A/N: Welcome back! As I mentioned previously, I'm still on a writing roll, so you get another chapter! Hope you enjoy and I would love to hear what you think. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 32

ALEX

The next day, Alex woke when the sun rose. Sitting up, she raised a hand to rub her face, feeling pretty confident that she had woken in the same position she had fallen asleep in. Despite her stiff neck, she felt better than she had in a long time and for the first time in too many days, her head felt clear. Some of the soreness in her body had faded a bit, and although the wound on her side still ached, she found it much easier to ignore.

Pushing herself to her feet, Alex glanced around at the small space she considered hers, contemplating what she would do today. Only one thing kept coming to mind: she needed to talk to the Grounder.

After some thought, she knew that the captured Grounder could be an opportunity. If she was lucky, there was a chance she could turn this into something where they could talk about peace, where they could build a foundation for both their people to live together without slaughtering each other. It would all depend on how the delinquents had been treating them. Her capture by the Grounders had saved her life. They had helped her, fed her, and ultimately sent her back to her people. She had a feeling that their prisoner was not being given the same treatment.

There was only one way to find out.

Running a hand through her tangled mess of hair, she straightened her clothes before stepping out of her tent and into the daylight beyond. As the cool morning air hit her, she shivered, pulling her jacket more tightly around herself. Frowning into the mid-morning sun that streamed through the trees around them, she noted how it highlighted her breath in the air before her. The seasons were changing. Fast.

It was early enough that many were still in their tents. Those who were up shuffled around tiredly, some getting the fires up and running while others grabbed a bite to eat. Wandering through the camp, she exchanged smiles with a few people, some of whom welcomed her back, others who gave her looks of disinterest over the fact that she had returned.

Oh well, can't please everyone…

On the plus side, she didn't see Bellamy anywhere, which she was forever thankful for. After their kiss yesterday… she didn't know how to act around him, what to say to him. The memory of his lips on hers was fresh in her mind and sent her heart racing. She forced the thought away. Something had ignited between them, and she wasn't sure how to douse it. Avoiding him for the moment seemed like the best course of action.

Heading up the ramp of the dropship, she stepped inside and was surprised to see Nate sitting at the bottom of the inner ladder, eating from a bowl of berries he had in front of him. He looked up and appeared just as surprised to see her.

"Hi," she said, giving him a tentative smile as she made her way over. Noticing a new bruise on his face that hadn't been there the day before, she frowned. "What happened?" she nodded to his eyebrow, the skin swollen and split.

A scowl crossed his face as he glanced up to the hatch above them. "The Grounder happened."

Her eyes followed his gaze. She grimaced in sympathy. "Can I see him?" she asked tentatively, knowing there was a good chance that the answer would be 'no'.

He studied her for a moment. "No one is supposed to be up there without Blake's permission."

Of course…

He sighed when she gave him an expectant look. "Fine. Just be quick about it."

Surprised that he agreed, she shot him a relieved smile. "Thanks, Nate."

The climb up the ladder was slower than normal, her muscles surprisingly shaky with every step, the wound on her side tugging with each pull. Reaching the top, she pushed the hatch open and climbed the rest of the way out, closing it behind her. It was only when she turned around that she realized it wasn't just her and the Grounder in the room.

On the far side of the room, the Grounder stood against the wall, his arms strung up above his shoulders, pinned to the wall by makeshift rope the delinquents had made out of belt buckles. His head was shaved bare and he wore nothing from the waist up, his well toned body marked with tattoos that trailed all the way up the sides of his head. They were reminiscent of those Devan had.

And to her surprise, Octavia stood next to him. She wrung out a cloth, pressing it to the side of his neck - wiping away the blood that caked his skin. The wounds on the Grounder took Alex's breath away - lashes and bruises littered his skin, ones that could only have been done by human hands. He looked like he had been beaten and whipped, like he had been tortured. It was clear that he hadn't received the same treatment she had at the hands of Freya and her family.

