Chapter 1

Bellamy turned and watched Clarke walk back to the tree line alone. Fool, he thought. Damn stubborn fool. He had no idea why she had to be so hard on herself, but right now he was too tired and beat up to stop her. The Mountain had nearly killed him, both physically and spiritually. He, at least, badly needed that drink and to sleep. Tomorrow would have to take care of itself, and so would Clarke.

The light was already failing as he sunk down onto the piece of twisted metal debris that was serving as a campfire seat. Octavia's face beamed at him in the dancing firelight as she handed him a cup of moonshine and a bowl of stew.

"It's good to be home." She sighed resting her head on his shoulder.

He knew she wasn't referring to the camp, but to the people who's tired faces surrounded him. The last of the 100. His people. Clarke's people. His eyes were scanning the dark shadows beyond the fence before he realized it, he yanked them back to the flames of the warm fire and shivered. Damn damn fool!

Sunlight burned red against his eyelids and he rolled to escape the light, but a gust of icy air hitting his back finally robbed him of sleep. Wick stood at the tent flap silhouetted against the rising sun.

"Bellamy wake up! You have to come listen to this." His voice was both urgent and excited.

Bellamy shot him daggers with his eyes. "This had better be important Wick."

"It's the radio. Now that Mount Weather isn't jamming us any more we can hear them. We can hear them all." Wick raised his eyebrows and bounced on his toes, but it took the groggy Bellamy too long to piece together what he meant.

"Other Ark ships, they made it. They are out there. We are not alone!" With that Wick could contain his excitement no longer and turned letting the tent flap fall into place as he left.

Bellamy lay back on his sleeping pallet with his arms folded behind his head staring up at the canvas ceiling. He didn't know what to think, or how to feel. Was he happy? Logically he should be, but he was also wary about what this meant for him. Before the Ark landed he was top dog. A position that ended up being a necessary burden. One he had shouldered willingly with Clarke. But she was gone now. When the Ark landed his fall from power had been swift and brutal. He'd barely escaped with his life. He was nothing and then she had made her way back to camp and suddenly he was relevant again. Her right arm. He'd done what he had to rescue his people, their people. He'd do it all again, all of it, to get them out of that Mountain alive.

He rolled onto his side, hugging himself as he thought about the people who didn't make it. The ones who had died while he was there, powerless. He remembered Octavia with a gun to her head. Yes, he thought angrily, I'd do it again. I'd do it sooner. He sat up and raked his fingers through his tangled hair. Would she have stayed, he thought, if I'd just pulled that damn lever for her, before she had to. All of the Mountain People against Octavia's life had been a no brainer for him. But it had broken Clarke, and he hadn't even noticed till she said goodbye. He should have been paying more attention.

The large crowd around the radio tent chattered noisily. But as he neared them he could tell that they knew very little about what was happening inside. He prepared to shove his way physically through the crowd, but it parted to let him through. The Arkers looked at him in a way he wasn't entirely comfortable with. He ducked his head and entered, as he did Kane, Wick and Monty turned to face him. He was a little surprised to see both Octavia and Lincoln in the room, when so many others were left outside. They just looked at him expectantly.

"what's going on?" He asked, as if he didn't already know.

The spell seemed to break and Kane approached him and then turned, arm extended, as if to draw him into their inner circle.

"We started picking up signals as soon as the power went down at the mountain." Kane informed him matter of factly.

Wick chimed in, "I guess the backup generator didn't cover the antenna. Those things require a lot of juice, especially one with their range."

"How far are we talking?" Bellamy asked raising his eyebrow.

"Everything in line of sight, which from the top of that mountain was hundreds of miles in either direction." Wick gestured towards a map on the side of the tent.

A large circle had been drawn on the map and three X's had been placed. They formed a roughly straight line moving away from their camp.

"How many other survivors are there?" Bellamy asked, still uneasy about the way everyone seemed to be briefing him. What was going on?

Kane turned to him again, worry etched on to his tired face. "We don't know," he admitted. "Two of the signals we are receiving are automated repeater beacons. But at least that means the ships made it down softly enough not to destroy the equipment. They may just not be able to transmit a message for some reason. The third is definitely manned. We can hear them, but they can not hear us. It's hard to tell how many survivors there are, we know they have been attacked and we suspect they don't want to give away their numbers for fear of who else might be listening."

