Days 27- 32

Chapter 9

Day 27

Darkness had fallen over the Hundred camp hours ago. A week without the princess was coming to an end... It should have felt like a relief to not have her marching about giving orders, and constantly, constantly, constantly involved in everything, everywhere. It was, truly. Without the three girls he worried about most around to look out for, Bellamy's weight of responsibility felt infinity lighter. The delinquents wanted to stay up half the night drinking, meaning they went out hunting the next day sleep deprived and hung over? Live and learn, kid.

They wanted to go swimming in the river? Whatever, long as your work's done first. They wanted to go exploring in the woods? Yea, don't get lost and get back before dark. Neither his sister, nor the youngest of the group, nor the medic were around to get caught up in any of the bullshit, so letting the rest of the brats run a little wild was harmless stress relief. The extra rowdiness about camp seemed a good distraction for the absolute insanity Clarke had dropped on him before leaving anyway.

Yet here he was.

Standing by the graveyard.

When the princess left, there had been three graves. Every single night since it's creation, she'd head out there instead of getting dinner. Murphy, or Octavia, or even Charlotte, would eventually go out after her. She'd walk back through the gates like nothing was wrong. Grab some food, sit by the fire, and go on. She did not speak of it, or those lost. There were no tears, nothing but a grim determination that Bellamy could not deny, to himself at least, that he was in awe of. Blonde, and beautiful, and raised the little princess, she was a hurricane of will that he simply couldn't fathom. What had molded her into such a blazing strength?

Here he was standing by the graveyard, knowing that she should be home tomorrow, and she was coming back to six new graves. Failure was squeezing his heart and lungs, and Bellamy wasn't sure he was going to survive seeing her face when she saw that the graveyard had tripled in size while she was away. For a week. Just a week.

Dax and Mbege, sixteen and fifteen. Those two he didn't feel so bad for. It was their own fault for trying to claim the guns for themselves. He could live with their deaths.

Dickson. That weighed a little heavier on his shoulders, but only because he'd been the one that held the gun for the execution.

Steve Woodley. An allergic reaction as some of the youngest kids were out exploring in the woods. His throat was swollen closed, and he was dead before anyone could even think. He was fourteen. The rest of the group had carried him back crying.

Sixteen year old Angela drowned when a bunch of the girls had gone swimming. They left her by the river to come running back to camp. Bellamy had grabbed Atom to go back and carry her home, but that grounder who'd been keeping an eye on them apparently had found her, returning her to their camp silently.

Fifteen year old Deek had died in a stupid hunting accident. He left the group, somehow got turned around, went for a kill with his knife, that the others were already stalking... The impulsive boy ended up with a spear in his chest. He bled out before they got him back to camp. Monty had quietly confided that even had Clarke herself been there the moment it happened, he wasn't sure she could have saved him.

There was Jill, residing in the med bay under Monty and Jasper's iffy care, recuperating from a nasty bout of food poisoning. It'd been two days and she'd looked awfully weak to his non-medical eye.

Then there was Collete holed up in a tent with Raven. Hadn't come out in days, but Raven was bringing her food and water, and hopefully keeping her sane. Killing Dickson hadn't taken away the girl's pain, but at least she didn't have to fear him. Bellamy had offered her a gun, with some of the guards holding the bastard down, to do it herself, but she'd refused. That had been one of the few times she'd emerged from Raven's tent since the attack though- to watch the execution. Bellamy dragged the body outside with Atom, and puked into the woods away from the graveyard. At least Atom was smart enough to comment on that weakness. He, and Sterling, and Conner, and every other of the other watchers stood behind Bellamy when he came back into camp to make an announcement by the fire too. Collete and Raven had already disappeared back into their refuge, but nearly everyone else was still around.

"Princess and I announced that law one of camp is if you don't work, you don't eat. Well now you all know what law two is. Rape is a capital crime. Whether or not you accomplish it entirely." snarled the elder leader harshly.

