Hey everyone, I am SO SORRY for the late update. It's been a busy couple of days...on Thursday, when I usually update, was my 21st birthday (woo drinking) but I happened to get really sick but I was goddamn determined to have a good time...so I got really drunk while I was really sick and yeah. I'm sure you can guess the rest of it. Then I pretty much slept through all of Friday and most of today, which is why the update is so late XD

This chapter answers the question people have been asking about a certain event that sends a certain number of people down to the earth...

Thanks to all my reviewers (There was one I got today that I can't see because the site is glitchy so I'll thank you in the next chapter): jadegurl2, heidi1245401, JCarabaguiaz, CheriEstella, Red656, karlidylanfa, SquidaQdaloo, and Artimiz.


11 Years after Start of the Project

Clarke opens one eye and listens carefully before she leaves the bedroom. It's morning and she knows she'll be late for (admittedly rather useless) rounds, and while she wouldn't mind a reason to skip it, she doesn't want to let anyone know why she was late. That would be worse.

There are no sounds in the living room, which is a good sign. She slowly creeps out of bed, throws on some clothes, and grabs her backpack before she intrudes on something she was never meant to hear.

Her parents have been fighting, like a lot lately. It's been getting worse and worse as time passes. She can never hear exactly what it's about, but it's something they haven't come to a conclusion on how to fix yet, and this scares her. What scares her more is the constant state of disappointment both are in with each other.

Clarke once walked in on a fight, it didn't go well.

She thinks, sometimes, maybe she'll just listen in. She's horribly curious, as is expected. But then again, maybe it's something she doesn't want to know at all. Maybe it wouldn't make things better if she knew why they were fighting because it's something that they can't get over. And then what?

She contemplates her parents' relationships a lot. They used to fight over stupid minor things when she was a kid; her dad let her ride her skateboard in the halls and she got a cut, her mom let her have an extra piece of cake while she was sick even though she bared it up, her dad forgot to leave the toilet seat down yet again, her mom worked late and forgot to tell him. It was minor things like that where they'd spend the day sulking around each other and eventually kiss and make up.

But now?

Now, it's all different and Clarke is terrified by what this change means.

Her dad loves Clarke, her mom loves Clarke…this much is obvious. Her parents' love toward her is infinite, like the stars outside the Ark. They would throw down their lives for their daughter; Clarke knows this. She's sure once, years and years ago, they loved each other this passionately too. She once imagined that there was no greater couple than her parents, as every child really hopes.

She's less sure of that now.

Maybe their love for each other had an expiration date and now they're picking fights. Maybe they both realized that this was something neither would budge on, whatever this fight is, and now it's the 'what now' answer that leaves them both miserable. Whatever it is, Clarke wonders if two people can be right for each other at one time, and wrong at the other.

She doesn't think Bellamy could ever be wrong for her. He's steadfast, consistent. They're opposite in a lot of ways, but never to the extreme her mother and father were.

Clarke can't tell her parents this. It would only add to their misery. As much as Clarke wants them to just goddmamn figure it out and start being happy again, she also doesn't want them to continue denying what might be the inevitable…they're no longer perfect for each other. If they'd be happier apart who is she to deny them of such happiness? She really hopes they're not forcing each other together for her sake.

Divorce isn't uncommon on the Ark, it happens. It's not as abundant as it might have been on Earth, but people usually don't judge. It's too small of a world, she supposes. But perhaps it would be too scandalous for a Councilwoman/Chief of Medicine and Chief of Environmental Engineering to split. What would that say, she supposed?

Bellamy has obviously noticed her thoughts slipping back to her parents, ever since it started about two months ago. She's not sure how to tell him. It feels selfish, to complain about her two parents that are still-at the moment-here while he as only one and never knew the other.

Clarke could almost pinpoint the day it had begun; her, her father, Jaha, Wells, Bree, and Bellamy were watching a soccer match from give or take 100 years back. Clarke knew how it would end, as did her father, but the rest of the participants were screaming for whatever team they preferred.

