Chapter 5: The One's Left Behind
Clarke's POV
The bunker was a mess of protesting. From what Octavia had told us, people had behaved and followed her rule well into the fifth year after Praimfaya, unfortunately, this last year the clans had all began revolting and had begun riotings.
"I just don't understand how you're still commander?" Bellamy asked Octavia as we sat in the clan representatives' meeting room.
"It's mainly been thanks to Indra, Abby, and Kane. When necessity really began to become the topic of discussion, Gaia tried to settle everyone down by stating that I had won the conclave and therefore had earned my title. That helped a bit, but then the grounders started a rumor that I was giving all of the left-over rations to Skaikru and not them." She looked so tired, "you honestly couldn't have returned at a better time." She then stood up from her seat and went over to her brother and hugged him.
He hugged her back, "I missed you, little sister."
"I missed you, big brother."
I smiled at them and thought about my mom, I had seen her and Kane when we arrived but had come to discuss things with Diyoza and Octavia.
"So, we're in agreeance that we can share Eden for a small amount of time and borrow your doctors in exchange for our support to help you build your new village there," Diyoza said.
"Yes, we will help you in any way we can," Octavia responded nodding.
"Alright, I am going to tell Shaw to pilot the dropship back to the mothership with your doctors so that they can begin healing our people and he can also bring your people down. I'll see you later." Diyoza then walked out of the room.
I looked at Octavia and thought of Madi and Aurora. I wonder where they were. "Bell!" I said drawing his attention.
"Yeah, Clarke," he said looking up from his embrace with his sister.
"Where are Madi, Aurora, and the others?" I asked.
"I told Madi to start driving here after she dropped me off, I am guessing they should be arriving at any time now."
I nodded and stood up from my seat. "I am going to go talk to my mom, see you guys later."
I left the room and swallowed the lump in my throat how was I going to tell Bellamy that he was a father.
I asked around for my mom's location which led me to the med bay.
"Hey, mom!" I said standing in the medical bay's entryway.
My mom looked up from what she was writing and smiled as tears welled up in her eyes, "hey baby girl."
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me and she stood up so we could hug.
"I missed you so much mom," I whispered as I tightened my hold on her.
"I missed you too, sweetheart."
"I have so many things to tell you." She pulled away from our embrace and looked into my eyes.
"Then let's catch up." She smiled up at me and I nodded as a tear slipped down my face.
Bellamy's POV
After Clarke left Octavia and me by ourselves selves I found that my sister needed much encouragement and uplifting. It looked like the last six years had been rough on all of us, but especially for the people in the bunker.
"Hey, how about I tell you a goodnight story like when you were a kid and you take a nap in your room," I recommended.
She smiled and nodded standing up and walking into her room.
After Octavia fell asleep, I left her room and went to see if Madi and the others had arrived. I still needed to ask Clarke about Aurora's father but decided to leave the conversation for another day.
I walked to where we had set up a set of rope stairs and left the bunker behind in hopes of seeing if the rover was at least parked somewhere nearby the entry hole.
"Bellamy!" Madi cried jumping out of the rover and walking to the back so she could pick up Aurora. Madi walked back with her sister resting on her hip and a smile lighting up her face.
"Do we get to meet Aunty Octavia?" asked Aurora.
"Octavia is sleeping right now, but I am sure once she wakes up, she will not let you girls out of her sight," I said chuckling.
I don't know why, but Aurora reminded me so much of Octavia at that age, yes, my sister had straight hair and brown eyes, but still, there was something between them that just screamed resemblance.
"I want her to train me to be a warrior like her," Aurora said trying to turn herself to look at me. I smiled at her and nodded encouragingly.
"Hey Bellamy, are you going to forget about us after only one day?" Emori asked as they too jumped out of the Rover.
"Hi guys, I hope Madi drove okay?"
"Well she's better than you, that's for sure," Echo said laughing. I walked past the girls and went to hug Echo. I didn't realize that Clarke had come out of the bunker too and kissed Echo.
"Hey, Aurora, Madi how about you girls go down there to meet Grandma Abby?" I heard Clarke say and stiffened.
I pulled away from Echo and noticed Echo glare at me. Clarke had not waisted a minute before she went back into the bunker and took the girls with her.
"Clarke!" Harper said running so that she could catch up to greet her. Monty held a smile on his face as he quickly followed his girlfriend.
"Have you asked her yet about who Aurora's dad is?" Echo asked me, and I shook my head no.