Clarke was going to want to murder him for that, Bellamy was sure. Allowing a girl to be attacked- within their wall even! Thank earth the girl had a knife, since Clarke had asked that more be made while she was gone, she'd gutted him badly enough the execution might have been a mercy killing anyway since Clarke wasn't here to put him back together, and there was no way Bellamy was asking the grounders to heal an attempted rapist.

Not to mention Justin who'd they carried to the grounder village who'd promised Clarke to heal them while she was gone, and left there just yesterday because he'd somehow fallen out of a tree for some forsaken reason that no one could explain well enough to Bellamy. There had been too many broken bones, and too bad of bruising, for Monty to deal with. His girlfriend had stayed with him there, and Bellamy couldn't help kicking himself for not staying as well, but the delinquents were dropping left and right, and he just couldn't...

Three... unwell. Six dead.

How was he supposed to face Clarke?

Day 28

Their last two days in Polis had passed before Clarke could even really thinking about how fast it was going by. She joined the healers with Charlotte both morning, and watched the young nightbloods go through their training in the afternoons. The first evening, she'd spent cloistered with Lexa and Octavia, in their endless planning and debate until well past midnight. She'd put her foot down- Charlotte, though she remembered, would not be brought into the Praimfaya plans. Lexa had offered for Charlotte to remain, but Clarke couldn't stand it. There would be plenty of time for the young girl to study with the novitiates in their time within the bunker. The very last night, though, Octavia declared it a night off, and the half-dozen of their crew went out into Polis exploring. Or rather, Clarke and Octavia subtly showing their clansmen around. It'd been a fitting end to their week, even with several guards trailing them at Lexa's demand.

Now it was time to return home however. The idea of what the hundred could have been getting up to was steadily growing more alarming. Bellamy could surely keep them reined in alone, but they were a reckless, impulsive lot by nature...

They gathered together an hour before dawn for a meal at Lexa's insistence- the commander, Costia, Titus, a few of her guards, the skaikru delegation, their trikru escorts, and the novitiates.

It was a form of punishment from the commander, Clarke was certain. There had never been something so painfully awkward as this, not even when Gustus poisoned himself trying to break the alliance. There was little talking except for Octavia, Costia, and Aden, whom together seemed cheerful enough for the entire table.

Clarke noticed with narrowed eyes how closely the thirteen year old nightblood, Lexa's favorite, sat to Charlotte, and the starry eyed looks he threw at the little blonde apprentice.

Of course, Clarke was fond of Aden, and hoped fervently that in this life, he would be safe... but Charlotte was her responsibility, and nightbloods had a slim chance at survival due the rules of conclave. It looked like Charlotte was too sleepy at such an early wake-up to even really notice the young nightblood's attention though.

"Clarke, your apprentice has shown promise. I am surprised to hear that she is only a month into her learning." stated Costia gently.

"Barely a month, actually. Today is our twenty-eighth day on Earth, and I took Charlotte as my apprentice the evening of our landing." replied Clarke with a twitch of her lips in a vague smile.

"I hope you both will return to Polis soon." murmured Costia with a much more serene smile flashed especially to Charlotte.

"I hope so too!" added Aden hopefully.

Clarke gave the young nightblood an assessing look, but then smiled faintly.

"We must deal with Arkadia upon their arrival, which will likely be tomorrow, but we will come back when we can." confirmed the princess quietly.

As they lingered, saying farewells, Clarke blinked as she watched Aden shyly present Charlotte with the sword she'd been practicing with all week, in a sheath with a sky blue cord.

Charlotte finally looked like she'd woken up, and stuttered out a bashful thanks, blushing heavily. Aden clasped her arm, as he'd taught her, and she returned the gesture awkwardly, clearly startled by the present. With fumbling hands, she tied the sheath around her waist, looking up at Aden to be sure she'd done it correctly.

The young nightblood beamed at her.

