A Quiet Moment
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to their respective owners.
A/N-thank you very much for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)
Part Seven
Clarke watched from a distance as the others fired at temporary targets which had been set up. Bellamy had warned them not to use up too much of the ammo; they would need it in case the grounders staged a surprise attack against the camp, which seemed ever more likely. Finding the guns had given them all a confidence boost, they now felt more able to protect themselves, and not as vulnerable as they had been before. Finn had expressed his dismay, his aversion to killing anything, even when absolutely necessary, coming to the fore. Clarke had been too weary to debate with him about it, she was still feeling under the weather. Bellamy had to literally carry her back to the camp, and since then she had been trying to catch some much needed rest. As she was the unofficial leader along with Bellamy, this had been hard. Claims on her time for advice and her skills as a physician didn't allow her much chance to relax.
She saw Finn coming her way again, an angry look on his face. Clarke groaned and closed her eyes for a moment, before taking a deep breath and opening them again. She studied him for a moment, something was different about him. It took her a moment to realise he had cut his hair, or rather Raven had done so. Clarke watched as he sat down opposite her, his expression still grim.
"Do you agree with this?" Finn demanded, pointing over to the other teenagers, who were aiming at each other and pretending to fire. "We should be trying to make peace with the grounders, not practicing killing them."
"We've had this debate before, Finn." Clarke said tiredly.
"You can't condone this surely?" His eyes and voice softened as he looked at her. "This isn't you."
"I'll do whatever it takes to survive." Clarke retorted.
"Even killing?" Finn's lips thinned as he glared at her.
"Yes, if any of us is threatened or my own life, then a hundred times yes. Get over it Finn. Do you really think the grounders are going to put down their weapons and show mercy to us? We have to protect ourselves." Clarke was getting exasperated with the conversation.
"We haven't even tried to negotiate with them." Finn replied hotly. "You're letting Bellamy infect your good sense."
Clarke wiped a hand across her aching forehead. She was just about to respond when Raven appeared beside them. "Clarke is right, Finn."
Clarke was astonished to receive support from Raven, the two of them weren't exactly best friends. She saw Finn shoot his girlfriend a dark look before standing up and walking away without another word. "Thank you." Clarke said to Raven.
Raven shrugged. "It needed to be said. You're right. This doesn't mean that we're..."
"Yeah, I get it." Clarke winced as she rubbed her aching forehead again.
"Are you alright?" Raven finally seemed to notice that Clarke didn't look all that well. Her face was paler than normal and she had two bright red spots on her cheeks as if she was slightly feverish.
"I'm fine." Clarke rose to her feet awkwardly.
"Perhaps you should rest." Raven suggested, not unkindly.
"I was trying to until Finn..."
"Ah I see." Raven gave her a rueful smile. "I'll keep him occupied."
Clarke felt a stab of jealousy. She knew exactly what Raven was inferring. "Right." She mumbled.
Raven just nodded at her before leaving. Clarke settled back down and closed her tired eyes. She was just drifting off when she heard someone else calling her name. She felt like crying, but as always she pushed her own needs to one side and went to deal with yet another problem.
Bellamy gathered all the guns and the ammo and hid them away in one of the storage tents. If the others had their way they would have continued to use all the bullets they had firing at a painted red circle. None of them seemed to have the slightest comprehension that the ammo was not replaceable. He shoved them away in a metal container and locked it, keeping the key on him. He ran his hand through his thick, black hair and looked around. Their food supplies were getting a little low, which meant another hunting expedition to be organized. His sister Octavia had surprised him; when he had returned from his trip with Clarke he found Octavia setting up a storage tent especially for the meat. She was organizing the others to cut it up and salt it to make it last longer. They hadn't spoken much, there was still hard feelings over his treatment of Lincoln, but she had nodded at him grudgingly as he praised her for her idea.
Raven and Jasper were working on a project together to try and make some home made bullets for the guns using the leftovers from the shuttle. She had even cobbled together some radios so they could communicate with each other when they had to split into groups. He hadn't been best pleased when Raven had first come down from the Ark, sent by Abbey, Clarke's mother, to check if they were all still alive, but now he couldn't imagine what they would have done without her engineering knowledge. How things had changed since they had first landed? How he had changed?
Bellamy left the storage tent and headed for his own. He was feeling beat and wanted to catch a nap himself. He headed inside only to find someone else lying in his bed. The familiar blonde hair shone in the dull light coming through the opened flaps of the tent.
"Princess?" Bellamy had to hide how pleased he was to see her, and in his tent no less. She had been avoiding him since their return and the conversation they had shared with Counsellor Jaha, who had finally pardoned Bellamy for his crimes when he gave up the name of the person who had given him the gun to kill him. Bellamy wondered briefly what had become of Commander Shumway. It was a fleeting thought, in reality he hardly cared.
