I've had this part ready to go for weeks now, but I wasn't really happy with it. Unfortunately I've become extraordinarily busy (am in England on exchange now) and I don't have time to make anything better. So if this ending isn't what you had expected, I'm terrible sorry. I truly apologize that it's not my best work.

By the time the sun had reached the highest point in the sky the next week, the drop ship was overflowing with bodies.

In retrospect, it was a miracle an outbreak hadn't broke out days ago. With their immune systems so acclimated with the life of familiarity on the Ark, it was only a matter of time before someone caught some sort of Earth bug. It had started with Stirling, the coughing, vomiting, and fainting, quickly spreading throughout the camp like an aerosol spray. Clarke had been run ragged trying to keep the flu contained, but it was a hopeless endeavor. She herself came down with a fever within the first day or two of symptoms and was bedridden for the next twenty-four hours.

No one had died yet, but the ship bay was filled to the brim with teenagers and smelled like sweat and bile. If Stirling's recovery time of five and a half days was any indication of everyone else's health, they were in for a long stretch of days and nights filed with the stench and feverish moaning.

For some infuriating reason, some of the 100 was immune to the sickness. Jasper, Bellamy, and Finn were among the lucky few, but Octavia, Monty, and Raven had all fallen prey to the illness as well. The four of them huddled together, occasionally joined by Miller, Monroe, or Harper for idle chit chat, and waited the symptoms away in each other's company.

Bellamy hovered around every now and then to check up on everyone. He insisted he was there to make sure Octavia wasn't dying, but the way his gaze always drifted back to Clarke insinuated he was there for more than his sister. He offered to get them herbs or water whenever they ran low, but otherwise he just looked on helplessly.

It was on the fourth day since she'd gotten sick that Clarke seemed to be on the mend. When the colour returned to her face and she could hold down more than two spoonfuls of soup, she became more mobile. Ignoring Jasper's amiable concern and urges to lie down for a while longer, she fluttered around the camp, pitching in wherever she could to try and keep their make-shift civilization in order.

She wasn't happy to say the least when Bellamy refused her for the hunting trip.

Her hands flew to her hips. "What do you mean I can't go? You can't order me around."

"You're needed here." His voice was calm, but the muscles in his jaw worked. Clearly he was tired of having to repeat this conversation every time Clarke wanted to venture outside the wall or do something dangerous.

"You need me hunting too. You saw me in the bunker, Bellamy. I'm a good shot!"

"You're a better doctor," he insisted. "Look, Princess, there are still sick kids on that drop ship that are in pain and are scared. If you can provide them any kind of comfort, you're damn well going to do it."

"Excuse me?"

"I know you think that hunting down food is the best thing for the camp right now, but just look at them, Clarke," he gestured to the open bay door where half a dozen teenagers slumped. "They're miserable. You've been on sick leave since you came down with the bug too, but you're obviously feeling better if you can stand here and bicker with me. You've gone through their symptoms. You can help ease them. Give them some antibiotics or whatever medical voodoo you use."

She crossed her arms. "It's not voodoo. And you know we've already given them whatever plants we can find to reduce the vomiting and headaches. I've already done what I can."

"They don't know that. Just your presence gives them a sense of relief. You actually have a calming effect when you're not a pain in the ass."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Oh really?"

Bellamy shifted his gun to rest across his back and drew closer, the soft expression on his face an unfortunate rarity. "Just stay here, will you? I can't focus properly on hunting when I have to look out for your safety."

"I can take care of myself," she said, her voice devoid of heat.

"Most times," he said with a rueful smile. "I just can't stop myself from making sure you don't do anything stupid."

"You're the one who usually makes the stupid mistakes," she retorted, jabbing a finger into his chest.

He grabbed her finger gently before encompassing her entire hand in his grasp. He squeezed lightly. "I'll look after myself and the others. Just stay safe. We'll be back in a few hours."

"If you aren't here when the sun sets, I'm going to personally find you and tie you upside down to a tree until your face turns blue."

"Promises, Princess."

Clarke did her best to tidy up the drop ship, but the number of bodies and the reeking smell of vomit was making the task difficult. She opted to instead try and bring down the higher fevers in the room, taking a rag and dipping it in water to press against foreheads. It provided fleeting relief. The good news was that a lot of the fevers were breaking and most of the kids would feel better by the morning.

Exiting the drop ship to refill the basin of water, Clarke noticed Finn break away from conversation with Jasper to make a beeline straight towards her. Jasper watched him stalk over and gave Clarke a weary look before returning to the bay to nurse Monty, Octavia, and Raven.

Before the he even made it to her side, Clarke dropped the bowl at her feet and sighed. "What do you want, Finn?"

"We need to talk."

"We've talked plenty."

"I'm not going to try and talk you into being with me, if that's what you think," he said bluntly. "This is something different."

She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Finn suddenly looked uneasy and maybe a little pink. "I actually… I wanted to apologize."

