Clarke Griffin's hand began to shake the moment she reached out to cut the Flame from Madi's neck. So she was thankful beyond measure when Eric Jackson appeared suddenly and gently took the scalpel from her.

"I've got this, Clarke," he said quietly, removing the device from her comatose daughter with a few deft strokes.

The thing looked dead when he pulled it out, its wires and coils shriveled and still. But it was still a sacred object to Gaia kom Trikru, the last of the Flamekeepers, and Clarke knew she'd probably want to preserve it.

But Raven Reyes had other ideas.

Before Gaia could grab the thing — could even think about claiming it — Raven had scooped it into a small metal bowl and zapped it with her laser cutting tool. Reducing the Flame of the Commanders to a smoldering pile of molten metal.

Gaia looked appalled, and when she spoke it was clear she was outraged.

"How could you do that, Raven? It's a… a sacrilege! The wisdom of all the Commanders was in there…"

But Raven wasn't having it. "Yeah? Well, it seems like Sheidheda'd already figured out how to crowd out the other Commanders. He's dangerous, and god knows what could happen if he somehow managed to reinvent himself. You weren't around then, Gaia, but I've already had to deal with that kind of shit when ALIE took over a whole lot of people I loved."

When Raven's eyes flicked towards her, Clarke knew they were both recalling the devastation that had followed when Abby succumbed to ALIE… and everyone else in Arkadia fell into line.

"I almost died getting that fucking code out of my head," Raven told Gaia, her tone harsh as she bit out the words, "and I'll be damned if I let something like that happen again."

But for Gaia, a lifetime of devotion was not so easily unlearned. "But ALIE was just a… a machine."

Raven threw up her hands in exasperation. "And so is the damn Flame! It was even built by the same person. You know this, Gaia. And Becca Franko wrote programs that were capable of learning, so I wasn't taking the chance that sneaky bastard Sheidheda could somehow figure out a way to get into this ship's computer and cause even more trouble."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but the only safe option was to completely destroy the thing."

"Here," she said, handing the metal bowl to Gaia, "take it if you want, as a… a memento. But all this mind-control shit has got to stop."

Raven limped away then, Gaia staring after her in dismay.

Clarke sighed, and knew she'd have to at least try.

"Gaia," she said, gentling her voice, "I know this is hard. Up until now, your whole purpose has been to care for the Flame. Still… Indra told me that you'd both realized back in the bunker that the day of the Commanders was over."

Gaia nodded. "But that was before we knew about… about Madi."

As she said Madi's name, Gaia glanced at her warily, but Clarke had long ago abandoned her anger with Bellamy for asking Madi to take the flame… and with Gaia for making it happen.

"Yes, and look what happened to Madi. Just like Raven said, after Sheidheda figured out how to suppress all the other Commanders, he was able to control Madi. And it almost killed her. What makes you think he wouldn't have been able to do exactly the same thing again? You know the Flame would be far too dangerous for anyone to take ever again. Better that it's completely destroyed."

Gaia sighed sadly, but Clarke could see acceptance in her eyes. "I understand," she said.

Clarke smiled softly. "Good. Maybe we can find a nice spot to bury what's left of it on Sanctum."

Gaia looked thoughtful, and her next words surprised Clarke. "I don't think so. I think since the Flame died in space, space should be its final resting place."

Clarke frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

"The… airlock. Isn't that what you called it? The place you sent… the Primes out of. Couldn't we use that?"

Clarke was astonished. "You want to float the Flame?"

"I want to… consign it to the great beyond. It seems like a fitting resting place, and I think the Commanders would approve."

Clarke nodded. "Okay, then. As soon as Madi wakes up, that's what we'll do."

XXXXXXXXXX

The battle for control of Sanctum had been won, and Bellamy Blake supposed he should be happy. But he was weary of battle, and sick to death of war and conflict, so the most he could dredge up was a feeling of relief.

They'd already managed to destroy the Earth three times over, and he'd somehow thought that when they reached this new planet, this place of refuge that Monty had sent them to, they'd be done with all that forever. But then they'd found out what the Primes really were. How they'd come to power… and what they did to stay there.

And it had been monstrous.

But it wasn't until Clarke's body was taken over by Josephine Lightbourne that the true horror of it had been brought home to Bellamy. He still shuddered every time he recalled the moment he'd realized that Clarke wasn't Clarke at all.

So when he'd had the chance to save her, to take the against-all-odds gamble to bring her back from the dead, he'd grabbed onto it with both hands, and all his high-minded rhetoric about leaving conflict behind them had been flung out the window.

Because when push came to shove, Bellamy Blake would do whatever it took to save Clarke Griffin.

The moment he saw she was alive and well, he felt like he could breathe again. Yeah, some people had died along the way, people who'd helped murder her, people who'd tried to keep him from saving her. But he didn't kid himself that he'd have done anything differently.

