As promised, an update a week :) I hope y'all are excited. This is their FIRST MEETING! I love writing Little!Clarke and Little!Bellamy. There're so adorable :3

Thanks to those lovely people who reviewed: jadegurl2, JCarabaguiaz, sydcast, Michelle215, and guest!


The first time Bellamy and Clarke met was at a dinner set up by Clarke's parents, not soon after the matching pairs were announced. It was a dinner with a two-fold plan; to introduce the betrothed couple (without telling them) and to meet his mother, and discuss the now imminent future of their children.

Bellamy and Clarke had never truly met before this, Clarke was five, just beginning to go to school during the whole day, and Bellamy was ten, already a level above where Clarke would be at school. Some of the other couples, Abby had to think, at least knew each other in the broadest sense, but her daughter would have never met her future-husband before in her life. She didn't know which was better.

"Clarke," Jake motioned for his young daughter as Abby finished preparing the dinner, "You have to be nice tonight. We're meeting some new friends, okay? You'll see them a lot after tonight." He said carefully, looking directly into her eyes.

"Why?" Clarke scrunched her nose, her tiny voice ever curious.

"Because..." Abby answered, looking at Jake with a caged expression, "They are our new friends. Wells' dad is trying to encourage people to make new friends. That's always fun, right?"

"Yes." Clarke agreed happily, "The teacher says that new friends are a good thing. I make a new friend everyday in school."

"This is no different." Jake said, and he and Abby both relaxed.

"Is the new friend nice?" Clarke asked, "I only make friends with nice people."

"Of course." Jake didn't even hesitate, although he met his wife's eyes, and he knew she was hoping the sentiments were true. Jaha had assured everyone with unwavering confidence that the program developed specifically for this experiment was technological and groundbreaking and examined every aspect of the possible candidate's lives like each piece was a different number of a code to match them absolutely perfectly in every way. While they'd had no trial run to see the results, he was sure that the couples would be very compatible, even if Jake doubted it- Clarke was five! How could anyone properly gather who she'd be or what she'd like so young? Abby reminded him they were binded in now, and that they needed to have faith in their friend.

"Good." Clarke said, going back to carefully paging through an old magazine that her parents owned. It was torn in many places and almost all the pages were crumpled, but Clarke loved running her fingers down the stunning figures in dresses no one on the Ark had the luxury to own.

Outside, approaching the Griffin's housing unit with a sense of covertness, Aurora was having a similar discussion with her son.

"Are you sure we should be both leaving the house?" Bellamy was stunned; his mother or himself were always in the room to make sure no one found out about his sister. His mother had drilled this into his head a thousand times over and he was almost sure this was a ploy to get him in trouble, in a weird way, although his mother would have little motive for doing so. Still! The principal of it remained, and Bellamy felt very uneasy about leaving his sister all the way on the other side of the ship totally alone. His mother had left her with a piece of cake; something either child rarely got, mostly to appease her.

"We have to be here, Bellamy. It's for the best of us." Aurora reminded him again, "We're going to meet some people. They're very nice, and you'll be seeing a lot of them, I'm sure." She said.

"Why?" Bellamy nervously glanced around, feeling out of place in the posh atmosphere of Station Alpha.

"Well..." Aurora hesitated. She didn't want to spill anything she wasn't supposed to, so she thought on her feet quickly, "Why shouldn't we make new friends?"

"Because you told me that O should be my only friend." Bellamy whispered, almost angrily. A twinge of guilt twisted in Aurora; she had told him that. It was better this way, if Bellamy relied on his sister as his go-to friend. Therefore, her illegal daughter would always have someone to keep her company, and also Bellamy's friends would never wonder why they were never allowed to his place. The more people that ran within their circle the more likely Octavia's chances of being found out were.

Aurora had mixed feelings about this match. On one hand, it was very advantageous. If she were going to risk her children for the better of both their lives, eventually, perhaps it was just they got the best possible match that they could. On the other hand, she knew that her son's match's parents were both on the council, and if they ever found out they'd be obligated to report her. It was dangerous, but the gamble might just pay off in the long run. If they played their cards right...she had to hope.

"How old is he?" Bellamy asked, "Shouldn't I already know him?"

"She." Aurora said, watching as Bellamy's face contorted to an unreadable expression, "It's a girl. She's younger than you. O's age."