Her mouth was dry. Did Bellamy do this? Was he capable of this? Yes, came the immediate answer. She'd seen his ruthlessness before, with Murphy, with Wells, when he wanted something he didn't have, when he was defending what he considered his. There was no way for her to know that Bellamy had done any of this, but Nate's words about Bellamy's orders to keep anyone away told her otherwise. He did this, or at the very least he condoned this. The thought made her heart sink.

Octavia was standing close to him, almost too close, talking to him in a voice that was barely a whisper. Alex eyed them, surprised at the intimate way they were standing. Octavia had defended this Grounders' life when they had been talking to Clarke. She had said he had saved the search crew's life. But this was more than that.

The Grounders' dark eyes were locked on Alex, his lips pressed into a thin line as he watched her. Although he was tied up, his piercing gaze made her uneasy. He followed her with the intensity of a deadly predator, his gaze calculating for weaknesses. She didn't doubt he had found half a dozen since the moment she had arrived in the room. She did her best to ignore it.

"Are you supposed to be up here?" Alex asked, knowing the other girl hadn't seen her.

Octavia jumped, whirling around, her eyes wide. She was tense, looking like she had been caught doing something she shouldn't. When she opened her mouth to probably spout out one excuse or another, Alex raised her hand.

"Relax. I'm not going to rat you out." She slowly moved towards them. "Does Nate know you're up here?"

"Nate?" Octavia replied, looking perplexed.

"Oh, right. Miller," she elaborated, forgetting that most of the others only called him by his last name.

"Nah, I snuck by him while he slept."

"Sleeping on the job…" Alex smirked, shaking her head. Typical. "Has he said anything?" She nodded towards the Grounder.

"No, I don't think he understands us," Octavia replied casually.

Alex snorted in reply. "Please, all three of us know that isn't true." When both Octavia and the Grounders gazes snapped up to look at her, she gave them a dry look. She met his gaze directly, challengingly. "I just spent two days with your people. They understood me. I know you understand me."

Though his expression didn't change, Octavia's did, and she looked panicked.

"Evans, Evans please don't say anything to my brother." She took a quick step towards her. "If he finds out he speaks our language…"

Octavia's fear of Bellamy finding out the Grounder could speak their language told her everything she needed to know about who had done the damage. If Bellamy found out, if he thought he spoke their language, if he thought the Grounder might have more information that they could gain… She didn't know what he would do, but she knew she wasn't going to be the reason he hurt anyone.

"Relax, I won't tell him," she said softly. "Actually, I was hoping that we could help each other out."

Octavia gave her a wary look. "What are you talking about, Evans?"

"We don't want a war with their people," Alex said, glancing at Octavia before returning to meet his gaze. "If we did, things would only go from bad to worse for us, and a whole lot of people would end up dead." When his eyes briefly flickered to Octavia, she pushed on. She wondered what he thought of the dark-haired girl. It was clear that during the short time they had known each other, they had somehow come to care about each other. "I'm hoping you can help us find a way that this doesn't end in bloodshed…for your people and ours."

His expression didn't change but he tilted his head slightly, and she had a feeling he was seeing her in a different light. "What do you propose? Your people don't appear to want peace." He kept his voice low.

Octavia's eyes snapped back towards him, looking shocked that he had said anything at all. "Lincoln…"

Lincoln? Is that his name?

She needed to convince him that it was in their best interest that they work together. They needed others on the Grounder's side that were fighting for peace.

"Lincoln, is it?" She waited for his nod before continuing. "My people have just landed in a place that we barely know how to survive in. They're hungry, tired. They're feeling trapped and hunted. They're scared." She took a deep breath. "We never meant to harm any of your people," she continued. "But we did, and I know that pushes us further away from ever having peace. But we need to do something. We need to try."

For a long time, he studied her with a frown. "You said you stayed with my people. Who did you mean?" he finally inquired.