"I don't think it's any of my business if she doesn't feel comfortable telling me yet. I also want to wait to get used to each other again before I ask her." I stared into Echo's eyes and saw the storm raging inside her. "Hey how about I show you to our room for the night?"
She calmed slightly and smiled following me into the bunker.
Clarke's POV
It hurt that I had to continue keeping secrets from my family and friends. I had told my mom about Aurora. I had told her almost the entire truth only excluding that she was a nightblood by birth and who her father was. In fact, if anyone asked, I had to tell them I had given her and Madi my bone marrow in order to make them nightbloods otherwise there would be a power struggle once more in between the clans. If anybody questioned Octavia's rule and there were born nightbloods that would call for a conclave and a replacement of the Commander. That would make not only both of them responsible for the whole of humanity, but it would also put them in a fight against each other and I couldn't let that happen.
"Clarke, I know you don't yet know the full extent of everything that has happened here, but Octavia needs serious help," my mom had sort of filled in a lot of the missing information about what had been going on here, she had however refrained from sharing everything saying that there were parts of the story that were not her story to tell.
"I just can't believe that the water recycler broke down leading to an outbreak of cholera. Thank goodness Cholera is a disease that has been resolved for so many centuries already."
My mom broke down laughing, "I laugh now, but since we didn't know that the recycler had broken down then I honestly felt like the world was spinning on my shoulders. Thankfully nobody died and I was able to figure out the problem before hand."
"Anyways mom, I have sprung so many things on you in one day, I kind of want to know how your feeling?"
My mom had not yet truly shared with me her thoughts on me having Aurora and adopting Madi, she had been taken back when I'd told her, but quickly regained her composure and congratulated me. I felt like I owed her a lot, especially now that I could understand what it felt like having children of my own. I finally understood her overprotection from when I was still a teen.
"Honestly honey, I think most people get at least a nine-month preparation period to become grandparents, and I apparently became a grandma twice with no time to prepare whatsoever," she laughed and I could see the new and old wrinkles that she had developed in the last five years.
My mom had always looked great, but these last five years had apparently taken a big toll on her life. Her once blondish brown hair had a few visible strings of white and her face had developed new wrinkles around the ends of her eyes, her forehead, and mouth. Apart from that he just looked sickly tired.
"I wish you could have been there with me mom," I said looking into her eyes and feeling relief wash over me. "Although I am glad you were here, where you were safe and useful. These people owe you their lives after all mom."
"I wish I could say that was true, it's honestly been a group effort. Jackson and I have treated more patients from diseases and illnesses we'd never even heard before, Kane and Octavia have tried to ration our resources and keep the people at bay for so long, plus they both also served as emergency nurses." She laughed as she remembered that, and I couldn't help but smile.
Yes, life hadn't been easy for any of us, but at least we were all together once more to help each other carry the weight that befell us as a family rather than an individual.
"Wait, you mean Kane actually assisted you as a nurse?" I asked with a smirk in bewilderment.
My mom had tears streaming down her face as she nodded and laughed.
It was then that there was a knock on the door. We both stifled our laughter and turned around to see who it was.
"I am guessing you're Dr. Griffin?" Diyoza asked once she saw we had stopped our conversation for her.
My mom walked forward until she was beside me before she responded to Diyoza's question with a nod.
"Yes, that would be me." My mom's shoulders had stiffened when she had seen Diyoza.
"In my deal with Bellamy we agreed that upon us opening the entrance to the bunker we would be able to request your immediate presence in our mothership in order to deal with our many sick people," she said this and sighed. "If you have a colleague that Wonkru can also spare we'd be infinitely grateful."
I place my hand on my mom's shoulder and reminded her to relax. "Help these people mom, then you can come back down and meet your granddaughters and tell them just how awesome their grandmother is."
Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled at me, "I wish I could meet them before I left though."
I nodded looking down woefully. "I think you may be able to Dr. Griffin I saw the rover arrive a few minutes before I came down here. However, I do wish to leave to the mothership within fifteen minutes so please do hurry to greet your grandchildren and collect your medical utensils. See you then." Diyoza then turned around and walked away.
"Come on, mom grab your and Jackson's medicine bags and I'll go get Jackson, we barely have time for you to meet the girls." I didn't wait to see her response before I ran down the hall and to the dining area. There I knew I would find Jackson and Miller enjoying a meal together.
"Jackson!" I called out.
He turned around when he heard his name being called out and smiled when he noticed it was me. "Clarke!" He stood up from his seat and begun to make his way towards me.
