Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own anything.
A/N: Clarke's POV with a little bit of Octavia's POV.
Clarke: Day 6…
Clarke didn't get much sleep last night. She was dreading the attack that was looming over them and she was restless. She still didn't know how to defend themselves and Miller had been getting the delinquents prepared for the oncoming attack. They had strengthened the wall and created strategic fox holes to attack from outside the wall. Bellamy was right. Miller had a good head when it came to planning for battle. He probably learned it from his father who was a guard at the Ark.
She was busy at the med bay in the morning, checking on the last of her patients still recovering from the fever. She saw that there was one more death over-night. She remembered the last victim from before. He was one of the last to fall ill yesterday. His condition must have worsened and the herbs didn't help. She could recall his name as Connor or something. He was with Bellamy after they landed when Bellamy had his followers. She knew Bellamy would be sad that he had died.
She ran into Murphy at the med bay, helping others. She was still wary of him, but so far, he hasn't done anything to show himself as a threat. But now that he was up and walking, it was time for them to find out what he knew.
"Murphy?" She called him from behind and saw him turn to look at her. He was hesitant and looked wary.
"We need to talk." She told him plainly. She saw him nod his head in understanding and follow her as she walked away from the sick people in med bay.
She walked to the middle of the camp where she could see her inner circle doing different tasks in the morning. She went up to them and after brief welcome, invited them to her tent so they can all discuss with Murphy on what he knew.
Once she had assembled them all, she looked at the people in front of her and frowned. There was one person missing. Finn. She looked around the camp and couldn't see him.
"Where's Finn?" She asked in general. She saw Raven look guilty and avoided eye contact. She could tell something had happened last night between them. She saw her on her way back in last night after Finn approached her. But she left it to rest for now.
"He decided to take a team for hunting in the morning." Miller informed her. She could tell he was against that decision.
"What? Now? We are facing an attack anytime soon and he went hunting?" Clarke couldn't understand what Finn was thinking.
"I think he wanted to get away from here. He decided to go hunting and refused to listen when I told him it was a bad idea. He got a couple of people to go with him." Miller said frustrated. Clarke could tell that even though Miller has been doing well with the security and protection around the camp, he wasn't as forceful as Bellamy is. Bellamy would have knocked Finn down before he left the camp to keep him inside. That much Clarke was sure of.
"Let me know when he's back as soon as he does." She told Miller who nodded in understanding.
"Now, we need to know what Murphy knows. Since he's healing and strong enough, we need to find out anything he could say about the grounders." She told the group in general.
Murphy listening to her chuckled. Everyone's attention focused on him as he cleared his throat.
"What do you want to know about the grounders huh? They're vicious. Cruel. They tortured me for days after capturing me." He said sarcastically.
"I know Murphy." Clarke said sympathetically. "I saw your injuries. They tore your fingernails. It is still healing. They had cut you many times. I can see the scars in your body."
"Yeah. They did a lot more than that. They enjoy torture. And they are angry. They will not show mercy when they get here." He stated as a fact. Clarke could see that he was speaking the truth.
"What do they know about us?" Miller demanded to know.
"Everything." Murphy said in a choked voice. He was reliving the torture he endured. Everyone gasped, realizing that the grounders had all their inside information.
"We know they sent you here infected, so you can spread it to us. They wanted us weak when they attacked." Clarke told him. Murphy looked surprised at that.
"I didn't know about this, okay, I swear." Murphy promised them. Clarke stared at him and she could see the truth in his eyes.
"I believe you." She could see Murphy physically relax when she said it.
"But we need a plan to protect ourselves. Is there anything you can tell that would help us?" She asked Murphy who shook his head negatively.
"I ran from their camp. When I woke up one morning, they had forgot to lock my cage. I didn't see anyone nearby. So, I ran and hid in the trees. Crossed the bridge and ran in the general direction towards the camp. I can't remember how I made it here. When I woke up next, I was in the dropship." He told them.
Clarke nodded her head after listening. "They let you go." Then she looked at him quizzically.
"How long did it take for you to get here from there?" She asked him.
"I don't know. Maybe two days? I was running all night because I was afraid if I stopped, they will catch me." Murphy shrugged.
Clarke looked at the others. "We are two days from them. If they are coming as an army, that should slow them down even longer. So, we may have two days to prepare for them."
"I'll get more people on the security detail and barricade the walls." Miller told her.
"I'll keep continuing to make bullets. We need as much as we could before they come." Raven said. "I'll help." Jasper offered which Raven accepted with a smile.
"I'll help you in the med bay." Octavia offered. "Me too." Murphy told her. She nodded at them in appreciation.
