AN: Hi there! This is my first fanfiction that I'll be writing, so bear with me! Please read and review as you please, all criticism is welcome. This story takes place during S1E9, where Clarke and Anya meet. However, you will soon notice the difference :)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All rights to their respective owners.
Stronger Together - Chapter 1
Clarke didn't like keeping secrets from people she cared about, especially secrets she knew would hurt them. Finn had asked her to do one simple thing: don't bring weapons. And what did she do? She went straight to Bellamy and asked him to follow them with weapons.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Finn, it was that she didn't trust the Grounders who'd been traumatizing her people ever since they landed on Earth, no matter what Lincoln claimed, who wasn't exactly trustworthy himself. Hadn't he just been chained up in their drop ship, on the verge of death from their torture? Why would he be helping them? Clarke didn't like it. Going to meet the Grounders for a supposed "peace treaty" in the middle of the forest, unarmed, was ridiculously dangerous, there was no way she was going in without backup.
It turned out to be a good idea when they arrived and found that their enemy hadn't followed instructions either. Several of them followed behind the leader, who all rode in on horses with their spears and crossbows out in the open. Lincoln claimed to not understand why they brought them, but Clarke didn't need an explanation. She did the same thing. Finn was reluctant to let her cross the bridge towards them alone because of it, but the Grounder's leader was unarmed herself and once they began talking, although angrily, there were no threats and she didn't feel in immediate danger.
She was quick to understand thought that discussing an alliance with these people was like teaching them a new language. Clarke found her every point shot down by Anya, who grew increasingly more irritated as time went on. "Why would I agree to an alliance that your people can break the moment they get here?"
She was referring to the rest of the Ark citizens who should be joining the 100 on Earth soon. Clarke took a deep breath before explaining, "If you fire the first shot, those people coming down won't bother negotiating. Our technology— they'll wipe you out."
Although it was supposed to be a devastating thought, Anya only smirked. "They wouldn't be the first to try."
"What do you mean?" Clarke asked, a bad feeling growing deep within the pit of her stomach. "There are more people here?"
Anya nodded, but did not give any more information about it. Clarke was about to press on when there was a sudden rustling in the trees on her end of the bridge and Bellamy, who was suddenly pinning Jasper to the ground, and Raven tumbled into view.
"Clarke!" Jasper was trying to say as Bellamy attempted to cover his mouth. "Run!"
Confused, Clarke turned and followed Jasper's gaze into the trees, where more Grounders were watching the confrontation. They, too, had their spears and although they raised them now, Clarke knew it was only because Jasper was making a scene. He must still be paranoid from his capture by them. "Stand down, Jasper. We are here discussing peace."
"You brought your own backup." Anya noted, though there was no surprise in her tone. Almost respect.
"Tell me more about these other people," Clarke urged, hoping Jasper's sudden outburst hadn't ruined their chances. "They're clearly an enemy of yours, which means they're an enemy of ours. We could team up against them."
Anya laughed darkly. "It wouldn't be much of team, you have no warriors. Nothing to offer us."
Suddenly, Bellamy piped up from his now neutral stance beside Finn, having released Jasper who still lay on the ground with Raven kneeling beside him. "You're wrong," he called, stepping forward, "we have guns. They are much more deadly than your arrows, and with the proper training, we could assist you on the battlefield."
"There is no battlefield." Anya spat, suddenly very angry, though not with them. Clarke could see that clearly the Grounders struggled with the other people, which made her worry, since they struggled with the Grounders alone. "There is a group, called Reapers, who attack us at chance and take our people away, never to be seen again, until they reappear as a Reaper themselves. But they are not themselves, something has changed inside them, made them deranged. It is a battle against our own people."
Clarke felt herself grow uneasy, but kept her head straight. These people had a problem they could not deal with, and her own people just might be able to help. "Our people have technology that could get to the bottom of this, figure out what is happening to your people and how to help."
Anya lifted her head. "Your people are not yet on Earth."
"But they will be." Clarke promised, and she hoped they could see she was speaking the truth. The Ark literally could not support them anymore, they had to come down.
"And in return?" Anya pressed, "Peace between us?"
Clarke nodded. "Peace, and whatever that entails to you. We could work together to survive or leave each other alone, whichever you prefer."
Anya eyed her for a few silent moments before nodding. "We shall see." In response, though, she stuck out her arm towards Clarke, who grasped it at the elbow.
"In the meantime, we should set up a meeting to discuss more about the Reapers." Clarke continued, a heavy weight lifted off her chest as they made it through the toughest part. "To come up with a plan on how to avoid or fight them until the rest of my people arrive."
Anya nodded and surveyed the group behind her as they released each other. "In two days time, at first light, I will bring my top advisors to you." Without waiting for a response, she turned and made her way back to the Grounders who wait for her with weapons still raised, but when she reached them, they were lowered with grunts.
Clarke turned back to her own friends and released a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She did it, she stopped the killing with the Grounders. But it only opened up a new problem to them, the Reapers, who her people had yet to encounter.
She hoped they didn't until the Ark's Guard landed with more weapons and military training.
Bellamy was the first to greet her as she reached the end of the bridge. "So what, now we work with them?" he grunted, though he clasped his hand on her shoulder as he shook his head. "What if the alliance doesn't hold, and they continue to kill us anyways?"
"Then we hope the Reapers take them out for us."
When the group returned back to camp, without Lincoln who went with his own people, Raven and Jasper returned to the drop ship to continue working on bullets, which were still in high demand. Finn stomped off to his tent, clearly still upset that Clarke had betrayed his trust and brought the guns. He had been arguing with her nonstop on the way back, and Clarke was growing increasingly more irritated each time he made a pointless remark. Running off like a child just added to her annoyance.
"Trouble in paradise?" Bellamy snickered, watching her watch Finn leave. Clarke moved her glare towards him and he put his hands up.
"He's with Raven." she stated bluntly, not caring to talk about it anymore. What was done was done, and she no longer harbored a crush for the spacewalker. Loyalty was essential to her, it was why she had felt so betrayed by Wells and now hated her mom with every fiber in her being.
"Yikes." Bellamy replied, but didn't press on as they made their way to the campfire, where Monty, Harper, Miller, and Fox all sat.
"Where have you guys been?" Miller asked, looking up from the carcass he was slowly turning over in the flames. Clarke thought it looked like a rabbit.
Bellamy answered for her, "We'll discuss it tomorrow morning."
Clarke shot him a look but didn't say anything. Most of the 100 were in their tents already, drawing them out now for the news could wait. Bellamy was right.
Harper and Fox stood, the latter stretching and announcing their exhaustion and need for sleep. When they disappeared into their tent Miller finally pulled the meat off the fire and offered some to the other three, and all but Monty accepted, who rose when Jasper exited the drop ship and rushed off the meet up with his friend. Miller then took his meal to his own tent, leaving Clarke and Bellamy alone.
She knew the importance of the boy beside her. He basically ran the camp, ordering everyone around all day. But he also pulled his fair share. It was he who learned to hunt the quickest and taught everyone else, he who provided for them. Despite destroying the radio and initially having bad intentions for their group, Clarke knew he was a good leader.
"We need to work together." she stated quietly, staring into the flames as they flickered in the dark. "This alliance isn't going to hold if we can't get along, and without this alliance, we're as good as dead."
"Way to have faith in us." Bellamy grunted, but she could tell he agreed. "Don't worry, Princess, we're going to be fine."
Clarke hoped he was right.