Author's Note: I don't own 'The 100', but the story is mine. This is my first '100' fanfic, but I've written several pieces for 'Reign'. This takes place after 1x13, but with a few things changed. Enjoy!
Musical inspiration for this one-shot is "I Will Find You" by Clannad.
Octavia trudged solemnly through the forest, hoping she was traveling in the right direction for once. Her feet felt like she had been walking for two months, not the less than two weeks she'd really been on her feet. They ached. They ached constantly. So did her back. Stopping, Octavia leaned up against the nearest tree, shifting her weight from foot to foot to relieve the pressure. She wiped the sweat from her brow, noting the dirt that covered the back of her hand. Though they hadn't had perfect, she'd been able to maintain a level of cleanliness over the past few years that a few days in the forest was able to easily eradicate. She cringed at the dirt on her arms, now practically concealing the tattoos that now lined them. Tattoos that Lincoln had taken painstaking time creating.
Lincoln.
She felt the pain in her chest again. Anytime she slowed down, the heartache resurfaced. She had been running, or truthfully walking, ever since Lincoln had told her to run and not look back. He'd given her a simplified map, directing her back toward the original base camp of her shipmates. She wasn't sure what she would find, having been swept away in the middle of the battle almost five years ago. But two days previously, she found the camp remains. The ground had the appearance of being charred, the grass greener and growing more vibrantly from the ashen earth. The camp, however, was empty. If she had been honest with herself, she would have admitted that finding Bellamy, or Clarke, or anyone at the original camp was silly, but she had to be sure.
It was the first moment she'd allowed herself to cry since she left Lincoln. She had heard his war cry as her feet carried her away from him, and his voice echoed heavily within her heart and head. They had been happy staying with the eastern clan on the ocean, or as happy as they could be. Octavia didn't mingle much with the other Grounders, but Lincoln had integrated more easily into their way of life, being similar to his own. Her tattoos were an attempt to help her blend in, and she had wanted them. She had declared herself to him, and to her she was a Grounder in every sense of the word, even if she didn't associate well with the others.
But apparently it wasn't enough. Just not enough.
Through her blinding tears, she had caught glimpse of a small leather bag, nailed into the trunk of tree next to what had been the original camp gate. Though worn, and barely noticeable, there was an 'O' painted black on the outside. Inside had been a note from her brother, directing her to where they had moved their camp. Relief had coursed through her, knowing they were safe and alive, or at least had been, when the note had been written.
That had been two days ago. By her estimation, she should be arriving at their new camp soon. Gently, she took off her pack and checked inside. Everything was how it should be. She stretched her back, glancing at the sun. She'd have at least a few more hours before she would have to stop for the night. She carefully placed her pack back on her back, the contents rustling around.
"It won't be long now, I promise." She said with a sigh. She pulled the map her brother had left for her, checking her path one last time. "We're coming home, brother. We're coming home."
Jasper stood watch at the camp entrance. Only two hours left in his shift, and he was contemplating bugging out early since no one had seen a Grounder or Mountain Man in at least a month. He peered into the woods. Nothing moved, not even a tree in the wind. 'I'm going to bed early,' he whispered to himself, turning towards the ladder. Placing his first leg over the rung, he pivoted to place his other leg, glancing once more towards the woods.
He blinked.
"My eyes are playing tricks on me." He spoke, shaking his head lightly and peering back towards the forest depths. But again, he saw something move. Through the curtains of darkness, a lone figure appeared, walking slowly. The figure stopped when they reached the tree line, looking around cautiously. Jasper stared amazed. She had cut her hair, or had it pulled back, and he could faintly make out the darkened tattoos that traveled up her neck from her shirt. She carried a rather large pack on her back. Even so, he would have recognized her anywhere.
"Octavia?" His voice came out as a stuttering whisper as he watched the familiar figure. Her head rose when she heard her name, and she waved. "Octavia? Octavia!" Jasper yelled, jumping up and down. "Someone go get Bellamy! It's Octavia!" He pointed down toward the forest, emphasizing his point, and a few people scattered in understanding. He threw himself over the ladder this time, shimming down to the forest floor with rapid speed. He rounded the corner of the guard post, signaling the two guys to open the gates.
She hadn't approached the gate any further, but when she saw Jasper, her feet moved slowly. He wanted to run and hug her, but she looked almost afraid of him. "You're alive?" He wondered aloud. "When we didn't hear from you or Lincoln after the battle, we'd assumed the worst."
"Octavia?" Shouts were coming from within the camp, and Octavia recognized the voice immediately. He came quickly through the open gates in a jog, stopping right in front of her, closer than Jasper had dared. The siblings stood quietly, both worried the other might disappear. "Octavia?" Bellamy said again, this time in a reverent whisper.
