The Cost of Freedom

Disclaimer: I do not own The 100, nor do I own anything on CW.

A/N: This story is co-written between Lindsey (me) and Mallory McCreerian. Cover art by Mallory McCreerian. I hope you guys enjoy this!

Chapter One

-Wren Messer-

"Time to do your rounds, kiddo." My father said coming up behind me and handing me a medium size metal box. I sat it on the table and popped open the latch, lifting the lid.

"What goes where today?" I asked placing four containers of moonshine and a few vacuumed sealed bags of herbs in the box. I looked up to see my mom come in holding a sheet of paper.

"Hey sweetie," she smiled at me handing me the paper. "Those are the regulars." She said adding two more containers of moonshine. "Plus two new requests on Mecha Station." I nodded as she pulled me in and kissed the side of my head. "Be careful." I smiled and looked over my shoulder at my dad who was filling up a large container with the newest batch of moonshine. I looked back down at the piece of paper and studied it for a few moments, before I folded it up and tossed it back on the table.

"Don't forget," my dad called out as I picked up the now closed box and started heading towards the door. "When you get to Cassadee's, grab that package I asked for from her father."

"No problem," I smiled and press the button that opened the door. "See you guys later!" My parents started this little business before I was born. Once I turned 13 they allowed me to start helping out by taking up the delivery job. At first I was scared when I went out on my own for my first solo delivery, but I got through it without a hitch. And since I looked so young and innocent, I wasn't bothered by anyone. My mom who used to do the rounds now immersed herself in growing her new strain of herbs, and my dad worked part time salvaging and selling parts and scrap metal along with making moonshine. With the little rations we get, it was nice helping other people who would help us in return if we asked. Which was rare, but we did have people who owe us a few favors...if we needed them.

I smirked at myself as I leaned against the door frame of my best friend and her parents living quarters and knocked a few times.

Now that I was sixteen and had a boarder knowledge of the different stations of the Ark, it was easier to make my rounds. I knew which corridors I couldn't go down on certain days. And since I was super adventurous and...nosy, I knew half of the guards schedules on Agro Station (my station) and a few of the others on different stations I did my usual deliveries on.

The heavy metal door opened to reveal my best friend Cassadee. Her auburn hair was braided to the side today. She handed me the second metal box, and turned back around to grab the thin silver case on the table, that must be the package my father wanted.

"You're late." She grumbled shutting the door behind her. She looked up at me with glaring brown eyes.

"Relax, Cass." I bumped her with my shoulder as we started our path to our first customer on the other side of Argo station. "Don't be so grumpy, I feel like today is gonna be a good day." I proclaimed, stopping at the sliding door. Cassadee pressed the button and the doors opened.

"Focus, Wren," she scolded, "We gotta get these delivered, we're already late." I rolled my eyes with a sigh and followed after her. I sometimes forget that she could be a little nervous when we went on these jobs. She didn't want to distribute illegal items across the Ark. But growing up with extremely smart parents who had their minds wrapped around their experiments kind of roped you in their work.

"Whatever you say nervous Nelly." I chuckled stopping in front of a door. I knocked twice and waited. Once the door opened we made our exchange and continued on our way. This time to Hydra station. I turned down a corridor and stopped. I was sure that the guards wouldn't be in this section of Hydra. I backed up and shoved Cassadee around the corner. I motioned for her to give me the long thin silver case.

"What are you doing?" She asked concerned, her forehead wrinkled and she peeked around the corner.

"I'm not getting you in trouble, that's what I'm doing." I frowned looking down at the boxes.

"Still feel like todays gonna be a good day?" I shook my head at her.

"Go back home and let your parents and mine know that the guard is doing surprise inspection." I looked back over my shoulder at the guards. "I can get by them, I can continue the deliveries."

"Are you crazy?" She asked.

"What do you think?" I shrugged when she rolled her eyes and walked around the corner, I made my way down the hall, trying to appear as if I wasn't caring boxes of illegal items. I looked down as I passed the guard stationed at the door to one of the rooms and continued on my way.

"Hey," the guard grabbed my arm, stopping me from walking any further. "What's in the boxes?" He asked. I frowned and looked down at them, what lie was I going to use this time?

"Supplies for Hydra station." I lied, raising my chin to seem more confident in my lie.

"Supplies for Hydra station?" He questioned, I nodded and he stepped closer to me. "Then you wouldn't mind if I take a look." My heart stopped, I should've stayed back with Cass. I backed up a step, which he took notice to and called one of the other guards. I held the boxes close to me as I turned around and started running. As if I had anywhere to go. I was on a freaking space station, where would I run? A hand wrapped around my arm and tugged me to a stop. I was so screwed, I was just thankful Cassadee got away.