Her mother came in, kissed her father on the cheek. They were happy then, before that moment. She said that Bennet- the guy directly underneath her father- had a 'systems analysis' that her father has asked for. Being the chief of Resources and Chief of Environmental Engineering rarely had crisis, so most things could wait. This, apparently, could not as her father left immediately. Clarke knew it was weird, and so did her mother. That moment is when it really began.

She returned that night to hear her parents arguing at the door. Their words were muffled. It was one of the worst fights she'd heard. Bellamy looked properly embarrassed, returning from their date to hear this.

"I take it this is what's been bothering you?" He rasped.

"Yeah, a little." She said, trying not to let on that it was really, really bugging her.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Bellamy questioned, touching her arm gently.

"Yeah, of course. I just…I'm not sure how I feel about this." She waved her hand weakly toward the door, "I guess you're lucky. You never had to realize you're parents don't love each other anymore."

"I'm sure that's not it." Bellamy said, and Clarke's whole expression fell.

"But it is. The fighting…it's so shitty. And my mom, she's been confiding in Kane a lot lately." Clarke said angrily.

"So, he's a friend. A councilmember, if I recall." Bellamy frowned in confusion.

"She hates him." Clarke said, "Like really hates him. His name is like a swear word in our house. Suddenly, she's telling him all these things."

Clarke looks at Bellamy, impulsive, fired up. She grabs the handle to her door before Bellamy can stop her.

"If you do this, I won't be able to stop you." Abby says as Clarke opens the door. Bellamy moans behind his hand as both her parents stop, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Clarke…" Her father says carefully.

"Stop what?" Clarke frowns, eyes tearing up. She's about ready to not care, to ask, to say everything she's been feeling or not feeling.

"It's nothing you should worry yourself about." Abby assures quietly, and notices Bellamy, "Are you staying for dinner, Bellamy?" She asks.

"Uh….sure?"

"Good, you can take my place."

"Where are you going, Abby?" Jake has a hard tone in his voice, something that's deeper than just a question.

"Just to clear my head on a walk. You promise, Jake?" She asks, turning around, "Really promise?" There's a question there that Clarke doesn't know, but her father does. He looks at Clarke, and he hangs his head.

"Yeah." He says quietly, defeated. Her whole mother's body shudders in relief and she lets out a long sigh. Clarke and her mother have known her father well enough to be able to tell when he's agreeing to placate her, and this isn't one of those times. He's sincere in whatever he's promising. If her mother was about to go out angry and do something rash, something Clarke had been known to do, she isn't anymore.

"Good. I just want to walk around, still. Maybe I'll go by Callie's house." She says warmly, her anger ebbing away toward her father, and fear too, now that Clarke has had time to recognize it. Whatever she was afraid of, she isn't anymore.

"That's a good plan. You haven't been able to talk to her in ages." Her father agreed, "I'm going to get dinner started. Sure you don't want anything?"

"Maybe, save me some." She agrees.

Dinner is quiet, Bellamy trying not to overstep any lines and kicking Clarke to keep her from asking something really stupid. Clarke is doing her best to not blurt out a question her father will get mad about and is glad Bellamy is there to kick her shin when she opens her mouth.

"Clarke, Bellamy," Her father suddenly says, "Between the two of you, you know pretty much all the kids on the Ark, right?"

"Yeah, likely." Clarke said and Bellamy nodded in agreement.

"Well, who's the smartest? Really, someone or some group of kids that if you needed to fix something really important, you'd go to them."

Clarke and Bellamy exchanged looks.

"This has something to do about the fight." Clarke deduced quietly, "That you and mom have been having."

"Clarke…" Her father's tone was a warning, "Just…who?"

"Raven." Clarke and Bellamy answered in unison.

"Raven Reyes…" Her father was rubbing his chin.

"Oh, Jasper too. Monty as well." Clarke added.

"Are you just saying that because they are basically a package deal?" Her father asked, chuckling.

"No, those two really are the next two most intelligent kids I know. They compliment each other, fill in what the other doesn't know."

