That Has Such People In't

Clarke and Bellamy don't say anything to their friends about their newfound relationship that night – it doesn't feel right to put a name on it, to talk about it as if it's only now just becoming a thing, and not something that's been brewing for the past seven years.

They stay in Clarke's house kissing for quite some time, but eventually they decide to head back to the fire. The mood is more solemn than when they left, without as much laughter. Clarke observes tears running down Emori's face as she looks a Jordan. At Clarke's concerned look, Jordan's set face breaks into a small smile.

"Don't worry, Clarke. I was just telling them a little about Mom and Dad."

Clarke strode up to him and sat next to him on the log, taking his hand firmly in hers, with Bellamy perching next to her. Monty had asked them to take care of his son, and they meant to.

Across the fire, Raven snorted. When she got questioning looks, she said, "Sorry, it's just the way you guys are sitting there, all protective." She gestured with both hands at Clarke and Bellamy, making it obvious by her graceless movements that much more moonshine had been consumed in their absence. "Back at the Dropship, everyone used to call you mom and dad when you weren't around. Finn hated it," she laughed.

"Oh god, that was a rough couple of months. I remember thinking 'this is going to be the worst time of my life, and then everything will get better.'" Clarke didn't mean for her statement to come out so sad, but it couldn't be helped. Jordan squeezed her hand, and then she added, "But I was right. It did get better, eventually."

Surprisingly, Murphy was the one who managed to break the mood. "Hey Blake, you remember when you hanged me? Thank god Princess cut me down."

"Well, you did hang me after that, so I think we can call it even." There's more laughter, and more stories about their early days on Earth.

"When I was there, on Earth, while you guys were up in space, I thought a lot about the Dropship. About the hundred of us, plus Bellamy and Raven." Everyone stays silent after Clarke's revelation. "There's so few of us left, now." Clarke accepts the moonshine that Jordan pours her and gulps it down. The tears that escape her eyes aren't just from the harshness of the drink. Bellamy puts a reassuring hand on her back, and Clarke is grateful for the warm presence, reminding her that at least some made it out.

"It wasn't your fault, Clarke. None of it," Raven says, her voice clear and sure. "I know I said some shit to you back there, we all did, when you were making tough decisions. They had to be made. You didn't create the circumstances, you just acted on them. I know you blame yourself still for Finn, after all these years, but I don't. He made his choices, and they were poor ones. I miss him so much it hurts, but that's not on you, Clarke. What is your fault is the fact that we are all still here at all."

Clarke turns her face into Bellamy's shoulder, trying to hide the raw emotion there. She is so, so thankful. She constantly fears peoples' resentments, blaming her for loved ones lost. Bellamy moves his hand up her back to stroke her hair.

"Mom and Dad talked about you all the time," Jordan says, quietly to her left. "There's a reason they asked me to wake the two of you up first. You two were the parental figures, even when the rest of the Arc came down," he smiles when Clarke lifts her head and wipes her eyes.

"I still chuckle when I think about what you said to your mom that one time when she was Chancellor," Bellamy says, grinning. "'You may be the Chancellor, but I'm in charge.'" Murphy let out a huge laugh. "Big talk coming from a seventeen-year-old girl."

"Hey, I'm pretty sure I had turned eighteen by that point," Clarke defended herself, beginning to feel the effects of the moonshine. She suddenly became very sleepy and wanted to get to bed. She turned her head and quietly said so only Bellamy could hear, "I'm sleepy, Bell. Will you help me get home? I don't think I'd make it back on my own," she blushed.

Bellamy nodded, then told the rest of the group that he was going to help Clarke get home. Everyone else started dispersing too, and Bellamy tried to help Clarke stand, but it was as if her legs were jelly. Sighing resignedly, Bellamy scooped her up with his arm under her legs and her arm swung around his shoulder. She immediately giggled and ducked her face into his shirt.

"Well, well, well, looking like a regular Prince Charming, Blake," Murphy called out. Bellamy ignored him and focused on getting Clarke the short distance home. It was becoming an increasingly difficult task, as drunk Clarke apparently equals an affectionate Clarke, and she kept stretching her head up to nip at his neck and jaw.

Finally, Bellamy got her back into her house and negotiated her into the bedroom she shares with Madi, making sure they didn't wake her up. He tugged her boots off and tucked her under the blankets. By this time, she was pretty much conked out, but she still reached up for a kiss. After he obliged, she mumbled something under her breath and began snoring in earnest. Bellamy stood there, overcome with happiness for a moment, and eventually made his way out of the house and started towards his own front door.

