Bellamy lay stretched out on his back in a muddy patch of grass, his hands outstretched in front of him in a stopping gesture as he stared into the murderous eyes of a Grounder who held a jagged looking spear directly aimed at his face. The bloodied and very dead body of his companion, a young cadet who had accompanied him out to the far edge of the forest to survey the area, stared at him with lifeless eyes strewn across a nearby puddle. His assault rifle was still unused, strung uselessly around his torso.
It was not a Grounder that he recognized and he spoke hesitantly but with force as his eyes scanned alongside him, searching for anything that could pose as a weapon or shield. "I am not your enemy! You don't have to do this!"
Bellamy internally cursed himself for being so careless and letting this Grounder get the drop on them. He had jumped down from a tree soundlessly and knocked Bellamy down, sending his own weapon down the adjacent cliff, before throwing a metallic disc-shaped weapon perfectly into the chest of his companion. The cadet fell dead instantly and before Bellamy could regain himself, the Grounder was upon him, ready and moments away from a second kill strike.
As the Grounder raised his spear, the ferocious strength and ease of the motion seemingly moving in slow-motion to Bellamy who prepared himself to roll away in time, if he could, was suddenly halted.
The Grounder looked confused and made a gasping, choking sound as Bellamy braced for the worst. The large man seemed to falter and it was only then Bellamy saw the arrow head protruding from the man's throat, blood now spurting from the man's agape mouth just as his looming figure fell in an unceremonious heap onto the forest floor.
Bellamy was completely shocked and scrambled to his feet as he searched for cover behind a large rock, his eyes searching the tree line from which the arrow had to have come from.
He saw the last thing he expected.
Blonde hair. Unmistakable blonde hair that he would know anywhere.
He refocused his eyes on the hazy image approaching him from the tree line and his heart leapt in anticipation, even though he didn't want it too. Part of him didn't want it to be her; she had abandoned them, she'd abandoned him, even though he truly did understand why. It had been almost six months since she'd kissed his cheek and told him "May we meet again." At that moment, he didn't think she would really leave for so long. He didn't think he would sit up some nights, staring at the stars in the sky, wondering what she was doing, if she was all right. He didn't think he would…miss her so much.
She was nearing him now, a definitive confidence, a strength in her walk he did not remember from before.
"You're welcome," she said with a small sarcastic smile as she approached him now only mere feet away.
"Clarke," was all he could muster to say, involuntarily smiling back at the utter happiness on her face as she closed the gap between them and threw her arms around him, holding him tight. He closed his eyes and took in her scent and the feel of her being so close.
This was real, she was okay.
After a very long moment, he felt her pull back and he took a good long look at her face. It looked exactly the same and yet….different. Stronger, maybe. Small scars scattered on her left cheek and her once-shiny eyes now held a more reserved, calm demeanor.
"You know, I totally had that guy right?" he said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
Clarke nodded with feigned acknowledgement. "Of course, of course. I just felt like hurrying up the process."
They both smiled until Clarke turned her head and saw the body of the cadet staring at them.
"I'm just sorry I didn't hurry faster," she said solemnly.
Bellamy nodded. "I'll have to makeshift something so I can take him back with me so we can bury him properly."
Clarke nodded and started looking around, "I'll help you make something."
Bellamy reached out and grabbed her arm, gently but forceful enough that she turned to look at him questioningly.
"Clarke, where have you been? Have you been all right?"
She smiled up at him, taking note of the concern he felt for her and placed her own hand on top of his. "I've been everywhere Bellamy. Meeting all kinds of different people. There is so much more here than we ever imagined. The Grounders, the Mountain Men, are just small parts of this place. There is so much I want to tell you, to show you."
"And I want to see it…..but I need to bring this cadet home, I can't leave him here. Besides, if I don't go back first, they'll send more people to look for us and I'll be putting people in danger that don't need to be." He took a long moment and studied her face before he continued. "Will you….will you come back with me?"
His breath held while she looked at him, not answering.
It was a long pause before she answered slowly, "I can't."
He let his breath escape and felt a pang of disappointment somewhere deep in his chest.
"Why?"
"You know why. I can't face them." She looked away.
"Clarke, we did that together."
"I know."
"You think you feel that alone? You don't. I feel it with you. If you're standing five hundred miles away or right next to me, I feel the same. You don't have to be out there, alone."
"I want you to come with me but I can't go back there, not yet."
"You're afraid. And that's fine, but you need to be stronger than your fear. Do you remember that time when I wanted to give up, when I told you I was a monster and I didn't want to go back to our people? You convinced me, and in a way, you saved me. Now let me save you."
Clarke moved close to him and put her hand on his chest, looking up at him. "You have saved me more times than you'll ever know Bellamy Blake. But I can't go back, not yet, I'm not ready."
Bellamy saw the resolve in her eyes and sighed heavily, knowing how stubborn she was.
"Do me a favor then princess."
She smiled at hearing him call her that. "What's that?"
"Stay alive."
She put her arms around him again and they stayed that way for a long time before she let him go and walked away without looking back.
Please leave a review...