"Let this be the first step toward peace."
—Marcus Kane, "Human Trials"
Marcus slept soundly for the first time in a long time. He held Abby loosely in his arms, his hand resting lightly on her hip. His breathing was quiet and it tickled her shoulder when he breathed out. Abby, however, laid awake most of the night. It had been two days since the council meeting and the coalition would be heading out at dawn. While she was relieved that Marcus would not be leaving with the coalition, Clarke would be - and that worried her more. To Abby, Clarke was still a child. Her child. She hoped they would have peace before she had to send Benja off to war or Madi or the baby inside of her. But, they hadn't had peace on Earth since they landed. She worried they never would.
A soft gray light was peeking through the window when there was a quiet knock on the door. Marcus stirred in his sleep, but she stroked his hair gently and softly whispered, "It's okay, Marcus. Go back to sleep."
The door opened slowly a few moments later and Clarke's head popped in. Her eyes passed over Marcus and settled on her mom. She whispered, "We're about to leave."
Abby nodded and carefully untangled herself from Marcus. He mumbled something indistinct when she managed to get out of bed. She leaned over and kissed his temple. "I'll be back."
She walked over to her daughter and followed her out into the hallway. They went down the stairs and into the kitchen. Abby made them some tea and they sat at the table together. Clarke said, "I know you're worried."
Abby nodded over her mug. "You're my kid, Clarke. Of course I'm worried."
Clarke reached over the table and took her hand. "Mom, I can take care of myself."
Abby smiled sadly. "I know you can, but these people are unpredictable."
"I'll be with the entire coalition," Clarke reasoned.
"This won't be like fighting against the Grounders," Abby said, squeezing her hand. "This is like Mount Weather. Traverkru has advanced technology. We don't know what you're in for."
Clarke nodded but frowned as she said, "If this is what it takes to get us peace, we have to do it."
"You sound like Marcus," Abby said with a smile.
"He's had an influence," Clarke admitted. Abby waited and she continued, "I didn't like him at first. I didn't understand how you could hate someone so much for so long then love them."
Abby's brows furrowed. "Why do I feel like we're not talking about Marcus?" Clarke looked away. "Clarke..."
"Kane told me to forgive Lexa and I did," she started, looking out the window at the rising sun. "I stayed after the ambassador meeting and...I don't know, it's complicated."
"Love is complicated, Clarke," Abby replied and Clarke nodded in agreement.
They both turned when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Benja and Madi hurried toward them. They both hugged Clarke tightly and Madi whispered, "Ste klir | Stay safe."
"Mochof, Madi | Thanks, Madi," Clarke whispered, squeezing both of them as hard as she could. Abby smiled at the three of them. Benja pulled away first and they all saw the tears in his eyes. Clarke pulled him to her again and whispered, "Miya, Benja. Ai na komba raun, nami? Son yu airein op. Ste yuj, strikon, gon omo seingeda. | Come here, Benja. I will be back, okay? Dry your tears. Stay strong, little one, for our family."
He nodded stiffly and wiped his tears hastily on his sleeve. Clarke looked at Madi and said, "Yu seintaim, nami? Nomi en noni ste nou yuj bitaim. Emo gaf yu en Benja in na let emo sich op. Ai na ste os. | You too, okay? Mom and dad are not strong enough. They need you and Benja to ease their worries. I will be okay." Madi nodded, her jaw set firm. Clarke looked at her mom and said, "I have to go. Tell Kane goodbye for me."
Abby squeezed Clarke's hand again and whispered, "May we meet again."
"We will," Clarke replied with a tone of finality. She stood and ruffled Benja's hair on the way out.
Kane sighed as he reached for the doorknob. He paused, his hand on the metal, thinking of what he should say. Finally, he opened it, stepped in, and locked the door firmly behind him. He pressed his back against it and let out a breath. He glanced around the first floor and found it empty. But, from upstairs, he could hear Benja and Madi speaking Trigedasleng.
The door to Benja's bedroom was open and Kane stood in the doorway. The two children were gathered around the computer, playing a game and talking animatedly about what they were doing. He smiled to himself and let his mind rest for a few moments, watching the kids. He couldn't help but wonder what a younger version of himself would think of this scene. Even a year ago, he spent most of his personal time alone and his professional time with the Council or guard discussing matters of secrecy. Now, his days were spent making Eden a better and safer place and his nights with his family. He woke with Abby in his arms every morning. He had several children and would be having his first biological child in a few months. A younger Kane would be flabbergasted.
