"Better Late Than Never"
Extended AU Tag to Episode 4x13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from "The 100". Any recognizable dialogue comes from episode 4x13.
* The 100 * The 100 * The 100 *
It's been 2,199 days since Praimfaya. That's six years and seven days since Clarke got separated from her people. She lost connection with the Second Dawn Bunker, a safe haven underground that held 100 Arkadians (including her mother) as well as 1,100 Grounders of the eleven remaining clans of Lexa's Coalition. She was then separated from her people as they found safety in the Ark's Ring back in space. Clarke knew she was dead the moment her timer went off but she continued her mission to ensure that her friends had a chance to survive in space.
Her saving grace was her mother's invention...the engineered Nightblood that continues to flow throughout her body. For days, Clarke had suffered through the radiation poisoning that the Death Wave brought with it. There were many times she thought she wasn't going to survive, that maybe her mom hadn't perfected the cocktail like they had hoped. Clarke thought this was the end for her, that her fight was truly over, but then the resistance kicked in. Just like Luna had experienced. She just needed to give her body time to fight back.
From then on, so much has happened to her.
However, one thing has always stayed the same for Clarke. Every day she tried to reach the Ring. Every day she tried to make contact with Bellamy and the others. It became a routine for her, a way to keep her sanity and stay connected to her roots.
* The 100 * The 100 * The 100 *
"I still have hope," she finished her updated broadcast. "Tell Raven to aim for the one spot of green and you'll find me. The rest of the planet, from what I've seen, basically sucks." Clarke joked as she looked at the view before her. She was sitting in a field of green while in the distance below her had many parts of the ground burned.
Before Clarke could continue, she heard a loud crackling boom in the distance. She quickly looked to the sky and saw a vessel making a fast approach.
She stared up at it in awe as she stood, "Nevermind. I see you." She couldn't stop the laugh that left her. "I see you," she whispered.
Clarke rushed back to the rover with her radio and little satellite dish. She grabbed her rifle and used the lens to get a closer look. Once she noticed the familiar sign on the craft, she got into the rover and drove off. She needed to get to the flat landing at the bottom of the cliff. It was the closest and safest spot for a pod to land.
It didn't take long for Clarke to make it down. By the time she did, the pod had already landed and the dust had settled around it but the cloud debris was still swirling close to the ground. The closer she got to the pod, the clearer she could see figures surrounding it as they checked their craft.
Clarke's breathe caught in an instant when she counted seven figures.
They were all alive.
Clarke didn't even stop to power down the rover once she was close enough. She threw the door open and ran to the outskirts of the smoke cloud. She watched the seven outlines as the smoke cleared away slowly.
This was it.
* The 100 * The 100 * The 100 *
The landing was rough. They expected that. It was a miracle that they were able to find a way back home to begin with, considering they didn't think they'd have enough fuel to return six years ago.
Six years.
He couldn't believe how long it's been. He never thought he'd want to return to a planet that robbed him of so much so fast. Though the same could be said for the Ark and yet its existence saved his life. It saved all their lives.
For over a year now, they knew that the Earth was survivable again and it was all thanks to her.
Bellamy couldn't believe it when he heard her voice again after five years going without it. He knew there was a good chance that she died in the Death Wave but he had hoped that her Nightblood had kicked in. That she was saved for the sacrifice she gave them. So when he heard her message for the first time, he wanted to reach out to her so badly but their communication was unstable. They were lucky to be receiving any transmissions from the ground. So with the news that she gave them, their group started to plan for their return. And with each passing day, they would get their own daily broadcast, courtesy of their savior.
"Is everyone alright?" Bellamy asked the moment they had touched down.
"I can already feel the difference," Murphy joked when the Earth's gravity had kicked in on them.
Bellamy rolled his eyes while Raven smirked at him, "Don't start. We've got work to do."
With that said, everyone unbuckled and unloaded themselves to check to make sure everything made the flight intact.
They kept their suits on just in case. They didn't know what to expect, despite Clarke's words. They needed to be safe.
The need to be safe quickly went out the window for Bellamy once the smoke cloud around them cleared.
Because there standing on the outskirts of the smoke cloud was Clarke with the rover a few feet behind her. He'll always remember her smile as the first clear thing he saw on his return.
She quickly approached them, her smile never fading. He noticed the short hair next, with a few berry-streaked strands mixed in there, like when she exiled herself after Mount Weather. She held herself differently too, which he couldn't fault her for, especially with what she's told them in her broadcasts. She'd been through a lot but he couldn't wait to hear it from her in person.
When she was a few feet away from him, Bellamy took off his helmet. The removal was slow at first but the moment he breathed in the air and felt the sun on his face, he never thought he'd feel something so naturally refreshing again. It was like his first moments on Earth again. Only better.
"You're late," Clarke smirked as she closed the distance between them.
Bellamy laughed, "Hate to break it to you, Princess, but gas ain't easy to come by."
Clarke rolled her eyes yet the smile remained, "Better late than never."
"Exactly what I was thinking," Bellamy smirked as she stopped before him.
Clarke slowly raised her hand and placed it against his cheek, resting it atop of his stubble before she did the same to his forehead and neck. Bellamy closed his eyes at the feel of her touch. She was checking him over and he didn't care.
"How do you feel?" She asked, he could hear the doctor in her returning. He missed that.
Bellamy opened his eyes, "I've never been better."
Seeing the truth in his eyes, Clarke closed the distance and snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a hug. He felt her arms squeeze tight around him before he returned the gesture.
"Welcome home," Clarke whispered in his ear before she buried her nose into his neck.
Bellamy squeezed her in his arms again, "It's good to be back home."
* The 100 * The 100 * The 100 *
From a short distance away, six figures stood silently as they watched the long-awaited reunion.
"Are we sure it's safe without our gear?" Murphy questioned as he looked to the others, "Maybe I should ask."
Emori shook her head and sighed as Raven smacked his arm hard.
"If you interrupt them Murphy, I swear to God you'll regret it!" Raven threatened as she gave him a warning glare.
"Geez Reyes," Murphy threw his hands up to surrender, "I was just worrying over our health! Is that so wrong?"
Murphy grinned as Raven glared. Murphy didn't care, everyone was now focused on his upcoming fight with Raven and not on the reuniting partners.
Now if only the smoke returned to give them an ounce more of privacy, Murphy thought as he looked towards Bellamy and Clarke before he returned his attention to the fuming Raven... I can only do so much distracting.
* The 100 * The 100 * The 100 *
A/N #1: No joke, this idea came to me right as I was watching Clarke watch the ship enter the Earth's atmosphere. I was hoping for a reunion and yet I get a prison transport ship instead -_-. So after two hours, this was born to remedy my disappointment. What did you guys think of this AU ending? Originally I wanted a full on reenactment of the 2x05 Bellarke hug but then I got this as I was writing it. Let me know in a review about what you thought about my extension (or even about the episode in general)! Have a great day!
A/N #2: I just wanted to thank you guys in advance for giving this oneshot a chance. It means a lot to me and I hope you enjoyed it. :D
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Originally Published: May 24, 2017 (3hrs after 4x13 aired)