Guns, a necessary evil

Clarke helped Bellamy sit down and looked over to see if there were any wounds but luckily the wounds only came last time and she sighed seating in front of him. "How did you know?" he asked her and she looked at him. "I didn't. When the hallucination stopped, it was in time for me to see him leaving and then when I checked, I noticed he ended up taking the rifle you were using and well I just followed him and you know the rest." She lied and he nodded believing her. "What did you see?" he asked.

"My Dad and my cell on the Ark. You?" she didn't lie, it was what she saw the last time, she just didn't specify. "Jaha. My mom." He said to her and she nodded, it was different this time for him. "Well it is safe to say that we have gone nuts." She joked and he laughed and so did she for a while before she turned serious. "Jaha won't kill you or imprison you, not if you give him Shumway." She said and he shook his head. "It won't be enough, Clarke." He said to her and she sighed. "Hey, haven't I given you enough reason to trust me already?" she said to him and he nodded.

"Exactly. So do it, trust me. I've known Jaha my whole life, I know how to play him and I will get you a pardon." She said firmly and he stared at her. "Does Wells know?" he asked her. "What? That you shot his Dad? Yeah, I told him but I also explained why you did it and I guess he understood. We all have done things to protect our family, he doesn't hate you by the way and he would help you if you ever think you need it, he told me so himself." She said to him and he scoffed. "He did?" he asked not believing her and she nodded.

"Yes, he did. Wells is a forgiving guy, he doesn't really hate anyone. He gets angry like he did with you but he never hated you and even if he did, which he doesn't, I am still his best friend, if I asked, he would help you but let's leave him as a second option, for now trust me and you will be okay. Now, can you help me with the guns? I can't carry them all by myself." She said and they started working cleaning them. "Hey Clarke, can I ask you a question?" he said as they continued working and she looked up at him.

"Sure, go right ahead." She said and he looked at her. "Why did you try to help me and Octavia that night of the party? You didn't even know us." He asked her and she shrugged, she couldn't tell him the whole truth but she could tell him a few things. "Well, I didn't know your sister or that she was a second child, though we had bumped into each other a few times and I saw you with Kane more times than not," She said and he nodded before she continued, "Anyway, Octavia seemed like a nice person, a little naïve but I didn't think she was dangerous and when Shumway who I know is a dickhead started harassing you guys, I just figured I could help." She finished shrugging.

"Thank you." He said to her and she looked at him. "Even if it didn't help you or her that much?" She asked and he nodded at her. "Even if it didn't help, you still tried, that's more than anyone else would have done in your position. And you tried not only with Octavia, but you're still trying to help me be better as well and I am thankful for that and for you saving my life just now." He said to her and she smiled at him.

"You're welcome. You're a good person, Bellamy. You just need to stop making bad decisions. If you do that, you'll be fine. And if you need me to remind you of the asshole you are acting as every once in a while, well, I will gladly do it until you don't need me to do it anymore. But remember, I am not here to pat your head when you screw up. You screw up and you pay for it, that is how life is, here on the ground as well so keep that in mind and think more with your head and less with your heart some times. It might help you." She said and he nodded

They stayed quiet after that, finishing cleaning it up and tying as many rifles and getting as much ammo as they could which was pretty much the same amount as last time before they set on their way back to their camp. Clarke keeping an eye out, just in case Dax decided to be stupid and try to attack them as well but with a bullet in his arm and without a weapon with him besides his knife, she doubted he would come back and she was glad that he helped her get that part of her mission covered.

It was an hour later when the two of them were getting closer to camp when they both heard Miller's scream that the grounder was gone. Bellamy looked at her and they just walked faster and through the gates as they saw everyone gathered around the center of camp. "What if he brings other grounders back?" a guy said. "They'll kill us all. Or worse." A girl said before Bellamy spoke up. "Let the grounders come." He said as they let the bags down. "We've been afraid of them for far too long, and why? Because of their knives and spears." He said to them and they nodded at his words.

"I don't know about you but I'm done being afraid." He said as he looked at Clarke and they both showed the guns they brought with and there were some cheers but she could see Finn's disappointed face and it wouldn't be the beginning of that. "These are weapons and not toys. And when the others come, we will need to give them up but for now they're going to help keep us safe." She said to them. "There is plenty more where these came from. Tomorrow, we start training and if the grounders come, we will be ready for them." Bellamy said.

"But I don't want any of you to go looking for fight just because we have these now. We will use them for protection, not to attack. They haven't done anything yet so we won't either and I don't want anyone shooting without a reason, we don't have bullets to waste so unless under direct attack from the grounders or with an order from me, fingers off the trigger. If you can't handle the gun or follow orders, then you can't have it. Is that clear?" she said firmly and everyone nodded. "Good, Murphy and Raven. Distribute the weapons and the clips. Bellamy and I have business to do." She said and the boy nodded and Bellamy looked at her confused.

"We are talking to Jaha but for now go and talk to your sister." She said to him and moved away as her friends came forward and started organizing everything. They made a line for the distribution and on her way to the tent of the radio, she saw Charlotte in line and went to her. "You don't get a rifle, young lady." She said pulling the girl away. "But Clarke, I need to protect myself and help everyone too." She said and Clarke nodded. "I know and as much as I would like to keep you away from all of this, I can't. But you're not old enough for that but in the meantime." Clarke said pulling something from her bag and kneeling down.

