Over the course of the next few hours, Bellamy hadn't had another chance to speak with Clarke. There was nothing to do but wait until they had word from Echo or Raven, but he did what he could to make himself feel useful, getting more acquainted with the layout of the bunker and ruins of Polis as they stood now, and setting up a base of operations with Monty to ensure they were ready once the eye fell.

"Everything's set up, so as soon as we get the signal, we'll start integrating with the system and shutting things down from there." Monty had reassured him, showing him the programming momentarily before noticing how out of depth Bellamy was. "Murphy and Emori radioed in. They're making their way here as quickly as they can. Said they were bringing us back a surprise." Bellamy had raised his eyebrows at that, but Monty didn't elaborate, shrugging instead. "I think it's a good surprise, Murphy didn't say anything else. We're not sure who's got ears on our comms, better safe than sorry."

Bellamy left him with a squeeze on the shoulder, and it wasn't long before he found himself intruding on a war council between Octavia and her generals. He was momentarily barred from entering, but a raised eyebrow from him to Octavia had her standing down the guards.
She was as stern as ever, but seemed to relax slightly around him now that Echo was out of sight. She'd resigned herself keeping him in the loop, at least for the next day or so. Although he could see how her patience frayed as the hours ticked by.

The conversation had turned to contingency plans, as though there were any, about what to do if the eye stayed operational and a mass assault remained out of the question. Cooper hissed like a snake at Octavia, venom dripping from her words.

"If the girl fails, then we need to decide our next move quickly. We can send out a small group of our people to gain a foothold."

Bellamy looked on, watching for the changes in Octavia's expression that he'd learnt to recognise when they were younger, but he couldn't get a read on what she was thinking. It was as though she'd shed all of her tells in the bunker. Her eyes remained hard as she surveyed the room, lips drawn down in an almost sneer.

"We could send them now," Indra counseled, "find another route that allows them to circle around outside the focus of their sight." Her tone was more cautionary, less abrasive than Cooper's.

All eyes trained on the map in front of them, annotated by Clarke a few hours earlier. Bellamy followed the lines of her handwriting, wishing she was in the room with them now. He hadn't spoken to her since they'd sat by the fireside, and the longer he went without being able to check on her, the more anxious he felt. Like she might disappear while he wasn't looking.

"That will take too long. When she's discovered, it'll only be a matter of hours before Diyoza strikes again." Cooper argued. "A small group, two or three, should be able to make it across the desert without being detected. We know the terrain now."

"And we know it's suicide until we can fortify our preparations," Indra argued back, while

Bellamy bristled. He moved forward, interrupting her.

"Echo won't get caught. And if she does she won't betray us," he growled, "she's better than that".

Octavia gave him a long look, dubious.

"I wouldn't be so sure brother. Snakes may shed their skin, but they remain a snake to the bone." The smile she directed him was acid filled. "It doesn't matter; the strike will come even if the traitor spy succeeds. We need eyes on the valley."

Bellamy met her stare, crossing his arms and slouching, bringing himself closer to her height. When he spoke, he made sure the edge was gone from his voice.
"I don't necessarily disagree. But if Kane had a hand in their last move, we've got time. They'll see the defection as a success and will be waiting to see what we do next." Octavia reared up quickly at the mention of Kane.
"That coward wants to see the destruction of Wonkru-" She roared, slamming her hands on the table in front of them. But Bellamy was quick to interject.

"Did he really change that much in the Bunker?" Bellamy questioned, keeping his voice as calm as possible, supplicating in his manner. "He always tried to avoid unnecessary losses in the past. The defections were meant to undermine your authority. Sow dissent. The board is stacked in their favour now as far as they're concerned. All they have to do is wait to see how quickly Wonkru turns against itself. Striking again so soon would only direct the attention back to them when they want all eyes on you." Bellamy watched was she stewed over his words. He could see the sag in Indra's shoulders out of the corner of his eye, whether out of relief or defeat he wasn't sure. "The last thing they'd want you to do now is show restraint," Bellamy Continued. "That's exactly why you should."

"Fine," Octavia conceded, eying him wearily. "If our best option remains taking down the eye, we focus on maintaining order here." She decided, pushing back off the table to her full height. "Fortify our borders," she barked. "And I want to know the second anyone breaths dissent. If we have to increase our patrols and start checking door to door, that's what we do."
Cooper nodded quickly, ready to begin carrying out her leader's order. She turned to snarl at the guards posted at the door, but Octavia raised her hand to stop her.
"And let everyone know. Any attempts of treason will be met in the pit. Justice will be served against all who betray Wonkru."

