Chapter 8: Hope for the Future

A/N: I disagree with everything Pike stands for. However, he does believe that what he's doing is for the best and I found it was interesting to explore his ideas for Arkadia. But never fear, I've included a rather wonderful Kabby moment, if I do say so myself. And then I get to torture all of you for a couple of chapters.

Chancellor Charles Pike stood in front of the people of Arkadia for the first time as their new leader. He stared out across the crowd to take in the moment. Scared, tired faces were staring back at him. His people needed saving; they needed protection. The grounders were gathering in their capitol: Polis. And that could only mean one thing for Arkadia- the grounders were coming for them. The people of Arkadia had elected him Chancellor and he was going to do his best to keep them safe.

"Fellow Arkadians, it is my honor to serve as your Chancellor. I hope that I will be worthy of this honor." There was a polite clapping and Pike held up his hand to silence them. "My first initiative will be to fortify our property."

This statement was followed with loud cheering and Pike smiled down at the people. This would keep their minds occupied for now, but there was so much more to be done than just preparing to defend themselves. If they were going to survive here long term, they had to start making plans. But first, Pike had to address the unrest of a certain group of people.

Kane had quit the Guard after the first council meeting when Pike had announced his plans to be proactive against the grounder population. He had thrown down his Guard jacket at the new chancellor's feet and in the heat of the moment vowed to do whatever it would take to stop him from slaughtering innocent people. Pike knew Kane well enough to realize that he would be true to his word. So now he waited for Kane to make his move.

"We are part of the Earth now, and it's time for the people of the Ark to take what is ours. It's time to not only avenge those who lost their lives during this war, but to also protect our children in the future."

Looking through the crowd as he continued his speech to explain his plans for expanding the garden, Pike noted that although Abby and Jake Griffin were in attendance, their daughter and Kane were not. He wasn't surprised that Kane wasn't there and he had guards patrolling to be sure the man didn't try to sneak out while everyone was distracted. However, Clarke had had been a mystery to him ever since she returned to Arkadia. The Clarke he remembered teaching on the Ark had been eager to please and self-assured. The Clarke on Earth was a much different woman.

She hadn't come out in loud opposition of his plans like Kane had, but she had refused to support his cause when he had asked. He had thought that she would understand him, like Bellamy did. Bellamy had told Pike what had happened at Mount Weather and about the grounders' betrayal, Pike thought for sure that Clarke would understand how dangerous the grounders could be and why they needed protection.

But that wasn't the case, so now, Pike and those he trusted were working to figure out what Kane had planned. The easiest way to deal with traitors was to let them stab themselves in the back. All Pike had to do was wait for Kane or any of his followers to make a mistake. Then Pike would be able to hang them all for treason.

Turning his thoughts back to the speech he was giving, he made sure that the traitors watching now knew the risk they were taking. "There are those here that would see us try to befriend the grounders who left our people to die in Mount Weather and slaughtered our people one by one. Think of your brothers and sisters of the Ark who are not here today. Arkadia has to stand as one against the grounder threat. So to those who are whispering in the dark about warning the grounders, I have a message for you: Turn your back on your people, and I will be sure that you suffer the same fate as the grounders."

The crowd cheered in response and began chanting his name. Pike looked around with pride swelling inside of him. He saw his loyal friends, Hannah with her son, all of the soldiers he had created here on Earth, and Bellamy with many of the original hundred standing in support.


With his bag draped over his shoulder, Kane wandered into Medical, because he knew that Abby had a med kit waiting for him. He was a little apprehensive, because he and Abby hadn't been alone since the kiss in the hallway four days ago. Now, here he was, about to leave and he was taking her daughter with him. He knew that she wanted to go with them and had argued relentlessly for hours to accompany them. But the people of Arkadia needed their doctor, so Abby was staying behind with the team that was going to try to take down Pike from the inside: Raven, Wick, Miller, Harper, Monty, Jasper, and Sinclair.

Abby was sitting at a desk in the corner, bent over some paperwork that he was sure Pike had given her to keep her busy. She was still on the council as the medical liaison, but Kane knew it was a way for Pike to keep an eye on her. Kane could see all the tension she was holding in her shoulders and he felt guilty for giving her more to worry about.

"Hello," he said softly as to not startle her. She didn't smile when she turned to see him like she used to and he knew that no matter what had transpired since their argument, she was still angry. But she wasn't petty enough to keep it from effecting their cause and that made Kane feel even worse.

Abby stood up and walked over to a shelf where she pulled a white box down. She clicked it open and spun it around to show him what she had packed. "You've got gauze, bandages, hydrogen peroxide, and tape here. These fold out to make small braces in case someone breaks something. It's not a permanent fix, but it'll hold anything in place until you can get help. These are normal painkillers and this is the heavy duty stuff. It'll put you out pretty quick, so use it carefully. Also here is some needle and medical thread. And I've also included some small scissors, a scalpel, and a pair of tweezers. Hopefully you won't need them."