He hadn't lost Clarke again, and that was all that mattered to him.

But then they'd almost immediately had to split up, she back to the Eligius to thwart the Primes in their quest to use the ship's passengers as fodder for their grotesque need for immortality, and he to the city to free the Sanctumites from the control of the true believers.

And now the city had been won… or at least it seemed so to Bellamy, and Miller agreed.

"The Children of Gabriel have control of the palace, Bellamy, and Murphy and Emori are doing a damn good job playing Primes and calming what's left of the delusional… sorry, the faithful. But who knows what the hell will happen when Clarke and the others get back with Russell."

Bellamy nodded, as Miller reminded him why he still couldn't quite be easy in his mind. He'd been sitting on that damn bench waiting for Clarke to return, and he knew he wouldn't be going anywhere until he saw her face again.

It turned out to be a long wait. The suns were already beginning to rise by the time the group from the Eligius finally made their way along the path and up the steps into the city.

And then it was chaos, as friends ran to greet each other, their faces wreathed in relieved smiles.

Bellamy was off the bench and headed for the square before he even realized he was moving. For a few frantic seconds, he couldn't seem to find Clarke, but then he spotted her. Their eyes caught and held as he began to race through the sea of humanity, dodging people left and right, but never losing sight of Clarke until she ran headlong into his arms.

His eyes closed in relief and gratitude as she tried to tell him what had happened on the Eligius, her words almost tripping over themselves in her haste to explain.

"We did do better this time, didn't we, Bellamy? Just like Monty asked?"

Bellamy held her tight, whispering reassurances into her ear that this time they had indeed done better. And if there were other words he wanted to say, he knew this wasn't the right time, that he was constrained by circumstances.

Not the least of which was Gabriel bearing down on them.

He looked apologetic as he touched Bellamy's arm, and he forced himself to pull away from Clarke.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Bellamy, but I need you to come back to my hut with me."

"Right now?"

Gabriel sighed. "Believe me, I wouldn't have… intruded on your reunion with Clarke if it weren't important."

Before he could protest again, Clarke spoke up.

"Go ahead, Bellamy. I need to give Madi a thorough examination, and then I'll talk to Miller and the others about what to do with Russell."

Bellamy was loath to let her out of his sight, which he knew was stupid and pointless since he could hardly tether Clarke to him forever. For at least a dozen reasons, the most important of which was that she'd never allow it.

He nodded to Clarke. "We'll catch up later," he said, before turning to Gabriel with a reigned sigh. "Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXX

Gabriel's place looked the same as it had a couple of days earlier when they'd made their plan to entrap the Primes. Bellamy recalled how he'd objected to that plan, hating the idea of Clarke flinging herself back into danger so soon after he'd rescued her.

But he had the feeling that whatever Gabriel wanted to talk to him about today had nothing to do with the Lightbournes or the Primes or Sanctum. And he was more mystified than ever when the man led him through the hut and down to a lower level that Bellamy hadn't even known existed.

"What's this all about?" he asked, his patience wearing thin by the time they reached the bottom of the staircase.

"It's about this," Gabriel said, moving aside so Bellamy could see what appeared to be a very large stone, covered in symbols.

He frowned. "And this is?"

"It's what I've been working on for decades, trying to learn its secrets. I was sure the symbols must have something to do with the red toxin and all the other bizarre elements on this planet, but I never could make any meaningful connection. It wasn't until your group arrived that I began to think it had a different purpose altogether. That the stone wasn't here to control things on this planet at all, but to act as a gateway to another."

"Another…?"

"Another planet."

"What? Like… a wormhole?" Bellamy had certainly heard about wormholes. Astronomy had been an important school subject on the Ark.

Gabriel nodded. "Same idea. But this wormhole doesn't go through space as we think of it. It works through another dimension."

What the hell?

"C'mon, Gabriel. I know there's a lot of weird shit on this planet, but… another dimension?"

But Gabriel was adamant. "Once I started looking at that possibility, everything finally began to fall into place. I'd just about cracked the code when you arrived with Clarke, but I had to put it aside for… everything else."

When his eyes closed briefly, Bellamy knew he had to be thinking about his lost love, Josephine Lightbourne.

Gabriel sighed and shook himself, as though forcing his mind back to the present.

"Look, Bellamy, I could spend days taking you through all my theories and all my calculations, but I doubt you'd understand half of it..."

Bellamy nodded, agreeing.

"… and none of that matters now anyway. What's important is what we have to do now, now that I know how the thing actually works. What… what you have to do."

Bellamy frowned. What he had to do? "And what's that?"

When Gabriel hesitated, Bellamy had the feeling he was choosing his words with care.

"The thing is, I finally figured out not only how to open the portal but also where it leads. And it leads back to Earth."

Bellamy blinked in surprise. "Okay, let's say that's true, that this stone is some kind of weird pathway back to Earth. Why the hell would anyone want to go there? The planet's been destroyed over and over again, and the last time it seemed like it could never recover…"

Gabriel interrupted him excitedly.