That signaled the end of the council. Bellamy watched as they shuffled out the door, hoping to speak with Octavia alone. Instead, Octavia signaled and he was being herded out in front of Miller, arm firmly about his arm. He resisted slightly as Cooper smiled bitterly at him, coming to stand closer to Octavia as the the door closed behind him. The metallic ring of the latch sliding into place brought his attention forward, and he gently wrenched his arm from Miller's hold.

"Don't push it," was all Miller said, as he moved to head up and outside the bunker. Bellamy looked on for a moment before shifting his gaze towards the pit. Catching sight of Clarke as she walked alongside Gaia and Madi. The latter was smiling brightly at the older women, chatting enthusiastically while Clarke nodded along. Gaia turned to head back below, and Bellamy noticed Clarke watch her retreating back with concern, before she refocused on the young girl in front of her and smiled.

Bellamy took the time to observe Clarke and Madi together, the careful way Clarke interacted with the young girl, nodding along to the conversation, gently patting her head in encouragement. It wasn't out of place exactly, Clarke had always been nurturing. He'd been on the receiving end of her care enough times to understand that about her. But to see it so focused, it took his breath away.

Madi seemed to feel his eyes on them, and she turned her gaze up at him, a gentle frown crossing her face while she said something to Clarke. What ever it was had Clarke turning her attention to him too, whipping her head around with something close to panic in her eyes. She kept her gaze on him a second longer before focusing back on Madi, ducking down and crowding closer to the girl, a gentle hand bracing the back of her neck making sure she had all of Madi's attention.

A yell of his name had Bellamy turning to watch Monty jogging towards him. There was an excited gleam in his eye, and Bellamy closed the distance between them as he caught his breath, bracing his hands on his knees.

"All this gravity sure takes it out of a guy" Monty huffed, straightening up. "Murphy and Emori are back, and they've got one of the Eligus crew. Guy called McCreary. Sounds like they almost blew him up!" Monty exclaimed, and Bellamy felt the edges of excitement begin to crawl under his own skin. "They figure we can try and get a bit of information out of him, potentially use him as leverage against the others." His smile was contagious, and Bellamy found himself nodding. "Octavia's people are bringing him here." Monty continued, a little more subdued. "They spotted Murphy coming into Polis"

Bellamy sobered up immediately.

"Shit. Ok," Bellamy braced his hand on Monty's shoulder. "Then we've got to make sure we're in the room when they start talking to him." His eyes looked back to the closed door of Octavia's makeshift council room. "It could be a real problem if we're out of the loop." He paused, frowning at Monty as a thought came to him. "Is there anything you can do to make sure we have ears on them at all times?"

Monty smiled back.
"I'll see what I can do."

This earned him a clap on the back from Bellamy, the smaller man heading back in the direction of his new workshop. Bellamy looked back down to where Clarke was still speaking in hushed tones with Madi. The young girl looked close to tears, and before he could stop himself, Bellamy was walking towards them.

The thump of his footfalls as he drew closer behind her had Clarke pulling herself back to her full height, shoulders straightening and hands squeezing gently atop of Madi's shoulders. He caught the end of Clarke's statement to the girl.

"… sorry for. OK? It's just…" She cut herself off, and Bellamy watched her bring a hand to her face, letting out a big exhale that bordered on a laugh. After a moment Bellamy took the chance to speak.

"Hey Clarke," he started, watching her turn to him. Her eyes on him had his chest tightening, and Bellamy couldn't fight the soft smile he sent her way, his heart stuttering as she returned it almost immediately with a watery smile of her own. "I wanted to catch you up. Murphy and Emori made it back." Clarke's eyes widened slightly. She took a shuddering breath, and Bellamy quickly noticed her expression shifting, catching the open sadness of her eyes momentarily, before it was shuttered and replaced with a concerned frown.


Clarke had been watching Madi interact with the other Novitiates that morning. Going through the forms and drills she had seen become deadly on the battlefield over six years ago. She watched Gaia teach the children as she moved through the group, correcting posture and movement as she went. The smile she directed at Madi seemed genuinely warm to Clarke, which confused her; unable to decide where Gaia stood as enemy or ally. The lesson began wrapping up and Gaia walked towards her, smiling gently in a way Clarke assumed was meant to be disarming.

"She's doing well," Gaia commented, as she turned at Clarke's side to look back over the children. "Did you have a chance to train her in the Valley?" Madi was smiling at a boy her age as they packed away the practice swords they'd been drilling with. Hey joy made Clarke smile, so unused to seeing her in a state of play like this.

"A little," Clarke returned, allowing herself a moment to let her guard down. "To be honest, I've never been the most adept with hand to hand. But I taught her what I know. It never hurts to be prepared."

