(Author: bellamysgirl)

We arrived at Lincoln's cave as the sun was getting low behind the trees. I hadn't expected the trip to take as long as it did. And I definitely didn't expect to share so much with the wannabe Grounder girl. I did most of the pulling to drag the weapon filled tarp along behind us on the way back. Lincoln, Finn, and the male stranger that I have yet to learn the name of stood outside the cave, waiting for us. Finn and the stranger started taking weapons inside. "Did you work it out?" Lincoln asked, glancing between the wannabe Grounder girl and me. So, Lincoln put her up to 'working things out'. I inhaled and started taking weapons inside. We got everything inside within an hour. Finn and the stranger started sorting through things near the mouth of the cave. Lincoln joined them a minute after they started. I don't know why, but as I stared at him I thought back to when I was young.

(Flashback; Narrator's POV)

A now just over five foot tall girl sat crossed legged at the edge of a pool of water. She gazed up at the water fall bounding off the short cliff. The girl didn't know where she was or how she'd arrived at her destination. But it was a gorgeous sight. A rustle and snap sound in the bushes startled her and she shrieked, tumbling into the pool of water. The girl didn't know how to swim, or at least not very well. She kicked and flailed but she kept sinking and she started to panic. Suddenly she felt strong arms under her shoulders, pulling her to the surface. Once her head broke the calm of the water, she sucked in a big breath of air and turned to cling to who rescued her. "It's okay. I've got you, Jade." she recognized the voice as Lincoln's as he swam to the edge of the pool, her arms wound tightly around his neck.

(Present; Jade's POV)

I came back to reality when I realized someone was trying to talk to me. "Hello? Earth to Jade," Octavia said, waving her hand in front of my face. When she noticed I was actually seeing her now, she smiled in relief. "Bellamy's waking up." I nodded and grabbed my pack from by the door. I didn't want to have to even look at Bellamy again, but the excuse I gave myself was 'It's for Octavia'. Why did I even do it for her? I tried getting Lincoln to see things the way I did when he first saw Octavia, but there was no reasoning with him. That's what drove me to anger, which caused us to fight, which then caused Lincoln to tell me to never come back when I threatened to leave. I sighed and knelt on the opposite side of a half conscious Bellamy as Octavia. "What happened?" he asked, groggily.

"You were shot," Octavia said. I pulled my medicinal plants out of my pack and found the two plants I was looking for. One was for the pain and the other was to help faster replenish blood cells. I opened Bellamy's palm and put the two leaves in his hand. "Eat these," I instructed.

"What are they?" he asked, looking at them like they were poison.

"It's for the pain," I said. He looked at Octavia and she nodded, then he ate the leaves. I knew them to taste bitter from prior experience. And he seemed to think so too based on the look of his face. When he finished swallowing, he coughed. "That's disgusting," he complained.

"You got any more of that stuff?" I glanced up and saw the wannabe Grounder girl standing just behind me. I didn't think to offer her some for her arm. I nodded and pulled two more leaves for pain reducing and handed them to her. She nodded in thanks and went back to sitting against the wall of the cave. "Who's that?" Bellamy asked.

"The girl that shot you," I said. "It was an accident. More my fault than her's." he sighed and rested his head against the cave wall, squeezing his eyes shut. "Yeah, I don't like it either," I said, putting my medicinal plants pouch into my pack.

"Something we have in common, then," he said.

"I'll keep that in mind." I stood and went to Lincoln, Finn, and the stranger at the mouth of the cave where they were sorting and taking stock of what we had as far as weapons went. "So, what's the plan?" I asked, looking at Lincoln. He seemed a bit more on my side now. For whatever reason he seemed to be on the wannabe Grounder girl's side until we made 'peace'. I still don't like her but Lincoln doesn't need to know that. "We don't have one," Finn said. "Any ideas?"

"It wouldn't make sense to attack now, seeing as most of us are injured in some way," Octavia said, from where she sat next to Bellamy.

"We should wait to attack until everyone is fit to do so," Bellamy said.

"Who knows what's happening inside that mountain? The longer we wait, the greater the chance of us finding them dead," Finn argued.

"Easy, sunshine, you're starting to sound like a rainbow," Bellamy said. The wannabe Grounder girl and I both laughed at his words. Lincoln scowls at her and I in turn and then agrees with Finn. Abby, too agreed. "We should send out scouts to survey the area, check for security measures," I said. Whatever beginnings of an understanding Bellamy and I had were obviously gone as he scowled at my idea. "That's a stupid idea. We can't risk any more injuries," he said.

"Well, then, what's the point? If we're concerned about ourselves getting hurt, then what's point of even trying to rescue them?" the wannabe Grounder girl said. Everyone was quiet for a brief pause. And then it was back to the debate. "Okay, I have an idea. And none of you are going to like it," she said.

"And why am I not surprised?" Bellamy said.

"What is it?" Abigail asked, ignoring Bellamy altogether.

"Well, it's simple: I turn myself over." Everyone was under a general consensus that it was a bad idea. Except for me. I silenced everyone with a whistle. "Like I said before, we send scouts. Except when she turns herself in, someone stays in close range to keep contact with her while she's inside," I said. "Safety first."

"Oh real impressive, Einstein. Send her in alone," Bellamy rolled his eyes.

"You know I'd probably have a better come-back if I knew what an 'Einstein' was," the wannabe Grounder girl said. "But for now, you'll have to settle with this: Whether you like it or not, I'm turning myself over. And there are two ways this could go: one, my dad accepts me with open arms. Two, it was a trick to get me to turn myself in, in which case I'll die. But I'm pretty sure it's not a trick."

"And you know this how?" Bellamy said.

"Because one of the Grounders he captured was my aunt. And she wouldn't give up the opportunity to rat me out," she replied. Lincoln stared at the girl with an unreadable expression. "Who's your aunt?" Finn asked.

"Anya, leader of the Grounders." There was a moment of recognition on everyone's faces, including my own. "If you're from the Ark, then so is she," the stranger said.

"What's an 'Ark'?" the girl asked.

"You need to stop skipping classes," Bellamy said. The girl let out a breath and then stormed out of the cave. I couldn't blame her for wanting to leave. Bellamy seemed to be especially annoying and rude, and got that way in the past five minutes. And the wannabe Grounder girl was acting strangely as well. Then it hit me. It screamed 'side effect'. I'd given both Bellamy and the girl the leaves for the pain and not five minutes later they were acting abnormally. I swore under my breath. "You know, next time I want her gone that fast I'll remember to give you pain relieving leaves. Oh, and did I forget to mention those leaves have ugly side effects? My bad," I said.

"What are the side effects?" Octavia asked.

"It brings out your most dominant trait," I said, and Bellamy frowned. "At least we know what's on the inside now." Lincoln glanced at me with a look that said he was proud that I stood up to Bellamy for treating the wannabe Grounder girl poorly. Only I get to say things like that to her. Anyone else who tries, has to answer to me. "Oh I'm sorry, was that supposed to offend me?" Bellamy said. Octavia smacked his arm but he ignored her. I rolled my eyes and walked outside to join the wannabe Grounder girl.