An Easy Decision
3x01 Hopes and Dreams of a Bellarke Fanatic
by Jimmy Whispers
Clarke Griffin trumped along an animal path loudly. The last thing that was on her mind was stifling the noise of her boots on the vegetation of the forest floor. She had been stifling sobs for the past hour. Tears had flown out of her eyes long before that, but that was unpreventable. Her mind was a mess. And a messy mind had thrown her heart into disequilibrium and she was split between two sides of herself. Was it emotion making her logic weak, or was it allowing her logic to wax over itself? Either way, she was choking on it.
Why did there always have to be a sacrifice for survival? She left the arc because this time, it was her turn. For the benefit of her people's survival, she had sacrificed hundreds; woman and children. Innocent people for her innocent people and for her friends and for her mother, the only family she had left. They were the people she loved. She did it for them. It was completely necessary. But what was making the incredibly difficult decision to radiate level 5 so unbearable was the fact that maybe she didn't love the innocents of Mt. Weather, but she certainly didn't hate them. They were in fact innocents. Love was eating her away. So wouldn't the logical conclusion be that love was also eating her logic?
She thought of what went wrong over and over again. It was Lexa. She trusted her. The paradox struck again. Love was feeding her logic and teaching her to let love go. Her alliance with Lexa opened so many possibilities in her mind. But Lexa betrayed her. Lexa abandoned her. And with her, she took Clarke's options. She thought of the kiss they shared. And she remembered someone she wished not to. Finn.
"No, Clarke. Not him," she said it out loud.
Then she remembered Maya. And she remembered Jasper and the tears that fell from his eyes and soaked his face as he held her mangled, lifeless body, eaten by something her body was fortunate enough to be immune to.
"If you had given me a few more minutes, it would have been over!"
While she knew the words were so irrelevant, Jasper's voice seemed to be one of the few to haunt her that was still accompanied by living breath. His feelings were so similar to hers. The one Jasper loved was sacrificed for the cause. Just like hers had been. How dare Lexa's mindset become her own. Worse still; how dare Lexa leave her with no other option.
This was enough. She dropped to her knees and lost her breath. It was trying to force itself back into her lungs sharply, but she couldn't let it. It was too painful and everything tasted like blood. She sobbed. Loudly.
The sky was clear. She gazed at it through wet eyes. The forest was quiet around her. But she was not. What was the difference if someone were to hear her? She had no reason to be still; therefore she wasn't. Little did she know, things were not quite over.
Captain Emerson was 50 yards to her left aiming his pistol to kill.
He moved closer, silently. Anger flushed his face as he thought of his daughter and his wife still in the mountain. Even from miles away, he could still smell his life burning away as his home was. Their lives were so easily taken from them. Well, if it was so easy for Clarke to take lives, then it would be easier for him to take hers. His breathing became heavier now. He was 30 yards away, finger on the trigger, pausing his strides between Clarke's fits. 20 yards away; this was close enough. His fists clenched around the handle. His face sneered and he squeezed.
Clarke jumped at the sound of the shot. Without looking around her, she stood and ran.
Emerson cursed. He didn't notice how uncontrollably he was shaking until he was fully aware that he had definitely missed his shot. No matter. He still had a full magazine and he would empty it until she was gone. Immediately, he took after her.
Clarke was careful of her footing, but running with a lack of air was making her dizzy. She had no clue where she was going, she just ran forward.
Suddenly she felt herself drop. She had fallen into a small ravine. She closed her eyes, but unexpectedly, free fall sensation ceased. She felt a firm grip around her wrist and a pain in her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked upward. The grip belonged to Bellamy Blake. Loyal Bellamy Blake, pack on his back, which was braced and arched to account for her weight as both hands struggled to maintain a hold.
Never the less, Clarke knew that now, neither of them were safe.
"Idiot!" she thought. She heard Emerson crashing toward them. Another shot sounded. Bellamy winced and his eyes widened with fright. Lucky for both of them, Emerson's aim was already awful despite training with the guard atop the current detriment provided by his emotional state.
"Bellamy!" Clarke cried. "Gun!" She motioned to her right hip where a gun was snuggly place between her skin and her belt.
Bellamy centered himself, growled as he bent his elbows with all the strength he had lifting Clarke enough out of the ravine to where she could support her own weight with her upper body and elbows. She desperately thrust him the gun and Bellamy aimed at Emerson who was now far too near them for comfort.
Bellamy centered himself again and aimed for Emerson's head. But before he had a chance to pull the trigger, another round from Emerson's pistol fired. The bullet hit Bellamy's upper arm. He howled. And dropped the gun.
Clarke had no time. She heaved herself out of the crack in the ground and threw herself over Bellamy's now sprawled, tense body. She took up the gun and fired 4, 5, 6, and 7 times.
Emerson's mouth ran red and gushed as he coughed. He sank to his knees eyes wide with shock.
Clarke didn't hesitate. She wiped remaining tears from her eyes and put the last round in his head.
He fell.
"Brave princess."
Bellamy. Was he laughing? Clarke twisted her waist to face him. His face was wide with a smile. He was laughing. He had obviously been driven insane. She ignored him and immediately examined his arm. It was only grazed. He was still here.
She heaved a sigh and began to laugh a little herself. Is this what it comes to? Survival drives you to madness? She turned her body and rested her head on his chest. She was still here too.
She gazed at the sky. It was clear and the forest was quiet. They were both there. And they were there together.
"You came after me?" She asked.
Bellamy sighed and put his arms around her.
"It was an easy decision, Princess."