"An old woman called Freya and her family," she replied.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise before narrowing once more. "Fragheda?" he murmured, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know what that means, but I assume so?" She hurried to continue, as if saying the words faster might help convince him. "She told me - no, asked me to help her with this. She said she wanted to find a peaceful solution to the bloodshed. I just hope that means enough to you that you will help us." When he didn't respond, her voice turned more desperate. "Please, we're not bad people. Most of us here are just kids who are trying to find a way to survive."

"Alex, it's not like I disagree, but my brother doesn't want peace with them," Octavia interjected.

Of course, he doesn't, all he's seen is death and bloodshed. The realization struck her that Bellamy hadn't had the same experience as her or Octavia, he hadn't met Freya or her family, hadn't been helped by them. Why would he want peace with the people who had speared Jasper to a tree? Who had slaughtered Mbege, Diggs...Roma? The other girl had meant something to him. "I know. I know where he's coming from," she agreed, thinking over their options. How could they convince him to see the other side?

"If your leader won't agree to this, then even if I did try to help you nothing would come of it," Lincoln said.

"Bellamy might not agree." She met Octavia's eyes. "But he doesn't speak for all of us. If he sees that our way is better, he might come around."

"Might…" muttered Octavia. "My brother is as hard headed as they come."

Alex snorted in response, not disagreeing. "We'll work on things on our end. But I know we need to do better if we're going to live here." Her gaze traced his wounds. "There has to be a way for our people to live in peace."

Finally, Lincoln gave her a slow nod. "I will help you," he said. "But there is not much I can do from here." As if to demonstrate, he shifted his weight and the improvised ropes that held him creaked in protest.

"Bellamy will never let him go," Octavia said, glancing between them.

"I know," Alex replied, knowing that Octavia was right. Bellamy would never willingly give Lincoln up now that he had him. It was the one and only piece of leverage they had against the Grounders. She pursed her lips, thinking. "We'll find a way to get you out…we just need to wait for the right time." She needed to make sure they were on the same page. "So, do we have an agreement? If we get you out, you'll help us?"

His gaze drifted to the side of Octavia, and she could see the way his expression softened. Nodding, he replied, "I'll do what I can."

She could only hope he would keep his word.

Thoughts of how they could possibly sneak Lincoln out dogged her steps as she wandered through camp. They would have to find a way to distract everyone and keep them occupied while either her or Octavia snuck him out. Which was going to be difficult when Bellamy had a guard posted at all times.

Grabbing some of the food that Harper was handing out, she gave the girl a small smile, then turned around and froze, her mouth running dry.

Bellamy stood on the other side of some tents, locked in what looked like a serious conversation. Anger surged through her. What was he discussing? The Grounder? How to ruin what remained of their chances at peace? She hadn't survived being hunted, stabbed, and nearly drowning just to see Bellamy goddam Blake march them into war.

But the sight of him also brought flashes of how his lips felt on hers, how his finger felt tangled in her hair, dancing along her skin…

Why did she feel so goddamn conflicted about him?

Snap out of it Evans! she told herself, feeling her face redden. She wanted to turn away from him to gather herself, but found herself rooted in the spot. Standing across from him, Clarke expression was set into a deep frown as she talked to Bellamy. Alex knew that expression well by now. There was something going on, and she wanted to know what it was.

You can't avoid him forever! You need to find out what's going on. You need to talk to him about the Grounder, she told herself, forcing her legs to move. Your feelings about the kiss can wait. Don't run from your problems.

As she neared, Bellamy seemed to sense her approach and turned his head towards her. He raised an eyebrow, his lips pulling into a cocky smirk as he met her gaze. "Back for more?" he asked slyly.

At any other time, her cheeks would have reddened in embarrassment, or at the very least would have had her rolling her eyes but at the moment she wanted to smack him. "I saw the Grounder."

The smirk on his face faded a bit at the tone of her voice.

Beside him, Clarke shifted on her feet and exchanged a look with Bellamy. "I need to grab some supplies. Meet you at the gate in 20 minutes?" she said, giving Alex a quick look.

