Clarke slept longer than she intended, but that little pill they gave her each night took away any chance of rising early. The nurse had helped her shower and wash her hair, then Clarke gathered all her things, pulled out the least depressing ensemble her sister in law had packed. Gray and black sweats with a small white logo over her heart. With only one working hand, she'd had to call an aide to help her dress. This was going home day, and she couldn't wait to get out of this place. The doctors and nurses were all super nice, but she figured once she spent more time with Bellamy, her memory would come back. It was already happening. First the pudding, then the songwriting. Only a matter of time until she remembered everything. Then she'd solve the mystery of why she'd come to Arkadia.

She got the feeling the subject made Bellamy uncomfortable, well actually all the questions she asked caused his face to scrunch in a weird way. Maybe it was because their relationship wasn't as serious as she thought. Or, that she was more serious than he. The reason didn't matter. She loved him and wouldn't pressure him. Might not remember her life, but she remembered some people didn't like to talk about feelings.

The thing she feared most was they'd broken up, and she'd come here to win him back. He admitted her visit was unexpected and by the way he stiffened every time she touched him or tried to talk about their relationship, something wasn't right. On the other hand, he must still care for her because he'd visited every day and agreed to let her stay with him. Well, if there was trouble between them, this was her chance to remedy the situation—and she intended to do just that.

But, it could be something else. Maybe her family didn't like him. There was definitely tension between Bellamy and Lincoln. She'd seen it in the sharp glances they exchanged. It could be the Griffin-Kane-Woods Clan thought they were too good to bring a blue-collar worker into the fold of rich criminal lawyers and prestigious doctors.

Funny, she should be thinking her godfather or her family but she couldn't when she had no recollection of her life with them. The attention they gave her seemed genuine, but she felt nothing but gratitude—and guilt, currently number one on her emotion chart. As if losing her memory was intentional.

The thought stopped her. She moved to the window and stared out at dark low hanging clouds. Tree branches danced in the wind. The dismal scene matched her mood.

A chill ran up her spine. What if her life had been so awful, she'd blacked out everything? From all she'd been told, even though she scored high on her SAT, she worked as a receptionist in the family law firm. That was way down on the success list from her family's accomplishments.

Was she not motivated? Had she been drifting along in life letting the family take care of her? She slumped down onto the bed and hung her head. Compared to them, clearly, she was an underachiever. Bellamy probably had dumped her. Why not? Other than notebooks of stupid songs, she had nothing to offer him.

Her eyes burned as tears tracked down her face.

As Bellamy made his way into the hospital, there was a bounce in his step. He'd spent too much time worrying about Clarke and how he'd handle things. Hell, they were supposed to be in a relationship, so if he didn't want to talk about something, or more precisely, lie, he'd just tell her so. That's what couples did. Sure, they needed to keep the lines of communication open, but since she didn't have any memory, he could take the lead in choosing the subjects.

This new resolve lifted his spirit. Besides, hell, he could do anything for fourteen days, possibly even fight off Tsing. The thought made him shiver. Well, that might be taking it too far. But he'd tolerated much more serious problems than dealing with an amnesia patient.

When he reached the doorway to her room, she sat on the bed—sobbing silently, trying to muffle the sound with her arm. As if she were trying to keep it all in with quiet gasps where she couldn't quite keep it in. Fuck. His previous pep talk went out the window. This would be hard.

He rushed to sit next to her and slid his arm around her shoulder, kneading the flesh where shoulder met neck. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks in rapid succession. Her bottom lip quivered, and he pulled her into a tight hug.

She could feel his warm breath tousling her hair as he murmured, "Come on now, don't cry. Whatever it is, we can fix it."

She buried her face in his neck. "I don't think so. I'm a loser with a Puritan wardrobe."

Bellamy couldn't help but chuckle. He rubbed his hand up and down her back. "No, you're not. You're just depressed. The doctors said you might be. Your situation is enough to make anybody sad, but it's temporary."

She pushed away and gazed at him again. "What if it isn't? What if I never get my memory back? What if I really am a loser and picked out all these horrible clothes?"

He wiped her tears with his thumb. "I believe you will recover your memory, but if you don't, we'll make new ones. You can buy different clothes, and you're not a loser. I know that to be a fact. So, dry your tears." He hesitated a second before plowing on. "It breaks my heart to see you cry, and you don't want to break my heart, do you?" Ugh, all this emotional manipulation was doing his head in, even if it was true. All of these lies were going to soon boil over the surface, and everyone was going to suffer the consequences, Clarke most of all.

