There was no stopping the panic now. The fear swelled in my chest. Being grabbed and thrown and threatened sent me back to my childhood, to what I went through every day of my life. But the restraints and gag in my mouth caused me to hyperventilate.

I couldn’t breathe, there was no air and the walls were closing in on me and that's how I remained for the next few hours.

Forced to sit and watch Murphy as he paced back and forth in the small space, with the body of a kid I barely knew sitting in the corner. The sun had to be down by now, it was so late. The talking from outside the dropship had died down almost completely.

Bellamy probably moved everyone back in case Murphy decided to take us all out with the gunpowder. The last thing I heard was a threat by Jasper, telling Murphy to let me go or else. But that had been a while ago and I hadn’t been let go.

"Murphy. I know you can hear me." Bellamy's comforting voice came from the radio. I sat up straight and listened. "All our ammo and food is on the middle level, you know that. You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack. I can't let that happen."

Murphy looked over at me with a glare as he picked up the radio. "Yeah, well in case you didn't notice you're not really in control right now."

"Come on Murphy, you don't want to hurt Ari, you want to hurt me. How about a trade?"

I tried to protest, shaking my head but my voice was muffled. I couldn't let Bellamy take my place, Murphy would kill him and as mad as I had been at him for the night before, I couldn’t lose him.

"Shut up!" Murphy spat at me, making me jump out of fright.

"All you have to do is let her go and I'll take her place," Bellamy continued.

Murphy bit his lip, thinking about the offer for a moment before responding. "How?" he asked.

"Simple. You opened the door, I walk in, she walks out."

What the hell is Bellamy doing, he's going to get killed if he comes in here, he's more valuable to everyone then I am. If I died, there would be no issues. If Bellamy died, we would be down a leader and the person who would get us through this war.

Murphy stopped and thought for a moment before pulling the lever to open the door. "You have 10 seconds Bellamy, or I'll shoot Ari in the leg." He walked over and grabbed my arm, lifting me up to stand before pulling me over to the entryway that had been blocked by the parachutes. "1...2...3...4...5" Murphy began to count, waiting for Bellamy to respond.

"I'm here!" he yelled so he could be heard.

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut as I still attempted to protest. Bellamy made his way inside, pushing back a small portion of the parachute. I was only able to catch a glimpse of his freckled face before Murphy shoved me outside, still with my hands tied behind my back. Unable to catch my balance by the sudden shove, I stumbled to the ground.

Jasper was the first to run over to me and removed the gag from my mouth while Octavia cut the rope from my hands. The boy with the goggles wrapped his arms around me as Octavia still tried to get the restraints off.

"Thank god you're okay," he breathed.

I didn’t mean to push him away, but my skin was already crawling from Murphy’s attack and with the gag gone, I felt like I could finally breathe and I needed space to do so. Push Jasper’s chest, I began gasping for air as I landed on all fours.

“Hey, you’re alright. You’re out.” Octavia tried to comfort.

Leaning back on my knees, rubbing my raw wrists after finally catching my breath, I shook my head watching as the dropship door closed again. "Yeah, but Bellamy isn't. How are we going to get him out?" I asked the two kneeling beside me.

"Ravens trying to get into the controls to get the door open," Octavia explained.

"Great, where is she? I'm going to help." Jasper shook his head, opening his mouth to protest but I cut him off, "Jasper, he's in there because of me. He took my place. Now where is Raven?" I asked again.

Octavia was the one to speak next, "She's in the back of the dropship, she's trying to get a loose panel open.”

I nodded, thanking the girl before making my way to the back of the dropship where Raven was pulling back a panel, ready to climb in. "Hey," I greeted.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked in a whisper.

"I'm here to help you get Bellamy out."

She gave me a sympathetic look and nodded, crawling into the small space that would lead us below the main level. From above, I could hear Murphy and Bellamy's muffled voices.

"So cool." Raven smiled, shining her light around the level.

Rolling my eyes I said, "Not to be rude or anything, but can you stop thinking like a mechanic and find a way in there?" I ask crawling behind her.

"This mechanic is going to hotwire the door," she explained, matter of factly.
As she examined the different wires, I took the time to look above me, trying to find the hatch that would lead to the upper level.

"There it is," I whispered once I found it.

Raven glanced over her shoulder at me, opening a panel filled with wires. "It locks from above. Forget about it."

Pulling my arms away, I let out a frustrated groan. "Damn it." Sitting down against the wall, I tried not to let my emotions get the better of me. "He's in there because of me."

"It's gonna be okay.” The mechanic flashed me sad eyes, and I tried to push away my anger. “Help me find the door circuit," she suggested, trying to get my mind off of what was most likely happening to Bellamy.

Running my hand through my hair, I let out a huff. "We already lost Clarke, we can't lose Bellamy too." I rambled.

"Ari-” Raven tried to shush me.

“I was so mean to him last night…”

“Ari hey. Shut up. They're right above your head," Raven barked quietly. My hand instantly shot to cover my mouth as I apologized. “It’s okay just help me-” Gunshots began to ring from the floor above us, making me jump out of my skin. Raven's eyes filled with fear, something I was not used to from her. "Hurry and help me find the door circuit." She handed me the flashlight and quickly turned back to the wall of wires.

Using the light to shine around the small dark space, I did my best to look for what she was talking about while listening to the conversation coming from the two teenagers above us.

The words were almost impossible to make out unless they were yelling. "I want you-feel what I felt-then-I want you to die." I heard Murphy say.

Shaking my head, I tried to keep my mind on finding this circuit so Raven can get him out of there, but I just couldn't keep my mind off the thought of Murphy killing the only leader we had left.

"Found it." Raven cheered as another gunshot rang out.

I gripped tightly on the flashlight, crawling over to her. "We have to do this now."

"I think... I got it. Ari, go outside. Be ready for when the door opens."

Doing as told, I made my way out of the dropship, leaving behind the flashlight and running to the others who were waiting. "Raven said to get ready. She's about to open the door-" The sound of multiple gunshots coming from inside cut me off. All attention turned back to the dropship and to everyone's surprise, the door slowly began to open. I didn't think twice before running inside, Jasper and Octavia following after me with shouts of protest for me to stop.

Pushing back the hanging parachute, I froze at the sight before me. Attached to a noose, Bellamy's limp body hung, swaying slightly. His usual bright face was pale and almost blue due to lack of oxygen. I covered my mouth in shock, my eyes still dancing around the area looking for the boy responsible for this but Murphy was nowhere in sight.

Jasper pushed past me, running over to Bellamy. Grabbing his legs, Jasper held up Bellamy’s body, trying to lighten the tension on the rope around his neck. Octavia was quick to undo one of the belts that held him up, causing Bellamy to fall into Jaspers' arms before hitting the ground.

Dropping to his side, I prayed for him to be alive. The younger Blake removed the rope from around her brother's neck. "Breath Bell, breath," she soothed, pushing back the hair that fell over his forehead.

Slowly, the color in his face began to return as air was able to fill his lungs again. His body jerked awake as he gasped. "It's okay Bellamy, take it easy," I said, rubbing his shoulder as he coughed.

Trying to get to his feet, he pushed our hands away, stumbling slightly. “Bellamy, you should take a second.” But he didn’t listen. Why I thought he would was beyond me.

"It's over!" he shouted to the boy who was responsible for his hanging. Stumbling over to the ladder, Bellamy climbed up, banging on the closed hatch that definitely led to where Murphy was hiding on the middle level. "Murphy there's only one way out of this now!" he yelled.

A loud 'boom' shook the entire dropship, making us all stumble.

"Damn it, Murphy," Octavia muttered to herself.

Bellamy continued to pound on the hatch harder, lifting it more and more each time. Black smoke spewed from the open cracks with each hit. When he finally got the hatch open, a cloud black consumed the lower level. We covered our mouths to keep from inhaling the toxins before we followed Bellamy to the middle level where a large hole had been blown out of the dropship wall. Murphy had used the last of the gunpowder to create an explosion and escape. Jumping out of the hole and making a run for it.

"Should we go after him?" Jasper asked Bellamy, watching Murphy run off into the woods.

Shaking his head, eyes still watching the teenage criminal making his way further into the distance, Bellamy said, "No, the Grounders will take care of Murphy," he finally met Jasper's gaze, "But we're going after Clarke, Finn, and Monty." The boy with goggles looked at his leader as if he had just said something crazy. "Just you and me. Ari, I want you to stay here to help Raven build up the defaces but when I get back…we start your training." I nodded excitedly. "We lost a day because of this and our gunpowder," Bell muttered while waiting as Jasper climbed down the ladder.

Before Bellamy followed I grabbed his arm. "Bell wait." He turned to look down at me. "Look I just..." I started but I couldn't get the words out so I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling his large figure into a hug. "Thank you," I muttered while holding onto him. Bellamy was taken back by the hug but slowly eased up and hugged me back. “I’m sorry for what I said last night. I really appreciate you looking out for me.”

“I’m sorry too, kid. You’re right. You should know how to fight, especially in a camp of criminals.”

I pulled back from the hug and sniffed, "Long way from, 'whatever the hell you want'." Bellamy smiled down at me. A genuine smile and not his signature smirk that he gave when he was being sarcastic. "Next time, let me save you, okay?" I chuckled, wiping a few tears from under my eyes.

The moment was interrupted by Miller's voice coming through the radio that was tucked inside Bellamy's pocket. "All Gunners, we got movement outside the south wall." The two of us hurried down the ladder and ran out of the dropship to the front gate.

"Hold your fire! It's Clarke and Finn!" Miller yelled to the gunners ready to shoot the first person they saw.

I let out a sigh of relief as the two missing teenagers ran right through the front gate.

"We heard an explosion, what happened?" Clarke asked frantically looking at the group of criminals that gathered around them, all in shock that they were perfectly fine.

"Murphy happened," Bellamy answered, anger still in his voice.

"Is Ari here, did she make it back?" Finn asked next.

"I'm right here," I said, going over and giving them both a hug.

"Where's Monty?" Jasper asked.

The look on Clarke's face said it all, they had no idea Monty was gone. "Wait, Monty's gone?" she questioned, making the smile that spread across Jasper's face turn into a frown.

Finn grabbed Clarke's arm turning her to face him, "Clarke we have to leave now. All of us do," he seemed to remind her before addressing the crowd of scared teenagers. "There's an army of Grounders, unlike anything we've ever seen. Coming for us right now. We need to pack what we can and run," Finn explained.

Bellamy shook his head at the Spacewalker. "Like hell we do, we knew this was coming.”

"Bell, we're not ready," I said, stepping closer to him.

We're just kids who were thrown into an unfortunate situation that forced us to adapt and learn to cope with our new surroundings. We aren't trained in battle like these much larger and more experienced Grounders who have been raised for this and he just expects us to go to war with them.

"And they're not here yet, are they?" Bell asked, looking down at me. "We still have time to get ready. Besides, where will we go? Where will we be safer than behind these walls?" Bellamy defended, now turning Clarke and Finn.

"There's an ocean east, people there will help us, '' Lincoln said-" Finn tried to explain but Bellamy wasn't having it.

"You expect us to trust a Grounder."

"You saw Lincoln?" Octavia asked, rushing over to us.

Finn nodded as the older Blake continued to speak. "This is our home now. We built this from nothing, with our bare hands. Our dead are buried behind that wall!-" he yelled pointing to the fence, "-in this ground; our ground. The Grounders think they can take that away." I rubbed my hands through my hair and let out a huff, "They think that because we came from the sky we don't belong here. But they have yet to realize one very important fact: We're on the ground now, and that means we are Grounders!"

"Grounders with Guns!" A voice from the crowd called out.

Bellamy nodded. "Damn right! I say let 'em come!" he finished.

"Bellamy's right," Clarke began, seeming to step into the center of the crowd, grabbing everyone's attention, "If we leave we may not find a place as safe as this, and god knows in this world...we could be faced with something even worse tomorrow. But that doesn't change the simple fact, that if we stay here we will die tonight. So pack your things. Just take what you can carry, now!" she ordered, finishing off the series of speeches.

Bellamy may have the moral and the support but it was Clarke who made the decisions.

The group of teenage delinquents disbanded, scurrying in all different directions to collect their things.

I didn't hesitate to quickly run to my tent, pushing back the flap and grabbing my makeshift backpack. Shoving the few things I owned into it, making sure to grab my knife in the process.

Swinging the light bag over my shoulder, I reached my hand up to my neck, gripping the butterfly charm that hung from a silver chain as I scanned over the tent for the last time, mentally saying goodbye before I made my way back to the group of scared kids.

Chapter Text

Leaving my comforting space, I turned my back to the tent before making my way over to the group, glancing over my shoulder one last time.

After the group disbanded, Raven had pulled herself from the control area of the dropship. In the process of getting the door open, one of the bullets Murphy had shot off landed in her side. Causing another issue for us. She could barely walk, meaning she was going to have to be carried.

"You ready?" Jasper asked, holding his gun close to her chest. I nodded with a sigh, looking up at him, noticing his goggles weren't placed on top of his head like usual. “Bellamy told me to give you this.” Jasper held out a small handgun.

“W-what?” I asked, my brows knitted together in confusion.

“Just in case something happens and we all get separated.”

Despite begging Bellamy for weeks to teach me how to use one, now that a gun was being presented to me, I was nervous. The weapon in my hands could kill so easily or injure someone beyond repair and after seeing what it had done to Raven, all the power frightened me.

Jasper gave me a quick tutorial on how to use it , how to aim and reload, and make sure the safety is on at all times. “Don’t use it unless absolutely necessary. Got it?”

I nodded. Looking down at the heavy weapon in my hand. Never had I expected Bellamy to actually give me a gun. Let alone without any training first.

From inside the dropship, we could hear Raven screams. Clarke was doing everything she could to help the girl, using a burning hot knife to cauterize the wound. Just more things to add to the list of reasons why I hate John Murphy.

After a little more waiting, it was time to go. With orders from Bellamy, the gate opened and I took one last look at the place we called home for the past few months. With no criminals running around, the place looked like a ghost town, as if no one had been there for years.

No one was jumping down from the dropship to stop a fight between two alpha males.

No young girls sitting up in a tree telling their darkest secrets to each other.

No one sitting by the campfire telling stories about their childhood and laughing with friends they hadn't expected to make in any other situation.

It was just empty and clear that whoever had been here left in a rush. The only sign of our existence was the red embers that sizzled in the firepit.

Letting out a sigh, I took a mental picture, never wanting to forget this place, for it had surprisingly helped me through a lot. I turned my back to the home we had built from nothing before making my way past the gate, following the long line of delinquents leading us to safety.

The gunners were first to leave, making sure to keep looking out for anything that could possibly kill us during the 120-mile track to the ocean. Anyone who wasn’t a gunner was supposed to stay towards the middle or at the end of the line, but leaving Jasper’s side was the last thing I wanted to do.

I caught up to him and Miller, walking alongside them and another delinquent named Drew as they spoke about the ocean. Billions of gallons of water filled with salt, just waiting for our arrival.

"You know what I'm gonna do when we get to the beach?" Miller asked.

I jumped onto his back, holding onto him tightly. "What?"

He held my legs, flashing a smile at me. "I'm going surfing."

Chuckling slightly, I shook my head. "I'm pretty sure you need to know how to swim before you can surf."

Jasper rolled his eyes with a sigh, "Quiet, keep your eyes open and hey, be careful with her," he said to Miller, referring to me on his back.

"No more wood. A view of the ocean. No more damn trees, just pale blue water." Drew babbled with a smile, looking up at the sky. I couldn't help but smile with him.

Our conversation was cut short however due to Octavia putting her hand up, motioning for us to stop.

The group went quiet, collectively holding our breath, not daring to make a sound as we waited for Octavia to give us the green light again, but it never came.

"What is it?" Jasper asked, breaking the silence.

Slowly I slid off Miller's back and watched quietly with the rest of the group. No one knew what was happening as we were all following Octavia’s lead.

From out of nowhere a disc with blades for edges flew past us before lodging itself into Drew’s face. Splattering blood everywhere and killing him instantly. Warm liquid dripped down my face and when I noticed it was blood from the deep boy, my heart sank.

Time seemed to stop as everyone froze, watching as his body fell limp to the forest floor.

"Grounders!" Jasper screamed, dragging it out in order to get the point across.

Every single teenage delinquent turned on their heels, retreating back to camp, the only safe place we know. I did my best to keep up with the others. Running as if my life depended on it because at this point I think it actually did.

My short legs could barely keep up and I could feel myself inching closer and closer to the back of the group.

“Ari!” Jasper yelled, waiting for me to catch up. Placing a hand on my back, he pushed for me to keep running. Keeping himself behind me until we made it back to camp.

It was complete chaos as everyone ran for safety and the gunner took their positions at their posts, just like how they practiced, ready to shoot when given the order.

The other teens, frantically gathered around Clarke and Bellamy who stood at one of the gunners posts, just watching.

"Why aren't they attacking?" I asked, looking up at our two leaders, when it was too quiet outside the walls.

Clarke was the first to speak, turning to look down at Finn. "Lincoln said the scouts would be the first to arrive, right?" Clarke asked.

"If it's just the scouts, we can fight our way out!" Octavia shouted looking up at her older brother who stood higher due to the platform. "That's what Lincoln would do."

Bellamy shook his head. "We're done doing what that grounder would do." He jumped from the gunner post, landing next to his sister. "We tried it and now Drew's dead, wanna be next?"

"That Grounder saved our life," Finn defended, "I agree with Octavia. For all we know, there's one scout out there."

I scoffed wide-eyed at him. "Yeah, a scout with a really good aim."

"Clarke we can still do this." Octavia pleaded with the co-leader of the remaining 86.

"Looking at you, princess," Bellamy sighed, still holding his gun close to him. "What's it gonna be? Run and get picked off in the open or stay and fight back?"

The young blonde had to think for a moment, not sure what to do.

She didn't ask for any of this. She didn’t ask to lead or to be sent down here to die. It was just thrust onto her. No matter what she chose Clarke was going to have to live with the outcome. Scanning over the crowd for a final time before meeting the gaze of Bellamy Blake, jumping down from the platform.

Finn grabbed her arm so she would face him. "Clarke if we're still here when the Grounders get here--"

She pulled her arm back, "Lincoln said 'Scouts.' More than one. He said 'Get home before the scouts arrive.' Finn, they're already here." Clarke spun around to face Bellamy, "Looks like you've got your fight."

My heart sank, knowing that this war would result in the loss of many lives and I don't think I'm ready to see more people die.

"Okay, this is what we've been preparing for!" Bell yelled to the crowd, "Kill them before they kill us! Gunners, to your posts! Use the tunnels to get in and out, from now on that gate stays closed!" Bellamy ordered.

Everyone followed the directions and did as told, running around getting to their posts and preparing for war.

I tried to follow Jasper through one of the tunnels, but Bellamy pulled me back. "Where do you think you're going? You're not a gunner."

"What do you want me to do then?" I asked, not wanting to feel useless.

"I want you to stay in the dropship with Raven, where it's safe," he expressed. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Ari, please. I can't risk you getting hurt again, or worse. You have your gun, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be there to protect Raven." I agreed, knowing he was only trying to protect me. Taking a step closer to me, Bellamy used his sleeve to rub off the slightly dried blood from Drew. "Thank you," he breathed, looking me in the eyes.

I nodded before making my way to the dropship where Raven was.
After getting all the gunners set up Bellamy came to the dropship with Finn, Clarke, and Raven to discuss the next moves. There was no keeping me out of the conversation as I was sitting right on the ladder. They looked over the model of the camp and surrounding area.

“We've got 25 rifles with 20 rounds each, give or take. Roughly 500 rounds of ammo. While you two were gone we made some improvements. Thanks to Raven, the gully's mined.”

“Partially mined,” Raven corrected, groaning in pain, “thanks to Murphy.”

“Still, it's the main route in. And if the Grounders use it, we'll know. She also built grenades.” Bellamy held one of them up for Finn and Clarke to see.

“It's not many.” The blond looked concerned

“Again, thank you, Murphy.”

“We'll make 'em count,” Bellamy sighed. “If the Grounders make it through the front gate, guns and grenades should force them back.”

“And then?” Clark asked, waiting for him to continue.

“Then we close the door and pray,” Raven added.

“And pray what?” Clarke turned to her. “That the ship keeps them out, because it won't.”

“Then let's not let them get through the gate.” Bellamy said as if it was the easiest thing. Lifting his radio to his mouth, he addressed the others. "All foxholes, listen up. Keep your eyes and ears open. Inflict casualties, as many as possible. We can hold them off long enough to make them turn back. That's the plan."

"That's always the plan, just like the bomb at the bridge," Finn commented.

Bellamy leaned on the table glaring at him. "You got a better idea?" He asked.

The two began to go back and forth while I looked over the diorama that had been built out of pinecones and rocks, set up on the table. I was lost in my thoughts, working out a plan in my head when it finally came to me.

"It can't be that simple," Clarke muttered to herself, grabbing the attention of everyone at the table as she turned to Raven. “You said there's fuel in those rockets, right? Enough to build a hundred bombs.”

Raven nodded her head. "I also said we've got no gunpowder left.”

"I don't want to build a bomb. I want to blast off,” Clarke explained.
Raven nodded her head, putting the pieces together. "Draw them in close. Fire the rockets. A ring of fire."

"Barbecued grounders, I like it," Bellamy commented, crossing his arms. "Will it work?" he asked the mechanic.

"The wiring's a mess down there, but yeah.” Raven nodded. “You give me enough time, I'll cook them real good.”

“Great, now all you gotta do is hold them off for as long as it takes for Raven to figure this out,” I smiled. “How hard could that be?”

With that, we put the plan into action. Finn, Clarke, and I would help Raven with the wiring while Bellamy went out into the now active battlefield. Gunshot after gunshot fired outside.

Before he left I stopped Bellamy. “Hey Bell, wait.” He turned to me.

“What Ari? I really need to get out there.”

I pulled him into a hug. “Stay safe out there, please.” He knelt down so he was at my height. “Promise me, you'll make it back.”

Letting out a sign he looked over her shoulder at the commotion outside. “I promise I’ll try.” I nodded and watched as he walked out of the dropship.

If I had known that was the last time I would see Bellamy Blake I would have held him a little tighter.

With a sigh, I sat next to Raven, working on the control panel that would be used to start the rocket busters as Finn and Clarke were in the bottom level of the dropship trying to follow Raven's directions in finding the right wires needed to connect in order for liftoff.

"Raven, we can't find the ignition system," Clarke yelled up to her through the open hatch. My eyes glanced over at the wounded girl who suddenly went quiet. Her face pale and her brows knitted together almost like she was about to cry. "Raven?" Clarke yelled again.

"Raven, are you okay?" I asked, putting down the wire I was holding.

She shook her head slightly, refusing to make eye contact. "I can't feel my legs," she choked out, her voice breaking.

"Hold on we're coming," Clarke called out before climbing up the ladder followed by Finn, kneeling next to the mechanic. The blonde bent her over slightly, lifting her shirt so she could examine her back that had begun to turn a dark black and blue.

Clarke shot Finn a worried glance. "That bad huh?" Raven asked, sucking in a breath as she leaned back, holding her side in pain.

"Raven, the bullets in your spine...you're bleeding internally," Clarke answered.
With a sigh, I ran my hand through my mess of hair, fearing the worst for the true Spacewalker I had come to know.

"We better do this fast then, huh?" Raven asked, trying to make light of the grim situation. "Get back down there."

Clarke gave the girl a sympathetic look, opening her mouth to protest but nothing came out.

This couldn't be the end of Raven, she was far too valuable to everyone for her to just be gone. "What if we can slow the bleeding?" I asked, "Would that help?"

"Of course it would help, can you tell me how to do that?" Clarke sassed, not fully meaning to but with our friend on the verge of death and the war going on outside we were all on edge.

"That stuff the Grounders had. Coagulant!” Finn said to the blonde. “You said that Lincoln had some too.”

Clarke nodded. “Yeah, it's in the box with the antidote. But I…”

“I'm betting that there's more of it in his cave. If I can get there…”

"Wait a second, no-" Raven cut him off, protesting the idea, "-Clarke, tell him he's being stupid."

Again Clarke had no idea what to say, letting the two teenagers bicker until coming to the conclusion that Finn was, in fact, going to try and make his way to Lincoln's cave to get the medicine needed in order to save Raven, much to her dismay.

With Finn gone, it was up to Clarke and me to get the wiring below the dropship done, and we needed it done soon. The sounds of shots coming from the battlefield were muffled to us while we were inside but yet we could still hear all the screams and pops from gunfire over the radio, clear as day. The sounds made my stomach turn as every bad thought I could possibly think ran across my mind.

"Do you see it?" Raven asked, pulling me out of my own head.

"No, it's a mess down here," Clarke responded with a sigh. "How am I going to find anything?"

"It's an orange wire," I reminded her, continuing to shine the light around the small space.

"You have to find the wire that connects the manual override to the electromagnet. It's not rocket science!" Raven yelled down to us, frustrated that we weren't getting it done fast enough.

"It is rocket science, actually," I shot back.

After looking around for what seemed like hours, listening to the gunshots over the radio and being sick to my stomach, Clarke finally found the wire.

"Raven, I found it. The orange wire!" she yelled excitedly.

"About time," Raven chuckled, her voice growing weaker. "Now follow that wire to the override panel."

Smiling, Clarke pulled at the wire, but of course, it was too good to be true. At the end of the orange cable, it was black and shriveled up.

"Raven, it's fried. Totally useless," I explained.

She went quiet, clearly thinking of what to do next in this situation.

"Tell me isn't as bad as I think?" Clarke asked.

"You know how to splice a wire?" Raven questioned. Clarke looked over at me with a pleading look, one that I returned as I shrugged hopelessly, shaking my head.

"No," the blonde answered.

Raven seemed to let out an annoyed whine before she responded. "Then it's worse."

"We need back up!" I heard Jasper yell over the radio, the sound of an explosion following.

That's when it hit me. "Jasper knows how to splice a wire!" I remembered, thinking of a story he once told me.

Clarke, with her blue eyes wide, picked up the radio. "Jasper, we need you in the dropship right now."

It didn't take long for Jasper to get here, excited that he had a reason to flee the war going on outside the walls of the dropship.

"What's up?" he asked.

Standing on the ladder, my bottom half below the floor and my top half above, I explained the situation, "We need your help, you're the only person I know who can splice a wire," I said before going to climb back down the ladder.

The three of us gathered around the wire, watching Jasper as he worked. "Okay, Raven, tell us again how this is going to work?" Clarke asked for about the 5th time.

"I already told you," Raven sighed before explaining again what to do tiredly. “Current flows to the electromagnet. That opens the poppet valve. Rockets fire.”

“Okay. Got the, uh...good wire ready to graft on. What's next?” Jasper asked. This time, she didn't respond, sending a sense of worry across the three of us. “Raven?” Jasper called again. Still, no answer. The blonde, worried for her friend, jumped up and climbed the ladder to check on the only mechanic we had. Jasper followed after her.

"Is she-" he went to ask but Clarke cut him off.

"Not yet, but soon," she explained.

It was unspoken but we knew that Clarke was talking about Raven dying.

"They've broken through!" someone yelled over the radio suddenly. "There are hundreds of them, they're heading for the gates! Game over man!"

The cry made my stomach turn. They were just kids, all of them. Not one over the age of 18 besides Bellamy, and they were out there dying. This shouldn't be how their lives ended. Their last few moments on this earth shouldn't be them scared and fighting for their lives.

"Finish it," Clarke ordered Jasper and me before she hurried out of the dropship.
I looked over at Jasper, worried. "We got this right?" I asked, not having much faith in myself.

Jasper nodded his head, repeating the direction given by Raven. "Current to magnet, to valve, to barbecue." The shakiness in his voice made my heart break. The lives of the remaining 100, now rely upon the hands of the one teenage criminal who barely knows what he's doing.

I sat next to Raven's unconscious body, refusing to let her die alone, while also trying to figure out the control panel. I hadn’t been one to pay attention in any class besides Earth Studies so none of this made sense to me.

Suddenly, everyone who was left from the battle, including Clarke and finally Finn, began to run inside the dropship, some climbing to the upper levels, all screaming in fear.

Clarke was quick to give Raven the medicine she needed to live.

More shouting and commotion was going on from outside and my entire body was shaking as I continued to look over my shoulder for any signs of Bellamy. A loud boom told us they were in.

"Jasper, we have to finish this now!" I yelled down to him.

"Clarke, they're taking down the Gates," Miller panted, running into the dropship, holding his right shoulder that had been hit.

"Good because I did it. I think," Jasper unsurprisingly said, climbing up the ladder. The sound of the fence we had built from nothing, crashing to the ground caused us to all jump.

"I am closing that door!" Miller yelled, running over to the lever.

Clarke was quick to stop him. "Wait, we still have people out there. Bellamy's not back yet."

Finn and Clarke rush outside, calling for anyone they could find to get inside. Bombs were going off now and it was utter chaos.

Just a few months ago, I never thought I would see the sun and now I was a few feet away from the chaos of war.

I handed the control panel for the dropship to Jasper, allowing him to make the last changes to it.

All that was left was for the remaining gunners to get inside and they did. All except for Bellamy, Finn, and Clarke. They were who we were waiting on because there was no way in hell I was going to let Jasper lift off while they were still outside.

"Come on Bell," I mutter to myself, keeping my eyes trained on the door. Clarke was the one to return, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No.” My shoulders dropped as she reached out for the lever to close the dropship door. "No!" I screamed, pushing myself off the ground and lunging at the blonde. Miller caught my body midair with his good arm, holding me back. "Let go of me! Bellamy's not here! We can't leave him!"

Clarke gave me a sympathetic look, shaking her head. "He-he didn't make it," she choked out.

“No, no he did! He promised!” I cried, falling to my knees and Miller held a protective arm around me.

The large metal door to the dropship began to close and just as it was about to shut completely the leader of the Grounders, the same woman Clarke met at the bridge rolled into the small space. Pulling out two swords she stood before us menacingly.
Miller pushed me behind him.

"Jasper now!" Clarke yelled, turning to him.

He gave a nod and hit the switch but...there was nothing. Everyone went quiet. No shake to the dropship, no loud rumbles of the rockets, nothing. Jasper continued to hit the switch over and over but it was no use.

Using the butt of his gun, Miller hit the Grounder when she tried to attack.

Wiping away tears that had formed, I looked over to Jasper, who was frantic and crawled over to him. “What can I do?” I asked, choking back my cries.

“Raven said current flows to the magnet. We just need current.”

I grabbed a lamp that hung on the wall for light, ripped open the bottom where the wiring was and handed it to Jasper. He pulled apart a green and a blue wire, praying to himself that this was going to work and he contacted them to the control causing a spark.

The dropship shook and everyone yelled and stumbled to the ground. Screams of burning Grounders made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But it was hard to focus on anything due to the way the dropship shook.

It stopped after about a minute and the ship fell back on the ground. Everyone was silent, holding their breath and waiting for their next order.

Before she was able to do any damage Miller tied the Grounder up as Clarke opened the door. Black smoke poured into the small area, making it hard to breathe. We had to get out of there before breathing became impossible.

Stumbling out of the dropship, we covered our mouths and noses as the smoke and smell of burnt bodies made us cringe.

Just like our first day on the ground, we looked around with wide eyes, allowing the wind to blow our hair back. Only this time around, our eyes were wide with shock as we looked at the destruction of our actions and instead of 100 of us…there were 47.

Dead bodies littered the ash covered ground of the camp we had worked so hard to build. There was nothing left of it but black coal and dust.

The sun was just rising over the treetops, turning the sky a light pink and orange color. I stared at it for a second. Had we really just won? Us? A group of teenage diluents that had been sent to the ground, expecting to die, had just won a war with Grounders who had been training for battle their whole lives.

There was barely a moment to think before bombs flew out the dilapidated fences, falling at our feet. Breathing became impossible as Red smoke invaded our airways. Covering my mouth as I coughed, I was unable to breathe or see through the thick smoke as my head felt heavy and my body weak as I fell to the ground.

My eyelids felt like weights as I did everything in my power to keep them open but the last thing I saw was Jasper being carried away by someone in a mask before I closed my eyes accepting the darkness.

-

I winced as a shooting pain stung my arm. Opening my eyes, I cringed at the bright light before sitting up. Taking in my surroundings. I was in a room with white walls and all-white furniture.

"Where the hell am I?"

Chapter Text

Slowly sitting up, I let out a soft groan as my body ached in pain. I practically hissed at the bright room. The four white walls reflected the fluorescent lights, making the room seem brighter than it was, and causing me to squint my eyes.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I flinched as the freezing cold floor met my bare feet, sending a shiver throughout my body.

Crossing my arms over my chest for some warmth, I was tugged back. Looking down at my wrist, an IV was stuck in my vein, filtering something into my bloodstream. Scared about what the fluids could be, I pulled it out harshly. Blood is now dripping down my hand.

Being confined to a room wasn’t something I was new to. In the SkyBox, because of my small size and age, I was kept away from the other prisoners for my safety. So there wasn’t much to my life besides the four walls of my cell. This room was different though.

This prison cell was larger than my last and hanging on a far wall above a sink was a perfectly interacted mirror. Being the curious person I was, I wanted to see what I looked like. Wondering if I had changed since the last time I saw my reflection on the Ark.

The person staring back at me was one I hardly recognized. My brown hair which I usually kept in braids, was now flowing down my back, stopping just above my ribs. It had grown much longer and darker than I remembered but the ends were split and frayed.

My chocolate brown eyes which I had begrudgingly inherited from my mother had turned much darker and dull.

I had also grown out of my baby face, looking more my age. Finally, I looked like a teenager. The cut under my eye had healed to a tinny white scar about an inch long. My cheeks were flushed and my skin was as pale as a ghost from the lack of nutrients

Looking down at my body I realized I had become noticeably skinnier. I was always small for my age due to lack of nutrition as my mother would rather spend our rations on moonshine than food. I wasn't wearing my normal clothes either, instead, I was placed in a white gown that stopped just above my knees, exposing my scratched-up arms and legs.

Suddenly, I had become very aware of the fact I hadn’t changed myself. Instantly, my arms went up to cover my body, feeling exposed. Gripping at my neck, my heart sank when I noticed the necklace Bellamy had given me for my birthday was gone.

“No. No, no, no.” My hand continued to rub my skin, looking for the necklace that wasn’t there. Frantically, my head whipped in all directions, trying to think of where to look first before I rushed over to the bed.

I started by pulling off the blankets and sheets, then moved onto the pillows and then the mattress. Looking everywhere I could think of. It was the last thing Bellamy gave me before he died, but with my luck, it wasn't here.

Running my hands through my hair, I closed my eyes tight, pushing down all my emotions. Unsure who was holding me in this room, I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

I have to get out of here.

Think Ari, think. What would Clarke do? What would Bellamy do?

Be like Clarke. Like Bellamy. They would have already been out of here by now.

Clarke probably would have talked her way out, waited for someone to show themselves, and negotiated for her freedom. Bellamy would have busted open the window and freed himself before rescuing the others.

But I’m not Clarke, and I’m not Bellamy. I’m just a little girl who has no idea what the hell to do. Dropping my hands to my sides, I looked up at the ceiling and screamed at the top of my lungs.

There was no more fear, no more sadness. All that was racing through my body was red-hot anger. No matter what I do, or where I go, there is always something holding me back. Keeping me from moving forward and living a normal life.

It wasn’t until I ran out of air did I finally stop screaming and dropped to the ground, defeated. Backing myself into the corner of the room, I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head on my arms as I hugged my legs.

I repeated every fact I knew to be true, over and over again.

“I was sent to the ground. We had a camp. The Grounders wanted us dead. We went to war. Bellamy’s gone. Finn’s gone. We were taken. I’m alone.”

I was practically rocking back and forth. Unsure of what to do for hours. Leaning my head back, I let out a sigh, cupping my hands on the side of my face.

“Come on Ariella, you can’t just sit here and wait to be rescued. Think!”

Opening my eyes, I looked at the door ahead of me. Doing a double take, my brows knitted together in confusion as I could've sworn I saw movement coming from the window. When the figure passed by once again, I pushed myself off the ground and rushed over to the door. Banging on the metal.

“Hey! Hey come back!” I yelled with every bang.

Locked in another room across the hall, behind the metal door was Nathan Miller who was pacing back and forth. His arm was trapped in a sling from the hit to his shoulder.

"Miller!" I yelled, instantly, continuing my assault on the door. Pulling on the handle, I continued to scream for him. "Miller, hey!"

Finally getting his attention. “Ari?” I saw his mouth move but couldn't hear him. Even as he screamed and banged against his door, I could barely hear a thing.

Using the little strength I had, I pulled at the door handle, again and again. But there was no use, it was locked, and unless I broke the glass I was stuck.

Hitting the door again, I let out a yell, curing at the metal as I hit my fist against it for the last time. Turning to lean my back against the door, I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, tugging at the roots.

“Okay, okay…How do we get out of here?” I whispered to myself, looking around at the area for a weapon. Walking back over to the bed, I pulled the IV needle from the stand. The sharp end would be a perfect weapon.

If only I knew how to fight.

I cursed Bellamy for refusing to teach me, before quickly taking it back after remembering he was gone.

A loud bang at my door caused me to spring up into action, holding out the needle in front of me in a protective manner and backing myself into the corner. A woman in a white hazmat suit walked in with two men behind her rolling in the huge case on wheels.

"Hello, Ariella." She smiled. “The needle isn’t necessary.”

"Where am I?" I asked, keeping my strong stance.

"You're in Mount Weather's decontamination ward," she explained.

Mount Weather? Why does that name sound familiar? I asked myself.

Then it hit me. When we first got to the ground we were supposed to find a military base called Mount Weather, that's where Jasper was going when he got speared in the chest.

"How do you know my name?" I asked as the other two people walked out of the room.

"You're people told me. Really, there's no need for that, I’m not going to hurt you,” she referred to me still holding the sharp needle. “I promise you’re safe here.”

Slowly, I lowered my arm but kept the needle tightly at my side. “Where are the others? My people. Jasper? Clarke?”

“Some are still here in the decontamination ward, others have already been sent upstairs.”

“What’s upstairs?”

“We’ll get to all of that. Don’t worry. Why don’t you change into something a little more comfortable?” she said, walking over to the large chest on wheels and opening it.

The inside was full of many different colored dresses, shirts, pants, and shoes, all the perfect size for me. In awe, I took a few steps forward and skimmed my hand over the fabric. They looked almost brand new. On the Ark, nothing was new. There weren't enough resources so every piece of clothing had been passed down through generations, becoming tattered and dull of any color.

“Pick anything you like.” The woman smile before pulling out a curtain for me to get dressed behind.

Dresses weren’t practically clothing for the ground. My legs would be too exposed, leaving me vulnerable to cuts and infection. But we aren’t on the ground anymore…now we are under it and I've never worn a dress before so perhaps this is a great chance.

I picked out a dark blue dress that stopped right above the knees and a pair of black boots. The woman gave me a plastic bag and inside was a new pair of underwear and a sports bar. Ducking behind the curtain I quickly got dressed, leaving behind the needle with the woman.

"I'll take that for you,” she said as I handed her the white gown I had previously been wearing.

A brush and a few different hair clips and elastics were set on the sink in front of the mirror. Not remembering the last time I had run a brush through my hair, the feeling was almost foreign yet amazing. Taking the front pieces of my hair, I clipped them to the back of my head with a bow.

Looking in the mirror again, I was now completely unrecognizable. The little girl staring back at me wasn’t the same one who had gotten locked up on the Ark or fought for her life on the ground. She didn’t even look like the girl who was standing in the same spot just a few minutes ago. I looked cute and kind, not lethal in any way.

"Adorable." The woman smiled. "Now let's get you to your friends." Opening the large metal door that kept me locked in the room, she moved aside to allow me to walk out first.

I waited a second before stepping out into the long hallway, glancing into Miller's room to see a worried look on his face.

“Wh-what about Miller?” I asked, stopping in front of his door.

“Nathan Miller still needs a few more surgeries before his arm is healed and until then, he can’t be fully decontaminated.” Turning back to his door I raised my hand to the window and he gave me a knowing nod. "Come on, this way," she directed, walking into an elevator. I followed inside and looked around the tiny space, watching as she hit the number five. "I'm Dr. Tsing by the way,” she introduced, as the doors closed.