He was startled by the figure that emerged from around the side and began reaching for his gun that he forgot he no longer carried, but he relaxed when he saw it was Echo. They awkwardly stood at the front door of the house they had shared, unsure of what to do. Finally, Echo said, "Can we talk inside?"

Bellamy unlocked the door and let Echo in first, shutting the door behind him. He turned to find her looking at him with determination in her eyes. "I know you're with her, Bellamy." His eyes grew wide, but he didn't deny it. What was the point? Echo continued on, "I just want you to know that I will not make things difficult for you. I saw your happiness tonight, with her and Heda. That is what is most important to me."

Relief flooded through Bellamy, as the truth was that he had felt rather guilty at how things had ended between them. "Do you still not trust her?"

"I do not believe she would ever hurt you if that's what you mean. Unless it was absolutely necessary," she said. It wasn't what Bellamy had meant, but he didn't want to push it. "That's all I came to say. Goodnight, Bell," she said, and she squeezed his arm as she passed him on the way out.

The next morning, Bellamy went over to Clarke's and knocked lightly on the door. He figured he could help Clarke with breakfast, seeing as she was almost certainly nursing a bad headache. Madi answered, smiling brightly and letting him in. Clarke was nowhere in sight. At Bellamy's questioning gaze, Madi said, "Clarke's still in bed. She woke up last night and puked her guts out, so I figured she could use a little extra sleep. Maybe you should check on her – I'm not used to dealing with drunks."

Bellamy laughed and headed for their bedroom. Clarke was laying in bed with a glass of water on the nightside table, as well as a large bowl placed strategically next to the bed. She looked ragged, and her hair had been swept off her face, which looked clammy and pale. She had shucked her pants in the night and had one leg sticking out of the covers. Bellamy resisted the urge to tickle her and left her to get some rest. He went back to the kitchen and helped Madi prepare a large breakfast. They realised quickly that they had made way too much, so they invited Jordan to join them.

Clarke stumbled into the main room in her house and found them all sitting around her table, talking quietly and laughing. When he spotted her, Jordan waved her over to the empty chair. "We saved you some, it should still be warm."

She took her seat and ate slowly, not wanting a repeat of last night. Bellamy passed a couple of pills over too, and Clarke recognized them as headache medication. She swallowed them down eagerly. The conversation they had been having, which was apparently about some gossip they heard from Kane about Diyoza's crew, continued, and Clarke was happy to observe. Just happy to be there at all.

There was a large communal kitchen that Skykru often used to have dinner. It was what they were used to, after all. That night at dinner, Bellamy and Clarke announced to their table that they were together by simply holding hands on their way over. They had told Madi and Jordan earlier that afternoon, and neither of them seemed surprised, with Madi simply rolling her eyes and saying "Wow, I'm sure everyone will be shocked," but she hugged them both tightly.

When Murphy spotted their hands, his eyes grew wide with mischief. "Oh my god, guys, do you see what I'm seeing?" he said obnoxiously loud, pointing at them. "Are you guys finally boyfriend and girlfriend?" His tone was snarky, but his smile seemed genuine.

That gave both Bellamy and Clarke pause. Those terms didn't seem like enough to describe what they were to each other. They looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure, you can call it whatever you want," Bellamy said, taking his seat and digging into his dinner.

"Well, I for one am not at all surprised," Murphy looked smug. "In fact, I think some of you owe me money from when we placed bets before primfiya."

Clarke looked over to see Emori talking quietly to Echo, looking concerned. Echo seemed to be reassuring her. Clarke suddenly felt shame at parading their relationship in front of her. Although Bellamy said she already knew, it still must sting to see it. Echo looked up as if she felt her gaze, and though she didn't smile, she didn't seem upset either.

The next day at lunch, Raven found Clarke as she was leaving her house and heading back to meet up with the rest of the council. She had a familiar look on her face, and Clarke recognized it as playful when Raven said, "I already spoke to your mom and Kane, and you have the afternoon off. I've got some of that sweet booze from Jolinka – you're going to invite me in and we are going to drink. And - and talk." She had oozed her usual confidence when she began, but she started looking uncomfortable when she finished. Clarke understood - things had been tense between them back on Earth. She missed how easy their friendship had been. Clarke smiled, and turned and led them in.