Everyone paused as if waiting for Bellamy to speak, but he had no idea what they wanted from him. "What's the plan?" He asked to fill the silence.

Kane looked at him and half smiled. "That is what we need to decide. Look Bellamy," he said arms open, "I know we got off to a bad start. I'm well aware of what an arrogant fool I was. You have been leading down here longer than anyone and you've kept our people alive. I'd be an even greater fool if I didn't seek your counsel now. "

Bellamy blinked. Stumped. His eyes searched for his sister who was beaming with pride. One hand nonchalantly holding onto Lincoln's. Lincoln and he had not spoken since the under-gate of the mountain. Lincoln caught his gaze and lowered his eyes to the ground. Tightening his grip on Octavia.

The tent flap shifted once more and a guard Bellamy recognised as Miller's dad entered the tent. He turned to Kane. "I couldn't find her. No one has seen her since last night sir."

Bellamy knew who they were talking about instantly. Surely he wasn't the only one she'd said goodbye to.

"Clarke is gone. " His voice croaked with emotion he wasn't aware he felt.

Annoyance flickered across Kane's face. "Gone where? When?" He demanded, squaring off in front of Bellamy.

"She didn't come into the camp with us. She didn't want to stay here." Bellamy said simply, and shrugged as if that made perfect sense. What else was he supposed to do.

"She abandoned us again!" Octavia gasped before she could regain some control.

"Do you know where she's gone, when she'll be back. Did she tell you anything?" Kane's voice had an uncharacteristic edge to it. More than the worry of a leader. He paced away from the group

"No, she didn't have any plans. Just not here." Bellamy answered. To his surprise Octavia nodded as if that did make sense. He was missing something and he didn't like it.

Kane turned to the guard, "Look Miller, don't tell the Chancellor. I'll handle that. In fact just keep this to yourself for now." The guard nodded in understanding and left.

"In that case we should just get started." Kane beckoned them all to a table at the back of the space with benches either side. "Thoughts anyone?"

Lincoln, who had remained standing was the first to speak. "You need to prepare for winter. If you stay here everything will be buried by snow in two months."

"Are you suggesting we abandon the camp!" Kane eyed him incredulously.

Lincoln simply nodded.

"Where would we go?" Octavia asked apprehensively looking up at him.

"We don't have enough food!" Wick asserted, "And I doubt we have enough time to gather it. Even if that is all we do from now till then." He looked grim.

Lincoln shifted on his feet but remained silent.

"We have to warn the other Arks" Kane added. "They need a chance to prepare as best they can."

They sat silently for a moment then Bellamy uttered words he'd never imagined saying. "We need to go back to the mountain." He waited for someone to disagree with him, but no one did.

"They have the supplies we will need to fix the other camps radios." Wick chimed in. "Plus they have food and the means to grow more." He finished.

"They obviously have medical supplies. " Kane snorted remembering the savage use they'd been put to.

Lincoln shifted again. "They have weapons. Many weapons. If you do not seize them another clan will." Lincoln's voice was restrained but it was clear that this was his main concern.

A heavy silence filled the tent. There was no way they would survive an assault from grounders armed with guns. There was no safety behind these fences. They were sitting ducks.

Lincoln spoke again. He had obviously given this much thought. "You have some time, but not much. Any agreement the commander has made will require us to stay away from the mountain. But news of your survival and the Mountain's fall will spread and then my people will return." Octavia looked at Lincoln sadly. Bellamy didn't understand why and didn't have the time to care.

"We don't have time to move everything from the Ark to the mountain. We can't just leave it here unguarded." Kane said getting up from the table in frustration. "Are you sure we can't survive the winter here?" He asked Lincoln, who nodded once.

"How long does the snow last?" Octavia said also standing and taking Lincoln's hand again.

"Three month, sometimes four." He replied.

Kane turned to Wick. "The Ark was designed to survive in space, why couldn't we survive the winter here?" He demanded.