He pushed himself off the doorjamb and stepped into the room. Benja and Madi continued speaking and pointing at different things on the screen so he cleared his throat. They jumped and turned around quickly; Kane heard the sound of their character dying in the game. Benja turned back and cried, "Oh, no!"
Kane grimaced and said, "I'm sorry." Benja turned back, pouting. Kane cleared his throat and added, "It's time for bed."
Madi joined Benja in pouting and Kane rolled his eyes. "Don't do that. Come on, I have to be up early tomorrow and can't stay up worrying if you're asleep or not."
"Haukom yu na gaf gyon snaptaim op? | Why do you have to get up early?" Madi asked.
He took a breath and replied, "I have to escort the prisoner to the coalition camp." He was met with blank stares and translated, "Ai na teik honon kongeda-de trap." They both started talking at once. He held up his hand and they fell silent. "I'll be back for dinner tomorrow night. Well, I will if you get to bed now."
The two of them begrudgingly headed to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Kane waited until he heard the water turn on before opening the door to his bedroom. The lights were off so he assumed Abby was asleep. He shut the door and navigated the room in the dark to sit on the bed. As he undid his knee brace, he heard a soft, "Marcus." He glanced over his shoulder and saw Abby scooting closer to him. He smiled and quickly discarded the brace and his shoes. He turned and laid down next to her. She mumbled something about his pants but her tone made him pause. He asked, "Are you okay?"
She remained silent so he turned on the lamp. She was lying on her side with her feet curled under her. She whispered, "Just a little pain. It's normal, Marcus."
He asked, "Can I do anything?" She just shrugged, but Kane scooted down the bed and moved aside the blanket.
"You don't have to," Abby protested, attempting to pull her swollen feet away. He just looked at her and she sighed, offering him her foot. As Kane's hands moved against her right foot, she let out a quiet sigh and shut her eyes. He waited until he moved to her left foot before he told her the news.
"Abby?"
"Hmm?" He paused for a few moments and Abby's eyes opened in the silence. "Marcus, what is it?"
He resumed rubbing her foot as he replied, "I need to escort O'Donnell to the coalition camp. I'll be home by dinner, I promise."
"You've promised before."
He felt himself deflate a little but he knew that she was right. He had failed her several times before. Some were his own fault, others were out of his control. His mind drifted to the most recent time he had failed to return to her - when he and Clarke had been kidnapped by Emerson. A pain shot through his leg at the memory and he shuddered.
"Marcus?" He looked at her, his face crestfallen. She reached out for him and whispered, "Come here."
He slowly moved up the bed and she opened her arms to him. He slid into her embrace and she held him tightly. He buried his face in her shoulder as the memories came flooding back. He had tried so hard to push them into the deepest recess of his mind, but it wasn't enough. He felt the burn of the needle in his veins and the pain in his leg intensified. His body shook a little and he enveloped her in his arms, holding her tightly to him. She kissed his forehead and whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
They stayed like that for a few minutes until he calmed down. Abby kissed him lightly but Kane, overcome with a feeling of impending dread, pulled her to him and pressed his lips forcefully against hers. She gasped, but kissed him back, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him on top of her. Now, he was careful with her, aware of her belly at all times. His hands caressed her as he placed himself between her legs. She tugged at his shirt and he whipped it off before pulling at hers and tossing it aside. He paused and looked down at her, taking her in. She smiled at him and pulled him down for another kiss.
Kane jerked O'Donnell along through the old police station. His grip on his arm was firm though the prisoner was complying. He knew he was taking out his frustrations on O'Donnell, but he didn't care. After all, it was his fault that Kane had to leave his pregnant girlfriend who was on temporary bed rest due to her ankles.
A rover was parked outside and Kane opened the back door, shoving O'Donnell through. He tripped and would have landed flat on his face if Kane didn't catch him by the collar. O'Donnell sat on one of the benches and muttered, "Thanks."
Kane ignored him and sat across from him. Raven climbed into the driver's seat and turned to look at the two men in the back. "Ready?"
Kane nodded and Raven put the rover into gear. He said, "Thanks for driving."
"It's just nice to be included. It doesn't happen often," she replied, looking in the rear-view mirror at him. "Besides, you can't keep a rover on the road."