"Thanks," he murmured as she closed up the case. Her eyes were focused on what she was doing and she never once looked him in the eye. Kane could feel the empty pit of anxiety in his stomach and knew he was never going to be able to leave her without setting the record straight.

She pushed the case towards him, but he didn't pick it up. It was now or never, he told himself. There was a high probability that he could die in the following days, whether it be execution for treason or the knife of a grounder intent on getting Clarke to the Ice Queen.

Kane cleared his throat and began with, "Abby, I want you to know that the reason I'm leaving has nothing to do…I mean, I just want to tell you that I'm not running away…"

"What are you talking about?" Abby was finally looking at him, but now she was confused, not angry.

"I meant, I'm not running away from you…" Kane didn't know how to convey to her what he meant. The conversation he had rehearsed in his head on the way over here was falling apart. "The other day, when you kissed me, I reacted…I was scared, Abby."

Unexpectedly, a blush rose up in her cheeks. "I kind of jumped you."

Kane grinned at her response. "I'd be lying if I said that I had never imagined that scenario before."

"I am sorry for how it happened, but I'm not sorry that I did it." Abby walked around the table to stand in front of him.

"I just wanted you to know that I wasn't leaving you." Kane took her hands and his thumbs brushed over the back of her hands. "What you said, about my feelings for you, that was true. It was just hard to admit it when I thought…"

"Thought I was in love with someone else?"

"Jake's a good man, Abby, and I have a lot of respect for him. So when he came back, I just shut away everything." Kane squeezed her hand affectionately. "It took me by surprise to know that you felt the same way…"

Abby removed her hands from his and ran her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders which pulled them closer to each other. "It took me plenty of time to realize it, but I'm in love with you, Marcus. I don't really know how or when it happened, but I fell in love with you."

If the heart could physically swell with admissions of love, Kane's heart would be filling his entire chest. Years ago, even a couple of months ago, he would have never dreamed to be standing with Abby Griffin, about to divulge his soul to her. But they weren't on the Ark anymore and he was no longer threatening to throw her out an airlock.

"For me it was when you took those lashes," he murmured, lost in a rather horrible memory.

"What?"

"When I realized I was in love with you," he answered with a crooked grin. "I was standing there, giving the order for you to be punished and something inside of me just broke. I knew I had to uphold the law- it's what I've done my entire life. But for some reason, seeing you holding to your principles and protecting your daughter and the rest of the kids, I realized I was wrong."

"I broke the law, Marcus. I don't blame you for what happened," Abby assured. Kane's hands had found their way to her hips now. This position felt so similar to the dance they had shared at the celebration not so long ago. And most of all, it felt right.

"I know that now. But you changed how I saw everything here on Earth."

Abby had her arms around his neck now and she whispered in his ear. "Dr. Whalen gave me some advice about being here for the living. My marriage is dead, it died when Abby Griffin left the ark. But you and I, we're here now- alive. And I don't want to miss another minute."

This time it was Kane who initiated the kiss. There was no rush to this kiss and Kane held her close to his body. This kiss was tender and sweet, just like a first kiss should be. This time, Kane ran his fingers through her dark hair and over her back. Abby's hands were in his hair and tracing down his beard to his neck.

Her touch was as intoxicating as it was in his dreams. It seemed that she needed to touch him as much as he needed to feel her. A nip of her teeth on his bottom lip caused him to let out a moan that he didn't bother to suppress. His hands traced down the sides of her body to caress the curve of her butt. Effortlessly, he lifted her to sit her on the table and pushed the med kit out of the way. Abby hooked her legs around his waist. Kane kissed down her neck and pushed her hair behind her shoulder to get better access.

Abby hummed with pleasure before whispering in his ear, "Marcus, we have to stop."

"I know," he groaned, but didn't pull away. His breath was warm on the exposed skin of her neck and she clung to his shirt like it was the only thing holding them together. He couldn't believe that he was this close to her, but still about to walk away from her for what could be the rest of his life.

Abby brought his hand up to her lips to kiss it. "You'll be back Marcus. You're going to save us and come back to me."

"I can't make that promise," he murmured.

"I know. But I can hope…"

Kane cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "I won't give up hope, Abby. That I promise."

He kissed her softly on her lips and then stepped back to let her jump down off the table. She turned to grab the med kit and held it out for him to take. This time, he accepted the case, but pulled her into a hug. Abby buried her face into his shoulder, willing herself not to cry. Now wasn't the time for tears; although it seemed these days that there was never time for tears. She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head and wanted to beg him to let her go with him. But she had a responsibility to the people of Arkadia. So she was staying and allowing Kane and Clarke to go on without her.

As if he was reading her mind, Kane said, "I'll look after Clarke."

