Hazel eyes tracked every person in that hallway as she stood to the side, waiting on one persons arrival. He was usually prompt. Nora's foot tapped impatiently, watching as another group entered the walkway.

Her stomach rumbled and her head ached from lack of food and oxygen. It was a new month and another reduction had been implemented on Mecha, specifically within the children's centre. But it wasn't water this time, it was food.

The council said the reason was because they were seen as expendable. She hated hearing that, that the staff and kids were disposable essentially. She had gone to Abby straight away to try and protest it, but the doctor insisted there was nothing she could do in this instance. It was above her and the council had already voted about where was best to place their depleting rations, and it wasn't on Mecha.

She remembered seeing Shumway's reaction to the news, he was so gleeful, like he had won a battle with the redhead. His power shining through in his grin and scheming eyes. It made Nora want to punch him in the face even more than she did before.

Gwen and herself had taken the biggest hit on rations, sharing as much of theirs as possible with the kids. Her previous batch of stolen rations had been polished off a couple of weeks ago. She was back to square one now and they had no resolution in sight.

Well, except for one.

A pull on her arm jolted her from her thoughts. Her limbs acted before her brain could, reversing the grip and pressing the person into the wall she had been standing by. She pressed their arm into their back, her other hand resting over their neck. Blinking back the fog, she heard a familiar laugh and slowly lessened her grip.

Bellamy.

"You ass." Slapping him over the head, "What did you do that for?"

He turned around, a bright smile on his face. "I was testing you. Guess what?" His arms out wide, he waited for her but all he got in response was a blank look and lone raised eyebrow. "You passed!"

"Idiot." Slapping him up the back of his head again, she bit back her smile as Bellamy loosely wrapped an arm over her shoulders.

"I'll be sure to tell Jones your training is working."

"I guess." She shrugged.

"So what's up?"

"I have a favour to ask you." Nora bit down on her lip, missing the way Bellamy's smile disappeared in a second.

"What is it?"

Nora's small fist reached for his side, pulling on the fabric of his dark long sleeve top. He towered over her as she pulled him over to stand in a quiet corner, his neck bent to get closer to her. "I need a copy of the guards schedule for the kitchen on Alpha." She didn't look at him once. Nora felt a sickness settle deep into her stomach at the thought of getting him involved, but the kids were hungry. So was she, but she could survive, they wouldn't. "They changed them just recently and all my tracking on Mecha was for nothing because they reduced all Mecha rations and only kept Alpha the same. I just need to know when it's quietest and how long the guard switchover is."

A warm hand on her shoulder made her look up and saw the kind eyes of Bellamy staring back at her. "Give me a few minutes, okay? Stay here." He squeezed her shoulder once before slipping past her and disappearing down the hallway.

Why was she getting him involved? She knew the risk and yet here she was asking him to risk his life too. "One time only. One time only." She muttered to herself like a promise. She would only ask Bellamy of this just this once... that was it. She couldn't have him be involved for anything else after this.

Heavy footsteps caught her attention and she found Bellamy coming towards her with a smile. He resumed his previous position, acting like a wall in front of her. "Two minute gap at 3 and a 2 minute gap at 9." He said in a hushed voice, his hand moving to one of her pockets in her tight cargo jeans. Her eyes widened when he tucked his hand in a side pocket, "9 is darker with less people around. 3 is school time with kids." He caught her wide eyes and knew she had felt him put something in her pockets. "Cameras. They don't catch the left side of you. Leave no trace, right?"

Shaking her head, Nora let out a smile. "That's your first thieving trick you've learnt."

"I'm a fast learner." Bellamy winked at her. "I can still act as a distraction if you need more time—"

"No." The redhead shook her head, raising a hand up. "This is on me. It's my choice, my responsibility. You've done enough with this, it really helps."

Bellamy nodded, understanding her completely but never would he be able to tell her that. He knew about responsibility. His sister was his responsibility and his mother would never let him forget that. "Alright. But let me know if you need anything else." Slowly he took a step back and gestured to the space in front of him as they continued their walk.

Even if she did need anything else from him, she wouldn't ask. That was it now. He had a lot to lose and she wasn't about to be the reason for him losing it all. That and his mother would probably hate her more than she did already.


