She's used to being more in control or at least the illusion of it. Gone were the Arks rules and routines, replaced by the unknown. The figure not reappearing and the start of a breeze rustling the leaves on the trees has her on edge. Some curious faces turn to see who's entering the camp but she keeps her head high, radiating a confidence she does not feel. She keeps one eye out for trouble and the other for Waverly as she follows Bellamy and Clarke. The fenced in camp has creative shelters scattered in front of and beside the dropship, which has a large curtain draping over the entrance. It's humming with activity, people going about their morning routines, some at the fire pits, some eating and others just chatting. Nicole files away her questions for later.
How have they been surviving food wise? Had they visited the Mount Weather site? Why do they needed a fence? Where is Waverly?
False hope rises up in her when she sees a petite frame off to one side. With their long brown hair swinging, the girl turns around. Nicole's legs stutter but she doesn't stop. Disappointed she scans the camp again, noticing two guys conversing with furtive glances her way. One looks familiar and angry. As it sinks in that it's someone she knows, she calls out to those in front of her.
"We may have a problem." Her voice is low and composed. "There's a guy over there - look beside the red and white shelter. Up in the ark I helped arrest him and unfortunately he looks like he's holding a grudge."
"I warned you" Bellamy hisses at Clarke. "After what happened to Murphy-"
"Good job Bellamy. You got one whole thing right today" Clarke interrupts him in exasperation and Bellamy scowls at her in reply.
"This isn't the time for us to argue. Can you just take care of them? I'll get her out of sight."
Bellamy nods reluctantly and Clarke takes a hold of Nicole's arm tugging at her to follow. At first she tries to keep herself hidden behind Clarke but with her height there's no point trying. She gets a few dirty looks and muttered insults on the walk before Clarke pushes aside a canvas door and quickly pulls her inside. Feeling jittery she moves her hands to where her equipment belt used to be and pokes her thumbs through her empty belt loops. She misses the security that her shock baton brought in times of potential trouble.
"Do you have a plan?" Nicole asks Clarke when she doesn't speak up.
"I can talk to them, Bellamy too, we'll make them understand you're not a threat."
It's harder to believe her this time.
"And you think that will work?" She tries not to let her skepticism show but she can't help the slight edge in her tone.
"Well... you did come down at a bad time." She must have seen something in Nicole's expression because she backtracks. "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't have come down but things have been particularly delicate in the past 24 hours." There's a heaviness to her words that stops Nicole from pushing for more.
Who knows what they had gone through since they landed, alone, cut off from any assistance.
They had been sent into untold danger away from the only home they had ever known by the people who were supposed to protect them. She had played her part in it too. She has no need to cause them more pain. In the absence of conversation Clarke had walked over to the entrance, peering out before stepping back to allow Bellamy to stomp in.
"There's a lot of suggestions out there and none of them are good" Bellamy barks at Clarke. "Have you got a plan princess?"
"Can you give us a minute Nicole?" Clarke asks Nicole who answers affirmatively and walks to the other end of the tent. Back and forth their whispers go rising to murmurs which reveal snippets of their conversation.
"...she worth it?..."
"...they'd be happy to...get off scot free?" as Bellamy jabs his finger at the entrance. The whole thing feels surreal, her future seemingly dependent on these two. She shouldn't be surprised given that her life has been steadily moving out of her control since she'd met Waverly and it had only gotten worse after Waverly left it again. The adrenalin is wearing off letting her feel the full effects of the landing. The bruises aren't half as bad as the headache that's building up between her eyes, threatening to turn into a full on migraine. The voices that are getting louder don't help.
"...came down to help...council...hop on a ship and visit?"
"That won't change their minds, we both know that. " The anger leaves Bellamy's voice as he says softly " They'll kill her." His eyes meet Nicole's briefly before flicking back to Clarke's. Raven and Finn arrive into the shelter interrupting the strained silence that follows Bellamy's statement.
