Three days had passed since Jasper had been rescued. He was safe, lying down on blankets in the dropship, and hadn't shut up for even a second of blissful peace. Anytime someone shut their eyes for even a moment, Jasper moaned and cried from the pain he had endured.
No one could complain because they all knew what Jasper had gone through—a spear in the chest—and how difficult it must be for him even while unconscious. But, despite that, everyone in camp did complain. They yelled and cursed at Jasper for keeping them up.
If it were up to Casey, she'd have taken the spear to the chest just so she wouldn't have to hear him.
It was the end of Casey's shift watching over Jasper. However, even outside the dropship, it felt like his groans were amplified through invisible speakers, taunting her. Casey hadn't slept a whole night since they landed, right after she had a large chunk of her leg chewed on by a river snake. The lack of blood and the near-death experience made her sleep like a babe in the woods. On the Ark, she had trouble sleeping, but nothing to this scale.
Casey stood in the middle of the camp, her eyes heavy with bags and her legs pulled down by invisible weights. She could already hear Murphy's nagging voice to get to work since the power had gone to his head, then Octavia trying to convince her to get some sleep. Annoyed, Casey set off into the woods to clear her head.
Casey walked without a place in mind, taking in the greenery of the forest around her she hadn't gotten a chance to appreciate since the Grounders made their presence known. She twiddled the knife Murphy had made her with CK scratched into the hilt like he had done to his own.
Casey stopped by nearby caves, hearing something, and in the back of her mind, she worried she had hurt someone on the way from camp to the caves. But unfortunately, her brain was a muddled mess, and she couldn't remember if she had passed anyone on the way or not.
So, she back-tracked, walking her route eight times just to be sure. She checked that someone wasn't passed out in the brush or dangling in a tree on her last lap. A horn tore through the trees and startled her. Then, terrified shouts and loud footsteps crunching against twigs and leaves headed for her. The next thing Casey knew, she was flying backward as someone held her close to their chest, and they rolled into the cave she stood a few feet from.
Casey was flat against the person that threw her into the cave. She pushed herself up into a sitting position on top of them, the heels of her palms digging into the shoulders of Bellamy Blake. She grimaced, only anger in her expression as she stared down at him, barely noticing the scampering of feet behind her.
"What the hell was that for?" Casey hissed, putting pressure into her arms so that Bellamy's face contorted into pain. His eyes closed for a second before opening again as he looked up at her, eyes settled harshly against her, and he frowned.
"There was a fog," Bellamy explained through grit teeth. "So, we ran. Do you wanna get off me now, Sunshine?" he asked, glancing down at where she straddled his hips and then back to her face.
"A fog?" Casey scoffed. "What do you take me for?"
"Why else would I tackle you?" Bellamy asked, growing frustrated. Casey could feel him tense, ready to flip her off of him. She stopped him, digging her knees into the dirt floor, and pulled her knife to his neck.
"You could be trying to kill me," Casey said just above a whisper, her face close to his so she could feel his ragged breath along her cheek. "I'm against everything you're preaching to those kids. Take out the doubter, and you'd be golden."
"You don't believe me?" Bellamy spat in her face. "Fine. Go out there and get yourself killed for all I care, but I saved you. Don't doubt that."
Casey glared at him, unconvinced.
"I didn't even know you were out there," he continued. "And even if I did want to kill you, Murphy's a wild card, and I'm not willing to change that."
Casey hugged, pressing the knife into his neck but pulling back before it could cut the skin. She waited a few seconds more to see if he'd attempt to attack her, but when he didn't, she stood and headed for the cave's opening.
"King!" Bellamy exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "I wasn't joking about the fog. It was brown, and it didn't look normal! You'll kill yourself if you go out there."
Casey stood with her shoulders square, facing the exit but hadn't moved a foot since Bellamy stood. She took in a deep breath, ignoring Bellamy as he shouted another worried 'King!' and walked to the entrance.
Casey stood at the mouth of the cave. The once bright and blue sky had turned gloomy. She coughed a few times, a metal film coating her mouth. She moved closer, holding her hand out an inch outside the cave. The skin of her hand broke out, blisters forming, and before Casey could do further damage, Bellamy dragged her from the mouth of the cave.
"Do you believe me now?" Bellamy asked, towering over her, glaring. He reached his hand out to hers, but she pulled away, hiding it behind her back.
Casey frowned, not answering as her eyes darted to the little girl curled into a ball on a ledge, staring up at them with wide, doe eyes.
"Who's the kid?" Casey asked, looking back at Bellamy.
"I'm Charlotte," the girl muttered, a slight frown cracking her face as she looked at Casey. "Are you Casey?"
Casey felt her heart drop at the simple question, unnerved that Charlotte knew her name. However, the camp was small, and Casey had to reassure herself that Charlotte had probably overheard it. Casey tapped the metal wristband four times, catching Bellamy's attention from the sharp sound.
"Yes, I am."
"Your mother arrested my parents," Charlotte stated, her frown deepening, and no hint of emotion crossed her features. Yet, all feeling seemed to well into her eyes, streaming from her as Casey caught the gaze. A child, so sad and angry, it looked strange.
Casey frowned. Charlotte's words flattened against her and burned her skin.
"I'm sorry," Casey whispered, genuine hurt in her voice. "I bet she did everything she could for them."
Charlotte's expressionless face morphed into pain as she held back tears, clutching her knees tighter to her chest.
