Miss Me Princess?

Chapter Ten

Heat burned red in her cheeks, embarrassment pulsing through her with every step as Clarke marched quickly towards the centre of camp, as though if she walked away from the wall fast enough it would be like the last few embarrassing minutes never even happened. She silently scolded herself: Murphy catches her and all of a sudden she's all breath catching and heart racing, like some damsel in distress. She was not a damsel in distress. Ok, so she actually had been a bit of a damsel in distress: freaking out over jumping down from the platform; but that didn't mean she had to fulfil the cliché by getting all flustered over a warm chest and a strong pair of arms.

"Ugh." She groaned disgusted with herself. Clarke wasn't sure where she was headed until a shout off to her left drew her attention. She stopped in her tracks, listening as a handful of shouts echoed out sounding urgent and panicked.

"Is that smoke?" Murphy asked as he caught up to her. They shared a worried look before hurrying towards the noise. Spotting Bellamy in the crowd Clarke headed towards him.

"What the hell happened?" she called out to him as they approached.

"A fire in the smoking hut." He growled angrily, kicking at charred planks of wood. "Some asshole wouldn't listen to Octavia. Now the meat is burnt instead of smoked." Was all he said by way of explanation, then his eyes fixed on Murphy and some of his anger dropped to a simmer. "You just finished?" Bellamy asked him.

"Yeah. Miller is overseeing the shifts. Sterling just took over on tower four." Murphy told him.

"And?" Bellamy prompted.

"Quiet. Too quiet." Murphy said. Bellamy's lips thinned and he nodded his head once. Clarke didn't understand the grave look that passed between them then but before she could question it Monroe approached, black smudges of soot and smoke staining her face and her jacket.

"It's bad." She said, nodding to Clarke as she gave her report to Bellamy. "We managed to save some of the meat but not a lot. At least half of what we had is completely gone and some of what's left is probably too damaged to be edible." Bellamy cursed. Clarke sighed.

"Then we have to hunt." She said resignedly. "Anyone we can spare goes out."

"With a whole grounder army out there?" Bellamy questioned dubiously.

"We can't defend ourselves if we're starving." Clarke countered. Then she turned to Murphy. "What do you think?" He looked up at her sharply. Bellamy's eyes were wide as he glanced back and forth between Murphy and Clarke. Murphy cleared his throat.

"Well…" he began awkwardly, "what about your gun idea?" He reminded her hesitantly. "Now there might be two reasons to go out." Clarke straightened, her eyes growing wide as she turned the idea over in her head.

"What gun idea?" Bellamy asked, his interest piqued.

"I was thinking about the bunker." Clarke explained distractedly as she mulled over their options. "Between attempted murders and the hallucinogenic nuts we never did a thorough search to check for more guns and ammo. What if there's more?" Bellamy's eyes widened. "We could really use some more." She said wistfully.

"You want to do it now?" he asked "With a whole grounder army out there." He repeated exasperatedly.

"It could mean the difference between winning and losing." Clarke argued. Bellamy's gaze slipped from her to Murphy. Seeing Bellamy's attention on him he quickly spoke up.

"If we're going out for food anyway it might be worth checking." He offered hesitantly.

"Fine." Bellamy reluctantly agreed, "But one of us should go." He told Clarke "We already know the way and we already know where to look. Hopefully that will save time."

"You're right." She nodded. "I'll go. You're needed here more than I am right now." There was a moments pause where Murphy thought Bellamy might argue but he didn't.

"Fine." He conceded. "But you're not going alone. And you're taking a gun."

"Fine." Clarke agreed. "So if you stay here with a shift of guards, and we send a group out hunting, who can you spare to come with me to the bunker?"

As soon as Clarke asked Bellamy the question an ominous feeling twisted in Murphy's gut. He imagined Clarke alone in the forest miles from camp with some jerk she didn't know who was twice her size and carrying a gun, and suddenly the whole thing didn't seem like such a good idea anymore. It seemed dangerous. The faces of some of the camp trouble makers flashed through his head until his thoughts rested on Justin and hot panic burned through him.

