Author's Note: Hello everybody! Sorry for the long wait, but I wanted to wait until the premiere of season three before posting the next chapter! Thank you to everybody who reviewed, favorited and followed my story – you're support is what makes me want to keep writing.

** This chapter brings up a very delicate topic. I don't want to start a debate on the morality of the decisions that the characters debate. In no way does this chapter reflect my own personal feelings on the topic, it's just the way that I imagined each of the characters to react as well as their own thoughts on it. I sincerely hope you keep this in mind while reading the chapter **

Special thanks to my beta, Dannylionthe1st!

Chapter 10: Shattered Hearts

Abby's POV

Abby looked over her shoulder as she heard footsteps approaching the medical bay and saw Clarke enter. Abby allowed herself a moment of internal concern for her daughter. She didn't like the grim, drawn expression on her unusually pale face, nor the helplessness and exhaustion that she tried to hide. Abby kept her mouth shut though. Her daughter would only snap and get angrier if she mentioned it.

"How is she?" Clarke asked in a soft voice, going over to sit next to Kat.

Abby sighed and glanced over at the motionless girl. "The same. She hasn't woken up yet – "

"Not once?" Clarke interrupted sharply, looking up at her mother. "My meeting with the Commander lasted several hours, she should have woken up by now."

"Her vitals are stable, Clarke," Abby reminded her gently. "She'll wake when her body's ready." Abby gave a wry smile. "Though I do hope it's soon. I've had to kick Bellamy out of here three times already, he's driving me absolutely insane."

Clarke didn't crack a smile like Abby hoped she would. She hesitated, looking at the door before speaking in a hushed voice. "I know that I told you that Kat's been pale, dizzy, nauseated, spacey and that she got hit in the head really hard. I thought it was a concussion, but the Commander said something earlier… Do you think… Is it possible that Kat could be pregnant?"

Abby frowned, immediately thinking about how difficult it would be to birth and raise a child in the midst of their situation and grew infinitely more worried. "Concussion and pregnancy symptoms are very similar – "

"And her and Bellamy have been very… active," Clarke added, putting it as lightly as she could.

Abby's brain was racing. "I would have to run some tests, but I suppose it's – "

"I'm not fucking pregnant," Kat groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Kat!" Clarke cried in surprise as Abby hurried over. "How are you feeling?" She asked worriedly as Abby pulled back Kat's eyelids to shine a light in each eye.

"Barren and childless," Kat rasped, swatting Abby's hand away and sitting up slowly with a wince.

"I am your doctor, Kat Hale, quit joking around," Abby reprimanded sternly, searching Kat's face. "How are you feeling? Dizzy? Nauseous? Have you experienced any cramping since you've been down on the ground? When did you receive your contraceptive implant?"

Kat huffed an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes at the pair of them. "I feel fine. I'm a little dizzy, not nauseous. No I haven't had any cramping and you should know when I got my procedure done Dr. Griffin, as you were the one who did it." Abby raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, and Kat rolled her eyes again. "I got my period for the first time when I was thirteen."

Abby's frown deepened. "The procedure usually lasts 5-10 years. You should have gotten checked this year but - "

"But I was supposed to be dead," Kat interrupted in a flat voice, her grey eyes accusing.

Kat's POV

Kat watched Abby look away, the guilt flaring in her eyes and decided to change the subject, swinging her gaze to Clarke. "So what did I miss while I was annoyingly unconscious?" Clarke smiled, glad to see that Kat's attitude was back at least. Her smile quickly faded as she processed the question and was reminded of her meeting with the Commander. Kat picked up on the sudden tension in the room. "What? What's happened?"

"I just returned from a meeting with the Commander," Clarke told her after taking a deep breath. "We have a chance for a truce."

Kat's eyes flickered between Clarke's blue ones. "I would have thought this was good news," she commented in confusion, frowning. "But you don't look happy about it. What does she want in return?"

"She wants Finn," Clarke whispered in a strangled voice, though she swallowed hard and struggled to keep a strong face, blinking multiple times. "Blood must have blood."

"Let me guess," Kat snapped in a hard voice, scowling at Abby. "Our new Chancellor has already agreed."

"Kat," Clarke warned as Abby's eyes narrowed.

"What?" Kat asked, still glaring daggers at Abby. "She sent us down here to die, Clarke, and she agreed to kill hundreds of people for a couple months worth of oxygen on the Ark – "

"That was a different time," Abby interrupted angrily. "I will not sacrifice a child's life for peace – "

"You say that now," Kat interjected, crossing her arms. "We'll see if that changes when the grounders are at our gates. Then we'll find out if you've really changed."

There was a long, tense moment of silence as Kat and Abby stared each other down. With an obvious effort, Abby took a deep breath. "You need to rest, Kat, your body still hasn't recovered. This station isn't as well stocked with medical supplies as I would like and unfortunately one of the machines that we use to detect pregnancy is broken. I'm going to find Jackson and have him oversee the repairs – "

"Don't waste his time – " Kat growled in frustration.

"Cut it out, Kat," Clarke sighed, rolling her eyes. "We need to take every precaution. If you are pregnant – "

"What?" They all whipped their heads around to see Bellamy entering the medical tent, his eyes wide with shock, his voice low and horrified. "What… did you just – what did you say?"

Kat's heart leaped at the sight of him, but at the same time annoyance ran through her. He wasn't supposed to hear this bullshit. "They didn't say anything," Kat interjected quickly before Abby or Clarke could open their big mouths. "I'm fine! But I could really use something to eat," she said conversationally, hopping off the bed and hoping to distract all of them.

She stumbled as her head swam dizzyingly, and all three of them converged to steady her. She swore explosively, waving them all away. "Stop, I'm fine – "

"You're obviously not fine, Kat," Clarke accused, forcing her to sit back down.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Bellamy asked in a loud voice, his tan skin looking pale. "Is she pregnant? I thought women got those procedures, and can only get pregnant after their doctor takes out implant."

"I'm not – "

"We're not sure," Abby answered as if she hadn't spoken. "We're going to have to run some tests – "

"I'm not pregnant!" Kat exploded in frustration, effectively shutting them all up.