“Ari,” I returned. “My people…are they alright?”

Dr. Tsing nodded. “Yes, we got there just in time. Everyone is fine. Your brother has been asking the same about you.”

“My brother?”

“Yes, Jasper Jordan.”

“Jordan’s not my brother.”

Dr. Tsing looked down at the paperwork she carried in her hands. “Oh, that is my mistake. He asked so much about you and was so worried we just assumed. We even have you down as Ariella Jordan.”

“Ari.”

“What was that?” she asked, looking down at me.

“My name is Ari.”

“And your surname?” Scribbling, I assumed she was correcting the paperwork.

“Coyne.” She gave a triumphant nod just as the elevator doors opened at level five. Stepping out of the small space, Dr. Tsing finally took off the hazmat suit she had been wearing. "What's that suit for?" I asked.

"Radiation," she simply explained, hanging the suit up on a hook next to the elevator.

"Why do you need to wear it?"

Continuing down the hall I followed behind. "The radiation in the decontamination ward is too strong, it could kill me.”

“How is there radiation there?”

“The bombs put so much nuclear radiation in the air all those years ago that the planet is still simmering in it. Those who could survive did.”

“The grounders.”

Dr. Tsing nodded. “The rest of us live here. It's not all bad though.”
"How can we survive though?" I questioned.

"Solar Radiation. The levels in space are even higher than the ground. Your ability to metabolize that radiation is even stronger," she explained and stopped in front of a set of large metal doors. "Here's the dorm, your people are behind that door. Just pick a bed and get settled in." I nodded. "Maya will come by later to drop off some more clothes for you."

"Who's Maya?" I asked.

"She's a friend. She will help you and your friends get settled in. Also if you would like, we have a school room, not many kids are in the classes but if you want, just talk to Maya and we can get you in the class."

I stood up straight with the hope of becoming normal. "Really?" I asked.
She returned the smile with a nod. "Well, go ahead." urged me towards my people.
Taking a deep breath I collected myself before walking in. Most of the others were fooling around and laughing, getting settled themselves as they had just recently been released as well. No one had noticed me yet.

Jasper was seated on a bottom bunk, talking with another boy with straight black hair. Not just any boy, it was Monty. My heart fluttered in my chest. Before the war, Monty had gone missing while helping look for Clarke, Finn, and me. I had thought he too was taken by grounders but there he was sitting beside Jasper, laughing as if he had never left.

My feet were moving before my mind and I was running over to the boy, jumping on the bed and wrapping each of my arms around their necks. At first, they were frightened but upon realizing it was me they tackled me in their own hugs.

“Ari! Thank god, you’re okay.” Jasper let out a sigh of relief as he pulled me into a tight hug.

“I should say the same about you.” I smiled before turning to Monty. Pulling him into a hug, I practically scolded him. “And you! You had me thinking you were kidnapped too.”

“I’ve been here the whole time,” he explained, pulling back.

With the little hope I had, I asked, “What about Bellamy and Finn?” Jasper shook his head and I knew that meant they were gone. “So.” I cleared my throat, pushing away all my emotions. “Which bed is mine?”

-

Jasper, Monty, and I, along with the rest of the surviving delinquents stood in the dining hall around a woman as she gave us a brief orientation of Mount Weather.

After introducing herself as Keenan, the woman provided each of us with a black binder. Inside was a map of the mountain as well as all the rules and the meal schedules.

"These packets will give you everything you need to know about Mount Weather," she said with a grin.

Looking down at the map, my mind was focused on trying to actually learn before Monty’s voice pulled my attention.

"Clarke!" he yelled, running to the back of the room. I turned my head to see as Clarke walked into the room, a look of relief on her face.

Like everyone else, I rushed over to the blond for a hug and welcomed her back to us. “Thank god, you’re all okay.” She smiled, pulling from a hug with Jasper. "Finn and Bellamy?" she asked.

Jasper’s expression saddened as he explained. "Clarke, they uh…they didn't make it."

“We don't know that.” Clarke placed a comforting hand on Jasper’s arm. “What about Raven?”

Looking around I noticed that the mechanic hadn’t been there either. The last we had seen of her she was dying from a bullet wound.

“Maybe she’s still in medical, like Miller?” I suggested.

Keenan interrupted and handed a binder to Clarke with a smile. "If you have any questions just ask.”

After the orientation, lunchtime came, meaning time to eat. The dining room which we had previously been standing in was set up nicely with tablecloths and beautiful centerpieces. At the front of the room was a long table where it looked like the important people of Mount Weather sat, such as the President and his son, looking out at the others.

To the side of the room were more tables set with food and drinks. My eyes practically widened at the sight. There was enough food to fill everyone in the Mountain along with us and still have extra left over. This was the most amount of food I had ever seen and my stomach begged to be filled.

"Wow, this all looks so good," Jasper said, practically drooling as he picked up a plate to load.

Walking along the long table, I looked at all the food that was foreign to me. Trying to decide what was good. Who am I kidding? It was all good.

I grabbed a small plate from a platter labeled ‘grilled cheese’ and a cup of a yellow liquid called ‘Lemonade’. Both were unfamiliar to me. At the end of the table, there was a section filled with small cups with assorted bits of colorful fruit which I also took.

Scanning the large room, my eyes searched for Jasper who was already seated with Monty across from him. Both were stuffing their faces, large plates overflowing with food in front of them.

With each bite, we practically groaned in satisfaction at the favors on our tongues. Food on the Ark and the ground was never enjoyable to eat, it was meant for survival. This food was meant for pleasure. The creamy cheese was warm and the taste practically exploded in my mouth.

The drink was sour and made my lips pucker, but was also somehow sweet at the same time. Regardless, it tasted divine. The three of us were so busy eating that we didn’t speak to each other for most of Lunch.

Towards the end of the hour, the tables full of warm food, turned to tables full of desserts which of course the guys and I indulged in almost instantly.

"You have to try this pie," Jasper gushed while shoving a forkful into his mouth.

I picked up my fork and took a small piece from his plate before eating it. My eyes widened at the sweet explosion in my mouth. "Wow, that's amazing," I said, taking another forkful as Monty reached over and took a bite.

"Oh my god what is that?" he asked.

"I don't know but it's great," Jasper practically giggled. "Oh, what's that?" he asked Monty, trying to get a piece of his food.

Monty swatted the fork away. "Ah, you wouldn't like it, the pies way batter.”

I smiled and took a sip of my drink.

Jasper reached out to try and get a taste of Monty’s cake again but Monty quickly stood up to keep his food out of reach. Jasper followed, continuing to try and grab his plate, laughing as they did so.

They stopped when Clarke came over to the table.

“Sit down and pretend you're happy to see me,” she ordered.

“We are happy to see you,” I assured the girl as Monty and Jasper sat back down.

"Clarke, you have to try the chocolate cake," Monty said, specifically to tease Jasper.

"Oh it's so on," Jasper responds.

I chuckled and took a bite of my own piece of pumpkin pie, which, may I add, was so delicious.

"I'm not eating their food," Clarke grumbled, opening the binder she was given. "Look, they gave us a map with no exits. I need you to tell me everything you've seen. Every room, every hallway, every way out."

It came as no surprise that Clarke was suspicious of these new people. For months she’s been living in survival mode, doing everything she could to protect the teens she was leading while we were killed off. Every kill, every kidnapping, every injury Clarke took personally.

At the young age of 17, she was thrown into leader mode after being sent to a planet to die. Very rarely did she ever just relax. But now she had to realize these people were here to help us, they took us in when they didn't have to.

"Way out?” Jasper asked. “Look around you Clarke, there's no one hunting us here. For the first time in our lives, we're not hungry. Why would we wanna leave?"

"Because we have friends out there who need our help," Clarke responded.

"They're looking for survivors and they'll have a better chance of finding them than us," Monty reminded her, taking a bite of his cake.

If I was being completely honest with myself, I don’t think they were going to find anyone else alive out there. The grounders killed many of our people, and those who weren’t killed by then probably died in the ring of fire. I was coming to terms with the fact that Bellamy and Finn were gone. I was going to deny it, but in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn’t mourning properly.

"This place is too good to be true," Clarke sighs, flipping the pages in the binder.

"You're kind of bumming me out, I'm gonna get more cake," Jasper said, standing up and walking away.

He scowled at the table empty of cake when next to him, a girl with curly black hair began to make conversation.

"Well, looks like Jasper made a new friend," Monty commented. I smiled and nodded my head before eating another fork full of pie. Clarke instantly stood up and walked over to them, making conversation with the girl. A tone of fake sincerity in her voice.

Shaking my head I turned back to Monty who had a wide smirk on his face.

“What?”

He nodded his head to something behind me. “Looks like someone's taken an interest in you,” he teased with a smirk.

Confused, I glanced over my shoulder to the table behind me. My eyes landed on a boy about my age who was staring right at me, his forest-green eyes felt like they were piercing right into my soul. He had curly brown hair and freckles across his face. Instantly I turned back around, my cheeks heated up and I looked down at my plate.

"Aw, she's blushing." Monty teased, which just made my face turn even redder.

“Oh shut it,” I grumbled.

A sudden loud alarm began to sound, making me jump as Jasper and the girl ran out of the dining hall. I looked to Monty for what to do and he had no idea either.

Chapter Text

A special dinner was being held in our honor and we were ordered to dress nice for the occasion. I was brought a special dress to wear and Jasper and Monty dressed in suits.

After running out of the dining hall earlier to chase after Clarke, Jasper, and Maya had convinced the girl that we were safe in Mount Weather and the place was good. It was a standoff that led to multiple guns pointed at Clarke and her finally standing down.

I stood between Jasper and Monty, holding their hands as the President gave a special toast for us. Sitting down, a bowl of stew was placed in front of each of us and we dug right in.

Maya had joined our little group and Jasper was quick to introduce us.

"Guys this is Maya, Maya this is Monty and Ari." The girl smiled and shook our hands as she sat down.

Monty barely gave anyone a chance to breathe before he teased me again. "So Jasper, it seems someone has a little crush on Ari." He shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth as I stared at him in shock.

"Okay, why tell him that?" I complained.

"Really who?" Jasper questioned curiously looking over at me.

Monty looked around the room for the boy we saw earlier and pointed him out. Of course, he had already been looking over at us which gave Monty and Jasper perfect ammunition for their teasing.

"Oh, that's Caleb," Maya said with a smile.

"Caleb…what's he like?" I asked.

“Yes, please Maya, tell us all about this boy,” Jasper said, almost protectively.

"He's a really sweet kid. Keeps to himself a lot though," she explained.

I nodded my head, looking down at my plate of food before changing the subject. "So, Maya, Dr.Tsing said that there's a school here?"

Maya nodded. "Oh, yes, there is. There is a great group of teachers. Were you thinking of joining the class?" I nodded. "That's great. I can get you enrolled, how old are you?"

"I just turned 13 a few days ago," I answered.

"Okay, I'll get you set up and come by the dorm later to drop off your things."

With a slight nod, I looked down at my empty cup. "I'm going to get another drink," I informed the others as I stood up.

Making my way to the table of drinks, I went right for the lemonade. Grabbing a cup and turning back around. I barely made it one step before I was crashing into someone, spilling the lemonade everywhere.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I apologized, looking down at my dress which is now soaked.

"No, no it was my fault," the person said, trying to take the blame. He grabbed a pile of napkins before turning back to me and I came face to face with the boy who was staring at me moments before. "Uh, Caleb," he introduced, holding out his hand.

"Ari." I smiled, shaking it. For a moment we just stood there shaking each other's hands and staring at one another. It was an awkwardly long amount of time and once I realized this, I took a breath and dropped my hand. "Um yeah uh sorry about that." I apologize again for spilling my drink all over him.

"It's fine really, it was my fault," he chuckled, bending down to clean up the spill on the floor. “I should have watched where I was going." Grabbing a few more napkins, I followed him to the ground.

“So I couldn’t help but notice you staring earlier,” I teased.

“Oh uh…yeah. I’m sorry about that. I’ve been working up the courage to come over and talk to you but my mother says I should give you all space to settle in. We heard about the fight you guys had with the outsiders.”

My body tensed at the mention of the war.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Sometimes I don’t think before I speak and words end up just blurting out of my mouth.”

With the spill cleaned, we both stood, picking up the wet napkins with us. “It’s okay,” I sighed, following him to the trash to throw them out. “It’s not really a secret.”

“So you all are really from space?” He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, and you're from underground?" I asked, sarcastically.

He nodded with a smile. “Unfortunately, I am.”

Feeling multiple pairs of eyes on me, I turned my head to the table where all my friends were sitting and glared at them. Both Monty and Jasper had their eyes locked on me and Caleb, Clarke watched too but not as intently. Maya couldn’t help but smile.

Caleb followed my gaze. "Is that your brother?" he asked, referring to Jasper as Monty and I clearly looked nothing alike.

I shook my head and turned back to Caleb. "Uh no, just a friend. I should go before they start finding a million different ways to make my life hell.” I half-joked. “I'll see you around?"

“Yes, you will.” He smiled, watching me until I was back in my seat, still with an empty cup.

"Aw, Ari has a crush," Monty teased.

My smile dropped as I glared at him. "No, I don't, I literally just met him a second ago," I defended myself.

“Then why are you blushing?” he continued.

Annoyed, I raised my fist and punched him in the arm. Causing him to finally stop and make the others laugh.

-

After dinner, the dorm was full of excitement to sleep in real beds without the worry of being killed in our sleep. The talking was loud and I found it comforting to hear those around me being teens again. For the first time in months, no one was scared or worried about an impending war. We were safe underground in the mountains. All 48 of us.

48.

48 out of 102.

It was a fact I had been trying to push to the back of my mind. I didn’t want to think about those we had lost. I didn’t want to think about how I would never see Bellamy again or Finn or Raven or Octavia. They were all gone and I had to come to terms with it.

The excitement of Mount Weather and all the food and safety put my grieving on a back burner for a while. But now that I was left with nothing to distract my mind, the only thing I could focus on was the deaths of so many kids who never asked for any of it.

Crying in front of everyone wasn’t an option, so I waited till Maya brought me my bag of clothes and pointed me toward the direction of the showers.

After months of washing up in a cold river, the scalding hot water on my back felt amazing and relaxed my tense muscles. I was already clean from the decontamination shower I had been given the day before, but I didn’t feel clean until I was able to scrub my body and hair with soap that smelled sweet. The label read vanilla and I wondered what that was before placing it back on the shelf.

Despite being done washing my body, I stayed in the shower for as long as possible, sitting on the ground and pulling my knees to my chest. I finally allowed myself to cry in the comfort of the single-stall bathroom.

It was refreshing to cry and let out all my emotions. I was able to grieve the loss of my friends without Jasper or Monty hovering to make sure I was okay. Before the war, everyone still saw me as a kid and if I started crying like a baby, their views would stay the same.

When the water began running cold, I pulled myself together and got out of the shower. Changing into a pair of pink pajamas and braided my hair before I made my way back to the dorm.

The mood was a lot calmer now that everyone was growing tired and getting ready for bed. With a huff, I fell black onto my bunk and closed my eyes, but of course, my peace was interrupted by the boy whose bed was above mine.

He leaned over the edge of his top bunk, head dangling. "Hey, Ari." Monty greeted.

Opening my eyes, I chuckled at his face as it grew red but I didn’t make any movements, my body was too weak from crying. “Hey, Monty.”

"Okay, this hurts my head." He jumped down and pushed me over as he claimed half my bed. Ignoring my groans of annoyance at the movement. "So do you like that Caleb kid?" He raised his brows, hugging a pillow to his chest.

With another annoyed groan, I shook my head. “I already told you, I don’t even know the kid. I had one conversation where I spilled my drink all over him. How am I supposed to know if I like him after one conversation?”

“Well, do you think he’s cute?” Monty bumped my shoulder. I rolled my eyes, ignoring him as I reached for the stack of paper Maya had brought to me earlier that would tell me all I needed to know about the school.

"Oh, what's this?" Jasper asked, appearing next to me. He pulled the papers out of my hands before I even had a chance to read them and sat at the end of my bed. Leaning against the frame and putting his feet up. "Aw, you're going to school, that's cute," Jasper commented.

"Yeah, now take your nasty shoes off my bed and give them back," I scolded, trying to grab the paper from him, but he kept pulling them farther away. Stretching out his other arm to push me away.

"Jasper, not funny.” He continued to laugh, as did Monty. “Jasper Jordan! I’m being serious here!” I yelled.

“Fine here.” He handed them to me, laughing to himself. "I don't understand why you would want to go to school though. I mean getting up early and learning, why would anyone want to do that?" Jasper asked.

"I loved school," Monty said, a little offended.

This didn’t surprise me much as Monty was arguably one of the smartest out of all of us. He was even able to create his own mind-altering substance which he was locked up for on the Ark, along with Jasper.

"I like learning and it will give me a chance to meet other kids my age," I explained, looking down at the papers.

“What's wrong with us?” Jasper put his hand over his heart acting as though he had been hurt deeply by my statement.

“There's nothing wrong with you guys but you and Monty are teenage boys, I need 13-year-old girls to talk about girl stuff with.”

Jasper and Monty shared a look. “Girl stuff?” Monty repeated. “What girl stuff can’t you talk to us about?”

“You’re right,” I nodded, “I bet you both want to hear all about the changes my young body is going through. You know soon I should be starting my-”

Both boys screamed and put their hands over their ears, proving my point.

Once the initial screaming stopped Jasper lowered her hands. “Okay maybe we can’t talk about all the girly things but we can talk about other stuff.”

“Like what?”

Jasper turned to Monty. “I don’t know. What do girls talk about?”

Monty shrugged and turned to me. “What do girls talk about?”

I thought for a moment. “I actually don’t know. The only girlfriend that I ever had killed herself so…”

The boy's eyes widened at my statement.

Jasper stuttered over his words, trying to change the subject. “Didn’t you have any friends on the Ark?”

I nodded slightly. “I did, his name was Jace, our fathers were best friends so we were practically raised together until we were about nine.”

“What happened?” Jasper asked.

“He got the flu and no medicine helped. He was too sick and eventually, he passed away.”

The two boys went silent, not really knowing how to respond to the story.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “Don’t be.” I shrugged. “People die every day, it just sucks that sometimes it’s someone you love.”

It was true, just in this past week we went from 86 survivors to only 48. We lost Bellamy, Finn, Raven and Octavia

How many more people can we lose?

They both nodded.

“Well hey, if you ever want a girl's night, Jasper and I are always here. If not us you could always have one with Clarke,” Monty jokes, making us laugh and look over to Clarke who was sulking in the corner of the room.

She definitely didn't seem like someone who would want a girl's night.

Chapter Text

My heart was pounding. I clutched my chest, trying to slow my breathing but my constant running kept me from being able to take in any air. The sound of footsteps behind me triggered my fight or flight and I dove for a nearby bush.

Covering my mouth with my hands, I tried to silence my loud panting. Feeling light-headed and dizzy from fear, it took everything in me to stay upright.

The footsteps got closer and morphed into marching. An entire army of Grounders passed by my hiding place, I knew they were on their way to camp, to kill everyone. But what could I do?

“Let me go!” The scream came from a man with a deep voice and it was followed by grunts and hits to a person's face before a body fell to the ground in front of the bush I hid in.

The face was bloodied and brushed, with deep gashes that spread across their entire face, but once his brown eyes met mine, I knew exactly who was lying before me.

“Bellamy?” My voice came out in a whimper. His eyes found mine and he singled for me to stay put. A grounder grabbed his shirt and lifted him up to continue the assault. I couldn't listen anymore as Bellamy grunted in pain every time the grounder’s fist collided with his face.

Pushing myself up, from the ground, a shriek left my mouth as my legs buckled out from under me. The pain was unbearable. Confused, I looked down at my leg to see an arrow sticking out of me.

Despite the pain, I continued and stood up in front of the army. “

“Let him go!” I yelled.

All eyes were on me now. Shaking their heads, the army laughed and continued marching, dragging Bellamy with them. The only thing I could think of to do was run after them, but my feet were suddenly encased in quicksand and I was slowly sinking deeper and deeper.

“No, no! Help me! Someone please!” My hands scraped at the mud, looking for anything I could grab that could be used to hoist myself out of there. The sand was up to my chest at this point and was just about to fully engulf me when I watched a pair of boots come into my eyeline.

Looking up at the person standing just out of reach, my stomach dropped at the sight of my mother's smiling face before my vision was blocked by the mud pulling me deeper into the ground.

There was no air. Only darkness as my lungs begged to expand. Panic had fully set in as I struggled to get myself free. Just as my head felt like it was about to explode, my eyes shot open.

My hands reached for my neck as I gasped for air, sitting up in my bed. Pushing back all my blankets, I continued to cough and gasp and I felt restrained. Sweat trickled down my body and my sheets were drenched.

“Whoa, are you alright?” Jasper quickly sat beside me on my bed, forgetting about the shirt buttons he was previously just working on. “Ari, you’re alright. You’re safe. It was just a bad dream.”

Quickly, I wiped away the tears and nodded. Jasper pushed pieces of my damp hair away from my face.

Nightmares weren’t anything new to me, I had actually become quite accustomed to them for a while. That is until my talk with Bellamy that night in the cave. After learning to face my fears head-on and push through, I stopped being so scared of my mother and found peace with my demons.

But now Bellamy was gone and I had a whole new collection of demons to terrify me. Witnessing so much death and war wasn’t easy for anyone, let alone a 13-year-old girl, and now the memories were drilled into my brain and Bellamy wasn’t here to talk me through it anymore.

When I finally caught my breath, I let out an annoyed sigh and fell back onto my bed. “Are you okay?” Despite knowing that Jasper would see right through my lie, I nodded my head anyway. “Do you to talk about it?”

“No.” I sighed, sitting up again. “I’m just gonna collect myself.” I got out of bed and reached for the duffle bag Maya brought me the day before and fished out a new dress and undergarments to wear.

After my shower, I made my way back to the dorm to put away my clothes and grab my school information before I headed to breakfast, but my mission was paused when I noticed everyone else crowded in a circle. I pushed through the group to see what everyone was looking at. In the middle of the circle, Miller stood next to Maya.

A smile instantly spread across my face as I practically jumped into his arms. "Hey kid," he said with a smile. We pulled from the hug and he ruffled my hair. "I barely even recognized you. So what have I missed?"

Before any of us could answer, the contamination breach alarm began to sound. The loud blaring noise made my body freeze but eventually, I relaxed once I realized I was safe. Turning around, I caught a glimpse of Clarke running out of the room with Jasper following right behind.

“You’ve missed Clarke going psycho anytime something slightly interesting happens,” I joked. Hooking my arm into Miller's, I grabbed my school papers and led him towards the dining hall. “And some of the best food you will taste.”

“Holy shit that's a lot of food,” Miller swore, staring at the food with wide eyes.

Nodding with a smile, I pulled him closer to the table. It was the most amount of food he had ever seen. “I recommend you try everything! But first, try this.” I handed him a plate of pancakes before moving on to the drinks. “This is coffee. Monty and Jasper love it but I think it's too bitter. Clarke drinks it right out of the machine. I just prefer milk though.”

I continued to load a little bit of everything onto Miller's plate, excited to see the joy in his eyes as he tried it all.

Reaching for a small cup of assorted fruit, my hand bumped into another's as we both reached for the same cup. Quickly I pulled my hand away and my cheeks flushed red as I met Celeb's green eyes.

“After you,” he said with a smile. Gesturing to the cup we had both reached for.

“Thank you.”

I awkwardly grabbed the fruit and bounced on my heels, staring down at the floor.

“So I heard you’re starting class today?” Caleb tried to make conversation.

"Yeah, I have uh, Mrs. Grain," I answered, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Same, she's the only 7th and 8th grade teacher here so pretty much everyone our age is in her class," he explained before his eyes darted to the teenage boy behind me. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Caleb.”

He reached his hand out to Miller who quickly shook it introducing himself right back. With a smile, Miller looked between the two and I just knew by the look on his face that he was gearing up to make some kind of comment.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Caleb, why don’t you join us for breakfast?”

I glared at him as Caleb quickly accepted the offer and the three of us walked over to an open table.

“So are there a lot of kids our age in the class?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
Caleb shook his head, sitting opposite Miller and me. “There was an outbreak of pneumonia a couple of years back, it mainly affected the younger kids, so now there are only about 10 of us.”

The news was unexpected but come to think of it, I hadn’t seen many other kids my age walking around.

“Wow, that's terrible. I’m sorry.”

He shrugged in response. The rest of breakfast was spent with us watching Miller try every breakfast food there was and enjoying every bit of it.

Looking down at the watch on his wrist, Caleb scowled. “We really should get going, class is going to start soon.”

I nodded, turning to Miller. “Will you be okay finding your way back?”

He nodded and urged me off, assuring me he could find his way back.

Following close behind Caleb, we walked in almost silence as he led me to a long cream-colored hall with pictures that little kids drew hung up on the wall. I smiled at one of the two little kids playing outside. Making our way past them, Caleb finally brought us into a classroom.

A woman in her early 30s stood at the front of the room while a few kids around my age stood around talking. All eyes turned to me as we entered.

"All students should be reported to their classrooms," a voice said over the intercom.

"Alright class, take your seats," the woman, who I assume was Mrs. Grain said walking to the front of the class. She motioned for me to walk over to her, which I did. Placing her hands on my shoulders, it took everything in me not to cringe at the touch. "We have a new student joining us and as we know is very rare, her name is Ariella and she's from space, which is great because we're starting our unit on the solar system today.” She excitedly turned to face me. “So Ariella, would you like to tell us a little about yourself?"

Looking out at the kids in front of me, I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Uh, you guys can call me Ari actually. I guess most of my friends do. So a little about me," I kept my arms by my side and rubbed my hands nervously, "I lived in space my whole life, on a space station called the Ark, till about four months ago when I was sent to the ground with 100 others. Uh, but you all know that. Let’s see…my favorite color is green…my favorite food is raspberry pie, which I just learned. That's pretty much it.” I shrugged, turning back to Mrs. Grain.

"Okay, does anyone have questions for Ari?" Mrs. Grain asked the class.

A girl with blond curly hair raised her hand. "Why were you and the others sent to the ground?"

"The chancellor sent us to see if the Earth was survivable so the rest of the Ark could come down. The space station was dying so they needed a fast way to see if the human race could survive." I explained.

"But why would they send a bunch of teenagers, when he thought there was a chance you couldn't survive?" A boy asked.

I thought for a moment, debating if I should tell a bunch of strangers that I was arrested. Deciding that I didn’t care what the others thought, I told the truth. "We were considered expendable because of our crimes."

"Wait, you were arrested?" The blonde girl asked.

"Uh yeah but-"

"What did you do?" The boy questioned.

"You don't have to answer that Ari." Mrs. Grain spoke up.

"Uh no, it's fine. My charge was theft, stealing," I explained. “But all of us were arrested for different things.”

“Even murder?” A boy in the back with black hair asked.

Mrs. Grain clapped her hands together. “Alright, does anyone have any other questions for Ari?” Mrs. Grain interrupted, not wanting to get on the topic of murder. The girl with blonde hair raised her hand again. “Yes, Tiffany.”

“What's the surface like?” The room went quiet, all wide eyes were on me. No one in the mountain had been outside unless dressed in hazmat suits. I had been them just a few months ago. Waiting for my chance to see Earth.

“The surface is just…beautiful.” The others were on the edge of their seats as I gave detailed descriptions of the colors and the smells. The way the sun felt on my face and what grass smelt like.

After my long spiel, Mrs. Grain reclaimed the class's attention.

"Alright, Ari, why don't you sit down next to Caleb and we will begin our lesson on Space," she began, "Can anyone tell me one of the 8 planets in our Solar System?" No one raised their hand or said anything. "What about you Ari, do you know any?"

“Mars."

"Good, now for the next few days we are going to be studying the Solar system, the planets and stars, the different galaxies. You'll be in for one heck of a ride I'll say." Our teacher smiled, walking around the room.

After Class Caleb mentioned how most of the kids went to the dining hall to do their homework as the adults were still at their assigned workstations.

“Carly cares too much about herself to even know what's going on around her and Johnny is just as clueless,” Caleb laughs, explaining each of our classmates' personalities.

His homework had gone completely forgotten, while I continued to work as I listened.
“Right, and what about you?” I asked.

“What about me?”

“What are you like? If I walked over to Carly or Johnny right now, what would they say about you?”

“They would tell you I’m the hottest guy around and a total catch.” He smirked, leaning forward.

Dropping my chin in my hand, I smiled right back. “Is that right?” He nodded. “Would they also tell me if you have a habit of keeping girls from their homework?”

“Oh, they definitely would tell you that.” He flirted, making my cheeks go red.

Stuttering, I sat up straight in my chair, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, and pointed to the piece of paper in front of him. “Do your homework.

Letting out a groan, Caleb dropped his head to the table. "I don't understand any of this," He practically whined.

"What don't you understand? This is like the easiest thing in the world."

He lifted his head slightly, Maybe for you. You’re like some super genius. Answering all those questions right in class.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “All these numbers and letters, I mean letters don't even belong in math."

I opened my mouth to speak when the chairs on either side of me pulled out and my two idiotic best friends sat beside me.

"Oh hey, Ari."

Chapter Text

My heart sank as I slowly turned to the two boys I called my friends.

"Ari, are you going to introduce us?" Monty asked, smiling at me.

Shaking my head I said, "No.” Making them all look offended. Rolling my eyes, I sighed and gave in, not wanting to seem rude. "Fine, Jasper, Monty, this is Caleb. Caleb, this is Jasper and Monty. There, we all know each other now you can leave." I closed my book and turned to Jasper.

Tilting his head slightly, Jasper didn’t give any signs of leaving. "Well, I think I would like to sit here for a little while and get to know Caleb some more. Monty, would you like to stay here and hang out a little bit?" Jasper asked.

"You know what Jasper, I would love to stay for a little while." Monty smiled back.

With a groan, I dropped my head to my hands, internally screaming as they did everything in their power to embarrass me.

"So Jasper, I was wondering…” Monty trailed off. “Do you remember that time you killed that grounder?" Monty asked.

Jasper's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, of course, I do. You know Monty, I remember I shot that grounder from over 100 feet away. I don't want to brag or anything but, I would say I'm a pretty good shot." Jasper was trying to intimidate Caleb. Failing miserably.

Peeking through my finger, I looked at the boy who was doing everything he could to hold back a laugh.

“We shouldn’t bore Ari with our boy talk though.” Jasper waved his hand. “What was it you wanted us to talk about last night?”

Monty nodded. “Yeah, something about girl talk?”

Instantly my face reddened with anger as I glared at the boy. Torturing them in my mind.

Caleb collected his books and stood up from his chair. “Uh, I should be going, Ari. Maybe I could come by the dorm later and we could finish the homework," he suggested.

I opened my mouth to speak but Jasper quickly cut me off. “We’ll see if she's available.”

Caleb gave Jasper a nod. “Well it was very nice meeting you both and I hope to talk more soon. Goodbye, Ari.”

“Goodbye, Caleb.” Jasper and Monty said in unison, waving as he practically ran away from the table.

"Caleb, wait," I called after him but it was too late.

"So Ari, want to play some Go Fish?" Jasper asked, pulling out a deck of cards, and holding them up.

I glared at him. “Are you two proud of yourselves?” I spat, collecting my things before storming out of the room, chasing after Caleb. I was able to catch up to him down the hall. “Caleb, wait.” He turned to me. “Look, I’m sorry about them…they can be kind of…”

“Protective?” Caleb chuckled.

“Yeah. It’s just, we’ve been through a lot, I’ve been through a lot and they just want to make sure I’m okay. They may have a weird way of showing it but they do care.”

“Well, that's clear to see. He’s just doing his brotherly duties. I get it.”

“Brotherly duties?” I realized he was talking about Jasper and nodded. I didn’t care to correct him this time, I didn’t feel the need to. “Yeah…that's just Jasper. But again I’m sorry for them.”

“Ah don’t worry about it.” He smiled down at me. “So that homework though?”

“Right, well you can come back to the dorm, Jasper and Monty will be busy playing Go Fish and won’t bother us again.”

“Show me the way.”

-
Books and papers sprawled out around us on my bunk as I attempted for the fourth time to teach Caleb the proper way to solve an area of a circle.

“I don’t think there is any other way you can teach me. I give up!” Caleb dramatically fell back onto my bed. “I'm destined for failure.”

“Are you always this dramatic?” I laughed.

“I don’t want to do homework anymore, I give up.” Caleb rolled to his side and looked over at me. “Let's talk about something else.”

I closed my book and set it on the ground next to my bed.

“Okay, what do you want to talk about?”

“You.”

He was so smooth with his words that it honestly threw me off. I was usually the one with witty banter and comebacks.
“Me? What about me?”

He shrugged. “I want to know all about you, your hobbies, your interests.”

Letting out a sigh I shook my head. “There is nothing interesting about me.”

“Well, I know that's a lie. There aren’t many kids around here who have been arrested before so that already makes you interesting. So come on, tell me something else about you.”

“Uh okay, well I was arrested at eleven so I didn’t have the chance to have any hobbies.” The only thing I was good at was dodging hits from my mother's hands. “and after being sent to the ground, it was all about survival.”

“So tell me about it? Surviving on the ground.” He tucked an arm behind his head as he leaned back and waited for me to talk.

“Well, when we first got here it was chaos. No one really knew what to do or how to act or survive. That's when Bellamy took over.”

“Who’s Bellamy? I don’t think I’ve met him yet.”

My eyes dropped to my lap where my hands were. “Uh yeah…you won’t meet him. He uh…he died during the fight.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I shook my head. “A lot of people died that day, but if it weren't for Bellamy and Clarke, all of us probably would have died.”

“Tell me about him.”

Leaning back, I let out a sigh, racking my brain for anything I could tell him. “Tell you about Bellamy Blake. Gosh, I don’t even know where to start. I thought he was an ass at first. He basically took over and had this whole, ‘whatever the hell we want’ type of attitude but after a while, he started showing his true colors. He wasn’t supposed to be on the ground with us. He snuck onto the dropship to help his sister. To protect her. Bellamy’s sister was his whole world. When it came to her, he became a completely different person. He basically took me under his wing after a while and saved my life on so many different occasions.

“There was this one time, I got sick with this cold that was killing people in our camp and it was contagious but he still carried me all the way to the dropship and stayed with me for a while. He didn’t care that I was sick. He took care of me. You see, everyone thought Bellamy was just this hard ass who didn’t care about anything or anyone but himself but that wasn’t true. He had this heart of gold he refused to let show, but he would let out glimpses if you were lucky enough to get close to him.”

“He seems very important to you.”

I nodded. “He was…probably the most important person in my life. He protected me and kept me safe. If you think Jasper and Monty are protective, you should have seen Bellamy.” I laughed.
“Well, then I am very thankful for him because if he hadn’t kept you safe, I would have never met you.” Caleb flashed his beautiful smile.

“Yeah without Bellamy I would have probably drowned in a river.” I chuckled. Caleb raised his eyebrows, urging me to explain. “It’s kind of a long story that started with me sneaking out of camp and getting hit in the leg with an arrow while running across a river.”

“You’ve been shot by an arrow?”

I nodded. “I’ve also been held hostage but that's a story for another day.” I brushed off, adjusting my spot on my bed. “Your turn.”

“My turn?”

“Tell me something about you.”

“Something about me…” he trailed off. "Well, I lived under the ground my whole life with my mom, her boyfriend, and my little sister," he explained.

"What happened to your father?" I asked, before realizing it might be a sore subject. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me.”

"No, it’s okay. I'm not really sure exactly. My mother never talks about him. I don't even know his name," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why won’t she tell you his name?”

Caleb lets out a sigh. "She just tells me to forget about it whenever I bring him up."

I felt for him. I knew what it was like to lose a dad but to never know him may be a completely different story. He only knew what it was like to not have. I knew what it was like to lose.

"You know maybe your dad's like a superhero or something, and your mom can't reveal his true identity for your protection?" I suggested.

For a long moment, he stared at me confused before shaking his head and chuckling.

"Maybe," he laughed, "is your dad a secret superhero?"

My smile faded and I looked down at my hands. "Uh no my dad-" I stopped for a moment and cleared my throat, "-my dad actually passed away when I was little."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"No, it's fine really," I assured him. “He got sick and there wasn’t enough medicine. He would have loved the ground.” I smiled at the memories of him. “He taught me everything he knew about the Earth, he would read me books and quiz me on the different types of plants and animals. He wanted to make sure I was ready in case humanity was ever able to go back to Earth.”

“And were you? Ready?”

I shook my head. “Not in the slightest.

-

After dinner, I sat on my bed with a book in my lap that Caleb had suggested to me. It was a short chapter book about a group of boys learning to survive on an island all alone. Caleb had said he thought it was a perfect description of what we had gone through.

"Where'd you get that book?" I looked up from the page I was on at Monty. Rolling my eyes, I tried to refocus. "Are you really going to ignore me?" I sighed and tried reading the paragraph again but it was no use. "Jasper, I think she's mad at us," Monty yelled across the room.

Grinding my teeth, I continued to ignore them. I was furious. They know how hard it is for me to make friends and they just want to ruin it for me. I get they were trying to be funny or protective but I didn’t need them to.

"Aw Ari, don't be mad," Jasper whined sitting down on the bed next to me, practically shoving me over. I shook my head and turned the page.

"Leave me alone.”

“Oh, come on girlie don’t be mad.” Jasper bumped my shoulder.

“Yeah, we were just joking around.” Monty sat on the other side of my bed, blocking me in.

Instantly, I felt claustrophobic and like I needed to get out of there.

“I don’t care that you were joking. It was annoying.” I slipped my shoulder out from between them.

Jasper reached out and held me again. He was wrapping me in his arms.

“Oh come on Ari, don’t be angry at us.”

Monty wrapped his arms around me too. “Yeah, don’t be mad at us.”

Breathing got more difficult as it felt like the room was closing in on me. “Guys, let me go.” My heart began slamming against my chest.

“No, until you forgive us,” Jasper whined, his hold getting tighter.

“I mean it!” I choked out, trying to push their arms away but they only got tighter. “Okay, fine, fine! I forgive you!”

Their holds finally loosened and I jumped off the bed, sprinting for the door, allowing it to slam behind me. Leaning against the cold wall, I slid to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. The hallway was quiet and peaceful compared to the chaos that was inside the dorm.

It gave me a moment of peace to clear my mind as I caught my breath. Being touched was always something I hated, but being closed in like that, feeling like I was going to die, was new to me. I spent so much time this last year confined in a small cell that I was shocked to feel so claustrophobic.

The dining hall was almost empty the next morning as I had woken up so early that no one else had joined me just yet. My nightmares were beginning to take over my mind once again and I hated it. I forgot how terrible my lack of sleep was.

I was pushing around the eggs on my plate when a familiar voice caused me to look up.

"You gonna eat that?" Caleb asked, taking a seat in front of me. I shook my head and pushed the plate forward. “Everything okay?”

“I’m just a little tired today.” I shrugged, dropping my chin in my hand.

Caleb nodded. “Well, at least we are free of class today. Mrs. Grain has the stomach bug, so it looks like we did all that homework for nothing.”

With a smile, I opened my mouth to speak but Monty cut me off.

"Hey Ari, have you seen Clarke?" A look of concern covered his face.

I shook my head. "No, why?"

"Because no one else has,” he explained.

"Monty, it's Clarke I'm sure she's fine," I said, taking a sip of my orange juice.

"Yeah but what if she's hurt or something?"

"I doubt she’s hurt but if she is, the doctors will help her. She’ll be okay,” I tried to assure him but my words went unheard as he let out a sigh and walked away.

“So what are the plans for the day?” I asked, turning my attention back to Caleb.

A smile spread across his face. “I’m gonna take you to my favorite place.”

The library in Mount Weather was similar to the one on the Ark. It was a sealed room that was fireproof, and most of the books were not allowed out for fear they might be ruined. There was an exception to this rule for a few books that had multiple prints.

Caleb and I walked through the aisle of shelves. Every time he came across a book he loved, he would take it off the shelf and add it to the pile in my arms. Once he was finally done, we walked over to a couch and sat down.

This is when Caleb began showing me each of the books, explaining the plot of each one in great detail, and telling me why it was one of his favorites and what made it so great. All while managing to not spoil the ending.