"I'll go with her." Murphy blurted out. "If you want." He hastily added, looking at Clarke doubtfully., only then realising that she might feel just as unsafe alone in the woods with him. Clarke's eyes snapped quickly to his and held. She searched his face for what felt like hours before answering.

"Ok." She agreed with a smile. An unexpected wave of relief washed over him. "Thanks Murphy." She said softly. He saw the warm glow of gratitude in her eyes for just a moment before she tore her gaze away from him, dropping her eyes to the ground. The hard edge of Bellamy's assessing gaze seemed to relax once Clarke agreed, his stare no longer piercing hard through Murphy's skin. The last several days Murphy had noticed that while Bellamy was gruff and short with him, he was far less hostile now compared to when Murphy had first returned to camp. Murphy knew that was only because he had Clarke's approval. But now Bellamy seemed to be considering him thoughtfully.

"Fine." Bellamy said once Clarke lapsed into silence. "Let's organise some hunting pairs too. You'll all leave at first light and be back before dark."

Clarke ate a quick dinner and headed straight to her tent, wanting an early night and a good sleep. Today had been an early start and tomorrow they would be up even earlier for a full day of trekking. Shedding her jacket, she thought back over her busy day, the busy last four days since she contracted the grounder sickness, and all the preparations they had been making for the attack that she was sure would have happened by now. Just one more day could make all the difference, she thought. If her and Murphy actually found more guns and ammunition it could mean everything in this war. They just needed one more day.

Laying back on her meagre collection of bedding – some small animal skins, a few mangy furs and an ark issue blanket – Clarke's tired body melted into the warmth and softness, savouring the rare moment of quiet solitude. Clarke heard the approaching steps and the rustle of the tent flap - which she hadn't yet secured shut because she was waiting for Murphy to return - and she assumed it was him there now. She heard the footsteps stop and sensed his presence beside her. But when her eyes slid lazily from where they had been resting on the canvas above her head, a punch of cold fear jarred through her body when she found the wrong him standing in her tent. Instead of the sharp angled, pale face and silvery-grey eyes she had been expecting, there was a shroud of long black hair casting dark shadows over a pair of black eyes. Finn's face loomed over her, peering down at her as she lay on her bed. The sight had her breath stuttering and her heart hammering in fright. Every muscle pulled taut as Clarke jumped up, feeling suddenly prone and exposed.

"Finn." She gasped. The jolt of shock sent adrenaline coursing through her blood. Her hand had automatically reached for the knife that was buried in the blankets by her side. Breathing hard and eyes wide, she stared up at him like a startled animal.

Yes, she had been avoiding him and perhaps that wasn't fair, but this felt like an ambush. That thought had her mind jumping to Murphy being ambushed the night before and her heart couldn't help but pick up its pace to a frightened gallop. Her adrenaline surged as fractured memories of angry whispers and bleeding lips flashed through her head, encouraging her heart to keep its rapid pace.

There was a determined gleam in Finn's eyes, he looked impatient as his fists clenched and unclenched in his aggravation. The sight he made - standing over her, between her and the exit - did nothing to slow her breathing or settle her panic.

"Clarke-" he spoke sharply, with pent up frustration. But Finn didn't get more than her name out before the him she had been expecting burst through the flap behind him and into the tent.

"Hey Princ-" Murphy started then came to an abrupt halt. He froze in place, eyes widening as he took in the scene and in an instant his shoulders tensed and a dark veil fell over his face, cloaking it in a cold mask as his features twisted into an angry sneer. "I'll just leave you lovebirds alone."

"No! Please don't." Clarke blurted out before he could retreat. Murphy halted again and regarded her carefully: her muscles, he realised, were all clenched up and the hand planted at her side was holding tightly onto her knife. Murphy grew confused, the look on her face he could see now, was desperate and it bothered him to think what else it was he could read on her face; not fear surely? He didn't leave. Didn't move other than to turn his gaze from Clarke to Finn and glare menacingly at the tracker, in the cold and arrogant way he was best known for. Realising that Murphy wasn't leaving, Finn turned to him with an exasperated sigh.

