Clarke's POV
Supplies were running low so Bellamy and I agreed to go hunting the next day. I have been avoiding Bellamy ever since I got back. I didn't – couldn't bear to be near him. I hated myself for what I did. What I said to him. And I honestly wouldn't blame him if he did too. Hunting tomorrow with the Blake siblings and Lincoln was going to be interesting to say the least. Octavia hates me and I know it. She isn't subtle about it. But when I saw Bellamy come back, and he was okay, I acted on pure instinct and ran up and threw myself into his arms. He was shocked but hugged me back tightly. That's something, I had thought. Now there are the occasional smile or a nod. Our friendship was mending.
Bellamy's POV
I knew that Clarke was avoiding me. She must think that I blame her, hate her, even. Maybe I should, but I can't. It's Clarke. I could never hate her even if I tried. I care about Clarke. I can see how much that choice weighs on her. She blames herself. I walk to her tent and poke my head in. Clarke is staring at her scar, the one from Mt. Weather, on her forearm. She looks so haunted, running her fingers along the jagged scar, with a blank look in those gorgeous sky blue eyes. I suddenly want to comfort her.
"Clarke?" I spoke softly, not wanting to scare her.
"Oh, hey. What's up?" Clarke asked, making sure to avoid looking in my eyes.
"This needs to stop. You can't avoid me anymore."
"I'm not-" She started to say but was cut off by my 'do you think I'm stupid' glare.
"I don't blame you for what happened. I don't hate you either." I said sincerely.
"Well I do! So I guess I'll feel like this for the both of us then!" She said with glassy eyes.
"I care about you too much to hate you Clarke." I said, and then realized what I said, too late.
Clarke's POV
I must've looked genuinely shocked that he didn't hate me. His beautiful chocolate brown eyes flashed with sadness and even a bit of confusion, but only for a minute. I hated myself for it, and I didn't even experience it. I made him do that. I couldn't even look in his eyes, afraid of what else I may find. I suddenly wished he hated me. It would be easier if he did, wouldn't it? I didn't get why he was so nice to me. I knew that I had strong feelings for Bellamy, but he couldn't feel the same, could he?"
"Anyway, we'd better get going." He said suddenly.
We exit the tent, with our backpacks slung onto our shoulders, not saying a word walking side by side. It continues until I finally can't take it and walk ahead. Octavia flashes me a questioning look and I shoot her a small smile. I just can't be that close to him. Not yet, anyway. He and Octavia start talking and my heart jumps when he starts to laugh. I'm really far ahead and I have to struggle to hear them. I'm so focused on them I don't realize what's happening until I hear a whoosh and feel a sharp pain in my thigh. I cry out and drop to the ground.
Bellamy's POV
As soon as I hear Clarke cry out, I start to run to her side. She had started to walk ahead of us a little ways back and I thought I'd let her cool off before I tried to talk to her. Once I catch up with her I stop and crouch next to her. Her face contorted in pain, she's trying to wrap a piece of cloth around as a tourniquet. The arrow looks like it's in there deep. I grab the cloth from her hands, ignoring the electric pull I get from touching her hand, and tie the tourniquet where she shows me. Judging from her flushed cheeks, she felt the pull too. O and Lincoln finally catch up to us, and he checks the hills and keeps watch. O takes out her sword and stands guard, but then we hear it. Clear as day. The horn. Grounders.
"You have to go." Clarke says, snapping me back to reality.
"Hell no." I said immediately.
"But-"
"I'm not leaving you here alone either, Clarke. Let's go." Octavia said. Thank you O, I thought.
"You can't. I'll slow you down, Bell. Take Octavia and go back to camp." She pleaded.
I knew that she had a point, but I wasn't leaving her and that was that. She was always the logical one.
I was the one that followed my heart and my instincts. I'm not messing with the system now.
Clarke's POV
"Octavia, please. Get him out of here. Hurry!" I begged with tears in my eyes.
"Clarke, I can't just leave you to- to die." She cried.
"Please..." I said, my tears falling. Looking into his eyes, praying he understands me.
"Don't. You're asking me to let you die, Clarke. I can't lose you." Bell said, pain etched in his features.
"I wasn't asking you, Bellamy." I said and I grabbed his cheeks and pulled his lips onto mine.
He immediately kissed me back, his lips were soft. The kiss was gentle and full of love and longing. I pulled back and let my tears fall. He looked extremely confused. He's going to be so pissed.
"I hope you can forgive me, Bell." I said sadly. I saw recognition in his eyes, a moment too late.
