Return
"So this is it." Clarke said as she and Becca walked through the door and out of the room she had stayed all while she was here and the older woman nodded. "Yes, it is. Your training has been completed and you have learned everything you need to make the right changes in the past to create a better future for everyone down on Earth and those who will come after you." She said and Clarke sighed. "So everyone's future rest on me now." She said and Becca gave her a small smile. "I know it is a lot of responsibility but you will not be alone and I believe in you. You can do this." She said and Clarke nodded as she has already accepted it.
"I know. It's just a lot." She said and Becca nodded. "Yes, it is but it will be okay. Now, I need you to listen, there is something else you must make a choice about." She said and Clarke stopped to look at her. "What is it?" she asked a little apprehensive on what was coming her way now. "Once you have changed everything, you will be faced with a choice, you can either retain the memories of this timeline or remove them so the only ones you will remember will be the way you changed them. However, you don't have to choose now, when the time is right, I will come for an answer. But it would be good to have that in mind." She explained and Clarke nodded.
It was a good thing that she didn't want an answer right now because Clarke wasn't sure what to choose in this particular question. On one hand, she appreciated some good memories and even the bad ones because it helped her become the woman she is now but on the other hand, not remember all the pain and loss and anger she had experienced in this other life would be very nice. But she let that go for now as they came to a stop in front of a white door on a long corridor that had other 4 doors and Clarke could see the 4 people she chose to help her all standing in front of one.
"Looking nice, Griffin." Raven said from the third door, looking better than the last time she saw her. Kane was on the fourth door and Murphy on the last one whereas Lexa was by the door on her side. She looked at her and they smiled at each other. "It is time guys. You must all open and walk through the doors together. Whenever you are ready." Becca said as she stood by the side watching. Clarke then turned to the others. "Ready?" she said and they nodded. "On three. One, two…" she looked a Lexa who looked back at her. "I love you." She said and Lexa smiled. "I love you too." She replied back. "Three." She said and they all pushed through the doors together.
There was a bright light and a deafening sound around her for a couple of seconds and Clarke wondered what was going or if it had worked whatever Becca was doing to bring them back but then, suddenly, she opened her eyes and immediately she recognized her room back on the Ark, the metal walls, the heavy air, the humming sound, the cold, it was all there around her. She really went back in time. Even though she already knew this would happen, Clarke didn't believe it 100%, she had her doubts that she wasn't just hallucinating but now, now there was no doubt. Becca really did it.
She tossed the blanket on the side and sat up on the bed looking over her room. It was so small, now that she was used on the vast space of the Earth, this was almost claustrophobic small for her but the feeling passed soon enough. She then stood up and went to her desk and looked at her drawings of Earth, or what she had read there once was on Earth at least, she could feel herself wishing to be back there but she reminded herself that she had a mission and that if she succeeded, she would have a life time with Lexa, who she pushed out of her mind to try and minimize the longing feeling she started to feel creeping in.
But thankfully to shake her away from that road was a knock on the door. She turned to it. "Come in." she said expectantly and the door opened revealing her father. She held back a sob form escaping when she saw his beautiful smile. "Good morning, kiddo." But she couldn't help herself from throwing herself in his arms when he said that. It had been so long for her since she last heard his voice and that nickname, she couldn't help it. "Hey, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Jake asked as she tightened her hold on him and buried her face on his chest.
"No, I just love you Dad. So much." She said shakily and he smiled while hugging her just as tight. "I love you too, kiddo. But are you sure you're okay?" he asked and she pulled back to look at him and nodded. "Now, I am." She said giving him a small smile and he nodded. "Good because you have school, remember? Come on, and get ready, breakfast time." He said and she smiled pulling back from him. "Where is Mom?" she asked him. "Finishing a few reports on the patient that got to the clinic yesterday, she said is bad." He said and she nodded as he left.
She smiled and then proceeded to use the bathroom with the counted water use they had on the Ark so to not waste any of it. All it did was make her think and ask herself, how the hell did they survived living in this tin can for so long when they had a whole planet down there just waiting for them? But now was not the time for Exodus yet, there was still much for her to do before the time for that came along. She quickly finished freshening up and put on her clothes which looked a lot like the one she wore before the Mountain captured her. But not quite.
She then walked out of her room with her little bags with a couple of books and notes which she didn't exactly remembered taking, not that it mattered now anyway and went straight to where she could see her mother working on those reports. She stood behind her and kissed her head, startling her. "Sweetie, you're already awake." She said as she stood up to hug her daughter and Clarke really missed this carefree and guilt free side of her mother who she hugged back. "Dad woke me up. I was hoping I could go to the clinic with you today, after school of course." She said and her mother smiled.