"I'm back, Bells." She replied in kind, her voice betraying her inner turmoil. She had tried valiantly to keep the tears at bay since leaving the original camp, but the flood gates opened once again. She felt her brothers arms wrap around her, enclosing her once again by their safety and warmth. There had only been one others' arms that had made her feel as safe, as loved, and as wanted. "Be careful of my backpack." She managed to stutter through her tears, and about that time, a baby's cry split the air around them. Octavia pulled way from her brother, moving swiftly but carefully to remove the large backpack from her back. As she moved it in front of her, all could see why she had asked for caution.
A small head peeped out from the opening, black hair covering it's head. Octavia loosened the zipper enough to remove the tightly swaddled infant. She loosened the swaddling, the baby happily kicking it's arms and legs with freedom.
"Bellamy, I want you to meet your nephew, Benjamin." Octavia announced, proudly holding the boy up towards her brother. He giggled, swinging a little fist around, and Octavia laughed with him. "Would it be okay if we go inside? I'd like to get him changed and cleaned up."
Bellamy's gaze shifted between the baby boy in her arms to Octavia and back again, as if he couldn't believe his little sister had a baby. He nodded dumbly, not sure what question Octavia had asked, but he turned on his heel and trudged back through the gate. She followed obediently, with Jasper traipsing behind her. Heads swiveled in her direction as she passed through the gate, and she noted many of the faces she didn't recognize. Nor did she recognize the camp. Unlike their original camp, where they were living out of remnants of their ship, this camp appeared more like a community. Actual homes peaked out between the forest, made from clay-like bricks. She was astonished.
"Bells, who are all these people?" Octavia questioned, gripping Benjamin closer.
"What's left of the Ark." Bellamy stated simply. "The Ark is no more."
Octavia gasped. So many questions flooded through her mind. She knew the Exodus ship had crashed in flames, she had seen the wreckage. Then how did members of the Ark make it to Earth?
"You probably have a lot of questions, O, but let's get you inside first."
There were other children running around the camp, more than could be just from the Ark. Members of the hundred were establishing lives and families on the ground.
They didn't travel far before entering a home that had been painted a color that vaguely resembled white. Upon entering the structure, which appeared to be more of a headquarters than a family home, they traveled down a staircase into the earth. They emerged in a hallway that branched off in many directions. There was a steady stream of people moving around the corridors, but some of these faces were familiar. She saw Monty sitting at a desk, tinkering with remnants of a computer panel. He looked up at the footsteps, smiled and went back to work before doing a double-take, his mouth open and the wires in his hand dropping to the floor. Octavia waved, before Bellamy urged her onward.
They passed several more open rooms off the main corridor. At the last room before the corridor turned, Octavia saw Clarke, and woman she remembered was Clarke's mother, Abby.
"Octavia?" Clarke cried, sprinting over and throwing her arms around Octavia and the baby. "And a baby? Where did you go? Where's Lincoln? Are you hurt?" The questions tumbled from Clarke's lips. It was obvious to Octavia that Clarke's inquisitive nature had not changed over the years.
"Hey Princess, let her breathe for a sec." Bellamy chuckled, wrapping an arm around Clarke's shoulders. "You can play inquisition later." He winked, placing a quick kiss on Clarke's cheek. Boy, some other things really had changed, Octavia thought.
Bellamy motioned for Octavia to follow, and the trekked further down the corridor. Jasper had stayed behind to see what Monty was working on, but Clarke and Abby joined the caravan. There was a large open room on the right that Bellamy disclosed was the rec hall. Wooden tables were lined up in rows, with a kitchen area set-up towards the back.
"Up ahead is the sleeping hall, for those that don't have homes established topside." Bellamy explained, before continuing down the winding corridor. "Here is the shower room. It isn't much, but you can get yourself and the baby cleaned up. When you're ready, I'll be in the rec room getting some dinner started for you." He started to turn, before stopping. His hands went to his face, and though his back was too her, she knew her brother enough to know when he was crying. "I'm glad you're home, O."
"Me too." She replied softly. Clarke showed her through the doorway. Unlike the other rooms, the walls and floor were lined with metal. She could see four spigots on the walls, and a drainage area in the middle. "You have running water?" She wondered aloud.
"Well, only in certain areas of the camp, yes. This room, the rec hall, the infirmary, and a few homes topside have water." Clarke explained. "There is a hot springs nearby, and we've been able to successfully tap into it. It smells a bit like rotten eggs, but it's warm."
Octavia smiled. Warm water was a luxury, and it didn't matter if it smelled funny or not. She gratefully accepted several towels from Clarke's mother, and eagerly began cleaning Benjamin. She amazed how much dirt he acquired, even as tightly swaddled as he was. He giggled as she splashed him with water, and Octavia wished Lincoln could be there to see his happiness. Abby had disappeared at some point while she bathed Benjamin, and returned with a pile of clothes in hand.
