A/N: Here is chapter two! Enjoy!

"If Polis is only a three day ride, why am I leaving a week early?" Octavia asked as she packed her things. She was in a pretty bad mood since she had been pulled from sparring with Caris.

Indra gave her a hard look. "What did I say about questioning me?"

Octavia sighed, but she wasn't backing down from this one. "But it makes no sense. I'll be missing out on training."

Indra shook her head. "No, Lincoln will train you when you get there. He's going with you."

Octavia's eyes widened. "Why is he going with me? I thought I was improving!" The last thing she needed was to spend three days alone with Lincoln and then spend a week with him at Polis. Her poor hormones could only handle so much.

Indra caught the look on her face. "Is there something going on that I need to know about, Octavia?"

Octavia shook her head. "Nope, not at all. I'm just wondering why he's coming with me. Why not Caris or Artigas?"

"Because they are used to traveling by horse. You are not. Lincoln will be accompanying you to see how you handle the journey on horseback. You only started learning how to ride a couple weeks ago." Indra turned as Lincoln entered the Seconds' bunker.

He had his own pack slung across his back along with several weapons. He looked to Octavia.

"Are you ready?" he asked, checking over her progress.

Octavia glanced at Indra. "I thought I wasn't leaving until the morning. It's not even evening yet."

Lincoln gave Indra a look, and she shrugged. Octavia scowled as she watched their nonverbal exchange. The least they could do was include her since she had to leave early.

"She's your problem for the next two weeks," she said and left the bunker. Octavia glared at her retreating figure.

Then she turned her glare on Lincoln. "I don't appreciate being treated like a child. If you have something to say, then say it."

Lincoln chuckled and dropped his pack on the floor. "Here, I'll help," he offered.

Octavia let him, as soon as she was sure that she had no embarrassing items to take with her.

"So why are leaving today?" she asked as she closed her pack. Lincoln grabbed his own.

"I need to stop by my cave to grab some supplies."

"Supplies for what?" Octavia snorted. "Polis has everything. And we'll only be there for the Beltane festival."

"We're going to be there longer, remember? Beltane is a week away," he pointed out. "As for supplies, I have a few things to give to my friends from other clans."

She led him out of the bunker. "You have friends in other clans? I thought you were a loner."

Lincoln smirked. "I am, but having friends in different areas is beneficial to me. Which is why I push you to get along with the Seconds. You never know when you might need them to survive."

They walked to the stable prepared their horses for the upcoming journey. Lincoln had been generous enough to purchase one for her so she could learn on her own as well.

Octavia managed to get on the horse without Lincoln's help, and he led her out of the village. The pace was easier for her to manage, but her butt was still sore by the time they reached his cave.

She dropped through the hole first and was surprised to see that a fire was already lit. Lincoln was right behind her, and she could feel him brush past her as he made his way to the main room.

While he packed up some of his things, she decided to study his cave drawings. Her fingers lingered over a box shaped drawing that looked similar to the pod she arrived in. She didn't remember him drawing this one.

"Lincoln," she said softly and turned to face him. She pointed at the drawing. "What's this?"

She saw his jaw clench as he briefly glanced at the drawing. He merely shook his head and returned to his task.

"Lincoln?" she asked, and he paused for a moment. He avoided looking into her eyes, and she tried to decipher the emotions that appeared on his face for a second.

"I don't know. I saw it in a dream and decided to draw it. Can you grab the tin with my vials?" he answered, clearly defecting.

She made no move to do as he asked. "You're lying, Lincoln. I can tell. I thought we could be honest with each other."

He stared at her, and she could see the warring emotions on his face before he looked her in the eyes.

"It's from a time I'd rather forget. I'll tell you sometime, but not now."

With a nod, Octavia just stood back and watched him. His shoulders were so tense that she wanted to reach out and touch him, give him some sense of calm. Instead, her gaze landed on one of his journals.

Knowing that it was full of sketches, she didn't even hesitate before she picked it up. Opening it to the first page, she gasped softly as she saw what he drew.

The first page was a sketch of her. She was sitting at a fireplace with her legs crossed and eyes closed. Her lips twisted into a smile as she turned the page.