Bellamy nodded and Clarke headed off to get ready. Then he turned and caught her gaze. For a long moment they stared at each other, neither saying a word. Alex found her thoughts a jumbled mess. She wanted to ask him about the Grounder, about what was going on, about why he was meeting Clarke at the gate, about the kiss, but she couldn't make any of the words leave her lips.

Eventually he sighed and motioned her to follow him. "C'mon."

Curious, wary, and still angry, she followed him towards his tent and watched as he ducked into the open doorway, the flap that was normally draped over it tucked into the side. She paused at the entrance, keeping her feet firmly on the outside of the door. Entering Bellamy's lair did not seem like a smart idea at the moment.

"Scared?" He glanced back at her, giving her a sly smirk. "Swear I don't bite…unless you ask me to."

At the challenge in his tone, she gritted her teeth before ducking inside so she stood just inside the doorway. She watched as he began gathering supplies and dumping them into a pile on his bed, next to a bag he had out.

Mulling over the thoughts in her head, she wondered how to express what was bothering her. She couldn't get the image of Lincoln strung up and beaten out of her head, and the fact that the guy in front of her had been the one to hurt him…

"I saw the Grounder," she finally said.

"So, you said." Bellamy glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "I told Miller no one was allowed up there," he sighed, his tone telling her that he somehow was surprised she got past him.

"I know," she said. "But I saw him, Bellamy." When he didn't immediately say anything, she continued. "He looked...bad. Did you torture him?"

This time he deliberately didn't meet her gaze, jaw clenched. "I did what I had to do," he finally replied. "Finn was poisoned and we needed the antidote. The Grounder knew which one it was."

Oh. The reasoning made sense, but somehow, she suspected it wasn't the only one. "And that's the only reason? This isn't about the others?" She hesitated. "About Roma?"

He huffed. "Why does it bother you what happens to the Grounder?" he demanded, turning to her. "You've seen what they do. You've seen what they've done."

"Do you know if he was one of the ones hunting us? Do you know if he killed one of us?"

"He had my sister," he said, flatly. "That's the only reason I need. Besides, does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters! They're not all the same, Bellamy," she tried reasoning. "They don't all want us dead."

He shook his head. "How could you know that? They did that to you," he said, pointing at her wounded side.

"Some of them did. But there are others out there, others who don't want to fight. And they helped me escape, they helped me get back here!"

He blinked at her, looking bewildered. "What?"

"After I left you, after I escaped the Grounders chasing me, another group of Grounders found me. They helped me, they healed me. They want to find a peaceful solution, so they helped me get back here in one piece."

Bellamy looked thrown off guard by what she said, then shook his head and returned to what he was doing. "Look, we can talk about it later. I need to get ready."

Taking a deep breath to get her emotions under control, she recalled Clarke's words about meeting at the gate. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince him about the Grounders in only one conversation. He had heard what she had to say, the rest would have to wait. "Where are you going?" she forced herself to ask evenly.

"Clarke and I are going to go check on a nearby supply depot," he informed her. "The Council thinks that there might be supplies there that could help us get through the winter."

She blinked, not expecting his answer. "You guys are leaving? By yourselves? Are you sure that's a good idea right now?"

"We'll be fine, it's not too far from here," Bellamy said. "We should be back before dark. Besides, didn't you just say that Grounders are friendly now?" He gave her a sardonic smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't be dense. That's not what I meant and you know it. I'm well aware that there are Grounders out there that would hurt us." She chewed on her lip. The more she thought about them being out there alone, the more concerned she became. Regardless of her feelings about him hurting the Grounder, she didn't want either him or Clarke dead. Maybe she could go with them to watch their backs? "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she repeated.

He sighed when she didn't appear any more convinced. "Look, I know you want to come with us, but you need to stay here. You aren't ready to be running around yet." He pointedly glanced at her side.

She shot him an 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about' look. "I didn't say anything about going."

