A New Earth Chapter 7 Confrontations
When Echo opened the door to their room, it was dark and she could see him sleeping. She was pissed off when he didn't show up, but he looked so peaceful in this moment, she couldn't stay angry with him long. He always had a way of melting her frustrations.
She eased the door shut, trying to be quiet, hoping not to wake him. She kept the lights low and walked softly to the bed, laying her jacket across a chair as she moved past it. Easing down on the edge of the bed, she tenderly brushed the hair from his forehead.
"What's going on with you?' she whispered to herself.
His eyelids fluttered, and slowly inched opened. "Hey," he groaned.
"Hey sleepy head," she smiled "You okay?"
"Headache," he mumbled.
"Should I get Abby?" she asked
"No, its fine," he said and he began to rise. He felt groggy as he sat up swinging his feet to the floor, elbows on knees, and head in his hands.
"I think we should take you to medical; get you checked out," she insisted.
"No," he shot back sounding harsher than he meant it to. Echo was thrown by him. "I'm sorry," he said "but...it's just a headache," he said forcing a smile.
"Here," Echo said, taking Bellamy's hand. She began rubbing the muscle between his thumb and forefinger. Slowly his headache began to fade.
"Feel better?" she asked after a time
"Yea, a lot better. Thank you," he smiled as he brought the back of her hand to his mouth and softly kissed it.
Echo reached up and smoothed back his bangs. "Talk to me," she said, knowing something was bothering him.
"They want to wake up Octavia," he said
Echo just sat quiet for a minute as he continued.
"Indra thinks she can be helped. Clarke and Abby think so too," he said
"What do you think?" she asked trying to meet his eyes.
He shook his head. "I don't know," he finally said. "We're going to the ground in a couple of days. I'm not going to be here to watch her, and I don't trust her." He looked up and met her stare. "I don't know who she is anymore. Octavia or Blodreina? Madi's going to be here, and now I need to think about Jordan too," he said shaking his head.
"Hey," Echo said "If you need me to stay here…" she started.
"No. We need you on that landing party," he said and pulled her close. "I want you with me," he said kissing her softly. "I'm selfish like that," he smiled slightly.
He stood and stretched. "I need to get up," he said as he started pulling on his boots. "We need to meet with the others, and see what they think about it before we make any decision," he said. Then it hit him.
"Oh damn…Training…Echo, I'm sorry," he said with full regret. He turned and pulled her to her feet. "I got hit with this Octavia thing, then this headache…" he said looking into her eyes. "Forgive me?" he begged.
She kissed him softly. "You're forgiven," she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "This time," she said a playful huff. "Come on," she said as she picked her jacket up from the chair and began pulling it on. "I'll get Murphy and Jordan and meet you on the bridge." She said
"Okay, I'll get Indra," he said.
Bellamy walked to cryo and found Indra. He had her go to the bridge; filling her in on what the discussion would be.
"I'll be there in a minute" he said "I want to go…"
"I'll tell them," Indra interrupted him knowing where Bellamy was headed.
Bellamy walked quickly to C section of cryo. He pushed the button, the large doors opened and the cold air hit him in the face. The pods were all iced over with bodies lined in a row. Octavia's was close to the front, just past several empty ones that he and some of the others once occupied. He stood in front of hers and immediately knew he wasn't alone, he could feel eyes on his back.
"Get away from her," Miller said as he stepped from the shadows a few pods away from Bellamy.
He looked down and noticed Miller was holding a knife.
"I'm not going to let you hurt her," Miller said stepping forward, closer to Bellamy, puffing his chest and raising his chin in defiance.
Bellamy turned away from him, shaking his head. He halfway laughed at Millers blind devotion to Octavia.
"And what makes you think I would hurt her, she's my sister." Bellamy said with an irritating tone.
Miller's blood boiled at Bellamy's brushoff. He stepped closer and grabbed Bellamy's shoulder in an effort to turn him around. "You already tried to poison her once," he yelled "and I'm not…" he started, but Bellamy swiftly turned, grabbing Millers hand from his shoulder, twisting it behind his back. He grabbed the opposite arm holding the knife slammed it along with Millers face against the pod opposite Octavia's. Bellamy's moves were quick. His years of Azgeda training kicked in and Miller didn't have time to think. His arm felt as if it would break under Bellamy's pressure. "Drop it," Bellamy's deep graveled voice demanded thru gritted teeth. Miller immediately let go of the knife. Bellamy knocked it to the ground in a clanking echo onto the steel floor.
"You're not going to do shit Miller. Now let me make myself perfectly clear," Bellamy said in Millers ear as he held his face against the frosted glass of a sleeping grounder. "I have no intention of hurting my sister. But don't you ever threaten me again. This isn't your Wonkru anymore. You got that?" Bellamy snarled thru clenched teeth. "Touch me again we're going to have problems," he said as he pushed off Miller and stepped away.
Bellamy didn't wait for Millers response, he left abruptly; anger welling inside him. He had to walk away or risk escalating things farther.
Miller turned rubbing his sore shoulder and watched him leave. He was embarrassed that Bellamy got the jump on him.
As he walked the halls towards the bridge, Bellamy pictured Miller and Octavia together in the ship. He knew waking his sister would be too dangerous right now. Then he thought about Miller being here and he could easily awaken Octavia on his own.
Bellamy's feet automatically carried him to Medical instead of the bridge. He needed to talk to Clarke …again.
"Somethings wrong," Echo said
"He said he would be here," Indra said in a steady and calm tone. "He was going to see his sister."
"What's this about?" Murphy pressed.
"It's about waking Octavia," Echo said turning to look at Indra.
"Is she dangerous?" Jordan asked "Mom and Dad told me how she was before," he said remembering the tales of how much Octavia changed while they were on the ring. How she put her own brother in the fighting pit and they were able to stop it.
