She stood in front of him, beautiful, whole, and alive but Marcus still held the man under him to the ground and let his fury take control. Thinking about the destroyed medical center and the feeling of losing Abby completely, Marcus growled low in his throat while the man under him gasped for breath.
"Marcus?"
When he didn't answer, the group behind him stepped closer as Abby knelt down in front of him.
"What are you doing?" Abby asked in a gentle voice as if talking to a scared or hurt patient.
"Dealing out a little justice," he answered, squeezing his hand tighter around the other man's throat.
Seeing him here, a pair of handcuffs dangling from one wrist and his eyes wild, Abby remembered the crazed man from a month ago and she reached out her hand to calm him down.
"I'm alright Marcus. Cage didn't hurt me," she said with a gentle touch to his shoulder.
"Let my son go," Dante' said behind her and Abby turned to look at the older man's pale face.
Marcus laughed and the sound echoed in the voices of Clarke and Bellamy.
"They want peace Marcus and we can give it to them and save ourselves but you have to let him go," Abby pleaded.
A strangled laugh came from the group behind him and Abby looked up to see pity on Bellamy's face.
"You don't know," he said with disgust, "you were gone before it even happened and they have probably been treating you to food and water and talking peace and pretending like they didn't blow up our medical tent with a bomb planted in Jaha's stomach."
Dante' watched Cage's face as the boy talked and his shoulders dropped at the look of victorious glee on his son's red face.
"What have you done?" Dante' asked horrified.
As Marcus still had his hands on Cage's throat, he couldn't answer his father but the gleam of satisfaction in Cage's eyes told Dante' everything he needed to know. He stepped back and motioned for his people to drop their guns and join him.
Looking up into the Mountain Men's leader, Marcus said, "He came out to us, saying he had more bombs but we'd have to find our own bodies to hide them in. When the team searching for survivors cleared the wreckage, they found Thelonious in pieces and it was then we realized where the bomb was hidden. If you hadn't been kidnapped, Abby, if they hadn't..."
He trailed off as his gaze turned to Abby and her look of horror. Leaving Cage choking on the floor, Marcus stood and put his arms around her. He needed her clear headed, not in a state of shock.
"Abby, I am so relieved to know you are alright. We thought you were in medical when it exploded and if you had died..."
"I am glad you are alright mom," Clarke said from the back, breaking Marcus from his morbid train of thought, and the blonde smiled briefly before returning to her worried look, "Is Raven and Monty okay?"
Abby squeezed Marcus tight, remembering her duties, before releasing her hold and nodding, "Yeah, they are waiting for me to get back with news."
Cage coughed and spat on the floor, "I want that man dead. We will never have peace if he lives."
"Shut your mouth Cage. I have had enough of your theatrics," Dante' threatened from behind Abby, his mind still reeling from idea that his whole plan might have been ruined with Abby's death.
Staring at Cage, his face twisted in anger from his humiliation, Abby felt ice settle in her veins and she smiled. Marcus watched her face with curiosity. Her smile didn't reach her eyes and Dante' held up his hands in defense.
"I had nothing to do with the attack on your camp and if I had been notified of my son's actions, I would have put a stop to them."
"I believe you," Abby said calmly and Marcus took an unconscious step back at the cold tone of her voice.
Whatever Abby wanted from Dante', she was determined to get it and a wave of pride replaced the feeling of unease inside Marcus' heart. He couldn't quite believe that after everything, she still lived, still had the same stubborn spirit, and she loved him. A standoff with the people currently threatening their existence wasn't an appropriate time for romantic tangents so he pulled himself back to the problem at hand.
"We need to go somewhere and talk Dante', don't you think?" Abby asked the older man, "and perhaps put Cage somewhere a little confining where he can't run away?"
Dante' motioned to the guards behind him, "Please put my sorry excuse for a son in his room and make sure he stays there."
"Dad," Cage called, his voice catching as the men carried out Dante's orders, "Dad, you can't do this!"
Turning to Marcus and the disguised sky people, Dante' said, "I would prefer to speak to Ms. Griffin in private but I suppose one of you will insist on coming with her?"
"I am," Clarke said, stepping forward before Marcus could get the words out.
Looking at Marcus' frown, Clarke put her hand on his shoulder, "I don't want to lose sight of her again Kane, please."