Octavia chose that moment to enter the tent. She froze, eyes huge, mouth opening and closing as they all turned to look at her. She hesitantly pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "I just… Lincoln's awake and he said he's willing to talk…." Her gaze landed on Kat and she looked concerned. "Are you pregnant?"

Kat let out a small scream of frustration, burying her hands in her hair and pulling. If they all didn't shut the fuck up soon she was going to lose it. Bellamy seemed to realize this too because he looked around the room and asked in a quiet voice. "Can you guys give us a minute?"

"Yes," Clarke responded immediately, grabbing her mom's arm and steering her towards the door. "We're going to go talk to Lincoln."

"Great," Kat piped up, not looking at Bellamy as she stood once more. "I'll come with you."

"Don't even think about it," Abby warned over her shoulder as Clarke pulled her away. "You're officially on bed rest, Katerina Hale!"

Kat watched miserably as Clarke pushed a confused and alarmed Octavia out of the room and crossed her arms as she was left alone with Bellamy. "Kat – " Bellamy began in a soft voice, reaching for her.

She pulled away, giving a sigh and shaking her head. She pretended not to notice the hurt flicker in his eyes. "Bellamy, I'm not pregnant. Reaper Lincoln just hit me in the head a little too hard is all."

"Are you sure?" Bellamy asked, his expression serious as his brown eyes captured hers. "Can you be one hundred percent certain that you're not?"

Kat opened her mouth to say yes when Abby's words came back to her. The implant lasted five to ten years, and it had been five since her own. "I'm not pregnant," she repeated stubbornly, but it was too late, she knew that he had seen her hesitation.

She could see the fear and uncertainty lurking in his eyes and he swallowed harshly, his legs giving out as he sat down heavily on the bed. His eyes were trained on the floor, brows furrowed as he thought things through. "Alright," he nodded after a moment, looking back up at her. "Okay. This isn't ideal, obviously, but I think we should wait for Abby's test – "

Kat threw up her arms, abruptly furious. "What are you talking about? I'm not pregnant, Bell, why aren't you on my side about this?"

"There are no sides Kat!" Now the frustration was leaking through his voice as he quickly stood up, glaring down at her, his nostrils flared. He blinked and the tension seemed to drain out of him, his voice growing softer and his expression pleading. "Let Abby run her tests so we can be sure." He grabbed her hands, his thumbs brushing the backs. "And if you are pregnant, then we'll deal with that when the time comes. It'll be tough to raise a child down on the ground, especially during a war, but we can make it work. I'm sure – "

Kat couldn't believe what she was hearing. Bad boy, bad ass Bellamy Blake was actually talking about raising a baby together and she couldn't decide if that simple fact made her want to laugh, scream or throw up. Feeling like she was having an out of body experience, Kat shook her head, pulling her hands away from him and stepping back. "Whoa, you need to slow the fuck down, Blake. This isn't some happy little fairytale where we create a little family and start raising children together. Like you said, we're in the middle of a war and we can literally die any day. Even if I did want to have kids, I wouldn't want to raise them in this kind of environment – what kind of life would that be?" She kept her face a stony mask, refusing to waver as she watched him struggle to comprehend this new information, and pushed on. "IF I am pregnant, and that's a big if… then I won't be keeping the baby."

Bellamy's face went slack with bewilderment. She could sense the moment that he wrapped his head around what she had just said, disgust, revulsion, and an automatic denial flickering across his face. "You mean – kill the baby?" He asked in a hushed voice, obviously not even wanting to say the words out loud. "Kat, you can't – "

Kat let out a harsh, crazed laugh. "Of course I can! The thing would be growing inside my body, wouldn't it? My body, my decision." Her tone was final, the end to the argument, but that only seemed to make him angrier.

His lips twisted as his eyes flashed. He took another step closer to her, towering over her, his shoulders tense and stiff. "That thing in there is half mine, it wouldn't even be there if not for me – "

"Yeah, thanks for that," Kat snarled sarcastically, rolling her eyes. At some point the theoretical baby had stopped being imaginary, but Kat was too far gone, too engrossed in the argument and her rage. She had thought it was annoying when Bellamy was trying to be sympathetic and understanding but now that he was trying to sway a decision that should be hers alone… it made her want to hit him. "This is none of your concern – "

"I'm the father!" Bellamy roared, clenching his fists, an ugly look on his face. "Aren't I, Kitten?"

Kat recoiled, hurt, offended and indignant that he had the balls to say that to her face. "How dare you – "

"No, how dare you!" He continued to bellow, spittle flying in her face, his brown eyes darker and angrier than she could ever remember seeing them. "This pregnancy doesn't just affect you and since that child has my DNA, than I get some say in what happens to it. I will not let you add an innocent baby to your already rapidly growing list of people you've murdered – "

The sound of Kat's backhanded slap resounded through the medical tent, Bellamy's head snapping to the side. She felt herself shutting down, withdrawing deep within herself, her face going blank like it used to whenever her father walked into the room with that look in his eye. She was made of ice, of stone, of metal, of whatever was necessary so that nothing could get through the cracks. "Get out." Even her voice was empty and even, smooth and fluid.

His hand automatically reached up to touch the rapidly growing red mark on his face. Chagrined, realizing he had probably gone too far, he tried to reach for her. "Kat – "

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"Fine," he snapped unhappily. "But this conversation isn't over."

Kat watched him walk away. She didn't punch the wall in anger, pull her hair in frustration or curl up on the bed in hopelessness. She took a moment to compose herself and shoved those inconsequential feelings to the side, striding over to pick up her sword, which was lying on the floor next to the bed, and strapping it to her back.

For the first time in her life, Kat was going to make a decision to take care of herself, to look out for her own safety. And in order to do that, she was going to need to talk to Lincoln.

He wasn't hard to find, luckily, as he was being treated and apparently held in the medical bay as well, just as few doors down. She found Octavia in the room with him, but thankfully Abby and Clarke were nowhere in sight. Octavia's eyes widened and she leapt to her feet, concern written all over her face. "Kat! Are you okay? What's going on – "

"I need to speak with him alone," Kat interrupted, without taking her eyes from Lincoln.

Octavia searched her face and apparently didn't like what she saw there. Looking troubled, she tried to walk over to Kat, lowering her voice. "What's wrong?" She asked. "What happened with Bellamy – "

"Nothing of importance," Kat answered dismissively. "I said that I need to speak with him alone."