Lincoln came up behind him and waited until I broke the kiss before he grabbed Bell and pulled him up and away. I just continued to let the tears fall, and I needed him to know, just in case I didn't make it.
"I love you Bellamy Blake." I said, with a sad smile.
Bellamy went ballistic then. He started thrashing and yelling and cursing, trying to get to me.
"I love you too, Princess! Don't do this to me! Please, Clarke." He begged me, tears forming.
Bellamy's POV
"I love you Bellamy Blake." She said, smiling sadly.
And that's when I lost it. I needed her. She couldn't do this to me. She couldn't leave me. Not like this. She loved me? My heart lurched in my chest at those words, but I knew what they were. A dying declaration. She doesn't think she's going to make it out of this alive. Screw that. She's not dying.
"I love you too, Princess! Don't do this to me! Please, Clarke." I begged her, unshed tears threatening to spill out as I watched the girl I love prepare to die.
"Bell, I'm soo sorry." O. She's a traitor. She happily went along with Clarke's plan.
Just then I saw the grounders appear along the treeline. Clarke! They're going to kill her! I started punching and kicking and if I'm honest, biting, to get to her and protect her.
Clarke looked back at us, her eyes lingered on me before she looked at Lincoln. "Get them to camp."
Clarke then looked at O and her tears started to fall harder. I wished I could run up and kiss away her tears. I wished I could run up and carry her away. To protect her, like I protect our people. Like O.
"Take good care of him for me, O." She said, saying my nickname for Octavia, causing her to nod.
"I will, Clarke. I promise. I don't like this plan, but I trust you, sister." O said, tears falling.
Clarke was sobbing now, with a wistful smile. "Maybe one day, I could've been."
"No. You WILL be. Hear me, Princess? You are going to survive this! I love you!" I said firmly.
"And I love you, Rebel. Now go!" She yelled, and Lincoln started pulling me again.
The grounders rode up right in front of Clarke, Lincoln had dragged us out of their sight. The leader got off his horse and looked at Clarke. He spoke in their language and I felt Lincoln tense. Not good.
A man, I'm guessing his second, got off his horse and walked over to Clarke, unsheathing his sword.
I started to thrash again, until Lincoln squeezed my arms tightly. I wasn't going anywhere.
The man walked up to Clarke.
"Where are the others?" He asked, with a bad accent.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"If you will not tell me, we have no choice." he said, giving her a chance. Take it, I thought.
"Still have no idea, man." Clarke said stoically.
He took his sword and stabbed her in the stomach. She gagged and coughed up a lot of blood.
Satisfied he made a fatal blow, those bastards left her to bleed out.
"NO! CLARKE!" I shouted, tears spilling and running to her side as she collapsed onto her back.
Clarke's POV
I pressed my hands to my stomach and saw blood, and then I couldn't sit up anymore. I heard Bell yelling my name, but he sounded far away. Good, Lincoln's taking him back to camp, I thought.
"Oh god, Princess. Open your eyes. Look at me." I heard Bellamy say softly.
"I don't think we should move her." Octavia said.
"You don't get a say! You were fine leaving her to die, O!" Bellamy yelled.
Whoa! He's yelling at Octavia? He must be really mad. I didn't want him to be mad. I strained to open my eyes. To see his beautiful face, splashed with freckles, one last time. My head swam as I opened my eyes. Uh-oh, I feel like I'm going to throw up. I start to choke until someone turns me over and I cough up way too much blood, at least for my liking. This is it. My wound was fatal and I'm bleeding out.
Bellamy's POV
She started to choke so I turned her onto her side, like I've seen her do hundreds of times, just as she coughs up blood. A lot of blood. She needs help, now.
"O? Linc? Go to camp and get Abby. NOW!" I tell them and Lincoln takes off towards camp.
"Princess? We aren't that far from camp. Your mom will fix you." I told her, trying to convince us both.
She tries to laugh and then grimaces from the pain. Her breathing his labored. She's in bad shape.
I keep praying to whoever the hell is listening to keep her alive. I can't lose her. Not like this. We finally know how we feel about each other and now she's bleeding out in my arms.
"Clarke, you aren't going to die. So help me, if you die.. You can't. I need you." I said, voice breaking.
She smiles at that, her teeth stained red and her skin pale and pasty.
"Oh god no! Clarke!" Abby yells. Abby! She's here.
"Clarke, your mom's here. You'll be fine now, Princess.
Clarke's POV
I turn my head and fight the dizziness to see my mom. She looks almost defeated. She knows..
"M-mom? I- I- don't want t- to die. I l- love him." I manage, looking at Bellamy.
He chokes on a sob and I hear him say he loves me too. I smile and then everything starts to go dark.