"Charlotte kom Skaikru, may we meet again." stated Aden kindly, as Charlotte had taught him in turn.

"Aden kom Delfikru, may we meet again." whispered Charlotte suddenly shy with the boy she'd spent half her time in Polis with.

Lexa noticed as well, Clarke realized, the commander watching her favorite with a fond look. The heda smirked somewhat smugly at Clarke when their eyes met. The Skaikru girl glared back just in case any thoughts of arranged marriages were still swirling in the commander's endlessly scheming mind.

Octavia lunged for Clarke as they began walking out, hugging her tightly, then springing back with a smirk on her face. The blonde felt the thin paper that had been slipped into her pocket.

"Give it to him, when you can, ok?" muttered Octavia very quietly.

"Be careful, all of you." demanded the blonde anxiously, with a nod to her newly dubbed ambassador, and eyeing the trio of her people she was unhappily leaving behind.

Having watched until the riding party was out of sight, the young ambassador and her companions retreating to their quarters to prepare for their first day on their own, Titus followed Lexa to her own.

Arriving back at the Hundred Camp

The trip back home from Polis was just as exhausting at the trip there had been. Clarke couldn't even remember if she'd ever been as sore as making this ride in a single day left her. Murphy and Charlotte looked ready to drop from the horses straight into their bedrolls. They'd learn to eat and drink in the saddle though, and that had quickened the trip a little at least. But it was really just too hard of a ride to make in one day. But it was such a waste, and rather terrifying to sleep out in the open.

Bellamy could hear the watchers calling out, and came hustling out of his tent in time to see the gate swing open.

Clarke had already dismounted, as had the grounder leader who'd taken her away a week ago, and seemed to saying farewell. The mismatched pair smoothly clasped arms and nodded, with a small smile upon Clarke's face, while the grounder looked just as unpleasant as always, his eyes locked upon the small blonde medic harshly.

Caliban leaned down slightly towards the sky princess with a hard smirk.

"Skai prisa, if you come to my village, I will continue the training your men began in Polis, and your apprentice could learn from our healer." he offered gruffly.

Clarke smiled briefly, and nodded consent. "I would like to visit with your healer as well. I did not have much time in Polis, but enough to see there is plenty for me to learn about Earth healing. The people of Arkadia are expected soon, and I must bring Heda's offer to them, but I would like to visit your village after that."

"One week, I will return. Bring as many of your men to train as you wish. I will see to them myself." rumbled the older Trikru warrior firmly.

"May we meet again." murmured Clarke.

Caliban nodded curtly before stepping away.

As their groups separated, that Bellamy's heart stopped.

Everyone had now dismounted, he grounder kids were leading away the extra horses, while Charlotte and Murphy were both left holding the two the commander had gifted to them.

But his sister was nowhere to be seen.

Wells and Miller weren't in sight either, in fact.

Clarke watched the grounders ride off, wondering about Caliban's offer, before she turned to look into the camp, where Bellamy was swiftly crossing to her.

"Octavia?" he demanded before he even reached her.

Clarke held up a hand immediately, shaking her head quickly.

"She's fine." assured the blonde firmly before he could get going.

"She decided to stay in Polis for now. I left Wells and Miller with her. They're training under Lexa's guards, and Octavia is acting as our ambassador for the coalition."

And training with a Trikru warrior herself... she didn't add because she already knew what Bellamy was going to think of that.

"You just left her there?" bellowed the dark haired former guard furiously.

Clarke looked at him flatly, and didn't notice Murphy hastily handing over the reins he held to Charlotte to order to come stand with Clarke. When his right shoulder pressed into her left, and she breathed in that long, deep breathe of literally feeling somehow backing her up. John Murphy was a dangerous guy. Vicious in a fight, unpredictable if crossed, and unflinching in cruelty. Somehow, on Earth, knowing everything she had to fight, Clarke felt safer with him on her side. It made her realize just how different life, and she, was this time around that she felt safer with Murphy behind her.