Octavia opened her mouth to argue once more, but this time it was Lincoln who interrupted her. "It's alright, Octavia. I'll speak with her." She looked between Lincoln and Kat for a long moment, worry in her eyes, but in the end she just nodded, turning abruptly to leave the room.

Kat relaxed infinitesimally once she was gone, and took a moment to observe him, her eyes lingering on the restraints tied around his wrists and the messy, overgrown beard on his face. "Are they afraid that you'll turn back into a reaper?" She asked, nodding to the restraints.

Lincoln looked down at them too and shook his head slightly. "This was my decision. I refuse to lose control again, I refuse to hurt anybody else."

Kat tilted her head to the side in curiosity, remembering the red glaze to his eyes and the feral, one minded need to kill. "What was it like? Being a reaper."

A dark look crossed his face, and if Kat wasn't mistaken there was a hint of wild fear lurking in his eyes. "You lose yourself," he answered simply. "Who you were before you were turned, the people you loved or hated… it ceases to exist. There is only the rage, the overwhelming hunger and the need to kill. But the worst part? The worst part is when they save you. They don't understand that you can never be the person you once were. That everything you've done while you were under the drug doesn't just disappear. It haunts you when you're awake, it haunts you when you're asleep and it leaves you afraid that you're going to lose control again."

A shiver of her own fear and apprehension ran down Kat's spine. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be in Lincoln's place, but she knew that she wouldn't ever want to be in that position. "It may not seem like it, but you have people here who care for you, more than just Octavia. Some of us don't conveniently forget everything you've done for us just because you're a Grounder."

If he was surprised by her words, he didn't show it. He just inclined his head slightly and changed the topic. "Are you here about Finn? I already told the others that there's nothing you can do to save him. If you refuse to turn him over to the Commander, then hundreds of your people will die."

Kat didn't know how to feel about it. "What will she do to him?"

His voice was low, his expression unforgiving and unflinching. "It'll start with fire since he took the lives of the innocents. Then they'll take his hands… his tongue… his eyes. Everyone that's grieving will have a turn with a knife and when the sun rises, the Commander will end it with her sword."

"If he's not dead already," Kat pointed out, swallowing the bile in her throat. He nodded. "What Finn did was terrible, horrific, and inexcusable. I believe that he deserves to be punished for killing those innocent people, but to die like that…. I don't know if that is what he deserves."

"It doesn't matter what you feel he deserves," Lincoln countered with a deadpan expression. "This is what is necessary if you and your people want peace."

Kat nodded, accepting that, and pushed the matter to the side to think about it more fully later. "To be honest, I didn't come here to talk about Finn. I need to ask you a favor. But first I need you to swear that you won't tell anyone what we discussed today. Not Bellamy, not Clarke, not even Octavia." Lincoln's eyebrows raised and she could tell that he was intrigued. "Do I have your word?"

"You have my word," Lincoln agreed, nodding.

Kat steeled herself, working to be as expressionless as he was, to keep any emotion out of her voice. "I need your help and your knowledge of this world. I need some sort of plant or drink or whatever it is that will help me end a possible pregnancy." She took a deep breath. "Just in case."

Bellamy's POV

Bellamy didn't understand what just happened. He had tried to be patient, sympathetic and understanding. He had tried to think of the right thing to do or say in this situation, he had tried to step up and be a proper man, when all he really wanted to do was run in the opposite direction. When he had heard that Kat might be pregnant, underneath the initial shock was an immense amount of fear.

He loved Kat, more than he thought it was possible for him to love anybody, but he wasn't ready to be a father. He wanted more time with Kat, to get to know her better and love her without any distractions, but more than that, he wanted their people to have peace. War was a terrifying thing, there was always the threat of death hanging around their heads and it changes a person. Kat was right about one thing – this environment was no safe place to raise a child.

All of that didn't matter though. If Kat was pregnant, then he couldn't live with himself if he knowingly let Kat get rid of the baby. It was the most innocent, helpless being in this entire world and to kill it would haunt him for the rest of his life. It would blacken his very soul and he didn't know if he would be able to forgive himself for it.

He knew that Kat had a terrible, troubled childhood, that she still had the emotional scars as well as the physical ones, but he didn't think she would go so far as to kill an innocent child.

He wanted to go back in there, to yell, to apologize, to get her to see his side, but if the slap was any indication, she didn't want to talk to him. He knew he had crossed a line, he saw her withdrawing from him and part of him hated himself for doing that. It had taken Kat a very long amount of time to open up to him and he was terrified that he had just ruined everything that he had worked so hard for.

Fortunately, there wasn't much time for him to think about it. The grounders had surrounded them once more, hiding in the trees and chanting loud enough to be heard throughout their entire camp. Two riders with their masks covering their faces were waiting outside their gates. "They're just trying to scare us!" He called out to the rest of the guards, as well as the frightened people hovering around them. "Stay ready!"

When Abby exited the Ark station, striding towards the gates with a determined look on her face, Bellamy shifted the gun in his hands and followed after her, ready to jump in and help if need be. Clarke was next to him, her strong presence somehow comforting.

"Where's the boy?" One of the grounder riders growled, glaring down at them.

"We're not giving him up," Abby called defiantly, eyes blazing. "We're ready to fight, if that's what it comes to."

Bellamy tensed as a horn suddenly sounded and the riders abruptly turned to gallop away. What does that mean? He thought frantically, his mind racing. Are they going to attack? "Keep your eyes on the woods!" He shouted, taking a few steps closer to the Chancellor, snapping his gun up to his eye when he saw movement, a figure stepping out of the tree line.

Shock ran through him when he recognized Kane striding toward them, alone and looking unharmed. Abby went to meet him and they talked for a moment. Bellamy's eyes continued to flicker behind them into the woods, still feeling uneasy. "We can't be out in the open," he told them, moving forward. "We need to get somewhere safe."

"We're safe for the moment," Kane told them as he entered the gates, gesturing to Abby. "Come on, we need to talk. I've managed to buy us some time."

Bellamy and Clarke turned to watch them go. "Why would they just let him go?" Bellamy asked her quietly, still feeling extremely uneasy.