"It's so good to see you," I said.
"You too, however, I thought you would still be catching up with your mother." He scrunched his eyebrows together.
I nodded, "yeah I wish I could, but you and she were kind of part of the bargain for the Eligius people to help us open the bunker." I stopped talking when I saw that Jackson looked even more confused now. "Their crew is apparently sick with something and they need medical assistance, so you and my mom are being sent to their mothership that is in space where you will provide their crew with whatever needs they might have."
He nodded slowly as if he was taking it all in. "Alright let me just go grab a medical bag."
"No need, my mom is doing that right now, say goodbye to Miller for now and go to the dropship outside." I didn't hesitate after that to turn around and leave in search of my mother so she could go meet the girls.
I ran down the hall once again in direction of the med bay. My feet carried me so fast that I could barely make out what was before me, which is how I ended up slamming into my mom's back. "Ughh," I groaned at the pain the collision caused.
My mom turned around to look at me smiling, "honey I know we're in a hurry, but you need to be careful. Now let's go meet those girls!" She had her bag in one hand and Jackson's in the other.
I grabbed Jackson's bag and pulled her with the other hand in the direction of the hole in the roof.
I climbed the stairs and noticed the girls were only a few steps in front of. I took Aurora from Madi and began to greet them in silence so I wouldn't bother the rest of our friends.
That's when I noticed Aurora was unusually quiet and wouldn't stop staring at something past Madi. So, I looked up to see what had her so distracted only to see Bellamy and Echo in a deep embrace.
"Hey, Aurora, Madi how about you girls go down there to meet Grandma Abby?" While I had never outright told the girls that I was in love with Bellamy and that he was in fact Aurora's dad, I was however convinced that Madi had already deducted this.
I turned back around and climbed down the stairs attempting to hide just how much that embrace hurt me.
I then helped Madi and Aurora down and introduced them to my mom. "Mom, this is Madi and this is Aurora. Girls this is my mom," I said pointing to each of them as I introduced them.
My mom didn't waste a second before she pulled the girls into a tight embrace.
"Uhh, Granma Abby is it true that single-handedly saved Chancellor Jaha's life after Bellamy shot him?" Madi asked immediately. I smiled knowing that my family was finally normalizing despite the many secrets I had yet to share.
My mom then began to have a chat with the girls, and I couldn't help, but zone out to think about the encounter I had just had with Bellamy.
Gosh! What did I expect? For him to stay celibate for the last few years even though he believed I was dead. No, it was not fair of me to expect that of him, but gosh why was the world so against me? I needed him, I always had. From the moment that we had set foot on the ground, he had been my confidant, best friend, lover, enemy, greatest opponent, and supporter. How was I supposed to live around him and Echo? How was I supposed to move on from the guy who I had decided was worth my everything?
I don't know how, but I came to terms with my reality in the time my mom spoke to the girls, which was really a total of three minutes seeing as how Diyoza was already there demanding that they leave.
I had no choice but to move on with my life, get over myself, and think of my girls' wellbeing above all else. Yes, I loved Bellamy, but he was in a relationship and I was not going to ruin that for him no matter how much pain and suffering that caused me.
I had been in such a deep train of thought that I had not noticed Bellamy, Echo, and our other friends inside the bunker even as I helped my mom climb the stairs.
"I love you Clarke, girls. Make sure you guys take good care of each other and I can not wait to finish up there so I can come back to you girls."
"I love you too, mom, take care of yourself and of Jackson." From where we stood at the bottom of the bunker, I couldn't really make out her features any more as the sun would barely allow me to look up, however, I could tell she was waving at us.
Albeit it had been a short amount of time but seeing my mom again after six years had been a true and wonderful gift.
"Hey, Clarke!" Harper said drawing my attention back to the people who'd just entered the bunker.
"Harper! Monty!" I put Aurora down and went to hug them each. "I am so happy to see you guys."
"Hey, we're happy to see you, we've been dying to thank you," Monty said, "if you hadn't risked your life like you did all those years ago, we wouldn't be here. So, we are forever in your debt Clarke."
"I guess I know who's going to be babysitting whenever I need help," I said half-jokingly.
Harper and Monty laughed. I then went to greet Emori who had barely made a sound since I had regained consciousness.
"Thanks' Clarke," Emori said barely audibly. I realized I owed her an apology still for almost forcing her in the radiation chamber.
