Takes place shortly after season two and follows a timeline in which Clarke never left her friends/the camp.
They were arguing when it happened.
One minute, Clarke and Bellamy were hashing it out over the amount of people needed to lug supplies back and forth between the Grounders' camp and their own, and the next found them stumbling to halt as a high, piercing shriek tore through the thick, forest air.
Bellamy was the first to react; his gun pointed to the right, fingers on the trigger, body tense and alert. The only thing that betrayed the cool exterior were his eyes, which were wide and filled with something close to terror. "Where's Octavia?"
"She and Lincoln wandered off when you two started arguing," Raven answered from behind them. "They headed that w—" Clarke and Bellamy leapt into motion, shoving past a very confused looking Jasper as he and Monty made their way back into the clearing after having walked ahead. "Did you guys hear that?"
But they were already gone. After having been on the ground for nearly a year, running through the woods was not as difficult a feat as they had once found it to be, and Clarke and Bellamy were familiar enough with the dark underbrush that they could easily pick out any tree branch, root or small animal in their way. It took them only a matter of minutes to stumble upon the small clearing where Octavia and Lincoln stood.
"Octavia," Bellamy wheezed as soon as he had stumbled to a stop beside his sister. Her dark eyes flicked toward him in confusion, noticing his frazzled state.
"What is it? What's happened?" She demanded, her fingers inching toward the sword she kept strapped to her back. Lincoln jerked around, looking for the source of Bellamy's distress.
"What the hell do you mean what's happened?" Bellamy exclaimed. "We heard you scream!"
Octavia and Lincoln stared at him a moment, confused, before understanding dawned in their eyes. "Oh," Octavia glanced over at Lincoln in embarrassment. "I wasn't screaming. It was more of a shriek. We came upon this clearing and I wasn't expecting..." She motioned around them.
Clarke and Bellamy followed her gaze, taking in their surroundings for the first time. They were standing on the shore of a large lake, the expanse of which stretched on for nearly a mile, connecting one edge of the clearing to the other. After the rough, wintry weather of the last few weeks, everything was coated in snow; the trees and larger weeds surrounding them where leaning, their limbs exhausted after bearing so much weight. Mountains rose in the distance, shrouded in a thick mist. The lake itself was slick and shining, reflecting the cloudy, gray sky back up at them. Though there was a slight wind, the water did not move or shake; it was frozen solid, and it was this that Octavia was now pointing to, a large grin on her face.
"You screamed because you saw... ice?" Bellamy finally loosened the grip he had on his gun, confusion and annoyance replacing the fear that been pulsing through him just moments before. His sister was practically known for her flamboyancy—though he was glad to admit that she had become less and less reckless as her time on Earth wore on— but sometimes, he had to wonder if living under the floor for sixteen years had done some permanent damage to her mind. At least she had the decency to look sheepish.
"Sorry," she admitted. "I was just surprised, is all. Remember those stories you used to tell me, Bell? The ones about frozen rivers and lakes and the people that would glide on top of them?" She took a tentative step forward, her eyes shinning. "I never thought I would get to see one."
By now, Raven, Jasper and Monty had joined up with the group, panting from their trek through the forest. Despite their fatigue, however, they were each alert and ready for battle. Bellamy, in the meantime, was trying to remain angry for the sake of Clarke and the others but was finding it difficult. Octavia didn't like to mention her childhood much—for good reason—and when she did, her words were usually laced with contempt. The bedtime stories, however, she remembered with fondness, and Bellamy always had a difficult time remaining angry when she brought them up. He yearned for the nights when it had just been the two of them, huddled beneath a ragged blanket in the corner of their metal room, Bellamy describing scenes of Earth that he had read from a stolen book or heard through whispers on the ship..
"What happened?" Jasper gasped, clutching at a stitch in his side.
"Octavia was startled by a body of water," Bellamy sighed, giving his sister one final glare before turning to the others. "Apparently, it's impressive."