"I don't know." Clarke sounded and looked just as worried. "I'm going to go find Finn. You stay and wait for whatever decision they make." He nodded and began to walk away when she spoke again. "Bellamy? What happened with Kat?"

Fear and shame and anger burned through him, making him pause for a moment, but he didn't turn to look at her. Part of him wanted to explain what happened, to see what side Clarke would be on, but he didn't want to deal with those emotions right now. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered finally, before continuing on his way.

Something in his gut told him that the conversation between Abby and Kane would go against what him and the rest of them were trying to accomplish, which was to keep Finn safe. Raven joined him in waiting outside the council chambers, a grave expression on her face as she paced back and forth. He could tell that she was barely holding herself together.

It felt like ages before Abby finally emerged, and when she did, she ordered them out of her way and spouted some nonsense about how they were all trying to find a way out of this. "They're going to give him up," Bellamy said with a sudden realization.

"What?" Raven hissed, snapping her head around to look at him. "They can't do that!"

"We won't let them," he reassured her, making a split second decision and sticking by it. "Get some supplies and meet me by your gate. I'm going to go get Finn."

She nodded, her eyes showing gratitude, but he was just thankful she didn't mention it. He hurried through the corridors of the Ark station, ignoring everyone else that he passed as he searched for Finn. "Finn!" He called, jogging over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "We need to go."

He didn't argue, just followed after Bellamy with a grim look. Clarke wasn't having it, however, and she argued as she hurried along beside them. "No!" She disagreed hotly, glaring at Bellamy. "You know that this is the safest place for him – "

"Not anymore," Bellamy interjected. "They're turning on him, Clarke. We can protect him at the dropship until we can figure this thing out." The people of Camp Jaha watched with dark, distrusting eyes following Finn's every movement as they quickly walked past. "Grab your gear," Bellamy continued in a hushed voice. "Meet me at Raven's Gate in five. She's already working on cutting the power."

"Fine, but nobody's coming with me," Finn told them in a serious voice, daring them to disagree. "I won't be responsible for someone getting hurt because of me."

"That isn't up for discussion."

"We are surrounded by grounders, Bellamy!" Clarke hissed, looking indecisive. "We're not going to be able to sneak out of here without anybody noticing."

"We split up, we take the low ground and we'll make it through," Bellamy assured her, feeling frustrated that they were wasting time talking about this. "We don't have any other choice."

"There he is!" A man followed by ten to fifteen others approached them, an ugly look on his face as his eyes fell on Finn. A snarl was on his lips and a lead pipe was in his hand. "You are going to get us killed!"

A scowl crossed Bellamy's face and he released a low growl of frustration at the crowd that was beginning to gather. He needed to act quickly and stop this before it even got started. Raising the gun strapped around his shoulders, he swiftly stepped forward into the man's personal space and slammed the butt of the gun into his gut. The man collapsed on the floor, clutching his stomach in pain and struggling to breathe. "Anybody else?" He called in a deep voice, glaring at the crowd.

"Bellamy's right," he heard Clarke whisper to Finn, watching the people with distrust. "We have to go."

Glad that Clarke had finally come around, he jogged after them as they pushed their way through the crowd and headed for the door that would lead them to Raven's Gate.

He swallowed yet another noise of frustration when they had to slow because of yet another figure standing in their way, silhouetted against the outside sun. His jaw clenched when it turned around and he got close enough to see that it was Kat.

Her arms were crossed and her expression was still carefully blank, though when her gray eyes flickered to Finn, they narrowed slightly. Bellamy could feel Clarke glancing at him out of the corner of his eye and he knew she was waiting for him to say something. But the moment he had seen Kat, his mouth had run dry as their argument came crashing back, and all the things that he said and still wanted to say had come back to haunt him. It was a new feeling. He was both sad and angry at the same time and he didn't know what to say or do to bridge the mile long gap between them.

Clarke stepped forward when Bellamy didn't move, her blue eyes pleading and her voice cautious. "Kat… I know how you feel about what Finn did, and in no way am I saying that it's okay. But he doesn't deserve some barbaric Grounder ritual of justice. They're going to torture him until he's dead, Kat. Nobody deserves that."

"I disagree," Kat countered in a cold voice, unconsciously reaching a hand up to trace the scar around her eye. "There are some people in this world who deserve worse." Bellamy shifted his grip on the gun, wondering what was going through her mind right now. He knew that she felt Finn deserved some sort of punishment – would she call out for the guards? Would this turn into a fight? He tensed when she moved, though it was only to step out of the way to let them past.

"Why?" Finn asked simple, his voice thick and his face confused.

"I remember the Finn from when we first came to the ground. The one who fought for other people, the one who fought for peace when everyone else just wanted to fight. That Finn doesn't deserve that type of death. It's for him that I'm going to let you go. I really hope that he can make his way past this."

"Thank you," Clarke murmured, her relief evident. She put a hand on Finn's back to guide him out the door, pausing next to Kat and gratefully squeeze her arm on her way past.

"Don't make me regret it," she warned, giving them both a meaningful look before walking away in the opposite direction.

Bellamy closed his eyes as she walked past him, breathing in the scent of her and fighting the urge to fall at her feet and beg for her forgiveness. It was a minute before he was able to compose himself and continue on after Clarke and Finn. Her dismissal of him hurt more than he thought it would.

She hadn't looked at him once the entire time.

Kat's POV

"I know that look," Kat called, pushing off the Ark station and walking over to Abby who had just exited with a determined expression. "You Griffin women are all the same, apparently. What are you planning?"

Abby ignored that, slowing to glance at her with an exasperated roll of her eyes. "What are you doing, Kat? You're supposed to be on bed rest."

Kat snorted, crossing her arms. "And what, just lie in bed all day with nothing but my own thoughts? With all that's been going on? I'll go insane and probably end up getting myself in trouble."

Abby hesitated, glancing around her before stepping closer and muttering in a low voice, "Lincoln says Indra is one of the loudest voices that speak to the Commander against agreeing to a truce. I arranged a meeting with her face to face – "

Kat let out a little laugh, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. "You're going to talk to Indra? Abby there's no reasoning with that woman, she hates us and would rather see us all dead."

