AN: Time for some more Octavia, and more Dublin! It's an amazing city, definitely one of my favorites, so it was nice to "visit" it again, even if it was only virtually

I don't own anything relating to The 100

Chapter title from "Where the Streets Have no Name" by U2 (the "flame" thing was actually completely unintentional, I honestly didn't even think about the connection to the show until just now, when I was posting, I just wanted a song related to Belfast!)

26

I Want to Reach Out and Touch the Flame

Clarke and Lincoln spend an hour and a half at the coffee shop, getting to know each other a little better. Clarke hasn't told Octavia a lot about herself, they mostly talked about Bellamy during their phone conversations, so she sticks with her standard background – what she told Bellamy initially – hoping he'll tell Octavia the same thing, if she asks.

They talk about their shared love of art, eventually getting to their own works. Lincoln photographs weddings and similar events and also does some portrait photography to get an actual income, but his passion is on the more artistic side and Clarke immediately loves his more abstract pieces. Considering he does this for a living, she's a little nervous about showing him her own paintings, but Lincoln insists he would love to see them, so she pulls up images of some pieces that have already sold in her Etsy store.

"This one is amazing," he notes, pointing at one of the angry pieces she did after meeting Bellamy and discovering his Number. "It's so full of emotions…"

Clarke remembers her state of mind during those few weeks and full of emotions is really spot on, even if she hadn't wanted to actually face those emotions at the time. "Yeah, it was a… difficult time for me," she half-explains. Lincoln gives her a long look but doesn't ask anything else.

When they finally leave the coffee shop, Lincoln calls Octavia to find out that she and Bellamy are already home, so he calls in an order at an Indian restaurant a few blocks from the apartment and he and Clarke pick it up on their way.

When Lincoln opens the door, they're greeted by laughter coming from the living room, and Clarke feels like her whole heart swells three sizes, Grinch-style, when they follow the sound to find the Blake siblings on the couch watching some sitcom on the TV.

"I hope you're not continuing our Santa Clarita Diet marathon without me," Lincoln notes lightly, putting the bags of take-out down on the coffee table, where there are already plates, cutlery and a couple of beers waiting.

Octavia rolls her eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it. We were talking about… something, I don't even know, and somehow we ended up on That '70s Show, which Bell refused to let me watch until I was thirteen, by which time it was just going off the air, and it's on Netflix!" She gestures excitedly at the screen, where Fez and Hyde are doing something.

Clarke is sure that the affectionate smile on Lincoln's face is mirrored on her own.

"Did you have a good time at the gallery?" Bellamy asks, reaching for the nearest bag and transferring the boxes in it to the table.

Clarke sits down next to him, Octavia on his other side and Lincoln next to her. "We did," she confirms. "There's some serious artistic talent in Dublin, that's for sure. Nyko's work is amazing. And I've convinced Lincoln to give us a private viewing of some of his photos."

Lincoln shakes his head at that. "I said I would think about it," he reminds her.

"He's such a baby when it comes to his photography," Octavia complains, scooping some chicken biryani onto her plate. "He almost never lets me see his pictures either."

Bellamy shoots Clarke a look with raised eyebrows. "Where do I know that from?"

She elbows him lightly in the side. "It's an artist thing," she says with a shrug. "I never feel like I'm finished with a piece, so it's hard to show it to someone, I guess."

"Exactly," Lincoln agrees with a nod.

"Well, I love your art," Bellamy continues, sliding an arm around her waist to pull her closer and press a kiss to her temple.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," she tells him with a smile, stealing a quick kiss before grabbing a box of food.

"Hey, no fooling around at the dinner table," Octavia says, throwing a balled up napkin at Bellamy. "Oh, and do you want something else to drink, Clarke? Bell said beer was fine, but we have soda and maybe some cider if you'd prefer that?"

Clarke accepts the box of tikka masala that Bellamy holds out for her as she shakes her head. "Beer is absolutely fine."