She sighed and pressed her lips to his.

He threaded his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss. She brought both of her hands to his chest, slowly dragging her nails down his abdomen. He muffled a groan in reply, digging his fingers into her hips in retaliation, moan getting lost in his lips.

Clarke surged forward, changing the pace as she fisted both of her hands into his shaggy locks and locked their bodies as close as she could allow.

Then, realizing what he'd done, he pulled back, gasping, and stumbled backwards. His voice sounded wrecked even to his own ears. "Is all the paperwork done for your discharge?"

She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. Damnit, he fucked up, but he didn't know any other way to deal with the situation. It was only a matter of time before her memory came back and she realized how wrong this was, how wrong he was.

Maybe she'd realize all the times he didn't take advantage and forgive him.

"Okay, let's get out of here. You're going to need a jacket because it's cold outside."

All the way to the truck Bellamy wanted to kick himself. For a brief moment, he'd let his guard down, and he couldn't afford to do that. Although he'd made decisions about dealing with her memory loss, he needed to remember she belonged to another man, albeit one who didn't deserve her, any affection she showed toward Bellamy was meant for her real boyfriend.

As they drove down Main Street, she turned her head from left to right taking in both sides of the street. He figured she was looking for a place to shop for new clothes, or trying to remember a town she didn't know.

"None of this looks familiar," she said.

"Without much to offer, this place is easy to forget."

"I'd think just the opposite. In a big city, everything just blends together."

Bellamy turned onto the county road that led to his house, and the landscape gave way to tall trees, chickweed, henbit, and Johnson grass. Sweet gums with gold and orange leaves stood in stark contrast to pine and cedar. When Bellamy paid attention to his surroundings, it was if he was experiencing them for the first time. The beauty of autumn in Alabama always surprised him. He had moderate winters to thank for that. Even though it was autumn, the mild weather still persisted. Today the wind chill contradicted that, but it would be short-lived.

Wheeling into the drive, Bellamy got out and went around to Clarke's side and opened her door. She sat there a minute as if taking the place in. He wondered what she saw – the way it looked as if someone nudged the house with a wrecking ball, because one side appeared dented. The second story appeared to hang off the first, and he thought if one good hurricane swept through, it might eventually slide right off. The chipped robin's egg desperately required a good paint job, or even a mediocre one.

To him, it looked loved, though, with the cheap white Christmas lights wrapped around the banister and potted succulents in the window.

He inwardly cringed though, watching her face.

"I like your house, but it's not anything like I imagined," she said after a moment.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. It was no secret Clarke had come from a well-to-do family. She probably lived in an expensive apartment or a mansion. "Let me guess. You figured I lived in a broken-down trailer park?" He had, for a few years of his youth, before Hurricane Katrina had left a tree in the living room.

"Why would you say that? There's nothing wrong with living in a mobile home. My best friend in junior high lived in one." Clarke's hand flew to her chest, and she gasped. "Oh!" Then she tapped her forehead. "What was her name? It was—uh—wait, it'll come to me. It's right on the tip of my tongue. Hallie. No. Hayley. It's Hayley! Hayley Fox! I remember her!" Clarke threw her arms around Bellamy's neck. He hauled her off the seat and against his chest, shivering at the feel of her breath tickling his ear.

"That's great, Clarke." The feel of her in his arms, he willed himself to a statue.

"Her brother was named Sam, and she had a dog named Whiskers." Clarke planted kisses all over Bellamy's face. "I knew this would happen as soon as I spent more time with you."

He released her and stepped out of the truck. "I didn't have anything to do with it."

"Yes, you did. The only time I feel normal is when we're together."

Bellamy didn't argue because her joyful expression looked a lot better on her than the gloom and doom from earlier. "Let's get in the house. It's cold out here."

He grabbed her bags and headed to the porch with her right behind him. Once inside, she turned in a circle until her eyes settled on the fishbowl. "You have a fish?" She leaned in close for a better view.

"Yeah, that's Alpheus."

She jerked upright and giggled. "Alpheus? That's funny. He doesn't look like an Alpheus."

He didn't feel inclined to tell her Alf was named after the Greek river god of Arcadia. Octavia had never let that go despite the fact it'd been her fish won at the peanut festival, and he wasn't going to give Clarke the ammunition. "Oh yeah? What do you think his name should be?" He wasn't altogether sure Alf was a he, but he didn't care enough to google fish anatomy and subject him to a proverbial strip search.

