Because that hug was too adorable, and Abby and Clarke clearly have a lot of unresolved issues and conflicting views.
|-The_100-|
-]Abby[-
Abby led Monroe away from the gates with the intention of patching up her few minor scrapes and bruises, but halfway to the tent, the young girl stopped, causing Abby, who'd been leading her by the arm, to falter.
'Monroe? You okay?' She turned to see the young girl smiling slightly, looking back to Bellamy and Octavia and then over in the direction of Abby's tent.
'Yeah. Just hang on a second. Is Clarke okay?' The teenager had spotted her leader.
'Yeah, she's gonna be fine. Why, where do you see her?' she asked inquiringly, searching the common area for her daughter.
'There,' Monroe informed her, pointing to a figure running for the gate, blonde hair flying messily behind her. 'And, Chancellor, I think she's a bit more than alright.'
Abby watched as her daughter flung her arms around the Blake boy, clearly filled with relief. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't surprised. Bellamy had always seemed like the kind of person Clarke would clash with, rather than like enough to hug. Since seeing her again, Abby had been under the impression that time on the ground had hardened Clarke to the point where she showed little affection, but she was evidently wrong. It was only her that Clarke hadn't been overly happy to see.
Monroe was apparently quite amused by the woman's reaction. 'Yeah, they hated each other at first but they ended up co-leading. We'd all be dead without those two.'
Abby glanced between the reunion unfolding and the girl who seemingly looked up to her daughter. She knew Clarke had helped take charge, but she didn't realise she had been so important.
'It's true,' Monroe added, reading the slight disbelief on the woman's face. 'It's gonna be good now.'
'What do you mean?' Abby asked her.
Monroe started off slightly uncomfortable. 'Well, eh, no offence Ma'am, but Clarke and Bellamy are our leaders. The hundred's leaders, that is. I don't mean any disrespect but after all that's happened, I have more faith in them than the Council. They'll get the rest of my people back, I know it.' Monroe walked away from her.
Abby took in the scene. Clarke had now moved to hug Bellamy's sister, and Raven had approached the group. She got it now. The ground had toughened them up. They'd had to be responsible and had to look after each other, do everything themselves. All Abby wanted to do was show them they didn't have to anymore. The Arc was here now, the Council could take care of them.
'Chancellor Griffin?'
Abby turned around. 'What is it, Monroe?'
'You have to understand,' the girl told her. 'We know how to survive down here. If you want us to trust you again then you have to let us help. We aren't kids.' She trailed off, voicing the exact opposite of Abby's thoughts. Not knowing what to reply with, Abby turned away again, but Monroe called her. 'They'll want to get our people back, Chancellor. You haven't seen what Clarke and Bellamy can do when they work together. Best advice: let them go.'
Monroe walked away again, leaving Abby to mull everything over. But then she had decided. Her daughter had had enough pain because of her - she wouldn't let her go through it a second time. She had lost Clarke before, she wouldn't do so again. Clarke would stay with her - she wouldn't have to be grown up, just a kid. She didn't need Clarke to be tough or strong, just to be her daughter again. Abby would protect her people, butshe'd also do a mother's job and protect her child. And she'd do it without Clarke being put in danger - Abby had the guards to do that, and Kane would help her lead when he returned. Without Clarke, without any kids. The adults would do that alone.
-]Clarke[-
After her time on the ground, most of which had been spent running for her life,Clarke had learnt better than to believe in happy endings. The thought of them... it was nothing but false hope. But then, if she didn't have hope, what the hell did she keep going for? She had a duty, sure, but deep down she realised that a part of her must still be a bit of a dreamer, because if you didn't believe you could win, and you had nothing to go down fighting for, then you had nothing at all. Now Clarke, she wasn't sure what she had down here, but it was something. Her people, her duty... the bond with them she felt was inexplicable, but it was something, and so she must have hope. Hope that built up inside of her so incredibly fast when the guard's command sounded:
'Open the gates!' Now it could've been supplies, or retrieval of grounders, or- anything. But it wasn't - it was her people. Granted, only a handful, but still.
'Bellamy,' she breathed. Clarke was ready to sprint to him, but she remembered Raven.
'Go,' the engineer waved, 'I'll catch up.'
'Okay.'
And she ran. Clarke through herself against her co-leader. She could feel his shock - his body went rigid as she wrapped her arms around him. She was almost reduced to tears with relief. Bellamy was the only one who hadn't had to look up to her as a leader before. They were equals, and she relied on him. Him being missing...God, it sounded so cliche, but a part of her was gone. She was weaker, and less sure of herself, and more anxious than ever. She doubted if either of them would ever say it aloud, but they needed each other. So she held on. And when he flung his arms around her waist she sighed - almost sobbed - with the overwhelming feeling that almost everything was back to normal.
She barely noticed Octavia sly comment as she gripped his shoulders, pressing her face into the crook of his pulled back before it got too awkward and stared at him for a few seconds. Warmth washed over her as she let it sink in. Munroe and Octavia and Bellamy. Three more to that forty eight,one of them their leader.
Clarke didn't want to admit it, but Bellamy Blake had gotten to her. This was confirmed within her when she asked for Finn, and to be told he wasn't with them didn't cause her nearly the distress she thought it ought to have. It hurt and scared her that he was still out there, with Murphy no less, but while she felt the anxiety in her head and stomach, there was no pain in her heart.
Having Bellamy back was all that currently mattered. With him, she was stronger, faster, more motivated. She could see it in Bellamy's eyes, too, the determination to keep going.
They would find Finn and Murphy. They would rescue their people. They'd rebuild. They'd do it with or without the Council's help. But most importantly, they'd do it together.
|-The_100-|