A/N: "Together" is set five months after the Season 2 finale. It follows the canon of the TV series with one exception.

In the series, there is a sequence towards the end of Season 2 in which Clarke and Lexa are chased by a mutated gorilla and Major Byrne is killed. For the sake of my story, this occurrence never happened; the gorilla doesn't exist and Major Byrne is alive.

I always thought that gorilla was silly anyway.


Chapter 1: May We Meet Again

"May we meet again."

As soon as the whispered words left Bellamy's mouth he felt a veil of familiar numbness settle upon him and took his first steps towards Camp Jaha. It was the same veil that had settled upon him the day Octavia had been taken from him on the Ark. The numbness had come with the knowledge that there had been absolutely nothing he could do to get her back, so absolute was her imprisonment. It had taken the place of overwhelming despair, allowed him to live each day until he'd been given the opportunity to act.

Now, Clarke was gone. She had walked out of his life – perhaps for good – and he knew as surely now as he did that day on the Ark that there was absolutely nothing he could do. After all she'd been through and after all she'd done he was not going to force her to be somewhere she didn't want to be, even though he was sorely tempted to throw her over his shoulder and lock her up until she changed her mind. He could never do that to her. He was not her Chancellor, or her leader, or her mother, not someone who had a reason to love her so much to be selfish about it. He was her partner, her equal, her friend. He had too much respect for her and their relationship thus far to detain her against her will, just so he'd feel better.

And if the numbness didn't fill the awful, aching hollow in his chest that had been carved out by despair? Well, he'd just have to live with that, just as he lived with everything else that had happened to him, as he lived with everything he'd done.

As the gates of Camp Jaha closed behind him he allowed himself to look back, but there were no flashes of blonde and strength and sunlight to be seen, just a sea of green and darkness that Clarke was now lost in, and they might never meet again.


Five months later…

Bellamy wiped the sweat off his face with the bottom of his worn grey t-shirt as he jogged through the forest towards Camp Jaha. He was late for the meeting with the Council and that was definitely not the right impression to make if he wanted them to take him seriously. He'd been stalking a particularly agile doe and the time had gotten away from him. What made matters worse was that he was not even supposed to be outside the camp in the first place, despite the fact he'd been sneaking out for almost 4 months now to hunt, to scout, to map the area, to just get away and not be Bellamy Blake for a few hours.

It had all started month or so after the Massacre of Mouth Weather. He refused to call it anything else, even though everyone insisted on referring to it as 'The Mount Weather Liberation.' Pretty language could not disguise what he – and Clarke – had done and he wouldn't dishonor the innocent people whose lives he'd taken by making it out to be something it wasn't, something better. Sure, they'd rescued the 44 – his people – but at the cost of hundreds. And they weren't the only deaths that weighed on him, something that Octavia knew all too well, so for his twenty-fourth birthday she had arranged with Raven and Wick to make him a device that turned off Raven's Gate without needing her help to do so. Octavia had given him a gift beyond price, something she'd done so many times, including the day she'd been born. The only condition was that he let either her, Lincoln, or Raven know when he was leaving and when he would be back. It was a fair condition – they knew all too well the kinds of ills that could befall someone alone out there and the cost in lives and blood to those who went to find them.

He finally came upon the camp and waited impatiently as the guard stationed on this section of the wall passed by. After doing this many times before, he knew he had precisely twelve seconds to run across the clearing and to the fence and another five to slip through it before the guard turned around and walked back in his direction. The military precision – and therefore predictability – of the watches was an area of weakness that the Guard, still too used to the strictures of the Ark, overlooked. As a fellow member of the Guard he would point it out to them if the time ever came that they were under threat again, but there would have to be Grounders within fifty miles of them before he'd give up his excursions into the forest.

When the time came he ran across the clearing and pressed that wonderful red button on his device to turn off the electricity in the section of the wall they called Raven's Gate. As always, he tested the wall with a stick before going through, hoping that today of all days would not be the day Raven's device failed him. Upon giving it to him she had warned him the device had a lifespan and testing the wall every time he went in and out would save his life one day. Having learned over the past year of life on the ground how much he really wanted to live despite everything , he never failed to take that precaution.

