I'm sorry it's almost been two weeks! I'm in the middle of my exam period and I'm actually updating this during a time during my class where most people are doing evals and I don't have the mountain other other assignments due in front of me. So...

But that last episode, oh my god. I actually cried when I saw them all being loaded onto the Drop ship. It was weird looking at all of them not knowing each other and thinking that they had no idea what they'd become to one another...I like the ark flashbacks :) But at the same time I have so much fun making my own rules about what it was like on the Ark in this story, I don't want the canon to ruin it XD

Thanks to my reviewers: shaemysterious, sydcast, teamtorettosupporter, and guest!

You get to meet a few other people that are in the program (but not all), but it's a start!


School had a three-week break, unannounced, which was a very strange thing indeed. Clarke didn't find the occurrence strange, as she'd only been in school about six months. Even Bellamy didn't find it odd, since he'd only been there five years. He did hear however, the murmurings and the discussion that there hadn't ever been this long of a school break in well, ever.

Everyone knew vaguely that back on earth, there were long breaks from school periods called 'vacations'. On the ark, it was a rather illogical sort of thing to allow-everyone was needed to work their jobs almost always because there weren't all too many people but far too many jobs, there wasn't anywhere to take your family on vacation even if you did get a long break, and they found that children that had a long time to do nothing usually got into trouble-and unfortunately, if you got into trouble here, something ended up breaking and could threaten life of the Ark, you ended dead, or you ended up in the Skybox. Therefore, the only weekends were allowed to children, and the only way to opt out of school was to take on apprentices around the sixteenth year, and into an actual profession by seventeenth.

So, the three weeks were unprecedented and taken with much apprehension. There were a couple of children caught, but they were the stupid ones anyway, but most kids were so confused by the weeks off and no comment from Jaha and were extremely cautious. It likely wouldn't ever happen again, but the children could hope.

There wasn't much change on the outside to the children when they came back, but all the teachers had been sworn under an oath about the pairs made with instructions to observe them together and report back, for no one was with these children more than the teachers. The only obvious change to the students was that some kids got switched around (pairs put in the same room if they happened to be in the same class rank) but this happened occasionally, so no one really considered it. Even if they'd heard their parents talk about the pairs in gossip once, it would have been impossible for them to guess who was together anyway.

Also, after-school groups were set up in old classrooms. Clarke was thrilled to go to one, because this meant more time with other people instead of sitting alone in her room. She was very happy to find Wells with her in this special after-school group. She'd known he'd be going to one, but there were five different rooms he could have been assigned to. She also recognized a couple other children from the Alpha station. She dropped her book bag by the door and bounced over to where her best friends were sitting.

Bellamy's mother also told him he was going into a group, met with hesitance and protesting. She'd seemed to switch her opinion about Bellamy having friends quickly within the last couple weeks, something he found to be very strange. Now that he had the opportunity to meet other people, maybe form a bond with a couple guys his own age, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to. He'd actually much prefer to be back in his room, reading Octavia a book (or quietly reading to himself, if he was really lucky that day).

He found himself frozen in the threshold of the room he'd been assigned to, because apparently this after-school thing was wildly popular, and saw a sea of about thirty or so heads between the ages of five and maybe twelve or thirteen; all he knew, not much older than he. Even with all these people, fear and a sense of loneliness when he realized he didn't truly know a single face. He saw a couple he'd seen during class, but he'd never made an effort to get to know them, for fear of them finding out his darkest secret. He was about to turn around and go home, tell his mom he was feeling really sick, when a blonde child stuck her head among the throng of kids.

"Bell!" Clarke's whole face lit up, and he instantly felt a tiny bit better. In the three weeks since the first dinner at her place, he'd been over two more times, once for a lunch, and once to watch a movie he'd never seen with her family. Both times had been incredibly pleasant experiences. He'd grown to like the can-do little girl, although he still wasn't sure why they'd been introduced as friends in the first place, "Bell, over here!" She was waving wildly.