"You guys have nothing to thank me for, I would do it without question if it meant you guys would get to live, in fact, Emori, I hope you can accept my apology. My mom and I should have never attempted to inject you with nightblood to see if it was resistant to radiation."
"It's all forgiven," she said with a half-smile that allowed me to breathe.
"What are you guys waiting for, let's go help the people who want to sleep outside set up their tents," Miller said hauling our group out of the bunker once more.
Bellamy's POV
I had replaced Miller in taking care of Octavia so he could go help set up camp with everyone else.
"Bellamy?" Octavia called from her bed. I turned my head sideways to see her and could see her walking towards me.
"Yes O."
"Wow, that's the first time I've heard that nickname in a long time."
I turned around as she reached for me and hugged her. "I still don't quite believe that you're actually here you know…"
"It's okay, everything is going to be alright."
"No… Bell, so many things happened I don't blame those people that want to replace me, in fact, I hope they do so soon. I am so tired of the burden that comes with being the commander. I truly hope that someone steps up to take responsibility." She was now crying into my shoulder.
"Shh. It's going to be alright." I tried to console her by humming to her some of the songs that I had sung to her back on the ark.
"I wish I could go back to when we first arrived here you know when Lincoln was still alive. I wish things with the grounders and the mountain men had gone differently, maybe then we wouldn't be here in this situation." She snuggled into my shirt hiding her face completely from my sight, although I could feel my dampening as her tears did not cease.
"Shh, O there's no point in holding out to what could have been. Instead, let's look at the positive turn of events."
I know that's what I told her, but I didn't really feel that way on the inside, because on the inside I was raging mad that while my sister had been suffering in this godforsaken hole in the ground, I had been living a semi-happy life in the ring. The only downside being mourning Clarke and having to eat algae every day for six years of course.
I couldn't in fact offer much consolation seeing as I obviously held resentment towards myself for leaving Clarke behind, no matter how many times she told me it had been her choice. I wondered if she and I would be raising her daughters together if I had stayed. Would I have minded raising another man's child as my own? No, I don't think so.
I held Octavia tightly until she stopped crying that's when we decided to go outside and face the music.
As we reached the entryway though I could see Gaia commanding Madi and a young boy to fight using wooden swords. I didn't think Clarke would have allowed this, so I set out to find her with my eyes only to see her being restrained by two big guys.
"She's just a child!" Clarke cried as she attempted to get out of the men's grasp. The man to her left then jabbed his elbow into her side where if I remembered correctly, she had fallen when McCreary had thrown her down the village's church steps. Clarke cried in pain distracting Madi who had been fighting perfectly until then turned to look at her mother when she heard her pained cry. That moment of distraction was all it took for the boy to attack her.
"No! No! Please Octavia tell them to stop." Clarke pleaded when she saw us.
Octavia raised her hands and immediately called an end to the duel. "What is this?" she asked, "I did not order this, so you better explain what the hell is going on."
Gaia, whose eyes were as cold as ever, stepped forward. "I commanded that they train. I am trying to find a new novitiate to take on the flame."
"But Clarke and I already told you, the only reason why I have nightblood is because she injected me with her bone marrow so I would survive out there," Madi said pressing on the small cut that the wooden sword had caused.
"I don't believe that story for a second because it makes no sense. For starters, how did you survive long enough for her to find you?" Gaia pushed her face looking serious and a bit crazed.
"I already told you the death wave didn't affect the valley the same way it affected the rest of the world. The people of my village didn't all die at once, it was over the span of a few months, I was dying when Clarke found me and it is truly a mystery how it is that the nightblood bone marrow transfusion was able to function after I had so much exposure to radiation. It is only thanks to my mom that I am alive today." Madi's response seemed to placate the majority of the people who'd been screaming that she should take up the flame and become commander, however Gaia didn't look convinced at all she just didn't yet have any proof.
"Gaia what in the world is going on and don't you dare ignore me, because no matter how much it displeases you. I am still commander seeing as I won the conclave six years ago," Octavia demanded.
I looked at Clarke wondering who had Aurora when I saw the little girl crying in Harper's arms. Harper and Monty seemed to be trying to cheer her up, but she, like her mother struggled to get out of their grip.
"Commander, we realize that six years ago when we agreed to that conclave we were desperate…" Gaia stopped for a second before she sighed, "we also understand that you have tried your absolute best to provide a safe passage to the people of Wonkru throughout these long hard years, but I feel as the flamekeeper that it is my job to find the next commander and when I heard that Madi here was a nightblood and… well her story just doesn't add up." Gaia was trying to reason with Octavia. She was trying to solve multiple problems that had been plaguing the people.