Her father nodded, pushing around his peas. "Thanks."

Two days later, Raven jumped up to sit on the table ledge, legs swinging over the end right in Clarke's face.

"So…do you know what this secret project your dad wants me to work on is?" She asks.

"No clue." Clarke says, "But it's something big. My mom and dad have been fighting about it non stop." Clarke bites the end of her pencil.

"Coolio. Not about the fighting, about it being big." Raven says, grinning. It's times like this the mad scientist in her best friend really started coming out, "I figured it's big. It was big enough to get me cleared from work for the next two months and Japer and Monty out of rounds. That has to be big. I'm excited."

"I hope you can fix whatever's wrong." Clarke is less enthused, "I think the Ark might depend on it."

"You're so dramatic, Griffin." Raven ruffles her hair, "Seriously, not everything is life or death." She chuckles hopping away, "Bye! Maybe I'll get to blow something up!"

The next day, Raven is significantly more sullen.

"Hey, did you get to blow something up?" Clarke asks, still happy. Raven moaned into her hands, hitting her head on the table.

"I hate it when you're right." She mutters.

"About what? Life and death?" Clarke is still mostly joking now, but the look Raven gives her is confirmation enough. She had a feeling, a really awful one.

"Well…what is it?" Clarke asks softly, her voice shaking.

"Can't tell you." Raven seems pained, "It was a big ordeal…me, Jasper, Monty…we had to sign something and the chancellor was there. If we tell anyone, we're floated. Well, Monty and Jasper go to Skybox and then they're floated." She said softly, twiddling her thumbs.

Clarke was shocked.

"Well…you can fix it, the problem, right?" Clarke asked weakly. Raven looked at her, such an angry and pained look in her eyes that Clarke was sorry she ever offered her friend up in the first place. Knowledge was pain.

"We have to, otherwise I suppose the contract doesn't really matter." She got up, "I should go…I need to do some calculations for this…like yesterday."

Clarke bit the inside of her cheek. She wished she could know what was going on, but knew why she couldn't. It ate her, and Bellamy once she told him, away for weeks to come.

They all figured Jasper would slip up once, say something he wasn't supposed to, and they could deduce it from there…but he was the most tightlipped about it and yet the most optimistic.

"I know we can fix it. We're simply the best. Not being arrogant, just truthful. I guess I have to think that, because if we can't fix it, man we're really in the shithole then." That was the most he said about it. Monty just never said anything about it.

To get her mind off it, she spends a lot of time with Bellamy. One of these times is down to the SkyBox with Bellamy, who said it would be his last time going.

She's never been here before, despite it being right under her nose the entire time. It's literally steps away from her station, and she's closer than most Alpha residents, but she's never had reason or been able to visit.

"Sergeant Blake." A guardsmen salutes as he enters, "And…Miss Griffin?" Clarke is still getting used to him being 'sergeant' now, after years of him being Cadet Blake.

"My plus one today." Bellamy says, using his thumbprint to sign in. He motions for Clarke to do the same.

"We're going to miss you around here, now that you've moved on…" The guy sighs. In two weeks is the end of the season, and Bellamy will become a full-fledged teacher. Up until this point, Clarke knew he had insisted on keeping his shifts at the Sky Box, "It's not often we get good guys. We just get psychos that think this is an opportunity to push people around without consequence."

"I'm sorry to be leaving too…I hope to be replacing myself with someone good though, soon." He assures.

Clarke steps into the dingy halls. She imagines that this is where Monty and Jasper could end up if either of them says something wrong about this 'project' they've been losing sleep over.

The entire place is just depressing.

People call out to her through the bars in lewd manners, and she sees Bellamy's fingers grip the nightstick protectively. She rolls her eyes and ignores them. They're just looking for a rise out of a guardsman, of course.

"What is it that you do here?" She asks quietly.

"Feeding time. Wanna help?" he asks, "You can help me sort the plates."