"I have to try," Abby insisted heatedly, and Kat recognized the weight that she was feeling as Chancellor. She was responsible not only for Finn's life, but for the life of everyone in this camp. "If I can't get through to her, then maybe I can show her that we feel their pain. I have to do something!"

Kat nodded slowly, a frown on her face as her mind raced. When she looked up at Abby, her mind was made up, her determined expression mirroring Abby's. "Alright. I'm coming with you. As backup."

This time Abby's eyebrows raised high into the air. "Why? You haven't exactly hidden your dislike of me."

Kat shrugged. "I've seen how much a person can change, how much I've changed since I've been down here. A few months ago you wouldn't have hesitated to hand over Finn for the greater good of your people, but now I can see that you're at least searching for other possible options. And that shows me that maybe you've changed. We're not perfect, Abby. But I'm not going to let you meet Indra without backup – you know what I can do and you know that I can help."

Abby gave her a sad smile, a lost expression in her eyes. "I guess I have to stop viewing you all as kids, don't I," she murmured softly. Kat shifted, unsure how to answer that, but the moment passed and Abby took a deep breath, the vulnerable look gone and the Chancellor in it's place. "Alright, Kat. Request granted. Let's go."

They left immediately, walking out the front gate and heading a short distance away from the Camp. Kat trailed behind Abby, her sword safely in her sheath though she would much rather have it in her hand, especially when Indra stepped out from the forest, a dark expression on her face as she headed towards them, two silent guards of her own behind her.

"Why have you come, Leader of the Sky People?" Indra asked, stopping a short distance away.

"To talk," Abby told her in a calm voice, walking forward and holding out her empty hands. "We have both seen too many of our people die."

Indra walked forward as well, and quick as a flash, she had a knife out and pressed against Abby's throat. Kat moved at the same time that Indra did, her sword out of it's sheath and pressed against Indra's side. It was like a domino effect – only a second later, Indra's guards had their own swords out and aimed at Kat.

"Give me the word, Chancellor," Kat told her, her eyes on Indra and her body poised for action.

"No," Abby told her calmly, holding her chin high. "Hold your position."

"You came to lie," Indra hissed, her face right in front of Abby's, who Kat was proud to see had managed to grip Indra's wrist before the dagger touched her neck. "I have seen your killer in the forest. You ordered him to run and then you came here to distract us."

Abby's eyes flickered over to Kat and her jaw set when she saw the truth in her eyes. Instead of claiming she had no idea, Abby told the truth. "I'm just trying to keep my people alive," she told Indra, not flinching from the dagger or her fear. "Same as you."

"You told our riders you were ready to fight. If we don't find the boy, you will be able to prove that."

"You kill one of ours, we kill two of yours," Abby glared back at her. "That only helps the Mountain Men." Kat could tell that Abby's words gave Indra pause. "There has to be another way to end this without bloodshed," she insisted passionately.

"You have courage," Indra murmured finally, her gaze searching Abby's face. She took a deliberate step backwards, lowering her knife to her side. Abby nodded at Kat, who reluctantly sheathed her sword and stepped back, Indra's guards doing the same. "But courage is not justice." Her next words were final, and they hung over them, clouding the air and making them feel helpless. "Only the boy can die for what the boy has done."

"Now what?" Kat asked Abby, walking over to her as they both watched Indra and her guards disappear into the forest. Kat had to admit that she was impressed with the way that Abby handled herself. She showed no fear in the face of an intimidating Indra and it was clear from the passion in her voice that she truly wanted to find a solution where nobody had to get hurt.

But it was also clear that they were quickly running out of options. "I don't know," Abby whispered honestly. "But we'll think of something." Kat followed her back to camp, her hands deep in her pockets and her thoughts weighing heavily on her mind. "You're worried," Abby guessed after glancing at her in the following silence.

"Wouldn't you be?" Kat asked rhetorically, not really expecting an answer.

"It's hard, having a baby - especially raising one. We traded one set of dangers for another. But despite the grounder threat, everyone feels like there is actual hope here. That we can get through this rough time in order to make a real home for ourselves. Where our children and grandchildren won't have to fear getting floated for a simple mistake. There will always be rules and danger - that's a fact of life. But I would like to believe that a child down here will have a much better life than a child who was born on the Ark. There will be more freedom here, especially once we claim a spot on this planet for ourselves."

Kat thought on her words long after she had left to tell Kane what had occurred. Could they do it? Could they raise a child in this world despite the fears that threatened to hold them back?

Bellamy's POV

This plan was quickly going to shit. Finn and Clarke made it late to the dropship because they were attacked by a grounder. Clarke was hit pretty hard on the head and was knocked out for a long time. Add that to the fact that they were now surrounded by grounders on all sides and it made for a very dire situation.

"They're not moving any closer," Murphy observed from where they were peeking out from behind the old parachute they had hung to cover the entrance.

"Staying out of range," Bellamy grunted in annoyance, turning back to look at their group. "They're waiting until it's dark."

He could both see and feel their hopelessness in the way their shoulders slumped and the dark look in their eyes. Murphy seemed to feel it as well. "If we hit them now, at least we take them by surprise!" He whirled around, eyes flashing.

"We don't even know how many of them are out there," Clarke argued, shaking her head.

"I'm not hearing any better ideas, Clarke," Murphy snorted, his sarcastic smile playing around the edges of his mouth.

Raven stopped her pacing to join the group and Bellamy decided right then that he didn't like the dark, reckless look on her face. "We give them something that they want," she announced, her brown eyes flat.

"The only thing they want is Finn," Bellamy pointed out, not seeing where she was going with this.

"Finn wasn't the only one at the village."

Horror filled him as he finally began to understand Raven's plan, why she had invited Murphy in the first place. "Raven, hold on – "

"What are you talking about?" Clarke asked, shaking her head. She looked like she had an inkling of where Raven was going with this, but didn't want to actually acknowledge that she could do something like this.

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Murphy snarled, a scowl crossing his face. "I'm here to protect Finn, you're the one who invited me – " He froze as it finally sunk in, and Bellamy was actually surprised to see a hurt look cross his face before he covered it with his usual Murphy smirk. "You planned this. You wanted me to take his place."