"Just give us a minute Murphy." He said his black eyes scanning over him with a glower of contempt. "Clarke will come out and talk to you when we're done." Behind him Clarke had straightening up onto her knees, her back ram rod straight, shoulders squared and knife clutched in her lap. She stared at Murphy over Finns shoulder all wide-eyed and expressive. Murphy met her gaze for a brief second, silently telling her that he understood and that he wouldn't leave. Then he fixed the tracker with a fierce and defiant stare. With a frustrated growl Finn spun away from him, dragging a hand angrily through his hair.

"You can't keep avoiding me Clarke." He accused as he whirled back to face her.

"I'm not avoiding you." she said.

"Then why won't you talk to me." His question prickled with anger.

"We're talking now." Clarke said calmly. "Talk."

"In front of him?" Finn seethed "But it's private."

"We don't have anything to discuss in private."

"What's he doing in your tent?" Finn asked her suddenly.

"What are you doing in my tent?" Clarke countered.

"Damn it Clarke!" he yelled. Clarke saw Murphy's hands curl into fists.

"It's late Finn. You should leave." she told him coldly. Murphy moved then, stepping away from the entrance and moving further into the small overcrowded tent to allow Finn to pass him and leave. With a final fierce look at Clarke the tracker stormed out of the tent, ramming Murphy with his shoulder as he passed.

Silence followed Finn's departure. Murphy watched Clarke out of the corner of his eye as he took his time with removing his jacket and slowly unlacing his boots. He saw her fall boneless onto the furs and lie there with her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling a little too quickly for her to be calm. Eventually, still watching her carefully, Murphy cautiously moved towards the pile of blankets. Clarke's tent was small, most of the floor space was occupied by a makeshift mattress which Clarke had cleverly assembled out of moss and dried grass and fathers all wrapped up un scraps of cloth and animal skins. This spongey matt was topped with a small nest of furs and blankets that made up Clarke's bedding. It was a skimpy supply compared to what some of the others had scavenged for their own tents. But it was comfortable and there was more than enough space for them both to sleep on it without even touching. As he lay down, moving slowly so as not to startle her, Clarke rolled onto her side to face him and opened her eyes. They lay like that, side by side, watching each other. Murphy wanted to ask her what had happened, ask her if she was ok, but still the silence stretched between them. The coolness of her expression steadily thawed and the rise and fall of her chest became more rhythmic and less pronounced, but he couldn't read her face. Murphy wondered if she was scared of Collins, or was she upset because she was in love with Collins? She had mentioned him before but nothing specific and he didn't want to cross any boundaries by bringing it up and saying the wrong thing. She had wanted him to stay and Collins to go and that meant a lot to him, that level of trust. He wanted to let her know that. He wanted to offer her some kind of comfort. He didn't know where to start for either. It suddenly felt very intimate, to be laying there next to each other, staring at each other, even when there was a space as big as a person between them. But then she loosed a breath in a long and heavy sighing exhale, a gust of air that reached across and tickled at his face. Her shoulders slumped, curving in on herself and her eyes drooped.

"Goodnight Murphy" she said.

"Night." Her eyes were already closed.

For a second day in a row Clarke and Murphy were both up before dawn. Clarke blearily headed towards a campfire in search of something warm for breakfast. She moved on autopilot, pouring herself tea, picking up some food, only when she turned to find a seat did she realise that Raven and Octavia were both already sitting there, watching her approach with matching grins on their faces, looking far too cheery for so early in the morning.

"We heard you're going on a trip today." Said Raven as Clarke sat next to them.

"With Murphy." Said Octavia. Clarke's eyes narrowed.

"We're going to the bunker to check it for more guns and ammo." Clarke told them warily.