"Either way we have to return to get radio supplies and the weapons, then send a team to warn the other Arks." Bellamy said, decided. He turned to Kane. "You can figure out the logistics of the rest while we are gone."

To his amazement Kane simply nodded in agreement. Bellamy felt relieved that he was being listened to, but unsettled as well.

The rest of the morning was spent planning. An uncharacteristically sombre Wick didn't want to leave Raven, who was still unconscious. But Sinclair was out of commission so Kane insisted. Jasper had spoken just long enough to say he'd stay with her. Monty was also keen to return and it transpired that he had promised to bring Maya to the ground and bury her. After that Kane agreed to send enough people to bury the dead and haul back supplies. An armed guard detail would go with them and then return swiftly to camp once the mountain group had been armed.

By the time Bellamy left the tent the sun was nearly directly overhead. It felt warm enough to him right now. It was hard to imagine the forest around them blanketed in snow. They'd learnt all about the seasons in Earth Craft, but the idea of ice-crystals falling from the sky still seemed like magic to him. He just hoped he was there to watch Octavia's face the first time she saw it. A dull ache filled his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he missed his mother. He shook it off and walked over to the mess-tent stomach complaining loudly.

The next day Lincoln avoided him on the way back to the mountain, scouting ahead and around and behind. Octavia stalked beside him, silently for most of the journey. Until he had asked her about Tondc. Her voice had dripped with venom when she revealed that Clarke had made it to the village on time, but said nothing before the bomb dropped.

"The only person she warned was her precious Commander, and then they deserted us. She left me, our people, even her own mother to die."

Instant denial fell from Bellamy's lips as he turned to angrily confront his sister. "Clarke wouldn't do that!" Octavia just snorted and turned her back on him and began walking away.

Bellamy pulled her back by the shoulder. "There has to be more to it than that. Clarke would never betray us."

Octavia grew angry with him. "Maybe not the old Clarke", she snarled. "You didn't see how close she was to Lexa!" She spat the Commander's name. "Those two needed to get a room, she wasn't just thinking with her head if you know what I mean."

Bellamy stopped dumbfounded. He trusted Octavia, she would never lie to him. Had Clarke? Clarke had told him his sister was not in Tondc. When he found out she was lying he'd forgiven her because she'd jumped on a horse to warn her. But Clarke hadn't even done that. Bellamy felt a white hot anger that he'd seldom felt before. He stalked away from Octavia, the conversation over.

When the fuck had Clarke started lying to him. There had not been many steady things to cling to on this God forsaken planet, but her loyalty to the group, to him, had been one. And now it was gone. Had the commander convinced Clarke to send him on that mission to get him out of the way. What the hell had she really meant when she'd said she was being weak?

They reached the entrance of the Mountain just before sunset. The large steel door was closed but Wick said it wasn't locked and they could get inside. Instead they opted to spend the cooling night camped outside. They would face whatever lay within tomorrow, when the sun was up.

Eventually Lincoln returned to share their fire. The other Arker's were still wary of the grounder and the three were left alone to eat.

"Bellamy," Lincoln began.

Then stopped and dropped his eyes, unable to continue. Finally he looked Bellamy in the eye and said.

"I have a debt to you I can not repay."

Lincoln had been many things since he had crossed their path, but Bellamy had never seen him so uncomfortable.

"I didn't know I was going to do that." Lincoln said finally.

From Octavia's lack of reaction it was clear she knew what they were talking about. Except.

"I don't want to talk about it Lincoln. Everything about that place was messed up." Bellamy pointed at Octavia. "But if you ever betray me again I will sic my sister on you."

Octavia snorted with laughter and slapped him. Lincoln was first bemused and then relaxed and smiled, shaking his head. These Sky People were crazy.

Later Lincoln disappeared again to scout the perimeter. He had informed Bellamy that he wouldn't go into the mountain. He still didn't trust himself near the red drug. Bellamy understood his reluctance. But with his intimate knowledge of the base layout he himself had no choice, despite his own fears. He imagined Monty felt the same way, but he'd chosen not to join their fire, still wary of Lincoln, so he couldn't ask.

Octavia unrolled the bedding she had been sitting on and got ready to sleep.

"Thank you" she said simply, but her eyes sparkled with gratitude and love.