It's probably one of the best evenings Clarke's had in a while – they keep watching the show, which she never really got into while it aired so it's all new to her, and eat way too much food. The best part, though, is probably when Bellamy and Octavia revert to insider jokes from their childhood. Neither Clarke nor Lincoln get them, but they exchange looks now and then, both relishing the moment of the siblings being reunited and enjoying spending time together.

She waits until she and Bellamy are in bed, hours later, before she asks him about his afternoon with his sister.

"So you and Octavia worked through everything?" she starts as he slides between the sheets.

He doesn't answer until they've settled down in the middle of the bed, him on his back with an arm around her waist and her on her side, head on his chest and one leg thrown over his.

"We did. It was basically ten minutes of both of us trying to apologize over each other, until we realized that there was no point in re-hashing the past… we both regret how things turned out back then, but trying to assign blame won't change anything. We both could have handled the situation better and we're both sorry and want to move past it, that's what's important."

"I'm glad."

He hums in response and silence settles over them for a long moment, before he speaks again.

"I might have accidentally let her believe that we met a year ago and not this fall, by the way. Just in case it comes up."

Clarke pushes herself up on one elbow to be able to look at him. "How come?"

He half-shrugs. "I don't know, she said something that made me realize that's what she thought, and I didn't correct her. I mean, it's not exactly normal to head out on a six month long trip around the world with someone you've known for three months, you know?"

She chuckles before lying back down. "Yeah, that thought crossed my mind when I talked to her on the phone, too. I deliberately kept the time frame of our relationship a little vague. As long as you're fine with that, we can go with it, I don't mind."

Bellamy joins in her chuckle for a moment.

"What else did you tell her?" she asks. "I didn't really say much about myself when we talked, and I basically told Lincoln the same story I gave you when we met."

"Yeah, I stuck with that too," he replies. "Octavia was pretty curious, asking question after question, and I've never been good at coming up with stuff on the spot, so it was just easier to use your story."

"We should be fine, then."

He runs a hand down her back and then up again. "We should, yeah. So tell me about Lincoln. Is he good enough for my baby sister?"

Clarke has to laugh at the question. "Would anything I told you make him good enough for Octavia in your eyes?"

He ponders the question for a moment. "Probably not."

"That's what I though." She lets out a sigh before continuing. "But he really does seem like a great guy. He's passionate about his photography, but he's realistic about it too, he has a business photographing weddings and stuff that's doing well and he does his more artistic work on the side."

"I know, O told me that too when I asked about him," Bellamy says with a snort. "After she gave me a 'don't you butt in and try to scare him off' speech. Which I'm not going to, of course… I just want to know that she'll be OK when I'm not…"

She places a kiss on his chest when he trails off. "I know. And I really do think that she will be. It's painfully obvious how much he loves her, there's no way he would ever do anything to hurt her. I think she found one of the good ones."

He lets out a long breath. "Good. I trust your judgment better than mine in this case, to be honest."

"I am a little more impartial in this situation, I guess," Clarke agrees.

"You definitely are," he says with a chuckle. "She told me about the last seven years too… I've spent so much time thinking the worst, worrying that she was barely getting by, struggling, so it was nice to know that wasn't the case."

"What's she been up to?" Clarke knows some things, but Instagram posts and Facebook statuses only tell you so much about a person's actual life, beyond the flashy photos and upbeat commentary.

"Well, she started on that cruise ship," he replies. "She did some waitressing, basic jobs here and there. Then during a cruise a couple of months after she started, half the staff in the fitness center came down with food poisoning so she offered to fill in and lead some of the classes, and the next time they were in port, she was offered a promotion to that department instead. At the end of her second season, she got the opportunity to do a couple of months on a ship in the Mediterranean, and the company helped her with the visa and stuff, so when a friend from the ship decided to head to London the year after, she was able to get a work permit and go with her. She worked at a gym there for about two years before moving here, getting more experience in the business and apparently becoming pretty close with the owner of the chain, Indra, because she specifically asked if O wanted to be in charge when they opened the branch here. She seems to really enjoy it, and I can actually see that it would be a good fit for her. She always had way too much energy as a kid, this gives her an outlet. I think it's mellowed her a little, if you can believe that."