"Let's get to work." And with that, they all stepped out of the tent to go do their tasks.
- 100 -
The sun was going down and there was no sign of Finn or the hunting party. Usually, they take days in the woods, but Clarke knew now was not the time to be spending time like that when they are expecting to be attacked. She was still fuming at Finn for taking off, but she couldn't help be concerned about his wellbeing either.
It was almost dark when Miller came to her to tell that Finn had arrived. She rushed back to the gate and saw him there alone without his hunting companions. And there was nothing from the hunt, but Finn looked excited to see her. She frowned at that and waved him over so she could talk to him privately.
They walked into his tent and she could see eyes following them as she did. But she didn't turn around to see who was watching as she had more important things to deal with than camp gossip.
"What happened?" She asked Finn as soon as she was inside and they were alone.
"I went hunting with Steve and Adam. We were running short of cured meat and we needed to stock up before winter comes." Finn explained and Clarke huffed at him.
"We are facing an attack any day now and you choose to hunt for winter? Finn, we won't even be alive until winter." She said exasperated.
"I wanted us to be prepared." He said weakly. He knew they were getting side tracked so he continued further. "While we were hunting, the grounders ambushed us." Clarke's eyes widen and stared at him in shock.
"What happened?" She asked again, concern in her tone now.
"Steve and Adam didn't make it." Finn said sadly. He was a pacifist and anyone's death is pointless. "They attacked us and killed them quickly. I thought I was also dead, but they just knocked me down." He said showing her the bruise in the back of his shoulder from where they hit him. It was swollen but she could tell there were no internal injuries.
"I was taken to a makeshift camp nearby. It was only a few grounders there. But I met the one in charge." Finn said excitedly. He couldn't wait to share the news with her. Clarke remained impassive listening to him.
"Her name is Anya. She has been the one attacking us. She sent Murphy here to weaken us with the sickness." Finn informed.
Clarke said "I know." At Finn's surprised expression, she realized that she hadn't told him anything about what Octavia told her yesterday. She didn't feel like explaining, so she stayed quiet waiting for him to continue.
Finn realizing that she wasn't going to say anything more, continued. "Anya expected us to be sick when she attacked. But her scouts had informed her that we were recovering today. She didn't expect that. She believes that you are a powerful healer or someone with mystical powers. She wants to meet you." Finn told her. Clarke could tell that Finn was all for the meet.
"I don't know if it's a good idea." She trailed off when she realized Finn was going to interrupt.
"I know this is a long shot. But this is a good opportunity to make peace with the grounders. They are reaching out and we should accept it." Finn told her. He was convinced that they could make peace with the grounders.
"They have done nothing but kill us Finn. They sent in a biological weapon at us, just before they attacked us. How can we trust what she says?" Clarke questioned him.
"Don't you want to resolve this without a conflict? Without what Bellamy would do?" Clarke stepped back as if Finn had slapped her with his question.
"Look. You asked me last night how we can make peace with the grounders. Well, now I have found you the way. I think you should take it." Finn told her. He was proud of what he had achieved in the negotiation. And he wanted Clarke to see it.
Clarke could see the point in Finn's argument. If there's a genuine chance that they could achieve peace with the grounders, maybe she should take it. After all, Lincoln is friendly with Octavia and based on what he said, Bellamy was in the grounder village as well.
"Ok. We can meet. But we're bringing backup." Clarke stated.
Finn shook his head. "No way. We're not bringing guns. Those weren't the terms, and if we're gonna do this, we got to give it a fair shot." He told her.
Clarke looked conflicted. One one hand, she wanted the peace with the grounders. But on the other, she couldn't place her trust on them. Not completely. A nagging voice in the back of her head that sounded a lot like Bellamy was telling her They'll probably gut you, string you up as a warning.
She decided that she will bring backup, even if Finn doesn't know about it. She refuses to be a victim. If the deal goes south, then they will be able to escape. If the deal succeeds, he wouldn't have to know about it.
"Ok. Ok. What time is the meet? And where?" she asked him now that her choice was set.
Finn excited that she agreed with him, piped up. "It's at dawn. Down by the bridge about three hours hike from here."
"Ok. We should get settled in soon, so we can leave early in the morning." Clarke told him and tried to leave. Finn reached out to her and caught her by her arm.
"This is a good thing Clarke. I have a good feel about this." He said smiling at her.
At one point, Clarke would have been flustered at the way he was smiling at her. But after everything that happened in the camp and between her and Finn and Raven, it grated her. She wasn't giving him mixed signals or any sign that she was interested in him anymore, but Finn keeps trying to reach to her.