Fortunately the Gate was dead so he slipped through then around what Raven and Octavia annoyingly called 'Bellamy's Ark' since he'd taken to slipping out from behind it. Despite his distaste for the name, that large, curved piece of metal had served them well over the months since joining Camp Jaha. Not only was it the shield that prevented the rest of Camp Jaha from seeing his movements in and out of camp, it was the unofficial place any of the 44 knew to leave a message if they needed his help with anything.

The first few days after the Massacre of Mouth Weather had been sheer mayhem as families reunited, the dead were accounted for, mourned and buried, and as news of Clarke's defection spread throughout the camp, stunning pretty much everyone who had seen her in action and assumed, wrongly, that she was invincible or would take the mantle of leadership from her mother's shoulders. It had not disappointed any group of people more than it had disappointed the survivors of the original 100. They had wanted desperately to thank Clarke for what she'd done for them, the lengths she'd gone to, but he had not had the heart to tell them it was because of that she'd left.

That left only him for them to turn to. Despite their joy at being safe again and, for some, being reunited with family, all were unsure of their position in Camp Jaha. Under the Exodus Charter prisoners were to be re-trialed and given either hard work duty, more imprisonment, lashes or death as the punishment for their crimes on the Ark. He had been the one each of the remaining 44 had relied on to plead their cases with the newly-formed Council. He had been the one to point out that surely they had all served their penance by being sent down to the ground in the first place. Fortunately, the Chancellor, despite whatever resentment she held towards him for letting her daughter go, saw logic when it was presented to her and agreed that the surviving 44 had served their penance and would be integrated into the rotating work roster like all the other citizens of Camp Jaha.

Still, if any of the 44 found themselves under the command of an unfair or prejudiced supervisor or encountered any problems with any of the other citizens of Camp Jaha they still turned to him for help. As part of the Guard he was not always the easiest person to get to so with the help of Raven and Wick he fashioned metal badges of the initials of each of the 44. He gave the badges to them under the guise of a present – recognition for all they'd survived – with the secret instructions to leave their badge at Bellamy's Ark, which he checked every day, if they needed help and he would find them. His position as a Sergeant gave him some measure of authority to both find the person in need and help them with their situation.

Sometimes all one of the 44 needed was someone to talk to about everything that had happened, everything they'd survived, the friends or family they'd lost. And he did that for them too, even though he ached every day for the one person who'd been able to provide that same service to him.

Bellamy slipped around the wall and hurriedly strode towards the Ark across the clearing, hoping no one would interrupt his progress.

No such luck.

"Bell!"

Bellamy halted at the familiar voice of his sister. "This had better be important, O. You know I'm supposed to be meeting with the Council now."

Octavia stepped in front of him. "I know, but this is important. Jasper didn't report for kitchen duty an hour ago and no one has been able to find him. I'm worried. You know what happened last time he went missing."

Bellamy did. The boy would have the scars on his wrists forever to remind everyone of it. "Okay, try to contact as many of the 44 as you can – discreetly pull some off duty if you have to – and organize a search. I'm assuming you've checked all his usual places?"

Octavia huffed in impatience. "Of course."

"So now we have to check everywhere else. I'll meet up with you as soon as I get out of the meeting, but I can't miss this one. You know that."

"I know," Octavia replied softly in understanding, "but what if he's not in the camp, Bell?" She seemed reluctant to give voice to the fear. He understood that all too well. Sometimes giving voice to the fear made it real.

He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "We'll find him."

Octavia drew in a steadying breath before replying. "Okay. I'll get the search organized."

With a nod of acknowledgement, Bellamy continued his course towards the Council's meeting room. He firmly pushed the matter of Jasper aside, despite his worry for the boy. He had more than one life for which he was responsible and for the sake of those lives he needed to focus on the matter at hand.

As always.


Abby remained carefully expressionless as Bellamy Blake strode into the Council Room, face covered in sweat and lined with exhaustion. But that was not unusual for Bellamy – he was always moving, always doing something, fixing something, helping someone. He couldn't have slept more than four hours a night and she'd not once seen him truly smile. This was a young man with the great weight of lives resting on his shoulders, a burden she understood all too well. It was why she was inclined to trust him – trust his intentions – despite the fact she just couldn't seem to bring herself to like him.

"Bellamy, you're late," she stated, even though it was obvious. "Sit."

Bellamy sat. "I apologize, Chancellor." He looked at the others sitting at the table. "Councilors."

"It was you who requested this meeting, Mr. Blake," Marcus Kane stated as he looked over Bellamy dispassionately.