She's led to a small supply room where there are nearly expired boxes and already expired fruits. It's not good food, that's for sure. There are nearly 90 trays stacked up, all with names taped to the side of them. Some have notes on them, like Prisoner 212 (or Mbege comma John) was allergic to nuts.

"At least they're nice enough to write this." She comments dryly.

"Ah, well, they're not trying to kill them…yet." Bellamy's voice is just as dry.

They make quick work of putting the trays together, and then putting them onto six different carts, one for each floor of the Sky Box.

"You take these three, I'll take those three." Bellamy says, "The quicker we get this done, the more time we have back at your place." He says with a smirk, pulling her body close to his with a clear intention. Clarke giggles, and whacks him on his arm.

"Am I going to get in trouble for doing this?"

"Unlikely. Hardly anyone wants to work the Sky Box, so it's always understaffed. Those of us with feelings feel bad for these kids, and so we're pretty lax with most of the ones that just fucked up once. So, there will be a little place to slide the food through on the bottom of each cage. For your safety, use the stick here to poke it in…don't want someone grabbing your arm. For those in solitary, push the food in, then press the green button to let their inner door open. They'll come get it." He said.

"Okay…I got it." She said, "See you after this."

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, nodding and left to do his own work.

Clarke made a point to look into the faces of everyone she served food to. On a chalkboard next to the cages there was the person's name, crime, and date they turned 18. She was shocked to see how many children under the age of 10 were imprisoned, but a little pleased to see that some were allowed things like nice pillows or favorite stuffed animals. Many of the kids thanked her, or asked her about what was going on outside. She saw Bellamy laughing with a couple in a casual manner, and so for those that were brave enough to talk she answered. It was easy to forget outside the walls of the Sky Box that these were merely children, not criminals, in here.

Well, not all. She did pass through several isolation chambers. She understood why people like this were locked up; kids nearing adulthood with crimes like rape, murder, and torturing of other citizens. She didn't want to look at any of their faces and resisted the urge to spit in their food at each one.

One of the last isolation chambers she reached was unlike the others. The chart read-

Charlotte Dibdin

Illegal Child

August 1st, 2154

Clarke's first thought was that it could be Octavia's name there, in another much worse life. Her second was that this was Simon's sister, the person who stabbed Bellamy and yet he cried that she was locked up, that she'd never actually seen.

This was the one person that she waited to see the face of when she pressed the button. She noticed Bellamy had put extra fruit on there and a little glob of peanut butter from his own house, since no one else got that. She realized he favored her. Maybe he felt responsible.

Charlotte came from the darkness quietly. Clarke let out a quiet sound as she stepped into the light. It was Simon, but female, weaker looking.

"You're not Bellamy." Charlotte said, perturbed, "Bellamy always comes on Wednesdays."

"I'm Clarke." Clarke lowered herself to the floor, "I'm dating Bell." She said softly, looking at the tiny twelve year old who seemed more about 10 or nine. It was hard to imagine this tiny thing could have ever stabbed Bellamy. With what? Cuteness?

"Why are you in isolation?" Clarke asked, frowning.

"I'm different." Charlotte answered honestly, "They're all legal, and I'm not. Things that are different scare the council and I'm hard to understand." She answered wisely.

"Yes, that sounds like the council." Clarke agreed.

"Peanut butter!" The little girl's face lit up as she noticed it.

"From Bellamy?" Clarke asked.

"From Simon…" Charlotte answered, "It's always been my favorite. He's still trying to care for me, that idiot." She sighed, "He probably gave it to Bellamy to give to me." She answered Clarke's next question.

"Do you…see him?" Clarke asked.

"I was supposed to be put up for possible visiting this year," Charlotte said, rubbing her finger over the peanut butter to get it all, "But I still scare them so they put another two year wait on it."

"I'm so sorry." Clarke's eyebrows knit.

"Yeah, whatever." Charlotte seemed less upset than Clarke thought she'd be about it, "I'll see him again. Bellamy promises me." She looked at Clarke's full cart, "Other people are probably hungry you know. I'll be fine…you can leave me."