"I hope so." She said curtly and pulled her arm away from him and left leaving him frowning at her cold response.
As soon as she left Finn's tent, she went straight to one person. Octavia. When Octavia saw her coming at her, she smiled and stood up.
"Hope you chewed him up for going hunting." She said as a way of greeting. Clarke smiled but didn't comment.
"I need your help." She said quietly in a low voice. Octavia noticing the seriousness in her tone, stood straight and leaned in.
"I need you to go to Lincoln." Clarke said. Octavia was surprised, but she wasn't shocked anymore. Clarke seemed to be using her to communicate with Lincoln lately.
"Anya had sent Finn back with an offer of peace. She wants to meet first thing in the morning. I need to know how genuine the offer is. Can you ask Lincoln and get back to me?" She asked. Octavia nodded in understanding and took off quickly into the dark through the woods. Once again, Clarke was surprised at the agility of the young girl and hoped she will be safe.
Her next stop was to Raven. She hesitated before entering her tent. Raven was sitting at her desk busily working on making more bullets.
"Hey" she called out as a way to tell Raven she was there. Raven didn't turn back as she kept busy with her work.
"Hey back." Raven said non-committedly.
"How much do we have now?" Clarke asked as a way of breaking the tension and starting the communication.
"Not enough." Raven said dejectedly as she looked at the dud pile of bullets on the ground. After Jasper coming up with a way to find dud bullets, it was easier for her to isolate them.
"Do we have enough for one mission?" She asked. That caught Raven's attention and she turned around to look at Clarke quizzically.
"Why?" Raven asked curious.
"Apparently Finn made contact with Anya and her clan." Raven's eyes went wide at Clarke's statement. "She sent him back with an offer to meet tomorrow morning."
"What?" Raven spluttered. "Is he ok?" She asked Clarke.
"He seemed fine. But Steve and Adam who went with him didn't survive." Clarke said, upset. Raven could tell that Clarke was feeling guilty for the two additional deaths. She placed a hand on Clarke's arm as a sign of comfort.
"You should go check on him." Clarke told her. Raven shook her head negatively.
"No. I can't. I broke up with him last night." She told Clarke, looking away at her desk as a way to avoid seeing her.
"What?" Clarke said, surprised.
"Yeah. I couldn't just string along when it was clear that he is in love with you." Raven told her as a fact. She didn't sound sad but she sounded like she had accepted it as a fact.
"Raven…" Clarke tried to intervene, but Raven held up her hand stopping her.
"I know Clarke. I'm not blaming you. But I can't wait along either. I needed to move on with my life and admit that Finn chose you." She chuckled at that.
"Raven…" Clarke said softly and Raven turned around to look at her. "Trust me when I say that I have no interest in Finn. It doesn't matter how he feels about me. But anything I may have felt for him, vanished when I realized what he did to us both." She hoped that Raven could see her sincerity.
Raven looked at Clarke in the face for a moment or two before nodding to acknowledge.
Clarke smiled and left Raven to her own work as she walked out of the tent.
Her next stop is to Miller. She found him near the walls working other delinquents to secure the walls.
"Hey Miller" she greeted him.
"Hi Clarke" He said, politely tilting his head in respect. Another thing he probably learned from his father, she suspected.
"Listen, I need you to come with me in the morning." She told him straight. At his confused look, she whispered in a low voice so others won't hear.
"Finn had arranged for a meet with Anya at the bridge in dawn." Miller looked back surprised and concerned. Clarke nodded to confirm his non-verbal seriously? question.
"The deal is that no guns are allowed. But I don't trust them. I need you to bring guns and be my backup. Stay hidden and keep an eye for anything strange." Clarke told him.
"Does Finn know?" Miller asked her curiously.
"Finn doesn't need to know everything." Clarke said as a fact. Miller hummed in response as if he had something to say but didn't say it. Clarke didn't prod any further about that.
"We're good?" She asked him. He nodded in response.
With that, Clarke walked back towards her tent. It was already late and since she didn't get much sleep last night, she needed to get some today so she can be alert in the meeting tomorrow. Any tiredness or distraction will leave her vulnerable.
- 100 -
Octavia ran towards Lincoln's cave as soon as she was in the woods. She has become accustomed to the path now and she didn't have to even watch where she was going. She felt natural and comfortable amongst the woods. And knowing the importance of the meet as well as Lincoln waiting for her, she rushed there in a hurry.
Lincoln was waiting by the fire when she arrived. He was waiting for her as he promised. Octavia's heart fluttered at the sight of him. She knew she could trust him with her life and she was overwhelmed by the feelings she had for him. She ran right into him and kissed him with all the emotions she was feeling and felt it being returned in same force.
