A/N: Okay, well, we didn't quite get to 20 reviews, but we got to 20 favorites, and I'm willing to break my own rule because we're about to get into the super exciting part and I want you guys to spaz out with me. Thanks so much for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own The 100 or its characters, but I do love them a lot.

Chapter 4

It had taken most of the night to travel to the dropship, and Bellamy and Clarke were all but dead on their feet. Clarke had outlined the basic needs Lincoln would have while they waited for him to go through withdrawal, and both Blakes had taken the news with grim determination. Clarke could see how this would be hard for Octavia. She remembered watching Finn in pain when a poisoned knife was protruding from his stomach, and she couldn't help but sympathize with the younger girl.

Thinking of Finn made her grimace, and Clarke excused herself outside for a bit of air. She sat down on the ramp of the ship, realizing how much colder it had grown in the month since they'd arrived. Dawn was beginning to break over the tree line, and Clarke felt herself looking at this world around her. All her life she'd dreamed of Earth, hoped for its wonders. And now… Well, at the moment, it did seem beautiful, but she couldn't let herself dwell on it, sick with worry for her friends, her family, and even the two siblings in the ship behind her.

Clarke felt a presence behind her and turned to see Octavia walking out and settling nearby. The two girls silently watched the sun begin to rise for a few moments, the silence broken only by chirping birds.

"It's pretty beautiful, when you're not worried about the dangers everywhere," Octavia said, tucking her knees up under her chin.

Clarke spared her a glance. "Once we make peace with the Grounders, because we will make peace with them, and free our people, maybe we won't have to constantly be worrying about that."

"Do you really believe that?" Octavia asked, tilting her head in question.

Did Clarke believe that? She looked back at Octavia. Here was a girl who had risked everything, who was willing to leave everyone behind for a Grounder who had started everything by saving her life. "Yes, I do. And it starts with saving Lincoln."

Octavia smiled. She reached over and grabbed Clarke's hand, giving it a small squeeze before letting go. "Thank you, Clarke. I know that things were rocky at first with Lincoln, with Finn and all."

Finn again. Clarke couldn't escape that thought. She cared deeply about him, and he'd really been there for her from the first. But he'd been dishonest, and almost crazed in his obsession for finding her and the others. She knew that war changed people, but she didn't think she was ready to forgive Finn yet, if ever. She would always wish him well, but the same feelings she'd once thought she'd had were no more, gone so fast she wondered if she had imagined them in the first place.

"He saved my life. Many lives. And you love him, don't you?"

Octavia allowed a small smile to grace her face. "Love is a funny thing, isn't it? It sort of sneaks up on you, and it makes you do crazy things. Things you never thought possible."

Octavia was so blissfully in love with Lincoln, and though Clarke knew it was hurting her right now, she couldn't help but be a little envious of the connection the two shared, wishing that she would find the same one day. "Strength is and always has been born of love."

After another minute of silence, Octavia put her knees down and bounced up, showing how young she truly was. "Clarke, let me braid your hair."

Laughing, Clarke reluctantly agreed, letting Octavia forget her troubles for just a few minutes as the two fell into a light conversation.

Minutes later, Octavia and Clarke entered the dropship, where Bellamy had found an old cot and spread out some blankets. He looked up as the girls entered.

Clarke noticed Bellamy's face shift so quickly she would have missed his expressions if she hadn't have been paying attention. His face was open, so honest, and she saw surprise and then something almost heated pass over his features until he schooled his smile into something more guarded and neutral.

"So you've decided to become a Warrior Princess now like O, huh?" he said, suddenly stalking toward her.

Clarke didn't know what he was talking about until he grabbed the end of one of her braids, delicately rubbing his fingers across the blond tips. "This? Octavia did it quickly. Should help keep my hair out of my face for the time being."

Bellamy still didn't let go of her braid, only now his eyes met her, and she noticed something simmering beneath the surface, but she couldn't say what. This was Bellamy Blake, though, king of the bottled up feelings and expressive eyes. He was the type of man who made you halfway in love just by looking at him. And then he would open his mouth…

But now, despite his intense stare, all he said was, "Suits you," before he dropped the braid and walked back to the cot.

Clarke looked over to Octavia, noticing the younger girl giving her a curious look that evolved into a small, coy smile. "Interesting," she stated, just loud enough for Clarke to hear.

Bellamy was now sitting on the cot, removing his shoes. He looked to Clarke. "Clarke, we should rest before we head back to the others. We didn't sleep last night, and we have a lot of ground to cover." He could see Clarke hesitating, and he patted the mattress beside him. "Just a few hours. C'mon."

Reluctantly, Clarke sat down on the edge of the cot, taking off her shoes before she laid down. She felt the mattress dip directly next to her and looked over to see Bellamy sliding closer. "What are you doing?"

"What, don't like to snuggle? What did I tell you about bedside manner, huh?" He settled down in the middle of the cot, throwing her hands behind his head. Clarke noticed Octavia settling on his other side and realized that he was just making room for her on the cot.

She began to settle down, staying as close to the edge as possible, though she could feel Bellamy's body heat next to her. "Just a few hours, okay?"

Bellamy nodded, eyes already closed. "Okay."

Clarke's last thought as she dozed off was how this was the coziest she'd felt in a long time.

A scream woke Clarke up a few hours later, and she rolled off the bed to find Bellamy rolling on the ground with Lincoln… Who was no longer attached to the wall via a chain. She glanced at his ankle, noticing how red and swollen it was. In his desperation to get more drugs, he must have injured himself to escape.

Clarke snapped to attention as Octavia screamed again. "Lincoln! Please, it's us! It's me! Octavia!" Lincoln managed to throw Bellamy off, stalking towards Octavia as she grabbed a nearby knife. "I don't want to use this. Please, Lincoln!"

Her words went unheard, but before Lincoln could reach her, Clarke slammed into him from the side, sending them both sprawling. Near the entrance, soot from the outside wasteland had drifted in, and as Lincoln got his bearings and leapt towards Clarke, she grabbed a handful of the powder and flung it into his face.

Lincoln recoiled, emitting an awful wail, and Clarke scrambled away. She felt nails digging into her ankle, and she yelped as Lincoln dragged her back.

The hand on her calf suddenly let go, and Clarke sprang up. She looked over her shoulder for just a minute to see Bellamy scrapping with Lincoln, before she heard Octavia yell, "Clarke! Catch!"

Clarke looked up to see her backpack flying toward her. Dumping the contents onto the ground, she looked for something that could be of use before her eyes settled on another syringe full of sedatives. She grabbed it, turning around just in time to see Bellamy land a hard blow to Lincoln's cheek.

Lincoln slammed to the side, his eyes alighting on Clarke and the sedatives. He growled one more time, and Bellamy followed his eyesight to Clarke. No.

"NO!" Bellamy spat as he grabbed a hold of Lincoln's leg, hauling him backward. Lincoln recoiled quickly, punching Bellamy so hard that his head slammed into the wall behind them with an audible CRACK. Bellamy crumpled, unconscious.

"Bellamy!" Octavia wailed. A look of determination came over her features and she ran directly towards Lincoln. Clarke began to edge closer, syringe at the ready.

As Octavia neared Lincoln, who steeled himself for the blow, she slid to the side, Lincoln's line of sight following her. "Clarke, now!" Octavia yelled.

Clarke had snuck up behind Lincoln, and as his head turned, she plunged the syringe into his neck, scuttling back as his movements began to falter. Lincoln toppled, falling unconscious next to Bellamy's inert form, leaving them in silence except for Clarke's heavy breathing and Octavia's quiet grieving.

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