He turned to find his sister tucking the legs of her thick pants into her boots as Lincoln looked out at the water thoughtfully. He blanched. "Wait, you don't actually think you're going to skate on top of it, do you?"
"Is it safe?" she asked Lincoln, ignoring Bellamy's stricken look.
"I think so. It has been cold all week, so there hasn't been any chances for the ice to weaken. We should be okay."
"Should, Octavia," Bellamy warned as she nodded and began toeing the edge of the water. "He said should."
"Lincoln knows more about the Earth and its weather than any of us, Bell. If he says it's fine, then it is."
"He said it should be fine—"
"It might be best if you remained near the shore, though. Just in case," Lincoln added. "It's shallower here and you will be less likely to freeze and drown if the ice does break."
Bellamy choked on his retort, turning to Clarke for help. She peered around him, watching as Octavia placed her other foot on the water, grasping Lincoln's arms for support. "It may not work very well," she supplied. "They used special shoes, didn't they? Not clunky boots."
"The traction on our boots wore out a long time ago They're practically socks. Give me one good reason why this would be a bad idea."
"I can give you ten," Bellamy retorted angrily.
"Bellamy."
"Octavia," he mimicked. Then, "If the ice breaks—"
"We will be standing on four feet of water, Bell. Max. It's not like we're going to have to send in a rescue crew if someone falls in. Besides, it's frozen solid."
"Those will be some embarrassing last words."
Octavia sighed, her breath clouding the air around them. "You're being dramatic. Have a little fun." And with that, she kicked off, stumbling across the ice as Lincoln glided along behind her. A minute ticked by as everyone watched the two of them work out a rhythm. Then, with a whoop of delight, Jasper and Monty took off after them, crashing into one another as they attempted to gain traction. Even Raven limped out a few feet, using her stiff leg as support. Bellamy planted both feet firmly in the snow, electing to glare at them all until they decided to come to their senses.
"She is right, you know."
He turned to Clarke in exasperation"Not you too."
Shrugging, she stepped up beside him, eying their friends with a sad smile. "Things have been a little too serious lately. We defeated Mount Weather two months ago. Our alliance with the Grounders is... strained, but holding, and we're all exhausted. We've been fighting for our lives since the day we landed on this planet and we finally seem to have a reprieve. Maybe it's time to be a little reckless."
Bellamy snorted, a sound he knew she hated, and crossed his arms. "Big words, coming from you. Particularly because I don't see you joining them. If you're so keen to drop your responsibility long enough to flail around on some ice, be my guest."
She ignored him, stepping forward and placing a tentative step on the ice. When nothing happened, she added her other foot and gingerly glided a few inches before flailing to a stop, a gasp of surprise clouding the air in front of her. Bellamy watched her cautiously. Part of him wanted to comment on how ridiculous they all looked, but this was a Clarke he had not seen in a while and he didn't know whether to deride for giving in to Octavia and the others or bask in the smile that was slowly spreading across her face.
She had always been the more adventurous of the group – willing to trek through mountains and forests to find a way to stay alive. And when their friends were in danger, she was the first to step up, throwing herself into any situation in the hopes of bringing peace to their people. Though she was constantly giving him heart attacks with her reckless need to protect everyone, her bravery and determination were what Bellamy admired most about Clarke Griffin. It was only now, as she wobbled about on the ice, that he realized how much... less she had been recently. Particularly since Mount Weather.
No doubt feeling his eyes on her, she made an ungraceful turn, smirking at his obviously defeated stance."C'mon Bellamy," she called; he could hear the laughter in her voice. "What are you afraid of?"
Falling in. Freezing to death. The absence of that playful smile once they were forced to return to reality. "Nothing. Certainly not a frozen death-trap."
Clarke smirked, clearly amused by his reluctance, before turning and cautiously gliding the few feet between her and the others.
Mumbling angrily to himself, Bellamy tucked his own pant legs into his boots before following his friends out onto the water.
x
Bellamy, as it turns out, was not as graceful atop frozen water as he was on land; something Clarke could not get over. In fact, she was currently doubled-over laughing, clutching her stomach above his sprawled form as he came to rest flat on his back for the seventh time. The others glided around them, completely oblivious to his embarrassment.