Both brows shot up. "Really?"

"Yeah," he shifted on his feet. "What I did to you and Raven wasn't right. I should have told you about her and to be honest, I shouldn't have given up so quickly on her. We'd been together for years and I shouldn't have just assumed we'd never see each other again and moved on. I don't regret what you and I had," he met her eyes so she could see his honesty and lingering passion, "but I went about the whole thing wrong. I hurt you and Raven both, and I just... I'm sorry."

Clarke absorbed the information slowly, making sure she caught every word. Finally she nodded in a sort of acceptance. "Okay."

"Okay?" his face pure relief and astonishment.

A small smile from Clarke. "Okay." There's a silence that's in the middle of comfortable and tense, likely a product of their history and present reconciliation. Clarke wants to fill it. "So are you and Raven a couple now? You've been spending more time together recently. You almost never leave her side."

Finn tensed a bit. "Not really. I sort of cheated on her, so her trust in me has broken. I'm working to build it back up, trying to show her I made a mistake and I'm sorry, but I have a long way to go. I'm just lucky she's giving me a second chance."

She smiled through the dull throbbing in her chest. "You're lucky to have her."

He gave a little grin. "Yeah, I am. We've been together for so long; I don't know how she still talks to me after what I did. But I guess that's love."

"You love her?" She almost fails to hide the surprise. He's been pretty half-hearted of late.

"Of course I do. It's a warm, comfortable love that's grown between us over the years. It's hard to just shake off." He paused for a second before looking Clarke straight in the eyes. "I loved you too, you know."

"Loved?"

"Yeah. Not the same love I have for Raven, I mean I don't even think you can love two people the same way, but I did love you. You are a generous, brave, caring, and beautiful woman, Clarke. It's hard to resist you. I wanted what we had to be foundational, but I realized after a while that I don't deserve you. I don't really deserve Raven either, but I can't leave her alone after everything we've been through together. We're both pretty stubborn people…"

"Are you saying I'm not?"

"Oh, you're stubborn all right, but only for certain people."

She blinked. "What?"

Finn chuckled like he'd told some hilarious inside joke. His eyes flickered to the gate and he smirked. "I hope Bellamy gets back soon."

"You do?" she said, skeptically. Bellamy wasn't exactly Finn's favorite person. He met her gaze with a pointed stare the spoke volumes. Clarke frowned. "He and I aren't like that."

"So you say, but I've seen the way you two are with each other. I used to be jealous about it, I still kind of am, but I think it's good for the both of you to have someone strong to rely on." He let her dwell on his words before adding, "I saw the way you were clutching each other back at the spring. You were holding on like you would fall to pieces if you weren't in each other's arms. It's pretty sickening how sweet it was," he smiled.

"We rely on each other, but we're partners… co-leaders. There's nothing else between us."

He shrugged, not looking overly convinced. "Whatever you say, Princess."

She bristled at the moniker and suddenly felt a pang of confusion. Finn was the first person to give her the nickname, yet it felt alien coming from his mouth.

"I should get back to the kids," she said. "Thank you for the apology, Finn. I hope things work out with you and Raven."

"Thanks. I do too. Good luck with the whole… partnership with Bellamy."

She narrowed her eyes at his persistent implication, but nodded in acknowledgement.

As she turned to head back to the ship with a filled water basin, Octavia rushed out to meet her. She staggered slightly, there was a light flush to her cheeks, and her forehead was still slick with sweat.

"Octavia, you should be lying down," Clarke said firmly.

The girl gave a wry smile. "Yeah, well, so should you." She whirled her gaze to Finn and back to Clarke, trying to guess what had happened before her arrival. If she came up with an answer, she didn't share it. "Look, Jasper finally passed out from helping out twenty-four-seven and I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

Clarke surveyed the younger Blake. She still looked sick, but it was obvious she was feeling better if she'd managed to stand up. The spark of determination in her eye reminded her of the familiar brown one her brother hardly ever went without and she suppressed a shiver. "You can take this," she said with sudden focus, handing the basin to Octavia. She knew better than to fight with the strong-willed girl. She could throw a tantrum better than Bellamy. "Wipe down the head and neck of anyone who's particularly feverish. It should help them feel better."

"Got it." She gave Clarke a once over as she took the bowl and grimaced. "You should wash up. You're covered in barf."

"Everything if covered in barf," Clarke winced.

"You deserve to feel clean after all you've done, Clarke," Octavia reasoned, free hand resting on her hip now. "I think we can handle a camp of puking teens for a while. You should be grateful I'm offering you a break."

Clarke smiled at her bossiness. "You're so much like your brother."

"Yuck. I should change my mind just for that," she smirked. "But I'm feeling gracious. Get out of here, doc. Do us a favor and come back not smelling like the contents of our stomachs, okay? We'll signal you in an emergency."

Clarke smiled. "Okay. Thanks, Octavia."

She waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a peach. Just don't compare me to Bellamy ever again."