"Princess? Clarke? Please, stay with me! Don't leave me." is the last thing I hear before the darkness closes in and I'm all alone.
Bellamy's POV
It's been 3 days since Clarke was stabbed, and Abby says she's still unconscious. When we got back to camp, everyone saw me carrying Clarke and all the blood. I was covered in it. My face was pale and my eyes were puffy and red. It was obvious I had been crying, and when Miller, my second, saw me he immediately ran up to me, and took Clarke from me.
"I'll make sure she's taken care of, man." He said quietly, so only I could hear.
I just nodded and fell to my knees and put my head in my hands. I could hear everyone talking around me. They were worried, scared. Suck it up, you've got a job to do.. I stood up and cleared my throat.
"While we were out hunting, a group of grounders attacked us and Clarke- went down fighting. She's in pretty bad shape, but you know Clarke. She's a fighter, she escaped Mt. Weather in one piece and I'm sure she'll come out of this. Right now, we need to prepare for the possibility that the Grounders followed us here. Raven, Jasper, you're in charge of gathering supplies. Medicine, food, water. O, Lincoln, you get weapons. Guns, swords, knives. Everyone else, set traps around the camp. Make sure they alert us when they spring. I'll go with Clarke, come get me if you have any news."
After I finished my speech, and everybody started doing what I told them to, I flashed back to the first time Clarke called me out. I smiled at that memory, she was so strong, and incredibly stubborn.
"Bellamy?" Miller called from the med tent.
"Yeah, Miller?" I said, with a nervous edge in my voice.
"She's alive. In really bad shape, and unconscious but, alive." He said with a small smile.
"Oh, thank god. She's got to pull through man. I can't do this without her." I said, running my hands through my hair. I trusted Miller, and he was a good friend to me, and a good second.
"I know, Bellamy. She's tough. Remember when you tried to charm the bracelet off her?"
"Yeah, she told me the only way the Arc thought she was dead was if she was dead." I said, smirking.
I walked into the med tent, and my heart lurched. She was laying on a cot, and god, she looked pale. Her shirt was cut down the front and she had a very deep gash on her stomach. Abby stood above her stitching her wound, and she looked up at me. She took in my appearance and smiled slightly.
"You care about her, don't you?" Abby asked me, looking at me.
"I love her. I can't do any of this without her." I told her, looking in her eyes.
"I believe you. Does she know?" Abby asked as she
"She told me she loved me, and then had Lincoln drag me to safety. The arrow wound slowed her down. I told her I loved her right before they-" I stopped, my voice cracked.
Clarke's POV
I could hear voices around me, but they were unclear. I think I heard mom at one point, and maybe Bell? I couldn't tell. I wonder what's happening with the others. I hear someone walk into the tent.
"Clarke? Your mom said you might be able to hear me." Octavia. I thought she hated me..?
"I just wanted to thank you. For saving Bell. For being his friend, for loving him." She sniffled.
I tried to move, to say something, but everything hurt too much. I just need to move one finger.
"He's a mess, Clarke. He put Miller in charge and just sits here, holding your hand. I finally convinced him to eat. It's been 3 days of hell for him, for me too. You're my best friend." She's crying now.
I felt a tear fall and slide down my cheek, and she gasped and yelled for mom. I wish I could tell her I'm here. That I'll be okay. To tell her she's my best friend too. But I can't. I'm stuck like this, for now.
I hear my mom talking to Octavia, telling her that it's a good sign for me to cry. It meant that I'm still alive. Then I hear more voices and then suddenly I hear him. Bellamy. He's here. I try to open my eyes.
"Hey, Princess. You need to wake up. I'm going crazy here, doing this alone. I need you."
I command myself to move, to do something, anything. Just twitch a finger or cry again. Come on!
"Everybody's worried about you. They need you to wake up too. I love you, Clarke." Bell said and I felt his hand on mine and his fingers interlacing with mine. I lightly squeeze his hand and hear him gasp.
"Clarke? Can you hear me? If you can, try to squeeze my hand again." He tells me and I squeeze again, but harder. He yells for my mom, and I hear him talking to her. I finally will myself to open my eyes, and I'm staring straight into the chocolate brown ones I love so much.
BELLAMY POV
I sit next to Clarke and talk to her like I have the past few days, when I feel her squeeze my hand. She does again, and I call for Abby, too afraid to leave her side. She slowly opens her eyes.
"Hey, princess." I tell her smiling. She smiles and a tear falls down my cheek.
"Big bad Bellamy Blake is crying huh?" She rasps, and I laugh, feeling relieved.
