Sorry it's taken me so long guys! It was back to college this week and it's been crazy! Thanks for your patience! Enjoy! :)

Chapter 53

Kane walked into Octavia's apartment to find two of Bellamy's men standing with ominous looks on their faces. At his daughter's reassurance both men stood down, but kept their wary gazes trained on his movements.

"What's happened", he asked the room at large.

"Clarke's been taken and I'm afraid of what Bellamy might do."

At Octavia's outburst, Kane watched as Lincoln's features hardened.

"Octavia", the man said in a quiet plea.

"Lincoln he has to know. He's our dad, maybe he can help", O said quickly.

"He's a cop", Miller suddenly spoke.

Kane knew he would have to diffuse these men's mistrust if he was ever going to help his son.

"Yes, I am but I'm also a father. A father who will do whatever he has to do to see that his family is safe. I lost you once, I won't lose you again", he finished, his eyes on his daughter.

"Thanks Daddy", Octavia said with a tearful smile.

Kane pulled her to him, and then addressed the men in the room.

"Where did my son go?"

"To confront Clarke's mother, Abigail. Clarke got a call from her right before she left, so he thinks Abby might have something to do with it."

"Alright, what do you need me to do", Kane asked.

He would have laughed at the surprise that spread across the men's faces if the situation weren't so dire.

Lincoln recovered and began to speak, "We need to go find Bellamy. When he finds Dax, he's going to have a firefight on his hands and we need to be there. If you would stay here with the girl's we would really appreciate it."

Kane nodded, expecting just that. "Call us when you find him."

Lincoln nodded, and then he and Miller rushed out of the apartment.

Kane watched them go, dread spiraling in his gut. He'd see first hand how Bellamy felt about his fiancé. He shuddered to think what his son would do if the girl were harmed.

That thought alone terrified him. He'd heard the stories of the ruthless Rebel who even Lynx Ferrera feared. The man was a teetering balance of light and darkness, and Kane knew that balance was held in check by none other than Clarke Griffin.

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"He's keeping her in an old house on the west side of town. I don't know if that's where he is, but that's the place we agreed upon", Abby said tearfully.

Bellamy gave a low growl before turning to address Murphy and Wick.

"Murphy, you're with me. Wick, I need you to get the guys together at the shop. We'll determine the location and then call for backup", the Rebel said as he marched towards the door.

Murphy followed in his wake, pulling his gun from the waistband of his pants and checking the revolving chamber with a spin and a click.

"I know you want to find her, Bell, but maybe we should bring Kane in on this."

He watched as his leader turned to face him, anger etched in his features.

The redhead held his hands up in surrender before speaking again, "You know it would break her heart if you got thrown in the clink because you were trying to stage a daring rescue. Let me go in. I'll get her out. Dax trusts me."

Bellamy stared at him for a moment, and then a plan began to form.

"Fine, you'll go in. I don't like it, but I don't have much of a choice."

Bellamy drove to the west side of town, scanning the streets for any suspicious activity. They finally came to the last house at the end of the street, the truck came to a sudden stop when they spotted Dax's bright red mustang.

Murphy quickly hopped out, and strode up the cracked sidewalk to the door with peeling green paint. He didn't bother to knock, the smell of unwashed bodies burning his nose as he made his way inside.

There were men sprawled everywhere, most too drunk or high to notice his entrance. He stepped over the various limbs and bodies that littered his path as he searched.

Dax was lazy, he should have anticipated Bellamy's arrival. Murphy knew his boss, and he knew that this kind of behavior would never have been tolerated. If they'd had a job going down then they were all to be on high alert.

He made his way through the kitchen, and then he saw a door. Sounds were filtering through the crack at the bottom, and he suddenly recognized Clarke's voice.

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Clarke watched as Dax approached, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach and bile rising in her throat. She struggled against her bonds, her eyes trained on his leering expression.

"Bellamy will have your head for this", she spat.

She watched in satisfaction as his eyes clouded with fear for just a moment before the smile returned.

"The Rebel's not coming for you Princess. You see I just got a call. You're beloved Bellamy Blake is dead", Dax snarled.

Clarke's lungs constricted, and she felt as though her world were crumbling around her for the second time.