Bellamy lay down opposite her looking up at the stars. The crisp night air smelled of pines. He put his hands behind his head and breathed out.

"We've all done stuff, O" he said. "Every time I look at Lincoln I am reminded of the fact that I tortured him." Bellamy gulped, but it felt oddly good to talk. "I did what I felt I had to. But the more I get to know him the more I realize he is a better man than me. I'm glad you have him watching your back."

Octavia was silent for a moment then she half whispered, "He watches more than my back."

Bellamy groaned and threw a stick at her. "Go to sleep O." He joked, then grew silent as he took in a full view of the universe above.

Raven straddled him, rocking her hips violently against his. Her eyes were closed, face contorted as she arched her back forcing her small breasts to jut almost skyward. Drops of sweat glistened on her dark skin and Bellamy palmed one breast before rolling the nipple between his thumb and fingers. He squeezed and pulled, but she was too far gone to notice him. His hands fell back to her hips trying to control their rhythm. He closed his eyes, rested his head against the bed and plunged into her. She was warm and wet, he was close. His body tensed as he felt his release building.

"What are you doing!" Clarke hissed.

His eyes shot open and turned to hers as Raven continued to ride him. Her eyes were like cold fire, steely blue and glistening with outrage. The pale skin of her neck was flushed. She knelt beside him, their faces almost touching. Her lips were too close. Her arm shot out behind her, and without looking she palmed Raven's breast.

"Is this what you want?" She hissed again, her breath leaving a trail of fire on his throat.

Raven moaned and leaned into Clarke's touch.

"Is this who you want?"

Raven's dark eyes opened and looked straight through him.

"No!" He gasped, throat dry.

Clarke's mouth covered his. Fingers combed up her neck into her golden hair, drawing her closer to him. She was warm and soft. Her tongue pushed against his. Not fighting him, joining him, reveling in him. Bellamy's other hand travelled down her spine, sending shivers across her skin that he could feel through the way she tightened around him. She felt so good.

He thrust himself into her harder, losing himself in her. His hand left her hair and she pulled away to look at him. Clear blue eyes lit with need and something more. His thumb traced the line of her cheek and caressed her mouth. She arched into him, deeper, and her lips parted into a little O. She sucked on the side of his thumb and then took it into her mouth. He was going to explode, but fought to regain control. So close, but not yet. She wasn't ready.

He pushed himself into a sitting position as her hips continued to gyrate against his. One of her hands held the nape of his neck, to steady herself. The other snaked down between their sweaty bodies and he could feel her fingers caressing herself between them. Her back arched, as he held her in his strong arms, exposing her flushed chest to his gaze. Clarke's breasts were soft and heavy her nipples pink and hard. He released his grip on her slightly so one hand could cup her soft white flesh as his tongue flicked and licked. He had his eyes closed sucking her nipple when she became still.

Lexa's cold blade hovered at Clarke's neck which was curved back by the gloved fist in her hair.

"Is this what you want?" Lexa whispered in Clarke's ear seductively.

Cold steel slithered down Clarke's body, between her breasts forcing Bellamy back onto his elbows.

"Is this who you want?" Lexa's full lips caressed Clarke's ear as she spoke.

She cupped Clarke's chin in her hand and brought their lips together. Bellamy watched in disbelief as Clarke responded. Her pale arm snaked up into Lexa's hair to pull them deeper into the kiss.

Clarke's hips began to move against his own again and Bellamy gripped them with his hands. Trying to hold on to her even as his back sank onto the bed. She was desperate now. Her hand on his chest, then gripping his thigh, as Lexa urged Clarke to use him. Lexa straddled Bellamy behind Clarke. Cupping her breasts, trailing kisses down her neck. Clarke writhed on top of him eyes closed, drawing strength from him. And through the horror of it all, he gave it to her. He was hard with need, for her. He pulled on her hips, kneaded her flesh, thrust into her deeper harder.

When Bellamy moved his thumb to Clarke's center she moaned, eyes flickering. Lexa stopped him, replacing his hand with her own. Clarke bucked wildly on him now eyes scrunched tight, wet lips parted, panting.

"Come for me!" Lexa demanded eyes ablaze with triumph as she glared at Bellamy.