I listened intently to every word. Every detail. He was enchanting.

After he finished talking about the books, we each grabbed one and began reading, falling into a comfortable silence. My eyes glanced up from the page and from across the room I saw a pile of comic books.

Intrigued, I walked over and picked up a few before returning to Caleb. “Have you read these? I feel like it would be perfect for you, given your background.”

“My background?” he asked, taking the book from my hand to look at it.

I nodded. “You know, with your dad being a superhero?”

Shaking his head, Caleb dropped the book. "Ari, I'm not the son of a superhero."

"How do you know, have you ever tried using powers before?" I asked, shutting my book.

He nodded. "Yeah, once when I was about three. I tried jumping from the chair to the couch, but that day I learned that I can’t fly and how easy it is to get stitches." He explained pointing to a scar just above his left eyebrow.

I shook my head. “Maybe you haven’t tried hard enough?”

Chapter Text

Around lunchtime, Caleb and I went to the dining hall to get some food after spending all morning in the library. "All I'm saying is, maybe you have powers but you just get control of them yet," I suggested, causing Caleb to throw his head back with a sigh.

“I think we should move on from this topic.” He smiled down at me, handing out a plate for me to fill with food. I returned his smile with my own. “Is your friend alright?” Caleb asked, nodding his head to someone behind me.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Monty sitting alone at a table looking down at his plate with a concerned expression.

I let out a sigh. "I'll be right back."

Making my way over to Monty, he looked up at me with a glimmer of hope in his eyes but it quickly faded as soon as he realized it was me standing before him.

"What, not happy to see me?" I asked, sitting in the seat in front of him.

"I just thought you were Clarke."

"Still haven't seen her?"

He shook his head, letting his fork fall to the table. "No. I don't even think she slept in her bed last night."

Monty looked up at the presence of another person, but the same disappointed look crossed his face when he saw it was Jasper.

"Nice to see you too," Jasper commented, sitting down beside me.

"Clarke's still missing and Monty's worried," I explained.

"What do we do?" Monty asked.

Jasper let out a long sigh, leaning forward towards his best friend. "Maya has access to everything 'cause of her job. Maybe she can snoop around. If Clarke is in trouble she can find out," Jasper whispered.

Monty shook his head. "I don't know, Clarke doesn't trust them, maybe she's right."

“What would make you think we can’t trust them?” I inquired, my brows furrowed together in curiosity.

"We can trust Maya," Jasper paused for a second, "At least I think we can. Besides, what choice do we have?" Jasper asked, standing up and walking over to Maya who was sitting in a chair across the room.

The chair beside me pulled out as Caleb sat down.

Monty looked between us, unsure of what to make of the boy.

“Everything all right?” Caleb questioned, realizing that Monty and I had gone silent upon his arrival.

“Uh yeah.” I looked at Monty and he shook his head, telling me not to say anything, but how could I not? “We’re just worried about our friend Clarke. No one’s seen here yet.”

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. There are only so many places she could be. Maybe she met someone and stayed at their quarters?”

Shaking my head, I turned down that idea. Looking over to Jasper, I watched as he and Maya spoke to one another, his face filling with concern. “No, she just lost Finn, the last thing on her mind would be meeting someone else.”

“Who’s Finn?”

I sucked in a breath at the memory of the boy who had tried to protect me and Charlotte a few weeks ago. “He’s uh…another friend that we lost.”

Caleb nodded solemnly. Towards the end of Lunch, Jasper returned to Monty and me with the promise that Maya would find out information about our missing friend.

-

In the middle of a second chess match with Caleb, Maya came and found us, pulling up a chair and letting out a melancholy sigh.

"Find out something?" I asked worriedly, turning my attention to Maya, away from our game. Caleb listened in on the conversation, ready to be there for support if I needed.
Maya looked at Jasper silently.

"What is it?" Monty asked.

"Clarke had some kind of breakdown, she just snapped. Started pulling out her stitches, trying to hurt herself," Maya explained.

"Where is she now?" I questioned.

"Psych ward. Being monitored. I talked to a friend that works there, she thinks it might be a few days before they let anyone see her again."

Shaking his head, Monty pushed himself away from the table and stormed off. "We'll see about that." He said storming away.

Caleb gave me a sympathetic look. Without a word, I got up and quickly followed after Monty.

“Monty wait!” I called after him. “Wait please.” Catching up to the boy I grabbed his arm.

“What?!” He didn’t mean to snap at me the way he did. I know that, but it still surprised me.

“What do you plan to do huh? Storm into the psych ward and demand to see Clarke?”

Monty nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He turned, trying to leave but I once again grabbed his arm stopping him from going.

“That's a perfect way to get yourself in trouble Monty.”

Jasper appeared next to us a few seconds later. “Monty calm down.”

The words did not help to calm the raging 15-year-old.

“Calm down? Jasper, our friend is locked in some psych ward, if what Maya is saying is even true. The friend who saved all our lives on more than one occasion.”

Jasper took a deep breath, trying to think it all over. “Okay. You and Air go back to the dorm. I’ll talk to President Wallace and see if he can make some sort of exception for me.”

We agreed and did as told. Waiting longer for any sort of answer. Sitting on my bed, I bounced my leg repeatedly as I bit my nails.

“Are you okay?” Monty asked, finding a seat beside me on my bed. Reluctantly, I nodded. “Ari, you can tell me the truth.”

My head was a minefield. Trying to hide away all the grief and horror that the war brought to my mind. I didn’t want anyone to know how bad it was for me, in fear of looking weak. So I pushed all those feelings away, to the deepest darkest part of me.

“I’m fine.”

“Ari…we know you’ve been having nightmares again. Was it the war? I can’t imagine how bad it was. Losing everyone.”

“We wanted to look for you.” I found myself explaining. “After you went missing. Jasper Raven and I. We wanted to go out the next morning but Bellamy was scared the grounders were going to attack and he didn’t want to leave the camp defenseless.”

“Ari, it's okay,” Monty tried to assure me, but I continued to talk.

“Murphy took me hostage after he killed Myles.”

“What?” Monty’s eyes widened in horror.

“Then he took Bellamy hostage and hung him before blowing a hole in the dropship to escape. That's when Clarke and Finn got back, they escaped the grounders and that's when the war started. We lost so many people, Monty. It was so bad, hearing everyone screaming over the radio, dying. Raven got hurt so I hid in the dropship with her and all I could do was listen to everyone die.

“Then Clarke came back and closed the dropship door while Bellamy and Finn were still out there. Sometimes I dream about them, their deaths, and how terrified they must have been. God, all of them were only kids. We were only kids.”

Monty instantly wrapped me in a hug. “The only person who helped me through the dreams is gone. Bellamy’s gone.” I let out a rough sob into Monty’s shoulder. “We can’t lose Clarke too.”

“I know.” Monty soothed, rubbing my back.

There was a knock on the door, the cling of the mettle echoing through the empty dorm. I quickly pulled from Monty’s hold, looking up hoping it was Maya or Jasper, but it was only Caleb.

"Hey I just stopped by to drop off your stuff,” he said walking over to where I was.

"Thanks." I smiled, taking the books from his hands and placing them beside me on the bed. Monty kept his gaze on the boy, making Caleb shift uncomfortably.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" he said awkwardly. He could tell there was something going on with us and I guess he didn’t want to intrude. He turned around to walk out but I quickly grabbed his wrist.

"You can stay for a bit, you know if you want to." He smiled down at me and Monty got up, walking across the room to give Caleb and me some space.

Jasper finally walked into the room a little while later and he seemed annoyed and angry. He looked over at me and Caleb right away rolling his eyes, throwing something on the table.

"No need to look for Clarke, she left," Jasper snapped.

"What do you mean she left?" I asked, sitting up straight.

"I talked to the president and he said she left,” Jasper explained.

Monty jumped down from the top bunk. "And you believe him?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe him. Clarke left us, Monty, she faked being crazy to get into medical and she took off."

I looked over at Caleb and he looked really confused.

"Well, we need to go after her," I said standing up. The door opened and in walked Maya. Monty rolled his eyes sighing as he walked over to his bunk and grabbed his duffel bag.

"Where are you going?" Jasper asked.

"To the dropship for starters," Monty answered, putting his bag on his bed.

"I'm going too," I said, grabbing my bag.

"Wait, Ari no," Caleb interrupted.

"I just heard," Maya said walking into the room, "You're leaving?" she asked.

"Yes, we are," I said as Jasper and Caleb both said no at the same time.

"What do you think Clarke would do Jasper?" I asked, ignoring Caleb.

"No, Ari you can't, it's too dangerous," Caleb interrupted again, grabbing my arm and keeping me from putting any more of my clothes in my bag.

"Don't worry Caleb, I've survived out there before," I explained while zipping up my bag. I picked it up and threw it over my shoulder.

"You can't get her to come back," Maya said.

"Ari's right she would go after me, but why am I scared to do the same thing?" Jasper asked Maya, looking over at me but I quickly looked away avoiding eye contact. "Woah. What's going on?" Jasper asked, fear in his voice. Looking up from the ground, I glanced in their direction to see Maya's face starting to get red and sweaty.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Maya's voice cracked as she choked out a single word "Radiation." Her skin was really red and it started to look like it was cracking. An alarm began to sound around us. "There's a containment breach," she explained, gasping for air. The door was locked as a precaution to keep the breach secured.

My stomach dropped as I snapped my head towards Caleb, terrified I’d find him in the same state as Maya. He too was staring down at his body, a look of pure terror across his face.

But there was nothing. No burns redness or hives. Caleb was completely fine.

"How?" Jasper asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Maya sobbed as she tried repeatedly to get the doors to open. I kept my eye trained on Caleb, both of us speechless. His green eyes met mine and I could tell we were both thinking the same thing. How was he okay?

The sound of Maya screaming for help pulled me out of my trance and I turned to the large doors helping the boys bang against them, trying to get someone to realize we were in there and needed help.

Every few seconds I would glance over my shoulder to check on Caleb but his condition never changed.

It took a few minutes but eventually, the doors opened and Jasper rushed Maya to the medical ward, Monty rushed after them but I stood in the room staring at Caleb.

“Caleb?” I asked. He glanced up at me, eyes filled with tears before he quickly turned on his heels and rushed out of the room. Shaking my head, and collecting my thoughts, I rushed to medical where Jasper and Monty were, talking to Dr. Tsing about potential treatments.

"Temperatures 104 and rising. Blood pressure 180 over 120. Blister coverage over 75%." Tsing let out a disappointed sigh. "Standard treatment isn't working.”

"Wait, what does that mean, is there a nonstandard treatment?" Jasper asked worriedly.

"Well there is one thing we could try," she said looking at Jasper.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"It's unorthodox, but because you were raised in space your body filters radiation out of your blood. Now it's just a theory, but if we were to circulate Maya's blood through your system-"

"It could make her better?" Jasper asked.

Tsing nodded her head.

"What will happen to him?" I asked.

The doctor shrugged, "I'm not really sure, it’s just a theory.”

Jasper looked over at Maya, biting his lower lip while he thought.

Shaking my head, I stood in front of him, trying to get him to look at me. "No Jasper. I know that look, don't even think about it," I said crossing my arms, " It's too risky. Monty, tell him.”

I looked to him for help but Jasper beat me to it, looking down at me and then back to Maya. "I'm in."

My heart sank and I stormed out of the room slamming the door behind me.

-

Nighttime only brought more nightmares that woke me up during the early hours of the morning. The sound of someone being sick kept me awake. In the bed next to me I watched as one of my closest friends leaned over and practically spilled his guts into a bucket that had been provided to him.

“Jasper?” I asked, squinting through the darkness.

“I’m fine Ari…go back to bed.” He heaved again and unloaded more bile into his bucket. It left me no choice but to get out of me and grab him a cup of water.

“Drink.” I held the cup out to him. “You’ll get dehydrated. Come on.” He took the cup and downed all the water.

“Thank you.”

Jasper hadn’t gotten better all day. Monty and I looked after him while he was continuously sick. We made sure he had water and food, despite getting sick right away and throwing it up.
Despite everything he went through being sick, he still gathered us all up in the dorm and tried to convince us and the rest of the 48 to donate our blood so they could do further testing on it. Apparently, Jasper's blood pretty much healed Maya almost instantly and Dr. Tsing was fascinated by the discovery.

The talk with the others didn’t go as smoothly as Jasper would have liked however.

"Guys think about everything they've done for us. They gave us shelter and clean clothes. They kept us safe from the grounders." The others began getting up from the beds and walking out of the room, they couldn't believe what Jasper was saying. "Miller? They saved your life right?" Jasper asked.

"Dude, you puked all day," Miller responded.

"That was different, normal treatments wouldn't be as bad."

"So they say," Monty commented, bitter from taking care of the boy all night and day.

"So what then, we'll only be puking for a day?" Miller asked, annoyed, "No, I'm out."

"Sorry Jasper I'm out too," Harper said standing up and walking out of the room along with everyone else.

"Come on. They-they gave us cake."

I looked over at Jasper and shook my head. "What are you doing?" I asked him.

"What?"

Monty snapped. "When did you start working for them? You know what, never mind that. Now that you're better, we're going after Clarke,” he said as Maya walked into the room. "Of course. Right on time." Monty sighed, annoyed and I don't blame him.

"Hey, guys. Jasper, I'm so glad you're feeling better," Maya smiled before holding up a notepad with some writing on it.

'Act normal, they're listening' was written on the page.

"Thanks, I am," Jasper said a bit confused, looking at Monty and I. Maya flipped the page.

'The breach wasn't an accident. Follow me'. Was written on the next side.

"You look, uh rested?" Jasper said, trying to make conversation.

"Hey, it's pizza day. Who's hungry?" Maya asked and went to walk out of the room. We looked at each other and followed close behind her.

We walked down a long hallway before we came to a large steel door, she swiped her card and the light turned green.

"We don't have much time. We can talk freely here," she explained walking into the room. Her hands were shaking and she looked as though she was going to cry.

"What the hell is going on?" I was confused and worried.

Maya looked down at her feet as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Maya?"

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"About what? What do you mean it wasn't an accident?" Jasper asked.

"She means they exposed her to radiation on purpose. I bet they knew you were going to help her," Monty spat, crossing his arms. She nodded her head. "I knew it. Clarke was right.”

"Monty, be quiet," Jasper snapped, "Did you know about this?" he asked, turning back to the girl.

Maya shook her head.

"Why would they do that to you and Caleb?" I asked.

"Because the standard treatment sucks, compared to you," she explained.

"That's what Dante said," Jasper added.

"What's the standard treatment?" I questioned, looking up at Maya.

"Through there," she said, pointing to a vent. I walked over and looked through it with Jasper and Monty.

All the air left my lungs as I looked at the sight before us. Cages and cages full of grounders locked up in a huge open room

"What the hell?"

"Are those all grounder?" Jasper asked.

"Why are you showing us this?"

"Because I'm afraid," Maya answered.

"Of what?"

"That you're next."

I looked back at the room of grounders. "Who else knows about this?" Jasper asked, turning to Maya. As Monty and I still looked through the vent unable to move due to shock.

"Everyone. But nobody talks about it. We learned not to ask questions. Without the treatments, we would die. What else are we supposed to do?" Maya asked.

"Die," I muttered to myself but clearly, they all heard me. I closed the vent and backed away. "We have to get out of here. Dante said we could leave right?" I asked turning to Jasper who spoke to the president not too long ago.

"He's lying. He knew we'd be too scared to leave, just like he knew I'd do what had to be done to save Maya," Jasper said, running his hand through his hair.

"So then we don't ask. If Clarke got out, we can too-" Monty began.

"You'll never make it. Ever since Clarke disappeared, security all around the mountain has been increased."

Throwing my arms out in frustration I said, "We have to at least try.”

"Look we're not leaving. I won't leave the others behind," Jasper said, putting his foot down. "Not if it means they end up in there."

"What choice do we have?" Monty asked.

"We volunteer."

Chapter Text

Jasper says we have to prepare to get our blood taken today. A few of the others were told about our issue to get more volunteers. To keep our energy up, Jasper wants us to get as much as we can and drink lots of water to keep us hydrated.

After my meal, I made my way back to the dorm, ready for a nap but the sight of Caleb pacing back and forth stopped me in my tracks.

"Caleb? What's wrong?" I asked.

Stopping, he turned to me, his eyes wild with concern. "I’ve been trying to figure it out all day and all night. Why I was fine. Ya’ know? Ari, how come I'm okay, how was I fine while Maya almost died?" he questioned, stepping close to me.

I shook my head. "I'm not sure" He started pacing again. "Caleb stop," I said, grabbing his arm.

"Ari, I've been trying to put things together for two days but I just can't," he said, running his hand through his hair.

I looked down and thought for a moment. "Your father," I whispered.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Your mother has some explaining to do."

I grabbed his hand and we made our way towards his family's living quarters to get some answers out of his mother.

Taking a deep breath upon our arrival at a single metal door, Caleb looked down at me. I gave his hands a reassuring squeeze before he opened the door and led me inside into the open living room. A woman in her late 30s with curly blond hair sat on the floor with a baby girl that looked almost exactly like her, baby toys surrounded them.

She looked over at us and smiled. "Hello Caleb, and Caleb's friend," the woman said, picking up the baby in her arms.

"Mom, you need to explain something to me," Caleb snapped, getting right to the point.

"Okay, but first don't be rude, introduce me to your friend," she said, raising her brow.

I looked over at Caleb and he rolled his eyes. "This is Ari, she's a part of the 48. Now you need to explain some stuff to me." The woman, looking shocked, nodded her head and sat on a gray couch, setting the baby girl on her lap.

"Alright, ask away,” she encouraged trying to hide her confusion with a smile.

"How am I able to survive the radiation?" he asked, not holding back.

His mothers went pale and she didn't blink or move, biting her lower lip. "Um, Caleb I think we should talk alone-"

"No. Whatever you say I'll just tell Ari anyways," he cut her off.

The woman sitting before us was stunned by her son's boldness. She put his sister in a playpen and sat back down.

"Alright, Caleb I'm going to tell you something and you can't get upset with me,” she began which made me kind of nervous, "please just sit down." He nodded and took a seat on the couch across from the other and I sat next to him. "You know what the standard treatment is right?" Caleb nodded his head, "Well, I was always against it, my whole life. One day when I was about 20, I was walking down the hall near Medical when I saw an outsider." Caleb, obviously confused, leaned forward into the story, folding his hands as she spoke.

His mother went on with the story. "He had somehow escaped his cage without anyone noticing. My parents always raised me to help anyone in need, no matter who they were to me and he was really hurt, he could barely even stand when I found him and I wasn't going to leave him to die so I quickly hid him," Caleb's mother explained, never taking her eyes off Caleb as she continued, "I helped him get better and as I helped him I got to know who he really was. He wasn't anything like the others. He wasn't filled with hate and vengeance, he was caring and thoughtful." The whole time she was talking about the mystery outsider she couldn't stop smiling.

"We fell in love almost instantly. I found out I was pregnant with you after two years of hiding him. My mother kept asking who the father was but I just told her I got drunk at a party and I didn't know who he was because I couldn't remember anything. When I had you, your father was so happy he had a son, he even named you after his father." Caleb looked over at me and I gave him a weak smile before he reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together.

"But your father hated having to live in secret and not being able to leave the room. When you were maybe three months old he wanted to take you to the ground with him but I wouldn't allow it, we didn't know if you could survive radiation yet and I didn't know how I would explain that to my family," she said, her eyes starting to fill with tears.

“What happened to him?" he choked out, his voice cracking.

"He was upset that I wouldn't let you go to the ground and live with him so he left during the night without telling me or saying goodbye, I don’t even know if he ever made it out," she finished.

Taking a minute to collect his thoughts, Caleb let out a sigh. "So instead of letting me go outside to see the real world, you kept me underground in a cement prison for 14 years, because you didn't know how you would explain it to your family?" Caleb spat.

His mother looked at the ground and nodded her head silently. "Caleb I'm so sor-"

"What was his name?" he asked, cutting her off and standing up. His mother was silent, looking up at him with tears falling down her cheeks. "What was his name?" he asked again.

"Klaus." His mother silently sobbed looking down at her hands.

Caleb scoffed and shook his head, walking into another room. Standing up, I followed behind him. He was pacing around what seemed to be his bedroom, running his hand through his thick curls.

The room was small, only able to fit a bed and a dresser.

"Caleb, please calm down," I pleaded.

He glanced around the tiny room, seemingly looking for something, ignoring my words as he picked up a small bag and started stuffing it with clothes from the dresser.

"What are you doing?" I asked, panicked.

"I'm going to find him,” he explained, forcefully shoving some more clothes into his bag.

"What are you talking about?"

"I need to find him."

Shaking my head, I stepped closer to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. "No Caleb. You can't. It's not safe out there."

Letting out a sigh he finally turned to face me. "I want to see the ground Ari, I need to and now that I know I can survive, I'm going. I can't live here anymore. I need to find my father,” he explained before going back to packing.

I grabbed his arm to stop him. "Then we can go outside together or something, but you can't just leave with no plan. The grounders will kill you."

"No, they won't, not if they know I'm Klaus's son, they'll take me to him."

"Caleb, that is not how the grounders work. Trust me. The first time they saw us they speared Jasper, in the chest, just for being there." He shook his head and put a pair of shoes in his bag. "Caleb please-"

He threw the bag down and forcefully turned to me again. "You were going to go after Clarke, and you didn't care what I had to say about it. How is this any different?!” Stunned by his tone of voice, I was speechless. “Exactly.”

He zipped his bag shaking his head and pushing past me, turning to walk out of the room. I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. With an open mouth to protest he looked down at me. Before he could say I word I stood on my toes and cupped his face, lightly pressing my lips on top of his, not knowing what else to do to get him to stay.

Hoping I was doing this right, as it was my first kiss.

Caleb was shocked at what was happening and honestly, I was too, but he kissed back almost instantly, dropping his bag onto the ground and grabbing my face, pulling me closer to him. We stood there for a few seconds before pulling away and resting our heads together. His forest green eyes were filled with remorse and just a little less pain.

"Please stay, for me,” I begged. I knew it was going to destroy him when I left but Caleb can’t survive out there. He doesn't know what the grounders could do to him and I wasn’t going to take the chance of losing another person.

I think this is where I realized that I connect to people too fast. Once I get to know someone I care for them on such a deep level and anytime they are hurting I hurt too. I did it with Charlotte and Bellamy and Finn, now all three of them are gone.

But Caleb, Caleb was here.

I could do everything in my power to keep him safe and I planned on it.

He nodded his head silently and wrapped his arms around me pulling me into a tight hug. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

-

Later that night I lay in yet another, white bed with a few others in the beds beside me as the doctors prepared to take our blood. We were doing what was best to keep us alive.

Donating our blood until we could figure out a way to leave Mount Weather so they don’t start taking our blood forcefully like they are with the grounders.

"Alright, you are going to feel a slight pinch," Dr.Tsing warned as she put a long needle into my neck. I closed my eyes as the 'slight pinch' stung through my neck. "Alright, you're all set, Ari.” she smiled cheerfully and walked away from the bed and into the office at the end of the room.

"How high are you right now?" I heard Jasper ask Monty, who was in the next bed over.

"I almost don't care that there's a six-inch spike in my neck," Monty said in a bit of a daze, his eyes wide staring at the plain white wall.

That's when I began to feel it. It started as a tingle in my arm at first but slowly spread to my whole body. They had given us some pain medication to try and help us with the fact that they stuck a large needle in our necks to get to our bone marrow.

My eyelids slowly began to get heavier as I listened to Jasper talk to the president. I let the sleepiness take over as I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

My night was filled with countless twists and turns in pain and discomfort. My body ached from continuously bending over the side of my bed to be sick in a bucket beside me. I haven’t been able to keep food down all day or night, causing me to become extremely lightheaded and dizzy. Not to mention my limbs ached from the large amounts of bone marrow that my body was lacking.

"I love this song," Jasper said, filled with fake enthusiasm.

I knew he was doing it to make talking easier, but the loudness made my temple throb. Placing my fingers, I rubbed the side of my head, trying to subside the beating against my skull.

Sitting on my bed next to Miller and I, across from Monty and Harper Jasper rubbed his hands together. "Okay, it's safe to talk. We bought ourselves some time, but we're gonna need to recruit some of the others. Only people we trust," he explained.

Dropping his head in defeat, Miller let out a sigh. "How much time are we talking about buying here?"

Looking up from the ground, Monty looked just as sick as the rest of us. "Long enough for Clarke to break us out.”

"We don't even know if Clarke's still alive," Harper pointed out.

"She has to be."

"Well, then she better hurry the hell up," Miller muttered, turning to Jasper.

With a sigh, I laid back on my bed, spreading my sore legs out behind Miller and Jasper. The constant pricking at my skin from the large needles was taking a toll on my body.

"I'm sick of puking," Harper complained, putting her head in her hands.

"I'm tired of being a human pincushion," Miller added.

Jasper tried to boost our moods by saying, "Look, I know this sucks but as long as it seems like we're cooperating, we're buying ourselves some more time.”

"Time for what?” Miller asked, bitterly. “If we're going to die here might as well die, trying to escape.”

“I’d rather just die.” The others stared at me for a brief moment before Jasper began to speak again.

"We've been over this, after Clarke left there is no escaping. We just have to hold on long enough for her to find a way to get us out."

Propping myself up on my elbow, I sigh, pointing out what we all have been thinking. "What if she can't find a way, Jasper? What if she didn't make it out and it's just a story they're telling us to hide the fact that they killed her?"

"Well then no one is coming for us, and we're doing exactly what they want us to do.” Monty ran his hands through his hair, struggling with this concept.

"Jasper, you know you've thought about it too."

"Alright, then we escape," Harper said.

Jasper shook his head, "No, we find out the truth."

Miller was the one to ask, "How do we do that?"

"We're criminals, right? So let's be criminals."

With a glance at each other, we all nodded our heads, silently agreeing.

-

After about two hours of planning and waiting, we went into action. Jasper knew exactly where the president's office was and with help from Maya, we were able to know when it was going to be empty for us.

Together, we four waited outside the empty office as Monty tried to hack the keypad to open the door without a trace of us being there. Harper stayed back in the dorms to cover for us in case anyone came asking questions.

Continuing to look over my shoulder, I anxiously bounced on my heels as Monty took longer than expected to get the door open.

"Today Monty," Jasper rushed.

"I'm going as fast as I can."

A camera was pointed directly at the office door, adding to my anxiety.

Jasper gently rested a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, Maya's decontaminating the surveillance room. No one's watching. We got this if we can get that door open."

Almost on cue, the keypad turned green.

"You have little faith," Monty chuckled at his best friend.

"That's my boy." Jasper smiled, walking over to Monty and patting his shoulder. "Ari, watch the hall,"

I stared up at him blankly. "Why do I have to watch the hall?"

"Monty's good with computers and Millers, a thief," he whispered, almost as if it was obvious.

"Okay, why can't you watch the hall?"

With a smug smirk, Jasper said, "I'm the brains of the operations.”

"You would need a brain for that," I teased.

"Just watch the hall." I rolled my eyes and walked over to the door.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I leaned against the door, watching the empty hall as they did their thing. Picking at my nails, I let out an annoyed sigh.

Of course, they would send me to watch the hall. To them, I’m still a kid who can’t do anything. Well as soon as I can, I’ll prove them wrong.

"Damn it, I'm good." I heard Monty say from the other side of the door.

The sound of my foot tapping against the ground echoes throughout the hall. I’m not sure what they expect me to do if I see someone. I’m 5’2, can barely fight and plus the office is at the end of a long hallway, we would have nowhere to run.

After a couple more minutes, they finally came out of the office with a stack of papers in their hands.

“What did you find?” I asked.

“We’ll explain in the dorm, come on.” Jasper grabbed my hands and pulled me away from the office quickly until we got back to the empty dorm.

“Where's Harper?” I asked, looking around.

The others followed, Unsure of where she could have gone, we had only been gone for 30 minutes.

“I’m gonna go look for Harper,” Jasper assured, before leaving the dorm.

While he did that, Monty, Miller, and I sat together and looked over all the information they got from the office. A huge file of photos was spread out between the three of us. Photos of the Ark and of Abby Griffin and Marcus Kane, and a bunch of other survivors of the Ark’s crash.

"The Arks on the ground?" I asked, surprised looking at one of the pictures. Not just the Ark but Alpha station. Meaning the Ark had broken off into pieces. I let out a sigh of relief when I didn’t see Farm station in any of the photos.

My entire body froze in the next photo and instantly my eyes filled with tears at the image of Bellamy and Octavia talking to each other.

“What?” Monty asked, looking over my shoulder. “Bellamy’s alive?”

Looking up at him, still shocked, I nodded. “Bellamy’s alive.” I choked out, unable to contain my happiness as the tears spilled down my cheeks.

Monty wrapped his arms around me for comfort. The last time I saw Bellamy Blake he was running into a war zone, promising he would try to make it back before Clarke shut the dropship door, telling me he was gone. But he wasn’t gone. Bellamy was alive and so was Octavia.

"Alphas on the ground. So maybe the other stations are too," Miller said hopefully for us.

I hoped he was wrong.

"You're from Alpha station right?" Monty asked the other boy.

Miller nodded his head. "Yeah, my dad was the chief guard. He sure loved having a thief for a son." He sighed, looking at a photo of Alpha, unfortunately, there were no photos that told us if his father was alive or not.

I put my hand on top of his to reassure him. "Hey, if it helps you're a pretty great thief." I smiled at him.

He returned it weakly and gave a slight nod.

"These are the engineering schematics for the whole place," Monty said looking at the map of Mount Weather. "If there's a way out, we're gonna find it," he assured us.

"Hey guys," Jasper walked over to us, a confused look on his face. “No one has seen Harper since we left. She's gone."

-

By the next morning, still no one had heard from or seen Harper and we were filled with nothing but worry and unanswered questions.

Where was she?

Did they take her?

Why would they take her if we were giving out bone marrow willingly?

Why were they spying on the Ark?

Why are they lying to us?

Why did they lie to us saying there was no one left?

When Jasper and Maya walked into the room, Miller quickly turned up the radio to drown out our conversation.

"Anything?" Jasper asked us, referring to Harper.

I shook my head. "No one's seen her."

"Well keep looking. Whatever happened to her, someone had to have seen it." Jasper said.

"How many places could she be?” I asked, shrugging. “I mean we're in a sealed bunker. Unless she’s in the Harvest chambers.” I felt the blood drain from my face at the thought of it and I had to grip onto a nearby bed to keep myself upright.

“Don’t start thinking like that.” Jasper held my shoulders. "There has to be a room we don't know about. Places that aren't mapped."

"Is it possible?" Miller asked Maya.

"I doubt it, but maybe-"

Putting his hands up in defeat, Miller shook his head. "Thanks, you're just…a big help.”

"Easy Miller, Maya's on our side," Jasper defended.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. She's risking more than any of us."

That statement even made me laugh. Sure Maya could get into trouble with the President, but us…we could be killed.

"Really?” Miller crossed his arms over his chest. “Is she going to end up in the kennel too?"

Stepping between the two, Monty broke up the argument, holding up a few pieces of paper. "Guys stop. I found something that leads to an antenna on the ground," he explained, pointing to the map. "If we can access the radio, we can send a message to the Ark's main channel."

Stepping next to Monty, I looked down at the paper as Maya began to speak.

"The only radio is in the command center on level seven. Highly restricted.”

"We got in yesterday," I commented, referring to President Walles’ office.

"Only because it was scheduled for decontamination. That won't work again so soon."

"We don't need the radio,” Monty began, pointing to a different room on the map. “We need the wires that run into it. Here."

"The art warehouse,” Maya informed. “That I can get us into.”

"Great.” Monty smiled. “All we have to do is break through a two-foot section of wall. Find the outgoing wire and hack into the system without being heard by anyone.”

"That's all huh?" I asked sarcastically.

Monty thought for a second. "No, we also need to steal some copper wires, guard schedules, and a walkie-talkie." I shook my head and sighed. It all seems a lot easier said than done. "Oh yeah and a big ass hammer."

We had a plan. Get in contact with the Ark, get saved, and go home to Bellamy. Seeing him again was the only thing on my mind. The only thing I could think of.

The doors to the room opened and Caleb's freckled face appeared before me, swinging his bag over his shoulder. He was different now that he had learned the truth about his father. His shoulders were in an almost permanent slump and his green eyes held a heavy burden.

"Hey, Ari you ready to go?"

School had been the last thing on my mind. After being excused for two days for medical purposes my time was up and it was time to go back.

Mentally I was cursing myself for wanting to go to school and learn but Jasper said we had to act normal, like nothing was wrong. As if our friend wasn’t missing and they weren’t lying to us about the Ark.

Glancing over my shoulder, the boys and Maya, tried to act as if they weren’t paying attention to us, so as to not look suspicious, but I knew they were listening.

"Uh, yeah. Just um, let me grab my books." Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, I grabbed said books out from my bag before turning back to the guys. "I'll see you guys after school?" They nodded, understanding as I walked out of the room beside Caleb.

It was silent between Caleb and me as we made our way down the hall, and not the comforting silence. An awkward silence like we're trying to avoid something, which I was.

"So uh Ari," Caleb said, breaking through thick tension.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking over at him. I already knew what he was going to say.

"We should probably talk about that thing that happened yesterday." He was referring to the last time we saw each other. When we kissed and then I ran out of his room with my tail between my legs.

Trying to keep my eyes trained on the ground. I didn’t want to look at him, because if I looked at him I knew all my walls would instantly come crumbling down. But Caleb grabbed my arm, making me stop and turn to him. "You know…when we kissed?”

I nodded. “Yes, I do recall that happening.”

“Well uh, I just wanted you to know that I don’t usually go around kissing girls.” A piece of my heart broke right there at what I thought was him admitting that he didn’t have feelings for me. “Well, at least not girls who aren’t my girlfriend.”

Finally, I made eye contact with him. Confused by his words.

“Ari, I was uh, wondering if you…if you wanted to maybe be my girlfriend?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

To be honest I was scared. I liked Caleb, I really did. He was charming and kind and always recommended the best books. He listened to me when I spoke and remembered what I said. He made my cheeks turn red and when he looked at me with his smirk, my stomach filled with butterflies.

But that warm fuzzy feeling I get in my chest when I see him automatically gets bulldozed over by the perpetual thought in the back of my mind that nothing good can last forever. I wanted nothing more than to believe we could last forever, but on the ground nothing was certain. For all I know, Monty could get in touch with the Ark and we could be gone in 24 hours.

Perhaps my fears were brought on by the fact that I never had anything good going for me. My childhood best friend died from the same sickness that killed my father. My mother preferred moonshine to my company. One of the only friends I made on the ground turned out to be a murderer and killed herself.

And the one guy I trusted to protect me, I thought was dead.

"Caleb, I uh..."

"Uh never mind it's stupid I know, I'm sorry for even asking-" Suddenly my brain went into overdrive and I lost all sense of self-protection as I stood on my tippy toes, grabbed his face, and placed my lips on top of his.

To hell with my dark thoughts. I’m taking my life into my own hands. If I want to be with him, even if it is a short amount of time, I will. When I pulled away he looked surprised, before smirking.

"So is that a yes?" he asked.

I smiled, turning around and walking away, not saying a word. "I'm just going to take that as a yes then." He called out, before running up beside me, grabbing my hand.

Chapter Text

The entire class, I sat, tapping my pencil against my desk as I impatiently waited for the day to be over and I could check on the others' progress on getting in contact with the Ark.

Caleb grabbed my hand when he noticed my constant picking at the skin around my nails. "Hey, you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, faking a smile.

Once class was finally over, I quickly gathered my books and walked out of the room with Caleb close behind. "Hey Ari, what's the rush?" he asked, catching up.

"Uh I just have to get back to the dorm and talk to Jasper that's all," I explained, walking a little faster.

"Well wait," he held my hand and turned me to face him again. "I was wondering if tonight you wanted to go on a date?" he asked with a smile. Looking down at our hands I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. "You know what, you don't have to say anything. I will come by the dorm later and pick you up."

My heart practically melted as I nodded my head in agreement.

"Perfect! Let's say...six?"

"Perfect."

With red cheeks, he excitedly bounced on his heels as he turned to walk the opposite direction of me.

The smile on my face never left my entire walk back to the dorms. Neither did my wistful glow. "You guys will never guess what happened!" I practically cheered as I walked over to Miller and Jasper, forgetting about their mission of the day for a blissful few minutes. That is until my eyes landed on their terrified faces. "What's wrong, did it not work?" I questioned, dropping my things on my bed.

"Yeah," Jasper said, his voice cracking.

"What's wrong then?"

Looking down at the ground, Miller let out a sigh. "Monty's gone."

There was a sudden ringing in my ears. This can't be happening. First Harper and now Monty?

I knew it. Nothing good in my life ever came without a consequence.

Life was a series of actions and reactions.

And Monty going missing was the universes fucked up way of telling me that nothing good came without a price.

Our message being transmitted to the Ark came at the cost of Monty's life. He was gone, probably taken by the same people we once thought were going to save us.

My eyes burned as tears threatened to spill. "Wh-what happened?"

"We got caught in the art warehouse," Miller began. "We got separated."

Slowly, I lowered myself to sit on the bed beside Jasper. Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself to freak out for five seconds before pulling myself back together. "Okay...okay. Okay. Okay. We can do this. We can find him."

Tucking my hair behind my ears, I wiped away any tears that may have escaped and quickly stood back up. "Right. Let's be criminals again. Come on guys. Don't just sit there."

"Ari." I ignored Miller as I pulled out Monty's stack of papers.

"You guys said it. There has to be a place we don't know about." I dropped the stack of papers on the bed. "We can start back at the Art warehouse then retrace all the different ways he could have gone."

"Ari." Miller tried again. "We could get caught."

"Then we just deny, deny, deny. Right? Miller, why don't you go west down this hall. Jasper, you can go East." I thought out loud as I wrote their names down on the map.

"Ari, listen." Miller grabbed my hand, forcing me to stop and look at him. "Hey, we have to pretend like everything is fine, remember? Nothing is wrong."

"But everything is wrong, Miller!" I raised my voice, causing Miller to quickly cover my mouth. I was being too loud. They could hear me over the music playing.

"You can't freak out. Okay? We can figure this out. Everything will be fine." He lowered his hand from my mouth. My lips trembled and tears ran down my face as Miller pulled me into his chest. "Jasper, tell her everything is going to be fine."

Jasper's own eyes filled with uncertainty and I knew what he was thinking. He was just as scared as I was, he just didn't want to admit it in fear of pushing us both over the edge. Miller knew Jasper's assurance would help me feel better but Jasper couldn't give it.

The dorm emptied as everyone went to dinner, still trying to act as normal as possible but my stomach was in knots and I was in no mood to get out of bed, let alone eat.

The door opened and I heard the sound of footsteps coming up to my bed. Letting out a groan, I said "Just leave me be Miller. I don't want to go to dinner."

"Well that's a shame, dinner was the first thing to do on our date," Caleb's voice filled my ears and a wave of anxiety filled me. I had forgotten all about our date. He sat on the edge of my bed as I turned over to face him. His smile dropped at the sight of my puffy red eyes and blotchy cheeks. "What's wrong?"

His brown curls were neatly swept across his forehead and he was dressed in a nice collared shirt and pants. He had prepared for the date while it had completely slipped my mind.

"Ari?" he asked as I pulled my knees to my chest. "What's going on?"

I shook my head. "I can't tell you." Dropped my eyes, I couldn't look at him, because if I did, I knew I was going to crumble.

"Ari, come on, I can keep a secret," he said with a weak smile but I again shook my head, feeling all the tears I've been holding back poking at the back of my eyes. "Ari you're scaring me," he admitted, moving closer to me.

I let a tear slide down my face as I hugged my knees tighter. Caleb quickly put his arm around my shoulders holding me tight. I shook my head and barred my face in his chest and just let it all out.

He held me tight, not asking any more questions, not telling me it's all going to be okay, he just held me quietly rubbing my arm.

"We uh, we don't have to go on the date if you don't want to. We can just lay here all night?"

Wiping away my tears I looked up at his freckled face. "Are you sure?"

He nodded softly. "Of course. We can stay here as long as you want and forget about everything going on in that head of yours." Caleb tapped my temple lightly. There was no stopping the smile that spread across my lips as we laid back in my bed, Caleb pulling me onto his chest.