Bellamy kept snarling at her, though, and she snapped back harshly before shoving down that fury.

"Did you want me to have the guys knock her unconscious and tie her to a horse to drag her back? Because that's what it would have taken. That's never going to be an option in my opinion." retorted the blonde sharply, even as she tried to rein in her annoyance.

Bellamy growled, but looked away, ignoring her comment.

"Anyway, how did things go here?" she asked.

Bellamy grimaced.

"Six dead. Three others unwell. One bad enough that we left him with the grounders." he announced coldly.

"Six dead." she repeated blankly.

He nodded curtly. The younger leader's face was ominously composed, and she turned away from him to call out some instructions.

"Monroe, can you take care of the horses? Charlotte, get some sleep. John, I need to deal with this."

Monroe hastened from the crowd, smiling at the horses to take their reins, out of the hundred, she'd been the most interested in them, besides Charlotte. Clarke's little apprentice just stood there, swaying a bit when Monroe brushed gently past her, blankly staring at Clarke. Murphy looked between them, and scoffed. He laid an arm around the kid's shoulders to steer her towards the tent closest to the dropship on the girl's side. Clarke smiled at him, getting a nod before he urged the absolutely exhausted kid on.

Clarke turned back to Bellamy only once Monroe had lead off the horses towards the little area they'd made for them, and Murphy had ducked into her tent with Charlotte.

"Anyone critical? What's going on with them?" asked Clarke coolly, switching effortlessly into her healer mode despite the dragging weariness.

Bellamy nodded towards the dropship, and so Clarke followed him. As they went up the ramp though, Murphy was already ducking out of her tent.

"Got her boots off at least, she's already asleep." he reported, eyeing the pair of leaders.

Clarke nodded. "Thanks. These rides are really too much... You coming?" she asked, titling her heads towards the dropship.

Murphy's shoulders relaxed a bit, but he shook his head. "No, gonna grab some sleep too."

Clarke nodded, and the prickly boy turned to head for his tent. The blonde looked back to Bellamy now.

"You and Murphy?" hinted Bellamy.

Clarke turned away, huffing.

"Yes." she replied shortly.

"Why?" asked Bellamy bluntly now.

"Look, I've already done this with Octavia, Wells, and Lexa. John is protective, loyal, and willing to do what needs to be done. We're... together. I don't know. This isn't the Ark! It's not like we are oh so carefully considering whether or not we should wed and have the standard issue offspring, OK? We're just together, and I have no idea why people are so interested in whom I'm sleeping with!" vented the little blonde leader with irritation simmering to the surface instantly.

Bellamy smirked at her, amused at her temper, which she glared even worse.

"You're the one who insisted on the sex talks, Princess." reminded her partner jeeringly.

Her eyes narrowed angrily. "Monty and Jasper's project is working out quite well, as I'm sure you've already discovered for yourself." she snapped. "Now can we get back to what's actually important?"

The pair continued past through the dropship, where Clarke instantly noted somehow sleeping on a bedroll near the med bay, and into the upper level. Bellamy quietly lowered the hatch, and began to pace restlessly.

"That was Jill downstairs. Bad food poisoning. She must have gotten an under cooked piece of meat, according to Monty. Was in really bad shape for a day or so, and seems to be taking a while to get over it." he revealed first.

Clarke nodded impatiently. Her partner in leading this little camp of delinquents looked like he was choking on his words, and as he forced them out, Clarke didn't realize she was sinking to the floor to sit horrified, listening to his report. Apparently things had been going a little too well, and Earth had evened the score a little.

"Does the Ark know?" asked Clarke finally into the dreadful silence that had fallen once Bellamy had confessed the lasts of his sins and failings during her time away.

"No. Haven't talked to them since the after you left. Raven told them she was going to take apart the comms or something." replied her partner gruffly.

She nodded, a faraway look upon her face.