"Don't you have plans with Wells?" she asked and Clarke had to swallow the lump on her throat to think of her best friend that she had mistreated for such a long time for nothing. He was alive. No twelve years old victim yet. Ever. She shook her head. "No, I'm free today." She said even though she was not sure she had something planned with him or not but she wanted to take this year to learn as much as she could from her mother for when they get down, the others would surely appreciate it. "Well, then as soon as you finish, you can come help me with the new patient." She said and Clarke smiled.
"Now, ladies of my life. Why don't we go have breakfast? I am hungry." Jake said as he appeared and they both chuckled. "You are always hungry, Jake. But you're right, let's go." Abby said, gathering her things as the three of them walked to the food hall and went to get their meal before sitting down to it. "Clarke is coming to help me at the clinic today." Abby said to her husband. "Why don't you like coming with me to my work, huh?" her father said dramatically and she laughed at his antics. How she missed it.
She was about to answer when she remembered that on her father's work, there was a certain bird that could make a really good friend. "How about this? Today, I help Mom and tomorrow, I go with you and you can try and teach me something about wires and cables and all that engineering thing you do that no one can understand about it." She said and he looked at her. "Who are you and what did you do to my daughter?" he askedd and she smiled. 'You have no idea what you are talking about Dad', she thought.
"I am your daughter and I did nothing to her, I just figure that having knowledge can never be enough." She said and her father smiled. "Is that it or are you interested in someone that works there?" he asked and she laughed. "Only you and your wires, Dad. I promise." She said and they all smiled and continued making small talks and then while she looked around, she recognized some of the kids that soon enough would be in the dropship with her and she smiled, maybe she could save more of them this time.
"I have to go, see you later." She said to them once she was finished with her meal and headed on the way toward her class which she still remembered, thankfully. Clarke was thinking about what to do about Raven and the others when she heard someone calling her name and as she recognized that voice, her heart started beating fast as she turned around and saw that it was Wells coming towards her. He looked so different that that cold body that she buried within days of getting to Earth. He looked so alive and happier, she couldn't help but smile at him.
"Hey, I thought you were still having breakfast but when I saw your parents, they told me you had gone to class already which is weird, you are never so eager about classes. You find some of them very boring." He said as he got closer and she wasted no time in hugging him, taking him by surprise, of course. She remembered that he had feelings for her but right now, she really needed to do this. She had been such a shitty friend to him and he forgave her for everything, he deserves a better friend and she will be that for him, no matter what.
"Are you okay?" he said hugging her back though slightly confused by her behavior and she nodded her head. "I am. I guess I'm just feeling sentimental today." She said as she pulled back and they smiled at each other then started to walk together towards the class. "What is the first class?" she asked. "World history." He said and she nodded. It was a dull class because during her time with Becca she learned a lot about it so what the teacher was saying she already knew so when the woman started, she tune her out and let her mind take her.
Her thoughts then went to Wells and Charlotte and what happed between them and the reasons for it. She needed to find out to change that outcome, Becca had explained to her that she couldn't prevent Charlotte's parents' death or most of the reasons why the 100 were imprisoned but she had an idea on what she could do. She knew that Wells was amazing with kids so maybe if Charlotte got to know him before his father becomes her nightmare, she will not kill him, maybe he can even help her overcome the pain.
Clarke was the only one who knew that Wells disliked what his father did, he understood why there was a need to float people but there were times where he even fought with his dad to get him to show some mercy and maybe if Charlotte got to know that part of him, she would see how unfair and wrong it was to hold him accountable for what Jaha did. At least that was what she was hoping for, she just needed to find a way for that to happen. The rest of the class went by faster since she wasn't paying attention to it though she certainly looked like she was.
The rest of the classes went by pretty much the same, she and Wells would always sit together and talk a little during the class mostly sending notes back and forth, she had missed this. She realized a little too late how good of a friend he was and she wasn't planning on making that same mistake again though this time she would make sure to address his feelings for her. Her heart belonged to one person and the sooner he learned that she couldn't return his feelings, the sooner he could start healing and he wouldn't have to do it while seeing her being happy with Lexa, that would be way too cruel and he didn't deserve that.
She was brought back on by Wells who asked her a question. They were waiting for the last teacher of the day to arrive so there was a bit of time to relax before it started. "Did you listen to anything she said?" he asked talking about the previous teacher who had just left the class and she smiled shaking her head as he laughed as well. "Come on, Wells. You know I don't like her and she doesn't like me? She is a pain in the ass and everyone knows, not even you like her." she said in a matter of fact tone and he laughed.
"But at least, I pay attention to what she says. One day when we teach the future generations what would help them survive down on the Earth, you will regret not listening to her." he said and she smiled sadly. 'The Earth is the teacher and a merciless one at times, Wells', she thought. "Who knows? Maybe it will be us." She said and before he could say anything, someone interrupted. "Okay, children. Be quiet and let's start our lesson." Clarke froze and slowly turned her head from where she was looking at Wells and looked at who came through the door and it was the one person she hated more than Titus.
"Pike."