"I know," Bellamy replied simply. He was never one to pander to authorities, something Abby appreciated. They had no room nor need for politics down here.

"And you are out of uniform, Sergeant," Major Byrne stated. "I assume you have a good reason for your state of dress."

Abby hardly thought it important if Bellamy was in his uniform or in cargo pants and a gray shirt that had seen better days, but didn't say as much. If Bellamy was going to fulfill the role she wanted him to he needed to gain the respect and trust of the Councilors on his own.

"I'm off-duty," he replied shortly before addressing the group as a whole. "Thanks to me we're already running late. Are we really going to waste more time discussing my wardrobe? Continue, by all means, but I won't take responsibility for it."

The corner of Abby's mouth twitched as she observed the other Councilors' distaste. The reasons they didn't want him here were the reasons she did. He was uncouth, unapologetic, blunt and challenging. He was exactly what they needed on the ground during this time of relative peace – the reminder that they still fought to survive, but this time it was against nature itself, not people.

"Then let's get straight to the reason why you wanted us here, Bellamy," Abby said.

Bellamy settled back in his chair and crossed his arms, his posture giving the appearance of ease, but Abby could see the hardness of his gaze.

"Winter has past and we survived it, but six people died of exposure."

"Six people out of over two hundred. That is not a staggering loss," Byrne cut in.

Bellamy pinned her with a hard stare, seemingly not at all concerned that he was directly challenging his superior. "Six people is six too many, especially when their deaths were preventable. I know that both on the Ark and on the ground hard decisions have had to be made and the leadership has had to weigh the cost of a few lives versus many. Despite what some of you think of me, I have had to make those decisions before and I did so out of necessity. But where was the necessity in these deaths? The one mistake we can make down here that will get us all killed is complacency. If we start seeing people as expendable because we've seen so much death already then we are not going to survive long. Six lives may seem inconsequential compared to the fifteen hundred that were lost on the Ark, or the three hundred that were lost in the bombing, but they're not. Just as each one of those lives mattered, so do each one of the lives at Camp Jaha. If we want to not only survive but thrive we need to start being proactive about the challenges we face here."

"So how do you suggest we do that, Mr. Blake?" Marcus asked.

"Firstly, those of us with experience surviving outside Camp Jaha teach everyone in the camp basic survival skills. I know Octavia and Lincoln have been giving lessons to the guards, but I'm talking about civilians here. You have a resource of 44 people whose knowledge is being wasted on scrubbing floors and peeling potatoes."

"44 kids, you mean," Byrne argued.

Bellamy leaned forward, not bothering to feign nonchalance anymore. "No, 44 people. It is a mistake to think that ability is relevant to age. Didn't Clarke prove that when she created the alliance with the Grounders and saved our people from under the mountain at the age of seventeen?"

Abby ignored the sharp pang of loss that stabbed her chest at the sound of Clarke's name. "And that alliance crumbled when Lexa betrayed her."

Bellamy looked at her steadily. "Lexa, the other leader you considered merely a child, betrayed Clarke for the sake of her people. I'm not saying I support her decision, but I do understand it. And after suffering that blow to her confidence, Clarke was the one who stayed at that mountain and did not leave until we were safe. She was the one who made the decisions no one else could or would. She is not a child, no more than any of the 44 of us who survived your best efforts to kill us."

Marucs gave Bellamy a hard look. "We made the decision we felt necessary at the time."

Bellamy held his gaze. "I know that, but what was the point if you don't utilize the tools you created." He looked back at Abby. "The 44 kids left from the 100 you originally sent down have developed the ability to survive here, especially in the forest. They are the ones who survived the Grounder's first attack on the drop ship. They not only know how to fight, they also know how to thrive in the forest. If the Grounders had not been an issue – as they are not now – a lot more of us would be left. We were an experiment that determined more than the Ark's ability to survive on the ground; we – a bunch of kids – figured out how to live. And if I learned one thing from all of this, it is that we should never take anything for granted."

"The people who are alive now may not be tomorrow or next week or next year," he continued. "The relative safety we experience now may not last beyond the month. We don't know where the Grounders went or whether they're coming back. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Maybe something worse will take their place. We don't know, so we have to be prepared for everything. The only way you can begin to do this is by teaching everyone how to fight, how to shoot, how to hunt, how to find their way through the forest, how to tell the time by the position of the sun, how to track, how to keep people alive when they've been injured, how to live outside of these electric walls."