"It was all going too well." she muttered ruefully, and somehow Bellamy's heart could still sink lower it seemed.

"I'm sorry." whispered the rebel leader so bitterly she finally looked back up at him. Her blue eyes were dark and glinting, but there was no sign of tears on her face.

"It's not your fault, Bell. Shitty luck, an awful planet, unprepared kids... it's a miracle we haven't lost more."

Day 31

The Ark had come down two days ago. Everything was packed carefully into the dropship. Everyone had a pack to carry, and a weapon. Justin and Lisa Ann were remaining in Anya's village, where Jill had joined them, too weak for the walk still. Collete insisted on going along though. Of course, Octavia, Miller, and Wells remained in Polis. So there was eighty-seven of them lined up not long after dawn waiting for the signal to go, and then there was Lincoln, who'd stoically volunteered to go with them. Clarke and Charlotte were at the front, each on a horse, close together. Murphy and Bellamy walked to Clarke's side, and Lincoln walked at Charlotte's.

They were estimating it was a seven or eight hour walk, but with the number of breaks that would likely be required, Bellamy would consider himself happy if they made it to Arkadia before dark.

Everyone was given a large weapon, plus a knife hidden on them somehow. Clarke suspects many of them have more than one. Clarke has a sword, gifted from Trikru, on her hip, and a rifle slung across her, and a knife bound to one calf. Charlotte has her sword from Aden. Bellamy, Murphy, Raven, and the watchers have the rest of the rifles. The hunters have the bows and the few other swords. The bulk of the hundred are carrying the rough spears though. Otherwise they're carrying only food, water, and enough material to put up the minimum of shelter.

"Move out!" yells Bellamy, and Clarke nudges her horse forwards, Charlotte's following effortlessly only a beat behind.

The rumble of feet sounds like duty, and love, and clan to Clarke. The kids' curiosity and excitement quickly faded into a dull sort of determination as they covered the land at a harsh pace. They'd keep going if it killed them, but they no longer were sure why they were doing it anyway.

Sometimes Charlotte and Clarke walk, with the princess taking the opportunity to get at least a dozen of the delinquents to take turns on the horses- slowly getting accustomed to the feel. Monroe and Harper both have fallen in love with the horses. Somewhere around what they think might be the half-way point, they all stop for an hour's rest, and eating the rations they brought along.

It's now a slow trudge across land despite Bellamy's efforts to keep a good pace. Their shoulders throbbing from their burdens, and legs aching from the unrelenting walk, only the collective fear of being left behind is urging them on still. Lincoln frequently rushes ahead, scouting the area, and when he returns to grimly announced that he's seen the camp- just another ten minutes ahead, they pause for another break, to get their bearings.

"We're setting up tents BEFORE anyone goes inside Arkadia, don't forget!" yelled Bellamy.

"We should always have at least some of our people remain outside of their gate! Anyone who wants to stay is free to do so, but do not bring anyone back with us without vetting them with us FIRST!" reminded Clarke sharply.

"Plan is to return home three days from now!" continued Bellamy.

Murphy pulls the current riders down, urging Clarke to ride the final stretch to make an entrance, and somehow that leads to Clarke insisting on Charlotte riding behind her, and Bellamy is nagged onto the second horse, looking grimly miserable, but sitting well enough to make the few minutes ride. Now Lincoln walks between the horses, and Murphy still at Clarke's side, and the other eighty-six kids have actually found a little bit of curiosity left in them to hasten their steps. The sun is going to set soon, and they have just enough time to make an appearance before dusk.

The ark camp comes into sight, and Charlotte ducks her head anxiously against Clarke's shoulder, holding tightly to the other girl. The guards, already set up near the half-finished gate, began yelling.

Clarke pulled her horse to a stop well before the gate, and Bellamy automatically followed. Looking over his shoulder, Bellamy barked out an order for everyone to stay behind them, and to start setting up a temporary camp.