They kept kissing for a while until something in the back of her mind reminded her of her mission. She pulled away from him, so she can focus.
"Did you decide?" Lincoln asked her with hope. He doesn't express his emotions to anyone, but Octavia has come to read the underlying feelings from his voice.
"There's been a change in plan." Octavia told him. Lincoln looked at her confused.
"Anya had sent a message with one of ours she captured." She said and Lincoln grunted.
"Is this the prisoner with the sickness?" He asked concerned. Octavia shook her head.
"No. One of ours decided to go hunting today morning with a couple of others." Octavia said, rolling her eyes. Lincoln saw it and he couldn't help but chuckle. They both agreed at the stupidity of going hunting when attack was imminent.
"Anya caught them and killed two of them. She left one of them to come back with a message. She wants to meet." Octavia told him. Lincoln's brows went up at the new information.
"Clarke sent me to talk to you. Find out if the offer is genuine and whether she should take it." Octavia said and waited for him to respond. Lincoln remained quiet thinking.
"I don't know what's happening in their faction. But it's unusual for Anya to offer anything when she has the army to defeat you." Lincoln told her. Octavia nodded in understanding.
"You should warn your leader to be wary of anything they offer and be on your guard." Lincoln suggested. He didn't think Anya could show mercy or compassion. It was not her style. But then, Skaikru has proven to be resourceful in the past and maybe it has impressed Anya somehow.
"I will." Octavia promised him. Before she turned around, Lincoln grabbed her by her arm pulling her towards him.
"Promise me that you will not go for the meet." He demanded. He had a bad feeling that he couldn't shake and he didn't want Octavia anywhere near there.
"I can't Linc. They're my people. I need to be there with them when they need me." Octavia said. She didn't like to disagree with Lincoln, but she felt that she had no choice on this matter. Lincoln closed his eyes processing it.
"I will go find out more information. I will come meet you if I find anything. Remember what I taught you. Be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for any danger." He warned her. He didn't want to do it but if Octavia was putting herself at-risk, he was going to do anything he can to make sure she wasn't walking into a trap. She nodded and he dipped his head down to kiss her again which she returned.
- 100 -
Clarke completely forgot that she sent Octavia on a fact-finding mission until she saw said person coming through the gate on her way to her tent. As soon as she saw her, she changed direction as she rushed to the gate. Octavia met her halfway in a hurry.
"Let's go to your tent." Octavia told her in a rush and they both hurried to Clarke's tent.
It seemed like Octavia had been running and she was trying to catch her breath once inside the tent. Clarke waited anxiously for the girl to get hold of herself, before she asked the questions.
"What happened?" Clarke asked when she saw Octavia starting to breathe normally.
"Lincoln was concerned. He said it was unusual for Anya to offer this now." Octavia informed her. Clarke nodded as if she was expecting that.
"He also wanted me to warn you to be on guard and not be trusting. He was going to find out anything more and will meet us if he finds anything." Octavia huffed and sat down exhausted from all the running.
"Yeah. I thought as much. When Finn said no weapons, I couldn't help but think this is a trap." Clarke told her. Octavia stared at her with a strange expression and Clarke got uncomfortable.
"What?" She said nervously. Octavia chuckled in response.
"You're sounding more and more like Bell than you right now." Octavia pointed out. Clarke felt herself getting flushed at the comparison.
"What? No." She denied.
"Yeah. The Clarke from before was all too trusting. And she generally agreed with Finn's pacifist approaches. Since Bellamy left, you've become more hardened. More suspicious and more cautious. I like the new Clarke." Octavia stated as a fact.
Clarke opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to come up with a retort. Did I change that much? She didn't feel like she had. After Bellamy left, she had to play the role he was playing which could have made her a bit more hardened. But she felt like herself in general. Now that Octavia had pointed out, she could see what she was referring to.
"We need to look for a chance to make peace with the grounders. But that doesn't mean we should trust them blindly. I'm being cautious. That's all." She said defensively.
"Uh huh." Octavia hummed in response with a cheeky smirk that was very much a Blake expression. Clarke huffed and refused to say anything.
"Ok. I'm off. Need to get some rest if we are leaving early in the morning." Octavia said and got up. Clarke looked at her puzzled.
"You're coming?" She asked at the girl. Octavia gave her a look. "Of course. Who else is going to keep you safe? Finn?" She mocked and left the tent.
Clarke couldn't help but appreciate Octavia. She didn't want to put the girl at risk, but she was glad that Octavia will be with her. Having her beside her will make her feel stronger.
She went to bed knowing tomorrow will come soon and she needs to be prepared.