Marcus leaned forward in interest. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

"Let my 44 take small groups of people out into the forest. First on daily trips, then overnight as their skills grow. My 44 can teach everyone here, no matter what their age or ability, how to survive out there."

Major Byrne rubbed her chin in thought. "But what will that do to the current work roster? We barely have enough hands to keep everything running smoothly as it is."

Bellamy briefly closed his eyes in what appeared to be frustration. "Yes, but right now we are just surviving, we are not thriving. If we do not thrive, if we do not get ahead of whatever is going to come our way next, then our people have no future. Five months ago Jaha wanted to lead our people out of the camp and into the wilderness in search of a City of Light because we were under attack and we could not win. What if we had actually done that? Probably half of us would have died anyway because no one was prepared for what was out there. Let's not be caught so unaware and unprepared again. The day may come when we have to leave this place. Isn't it your duty as leaders to make sure your people can survive it when we do?"

"I see your point, Mr. Blake, but it will take some skillful readjustment of the rosters and a lot of double duties to accomplish what you suggest. We may have to start small – teach people how to shoot a gun, how to fight," Marcus said.

Major Byrne shook her head. "We could go back to the mountain to scrounge for more metal to make more bullets, but Wick and Monty are still working on a way to make more gunpowder with what we already found in Mount Weather, so we can't waste anything right now."

"That leads me to my second suggestion," Bellamy said. "We're wasting one of our biggest resources."

Abby raised an eyebrow in question. "Which is?"

"Mount Weather. Before we start tearing into the walls we should consider what those walls can do for us. We know from experience that it is not impenetrable, but it sure as hell is close. If Raven and Wick can get the turbines working again – which they assure me they are very capable of doing – that place will have electricity again. I'm not saying we should move there, but in the future as our numbers hopefully grow it can be a second base. In the meantime we can use it as shelter during winter and as a fortress if we are ever attacked again. It is the epicenter of this area; tunnels from all over lead there. We should claim them before something else does."

"What about what happened to our people there, and what happened to the people who lived there?" Abby asked. "Are our people, especially the 44, willing to go back there after everything?"

Bellamy shrugged. "They'd be stupid not to. Sometimes we don't have the option of emotion down here. And every one of those 44 is a survivor. They'll do what's necessary, as they have done since they landed here. As you should do, too."

Major Byrne opened her mouth to probably argue with Bellamy, to say they had done everything necessary too, but Abby knew they could be doing more so she cut Byrne off with a pointed look.

"Thank you, Bellamy. You've given us a lot to discuss. You may leave."

Bellamy stood and met each of them by the eye before saying, "Thank you for taking the time to listen."

A wry smile touched Abby's lips. Well, it seemed even he could mind his manners and show a little respect – however empty – if he thought it might help his cause.

After he left, she looked to her two Councilors. "What do you think?"

Major Byrne spoke first, as she'd anticipated. "He makes a few interesting points, but is all that really necessary? I concede he has a good idea about rehabilitating Mount Weather for our use, but training up civilians to fight? That's what the Guard is for."

"And the Guard can die, just like the rest of us," Marcus replied. "In fact, weren't the Guard's numbers severely depleted after the events of Mount Weather?"

"So we will open the Guard up for application and train those who meet the standard, as we have always done," Byrne responded quickly.

"That's just the thing, isn't it?" Abby weighed in. "Should we do things as we have always done? We are not on the Ark anymore and the challenges we face here are not the same ones we faced there. The Charter was written with the assumption that there was no life on Earth, so it does not cover all the challenges we actually face. We have already changed our stance on the punishment system, so why can't we do the same in other areas?"

"Those laws are what kept us alive!" Byrne argued, "They are what still keep us alive!"

"Not all of us," Marcus added thoughtfully. "That's what Bellamy was really getting at. Yes, they have kept most of us alive, but not everyone. He was right; those six deaths were preventable and more unnecessary deaths like that can be prevented."

"And you're saying he's the one who knows how to do that?" Byrne scoffed.

Marcus shrugged slowly. "Well, he at least has some very good ideas. Abby?"