It had been a fleeting decision that day, to come by and make a fuss of the kids. Well, mainly Jimmy. Bellamy was trying to stop by a bit more regularly for the little guy, after Nora told him how much he looked up to the cadet.

Today, it was about building something for the kids. He had found a few old sheets at goodwill, and today with Jimmy's help he was making them into cosy reading corners for the kids. It had been Octavia's idea, she had said how she loved it when Bellamy made one for her when she was younger.

"Grab that block over there, J-man."

Jimmy scooted off to the far corner as Bellamy held the last sheet in place. Jimmy pushed the block towards him and struggled to lift it. Bellamy reached down, with one hand still on the sheet, while his right grabbed the block and lifted it to the top of the stack of other blocks. "Now you've got your very own bookshelf." Stepping back, him and Jimmy admired their work. "Just need a few more screws to secure 'em into place and we're finished."

"Here you go, Bellamy." Gwen appeared at his side with a plastic box. It was an unorganised mess of scrap screws they had found and kept safe for future use. Bellamy reached into his side pocket for the screwdriver he had swiped from a mechanic and got to work securing the blocks into the wall, with Jimmy dutifully handing him a new screw for each block.

The clock in the corner of the room caught his eye and he frowned. It was well after 9 and most of the kids were already fast asleep. "Where is she?" He muttered under his breath.

"What'dya say?"

"Nothing, Jimmy. All done!" He gave the young boy a high five before they looked on at their construction.

"It's perfect!" He cheered, running under the massive sheet that was held up in the corner of the room by three stacks of blocks that acted as bookshelves. "I need to get the books!"

As he ran off, Bellamy spared a glance around the room and noticed Gwen talking to a younger girl quietly. Just as he was about to approach the older woman and ask her where the redhead was, the main door surged open and in walked Nora. A sigh fell from her lips as she turned to lock the door behind her, pushing the bolts into place.

"Where you been?"

She swivelled and when her eyes locked with his, she shot him a wide smile and a wink. "It worked." She patted the oversized duffel bag with the children's centre logo on it before heading into the kitchen. Lifting the rug and then the panel in the flooring, she leaned in and decanted the extra ration packs she had stolen from the Alpha store. "Their storeroom is endless. I've never seen so many damn packs!"

"So much for they're running out of supplies."

"They're just hoarding them for themselves, making everyone else suffer."

"Well that ends now."

She placed the panel back into position and put a few extra rations into their normal locked ration cupboard. "You're damn right, it does. These kids won't starve anymore." Reaching into her back pocket, she handed a silver packet to Bellamy.

"What's this for?"

"A thank you, for helping me."

Examining the pack, he saw it was the only sweet treat they had on the Ark and she had stole one for him. She had remembered it was his favourite after they shared one during a moon rise. "Any time." Reaching out, he pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head. "Glad you made it back safe." She squeezed him back, resting her head on him, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm a good thief."

"That you are." Maybe too good. Bellamy thought to himself as he marvelled at how she had managed to get in and out without being seen at all. The risk was so great and he had been wondering when she would strike, apparently she couldn't wait any longer. Well, he knew the kids couldn't. He was amazed to hear what little Jimmy had had for dinner tonight, or not had. But they would wake in the morning and have a good meal before them, because of the brave redhead in his arms. "Just let me know when you're gonna do it next time, yeah?"

"Sure." She murmured, giving him a tight hug.

He knew she wouldn't.


"So how's your girl doing?" The brunette asked as she weaved her needle through another item of clothing. When nothing but silence met her question, she looked over to see her brother raise one lone eyebrow at her. "What? I was just asking."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"I'm just asking. You come back with a goofy smile on your face enough after seeing her."

"I do not."

Octavia shrugged, a coy smile on her lips. "You should see it sometimes." Refusing to rise to the bate, he just shrugged off his cadet jacket and flopped down into the chair opposite her, kicking up his feet on another chair. It had been a long shift shadowing another guard and too long spent on his feet. "What does she look like? I gotta imagine her somehow!"

Taking a deep breath, Nora popped into his mind immediately. "Red hair, not bright red, more like a golden auburn red. She's got these hazel eyes, she's quick like a cat. She's great with children, works in the centre looking after orphaned kids. Tough, funny, very protective... she's kind of like you actually."

"Can I meet her?"

"O—"

"Fine." She groaned, "whatever, just wanted to know if I could meet another woman that wasn't mom."