Clarke's walls spasmed around him and a flush of red raced from her quivering abdomen to her chest and into her face, her eyes flew open.

"Bellamy!" She cried out.

White light surrounded Clarke, blinding Bellamy, as red fire consumed her flesh. She flew apart like burning embers blown on the wind.

Bellamy was left alone in the dark, panting, reaching for her. No not alone. Lexa screamed as she lunged out of the darkness in full battle armor and buried her dagger deep into his frantically beating heart.

Bellamy jerked upright, soaked in sweat, freezing in the cold night air. Lincoln was staring at him across the glow of their small fire.

"Your watch?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"Sure." Said Bellamy, pulling his blanket tighter around him and moving closer to the heat.

Lincoln lay down next to Octavia and Bellamy was left alone wondering where the hell Clarke was, and what she was doing in his nightmares.

They rose at first light, the ground glistened with dew. Octavia offered him some of last night's dinner for breakfast but he just shook his head as she chomped down herself, sharing with Lincoln. She shook her head at him in bemusement. His stomach couldn't face food when he considered what lay behind the door. Clearly his sister was made of sterner stuff. That made him smile and Octavia asked him what was so funny. He'd never admit to her how bad ass she'd become, so he got up and headed to the door.

The emergency lighting was still working. Casting a cold blue light over the silent corridors. The sounds of the boots echoed of the metal walls. The smell inside the mountain did not hit him until they reached level 5. It had only been a few days but the radiation burns had accelerated the decay. Originally they had planned to dig graves. But the task before them was too daunting and the ground too hard. Instead they built pyres in the clearing beyond the door. Finding wood was easy, a large army had just left leaving a ready supply behind.

Carrying the children had been the hardest. Bellamy's heart was heavy by the end of the day. As he lay them gently on their own pyre he had to keep telling himself that they had no choice. They didn't start this. The mountain men had brought this fate on themselves. The bullets in the people who had helped him reminded him of this. But it was no good. However complicit the adults were, the children remained innocent. Their small light bodies weighing his soul down.

They buried Maya just within the tree line where a natural rock formation provided a good landmark. They knew Jasper would want to find her eventually. Monty had wrapped her in a colorful blanket to bring her out. While Bellamy and Monty dug her grave Octavia gathered wild flowers for her and she and Lincoln performed a ritual for the dead that belonged to his people, to purify her soul, cleanse of her burdens and prepare her for the next life.

Bellamy didn't understand how Lincoln could show so much compassion to the hideously disfigured girl he had never met. He was confused by the gentleness of this soul housed in the body of a lethal killer. But then it struck him, he couldn't remember if he had ever seen Lincoln take a life.

Octavia placed some flowers in Maya's hair and her hands and then they placed her carefully rewrapped body in the cold ground. After they had covered her Monty said a few words of thanks and regret. Bellamy added his own but it wasn't enough. All the different ways he could have saved Maya ran through Bellamy's head. Hindsight was a terrible companion. He had owed her his life, she deserved so much more.

The fires burned late into the night. In time small groups peeled off to head inside and find a place to sleep. No one feared the cold enough to be warmed by the heat of those flames. The smell filled the air and the smoke was clearly visible against the sunset. He had hoped darkness would hide their deed but the fires were too large, too ferocious and the night was too clear. They all knew the Grounders would have to send scouts to investigate.

"If we are lucky perhaps they are will believe these are our remains" Octavia said hopefully over the crackle and pop of the fire. But it was a slim hope, there were far too many for this to be Sky-Kru.

Eventually the smell of burning flesh drove the last Arkers inside and Bellamy was left alone with his sister to witness the consequences of what he had done. What he had had to do. What they had to do. His thoughts wandered to Clarke. He wondered if she could see or smell the fire. Would she understand what was happening? Would she come? His eyes looked at the tree line but they were useless from gazing into the fire too long. She could be out there right now and he wouldn't know.

Bellamy hoped it wouldn't take Wick and Monty too long to gather the radio supplIes. He needed to put some distance between himself and the mountain. But first he needed to find a place to rest so he went inside and headed for the living quarters. That was when he heard the baby cry.