Chapter: Strong Bond

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.. Next Day; Nighttime: …..

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The moment that she had stepped in camp after being a way for a couple of days, Arla was bombarded by questions about the whereabouts of Octavia. With the same question asked of her over and over again, Arla simply replied that she didn't know.

Walking through the camp, her eyes took in the new log walls that were being built around the camp. She nodded her head at the sight of defensive walls around the camp to protect them from the Grounders and other enemies that could be lurking in the woods.

Though Arla came back to camp to check in and see what was new. Now, she had come to find out that Octavia was missing and Bellamy gather everyone up to most likely start up a search.

"Everyone gather around and grab a women." Bellamy stated as he walked into the circle of people in the middle of camp and threw a piece of parachute down.

Inside the parachute was handmade weapons that were made into sharp objects from debris of the drop ship.

Arla stood behind the group of people with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes focusing in on Bellamy, knowing that he will take everyone from this camp to spread out in the woods during night time. She understand that it was his sister, but it was a dangerous and risky move to go out into the night, not knowing the full layout of the area and what lurks out there during the night.

"My sister's been out there alone for twelve hours. Arm up. We're not coming back without her." Bellamy firmly stated.

Everyone began to separate and gather up weapons that they had or the ones that Bellamy presented to them if they didn't have any. Arla stayed back as she let her eyes flicker around her surroundings to watch the others do what Bellamy told them to do.

"We need a tracker." Bellamy said as he moved toward Clarke.

"Finn, get out here." Bellamy then said, showing who he needed for tracking through the woods.

They waited for a couple of minutes making Bellamy to place his hands on his hips, glaring at the tent that Finn was in.

"Finn, we're leaving." Bellamy firmly stated, losing his patience by the second.

"We might need you." Bellamy said as he walked by Arla causing her to quickly go after him and walk along his side.

"I'll stick going my own route." Arla told him as she went to continue to walk and leave the camp, but was stopped by the hand on her wrist.

"By yourself?" Bellamy lowly said, holding onto her wrist.

"If you haven't notice, I been scouting out the area and know it better than you. I'm fine. Trust me." Arla ripped her wrist out of his hold causing Bellamy to narrow his eyes on her and she gladly glare back.

"Guys, guys. Come here! What is that? It's so bright."

That made Bellamy and Arla from glaring at one another to look over to the teenager that pointed toward the sky. Everyone awed at the sight in the sky once they looked up at the night sky.

"Did you see that? Look up there."

"It's so beautiful."

Those around the camp kept awing over the sight.

When Arla looked up, her eyes widen and her mouth went agape as she wasn't awing over the sight. It looked as if it was meteor showers clutter together, sparkling brightly. Though Arla knew better. She knew those weren't meteor showers.

"They didn't work." An unknown face to Arla appeared between Clarke and Finn.

"They didn't see the flares." Clarke whispered.

"A meteor shower tells you that?" Bellamy slowly said, not getting the point why Clarke would say that.

"It's not a meteor shower, it's a funeral." Clarke corrected Bellamy with a sadden expression upon her face as the plan with the flares didn't work.

Arla kept staring at the hundreds of tiny bright lights streaking the night sky. Knowing by that sight that the Ark was losing oxygen quickly that they had to make sacrifices to make the Ark continue to live.

"Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from the Ark. This is what looks like from the other side is." Clarke said causing those around expression turn from awe to fear as they began to think of their family and friends.

"They didn't get our message." Clarke turned to the unknown female face that appeared between Finn and her earlier.

"This is all because of you!" The unknown female charged forward, heading straight to Bellamy causing Arla to quickly back away from him to watch the scene unfold.

Quickly, Finn and Clarke grabbed onto her to hold her back from attacking Bellamy.

"I helped you find the radio."

"Yeah, after you jacked it from my pod and trashed it!" The teenager yelled.

That made Arla to come to realization what the big bang sound was a couple days ago. By this girl's comment, she had actually came down from the Ark in a pod and landed onto Earth to most likely see the reason behind their bracelets getting taken off. That was when realization struck Arla on who this girl was. For Arla knew one girl that was smart enough in mechanics and computers which was a girl named Raven Reyes.

Arla eyes flicker to Bellamy as she was gathering more and more information of what she had missed not being in camp. That Bellamy trashed whatever radio Raven had to be used to contact the Ark and tell them that they were all alive. If they were able to contact the Ark, that funeral in the sky wouldn't have been happening right now.

"Yeah, he knows. Now he has to live with it." Clarke said to Raven as she held her back then shot an 'I told you so' look toward him.

The look was mostly based on why they shouldn't have taken off the bracelets.

"All I know is that my sister is out there and I'm going to find her. You coming or what?" Bellamy eyes flicker away from the sky before looking over to Finn.

"Yeah."

"What are we waiting for? Move out." Bellamy exclaimed as he noted how everyone had unsure looks on their faces now as they stared at him.

Arla quickly moved out of the camp, but she stormed by Bellamy, but not without getting closer to him.

"Feeling guilty now?" Arla whispered to him.

That caused Bellamy to snap his head toward her with widen eyes and Arla just stared at him down. Then walked into a different direction as she was going to head back to her underground hideout. She moved along the trees, using the moon to guide her through the forest.

Seeing the familiar marks that she made on the tree that led her to the underground hideaway, she moved quicker across the ground. Her hand brushed against a large pine tree when arms burst out of the darkness to wrap around her mouth and waist.

Quickly her arms jutted back into the person's solar plexus then into their face causing them to let go. She quickly turned around and slammed her knee into their groin causing them to slam to the ground and hold it.

She went to run, but the person spoke out.

"You gotten stronger."

Whirling around, Arla saw the moonlight hit the person face to show it was Nyko.