"This is a holster." She said as she helped secure it on the girl's leg, clicking them into place and on her belt before she pulled out a hand gun and put it in place. "Now, I am trusting you with this but Charlotte, promise you won't use on anyone in this camp and with the grounders, only if it is necessary. You promise?" Clarke asked and the girl smiled and nodded seriously. "I promise you can trust me, Clarke. I won't play with it and only use for necessary protection like you said." She said and Clarke smiled.

"Okay, now pay attention." She said as she started explaining how the gun worked and the girl paid serious attention and nodding understanding what Clarke was saying and tried it to do it herself and did correctly. "Very well, now put the lock and put it back." She said and the girl did so and put the gun back on the holster and Clarke stood up and hugged the girl who hugged her back. "Be careful with this and with yourself. We can't lose you, Charlie." She said and the girl nodded before Clarke pulled back as she saw Bellamy talking to Octavia.

"Go." She said shoving the girl playfully and Charlotte went running to Wells and Jessica and she went inside the tent, started the connection and asked Sinclair to get the Chancellor and he did that. It didn't take long for Jaha to appear and Clarke explained to him the situation and he nodded agreeing as she went out and called for Bellamy. He said something to Octavia and came towards her and she squeezed his shoulder. "It will be okay." She said meaning both with his sister and with Jaha and he nodded understanding the message before they both went in and sat down, grabbing the headphones.

"Mr. Blake. I have been wanting to talk to you for some time now." The older man said and Clarke took the front once again. "I know I could try and tell you that Bellamy is important for everyone here and that I trust him which I do but that wouldn't work with you so I'm going to make it very simple for you, Jaha." She said firmly as they both looked at her. "Either you pardon Bellamy for his crimes against you or he won't say a word about who is the traitor that wants you dead and we both know that is all you care about. So you see, it's quite simple. What do you say? Do we have a deal or not?" she said and Bellamy was surprised before he smirked and looked at Jaha and waited.

He shifted closer to the screen. "Bellamy Blake, you're pardoned for your crimes." He said and they smirked. "Now, tell me who gave you the gun." He asked and Bellamy looked at Clarke who nodded. "Commander Shumway, sir. He told me that if I didn't, he had someone in the drop ship who could kill my sister before they even came to the ground." He said and the man went back on his seat. "And I guess that when he found out we could talk and tell you the truth, he interrupted one of the parents meeting and sent a kid named Dax to kill Bellamy to shut him up for good." Clarke said to him and Jaha nodded.

"Thank you both for your cooperation." He said to them and Clarke nodded. "I will send for Wells if you wish to speak with him." She said to the man and he nodded. "Yes, please." He said and she took the head phones off as Bellamy did the same and she noticed Jaha speaking with someone in the council room, probably the guards ordering them to arrest Shumway and she motioned for Bellamy to leave and when they got outside, he turned to her. "Thank you and just so you know, I trust you too." He said and she nodded smiling. "Finally. Now, go get some rest, I will get Wells." She said and went on her way and so did he.

In the Ark, Kane made his way with a few guards to where he knew Shumway would be. He was in the room when Clarke was speaking to the Chancellor and he was proud of the way she took charge of the situation. Once she was done, Jaha sent him to get the Commander and Kane left immediately and as he came in front of the guard being cuffed, he said. "You're disgrace." The guard looked at him defiantly. "I'm fighting for what I believe in." He said and Marcus came closer to him and whispered on his ear.

"Diana won't win." He said and he saw the man looked shocked before he grabbed a stick from the guard and hit him knocking him out and looked at the guards. He knew Diana went to kill Shumway last time so he was not taking chances with that again. "Straight to floating. Get his uniform there." Kane said as the guards nodded and picked the man up and he turned around leaving them to finish the job and he walked away. It was coming. In three days, it would be Unity Day and Diana would pay for murdering his mother last time. He would not let her win, not again and he was counting down the minutes.

Back in camp, Clarke went inside the tent to check on Finn and his wound. "Lay down." She instructed and he did so as she lifted up his shirt. "Guns? Really?" he asked her and she nodded. "Guns, really. We need them to be prepared in case of retaliation for taking one of them." She said getting the bandage off. "Yeah, our ancestors wanted to be prepared too so they built bombs." Finn said and she looked at him. "Rifles are not the same as nukes, Finn." She said. "In Bellamy's hands, they are. Come on Clarke, you can't predict what he is going to do." He said to her as last time.

"They are not on his hands, Finn. They are on mine and I am not going to let him do anything I don't approve of besides even though you don't like him and even though he may be a jerk most of the time, we need him." She said to him as he stared at her. "The grounder saved Octavia's life and Bellamy brought him back here and tried to torture him." He said and she nodded. "But he didn't because I didn't let him and in the end, bringing him here saved your life." She said and he propped himself on his elbows. "I know." He said and she stopped him.

"I trust him, Finn." She said and he looked at her. "You can't be serious." He said and she nodded. "I am." She said and he sighed. "Clarke, you are letting Bellamy lead us down on a dangerous road." He said to her and she shook her head. "No, we're not. Look Finn, I want a world where we don't have to fight with the grounders too, believe me I do more so than you but until they agree with that as well and stop attacking us if we even try to leave camp, then I will do what I have to do to keep us safe and he will help me do that. I don't trust him like I trust Murphy or Wells but I do trust him and unlike you, he trusts me too. I will check on you tomorrow." She said to him and finished with the bandage leaving the tent.