"I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted my first date to go." I sniffled.

"It's okay. This is way better than the date I had planned anyways."

"You had a plan?"

"Of course I had a plan," he chuckled softly. "First we were going to go get some dinner. Grilled cheese, your favorite. Then we were going to go to the library where we would sit together and talk or read or do whatever you like. Then I would take you back to the dining hall for Friday night dessert."

"Dessert?"

Caleb nodded, running his fingers through my hair. "Every Friday night they make special desserts as a little treat. Today they are serving ice cream."

Letting out a groan, I rolled onto my stomach and looked up at him. "I'm really sorry I ruined our date. We can still go."

Shaking his head, Caleb gently held my face. "There is nowhere else I would rather be than right here with you." My stomach flipped as he planted a kiss on my forehead.

-

Three days into Monty's disappearance, everyone was on edge. We all knew something was coming but we weren't sure what. Jasper's has completely checked out. We could see it in his eyes. He was terrified. Somehow with Clarke's absence, the rest of the 47 turned to him for guidance. He didn't want it.

He didn't want us looking at him because he couldn't help us. He couldn't even help his best friend. I knew that's what he was thinking. He hasn't slept and he keeps having Maya check the harvest chambers every three hours to see if Monty's there or not. I keep waiting to look for him, but Jasper says to just act like nothing's wrong, but it's almost impossible when the rest of the mountain has their eyes on you.

I'm scared that it will be Jasper or Miller who goes missing next and if they go missing, I'll have no one else that I truly trust. I've been trying to distract myself with Caleb but my mind keeps traveling back to the thought of all my friends being taken away.

Moving around the eggs on my plate, I dropped my chin in my hands and let out a defeated sigh. Every atom in my body was screaming at me to crawl back into bed, under my covers and ignore everyone.

My head felt heavy and my eyes had dark bags underneath from the sleepless nights.

"Why so glum, Sugar?" Caleb asked, taking the seat in front of me with a pout. I dropped my fork and rested my chin in both hands now.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. My head is killing me and I think I've had at least five panic attacks since Friday night."

"Whoa. That's not good."

I nodded. "Tell me about it."

"Want to skip class today?" he asked, reaching for my hand across the table.

My heart wanted so badly to say yes. To take this boy and hide from the world together like we had done almost all weekend. But now it was Monday morning and we had a math test to take.

"We can forget about the math test," Caleb tried to convince me. "What good will Math do us when we're on the ground anyways."

All he could talk about these past few days was getting out of this mountain and going to the ground to find his father. I wished that for him. To be able to meet his father and live on the ground. I even thought about taking him with us once the Ark came and saved us.

"Math actually will be very helpful on the ground," I corrected him. "At least that's what Monty would say." I dropped my eyes to my lap, trying to fight back my tears.

"Seriously Ari, we don't have to go."

No, we did have to go. We have to act normal, like nothing is wrong.

"You're just trying to get out of taking this test." I flashed a fake smile, allowing a mask to fall over my face as I stood up and grabbed my books.

Caleb returned the smile, lacing our fingers together. "Of course I'm trying to get out of the test. You know me and math don't really get along much."

Giggling slightly to myself, I agreed.

When we entered the classroom, all eyes were on us and our interlocked hands. The attention made my cheeks instantly turn a bright shade of red.

Caleb didn't let it faze him though. He walked straight towards our desk, head held high and a smile on his face.

"Everyone's staring," I whispered as we took our seats.

"Yeah well nothing happens around here so this will be the talk of the mountain for a couple of days."

Concentrating on the test was impossible as my mind kept drifting back to Monty and Harper and where they were. My mind also found itself focusing on Bellamy and the fact that he was alive.

That soul fact alone was the only thing that gave me hope. Bellamy would come back for me. He always saved me. He once said he was responsible for me and I knew that made us family and that he would do everything in his power to get us out of here.

When I noticed people starting to hand in their tests I realized I had to hurry up and finish. I learned all this stuff about two years ago so it was easy for me to do. Turns out Mount Weather kids were a few years behind the Ark when it came to schooling.

Once all test were handed in, Mrs. Grain dismissed us for lunch.

My mind was still reeling as I made my way towards the door. Lunch was the last thing on my mind. I needed to get to the dorm to check in and make sure everyone was still there.

It was a precaution Jasper put into place for us as a way to keep track of everyone. The feeling of Caleb's hand in mine grounded me and forced me to remember that he was still here and I had to act normal.

"So lunch date?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, of course." I answered as we made our way past the classroom. "First I need to stop by the dorm. I forgot my book," I lied.

Our travels were cut short when Maya came walking towards us, a guard close behind her.

"Oh Maya!" Caleb quickly stopped her. "My mom was looking for you, she had a question about one of the art pieces in the art warehouse."

She nervously rubbed her hands together, looking over her shoulder at the guard who suspiciously, refused to make eye contact with either Caleb or I, keeping his gaze trained on the ground or whatever was behind me.

"Oh uh, I'll talk to her tonight at dinner."

"Well I'm sure she'll be at lunch with Hannah. It's just a quick question. Won't take too long."

Anyone with half a brain could see that Maya was hiding something. That she was nervous. Somehow, it completely flew over Caleb's head.

To change the subject, Maya turned to me. "Uh I think Jaspers is looking for you, Ari."

At the mention of my name, the guard's head snapped up and his brown eyes met mine. All air in my lungs dissipated and I was left speechless as Bellamy Blake stood in front of me for the first time in almost three months.

His shaggy brown hair had grown longer, but was concealed by a guards cap and he was sporting a rather nasty black eye and a cut on his lip.

Tears filled my eyes and I struggled to make myself breathe again but I was frozen. My heart screamed at me to pull him into a hug and never let him go again. He was here. Bellamy was here to get us out. He was going to save us just like I knew he would.

I made the slightest move and Maya instantly put herself between us so I didn't draw any attention our way. "Uh, Jasper said it was important."

Nodding, I kept my eyes on Bellamy who carried his own look of relief and shock on his face. His eyes flickered down to mine and Caleb's interlocked hands and my body instantly tensed.

Jasper and Monty was one thing. I could deal with their teasing and jokes but if Bellamy didn't approve, I'm not sure what I would do.

Nodding my head again, I finally pulled my eyes away from Bellamy. Collecting myself finally.

"Yeah, come on Caleb, I should really go find Jasper," I said pulling his arm.

"What was that about?" he asked when he knew they couldn't hear us anymore. I shrugged and began to walk faster.

Pushing the doors open, I threw my book on my bed as my feet dragged themselves towards the group gathered at the front of the room. All eyes were on Jasper and Monty.

Letting go of Caleb's hand, I rushed towards the boy who had been missing and wrapped him a tight hug.

"You're okay." I let out a sigh of relief as we pulled away.

Monty nodded. "I'm okay."

"Listen up," Jasper ordered, "There's going to be questions, but there's no time to explain. We're getting out of here. So pack your stuff."

"Wait, they're letting us go?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes." Jasper nodded. "But we have to go right now before they change their minds."

"Jasper, what the hell is going on?" Fox asked, just as confused as everyone else.

Answering for the boy Monty said, "Mont. Weather lied to us the whole time about everything. The Ark is on the ground, and we're not safe here. Now do what he says."

Looking over my shoulder at Caleb, he was so out of place and confused by the commotion.

Everyone obliged Monty and Jasper's order and went to their beds, no questions asked as they began packing their bags.

"Jasper, I have to tell you something. Bellamy's here," I whispered.

Confused, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"He's with Maya right now. He's dressed as a guard. I don't know why or how."

"Okay we'll find out later, now go pack your things," Jasper told me and sent a glare Caleb's way. "What's he doing here?" I rolled my eyes and grabbed Caleb's arm bringing him over to my bed.

"You should leave," I told him and grabbed my bag.

"No way. I want to go with you guys."

I shook my head. "No."

"Ari, did you forget I can survive out there," he argued.

"That's not what I'm worried about. You still have your mom and little sister here. I'm sure your mother would feel horrible if you leave," I explained to him, packing my clothes.

"But I don't want to live underground anymore. I want to be on the surface" I looked up at Caleb and thought for a moment.

"Okay, fine. If you really want to come, pack your things and come back here, but you have to hurry." Caleb's face lit up as he went to leave.

Before he could make it out of the room, a familiar alarm began to blare making the doors automatically shut, locking us in.

Jasper screamed and ran over to the door and banging on it.

This was not a part of the plan.

Chapter Text

Explaining everything to Caleb was difficult but I did the best I could. There was no ignoring this anymore, no pretending like it wasn't happening. He had a right to know what his people were doing.

"I don't understand." His eyes were wide with utter shock. "Why would they want your blood, why aren't they happy with the outsiders' blood?"

"From what Harper said, because of the radiation in space, our bodies have learned to filter it out, so if they take our bone marrow and implant it in someone they'll be able to live on the ground without hazmat suits, they can't do that with the grounders blood," I explained.

Running his hands through his hair, Caleb let out a long sigh before looking back at me, a look of panic flashing over his face.

"What do you think they're going to do with me?"

Sitting on the side of my bed, I shrugged. "I really don't know Caleb, but you're one of them. I'm sure they'll let you go."

"What?" Caleb got on his knees in front of me, lowering his head so I would look him in the eyes. "Hey, I'm not going to leave you. Alright? We're in this together. I'm not going anywhere."

All attention flashed to the main doors as the familiar alarm began to blare. Every few hours since being locked in the dorm, the doctors would come and take another person for their bone marrow. Another child. Another life lost.

Caleb grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him, blocking me from the view of the woman who thought she could play god.

A group of guards entered with Dr. Tsing, they reached for Harpe, who instantly began screaming until Dr. Tsign disciplined the guards.

"No, not her, she needs time to recover," Tsing said before looking over at a tall redhead named Harvy. "Take him instead."

The guards followed orders and the boy was pulled from his friend's hands.

She turned to walk out of the room as if she hadn't just picked a child to be sent to slaughter, but Jasper stopped her, calling out, "You can't keep doing this to us. President Wallace said we could go." He tried to keep his head held high, as if his confidence brought him any sort of authority.

"That president Wallace is no longer in command. He had to step down for health reasons," Tsing said and Jasper's face went white. "I'm sorry it has to be like this. I hope you know you are all incredibly special to us." As if she wasn't evil enough she made sure to look each one of us in the eyes with a precious smirk on her face. Her gaze froze on the boy standing protectively in front of me. "Caleb, what are you doing here?"

With glare he explained, "I was in here when you shut the doors to lock everyone in." Venom laced his voice as he kept a tight grip on my arm.

"Is that so? Well come on let's go, you can have the next treatment and then I'll get you back to your mom," she said motioning for him to follow her, but when he didn't move, she looked at him confused.

"I would rather die here than be a part of whatever the hell you're doing to these innocent people."

Shocked and taken aback by his statement, Dr. Tsing tilted her head to the side slightly. "I always knew there was something about you." With a huff she shrugged and turned to walk out of the dorm, calling over her shoulder. "So be it then." The guards followed, locking us in the dorm once again.

A collective sigh was heard among the kids who were still there.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I asked, pulling Caleb's arms to get him to look at me.

"Ari, I'll be fine," he grabbed my face gently. "I promise."

"Alright we need a plan," Jasper spoke up, walking to the center of the room. "The next time they come in here we have to fight back."

"Jasper, are you forgetting they have guns?" I asked. "You know those large things they carry around that they can kill us within a second?"

"When they come back we have to link together and make a wall so they can't get through. Got it?" Everyone seemed to agree but for me.

Jasper went over the plan with us and explained what to do but I knew it was stupid. Fighting would only result in retaliation and that would get even more of us killed.

Another death.

Another life gone before their 18th birthday.

How are they so okay with killing us? We're just kids.

Dropping onto my bed, I dropped my face in my hands, taking a deep breath as I did everything in my power not to have a panic attack.

"You're not afraid," I repeated to myself over and over. "You're not afraid."

Bellamy's here. He's in Mount Weather, which means the Ark knows we're here and they are doing everything they can to get us out. We just have to wait a little long. Just a few more hours.

"Ari," Jasper dropped in front of me." When the doors open again, I want you to stay out of sight okay? I don't want any attention to be drawn to you."

"Jasper-"

He shakes his head. "We got this. We can keep them from taking us but just in case...I can't have them getting to you."

Caleb came up behind Jasper. "Don't worry, I got her." He tried to give Jasper a reassuring look but he only returned it with a glare before getting up and walking away."

Caleb let out a defeated huff before joining me on my bed. "He doesn't like me much."

I shook my head. "He just doesn't know you yet."

"Maybe my super powers will kick in soon and I could break us all out of here with my super strength," he said, making me smile. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me and kissed my head.

Turning to my pillow, I pulled out the photo I had been keeping hidden under it.

"That's the guard that was with Maya earlier."

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the photo of Bellamy and Octavia. "That was Bellamy. He's alive and he came back for us."

"Wow," Caleb took his time looking at the photo. "The famous Bellamy Blake. I can't wait to meet him."

He gave me a smile and I somehow knew that he meant it.

-

The dreaded alarm rang and the doors burst open again. Caleb and I took our spots in the back of the dorm, trying to remain out of sight while everyone linked their arms together making a tight wall.

"Come on, link up, like we talked about!" Jasper yelled.

Dr. Tsing walked up to the group and looked at everyone, thinking for a moment, before pointing to Jessica who was in the row behind Jasper. "This one."

She acted like she was picking a toy from a prize box and not a human being's life.

The line held up as the guards tried to push past the teenager to get to the girl. Out of frustration, one of them hit Monty in the stomach with the butt of his gun, causing the boy to break the line. Jessica held onto one of the beds with all her strength. Others tried to help her, tried to get to her but the guards would grab them and throw them across the room as if they weighed nothing.

Jasper threw a punch at one of the guards when they weren't paying attention but the guards grabbed his fist, twisted it behind his back and shoved Jasper against the wall.

I made a move to intervene but Caleb held me back. "No it's not safe."

"Everything okay over there?" The head guard asked after about a minute.

"Yeah," the other said before punching Jasper in the stomach and throwing him to the ground.

"Jasper!" I yelled, rushing past everyone and dropping to the ground beside him.

After getting everyone else on their knees with guns to their head, Tsing was able to take Jessica. "Jasper, are you okay?" I asked, trying to assess for any damage. Looking down at his hands, I watched as he looked down at a small yet heavy thing in his hand. "Where'd you get that gun?" I whispered. He looked up at me and I knew, at that moment, who gave it to him. "Bellamy?"

He nodded his head slowly and stood up. "When they get back, we're going to have to fight back harder," Jasper announced.

"And how do we do that if we don't have any weapons?" Fox asked.

I looked at Jasper and he held up the gun. "How the hell did you get that?" Monty asked.

"Bellamy was here, he's coming up with a plan. They're killing us, we need to fight back harder than this," Jasper explained. "Take the beds apart so we can use the metal rods for weapons."

Everyone did as said and we started collecting anything we could use as a weapon.

"Here let me help you with that." I heard Caleb say.

"Thanks, we never formally met, I'm Monty." I turned to see Caleb helping Monty take a bed apart and smiled to myself going back to what I was doing

"Why are you helping us exactly?" Monty asked.

Caleb looked over at me and then back to Monty. "Let's just say, I'm like you. Sort of."

-

Caleb and I stood next to each other with pipes hidden behind our backs, still somewhat out of sight as per Jasper's orders.

"Ready to prove yourself, Superhero?" I asked, making him smile down at me.

"What's taking Bellamy so long?" Monty asked as he bounced nervously in his spot..

"Maybe they caught him," Miller suggested.

"No, Bellamy will figure a way out, I know he will."

"Jasper, it's already been four hours. The guards will be back any second." Monty said.

"They're gonna take someone else." Harper's voice cracked from terror.

"No, listen to me. Everyone stick to the plan. They're not taking anyone else out of this room without a fight." Jasper sounded so sure that I almost believed him. Almost

The now familiar alarm went off as the doors opened. "Get ready," Jasper ordered. All the guards burst in again and stood silently as Tsing looked through the crowd of people.

"This one," she said, pointing to Monty. The guards grabbed his arms and tried pulling him away.

That is when chaos broke loose.

We all started fighting back, yelling as we swung our metal rods from the beds at them. When they wouldn't let Monty go, Jasper pulled the gun out.

My heart sank and I knew that Jasper was going to be taken as punishment for this type of disrespect.

While the others were still distracted, I began to push my way through the crowd, trying to get to him.

One guard went to take the gun from Jasper but the boy pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the guard's vest, only knocking him back against one of the beds.

Lifting the heavy pole in my hand, I raised it to hit the next guard that tried to go at Jasper but he hit me in the stomach and pushed me to the ground before I could do anything, he then sent a kick to my stomach.

From my position on the ground, I could see Caleb being pushed against a wall, hitting the back of his head on the cement. Trying to get up was pointless, the guard had his heavy shoe on my back keeping me from being able to get up despite how much I struggled.

Soon all the weapons were taken and everyone got on their knees and serenaded once again.

Tsing looked shocked and offended at what just happened, as if we had no right to act the way we did. "Take him instead!" she snapped, anger lacing her voice as she pointed to Jasper who laid on the ground.

The guard on top of me walked over and picked the boy up, dragging him towards the exit with another guard.

"No, no you can't take him!" I yelled standing up. My feet carried me towards the door but Monty grabbed me by the waist. "Get the hell off me!" I screamed, escaping his grasp. Miller was the next to get to me. Wrapping his arms around me, we fell to the ground to stop me from hurting anything and being taken next.

"Search the rest. Make sure there are no more weapons." Tsing ordered, gritting her teeth.

Miller kept his arms around me so tight, afraid I would bolt if his grip loosened, it was to the point that breathing became hard. My uncontrollable sobs hadn't helped that either.

Seemingly out of nowhere the guards started coughing and shaking, falling to the floor. Their skin becomes blotchy and red as the radiation alarm begins to sound. "Containment break" was said on repeat over the intercoms.

"Bellamy," I muttered to myself.

Miller let me go and I stood up instantly. Jasper ran back into the room. "Let's go, this is our chance! Everybody move. Take the guns. Monty get the cameras." Jasper ordered.

Caleb grabbed my hand and led me out of the room and down the hall. I grabbed a gun from one of the down guards as we went.

I ran over to Jasper as he stopped the elevator from closing. Inside, Tsing was on the ground and looked so red that her skin was burning.

"I hope you know you're incredibly special to us," Jasper mocked.

The sight was too gruesome for me to witness so I turned my head to look away as I listened to her painful screams.

Chapter Text

"We took the level, but now we have to hold it!" Jasper encouraged us. "They will be coming, and we need to be ready."

Stacking tables and chairs, we blocked the doorways to the dinning hall as Monty attempted to disconnect all the keycard scanners along with the elevators.

"Watch out!" I warned, swinging a pipe above me, breaking down a camera.

"Good Ari, now let's get those hallway cameras."

I gave him a nod but Monty shook his head. "Nope, leave the hallways cameras. We'll need eyes out there."

"You can do that?" I asked, walking beside him.

"Have you met me?" His confidence made me chuckle.

"Where are we on the doors?" Jasper asked his best friend.

"Elevator's disabled and I shorted the other stairwell door. This one is tricky though I can't seem to-" Monty was cut off as Jasper hit the lock to the main door with the bottom of a hatchet sending sparks flying. "That works too."

On the other side of the room, Caleb worked with Fox to gather all the knives they could find and set them on a nearby table.

"How long do you think we can hold them off?" I asked my boyfriend, nervously rubbing my hands together. Shrugging Caleb moved a pot of water to the center of the room. Raising a brow in confusion, Caleb answered the obvious question on my mind.

"Jasper told me to do it. In case they use smoke bombs we can drown them in the water." The idea was smart, I wouldn't have ever thought of that. But Caleb let out a defeated sigh, looking down at the pots of water. "I don't know, I just want to get on his good side."

"You really don't need to impress Jasper."

"Yeah, I do. He's like your older brother and if he doesn't like me, it's going to be weird."

Jasper had become like a brother to me, he looked out for me and made sure I was okay. But all that seemed so trivial now that we were on the brink of being murdered.

"Why don't we get out of here first before you go trying to impress anyone? Besides, it's Bellamy you really have to look out for."

All that was left to do was wait for Bellamy and the others to come get us out of this godforsaken mountain. Sitting on the ground beside Caleb, I let out a yawn, tired from getting almost no sleep these past few days.

Despite that silence, we all knew that we were thinking the same thing. How much longer was this going to take? We were scared and tired and beyond the point of almost insanity. I had almost forgotten what it was like to live every day in survival mode. Always sleeping with one eye open, if I slept at all, never knowing what was going to happen next. I had been so stupid to believe that we were finally safe, away from the grounders, away from hunger and fear. But no. We are right back where we started.

Minutes turned into hours and despite the fear racing through all of us, the adrenalin of taking the level was wearing off and most of the others began to nod off. Using the brief moments of peace to try and get some sleep while holding sharp weapons close to themselves.

"Hey, kid." Breaking the silence, Miller leaned forward, eyes on Caleb. "How come you haven't died from all the radiation?" he asked, gathering the attention of others.

Caleb looked at me and I grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly as he began to explain. "My fathers an outsider, or what you call grounders," he began, looking back at Miller. "My mother saved him from the harvest chambers and hid him. While in hiding they fell in love and had me. I guess I inherited my father's ability to survive radiation. Lucky me."

Harper asks, "Have you ever been up to the ground?" Caleb shook his head. "So, where's your father now?"

"Uh, I'm not too sure. From what my mother told me he couldn't take living in hiding anymore, never seeing the sun or feeling fresh air. He wanted to take me with him but my mother refused. He got mad and left in the middle of the night. She never found out if he made it or not." His eyes fell to his lap where his hands were. The room grew silent with pity for the boy.

A loud bang from the hall pulled us back to reality. All eyes turned to Monty, who was able to see the hall from the small tablet in his hands. "They're coming," he announced.

Standing up, I ran to Jasper, grabbing his arm. "We're not ready for this."

Nervously biting his lip, he turned to me. "Yes we are. Just follow the plan and we'll be okay." He held my face, gently, speaking with assurance. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?"

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. But his words brought little comfort. Jasper and the others had some kind of training due to our war with the grounders. Bellamy made sure they knew how to fight in case it came down to hand to hand combat. I never learned a thing. Bellamy refused to allow me to train, stating there was no need since I wouldn't be a part of the fight.

"No guns. You were right." Monty held the screen out for Jasper to watch.

"It's because they can't kill us," Miller spat, "Not like this anyway."

"Wait a second, some of them aren't wearing hazmat suits," Monty said, taking a closer look at the screen..

"What's that mean?" Caleb asks.

"It means they're cured," Jasper spat out, voice full of anger. "The marrow treatments worked." The guards pushed against the barricade, toppling over a few chairs as the barked orders to one another. All attention turned to Jasper for what to do next. "Get ready!" Jasper yelled.

I grabbed a knife from the table and held it tightly, closing my eyes. "I am not afraid, I am not afraid," I told myself over and over.

Jasper's theory of spoke bombs proved itself as the guards threw tiny canisters into the room as a way to disorient us. Caleb got to work grabbing the hot bombs and submerging them in the pots of water. Leaving one left over to give the impression they worked. Jasper motioned for all us to get on the ground and play dead. I did as told and laid down, trying to stay as still as possible as the guards barged through the barricade.

Slowly they took in the scene, preemptively proud of themselves and thinking the bombs worked. I was so nervous I could have sworn the guard could hear my heart beating in my chest. Instantly I was transported back to the woods the night Clarke, Finn and I were attacked. When they were taken by grounders leaving me to fend for myself in the woods. My heart was beating just as fast then as it was now.

A large boot belonging to a guard stepped beside my face, causing me to feel physically ill with nerves.

When they were deep enough into our trap that's when Jasper yelled, "Now!" and we jumped into action.

Setting up on my knees quickly, I used the knife to slice at the ankle of the man standing beside me. He let out a loud scream before doubling over in pain. Shocked by my actions, I froze. It was the first person I had ever hurt and despite all they had done to my friends and I, I still felt this horrible sense of regret.

The man fell to the ground in pain, face red in anger, he jumped at me. Grabbing my arms we struggled for dominance, with the guard reaching to get the knife out of my hold. It was a tug of war for my weapon, one with an unfair advantage. He was bigger and stronger and older. I had absolutely nothing going for me. Crawling backwards to get away, my attempt was no use as the guard grabbed at my legs.

Using all the strength I had, I kicked him square in the face, causing him to finally let go of me. Screaming out profanities as he went. Utter hatred filled his eyes now as blood gushed from his nose. His eyes turned black and I knew I was in trouble. He lunged for me but then he froze and I suddenly felt warm liquid flow down my hand where the knife had been.

His face contorted with realization as he looked down at the knife wound in his chest where his left lung was. I watched, terrified as the darkness in his eye turned to fear because he was about to see what happens after you die. The room was in total chaos with people dying and bleeding out on the floor. Despite all that was going on around me, all I could focus on was the man whose body I pushed off of me.

He was dead. I killed him. I killed a person. It was self defense but I still ended a person's life. I wondered if this is what Charlotte felt after she killed Wells. Crawling backwards till I hit a wall, I couldn't help but stare at the lifeless body of the man I had just murdered.

My hands began to shake and no amount of telling myself "I am not afraid" would help the panic attack brewing inside of me. No, no not now. Please, not now. Gripping my chest, breathing was becoming almost impossible. I was rendered completely useless as the panic inside of me was paralyzing. Even when two other guards towered over me, I didn't move to try and fight, I was too weak. Too scared to do a damn thing and I hated myself for it.

One of the men grabbed my arm, forcing me to stand but my legs felt like jello and the other guard took my free arm and together they dragged me out of the room with almost no fight whatsoever. On our way out I noticed the other guards were also retreating, not prepared for the blood bath we had in store for them.

My friends cheered at their surrender, not realizing I hadn't been with them. I had made myself the easiest target. Freezing when it came down to it. They took me so effortlessly, it was laughable. My mother was right. My entire life when she told me time and time again that I was useless and I had no place in this world. I was going to die in a terrible way and it was all my fault.

I guess a piece of me made peace with the idea and that is why my body was so numb.

"Down here fear is death." Bellamy's voice played in my head. "Weakness is death. Slay your demons."

His face flashed before me and somehow I knew if I held out a little longer he would save me. But I had to keep fighting just a little longer. The feeling in my back came back and I began fighting against the guards' hold, screaming for my people.

"Help! Jasper! Jasper, Caleb!" I continued to fight as I screamed but the guards had a tight hold on me and I was already far down the hall.

"Ari! Ari no!" I heard Jasper yelling from the dining hall.

"Let me go!" I screamed, writhing in place. I wasn't going to give up. I wasn't going to show my weakness to them. Using all my weight I dropped my body to the ground, making it harder for them to lift me. Through frustrated sigh, one of the men grabbed my legs and pushed me into the elevator where we then rode down the Harvest Chambers.

I kicked and screamed and punched but it all seemed pointless. They pulled me to the harvest chambers and when they opened the door I tried to run but the guard grabbed my arm tighter, leaving a bruise as he forcefully pulled me inside. To my left was Jessica's dead body covered in blood, her eyes were open but there was no sign of life.

That's when I went silent and the fight in me began to die once more. Closing my eyes tight I tried to push all negative thoughts to the back of my head. Just a little longer. I just have to keep fighting a little longer.

"I'll prepare the table." One of the guards said, but I couldn't tell which one but I knew I wasn't going to die here. So when the guard let go of my hand, I took a deep breath and with all my strength, pushed the other guard back, sprinting for the door as fast as my legs would carry me.

But a gun pointed directly at my face stopped me once more. My hands instantly went up and any hope I had to live was gone.

Well, this is it. This is where I die. I thought to myself.

But when the gun went off, I wasn't shot. The guard standing in front of me put two bullets in the men who had taken me. Shocked and confused I stared at the person standing before me, watching as he pulled off the helmet that masked his identity. A wave of relief flooded over me at the familiar freckled face of Bellamy Blake. Finally, I allowed tears to fall as I rushed into his open arms and sobbed as held me protectively. My feet lifted off the ground slightly.

"Are you okay, Kid?" he asks softly, rubbing my back.

Nodding my head, I gripped him tighter. "I told myself I wasn't afraid." My voice cracked.

"All right. You're okay. I got you." He soothed, setting me down.

"Come on, we have to get her somewhere safe," Maya urged, making herself known. Bellamy quickly wrapped a protective arm around me, leading me out of chambers, down a couple of halls, following Maya the whole way.

Not once did he remove his arms from around my shoulders, not until we came to a metal door that Maya quickly opened. Looking over her shoulder, making sure no one was watching before ushering us inside. A man in his mid 40's was lying on a couch in the living quarters, something Maya clearly wasn't expecting.

"Dad, you're home?" Maya tried to sound surprised.

When he noticed our presence, the man jumped up from the couch on high alert.

"What are they doing here?" he asks.

"Look they're in trouble, we just need someplace safe to stay-" Maya tried to explain but the man wouldn't have it.

"They need to go now," he said sternly.

Looking at Bellamy, he gave me a reassuring nod.

"Let me explain," Maya tried.

"Explain where you got that uniform." Her father barked at Bellamy who couldn't look the man in the eyes. "Maya, you know how dangerous this is, what are you doing?"

"What mom would have done," she shot back.

Despite Maya's words he still refused, turning to Bellamy and I. "I need you to leave."

Bellamy shook his head. "I'm sorry we can't do that."

"It's okay he's gonna help us," Maya tried.

"Really, because I'm not getting that," Bellamy countered, keeping me behind his back.

"My parents were in a movement that was agents using outsider blood," Maya began to explain. "My mom refused the treatments until it killed her. She was willing to die for what she believed in."

"If you get caught-" Her father began but before he could finish Maya cut him off.

"They won't if you help us."

"Please, they're killing us." I begged. "We don't have anywhere else to go."

His eyes filled with remorse, finally giving in. Pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh. "Just this once," he said, "Just for one night."

A smile grew on Maya's face, knowing she won. "Bedrooms this way," she said, leading me to a small room with a neatly made bed and a small bookshelf.

Sleep wouldn't find me tonight, that was clear when Maya left me alone to get settled, lending me an old pair of pajamas. I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor as my mind replayed everything that had happened in the past few days.

"How are you holding up?" Bellamy's deep voice frightened me. Standing in the doorway, still in the guard uniform, the same one that the man I murdered had been in

The blood on my hands was literal and the sight of it made my stomach turn. "I froze." I couldn't bear to look Bellamy in the eyes, afraid he might see me differently. "Once I realized what was going on I panicked and I froze. Then he came after me and I...I didn't even realize what happened until it happened and then I panicked even worse." He didn't say a word or move from his spot, just allowed me to speak. I was crying again. "I killed someone, Bell."

His eyes softened as he instantly walked over and knelt before me. "Ari, you had too." He was trying to make me feel better but I didn't want to feel better. Not after what I did.

"You don't get it," I cried, trying not to raise my voice. "I practically let them take me. I didn't fight back. Not at first. I was so damn scared. I was a coward and it almost cost me my life. I'm not like you or the others. I can't fight, I can barely even defend myself. You were right to keep me in the dropship during the war. I'm useless. I just left the others on their own."

"Hey don't say that." His tone was serious and authoritative, almost like a fathers as he gently held my face, forcing me to look at him. "You are not useless. You hear me? You can do so much. Be so much more."

"Bellamy, I can't fight. I can't shoot. I don't know what I'm doing." Tears were flowing full force and I found myself not caring that it was Bellamy once again to see me in this state.

"But you're incredibly smart and you're small and fast, you can climb. You may be a little impulsive but that means you can think on your feet. There is so much more to you than you even realize and once we get out of here, I'm going to teach you how to fight and shoot. You'll know how to defend yourself. Okay?"

I nodded, wiping my nose with the back of my hand.

"Come here, Kid." He pulled me into a hug, holding me tight. "I got you."

That night I didn't sleep much but Bellamy stayed with me. He allowed me to lay my head in his lap. His presence alone helped the cracks in my heart.

Only a few hours passed before I felt Bellamy gently moving my head so he could get up.

"We have to go soon if we're getting them out." I heard Maya say in a whisper.

"Okay, and Ari?"

"I'm going to take her Mrs. James. She will watch out for her, hide her while we get the others out."

"No way." I knew by the tone of his voice that Bellamy was shaking his head. "I'm not leaving her with a random person."

"She's not a random person, she's Calebs mom."

"And Caleb is?"

"Ari's boyfriend." I held my breath through the silence and could feel Bellamy's eyes on me, almost like he was trying to see if what Maya was saying was true. He had seen Caleb and I holding hands the other day but with everything going on, I didn't blame him if he didn't remember it. "Caleb has been with the others this whole time, even with the breach, he can breath the air, which means he's a descendant of an outsider. His mother never told anyone who his father was so it makes sense. She'll take care of Ari. Do you trust me?"

"I'm trusting you with my life here. If anything happens to her-"

"It won't." Maya promises. But not all promises are ones that can be kept, Bellamy of all people knows that.

In the next few minutes, Maya, Bellamy and I were walking through the halls. All on high alert, looking over our shoulders every few minutes.

"Lovejoy's key card will get you into the armory," Maya explains. "The guns are locked, but the guard has the key. I can lure him away or..."

"No." Bellamy shakes his head. "There's no time. Once I get the guns, how do I get them to level 5? They're watching every door."

"Maybe not," Maya pauses. "The mess hall has a trash chute."

"A trash chute?" Nervously, I rub my hands together.

"There's one on every level. Best part... no radiation alarms. The hatches leak like crazy. So they put in these airlocks just to be safe. You get the guns, I'll get them into the mess hall."

"You're a natural-born revolutionary."

"My mom was the revolutionary. I'm just trying to do what's right."

Bellamy gives a slight nod before turning to me. "Everything will be okay, Kid."

"Be careful please," I practically give, giving him a final hug.

"I will." Bellamy turns back to Maya. "Be back here in 30 minutes."

She nods before leading me to Caleb's mother who already agreed to protect and hide me while we wait for the others.

CALEBS POV

It took both Miller and Monty to hold Jasper back from running after Ari. I almost ran after her myself but I froze once I realized she had been taken. It was something I know I will regret for the rest of my life. Now, we kept busy taking inventory of all the weapons and supplies we now had from the bodies of dead guards.

The sight of everyone covered in blood turned my stomach. My entire life I had been queasy around blood. I chalked it up to my mother being extremely overprotective to the point I couldn't do anything that I could possibly get hurt doing.

"You know they're going to come in hotter next time right?" Miller more so informed, dropping another gas mask onto the table.

Jasper nodded. "All we gotta do is hold the floor until Bellamy finds a way out."

"Not to be rude but I think we're going to need more than a bucket of water and four guns to do that," I commented. If looks could kill, Jasper would have sent me 6 feet under at that moment.

"Give the kid a break," Miller muttered, but Jasper chose to ignore him.

"This is president Walles. Talking to the people who just killed 10 of my men." All eyes turned to the row of radios, our stomachs dropping at the voice. Jasper picked one up to listen better as Monty stood next to him with the tablet that showed us the live feed of the hallway. "I thought we'd try something a little different this time."

They had Maya standing in the hall in a hazmat suit, hands in the air as a gun pointed directly at her.

"There's only 20 minutes of oxygen in Maya's suit. Now I know she's a friend of yours," Cage continued over the radio, "In 20 minutes your friend will either suffocate or burn. But you can save her. All you have to do is surrender." Jasper slammed the radio down, shaking his head before pulling Maya into the room.

"You're okay," Jasper tried to comfort her as everyone gathered around.

She nodded, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me. Ari's okay, she's safe." I let out a sigh of relief. "Bellamy saved her. He's gonna get some guns in here through the trash chute," Maya explained.

"If we can get guns in we can get you out, right?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded her head.

"No we can't," Monty muttered solemnly, "I dismantled the chute. I'm sorry, I didn't think we would need to open it ourselves. But I can fix it." Monty placed his hand on top of Maya's giving her a reassuring nod before rushing across the room. From what Ari has told me about the other, I knew Monty was incredibly smart, studying engineering before he was locked up on the Ark.

"Go help him," Jasper ordered me. I nodded and followed Monty. I had no idea what I was doing, let alone what Monty needed, but we worked together and attached wires, trying to fix it.

Time was running out and the closer we got, the more anxious Monty and I had become. We were sweating at the 2 minute mark, still with what I thought was little progress.

"She's almost out of oxygen. It's been 19 minutes."

"You're not helping Harper," Maya said, not meaning to be rude.

"Don't worry we'll get it open," I assured her, looking over my shoulder, but that didn't mean much coming from a 14-year-old kid who had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

"Almost there," Monty told everyone.

"Almost isn't good enough," Miller snapped.

"We just need to bypass-" Monty was cut off by a spark and everyone gasps. "Screw it," he growled, pulling out the wires from the wall.

"What did you do?"

"I cut power to the motor. Come on," Monty said, pulling on the handle. Miller and I jumped into action, using all the strength we had to pull on the metal chute.

Sudden banging coming from the other side of the chute, made us back away. The door burst open and a guard was in there, one I've never seen before. Which must mean this was Bellamy

"Get her in here," the guy, Bellamy, ordered, reaching for Maya. They rushed her into the chute and slid down, Jasper right behind them.

A few minutes later, they were back, clearing the rest of us out of the dinning hall with a plan.

"What if they see us?" Miller whispers as Bellamy leads us to a new level.

"Relax, Maya took out the camera," Bellamy assured.

"Yeah well, we're still sitting duck here in a group like this."

Bellamy nodded. "Right. That's why we're going to split up."

"No," Monty said, stopping everyone. "We do this together, we survive together."

"Bellamy's right," Jasper cut in.

"Well, they don't trust Maya anymore. Who's gonna help us now?" Miller asks.

Bellamy urges us to continue walking. Turning a corner we came face to face with a group of adults including my mom and Ari, who seemed to be there waiting for us.

"They are."

"We're going to hide you. Not everyone here agrees with Cage, not by a long shot," Maya explains.

A smile spreads on my face as I rush to my mother who hugs I could never get tired of. "I was so worried about you," she expressed.

"I know, I'm so sorry mom." I pulled from the hug.

Next to me, Ari held onto Jasper as if her life depended on it. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize."

Ari shook her head. Not allowing Jasper to feel bad for a second.

Chapter Text

Ari's POV

Anxiously rubbing my hands together as I stood beside Caleb's mother, my heart was practically beating out of my chest. Straining my neck, I attempted to look around the corner for Bellamy and the others. When they finally came into sight, a breath of relief flooded out of me. At the sight of his mother, Caleb's face lit up with joy as he ran right into her open arms.

From the moment Jasper's eyes landed on me, they began to water, turning a light shade of red. Making the first move, I walked over to him, instantly wrapping my arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry," he mutters, voice cracking.

Instantly, I shook my head. “No, don’t be. It’s not your fault Jasper.” It was the honest truth. Jasper had 42 other teenagers he was looking after at the time. With all the chaos and life or death, no one was to blame for my being taken except for the men who took me and now they were dead. Bellamy made sure of that.

A piece of me envy’s how easy it is for him to kill.

"We're going to hide you. Not everyone here agrees with Cage, not by a long shot," Maya says to us as Jasper and I pull from our hug.

"Come with me. We'll divide you along the way." Vinson, Maya's father, urges us forward.

While everyone else ventured down the hallway, Jasper grabbed my hand, making sure I stayed close to him this time.

"Hey, we're coming with you," Jasper said to Bellamy who shook his head.

"No, you're not. They still don't know I'm here, and I need to keep it that way."

"So what do we do?" I ask as Caleb comes up behind me, reaching for my hand.

Bellamy looks down at me. "Stay alive and be ready to fight, a war is coming." We nod in agreement. As I turn to go, Bellamy calls after me for a quick moment. “You stay safe, alright? And if you get into any trouble you fight like hell.”

“I will. You stay alive this time.”

Bell gives me a slight smirk, squeezing my shoulder lovingly before I continue my way.

As much as I disagreed, I was split from Jasper, knowing his protectiveness over me would become a flaw in the worst case scenario. Caleb and I were placed together, moved to a wing that had already been searched to be safer. Mrs. James had taken it upon herself to hide us. Already equipped with secret hiding spots from when she was hiding Klaus.

Sitting on the couch, Caleb cleared his throat. "Hey, mom, you think once this is all over and the 44 escape, I could go with them and try to find Klaus?"