"Enough grounders saw him at the village, they would believe he was the shooter," Raven explained in a hard, unflinching voice. Bellamy had never seen that unforgiving look on her face, and the fact that she was willing to go to these lengths to save Finn was both a terrifying and powerful thing. It was almost as bad as the lengths that Finn went to in order to find Clarke.

"Sick bitch," Murphy growled.

"Raven you can't do this – "

"You know what they'll do to him – "

She ignored them all. "They want a murderer? We'll give them a murderer." Looking extremely unhinged and yet also incredibly in control of herself, Raven raised her gun and clicked off the safety. "Drop your gun," she ordered.

"Go to hell," Murphy retorted, taunting her with a flat expression as he stepped closer to her.

"Stop it Raven," Clarke insisted, looking between the pair of him. "Like it or not, he's one of us – "

"I said drop it," she spat, pushing her own gun into his chest.

"Stop it!" Finn cried, lunging forward and pushing Raven's gun away, his face distressed at what this was coming to. "We're not doing this," he told Raven pointedly, causing her to look away. "They have us surrounded. Our only option is to stay and defend this place."

"I'm with you," Bellamy declared, feeling relieved when everybody else murmured their agreements.

"Good. Murphy, go upstairs and watch the rear," Finn ordered, taking charge with a no nonsense look on his face. "I'll take the lower level and you three take the front gate. That is the plan," he insisted, meeting each of their eyes to make sure they understood how serious he was. "Understood?"

Everyone nodded and without any more complaints or arguments, they each left to do as they were told. Bellamy, Clarke and Raven slipped out of the drop ship, hurry to take cover behind the old defenses that they had set up for the previous battle. "Keep your eyes peeled," he ordered, lifting his gun into the ready position, straining his ears and eyes for any sort of movement out in the forest.

There was nothing for the longest time, only the sound of Bellamy's own breathing and the feeling of his heart pounding in his chest. "Look!" Raven suddenly called in a hushed whisper. "It's…." Her voice trailed off as a figure suddenly stepped out from behind the wall and they saw who it was. "Finn," she breathed in a shocked, horrified whisper.

"No!" Clarke shouted as he turned to face them, his eyes resolute as he raised his hands in the air. She lunged to her feet and started to run toward him. "Finn!"

It all happened so quickly. Bellamy had just stood, acting too slowly in his disbelief, when the grounders converged on Finn, shouting in their language and taking him away in the blink of an eye.

There was nothing left for them to do. They all stood there for a moment in their shock. Bellamy could feel the waves of desperation, anger, and fear rolling off both Raven and Clarke. At the same time, however, Bellamy wasn't completely surprised by Finn's sacrifice. He had been saying all along that he didn't want anyone else to get hurt for him, Bellamy knew that he hated the fact that they were keeping him safe at the risk of death and war.

"Come on," Bellamy murmured to them, putting a comforting hand on Raven's shoulder. "We should get back and let the others know what happened."

Raven made a disgusted noise and shrugged his hand off, but stalked inside the dropship all the same to gather her pack. She kept up her pissed off exterior on their long walk back as she took the lead, and there was an angry, sullen Murphy bringing up the rear.

"How are you doing?" Bellamy asked Clarke, the only person who wasn't like to bite his head off.

She shook her head, looking lost. "Why would he do something like that?" She asked heatedly. "How could he just agree to be tortured and killed?"

"You know why," Bellamy told her gently, his brown eyes sympathetic.

"To atone for what he's done," Clarke sighed, looking away. "And to save everyone that he thinks he's putting in danger."

"You can be angry with him all you like, Clarke." Bellamy's lips twitched with the sad irony. "But you would have made the same decision that he did. You would not have let other people die just to keep yourself safe. And that's not something that I can fault him for - "

"Let's talk about something else," she interrupted, glancing up at him curiously. "What happened with Kat? I almost got frostbite from with icy tension between you two earlier."

"Let's talk about something else," Bellamy repeated her words, uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"I've known Kat longer than anyone else here," Clarke reminded him. "Let me guess. She's pushed you away." Bellamy glanced at her sharply in surprise and Clarke nodded, her expression resigned. "Kat spent our entire childhood keeping me at arm's length. We were kids, but I noticed her unkempt hair and clothes and the days that she missed school. I tried to get her to open up to me, tried to get her to come over to my place to hang out, but she always had excuses. We were thirteen years old when I finally convinced her to come over for dinner. Her dad found out and practically dragged her from the room – I've never seen someone look so frightened as Kat did that night. When I went over to her place to check on her, I saw her father hit her and though she pleaded with me not to, I told my mother who told Jaha. Kat's father found out and went after her and Kat had to kill him in order to survive. I didn't know it at the time, but Kat pushed me away for all those years because she was afraid of what her father would do if someone found out about what he was doing."

Bellamy hated hearing about the scared, young version of Kat and whenever her father was mentioned, he wanted to bring that bastard back to life just so he could slowly kill him all over again. He loathed anyone who caused Kat pain, and at that moment, Bellamy realized that he was one of those people. "If she is pregnant," he found himself telling Clarke in a soft voice. "She wants to get rid of the baby."

Clarke closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head. "I feared it was something like that. You need to look at it from her point of view – she had a terrible childhood and she's just learning how to take care of herself properly. She's truly living for the first time in eighteen years."

"So you agree with her?" He asked her hotly, getting upset all over again. "Maybe she needs to look at it from my point of view! When my mother realized she was pregnant with Octavia, she could have gotten the baby too. And if she had, I would have a little sister – "

"I'm not saying I agree with her," Clarke interjected, reassuring him quickly. "But I do believe that she has a choice to make. You both do. You need to talk to her and explain your side of things. Have an open and honest conversation. While the thought of having a little Bellamy or Kat running around is terrifying," she smiled jokingly, though it was still tinged with that sadness. "I do think that both of you would be great parents if that is what you decide to do. You love each other and in this type of situation, that's all that matters."

Kat's POV

All of Camp Jaha stood safely behind their electric gates, eerily silent as they watched what was happening on the other side of their walls. She could see thousands of torches lighting the open field, could hear all of the grounders chanting and jeering as they set up a funeral post that was meant to hold Finn. Kat hated the feeling of helplessness and injustice that she was feeling. While she didn't agree with the Councils nonexistent punishment for Finn, he didn't deserve this kind of painful, torturous death.

