Second chapter! Thank you all for your support. I hope you enjoy! I promise you, it'll get better in the next few chapters. I have to start off with a baseline first, then get into the good stuff :)

Please don't forget to follow, favorite, and review.

-M


Chapter Two:

She hadn't wanted Bellamy to go out on that run in the first place. She had begged him to stay, telling him that they needed at least one of their leaders to stay behind. The night before he left, the woman had come to his room while he was packing, asking him one more time to let Kane go with the other men, while he stayed here and made sure that everything was in order in Arkadia.

"You know I'll be fine, Clarke," he had promised her as she stood in front of him, tears in her eyes. "Only gonna take a week or two. Don't know why you're so hung up on it-"

That was Clarke kissed him, desperately smashing her lips against his own as she placed her hands against his strong, muscular chest. She knew that they wouldn't be able to have anything more than a single kiss, because if they did, then everything would change, so, instead, she fought back the feeling of pushing him on the bed and continued kissing him, wanting to savor every minute of it. They fell asleep on the soft mattress, with Clarke lying in Bellamy's secure arms, sleeping soundly. It was the most peaceful night they had ever had, and that was when they both realized that they wanted more of this. They silently agreed that they wanted to be together.

That was why, on the next day, right before he left, Bellamy gave her a long, wonderful kiss, cupping her cheek with gentle, calloused fingers. When they pulled away, he pressed his lips to her temple and said, "When I get back, I promise ya we'll continue where we left off."

As days turned turned to weeks, and weeks turned into a month, Clarke began growing more and more worried. They had tried to contact him, but there was nothing but radio silence. Finally, they sent out a search party. Another week passed, and Clarke was starting to lose hope. She would never see Bellamy again. She would never get to hug him, or hear one of his silly jokes, or see his beautiful smile. Just the thought of it made her want to run and find him herself.

But then they brought him back. And everything had changed.

Now, Clarke was wiping the sweat off of Bellamy's forehead, trying hard not to pay attention to his feverish body. "You're doing great, Bell," she was saying. "The medicine is working. The fever will break soon."

"C-Can't wait," Bellamy said with a smirk. He was exhausted, the last two days of fighting off this infection having been very difficult. There were heavy dark circles underneath his eyes, which were bloodshot and red. His wounds were shining brightly against his pale skin, and he flinched every time he looked at any of them. All he wanted was to just get better already so he didn't have to be in so much pain anymore.

"How's our patient doing today?" Abby, who had just entered the infirmary with Octavia, asked.

"R-Ready to get out of h-here," replied Bellamy, sparing a glance at his sibling.

"Hey, big brother," the younger Blake asked, a small smile on her face.

"He's almost out of the woods," Clarke explained, proudly looking at Bellamy. "I think he should start recovering in his own quarters. It'd be good for him…"

"I agree," said Abby, quickly taking Bellamy's temperature and checking his bandages. The stitches on all his lacerations were holding well, thankfully. Physically, he was going to fully heal. Healing mentally was a completely different problem. "Alright, Bellamy let's get you into that wheelchair. It's about time you sleep in your own bed."

With Octavia's careful help, Bellamy was able to stand up and move into the rather comfortable seat, his hands in his lap as he was driven through the familiar halls. He actually felt like he could breathe for once, the air wonderful compared to the infirmary. It was one of the best things he'd felt in a while.

Clarke was behind them, about to turn the corner when a voice called her name. It was Chancellor Kane. "Is everything okay, Chancellor?" she asked, a strange feeling settling in her gut.

"Yes," Marcus replied. "I am so glad Bellamy is getting better."

"Me, too. He's been doing really well, all things considered."

"Look … Clarke," Kane began, a hesitant edge to his tone. He wanted something, but Clarke didn't know what it was yet. "I know Bellamy is in no state of mind to discuss this, but we need to know what happened so we can catch these bastards. Who knows, there may be more of them out there, and they will want revenge for the deaths of their men and the involuntary release of their captive. It's help get justice for everything Bellamy has gone through…"

"We both know that the only reason you want the information is for the camp, not for Bellamy," Clarke growled, furious. "And you're right, he's not strong enough to relive it yet. Soon, yes, but definitely not now. You'd better not go to him after I told you no and start asking him or I swear to God, I won't wait for those men to come and kill you. When he's ready, he'll tell us whatever we need to know."

Kane nodded solemnly. "Fine, Clarke. I'll wait."

With that, he walked off, giving Clarke the chance to join the others in Bellamy's room. She smiled at the happy expression on the man's worn face. The walls around them were so much brighter than the dull med bay; it was uplifting, to say the least. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down beside him on the bed and taking his hand.

"Never been ... s-so comfortable." A weary chuckle escaped Bellamy's mouth, and he threw his head back, reveling in the light shining through his window.

"That's good," Abby said. "I'll leave you alone for the night. You've had enough prodding from me. Rest well."

"Thank y-you, Abby."

Slowly, Octavia stepped up and leaned down, planting a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow morning, Bell. Have Clarke call me if you need anything."

Bellamy couldn't remember the last time his sister had been so nice to him. Every time they talked, it usually ended up in her blaming him for something. Now, it seemed like all she wanted to do was help him, which really surprised him. By the time he came out of his whirling thoughts, Clarke was the only one left with him, and he was finally able to take off his masks. He slumped into the covers, moaning quietly.

"Hey, hey," his companion quickly said. She crawled under the covers and gathered him into arms, pillowing his head in her lap. "It's okay. I'm right here."

Bellamy began to relax, letting out deep, painful breaths. "Thank y-you, Clarke," he whispered, closing his eyes as he began fighting off the pain.

TBC