Another sketch of her, but this time she was sleeping. Her face was scrunched up, and she knew it was from one of her nightmares. She must have woken him up that time.

On the next page, it was a portrait of her smiling, something that she found herself doing more and more since she met Lincoln.

Her heart fluttered inside her chest as she continued flipping through the book. They were all sketches of her.

"Octavia, ready to g-" he began but then his eyes landed on the book in her hand. She swore she saw fear in his eyes.

She smiled at him. "They're beautiful. You have such an amazing gift, Lincoln. I love it."

He was still frozen in place when she walked over to him and handed him his journal. He took it from her, his eyes never leaving hers.

Octavia slipped her hand into his, even though her heart was hammering in her chest. "Come on, let's go to Polis." She tugged him towards the exit, and he didn't say a word.

The journey to Polis was very painful. Octavia spent their nights rubbing her sore butt while Lincoln laughed at her. On occasion she would catch him drawing in his journal, but he never offered to show her his sketches.

It hurt her feelings slightly, but she knew it was his outlet. Just like reading was hers. He found that out a week ago and tracked down some mythology books for her to read. When she had her nightmares, she would sit by the fire and read.

Sometimes Lincoln would be asleep, and she wished that she could draw like him. He would make a very attractive muse.

When he was awake, he would simply hand her a book and offer her tea if she was really shaken up.

On their last day on horseback, he finally brought it up.

"Your nightmares sound pretty bad. Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

Octavia wanted to be stubborn and say that she could handle it, but the bags under her eyes were evidence enough that she wasn't.

"There are so many to choose from. Some of them are of my mother and/or brother blaming me for her death. The really bad ones are from my time in that tiny cell. It was cold and empty, and I wanted to die. I don't know which was worse. Hiding underneath a floor for sixteen years terrified that I would get my family killed, or living in that cell knowing that I killed my mother."

Tears flowed from her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. "They're just stupid nightmares. I'm not there anymore. I'm safe here, with you," she added, trying to convince her brain not to go into an episode.

Lincoln pulled his horse in front of hers, and his eyes were full of remorse. "I'm sorry, Octavia. I know it hasn't been easy for you, but you're okay. You're doing well. You're alive."

She sniffled and gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah, I'm having fun down here while my brother slowly asphyxiates to death." Lincoln's hand covered hers, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"Octavia, you held up your end of the bargain with them. You can't worry about something that is out of your control. They will send him. When? I don't know, but they will. Until then, keep hope alive."

It wasn't the most helpful thing for him to say, but she appreciated his attempt to improve her mood. She squeezed his hand.

"Thanks, Lincoln.'

He nodded and turned back to the path with her trailing behind him.

They made it to Polis early in the morning, and the city was still waking up. Preparations for the Beltane festival were already underway.

They checked into an inn and put their horses in the stable. Lincoln held the door open for Octavia as they strolled in. It was a tiny little shack, and Octavia wondered how in the world were the going to a thousand people in it.

The innkeeper sighed as he saw her looking around. "Our guests don't stay here. This is only where they check in. Each group will be given a cabin. Only one cabin per group since we're expecting more to join us this year."

"One cabin?" Lincoln asked, while sneaking a glance at Octavia. "How many beds?"

"One, but it fits two people, so don't worry. You and your lady-"

Octavia cleared her throat. "I'm going to stop you right there. He's my trainer, and he is also larger than your average male. Which means he would fill an entire bed himself, is there any way we can request an additional one?"

The innkeeper shook his head. "Nope, sorry. Supplies are limited. We do have a small mattress in case one of you wants to sleep on the floor."

"We'll take it," Lincoln said, and gave Octavia a look when she opened her mouth to protest. He handed over the money for the cabin and mattress and decided to carry it himself.

On the trek to the cabin, he could hear Octavia grumbling under her breath. He sighed.

"What are you complaining about? You're not the one sleeping on the floor," he said. Octavia rolled her eyes at him. She took the key from him and opened the cabin door.

It was small, but that was to be expected. It was made entirely of wood with a bed in the far corner. There was a curtain in front of the bathroom area, and there was a fire pit in the middle of the cabin. Off to the side was an icebox and cabinet.

The innkeeper had been right about the bed; it was big enough to fit two people. But they would not be sharing a bed. That didn't have to be said.