"Oh...okay?" Bellamy sounded unsure. Obviously it couldn't be the best thing in the world, being expected to play with not only another girl (his life was filled with girls) but also someone his sister's age.

"She's apparently very intelligent. I think you'll like her."

Aurora had occasionally seen the bright happy ball of sunshine in the halls that was her son's future match. Clarke Griffin was always grinning, always shaking out her golden hair and laughing like everything was hilarious. Her happiness was infectious. Perhaps her quiet and reserved son needed a girl like that in his life.

"I'm not saying you have to become best friends with her." Aurora sighed heavily, leaning down to stand at Bellamy's level, toughing his shoulders, "Just...be nice to her? Try to see good in her? Okay?" She pleaded. The worst thing in the world she could imagine happening was that Bellamy would hate his future match. She didn't know if she could rightfully make him go through with the wedding then, and she wasn't even sure she could call anything off.

"Okay." Bellamy finally relented, but he still seemed nervous, "I've...I've just never been to this part of the Ark. My clothes seem so dirty in comparison." He admitted quietly. Aurora held her tongue; she'd been here causally enough, doing 'favors' to keep her children both fed and clothed and somewhat happy. The housing stations of the Alpha station were very nice and roomy, and she felt a burst of glee inside her that if all things went well, one day he'd be living her too.

It reminded her why she was threatening everything she'd tried so hard to protect...for Bellamy, her sweetest boy, with the heart of gold.

"You look perfectly fine, Bellamy. They're people exactly like us, I promise. They just live across the Ark."

They knocked on the Griffin door exactly at 2000 hours, and both parents opened the door promptly.

"Aurora, welcome!" Abby was grinning, and Jake was also looking very pleasant behind her, but both had an air of tension to them. She saw the tightness of their shoulders, the smiles that didn't quite reach her ears, and so on. Aurora felt it too; such odd circumstances to be meeting! Of course, she hoped she'd get along with Clarke's parents, and she'd only heard good things about them (even about those on the Factory station that never had anything good to say about any Alpha Station inhabitant) so she was soothed in this regard.

"Are you my new friend?" Clarke poked out between her parent's legs, sizing up Bellamy. Bellamy, although towering above the girl by a good couple feet, felt her gaze burn him down to size. She was so confident, everything about her oozed self-assurance and an air of leadership that he didn't even think was merely because she lived on the Alpha Station. Some people, as his mother said, were just born to be leaders.

"Uh..." Bellamy stumbled, looking at his mom with wide eyes, "Yes?"

"Okay." Clarke decided, "You'll do."

Bellamy stared at her, uncomprehending. She sighed, and threw her hand out, "You're supposed to shake someone's hand when you meet them. That's good manners." She recited, "I'm Clarke." She prompted boldly.

"Bellamy?" It came out as a question. He knew his sister was a headstrong type of girl, but this girl was a thousand paces above that in a different level that he didn't know how to classify.

There was a soft chuckle above him, and his mother was looking at the two of them knowingly. Bellamy didn't understand the look, and he wouldn't for a long time. He could at least concede that yes, this girl was different than most girls, and perhaps being around her wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. He had half been expecting a stupid five-year-old that was shy, but this girl seemed to not even know the meaning of the word.

"Dinner's ready. Perfect timing. Won't you come in?" Abby said, stepping aside.

Bellamy couldn't help but marvel at the space in here. It was at least four of his put together, and there were doors that led to other places still. He couldn't imagine what he'd do with all this space, all this room! And dinner, oh stars, it already was making his mouth water. He saw a glimpse of it through the arch to a little kitchen, and was stunned at the sheer amount of food and the quality.

Dinner at his place was often a quiet affair without much fanfare. His mother assured they never went hungry, although often Bellamy felt he could do with a whole other serving. Meat was especially expensive to get, and only happened on rare occasions, so usually their meal was some sort of bread with a soup with washed-out veggies and a bean. On better days, it was rice or a noodle- those were the exciting days. If his mother played her cards right, they got an egg or a fruit. Those were rare though.

His mother worked extra hard to get them enough food. He was ten, but he already had an inkling of what his mother did to gain them excess (he'd found a book on sex about a year ago), and he admired what she did for them. He knew that even if it were just he, like the law said it was meant to be, she'd still work just as hard for him. His mother was the best person in the world; second only to his sister who he loved and felt a deep responsibility for like nothing else.

