This chapter might be a little bit dark too, but hopefully we'll be on to happier pastures after this! Thanks for all of the reviews, faves, and follows! :)

Chapter 10

Bellamy unlocked the door to his sister's apartment, his face haggard and his body tired. It had been a long day of debt collecting for the boss and he was ready to just crash.

Then a scream split the air, and he was running. He stopped in the doorway of Clarke's bedroom, the form of his sister clearly outlined in the dim lamplight.

"It's ok, Clarke. Nothing's going to hurt you", Octavia said.

Clarke thrashed, her eyes wide with fright. "No, I have to get to him!"

"Clarke, Bell is fine I promise", O said with a hint of desperation.

"I need him, O. I can't… I can't…", Clarke said, her breathing labored.

"Come on Clarke, just breath!"

Bellamy went into action, gently displacing his sister and taking her place on the bed.

"Princess", he said softly.

He watched as her eyes, wild and frantic, turned to him. Her breathing began to slow, and her hands gripped his coveralls.

"Bell", she whispered brokenly.

"I'm here, I'm here", he said, one of his hands cupping her face.

"I was so scared, Bell. He's angry."

"Who's angry, sweetheart", Bellamy asked.

"Finn, he said I would be sorry", she choked.

Bellamy's eyes turned to his sister, and Octavia saw a side of her brother she'd never seen before. Sure she'd seen Bell angry, but this went far beyond anger- this was white-hot rage.

"Finn was here", he growled.

"Yeah", Octavia said, her face a mask of confusion.

"Next time he shows up, you call me", Bellamy said.

He turned back to Clarke, dark bruises appearing on her arms where Finn had grabbed her. He felt the anger rising inside him, her shaking form quivering in his arms.

Bellamy looked down at his grease stained clothing with a grimace. He gently began to massage Clarke's fingers, the sound of her whimpering nearly his undoing.

"O's gonna stay with you while I go shower. I'll be right back, Princess", he said as he rose from his place on the bed.

He looked at Octavia, his dark eyes pleading. He sighed with relief when she nodded, and then moved to the bottom drawer of Clarke's dresser pulling out a pair of boxers and sweatpants.

"I'll be right back", Bellamy assured both women.

He showered and dressed quickly, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he walked from the bathroom. His thoughts wandered to Finn. How could he harm a woman he claimed to love? This was a foreign concept to him; no matter how angry he became with either of the women in his life, the thought of hitting them never crossed his mind.

His bare feet brought him to Clarke's room, and he shoved the rage filled thoughts to the back of his mind to be dealt with later. Finn Collins didn't know what he'd begun, and Bellamy would see that he paid dearly.

He made his way to the bed, Clarke's glued to his face.

"I'm going to go study", O said, her voice a little shaky.

Bellamy pulled her into a hug, "Everything's going to be fine."

He could tell that she wasn't entirely convinced, but she gave him a small smile before she left. After the door closed, he sat down beside the silent blonde taking her hand in his own.

She seemed calmer now, her eyes finally closed and her thumb stroking the back of his hand. Her breathing was no longer labored, and the shaking had eased.

"What happened", Bellamy asked, not wanting to upset her but needing answers.

Her voice was quiet, hoarse, as she answered. "Finn came to see me. I didn't remember what happened last night. I guess I tried to block it out, I don't know. When I confronted him about it, he said that he'd broken up with her and we could be together. I said no, and he became angry. He grabbed me, shook me, and told me that I would be sorry."

Clarke's eyes were filled with tears and trained on the ceiling, fear once again lurking in the bright blue depths.

"Well the good news is that he's pretty much doomed. Being a man I care about is dangerous", she said with a humorless chuckle.

Bellamy heard the guilt in her words. He gently tipped her face towards him, his gaze capturing hers.

"Sweetheart, your dad and Wells, they weren't your fault", he said quietly.

He watched as she closed her eyes against the pain, tears once again running down her cheeks. Just saying the name of her former boyfriend left a bad taste in his mouth.

Bellamy stood on the porch, his tall frame leaning against one of the scarred posts as he whittled on a small piece of wood. The quick strokes of his pocketknife helped to ease the pain caused by the scene before him.

He could see Clarke in the expensive sports car making out with the richest teenager is Broken Shield. Wells Jaha was a thorn in his side even if he knew exactly why Clarke was with him.

Clarke suspected that Wells' father had been the one to put a hit out on Jake Griffin and she was desperate to prove it. She'd spiraled after her father's death, her behavior erratic and her moods unpredictable.

Bellamy did his best to try to keep her afloat, being there when she needed a shoulder to cry on and arguing back when she needed a fight. He could tell that this would be one of those nights.

He walked down the cracked sidewalk, throwing the now tiny splinter of wood into the grass. He folded his knife, placing it in his pocket before pounding on the window.

He waited for it to roll down; her angry blue eyes the first thing he sees.

"What do you want Bellamy", she spat.

"You gonna sit out here all night, Princess", he asked with a hint of challenge.