"Are you sure?" Clarke asked, "How often do you actually get to talk to another human?"

"Wednesdays, when Bellamy comes. But it's fine; I don't mind the loneliness. I get books this year." Her face lit up, "Do you have a favorite book, Clarke?"

"The Giver is a good one." Clarke said, standing, "Or…Harry Potter series."

"Simon liked the Harry Potter series. I've never read the Giver. I'll read it if I get it on my pad." She said, "Bye Clarke!"

The rest of the handouts went quickly after that. Bellamy intersected her for a moment, telling her she could chill in the food prep room while he took care of some paperwork like things and he'd be back with trays later. He decided to do the pick up himself since that was a bit harder as one had to make sure no one was attempting to keep any objects.

She was deep in thought; thinking of all she'd seen anyway, so it was a good thing Bellamy handled that.

True to his word, he came back half an hour later, wheeling in the carts with emptied plates.

"Compost things here, recycle things here, trash bin here…you get the idea. Stack plates in numbered order. Utensils in this tray." He said, holding up a bin. Clarke nodded and they set to work. She noticed that he specifically went to Charlotte's tray and she didn't miss that he slipped something from under it into his pocket.

"You're ferrying notes between Charlotte and Simon." Clarke said bluntly. Bellamy hadn't been attempting to obscure his actions, but he still seemed surprised Clarke noticed.

"Yeah. I think it keeps them both sane." He said.

Clarke nodded thoughtfully, "I think you're doing a good thing. What will you do now that you're leaving though?" She asked. He let out a long breath.

"I don't know. I'll figure it out." He said, "What did you think of her?" He asked quietly, clearly anxious to hear her opinion. She got the feeling he thought very highly of the girl or he felt protective toward her.

"She's clever, perceptive, more subdued now." Clarke decided, thinking back to her small face, "If the Ark saw this person instead of the one that stabbed you, they would no doubt find her to be a member of society that they want." She said.

"I'm hoping that stays true." Bellamy agreed, "She has to be pardoned at 18 or else I'll…" He frowned, sighing.

"I was surprised to see so many children under ten here." Clarke offered up, diverting the subject.

"Yeah," He rubbed the back of his neck, "It's a slippery slope, you know? Kids so young sometimes haven't learned the difference between right and wrong, but we can't make exceptions or else we'd have to give everyone an exception. Good thing is that it's rare they're floated at 18 because they are just kids and they did act out of stupidity or ignorance. It's harder to defend your actions when you get older, try to convince the council that a kid thrown in here at 16 who knocked a guard unconscious while stealing isn't going to be a future threat."

"That's good, I guess. Except the whole, you know, loss of childhood." Clarke said bitterly.

"They usually also get better treatment. Games, a holopad sometimes, decent beds…" He began, but Clarke gave him a dark look, "Of course they'd be better out there, but I'm just pointing out that we don't try to be monsters."

"I know…" Clarke went through the cells she'd seen, "Bellamy?"

"Hmm?" He said, looking up from clearing off trays.

"There's familiar last names in there…Edl, Woodley, Bogdanovic, and Trebenski…are they related to our kids with those last names? Do people like Benny or Atom know kids in here?"

Bellamy shook his head, "Unlikely, or I'm sure one of them would have brought it up to me now. It's just last names from when the Ark didn't have the 1 kid rule and parents had multiple kids to split the family name. It's uncommon now, but it still happens."

"I figured. Just gave me little heart attacks when I saw those names." She said. Bellamy gave an understanding smile.

"Yeah, it would be awful to have any one of them end up here. We've had some close calls." He admitted.

"Too close." Clarke agreed.

They finished their job quickly and signed out. Clarke thought about her visit to the Sky Box for many days afterwards. It had been eye-opening to say the least.

About a week after that, she entered her house and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water. She was greeted with the entire counter top filled with food.

"Stars, dad! Are we feeding the entire guard?" She asked, seeing her father leaning over a steak.

"Clarke!" He said, and then looked back at his ensemble of food, laughing, "No, no." He seemed to be in a much happier mood than he had in a long time.