Raven had never been in Clarke's house, and she took time to look at the paintings while Clarke poured them generous helpings of the booze and brought them into the sitting area, setting them down on the small table. As Raven took her seat, Clarke noticed there were tears filling her eyes. She followed her gaze and saw her looking at a painting of Finn. He was standing on a rock and laughing on the first day they arrived on Earth. It was the last moment of pure joy Clarke could remember before Jasper had been hit by the spear.

"I haven't seen his face in six years," Raven whispered, not taking her eyes off the image. Finally, she turned back to Clarke. "It was hard, you know? Trying to remember everyone, and their personalities and the little things that made them them. I tried getting into the file database on the Arc to find ID photos, but I couldn't recover everyone's." She looked down, hesitating, and then took a big gulp of her drink. "I was able to get your file up, though."

Clarke's eyes widened in surprise. "Bellamy never told me."

"We even had a little funeral. Not for everyone, just for you."

Clarke felt her eyes burning so she picked up her drink and gulped down some of the sweet liquid. It was delicious, and she had to stop herself from finishing it off. When she turned back to her friend, she found her staring at her intently. "Clarke, I'm sorry. I never told you how happy I am that you made it. I think a part of me always hoped. Everything that happened back on Earth was such bullshit. We both fucked up, but we need to get over that."

"I'm sorry too, Raven. You don't know how much," Clarke reached out and grabbed her hand, her tears beginning to fall.

"I missed you so much up there. I know, Bellamy has dibs on who missed you the most, but we all did," she said, smiling, and Clarke let out a wet chuckle. "It was hard, watching him change without you. It was like a piece of him had stayed down here with you," Raven finished in a whisper.

Clarke moved over and squished in next to Raven on her oversized chair. Raven seemed much more accustomed to physical closeness since she came back, and she didn't mind, putting her arm around Clarke's waist and pulling her close.

"Clarke, I don't know how much Bellamy told you about our time on the Arc, but the first few months were bad. I don't want you thinking we were all up there without you, perfectly fine. We were, after time. We had to be. But for a while, it was like we were living in a daze. Bellamy and I tried to be strong, for you, but at night I could hear him. He was pacing the halls, constantly. Not sleeping. I would find him at the lookout, staring down at the burning Earth." Clarke began crying in earnest, but Raven kept going. "One night, he woke up from a nightmare yelling. I went to him, and he could only say 'I never told her,'" Raven smiled, and gripped Clarke's hand. "I assume he's told you, now."

"Oh god, Raven. I wish you guys didn't have to go through that."

"You don't have to apologize. We, at least, had each other. You were completely alone, besides a kid who you took in and raised."

"I told Madi all those stories about you guys for me, too. They kept you fresh in my memory, and close, somehow. Even though you weren't with me really, you still kind of were."

They continued like that, exchanging stories about how they had made it through the last six years, until the booze finally took effect and they both fell into a deep sleep, curled up together on the chair.

Bellamy found them a few hours later when he came in to get Clarke for dinner. Madi had been at her lessons all afternoon and was currently eating with Abbey and looking mildly uncomfortable, but still eager to get to know her.

The sight of two of the toughest women he knew passed out drunk and cuddling brought an instant smile to Bellamy's face. He didn't want to wake them, so he went back and enlisted Shaw to help him pack up some food for them, and he left them a note telling them to come to Bellamy's house for their dinner.

Bellamy and Shaw had become quick friends, and they played a few card games while they waited. Before long Clarke and Raven knocked and let themselves in, looking rumpled and still slightly out of it. "Don't let me drink ever again, Bell," Clarke grumbled as she sunk down next to him on his couch. Bellamy only chuckled, planted a kiss on her cheek, and went to the kitchen to heat up the food. He came back with two plates, and Raven and Clarke both grabbed them and eagerly began eating. The food made them feel instantly better. This booze seemed easier to shake than moonshine, thankfully. After dinner, the couples separated, with Raven chasing Shaw back to his house, laughing, and Bellamy and Clarke setting off hand-in-hand to collect Madi from Abbey.

They found Madi playing outside of the house Abbey and Kane had claimed, which was much grander than their small block of houses. She was making faces and doing tricks, trying to get a reaction from baby Hope, while Diyoza laughed. Jordan was there too. It was a nice scene.

Diyoza took in the sight of Bellamy and Clarke and didn't even blink an eye. Abbey and Kane came out to greet them, and although they didn't say anything, Abbey whispered in Clarke's ear when she hugged her goodbye, "You look so happy, Clarke."