'Mellow' is not a word that Clarke would use to describe Octavia, but she supposes it's relative. From Bellamy's stories about his sister as a kid, she knows the girl was a bit of a whirlwind so maybe she really has calmed down a little.

"She's quite the world traveler then," she notes.

"Yeah, she's been all over the Caribbean, parts of South America, Europe…"

She trails a hand over his chest, tracing patterns against his skin. "Would you have wanted to do that? The cruise thing, I mean. I did think about it when I was planning the trip, but in the end, I decided against it, partly because of the whole Octavia situation… we can probably fit it in if you want, though, even if something else would have to go."

He's quiet for a moment, thinking. "I don't think I would have been very open to the idea a few weeks ago," he finally says. "Because of Octavia, like you said. Now, I wouldn't mind… but I like the plans we have, I don't want to change anything at this point. Besides, there aren't any historical sites on a cruise ship."

Clarke lets out a chuckle at that. "I guess not."

His arm tightens around her for a moment and she feels his lips against the top of her head. "OK, we should probably try to get some sleep, O was talking about everything she wanted to show us and do tomorrow, and it sounds like it's going to be a long day."

Octavia sent a list of suggestions for activities to Clarke a couple of weeks ago, so they could coordinate a little and not book the same things, and she remembers wondering how on earth they were going to be able to squeeze everything in during their week, so she can imagine.

"Good plan," she agrees, reaching behind her to turn off the bedside lamp before settling in again. "And you're still good, still happy about being here, seeing Octavia?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shifts so she can bury her face against his throat, his body heat warming up her chilled nose immediately.

"No reason, just my subconscious still worrying."

"Well, you can tell your subconscious to cut it out," Bellamy tells her, voice amused. "Love you."

"Mmm, love you."

-100-

The next couple of days really are busy. After an amazing breakfast on Tuesday, courtesy of Lincoln who turns out to be a great cook, they start at Guinness, where they take an audio tour of the brewery that ends with a pint in the Gravity Bar, high above Dublin. Clarke's never really been a fan of Guinness, it's a little too heavy for her, but she has to admit that it tastes absolutely amazing here.

When they leave the brewery, instead of leading them back towards the city center, Octavia heads in the other direction.

"Where are we going, O?" Bellamy asks and she gives him a secretive smile.

"You'll see," she replies. "But please know that this part of the day is just for you, Bell. I hope you appreciate it."

He frowns at that, giving Clarke a confused look, but she just shrugs to indicate that she doesn't know either. Though she does have an inkling.

Which turns out to be right – after twenty minutes or so, they reach a two-story stone building and pause in a small court yard, just inside a cast iron fence.

"Kilmainham Gaol," Bellamy reads out loud from the information sign, stumbling a little over the pronunciation. His eyes light up. "This is an old jail?"

"Yup," Octavia confirms. "I basically googled 'boring historical stuff to do in Dublin' and this was one of the top hits, so I figured you'd enjoy it even if none of us do."

Bellamy ruffles his sister's hair affectionately. "Thanks for the sacrifice, O."

They grab some lunch in the café before their tour of the old prison, which turns out to be really interesting – Clarke catches even Octavia listening intently to their guide.

They finish their tour a little after five in the afternoon, and the sun sets while they're on their way back to O'Connell Street. They take a detour, passing St Patrick's cathedral and strolling around Trinity College, which is beautifully lit up, for a little while before Octavia once again leads them across the river and comes to a stop outside a hotel.

"Um… is this your way of telling us you're kicking us out of your place?" Clarke asks, eyeing the façade.

Octavia laughs, pushing the doors open. "Don't be silly. We're having dinner here, they're supposed to have one of the best Irish dance shows in Dublin."