The first their serious hatred towards Octavia and Skaikru, the second their deep-rooted belief that only nightbloods could be commanders because they could carry the flame.
Indra stood stoic as ever to one side intently watching as her daughter questioned the girl she had come to love as a daughter.
That's when the little blue-eyed princess escaped from Monty and Harper's hold by kicking. She ran to the center of the pit and grabbed Madi's hand.
"Whas goin on Madi?" she asked in a loud whisper.
"Shhh," Madi responded.
Clarke fought harder to escape, and I decided to help my friend who was in need.
"Gaia, Clarke has always had our people's best interest. Why would she lie about something so trivial as her daughter being born a nightblood?" I asked praying that Clarke hadn't lied, because so help me God Gaia would definitely find out.
"Any mother would if they feared for their child's life," Indra said breaking her silence.
"Nightblood?" asked Aurora in giggles, Madi tried to shush her again, but the little girl just laughed and said, "I was born a nightblood!"
Clarke broke free and practically ran down the steps and into the pit. She quickly picked up Aurora and grabbed Madi's hand. "They are both children…" Clarke sounded so heartbroken and beaten, "my children. And nobody here is going to force some flame upon them just so that Octavia can get relieved of her burden and you all finally get rid of the unwelcomed commander."
Clarke then tried to exit the pit dragging the girls, but some of the Wonkru soldiers trapped her so she couldn't continue walking.
"Let her go!" I said walking towards where they stood. When they didn't, I turned to Octavia knowing that the guards answered to her.
"Let her go!" Octavia repeated in a demanding voice.
"We do not answer to you anymore Octavia kon Skaikru. There are two rightful heirs to the head title and your reign is over," responded one of the guards, then he signaled someone behind me, and they took Octavia prisoner. "Flamekeeper what shall we do with the mother and the ex-commander?"
Gaia's face was twisted with jealousy, and anger, "take the mother to the prison for lying to a servant of the true faith, and as for the ex-commander I sentence her to death at the stake for betraying her vows to her people."
That's when the world around me crashed. Clarke was being taken to jail and my little sister sentenced to a pain-filled death. No, I wouldn't allow it. I couldn't.
The crowd's majority cheered, and I realized that if I was going to act, I had to do it fast, otherwise my sister and Clarke would be in danger.
"People of Wonkru!" I yelled causing a sudden silence to spread. "I know that you feel that these two women have wronged you, but they were only protecting these two young girls." The people began to shout obscenities at me, I raised up my hand signaling I wasn't done. "I have a proposition for you, you let Octavia kon Skaikru and Clarke live freely in exchange Madi and Aurora will both begin to prepare to take on the flame under Gaia's instruction. However, since Madi is older she will take on the flame now so long as a council with the representatives and trustees of our new head is formed."
Clarke struggled against the guy holding her and I knew she probably wanted to strangle me to death, but I was looking after her and Octavia.
"Why should we do that?" Gaia asked, "we can just follow through with the sentences and still take the girls and train them."
I was about to answer when Madi took over, "because if you imprison our mom and kill our aunt why would we ever do anything for you?"
Did she say, aunt? Did she mean aunt like a family friend who is like an aunt or aunt as in a real relative?
"Afterall I've always known that Aurora's father is Bellamy and I too have come to see him as that from Clarke's stories these past six years."
Clarke ceased to struggle in the man's hold. She directed her eyes to me in fear and I could see the hidden anguish that had plagued her since we had arrived. It was then that I knew that Madi had spoken the truth and Clarke the woman I had trusted and loved above all else had betrayed me.
A/N
Hey guys so sorry that I wasn't able to upload this chapter earlier, but I seriously tried. Anyways as you can see the story is separating from the show's now. I mean Bellamy just found out he is a father. What do you guys think will be going on with our little Bellarke family on the next chapter.
Anyways thanks to you all who followed, favorited, and reviewed. I honestly appreciate the feedback especially to whose constructive feedback has been a blessing. I hope this chapter was as engaging as it could be and hopefully I'll have chapter 6 up by tomorrow night.
If you guys see any loopholes please let me know, I wrote this over the span of two days, while also doing many things for college so I am not too sure if the entire thing is consistent. I'll probably come by later and update it, but if you could just point me in the direction of the loopholes then that definitely saves me time. Thank you.
May We Meet Again!
Emily1050