CHAPTER 3

This chapter is going to jump-start the action, I know some of you have been waiting for that :) This story has been getting a lot of nice comments and people favouriting and following, thank you so much :)

"Clarke you can't tell Octavia about this," Bellamy told her on their car ride from the station.

The blonde kept staring straight ahead, "Fine."

What she really wanted to say was how could he expect her to lie to her best friend about her mom's death and her father who she just found out was working crazy top-secret missions and everything else that she had learned in her two hours down at the police station.

"I know a lot of information was thrown at you today, if you need to talk about it I'll be around. If you want to ignore me together? That's fine too, but I will always be there."

Clarke turned in her seat to face him, "Because I'm your responsibility?" She snapped.

"Yes and because your father would be torn apart if I let anything happen to you."

"If he cared he would have been around for the past seven years of my life, he wouldn't have left me alone with her!"

"He has a duty to his county-" Bellamy tried to explain the side of a marine but he was starting to get frustrated.

"I'm his daughter!" Clarke interrupted him. "He may have sworn to protect and serve or whatever the hell you guys promise to do when you're out there, but he made promises to me too."

Bellamy tightened his hold on the steering wheel and kept his mouth shut, he knew this was an 18-year-old girl grieving for the loss of her mother and grieving the father she thought she knew. He felt the fight leave him as she watched Clarke let the hair out of her braid to hide the tears that were silently falling down her cheeks.

When Bellamy pulled his car into the driveway he immediately tensed up seeing a man standing on Kane's front porch. His right hand grabbed Clarke's arm to keep her inside the car as his left opened his door before gripping the gun from the side door glove compartment.

"Is that a gun?" Clarke asked shocked.

As soon as he's grabbed her arm she watched him confused. When he ordered her to stay in the car while he got out gun in hand, Clarke realized someone was waiting outside the house. She quickly got out of the car and called over the hood to him.

"It's Jaha."

Bellamy look at her before looking back at the man who'd started making his way toward them. He did recognize the man as Abby's boyfriend for the files he was given to read on the plane ride home. Bellamy quickly slipped his gun into the waistband of his jeans.

"Clarke thank god, I was so worried something had happened to you too." Jaha moved to pull her into his arms but Bellamy blocked his way.

The way Clarke spoke of Jaha at the station was not admiring and he'd gotten a short little run down the night before when he'd first arrived. If he hadn't known all that, Clarke's tense posture was enough to tell Bellamy that she didn't want that man touching her.

Jaha gave Bellamy a once over, "I'm Thelonious Jaha." He stuck his hand out to shakes.

Bellamy greeted him with a nod and returned his handshake. "Bellamy Blake."

The older man smiled, "Yes your sister speaks highly of you. She said I could have waited inside but I wanted to be out in the fresh air." He turned to address Clarke, "What happened to your mother is a travesty."

Clarke squinted her eyes at him, "What happened last night?"

"I haven't been to the station yet-"

"NO. Mom when I got home from school yesterday, you were with her. I went out for a run, came back and you were both gone. What happened? Why did she come back to the house?"

In all the craziness that was one thing Clarke hadn't thought about, why had her mother been home that night?

Jaha looked down in shame, "We fought-"

"About?"

"Abby wanted to start taking more shifts at the hospital and planned to be a part of the travelling clinic the hospital puts on. I told her she worked too much and that this would be your last summer home before leaving but-"

"Work comes first." Clarke finished for him.

She knew the line well, she'd been hearing it ever since she was six and her mom hired a string of babysitters to take care of Clarke until Kane offered to let the young girl stay at his place with Octavia.

"I saw all the police tape, do you have a place-"

"Where I always go." Clarke gestured toward her neighbour's house.

Jaha nodded, he knew Clarke had never seen him as a father figure.

"Once the police give me the okay I'm going to start planning the funeral if that's all right with you?" She nodded, "Well, if you end up needing something you have my number."

"I'll be fine."

Jaha nodded, sending Clarke a smile as he walked next door to her old driveway where his car was parked.

"We should go inside," Bellamy said, waiting for Clarke to walk ahead of him.

"Why do you have that gun?" Clarke questioned, instead of going inside as he wanted. "Shouldn't it be locked away at a range or something?"

Bellamy shook his head, "I'm not a street cop, marines are entitled to have their gun for safety if they'd like. I have this one for protecting you."

"Great." Clarke sighed, "Fine well if it's around to protect me I at least get to name it."

"Sorry?"

She rolled her eyes, "My father is also a marine in the Navy if you've forgotten, I know you all come up with pet names for your guns."

Bellamy actually laughed, "Fair enough, you can come up with names from inside."

"This is how it's going to be for the next few months isn't it?"

Bellamy started walking towards the house in hopes she'd follow, "Hopefully this mission won't last longer than a couple of weeks, Jake has his top guys on it."

Clarke didn't have a chance to reply because seconds later Octavia opened the front door.

"You guys are back just in time, Kane's starting up the BBQ."

Clarke's stomach rumbled at the mention of food, she realized she hadn't eaten since last night. The group went inside, following the smell of BBQ into the backyard.