The last time Clarke was in Ireland was in 1973, and this type of shows weren't really a thing back then. She's seen Riverdance on TV, of course, but the actual live show is still an amazing experience. Judging by the awed look on Bellamy's face every time she glances at him, he's enjoying himself too.

They stay at the hotel until well after midnight, Octavia insisting on trying different local drinks on the menu, claiming this is her chance to be a tourist in the city, something she never really got to be when she moved here.

By the time they stumble home through the empty streets – it is Tuesday, after all, most people have work in the morning – all four of them are pretty buzzed.

Which doesn't stop Octavia from banging on the door to the guest room way too early the next morning, making Clarke jerk awake.

"Rise and shine, lovebirds!" she calls through the door. "I have big plans today, breakfast in ten."

Bellamy groans next to her, burying his face in a pillow.

"How is she not half-unconscious still?" Clarke grumbles, pulling the comforter up to her chin.

"Deal with the devil?" he replies, voice still gravelly with sleep.

A few minutes later, there's another bang on the door, and they reluctantly drag themselves out of bed.

Today, they're apparently going further, because instead of leaving the building, they continue one floor down to the underground parking garage. When Octavia clicks a key fob, a green Ford blinks invitingly in a corner.

"You drive?" Bellamy asks, a little wary.

"Yes, shut up," Octavia retorts brightly.

He holds up his hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't say anything. Though if I were going to, I might point out that you swore up and down that you would never get behind the wheel again after the squirrel incident."

"Squirrel incident?" Lincoln pipes in curiously.

"Octavia hit a squirrel the day she got her learner's permit," Bellamy expands. "She said she was never going to drive again because she didn't want to kill any more innocent animals."

Octavia lets out a huff. "It was traumatic!"

Lincoln squeezes her hand before opening the driver's door for her. "I'm sure it was."

But as he rounds the car, he sends Clarke an amused look.

The sun breaks through the clouds as they leave the city, and they get the first true glimpse of why the island is called the Emerald isle – despite it being mid-winter, the hills around them are green, dotted here and there with sheep and cows.

"OK, so I know you're going up to Belfast tomorrow, but since it's a bit of a drive, I figured you'd want to head straight there so you get as much time in the city as possible," Octavia says when they're on the highway Clarke recognizes from their ride from the airport. "So we're doing a bit of a Bellamy tour today."

The man in question chuckles next to Clarke in the backseat. "Seriously, O, you didn't have to come up with all these things that I would want to do," he tells her affectionately.

She waves a hand dismissively in the air. "Who knows when you'll be able to come here again? I wanted to cram as much into this visit as I could, so here we are."

Clarke can feel the conflicting emotions practically radiating off him and reaches out to take his hand in hers, squeezing comfortingly. He sends her a grateful smile.

Octavia's really done her homework – their first stop is Newgrange, a site with Neolithic burial mounds that, according to their guide, is a millennium older than Stonehenge, before they continue to the Hill of Tara, an area that was the island's capital for thousands of years and is now only marked by ring forts and ruins.

After that, instead of getting back on the highway, Octavia turns onto a smaller country road.

"We have one more stop," she tells them. "We could go back through Dublin, but I figured the scenic route would be more fun. And we can stop somewhere for lunch on the way."

They do, at a cute little stonewashed cottage called Hollywood Café, of all things. Clarke feels like a real tourist, but she can't help but ask Octavia to take a picture of her and Bellamy in front of it, the sign clearly visible behind them. She just knows Raven will get a laugh out of it.

Another half hour later, Octavia pulls off the country road, eventually coming to a stop in a car park. "We're here," she announces, killing the engine and getting out of the car.

"And where is here, exactly?" Bellamy asks as he gets out as well.

"Glendalough," Octavia replies, as if that explains everything. "We've actually been here before, Lincoln did a photo shoot with a newlywed couple last summer, and it's pretty cool. There's a bunch of ruins, an old monastery, I think, and some other buildings, I figured it would be right up your alley."

Bellamy rolls his eyes but Clarke can tell that he really is excited.