Octavia looked over the bed. "You should take it. It's big enough for you, and I'm tiny. I'll sleep on the mattress."

Lincoln shook his head as he put the mattress down. "No need. I'll be fine sleeping on the floor."

"But it makes no sense for me to sleep in a huge bed when there's a mattress that's my size. Just take the damn bed, Lincoln."

She didn't even wait for him to respond. She dropped her pack on the mattress and sat on it. Crossing her arms, she gave him a defiant look.

Lincoln rubbed his face and sighed. "I don't even know why I bother arguing with you." He set his pack on the bed and looked around the room. This is where he and Octavia would be staying for the next few days, and he wondered how long it would take before she started sleeping outside.

He knew enclosed spaces were not her thing, and he hated that the cabin was so small. Even his cave was bigger than this.

"What's on your mind, Lincoln?" Octavia asked, and it brought him out of his thoughts. She was sitting cross legged on her tiny mattress smiling up at him.

Lincoln glanced around the room once more as he sat down on the bed. "Are you going to be okay sleeping here? I know it's small."

Octavia's smile dimmed, and she turned her head away. "I'll be fine. I've been in smaller."

Lincoln cursed under his breath. He shouldn't have brought it up. "Octavia-"

"It's fine, Lincoln!" she snapped and then winced. "Sorry. I just need some sleep."

She laid down on her mattress facing away from him, but he didn't take his eyes off her.

"Octavia," he said. She clutched her blanket tighter. "You wanted to know what that drawing was back in my cave."

"A box came down from the sky when I was a small boy. There was a person in it, and he heavily injured. I couldn't help him, so I told my father. He made me kill him. The drawing is of the box he came in. I have nightmares about it sometimes."

"And drawing it helped you," she finished for him, now facing him. She gave him a sad smile. "Thanks for telling me."

"We all have our demons, Octavia. You're not alone in this. Please remember that," Lincoln replied. She nodded and closed her eyes.

"And don't sleep for too long. We still have your training to do."

Octavia groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. "Please no! We were horseback riding all morning!"

"Still not an excuse. Meet me outside in one hour," he said.

He preferred not to acknowledge the stream of inappropriate words that left her mouth.

For the next few days, Lincoln showed Octavia around Polis after training. He loved watching her delighted face every time she saw or experienced something new.

Indra and the others arrived the day before Beltane, and Octavia was happy to see them again. Lincoln let her train with them, but he observed from the sidelines.

Then the night of Beltane was upon them, and for once he was socializing. Reconnecting with his friends from the various clans had taken up most of the day, and it wasn't until the ceremony began that he looked for Octavia.

She was sitting all the way in the back on a wooden bench, and she was alone. Caris, Artigas, and some other warriors-in-training were closer to the front and participating.

Taking his drink with him, he sat down next to her. "Why aren't you up there with them?" he asked.

"Why would I?" she scoffed. "This isn't my culture. They aren't my people. I know almost nothing about the festival anyway."

Lincoln rubbed her back comfortingly. "Still. You could learn something."

Octavia shook her head. "I' m fine back here." She took the cup from his hand and took a swig of it.

"Be careful, that's not-" he began, but her ensuing coughs told her all she needed to know.

"Tea," he finished when she was able to breathe again. She sniffed the cup and took another sip.

"What is this?" she asked, cringing at the bitter taste.

"Alcohol. Can I have it back?" Lincoln asked. Octavia frowned and took another sip.

"No."

Lincoln sighed and decided to focus on the ceremony. "Each of our festivals are based on the harvest, much like the originators of these holidays. Beltane is historically about the God and Goddess making love with the intention of creating a child. You see the Great Rite up there," he explained as they watched the participants.

A man stood in the circle with a woman. A man held a dagger, and the woman had the cup. He placed the dagger inside of the cup, and Octavia's ears turned red.

"Is that representing what I think it's representing?" she asked in a small voice. Lincoln chuckled.

"Yes, Octavia. It's partly what Beltane is about. Fertility." The Maypole dancing commenced and more of the audience decided to join in on the dancing. "It's also why the cabins come with one bed."

"Yes, I just figured that out, thank you," she said. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was clutching that cup like her life depended on it.