He returned her look with one that told her he didn't believe her at all. "I know you thought it."

She sighed. "I would feel better if I was with you guys," she muttered. "Or if I knew you had someone else there who could watch your backs."

"I need someone here who can help run things while I'm gone."

She scoffed. "Right, well, you might want to stay. I don't think anyone here listens to me."

"You'd be surprised."

Alex snorted, but then she noticed the amount of food and supplies he was packing. She frowned. "I thought you were only going until tonight?"

"Never know what will happen out there," he said, keeping his eyes fixed on what he was doing.

"I guess," she said slowly, watching him, noting how tense he seemed.

He paused, not looking at her, staring down at his hands. "I can't be here when the Ark arrives."

"What do you mean?" What he was really saying struck her. "You're leaving?" Her heart sank like a leaden weight. He was leaving? Why? Why now? When he didn't reply, she moved towards him so she could fully face him, reaching out and gripping his sleeve. "Bellamy, you can't leave!" She tried to keep her voice quiet despite how much she wanted to yell at him, mindful of the tent's thin walls.

"I can't stay here. The Ark… they will execute me for what I did," he told her, pulling away from her to push a hand through his hair.

She let her hand fall to her side, staring at him in disbelief. "So you're going to leave us now, with everything that's happening? You're running away?"

The words 'running away' seemed to trigger something in him. The one thing she knew for sure - Bellamy Blake hated to be perceived as a coward.

A short breath escaped him in a rush. "I'm not running away," he said firmly.

"You are," she pushed.

"You don't get it Alex - I shot Jaha. He's not going to forgive and forget."

"You don't know that! Jaha might forgive you. You've done a lot of good here Bellamy, that has to count for something."

"But it might not count for anything!" he said, frustrated. "What about you? Do you think it's smart for you to stay here? Aren't you afraid of what Kane will do to you when he gets down here? Do you think he'll just forget and forgive? You know you didn't attack Liam, but he doesn't think that."

She pressed her lips into a thin line. It was something she hadn't considered. Kane was far down on her list of problems, one that she had purposely pushed to the back of her mind since she knew he was too far away to hurt her. But Bellamy had a point. The Ark was failing, and when it did, Kane would be coming to Earth.

Was she afraid of him? Was she afraid of what he could do? The thought of him here, staring at her with those hateful eyes, sent a flutter of nerves through her. He would still believe she hurt Liam. That she was a monster who had ruined his life. Running away would be the easiest way to never seeing that expression on his face again.

She inhaled deeply, before releasing it all in a huff. "I don't know," she admitted softly. "I haven't thought of Kane or what he would do-"

"He'll either have you killed or run you into the woods to die and you know it." He met her gaze, dark eyes taking in her expression. "Come with me."

She blinked. "What?"

For a second, even Bellamy seemed startled by his sudden suggestion, making her wonder if he'd intended to say those words at all. Then he licked his lips, his expression becoming more resolute. He moved towards her until they were chest to chest and her mouth went dry as she remembered the last time they had stood that close.

"You could come with me," he offered, reaching up and brushing the hair off of the side of her neck, his fingertips igniting the skin along her throat. "We could go somewhere, anywhere."

Her eyes unwillingly fell to his lips, before she closed her eyes to focus. She didn't have to think about it, she already knew that she couldn't do what he was asking of her. She met his gaze firmly.

"You know I can't...I don't run from my problems, Bellamy," she told him, reaching up and grabbing his hand when he seemed ready to pull away. His fingers were cool in hers. She gave him a wry smile. "Besides, I couldn't run now even if I wanted to, you even said so yourself." He inhaled, looking like he wanted to argue, but she shook her head. "You know there's nowhere to go. Out there? Out there, there are Grounders and deadly animals and ever deadlier fog. We'd have no protection, no backup. We'd be dead within the week. And that's the best case." When his gaze fell away from her own, she squeezed his hand. "Bellamy, please stay," she said, feeling a desperate need to convince him. "This group needs you more than you think. You lead them. You protect them."