"You know we can't." He gave her a look that he hoped said he was sorry. "I wish I could introduce you to her though."

"Shame it'll never happen then." The brunette mumbled into her sewing. "I just thought maybe you could trust her."

"I can't tell anyone about you, O. You know this. I can't risk anything happening to you. You know what would happen..."

"Mom would be floated, I would be floated and you would be... alone, I guess. Or probably floated too."

"I don't know what I would do if something would happen to you."

Octavia put down her needle and clothing and slumped forward. "I know, big brother. I'm just going stir crazy in here. I want to see space and the ark and a moonrise. I want to talk to more people that aren't you or mom. I want to learn actual earth skills to prepare me for maybe one day of returning to earth. I want to go to school. All I do is sew, read, eat and sleep. That's it."

Bellamy could see how frustrated she was getting. Her days were the same, they had been since she had learnt to sew. They had homeschooled her and taught her all they knew but it wasn't enough. She would always want more. He couldn't imagine being locked up inside a room for 17 years, he would go stir crazy too.

He felt bad for leaving her in their home without anyone. He got to go out and work and see people and actually live. But Octavia was locked away for her entire life, the only faces she knew were his and his mothers. She wanted to be with people her age, to talk to other people, to be social. He knew she would get on with Nora and he had humoured the question many times before – could he trust Nora with this secret of theirs?

But it wasn't just a silly little secret. It was Octavia. Her whole life depended on him and his mother not telling a soul of her existence. They just couldn't, no matter how much he trusted Nora. Bellamy knew she would accept her and want to meet her if he told her about his little sister.

Reaching across the table, he took his sisters hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "I promise you, O, one day you'll make it out of here and you'll see everything." He would promise her the world if he could. He knew maybe it wasn't wise to make a promise like this to her, but he couldn't stand to see the pained look on her face every day.

"You can't do that."

"I just did." It wasn't long until she was smiling at him and he knew in that moment that he would do anything to keep that smile on her face. "I'm gonna pop out quickly, but I'll be back in a bit. Okay?"

Octavia nodded at him and he gave her hands another squeeze before getting up and slipping into the room next door to change out of his cadet uniform and into cargo pants and a much more comfortable t-shirt. Shutting the door behind him, he heard the lock slip into place and knew Octavia was safe for now. But he would have to make sure he kept that promise to her; he hadn't broken one yet.

Taking a shortcut through Factory Station, he made his way to the exchange. Pushing the door open, his eyes scanned the shelves for something different for Octavia. Bellamy always tried to pick her up unique finds on the Ark, because she wasn't able to see them herself. But this time he wanted something that would show her earth or the space outside the Ark. He wanted something in colour, to help her see what he saw whenever he looked through the glass. He wanted something to give her hope for the future.

His eyes scanned the shelves, seeing the same old stuff, until his eyes rolled over a blue and green object. It was attached to a slim silver chain that had rusted in some spots, and it was long enough to be a necklace. Picking the delicate item up, he recognised it to be an earth pendant and it occurred to him that this would be his promise to Octavia. They didn't have much use for sentimental items on the Ark, but this was different. He needed something to show how much she meant to him and that he wouldn't let her down.

Bellamy swallowed back the lump that settled in his throat when he asked what it would cost him to get the necklace: three days of work credits. But Octavia was worth it, he told himself as he left the exchange with the necklace in hand, his sister was worth everything.

Passing by goodwill, he spotted Rose with a friendly smile upon her face. Without any words shared, he gave her a nod and a smile and she extended a book out to him. Pausing in his stride, he retraced his steps to the kiosk window and the elderly woman leaning forward. "This just came in, put it aside for you. You're always reading this sort of stuff."

The cover said 'stories from a lost world', with aged images of earth on the cover with the moon in the distance. The pages had seen better days, but it was in readable condition. "Thank you, Rose. I'll let you know how it is." Bellamy leaned over and planted a kiss on the older woman's cheek in thanks with a cheeky grin.

"Keep reading, boy!" She winked, closing the kiosk window and turning back to organising piles of used clothes. With the necklace tucked in his grasp, he opened the book and flicked through the pages as he walked back through the hallways and made his way home. He knew the route like the back of his hand by now, and didn't even need to look up to dodge passing people.