She took another deep swig of the alcohol. At least she didn't cough this time.

"It's a part of life, Octavia. And why not celebrate it?" he said, just hoping to see if her entire face would resemble a tomato.

She shook her head in amusement. "So you have a holiday that's basically an excuse for drinking and fucking. Interesting."

"How is it interesting?" he asked before realizing that her people didn't have such holidays since birth was a controlled thing.

"That you have a holiday that almost guarantees you will get laid," she nearly grumbled. His eyebrow rose at that.

"It's not a guarantee. It's more of a conversation starter. Besides, it gets boring after the first few times," he remarked and enjoyed the sound of Octavia nearly choking on the drink.

"It gets boring?" she asked, trying to keep the curiosity out of her voice.

"Yeah, Beltane is the same ceremony every year. Nothing too different."

"Oh," she said sheepishly. Lincoln had to hide his smile. He really should stop flustering her. Especially since he suspected that she might not have too much experience in that area.

"How often do you come to Beltane?" she asked.

It was a daring question, but one he would answer honestly. "Every year. It's a chance for me to see some of my old friends again. But like I said, it gets boring after the first few times you come."

She didn't say anything after that, so he snuck a peak at her face. Her eyes were fixated on the dancing and celebration. Some of the couples in the front of them were starting to get a bit handsy with each other. She sighed into the cup and finished the rest of the drink.

Lincoln took the empty cup from her. "I hope you ate something."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because that was strong alcohol, and you have almost no fat on you. I give it a few more minutes before you can barely stand," he said. Octavia snorted.

"I'll be fine. It couldn't be that strong."

Minutes later, she was knocked out. Lincoln bit his lip as he tried not to move. Her head was resting against his shoulder, and her hand was resting on his thigh. It took all his willpower not to react.

Some of the couples started to wander off, and he was glad none of them paid him any mind. He did not need people thinking he was taking advantage of his student. His young and pretty student.

He banished the thought from his mind and cleared his throat. "Octavia, wake up."

She stirred slightly but didn't wake up. He nudged her with his shoulder.

She groaned as she rubbed her eyes. Yawning, she curled her arms around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder once more.

"You're warm and comfy," she muttered before nuzzling his arm.

And that was the last straw. Lincoln pulled away from her and held at arm's distance.

"Go back to the cabin, Octavia. You're drunk."

She squinted her eyes at him. "I don't know where it is. It's too dark out."

Lincoln sighed. "Can you stand?" Octavia nodded and rose to her feet. Only to almost crash to the floor. Lincoln caught her and helped steady her.

"You are really drunk," he said and looked her over. She gave him a silly smile.

"You look so serious all the time. Maybe you should go have some Beltane type of fun, if you know what I mean," she said with a giggle.

Lincoln ignored that. "Let's get you back."

"I can't walk," she pouted. Lincoln scooped her up in his arms.

"Wow, you're really strong. Like strong strong. Oh, look at your arm tattoos! They are so nice!" Her finger trailed down one, and he shivered. He ignored the bright smile she gave him.

"Oh my god, you liked that! Does arm touching turn you on or something?"

"Octavia, shut up!" he demanded as he carried her back to the cabin. She stared at him the entire walk there.

"What are you looking at?" he asked. She didn't respond.

"Octavia?"

"You told me to shut up," she pointed out.

"You can speak," he said.

"You have a nice jaw," she said.

"Okay, you can stop speaking."

"You do. Like a Greek myth type of jaw. And you have the body of one too. How do you even get built like that?"

Lincoln entered the cabin and dropped her on the bed. She stared up at him with a smile.

He patted her arm. "Good night, Octavia. Try to get some sleep."

She instantly curled up on the bed in the fetal position. "Good night, Lincoln."

He left her to rest and returned to the ceremony.

It was mostly empty now, but he needed the space and quiet.

He managed an hour alone before Luna approached him. She sat down next to him without saying a word.

"It's been awhile, Lincoln," she said, staring straight ahead. She nudged him with her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Yes, it has been," he replied. "How have you been?"

"Good. It looks like you have been having fun as well," she commented, and Lincoln knew where this was going.

"Don't, Luna."

"Fine. All I'll say is that I haven't seen you smile like that in years. She's something. Is it true she came from the sky?"