"No," Charlotte sobbed, turning to look away. "She didn't."
Bellamy rested his hand on Casey's shoulder and pulled her away from Charlotte.
"Why don't you get some sleep, Charlotte? I'm sure we could all use some while this fog passes through," Bellamy told her kindly, but the look he gave Casey told her he was uneasy, too.
Charlotte turned on her side, facing the wall. She shook with tears before. Eventually, she stopped, asleep.
"Us, too," Bellamy told Casey, settling down on the ground beside Charlotte. "You look like shit, King. Get some sleep."
Casey's eyes flickered to Bellamy, who sat down on the cave floor and stared at the two. Her hands rested in her lap. The one not blistered tapped against her wristband in fours repeatedly.
"Go to sleep," Bellamy said again in a whisper.
"I'm fine," she whispered back. A small smile flickered on her lips only to appease him. "You go ahead. I'll make sure we don't get attacked by Grounders."
Casey's statement was stupid. She knew it, Bellamy knew it; if Charlotte was awake, she'd know it, too. Neither fought further on the matter. Bellamy only nodded, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Casey wondered if a lot of the delinquents blamed her mom for their arrest or their parents and the eventual sentence to be floated. It was likely that the amount of hate Jaha got around camp would also extend to the arresting officers. Even Murphy had blamed the arresting officer of his father. Rian had only been on the Guard for two or three years, but on the Ark, a significant number of people were arrested for minor crimes. A considerable amount of blood on her hands.
Charlotte might think she knows Rian King. Apart from the Guard, who were ruthless, uncaring, and quick to arrest, Rian was none of those things. She was honest, loyal, and all-around good. Casey's mom tried to help the people of the Ark, arresting them if it was the only road left. She would always try to find a loophole or escape, upholding the law while simultaneously protecting the people from it.
"No!" Charlotte's piercing scream broke the silence and forced Bellamy awake.
He looked up, seeing Casey, who stayed seated, then turned to Charlotte writhing in her sleep.
"Charlotte," Bellamy whispered, his hand on her shoulder. "Wake up."
"I'm sorry," Charlotte whispered once she was startled awake, frightened as she looked between Bellamy and Casey.
"Does it happen often?" Bellamy asked, the kindness of a brother seeping through his words. Charlotte sighed softly, not giving him an answer. "What are you scared of?" he continued, but she kept silent. "You know what? It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you do about it."
"But... I'm asleep," Charlotte told him bluntly, staring at Bellamy with a look that screamed 'are you an idiot?'.
"Fears are fears. Slay your demons when you're awake. They won't be there to get you when you sleep," Bellamy told her. The protectiveness in his tone sent goosebumps up and down Casey's arms. She had never seen Bellamy so calm and collected, but that could have been from how easily she got under his skin.
"Yeah, but how?"
"You can't afford to be weak. Down here, weakness is death, fear is death," Bellamy explained, holding his hand out toward her. "Let me see that knife I gave you."
Charlotte dug in her clothes, handing Bellamy the knife. He took it in his hand and gripped the hilt tight.
"Now, when you feel afraid, you hold tight to that knife, and you say, screw you, I'm not afraid."
Bellamy handed the knife back to Charlotte. She accepted, taking the hilt between her hands and trying to mimic Bellamy.
"Screw you, I'm not afraid," Charlotte repeated softly. She looked to Bellamy for approval, but the slight smile he sent her encouraged her to try again. "Screw you, I'm not afraid," she said again, his time with a sliver of confidence creeping into her words.
Bellamy smiled once again, but this time proud. He patted her hand kindly before turning to lay in the dirt again.
"Slay your demons, kid. Then you'll be able to sleep."
Charlotte fell back asleep after that. Bellamy had his eyes closed, but the stare Casey had pinned on him was crawling under his skin.
"What?" Bellamy asked, his voice husky and drenched in sleep. His eyes stayed closed.
"I don't think you should have said that," Casey said simply, darting her eyes towards her blistered hand. She was ready to leave the cave and have Clarke tend to it.
Bellamy's eyes opened, and he looked at her with those warm, kind eyes he had used on Charlotte. Casey felt like he was taunting her. That look was not made for her.
"She was having a nightmare. I gave her something to hold on to," Bellamy explained, sitting up to lean against the ledge.
"She could take it the wrong way because of her trauma. She's only a child," she retorted.
"Exactly, a child, " Bellamy repeated, rolling his eyes.
"Murphy set his father's arresting officer's quarts on fire. I know there are a few in camp that are actual murderers. I assaulted an officer. Who knows what the hell you did to get on the dropship," Casey threw back at him, and she was surprised to see him keep the unflinching expression. "We're all kids."
"You used the worst-case scenarios. When people can get arrested for anything as small as stealing bread. I doubt that whatever Charlotte did was that bad."
"People will surprise you, Bellamy," Casey told him flatly. "Don't let them."
"I don't doubt it," Bellamy agreed, standing up and moving so he could sit beside her. "But she's barely able to sleep from her nightmares. She won't hurt any of us."
"I hope you're right about that because you just told her to go slay her demons," Casey mused, ready to leave the cave without looking back, but the throbbing pain in her hand reminded her to stay.
Author's Note
Season 1, Episode 3: Earth Kills
Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like. However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So even if you ghost read or comment every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come into this fic I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until the next one.