a/n: I really truly am so sorry for such a delay in this next chapter. I think the re start of season 2 was the inspiration i needed to continue this fic. So take the period of time between my last chapter and this one as sort of a hiatus between the 2 seasons. To be honest i haven't even read this through let alone for mistakes so i apologize for any of those too.
"48." Clarke murmured. "Huh?" Bellamy replied, confused. "We've been following these horrific and sadist directions for days and there's only 48 of us left." A hiccupped sob escaped. Bellamy stopped walking along side Clarke and instead turned to face her, placing his hands on her heavy shoulders. "Clarke, you have to keep it together. If you have to feel emotional about it then i want you to get angry. Get so angry at what the grounders have done to our people that when you finally see those animals face to face you'll have the strength to tear their fucking heads off."
Clarke nodded her head in agreement. She pushed her feelings of sadness aside and clenched her fists into such tight balls that the skin cracked and began to bleed. "We came to the ground from space. One hundred juvenile delinquents survived the fall from space to earth and now we're being plucked off one by one by fucking grounders. This is insane. What gives them the right to massacre us like this?" Clarke wriggled free from Bellamy's grasp and had begun passing through the woods. Bellamy followed behind, careful not to step in any hidden traps the grounders may have set. "You know, all i've ever wanted to do was help people and now i've got the task of burying all the people i couldn't save." She shook her head in disbelief.
"Clarke, you know you're not alone in this, right?" Bellamy started to regret telling Clarke to get angry. He thought it would help her push through the weight of it all if she could just get mad but now she was on the verge of sounding a little crazy. "Can you imagine what life would have been like on earth before all of this?" Clarke stared up at Bellamy with a crazed smile on her face. "I don't think you and i would have met but imagine if we had. We could have gone on real dates to diners and restaurants. We wouldn't have to ration foods, water and hell; we could breathe all the air we like!"
The mention of water made Bellamy check how much water they had left in their flask but it was almost gone. "Clarke, i think you're just dehydrated. We need to get you something to drink." His eyes searched the woods for any signs of water. He offered her the container. "Here, just drink the rest of this until we find some more."
Clarke shook her head. "Bell, its hot as hell out here. I am not taking the last of the water. You drink it."
Bellamy grumbled. "Clarke,"
"Hey, you riled me up! I just want to get to the end of this stupid game and kill some grounders." Clarke was realising that she was sounding less and less like herself as time went on in these woods but she had no idea how to find her way back to herself.
"I'm sorry i wound you up but please just drink that water. I'm not going to feel any better until you drink it."
Clarke sighed as she sipped the water, reluctantly. It hadn't made much difference to how she was feeling inside but the thudding headache subsided.
Bellamy held up a long branch that he had been carrying with him not long after finding Astrid. Once each body had been discovered, Bellamy had carved a line into the stick. Every mile or so a body had been found with a clue attached to it showing where they were supposed to head next. But more frequently there had been more than one body marking each mile. Bellamy had estimated that they walked 12 miles from camp. His feet were severely blistered and mud was caked to most of his skin but he continued without complaint. The thought of Octavia being held captive was all he needed as an incentive to get him going again. Although Clarke had no relation to any of the hundred she still cared for them similarly to how Bellamy cared for his little sister. It was a quality he had always admired. If he hadn't had a sister, Bellamy was sure that he'd have no compassion or emotions but anger for anyone.
Their walking pace had slowed gradually after the death count reached 30. Both Clarke and Bellamy felt as though their endeavor to rescue what was left of the hundred was pointless. Although, Bellamy never lost hope for Octavia, after all, she did survive her whole life under the floor boards. Still, the need to find her alive and well was a persistent one and Bellamy needed Clarke in fighting form if they stood any chance at bringing back themselves and their people alive.
"Feeling better?" Bellamy's question filled the quiet air around them. "Much better. Thanks."
The added sound of their shoes disturbing the settled leaves made the empty woods seem eerier. "I'm sorry about how i freaked out earlier. I was just a little dehydrated." She hated the awkwardness between them now. Before it had been nerves that got the better of her and now it was the thought of the hundred being murdered before they even had a chance to attempt a rescue that dampened the feelings of romance between her and Bellamy. Especially since Octavia's life was hanging in the balance and if they didn't get there soon enough, O's death could be chalked up to the break they had to take because of Clarke's temporary moment of insanity. She didn't think they could ever come back from that.
"Its fine. We just need to keep moving to make up for the lost time." Bellamy glanced at the death toll stick and sighed. "Its about time we reach another mile marker soon."
Clarkes face fell at the prospect of finding yet more bodies. "Wait, look!" Clarke pointed ahead of her and through the trees. Bellamy squinted to see what she could be pointing at. "Look, just through there. I can see smoke."
"Smoke?" Bellamy repeated. His feet refused to move from the spot he stood in. He could be so close to Octavia. The thought of what he might find just beyond the tree line daunted him. He guessed he would find out soon enough.
