A/N: Hey guys, I'm completely new to the world of fanfiction. In fact, this is the first piece of fanfic I have ever written in my life. I've just been so inspired by the mid-season finale of The 100 that I felt like I had to give this a go. It basically follows Clarke after the mid-season finale, and as I am an avid shipper of Bellarke, he's obviously going to play a large part in comforting her. This is definitely a work in progress, and I'd really appreciate any comments or criticism so that I can get better :) Thanks guys, happy reading! Also tell me if I'm doing this whole fanfic thing wrong haha
Chapter 1
She'd been at it for hours. Knelt at the riverside, her skin raw and wrinkled from the relentless scrubbing of her now stinging hands in the clear water.
Clean, they have to be clean.
She brought them up to her face, slow and shaking, the river water running down her soft flesh like the tears from her puffed eyes. Her hands were spotless; nothing but pink skin, glistening from the reflection of sunlight off the crystal droplets. But her eyes were showing her red.
Blood! There's still blood!
She squealed in horror as she watched a thick, warm liquid appear on her fingertips, spreading until her hands were encased in red. In frenzy, she plunged them back into the river, rubbing her fingers vigorously. But this time it didn't come off.
Finn's blood was forever on her hands.
Her scream pierced the still air, echoing through the trees. The blood was now running up her arms, her legs, in her hair. She scrambled to her feet, shoes slipping on the wet pebbles. Without hesitation, she jumped into the water.
"CLARKE! NO!"
Paranoia. Fear. Regret. Finn. That was all that was on her mind. She was so deeply buried in pain that she didn't notice the footsteps that had been following her, or the figure that was hiding in the trees, or the rustling of leaves and rattling of pebbles when she threw herself at the river.
She clawed at the water, limbs flying in all directions, struggling for breath. Her cries were enveloped by the river, her tears drowned out. Eventually, she stopped fighting. Her throat tightened from the lack of air, and she let herself sink under the weight of her guilt.
This is it, my deserved fate. Blood must have blood.
But she never hit the bottom. A strong force came around her waist, pulling her up towards the surface. Her arms were flailing from her sudden remembrance of her inability to swim, and she sputtered and coughed as she gasped in breaths of air. Salty tears cascaded from her eyes, lost in the freshwater. She was wailing, screaming, waving her arms.
"Hey. HEY! Calm down Clarke. Don't worry, I've got you."
She fell silent, panicked. That voice…who was it?
And then she realised there was someone holding on to her. She moved her hands down to her abdomen, placing them on the large, muscular arm wrapped around her. She turned her head, and a mop of messy brown hair brushed her face.
"You okay, princess?"
Bellamy.
He brought his other arm up to his face, and combed his hair back with his fingers. Clarke looked up at him, mouth agape, and he smirked at her dumbfounded expression.
"Come on, let's go home."