"Then what's up?"

"Well, it's a celebration. When I ran into Bellamy to invite him tonight, and told him what it was for, he said I better buy a lot of food because Jasper eats for himself and three invisible people." He said.

"Ah, well, yeah. Jasper could eat you out of house and home. Raven too if you challenge her… I'm assuming she's invited, with Monty, because you guys made a breakthrough on whatever the hell you're working on?"

"Not just a breakthrough, a solution!" He said, stirring a sauce and holding it out to Clarke to taste, "We fixed the problem for at least another fifteen, maybe twenty years!"

"Not forever?" Clarke raised an eyebrow, "And can you tell me what it is."

"It was never forever. This time we have now is really all we need. Now, want to help me finish this?"

She sighed. He still hadn't answered her question. Clarke nodded, rolling up her sleeves, "Sure dad. What do you need me to do?"

That night, the Griffin house was filled with smiles and sighs of relief all around. Her mother and father seemed more at ease with each other than they had in a long time. Clarke and Bellamy got to enjoy a great meal with Raven, Monty, and Jasper. Murphy arrived as Raven's 'plus one', and it was fine since Jake had food left over for even if Jasper ate to his heart's desire. Jaha and Wells were invited too, because obviously Clarke hoped Jaha was aware of what they'd been doing.

"A toast!" Jake raised his glass, "To Raven, Monty, and Jasper…the three goddamn smartest kids I've ever met. If you weren't around…who knows where we'd be now."

"Agreed." Jaha said, standing, "Of course, the Ark will never truly know the instrumental part you've given to saving it's life, at least at the moment. I know not all of you know," He nodded to his own son, Clarke, Bellamy, and Murphy, "And even if we wish not to share the finer details yet, be very proud of your friends. They managed to do what no seasoned Ark member could."

"Aww, thanks, man." Jasper said, "You're making me blush."

Jaha gave a quirked smile of amusement; "You are in my debt forever. If you ever require anything, need anything, I am at your service." He said, giving a bow.

Monty's eyes widened and Raven nodded back. This was a huge honor. Jasper fist-pumped, a little less subtle about his excitement.

"So what now?" Clarke asked them, "Going back to your boring lives and boring jobs filled with zero stress?" She teased.

"Almost…I mean, I still really want to pass my Zero-G mechanic's test within the next couple years, but I might have a side job…" Raven looked at her two work-mates for the past couple months.

"Yeah, not completely." Monty said, looking at Jaha for permission, "We've been asked to stay on…as a consulting job for the secondary part of what this job entailed…" He said, "I know that sounds like a whole lot of nothing, but it's actually quite the new project we're working on."

"Classified?" Murphy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but trust me…this one is beyond exciting. You literally couldn't guess it if we gave you the chance." Jasper said, cracking his knuckles.

"Will we ever find out?" Bellamy said, shifting in his seat. Clarke knew it was bothering him he didn't know what was going on.

"One day. Maybe like seven years from now." Raven assured with a snigger. Bellamy sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Gee, something to look forward to. Only seven years away."

"Yeah, you know in scientist time, that's like instant." Monty pointed out.

"If only we were all scientists then, because seven years is a long ass time, Green." Murphy replied, "Now I'm all curious. Damn you all."


So yeah, in my version of this timeline, I've just...delayed the earth problems and the air concern as such. They're still going down to the earth, of course, but just not now. Because let's be honest, if Raven, Monty, and Jasper were on the case it totally would have been handled better XD

Also, my life is pretty much complete. There's pictures cropping up everwhere of Tom Felton and Bob Morely hanging out together being best buds. Literally my two favorite people of all time (Tom Felton especially, he's my bday buddy!) I just can't even express to you how much I screamed when I saw those pictures! I mean, let me put it to you like this: my three OTPs that have never changed and likely never will change are Dramione, Bellarke, and Zutara...and two thirds of the men of my OTP are friends in real life. God is real. Life is good XD

Remember to leave a review!