Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: This is my tenth story in this fandom, so I'm super excited about that. That's more than I've ever written for any fandom. Anyway. Three months ago I wrote a story called "The Sun Will Rise", which involved Abby and Raven spending the night in the infirmary right after Mount Weather and talking to each other because they can't sleep. In the middle of that story, Raven bets Abby a bottle of Monty and Jasper's moonshine that Abby and Kane will be dating before spring. I had planned to just leave it at that, but then a reviewer asked for a sequel where Abby loses the bet and has to pay up. It's been in the back of my mind ever since, and I finally got around to writing it. It's a combination of funny and cheesy with a little fluff at the end. But hopefully it all makes sense and everybody seems in character. I would highly recommend reading "The Sun Will Rise" first, but this should all still make sense even if you haven't. Enjoy!
Raise Your Glass
Abby Griffin is most definitely not the betting sort. She does tend to have good intuition, and she may occasionally make certain gambles based upon that intuition. And more often than not (far more often), she ends up being right. But this time her intuition failed her. Apparently love really is blind. And as a result, Abby now owes Raven Reyes a bottle of moonshine.
Technically she could argue that she never really agreed to this particular bet. Actually, she completely ignored it. But Raven will surely remember it, regardless of how many drugs she happened to be on that night. She has a maddening knack for remembering things other people don't want her to. And even if she doesn't attempt to cash in, she'll be smug enough about it that Abby will end up wanting to bang her head against a wall. Trying to keep it quiet isn't an option either, because despite the fact that there were no witnesses, Raven will end up finding out one way or another. She has a maddening knack for that too. And it will be far worse for Abby if Raven hears it from someone else. Her only chance is to deliver on Raven's off-hand wager and hope she can somehow come out ahead.
Which is how she finds herself opening the door to the supposedly hidden still that supplies moonshine for the small camp of former delinquents located beside Camp Jaha. The truth is that Abby's known where it was all along. But if these kids are going to insist on making moonshine behind her back, it might as well be where she can keep an eye on it.
She enters the still to find Jasper and Monty bent intently over some sort of strange contraption composed of all sorts of tubes and other odd parts. Monty is on the far side of the thing, so he has only to lift his eyes and see Abby standing there. His jaw looks about to hit the floor when he recognizes her. Jasper, on the other hand, has his back to the door.
"Whoa, dude!" he cries as he turns around. "You can't be in… here."
The sentence trails off and his eyes are suddenly the size of plates as he realizes it's Abby standing in front of him with her arms crossed. Monty is still standing there speechless with his mouth wide open.
"Chancellor," Jasper manages. He swallows hard. "What... What are you doing here?"
"I need a bottle of... whatever that is," Abby says, motioning in the direction of an open container full of liquid that reeks of alcohol. Somehow Jasper's eyes get even wider and Monty's jaw gets even lower. The two of them look like mute idiots standing there. Abby puts on her best command face and stares them both down. If she looks scary enough, maybe they won't ask any questions. "Today, if you can manage it."
Apparently the scary mom routine works.
"Y-yes, ma'am," Jasper says nervously. He stumbles hurriedly over to the edge of the large contraption and pulls up a carefully camouflaged lid from the dirt to reveal a storage space filled with containers. Jasper pulls out a smaller one that passes for some kind of bottle and dashes the two steps back to Abby.
"Here," he says, handing her the bottle with shaking hands.
"Can we... um... help you with... um… anything else?" Monty stammers as he comes around the contraption. He bumps into part of it and both boys glance worriedly behind them to make sure it won't collapse. Then their eyes are back on Abby, desperately eager to please.
"Unless I'm wrong," Abby says, quirking an eyebrow at them, "this establishment was not cleared with the council."
Both boys gulp, and Abby has to fight the urge to smile. This is far too easy.
"You have one hour," she says, narrowing her eyes for added effect. "If there is so much as a drop of moonshine left in this place when I come back, you will both face serious charges for ignoring the council's mandate. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes," Monty squeaks.
"A-absolutely," Jasper adds.
"Good," Abby says. She turns around, bottle in hand, and pulls open the door. She gets one foot outside before she turns back around. Both boys are still frozen in place. "And if you say one word about this visit to anyone, they will be the last words you ever speak. Do we understand one another?"
This time they're too scared to speak. Both boys nod so furiously it's a wonder their heads don't fall off. Abby gives them a final parting glare for good measure before stepping out of the still. The makeshift door swings shut behind her.
For a moment Monty and Jasper just stand there staring at the entrance to the still.
"Did that just happen?" Monty asks in shock.
"Yeah," Jasper confirms. He cocks his head to the side. "When she said serious charges, how serious do you think she meant?"
He and Monty exchange a look as they both mull it over. They seem to come to the same conclusion because suddenly they both tense up.
"You get that end," Monty says, pointing to the left.
"Okay," Jasper says with a nod.
They both race past each other toward opposite ends of the still, frantically trying to determine the best and fastest way to take it apart.