His mother's smile faded as she looked down at her hands. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she began to speak. "I know it was wrong of me to keep you down here and not tell you about your father and I know you are very determined, so if this is what you really want, I know I have to let you go." Her voice cracked as she held back her cries. Instantly my heart broke for the mother who clearly cared about her children. Then I found myself envying their relationship.

The love of a mother is one I have never felt, especially after the death of my father. I was framed as a thief by the woman who was supposed to protect me and then the entire year of my incarceration never visited me a single time.

Caleb looked over and slightly smiled at me, not realizing all that he had here. His little sister, Hannah played with some blocks on the floor. Not a care in the world for what was happening outside her doors.

"My fellow citizens, this is your president speaking. I have news to share with you, that will change all of our lives forever." A voice said over the intercom, catching all our attention. Confused, Caleb and I glanced at each other, eyebrows knitted together.

"For 97 years Mount Weather has been our home. It keeps us alive. But also kept us captive. Most of us have Made peace with what we've had to do to survive. We've done these things for one reason. So that our people could someday return to the ground. That day is today. Before my friend, Lorelei Tsing was murdered by the outsiders still at large in this mountain. She found a cure, it was in their brown marrow.

"This has been the dream of our people since the bombs. But to reach it now, I need your help. The 44 criminals that eradicated level five, killing 15 of our people are now keeping us from that dream. Although we've related our homes, we can never replace the lives that were so viciously taken from us."

Anger started to boil inside me at this clear propaganda. We might have killed 15 of their people but they want to kill all of us, and who knows how many Grounders lives were taken by their hands. He was trying to get everyone to turn on each other. To get those helping us to turn themselves in.

"Yet as hard as it is to believe there are those among us who would help these people who did this, and I am speaking to you now. If you truly want to end the blood treatments for good then the 44 murderers you are now hiding are the key to doing that. You have one hour to turn them in without punishment. After that, we'll be forced to consider you enemies of the state."

Caleb grabbed my hand. I’m unsure whether it was to comfort me or himself. "I'm asking you please, do what is right for the people, our people. So we can take our rightful place on the ground. We're almost home."

Two knocks at the door caused us to freeze. There was no time to think before Caleb jumped up from the couch, grabbing my hand and leading me across the room. An old picture frame covered a small vent that Caleb pried off the wall easily before ushering me inside first. I crawled in with him right behind me, putting the photo backup to hide us.

Looking around the dark area, I knew what this place had been used for in the past. It's a small room with what looked to be a bed and a chair in the corner. Both looked as though they hadn’t been used in years with dust and cobwebs covering them. This wasn’t the first time I had to hide in a creepy small space, I had the grounders to thank for that.

Mrs. James opened the front door once she knew we were safe inside.

“Hello, can I help you?" she asks.

"Ma'am I'm going to need you to step aside," a tall guard with a deep voice said. Caleb and I sat in silence, the fact that we could only hear the conversation made it far worse.

"Of course, come on in. Can I help you fella’s with anything?".

"We have reason to believe you are committing treason and that your son is a descendant of an outsider,” a second guard says.

Mrs. James’ voice gets defensive as she questions the men. "Why are you asking about my son?"

From the ground, a few feet away we could hear Hannah’s little giggles that only seemed to get closer to the hiding spot. Caleb’s leg began to bounce with anxiety. Reaching over, I place my hand on top of his knee trying to calm his nerves.

"Your son survived being on level five during a containment breach. Twice. We have him on camera helping the terrorist kill our guards. People who swore to protect you.”

"No, you must have the wrong boy. My son wouldn't be able to survive that."

There was a lingering silence, one that was filled by my boyfriend's heavy breathing. Both of us were sweating from fear and lack of air

"Where's your son now?" the guard with the deeper voice asks. It was harder to hear him, meaning he must be walking around the room, searching.

"He's with his friends in the school library," she lies. Hannah’s giggle only grew louder until it was clear she was right in front of the hiding spot. Jumping into action, I wrapped my hand around Caleb’s mouth as his breathing got even heavier.

It was over. That was easy to see. There was a shuffle that came from the other side of the wall. We knew the guards had raised their guns at Mrs. James. “You tell us what's behind that painting or we’ll start shooting.”

The boy beneath me began to struggle, trying everything in his power to get out of my hold.

“You have till the count of three…one…” My heart was racing. “Two…” Caleb was getting impossible to keep under control. “Three.”

My hold on Caleb was never going to work. He was stronger than me and his desire to protect his mother and sister was primal. It took only a second for Caleb to escape from my hold and rush the opening. I followed right behind, both of us with our hands raised in surrender. It was then that we realized one of the guards had their gun trained in our direction.

"Don't shoot. Please,” he begged. "Okay okay, we're here just don't shoot her."

The guard with his gun on us, spoke into a radio. "Mr. President, we found two more. We're bringing them in now." The other man walked over, placing our arms behind our backs before cuffing our hands. Once we were secure a gun shot rang out and Caleb’s mother fell to the floor. There was no time for either of us to react as the ringing in our ears confirmed our worst fears. The once white wall had been unintentionally painted red.

“No!” Caleb screams. Tears flowed down his face and my jaw fell from the shock.

My eyes stay on Mrs. James. The woman who met me only once but still put her life on the line to protect me and her son. She knew what the outcome would be if they found us, but she did it anyway because it was the right thing to do. On the floor a few feet away, Caleb’s baby sister cried at the top of her lungs, still not understanding the gravity of the situation.

They pull us harshly into the hall where Jasper, Maya, and Miller are cuffed together by a long chain. Neither of us noticed the others at first due to the state of shock we were in. Tripping over our feet, the guards pulled us forward, forcing us to walk.

“Ari,” Jasper whispers from behind me. I don’t speak, too afraid of what may happen. “Ari, are you guys okay?”

Tugging at the restraints harder, we continued down the hall till we rounded a corner. Vinson, Maya's father, was blocking our path.

"Out of the way, Vinson," the taller guard orders.

"That's my daughter,” he replies, looking to Maya.

She tried to warn her father against this, "Dad, don't-" but the guards cut her off.

"She's been aiding and abetting the outsiders. You need to get out of our way."

"I won't let you take her, Paul."

Closing my eyes, I look down at my black mary janes. Such terrible shoes when you’re trying to run for your life. I just couldn’t see another person be killed right in front of me.

The guards whose names I learned to be Paul, continued with his orders. "Listen carefully. We've got orders she knows where they're hiding. Now step aside, I'm not going to ask you again.”

"If you want her you gotta go through me."

"Dad please they'll kill you," Maya begs.

The shuffling of a gun from its holster could be heard as the others gasp. "Don't make me do this,” Paul warns.

"I'm sorry, Paul."

There was a single gunshot, which caused me to jump, followed by a thud as someone hit the floor. My body was shaking and it took a lot of willpower to hold in my sobs.

Only, Vinson wasn’t dead. When my body finally allowed my eyes to look towards where the commotion had been. It was Paul who was on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood while Vinson pulled back a vent. With his gun drawn and smoking, Bellamy crawled from his hiding spot. Ready to shoot again.

The second guard pushed his way towards the front, reaching for his gun as he went. Miller was quicker, wrapping the chains around his neck and slamming the guard's head against the cement wall before he fell to the ground, completely limp.

It all happened so fast, I had barely any time to process. Leaning back against the wall, I try to steady my breathing.

"Miller, you okay?" Bellamy asks as Jasper unlocked the handcuffs with the keys he took from the guards body.

He nods his head. "Better than he is."

"Get everyone to the harvest chamber. You'll be safer there," Bellamy orders

"Safer in the Harvest chamber?" Jasper asks, undoing my cuffs.

"Just trust me."

Miller turns to me first. “Hey, kid, you alright?” Wiping the back of my nose with my hand, I nodded, even though I wasn’t okay mentally. I was exhausted and ready for this to be over.

"Are the others there?" Japer questions.

"Not yet."

"Monty?"

Vinson shakes his head. "Monty's with the others on level 3. We moved them after the last sweep. You should go there next.”

Bellamy agrees. "Alright go, Vinson will take you. I won't be long."

Once Caleb's cuffs are off, I instantly pull him into a hug, after what he had just witnessed, I knew it would be something he needed.

“I know, I know.” I nod as he cries silently into my shoulder.

"Hey I'm coming with you." Jasper picks up a gun from one of the guards as Bellamy shakes his head but Jasper doesn’t allow Bellamy to say anything. "I promised I would protect him. That's exactly what I'm going to do.”

"Fine, let's go," Bellamy gives in.

"Maya, come on," Vinson said, walking up the stairs.

Looking between her father and Jasper, Maya chose the latter. "I'll be okay. With them."

Gently holding his face, I make Caleb look at me. “You’re gonna go with Vinson okay. He’s gonna get you to the chambers and you’ll be safe.”

“What about you?” Caleb questions, concern instantly crossing his face.

“I’m gonna go help find Monty.”

“No.” Bellamy has no issue saying this word to me, that much is clear. “Hell no!”

Angrily, I turned to him. “Just a few hours ago, you told me everything would be fine if we split up. That nothing would happen. Look at us now, Bellamy. Shit is hitting the fan and we’re separated again. I'm done losing you both. Now I am going with you.”

There was no time to argue, which was the only reason they allowed me to go. Turning back to my boyfriend, I gave him a quick kiss.

"I can't lose you too," he cries.

"You won't," I promise him with a smile before taking off after the others. Bellamy hands me a small gun and gives me a crash course as we make our way down the hall. Ready for anything.

Chapter Text

Bellamy took the lead, gun at the ready as we made our way in the direction we were told Monty was. So far we had helped clear the remainder of the 44 in hiding, sending them to the Harvest Chambers with the others. The last 12 were here on level 3, including Monty. In the time we had been making our way through the mountain, the power had gone out, causing emergency protocols to be put into effect.

Bellamy says it's Clarke with help from grounds on the outside, ready to go to war with Mount Weather to get us back.

"Which way?" Bellamy asks as we crawl out of the vent.

"This way!" Maya points and we begin to walk towards it, when the intercom sounds again.

"Attention call one quarantine protocols are now in effect. All citizens are to report to level 5 immediately. Hard-seal lockdown in T-minus-30 minutes."

Maya slows behind us before stopping completely, her face becoming a ghostly white. Jasper reaches out to her. "Listen to me. It's all going to be okay. You're going to be okay. We're not going to let anything happen to you, will we?" Jasper asks, turning to us.

But Maya is unconvinced. "Jasper in 30 minutes all back a power gets diverted for species continuity. That means level 5 for life support and security, radiation will seep in everywhere else. I can't go to level five without being shot in the head," Maya explains, hands shaking.

"Guys we have to keep moving," Bellamy orders, keeping me behind him, as he continuously looks over his shoulder.

"We'll get your hazmat suit," I suggest.

Jasper's face lights up at the idea. "Yeah, extra oxygen, enough to last until your engineers get the power back on."

Maya looked at us dumbfounded. "Then what? You think Cage Wallace will just let me live here?"

I guess none of us thought through what could happen to the others if we got out, sure we'd be safe but would Maya? Would her father?

"Then..." Jasper tries to think of what to say next. "Then we'll kill him."

Looking at Bellamy, worried I ask with my eyes if that was seriously what we were about to do. I didn't want to upset Jasper or Maya but we couldn't just go out of our way to kill someone when we were trying to get others to safety. Bellamy places a hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. Opening his mouth to speak, a gunshot cuts him off and Bell is instantly shoving me behind his back.

"Monty," Jasper mutters before taking off down the hall.

Bellamy rushes after, getting in front of Jasper. "Slow, slow," he orders. "Be ready for anything." Gripping the gun in my hands tighter, I followed behind closely as we rounded the corner, just as the door to the elevator at the end of the hall closed. A lifeless body lay on the ground in front of it, blood pooled around her, the body still warm.

"It's Mrs.Ryan," Maya said, bending down beside the lady.

Bellamy lowered his gun and sighed. "She was hiding the last 12."

"Where'd they take them?" I ask, full of worry for Monty and the others

"It's gotta be level five." Jasper jumps to press the buttons of the elevator but Bellamy puts his arm out to stop him."Get out of my way," Jasper snaps.

When it came to Monty, Jasper didn't play around and Bellamy knew that, but he also knew that they had a duty to protect everyone, if Jasper went in with guns blazing it wouldn't help anyone.

"Every person inside this mountain is on level 5. Every soldier," Bellamy explains, continuing to block Jasper's way.

Maya steps in now, trying to calm the boy but also on his side. "He's right." She says to Bellamy. "After the lockdown it will be almost impossible to get them out. It's now or never."

Letting out a sigh, Bellamy fights with himself on what to do, what the next step should be. The last 12 were taken to level 5, either they risk it all to get them now or wait for backup. "Alright but how do we even-" The squeak of a door cuts Bellamy off. All four of us instinctively pointed our guns in the direction of the noise. A wave of relief floods over us as Monty, clearly shaken up by something that had happened, makes his way from behind the door. He kneels down beside Mrs.Ryan, a tear running down his cheek.

"What is it, what's wrong?" I ask, bending down with him.

"They know about the grounders," he mutters, "that's why I hid. I didn't do anything to save the others, I let them kill Mrs.Ryan."

"What do you mean they know about the grounders?" Bellamy questions, taking a step forward.

Voice shaking Monty explains. "It's on a soldier's walkie. They're going to the harvest chamber." My heart drops and the voices around me are quiet.

"Ari don't..." Bellamy already knows what I'm thinking. Caleb's in there, he's in there alone. I sent him with Vinson. After everything he was put through today, he won't be prepared to fight. I'm not letting him get killed.

Before anyone has a chance to grab me, I take off down the hall back the way we came. I run faster than I think I ever had, through the halls and down flights of stairs. I hear Bellamy and the others following, calling for my name but I don't stop. If they take the chambers we lose everyone. They can't fight off guards without guns, hell we couldn't beat them with guns.

Bellamy catches me as we reach the chamber doors. Grabbing my arm he pulled me back so he could go in first, but not before flashing me a stern look. Following right behind Bellamy, with the hope that we had gotten there first.

My hopes quickly dwindled at the sight of the almost empty room. The only person that remained in the room was Vinson's lifeless body lying on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him. All our guns lowered with grief as Maya ran to her father, dropping to her knees as the sobs retched out of her.

Bringing my hand to my mouth, I tried to stifle my own cries as anxiety flooded through me. Sick to my stomach I knew I needed to get Caleb back. That I would stop at nothing to do it.

Lunging for the door, Bellamy had already predicted my moves and caught me before I could get past him. "H-he gone Bell, I have to get him back. I can't leave him."

"We don't even know where they are, Ari. We need a plan first, okay. We'll get them back." He tried to assure me but his words weren't certain.

Getting Maya away from her fathers body was obviously hard but eventually we were able to do so. Bellamy led us to a small room where we were able to get Maya a hazmat suit. Turns out he had spent much time in the mountain under cover then we had initially thought. Once Maya was secure with air, Bellamy led us to the entrance of the mines, not fully explaining his reasons quite yet.

Sounds of muttering and banging were heard from the other side of the entrance to the mines. Gun raised at the door, Bellamy motioned for Jasper to open the door. The sight of the person on the other side cause Bellamy to lower his weapon and smile to cross his lips before he was wrapped in a hug.

The Blake siblings had been once again reunited. Behind them, Clarke looked relieved to see the rest of us.

Once she pulled from the hug with her brother, Octavia turned to Monty and Jasper. "I knew it. You two are too scrawny to drill," she jokes, pulling them into a hug. She looked different from the last time I saw the younger blake. Her hair specifically was in braids and she had black markings on her face, like war paint.

"I like the grounder look," I complimented before she pulled me into a hug with a smile. Clarke was next to be attacked with hugs by Monty and Jasper. "Thank god you're okay," I mutter, wrapping my arms around her.

"Where's your army?" Bellamy asks, realizing they were alone.

"Gone. Just like yours. Please say you have a plan," Clarke begs.

Greate. We had absolutely no back up whatsoever. My worry for Caleb and the other only grew.

Bellamy shakes his head. "Not really, we need to talk to Dante, Maya says he's in Quarantine."

"No sure what an oldman's gonna do," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest.

From behind us, Maya's oxygen tank began beeping. Jasper walked over and looked at her tank with a sigh. "Thirty minutes, but we just changed it. That can't be right."

"This is her last tank," I say, turning to Clarke.

"Alright, we'll find you another one."

"All the supplies of oxygen are on level 5," Maya explained, her voice shaky.

"Then we have to get you to level five," Clarke says as if it's that simple.

Bellamy shakes his head. "Level Five isn't safe for any of us."

"Like I keep saying, we can take the trash chute again. It'll work," I suggested for what felt like the tenth time.

Bellamy shakes his head defeated. We had been going back and forth the past half hour about how to get on level five without being seen. "To get in maybe, Maya's right every soldier in this mountain is there. We'll never make it out-"

"We can do this," Jasper assured, cutting Bellamy off. "We'll split up."

The idea was stupid. Splitting up never worked but No one would listen to me.

Octavia nodded, jumping into action, pulling out her sword. "Okay you guys go for Dante, we'll get Maya a new tank."

"Ari, with me." Bellamy orders. I nod following him, Clarke and Monty.

Walking through the empty halls was eerie, almost as bad as when we took level five.

"Now you listen to me," Bellamy said sternly. "No running off, no speaking when we get to Dante, no trying to do your own thing. This is serious. Got it?"

I nod, understanding the gravity of the situation, his words became ironic for the events that were about to take place.

Everything had been going smoothly until we heard guards coming from behind us. Hearing the familiar sound of their heavy boots echoing through the empty hall. Bellamy grabbed my hand pushing me forward so he could keep his eyes on me, but heavy gunfire rang out from behind us. Bellamy and Clarke, without looking back, began shooting wildly. We came to a four way stop with corridors on either side and straight ahead.

Guards came into view in front and began shooting, never aiming for anything vital but the shock made Monty and I drop to the ground, while Bellamy and Clarke continued to return fire. I crawled to the left corridor, huddling away from the gun fire. Bad luck always seemed to find me as the others went to the right. Gun fire was ringing out and adrenaline was flowing that I hadn't noticed a bullet had grazed my leg until I was on the ground, taking cover.

Glancing over his shoulder, Bellamy was searching for me in our cover but his face dropped in realization that I had gone to the left while the others went to the right. "Go!" I shout at them over the gun fire. "I'll meet you!" The halls eventually looped back in one big circle, if neither of us ran into trouble it would only take about eight minutes to meet back up together.

He tried to protest but I'm already on my feet running. The faster we got back together the safer I would be. If I ran, I could make it in half the time and maybe Bellamy wouldn't be as mad at me for deviating from the plan literally a second after he told me not to.

Blood dripped down my leg as I continued to run as fast as I could. The sound of heavy boots in front of me, made my body freeze. I couldn't turn back but ahead of me I could hear as more guards made their way towards me. Taking a deep breath I tried to figure out what to do next. My only instinct was to hide.

The only place close enough was a small vent in the wall beside me. Using all my strength I pulled at the metal but it was too late. The guards rounded the corner and saw me. "Stop right there!" one yelled, pulling his gun on me. Shutting my eyes, I cursed at myself resting my head against the cement wall.

"Put your hands up!"

I winced at the pain in my leg before turning to face the guards slowly. Behind them, they had a line of people with their heads covered and hands tied behind their backs. I looked over to where my gun was lying on the ground next to my leg. "Hands up!" Slowly, I went to reach for the gun but as I did so something hit me upside the head from behind making me fall to the ground and my vision became blurred with black spots.

I could feel someone pull my arms back and tie my hands together before lifting me up and throwing a bag over my head. The hit to the head and ache in my leg made it hard to walk, my vision being obstructed by a bag over my head also didn't help.

The large bag of metal doors opening and the sound of a drill made my stomach curdle.

"On your knees," a voice orders as a hand pushing down on my shoulder. I knew what I was about to see couldn't be good.

"Did we take any losses?" I heard the familiar voice of Cage ask.

"Not as many as they did sir but I'm the only one left who's been cured. Some of the kids are still missing. Want me to take a team of hazmats down to the lower levels."

"No, no more wasted lives. In 48 hours we'll all be on the ground. Take off their hoods." I didn't want to see the horror before me but one by one, I could hear the sounds of the hood being pulled off until mine.

The light almost blinded me as it took a moment for my eyes to adjust due to being hit on the head not too long ago.

An unmistakable voice called out to me and my anxiety only worsened. Along with Miller and the rest of the 44, Caleb was handcuffed to a wall. The entire room was lined with people awaiting their deaths. Included people from the Ark, adding confusion to my worry. Raven was there and to my left, Abby and Kane were kneeling down next to me.

In the center of the room was a table with what I assumed to be a dead body as a doctor worked on taking bone marrow from the lifeless person.

"What is wrong with you people?" Marcus Kane mutters at the sight.

"Where's my daughter," Abby asks, frantic.

"She's talking about Clarke." One of the guards explains to Cage.

I pull at the handcuffs attempting to get out while also trying to stay conscious from the concussion I most definitely had. I

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," Cage says looking down at Abby. They pulled us up from the ground and over to the wall, cuffing out hands above our heads. I was placed on the end next to Caleb and Abby.

"Clarke's okay," I whisper to the older woman who was the doctor on the Ark. I made sure to keep my voice as low as possible. "She's with Bellamy and Monty."

Abbey's face softened but tried not to signal to our captures that she knew information about her daughter.

"Are you alright?" Caleb asks, worried. "What happened to your leg?"

"I got shot," I explained, closing my eyes as the bright fluorescences made my head sting. "I'm okay."

Watching another person get taken off the table, dead made my stomach knot. "Guards, need another one." The doctor says placing a syringe on a metal tray.

My heart began pounding as one of the guards went down the row looking for their next victim.. "She's next." The guard points at me.

"No, no. Don't touch her!" Caleb yells as a guard tries to grab me. Grabbing onto the cuff, I pulled my body up and lifted my legs in the air, kicking him away the best I could, but that only made them angry. The guard pulled out a shock lash and hit me with it. The electricity flooded through my body making me numb and unable to move.

"Don't touch her!" Caleb yells again trying to fight the guards but they just shocked him too and he fell limp against the wall, not used to the pain.

The guard begins unhooking my chains but Cage stops him. "Wait, what happened to her leg?" The both look down and notice the blood running down. "Was she shot?" Angrily he turns to the guards. "What did I say about using guns! Now we can't use her. She needs to recover. In order to take her blood. Use her instead."

He points to Raven whose face falls in fear.

Chapter Text

They ripped her jeans right at the knee, preparing Raven's leg so they could get started. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, doing my best to block out everything going on around me. The pain from the shock lash still lingering through my veins. "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid." I thought to myself as I heard the drill power on and Raven's sobs.

I turned my head to Caleb as a guard began dressing the wound on my leg. I guess they needed to keep me alive in order to get the amount of bone marrow they needed. I tried fighting at first but that only earned me a hit across the face.

"Hey! Leave her alone, she's just a kid!" Miller yelled from beside Caleb.

The hit only contributed to my already clouded mind. If I were ever to get drunk, I wonder if this was what it would feel like. Not being in control of my body was truly a scary experience. It was worse than the other time I was shot. I made a mental note to not be shot again going forward as it was not a very fun experience and I would not recommend it.

Caleb was saying something from beside me but his words sounded muffled, almost like there was cotton stuffed into my ears. Nothing about this was good. We had no back up. The grounders left us for dead. All we had was Bellamy, Calrke, Monty and Jasper and who knows where they even are right now.

Raven tried to hold in her screams as the drill began to make its way into her but the pain was just too terrible for anyone to resist. Her screams made everyone cringe and look away. I prayed for Bellamy and Clarke to come through like they always do.

It lasted for so long that there was no this didn't classify as some sort of torture. "Ari, hey. Ari, look at me." I turn to him. "Seriously are you alright?"

I shake my head explaining they had hit me in the head in the process.

In front of us Raven wasn't screaming anymore which frightened everyone. She was weak and barely moving. Her face turned white from the amount of blood she was losing, she fought with every bit of energy just to keep her eyes open. They began on her arm next when Cage Wallace stormed into the room.

"Take her off the table," he orders.

"Sir we're not done-"

"Now!" he yells in response. Two guards instantly begin unstrapping Raven as Wallace turns to Abby. "Put her on it," he barks.

They leave Raven off to the side in a cold corner of the room, losing more blood due to her wounds not being bandaged.

Marcus Kane began yelling at Cage. "No one has to die for bone marrow. We can donate it! We can donate it!"

Where was that enthusiasm twenty minutes ago? What we hadn't known was that just a few minutes ago Clarke had killed Cage's father to prove a point and was ready to spread radiation all throughout level five.

"You know that will never happen." Cage's voice was toneless and he didn't take his eyes off Abby as she was strapped to the table and prepared.

"I can make it happen, with her help. We can all survive."

Kane was always making promises he couldn't keep. I wouldn't be donating and knew neither would Caleb or Bellamy. Yet a piece of me still prayed that Cage would listen to Kane, but because he is stubborn as hell he shook his head.

"We can't." That's when they started drilling into Abby's leg, causing her to scream. The door opening with a slam caused all attention to turn to the guard walking in, holding Jasper who was handcuffed. His face went pale when he saw the scene in front of him and Abby on the table being drilled into. The guard brought him next to Harper and cuffed him to the wall.

But it was only a moment before Jasper pulled his hands out of the cuffs and turned around. "Restrain him," Cage orders, walking over to Jasper. The guard pulls out his gun and aims it at Jasper who had a knife hidden in his shirt sleeve. There is barely any time to think before the radiation alarm begins going off.

"What is it?" someone asks. The guards and doctors start coughing and trying to breathe but their bodies weren't built for radiation. Their faces became red and blotchy as burns began to cover across their body's as the radiation killed them from inside.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jasper rushes out of the room to get to Maya as everyone calls after him. We were left there alone cuffed the walls, forced to wait for someone to come and rescue us.

The door opens again, this time it was Octavia who froze at the sight in front of her, not knowing what the hell she had just walked into.

"Get the keys from the guard," Kane says. Octavia ran over grabbing them before rushing to unlocked Kane who ran straight over to Abby.

It took a while but eventually everyone was uncuffed and medical attention was instantly put on Raven who was fading out of consciousness. Strong arms wrapped around my waist as Caleb pulled me against his chest.

"We're okay, we're okay." I kept repeating, even though I knew he wasn't, at least not emotionally. At the time we knew what had happened. That level five was irradiated, killing everyone including all the innocent people who were just trying to live.

Every person Caleb had ever known was gone now and there was nothing I could do to help him. Relating to him was impossible. His people, his life, his family, were all gone due to us. If we had never come down to earth, they would still all be living peacefully, their lives uninterrupted.

"What do I do now?" Caleb asks into my shoulder.

There wasn't a right answer I could give him. Pulling from the hug, I grab his hand. "You're gonna come with me and my people, we're gonna take you in and I'm going to make sure you get to live your life." All I could hope was that he found some sort of comfort in my words.

"Ari!" Monty calls out to me, rushing into the room. Before I know it I'm wrapped in another hug. "We thought we lost you."

"Don't worry I'm right here."

"Your leg." Monty looks down at my wound that had been bandaged by the doctor who was now lying lifeless on the ground a few feet away.

"It was just a graze. I'm okay."

A dark cloud followed over Jasper's head as he entered the room, his face was red with tears. He looked horrible and I didn't have to ask. Maya was gone. There was no surviving complete irradiation, not at this level. Neither of us said a word as I pulled him into a tight embrace, allowing him to cry on my shoulder as the room continued to clear out.

The people of the Ark wanted out of this place and I couldn't blame them. My itch to escape was just as strong.

Abby Griffin was acting Chancellor at the moment, and sent a guard to accompany Caleb and I to his living quarters to pack a bag.

We paused at the front door. I didn't push for him to go in, just allowed him to take all the time he needed. Mrs. James' body had been moved thankfully but the pool of blood where her body had once laid was stained into the cement ground. Caleb, as much as he tried not too, stared down at the red spot.

It was hard to think how just a few hours ago both his mother and little sister were alive and smiling in this very room. Approaching him gently, I placed a hand on his arm, reminding him I was there.

"I was so mean to her the last few days. I was angry at her for lying to me my whole life. I didn't understand how she could do that, but now she's just...gone." Hot tears pool in his eyes.

"She loved you so much. That's why she lied. To protect you. She thought it would keep you safe."

His attention stayed on the red spot. His face didn't change as a tear ran down his cheek. "Hannah was only a baby...s-she couldn't even walk yet. The day she was born, I promised her that I would look out for her, that I would take care of her. I'm her big brother. I should have...I should have protected her."

Terrible sobs rang out from his chest as he dropped to his knees, cursing everyone who caused this and cursing the world. He wouldn't be the same. I knew that. All I could do was be there for him. Which is what I did.

Dropping beside him, I pulled Caleb's body and pulled him against my chest as he shook from the pain. If I could trade places with him I would. Anything to stop the pain that he was feeling. All we had now was each other and I wasn't going to let him fall through the cracks, I would keep him with me every step of the way.

The trip up the flight of stairs was long and painful due to the wound on my leg but we managed it thankful, hand and hand. I could see the light at the top, signaling a new day was waiting for us. The warmth flooded the dark staircase. A feeling I had missed during my time underground.

Looking over to my boyfriend his eyes were wide with wonder. For the first time in his life he was about to experience the beauty that was the ground and the endless possibilities that it held. He was starting a new chapter of his life, we all were. Hopefully it will be a good one this time.

A moment was needed once we made it to the top of the staircase. Caleb needed a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the light. Once they did he was speechless at the sight of the bright greens of the grass and blue of the sky. Even with everything he had gone through, there was no stopping the smile that grew across his face.

I squeezed his hand, earring his attention. "Welcome to the ground, Hero." Leaning down he placed a kiss on my lips.

"Alright let's go lovebirds." Miller jokes, walking between us, pushing Caleb and I apart. "The walk to Arkadia is a long one. Let's get moving!"

Miller was right, it was a long journey but it was due to Caleb stopping every few feet to look at something new or smell a different flower. I didn't mind much. Seeing him this excited only brought me joy.

Finally after a few hours we made it to Alpha station which was surrounded by a large fence.

"You lived in that? In space?" Caleb asks, looking over at me.

"Kind of. That's just Alpha station. I lived on farm station."

Biting his lip nervously, Caleb looks down at me. "You really think I'll be accepted here?"

I nod. "Of course you will. If they can accept a bunch of teenage criminals they can accept you."

"Ari!" Bellamy's deep voice called out to me.

"Don't worry I got him." Miller smiled to me, referring to making sure Caleb was looked out for.

Reluctantly I made my way over the Bellamy, preparing for the lecture I was about to receive. "Yeah, yeah I already know. I should of stayed with you, I shouldn't have run off. Blah blah blah." With his arms crossed, Bellamy raised a brow, humored by my impression of him. "That about cover it?"

"You actually missed 'you could have gotten yourself killed'."

"Oh right. "

"Look, there's something I need to talk to you about. Follow me." He took me inside the Ark and to a small room that only fit a bed.

"Wow this is...cozy." Walking across the room I looked through the small porthole shaped window that looked out at the camp. "Do I get a room with a view too?"

"Ari..." His voice was deep and directed.

"Jesus Bellamy, lighten up. What's so important?" He motioned for me to take a seat on the bed, which I did as he bent down in front of me and my heart sank. He only does this move when it's something serious. "Bellamy...you're freaking me out."

Letting out a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair. "Clarke wanted to be the one to tell you but..."

There was a sudden pain in his voice as he spoke about the blond that hadn't been there before. "But what?" I ask in a more gentle voice.

"Nevermind that." He reaches out and grabs my hands, holding them in his own. He wouldn't look at me either which was only adding to my worry. "Finn died."

The words struck me hard, but not like I had thought they would. Bellamy hadn't spoken of Finn while he was with me in Mount Weather and he wasn't with the others chained to the walls so I think a piece of me already figured he was dead but Bellamy's words only confirmed it. It took me a minute to process the news before having the courage to ask how.

"The grounders wanted him dead, he had massacred a village trying to find Clarke after she escaped from Mount Weather. He surrendered himself. The punishment the grounders thought fit was death by a thousand cuts. As a way to save him from the torture Clarke, uh..."

"She killed him?" I finished. "Okay." I nod.

Bellamy meets my gaze, realizing I wasn't crying his brow knitted together in concern. "Are you okay?" he asks.

Shrugging, I wasn't really sure what to say. Physically I was okay. I myself was a bit concerned by my lack of emotions but I guess if I was going to be on the ground I was going to have to get used to people dying. I had already grieved Finn the last night in the dropship and every night in Mount Weather.

It seemed anticlimactic to do it all over again. "I think I'll be okay. People dying is kinda an everyday thing now right?" I get up from Bellamy's bed and make my way over to the window again. "So, when do I start my training?"

Chapter Text

Leaning over the edge of the tree branch I watch as he slowly creeps below me. His moves were soft as he dodged twigs and fallen leaves. He was trying to stay hidden from me but I already had the upper hand. Patience has become my best friend as all I had to do was wait for the perfect moment to pounce.

There was a lot Bellamy had taught me in the last three months, patience and discipline being the hardest for me to learn, but now it came like second nature. Patience, that is, not discipline. Following the rules and doing as Bellamy says was something I still struggle with. Hence why we passed the gate without supervision.

Bellamy always threatens to lock us in our room every time he finds us out here alone. He says it's not safe but I think he really just doesn't like Caleb and I being alone together. With Clarke gone, when Bellamy wasn't training me he was micromanaging or off with Raven and the others trying to find the other Ark stations that may have landed.

Finally, when Caleb was in the perfect spot below me, I pounced. Dropping down from the tree, I tackled him down to the ground.

"Tag, you're it," I whisper lying on Caleb's back. He groans, shoving me off as I laugh.

"How do you keep doing that?"

"I keep trying to tell you, you have to learn how to climb but you refuse to." I stand, holding my hand out to help him up.

Dusting off his pants, Caleb lets out a huff. "Maybe you could let me win just once."

"Yeah, not gonna happen. I have a three week winning streak. No way I'm gonna break it now." I smile, rolling up my sleeves. "But if you want to win you're gonna have to catch me!" I exclaim, pushing him back down to the ground before taking off running in the direction of the camp.

The game was simple. We start by hiding then when the other is found we have to tag them and make it back to base before the other catches up again. Base being our shared bedroom.

Another aspect of my life that Bellamy hated. Me sharing a room with Caleb. He had tried to protest it, even spent the first few nights on our floor but with the lack of rooms and the tensions building between some of the others and Caleb, us sharing was the simplest answer.

Determined not to lose once again, Caleb picked himself back up to chase after me. The distance wasn't far, about a three minute run. I jumped over roots and rocks, and dodged trees till I saw the clearing for Arkadia. Typically, we didn't go through the front gate, that was too dangerous and we sure were going to be caught, but there was no time to make it through the woods and to the hole in the fence we usually snuck through, so I kept running for the front gate.

I could hear Caleb catching up behind me. Leaning forward, I put everything I had in me to pick up my speed. If I lost this game it would kill my winning streak.

"Gonna have to be faster than that!" I yell over my shoulder to Caleb.

The gate was opened by a furious guard standing behind it. "You know you kids aren't supposed to be out there un-supervision," she scolded as I jogged past her.

Slowing down a bit and walking backwards with a shrug. "Sorry Rosemary, it's probably gonna happen again, maybe tomorrow even, but hey gotta run. If you could not tell Bellamy about this, that'd be great!" I called out, facing forward once again but my path was blocked by a rover.

"'Don't tell Bellamy' what?" he asks, looking out the driver's side window leaning next to Raven who was in the driver seat.

Stuttering, I try to come up with an excuse. "Um nothing, I was just-"

"Tag, you're it," Caleb said, tapping my shoulder and running past me.

"Damn it!" I yelled, knowing for a fact that Caleb was going to make it to our room before I could tag him again, resulting in the loss of my winning streak.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Raven asks, looking at the mirror's reflection, watching Caleb already so far ahead.

"I'm currently getting my ass beat at a game of tag. So thank you for that," I sass, crossing my arms and glaring at Bellamy.

"Ari, you know you're not supposed to be outside the gate," he scolds.

"You try being locked up behind this gate with nothing to do but train and stare at the sky. You can't expect us to stay cooped up in here for the rest of our lives."

"It's not safe out there, Ar."

"You're joking right?" I scoff, crossing my arms, "The grounders aren't trying to kill us anymore and you guys come back fine after every run. Seriously, what is so dangerous out there?"

"The teenage boy you're alone with out there."

The snickers from the back seat told me Bellamy was with the others and I had just been completely embarrassed.

"Don't be gross, Bell."

"How do you keep getting past the guards anyways?"

With my head held up high and a smirk on my face I respond, "I have my ways."

From the back seat a voice says, "I told you, we needed to fix the hole in the fence." It was Monty who ratted me out as the rest chuckled again.

"Where are you guys going anyways?" I ask, trying to deflect the attention.

"We're going to map out Sector 7."

"Sector 7, isn't that Ice Nations territory?" We may have some sort of alliance with the grounders but Ice Nation was a different level of crazy and strictly off limits to us.

Bellamy shook his head, "No, it's right on the border."

I nodded slowly. "Right...so you know I'm not doing anything right now and I haven't had a chance to test out my training..."

"Ari-"

Rolling my eyes I already knew the answer. "Yeah, yeah I know, I'm not a member of the guard. I'm too young, it's too dangerous, blah blah blah," I mutter, mocking all the times Bellamy had told me no in the past three months.

"What I was going to say was, hop in." A smile spreads across his face and for a moment I wonder if he's playing me.

"Wait, really?" I couldn't help the excitement that bubbled inside of me. For the last three months Bellamy had been training me, teaching me how to fight, how to shoot and how to survive and for three months I had begged to go out with them and had been shot down every time. For Bellamy to say yes meant he finally thought I was capable of something.

"Uh, Bell, do you think that's such a good idea?" Miller asks.

Bellamy nods, "She's shown she can protect herself many times, just as long as she doesn't get shot in the leg, again."

I rolled my eyes. "Gosh, you get shot in the leg twice and never live it down," I joke, throwing my hands in the air as I made my way to the back of the rover.

"Ari?" Caleb calls out to me from a distance, it was only then that I remembered the game we were playing. "Are we gonna finish the game?"

"Oh, uh, you won clearly. I'm gonna go to Sector 7 with the group," I explain, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as he approaches. "I'll be back later."

His face grew worried. "That's right on the border of Ice Nation though."

"I'll be fine," I assure him. "Will you be okay here without me, Hero?" I ask, teasing him.

He hesitatingly nods his head, giving me a weak smile. "Just be careful, okay."

I agree, giving him a quick peck on the lips, "I always am. See you when I get back." I smile getting into the rover.

Everyone stares at me as I sit down. "What?" I ask. "Never seen a girl say goodbye to her boyfriend before?"

"And this is why I don't like you two being alone together," Bellamy scolds.

The others laugh as Miller ruffles my hair.

Chapter Text

As we drive through the woods, getting close to our destination, Bellamy hands me a small gun from the bag next to him. Carefully I take it and do as I am taught by checking the ammunition first, making sure the safety is on as I go.

"Next we're gonna need to get you a guards jacket, Baby Blake," Miller comments with a smile, ruffling my hair.

I know the name sounds like a term of endearment, but it was really Miller's way of teasing me. If you thought Bellamy was protective before Mount Weather, he had only gotten ten times worse. He was looking out for me and I knew that, but Bellamy wasn’t my dad and Miller knew how much I hated when Bellamy went overboard, trying to act like my father. Hence the name Baby Blake.

"I don't think there's one small enough that could fit her," Bell teased as I glared at Miller.

The ride grew bumpier as Raven drove the rover into an open field.

Jasper mutters quietly to himself in the passenger seat, a pair of earphones drowning the rest of us out. Out of I assume frustration Monty leans up from behind his seat, pulls out Jasper's earphones. "No way. If you're gonna ride shotgun, you can't just disappear," he berates his so-called best friend.

The tension between the two had been building since Mount Weather. A piece of Jasper blames Monty for Maya’s death since he was in the control room when Clarke and Bellamy irradiated the level. Their relationship hadn’t been the same since.

To spite Monty, Jasper plugged the iPod into the radio so the rest of us could hear the music.