"Yes."

"One word answers, Lincoln? We're better friends than that," Luna said. He could feel her looking at him, and he finally met her gaze.

"We're not going to talk about her, Luna."

"Fine. We don't have to. Your behavior is telling me all that I need to know."

Lincoln smiled. She was right, but Octavia was definitely something he did not want to think about right now.

"On a more serious note, do we need to prepare for war?" Luna asked. "Anya seems confident that things will work out. What is she planning, Lincoln?"

Lincoln shook his head. "I don't know. She doesn't tell me anything. She doesn't have to tell me anything. We were friends growing up, but she is my leader. I am not privy to her plans as a warrior."

"But you know her, Lincoln. Heda trusts her judgment, but she's not stupid. She wants us to be on guard just in case."

"Octavia will be meeting her tomorrow, so I'll find out after that," he finally confessed.

"Is she ready?" Luna asked. Lincoln remained silent, so she nodded.

"Oh, so she doesn't know. I'm sure she loves secrecy."

"She's young and stubborn. She only knows what she needs to know," he replied. It wasn't his place to question Indra or Anya, but that didn't stop the pit in his heart. He didn't like keeping things from Octavia, but he knew that their situation was bigger than the both of them.

"She trusts you, Lincoln. Don't destroy that."

"I know," Lincoln said with a sigh. He clutched his hands tightly. Luna touched his shoulder.

"Come on, let's dance." Lincoln grinned at her. "You suck at dancing."

"I do not!" she said as she dragged him to the circle.

Octavia had bloodshot eyes when she woke up. Lincoln laughed for a good five minutes before giving her a tea to help with her hangover.

"I'm glad you find this funny," she said in a scratchy voice. She accepted the tea and drank it down quickly.

"You need to get ready. You have a meeting with the Commander and all the Clan Leaders in an hour," he said.

Octavia paused. "What? You couldn't have told me this before I decided to drink that awful concoction last night."

"I was told to tell you at the last minute so you could enjoy the festival," he added. He took in the hurt look on her face.

"Out of everyone, I thought I would be able to trust you not to manipulate me. Guess I was wrong." She was more sad than angry, and that did not help the pain in his heart.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

"Get out. I need to get dressed," she said. He nodded and left the cabin.

Indra approached him a few minutes later. "Is she ready?"

"She will be in a few minutes," he replied. "She was not happy."

Indra sighed. "I know, but we have our orders."

"I know," Lincoln agreed.

Octavia joined them outside when she was ready. Lincoln watched as Indra led her to the Commander's tent.

While she was gone, he packed their stuff and checked them out of the cabin.

A few hours later, she met him by the stable. She was a bit dazed.

"Are you alright?" he asked, almost reaching out for her. He remembered her feelings from earlier and decided not to chance it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had to recount my entire life in that meeting, but I'm okay."

Lincoln felt the anger rise in him. He wanted to curse the people who made her relive all those terrible experiences again, but he couldn't. It needed to be done, but he hated that she had to go through that again.

He heard a sniffle and instantly pulled her into his arms. She cried into his chest.

"It's okay," he whispered soothingly. "You're safe. I won't let anything bad happen to you. It was in the past."

"I know," she said though it was bit muffled by his shirt. "Let's just go home."

He knew from the look on her face that she was going to have nightmares.

She proved him right as she woke up screaming. He did what he always did. Gave her some tea and handed her a mythology book.

She set the book aside and drank the tea. It helped her stop shaking, but her mind was still frazzled.

When she felt calm enough, she looked over to Lincoln who was laying down on his back.

"Lincoln," she called out. He turned his head to look at her. "Sorry for waking you up."

He shook his head. "I was already awake."

"Oh." She looked down at the cup in her hands. "You know, you can draw me if you want."

He looked at her in surprise.

"The only way you would already be awake is if you had nightmares too. You say drawing helps, so draw me," she explained. She wanted to offer her a warm smile, but she was too exhausted to make any facial expression.

"Okay," he said and grabbed his journal. Octavia picked up her book and started reading.

Within an hour, she was drifting off to sleep again.

"Thank you, Lincoln. For everything," she whispered before falling asleep.

A/N: If you liked it, please leave a comment!