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Raven is sitting at the table in her workroom tinkering with her latest project when the door opens. She looks up, expecting to see Wick coming back from today's engineering gig, but instead Abby comes in. She walks over to the table and, without any preamble, sets a container reminiscent of a bottle down in front of Raven. It smells suspiciously of alcohol.
"What the... Is that moonshine?" Raven asks in confusion.
Abby puts both her hands face down on the table and looks at Raven expectantly. Raven's eyes narrow as she tries to think.
"Is this from Jasper and Monty's still?" she asks, eying the bottle. Abby continues to wait in expectant silence. It doesn't take long. Raven's eyes suddenly widen as she finally remembers that night in the infirmary. "Wait. Does that mean… Are you and Kane…?"
"We are not officially anything," Abby says, quickly cutting her off.
"But something happened," Raven says eagerly. "Did you guys kiss or what?" Abby's silence is answer enough. Raven is grinning from ear to ear now. "Oh my gosh, you did!"
"It was one kiss," Abby says hurriedly in an effort to stop Raven from blowing this out of proportion. "I'm not even sure it meant anything."
"Well, obviously it meant enough for you to bring me moonshine," Raven points out.
Abby sighs in surrender and sits down in the chair across from Raven. Raven grins and pushes the bottle of moonshine toward Abby.
"I want to hear about this," Raven says eagerly.
Abby opens the bottle and takes a long drink as if bracing herself. The sharp taste causes her to wince as she sets the bottle back down.
"That's strong," she says, just barely managing not to choke.
"You should've seen it when they first started," Raven tells her. "Pretty sure I still have burn marks in my throat. It's gotten way better." She takes a drink of her own, clearly savoring it. Then she grins devilishly across the table at Abby. "Course, the fact that I won it just makes it taste that much sweeter."
"You are insufferable," Abby says. Raven just grins even more.
"I know," she says proudly as she leans back in her chair. "Now start talking."
"There's not really much to say," Abby says with a shrug. "I had a long day, and we were talking things over, and it just sort of… happened."
"Right," Raven says drily. "Because Kane's the sort of guy who runs around kissing every pretty girl who has a rough day."
She picks up the bottle and takes another swing before passing it back over to Abby.
"I may have gotten a little emotional about Clarke, and he may have been trying to help," Abby says, carefully looking at the bottle instead of Raven.
"So he was comforting you and it turned into a kiss?" Raven asks with a grin. "That's pretty romantic, doc. Like old school Earth movies romantic."
"If you say so," Abby says.
The door to the workroom opens again and Wick walks in.
"Honey, I'm home," he calls as he pulls off his jacket. Then he sees Abby sitting at the table. He drops his jacket on the other table with an impressed look and a long whistle. "If you'd told me we were having company, I would've pulled out the nice screwdrivers."
"Abby brought moonshine," Raven tells him smugly.
"What's the occasion?" Wick asks, walking over to the table.
"She and Kane kissed," Raven says. Her grin is so wide now it looks as if it's about to leap off her face and take on a life of its own. And then Wick starts grinning too. Abby puts her head in her hands and groans. At this rate, it'll be all over camp by morning.
"Congratulations, chancellor," Wick tells Abby warmly. "This calls for a toast."
"First things first," Raven says before Wick can pull up a chair. "Go get your butt down to engineering. We're cashing in, baby."
"You actually bet on this?" Abby asks in surprise as she lifts her head.
"Don't look so surprised," Raven tells her. "I bet with you, didn't I? Besides, it's a good thing we did, 'cause we're about to score big time."
"Just the kissing pool or the other too?" Wick asks.
"There's more than one?" Abby exclaims. She looks at Raven, who just shrugs.
"Just the one for now," she tells Wick. He nods and picks his jacket back up. "But while you're down there, might as well up our bets on the other one."
"On it," Wick says as he heads for the door. "Save some of that juice for me!"
"And make sure Sinclair pays up!" Raven calls after him.
"I will!" Wick yells as the door swings shut behind him.
"Sinclair's in on this too?" Abby asks. She shakes her head in amazement.
"Turns out you don't know everything that goes on around here," Raven tells her.
"Apparently not," Abby says. She looks like she's still in mild shock.
"It's a big camp, Abby," Raven says. "People have to stay entertained somehow." She takes a drink from the bottle of moonshine before pushing it over to Abby. Then she leans back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. "Take me, for example. I want to know all the gory details on this kiss."
"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" Abby asks. Raven shakes her head triumphantly.
"Nope," she says with a little too much glee. "But you did kinda bring it on yourself."
It's true. Abby did bring this on herself. She could've just kept her mouth shut and no one else would have ever known. There would be no smug Raven, no curious looks at breakfast tomorrow, no acute awareness that every move she and Kane make is now being observed with even more scrutiny than usual. Everything would just carry on like always.