"You should go." Abby pushed herself onto the tips of her toes to give him one last kiss, being sure to memorize the feel of his beard against her skin. She had to have hope that she would see them again.

Kane took a deep breath and walked out of medical, his hand gripping the med kit tightly. Each step he took felt heavier than the last as he walked to the secret panel where he knew Raven, Wick, and Clarke would be waiting for him. Sure enough, he found Wick pretending to fix an automatic door just up the hallway. He was watching for any guards Pike might send by.

"They're waiting for you," Wick whispered as Kane walked by.

Raven and Clarke were hovering by the panel that he and Clarke would use to escape. They both nodded to acknowledge his arrival. Clarke got straight to work and pulled back the panel. She threw her bag through the opening and motioned for Kane to go first. Kane climbed through, dragging his own bag and the med kit behind him. He heard Clarke say goodbye to Raven and the two must have exchanged a hug because there was a brief moment of silence before Clarke joined him.

Neither spoke as they snuck out of Arkadia and into the forest. Lincoln and Octavia were already at the meet point. They would be going to the neighboring villages to warn the grounders about impending attacks on Arkadia. Kane knew it was a risk to arm the grounders with this knowledge, but he also knew that those villages wouldn't be able to attack Arkadia alone. Lincoln had assured him that the warrior class of grounders would be gathering in Polis for the meeting.

Which is where he and Clarke were heading to meet with Lexa. It had been Clarke's idea to go with him, because she was worried that the Ice Nation may try to attack Arkadia in order to get to her. So Lincoln and Octavia would be dropping hints that Wanheda had left Arkadia and hopefully the bounty hunters would look elsewhere for their prize.

Kane shook Lincoln's hand to wish him luck and to his surprise, accepted the hug Octavia gave him. The young girl had grown so much since they had found her under the floorboards of the Blake's cabin. He wasn't worried about Lincoln or Octavia. He knew they would be alright on their own. His worry was for Clarke and himself getting to Polis without running into trouble. Which is why Kane was waiting on a rover that was making its way down the road.

The rover slowed to a stop as Kane and Clarke walked out into the middle of the road. Miller jumped out of the driver's seat and gave a small salute to Kane. They walked around the back of the rover where Harper had opened the back door. Clarke threw in her bag and hopped in.

"I've got everything you need here," said Harper. There was a box sitting in front of Monty that contained a couple of handguns, two rifles, and a couple of boxes of bullets.

"Thanks, Harper," replied Clarke and she reached out to hug the other girl. Harper gave her a smile and wished her luck before hopping out to join Miller who was talking to Kane.

"You ready?" Kane asked. Miller shrugged and braced himself as Kane hit him hard against the jaw. Inside the rover Clarke flinched, but in order for their plan to work, it had to look like Kane and Clarke had forcefully taken the rover from them. Kane launched his fist into the young man's stomach and Miller dropped to his knees. "Sorry."

"It's fine," wheezed Miller. "Just try not to break anything, ok?"

Harper actually laughed as she handed Kane three injections that had been 'stolen' from Medical. "Abby says this shouldn't put us out for long, but it'll appear that we were unconscious for a while."

"How come I have to get beat up first?"

"Because the idea is that Clarke snuck up behind me and drugged me. You should give Monty a good hit or two and then you can be on your way."

Kane took the injectors and looked at Miller who was still on the ground. "You should scratch up your knuckles to make it look like you got a few good hits in."

"Thanks," spat Miller sarcastically.

Harper laid down on the ground and said, "Ok, I'm ready."

Kane injected her and she immediately passed out. He did the same to Miller and he looked into the back of the rover at Monty. "Your turn."

The young man took a deep breath before saying, "I'm going with you."

"That wasn't the plan," argued Clarke.

"I can't stay," he said quietly. "My mom believes in Pike and she won't listen to me. And I'm afraid that I won't be able to…"

"You don't think you can work against her," finished Kane sympathetically.

"After Mount Weather, I have to do what's right. For me, for my mom, and for Jasper."

"What happened at Mount Weather wasn't on you, Monty." Clarke sat down next to him in the back of the rover. She placed her hand on his knee, but he pulled away.

He looked directly at her and said, "You wouldn't have been able to pull that lever if I hadn't made it possible. And I need to make my mom see that killing people isn't the way to get revenge. She has to see that. And going with you is the best chance to prove that to her."

Kane knew that if he asked Monty to get out of the rover, he would. But Kane understood the need to set things right. "Alright, kid. We need to get going."

He shut the back of the rover and walked around to the driver's seat. Kane jumped in and grabbed the steering wheel. Without looking back at Arkadia, he put the gears into drive and started on the road to Polis. Warning Lexa, finding a way to create a truce with the grounders, was all Kane could afford to think about now. A part of him wished he could turn the rover around and go back to Abby, but he had a job to do. His only hope of seeing Abby again was to survive this mission. And he needed hope.