Octavia leads the way to a large, stone archway, beyond which they can see withering tomb stones of all shapes and sizes. They stroll around, reading names and dates on the stones that are still legible and venturing into the ruins of the monastery, where there are more graves, these with the stones set into the ground. Thousands and thousands of feet, as well as the elements once the building started to fall into decay, have worn them down and it's almost impossible to tell what might have once been written on them.

Clarke's favorite building is probably the Round Tower, a circular stone tower stretching over a hundred feet into the air. Lincoln, who apparently did some research before his photo shoot, tells them that the tower is almost a thousand years old and was used as a clock tower at one point.

After an hour or so, it starts raining, and they head back to the car. The drive back to Dublin follows more narrow country lanes, eventually offering glimpses of the Irish Sea in the distance.

By the time they get back to the apartment, it's almost eight in the evening. Octavia suggests going out for dinner, maybe a few drinks, but to Clarke's relief, Lincoln manages to convince her to stay in and let him cook instead.

The next morning, Clarke's alone in bed when she wakes up. She finds Bellamy and Lincoln in the kitchen, scrambled eggs and toast in front of both of them.

"Morning, Princess," Bellamy greets her with a smile when he spots her. "Sleep well?"

"Uh-huh," she confirms, taking a seat next to him and stealing a slice of toast. "Octavia at work already?"

Lincoln nods. "She has a morning class today, so she left early. I'm heading out soon too, and I'm guessing you want to get going as well?"

Clarke glances at the clock on the wall behind him. Not quite nine yet, but they have an almost two hour drive ahead of them. "Probably, yeah. I just need some coffee and a shower and I'm good to go."

Half an hour later, she and Bellamy are walking down the stairs to the garage, the keys to Octavia's car in her hand.

"Do you want to drive?" she asks, glancing at him.

He gives her a horrified look. "On the wrong side of the road? And the wrong side of the car? I think I'll pass, if you're OK driving."

She laughs. "I'm pretty sure it would be even more difficult if you were on the other side of the car. But I'm fine driving, I drove quite a bit when I lived in Clovelly, since it's out in the country."

"Thank God."

It takes a little getting used to, since it's been a while, and the first roundabout they get to is terrifying for a brief moment, but soon enough, Clarke's more or less comfortable behind the wheel again.

It's raining when they leave Dublin, the countryside grey on either side of the highway, clouds hanging low over the treetops, but the closer they get to their destination, the clearer the sky above them becomes. There's not much traffic, and they make good time, so it's only a little after eleven when she pulls into a car park close to the center of Belfast, where the sun is actually shining.

They don't really have anything specific planned for the day, so they just stroll around the city, taking in the different sights – parts of the Peace lines with beautiful murals, numerous old buildings and monuments. Clarke has never been to Belfast before, the last time she was in Ireland, in the seventies, the city was still very unsettled with bombings by the IRA and the INLA, so everything is new to her as well. After a late lunch they head down to the dock area, pausing to admire the futuristic building housing Titanic Belfast, before returning the way they came.

Friday is once again spent in Dublin, where they start at the Book of Kells exhibition and then explore the eastern parts of the city, around the docks. Octavia has an evening class – the only way she could get out of her Saturday morning class – but joins them halfway through dinner at a Chinese place close to her gym.

Saturday morning, all four of them take an Uber through the cold but sunny city to the Jameson Distillery, where they get a tour and do some whiskey tasting. It feels wrong at half past eleven in the morning, but it's not like they get drunk off a few sips.

Octavia seems hell bent on correcting that, though.

"OK, so tonight we're doing a pub crawl," she announces when they leave the distillery. The weather's still nice, and it even feels like the temperature might have risen, if only by a degree or two.

Bellamy raises an eyebrow at his sister. "Really, O?"

"You cannot come to Dublin and not go on a pub crawl," she insists. "It's, like, in the law or something."