But there would also be no sitting here like a normal human being having a drink while a friend pulls the story out of her. Being the chancellor is all fine and good, and it's becoming pretty clear that Abby's good at it. But sometimes she needs a break. Sometimes she just needs to feel like a normal person without all of that weight on her shoulders. Besides, with Clarke still gone, there's no one waiting back at Abby's room to call her out on her apparent feelings for Kane. Raven is certainly no replacement for Clarke, but she's definitely the next best thing. And if Abby's totally honest with herself, that's probably the real reason she brought that bottle of moonshine down here. Although she'd rather die than admit it to anyone.
Now she lifts the bottle and takes a good long drink, making a face as she sets it down.
"That really is strong," she says.
"You'll live," Raven says, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Now enough stalling. I got all night, and you're not leaving this room until I've heard all there is to tell."
Abby shakes her head as if she can't believe she's doing this to herself.
"Fine," she says, trying her best to sound put out with Raven's antics. "But only if you get that stupid smirk off your face."
Raven just grins wider at that. And in truth, Abby's only just holding back a smile herself.
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Breakfast the next morning is an interesting affair. There are indeed several open stares directed Abby's way, as well as a great deal of indiscreet nudging and elbowing among the former delinquents. (Except for Jasper and Monty, who still seem cowed. Which Abby finds deeply amusing.) But there's also an approving nod from Sergeant Miller, a subtle thumbs-up from Jackson, a passing comment from Bellamy that he's glad to see her looking so happy, and knowing grins from Harper and Monroe.
"Did I miss something?" Kane asks as he sets his tray down across the table from Abby for their daily breakfast conference.
"Like what?" Abby asks.
"I don't know," Kane says. He shakes his head and sits down in the empty chair. "It feels like everyone is staring at us."
"I don't know why they would be," Abby says, trying to looks as innocent as possible. She takes a drink of fruit juice to cover her mouth before she gives herself away. She's still not completely sure what this is between them, and it wouldn't do to sabotage it on accident.
"Me neither," Kane says. His brow furrows in thought as he takes a bite. He chews and swallows, and then he leans across the table slightly. "You don't think they know, do you?"
"How could they?" Abby asks. It's taking everything she has to keep a straight face. Fortunately she has a lot of practice from her time on the council.
"I have no idea," Kane admits, leaning back again. "But I passed Sinclair on the way down here, and he congratulated me. What for I have no idea." He starts to take a bite, but sets his fork back down on the tray as something else occurs to him. "Oh, and Wick said to tell you something about cutting you in if you accommodate their timetable? What does that mean?"
Abby glances over at another table where Raven and Wick are sitting with some more of Sinclair's people. Raven looks up in time to see Abby and flashes a knowing grin her way.
"It means never bet against Raven Reyes, even if she is on morphine," Abby says drily. She turns back to Kane, who looks totally confused. "Especially when moonshine is involved."
"That sounds like a story I want to hear," Kane says before taking a bite.
"I'll tell you later," Abby says. And who knows? Maybe she will in time.
She and Kane eat in silence for a moment before he firmly sets his fork back down.
"People are definitely staring," he says. He doesn't look irritated, just confused. And honestly, it makes him look adorable. Which is a completely unprofessional thought for Abby to be having, but then, kissing her colleague isn't very professional either.
Abby's not really sure if it's his expression that does it or if spending last night laughing with Raven and Wick has awakened some kind of rebellious streak in her or if somehow there's a lingering trace of alcohol in her system. But whatever it is, Abby suddenly has the urge to be completely unprofessional for once and to hell with the consequences.
"So maybe we should give them something to stare at," she says mischievously.
Kane looks at her in confusion as he tries to figure out what she means. In answer, Abby reaches out and casually sets her right hand in the middle of the table. Kane's eyebrow raises in question as he finally understands.
"Are you sure?" he asks. "People might talk."
"I happen to have it on good authority that a fair portion of this camp is already pulling for us to get together," Abby admits. Kane's eyes widen briefly, but then he smiles.
"Well, then we better not disappoint them," he says.
He reaches across the table and lays his hand on top of Abby's. Abby turns her own hand over so they can fully hold hands. It's entirely improper, and she's still not sure exactly what this is. But it feels right.
She steals a glance over at Raven and sees the mechanic smiling as she watches them. It's a real, honest to goodness, happy smile without a single trace of smugness. There are other subtle smiles scattered around the mess hall as well. And as Abby takes them all in, she decides that maybe losing that bet to Raven wasn't actually a loss after all.
Now if she could only figure out what the other betting pool is about. Then maybe she could get a little payback. After all, as Raven said, people have to stay entertained somehow. Abby may not be the betting sort, but a little meddling with Raven's odds can't possibly hurt.
At least, she hopes not.
So what did you think? Please take a quick second to leave a review. Any feedback, no matter how short, will make me very happy. :) If you liked my writing of these characters, check out my compilation "All's Fair In Love and War" because the first and third chapters feature Raven and Abby respectively. They are also both featured in the fifth chapter and the upcoming tenth chapter of my compilation "Those Who Wait". And of course, "The Sun Will Rise" focuses on the friendship between these two characters if you haven't read that yet. Feel free to also check out the rest of my work if you're interested. Thanks for reading!