Clarke raised her head and stared at him blearily. "Bellamy?"
"Yeah, it's me." Bellamy could hear the weariness in her voice, she didn't look well.
"I'm sorry to intrude. I needed somewhere to rest where Finn and the others wouldn't find me. I don't feel so good." Clarke bent her head again and hid her expression from him.
Bellamy came over to the camp bed and sat beside her. He put his fingers under her chin and raised her head so he could see her better. Her blue eyes were too bright and he recognized the feverish glow that she had about her. Whatever was ailing Clarke, it hadn't gone away. "How long have you been like this?" He asked.
"Pretty much since we came back. I thought I was getting over it but then..." She shrugged her shoulders, even this small movement hurt.
"You are a glutton for punishment princess." Bellamy said softly as he let go of her chin and gently pushed her back down on the bed. "Why hide out here?"
"It's the only place that I knew no one would look for me." Clarke confessed. She tried to muster up a smile but failed.
"Well you are right on that score." Bellamy replied wryly.
"Do you want me to go?" Clarke's lips trembled as she spoke.
"No." Bellamy lay down beside her and put his arm over his eyes. "Though you'll have to share with me. I came here to rest myself. I would sleep on the floor but I think my gentlemanly quota just ran out."
Clarke smiled despite her aching body. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Now that's the Bellamy I know." She mumbled before she drifted off to sleep.
Finn was searching for Clarke but couldn't find her. He was determined to finish the conversation they had started earlier. He was convinced that they could make headway with the grounders if they all just got together and tried to find a way to both live in harmony. He was still angry at Raven for agreeing with Clarke. He knew that Clarke didn't really feel that way, it was Bellamy's influence. They had been spending a lot of time together lately and he seemed to be infecting her with his outlandish opinions.
He pushed away his jealous feelings. He refused to acknowledge that this was the real reason he wanted to speak to Clarke again so soon. Where the hell was she?
Bellamy turned on his side and threw his arm across Clarke. He was still half asleep, he felt her scoot backwards so that her back was pressed against his chest. Having her so close meant that he could feel the heat from her fever even through his thin t-shirt. He raised his head and glanced down at her for a moment. She seemed peaceful, her eyes were still closed and at least she was getting some much needed rest. He smiled to himself as she tugged on the arm that he had around her and pulled him closer. He liked holding her like this. Bellamy rested his head next to hers and closed his eyes again, seeking sleep.
Monty had finally told Finn that he had seen Clarke go into Bellamy's tent. Finn was not pleased to hear this news. They must be having another conference without him. No doubt Bellamy was trying to make Clarke do something else that went against her own nature. Well he was going to put a stop to it. Finn marched over to the tent, the flaps were closed, but he hardly cared. He ripped them apart and stepped inside. It took him a moment to take in the scene before him. It couldn't be true. He saw Bellamy roll onto his back, one arm still wrapped around Clarke, who was lying on her side facing away from him.
"What the hell are you doing coming in here?" Bellamy snapped.
Finn gritted his teeth as he tried to keep his unaccustomed anger in check. "What are you doing?" He hissed.
Clarke moaned softly in her sleep and mumbled Bellamy's name. Bellamy sat up and touched her hair briefly before rising from the bed and marching over to Finn. He grabbed the other by the shoulder and shoved him outside. "Get out. You had no right to come in here."
"What the hell is Clarke doing in your bed?" Finn jabbed him in the chest. "What have you done to her?"
"You are unbelievable." Bellamy said in disgust. "This is none of your business. Just leave Clarke alone."
"You're the one who should leave her alone. She's very fragile right now." Finn pushed Bellamy hard in the chest so he staggered a little.
"You are one to talk." Bellamy shoved him back much harder. Finn fell onto the ground, but was up quickly, his fists clenched.
"You've shown your true colors again, haven't you?" Finn hit out at Bellamy as his irrational jealousy took over his usual good sense. The image of Clarke lying in Bellamy's bed, mumbling his name, wouldn't leave his mind.
Bellamy easily dodged Finn and hit him square on the jaw. Finn fell back again, blood running down his chin from a cut on his lip. Others, alerted by the noise, began to run over. Jasper and Monty stood between them in case the fight started up again. Octavia came over to see what all the commotion was about. She glanced through the tent flaps to see Clarke sitting up in Bellamy's bed staring around blearily.
"Another conquest, brother?" She sneered before stalking off again. Jasper ran after her, always the first to try and console Octavia and soothe her ruffled feathers.
"Get him away from here." Bellamy ordered two of his followers. They immediately approached and hauled Finn to his feet.
"Get off me." Finn pushed them away from him. "You're not good enough for her, Bellamy. She'll see through you."
"Like she saw through you." Bellamy glared at Finn for a moment before turning away and rejoining Clarke inside the tent.
A/N-thanks for reading!