"I will be right here waiting," Marcus told Abby before looking at Dante', "and we are staying on this side of the door."
Feeling Marcus pull away from her, Abby dragged him back and kissed him. The room went silent as the rumors about their relationship became fact. Clarke grinned at Bellamy, Lincoln grinned at Wick and Octavia gasped,
"I still get to tell Raven!" The young woman yelled and Marcus broke the kiss off with a laugh.
"You be careful," Marcus told Abby, "I don't think I'm up to losing you again."
She couldn't say anything to his declaration but kissed his lips again and walked off with Dante' and Clarke, leaving him and the rest of the sky people guarding their exit. Dante' brought the Griffin women to a little room not far from the exit. It held only chairs and books in boxes but Abby didn't mind where the discussion took place, only that Dante' agree to it. Clarke stood by the door, making sure they weren't disturbed while the two leaders discussed the situation.
"You need me to agree to this bone marrow treatment," Abby said, getting to business, "and I need justice for my people. I will agree to the treatments, which will take much longer now that my people have been reduced in numbers, but you will give me Cage who will be executed for his crimes against my people."
Dante' stared at the woman in front of him in disbelief, "You would ask me to turn over my own son? You want to start this truce with bloodshed?"
"I didn't start anything with bloodshed; your son did that. It is the only way I will agree to the treatments and it is the only way you save your people."
"He is my son!"
Abby's voice was cold and harsh," Decide then, your son, or your people."
Dante' sat down and buried his head in his hands. Abby knew she should feel sorry for him and if someone came to her and demanded peace at the cost of Clarke, she knew what her answer would be. Looking over at her daughter standing guard, Abby smiled. Clarke wouldn't send a bomb disguised as a person into a medical facility; she at least knew that much about her daughter. Cage made his grave and she planned to see him buried in it.
Marcus watched the hallway as the minutes ticked by, waiting for Abby to come back while Wick paced behind him and tried to be patient. Raven and Monty were being brought to the exit but Wick worried about Raven's explosive nature. Marcus touched his shoulder and the younger man turned around to see Raven and Monty, a little bruised but otherwise unharmed, being brought over. One of the guards held his arm to his chest but didn't seem upset at his injury.
"What happened to you?" The guard next to Marcus asked.
"It was made clear to me that trying to take guests somewhere without providing the destination is rude," he answered with a thumb at Raven, "it's all good now."
Raven gave a smirk in response and Marcus patted her arm as she walked by to where Wick stood with tears in his eyes.
"You're okay."
"Yeah, I'm okay."
Grabbing his shirt, Raven pulled him close and let his familiar scent wash over her. He stood and let her collapse around him, helping her stay vertical while Monty joined the group. Seeing Bellamy and Clarke helped to snap him out of his walking catatonia and they hugged the younger boy close, letting him borrow their strength.
"Is Nathan okay?" Monty asked, using his voice for the first time since being kidnapped.
Bellamy nodded, "he is wounded but when we left, Jackson was sure he would make a full recovery."
Clarke bumped his shoulder, "It will go a lot faster with you there so Finn isn't pestering him."
Monty smiled, his mind coming around to the conclusion that he would safe.
Turning to look at his people gathered behind him, Marcus grinned at each reunion and smiled at Octavia as she made her way towards Raven. He watched their exchange and when Raven glanced up in shock, he threw her a wink and watched her gasp.
"Abby and Marcus?" Raven asked in a loud voice.
Clarke laughed, "Yeah, it strangely works though."
"This is what happens when you get kidnapped," Raven moaned, "You miss all the good stuff."
"I'm glad you think my relationship is good stuff," Abby said and Marcus turned quick as he could to see her standing behind him.
"Whats the verdict Chancellor?" Lincoln asked from the back of the group.
Abby didn't say anything but she motioned Dante' forward. The man looked like hell but he stepped forward and two guards carrying an unconscious Cage between them stepped forward.
"They had to knock him out to keep him from struggling," Dante' explained, his voice full of tears.
Abby nodded and turned to her people, "We are going home but some of us will be back to give bone marrow for the treatment of their radiation weakness. Cage is coming with us and after he is tried by the council will be executed for his crimes against Camp Jaha."