He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I can."
She scoffed, "Keep telling yourself that."
O'Donnell interrupted, "Are you two done flirting? Can we go? I want to see my people."
"Go float yourself," Raven muttered.
He barked out a laugh, "I get it. It's because you lived in space and floated people who broke the law. Like he floated your mom. Very funny."
How much do these people actually know? Kane thought. He felt the rover speed up and knew that Raven wanted to get rid of him as quickly as possible, just like he did.
It was meant to be a two-hour drive, but Raven made it in an hour and a half. She pulled the rover to the edge of the camp and parked. She swiveled in the seat and walked through the back to open the door for the men. Kane stood and grabbed O'Donnell by the arm, but the prisoner yanked it out of his grasp. O'Donnell said calmly, "I've done nothing but comply with you and your people. Treat me with some respect."
Kane's jaw tensed but Raven muttered, "He's not worth it."
"Of course I'm not," O'Donnell replied, heading for the back door. "Not like that girl I killed."
Raven reached to stop Kane, but he had already shoved O'Donnell, who toppled out of the rover and hit the hard ground with a thud. Raven retracted her hand and muttered, "Oh, well."
Bellamy and Clarke appeared at the back of the rover. They glanced down at O'Donnell then looked at Kane and Raven. Bellamy asked, "Did he piss you off?"
Kane nodded, his jaw clenched. Bellamy just shrugged and pulled O'Donnell up. The prisoner glared at Kane but allowed Bellamy to steer him away. Clarke said, "You made good time."
"He didn't just piss Kane off," Raven said as she climbed out of the rover. "What's going on here?"
Clarke shrugged, "Not much. No sign of Traverkru. That's why Lexa wants O'Donnell. She hopes he'll bring out his people."
"We all hope that," Kane said with a small smile as they walked further into the camp. They passed various groups of Grounders, sharpening their weapons as they waited for order. Monty poked his head out of a tent and called Raven over - something about a radio frequency. As they continued, Kane asked, "How are you?"
"Bored."
He laughed. "We should all hope for a little boredom after all of this is over."
She nodded but remained silent. He knew that inactivity was killing her and left her with more unfortunate time to think about her future. He wanted to ask her about it, but they just weren't there yet in their relationship. He knew there were boundaries that Clarke wouldn't feel comfortable crossing for a long while. For now, he was happy with whatever she afforded him.
He whiled away the time until Raven was ready to leave. It was at least two hours until she wandered back over to the rover. Kane was sitting and lost in conversation with Penn. Raven kicked his boot and said, "Waiting on you, boss."
He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Disha yongon... | These kids..."
Penn snickered but Raven turned and called over her shoulder as she walked to the rover, "Come on, old man. We're wasting daylight."
Kane stood and grasped Penn's arm in farewell. "Until next time, my friend."
"Until we meet again," Penn replied, releasing his arm.
Kane climbed into the passenger's seat and shut the door. He looked at Raven and said, "Well, let's go."
It was her turn to roll her eyes. She replied, "Calm down. We'll be home before you know it."
He smiled to himself and settled into the seat. He didn't know what came over him - whether it was the smooth drive or because, as the kids love pointing out, he was getting old - but he quickly fell into a restful sleep.
Kane's eyes flashed opened when he felt the rover abruptly slow down. He glanced at Raven and found her staring straight ahead, brows furrowed. When he turned, he saw why - the gates to Eden were wide open. Not broken, just open. He muttered, "Drive."
Raven glanced at him and cautiously drove through the gates. Though it was still early evening, it felt like it was midnight. As they drove through, it was like a ghost town. All lights were out in the homes. No one was walking home from work or school or just milling about. The park was empty, no food cooking over the fire. As Raven pulled in front of Kane's home, his heart stopped.
The front door was open. Kane glanced at Raven who turn off the rover and quietly opened the door. He followed suit and silently drew his gun. The two of them clicked off the safeties as they crept up the stairs to the porch. They paused, listening. Raven peered through the door and she pulled back, her face white. Kane felt his heart sink and he rushed into the room.
Blood was smeared over the floor as if a body had been dragged out the door. A small body. There was more blood next to the sofa. Kane walked around it and sighed in relief - a large man's dead body was in a massive pool of sickeningly red blood. On top of the body was a bloodstained note - She killed one of ours, we'll kill one of yours. Leave this place and we'll let the other two live.