It was so nice outside the group decided they would eat on the back deck. At some point Bellamy and Kane started cleaning up, leaving the girls alone to talk.

"How did it go down at the station?"

Clarke froze, she knew she wasn't allowed to say anything about Bellamy and he hadn't given her a cover story so she lied.

"It was okay, they don't have any leads but they will continue to keep looking."

"Do they think it was a robbery gone bad?"

Clarke laughed, "You watch too much Chicago PD."

"I can't help it I love that show. You know they came out with Chicago Justice a couple of months back."

"Seriously? What's that now, 4 different spin-offs?"

Octavia nodded, but then her smile slipped, "What if they knew your mom, most crimes are committed by people you know. What if they come after you next?"

Clarke could see the worry on her friend's face, Octavia was pretty bang on with her assumption but Clarke didn't want her to worry.

"The detective said there would be a squad posted outside the house every night until they get some leads. We also have your brother, isn't he trained to kill guys with like his pinky finger or something."

"Yeah, you are right. When do you think the funeral is going to be?"

"I don't know Jaha's planning it. Can we maybe not talk about this anymore."

Octavia blushed, "Of course, yeah we don't have to talk about it unless you want to."

"Thanks, O." Clarke pulled her best friend into a hug.

It didn't surprise the guys when both girls went to bed not long after that, it wasn't even 4 pm before they'd climbed into bed. Thankful the next more was a lot more peaceful than the last.

.

Clarke woke up before Octavia, the girl would never stop sleeping if they let her. Climbing from the bed, Clarke stole one of the fuzzy blankets and tip-toed her way down to the kitchen. To her surprise, Bellamy had beaten her there.

"Now that you are back home you could wake up after the sun."

He laughed, "My internal clock takes a while to adjust when I get back."

Clarke nodded, grabbing some orange juice from the fridge before taking a seat on the island counter.

"Cold?"

"I haven't been able to warm up since yesterday." Clarke looked down, wrapping the blanket tighter around her.

"It's the shock, it'll go away in a couple of days." He handed her one of the muffins he'd pulled from the oven.

"You bake?" her tone was skeptical.

Bellamy shook his head and scoffed, "No I bought these, I just prefer them warmed up so the chocolate melts."

Clarke smiled, "You and O are so different but in some ways so similar."

Bellamy just shrugged turning the oven off, "I've been here less than two days how could you have deducted that already?"

"She talks about you all the time, some of the things that annoy her about you, she does herself." Clarke laughed to herself.

She'd spend hours listening to her friend talk about her brother and how annoying he was and how she wished he'd blah blah blah, half the time she would be describing herself.

"There are some reporters outside this morning," Bellamy told her.

"You and Murphy going to take care of them for me?"

"Who?" Bellamy looked at her like she had two heads.

"Murphy, your gun."

His signature smirk slid onto his face then, "That's the name you came up with?"

"Count yourself lucky, there were a lot of prototype names before that one."

Bellamy raised his hands in surrender, "Sorry to disappoint you but I can't just go all Rambo on the media."

"I figured." Clarke put the bottom half of her muffin onto the counter.

Grabbing a nearby napkin and pen Clarke started writing a little note to Octavia.

"What are you doing?"

"Your sister only likes the bottoms, I'm leaving her breakfast."

"And you need to leave her a note because?"

Clarke looked up at Bellamy to find the relaxed brother of her best friend was gone and had been replaced with Agent Blake. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes turned hard and serious as he questioned her.

"Right, I was planning on going for a run."

Bellamy nodded, thinking about what she'd said.

"I'll call Miller, he'll come with us."

"Why?" She asked, but Bellamy already had his phone out.

"You haven't met him yet and if for some reason I can't be with you I want him to get to know your habits. Also, the running tails aren't exactly secure, having an extra pair of eyes there is smart." His phone buzzed, "He'll be waiting outside for us."

Clarke raised her eyebrows, "I guess I'll get dressed."

After she'd brushed her teeth and changed into a pair of running shorts and a sweatshirt Clarke met Bellamy by the front door. He's also changed into running shorts and a black tee.

Walking outside Clarke expected camera flashes to go off in her face, but instead, she found both her and Kane's lawns empty, except for one Nathan Miller.

"Hi, I'm agent Miller." He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Clarke." He already knows your name, she thought. "What happened to all the cameras?"

Miller smiled, "I figured you didn't need a microphone shoved in your face first thing in the morning."

Clarke smiled and nodded in thanks.

"There are only a few rules for this morning." Bellamy was all business. "You stay beside us at all times."

"As I could outrun two-" Bellamy's glare stopped Clarke in the middle of her joke.

"If we give you an order you listen to it without question. Understand?"

Clarke was second-guessing wanting to go on this run now. Runs were her way of getting rid of stress and anxiety and right now she could feel those things running of both men in waves.

Clarke nodded once she realized Bellamy was waiting for her to respond. When she did he motioned his arm sideways telling her to take the lead.

.