"Drop the items and presents your ID card miss." I tried pulling away from him but another guard grabbed me by the shoulders from behind. I groaned.

"What's this?" I looked up at the new voice, it was commander Shumway, non-forgiving, doesn't do warnings. If you broke the law of the Ark, and a guard found you, it was warning if it was something small, but what I had on me was big and I knew I would be put on trial and sent to prison station (also known as the sky box). He grabbed one of the boxes out of my hand and opened it. "Well, these sure don't look like Hydra supplies." I glared at the man in front of me. The next box he took was the long thin silver case. He opened it up and smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, but a grin of success, I was going to the sky box for sure.

3 hours later I was standing in front of the council being judged on my actions. Councilor Kane was speaking, telling everyone I was perfectly old enough to know the laws and there for I should be sent to lock up. And now he was listing my crimes.

"Illegal salvaging, and..." he looked around and then back up at me. I frowned, and narrowed my eyes at the man. "Distribution of illegal substances, each of these crimes is punishable by death." I rolled my eyes and scoffed. Any crime, no matter how small was punishable by death. He didn't have to say it. "But since you are under the age of 18 you will be sent to lock up." I dropped my head back, why is this taking so long? "You will spend the remainder of your time until your review at 18, which is in..." He looked down at the pad in his hands, "A year and four months." He nodded at the guards, they grabbed me by my arms and towed me to the air lock section. My heart dropped when I saw my parents standing with their hands cuffed behind them. I tore myself away from the men holding me and ran to my parents.

"Mom, dad?" I looked between them, hugged them and pulled away. "How did..." I looked down. "It's my fault." I stated.

"Sweetie," my mother smiled down at me, her eyes watery. There was nothing she could say, nothing that would make my actions go away, nothing that could reassure me that none of this was my fault when in fact it was. "Be strong," she whispered holding back tears.

"We love you, Wren." My father's voice sounded rough like he was holding back certain emotions. The guards pulled me away now and the others escorted my parents in the air lock chamber. Chancellor Jaha gave the okay and Shumway pressed the big red button that opened the outside door and sucked my parents out to space. I screamed, my knees giving out, tears streamed down my face as they dragged me off to lock up.

-Cassadee Carter-

1 month later

Ever since Wren got arrested, my parents stopped their business for a short time. No one made any orders, it was pretty quiet. We all knew why. It wasn't only because Wren was sent to lock up, it was also because her parents got floated.

Along with my parents, her parents were respected on our station (Argo station) and it was terrible to see them arrested and sent to their deaths.

Wren saved me that day. She took the fall for the illegal salvaging, which my dad was doing and the extra box of moonshine. If I would have been caught with her, my parents too would have been floated. Although, now that it's been a month, we started up the business again. It's been slow and my anxiety has spiked whenever I went on a delivery. I never been on a delivery without Wren, and I realized I missed my best friend.

She knew the guard schedules, only because she was nosy. Looking back now, she could have been sent to the sky box for hacking into the Ark's wide schedule system.

After a run in in the hall with Jasper and Monty, they asked if I wanted to work with them in the pharmaceutical lab. I agreed. I told my parents I couldn't do the deliveries any more. They understood.

"Did you check?" I asked Jasper about the stock number for the herbs in the garden. He looked at Monty and frowned.

"I thought I told you to do that?" He asked Monty. Monty's eyes widened as he looked between me and Jasper.

"Neither of you did stock before you left the lab?" I ran a hand through my hair. "Great." I bit my lip. "No one knows that it was us, so we'll be fine."

"We'll be fine." Monty repeated. Hopefully no one will notice what we took.

"Yeah," Jasper agreed.

I was on my way to the Pharmaceuticals lab the next day, when I was stopped by commander Shumway.

"Present your ID card." I hesitantly pulled my ID card from around my neck and handed it to him. He scanned it, pulling up my profile. "This is her." He looked to the guards behind him.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as the guards pulled my hands behind my back. "What's going on?"

"You're under arrest for theft." He informed me. Behind him I saw Jasper and Monty being escorted over. We were being sent to lock up. Since this only reflected me and not my parents, I couldn't help feel relieved that they would be fine. I was the only one (besides Jasper and Monty) getting in trouble.

After our trial we were sent to our personal sky box. Which got me thinking once I was alone and staring up out the window at earth. I realized, I probably wouldn't see my friends ever again. I was a month younger than Wren. If her review at 18 doesn't go right, she will be floated and I'll never get to see her again.

A/N: Thank you, for reading! Please leave a review.

- Lin and Mal