"We've got to get him," she heard Bellamy suddenly say, his voice more emotional then she would have expected. "We'll get in close and hit them hard.

"Son," Kane said gently, his face grim. "There's thousands of them. Even if we could kill hundreds, they would still wipe out this camp and your friend would still die."

Raven tried next, tears in her voice. "Abby, we have to do something! We have to do something!"

Abby's face was heartbroken and sympathetic as she turned to the distraught girl. "No, Raven," she whispered.

Clarke, who was standing on one side of Kat, had obviously heard what the others were saying, and Kat felt her shoulders tense. She stepped back and slipped into the crowd, with Kat, Bellamy and Raven following her lead.

"Take this," she told Bellamy, handing him her gun as she walked towards the gate.

"What are you going to do?" Bellamy asked apprehensively.

"I'm going to talk to the Commander," Clarke told them resolutely. "I have to try."

"Give me your hand," Raven commanded, turning Clarke's wrist over and placing a piece of the dagger gently up Clarke's sleeve. "If she won't let him go… kill her."

Clarke nodded grimly, but Kat disagreed with that plan entirely. "Are you insane?" She hissed, looking between both girls. "If she stabs the Commander in front of the thousands of grounders surrounding her on all sides, that's a death wish, Raven! There's no way that Clarke would get out of there alive."

Raven shook her head. "Things will go crazy and we'll grab her and Finn!" She turned back to Clarke, her expression pleading. "Clarke, you have to help! I owe him my life," she whispered brokenly.

Kat watched Clarke shoulder that responsibility as she nodded again. Kat felt incredibly torn, warring with herself before making a split decision. Clarke made it a few more steps to the gate before Kat stepped forward, grabbing her arm to stop her and whisper in her ear. "Don't do anything stupid, Blondie. Don't get yourself killed."

She stepped back once more as the gates opened for Clarke, and the three of them stepped up closer to the wire walls to watch. There was nothing left for them to do. They could only watch Clarke's blonde head get smaller as she entered the grounders camp. They saw the grounders part for her like waves, tensed when Indra held a spear to her stomach before the Commander ordered her to stand down. Clarke made her way to the Commander, but they were too far away to hear what was being said.

Kat could hear her own heartbeat resonating throughout her entire body, her muscles taut as a bowstring and her jaw clenched. Her eyes stayed on Clarke the entire time, knowing that if she made a move on the Commander that they were too far away to help her. Kat breathed a sigh of relief as Clarke stepped away from Lexa and made her way over to Finn. She couldn't help but feel terrible for the other girl as she kissed and embraced the boy that she loved, and she could feel her throat burning with her emotions when Finn buried his head into Clarke's shoulder.

She was not prepared for what came next, however. When Clarke stepped away from Finn, his head was still hanging down lifelessly and even from here she could see the bright red stain on the front of his shirt. Her mouth parted in shock, her eyes widening as Clarke turned around, tears streaming down her face and the realization sunk in. Clarke had just used the knife that Raven had given her to kill Finn before the grounders could.

A high, piercing scream shattered the sudden silence of the night, making Kat jump, looking over to her left to see Bellamy catch Raven as she sank to her knees, sobbing and screaming, his own expression of devastation on his face as he tried in vain to soothe her.

Kat's head snapped back around, her eyes searching for Clarke, waiting for the moment that the grounders realized what she had done and turned to kill her instead. Some of them, Indra included, started forward as if to do just that, but the Commander raised her hand, said something, and the weapons were put away.

"Open the gates!" Abby shouted, pushing through the crowd as Clarke was led into a nearby tent. Kat ran after her, followed by Kane, Bellamy and Raven after she staggered back to her feet, still crying. Most of the grounders had begun to dissipate as they approached the grounder camp. Kat made to follow Abby and Kane as they went to follow Clarke into the tent, but Bellamy grabbed her arm and shook his head.

She followed his line of sight and watched Raven limp towards Finn's body, sobbing. "Cut him down!" She yelled to a few nearby grounders, her voice cracking with the strain. "Cut him down, damn it, did you hear me! You stupid, useless, piece of – "

Kat hurried forward to pull Raven back before she could get herself into trouble while Bellamy worked on cutting down Finn's body, gently lowering him to the floor. Raven shoved Kat to the side, stumbling to collapse near his head, a loud sob wracking her body as she reached out with shaking hands to brush his hair back from his face.

"Raven," Kat tried, not even sure what she was going to say, her heart breaking for her friend, hating to see her in this much pain.

"Go away," Raven snapped, her voice hitching even as she refuse to look away from Finn's face. "Nothing you say is going to make this any better, Kat. Just leave me alone."

Kat swallowed her protest at Raven's words, glaring at the grounders that stood guarding his body as Bellamy put a hand on the small of her back and led her to a secluded part of the field. "This shouldn't have happened," Kat groaned, collapsing on a nearby log and putting her head in her hands. "Clarke shouldn't have had to make that decision, Finn shouldn't have had to die and none of them should be in this much pain."

She felt Bellamy crouch down in front of her, could feel his concerned gaze. "She did what she thought was the right thing," he told her gently. "She saved him from a lot of pain."

"I know," Kat whispered, feeling a bleak humor in an impossible situation. "If there's one thing that's consistent about Clarke, it's that she always does the right thing,"

Bellamy gently reached out and grabbed her hands to pull them away from her face. She looked down at him, taking strength and solace from his strong presence. "We need to talk about this, Kat," he murmured. He didn't have to explain what he was talking about.

"I know," Kat repeated.

"I'm sorry!" They both blurted at the same time, smiling and relaxing a bit, the tension between them easing. "You first," Bellamy prompted, fondly reaching out and tugging the end of her ponytail.

"I love you," she told him fiercely, grabbing his hand to pull it into her lap and clutch it tightly, her gray eyes blazing. "I never want to lose you, Bellamy, and with everything that's happened today, I realized that I don't want to push you away either. I've changed so much from the person that I used to be and I don't want to be like her ever again. Let's talk about this," she whispered, her eyes searching his. "Open and honestly – "

Bellamy cut her off, reaching his other hand behind her neck and pulling her forward to crash his lips to hers, silencing her effectively as he kissed her soundly. She could feel the relief and the desperation in his kiss, and the passion with which his lips moved made her breathless. "I love you," he murmured, pulling back slightly as she stared at him with dazed eyes. "And I'm so proud of the person you've become."