He got a few odd looks, being called over by not only a girl five years his junior but also the Alpha Princess herself, but it was better than sitting alone because he didn't know anyone else. Clarke didn't even seem to notice the looks. He wondered if it was because she was too young to register it or she simply didn't care.

There were two kids sitting with Clarke, two boys around her age, and one girl. One was a boy with slightly tanned skin and an old comic book in his fingers, and a ratty and oversized beanie slipping down over his eyes. Every couple seconds, he'd push it back on his scalp when he couldn't see, only for it to slide back down moments later. The other kid had dark skin, and was watching Bellamy with narrowed eyes. The girl was pitifully small, and had the palest skin Bellamy had ever seen. It was nearly translucent. She had so many freckles on her face, it was though someone had dumped a year's ration of pepper on her cheeks, and her eyes were an deep brown color that seemed to look right through him, but at the same time she was just staring at the wall. Her hair was a light strawberry color.

Clarke grabbed his shoulder and sat him down forcefully. She did that a lot, he noticed. It was obvious she liked to be in charge. Neither of the boys found it strange, therefore, he figured she must be like this with them too.

"This is my friend Bellamy, guys! I met him a couple weeks ago. He's from the Factory Station." She said it so casually, with no hint of disgust or pity like the usual Alpha Station people he met. The kid with the beanie nodded to him, and the dark-skinned boy just narrowed his eyes more. Clarke didn't notice either reaction.

"Bellamy, this is Nathan Miller, but everyone just calls him Miller so you should too. And this," She pointed to the other boy who was still watching him, "Is my bestest friend in the whole world. His name is Wells."

She didn't say his last name, but she didn't have to. With a jolt, Bellamy realized he was sitting across the table from the Chancellor's son. He'd never felt so star-struck in his life.

"They're both from Alpha station, where I live." Clarke added, although neither surprised him. Obviously Wells would live in Alpha station, and Bellamy had gleaned Miller's housing assignment from the comic book he held. Only the wealthy could afford things like that. Besides, most kids stayed friends with kids from their area. Although he wouldn't put it past Clarke to be friends with people from all over, it made more sense they grew up around each other.

"And this is Bree! I don't know her very well. Wells brought her over, but she seems really nice." She assured, as though Bellamy was possibly worried Clarke was introducing him to a killer or something, "You're from Mecha, right?"

The girl only nodded, and it was hardly a nod at that, but Clarke seemed pleased with herself.

The rest of the day was spent with the four of them taking turns playing each other in chess; Bree shook her head every time someone offered her a turn, just watched. Wells was remarkable; he could see the moves before anyone made them, it seemed. He sniggered at Bellamy after loosing once, which Bellamy did have to admit, was humiliating for him. Not only did he loose to the most powerful kid on the ark, he lost to a 5-year-old. He wasn't going to say anything, but Clarke turned to Wells angrily.

"Don't be so mean, Wells!" She sniffed, a deeply disappointed tone in her voice, "Bellamy had never played before. I only taught him a couple weeks ago! Of course you'll be better than he is. You're not going to make friends by laughing at them."

Wells seemed almost guilty at her words, offering a muttered apology to Bellamy. Miller chuckled.

"Three weeks. They've been teaching me forever and I still suck."

"You'll get it eventually, Miller." Clarke assured. She was always so sure of everything.

"I don't care if I never do." Miller seemed unconcerned, "I like watching you two play it." He motioned to Wells and Clarke.

Clarke almost said something else, but Wells had already re-set the board.

At the end of the day one, Bellamy was more impressed than everyone by Clarke's spunkiness. There was just something about her that intrigued him, made him curious to see what she'd be like years from now, when she was his age or older. He wondered if they'd still be friends (or whatever they were now) by that time.

Bree was…well, silent. He thought she'd maybe said a singular word the entire time. She always seemed to be on the lookout, as if something awful was coming. Her eerie stare made him feel uncomfortable.