Arkadia is growing into a rapid frenzy, with the guards blocking people from spilling out, and everyone yelling for the chancellor.

"Everything about this screams recipe for disaster." muttered John bitterly.

Finally, with the hundred having already set their burdens down and began spreading out, well behind the horses, the rough gate is thrown open, with the guards still holding back the masses with shock batons, for the first Arkadians allowed out to greet them.

It was of no surprise that her mother, and Kane, along with Sinclair and David Miller were the first to rush out. That Theolonius Jaha was with them- looking stiffly proper as ever on the Ark- nearly knocked the breath out of her.

Bellamy heard her gasp, and looked over frantically, she cut her eyes at her pointedly.

"Jaha's with them." she muttered tightly, and it was enough for him to realize that meant Jaha had NOT been previously...

"More than a week without a word! We thought you'd died!" called out Abby Griffin censoriously.

"There are eighty-seven of us who've made the journey along with our Trikru ally who thankfully guided us. Six of us did not come, and nine of us are dead." announced Clarke loudly, above the din of all the greetings.

Silence fell, the delinquents knowing to be silent when Clarke spoke, and the Arkadians surprised into it.

"Wells Jaha, Octavia Blake, Nathan Miller, and Lisa Ann Beley are all well, but did not come. Jill Yaworski, and Justin Bishop were not in shape for the journey, but are in stable condition." continued Clarke firmly, but then faltered just long enough that Bellamy cut in.

"Trina, Pascal, Finn Collins, Dax, John Mbege, Glen Dickson, Steve Woodley, Angela, and Deek are all dead. Buried back at our camp." added Bellamy Blake gruffly.

"We are just grateful that so many of you have survived." announced Marcus Kane smoothly.

"Guards! Allow out the parents of the Hundred only!" barked Kane, looking over at the gate.

Much less than half of the delinquents had parents inside Arkadia. Clarke quietly passed word around to the rest that remaining outside the half-finished Arkadia walls would be a good idea.

David Miller and Theolonius Jaha both came to her asking about their sons- shaken and alarmed to hear where the pair was, and what they were doing.

Clarke's mother hustles her inside, and the girl wouldn't admit it, but she's glad some of her people follow despite the warning about the walls.

But in the center of Arkadia's ground, Clarke tugs her arm free of her mother, stepping back until she's put herself firmly between Bellamy and Murphy, her mother left staring at her uncertainly.

"I have news for Arkadia!" she yelled into the crowd, and they slowly gathered up, curious, having already been eyeing the new arrivals eagerly.

"Clarke, we should talk privately-" urged Abby quietly, reaching forward again, but Murphy drew up his gun in the way of her arm. The doctor drew back that she'd been burned, and her eyes glared fiercely declaring that there would be retribution for that impulsive action.

Clarke ignored the exchange. John was too quick to resort to even non-verbal threats, but her mother wasn't someone she could reason with in any decent amount of time.

"Bellamy Blake and I are the leaders of the Hundred!" she announced loudly to get this started, and then rolled up her sleeve in order to raise her arm into the air.

The coalition brand caught everyone's attention, there was no reason to yell now because the camp went silent to listen.

"There were twelve united clans of people forming a coalition in this land when we came down, and the Hundred has become the thirteenth clan. The leader of this coalition is called the Heda, and her name is Lexa kom Trikru. Trikru is upon whose land the Hundred landed, and they are our greatest ally. We've made a home for ourselves. We are on earth now. We are grounders now. This is the brand of the coalition." she announced, waving her arm slightly before lowering it to clasp her hands behind her back.

"Now we have come to welcome you to Earth, but we are not here to rejoin with you. The Hundred has become Skaikru, and we bring you Heda's offer. She invites Arkadia to send a delegation to attend a summit to discuss joining the coalition as a fourteenth clan. An Arkadian ambassador will need to stay in her city if you do. Skairkru's ambassador is Octavia Blake, and with her are Nathan Miller and Wells Jaha." explained Clarke firmly, voice raised to carry over the crowd.