"Well, she certainly seems to have embraced It. Her form is excellent for a beginner." The other children began to filter out of the room, and Madi found herself the focus of both women as she approached them smiling. Clarke reached out to gently ruffle her hair, smiling back at the young girl. Gaia was the first to speak.

"I'm very impressed with what I've seen from you today Madi. There are a couple more things I need to pack up in the pit, but I'd love to chat to you and Clarke more about what we hope to teach you."
They began walking together to the large anti chamber, Madi eagerly offering to help pack, and taking Clarke by the arm to start sharing all she'd learnt that morning, as though Clarke hadn't been watching over her through the whole thing.

She was halfway through describing the differences between the way she was supposed to hold a sword and the way Clarke had showed her when her attention drifted over Clarke's shoulder and her smile faded.

"You should tell him about the radio," she mumbled. Clarke whipped her head around to see what had caught Madi's attention, and she found herself eye to eye with Bellamy at the top of the ramp, looking over them with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"Madi," she warned, turning back to the child. The girl was unperturbed. A fierce look crossed her face.

"He should know Clarke," she implored. "If he knew that you spoke to him every day, he'd realise how much he means to you and how much you missed him. And then he'd-" Clarke cut her off.

"Madi," she started, softly. "It's not that simple. Everything's changed from how it used to be. And everyone's dealing with so much right now." She'd taken the young girl by the shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze and bringing the two of them closer.

"But you lov-" Madi tried again, but Clarke cut her off swiftly. Her voice beginning to choke with emotion.

"Madi. He's with someone. Someone who makes him very happy. It's- I- What I feel doesn't matter" They were almost eye to eye now, tears brimming between them. When Madi spoke again her voice was almost a whisper, wavering with unchecked emotion.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this Clarke. He was supposed to hear you. And. And when he came down here, you'd be together. We'd be together in the valley. Everything about this is wrong," Madi pouted. It was the most vulnerable she'd seen Madi in a long time, watching as the girl scrubbed at her cheek in frustration. Clarke smiled sadly back at her.

"We both know that things don't always work out the way we want them to, little one. But I'm thankful anyway. We're all on the ground, out in the open air. And I will do everything I can to make sure we get back to the valley together," She reassured the girl. "And you know what? No matter what happens next, we have each other. And I am so happy I've got you by my side." There was a shift in the young girl's demeanour immediately, shifting from her own unhappiness to Clarke's.

"I'm sorry Clarke. I didn't mean to-," Madi started. But Clarke was shaking her head and straightening as she heard footfalls behind her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's just…" she trailed off, wiping at the tears and letting out a strange sob as she exhaled. And not a moment later, she heard a voice she'd been hoping to avoid for a little while longer.

"Hey Clarke," Bellamy started. Clarke collected herself and turned, returning his smile with the best smile she could pull together as he shared the news about Emori and Murphy's recent success. She turned briefly to direct Madi to the corner of the room where the training gear was waiting to be packed away, and allowed the news from Bellamy to dictate her mood, focusing on the possible consequences for taking the prisoner that would soon be in their custody.
"We'll be moving him here to secure him," he continued. "Octavia's people spotted Murphy bringing him in."
Clarke nodded, frowning at Bellamy.

"If they captured him through the night, there's a good chance he doesn't know anything about the defection," Clarke cautioned. "There's only so much he'll be able to tell us," she continued carefully, gauging Bellamy's reaction. His nerves seemed frayed, that much Clarke could tell immediately. There was an edge of desperation to his voice and bearing that she recognized from their time together years ago. He'd crossed his arms as she talked, dropping his head down in a nod that had his shoulders curling in almost defensively as she continued.

"But he might know what Diyoza's next move is. McCreary seemed close to her, he might as well be her second in command." He looked up at this, eyes brightening slightly with hope. She was about to reassure him further, to comfort him, when Gaia called out to her from the doorway of the training room. She excused herself with a quick squeeze of her hand around his arm, not remembering when she began touching him in the first place.


Clarke moved away from him and Bellamy found his eyes drifting back to where Madi was packing away ropes and training gear in the corner. The girl must have been watching them, because when his eyes met hers she snapped her head down to continue winding the rope around her elbow and hand, circling it back on itself. He made his way over, smiling warmly at her.

"Want some help?" He offered, already moving to pick up a bundle of rope from the pile. "Were you guys practicing knots or something this morning?" he queried, huffing out a laugh. Madi watched him intently, her movements slowing. Her answer was mumbled slightly, far shier than the last time they had spoken, that night before he rescued Clarke.

"Not today, but they bring all this stuff out just in case." He nodded back at her, smiling again. She didn't return the smile. Instead, her gaze shifted between him and where Clarke had disappeared to with Gaia. "I think I upset Clarke today." Bellamy wasn't sure what she meant, so he just nodded at her to continue. Instead she refocused on the rope in her hands, gripping it tighter.