"I give up," he grunted, face burning.
Clarke once again tried—and failed—to repress her laughter. "Come on, Bellamy, you can't be that egotistical. Have you ever failed at anything? Ever? In your entire life?"
Bellamy glared at her before responding. "No, I have not," he lied.
"Well there you go, then. Normal people have to fail at least a few times before picking a new skill like this up. You just happen to be failing spectacularly, which is more than your brain can process."
He wasn't quite sure what to say to that. He opted to ignore it, struggling to get his arms underneath him so he could climb to his feet. "It's too late, I've given up. Alert whomever you must. Besides, I'm tired of being laughed at."
Clarke straightened up, her smile softening. "I'm sorry. I promise that I will no longer laugh at how ridiculous you look falling on your ass. Here," She held out her hand. "Let me help you up."
Bellamy watched her for a moment, looking for the trap before deciding to take her hand. Her fingers were freezing but her grip was firm, and she somehow managed to help him to his feet without falling. Clutching one another tightly, they began making their way to the bank of the river.
They were halfway there when Bellamy's feet went out from under him. He slipped from Clarke's grasp, landing in a heap on the cold ice. Clarke burst into a fit of laughter.
"You said you were done laughing at me!"
"I lied," she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. She bent down, offering him her hand once again. "It just doesn't seem to be getting any less hilarious."
Bellamy took her hand, but instead of letting her pull him up, he threw his weight backward, pulling her down onto the ice beside him. The only problem was, Jasper chose that exact moment to come flying in their direction, one foot thrown behind him in a poor imitation of poise and gracefulness. He tripped over Bellamy as his friend tried to stand, sending them both crashing back to the ice, their limbs flailing. Tears were streaming down Clarke's face now as her laughter rang across the clearing, alerting the others to their current predicament. Bellamy couldn't help it, he began laughing as well, and soon they were all clustered together, laughing and slipping as they tried and failed to help one another to their feet. Reluctantly, Bellamy admitted to himself that he couldn't remember a moment during their short time on Earth in which he had ever felt so at peace.
x
It took an embarrassing amount of time, but eventually Bellamy and Clarke were able to untangle and separate themselves from the group, making their way back toward shore. Finally, muscles sore from laughing, the pair collapsed into the snowy riverbank, lapsing into a comfortable silence as they attempted to catch their breath, watching their friends shrieking and laughing a few feet away. No one seemed to notice as fresh flakes began falling from the sky or the chill that had begun seeping through their damp clothes. Sitting next to Clarke, Bellamy realized that he felt completely comfortable for the first time in months.
"What were we arguing about, again?" He asked after a while. His ass was numb from the cold and he could feel Clarke shivering beside him.
She sighed loudly, watching as a snowball fight broke out between their friends. Jasper lodged a particularly large one at Lincoln and then squeaked in alarm as the Grounder came barreling toward him, knocking him into Monty, who then flew into Octavia. The four laughed hysterically.
"I don't know. Something about the Grounders' camp. You were being snarky and I was, as always, the voice of complete reason and good judgment."
Bellamy turned to look at her, incredulous. "Did you just call me snarky?"
She smiled. "I did."
"Huh. That's one I haven't heard before. And when are you ever the voice of reason?" She smacked his arm.
He was silent for a moment. Then: "I'm sorry for getting upset."
"Me too." Clarke sighed, her previous elation deflating.
"I guess I'm still trying to get used to the fact that our alliance with the Grounders has proven to be nothing but beneficial," Bellamy admitted quietly. "It's difficult to come to terms with the fact that what they did to us at Mount Weather was not an example of every single Grounder we will ever meet. I'm having trouble getting over the betrayal."