"Sounds romantic." Raven teased with a grin.

"Octavia!" Groaned Clarke.

"What?" Octavia stared up at her with what Clarke knew to be a carefully crafted look of wide-eyed innocence "I never said anything." She denied.

"Octavia didn't say anything." Raven tried to reassure her rather unconvincingly,

"There isn't anything to say!" Clarke exclaimed angrily. Octavia and Raven grinned back at her.

"Octavia did tell me you were spreading some camp gossip the other day." Raven said, seemingly changing the subject.

"What?" Clarke asked, suddenly confused.

"You were spying on a threesome or something like that." Raven prompted her.

"What?" Clarke squawked.

"The love triangle you told me about. Remember?" Explained Octavia.

"Yeah. So who were the girls, and who is the guy their both swooning for?" Raven questioned "Will there be a cat fight?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh that. It was nothing. Just a couple of silly girls I overheard talking."

"About?" Raven prompted.

"About a crush." Clarke shrugged. Raven rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"A crush on who?" she asked.

"Oh, uh Marc someone. I'm not sure who he is." Clark's sentence tapered off distractedly, her attention caught by something behind the girls.

A sudden dread crawled through her veins when Clarke saw Murphy standing nose to nose with Justin. Barely breathing, she watched the scene intently, completely missing the grin Raven and Octavia shared when they turned to see what had caught Clarke's attention and spotted Murphy in her line of sight.

Murphy was still partially asleep as he trudged away from the tents, until something hard collided forcefully with his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"I hear you're going back out beyond the wall today Murphy." Justin jeered at him. "Scared?"

"Scared I might miss breakfast." Murphy grumbled, far too tired for any taunting to be affective. But as he tried to step around Justin the youth blocked his path. Murphy sighed; it was far too early in the morning for a fight.

"Scared of meeting your grounder buddies again out there in the forest?" Justin mocked in a low and aggressive growl.

"Get out of my way." Murphy said irritably.

"I also heard that your little blonde girlfriend is going with you." Murphy's eyes narrowed as an ember of anger flamed to life in his stomach. "How did you manage that Murphy, huh? You were banished. Everyone hated you." Spat Justin "But now, Bellamy just welcomes you back to his side. He gives you important jobs, lets you have a gun, includes you in conversations with Miller and the other. And you're getting all cosy with the Princess." Justin sneered.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way." Murphy snarled, taking a menacing step forward. Justin smirked darkly before slowly backing away.

"I'll see you in the woods Murphy. You better watch your back out there." He hissed.

"What was that about?" Clarke asked Murphy the second he sat down next to her with his own tea and breakfast. Murphy hoped that she wouldn't pry, trusting that his usual early morning sullen mood was enough to avoid conversation and mask the dark anger that was now eating at his insides.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." He said dismissively around a mouthful of food.

"You know I could-" but her suggestion died on her lips as Murphy looked up from his food, his sleepy eyes suddenly sharp as he regarded her with a raised eyebrow and a warning look. He didn't want her getting involved. "But-" she started to protest before he cut her off. If she got involved she would become a target and that was the last thing Murphy wanted.

"Haven't we talked about this already?" he cautioned her sharply. Murphy appreciated her concern and her offers of help. But the fact that she felt that way at all was all he needed from her.

"Fine." Clarke conceded, although her tone was snappy with irritation. "I'm Leaving it alone." It went against her nature but she would do it because he asked her to. Murphy nodded.

"Good." He said, turning back to his food before self-consciously adding, "Thank you" which earned him a soft smile of understanding from Clarke. They both missed Octavia's wide grin and Raven's open mouthed expression of shock.

"So Clarke do you think he's hot?" Clarke tensed at Raven's abrupt question. Her head shot up and her heart began to race. She felt suddenly very aware of the boy beside her, how close his body was to hers. "This guy the girls were talking about?" Raven clarified with a knowing smile.