"I can't protect them if I'm dead," he replied flatly.

"I won't let that happen," she promised. She worried her bottom lip before continuing. "If-if it comes down to that, if Kane and Jaha want us dead…we can deal with that then. But right now, we need to stick together. Don't go. Please."

He swallowed, seeming to mull over her words then gave a small nod.

Relief swept through her as he agreed.

"I have to go; Clarke is probably waiting for me." Even though he said the words, he didn't move away and instead the hand that she didn't have in her grasp came up, his thumb caressing the lower edge of her bottom lip.

Heartbeat suddenly pounding through her, she froze, inhaling sharply. Her lips parted at the contact and she couldn't help but lick her suddenly dry lips, his gaze drawn to her mouth as she did so.

"I have to go," he repeated hoarsely, then pulled away, turning to grab his bag. Giving her one last look, he ducked out of the tent.

A shuddering breath escaped her as she ran her fingers through her hair.

What the hell was this boy doing to her?

Watching Bellamy leave through the gate left her feeling uneasy. What if he still decided to never come back? To leave them to deal with the Grounders on their own? The group was disorganized at best and the only thing that seemed to keep them together to some degree was him. The thought that he could leave them right now of all times left a bitter taste in her mouth. But even though she hated the thought of it, she understood his fear all too well. They both had demons that haunted them, that would someday catch up to them, the only difference between them was that she refused to run from hers. And that includes Kane. If - when he arrives, I'll deal with it then...but that's a problem for another day...

Her thoughts trailed off when Bellamy turned around, his eyes scanning the area until he met her gaze, giving her a small nod. Something about the gesture eased her worry. Giving him a small nod in return, she watched him go. The only thing she could do was trust him to make the right choice.

And this might be your best and only chance to get Lincoln out of here, her mind whispered to her. With Bellamy away, you have one less problem to deal with.

Staring after Bellamy until he was well out of sight, she felt her resolve harden. She had a job to do.

Turning away, she failed to see the tall blond boy who slipped out of the gates after them.

LIAM

Standing outside the Council meeting room, Liam drummed his fingers impatiently on his arm as he waited for his father to get out of whatever meeting he was in. Shifting from foot to foot, he tried doing some of the small movements Dr. Griffin had said would help regain his strength.

From the moment he had woken up he had become more and more determined to get stronger. There was only one way he was going to get answers, and that required getting out of bed. So, he walked. He walked the halls, hands braced against the wall with each shaky step. He walked to different stations to try to get a feel for what was really going on. And as he walked, he became more and more aware of the undercurrent of tension that permeated every inch of the Ark.

Things had gotten worse while he slept. Much worse.

It was only through eavesdropping that he became aware that the life support systems on the Ark were dying. The things most vital to their survival - oxygen, heat, food - slowly decreased every day. The day the Ark went dark - the day that would spell their end - was quickly approaching.

From what he understood, his father and the other Councillors had been doing their best to manage the situation. First, sending the one hundred delinquents down to the group to find out if Earth was even survivable, and second by culling three hundred volunteers in an effort to increase the amount of air available to the rest of them.

It hadn't taken Liam very long to realize just how dire things were becoming.

The Ark was dying and there was only one place they could go.

Earth.

The thought sent a thrill through him. He would be getting the chance to go to Earth, something he had only ever dreamed of. As a child he had stared at the vast expanse of the blue sphere, daydreaming about what it would be like. And now, he would be getting a chance to find out for himself.

Alex and Nate were both there.

Something about the prospect of seeing them both again left him excited in a way he couldn't quite explain. It felt like he had only just seen them, when in reality so much time had passed. Two years. Two whole years he'd been asleep, and they had grown, learned, developed. Had they grown closer in his absence? Had they made new friends, started dating? Had Nate stuck by Alex when things had gone wrong? He must have known that there was no way Alex could have done this to him.