Clarke nodded. "I understand. Not having to be afraid and alert 24/7 has put everyone on edge. We have been fighting since we've arrived on this planet and we have all had to make adjustments when it comes to experience and prejudice. I'm not saying I trust them completely, Bellamy. I just don't think that we need to create even more tension by sending an entire army, loaded to the teeth, to pick up a few supplies from the nearest Grounder camp. It wont go over well."
Past experience would suggest that this was true, but Bellamy had a difficult time admitting it out loud. "Noted."
The snow was falling heavier now, and their friends were tripping over it as it began piling on top of the ice. He could feel Clarke shivering beside him, and though he wanted nothing more than to reach out and wrap her up in his own warmth, something made him hesitate. Bellamy had always thought that there may have been something between them – a fire that had the potential to blaze if they prodded it enough – but between Finn and Lexa, they had never really had the chance. And if Mount Weather had taught them anything, it was that Clarke was his partner, in every single sense of the word – one of the only people on the entire planet that he could rely on. Without that kinship, he wasn't sure where he would be, and as each day passed, he was terrified of what would happen if he attempted to take a step in an unexplored direction, particularly because he was never sure where he fell with her.
Besides, it was obvious that Clarke had feelings for Lexa. Maybe they were romantic and maybe they weren't, but she had felt something. And after her betrayal, he didn't think there was much room left in Clarke's heart for anything other than duty and grudging tolerance.
Sighing, his thoughts buzzing with worries, tasks and 'What Ifs?,' Bellamy reluctantly shifted away from Clarke, sitting up stiffly. "We should get going."
"Wait." Bellamy froze as Clarke grasped his arm, pulling him back down beside her. She was staring out at the water, but he recognized the thoughtful crease between her brows.. He waited, his skin on fire beneath her touch, despite the layers between them.
I just wanted to say..." She paused, chewed her lip. "I appreciate everything you've done for us, Bellamy. For me."
Bellamy startled as she finally met his gaze, her hand squeezing his arm. "I've made some questionable decisions since we've come to Earth and I want to thank you for sticking by me no matter what. You may have been an ass at the beginning, but you're an ass with a big heart." She smiled as he scoffed.
"Don't act like it's not true. Thank you for always being there, okay? I may have complicated opinions on the Grounders and their rules, but I trust you completely." She smiled. "Your opinion is the only one worth considering enough to argue over."
They sat there like that, Clarke gripping him tightly and Bellamy at a loss for words as the crisp air swirled with fresh snow, unsaid feelings, and future opportunities.
After a few moments, Clarke seemed to realize that she still had a tight hold on him, and the effect it was having on her partner. Her gaze shifted toward his chest, the ground, their friends. "Sorry. I just thought you should know. It seems like our leadership positions aren't quite over and I don't want you to think that I never take your input seriously. You're important to me." She trailed off, her fair skin flushing an attractive shade of red. Bellamy nodded, his brain and throat working desperately for something to say – anything – as a fluttering erupted in his stomach. She too seemed to be having trouble finishing her thoughts. He noticed her hand lingered a bit longer than was necessary before finally pulling away, giving in to the awkward tension that had sprung up between them.
They sat there in silence, emotion simmering beneath their skin. Sometimes, when interactions with Clarke became too much for him to handle, he wished the old Bellamy, the person he had been when he arrived on Earth – the one that didn't seem to have any problem with women – would reappear. He would make a charming comment, flash that bad-boy smile and would watch as the entire camp fell to their knees. But then he would remember that this was Clarke Griffin and she would be able to see through the act straightaway. Besides, she hadn't exactly been a fan of that version of him. No, sincerity was key when it came to her.
"I trust you, too, Clarke," he said after a moment. "And your judgment." He paused. "Though 'voice of reason' might be taking it a bit far."
She smirked. "Perhaps you're right. But thank you."
Bellamy grinned and, ignoring the fluttering in his head and chest, he stood; offering her a hand. "Are you ready to head back to camp, Princess? My ass is about ready to fall off from the cold."
"What a shame that would be."
Bellamy raised an eyebrow, but Clarke didn't elaborate. Instead, she took his hand.