"I'd be happy to give him a quick check-up if you'd like?" Abby volunteered, handing Octavia some clean baby clothes.
"Can you do it in here, while I wash-up?" She inquired, not wanting Benjamin out of her sight.
Clarke started to protest, wanting to take him to the infirmary, but Abby quickly agreed. "Of course I can."
Octavia nodded, removing her clothes and stepping into the warm water. There was no privacy in the room, but she didn't care. Untying the knot of hair at the nape of her neck, she swiveled to face the others, allowing the warm water to flow through her hair. Clarke gasped, not at her nakedness, but at the tattoos that graced the length of Octavia's body.
"They're beautiful." Clarke acknowledged. They wrapped around Octavia's torso like vines, encasing her chest, stomach, and back. They circled her neck, ending gracefully at her temple. "How did you get them?"
"They were a gift," she hesitated, "from Lincoln. To help me blend in." She thought back to the time Lincoln spent patiently placing the tattoos, and she blushed. Hands that had delicately drawn the designs had also created hours of pleasure. It was hard to imagine she would never feel those hands of comfort, or of pleasure, again.
She glanced at Benjamin, laughing happily at Clark's mother. After drying up, enjoying the feel of clean clothes on her skin, she re-knotted her hair in a bun and sighed. She was tired, and she was hungry, and Bellamy was expecting to hear her whole story.
"Are you ready to go to the rec hall? I think Bellamy's getting some dinner ready for you and Benjamin." Clarke replied, reading Octavia's thoughts. Octavia sensed Clarke holding back a multitude of questions, and she was thankful for the respite. She would eventually have to answer them, but she wanted to hold off as long as she could.
Bellamy, indeed, had a dinner plate prepared for Octavia toward the back of the hall. A few other people sat sporadically across the room, but no one really noticed the group entering. They all sat in silence for while as Octavia ate. Bellamy had offered to hold Benjamin, and the two were thoroughly enjoying each other's company. Finally, Octavia decided it was time to break her silence.
"I guess you are wondering where I've been, and why I'm back." She spoke slowly.
"I figured you would tell us when you're ready." Bellamy declared, nodding. "Telling Lincoln to get you to safety was the hardest thing I've ever done."
"He obviously did." Clarke whispered, and Octavia smiled.
"He did. He cleaned and bound the wound in my leg, and then we traveled east. It was slow going, me with my injured leg, but we made it. A couple times we had to hide for a few of days as bands of Grounders or Reapers were close by. I honestly don't know how long it really took us to get to the ocean, but we made it.
"We found a cave on the outskirts of the Grounders village, and we lived there. It was hard, at first, living on my own on the ground. But Lincoln took great care of me. He taught me how to hunt, how to cook what I killed ... we were happy." Octavia professed, glancing up at her brother.
"If you were so happy, where is he?" Bellamy demanded, watching his sister intently.
"Geez, big brother, would you let me finish. This is hard to say." Octavia paused, reaching out to stroke her son's head. "The longer we stayed near the village, the more random interaction we had with the eastern Grounders. They operated a true town, with a market and everything. Eventually, we had to visit. That's one of the reasons I have my tattoos. I needed to blend in."
Bellamy humphed, and Octavia rolled her eyes. She continued, "as I said, I needed to blend in. They were cautious of us at first, but Lincoln was able to gain some of their trust. He did any business dealings we needed, and I stayed back. You know me, brother, I don't play well with others." Clarke snorted, and the corners of Bellamy's lips turned upward.
"You haven't answered my question yet, sister." Bellamy warned.
"Would you just be quiet and let her talk." Clarke reprimanded. Octavia remembered a day when her brother wouldn't have allowed people to talk to him in such a way, especially Clarke, but apparently now that was not the case.
"I could just change the topic and ask about you two." Octavia smiled, watching for their reactions. Both mouths hung open, and she swore her brother blushed. "But I won't. Where was I? Oh right, everything was going great for awhile, and then several of the Grounders Lincoln dealt with started asking for more and more payment. He finally told them no more, and they left us alone. But one thing I learned, Grounders usually get what they want.
"They came one morning, when the sun wasn't even up. They wanted additional payment for the last dealings Lincoln had with them, but he told them no. They grabbed me and held a knife to my throat. They grabbed Benjamin too, and threatened to kill him and make us watch."
"Didn't he fight?" Bellamy argued, obviously unhappy with Octavia's words.
"There were twenty of them, Bells, we were outnumbered." Octavia sighed, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "He ... he offered himself up in place of Benjamin. He told me to run, far away. When they had first started causing problems, Lincoln had packed a bag and kept it by the doorway, just in case we needed a quick escape. He also drew a map to the original camp site, thinking that would at least give us some direction to travel in."
"So, is he ...?" Clarke interrupted, her curiosity getting the better of her manners.