He liked Miller a lot. The kid was so unassuming, but so easy-going. He took all of Clarke's lecturing, he hardly responded to Wells' comments, and he was truly nice to Bellamy. Just like Clarke, it seemed he couldn't care less where a kid came from.

Wells, though?

As Bellamy walked back to his house after the day was dismissed, he couldn't help but replay the movement of the boy's eyes. He was ever watching, trying to connect two impossibly shaped puzzle pieces. Like Bellamy suspected, Wells clearly knew that there was something odd going on, but didn't know what. He was astute enough to realize that changes like this don't happen without reason, without an end game. Whatever it was, even he didn't know, his father wasn't telling him. Bellamy couldn't figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing; because, granted, Wells was five and there was a whole lot that a five-year-old didn't need to know.

But did he like the kid, even though he appreciated his seemingly intuitive feelings that neither Clarke nor Miller seemed to have? He wasn't sure. The fact that he knew something was up was possibly the only thing Bellamy could figure out about him, even after observing him for an hour and a thing was obvious though, and that was he looked at Clarke like she was the sun and the moon. It was a little nauseating. Clarke hardly seemed to notice. To Bellamy, he couldn't imagine Clarke ever liking a guy like that (when that would start to happen, of course. She was a little young now), because Clarke needed someone that matched her strength and fury. Wells simply did not have that fire, or at least, not yet.

He wasn't sure it was something you could learn though.

He saw Dax leaving the same room at the end of the time, and very specifically stayed far away from him. They came from the same station and their mothers ran around the same 'circle' but Bellamy couldn't stand him. His mother was arrogant and obnoxious, and Dax was exactly the same. He waited until the redhead was out of sight to begin walking back home.

"You live in the Factory Station?" A quiet voice asked behind him. He turned to see a small blonde boy looking around nervously.

"Yeah, you?" He asked, although he was pretty sure he'd seen him bouncing around the halls where he lived.

The boy nodded. "I don't know the way back. Usually my friend walked with me…she's not in a group, though." He admitted.

Bellamy scrutinized him. He seemed far too small to be in school as it was.

"How old are you?"

"I'm going to be five in a month!" He said, and Bellamy nodded to himself with understanding. Schools took every kid from a singular year, such as year 2116 for example, instead of the antiquated way of doing it over a September to a September like the ground people had. He'd forgotten that when school started up again, it was also a new year.

"Well, come with me. I'll help you find your home." He sighed, "I'm Bellamy Blake."

"My name is Grennon." He said, cautiously coming to Bellamy's side.

"Got a last name?" More often than not, Factory Station homes were arranged by last name, or at least by letter. With so many of them, it was the most practical way to organize the station.

"Lee."

"Okay, Grennon Lee. Just…follow me." He said. It didn't take long to find the Lee Household, and his mother thanked him profusely, admitting she'd forgotten his usual buddy wouldn't be with him. He told her it was no problem, and, he'd be glad to walk the kid home on the days they both had the group together. Something about his big liquid eyes reminded Bellamy of Octavia.

Speaking of which, Octavia was waiting anxiously for him when he returned.

"Tell me about it! What about Clarke?" She demanded before he hardly had time to latch the door closed.

"She's been so excited to hear." Aurora said from where she was mending a jacket. Bellamy looked back to Octavia; she was always excited. She didn't have any other way to meet people except from what Bellamy described of the outside, and he couldn't fault her for being curious. Any usual five-year-old would have nearly canvassed the Ark in their natural curiosity by this point, but Octavia was stuck here.

"Well," He said, settling in, "I met some new people- Miller and Wells and Bree, just to name a few." He noticed his mother's sharp stare when he said the second name, but he ignored it, "They're Clarke's friends..."


AWW BABY DELINQUENTS!

Hope you like that! Please remember to leave a review! I promise to get the next chapter out on time next week!