Once her announcement was done, Clarke slipped as discretely through the crowd as she could until she came to Marcus Kane. Laying one hand upon his arm, she offered a folded piece of paper silently. When she didn't answer his curious query, he accepted the note with a frown, and opened it hesitantly.

In another life, she'd seen that look of horrified devastation settle onto Kane's face too many times. It had mainly been caused by the terrors leading up to Praimfaya, though, rather than a torn, half-sheet of paper. Clarke, having read it herself on a break during the exhausting trip home from Polis, knew he was justified in that guilty, ashen gaze.

Perhaps it was one thing to have sent a long-separated former lover to death, and another thing entirely if it was the mother of your child. Personally, she wasn't so sure it wasn't thoughts of the scandal running through his head right now instead however.

"You know?" asked Kane hoarsely, fluttering the note vaguely, looking up at Clarke weakly.

"Yes, Octavia is my friend." replied the young leader calmly, meeting his gaze without reaction.

"I didn't." murmured Kane, with an almost pleading note to his low voice.

Clarke nodded agreement, eyes not leaving his.

"She is Skaikru's ambassador to the coalition, and her brother is my partner in leading. We urge you to consider the heda's offer." stated the girl firmly.

Turning, Clarke moved swiftly back towards the few members of her people who'd come into the fence. Kane let her go without a word, but he watched Abby and Jake's little girl walk away. He'd watched her fall apart at her father's death, and been surprised at the cold stoicism of her behavior when she too was arrested. And he'd watched her limp body being loaded onto the dropship, for the girl had not allowed herself to be taken without a fight. The Hundred needed her medical training, though, just as they needed Wells' to lead them, and so, despite her unwillingness to receive a second chance- she'd been forced into one anyway. Jaha's boy would be able to deal with her, they'd thought.

Before the drop, Kane had silently wondered what would happen if Wells failed to hold control over the mass of delinquents until the Ark came. Would the pretty girl from Phoenix, the innocent traitor, survive the violent horde she'd been sent with? Would the delinquents have the common sense and reasoning skills to see her value as a medic? Or would she simply be a causality of the lawlessness these teenagers were ruled by? This outcome... had never been one of their projections. They'd thrown her to the wolves, and somehow the little princess was leading the pack. When the time came for the arrest orders, Marcus had believed the girl to be purely Jake's child- soft, idealistic, and rash. He'd scrawled her name under her father's himself. But now he wondered if she was not more her mother's child. One Abigail Griffin was quite enough to deal with.

As he considered the dilemma that was Clarke Griffin, Marcus was shoving down all thoughts of another teenage girl that he could not even pray to fathom.

His daughter.

Before darkness fell, the Hundred raised a fire to gather around between their straggly camp, where they'd be sleeping huddled tightly together, and Arkadia.

As the evening wore on, the hundred had settled down into their even more meager than normal accommodations, and quickly fallen asleep thanks to the day's journey. The few kids who had parents inside Arkadia had been slipped blankets, except for Clarke, who'd had a row over sleeping beyond the fence instead of a lovingly folded blanket.

Bellamy, Clarke, Murphy, and Raven were the last left around the fire quietly watching Arkadia settle down for the night from the distance. They all needed sleep too much to be able to set watchers on duty, but they could at least stay up until Arkadia was silent.

"They don't want us to leave." murmured Clarke grimly, just loud enough for the other three to hear.

"Good thing it's not up to them." quipped Raven quickly.

Clarke glared into the fire, Murphy pressed closely into her side.

"We may have to fight our way out." muttered the young leader grimly.

"Or leave tonight while they're sleeping." urged Bellamy.

"They've got guards on watch. We couldn't move fast enough to slip away." countered the blonde bitterly.