"I don't want to say it, because if I say it, then it's real." Octavia snapped, glaring at Clarke.
"He died saving you." Bellamy reminded her, reaching a hand to grasp hers. She squeezed it gently.
"No, he died saving his son. He loved me, yes, but Benjamin was his world." She reached a hand over to stroke her son's head, Benjamin having fallen easily asleep on Bellamy's shoulder. "He's all I have left of Lincoln."
Once again, Octavia was trying courageously not to cry, but the emotions overwhelmed her. Bellamy opened his free arm, wrapping around his sister's frame as she sobbed. It had been a long time since Bellamy comforted his sister in such a way, probably since she was seven or eight. When he told Lincoln to take her away and protect her, he never thought he hold her in his arms again. He was thankful to have this moment, though he wished it wasn't because of the pain his sister felt.
"Oh God, I'm snotting all over your shirt." Octavia joked, pulling away from his grasp.
"It wouldn't be the first time." He chuckled, ruffling her hair like he used to.
"So what happened, after the battle?" She inquired through hiccuped breaths.
"I'll try to make this long story short." He started, recalling the moments after Lincoln took her away. He told her of Clarke's original plan to use the ship's thrusters to set the ground ablaze. He mentioned the Reapers joining the fight, distracting the Grounders for a few brief moments, enough time for any survivors to get into the drop ship. It was difficult, but he spoke of being caught outside, barely escaping the flames from the engines, and how Finn was not so fortunate.
Gently shifting the sleeping baby to his other shoulder, Bellamy paused to collect his thoughts. It had been almost five years since the climatic battle with the Grounders, but the horrors and emotions were still raw at times. When he continued his story, he told her that the Ark itself plummeted to Earth, in a last ditch effort to save as many people as possible. Several died upon re-entry, but more survived than naught. They met inadvertently, the remnants of the hundred searching for a new campsite, and the remaining members of the Ark looking for them.
"So there haven't been anymore attacks?" Octavia questioned, saddened at the prospect she and Lincoln could have come back, together, even earlier.
"Well, no, we have a semi-standing truce, if you will. Sometimes they break it, sometimes we do, but nothing like before." Bellamy acknowledged, wishing his answer could have been 'yes'.
"I guess that's good, right?" Octavia presumed, shrugging.
"Yup, we can only assume." Bellamy agreed.
"You know what assuming does, big brother."
"I'm already an ass." They both laughed, having missed their sibling joking and harassment over the past few years. "C'mon, let's find you a place to stay."
A month had passed, and Octavia was slowly getting accustomed to life in the new camp. It helped being surrounded by friends and familiar faces, but most of all she enjoyed watching Bellamy with Benjamin. Bellamy and Clarke lived in a small house topside, and she and Benjamin moved in with them. It was odd at first, watching her brother show affection to Clarke, whom he couldn't stand when the first landed five years ago. But time changes many things, including people's feelings.
"Wanna help me with the garden today, Octavia?" Clarke asked after breakfast.
"If Benjamin can play in the dirt, then yes." Octavia smiled, Benjamin giggling at the idea. "I know you want to get dirty, don't you." He spluttered, drool trailing down his face.
"Octavia? Octavia?!" Jasper yelled, running into the house.
"Geez, what's got you all worked up?" It was easy for Jasper to get worked up over issues, and Octavia enjoyed pestering him because of it.
"You're needed at the gate. Now." He panted, resting his hands on his knees as he breathed.
"Okay?" Octavia replied slowly, walking slowly toward the front door.
"No, no, take Benjamin with you." Jasper choked out. "He's alive."
"What?!" Octavia stuttered, picking Benjamin up off the blanket on the floor. Her eyes widened, pulling her son close and sprinting out the door. She never heard the shouts of her name behind her, nor the footsteps as Clarke and Jasper followed close behind.
As Octavia rounded the corner, the gates were standing wide open. Between the walled entrance, he stood, disheveled and dirty. When he saw her, he ran, just like all those years ago on the bridge. He threw his arms around his family, crying along with Octavia.
"You're alive." She spoke through the haze, and hand reaching out to touch his face, insuring he was real. "I should never have left you."
"No, you protected our son, and I couldn't ask for more." He bent down to kiss her, pulling her and Benjamin close. They were back together, as a family, after Octavia thought he was lost forever.
"What happened? How did you find us?" The questions came out rushed, and all Octavia really cared about was that Lincoln was alive, and with her.
"I'll tell you what happened later, right now, I just want to hold you, both of you."
A crowd began to gather around them, many of the Ark survivors only hearing the story of Lincoln and Octavia, and how, even as a Grounder, he had helped them. Her free arm gripped him fiercely, never wanting to let go.
Lincoln shifted away to look at his family, the emotion visible his is eyes. "Always remember, no matter where you go, I will find you."
And all was right with her world.