"Hey," he soothed, getting her attention once more. "I'm sure she's not upset at you. And even if she was… I used to upset her all the time. And speaking from experience, she's not going to hold it against you at all." Madi's eyes were wider now as she regarded him. He kept his smile on her, continuing to reassure her.. "I'm sure you've got nothing on me, I was a complete pain in her ass half the time." He corrected himself quickly. "Most of the time, really. On purpose. And we still ended up friends." Madi looked back at the training room doorway again.

"You guys were really close, weren't you?" She asked cautiously, "before Primfaiya?" Bellamy's smile widened proudly as he replied.

"We were best friends," he confirmed, pleased by the memory. He waited for a smile to start on Madi's face, instead seeing her frown intensify.

"But you're not now?" she questioned sadly, mouth trembling.

Bellamy jolted. Thrown completely by the question, and the little girl's tone. She looked heartbroken, and Bellamy found himself stammering slightly.

"No- We- . I mean of course we're still-," he started, dumbly. His thoughts scattered at the unexpected question. He hadn't even registered his use of the past tense. So used to thinking of Clarke as gone from him.

Madi, watched him, waiting for an answer, rope forgotten. He faintly registered his continued stammering, but she started shaking her head.

"Clarke was right, everything has changed."

Now Bellamy was confused. Blinking dumbly at the girl, he began to question the statement when she continued, eyes furiously flashing up at him.

"You let her go," she hissed. "She always knew you'd come back, and you let her go." She threw the rope down, hands clenching at her sides as she continued to level her accusation at him. "You were her family, and you made a new one without her." Tears were escaping unwanted from her eyes now, and she scrubbed at them quickly, still seething at him. "And now, I'm all she has. Because you're here, but you let her go," she sobbed.

"Madi," Clarke's voice cried out, and Madi was pushing passed him to run into her arms across the room. Bellamy turned and watched as the girl buried her head in Clarke's shoulder, the latter bringing her arms around the girl immediately, consoling her without hesitation. Clarke brought her head up and levelled a look at him. Questioning, angry. He was floored. He couldn't say anything. Instead, he stood there incredulously, mouth gaping and head shaking in confusion.

Clarke returned to comforting the girl and he could hear her questioning Madi softly, but the girl just shook her head and buried her face further into her surrogate mother's frame.

The moment was broken by yelling from the bunker's entrance. Bellamy looked up and a second later Murphy was bursting through the entryway, crowing with success. Bellamy almost smiled, but his eyes were drawn back to Clarke immediately in concern. He watched as Gaia approached the pair gently, and after a brief hushed conversation, she was ushering Madi back into the room they'd trained in earlier. Then Clarke was walking towards him, the questioning glare on her face enough to have him raising his hands defensively.

"What did you say to her?" She fumed. And he shook his head.

"I don't know," He started. "She thought she had upset you, so I mentioned that I used to upset you all the time and it would be ok. And then she-," he sobered as he spoke, his gaze and voice hardening. "She thinks I abandoned you," he concluded. Clarke's eyes widened and he watched her face shift with emotion. Surprise, concern and sadness moving across her face before she caught herself and eyes became fixed again. "Is that how you feel Clarke?" He questioned.

Her answer was immediate, tone gently despite her earlier anger.
"You had to leave Bellamy, we both know that. I've never blamed you for that"

But he could sense the deflection in her answer this time. The defensiveness in her gaze.

"That doesn't answer the question Clarke," he returned, determined, his previously fluster forgotten. He watched her jaw set as she looked away from him. There was commotion occurring at the lip of the bunker as McCreary was brought in, struggling in his restraints against the arms of his captors. But whatever he was shouting was lost on Bellamy as he waited on Clarke to answer, watching her intently. When she looked back at him, her face was almost unreadable, but Bellamy was sure he could see her eyes go glassy as she spoke.

"You thought I died," she stated, shrugging lamely. "However I thought things would be when you got back…" she cleared her throat, "That's on me." She looked back at McCreary before meeting his eyes once more. "You don't owe me anything," she finished. Then she was walking away from him, eyes fixed on McCreary as he was herded into the bunker.


Authors Note: I'm going to try my darndest to get this out before the next episode, as I'm sure all my imaginations will be completely different from the show.

But I can definitely see any personal revelations of Clarke's being played out by the people around her, rather than her directly. She's stubborn, especially when she thinks she's acting for the well being of others. And if Madi's anything like her, then the same thing applies. They both have each other's best interests at heart, and I can see them getting emotional when they think the other is hurting.

Anyway this story now has a plot. Maybe four or five chapters. Let me know what you think so far