"I'm scared, Bell," she whispered in a high, childlike voice, resting her forehead against his and holding both of his wrists as he cradled her face. "I don't remember my mother and the thought of becoming one fills me with such an overwhelming panic. I've never had that motherly instinct, I've never wanted kids – hell I've never even seen a baby up close! I wouldn't know what to do and I'd probably end up hurting it."

He pulled back a few inches, his eyes searching hers. "I'm scared too, Kat," he admitted. "But I'm not worried about you hurting our child. Nobody really knows what they're doing the first time they become a parent and it can be overwhelming. I'm sorry for those things that I said to you," he told her firmly, his thumbs brushing her cheeks at the uncertain look in her eye. "I'm sorry I hurt you. But when you were talking about getting rid of it – of the child that we might have made together – I lashed out. My mother could have gotten rid of Octavia when she found out she was pregnant. And if she had, then Octavia wouldn't be in my life at all, and that's a terrifying thought for me. I think about the person our child might become and can't even imagine not giving it the chance to live."

Kat mouthed wordlessly, feeling incredibly stupid for not thinking about how her words would affect him. "I'm sorry," she apologized immediately, her eyes wide with regret. "I didn't even think about Octavia. I wasn't thinking about anyone else but myself, really."

"I know," he told her gently, his hands moving down her arms to lace their fingers together. "I helped raise her, Kat. I've held a baby in my hands and watched her grow, and while it was a different experience since I was just a child myself, I know the basics of it. I would be there to help you, Kitten, every step of the way. Just try and picture it for a second. A tiny, perfect little baby that we created out of our love for each other. Someone that will love us unconditionally, someone that will depend on us and need us completely. We can do this, Katerina Hale," he told her vehemently, brown eyes smoldering. "We can raise this baby. Together."

Kat listened as his passionate voice washed over her, and against her will she could picture it, could almost feel that little baby with his tousled brown hair and her gray eyes in her arms, could almost feel the love that she had for it. She found herself nodding as he was speaking, her heart in her throat, though she was still scared out of her wits. "Yes," she breathed, blinking rapidly, but the picture of their small family was still there burned into her brain. "If… if I'm pregnant…I want to keep the baby."

A breathtaking, genuine smile crossed Bellamy's face as he sat up on his knees to gather her into his arms for a fierce hug. Kat wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in her neck as she shook slightly, overwhelmed with her decision, but knowing in her heart that it was the right one. There was a memory of her father that had been haunting her all day, one that she hadn't told anybody. On the day that she had killed him, when he had entered their rooms drunk and raging, he had let slip that he had tried to convince her mother to abort her when she had learned she was pregnant.

Kat was determined that she wasn't going to become anything like her father. That she would be strong like her mother even in the face of her crippling fear.

The sound of a throat being cleared caused them to pull apart and look around. Clarke was standing behind them, an emotionless, defeated look on her face. Abby was standing next to her, concern for her daughter emanating from her in waves. Both Kat and Bellamy stood. "We are taking Finn's body to TonDC, where his body will be burned along wit the other dead. Only then will we have peace and form an alliance to free our people in Mount Weather. I'm choosing you two to come along with me as my attendants. Go back to camp and grab a pack. We leave within the hour."

"Is she alright?" Kat asked worriedly as she watched Clarke walk away.

"No," Abby answered honestly, before taking a deep breath. "I just got word from Jackson. They managed to fix the machine. Let's get you checked out before we leave."

Fear filled Kat again, but this time for a different reason. Bellamy laced his hand with hers, offering whatever strength he could as they followed Abby back to camp. She wondered what he was thinking, and kept repeating the words that he had just said to her like a mantra. Everything was going to be okay. They were going to raise this baby. Togeher.

She was instructed to take off her pants and underwear once they were in the medical tent and they had fired up the machine. She was covered in a blanket and told to lie down on a table. Bellamy sat by her head, running his fingers soothingly through her hair though she could feel the tension resonating within him. Kat kept her eyes on the ceiling of the tent, refusing to looking at what Abby was doing down there.

"This might feel a little uncomfortable," Abby warned, and Kat winced as something was inserted inside of her. "Try to relax."

Kat could feel her frantic heartbeat and tried to slow her rapid breaths. Sweat gathered at the nape of her neck as she clenched and unclenched her hands. "I'm with you no matter what happens," Bellamy murmured softly, leaning forward and pressing his lips to her temple. She nodded shakily as Abby pressed a few buttons on the machine before breathing out a sigh.

"Well?" Bellamy demanded impatiently, his jaw flexing.

"She's not pregnant."

Kat closed her eyes as the words washed over her, but not before she saw the disappointment and devastation on Bellamy's face. She expected to feel relief, but instead she had to fight the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

This was what she had wanted from the beginning, wasn't it? To be free of the burden of a baby and to be given the chance to live her life with no responsibilities?

So why did this hurt so much? Why it feel like her heart had just shattered, the pieces cutting through her lungs and making it hard to breathe? But most importantly why did it feel like she had just lost a part of herself that she hadn't even known existed?

Author's Note: This was such an unexpectedly emotional chapter for me to write. I hope that I explained both Kat's and Bellamy's thoughts and feelings appropriately and you agree with my decision for each of their reasonings.

To be completely honest, I threw Lexa's words about Kat possibly being pregnant in there last minute to stir up some drama, but was completely overwhelmed by the positive responses that I got now that Kat might be pregnant. It made me seriously think about what I was going to do, and I hope I didn't disappoint you all too much. I decided that it wasn't the right time for a pregnancy – but it doesn't mean I'll rule one out in the future. I think everyone needs a Bellerina baby with a protective Bellamy as the father in their lives!

I hope this long chapter makes up for my absence and I'll try not to take so long next time!

What did you guys think of the Season 3 premiere? I'm already not a fan of Bellamy's new girl. If you've thought of any ways to integrate Kat into the action I would love to hear your ideas!

As always, don't forget to review! You people are the reason I keep coming back to this story :)