Again, Monty went to stop him but Bellamy grabbed his hand. "It's okay. It's a long ride."

Sitting back we all took in the melody of the music. It was a familiar song, one that we had heard quite a few times as Jasper would blast it from his room as days he wished not to be bothered. At the pick up of the beat, Miller began air drumming, bumping into my shoulder in the process as he began singing along.

"Why can't I get just one kiss, why can I get just one screw, why can I get just one screw. Believe me I know what to do!" I smiled and bobbed my head along to the music. Bellamy shook his head, smiling.

Miller grabbed onto Monty's arm, singing to him. "But something won't let me make love to you."

Holding an invisible mic, Miller raised it to my face, pushing me to sing along. Rolling my eyes with a smile I gave in. "Day, after day, I get angry and I will say that the day is on my side!"

Jasper stood up from his seat and walked to the hole in the roof of the rover and stood up, throwing his fists in the air and screaming, causing us all to laugh, enjoying this happy moment since it is one of few we have. A sudden slow beeping sounded, killing our mood. Raven turned the music off and looked at the radar on the dashboard.

"A tracking beaker from the Ark." Monty mutters, getting into the passenger seat. Raven slowed down to a stop so we could all properly assess the situation. Each station of the Ark was equipped with a GPS tracker that would tell us where the station was if it had made it down to earth.

"Who is that?" I ask as Jasper sat back down.

Monty's face went pale as he said, "Farm station."

Instantly I froze as all memories from my early childhood came flooding through my mind. I was raised on Farm Station by a mother who wasn’t very kind and who I had prayed to die on many occasions. It wouldn’t be a sweet reunion.

"After four months. How?" Miller questions.

"We'll find out, where are they?" Bellamy asks..

Octavia opens the back doors, causing me to jump not realizing she had followed us, "Don't tell me I missed the party."

"Sector 8." Monty answers Bellamy's question.

"That's Ice Nation," I point out not liking where this was going at all

"What about it?" Octavia asks.

"Protocol says we go home, let the chancellor decide what to do next." Raven explains, looking to Bellamy, waiting for an order from him.

"Screw protocol, the chancellors not from farm station. Monty and Ari are, so is Miller's boyfriend. It's your call," Bellamy says, turning to us.

No, absolutely not. Ice Nations was the one place we were banned from entering. So what if people could still be alive. I don’t want to take any chances.

It's what I should have said. Instead, Monty enthusiastically says "Let's do this.” So when Bellamy looks at Miller and I for guidance I reluctantly agree with Miller and Monty.

A part of me was hoping my mother survived the trip, but a larger part was hoping she was dead since it was her fault I was locked up on the Ark in the first place.

"Try and keep up." Bell said, smiling to his little sister as she shut the door and we sped away in the direction of sector 8.

A few more hours of driving and Raven stops the rover at a treeline. Just passed the woods was Ice Nation territory, the one place we were warned not to enter. Yet here we are.

"These woods must be the border."

"So where's all the ice?" Jasper asks. One thing about my friend was that in the past few months he had become an insufferable drunk. To the point where I couldn’t stand being around him anymore. The smell of moonshine and despair kicked in my fight or flight from all the years I was forced to take care of my mother in her own drunken state.

No one questioned my reluctance to be around Jasper anymore. They chalked it up to me just not wanting to deal with it. No one had any idea of my past beside’s Murphy and from what I had heard, no one had seen or heard from him in months, even before we were saved from the mountain.

Rolling my eyes, I answer, "Much further north, if you ever picked up a book a day in your life you would know this."

Pouting, Jasper turned to Miller, “Why is she so cranky?”

"Azgeda stretches for 1,000 miles." Octavia says to Bellamy.

Monty cuts in, looking down at his tracker as he walks. "Good thing we only have to go 200 meters."

Shooting his arm out in front of Monty, Bellamy urges the boy to remember where they are. "Slow down, remember rules of engagement are non-lethal force. Tight formation on my command. Raven, Ari, you stay in the rover."

"Yeah right,," I scoff, holding my gun close to me. Like I said, listening to orders was still a work in progress and the main reason why I wasn’t a part of the guard. Well that an I am five feet tall.

"They're coming," Monty warns, "120 meters, 110." The sound of muffled talking and horses could be heard in the distance. Bell held up his gun, pointing in the direction of the possible strangers. "They're our people, what are you doing?"

"We hope they're our people,” Bellamy corrects, nodding his head at Miller and Octavia. Each spread out a few feet, weapons trained towards the commotion. “Ari, stay behind me.” His voice was stern and authoritative.

Three grounders on horseback come from the tree line.

"Ice Nation?"

"Yes.” Octavia confirms. “White war paint.” Putting her hands up to show we weren't dangerous.

The grounders came to a stop and looked down at Octavia. They began to speak their language but to me it sounded like they were speaking backwards, due to the fact I knew only a little of what they were saying. It was Caleb who had picked up on Trigedasleng, learning it from all his time he spent with Lincoln.

"They think we're looking for Wanheda," Octavia explains as one of the grounders climbs off his horse.

"Who's that?" Bellamy asks.

"I don't know."

"That light, that's the beacon," Monty says, referring to a beeping red light attached to the grounders' armor. The possibilities of what this meant ran through my mind, along with the questions.

But none of us had any time to process as the next thing we knew, Jasper was sauntering over to the deadly grounders.

"Hey get back here." Monty reaches out to grab his arm, but it was too late. One of the grounders still on his horse pulled an arrow back in his bow.

"Jasper what are you doing?" I yell.

"It's okay, I got this." He clearly did not understand the gravity of the situation at hand as he walked right up to the grounder.

"Tell them we observe the Commander's truce. Do it now," Bellamy orders Octavia.

She did as told just as Jasper pulled the beacon from the grounder. "This belongs to us," he says, practically waving it in the mans' face. The much larger and scarier looking grounder, grabs Jasper and holds a knife to his throat. This causes a ripple effect of all our gun training on the grounds while the grounders pull back their arrows at us.

A smirk formed across Jasper's face as the knife was held closer to his throat. Confused by his reaction, our focus falters. The grounder says something and begins to cut open Jasper's neck causing Bellamy to take action and shoot him.

Raven and Miller follow by shooting the other two grounders, killing them. “Hold your fire!” Bellamy yells as the first grounders attempt to get back up and charge at us. Octavia handled him with a swift sword to his chest. No one knew how to respond or react to what had just occurred. This wasn’t going to look good on us. We entered Ice Nation territory and killed three of their men.

The sound of the radio broke the silence. "Rover 1, come in, rover 1. Bellamy, where are you?" Marcus Kanes’ voice was on the other end.

"What now?" Bell mumbled under his breath, rushing to the rover.

"I had him," Jasper says, holding his bleeding neck as I rush over to apply pressure to the wound. A piece of my training that I held onto dearly was how to render first aid. The way to bandage a wound and keep a person from bleeding out.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I scold, helping him up. His drunkenness had gotten him almost killed again. I honestly wasn’t sure how much of this I could keep dealing with.

"We got the beacon didn't we?"

"Yeah, but where did they get it?" Monty spats. Had Jasper not been dumb we could have talked to the grounders and maybe figured out where our people were. Instead we drove over four hours for nothing.

"He needs to get to medical, now!” I exclaim, walking him over to the rover. Miller hands me a first aid kit. I just the gauze to pack the wounds before wrapping it tightly, but loose enough for him to still breathe.

"Culvert, sector four copy. Can you tell me what's going on?" Bellamy asks Kane through the radio.

"When you get here. Over and out," he responds.

"Sector four? Why is Kane so far outside the wall?" Raven questions but Bellamy doesn’t answer just walks around the rover to where I was tying a cloth around Jasper's neck to try and slow down the bleeding.

"Take him home!" he yells.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking," Jasper mutters.

"Miller, Ari get their horses. Raven since you can't ride, you're on the back. Monty you're with me, let's go." Bellamy orders. When Bellamy was like this it was best not to question him, so we did as told and began the journey back to Arkadia.

Chapter Text

"Open the gate!" Miller yells to the guards as we arrive back to camp. Climbing off the back of the horse I grab its lead, pulling him past the gate as Octavia helps Jasper off her horse and set him down on a nearby log.

"What happened?" Abby asks, rushing over to him.

"Ice Nation," Octavia explains briefly.

"Get him to medical," Abby orders Jackson. She turns back to Octavia and I, rubbing the palms of her hands together. "Clarke?" We shake our heads, seeing the little hope she had fade away.

The day we escaped Mount Weather was the day Clarke left. Bellamy says she just needs some space to figure herself out after contributing to the deaths of hundreds of people. Judging Clarke for doing what she needs to do was not something I would partake in. The first time I took a life it nearly broke me. To this day I still get nightmares about it.

Octavia and I lead the horses to the stables and into the enclosure.

“You’re not scared of much are you?” I ask petting the horse’s mane. Not once was the horse spooked when the guns went off. I wonder if that's because he was used to being in war. From what I had learned for Octavia and Lincoln, Ice Nation warriors were ruthless and violent beyond need.

“New horse?” Caleb asks, walking up to the pen.

"Um yeah, I guess you could say that.”

Caleb raises a brow. “What did you get it from?”

“Ice Nation encounter that didn’t go as planned,” I explain, removing the saddle.

With wide eyes Caleb says, "You took a horse from Ice Nation? What happened?"

"We ran into a couple Ice Nation Grounders who had one of the beacons from the Ark and Jasper being his idiot self, took it from them, making the Grounder mad so he pulled a knife on him," I recount, setting the saddle to the side.

"Is he okay?"

I nod, "Jasper's fine, the Grounder only cut him a little bit, but it was his own fault."

"I still don't understand how you got the horse." He climbs on the wooden fence and sits on the railing.

“Bellamy and the others did what they had to do.”

"This is going to mess up the truce isn't it?"

“I honestly don’t know,” I say truthfully.

“Well,” Caleb reaches out to pet the horse, “he needs a name. What were you thinking?”

I took a second to think. "Maddox." I smile, patting him gently.

"I like it,” Caleb agrees. There were a few moments of silence before Caleb spoke again, "So Lincoln tells me he thinks my father may be in Polis.”

“Polis?”

He nods, “It's like the Grounders' Capital. That's where the Commander lives and the warriors train. If my father got out of Mount Weather he would be highly respected so there's a high chance he’s there, possibly as part of the coalition.” Taking in the words, I nod along, happy that Caleb has some kind of information about his father, even if it was just speculation. “I want to go.”

“To Polis?”

“Yeah. Lincoln can’t take me because of the kill order on him, but I was thinking of maybe asking Octavia what she knows about it.”

“I don’t think it’s such a good idea,” I tell him. “Not yet at least. You’re still a bit rusty on your language and you’re not trained.” And the grounders still aren’t happy about Mount Weather.

“I’m just as trained as you are,” he defends himself and I don’t have much room to argue. Besides the amount of time we’ve spent on the ground, our training is practically the same.

Opening my mouth to refute, I was cut off by a voice calling out to us.

"Hey guys," Macallan, a boy from Alpha station, waves walking up to stand beside Caleb. We had met him a few days after escaping the Mountain. He showed us around and let us in on all the gossip that had been going on in the camp while we were trapped. He truly helped us get a bit more acclimated to the pace.

"Hey Mac." I smile at him. He towers over me by almost a foot. Sure I had grown taller during my captivity thanks to all the nutrition foods the Mountain had, but I was still a bit on the shorter side for my age. As fond as I was of Mac, Caleb was annoyed by him. Rolling his eyes the moment Macallan walked over to us.

“I see you just got back from a trip. How was it?” he asked me, eyes glistening with hope.

I give him a nod and smile. “It was good. Beautiful as always.”

“Ugh, you are so lucky to be able to go beyond the gate. I haven’t gone more than sixty feet since we built the camp. I’m so jealous and you get to be a guard.”

“She’s not a guard,” Caleb corrects, earning an awkward glance from Mac and I.

Trying to rectify the situation, Mac says “Well, it’s still cool that you get to train to be one. You too Caleb. Spending all that time with Lincoln, he’s gotta have some amazing insight about Earth.”

“Yeah he does.” Caleb's voice is cold as he turns to leave, but his path is blocked by Raven limping towards us.

“Hey, they could use your guy’s help sorting through things from Mount Weather,” she says to us.

"There was a run to Mount Weather, when?" Caleb asks. I knew by the tone of his voice that Caleb was upset by the news. Abby had promised him that he would be on the next supply run but clearly he hadn’t been informed by it.

“They just got back today,” Raven answers. “Come on, there's a lot to go through.”

Glancing at each other, Mac and I simply shrug before agreeing. Caleb had already taken off towards the meeting hall where everything was being held.

“Are you guys okay?” Mac asks once we got to a table to sort through piles of jewelry and clothes. Caleb had gone off in a different direction, barely saying a word.

“Who, Caleb and I? Yeah we’re fine. I think.

"What does that mean?"

I shrug, with a sigh. "I have no idea. He’s been through a lot so I am trying to give him some breathing room but it’s hard. I mean he just lost his whole family and being here hasn’t helped much.” As much as I had promised Caleb that he would fit right into our community, there had been some who continue to treat him like an outcast for what happened in Mount Weather, people who blame him, as if Caleb hadn’t been in the same position as we were.

“Poor guy.”

“Yeah, and he wants to try and go out and find his father. I keep trying to tell him it's not safe. I mean we just had a run in with Ice Nation but I don’t think he wants to hear it.”

Mac shrugs, continuing to go through the piles in front of him. “Can you blame him? His father is his last living relative. I would want to find my father too if he was alive.”

We fell into a silence at his words. Macallan was one of the many who became an orphan upon him landing on Earth. His father had died before the Ark came down and his mother passed in during landing, leaving the fifteen year old boy all alone.

I noticed him quickly glance towards Raven who was standing beside Mac before trying to conspicuously hide something in his pocket. But Raven had eyes in the back of her head and grabbed his arm before he could get away with his crime. "Not so fast," she orders, looking over at him.

"C'mon what do you want for it?" he asks. Raven looks to be for ideas but I only shrug. I knew Mac didn’t have anything to trade. Not many of us did.

So Raven came up with her own barter. "One song." The request was a good one as the boy had a phenomenal singing voice, unfortunately, Macallan hadn’t sung in weeks.

Looking down at the bracelet in his hands, he thought hard for a moment before agreeing. "Done." Making his way to the grand piano a few feet away, I was in awe of how quickly he agreed. Sitting down on the bench, his hands hovered over the keys, hesitating to play before hitting the first note of the few songs he knew.

“I used to play all the time,” Mac had once told me. “Every time they needed someone to sing in a performance or play the piano I always volunteered.”

“What made you stop playing?” I had asked.

Macallan never did give me a full answer to that but I assumed it had something to do with the death of his father.

I couldn't help but watch as he sang. His voice was soothing as he leaned into the song.

"Hey," Caleb said coldly, walking up to me.

"Hey." I smiled back.

Nodding to Mac, Caleb asks, "How did you get him to play again?"

"I didn't, Raven did." He nods leaning on the table as he watches. "So did you get anything good?” I whisper, because we aren’t supposed to take anything as we sort through the supplies but it’s my opinion that Caleb has every right to take anything he pleases from here as it was his people’s belongings.

"Nothing really," he mutters, folding his hands on the table.

But looking down at his wrist I noticed a clearly new bracelet. "Hey, that's nice” I compliment, referring to a beaded, feathered string around his wrist. I went to touch it but he pulled his arm back.

He cleared his throat, standing up straight. "Thanks, it looked too interesting to be from my people so I figured it had to belong to one of the outsiders who…” we both knew what he was alluding to but decided to ignore it. “So I took it.”

“Maybe it was your fathers?” He responded with a shrug, still barely even looking at me. “Did I do something wrong?” I ask.

He sighed and stared down at the table. "No, I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

I nodded, looking back at Macallan,deciding no to push the topic much more in fear of starting an argument.

The room was enchanted as he sang. To the point that No one realized Jasper had come in until he began raising his voice.

"These belonged to people," he hisses, snatching a pile of clothes out of a guy's hand and throwing them back at him.

"Jasper calm down," I said, trying to step in front of him, but he simply pushed me out of the way like I was nothing. His focus tunneling on Macallan, blissfully unaware what was about to come his way.

"So did that piano!" Jasper yells, bolting towards it and the boy playing. I try to yell out to Mac, but Jasper was faster. Jumping and pulling Macallan from the bench and tackling him to the ground.

Shocked and angry, Macallan pushes Jasper off before pulling his fist back and letting it glide across Jasper's face. "Mac!" I yell. Caleb pulls Mac back as someone else grabs Jasper and I get between the two.

"Enough!" Abby yells walking over.

Once everything died down, Caleb and I pull Mac into the empty hall, away from the chaos. "Are you alright?" I ask, looking at cut's on Mac knuckles.

"I'm fine, Ari." His voice was harsh, still full of adrenaline.

"You should go to the doctor to get it wrapped up," I insisted.

"Ari-"

"Macallan,” I cut him off, using an authoritative voice. For a brief moment, we battle silently until finally, he caves, looking away from me.

"Fine, fine I'll go."

Caleb shakes his head and storms away. Instantly I am filled with worry, terrified I did something to upset him.

"Come on, I'll walk you.” Stepping beside him.

I wait as Jackson cleans and wraps his hand, just to make sure everything went well.

“Thanks,” Mac says, looking down at his hand.

"For what?" He shrugs. “Well, I should probably get going. It’s late and I gotta get up early for training.”

"Wait.” He gently holds my arm, stopping me from leaving. “Here." He holds out the bracelet he sang for. "For you."

“Are you sure?” I ask, looking down at the piece of jewelry, wondering if it was even okay for me to be wearing something from another guy while I was with someone else. I take the gift anyway with a smile and thank him before making my way to the room Caleb and I share.

He was sitting on his bed in the far corner of the room, examining the bracelet he took. There had to be something more to the piece of jewelry that he wasn’t telling me. The pit in my stomach made everything so much worse.

“Hey.” I try to give him a smile but he doesn’t return it and barely acknowledges my presence as I sit on the edge of my bed. “Can we please talk?” I ask, rubbing my hands together nervously.

“About what?” he asks, still not even looking towards me.

“Um, just that I feel like you're upset at me and I’m really sorry for what I did.”

Finally, he puts the bracelet down and looks at me, but just as he’s about to speak there's a knock at our door.

"Come in," I say loud enough for the person to hear. Miller enters the room hiding something behind his back. "What's up?" I ask.

"Okay so, you know how earlier we were saying you didn't think there was a guards jacket small enough for you?" I nod my head. “Well, I was going to wait for Bellamy to get back but I guess he may be gone for a few days.” From behind his back, Miller pulls out an old guards uniform. "Turns out we were wrong."

Excitement fills me as I practically jump up from my bed, grabbing the jacket from his hands.

"Wait really? I'm a part of the guard?" I ask, not being able to stand still.

"Well no,” he corrects, “I pulled some strings with Abby and you're still technically a guard in training," he explains. I squealed in excitement. "Well, are you going to try it on?"

I nod, pulling the jacket over my sweatshirt, practically spinning in a circle. It was still about a size too big, but I didn't mind. "Thanks Miller," I said, wrapping him in a hug.

"Of course, Kid." He ruffles my hair with a smile before wishing Caleb and I a good night.

"So, you're a guard?" Caleb said, looking at my jacket with an emotion I couldn’t quite distinguish.

"In training," I correct, looking at myself in an old dusty, broken mirror.

"Must be nice," he sighs, getting up from his bed.

Confused by his attitude I turn to him as he tries to pass me to leave. "Okay, seriously, what's up with you?"

"I don't know Ari, it's just annoying."

"What is?"

"Everything. You're doing all this stuff, becoming a guard, going on runs. Hanging out with Mac. Being all happy I mean you didn't even ask if I wanted to go this morning and you weren't going to tell me you were going," he snapped, "and while you're out, I'm stuck here learning to speak Grounder, with people who will never treat me like I’m one of them. All anyone sees when they look at me is that kid from Mount Weather, whose people tried to kill us all. I feel so useless and you don’t even care."

Stunned, I shake my head. Trying quickly to think of something to say that will help. "Caleb, you're not useless. I promise. Next run we will go on with the group, I'll ask Bellamy if you can come, okay?"

He lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "I don't want to go on a run,” he says not making eye contact with me.

"Then what do you want?" I ask, concerned.

"I want to look for my father, you know the only family I have left." It was the same argument over and over. He wasn’t ready, there was no time to look for Klaus. Still I felt terrible. We don’t even know if the man is alive or not.

"Caleb I'm sorry." I reach out to hold his hand but he pushes me away, walking out the door. "Where are you going?" I yell after him.

"Anywhere but here!” he snaps back.

Chapter Text

Early morning's were something I had grown accustomed to since our arrival on the ground. After twelve years in space with artificial light, the rise of the sun always woke me before I was ready, but I didn't mind too much as it was quiet in the morning before others woke. It was the perfect time for my run.

Caleb's bed hadn't been slept in, telling me he didn't come back after our fight. I hated fighting, it made me anxious. Knowing that someone was upset with me but they weren't around for me to fix it.

The weather was getting warmer and the days longer, but my breath still billowed above me in the morning air. I didn't usually run alone, most of the time Miller would join me, other times, Bellamy. Today I will be alone. Bellamy and Monty were still out with Kane doing who knows what and Miller chose to sleep in. I didn't mind. Running helped clear my mind.

On the rare occasions, I ran alone, Bellamy ordered that I stay into the fence, no exceptions. Though I don't usually listen to Bellamy, today I decided not to test my luck and stay inside the fence like asked. After doing a few quick stretches I took off on my run, waving and wishing good mornings to the guards who were switching to morning shift from night.

My training schedule consisted of a half hour run before breakfast, followed by an hour long full body workout. Next Bellamy would usually train me with weapons. I was pretty handy with small hand knives– though, my aim was getting much better. After lunch is combat training, learning how to fight hand to hand. After a few hours of that I was free to do as I pleased for the rest of the night.

My schedule was pretty consistent day by day. I used to hate schedules. On the Ark everything was done on a strict schedule that was hard to stray from. We ate at the same time, woke up at the same time, and slept at the same time. It was the same every day. As a child I once thought I was stuck in a time loop.

The skybox was no different. If anything it was more strict of a schedule. If one person stepped out of line we all went down. Sometimes we were punished with no dinner, other times a much earlier wake up call.

My schedule now was much more lax with even time for myself. Sometimes Caleb and I would want to keep training to get better, but Bellamy would force us to "go be kids". The concept was one I still struggled with, because let's be honest, I never had a childhood. Even before I was arrested, my mother ripped me of any sort of fun and comfort the day my father died.

As I am passing the front gate a guard calls out to the others. "Grounder approaching!" Stopping, I turn to see the commotion.

From the treeline came what appeared to be an injured grounder on horseback, clutching his side. Raising my hand to shield the morning sun, I squinted in an attempt to see better. Three more figures came into view the closer the grounder got to the gate.

"Hold your fire!" one of them yelled. From the voice I could tell it was Octavia, meaning the larger man with her was Lincoln. I was shocked, however, to see Caleb walking in beside them.

Caleb yells, "make way!" as they are surrounded by guards upon entering the gate. "He needs Abby."

Helping the man off the horse, Lincoln and Caleb lay him on a stretcher.

"Caleb?" I walk towards him. "What happened?"

"We don't know," he answers, following after Lincoln. "He said it was Ice Nation then passed out."

"What were you doing outside the gate alone?"

He waves me off, continuing to follow behind Lincoln as he and another guard lift the stretcher, causing the man to stir in pain before grabbing onto Caleb's sleeve. Brows knitting together in confusion.

"Klaus?" he asks, before falling unconscious again.

For a brief moment, everything froze as the guards looked at each other, all thinking the same thing: Isn't his name Caleb? Very few people knew the significance of the name Klaus.

In the commotion of it all I followed Caleb and Lincoln as they walked the man to Medical where Abby was fininshing a follow up exam with Jasper.

"Abby, Abby, it's Nyko," Octavia says as we quickly make our way into the room.

"Where?" Abby asks, jumping into motion with Jackson right at her side. Pulling back his jacket, there were large long gashes on Nyko's side.

"His pulse is weak, and he's burning up," Jackson states.

"Clotting has stopped the flow, but he's lost too much blood. I'll type him." Abby pricks his hand and waits for the blood type to come back. "Rh null." Her face drops as she puts together in her head what this means.

"What's wrong? We're universal donors." Ocatavia rolls up her sleeve. "Here. Take mine.

Abby shakes her head. "No. You can't. Rh null can only take rh null."

"I don't understand. Can you save him or not?" Caleb asked, anxious for the man to wake up and tell him all about Klaus.

"Not here," Jackson mutters, getting cut off by a stern look from Abby.

"Wait. What's he talking about?" Octavia questions.

Jackson thinks for a moment, glancing at his superior before explaining. "I'm talking about Mount Weather. The medical facility in that mountain is state-of-the-art. They relied on blood to survive. It's still all there."

Eyes wide in disbelief, Abby says to the young man sternly, "You want me to bring a grounder into Mount Weather for a transfusion? They killed thousands of people for that blood, Jackson."

Glancing over to Caleb, I watch as he bows his head in shame.

"We can't just let him die, Abby. We're doctors."

"I am not just a doctor," the woman says through gritted teeth.

"Maybe you should be."

Eyes wide with shock at the words he just said. There had already been talk of Abby stepping down as chancellor and Kane taking her place.

Biting her tongue, the older woman turns to Lincoln. "You said to me yesterday that even our supply runs were putting us at risk. They were jeopardizing our peace." He nods. "How would you advise me now?"

The grounder takes him time to think it over looking down at the injured man. "He's my friend. Save him."

Abby nods, turning to Jackson. "Get him ready for transport."

We're going for support, in case anyone needs help or some sort of protection. At least that's what Caleb told the others when he practically forced us into the rover. I knew it was actually because he hadn't been back to the mountain since the day everyone he knew was murdered. The bodies had since been cleared out but the place was still his home.

Walking into Mount Weather, Jackson and Abby wheeled Nyko down the long hall with Octavia and Lincoln right beside him. Pausing briefly, Octavia turns to Caleb and I. "Don't do anything stupid," she warns before following the others again.

We agreed but before I could say anything else, Caleb was gone, taking off down a separate hallway. Swiftly, I followed, calling out to him as we went but he was on a mission, one that he wasn't going to let me distract him from.

It wasn't until we got to Level Three that I realized where he was going.

The door was left ajar, inviting anyone into his family's living quarter. Though the body of his mother had been moved, the blood from her murder was still stained on the concrete floor. The last time we were in here was right before we left for Arkadia, but now it was almost empty. Skikru had come in and gone through all his family's belongings. Looking for anything that had been worth taking back to Arkadia. All that was left was the furniture too large to be brought back.

"Caleb, what are you doing?" He didn't respond, instead, walked straight towards the room that was once his mothers. Opening the closet, Caleb dropped his hands to his sides and stared at the dresses and skirts that hung, collecting dust. Not taken due to being "impractical" for the ground. The fabric would do nothing to keep a person warm in the winter or covered from exposure in the summer.

Slowly reaching his hand out, his fingertips ran over the fabric delicately.

"She had lovely taste," I spoke from the doorway.

Keeping his back to me, he says, "She hated dresses." Pulling a long blue gown from a hanger, Caleb brought it up to his nose. "She preferred pants. Said they were better for chasing around a wild boy." A smile tugged at his lips from the memory. "That's what she used to call me. Her wild boy. I was a handful growing up. She had to do it on her own for so long before Keith came around."

"Keith?"

"My stepfather. Hannah's dad. Everyone was so judgy after I was born. It wasn't common for someone to have a baby without being married down here. They treated her terribly. But Keith...he was always there. They were friends growing up but grew apart after she had me." He paused to think. "I guess she was keeping her distance so he wouldn't find out about my father."

Walking closer to him, I kept quiet, hoping he would continue.

"When I was eight they started dating and I looked up to him, even called him dad. When they got married and had Hannah, I was so happy. I felt like I finally had a family. He told everyone that I was his son now and he treated me like it. He taught me what it was to be a man."

"What happened to Keith?"

Caleb looks to the ground solemnly. "Right before Hannah was born there was a sickness that went around. A lot of people died. Most of my classmates too. He volunteered in the medical bay and eventually..." he trailed off. "My mom was alone again. This time with two kids. I was so angry at the world for taking him and I saw how much it changed my mom. How hard she struggled and still I acted out. Always spoke back and gave her problems. She tried so hard and I was so...mean." A tear ran down his cheek. "She blamed herself for my issues, I know she did." He sighed. "I think she felt guilty for not letting Klaus take me with him."

"You're a teenager, all parents expect their teenagers to act out. It's like a part of who we are." I tried to make him feel even slightly better but from the way his hands trembled I knew it hadn't worked. "Your mother loved you. She risked her life for you. At the end of the day mothers don't care if you act out, or talk back. All they want is for their child to feel loved and happy and safe."

At least that's what I assumed mothers wanted from their children.

"Is that what your mother was like?"

Letting out a sigh, I shook my head. "My mother was nothing like yours. She framed me for her crime when I was eleven and I haven't seen my mother since."

Brows knitting together Caleb turned to look at me for the first time. "She never visited you? Not once?"

I shook my head. "No. Every visitor's day I would hope and pray that she would come but she never did." Despite everything she put me through as a child and even after she framed me, I still wanted her to love me. I guess that all any child wants from their mother. To be loved.

"I'm sorry...that's terrible."

Waving my hand, I shrugged. "I made peace with it a long time ago. She was never a good mother and now she's gone." Assuming she died during the Arks landing on the ground. "But your mother was nothing like her. I only knew her for a short amount of time but I know she would do anything for you. Hell she risked her life to hide me, and she didn't even know who I was."

"Yeah...She was amazing" Caleb nods, looking back down at the dress in his hands. "Do you uh...do you think she would be proud of who I am?" His green eyes pooled with tears as he turned to me.

Reaching out to cup his face, I nodded. "She would be so proud of the man you are becoming."

A sob escaped him as I pulled the boy against me, wrapping him a tight hug as he let it all out.

"It'll get better, Caleb," I assured, rubbing his back.

"When?" he asked through sobs.

"In time. Just give it some time. I got you."

-

"How is he?" Caleb asked, referring to Nyko as we walked into the medical center of Mount Weather.

"He's awake and doing good," Jackson informed, stepping aside so we could see the injured grounder.

His brow furrowed in what seemed to be shock and confusion as Nyko made eye contact with Caleb. "K-Klaus?"

Shaking his head, Caleb took a few steps towards the man. "Uh n-no, my name is Caleb."

"Caleb, the Mountain boy?" Nyko asked.

Everyone turned to him, looking at Caleb confused.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Klaus told me of a son who was left in the Mountain called Caleb. You look just like him when he was a boy."

A small smile formed on Caleb's lips. "R-really?"

Nyko nods.

Stepping in, Lincoln asks, "When can we move him? It doesn't look good for us to be here."

"This place just saved his life," Jackson commented.

"It's not that simple, our people– they'll never see anything but death here."

"Our people are wrong Lincoln," Nyko began, "we can change their minds. Places are not evil Brother, people are."

Turning to our leader, Jackson tried to convince her. "Abby, this place, it can do so much good for our people and theirs."

"We have to find hope somewhere." I say, walking beside Caleb, squeezing his hand slightly.

Looking over to the grounders, Abbey thought for a moment, trying to decipher things in her mind, before nodding. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay let's open it up."

I looked at Caleb and smiled, knowing that with the opening of Mount Weather, he'll be able to make it back more often.

Chapter Text

A week later Caleb and I were on route to Polis, the capital city for the grounders. It’s where most gathered to sell and trade goods and where the delegation would meet to discuss potential alliances or grievances the clans may have with one another or for an event like The Summit. A ceremony that would recognize a new alliance, this time being us, Skaikru.

Since helping Nyko the only thing Caleb could talk about was meeting his father and visiting Polis. A special meeting had taken place between Kane and Abby about Caleb and I joining them on this trip. The Summit was meant for the highest ranking member or each clan, which Caleb and I were not. The big concern was Caleb being from Mount Weather. We argued no one would know unless we said anything.

Permission was eventually granted and we were on our way.

Stopping the rover, Kane turns to us. "We're at the Polis City limits. From here we go on foot." We nod and climb out of the large truck. "Lexa's guards will be here soon. All guns and radios stay in the truck. Her people will escort us to the summit."

The lack of weapons and radio’s made me nervous. There was no way of contacting our people if something were to happen and that I did not like at all.

"You think he'll actually be there?" Caleb asks as we begin our way towards Polis. It was understandable that he would be nervous to meet his father, anyone would be.

I nodded, giving him a reassuring smile, "Nyko said he would be. I have a good feeling about this."

When we finally arrived in Polis City we stood in awe at how big it was. People were everywhere, talking and laughing. In the middle of it all stood a large tower. That was where the delegation was to happen.

"This place is incredible," Caleb expressed, looking around at the hustle and bustle of it all.

"Henry, stay with the kids." Kane ordered one of the guards.

Suddenly a little girl who was about 8-years-old grabbed my hand and pulled me to a little booth. A woman, who I assumed was the girl's mother, cut up some type of small fish and cooked it. When finished she held it out to me.

"Oh uh, no thank you," I politely declined, shaking my head.

Caleb smiled, said something I couldn't understand to the woman and she handed him the fish. He took a bite and nodded his head. "Mhm, delicious," he told the woman who smiled proudly at us before we continued on. "This place is amazing." Caleb sighed. I smiled and put my arms around his neck as he held my waist. "You know when I was little when I dreamt of the ground, it was also empty."

"Well, it's clearly not empty," I teased. He chuckled and shook his head, placing a soft kiss on my lips. "Want to look around some more?"

"Sure." He nodded, letting his arms drop to his side.

Turning around rather fast I instantly ran into someone, falling backwards to the ground with a huff. Looking up, a boy about my age was sitting in the dirt in front of me.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, getting up from the floor, dusting off my pants. Putting my hand out to help him next.

"You're Skaikru?" the boy asked, taking my hand.

I nodded as I helped him up. "I'm Ari and this is-" Before I could say anything else I was cut off by Caleb.

"I'm Caleb, her boyfriend," he introduced, shaking his hand. I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness.

The boy with orange hair smiled back at Caleb, not quite picking up on Caleb's tone. "Aden." When they pulled back, Caleb made a point to stand rather close to me, his body tense. "Well, welcome to our capital, we are pleased for your people to be joining us. Would you like me to show you around before the delegation begins?" he asked, folding his hands behind his back.

Caleb looks down at me before declining. "You know, we'd love to but we're actually looking for someone."

"Klaus?"

My eyebrows knitted together as I looked between the two. "How did you know?" I asked.

"Caleb, looks just like him,” Aden answers.

"So I've heard," Caleb mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, his shoulders still tense. Lightly, I hit his shoulder, singling him to take the attitude down a notch.

"Klaus is a part of the delegations representing Trishana. He talks about his time in the mountain and how he had to leave behind a son called Caleb. Everyone knows the story. Every time he gets the chance, he tells it. It's become a popular tale."

Caleb's eyes softened slightly. "Really?"

The boy nodded. "He's a legend around here, being the only one known to escape the Mountain men. As are you, everyone knows of you as the maun nomfa, the Mountain Son."

"Can you take us to him?" I ask.

"Of course, but he won't be here till sun down." I looked at Caleb with a smile but he was frozen with shock to hear his father was only hours away, and he was alive. "You could join me in training while we wait," Aden offered.

"Training for what?"

"Becoming the next Heda," he explained, turning to walk away. I looked at Caleb and he shrugged. We followed Aden to a small clearing where other kids around our age and younger were fighting with actually weapon. "Do you know how to fight?" he asked Caleb, picking up a long wooden staff.

He nodded. "I know a little." Aden handed him his own staff and stood in front of him.

“Please go easy on him.” I say as Aden smiles, going into a fighting stance. Caleb copied the motion and the two began to fight.

Henry, the guard appointed to us, stood next to me and watched. Caleb was doing good at keeping up with Aden. Our training with Bellamy and Lincoln coming in handy. He kept his balance and dodged every hit. The sound of the wood colliding could be heard over and over. Aden swung under Caleb at his legs, causing him to fly backwards. Only stopping when he hit the hard ground.

"Ow," Caleb groaned, holding his back.

"You became too confident," Aden said, helping him up. "Never think you won a battle till you know for sure your opponent is down."

"Easy for you to say you've probably been fighting all your life," Caleb shot back.

"Would you like to try again?" Aden asked.

Caleb nodded. This time Aden was beating Caleb from the moment they began, clearly going easy on him the first time around.

"I got three bullets on the red head," Henry said, leaning closer to me.

"Five on Caleb." I looked up at Henry who shook his head. Within a few seconds Caleb was back on the ground.

"I wasn't ready," Caleb said, making excuses. Sighing I put five bullets in Henry's open hand.

"Alright, my turn." Rubbing my hands together, I took the staff from Caleb, helping him up. I copied Aden, standing like him.

As we began to fight, the sound of the wooden staff hitting each other rang out through the small clearing. At one point I had almost lost my balance but I stood straight up and went to hit Aden in the leg. He jumped over the staff, hitting me in the back and pushing me to the ground hard.

Lying face first in the dirt, Aden stood over me to check if I was okay. I held one of his legs in between my own and twisted over so he fell to the ground as. I climbed over him and held the staff to his neck.

"Don't you know standing over someone is the stupidest thing you can do in a fight?" I ask, "It makes you very vulnerable. I would expect better from a warrior like you," I teased, smiling.

Aden grabbed the staff and flipped us over so he had the upper hand. "Again, too confident." I sighed and gave up.

"Aden, what are you doing?" a woman with long braided hair and face paint asked walking into the clearing.

Quickly, Aden stood up straight, holding his hands behind his back, looking almost nervous. From the symbol on her forehead I recognized this woman to be Lexa Kom Trikru, the Commander.

"I was training with Skaikru," he explained.

Lexa looked down at me and then to Caleb with a small smile.

"You're the ones looking for Klaus."

I nod as Caleb helped me up. "Word gets around easily here doesn't it?" I asked with a light chuckle.

"He has returned and wishes to see you now."

Caleb's eyes widened. “R-right now?”

Lexa gives a single nod, turning and walking towards the Summit building as we followed. After climbing many sets of stairs Lexa showed us to an empty room telling us to wait.

Caleb sat down on one of the chairs, whipping his sweaty palms on his pants. Sitting beside him, I place my hand on his bouncing knee.

“Calm down, everything is going to be okay. He’s gonna love you.”

“But what if he doesn’t? What if this name I’ve been given is too much to live up too? He’s spent years talking me up, being the only person to escape the mountain. What if he sees me and he’s disappointed?”

Holding his hand in mine, I said, “You’re his son. He loves you no matter what. Don’t try to live up to anything. Just be yourself. Be true to who you are. Now take a deep breath. Come on.” He nods, closing his eyes, slowly inhaling and exhaling. “Good. Do you feel better now Hero?”

He shook his head. "Not one bit."

Chuckling, I wrapped him in a hug. We stayed like that for a moment, in each other's embrace until the door opened and someone walked in.

"Son?"

Chapter Text

The man standing before us was tall and muscular with short brown hair. His skin was littered with familiar grounder markings. His eyes were the same shade of forest green as my boyfriend's. If I didn’t know better I would have thought I was looking at Caleb from the future. Out of breath, I'm assuming due to rushing to get to his son, Klaus slowly made his way into the room.

He couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at his son.

"My…last time I saw you, you were this big,” he said, holding his hands out to show for scale. Caleb smiled. "I take it by the recent news of the mountain, that you're the only one left," he questioned, with sad eyes. Caleb nodded his head slowly. "I'm so sorry son." For the first time, Klaus pulled Caleb against him in a nice embrace. “I’m sorry about your mother, she was a great woman.”

Caleb agreed, pulling from the hug. “Yeah, she was.”

"Who is this?" Klaus asked, referring to me.

"Oh, this is Ari, my girlfriend. She's one of Skaikru." Caleb explained, "I've been staying with them since we got out of the mountain."

"Nice to meet you Ari.” He reached for my hand, clasping it. “Thank you, for getting my son out of there and bringing him back to me."

I smiled. "It’s nice to meet you too sir. Why don't I let you two catch up and I'll head up to the delegation." They both nodded their heads smiling.