She pursed her lips, staring at Alf and contemplating. "I don't know. Maybe Fish Sticks, or Puff Daddy. Or Bob." She scanned the room again. "You don't have much furniture, but you have a piano. Do you play?"

He shrugged. He had bought it off a seventy year old with arthritis at a yard sale for twenty bucks, and could barely play Yankee Doodle. "No. But you do, so go try it out."

Yesterday, Bellamy had taken the time to move all the unpacked boxes into the spare bedroom. He really did need to unpack, but now that he had a house guest, it gave him another reason to procrastinate.

Clarke slid onto the bench and ran the fingers of her free hand over the keys, and stared at them as if deciding what to do next. She struck a chord on one end, worked her way to the other, and then repeated a pattern of notes. Glancing back at Bellamy, she smiled. "That's the left-hand part of All About That Bass. I'm so glad I still remember how to play."

The amazement in her eyes made him want to hug her. Thankfully someone knocked before he had time to give into the urge. Saved by the bell.

Raven pushed open the door and stepped inside and eyed them both, arms crossed over her heavily pregnant belly. There was even grease on the inside of her elbow, but he wasn't surprised. Being nearly eight months pregnant wasn't going to slow Raven Reyes down.

Bellamy cleared his throat and prayed she couldn't read his mind because his impulse had shot past an embrace in a flash. "Come in. Now that you're here, I need to head back to work." He faced Clarke. "This is Raven, she's family."

The two of them seemed to size each other up for a lengthy second, before Raven stuck out her hand and Clarke grinned as she accepted it.

No idea what that was about, but he didn't have time to ponder whether they'd end up best friends or at each other's throat.

"I'll see you later."

She rose from the bench and rushed to him, throwing her arm around his waist. "What time will you be home?"

"After seven. I'll bring a pizza."

"Okay." She stepped back and looked at Raven. "I'm sorry Bellamy's making you do this. I really will be okay by myself."

Raven shrugged, eying the two of them. He'd no doubt hear about it later. Raven would tell Octavia, who in return would tell everyone. "It's no bother. If you feel up to it, I thought I'd give you the grand tour of the town."

"Yeah, I saw some neat shops on the way home. Sounds like fun."

Bellamy opened a small box on the counter and took out a key and handed it to Clarke. "This unlocks the front and back door. Y'all have fun." He made his exit, closed the door behind him, but stopped to listen for a moment. Eavesdropping was becoming a bad habit.

"Now that's he's gone," Clarke said. "Tell me everything about him. About us."

When Raven finished brushing over all the high points of Bellamy's life, Clarke loved him even more. He was everything she'd ever wanted. A selfless man who put others first. But the one thing missing from the summary had been any mention of her relationship with him. Raven had been extra careful to omit the slightest tidbit remotely connected to Clarke, and that ignited a slimy panic in her gut.

More proof there may have been trouble in paradise, and she'd come here to win him back. Well, that's exactly what she'd do. Forget about what might have caused the riff; she just needed to concentrate on making things right. Unless—he'd done the one thing she considered unforgivable—cheat. She hastily forced the thought from her head; he didn't seem the type. Rarely anyone ever did, but he seemed like the reluctant one in the situation.

Had she cheated?

"Thanks for telling me about Bellamy. He doesn't talk about himself much. Well, actually, he doesn't talk much at all." She stared down at her open palms, putting two and two together. The more she ruminated, the more she was slowly convincing herself maybe the problem was really her. But surely none of his friends or family would treat her nicely, amnesia or no, had she broken his heart.

Raven snorted. "Yeah, he's the silent brooding type, which can be a problem because you never know what he's thinking."

"I just have one question." She clasped her palms together, wondering if she should confide in Raven. She liked the girl, but she was Bellamy's friend. "He's—not very affectionate, and that leads me to believe our relationship might have been in trouble before the accident."

Raven stiffened, and Clarke's stomach somersaulted, but she had to press on. Better to find out before things went too far. "Has Bellamy ever cheated on me?"

Raven rolled her eyes and groaned loudly, an indicator of how she felt about the subject. She sighed, watching Clarke waiting in suspense. "Absolutely not. He'd never cheat."

"Did I cheat on him?" She hadn't anticipated breathing life into that question, but she had to know to quash the queasy feeling in her stomach.

"No," Raven answered a matter-of-factly.

Clarke loosed the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Now she could move forward with her plan to regain what they had before the accident.

She waved her hand in front of her body. "All the clothes I have are depressing. Is there a dress shop in town?"

"We have a new one. They carry trendy stuff." She waved her hand, "I guess. But if you don't find anything you like there, later this week, we could head out to Polis. They have more to choose from."