Clarke's almost positive that's not actually true, and she can tell that Bellamy's about to argue, but she squeezes his hand and gives him a look that she hopes says 'just humor her, it would make her happy and you don't have to drink much'. He seems to understand, because he lets out a sigh before agreeing.

"Great!" Octavia exclaims, looping her arm through Clarke's. "I don't know about you, but I really have nothing to wear tonight, so we are going shopping."

It's Clarke's turn to balk, and she gets a half-smirk from Bellamy.

"We're trying to travel light," she tries. "I don't really have room for some fancy party outfit."

Octavia doesn't seem bothered, though. "So leave it here, I can mail it to you once you're back home again. Besides, I know we got to know each other a little over the phone, but we haven't had any one-on-one time yet, just us girls."

Clarke wonders if the 'what are your intentions towards my brother?' conversation that she got a hint of during their first phone call is coming and sends Bellamy a pleading look, but the traitor just smiles at her.

"Great idea, O," he agrees. "That gives me and Lincoln a chance to get to know each other a little better, too."

Clarke's pretty sure Octavia didn't think about that, because, for a brief moment, she looks like she might change her mind, but Lincoln squeezes her hand and she relaxes again.

An hour later, Clarke finds herself in a changing room trying to squeeze her boobs into a much too tight dress.

"This isn't going to work," she calls through the curtain, and half of Octavia's face appears in a crack at one side.

"No, you're right," she agrees. "Try this one on instead."

She holds out another dress, which at least looks like it might fit, even if it's much shorter than what Clarke is used to. Not wanting to argue, she dutifully takes the dress and puts it on.

"Well… it fits," she says, since that's really the best thing she can say about the garment. It's not her style at all – too short, too tight and too embellished. Besides, the temperatures are in the thirties, she'll freeze her butt off in this.

"Yeah, that one's not for you," Octavia declares when she peeps into the changing room again. "How about this one?"

Her next suggestion is actually really cute…

It's the one Clarke ends up getting, Octavia promising to lend her some tights and a pair of boots, since they're somehow the same size in that department, if nowhere else.

Clarke keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Octavia to corner her and give her the third degree, but it never comes. Finally, she can't take it anymore, so she brings it up herself as they're finishing lunch at a cute coffee shop.

"So, I kind of thought this girl time was an excuse for you to interrogate me," she says, getting a snort from Octavia.

"Honestly, I was planning to," she admits, playing with the spoon in her coffee. "But I just… seeing you two together, I don't really feel like I need to. I mean, Bell's always worn his heart on his sleeve, I knew the first time he had a crush and I was just eight back then, so I was expecting to know the moment I saw him. But you're the same. The moment you relaxed and stopped worrying about him being mad at you for not telling him about me, it was completely obvious to me that you're just as crazy about him."

The proclamation actually takes Clarke by surprise. She's never seen herself as a person who projects her feelings, and nobody has ever told her that she does… well, except for Raven, but she doesn't count since she knows Clarke better than she knows herself.

"I am," she confirms. "I didn't know it was that obvious, though, especially not to someone I barely know."

Octavia laughs. "Oh, sweetie, you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not see it."

Clarke feels the heat rise in her cheeks, even though she doesn't have anything to be embarrassed about.

"So, no. I'm not going to give you the third degree or ask what your intentions towards my brother are," Octavia continues. "Even though I'm sure he's having that conversation with Lincoln. I don't need to. Because I know that neither of you would do anything to hurt the other. If things don't work out… well, that's just the way life is sometimes. I know it wouldn't be because you didn't love each other. But I have a good feeling."

The words make a small lump form in Clarke's throat. "Well, I'm glad I won't have to defend myself," she says after swallowing. "And for what it's worth, I do love him. I'm in this for the long haul."

A big smile spreads on Octavia's face. "Good. He deserves someone good. OK, we should get back out there, I still haven't found anything to wear."

Clarke plasters on a smile in return and gets up from their table, trailing behind Octavia out of the coffee shop.

The long haul is just six months, but Octavia doesn't know that.