Abby leaned forward. "I agree with the both of you on different points. No, I don't think we should completely throw out the Exodus Charter and start again but we do need to be able to be flexible. We use the Charter as the baseline and deviate where the circumstances call for it. As for Bellamy's ideas, Kane is right in that they are good ideas, but Byrne is also right in that they will be difficult to execute. But we will at least make a start. Firstly, I will reassign Raven to work on Mount Weather's turbines, with Wick's assistance where needed. Monty has shown an extraordinary amount of promise with tech and I believe he can pick up the slack in mechanics as well. Raven has set things up so that all we really need is maintenance of our existing systems and she would only be a radio call away should we need her."

"As for Bellamy's idea of training up the civilian population in survival techniques, I believe we can make a good start by initially using volunteers to go outside the camp in their free time. We can get feedback from those who go and decide then if we want to take it any further by making it mandatory. Obviously if we make it mandatory we will face a whole new set of challenges, so let's just focus on the next step. To that effect, I propose we take Bellamy off Guard duty and instigate him as the head of this undertaking."

"What?" Byrne exclaimed. "Chancellor, I understand the boy has had some good ideas and he is a good Guardsman, despite his shortcomings as a person, but is it really wise to give him such responsibility? Don't forget what put him on the ship with the 100 in the first place."

"I haven't forgotten, Major, and that is part of the reason why he needs this responsibility. If I have learned anything during my time here it is not to underestimate these kids. Bellamy is a natural born leader and he will do anything to keep his people safe. Didn't he and Clarke prove that time and time again? It took me losing my daughter a second time to realize the extent of what they are willing to do to keep their people safe. These kids made decisions I never could have. They are a formidable force - Bellamy is a formidable force - and here he is willing to trust us."

The Major shook her head. "Trust us? That shouldn't even be an issue. We are the Council, you his Chancellor."

"We lost his trust the day we sent his sister to the ground to die along with the rest of the 100," Marcus replied, "And that is the cost of our decision so yes, we must earn his trust. More importantly, once we earn his trust we earn the trust of the rest of the 44."

"Exactly!" Abby responded emphatically. "The 44's allegiance is not to us, but to him. If we reject his ideas do you really think that is going to stop him, stop them? They will train up whoever they can with or without our permission, so why waste this opportunity to get them to trust that we know what we're doing?"

"If Bellamy is really such a threat to our authority, then don't give him any! And if he breaks the law and does what he wants anyway, banish him as the law requires!" Byrne exclaimed.

Marcus shook his head. "To make an enemy of this young man would be a grave mistake. Like Abby said, he is a natural leader and if given the choice, I doubt many of the 44 would chose to stay behind if we banished him and I wouldn't be surprised if others followed him too, especially when he's right. We should not deny his ability for the sake of our pride. We are here for the sake of our people, for their survival, not because we deserve it."

"We make Bellamy an asset to this community. Imagine what he could do if he was as dedicated to the rest of us as he is to those 44." As he was to my daughter, Abby added privately.

Byrne rubbed the back of her neck in defeat, "Okay, but I insist at least one of the Guard accompany him and any others he takes on his excursions out of the camp to report back to the Council directly, to ensure he is not taking advantage of his new-found autonomy."

Marcus smiled wryly. "To ensure he is not creating his own army, you mean."

Byrne met his gaze without humor. "If I have learned anything on the ground, it is not to underestimate anyone."

"A wise observation, Major," Abby replied. "So maybe we should rotate the Guards we send out with him because if Bellamy could gain my daughter's trust within a few weeks of landing on the ground, he can gain anyone's."


"Octavia, any sight of him?" Bellamy asked as soon as Octavia reached him.

Octavia grimaced and shook her head. "In the half hour you were with the Council we spread out and combed the whole camp. We're about to do it again, just to be sure. Either he really doesn't want to be found…"

"Or he's not here," Bellamy finished.

"Bell, what will we do if he's left? The law is-"

"I know what the law is." He cut her off as he wiped a hand over his face. If Jasper left the camp and it was discovered, he wouldn't be allowed back in. That was the law. He should know, he disobeyed it every chance he got.

Octavia grabbed his arm and pulled him into a more private alcove where they would not be so easily seen. "I know if he left it is the stupidest thing he could have ever done, but I feel like we owe him, Bell. He lost everything under that Mountain – Maya, the girl he loved, Monty, his best friend…"

"It was his decision to cut Monty out of his life. Clarke was the one who told him to set up the floor for eradiation. We were the ones who pulled that lever. He was just following orders. We-"

"Bore it so Monty wouldn't have to. I know, Bell, but that doesn't change how Jasper feels about it. I have been the only person he's talked to at all about any of it so I know and I can't think about what he'd do to himself if he's alone out there. We went through too much to lose one of our own like this."