"No! No, I don't believe you", she cried.

"Awww, Princess, I didn't want to have to show you this", he said pulling his phone from his pocket. He put it on speaker, and Bellamy's voice filled the quiet room.

"Dax if you've hurt her…No, wait don't…"

Then a gunshot rang out, and Bellamy's words were cut short. Clarke's eyes welled with tears. Her fear muddled brain could find no explanation for what she heard, so she was forced to take it as truth.

"No", she screamed, "It can't be true!"

"Sorry you won't be able to stick around for his funeral. We've gotta go. I've got plans for you."

The blonde kicked and struggled as Dax grabbed her, the zip ties biting painfully into her wrists. She slammed her elbow into his ribs and he was just about to slap her, when a voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Clarke looked up to find Murphy standing at the bottom of the stairs, gun drawn and an angry glare painting his features.

It all happened so fast, Dax shoved her forward and pulled his gun. Both men shot at the same time, the same moment her body hit the cold concrete floor. She watched as Dax fell, blood pouring from a wound in his chest.

Her gaze turned to Murphy, and she watched as he swayed before sinking onto one of the wooden steps. His shirt was blood stained, his left arm hanging limp at his side.

"Murphy! Why would you do that", she cried as she rushed to his side.

The man gave her a pained grin, groaning as she poked and prodded at the wound in his shoulder.

"It's a through and through. Come one, we have to get out of here", she said pulling him to his feet.

"Go on without me, Boss. I'll only slow you down. The guys upstairs have probably figured out that something's gone wrong. You've got to get out while you still can."

Clarke looked into Murphy's blue eyes, her fingers gripping his just a little bit tighter.

"I'm not leaving without you Murphy. You're family, remember? Either we get out together or we don't get out at all."

Murphy stared at the woman before him, her blue eyes earnest and her voice pleading. He nodded, rising to his feet with a grimace.

"The Rebel's gonna kill me", he muttered to himself.

"No he's not. He'd have to go through me, and we both know who'd win that one", Clarke said, trying to lighten the mood.

Murphy chuckled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before letting her go and making his way up the stairs. He stopped at the door, opening it a crack before turning back to her.

"I'm going first, stay behind me and don't make a sound."

Clarke nodded, following him out of her prison and into the dim light of the shabby little kitchen. Their steps were slow and quiet, and just before they reached the main room shouts broke out.

She could hear Bellamy's voice above the din, his words nothing more than an angry roar.

"Faces to the ground! If I see one of you move you're all finished!"

"Sounds like the cavalry made it just in time", Murphy said with a sigh.

They made it out into the front room to find all the men with their faces buried in the dingy carpet, Bellamy and the rest of the guys standing above them- guns raised and ready.

Clarke helped Murphy out of the house, listening as Bellamy's footsteps echoed behind them. When she reached the truck, she dropped the tailgate and ordered her friend to sit.

"Babe, do you still have that med kit in the truck", she called.

Seconds later the white box was sitting beside Murphy on the tailgate and she was helping the man out of his shirt. She cut the material, throwing it onto the brown grass near the curb.

She disinfected the area, apologizing at Murphy's wince. She sewed him up then bandaged the wound, taping the white gauze in place.

"There", she said as she cleaned her hands with some of the disinfecting wipes, "No heavy lifting for a while. I'll change the bandage in the morning and check the stitching."

She handed him a bottle of pain meds with a smile, "This is the good stuff, so take a half of one every four hours. I would wait until you get home, they'll knock you out."

"Thanks Boss", Murphy said with a smirk as he hopped down from the tailgate of Bellamy's truck.

Clarke was shocked when his arms suddenly wrapped around her, and she felt a feather light kiss on her cheek.

"I'm glad you're safe, Boss", the man said seriously.

"Thanks, John. I have you to thank for that", Clarke said smiled.

She watched the man go, Bellamy giving him a clap on the back as he passed. She turned to clean up the mess, placing the disinfectant and bandages back in the box. When she moved to put the box back in the truck, she found Bellamy standing in her path.

Bellamy gently took the med kit from her trembling fingers, stowing it behind the passenger seat before turning back to face Clarke. He stared at her, taking in the dirt smudging her cheeks and the crimson trails of dried blood that coated the side of her face.