"God, you scared me. Don't you ever play hero again." I tell her, kissing her forehead.
"Now you know how annoying it is." She says grinning at me before making a face and trying to sit up.
I help her up carefully, with Abby's help, and Clarke immediately begins throwing up. I hold her hair.
"It's because she's been unconscious for 4 days. Her body needs to get rid of the sedatives.
"4 days?!" Clarke whispers shocked. I nod grimly. I move to stand up, but she latches onto my hand.
"Where are you going?" She asks me, looking terrified. I squeeze her hand reassuringly.
"I'm going to go tell everyone you're awake, and especially O. She's been sharing that chair with me for 4 days." I tell her, and she nods.
"Be quick, okay?" She asks me, looking very vulnerable and I kiss her softly. She blushes.
"I'll be right back, princess." I tell her and walk out of the tent. I whistle and everyone stops what they're doing and turns to me. My second, Miller, looks up and nods. I'm back in charge.
"Clarke's awake. Abby thinks she's going to be fine." I announce and everyone cheers. I hear a squeal. O darts out of her tent and straight towards me. I brace myself right before she barrels into me.
"Of course she'd wake up with you next to her! That's so romantic!" She says happily. I chuckle.
"Want to see her?" I ask O and she nods. We walk into the tent and Clarke is trying to sit up when she hears us. She looks over at O and she smiles. O hurries over to her and hugs her carefully.
"I thought you were gone. I have been such a bitch to you and I thought I'd never get to apologize to you. You're my best friend, Clarke." She says, sniffling. Clarke sniffles too and pulls away.
"You're my best friend too, Octavia. It's all in the past." She tells her and then looks at me.
"O? Give us a minute?" I ask her and she smiles and leaves the tent. I look at Clarke and she smiles.
CLARKE POV
I smile at Bellamy after Octavia leaves the tent. He comes over and sits in the chair.
"I didn't dream those words, did I?" I ask him and he chuckles.
"No, you didn't. I love you, Clarke." He tells me and I pull him to me and kiss him. He kisses back and pulls away slowly. I frown and he smirks.
"As much as I'd love to keep kissing you, you just woke up after being stabbed." He reminds me.
"My mom says I can walking around today. I've had 4 days to heal, and I need to regain my strength. Want to help me?" I ask him and he nods. I sit up and grab his shoulder, while he wraps his arm around my waist, and we slowly make our way out of the tent. Everyone stops what their doing when they see us exit the tent, and start cheering. I grin happily, and Bell whistles. Everyone quiets down and looks at us.
"As you can see, Clarke is up and walking. That doesn't mean she is allowed to do any work around this camp until Abby says otherwise. None of you are to let her do any work, understand?" Bellamy tells them and everyone nods in agreement. I sputter in annoyance and glare at Bellamy.
"What am I supposed to do around here then, Bell?" I ask him, irritated, and he chuckles.
"Worry about getting yourself better, Princess. Everyone else can handle it, and I'm still running things smoothly." He tells me and I smile.
"Yeah, you haven't run it into the ground yet, soo.." I say to him and he laughs and kisses me, which caused our friends to whistle at us. We hadn't had the time to announce our changed relationship, but I guess we just did. I kiss him back and then pull away, looking at the people staring at us.
"Um, I hope you guys are okay with this?" I ask and everybody cheers again, and we laugh. Bell kisses my forehead and helps me walk back into the tent. My mom comes up and kisses my cheek.
"How are you feeling?" She asks me, concerned and I smile.
"I feel great. Getting up is kind of painful, but I'm fine." I tell her and she shakes her head.
"Clarke, what would you say to someone with your injuries?" She asks me and I sigh, and grimace at the pain.
"Take it easy, it's only been 4 days. But I haven't treated anybody that has a camp to help run and-" I stop myself to breathe.
"Princess, I've got it covered. How many times to I have to tell you that all you need to focus on is getting better?" Bellamy asks me and I nod. My mom smiles at us and helps me back onto my cot.
"You know, it will take some getting used to." She tells me. I look at her confused and she glances at Bellamy.
"Letting someone else take care of you. I have to get used to it. I'll leave you two alone." She tells us.
"I think your mom's starting to warm up to me." Bell tells me and I smile.
"She always liked you. She told me she liked how well we worked together, that she and my dad were the same way. She was the logical one and he followed his instincts and listened to his heart, not the rules. I thought she was crazy, but we do work great together." I tell him, kissing him quickly.
"Yeah, well. You listened to your heart and it almost cost me mine. Leave that to me, okay? Stick to logic, Princess." He says to me and I giggle. I pull him to me and kiss him, this time not as quick.