"Polis…that sounds familiar." Clarke cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "I may have gone to a carnival there."

"Oh, really? They have one that comes every September during the county fair. Maybe you went to that one."

"Hmm, maybe. I'm not sure. Oh, wait. I don't know what I'm thinking. I can't shop. I don't have any money. Mr. Kane – Marcus… my godfather, is supposed to send me a new debit card, but I don't have it yet."

"That's okay. I'm sure Maya will let you open an account. She and I graduated together. I'll vouch for you."

Two hours later, Clarke took stock of her purchases. Jeans, leggings, sweaters, tops, two pairs of boots, lace bras, cheeky panties, and sleepwear. She'd gone all out choosing leather, fringe, lace, plunging necklines and dangling earrings. If her look didn't get Bellamy's attention, then the sexy lingerie should do the trick.

During her shopping frenzy, her handicap became clearer, with only one hand, she needed help dressing and undressing. But that was okay, once Bellamy saw her naked again, then maybe he wouldn't be able to resist. She wasn't slim as Raven, all lithe and muscle beneath her belly, but she had gratuitous cleavage and a nice figure.

The clothes in her suitcase screamed frugality, and she hoped that was true because she'd just gone in debt for quite a lot of moola. If she'd not been thrifty in her previous life, then she might not have enough in her bank account to cover it. If not, she'd just have to set up a payment plan, because she couldn't bring herself to wear those hideous, colorless, garments one more day. It wasn't… her. That's why she'd worn one new ensemble out of the store.

When Bellamy's house came into view, a strange car sat in the drive. As they drew closer, Clarke recognized the occupant.

Raven leaned forward and squinted her eyes. "Who is that?"

Clarke echoed the movement. "Marcus—I mean, my godfather. Wonder why he's here?"

Raven parked next to him, then turned to Clarke. "I heard Aurora is going out with him next weekend, and it's the first date she's had since Octavia's dad died."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know. Bellamy isn't too happy about it."

Raven made a face. "One thing you'll learn… or re-learn, I guess, is that Bellamy is a Mom. He is a mother hen. Especially when it comes to his mother and Octavia. But he needs to get over it. At least where Aurora is concerned. She could use someone in her life. I know she gets lonely, and once Octavia leaves for college, it will only get worse." She shrugged, before adding, "She was like a second mother to me growing up. My mom… she liked to drink."

As Raven gathered the bags, Marcus got out of his car came around to open Clarke's door.

She gazed up at him. "What are you doing here?"

He stepped closer and opened his arms. "Can I have a hug?"

At first, she hesitated, but his sad expression put her into action. She knew her amnesia was hurtful, but there wasn't much she could do about it. A hug wouldn't kill her. Walking into his embrace, he pulled her close, arms tightening around her in a way that brought tears prickling to her eyes. Not from the tight constraint, but the simple feel of a hug by someone that loved you.

She wondered if their relationship had been a good one, or if it had been strained. Probably not since she worked for him, and the way he held her, said a lot. Almost like it was the last time he'd get to do it. Almost… paternal. She knew from his stories he watched her grow up, like an ever present, well meaning, uncle.

"I wanted to be here when they released you but had a couple of client meetings I couldn't miss. I just got back from Atlanta. Abby sends her love." Clarke eased away from him, and he let her go, then walked to meet Raven half-way. "You must be Bellamy's sister. I recognize you from the many photos your mother has. I'm Marcus Kane."

"Friend. Octavia's his only sister." Raven set the bags on the ground and accepted his outstretched hand. "So nice to meet you." She nodded to the packages. "Clarke and I took a little shopping trip, and I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to pick my daughter up at school."

"Lina, right?"

If Raven was surprised he knew her kids name, she didn't show it. It only left Clarke a little miffed, Marcus knowing more about Bellamy and his life than she did.

"That's right." Raven turned to go, then stopped and faced him again. "Octavia told me you invited Aurora for dinner. It's time she started thinking of herself for a change."

He blushed and dipped his head like a nervous school boy. "Well, don't give me too much credit. It's as much for me as her. Plus, it gives me a reason to see Clarke more."

As Raven maneuvered herself into her low car and peeled away from the curb, Clarke followed her guest to the porch, then stepped around him to unlock the door.