"If I want to. Don't you have anything better to do than glare at me all night", Clarke retorted.

"Last time I checked, this was my house and I can do as I please", Bellamy said with a growl.

He watched as Clarke's eyebrows rose, her eyes narrowing.

"Drive", she said coldly.

The red Corvette pulled out with a squeal of tires leaving Bellamy standing on the curb. Worry nipped at him, and he wished there was some way he could get through to her.

He knew deep down that Clarke cared for Wells, even if she wouldn't admit it. He tried to tell himself that the only reason he disapproved was because of the destructive course of their relationship, but that was only half true.

Bellamy made his way inside, plopping down on the couch and grabbing the remote. He'd only been sitting there for about fifteen minutes when a knock sounded on the door.

He frowned, making his way to the front door and finding Murphy on the other side. The sight of the redheaded trouble maker set his nerves on edge.

"What do you want John", he groused.

"Is the Princess, here", Murphy asked with a wolfish grin.

Bellamy bristled, shoving the younger man out of the house, a satisfied smirk curving his lips as he stumbled down the steps.

"I'll only ask you once more, what do you want?"

"I heard the Princess was spending time with Wells Jaha, and I thought you should know that the Sky crew has it out for him", the younger man said with a grin.

Bellamy snarled, "Tell me when they plan to move!"

"I think I'd rather watch you squirm", Murphy said turning to go.

Bellamy was on him before he could take one step, the pocketknife held against his throat.

"If you want to live, Murphy, you'll tell me what you know", Bellamy whispered.

Murphy then realized that Clarke Griffin was more than a girl that crashed at the Blake house; she meant something to the Rebel. That's what they all called the dark haired man, the one Lynx feared more than the puppet master.

"Tonight, BS Parkway", Murphy answered, the knife digging into his skin.

Bellamy shoved him away, "Get out of here!"

Murphy took off at a run, not trusting the other man in his present state.

Bellamy ran into the house, grabbing his jacket off its peg by the front door before racing up the stairs.

"O, I've gotta go to the shop for a minute. I think I forgot to lock up", he hollered on the way to his room.

"Ok", she called through her closed bedroom door.

He ran into his bedroom, dropping to his knees by his bed and pulling the black box from the darkness. He unlocked the lid, slipping his hand inside to pull out his pistol. He tucked it into the waistband of his pants, sprinting for his truck.

Bellamy arrived on the scene too late. He found Clarke kneeling beside Wells, her eyes wide and terrified. He could already hear the police sirens, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Princess, are you ok", he asked, hauling her to her feet.

For the first time in months she clung to him, sobs racking her body. He shrugged out of his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"Bell, is that a gun", she gasped.

"Don't worry about it. I've got to get out of here before the cops get here. Tell them you didn't see anything; the Sky crew is notorious for killing witnesses. If they persist with questions, give them enough truth to satisfy them", he said, his eyes boring into hers.

He watched her nod, her face white and tears coursing down her cheeks. He squeezed her shoulders, gently kissed her forehead and then disappeared into the night.

Two hours later Bellamy heard the front door open and close. He came out of the kitchen, a cup of hot chocolate in each hand. He watched as Clarke walked into the living room, moving to sit on one of the threadbare chairs.

He set the mugs on the coffee table, his eyes traveling over her body looking for injuries. He gave a sigh when he found none, until he saw how she stared at her hands.

"What happened wasn't your fault Princess. The Sky crew had a hit out on him. It's no secret that they're not Jaha's biggest fan", he said quietly.

"He said he loved me, Bell", Clarke said brokenly, "And all I was doing was using him to get what I wanted."

"Clarke…"

"I'm a monster", she whispered.

Bellamy surged forward, dropping to the floor at her feet and taking her face in his hands.

"No, Princess. Don't say that. You're the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful person I've ever known", he said, wiping her tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"Everything's been so messed up."

"Yes, but this wasn't your fault. This would have happened whether you were there or not", Bellamy answered.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I've treated you terribly the past few months", Clarke said, her blue eyes shimmering with tears.

"Princess, you were hurting and I didn't take it personally. I knew you'd come back to me eventually."

Clarke leaned down resting her forehead against his, her breath fanning across his face. "What would I do with out you, Bell?"

Bellamy looked down at Clarke, and found her eyes closed and her breathing even in sleep. He began to rise, letting her hand fall to the mattress beside her. Then her fingers wrapped around his wrist, her pleading gaze focused on his face.

"Don't go, please", she begged, sounding small and scared.

He nodded, laying down beside her and taking her in his arms. She nestled against him, her face hidden in his shoulder.

"What would I do without you", she murmured against his shirt.

Bellamy didn't say anything. He simply rubbed her back, and closed his eyes. There had been dark days, and at times they fought. At the moment though, everything was peaceful and he enjoyed the feel of her in his arms as he drifted off.

Thanks for reading! Please review! It keeps me going, and I love hearing from y'all! :)