"Oh him. I told you I don't know who he is, I just heard them saying his name." Clarke mumbled uncomfortably.

"I think it's the guy with the long hair, dirty blonde, always wears it tied back." Said Octavia.

"Oh I think I know who you mean." Raven said. "Hey Murphy, do you know who Marc is?"

"He worked with the group reinforcing the wall a couple of days ago." Added Octavia.

"Marc Waters?" he asked looking up from his steaming tea. He managed to look both sleepy, bored and irritated all at the same time.

"Who's that? Show us." Raven prompted. Murphy scowled at her, sighing dramatically before looking around the camp, his eyes scanning over each face. There was a look of recognition then he yelled out across the camp making all three girls jump with surprise.

"Hey Waters!" Murphy shouted over to a group on the far side of the camp fire. "Get over here." He yelled. The girls turned to watch as a blonde haired boy detached from the group and moved towards them. He was one of the older 100, almost eighteen if not already, a couple of inches shorter than Murphy, but broader across the chest and shoulders.

"What's up?" he asked awkwardly, his hands stuffed into his pockets and a shy smile on his face.

"Nothing." Murphy had already turned back to his breakfast. "Blake and Reyes wanted to know who you were." A chorus of gasps followed Murphy's tactless announcement. Raven and Octavia looked horrified. Marc looked surprised. Murphy looked bored. Octavia's eyes were wide and Raven's mouth gaped open.

"Oh…uh…hey." Marc nodded towards them, grinning as he rubbed a hand nervously over the back of his neck. The girls could only stare and nod mutely, mortified. Their obvious embarrassment only served to make Marc embarrassed although he was also obviously quite pleased. With a nod and a smile he excused himself, bobbing his head to Murphy before throwing a quick smirk towards Raven and Octavia and sauntering off with a swagger to his step. As soon as he was out of ear shot the girls turned on Murphy.

"What the hell Murphy!" Raven hissed at him.

"What?" he asked innocently, while dodging the cup that Octavia threw at him. "You asked." The girls continued to glare at him and Clarke had to smother a laugh into her tea when Murphy looked at her and she saw the glint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

The sun was almost fully risen by the time Clarke had packed some rations and water flasks into a backpack. Murphy was collecting a gun from Bellamy and Miller and she was on her way to meet him there when she heard Finn call out behind her.

"Clarke. Wait up." Clarke groaned but slowed her pace, allowing him to catch up to her.

"Hey. I heard you're going out with the hunting group today." Finn sounded eager and hopeful.

Bellamy and Clarke decided that they shouldn't tell everyone about searching the bunker for guns, not wanting to give people false hope when they might return empty handed.

"Yeah." She told him.

"Don't worry you can partner up with me." He grinned at her.

"Oh…uh…actually Finn, I'm going with Murphy."

"Murphy? Why?"

"Because…" but she was saved from having to come up with an answer.

"Because Bellamy's giving us guns." Murphy said, coming up behind her with a gun in hand. "And if I go with anyone else there is a good chance they'll piss me off and I'll kill them."

"Kill them?!" Finn whirled on him, "And Clarke should go with you because…?"

"Because she's the only one in camp that I probably won't kill."

"Probably? Why are you even being allowed to go?"

"It's a hunt isn't it?" Murphy was smirking now. A dark and antagonistic smirk meant to provoke. "I'm good at killing things."

Finn's eyes narrowed and his face reddened as he puffed out his chest. Clarke cut in before Finn could speak.

"Ok let's go." She said, grabbing Murphy's arm and walking them briskly away.

"What an idiot." Murphy muttered as they left. "You know if he's bothering you I could…" but he trailed off seeing her watching him with an eyebrow arched questioningly and her lips curling at the corner with a smirk. He barked out a laugh. "I won't let you help me so you won't let me help you, is that it?" he questioned. Clarkes only answer was a bright smile that lit up her entire face and made her eyes dance. "Come on then, let's go get the Princess her guns. I want to be back in time for dinner."

Thanks for reading.

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