On the other side of the door, Henry was waiting to take me back to our people. On the top floor the others were waiting for the ceremony to begin. Making it just in time, I stood at the back of the group as a woman with long blond hair tied in a bun stood off to the side of the open room, singing a song known to their culture.

When the doors opened I was surprised to see walk into the room, dressed in a long gown. Her hair had been braided back and markings drawn on her face. This was the first time in three months any of us had seen her as she left, claiming to need time to recover and find herself again after the events of Mount Weather

Walking up to Lexa, she stood before the commander as Wanheda, before bowing down to show her pledge to Lexa. As she did, the representatives of the twelve clans copied her motion, leaving just the Skaikru still standing.

Looking at Kane, he motioned for all of us to bow down too. Staying in the position until the woman finished singing and Lexa spoke.

"Hail warriors of the twelve clans.”

"Hail commander of the blood," everyone responded.

"Rise." We did as told and stood silently as Lexa continued. "We welcome Skaikru to our halls in the spirit of friendship and harmony. And we welcome Clarke Kom Skaikru, legendary Wanheda, mountain slayer. The reason for this summit has changed. We are not here to negotiate a treaty with Skaikru." I looked around, everyone but Kane and Abby seemed as confused as me. "But rather to initiate them into the coalition." This would mean that Skaikru would be the thirteenth clan.

Many mutters of disagreements could be heard around the room from the other representatives. Lexa continued. "To symbolize this Union, the leader of Skaikru must bear our mark."

Abby and Kane looked at each other for a moment. "The honor should be yours," Abby insisted. Kane nodded and walked up to Lexa.

"Present your arm," she ordered.

From the flames of a fire, one of Lexa’s guards pulled out a long stick of metal with the mark of the twelve clans on the end which had turned a bright shade of red. Hesitating for a moment, Kane pulled up his sleeve as the grounder pressed the burning metal to his arm. Branding their symbol into his forearm.

Looking away, I cringed at the smell of burning flesh. They couldn’t have given him a tattoo?

At that moment, the door burst open. Bellamy, Octavia, and a man named Pike all ran into the room with their guns drawn and holding one of the guards hostage.

"What is the meaning of this!?" The guy next to Lexa yelled.

"The summits a trap," Bell said, throwing his hostage to the ground. "We need to get you out of here," he says to Clarke.

"What the hell is going on?" Clarke asked Lexa, anger lacing her voice.

"I don't know,” the commander responds.

"It's the Ice Nation," Bellamy explained.

One of the representatives from Ice Nation yelled out in anger. "These allegations are an outrage! The Ice Nation never stormed this summit with weapons, breaking our laws, that was the Skaikru."

I reached for my gun, cursing at my empty holster. Remembering that Kane made me leave it behind.

"We're right about this. The two guards you left behind are dead already. We need to go now!" Pike said.

In the past week, Bellamy and Monty had returned from their mission with Kane, bringing back the surviving members of Farm Station. When the Ark first landed, contact with Farm Station had been severed, making the assumption that they were all dead. Only they weren’t, at least some of them weren’t. Thankfully my mother was not one of these survivors. She was dead.

With not much space to house these survivors, Abby made the decision to move them into Mount Weather. A plan Kane did not agree with, fearing our alliance with the grounders.

"How did you come by this information?" Lexa asked. I turned to the group as they glanced around confused, looking for someone who wasn’t there.

"Where the hell is Echo?" Octavia asked.

"What is going on, where the hell is she?" Bellamy asked after a few moments of silence.

"Bell, maybe we were wrong about this," Octavia suggested.

"I don't understand."

Kane walked over to the group and took Bell's gun. "Stand down," He ordered sharply. Everyone did as told, looking down ashamed.

"Bellamy, Bellamy come in." Raven said through the radio at the man's side, sounding distraught, "The grounders attacked Mount Weather." My heart sank to my stomach knowing there were innocent people in there.

"What are you talking about?" Bellamy asked, his voice shaky.

"It's gone, it's gone. They're all gone, Sinclair and I are the only ones left. I'm so sorry," Raven sobbed.

Bellamy's face became pale. His girlfriend Gina had been one of the volunteers to help get Farm Station settled. If everyone was gone, that meant she was too. Mutters of uncertainty floated around the room.

"You should've never moved your people back into Mount Weather. The Ice Nation did what Lexa was too weak to do." One of the representatives of Ice Nation spat at us.

They did this…Ice Nation killed innocent people to make some statement?

Lexa’s face hardened with anger. "This is an act of War. Sentries, arrest the Ice Nation delegation! Including the prince.” The guards did as told, grabbing the threats by their arms and pulling them out of the room.

"We need to get home," Abby says to Kane, "If they attacked Mount Weather, Arkadia could be next."

Lexa nods, stepping in down from her stand. "Go. Marshal your forces. We'll avenge the attack together."

"I'll escort them," Indra offered, walking with us.

"Clarke we need to leave," Bellamy said.

"We need an ambassador from the thirteenth clan to stay here in Polis," Lexa explained.

"It's not safe here."

"Clarke will be safe here under my protection."

I turned to Kane, tuning out the fight between the two. "We need to get Caleb, he's with Klaus, his father.”

With a sigh, he nods. "Go with Henry, get him, we will wait for you.”

Not thinking twice, I ran out of the room, Henry right behind.

They sat beside each other, deep in a conversation that I hated to interrupt. "Caleb we need to leave, there's been an attack on Mount Weather by Ice Nation.”

"What, is everyone okay?" he asked, standing.

“What happened?” Klaus followed suit.

I shook my head. "I'll explain on the way out, come on." I grabbed his wrist, but he pulled away. "What are you doing, we have to go now, Kane's waiting for us.”

"Ari, wait. I was going to tell you," he started, scratching the back of his neck, not looking me in the eyes.

Worried, I ask, "Tell me what?"

"I'll leave you two, to talk," Klaus said, clearing his throat and walking out of the room.

"Caleb?"

He took my hands, looking down. "I'm staying here, with Klaus."

Shaking my head, panic instantly filled my chest. "No, no you can't." He held my hands tighter.

"I have to, this is where I belong."

“Ice Nation just attacked us for moving into Mount Weather. What do you think they’re gonna do when they find out you’re from there? They’re gonna tear you apart. No, you have to come back.” I was frantically trying to convince him.

Gently he cupped my face. “No they won't, Klaus will speak for me. He won't let anything happen. I belong with my father. Let's be honest, Ar, I was never happy in Arkadia."

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. "You weren't happy?" I asked.

He shook his head, biting down on his bottom lip. "Of course with you I was, but other than that I hated that place, always having to be behind the fence and never being able to leave except once or twice a week," he admitted. “Everyone looking at me like I was the one killing people in Mount Weather.”

"It will change, I'll talk to Kane and Abby. I can make it different."

He sighed. "I have to do this for me," he explained. “I know Bellamy’s a great guy…but every time I see him, I’m reminded that he helped kill my baby sister, my friends, everyone I ever knew. It kills me to be reminded of it every day.”

"Wh-what about us?" I asked, my lip trembled and my eyes burned from holding back hot tears.

"You're better off without me." His voice cracked, wiping away a tear that ran down my face with his soft thumb.

"No, no I'm not. Please don't leave me." He grabbed my wrist and pulled off his bracelet he had gotten the week prior and slid it onto my arm.

"So you don't forget me." He said, smiling through his tears and kissing my forehead. I knew he was trying to put on a brave face for me.

"I could never forget my hero," I sobbed, resting my head on his.

"This isn't goodbye forever, okay? Just for now.” I nodded my head giving him one final kiss. "May we meet again," he wept, his voice cracking as he wrapped me in a hug. I smiled, breathing in his scent.

"May we meet again." We pulled apart and I walked out of the room, not looking back once as I made my way out of the tall tower, Henry at my back, choosing not to question my tears or the lack of Caleb’s presence.

"Where's Caleb?" Kane asked as I got outside.

"He's not coming," I answered, wiping my face of tears.

Chapter Text

With no motivation to stick to my routine I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I hadn’t moved since we got back to Arkadia the day before, there was no reason for me to. Not until my training shift later in the day.

A sudden knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts but I didn’t move. "Come in!" I yelled. The door opened to reveal Macallan balancing a tray of food and a cup of water.

"I thought you might be hungry," he explained, placing the dishes down on my desk.

"Thanks," I mumbled, sitting up but still not getting out of bed.

"The memorial for Mount Weather is today," he said, leaning back on my desk and crossing his arms.

I nodded. "And?"

"Are you going?" I shook my head. "Why not?"

Shrugging I said, "I don't want to."

"Come on Ari, you've been in here all day. You need to go outside, get some vitamin D."

"I'd rather not." Laying back in my bed I pulled the blanket up over my head.

Not taking no for an answer, Macallan ripped the blanket off my body. “Hey! How do you know I wasn’t naked or something!”

"It's time you get up," he ordered, grabbing my arm.

"No, Mac, let me stay here please," I begged, flopping backwards. He shook his head, lifting me up and throwing me over his shoulder. "Macallan!" I screeched, hitting his back over and over.

"Don't fight it Ari, let it happen." He sighed, going to walk out the door.

"I don't even have shoes!"

He stopped in place and looked behind him at my floor, thinking for a moment. "You'll be fine," he said and continued to walk outside. Passing by guards as we went.

“Hello! Is no one going to do anything about this kidnapping?”

“She’s not being kidnapped!” Macallan yelled back.

“Yes I am! I am being forced against my will!” He set me down on the cold ground and I groaned as the mud from the morning’s rain squished under my feet. "You could've at least grabbed my shoes."

"You're tough, you'll get over it." He smiled.

With a sigh, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Well I guess you'll just have to carry me everywhere then."

Shugging, he turned his back to me, bending down slightly. With a small smile, I jumped on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck as he held my legs. Within a minute we were walking into the large open room where the memorial was being held. We took seats in the back. Waiting for it to begin.

“Ariella Coyne.” Looking up, I see Charles Pike standing before me.

“Mr. Pike?” Our families knew each other, being from the same station.

“I haven't been able to speak to you since my return to Arkadia. I wanted to deeply apologize for your mothers death. She was a good woman.”

My muscles tensed at the mention of my mother. His words were lies but he couldn’t have known. To the outside world, Cordelia Coyne was a picture perfect mother who struggled with drinking after the death of her husband. Behind closed doors however, she was my worst nightmare.

Once I remember a particularly bad morning. I knocked a metal cup off the table and it crashed to the ground. The noise wasn’t even that loud, but to my mother who had the worst hangover I had ever seen, it might as well have been a bomb going off. It took weeks for the bruises to go away. But of course, I couldn’t tell Pike that. So I simply smiled and thanked him with a slight nod.

When he walked away a shiver ran up my spine, causing me to shudder and wrap my arms around myself.

"Are you cold?" Macallan asked.

"Considering I was forced out of bed without even a pair of socks, ye Macallan. I’m cold,” I sassed.

"Here." He began to pull his jacket off.

I shook my head. "No Mac-"

"I insist."

I wasn’t going to protest anymore, as he hung the grey jacket over my shoulders. It was his fault I was cold in the first place.

The memorial began with a speech from Pike. "All that certain is we die," he started. "How we die is up to us. Who will speak for Iris Jones?"

Miller's boyfriend, Bryan, stood up slowly and walked to the front of the room, his head hung low, looking down at a small pocket knife he held in his hand.

"Iris was strong. Good with a knife, she saved my life." He spoke, his voice cracking. "I'm just sorry I couldn't do the same for her." He flipped open the knife and put it on the memorial that was set up at the front.

Pike made his way back to the front of the room. "Iris will be missed. May we meet again."

"May we meet again," Everyone repeated.

"Who will speak for Gina Martin?" I held my breath unknowingly as Bellamy stood up from his seat in the front, hesitantly facing everyone.

Macallan gave my shoulder a squeeze and flashed me a weak smile that I returned. Bellamy took a second before he began to speak.

"Gina was real. She always saw the light, even here." He spoke looking down at the old torn book in his hand. "She deserved better." He placed the book next to the knife. "May we meet again," he mumbled.

Suddenly the doors opened and members of Pike’s farm stations group made their way towards the man. Whispering to him.

"What's happening?" I asked nobody in particular.

"I don't know," Mac answered. His body tensed, not taking his eyes off the group.

Pike muttered something to Kane and Abby, as the rest of us sat there confused. "You gave a grounder one of our radios?" Pike asked much louder, grasping the attention of the room.

"Sir are we under attack?" Hannah, Monty's mother asked. A wave of worry flew over the crowds as everyone began to stand.

"No, we are not under attack.” Kane clarified. “The commander sent a peacekeeping force, to ensure we can defend against any further attack from the Ice Nation."

"Peace keeping force? Even you can't be that naïve, Marcus," Pike mocked, raising his voice.

"Watch your tone," Abby scolded, "You're talking to your next Chancellor. We're all grieving. This has been hard on all of us. But we can't let anger drive out policy."

Pike grew obviously aggravated as he stood straight. "Anger is our policy," he spat. "If they're here to defend us, as you say, then tell them to go home!" he yelled, standing up on a chair. "We can defend ourselves!"

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered back.

"You!" a man barked pointing at Lincoln who stood in the back of the room. "You don't belong here." The room turned its attention to the grounder in Skaikru clothing. "My boy is dead!" The man screamed, throwing something across the room. Only when the object struck Lincoln in the head, I was able to see it was a hard rock. The incident caused an all out riot. People from Farm station pushing and shoving, fists flying as the guards tried to break up the fighting.

Through the chaos, I ran after Lincoln. “You okay?" I asked, over the commotion.

It only stopped when Pike said so. "We do not attack our own!" he screamed as if everyone in the room were children being scolded. "Fighting each other only makes us weak. The enemy is not in this camp. The enemy is out there."

Blood ran down the side of Lincoln's head. Abby attempted to take a closer look, but the grounder pushed his hands away.

"I'm fine," he lied, turning his back to her.

"Lincoln, you need to go to Medical," she tried to tell him as he walked outside.

"I got this." I told her, following after him. Outside I found him kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain before hitting the wall he was leaned up against multiple times. "Woah, you alright?" I asked kneeling down next to him.

He put his hand to his wounded head and nodded. Taking a deep breath. "Get knocked down, get back up again," he said standing up, triumphantly.

"Come on, I'll help you to Medical." Putting his arm around me.

But he refused, pushing me away, just like he did Abby. The last thing he wanted was to appear weak by getting help from a 13-year-old girl. With a sigh, I turned to check the position of the sun for the time of day. It was past noon which meant I was late for my training.

After rushing to our usual spot, Bellamy was nowhere to be seen. Thinking about it for a moment, he probably wasn’t up to training after losing a person he had come to care for. “James,” I called out to one of the guards. “Where’s Bellamy?”

“He quit.”

Confused, I asked, “What do you mean he quit?”

“He handed in his guards jacket to Kane and said he was done. I’m in charge of training you now.” His smile was misplaced. He was a nineteen year old kid who didn’t know his left from his right and he was the one who was supposed to be training me in how to fight?

“You?” He nods. “Why did Bellamy quit?”

Offended by questions he crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t know, I’m not Bellamy, go ask him.” Turning to leave, I stopped when James called back to me. “Hey! Where are your shoes?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, turning to look for Bellamy.

Eventually, I found him in the bar, sitting at a table with Pike, sharing a drink.

“Bellamy Blake.” He turns over his shoulder to look at me after taking a shot.

“Ariella Coyne.”

Standing at the end of the table between the two men I cross my arms over my chest. “Imagine my surprise when I showed up to training only to find out you resigned and James is training me now? James of all people? He once ran over his own foot. Do you really trust him to teach me how to survive?”

“I’m not in charge of assigning the next person to train you.”

“Okay, fair. But why aren’t you training me? Why did you resign?” He doesn’t answer, instead, her takes another shot that the bartender places on the table for each of them. Turning my back to Pike, I lowered my voice. “Is this about Gina and Mount Weather?”

Again he doesn’t respond but Pike does. “Are you supposed to be here? Drinking age is 18. You have a few more years left till you’re there.”

Raising a brow I turn to him slowly. “I’m mature for my age,” I say before turning back to Bellamy.

“You’re not even wearing shoes. Listen,” he begins again, not caring that I turned my back to him. “Adults are talking, why don’t you see Bellamy tomorrow.”

The oldest Blake let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. He understood that Pike had just opened the door to the wrong house.

Bewildered by Pike’s confidence to speak to me like that, I turned to fully face him with a glare, opening my mouth to argue but Bellamy quickly stood, grabbing my wrist and pulling me away from the table and towards the door.

“Can you believe he just said that? As if I didn’t risk my life daily on the ground before the adults even go here.”

“Ari-”

“I mean seriously, I never liked the guy but come one.”

“Ari!” Bellamy said sternly, causing me to shut my mouth. “I need you to go back to your room and stay there please. No matter what you hear.”

The words caused a knot in my stomach. “Wha-what are you talking about? I have my first training shift on watch tonight. Remember, I was supposed to be shadowing you. I can’t skip that.”

“Please.”

“Bellamy what is going on? Why did you quit the guard?” I was pleading with him now. Begging for some kind of answer.

His eyes were bloodshot from the alcohol and he refused to look me in the eyes. “I can’t protect anyone. I can’t train you if I can’t protect you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I shake my head in disbelief. “Seriously Bell, I’m worried about you. Do you really think Mount Weather was your fault?”

He doesn’t respond to my question. Instead he rocks on his heels. “I can’t…” He lets out a shaky sigh. “I can’t look out for you anymore.”

I take a step back, brows knitting together in confusion. “What?” All children under the age of 16 have to have some type of guardian they report to, someone considered to be their next of kin to make medical decisions in cases where they can’t. Someone to give permission to do things like join the guard. We aren’t considered “mentally able” to make those choices yet. Bellamy was that guardian for me since both my parents were dead. He took the responsibility when we arrived back at Arkadia, volunteered for it. Him saying this, was basically him abandoning me.

“I can’t protect you, I can’t protect anyone.” Tears were pooling in my eyes. “I think we should talk to Hannah about becoming your guardian.” Monty’s mother?

He couldn’t do this to me. First Caleb and now him? I guess I’m just not worth keeping around. “Right…” I nod, looking away. “Right yeah, uh okay.” I wiped a stray tear. “Thanks for the head’s up.”

“Ari-” he reached out to grab my wrist but I ripped away.

“No. Work through your shit first, then come talk to me.” Storming back to my room, I tried not to let the tears fall but there was no use in keeping them in, not when the man who months ago said the words “Like it or not, I’m responsible for you.”

Slamming the door behind me, I let the tears rain out, flowing down my cheeks. It shouldn’t hurt this bad. Bellamy had a lot to work through alone but I couldn’t help the feeling that he was leaving me to fend for myself.

I continued to cry as I cleaned the caked on dirt and mud from my feet. “Just keep pushing. Ari. You got this. You don’t need him.” I tried to hype myself up. My entire life I have been on my own, taking care of myself until the ground. I could take care of myself again. Which is why I decided not to give up. I was still going on my first training shift. I would find someone else to shadow. I didn’t need Bellamy.

Pulling myself together, I got dressed in my guard uniform and pulled on my boots, lacing them up tight. Grabbing my gun on the way out. Civilians weren’t authorized to carry weapons in the walls but guards were. Since I was in training I was only authorized to own a handgun, but even then, only during training times.

I found Harper and Monreo at the gate. Harper smiled down at me. “Hey Ari, I heard its your first official training shift.”

“Yup,” I nod. “But there was a problem. I was supposed to shadow Bellamy today but he kinda…”

“Resigned?” Monroe finished.

“Exactly. So I was wondering if I could shadow one of you?”

“Of course!” Harper agreed. “First, we usually go to the armory to get our gear but we have an extra rifle you can use.”

“You’ve been trained to use it right?” Monroe asked.

I nod. “Yeah Bellamy has been teaching me how to shoot the past few months.”

“Great! Now comes the fun part.”

“The fun part?”

“Yup.” Harper grins, back up into the spot she originally was. “We get to stand here and watch people for the next six hours.”

“Oh…” Right, I hadn’t realized how boring keeping watch would be. When Bellamy said I could join the guard, I figured it would be more like what he did, going out past the gate and fighting. Just a bit more action then this.

But then again have you ever heard the saying ‘be careful what you wish for’?

On hour five, the sun had fully set and my feet were on fire but my conversation with Harper and Monroe was helping the time go by.

“I guess I can’t blame him for staying behind, I would too if I found out my father was alive.”

“But you’re still mad at him?” Harper concluded.

“Yeah. I’ve known him longer than his father has. Would you be mad if someone broke up with you for their father?” The words came out wrong but they understood what I meant.

Their chuckles were interrupted when the guards around us began muttering and turning in the direction of a group of eleven walking our way, guns in their hands. Bellamy took the lead with Pike and others from Farm Station right behind.

Lincoln was making his way in front of us when the group appeared. Taking it upon himself to help cover whatever the hell was happening.

Bellamy stepped forward, as did we.

"You need to step aside, right now," he said, mono toned, looking between the four of us.

"What are the guns for?" I asked, through gritted teeth.

"There's an army out there. We need to hit them before they hit us," Bellamy tried to explain.

"That army was sent here to protect us," Lincoln spat, giving the man a stone-cold glare.

Pike took a few steps forward. "Do we have a problem?"

"No," Bellamy lies. "I have always done what's best for us. I need you to trust that I am doing that now."

He was almost convincing. Almost right. Since we got to the ground, Bellamy had looked out for all of us, making decisions for the better of our people. But now…I knew that wasn’t the case. Had he not abandoned me hours ago, I may have agreed but currently, I was bitter and prepared to go against anything the man standing before me wanted. But Harper and Monroe weren’t me, they didn’t have the same relationship with Bellamy that I had. So when he turned to them with pleading eyes, they stood down, moving out of the way.

"Sorry Lincoln."

Bell looked down at me with his tortured eyes. "Ari?"

I shook my head, shifting slightly and crossing my arms, standing beside Lincoln Proudly.

"You wanna prove you're one of us, let us pass," Pike said, getting closer.

Lincoln and I shared a glance and he shook his head. "I'm not moving."

“Me either. Honestly, Bellamy, since when is killing innocent people okay?”

“They’re not innocent. They killed thirty-five of our people. Your people. People from Farm Station,” Pike defends trying to tap into some loyal part of me but the last people I would ever be loyal to was Farm Station.

“Thirty-five?” I nod. “So you think murdering 300 would even the playing field?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” the man that attacked Lincoln earlier yelled. “You’re just a child.”

“Even a child knows that killing 300 people sent to protect us would not sit right with the grounders. How dumb can you get?”

Angered by my words the man raised his gun to my head. "Get out of the way."

“Hey!” Bellamy yells, reaching out to grab the man's gun but Lincoln gets there first. He pulled the gun from the man and hit him in the face with the butt of it, before grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around, placing a knife close to his face.

The others raised their weapons at us, ready to shoot if necessary. I returned the response, raising my own gun, stepping beside the grounder.

Putting his arms out, Bellamy yelled for the other to stand down. "Guns down!"

"Do as he says," Pike ordered. I didn’t compile with either of them. They weren’t my chancellor or my guardian. Not anymore.

The others groaned in annoyance, doing as told and lowering their guns. "So much for the good grounder." Hannah muttered.

"Lincoln put down the knife," Bellamy said softly. "No one has to get hurt here." He began to move closer, raising his hand slightly. I noticed his motions and quickly trained my rifle at his chest.

“Don’t come any closer,” I ordered. Bellamy’s eyes widened with shock, looking down at the barrel of the gun.

"I can't let you start a war,” Lincoln muttered, shakily.

"We're already at war, we've been at war,” Pike spat.

“You can't stop this,” Bellamy adds.

"All unstationed security personnel report to the main gate," A voice says over the speakers.

Octavia ran past the group, up to Lincoln, looking back at her brother confused. "What's wrong with you?" she asked.

In seconds we were surrounded by guards, guns drawn. Kane and Abby made their way over.

"Calm down people. Farm station, guns on the ground," Pike ordered.

Kane looked at the sight in front of him confused. "Lincoln, it's alright let 'em go," he said with a nod. “Lower your gun.” I did as told and sighed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Abby asked the men.

"What you didn't have the guts to," Pike snapped.

Looking at the multiple weapons on the ground, Kane turned to Bellamy in disbelief. "Did you arm these people?"

The older Blake nodded, not saying a word.

"Guards take them to lock up now!" Abby ordered. The guards still on their side began to zip tie the traders hands behind their back and walk them to their cell. "Everybody back to your quarters, it's over!"

Pike yells, "Nothing is over. We are surrounded by warriors who want us dead!"

"That's enough-"

"No it isn't!” He cuts Kane off, fighting against his zipties. “Not even close! Why don't you show us all what you let the grounders do to you yesterday. Come on Kane. I think the people who are about to vote for you, have a right to know."

Without shame, Kane rolled up his sleeve showing the crowd the mark he was giving yesterday. "It's the mark of the Commander's coalition. It means we are the 13th clan. It means we are in this fight together," he tried to explain."

Pike wouldn't stop though, only making things worse, "No. It's what farmers used to do with their livestock. Right before the slaughterhouse!"

Everyone mutters to each other, unapproving. Wondering if what this man was saying could be true.

"Pike for Chancellor!" Someone from the crowd.

"Sir, you should be on the ballot tomorrow,” the same goddam man that held a gun to me just seconds ago said. I shook my head, gripping the gun by my side tighter. Debating if putting a bullet in Pikes head was to save us all later or make him a martyr.

"That's enough. Take 'em away," Abby ordered.

A chill ran up my spine as the crowd began to chant for Pike, shouting his name over and over.

Chapter Text

"Y-you can't be serious?" I asked, shocked. Lincoln nods, his own anger evident on his face. "Pike won the election? How did Pike win the election?!" I ran my hand through my tangled mess of hair, lost for words at how stupid Arkadians have to be to think this was the right way to go? "And there's nothing we can do?" He shook his head. “Octavia you have to talk to Bellamy, get him to see this isn’t okay,” I beg the girl.

“I can’t even get close to him, Pike won’t let me.”

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I can’t help but fear what this means for our future with the grounders. We’ve been through war before, we can’t do it again.

Macallan sat down beside me, squeezing my shoulder lightly. “Maybe it won't be so bad?”

“His second decree as Chancellor was rejecting the branding of the 13th clan,” Octavia informed us. “The third, was finishing what they started.”

“What? They’re going?”

Ocatavia nods. “They left hours ago, Kane just told me.”

"I can't believe Bellamy would do this.”

The younger Blake agrees. “Yeah…me either.”

The next morning, I got out of bed early, sleep never coming to me. The sun had barely risen as I got dressed and made my way outside. The morning fog and a cool breeze made me shiver. They would be back any minute now.

"Hey," I mumbled, sitting beside Octavia as she added wood to the fire.

"Well you look like crap," she said honestly, making me chuckle.

I nodded, letting out a yawn as I did so. "Yeah, well sleep is hard when you can only think about your inevitable death," I explained, rubbing my tired eyes.

"I can see that, I mean did you even bother with your hair?" She reaches to touch a strand my brown waves.

"Okay, okay. I look horrible, I get it." I swatted her hand away.

"Holy shit, they're back." Octavia gasped. Her face went pale as the front gate opened wide to reveal Pike and his group of people close behind, covered in blood, including Bellamy.

My gaze followed hers. I watched intently as they made their way into camp, heads held high, proud of the army they had just massacred. One person stood out from the rest however, Bellamy Blake was a stark contrast to the others. The blood on his hands more visible to himself than anyone else, his head hung low like the gun at his side. The horror of what they had just done was prevalent on his face.

"Lock it up," Pike ordered the guard. A crowd of concerned citizens formed. "Everybody listen up!" he shouted, standing on a stool. "24 hours ago you elected me your Chancellor. Every action I've taken since, and every action I will take, is to achieve one sacred goal: the creation of a self-sustaining prosperous and safe Arkadia."

Folding my arms over my chest, I watched a mass murder stand before me and give a speech about the good he did.

"This morning, on the muddy field, our people paid tribute to those who have been taken from us by sending a message to the grounders." He paused for dramatic effect. "This land is ours now!" Many threw their hands up and cheered. "Resist and you will be met by force. Fight, and you will be greeted by death! Today is a new beginning. Mark it down, remember it just like the grounders will remember it." The crowd surrounding Pike cheered for their new leader, not realizing the actual damage of the situation.

I suddenly felt a pair of eyes burning in the back of my head, I followed the feeling turning to see Bellamy watching Octavia and I. Shaking my head, I turned and stormed away not caring to hear the rest of Pike’s speech.

My morning run was long, lapping Arcadia's radius 10 times before finally taking a moment to rest. Needing to clear my head, running helped to do this the best for me. On my sixth lap, my mind drifted to Caleb and what his life was like in Polis. I wonder what he thought of us now, Arkadia, after our people killed 300 of his.

Maybe he was right to leave. Our perceptions of Skaikru were different at the time, but now I am seeing a side to my people that I hadn’t before. A side Caleb saw when his people were eradicated in Mount Weather by Clarke and Bellamy. A piece of me wonders if he saw this coming, predicted it somehow.

My pace slowed to a halt when I noticed Macallan watching me from afar. “Don’t you know starring is rude?” I ask, between breaths.

“I wasn’t staring, I was waiting,” he responded.

“For?”

“Well, I have some interesting news you may want to hear over some breakfast.”

Hands on my hips, I let out a sigh. “God I don’t think I could take anymore news today. What is it?”

“It might be better if I just show you.” Macallan led me around the corner of the ship and pointed to a small group of people gathered around someone I thought was dead.

“Jaha?!” My mouth dropped in shock. “What the hell is going on?”

Crossing his arms with a slight smile, Mac explained, “Apparently for the past three months he spent his time in the City of Light, a place with no pain or fear. He arrived this morning just after Pike got back. He’s been preaching about this place ever since. It’s been pretty fascinating.”

Getting a bit closer, Mac and I were able to listen in on Jaha’s sermon. "We all have pain. Some of it is physical, some is mental. Living with the loss of our loved ones." Jaha explained. "If you think about it, whether we fight that pain or succumb to it, the result is the same. It diminishes our lives. Robs us of our passions and pastimes and damages relationships between friends and loved ones. What if I told you there's a simple way to eliminate that pain?" he asked.

From a few feet away, someone spoke up, "I'd say you're full of crap." Turning my head I watched as Raven Rayes limped over to the small group. "There's no 'simple way to eliminate pain' and you know it," she said looking right at Jaha.

"This can make it go away." He smiled, holding out a small chip. I crossed my arms and watched the scene unfold. Raven scoffed and shook her head. "The key to the city of light. To your salvation and relief."

"Okay, and you're telling these people what? That they swallow that and they'll be living in a happy town for the rest of their lives?" Raven snapped.

Whispering to Mac, I said, “This can’t be real?”

“I don’t know, Jaha seems to really be buying into this.”

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Raven sighed, turning and limping away as did the rest of the small group, leaving the former Chancellor alone.

"She's not ready," Jaha mumbled to himself.

Mac and I shared a confused glance before Jaha walked off to find another ground to preach too.

Half way through lunch, Octavia came up to the table Mac and I were eating at. “Hey, I hate to interrupt but Ari, could I steal you for a minute.”

“What's going on?” I ask, putting down my cup of water.

She glanced over at Macallan for a moment before her eyes found mind again. “Just some girl stuff. I’ll explain on the way.”

Confused, I agree, promising Mac I would meet up with him later. "Alright what are we doing?" I asked as we left the dining room.

"I need you to stay here and be a look out," Octavia ordered, pushing me against a wall unexpectedly.

"Um, look out for who exactly?" I questioned, feeling the need to whisper due to her quiet behavior, but she didn’t answer, pulling out her sword and rushing to hide down a different hallway.

Suddenly two voices came into hearing distance, both were very easy to identify. "Bellamy, you don't have to do this?" That was Clarks’ voice. Which shocked me because she was supposed to be in Polis as Skaikru’s representative. It made sense that she would come though, after everything that was going on.

"Believe it or not I'm doing this for your own good," Bellamy mumbled to Clarke.

"Believe it or not," Octavia said, grabbing the guard Bellamy was with. "I'm doing this-" she kneed him in the stomach. "-For yours." She finished throwing him to the ground.

With wide eyes, Bellamy stared at his sister. "Wha- You can't just hit a guard!" he scolded.

"I just did," she spat. "Let her go."

"I can't do that."

From down the hall, I heard others coming and quickly warned Octavia. "Their coming."

"You should go," Bellamy said to us, not paying attention as Clarke grabbed a shock lash from his pocket, tuning it on and hitting him with it. Bellamy fell to the ground trying to catch his breath as Clarke grabbed the keys from his belt, unlocking her cuffs.

"Follow me," Octavia said, grabbing my wrist. I ran behind the two, leaving Bellamy behind as Octavia led us down the hall and to a small room Abby and Kane were in.

Relieved, Clarke wrapped Abby in a hug. "Mom."

"We know what happened, we know what Pike did. Is there anything we can do to prevent a retaliation?" Abby asked her daughter.

"Hurry." Kane ordered, opening a secret passageway.

"We came here to give them Pike." Octavia explained. I looked around at the group, wondering why I was being included.

Kane shook his head. "He's the duly elected Chancellor. Our people knew what they were voting for."

"Besides, he has the guards and all the guns, you can't get close to him," I chimed in.

"And that's not the way we do things," Abby reminded.

"Then maybe it's time to change the way we do things," O suggested.

The room grew silent and I felt like it was a good time to ask them why I was here exactly. "You know, this is great and all but why am I here?"

Kane turned to me. "Octavia told us you’re a good look out, you know how to hide and move without getting a cough, and you're fast and smart. We need that.”

"Security breach, lock down commencing." An announcement says.

"You need to go now." Kane looked at us.

"What about Lincoln?" Octavia asked.

"You want to help him, do it from the outside, with this," Kane said, handing a radio to her. "Stay close and wait for me to contact you, now go." The three of us climbed into a crawl space that led to the outside and Kane shut the small door behind us.

What the hell did I get myself into?

Chapter Text

CALEB'S POV

Sweat ran down my face as I stared up at the blue sky. My chest aches as I took in deep breaths, trying to obtain as much oxygen as my body would allow. "Again," Aden ordered, standing tall over me.

With a groan, I pulled myself to a sitting position. "We've been fighting for hours, man. Can we take a break?"

He shook his head. "Warriors don't take breaks."

"You seem to forget, I'm new to this 'warrior' thing." Aden chuckled and held out his hand to help me up. My father had been pushing me to attend these training sessions with Aden. Sighting that when he was my age he was much more advanced in fighting skills. He wanted me to be just like him and I didn't blame Klaus for that. I just wished he realized I wasn't a prodigy. Sure I picked up on fighting pretty fast but it was going to take more than a few weeks for me to become a skilled warrior.

"I don't know how you do this all day long," I complained, wiping the sweat from my face.

"You get used to it after a while. I've been training like this my whole life. I have to if I want to win." He sighed, picking up one of the long bamboo sticks.

"Win what exactly?" I asked, kneeling on the ground, tying my shoelace.

"If Lexa were to die today, all the nightbloods would fight each other till there is one victor. That nightblood, if the Commander's spirit was to choose them, would take her place as Heda," he explained. "And Lexa thinks that's going to be me."

"Damn those are some heavy shoes to fill."

Aden nods his head. "Sometimes I think I'm not good enough," he admitted, sitting down beside me.

"Dude, you're the best out of all the nightbloods. You are definitely good enough to be Heda," I assured him. He sighed and nodded slightly. "Let's go again," I said standing up. He gave me a weak smile as I held my hand out to help him up. "Come on, teach me something I can show Klaus once the army gets back from the peacekeeping force."

Aden obliged, standing up and instantly went to throw a punch. I dodged the hit, grabbing his wrists and twisting it around his back pushing him forward. Aden looked back at me with a slight smirk, picking up two bamboo sticks off the ground and throwing one over to me. I grabbed it with my right hand and stood in the fighting passion Klaus had taught me.

Since the peacekeeping army had gone to help protect Skaikru from Ice Nation, I had sort of missed my father. It had only been a few days of knowing him before he was sent off, promising to train me as soon as he got back. Which should be soon since Lexa defeated the Ice Queen and sent the Ice Nation Delegation packing.

Aden and I charged at each other. The two sticks clashing together, echoing in the clearing, a smirk across both our faces. Spinning to my left, swinging the staff, I aimed for his legs. He was quick though. Jumping over my staff and swinging his own over my head, leaving me with a small window to duck down, kicking his leg from under him.

Jumping right back up, Aden hit me with the stick, knocking me onto my back. When I went to get back up, he held the bamboo stick in front of me at my throat.

"Alright alright, you win," I sighed, defeatedly, grabbing his held out hand to help me up.

"Boy's." Kennedy, my fathers second, walked up to us, hands held behind his back. A solemn look edged across his face.

"Yes sir?" I asked, rubbing my hands together to wipe off the dirt.

"I think you have had enough training for the day." Aden and I shared a concerned glance. Usually we would train till sun down, but it was only just midday.

"Is that all?" Aden questioned.

Kennedy shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I have terrible news."

My muscles tense as his eyes never leave mine. "What's wrong?"

"The army Lexa has sent to protect the Skaikru–"

"What happened?" I questioned before he was able to finish. My heart beat increased as I waited for him to answer.

"I'm sorry to tell you this Caleb, but the army has been killed." I dropped the bamboo stick to the ground, a pit forming in my stomach. "Everyone of them, including Klaus." Aden looked over to me as I stood completely still. "I'm sorry." Kennedy said again.

"Who did this?" I asked, through gritted teeth.

Kennedy took a moment to think, wondering if it was right to tell me or not. "It was Skaikru. It seems they took the army as a threat and not protection."

The world began to spin. The people they were sent to protect were the ones to kill them. How screwed up could this get?

"Is there anything I can do?" Kennedy asked.

Shaking my head, I slowly took a few steps backward. "No, you're free to go." I answered. Kennedy nodded and walked away leaving me and Aden alone.

"Caleb?" Aden asked.

I shook my head and walked away from the clearing going through the forest, only stopping when I thought I was far enough away from Polis. Leaning my head against a tree, I sighed, trying not to let the tears pour. Pulling my fist back, my knuckles collided with the tree bark three times in a row. Bits chipped off as I went. Only realizing how bad of an idea it was afterwards when the pain seared through me.

Leaning my back against the tree, I let out a wail and slid down the bark, pulling my knees to my chest. My knuckles bruised and bled from the abuse I inflicted on the tree. If I didn't know any better I would say my hand was broken, but that pain wouldn't reach me till much later. As of right now, the only pain I could feel came from the grief of losing someone.

The hole in my chest had only grown now as everyone I loved was gone, my mother, step-father and sister are dead, and now so is my father, the only reason I left Arkadia was for Klaus and he's gone and I'll probably never see Ari again.

Next to grief, I felt anger. Anger at the people who had done this to a peacekeeping force. I struggled to fit in during my time in Arkadia but I never thought they would do something like this.

Chapter Text

Perched in a tall tree above ground, I watched as two guards from Farm Station collected samples from the ground and river.

"Pike's detail is still at it, soil and water samples," Octavia informed into her earpiece.

"Any idea what they're up to? Ari?" Kane asked.

"No, but considering they are heavily armed, I don't think they want anyone to find out," I explained, quietly. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a young boy, a few years younger than me, appear from the tree line, splashing through the river. "Crap," I muttered.

"What?" Kane asked.

"There's a grounder kid near you O," I explained, hoping she'd understand what I was saying.

"I see him hold on."

"Hello there," Hannah yelled out to the little boy, who jumped in fright. Not expecting other people to be around. "Don't be scared."

Shawn, the other guard, slowly grabbed the gun that was tucked under his arm.

"Octavia, Ari, please respond."

We both stayed silent, holding our breath as we tried to come up with a plan. Out of fear, the kid took off in the direction he came. Hannah and Shawn went running after him.

"Are you there?" Kane asked again.

I watched as Octavia jumped over the fallen tree she was hidden behind to go after them. I did my best to keep up with Octavia and the kid, climbing through the tree’s going unnoticed on the ground, but I lost them once Octavia pulled the boy into hiding.

It was silent for a few minutes before Octavia finally spoke. "Kane?" she said into her earpiece.

"I'm here."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"You need to find out what Pike is up to. Right now. Whatever it is, they were willing to kill a kid to keep it quiet."