"I know, O. I won't let him give up. I will find him, even if he's left the camp. If he doesn't show up tonight I'll leave first thing in the morning to look for him."

Octavia nodded once. "I'll come with you."

"No, you're needed here. You are the one they turn to when I'm not around. They still don't trust Linc fully and Raven has no interest in being a leader."

Octavia expelled an exasperated breath through her nose. "And you think I want to be considered a leader? I want to lead about as much as you do."

Bellamy smiled humorlessly, remembering a time he'd wanted nothing more, but that was before he knew the cost that came with the mantle. "But I do it anyway, because I'm needed, just as you will be for as long as I'm gone. Raven has too much on with everything she's doing for the camp, for us."

"Fine," Octavia sighed, accepting. "Speaking of the camp – how'd the meeting go?"

Bellamy smiled wryly. "About as well as we'd expected, but I think they'll at least go for the Mount Weather idea. It makes sense."

"It all makes sense. They're idiots if they don't use what we can offer. And we have the biggest asset of all in Linc. The Tree People have thrived here for decades. He can teach us to do the same. This hunk of metal isn't going to last forever," Octavia said as she banged the side of her fist against the metal wall they were standing against.

"I know, and we'll do what we have to no matter what they decide, but if we're going to do this the right way we need to give them a chance to make the right decisions." One side of his mouth lifted in a self-depreciating smile. "Believe it or not, I'd prefer not to sneak around and break the law."

Octavia laughed, "I'll believe that when I see it, big brother."


As soon as Bellamy finished the graveyard shift on the wall he'd had scheduled that evening he went back to his quarters to change into what he considered his fatigues – forest green pants, light brown long-sleeved shirt and the boots that had seen him through almost seven months on the ground. He took a few moments to wipe down his bare torso and face with the bowl of water and washcloth he kept there, not wanting to spend any time trekking down to the lake to wash fully. He could bathe once Jasper was back at Camp Jaha.

Eight-hour shifts of wall duty in the Guard with day excursions to hunt had left not an ounce of fat on his body. He had always been fit, but the ground had hardened every muscle, as it had done for most of the 44. Some had lost their edge during the months of captivity under the mountain and relative inactivity in Camp Jaha, but he knew he never would. He needed to use everything he had to his advantage if he was to survive everything out there on the ground. They only inhabited a small corner of the planet and they had already encountered dangerous beasts, hostile Grounders, crazed Reapers, and technology the likes of which they thought they'd never encounter on the ground. And if the Mountain Men had been able to wreak such havoc with their physical limitations, he couldn't even imagine what else could be out there. So if he was going to survive things like that, he refused to be taken down by lack of stamina and a weak right arm.

With this in mind, he opened his backpack to ensure all his survival gear was accounted for – a thermal jacket in case he was caught out overnight, matches, a second spare knife, a flare, a small pot in case he needed to boil water over a fire, ammo, dry rations to last three days, a small med-kit, a tent and spare socks. He kept his automatic rifle, his hand gun and two knives on him at all times. It didn't matter if the Grounders had mysteriously cleared out and headed west five months ago – he wasn't ever going to take any chances about what may or may not be out there.

He had just exited his tent when he saw Lincoln walk towards him.

"Bellamy." Lincoln nodded in greeting. Bellamy nodded back. "Octavia told me you were heading out today to search for Jasper. How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"Fortunately today is my fortnightly scheduled day off, so I'll try to be back by nightfall. But don't start to worry until tomorrow midday when my next wall duty shift is."

"You have an eight-hour hunt-and-gather expedition starting at four tomorrow morning," Lincoln reminded him.

"Yes, but you're leading that one so if I'm not back you can make excuses for me," Bellamy replied wryly.

Lincoln shook his head slightly. "I will make the excuses if I have to but you know I must tread carefully here. Transgressions are not so easily pardoned when they are a Grounder's."

Bellamy put his hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "You know you're one of us now, Linc."

"Part of your band of 44, yes, but the only thing tying me to this place is your sister. I go where she goes."

"And hopefully she won't be going anywhere for a long time," Bellamy replied solemnly. "We need her here. I need her." Now that Clarke is gone. It went unspoken, but Bellamy knew Lincoln understood the subtext.

"And that is why she is here, Bellamy."