Gathering some soaps from her tent, Clarke headed for the gate, getting steadily more excited at the aspect of ridding the offensive odor that followed her. Her anticipation sped her feet and gave them a little bounce in their step, but the niggling memory of the spring weighed them down. The knives Jasper had made her were strapped to various parts of her body and she had a spare gun slung over her shoulder. It wasn't as if Murphy was a threat any longer, but the event had taught her a lesson about lowering her guard.

As irony would have it, just as Miller opened the gate to let her out, she ran headlong into Bellamy.

"Whoa there, Princess," he exclaimed, grabbing her forearm so she didn't ricochet onto the ground. He was draped in squirrel and rabbit carcases, strung up and slung over his broad shoulders. Despite the crass silhouette, he was smirking. "As much as we appreciate the warm welcome, you don't need to get so excited."

She recovered quickly, taking her arm back and righting herself to regard the hunters properly. "Bellamy," she said, swallowing her surprise. "It's about time you got back."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Nice to see you too, Clarke. I take it from your lackluster enthusiasm that you weren't scrambling out of camp to greet us after all. Where are you headed?"

"The brook to the east. Octavia's feeling better, so she and the guys are looking after the kids while I wash up."

He frowned over her shoulder in the direction of his sister. "She should be in bed."

"That's what I said," Clarke shrugged. "She was pretty adamant that I get a few minutes to myself."

"By your—" Bellamy looked around and only just registered that she was alone. "Damn it, Clarke. Did you learn nothing from last time?"

"I'll have you know that I am well prepared," she scowled, pulling her sleeve up to display one of the daggers strapped to her flesh. "And it's not like last time can repeat itself," she reminded, grimacing at the memory of the bloody body floating away in the water.

"You never learn, never look after yourself, never listen…" He shook his head incredulously as he began shedding animals and handing them to Jones. "Take these back to camp and get Jasper to dry into jerky what we don't cook for supper. It'll preserve better."

The boy took them dumbly, cocking his head to the side. "Where are you going?"

Bellamy readjusted his gun so he held its weight in both hands. His powerhouse position. "Someone's got to go with the princess and make sure she doesn't get killed."

Clarke's jaw fell. "You still think I can't protect myself?"

"I didn't say that, Clarke," he stated firmly, and with that he nudged her on with a gentle hand on her waist and a nod to the hunters. "Octavia's in charge until we get back."

They didn't make it a hundred feet before Bellamy called Clarke out on her pouting. "You're not going to do this all day, are you?"

"No," she admitted, albeit her tone was sharp as the blades concealed on her person. "I just miss the days where I didn't need an escort to the bath."

"Technically it's just a brook. You'll be lucky if the water reaches your knees."

She shot him a glare. "I'm not really in the mood for your wiseass remarks, Bellamy."

"I'm only doing this for your own good, you know," he said, jogging to catch up to her, still eyeing the trees carefully all the while.

"What, being a smart aleck?"

He smirked. "Coming along. These are dangerous situations we're in, Clarke. No one should be alone at any time, no matter what. We're sitting ducks out here. There's safety in numbers and shit."

"You wouldn't be so gung-ho if you were the one that needed a bath."

"Now that you mention it…" he looked at himself, covered in mud and blood and sweat. He wrinkled his nose.

"I'm just saying that you aren't guarded like me. If you walked out of camp by yourself, no one would bat an eyelash. But when the med-temp Clarke Griffin wants to go have a bath, everyone pitches a fit! It's so frustrating to be protected like a resource. I'm not the only person who can do first aid, you know! Monty's getting better at stitches, and Octavia—!"

"Whoa, hang on, Clarke!" his hand snatched hers. "No one's protecting you just because you're the closest thing we have to a doctor."

She laughed derisively. "Sure they're not."

"They aren't," he said. "They respect you too much to just label you as the doctor. You're their leader, Clarke. Without you, they wouldn't know how to function."

"Then why can you do whatever you want? You're the same!"

He chuckled. "Nah, I'm more like the bodyguard. Maybe a buff vice president if I'm lucky. After the first few weeks down here, I'm pretty sure they fear me more than respect me."

"That's not true," Clarke said, a finality in her voice that surprised them both. "You're just as much leader as I am, Bellamy. And even though you were a total jerk when we first landed, you've done a lot to make up for it. We couldn't function without you either."

He watched her carefully, locking eyes and gazing as deep into hers as he could. "Yeah?"

She nodded, keeping contact. "Yeah."

"Even when I'm a wiseass, smart aleck?" He cracked a smile.

She laughed. "Even then. Though admittedly more or less in various circumstances."

"And this circumstance?"

"It doesn't matter so long as you're here."

His lip quirked into a smirk but twitched as he fought back laughter. "I thought you didn't want me here, Princess."

"You actually have a calming effect when you're not a pain in the ass."

He broke out into loud cackles but neither of them worried about being heard.

... maybe one more