Bellamy was herded to an actual dining table where he had shiny plates and glasses that he'd never seen sparkle as much as he did now. Abby filled a glass with water, and he drank it all in one gulp. She chuckled a bit, and filled it again. Never-ending water, wow. Already, he was thoroughly impressed.

"I hope you like burgers. It was really some of the only meat I could get on short notice." Abby says, as they'd only made this dinner a reality a day or so ago.

"We'll eat anything." Aurora said, trying to make her voice light, "Bellamy's only had burger meat a few times, but likes it, right?" She said, nudging him. He nodded. He couldn't fully recall what that was, since if anything they got chicken for their protein, but he was very hungry and everything smelled good. Even if he didn't, he couldn't imagine turning down food.

A small part of him felt bad. He wished there was a way to take it home to his sister, she'd love this, he thought as his plate was loaded with more food than he'd get in a couple days' time. He glanced at his mother, but she was smiling as though this was commonplace for them. He wondered if she was doing this so they didn't stick out, their inadequacies were not compared, their poorness not obvious.

Bellamy was floored that he could have seconds and thirds, if he was hungry, Jake told him. His mother scolded him for shoving so much food into his mouth, but Jake just laughed and told Bellamy to eat as much as he wanted. Bellamy couldn't recall the last time he'd had so much to eat, and soon his bloated stomach felt sore. What truly surprised him was that the little girl Clarke ate as much as he did, keeping up with his pace. Abby tried to tell her daughter to stop and eater slower, or less, but Jake interjected again pointing out if Bellamy was going to eat until he was happy Clarke should too. This was, after all, a celebration dinner although Bellamy didn't know for what. What he did know was he already liked Clarke's father. His overall attitude was pleasing and comforting. Abby, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to be rude.

When Abby brought out a plate of chocolate squares, Bellamy wasn't sure if he could eat it.

"Brownie?" She asked, cutting the squares.

"I don't..." He mumbled, sniffing forward, "I've never-,"

"You've never had a brownie?" Clarke's voice was shocked, "Give him a big piece then, mom!" She demanded, and turned to him, smiling widely, "It's my favorite!"

He couldn't turn down the desert plopped into his hands and even though it hurt, he forced himself to eat it, licking the frosting off his fingers. It was quite good. His mother refused it, and Clarke had a piece almost as big as he did, but there was still a whole pan left.

"Well, we'll just wrap it up. You can take it." Jake said decisively. Aurora shook her head.

"I couldn't." She frowned, "I mean, you cooked it and bought it."

"Please, take it. Clarke does not need more brownies." Abby said, sending Clarke a teasing glance, "She'd eat the whole pan in a day."

"I always need more brownies!" Clarke protested.

"See?" Jake said.

Bellamy grinned in pleasure. He'd get to try those delicious treats again when his stomach wasn't so overfilled, but also this meant Octavia would get to try it. She was going to love it!

The plates were taken away, and Abby brought out a washcloth. Clarke had abandoned the table to go over to where there was a collection of mismatched chairs, but Bellamy lingered behind.

"Can I help at all?" He asked, trying to be polite like his mother had always taught him. He caught her proud glow at his words across the table. Abby seemed very surprised, even jumping a bit.

"No, of course not. You go play with Clarke. Let us clean up. Don't even worry about it." She said, handing a second cloth to Jake, "Clarke!" She called. Without saying anything else, Clarke jumped up, coming to stand in front of Bellamy. She rocked on her soles of her feet, hands clasp behind her back.

Bellamy's eyes surveyed the room. It was so clean and white, or in varying shades of beige, as compared to the grayness of his own section room. And books! His heart thud fast as he noticed a whole slew of books on the shelf that he'd never seen before. All he wanted to do was reach out and read them all, or at least start one and-

"Do you play chess?" Clarke interrupted his train of thought. His eyes snapped down to the girl, and his cheeks grew hot. He'd heard about the game that many people used to pass the time but...

"No, I haven't." He admitted.

"Well it's easy to learn." Clarke said, grabbing his hand and leading him to where a hodgepodge painted board covered in various small objects sat, "I had to find my own set." She said, seeing his eyes look at it. He paused; if a five-year-old could learn a game, surly it couldn't be that complicated?

"Okay." He agreed, sitting across from her, "Teach me."

Clarke's eyes lit up in sheer delight.

Back in the kitchen, where Abby was wrapping up the brownies in a cloth parcel bag and Jake was cleaning plates, Aurora tried to step in wherever she could to help, but Abby was firmly against it.