Bellamy nodded quickly. "Is that all? Do I have your permission to leave now?" he joked weakly.

"One more thing," Lincoln replied. "Where do you think you'll look?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does if I'm going to send out a search party for you if you're gone past midday tomorrow."

"Whatever you do, don't do that," Bellamy replied firmly. "We can't afford to be acting too far outside of the Council's orders right now. I have a flare. If you're really that worried, keep one of our people outside to keep an eye out for it. I promise I will set it off if I get into trouble."

"Which will get you into more trouble with the Council."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. Me. No one else needs to get into trouble over this."

Lincoln nodded once in acceptance. "I will leave you to your journey then. Good luck."

Bellamy took Lincoln's offered forearm and clasped it as they looked at each other with mutual respect. "Thank you."

Five minutes later Bellamy was outside the camp and circling around the forested perimeter to the location they suspected Jasper had gone. Monty had been conducting some maintenance on a section of the fence the day before, causing it to be powered down during that period. Monty had said he hadn't seen Jasper near it, but it was the only lead they had; they couldn't think of any other way he could've left camp.

As Bellamy approached the area he saw signs someone or something had passed through there, but it was difficult for him to determine if it was human or animal. It was unlikely an animal had passed so close to the camp, so it must have been Jasper.

Damn it, kid.

He understood the guy was going through a lot, but did he really think no one would come after him? Did he really think he wouldn't be missed if he just ran off? Like Octavia had said, they had gone through too much and lost too many for Jasper to go like this. It didn't matter if he planned to take his own life or just die from exposure or stupidity; Bellamy was not going to let him die so needlessly. He'd seen too many deaths – caused too many deaths – for him not to fight for this one life.

As he slowly trekked through the forest, trying to track what he saw, he wished for Finn's presence for the first time in a long time. He'd never really cared for the guy the way some of the others had, especially not the way Raven and Clarke had, but the guy had been one of them and he'd had a lot of useful skills, tracking being the foremost. Finn's was another pointless death, the result of his own recklessness and rage and Clarke now had to bear the weight of it, wherever she was.

His thoughts turned to Clarke for the first time in a long time as well. Her name flitted through his head somewhat frequently, in a sort of wish-she-was-here capacity, but he never stopped to truly think of her, of where she might be and what she might be doing. It wasn't that he tried not to think of her or didn't want to think of her; he just didn't have the time. When he was in Camp Jaha he always had something else on his mind, all the issues and problems of the 44 he had to deal with and all the issues and problems of the camp as a whole that he longed to fix. When he was hunting he was always too alert to think about anything other than that present moment. Even when he sneaked out for his solo excursions he was often too busy mapping terrain to think of the things that had occurred on it.

It was really only when he came across a particular landmark he recognized that he thought of her. Once he'd come across the grove near the landsite where Atom had died, where he'd first seen Clarke for what she was – strong, fearless – not the pampered, privileged princess he'd thought her to be. She'd done what he hadn't been able to do then and she had continued to do what most people hadn't been able to do, until she couldn't anymore. So then he'd decided to do that for her and that was what he was doing now. They were still a team even if he didn't know if she was even alive anymore.

Perhaps it was because his thoughts had turned so maudlin and resolutely towards her that, a few hours later, he saw the flash of gold out the corner of his eye. The mind played tricks, after all; showed the eye things that weren't really there. But then he heard the telltale crunch of a boot on half-melted snow.

His experiences hunting throughout winter and into spring taught him that animals, deer in particular, did not make that crunching sound. Only the human foot did as it set down, that rolling motion from heel to toe. This was no deer and he doubted it was Jasper, so close to camp.

Unless he's coming back.

Regardless, he crouched down, took his rifle from around his shoulder and waited silently. After an interminable amount of time he heard it again towards his left, about twenty feet away. As he shifted his gaze there he saw the unmistakable human shape of green and black and motion as an arrow was drawn back into a bow.

Grounder!

Bellamy's instincts heightened and his adrenaline rushed as he stood up in place and aimed the rifle towards the Grounder.

"Put your weapon on the ground and surrender peacefully," he ordered. "I don't want to shoot you."

The Grounder stood, bow drawn back and ready to fire at him, and as he stared into a face painted with mud and dirt he realized the eyes gazing back at him were as familiar as his own.

And the hair falling around them was blonde.

His rifle dropped uselessly to his side.

"Clarke?"