The others hadn't seen Bloodreina; they only knew what little they heard over the radio between them and Bellamy.
"Yes," Echo said "she can be very dangerous."
"Then why is it even up for discussion." Shaw said as he stood and turned to the others, shocked that it was being considered. He looked at Raven "I'm not leaving you with her if it's not safe," he said.
"I can take care of myself," Raven said with authority "and I won't be alone."
Indra listened quietly. They made valid points.
"Look, its Bellamy's decision," Murphy finally said "His sister his response…" he drooled out but was cut off when Indra spoke up. "It was my idea," she said.
"I'll take responsibility for Octavia," she reiterated.
"Bellamy's concerned about Madi and Jordan's safety…" Echo said.
"I can take care of myself," Jordan puffed up unconvincingly. "I'm not a kid."
Echo couldn't help but smile.
"You go then." Shaw said to Raven. "If Bellamy wakes up his sister, then you fly the transport ship, I'll stay here," he said
"No," Raven argued back. You need to fly that ship. Emori's your backup. We've already had this discussion," she said.
Bellamy walked into Medical for the second time that day. He was still uncomfortable just like before; after leaving his sisters frozen body in cryo, only this time he was fueled with anger.
"Bellamy," Clarke said' surprised to see him again. She saw the darkness in his brow and knew something was wrong. Six years of separation still hadn't changed how easily she could read him.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Oh…I just had a run in with Miller," he said not hiding his anger.
"Run in?" she asked shaking her head.
"He still thinks I'd hurt O. I guess I don't blame him," he said with a troubled, guilt ridden look seeping from his eyes. "I mean, I did poison her."
"Don't say that," she said "You did that to save her… and me," Clarke said looking at his eyes. "It was your only choice at the time. I know that now," she said reaching over and laying a hand on his forearm.
"Only choice," Bellamy mumbled under his breath and was struck by the words. It took him back to their conversation in Becca's lab for just a second, and sadness washed over him. He thought of all the wasted time. Words he never said and the regret he carried for years. He was so confused over old feelings that tried to resurface every time he was around Clarke. Feelings he fought against because he knew it was wrong. He loved Echo and he kept reminding himself of that. Still every time he was with Clarke he had to put up a wall, because despite the feelings he had for Echo, he longed to take Clarke in his arms and tell her all the unsaid words from so many years ago.
Clarke saw the faraway look on his face, "Hey," she said getting his attention. "Are you okay?" she asked trying to meet his gaze.
"Yea, yea..."he said regaining his current thoughts. "I…I'm still worried about waking Octavia…and now I know Miller can't be trusted…" he said. "Come with me to the bridge?" he asked "We're meeting the others, I'd like to hear what everyone thinks…including you, Madi and your mom," he said looking past Clarke for the others.
Clarke pressed her lips together and nodded, "Okay, I'll get her," she said as she turned to get the others.
When Madi, Abby, and Clarke stepped onto the bridge, they were followed closely by Bellamy. Echo immediately felt a tinge of jealousy. Bellamy's stare met hers and he could see the questioning look Echo had. Guilt washed over him briefly and he knew he'd brought it on by his own mixed feelings. He nodded to Echo, who simply looked away with a tinge of bitterness.
She knew he hadn't given her any reason to feel this way, but she also remembered how Bellamy grieved in darkness over Clarke all those years on the ring, and how she learned to live in the shadow of Clarkes ghost. It was hard enough competing with a dead girl, but flesh and blood was a different story.
"Finally," Raven grumbled.
"Sorry," Bellamy said "We need to talk about Octavia and I wanted everyone here,"
"Wait," Abby said "What about Miller and Jackson? They're not here."
"I didn't want them here," Bellamy said.
"Miller came after me earlier," Bellamy said.
"Came after you?" Echo asked
"Yea, he thought I was planning on killing my sister," Bellamy said and he glanced at Indra.
"He's still very loyal to Blodreina," Indra said.
"Jackson said the same thing," Madi spoke up.
The others turned towards Madi. "We were in cryo this morning in the back, when you came in. He said he didn't trust you," she said. "But I know different, and I told him that." She boasted.
Clarke's heart felt warm at Madi's faith in Bellamy.
Bellamy nodded and smiled slightly at her words. Finally he turned to the others. "That's what I'm worried about. I'm not comfortable leaving him here with her, not until we know for sure who we wake up."
"So why can't we just keep her in cryo?" Emori asked "Wake her when we wake everyone else?"
"Octavia needs to heal," Indra said. "I can help her."
"We can help her," Abby corrected. "We all need to heal," she said looking at Indra, who nodded in agreement.
Madi looked at Indra and Abby. Then she turned to Bellamy. "You should be the one to wake her," she said to Bellamy. "It'll mean a lot to her if it's you," she said.
He just closed his eyes. "Okay but…I want Miller on the landing crew." He said. "I don't trust him up here." He said "Not after today."
"So that leaves just Me, Abby, Indra, Octavia, Madi and Jordan awake on the ship," Raven said.
"And Gaia," Indra added looking from Abby to Bellamy. "We're waking Gaia," she said.
"Yes," Bellamy said in agreement. "We've agreed to wake Gaia."
"I'm holding you responsible for Octavia," he said looking at Indra.
"That's new…" Murphy smirked
Bellamy didn't respond to his jest. His seriousness was the forefront. "I'm trusting you to keep Madi, Jordan and everyone safe."
"We'll be fine Bellamy," Madi said.
Bellamy nodded. "Alright then…I guess someone needs to let Miller know he's on the landing crew now." Bellamy said "I'll go and wake O."
Abby stepped up next to Indra. "Let's go wake your daughter," she smiled.
-End Chapter-