Once inside, he sat down the bags and took an envelope from his jacket pocket. "Nobody but you can get your debit card replaced, so I've brought you a company card. Use it for whatever you need. No limit. I've ordered you some new checks, and you should have them in about ten days, until then, here are some of my checks. I've signed them, so keep them safe. I made arrangements at the local bank for you to have cashing privileges. I wrote your savings and checking balances on this envelope." He handed it over. "Inside is a letter of credit from my bank. I noticed Polis has three car dealerships. Go to any of them, buy what you want, and this will take care of it."

Clarke's brows skyrocketed, and she blinked at him, speechless. She had anticipated a limit, even having to get another job to pay for herself. "You're buying me a car? Did you own my last one?"

"No. You bought it. Once you're back home, we'll get it all sorted out, but until then, I don't want you to be without transportation." From his other pocket, he brought out another item. "Or a phone." He handed it to her. "Oh, and I filed on your auto insurance. You should receive a settlement check in the next ten days."

Clarke felt like a puffer fish, gaping out at the world from a glass bowl. "What about my bills? I'm assuming I have some."

He waved her off, as if providing for her and buying her a vehicle were the equivalent of a bill at brunch. "Everything is current until December 1. Don't worry about anything. Just concentrate on getting back on your feet."

She twisted her mouth around. The first of the month was only two weeks away. "You mean getting back my memory?"

He put a hand on her shoulder, and she supposed that was meant to be comforting. "That, too. But you still have wounds and a broken arm to mend."

She scrunched her eyebrows. "You said everything is paid until the end of November. You think I'll recover my past by then?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't know, but I hope spending time with you over the next few days, makes you comfortable enough you'll come back home if you have your memory or not. If that doesn't happen, then returning to Atlanta, being in familiar surroundings, might speed up the process. I want you to consider that."

This guy was good. No wonder he was a successful lawyer. Even if he'd cleverly disguised a two-week deadline, he wasn't fooling her.

After Raven's first two texts, Bellamy had turned off his phone. Bad enough Clarke kept creeping into his thoughts, but getting play-by-play of their day proved too much. Now that his new roommate had moved in, he needed to concentrate on just surviving her stay. As he brought more people into the charade, the situation got complicated. He really shouldn't expect Raven or anyone else to buy into the ridiculous deception he'd agreed to.

While Miller gathered and loaded the last of the hazard cones, Bellamy removed his rubber sleeves and gloves, then fished in his pocket for the roll of antacids. By the time Clarke left, he'd have a bleeding ulcer for sure. Working twelve hour days would help limit his time with her, and then on Friday, her crew would return for the weekend. Bellamy planned to suggest she spend as much time with them as possible. If for no other reason than to get to know them again. Just because she had no memory, didn't change the fact that they were family. And it might jog her memory anyway.

Miller removed his hard hat and ran his fingers along his buzzed scalp. "Man, I'm beat. You want a grab a beer after we get back to town?"

He shook his head. "No. I need to get home. Clarke's there by herself, and since she doesn't have a phone, I need to check on her." He wanted to go; he already sort of dreaded coming home, but at the same time…

Miller saw right through him. "I thought you said Raven went over there."

"She did. But only until she had to pick up Lina."

Once on the road, Miller glanced over at Bellamy, grinned, and lifted his brows. "Guess you'll have a bed partner tonight."

Bellamy shot him a glare, blocking the already forming image of Clarke in his bed. Naked. He gulped. "We're sleeping together. Sleep. That's all."

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

"What does that mean?" Bellamy huffed.

Miller cocked his head, and Bellamy wanted to smack away his friend's smirk.

"Hey, just saying having a willing woman next to you is going to be hard to resist. Clarke is beautiful."

Bellamy scowled. "Aren't you solely into men?"

Miller shrugged, "I can appreciate beauty, whether or not I'm attracted to it."

Bellamy scrubbed a palm over his face. "As tired as I am, it won't be a problem. And here's some good news. Ten-day forecast looks like a bad storm is brewing up east. If that plays out, we might be deployed to the area."

"For the overtime pay or getting as far away as possible from her?" Miller grinned. He really was enjoying this.

Even if the storm site was inaccessible for a bucket truck, and he had to drag fifty pounds of equipment while wearing protective gear, it would be easier than dealing with Clarke.

"Both," he grumbled. "But mostly staying away from her."

"Why is that? I thought you liked Clarke."

He sighed, defeated. Try as he might, and Clarke unknowingly weaseled right in, left herself seared into his mind. And his heart. "Yeah. That's the problem. I like her too damn much."

Another filler, sorry. I'm used to writing original fiction so I'm used to writing novel length stories.

As usual, Bell is in trouble :P

Since its show day, I might upload another chapter later before the premiere if ya'll like. Bellamy will be pushed to his limits.