"Yes, but what if you could somehow prevent that from happening?"

Bellamy's brow furrowed as he mentally picked his way through his understanding of the past.

"Prevent… McCreary's bomb? Praimfaya? Even those nuclear bombs that criss-crossed the planet and destroyed everything the first time?"

"Yes," Gabriel nodded. "Exactly. The bombs fell after we left on the Eligius 3, so it wasn't until your ship arrived that I really understood what had happened. About the runaway computer program. The perverse instantiation."

Bellamy shrugged. "Okay, so… now you know. But I don't get why any of it matters now."

"That's because I haven't told you the rest, about the most amazing thing about the stone."

As he explained, Gabriel was becoming more and more excited.

"Not only does it open a portal to Earth, there's also a way to control where you end up on the planet. And also… when."

Bellamy gave a start of surprise. "When? You mean like… time travel?"

"Yes. It doesn't work on this planet, only between here and Earth. But what it means is that I can send you back to mid-21st century America."

Time travel? Bellamy was beginning to wonder if maybe Gabriel had lived just a little too long.

"Right. Say that's true. Why the hell would I want to do that? Since I'd just end up dead like everybody else."

"I don't want you to die, Bellamy. I want you to stop it from ever happening."

Bellamy shook his head in disbelief.. "Me? You think I can stop a planetary cataclysm. How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"By finding Becca Franko and persuading her not to build ALIE. That's how."

Bellamy gaped at him, trying desperately to bring order to the thoughts swirling around inside his head.

"Look, Gabriel, even if this… this portal of yours actually works, and even if I could by some miracle find Becca Franko and persuade her I'm not some crazy lunatic, I'm not sure I really want to leave… here… right now." He sighed. "Why the hell would it have to be me?"

"Because from what I can see, you're the only one who might be able to actually pull it off. And I understand. I do. Clarke is safely back from the ship, and you don't want to leave her. But that's the other thing, Bellamy, the thing I haven't yet explained. This is a job for both of you. Clarke needs to go, too."

"What!"

Bellamy was appalled. Sending Clarke back into danger again was the last thing he was prepared to do. But Gabriel hurried on before he could voice the protests that were forming in his head.

"Because you're right! Even if you found Becca, she might dismiss you as a madman. But she won't dismiss Clarke, not with her black blood and her knowledge of things about Becca that she couldn't possibly know." He sighed. "For now, I can only send two people through that portal and it has to be you and Clarke. You're the only ones who stand a chance."

Bellamy sighed. "But to leave here, when we finally feel safe?"

"I understand. But we're talking about billions of people, Bellamy. People whose lives you could save. As far as I can see, you have to try. I think, really… it's your only choice."

Bellamy huffed a small laugh. "Only choice? That's an oxymoron, you know,"

"What?"

"Never mind. Just another conversation from a long time ago."

"So you'll do it?" Gabriel was impatient for action now that he'd finished his explanations. "You'll go?"

"My decision may not matter because I'm not sure Clarke would ever agree…"

Gabriel's scoff was immediate. "Clarke Griffin not agree to a mission that could potentially save billions of lives? Of course she'll want to go. That's why I wanted to talk to you first, to make sure you understood its importance. She'd probably go, no matter who went with her, but I knew it should be you. The two of you make a formidable team. If I hadn't known that before…"

His face took on a sudden faraway look.

"You pulled Clarke back from death, Bellamy, just by the sheer power of your connection to her. Then you defeated the Primes when I'd never been able to. Earth's best chance of survival is for the two of you to tackle this together. In all my years on this planet, I've never been so certain about anything as I am about this."

Bellamy was grasping at straws now. "But… Madi. I'm not sure she'll want to leave her…"

"Clarke will understand that Madi can travel to Earth later. I can only send two people at a time, but the portal can be opened on a recurring cycle that I believe might coincide with the Earth's lunar cycle. In any case, eventually all your people will have to be returned to Earth, Bellamy. Including Madi… and Octavia."

Bellamy was silent, his mind in turmoil.

Was there a chance this could really work? Could he and Clarke actually figure out a way to stop the well-intentioned Becca from making a catastrophic error that destroyed the planet?

It seemed beyond improbable — even shifting well into the impossible — that the two of them, essentially on their own, could save an entire planet and its billions of inhabitants. And if they failed, they'd die right along with everyone else.

But if they succeeded… wouldn't that begin to make up for all the people he'd killed since he left the Ark? All those deaths that could be laid at his door?

Bellamy sighed, understanding himself well enough to know that he'd never be able to live with himself if he didn't at least try.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Let's go back and explain it all to Clarke. But you need to give me a few minutes to take care of something else first."

Something he should have done before, and was now long overdue.

But if he was going on this mission with Clarke, he couldn't put it off any longer.