"Hey idiots...woah who died?"
"How did you find us?" Bellamy's only reply is a clipped question.
"We just followed the angry faces. Man people are pissed!"
As if to prove Raven's words true Waverly strides in. Time slows down for Nicole, milliseconds elongating. The tent door that had been whipped into the air hangs, sunlight streaming through the opening, illuminating the edges of Waverly's figure. The light makes Nicole squint but it makes Waverly glow, giving her an otherworldly, almost mythical appearance. The tent door swings back stealing the light from Waverly's figure as a pair of dark eyes hone in on Nicole breaking her from her trance. Her feet tug her forward a few steps, stopping in confusion when she sees the expression on Waverly's face. Nicole had seen that look once before, the day Waverly had entrusted her with her secret. It had only flashed across her face for an instant but Nicole had wondered what it meant.
"You're alive Wav-" Her cheery greeting is cut short.
"You knew didn't you?" Waverly speaks in an unfamiliar spiky tone with eyes so intense that Nicole has to look away. The knot of guilt that she had thought gone makes itself known, tugging painfully at her. Nicole meets her eyes again hoping to get the chance to explain.
"Yes but..."
"I thought you were different." Waverly's fists clench at her sides, one unfurling to jab a finger in Nicole's direction. "You didn't even have the common decency to tell me."
Gone was the chatty, bubbly, slightly flustered young woman from the Ark. In her place is a manifestation of white hot fury. A goddess with unyielding ruthless eyes that wants a war. A war Nicole doesn't want.
"I'm sorry I should have-"
"Fuck you" it echoes around her head.
"I-"
"No it's my turn to talk. You had your chance, I asked you what was on your mind that day. You knew and you could have told me. Instead you helped them send me, us down here."
Her voice had been powerfully loud but her next sentence is barely audible yet it's all the more devastating.
"I could have died."
Waverly's fingers stray to fidget at the hem of her top. Nicole can hear her taking in a wobbly breath. She takes her own uneven breath in response.
"I thought...Did I mean so little to you?" Her words carve into her like barbed wire, twisting and scratching her raw. Waverly cuts her off before she can voice her denial.
"It was stupid of me to think we were friends, good friends. You're not a nice person. In fact you're a deceitful, backstabbing, bad person."
Nicole doesn't know what to say, doesn't know how to communicate with this new harder Waverly. Anything she says is likely to make her angrier. She tries anyway.
"Waverly I know I messed up but I didn't-"
"I don't want to hear any more of your lies! Go do whatever you fucking want but stay the hell away from me." Waverly says with huffing cheeks tinged with red. She spins around exiting the tent leaving an agonising silence in her wake.
Nicole is shaking after the exchange, stunned, her heart racing. She can hear the others beginning to talk again but the sound is dampened by a hum in her ears. Feeling light headed she sags into a chair. She concentrates on breathing in and out slowly, clenching her fingers and toes into fists and releasing them, over and over.
"You're not looking so hot Haught."
She jumps a little when she realises how close Raven is. She almost jumps again when Raven wraps a blanket around her.
"You're looking pretty pale. I think you might be in shock, you've been through a lot today...I mean with the falling from the sky and all."
Raven rolls her eyes at Clarke's lame attempt to avoid bringing up Waverly but decides to help her out.
"It's probably just hunger, we haven't eaten since the Ark. Is there any food going in this place?"
"Sure what I get for you Madame?"
Finn's answer draws Raven into a conversation about their options, giving Clarke room to check Nicole's vitals and ask a few questions to assess her condition.
"You're heart rate is up but you'll be fine after food, rest and lots of water" Clarke tells her before she leaves with an impatient Bellamy. It's not long before the noise outside increases. Bellamy calls for quiet and the multitude of voices obey him. It's hard to muster up any hope for a good outcome. Even Waverly thinks of the 100 as an 'us' and the rest of the Ark as a 'them'.
I'm screwed.