But a flash of familiar red hair did catch his attention, appearing in his peripheral vision.

Her eyes lit up when she saw him, meeting the cadet at the hallway interchange. "You know if you keep reading like that you're gonna take someone out with your big self."

Chuckling, Bellamy closed the book and gave her a look. "I know where I'm going. Thanks for looking out though. Where you going?"

"Lock up." Nora noticed the fear that flickered across his features for a moment. "Gwen and I carry out assessments with Abby when the kids are under 18, and we also act as their representatives. Just one of the many responsibilities." Nodding, Bellamy's body visibly relaxed. "You got a day off?"

"Nah, just finished my shift earlier. Just went by the exchange quickly." He held up the book, the necklace dangling into her vision ever so quickly.

Nora noticed the silver pendant and the flash of colour at the bottom of it immediately. "Very pretty."

Bellamy's eyes widened for a second, before remembering the necklace. "Uh, yeah... it's a gift... for a... uh. friend."

Her brain and thoughts froze up – a friend? Must have been a good friend to buy a gift like that. It must have cost him some credits, so they were important to him. The it hit her; he had a girlfriend. She wanted to scoff and slap her face, of course he did. He was a great guy, who had a future in the guard to look to. Of course someone had snapped him up. Or maybe he hadn't yet but was trying to win someone over.

Either way, he was pretty much taken. He would have said if the gift was for his mom and wouldn't nearly have looked so awkward either.

"What's the book about?" She asked, changing the subject and trying to form coherent thoughts.

Bellamy answered her quickly, clearly recognising the situation as awkward and welcoming the new topic. As he spoke about the book he'd gotten, her thoughts returned to the necklace. It was definitely something of value. She was sure it would be to the person too.

The device in her pocket beeped, a reminder for the appointment with Abby. "Shoot, I'm late for Abby." She silenced the device before looking up at him. "I'll catch you later?"

"Yeah, I'll stop by and see the kids sometime soon." The cadet visibly sighed with relief.

"Great!" She gave him the thumbs up before darting down the hall towards lock up. Thumbs up? Really? Groaning, she kept jogging along the corridor.

Nora didn't know why it hurt her so much. She thought they were friends, friends tell friends things like that, don't they? Or maybe it hurt her because Gwen was right, she did like him... Liked him more than friends do. But with Bellamy interested in someone, where did that leave her? She didn't want to lose him as a friend. They had grown closer so quickly and the thought of not seeing him for sewing lessons or defence training did make her sad.

It did mean that she could safely tell Gwen to cut it out now. She could get googly eyed over him for all she liked, it didn't change the fact that he was interested in someone else or even with someone else already.

Doctor Abby Griffin was waiting for her at the doors that led to the juvenile cells. "Glad you could make it."

"Sorry, kids made it hard to leave the centre." Nora accepted the badge that the elder woman held out to her. She tried to wipe the memory of Bellamy from her mind and focus on the case at hand, reaching for her device and scanning through the files before bringing up one for a young boy who was in one of the cells.

"Are you alright?" Abby asked, as they stepped through the first set of secure gates. When they closed behind them, the next door opened to a check in desk.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot going on in the centre is all."

"Okay." The woman nodded, checking them both in before they were led down a walkway, with a barrier to one side of them and locked cells to the other. "You know you can talk to me." Abby said, her voice soothing and soft; one of a concerned mother.

"I know." Nora gave the woman a smile. She had always supported and helped her through the years, ever since her father had been floated. "I'm good, don't worry."

Unbeknownst to the doctor, this was a welcomed distraction from the cadet that plagued her mind most days. She felt disappointed most of all that she had allowed herself to feel something stronger for someone, than they clearly did for her. It always seemed to happen to her and she doubted it would be the last time. She was always falling for the wrong guy.

The cell door opened and the guard beside them took a step inside, "prisoner 329, step back and face the wall. Hands behind your back." The guard immediately bound his wrists, and led him by the shoulder to sit on the makeshift bed. Nora stood to the side, device out and already taking notes on the 16 year old boy's appearance and wellbeing.

For now, she would pour her focus into being the young boy's representative in this moment and the centre. She would try and detach herself for these feelings she had developed for Bellamy and just be a good friend to him. After all, she didn't really have any other choice.

A/N: Uh oh. So who's up for a masquerade dance...?