He stepped forward taking her face in his hands, his thumbs rubbing gently across her cheeks.

"Are you alright", he asked quietly.

"I am now", she replied, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him.

He buried his face in her hair, his fear slowly draining away as his hands moved up and down her spine. Having her in his arms, being able to feel her breath against his skin, it was all beginning to sink in that he finally had her back.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again", he whispered.

"I'd be fine with that", Clarke whispered back.

He watched as his men came out of the house, leaving Dax's men for the cops to pick up. They'd made an anonymous call shortly after they'd arrived saying that shots had been heard.

They all drove away as the wail of sirens drew closer. Bellamy pointed the truck back to Clarke's apartment, keeping her fingers entwined with his where their hands rested on the console.

When they finally came to a stop, he came around and opened the door for her before once again taking her hand in his own. He led her to the elevator, nearly glaring at anyone that came to close.

Clarke would have laughed if she hadn't been so tired. She'd fought to stay awake on the way home, the gentle caress of Bellamy's fingers against her skin not making the task any easier.

When the apartment door opened, she found herself squished in a tight hug, Octavia's tears dripping against her skin. Her hand was still clutched in Bellamy's and O's arms were beginning to cut off circulation.

"Can't… breath… O", she gasped.

"Sorry", Octavia said, quickly stepping back, "You look terrible!"

"Gee, thanks", Clarke answered dryly.

She looked beyond Octavia to find Lincoln and Kane standing in the background. She smiled at both men, before Bellamy began to lead her to the bathroom.

He shut the door, and she sat obediently on the side of the tub as he cleaned the cut on her scalp. She winced at his tender ministrations, but found the kiss he gave her afterwards more than made up for it.

They both turned at the knock on the door, Bellamy opening it and taking the clothes Octavia held out.

"I thought you'd probably want to take a shower", she said sheepishly.

"Thanks O, you're a lifesaver", Clarke smiled.

The Blakes siblings left her in peace to shower, and she nearly laughed out loud when she heard O yell at Bellamy to stop pacing outside the bathroom. She finished her shower, her hair dripping down her back.

She dressed in the sweat pants and t-shirt O had brought her, wincing as her sore wrists came in contact with the material. She made her way into the living room to find Lincoln and O gone. She stopped just short at the end of the hallway when she heard Kane's voice.

"So, Dax is…"

"Yes, Murphy shot him in self defense. We left no trace, and enough drug paraphernalia there to put his men away for a good ten years."

"I'll make sure that nothing comes back to you", Kane answered quietly.

"Thanks", Bellamy sighed.

"I'm glad you've got her back, son."

"Me too. I didn't want to be that man anymore, but for Clarke and O I'd do anything", Bellamy said tiredly.

"You're a good man, Bellamy", Kane said as he stood.

Clarke watched as Bellamy's expression changed to one of startled awe.

"Thanks, Dad."

If either man noticed what the younger had said, they didn't mention it. Bellamy saw his father out the door, and Clarke strolled into the living room.

"Hey", she called as she moved to sit beside him.

"Hey."

Clarke snuggled into his side, allowing all the tension to drain from her body. She laid her hand over his heart, the steady beating soothing her frazzled nerves.

"I don't want to postpone the wedding", she said suddenly.

It had been on her mind ever since she'd been freed. She didn't want Dax's actions to ruin she and Bellamy's special day.

"Alright", he answered.

"I don't want what happened to ruin our day. I want to marry you, Bellamy Blake and I'm tired of waiting", she said with a smirk.

"Dido, Princess", Bellamy grinned, "Now, if we're still going through with this then you'd better go get some rest. You've got a lot of work to do tomorrow to get ready for Saturday."

Clarke yawned, stretching her arms above her head before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you, babe", she whispered against his skin.

"I love you too, Princess."

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you thought! :)

Wright: Thanks for the review! Abby definitely has a lot to learn where her daughter's concerned! I hope you liked how I saved Clarke! I thought it was the next best thing to her saving herself :) Aww! I'm glad you think my stories are magical! That just makes my day! :)

Martha: Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and differing POV's! :)

To all my other guest reviewers: Thank you so much for your reviews and kind words! You guys are awesome! :)