"Nyko! Oh, I'm sorry. So sorry." Arla quickly knelt down beside him, reaching out to touch the side of his face where she could see that her elbow to his face split his upper cheek.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have sneaked up behind you and grabbed you like that. Yet now I know that you are getting stronger and reacting quicker."

A small laugh escaped her as she checked his face and pressed down on areas around his cheekbone to make sure that nothing was damage. Nodding her head when she took note that she didn't break or creak any cheekbone, she let go of his face.

"The knee was a bit much." Nyko jokily said as he winced when he sat up, his hands still on his groin area.

"I'm really sorry about that."

"Self-defense." Nyko had to keep pointing out to her.

After a minute passed, Nyko was able to stand up but he was still wincing occasionally as they began to walk toward her hideout.

"What are you doing out this late?"

"I was talking to Lincoln about his new pet."

"He has Octavia, doesn't he?" Arla quickly asked, her eyes searching Nyko's face to see his jaw flex then he nodded.

"Why? Why would he take her?"

"He is infatuated with her."

That got Arla's eyebrows to raise and she stared back forward, licking her bottom lip then nodding.

"Oh, well then."

A small chuckle escaped Nyko as Arla was surprised by Lincoln's obsession with Octavia that he took her and was keeping her for himself.

They made their way into Arla's hideout place and there Arla began to turn on all the lights to light up the room. When Arla turned to face Nyko, she gasped out and rushed up to him causing him to get a slight panic on his face as he was wondering what she was freaking out about.

"Your face! Oh shit."

"What's wrong with it?"

"With me elbowing you in the face, it's causing a nice looking bruise to appear on your cheek. I need to clean this cut on your face too. Oh, I'm so sorry again, Nyko." Arla rambled as she moved to the shelf where she had medical supplies at.

Pulling out a small container that was alcohol, she made Nyko to sit down at the seat at the table for her to be able to clean the cut across his cheek. With a small cloth, she poured some alcohol on it then brought it up to begin cleaning the cut. Nyko's face twitched at the slight sting, but the pain began to dull after a few seconds.

Nyko kept his eyes on Arla as she worked on his cheek. She was putting some cream on it next for it to not get infected or swell up anymore. As she cleaned her fingers off and went to step out from standing between his legs, which she had not notice for she was so focus on taking care of him, Nyko hands shot out to grasp her hips.

A gasp escaped her as she stared down at him in shock as he held her in place and was staring up at her with a look that wanted to consume her. It made the hairs on her body to raise with a pleasant feeling starting to go through her, especially with the warmth of his hands and how he was slowly rising from the seat.

Last time when she made the bold move to press her lips against his cheek with a glint in her eyes, Nyko promised himself that he will step up next time. That he will take it to a new level.

It definitely was against his people ways to treat these Sky people with any respect. But, Arla was different. Nyko wanted to prove that not all Sky people were here to destroy them or do anything that was negative toward them. They were here to survive as they couldn't do so anymore in the Ark. Nyko wanted to use Arla as an example as a 'good' and 'useful' Sky person to his people.

Arla stared up at Nyko as he towered over her with the way that his chest brushed against her own, showing how close they were standing. She was slowly blinking up at him and open her mouth to make a comment, but found herself not able to form any words.

"You were defending yourself. Stop apologizing. I praise you on how defensive you got and how you protect yourself. It makes me to know that you can handle yourself." Nyko told her, bringing his left hand up to brush some of her hair strands back.

Swallowing a bit hard and thrown off with how Nyko was acting, Arla tried to step back, but his right hand that was still on her hip held her in place. One of his eyebrows raised up with a questionable look at her tugging away.

"Pulling away?"

"What are you thinking, Nyko?" She questioned instead of answering him.

He didn't answer, holding back a smirk when she let out a huff for not answering her.

"Are you going to keep me like Lincoln is keeping Octavia?"

That got Nyko to chuckle and he lean his face closer to her own making Arla to bite her bottom lip, still not quite understanding Nyko's sudden boldness toward her. It made her to wonder if this was how he was once he was comfortable. Then again, Arla found Nyko as the serious and laid back type.

"Maybe." Nyko said causing her eyes to widen as his face got closer to her own.

Some reason Arla decided to play the hard to get and to catch me role. She manage to break free from Nyko's hold and dash for the ladder with a playful smile. Jumping onto the ladder, Arla tried to get up them, but let out a scream as hands grabbed her legs and ripped her down.

Arla shut her eyes as she fell backwards, but was caught in solid arms. Being placed down on her feet, she open her eyes to begin pushing against his chest, but he bear hugged her. The playful smile still on her lips and reaching her eyes now.

Nyko knew that she was being playful and trying to see if she'll catch him off guard and if he could keep hold of her to prove that he could handle her.

"Let me go!" Arla tried to be serious, but ended up laughing.

Not hearing Nyko give any reply, she stared up at him.

That was what he wanted. Her eyes to make contact with him so he could answer.

"Never."

Large hands pressed against her back to keep her pressed against him. Her hands pressed against his shoulders.

This was no kiss on the cheek or a hug.

Nyko took it to the next step as he promised to himself before.

His lips were pressed against her own. It took a few seconds for Arla to begin kissing him back with her arms coming around to his neck to keep herself there.

There was no thoughts about earlier today about the Ark or searching for Octavia. There was nothing, but this moment here between Nyko and Arla, not seeing each other as a Grounder and Sky person. It was two individuals that felt for one another and their bond becoming stronger by the seconds.

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Hi Everyone,

I guess this will be the chapter where many will say "Finally!" Between the two.

Just a side note. I have been writing a few chapters of new stories. Like one with Marcus and another with Roan. Just saying.

(Also, if the format is weird, some reason nothing is uploading so I had to copy and paste this chapter)

Enjoy!

Thank You for Reading!