"Really, we're the hosts." She said, "Don't feel obligated."

Aurora had to admit she was surprised. She didn't think they'd be stuck up or pretentious, but everyone on the Alpha Station sort of had that air to them, regardless. It was mostly because few people truly got to know them, only in passing or when they were being punished. But the Griffins were a perfect family picture of love and humility.

"I really am so thankful for this." She said, holding up the bag of brownies that Abby put into her hand, "Bell will love them. But don't feel like you should give them to us, because if then-,"

"No." Jake said softly, stopping her, "We give it to you because that's what family does. And we will be one day, aren't we?" He pointed out, "Family helps each other."

Aurora couldn't find words. The gratitude and the full meaning of his words gave her unparallel hope for a better future for both of her children.

"I...does Clarke know?" She asked, changing the subject. They might have changed their minds for it was possible. More than once in the past couple days, Aurora was almost about to tell Bellamy.

"We don't want to tell her." Abby and Jake exchanged glances, "Why now? She's five. She doesn't need that sort of pressure on her. Also, we rather hoped...if we keep pushing them together...it would happen naturally?"

"Every parent wants their kid to fall in love with someone." Aurora agreed, "I wasn't sure if that was possible because of this, but Bellamy deserves better than what he can get where we are now." Her words were blunt, striking. Abby and Jake were suddenly painfully aware of their own privilege, "I won't tell him either. Maybe you're right. Maybe it will all work out."

"I think it will." Jake said, cutting the darkness of the conversation with a smirk, "I'm great at convoluted plans to bring people together. How do you think I managed to get this woman?" He questioned, and Abby and Aurora both laughed at his comment. All their unease around each other had seemed to melt away. They spent the next hour talking about their own children, asking questions about the other, eventually moving into the living room and sitting on the chairs near where Bellamy and Clarke were very determinedly playing each other in chess.

Bellamy did have to admit that chess was harder than he thought, but maybe also because Clarke had clearly had much time practicing. It took a couple times to get the movements right, but soon he found himself fully engrossed in the game and the strategy. And heck, for only being five, Clarke was almost a good match. More so than he liked to admit.

But in the back of his mind, he was always listening. It was something he'd picked up with always being paranoid his sister would be found out. He was cataloguing everything he heard in the posterior of his brain and processing it within the time span of him watching things in real time. It came in handy more than once, hearing the guard's footsteps before random checks, or people that didn't know how to knock before they entered houses. He realized, belatedly, that his mother seemed oddly interested in Clarke's life, and Clarke's parents about his. It was a strange back and forth between the two, and the way they talked...it wasn't quite all normal. Yet, Bellamy didn't know why and wasn't even sure if it was worth contemplating. Chalk it up to just another thing he didn't know yet, he supposed.

Soon, his mother realized they'd been out far too long (he hoped Octavia was alright) and they went to the door. The parents exchanged good-byes, ensuring in earnest that this would happen again soon, before they were leaving. Clarke waved to him, already yawning, and Bellamy managed a nod. His mind was whirling.

As he walked back to his own Station, he wondered if this was not unlike the way his mother went away with the guardsmen captain every so often and then they suddenly had another portion of the broth? That he was indeed astute enough to recognize the feeling of a trade or agreement, but of what he couldn't possibly imagine.

In any other situation, he'd press to get the bottom of it. He was fed by the thirst for knowledge, to know things, quite constantly and liked being in the center of being filled in. But today, he felt his convictions drop away until he saw he'd lost the will to care if it was. If he was being entirely honest, it was for purely selfish reasons. He'd loved the food there, the feeling with Clarke's parents, playing chess with Clarke (which came down to playing a refined game with a friend he already wondered if they also appreciated his sense of awe for classical things) and the endless books lining the shelf. If he wanted at all to ever go back there to be able to eat such good food again and read those books, he would do best not to poke around at the underlying reasons. It likely was too good to be true but this was one fairy tale that Bellamy- who often never got enough food to keep his stomach satisfied, already knew every book at his own place by memory, sometimes felt a little alone even with two family members that weren't the same as friends- never wanted end.

So, Bellamy Blake did the first selfish thing he'd done since he could remember...he let his feelings on the matter go.


Wasn't that just the most adorable thing you've ever read? Ahh...

Next chapter you get to meet some of the other couples ;) There will be QUITE a few familiar faces!

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