“We’re on it, you two stay safe.”

-

The plan was to put a mic in Pike’s office so we could listen in on the meeting coming up. Kane and Miller did the honor of hiding the mic while Octavia and I continued to make our way through the woods.

Walking through the brush, I remembered how much I missed sneaking out passed the gate and running free with Caleb. I miss our games of tag and hanging out by the river with no guards around. Memories I longed for now that he was gone.

Pike's voice came through mine and Octavia’s earpieces as the meeting began. “Okay. Let's get this meeting started. Welcome farm station's own Monty Green and factory girl Zoe Monroe as we begin our next crucial phase– expansion and salvation and this will lead the way.”

I turned to Octavia, brows raised. “Monty? He’s helping them?”

Octavia shook her head. “He probably doesn’t know.”

“Dirt?” Monroe’s voice came through, followed by Pike’s answer.

“Soil–fertile, arable soil, vastly more rich than anything we've found since landing. We'll clear the trees and plant within the month.” His voice was high and hopeful. But to me, it was misplaced. Considering they would have to take out an entire grounder village to use the soil they had been testing.

“We start with soybeans and corn. They grow the fastest,” Hannah said.

“What's wrong, Monty? Don't like corn?” Bryan, Miller’s own boyfriend asked, sounding concerned. Pike had put together Farm station's best planters for this meeting and Monroe was there to idealize a sprinkler system of sorts.

“I've never had corn, actually. Is this where we're going?” Monty questioned, assuming to be pointing to something.

Pike confirms. “That's right.”

“There's a village here. What about the people who live there?”

Bellamy’s voice came through, seemingly trying to talk some sense into Pike. “Sector 4. We talked about this. The people there are not a threat.”

“We need that land. With the loss of Mount Weather's resources, Arkadia will be starving in less than a year.”

Not backing down just yet, Bellamy, to my shock and Octavia says, “With all due respect, sir, you still haven't answered Monty's question.”

“You know the answer. Every field must be cleared of stones before it's tilled.”

“We were spotted by a child, so they'll be expecting us, but they lost their fighters when we took out the army. We don't expect resistance.” The way Monty’s mother spoke turned my stomach. The way she could talk so callously about living beings.

Her son felt the opposite, saying, “They're grounders. They'll resist.”

“Even if they don't, the commander's message was clear. Blood must not have blood. That doesn't mean we can start taking–” Bellamy was cut off by the Chancellor voice.

“What would you prefer, die fighting for your home or starve to death? Will you do what needs to be done for your people to survive, or not?”

There was a long pause on all ends before Bellamy finally responds, “We'll do what needs to be done.”

-

Octavia and I wait impatiently for Miller to bring a horse to a nearby cave we hid in, so Octavia can warn the nearby grounder village of Pikes attack. "Where is he?" she asked pacing around the darkened area.

"He'll be here," I tried to calm, jumping up when we heard the sound of a twig breaking.

Miller ran into the cave, looking over his shoulder as he entered. "Finally. Where's my house?" Octavia asked.

"Outside. Nice to see you too,” he said with a sigh. Octavia didn’t waste any time before trying to run off.

"Octavia, wait a second!" Miller yelled after her. "Do you really think a bunch of grounders are really gonna give up their homes because you asked them too?"

"If it's that or be wiped out, maybe?” she snapped.

"Okay but what if they don't leave?" I asked. "Then we're leading our people into an ambush."

"Maybe if you just talk to you brother-" Miller began.

"My brother is on the wrong side," she spat, cutting Miller off.

"So what, then we don't even try?" I asked, throwing my arms out. Despite how bad Bellamy had hurt me, I still cared for him and the last thing I wanted was for him to walk straight into an ambush.

"What do you think happens when Lexa finds out that Skaikru massacred another Grounder village?"

Leaning back on his heels, crossing his arms over his chest with a sigh, Miller says. "War. More dead friends."

Octavia nodded her head slightly. "Stop the attack. Stop the war." Giving us a short nod, she takes off out of the cave, leaving Miller and I standing there alone.

By the time Miller and I got back to Arkadia, the other were heading out for their attack. My stomach knotted at the sight of all the ammo and gun they were loading into the back of a rover.

For a quick second, Bellamy’s eyes met mine. I wondered if he would come over and talk to me, say something, anything to make up for the past few weeks. But he doesn't. Of course he doesn’t. Instead, he climbs into the back of the rover as it drives off.

"Hey Ari, where've you been? I haven't seen you in a while." Macallan asked, walking up beside me.

Glancing over, I put on my poker face. Flashing him a smile. "Oh, I've just been a bit busy.”

"With what?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Just stuff."

He nodded, walking slowly beside me as I made my way towards my room. In desperate need of a change of clothes.

“Right…So I guess you don't know what's been going around camp then huh?" I looked at him confused and shook my head. "The chip thing Jaha was giving people, yeah apparently they make you lose some of your memory." I raised an eyebrow. "I know, it's insane. I actually almost took one, before I knew,” he says, sticking his hands in his front pocket.

Stopping in place, I grabbed his arms asking him, "Why?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Everyone else was so I figured why not. I mean Raven said-"

"Wait Raven took one?" He nodded. "Why would Raven take something that could corrupt her memory?"

"I don't think she knew at the time."

What the hell is going on?

CALEB’S POV

Sitting alone quietly, I looked up at the night stars, wondering if Ari was doing the same. A snap of a twig caught my attention as Aden made his way over. "Hey man, what up?" I asked as he took a seat beside me.

"Lexa... She's gone."

Eyebrows knitting together in confusion I ask, "What are you talking about?"

"She was killed, shot. It happened earlier today."

"W-who shot her?"

Aden took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he answered. "Titus." He looked down at the ground trying to hold back tears.

"Wait so that means-"

"Soon all the nightbloods are going to have to fight," he said, pale-faced.

I was lost for words and wasn't sure what to say. What can you say to someone who just lost their mentor and now had to fight to the death in order to replace her? So I did the only thing I thought of. I put my arm around his shoulder and pulled him in.

Chapter Text

"Hey Ari." Bellamy smiled, walking towards me, with Pike close behind. A knot formed in my stomach at the sight of the two men and this being the first time he had spoken to me since the night he went to kill the army.

"Bellamy, what can I do for you?" I asked in a monotone while petting my hours.

"There's something we need to talk to you about,” Pike began, “It has to do with you being a member of the guard.”

Looking down at my jacket, I sighed. I knew this day was bound to come. They were removing everyone who resisted their ideas. Pike was going to stop my training and brought Bellamy with him to soften the blow. Not that I even had much training since Pike took over anyway.

Across the yard, Kane was watching me closely. His words from the day before ran through my head. Act natural, like nothing's wrong.

I nodded. “Uh, okay.”

"Follow us," Bellamy said and I did as told but our walk was cut short by Hannah’s voice coming through the radio.

"Chancellor Pike please come in."

"This is Pike."

"I could use you in the lookout tower." Pike looked over to Bellamy and I, and sighed, walking in the direction of the tower.

Pike went up the ladder first as Bellamy turned to me. “Wait here. Shouldn’t take long.”

Despite them leaving me at the bottom, I could still hear their conversation. Taking note of everything I heard, so I could report it back to Kane.

"Hannah?"

"Sir, we lost contact with one of our Recon teams." she explained.

"There were four men," Bellamy stated, confused.

"Three teams departed Arkadia at 0800 hours on routine patrol. Each of them reported Grounder contact less than a mile outside of camp," Hannah informed. "As per your orders two teams retreated, and made it safely back inside the walls."

"And the third?" Pike questioned.

"Was forced to engage. I believe they were attempting to secure a defensive position when they ceased transmission."

They’re dead…two men were dead.

"Grounders are close," Pike stated. "Gathering from the North and West. It appears they're establishing a blockade. There's no way through it.” There was a slight pause. "Something changed." Pike whispered.

"Sir, you need to see this," A second guard in the tower said, handing a set of binoculars to Pike.

A pair of Grounders on horses walked past the tree line and up to our gate. "What do they want?" Pike asked.

Bellamy let out a huff. "They brought a message. I've seen this before, he explained, climbing down the ladder.

I knew what he was doing and I quickly followed. “Bellamy! Bellamy, don’t!”

But he ignored me, ordering for the gate to be opened.

"Do as he says!” Pike backs him up. The gate opens and Bellamy walks out. I stayed back but watched closely.

He looked up at the two Grounders with a glare. "Talk,” he spat.

"We seek the one you call Pike." The first Grounders began.

"Why?"

"An army has fallen. Blood soaking the earth where he took their lives one by one."

"Welcome to the war against Skaikru." Bellamy snapped. The Grounders share a look, not expecting the words coming out of the oldest Blakes mouth. What is Bellamy thinking?

"Life was taken, we demand life in return!" the second Grounder yelled.

"My life?" Pike asked, crossing his arms, keeping a safe distance behind the fence.. "What are your terms?"

"Come with us and we walk away,” the first grounder answered.

"Walk away, from what?"

"By order of the Commander you've been surrounded by an army of the twelve clans. In every direction warriors wait to kill anyone who attempts to cross the blockade. To greet them as we greeted those we caught outside your walls today,” the grounder answers, throwing a bloodstained uniform in front of us. "We left the bodies for the animals."

"That's enough." Bellamy says through gritted teeth. His hands tighten to fists at his side.

"Let's go," Pike said, stepping beside Bell.

"They won't leave, I've seen this before," Bellamy muttered.

"The men who wore those uniforms took a long time to die," the grounder continued, taunting

"Bellamy, fall back. That's an order," Pike said sternly.

"If you do not give up your leader, you will all take a long time to die."

"Bellamy!" I called out, hoping to get him to back up. As much as I struggled with how I felt towards Bellamy, I didn’t want him to get hurt right in front of me.

"Choose the side that is best for your people."

Bellamy nodded his head. "I do that every day." Before anyone was able to stop him, he pulled out his hand gun and shot both the Grounders, dead. "So far nothing has changed my mind," he muttered walking back into camp.

Stunned, my eyes never left the boy as he stormed past me. Refusing any eye contact.

Pike made his way over to me, ready to continue our conversation with the absence of Bellamy. “Due to safety concerns, your role as Guard in Training has been disbanded. I need you to turn in your uniformed and issued weapon effective immediately.”

Stunned, I couldn’t find any words to say. Everything I had been working for since I landed on the ground almost a year ago was ripped from under me in an instant. Pike held out his hand to me, ready to take my jacket and gun. Slowly I pulled off the jacket and removed my gun from its holster.

“I’m sorry. I hope you can see my reasons for not wanting a twelve year old to be a part of the guard.”

“I’m almost fourteen.” It sounded stupid, but I had no other defense as I did my best to hold back my tears.

“Well, you can come back when you're sixteen and we can start training you then.” He didn’t even care that he was taking something away from me that I cared deeply about. He left me standing there in the cold without another thought. The bodies of the two grounders on the other side of the gate.

After witnessing everything go down, Macallan ran over and grabbed my arm.

When he pulled me out of sight from the others, I finally let it out. My tears fell as Mac wrapped his arms around me, allowing me to cry into his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you Ari.” He ran his hand over my hair, patting it down. “I wish there was something I could do.”

-

Quietly, I sat with Kane, Miller and Harper as we listened to the conversation Bellamy and Pike were having with Hannah and Monty in the Chancellor's office. This has become a common occurrence now. Us listening in, getting ready for whatever terrible plan Pike had next.

"Our lookouts confirm another three encampments just over that ridge," Bellamy stated.

"Well they're not hiding from us, that's for sure.” Pike let out a long sigh. “How many days can we keep our population fed without being able to send out hunting parties?"

Hannah answered, "Food and water stores were already at less than sixty percent. Now, maybe a week before we go critical. Two is we start rationing immediately. What about breaking the blockade?"

I looked at Kane, wondering if he was as worried as I was about this blockade. The grounders had surrounded us. Ready to starve us out. If he was concerned, he didn’t show it.

“No,” Pike said. "After Bellamy's theatrics this morning, they'll expect that. Regardless we can't engage the Grounders until we've got our own people under control and that starts with Kane."

The man straightens his back at the mention of his name, all eyes on him.

"I want you, Monty, to take over coordination of camp surveillance. We'll need new security protocols at all camp entrances," Pike ordered. "Keep this circle tight. Then there's the matter of camp-wide surveillance."

"You want us to spy on our people?" Monty reiterated, making sure that was actually what Pike wanted.

"We can't do what's needed to defend this camp if every order I give is leaked before it can be executed. It's an old saying but it's true the walls have ears."

Well more so the walls have a little microphone hidden under the desk of the chancellor. The thought of being discovered made my stomach turn. Nervously, I bit at my fingernails, my leg bouncing beside me. A warm hand on my left knee causes me to still.

Miller's warm brown eyes found mine as he mouthed, we'll be fine. Despite not fully believing him, I nod my head anyway.

"We're fighting two wars now and the more dangerous one is here, inside this camp. We can't prove it yet, but Kane and his accomplices passed information to Octavia. Whoever did that will be hunted down and exposed for what they did to their own, for what they did to us. Now you get whatever resources whatever personal you need to make that happen. Dismissed." Pike said sternly.

Miller flicked off the radio and stood up. "If they're going to play that game we need to play it too," Kane said.

"Meaning?" Miller asked.

"We don't meet here again for starters, we change our patterns. Forget our habits. Take a different root from camp each time we go out. Assume that there are eyes on us at all times."

"Or we could just shock-lash Pike's fascist ass and hand him to the Grounders," I suggested.

Kane’s eyes narrow at me. "That would be murder. Not to mention treason and that's not who we are."

"Maybe it's who we need to be." Miller sighed.

"Not yet."

"Alright then what's the plan?" I asked. Everyone looked at each other without saying a word. “No one has a plan? Really?”

We started by acting like nothing was wrong, going about our days as if there had been no interruptions. Though that would be proven tougher for me as my normal routine had been ripped out from under me. A new work assignment had to be given to me as if you weren’t in school, you had to be doing something for the community.

Hoping to put a good work in for myself, the next morning I went back to the horses to speak with Giles: the head of the barn. The morning air felt harsh without my guard jacket, having to rely on one of Caleb’s old zip up hoodies instead. That's where Bellamy found me later in the morning, doing my first assignment from Giles, mucking out the pens. It wasn’t my first choice of work but I loved spending time with the horses so it was somewhat worth it, though the smell I could do without.

“We got to stop meeting like this,” Bellamy tried to joke with a misplaced smile. Throwing his arms over the half door to Maddux’s stall.

Shovel still in hand, I walked over, gave Bellamy a sweet smile before shutting the top part of the door in his face. He opened it right back up due to there being no lock.

“Come on, Ari, I came to apologize.”

“Well in that case.” I again shut the top of the door, turning my back to it as I grabbed the barrel of horse shit, walking it towards the large pile of manure behind the stables, dumping it right on top.

“Ari, I need to talk to you-” Bellamy’s nose crinkled as the smell hit him for the first time.

With a slight whine in my voice I ask, “What's wrong? Bad boy Bellamy can’t handle a little smell?” His face went stern as he tilted his head. It was a look I was familiar with and one he used just before scolding me. Faking a gasp, I cover my mouth. Looking around to check if anyone was watching, I took a step forward, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Am I not allowed to speak freely anymore?”

Rolling his eyes, Bellamy grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the pile of manure as I struggled to free myself from his hold until he finally let me go. “I told you, never grab me like that!” Holding my wrist against my chest, I glared at him.

“I need you to be honest with me about something.”

“That rich coming from you.” I laugh.

Bellamy did not find this amusing. “Ari. I’m serious.”

“Fine, Jesus, lighten up. What do you want to know so badly?”

“Are you working with Kane to spy on me and give information to Octavia?”

I stare at him with a blank expression for a moment before asking. “Who?”

“Come on, I know Kane isn’t fond of Pike and he wants to do anything he can to go against him. Is he spying on us and are you helping him?”

“Why would I do that? How would I even do that?”

Shifting from one foot to the other, Bellamy was growing irritated with my words. “I don’t know, you’re sneaky and fast– that’s not the point.”

“Oh, you think I would be a good spy?” I asked, flattered. “You know those would be great qualities in a guard, if only you didn’t fire me.”

“I didn’t fire you. That was Pike’s choice. I had no say in it. Don’t change the subject.”

“I didn’t change the subject, you changed the subject.”

“Ari!” he yelled, causing me to freeze. After collecting his thoughts he continued. “I need you to be honest with me so I can protect you. If you tell me now, I can keep you from this.”

Cocking my head to the side, my brows knitted together as I recall one of the last conversations we had. “Protect me? You want to protect me? I thought you couldn’t protect anyone anymore. Isn’t that why you gave up on me? Why you abandon me?”

His eyes softened at my words. Was this the first time he was realizing just how much he had hurt me?

“I-i didn’t give up on you.”

“Right.” I nod. “Right, yeah you just decided you were done looking out for me after making a huge deal about you being responsible for me and all that. I must be remembering wrong. My mistake.”

“I never abandoned you. I know I said some things but I never actually went through with it. Please Ari, you have to tell me the truth here.”

Looking up at him, I shake my head. “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.” Turning to leave him and god back to my job Bellamy calls back out to me. Though I stop in my tracks I don’t turn to look at him. I feel his presence as he stands behind me.

“As much as you hate me, I still care about you and I don’t want you to get hurt.” To the right of me, Bellamy holds out my handgun that had been taken the day before. “You can’t let anyone know you have this okay?”

Taking the weapon from his hands, I don’t say another word as I turn the safety on and stick it in my belt under my sweatshirt. "You didn't say it."

"Say what?"

"You're sorry."

Chapter Text

After a few days of mucking out horse stalls, the smell of manure doesn’t really leave a person. Even with taking daily showers and scrubbing my skin raw, I still always seem to smell like horse shit. Which was why I was shocked when Macallan invited me on a secret mission. His words not mine. I had been getting ready for bed when a knock on my door forced me up.

He tried his best to hide his disgust, which I thought was cute. With a forced smile, Macallan held out a bundle of freshly picked wildflowers.

“What's this for?” I ask with a smile, taking the flowers from his hands.

“No uh, no reason. I was outside the fence looking around and I thought you might like these.”

Bringing the plants to my nose I inhaled their sweet scent. “Why were you outside the fence? It’s not safe with the blockade.”

He nods, rubbing his hands together nervously. “Okay, so maybe I went outside the fence specifically to get these for you.”

“Mac!” I lightly scold. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I read somewhere that when you like a girl, you give them flowers.” My heart skips a beat and I swear for a moment I forgot to breathe. “I uh, I wanted to show you something. If-if you want.”

“Do I have time to put on my shoes?”

Chuckling lightly, he nods. “Yes, yes of course.”

Retreating into my room, I carefully place the flowers on the table beside my bed and slip on my boots before following him into the hall. With it being so late into the night, most of Arkadia was already asleep in their beds. Mac quietly led me through the halls and to the upper floors of the Ark. Through barely light passages and doors marked “Security Personnel Only”.

When we reach a ladder leading up to a small hatch I finally ask, “Where the hell are you taking me?”

Turning to look down at me due to our height difference, his hazel eyes stare into mine, a smile forming on his lips. “Do you trust me?” he asks in a whisper.

There was no helping the blush that forms on my cheeks at how close we were standing. I could practically feel his breathing before he turns to climb up the ladder, leaving me to follow. Opening the hatch, we were met with the night air.

“No way!” I exclaim, rushing to follow him. He had led me to a high level of the Ark, to an almost observation deck of sorts. If we were in space, the two of us would have been sucked out into the darkness, practically floating ourselves. But on the ground, we had a perfect aerial view of Arkadia.

The lights from the watchtowers help to brighten up some of the area so we aren’t stumbling but we are still clouded in darkness, enough so that we could see the stars. A blanket was laid out at our feet, waiting to be used. My stomach was exploding with butterflies.

“How the hell did you find this?” I ask, wide eyed.

“My father was a mechanic on Mecha, he used to take me on jobs with him, showed me all the little nooks and crannies that most people didn’t know about the Ark.”

Like me, Macallan Rook was an orphan. He had managed to make due on his own, working in the kitchen, making meals for Arkadia during the day and playing the piano in the bar at night. It kept him busy and everyone loved his playing.

With a grunt, Macallan lowered himself onto the blanket. “I remembered this place the other day and had to find it and well…here we are.”

“Here we are.” I smile, sitting beside him. “I can’t believe this. You can see all the constellations.”

“Oh yeah?” Mac asks. “Can you show me them? I’ve never really been a star guy.”

“Well, you came to the right place Mr. Rook. I happen to be a star expert.”

“Is that so Ms. Coyne?”

With a giggle, I nod. “I had a lot of time to read in the Skybox. Watch.” Laying down on the blanket, I patted the spot beside me, urging for Mac to follow. “Okay, so that bunch of stars, that's the Big Dipper. That one is pretty easy to see. It’s the most recognizable. Over there, that big cluster is Orion. Oh and that one's Draco!” My excitement got the better of me as I list and point to every single constellation I know.

The entire time I hadn’t realized that Mac wasn’t looking up at the night sky like I was, he was looking at me.

“What?” I ask, upon realizing he was starring. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “You just look really beautiful when you babble.”

The blush returns to my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“No, no. I liked it. Very informational.”

Glancing from him to the sky I can’t help but point out, “But you didn’t even look up the entire time.”

He shrugs. “I liked seeing the stars in the reflection of your eyes.” I had to look away due to not being able to keep my composure. “What?”

“Nothing. Nothing that was just uh…that was really nice of you to say.”

He had been making me feel like this more and more with each day that passed in the little things he did.

Always taking me to breakfast and dinner. Being there when I need a shoulder to cry on or a laugh to be had. He was my rock after Caleb left and Bellamy went crazy. Even before Caleb left, Mac had always been there to make me smile whenever Caleb and I got into a fight and he was always supportive of my hopes of being a guard.

But I just can’t help but wonder if my affinity towards him is misplaced, left over from my heartbreak with Caleb. I’m not good when I’m alone, I have come to realize that. However, I also know that Mac makes me smile and my stomach fill with butterflies. It doesn’t hurt that he was good to look at too.

“What's wrong?” he asks as we both sit up.

Pulling my knees to my chest, I shake my head. “Nothing.” It wasn’t a lie. There is nothing wrong with Mac. He is perfect in almost every way. “Why did you bring me up here?”

“I uh…I know you’ve been having a hard time with Bellamy and Caleb leaving and losing your position on the guard so I figured you needed a break. What better place to go than above it all?”

Nodding, I look back out at Arkadia.

My home.

The home that was about to be destroyed with an impending war that was completely preventable.

“If I told you a secret would you keep it to yourself?”

“Of course.”

“I’m serious, Mac. If you told anyone, it would get me arrested and possibly executed.”

His brows knit together in concern. “Yeah…of course I wouldn’t tell anyone. What’s going on?”

Once I started I couldn’t stop. I told him everything. The spying, the lying, the grounder village Pike and the others tried to kill. Their future plans. It all flooded out of me like a waterfall. Once I finished, his eyes stare at me wide.

“Holy shit.”

I nod. “If anyone found out what was going on, what Kane was planning it would be treason. You can’t tell anyone,” I press, my voice in a whisper.

“I-i won't. I promise.” He grabs my hand and I find comfort in its warmth.

I know why he brought me here. What he was itching to tell me. It was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t get it out and a piece of me didn’t want him to.

We keep each other comfortable till the early morning hours, the light of rising sun peaking over the valley.

Mac is first to descend the ladder and waits for me at the bottom. I turn to face him once my feet reach the ground, my back pushed against the metal. His hand grips the bar at my eye level, leaning closer to my body. My breath catches in my throat at how close he was.

"Look Ari, I wanted to tell you something. I've been wanting to tell you since you got to Arkadia, but you were with Caleb and then he left but it didn't feel right to tell you then either," he babbles, breath hot against me.

"Mac?"

He runs his other hand through his mess of black hair. "I really really like you Ari." The words I knew he was going to confess. "Please, say something,” he begged.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to say. A piece of me likes him for sure but I can’t help but hold onto hope for Caleb’s return. When my words fail, Mac’s eyes drop, letting out a sigh as he turns to walk away. Panic begins to rise in my chest. I can’t lose him. I already lost Caleb and Bellamy. Macalllan walking away too would destroy me completely.

Out of instinct, I grab his wrist before he could leave. "Mac, Wait." He spins around and grabs my face gently, planting his soft pink lips on top of mine. The force of it shocks me, freezing my body in place. I told myself it was out of necessity to kiss him back. To keep him from leaving me.

Pulling away, his cheeks are red and he scratchs the back of his neck. "Uh I'm sorry."

"It's okay...I didn't mind." And I don't. His lips were soft and though they didn't fit perfectly ontop of mine, I would still say it was a good kiss.

"Really?" He asks with a toothy grin smile. I nod my head. "Well...thats uh...thats good." A smile spreads across his face. "So would you maybe...want to be my girlfriend?"

If I say no does that mean we wouldn't have the same relationship? Would he still be my friend? I somehow find myself noding before there was any time for me to truly process what this would mean.

Chapter Text

Miller found me as I attempted to sneak back into my room. "What's going on," I asked, halfway through my door instantly knowing by the look on his face that something was happening.

"Pike is sending out a team in Rover One, at dawn to blow up another grounder village," he explained.

My stomach dropped. Not again. "Wh-what? Is Octavia back yet? Can we get her to go warn them again?"

Miller shook his head. "No, she's gone dark, we can't get a hold of her."

"So what are we going to do? There's no time to warn anyone."

"Kane's has a plan, he's going–" At the sound of two people making their way down the hall, Miller goes quiet until they pass, lowering his voice to a whisper before continuing. "Kane's going to talk to Sinclair about sabotaging the rover so he can get arrested."

"What? On purpose? Why?"

"So he can get a message to Lincoln before it's too late."

I didn't understand the plan. Perhaps it was due to my lack of sleep. "What's the message?"

He looked around him to make sure no one was listening. "Get ready. Tonight's a go."

They were going to take Pike hostage and bring him the Commander. It was the only way to end this all. "Okay." I nod. "What do I have to do?"

-

Sitting alone, eating my new daily ration limit, my eyes widened in surprise and wonder as a teenage boy who was all too familiar sat down in front of me.

"Hmm, I don't think we've ever met before. Hi, I'm Ari." I put my hand out to Monty as he set down his own food.

"Haha, very funny," he says sarcastically.

"What? You and Jasper have been M.I.A for weeks and it hurts my feelings. We used to spend all day together." I pout, leaning back in my seat.

With a sigh, he looks down at his food "I'm sorry. There's just been a lot going on and with my mom coming back. I've been distracted."

"Right." I nod, before mumbling under my breath. "Helping Pike and his team of lunatics."

"Hey–" Monty gave a glare.

"What? You seriously can't think this is for the greater good of Arkadia do you? At least in a political sense. You have to know this is crazy."

"I know what the grounders put us through when we first got here. I know that they left us in Mount Weather and I know what they did to Farm Station. How can you look at what they did to our people and be okay with it?"

Crossing my arms over my chest, I shake my head. "Farm Station are not my people."

"How can you say that?"

He didn't know my childhood, the way I was forced to grow up. Time and time again the people of Farm Station continuously turned the other cheek whenever a new bruise appeared or I had another black eye. They saw my dramatic weight loss and my mothers sudden extra ration cards she would use on more and more moonshine and they didn't intervene. They claimed to love my father and the man he was. They put him on a pedestal while they watched his daughter suffer at the hands of his widow. I couldn't care less about the people of Farm Station.

"Honestly, Monty, why do you care what I think?"

"Because you're my friend and I don't want you to get tangled up in this mess between Pike and Kane."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? Clearly, I'm too young to be on the guard. I'm too young to make my own choice. Why the hell would Kane of all people want me to work with him? I have no special pull over anyone." And that's what makes me perfect, Kane had said. "I'm not getting caught up in anything. I'm pissed that after all the work I put in, all the training I've done, I was just cast off to the side. Removed from guard duty like I was nothing."

Monty nodded, pretending to understand what I was going through but he couldn't possibly get it. He was only two years older than I was and he was treated as an adult. Most of the others were. What they went through– the war with the grounders at the drop ship– earned them respect. It earned me nothing but trauma.

"It was for your safety," he tried to convince. "To keep you from getting hurt. Everything Bellamy has done was to protect you. Kane is putting you in harm's way."

With a shrug I ask, "What would you like me to say?"

"Tell me what Kane's planning and I'm sure Pike will take you seriously about the guard."

With a humorless laugh, I shook my head. Instantly, feeling a pair of eyes watching me from across the room. Bellamy tried to make his presence not seem obvious, looking away as soon as my eyes landed on his.

"Wow." I turned back to look at Monty, anger boiling inside. This was a set up. Monty didn't actually care about me. He was just using me to get intel. "Man, I really thought this was you making up for us not speaking for weeks. I thought you actually cared." Grabbing my jacket from the back of my chair, I went to stand.

"It is!" Monty followed my moves. "I do."

"Really? Bellamy didn't send you? He's not just over there watching us for the hell of it?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Monty stutters over his words.

"That's what I thought. Tell Bellamy that I'm done with him and that he can go float himself for all I care. Now if you'll excuse me, I have shit to clean."

Angrily storming off, Monty didn't follow.

Since the horse pen was close to the front gate, my job was to be ready to open it when Kane made it out with Pike.

First came the riot in lockup. A diversion by Lincoln and the others, set up after Sinclair's arrest that morning, to get all the guards away from their posts by the blaring alarm and call for help. I watched as they all scurried towards the Ark.

"It worked. We're clear." Harper's voice came through the earpiece. "The guards have their hands full."

"Is the gate open?" Kane asks.

"Waiting on you," I say, moving towards the gate indiscriminately.

"Cargo locked and loaded?" asks Miller.

"Affirmative. On the move."

It wouldn't be long now till Kane came with Pike. I heard the rover before I saw it. Turning towards the gate, I froze in my path at the sight of Bellamy and back up.

With four armed guards following his lead, Bellamy pointed his gun at the rover that was speeding down the dirt path towards him, forcing Kane to slam down on his brakes.

Having discussed all possible outcomes, my task now was getting away without looking like I had any part in this.

Backing away slowly, I watched as one of the guards pulled Kane out of the rover, practically throwing him against it as he arrested the man for treason. For a second time that day, Bellamy's eyes found mine. A look of disappointment across his face. He knew I was involved. He had to. Otherwise why would he jerk his head, singling me to get out of there before even more shit hit the fan.

Turning on my heels, I did as he wanted.

"It's over," I say into the ear piece, informing the others.. "Kane's arrested."

-

"Death," I say, pacing from one side of Miller's room to the other as he and Harper watch me. "They sentenced him to death. We have to do something. Figure out a way to get him back."

"We can't yet," Miller sighs, running his hand over his face.

"We can't keep pretending like nothing's wrong." I throw my arms out, my voice raising slightly.

Earning a hush from Harper. "You have to relax. We need to lay low for a bit and figure things out. You have eyes on you remember."

Angery, I ran my hand through my hair. Harper and Miller had people watching them sure, but not as closely as Bellamy and now Monty were watching me.

"Are you sure he knows?" Miller asked, referring to Bellamy.

"Yeah...yeah he knows," I sigh. "But he didn't say anything about me yet and I don't think he will."

"We can't be sure of that."

"Yes, we can." I nod. "With Kane being sentenced to death, Bellamy would never turn me in, he wouldn't chance that." Knowing Bellamy saw me as a little sister or whatever– someone he needed to protect, he would never turn me in if it meant my impending death.

A knock on the door pulled us out of our conversation. Moving to the side, Miller opens the door.

"What do you want?" he asks with annoyance. No words were exchanged but they were saying something with their eyes. Miller moved out of the way, allowing Bellamy and Monty to enter the room, looking over their shoulders and shutting the door behind them.

Rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. "What do you–" Bellamy put his finger to his lips, signaling for us to stay quiet. Pulling a knife out, the three of us reach for our guns instinctively but Bellamy puts his hand up in surrender. Showing he wasn't there to harm any of us. He grabs Miller, causing me to take a few steps towards them, ready just in case.

"It's okay," he whispers as he cuts into one of the pockets, handing the knife to Miller once he gets it open. Digging into the fabric, Bellamy pulled out a small mic. The three of us sigh, knowing we had been caught with proof.

Monty covers the mic with some kind of black fabric. "The bag blocks the signal. Now we can talk," he tells us.

"Who put it in there?" Miller asks, anger in his voice.

"That's not important right now. Pike just sentenced Lincoln and Sinclair to death alongside Kane," Bellamy explains.

Crossing my arms with a glare I ask, "Are you trying to scare us?"

"No, we're trying to help. I'm sure you have a plan to break them out. What can we do?" Monty questions..

Harper shakes her head. "What are you talking about?"

Hurt and confused, Monty tilts his head to the side. "Harper, come on."

Bellamy steps in now. Fed up with our playing dumb "Look, we can help from the inside. To pull this off, we need people to hand them off to someone on the outside."

"We seriously don't know what you're talking about," I say. Though, I am starting to wonder if this wasn't a trick and they really did want to help them.

Monty wrinkles his brow looking between all of us. "You think we want them to die?" he asks.

"You know what? Forget it. If my sister wants to save Lincoln's life, you tell her to meet me at the Drop Ship in an hour," Bell snaps before walking out of the room.

Monty turns back to us. "After everything we've been through you don't trust me?"

"Does your mom know you're here Monty?" I am accusing.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he leaves us standing there alone, wondering if we had made the right call after all.

Macallan was waiting for me when I finally made it back to my room that night. Instantly, I fell into his arms, exhausted from the day's events.

"Everything okay?" he asks, pulling me into my room. I shake my head, sitting on the edge of my bed. "What's wrong?"

I wanted to tell him, tell someone what was going on, what we had planned, but I couldn't trust anyone...even Macallan. "Tomorrow I need you to meet me in the North hall by the chancellor's office."

"Why?" he asks, sitting beside me, brows knitting together in concern.

"I can't tell you. Not yet. Just know we need to get outta here. Okay?" I can tell he's unsure of this from the look on his face. "Do you trust me?" I ask, reaching for his hands. He nods. "Then meet me. Please?" I'm not exactly sure when he became my responsibility, but there was this need in the back of my mind that I had to protect him, get him out while I still can.

He agrees thankfully wrapping his arms around my shoulder. I embrace his hug, though I'm still not the biggest fan of being touched.

–

The sun was just starting to shine through the window when I pulled myself out of bed. Mac stayed tangled in my mess of blankets as I changed into a pair of jeans and pulled on a light jacket. Sticking my gun into a hidden holster at my back.

"You're going already?" Mac asks, groggily.

"Yeah." I nod, sitting gently beside him. Lightly running my hand through his hair. Compared to Caleb's, Mac's hair was straight and easy to comb through, but my fingers still longed for Caleb's curls.

He let out a yawn and held onto my waist. Smiling sweetly I planted a quick kiss on his lips before standing up.

"Remeber, meet me in the North hall by the chancellor's office. Right after lunch. Okay?"

He nods watching me as I pull on my boots.

"Be careful, okay?"

I smile to myself. "Always," I whisper, walking out of my room to meet Harper.

Making our way down the long hall where they kept the prisoners locked up, we hear the sound of heavy footsteps, meaning Pike had taken Sinclair and Kane.

"Make way," Pike orders as they pass.

"Yes, Sir Chancellor!" Harper and I say in unison.

Once they pass, Harper picks up the radio and puts it to her lips. "The package is on the move. I repeat, package is on the move. We are going." There was a moment of silence before Harper spoke again. "OKS is your team I position?" she asks Octavia, using the code name we gave her.

"Roger that. We're in position and ready to intercept."

Once Pike was gone, Octavia would get in through our exit to help get the prisoners out. We knew they were listening. We knew they would figure out our code for Octavia and warn Pike. We hadn't expected the plan to go so smooth,

The only reluctance was drugging Miller's boyfriend who was watching over the prisoners with another guard as Pike and three of his men went to clear the Ark. They wanted to stop Octavia before she got to the Prisoners. Unlucky for Pike, Octavia was already in the Ark, under the floor and Bryan was on our side after a heart to heart with Miller last night. The second guard however, well he was given a ton lethal dose of pain meds to knock him out.

Pike calls for medics upon discovering the bodies, the Medics being Miller and Abby, of course who quickly went to help the others.

The next step was for Harper and I to check the North Hall, make sure it was clear for Octavia and the others. Luckily it was but during our waiting period the hall leaning in became filled with guards, all on the lookout for Octavia and the other prisoners.

Harper, after changing the frequency on the radio, puts it to her lips.

"OKS come in."

"Go ahead," Octavia says into the radio.

"Stay where you are. Repeat, stay where you are. The exit is not clear."

"How many guards?" Harper looks over to me. Leaning forward, I try to count them as fast as I can but they are moving too much and I can't give away my position.

"Too many," I say. Harper reiterates the information and the advice for Octavia to stay put.

Climbing into the passageway that leads out, Harper and I hide after hearing the guards getting closer.

"Calling all guards. The prisoners are headed for the main gate. The prisoners are headed for the main gate. Over." Monty's voice came through on the radio, causing Harper and I to share a look of concern.

No way would Octavia be dumb enough to go for the main exit. Was this Monty helping us? Whatever it was, it got the guards to leave. Making it safe for us to come out as we wait for the others.

Macallan was the first to show, looking over his shoulder as he enters down the hall.

"What the hell is going on? Why are there so many guards out?" he asks.

But I don't answer. Instead I wrap him a tight hug, thankful that he made it to me. "Did any of them see you?"

"No," he shakes his head, "I don't think so."

Once the others finally got here we loaded everything up and started to climb out the escape path.

"Wait, we're leaving?" Mac asks, a look of concern on his face. "Ari, we can't. It's not safe." I ignore him, passing a few bags of supplies through the hole in the wall. "Ari." He grabs my arm and instantly I pull away.

"It's not safe here!" I snap. "They were minutes away from sentencing Kane, Lincoln and Sinclair to death. They didn't do anything wrong! Is this really a place you want to live? Is he the type of leader you want to support?"

"No but-"

"There is no but, Mac. You're either with us or you aren't. If we don't leave now the Commander will send another army and wipe us out."

"I have a message for the traders in this camp." Pike's voice over the radio made us freeze. "There will be an execution today, either turn yourselves in or the other grounder prisoners will die in your place."

All eyes turn to Lincoln and Octavia. The girl tried to push Lincoln towards the passage but he refused to move.

"I can't let them die because of me," Lincoln says as Octavia blocks him from leaving.

"Lincoln, please we're almost out," Octavia pleads. "We need to go."

"You should." He nods.

Octavia looked at us, then back to Lincoln. "Fine, then I'm going with you."

With a slight smile, Lincoln holds the girl's face gently before pulling her into a soft kiss. We should have known what he was planning though as a moment after their lips touch, Lincoln hits her in the neck with a tranquilizer. She has a second of realization before her entire body goes limp in the Grounders arms.

"What are you doing?" Kane asks.

"The same thing you would do for your people. Just...get her out of here."

Handing her off to Kane, Lincoln gives the girl a final kiss on her forehead. The two men gave each other a knowing nod before Lincoln turned to leave. Handing himself in.

Solemnly the rest of us made our way outside, into the woods. Octavia's body was slumped onto the back of her horse. The commotion of Lincoln's surrender made Mac leave without another thought. Clouds were rolling in above us, singling a strom was coming. No one spoke, no wanted to say what we already knew. In a few minutes, Lincoln would be dead.

Rolling off her horse, Octavia shocked everyone as she attempted to get back to her love, even in the groggy state she was in. Tripping over her own feet, Octavia fell to her knees for a moment before quickly pulling herself back up.

Through the trees, there was a perfect view of Pike leading Lincoln to the middle of the yard. The rain had started. Making everything turn to mud. Through bitter tears, Octavia watched as Lincoln dropped to his knees into a mud puddle.

Kane, wanting to save the girl from the trauma she was about to witness, attempted to pull Octavia away, block her view but she refused. Pulling her arm away.

My eyes began to pool with tears as the man looked up at the sky for a final time while Pike raised his gun.

I couldn't bear to see it. Turning by head, I kept my eyes trained on the ground, my back towards the execution. The sound of Octavia's whimpers made my stomach tie in knots.

The sound of a single gun shot made me jump and we all knew what that meant.

Lincoln Kom Trikru was dead.