Day 32

It was so eerily familiar that Clarke half-expected it to be Indra at her back, but instead it was Bellamy and Murphy, with Atom and Monroe, and another dozen or so hunters and watchers- everyone who'd come into Arkadia on her heels. Who'd given Charlotte a gun anyway? It looked longer than she was, but the kid held it with a tight anxiety. At least the girl was tucked firmly behind Monroe. Joining Arkadia for breakfast was turning out to have been an idiotic mistake, but she'd berate herself for it later. Once they got back out of here.

"Call the rest of the kids inside." ordered her mother, glaring angrily.

"We're not staying here. This is not our home, and you are not our people anymore." retorted the younger leader harshly.

Her mother and Kane weren't ready to back down now though, this was happening so much earlier...

"Call them in. Now. Or the guards will bring them in, and someone might get hurt." hissed Abigail Griffin.

The words flowed out of Clarke's mouth like she had no control over them.

"You may be the chancellor, but I'm in charge- of the Hundred."

Her mother's face flushed a furious pink, Kane and Jaha, surrounded by what looked like the entire guard force, just looked utterly astonished.

"Relinquish your weapons." ordered Abby coldly.

Clarke prayed to any gods who might be listening that her people knew better than to obey. There was no way to discretely sneak nearly ninety people out of here, if they surrounded, they'd be stuck for who knows how long.

"Over my dead body." stated Clarke just as coldly as she stood her ground, eyeing her mother like a particularly nasty puzzle she ought to solve.

Bellamy Blake valued his life a little too much to point out how very similar the Griffin women were- coldly composed, fiercely determined, and ruthlessly motivated. He'd never imagine they'd be similar, but watching them face off, with their own factions at their backs...

Abigail Griffin was trying to punish her daughter for being exactly like her.

The irony of it wasn't going to save them though.

"Guards, detain them. Strip them of the weapons." commanded the newest chancellor loudly.

Chaos descended on her cue.

Too many guards against only the couple dozen delinquents, if only Octavia were here...

Limbs and bodies pressing together, and flailing, orders were being screamed from all sides, and more delinquents seemed to be pouring into the writhing mass- they must have gotten past the guard left at the gate. There was a shock baton against her ribs, and she swung at it's handler, but the next landing was the butt of it against her skull. The ground was hard, but the boot that swung into her ribs was worse. Somewhere much too close Charlotte was shrieking bloody murder. The world spun, and suddenly shots were ringing out, the screaming growing into a massive roar.

Belly and face pressed into the ground, Murphy yelling somewhere above her, but at what she couldn't make herself remember right now. Clarke couldn't stop her mind from dazedly thinking about him. Her head was throbbing rather violently, after all. She couldn't be held responsible for the whimsical nature her thoughts strayed about now...

Her ears were ringing, and the roars of fury and shock hammered at her skull. The only thing she could think of was him though. If he cared, he was immovable, yet when he didn't, he was pure vapor. In his arms alone, Clarke knew there was a single person on Earth who was hers. There was only Murphy. The one person she knew had no higher devotion than her. There was no deal too tempting, no person he placed above her, and certainly no morality that would keep him from her. As long as she didn't hurt him away, he'd stay at her side and nothing could wrench him away. Position and power might have a lot to do with him aligning with her, but... that was something she could understand too. Survival of the fittest.

Clarke was pretty sure, in a part of herself that she usually kept buried, that nothing short of the end of the world could kill her. Self-preservation was an art form to John. At least when his temper didn't get the best of him. Whatever won the fealty, she'd accept it anyway.

Suddenly he was hauling her up from the ground abruptly. Clarke swayed on her feet with her thoughts still trailing with what should be an alarming lack of clarity. The world spun as he pulled her forwards with her arm thrown over his shoulders.

"Thanks." she whispered faintly.

"Just another day on the ground, right?" he replied quietly enough for only her to hear.

Blood trickled down her face, and there was just enough reason left for her to realize her head really had been hit too hard... She felt someone on her other side, was that Harper, just before the world went black and cold.