But there was only one way to truly find out. He knew that communications with those on Earth had been opened, that parents had been given a chance to talk to their children on the ground. He just needed to find a way to join the line and talk to his people on the ground.

The door next to him hissed, then slid open, Council members chatting as they headed out the door. The meeting must have adjourned.

When his father stepped out of the door, Liam pushed himself from the wall to greet him. "Dad."

One of the biggest differences Liam noticed in his father was how haggard he looked all the time. He spent every waking minute in meetings and whatever decisions he was forced to make seemed to haunt his footsteps, to physically weigh him down. His position as a Councilman was not one that had treated him kindly.

It also seemed that every time his father saw him, he got this look in his eye, like he had forgotten that he had woken up, that it had all been some kind of dream.

"Liam," his father exhaled, relaxing and giving him a soft smile. "Are you sure you're okay to be walking around already?"

"Yes, Dad," Liam sighed. It was not the first time his father had expressed concern about him being out of bed. "Dr. Griffin said that it would be the fastest way to get my muscles back to normal. I'm already feeling stronger." And he was. He no longer felt like he was dying, his lungs burning, his legs quivering from simply walking from the bed to his door. Shifting nervously, he decided to just blurt out the reason he was here in the first place: "Dad, I want to talk to Alex. I know that communication with the ground is open. I want a turn."

His father's expression shuttered and Liam felt his disappointment before he even received his reply. "Liam, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why is it not a good idea?" he demanded. "If I don't talk to her then we'll never find out what really happened."

"We already -" his father cut himself off, looking exasperated. "Look, there's a lot going on right now, important things-"

The thought that something could be more important than this snapped the thin tether he'd kept on his patience. "More important than the truth?" Liam exploded, drawing the attention of some of the people around them.

His father grimaced and drew him off to the side. "I know you're frustrated," he said. "I understand how difficult this must be for you. But there is more going on than you realize. And whether you find out the truth right now, or in a month from now will not change what happened that day."

Liam gritted his teeth, knowing his father meant well, but it felt patronizing. It felt like he wasn't considered old enough to know the truth. That he was some little kid that couldn't yet handle reality. "For you maybe," he shot back. "If Alex has been convicted of a crime she never committed then she has been living with that everyday."

A stony silence settled between them. Liam knew from the look on his father's face that he wasn't willing to budge.

"Liam…" his father tried again.

"Don't bother," he snapped. "I'll figure it out on my own." With that he turned and stormed down the hall. Why couldn't his father see that something was off about the whole situation? There was no way Alex would have done the things that they told him she had. He was sure of it.

Mindlessly shuffling down the main hall that ran the length of the Ark, Liam pondered his options, not seeing the curious looks that people were sending him as he slowly walked past. It was only when a familiar face caught his attention that he paused.

"Mr. Miller!" Liam blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Liam," Lt. Miller replied with a genuine smile. Nate's father had always welcomed him with open arms, his kind and caring personality always making sure he had everything they needed. "I'm so happy to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

"A bit weak. And a bit confused," he replied honestly.

"Ah, yes. Someone mentioned that you don't quite recall everything that happened during the attack," he said sincerely. "I'm truly sorry about that. I hope it comes back soon."

"Me too," Liam sighed. "It's frustrating that there's this hole in my memories and nobody seems to be able to fill in the blanks."

"I wish I could help you…" Lt. Miller replied, then paused in thought. "While I might not be able to give you the answers you're looking for, maybe I have a way to raise your spirits?" he offered. "I'm on my way to Comms Station to talk to Nate. I'm sure it won't be a problem if you want to join me? I bet he would be ecstatic to see you awake."

Liam stared at him, failing to hear the second half of his comment. Mr. Miller was giving him a way to talk to the ground, a way to get information. He could talk to Nate. And maybe he could use this as a way to talk to Alex!

"I would love that," he replied with a genuine smile.

If his father wasn't going to help him get answers, then he would do it on his own.

A/N: Drop me a review to let me know what you thought!