The sun was hot as hell and high in the sky an hour later when the three made it back to Kane's front lawn, Clarke felt the stress she'd shed during her run come back once she saw Finn's car in the driveway.

"What is it?" Bellamy asked seeing her chance in posture.

"A clingy ex." Speaking of, as soon as she said that Finn appeared in the doorway, his swim trunks and sunglasses suggesting he was going to the lake.

"Clarke, I came as soon as I heard, I couldn't believe it. I texted you a million times how come you didn't message me back?" While he said this we walked swiftly toward her, his arms out to embrace her but Clarke held her hand out to stop him halfway. He settled for holding her forearms.

"I haven't wanted to look at all the condolence texts from our graduating class when the news broke."

Finn nodded in understanding, his eyes full of pity. "Of course, listen you should be out having fun, not stuck inside. Japer and Monty are inside, we were thinking we'd back some drinks and head down to the lake for the day." His hands rubbed her arm soothingly.

"Uh-" Clarke looked back at Bellamy and Miller.

Finn hadn't seemed to realize the other men were still standing there until Clarke looked to them.

"Clarke!" Jasper yelled running out of the house, he was always the perfect guy to have around when you needed cheering up.

Clarke used him as her scapegoat to pull away from Finn, Jasper halted a couple of feet shy of her and frowned.

"I'll hug you after you've showered."

Clarke laughed, "It's good to see you've recovered from the beach bash."

"Monty's been feeding me bloody marys." He shrugged, "Speaking of, he and Octavia are inside getting ready for the lake."

"I can't opt-out of this huh?"

Jasper shook his head, wearing a shit-eating grin on his face. "You have 20 minutes to shower and get dressed because we leave no later than 10:05."

Clarke saluted him and moved toward the house, last-second she remember her running companions. "Met you both on the front lawn in 20."

Miller nodded and looked to Bellamy before hopping in his car to go home. Clarke was met by Octavia and Monty who was coming down the stairs.

"Clarke I'm so sorry, he was on the front porch, we couldn't invite him." Octavia defended herself.

Clarke rolled her eyes, "You could have tried. Who told him anyway?"

Bellamy's voice startled her from behind. "All the news crews outside this morning would have been reporting live, detective's couldn't keep it quiet any longer."

The blonde nodded in understanding, in all honestly she was surprised it hadn't been on the news yesterday.

"I know you don't have any suits here so I left you one of mine on our bed."

Clarke glared at her friend, "You know it won't fit."

"It'll cover the important bits. We'll be waiting outside for you."

"15 minutes." They heard Jasper yell from outside.

Clarke felt knots start to wind up in her shoulders and quickly jogged up the stair to get ready.

.

To make it up to her Octavia had made Finn leave exactly at 10:05 leaving Clarke a text saying they would meet her there with a wink face.

When Miller, Bellamy and Clarke pulled up to the lake Clarke was happy to see that their group seemed to be the only people there. Most kids their age preferred to drive out of town to the bigger oceans during their summer holiday, leaving the lake people free.

To cover up Octavia's 3 cups too small top and 1 size too small bottoms Clarke wore a long flowing tank top with jean shorts.

"Glade you three could make it, I'm Octavia." She said, introducing herself to Miller.

Bellamy shook his head at his sister's flirting, while Miller laughed and nodded at Monty.

"Sorry, he's more my type."

Octavia blushed and moved over on her blanket for Clarke to sit down.

"You're going to get weird tan lines if you keep those clothes on." She taunted her friend.

Clarke glared, "Don't start. Plus I don't want to get any more attention from HIM than I already have."

"That boy would want to fuck you even if you were covered in cow shit-eating an octopus."

Clarke ignored her while Bellamy could help but hear what she'd said. He remembered how Clarke had acted when Finn had come out of the house and how his sister apologized for letting him tag along.

"Come play Frisbee with us." Finn didn't give Clarke much time to react as he pulled her to her feet, hugging her close to his body.

The blonde mouth helps me! To the group as she was dragged away.

"Did he just smell her hair?" Miller asked, removing his sunglasses.

Octavia and Monty started cracking up, Miller seemed disgusted and Bellamy seemed angry.

"He's been in love with her ever since he slept with her while he was still dating this girl Raven. Clarke found out and dumped his ass the next day when Raven showed up and gave her a black eye." Monty quickly shared the information before turning back to his comic book.

Bellamy's jaw tightened, his guy was a dick.

"He's been trying to get back in her good graces ever since," Octavia added in a tone that cemented that was never going to happen.

At some point during the three-way game of Frisbee Jasper threw the disk a little too hard, sending Clarke tripping off the doc when she tried to catch it. Bellamy and Miller were on their feet in seconds to make sure she was okay.

"Jasper!" The blonde shouted when she resurfaced.

The boy was too busy laughing to care. Clarke looked around seeing that the disk had made its way about 10 feet in front of her. Clarke wasn't much of a swimmer on a good day, she quickly stripped off her shirt and shorts. Throwing them to Finn, who was watching from the dock before making the swim.

"She doing okay?" Octavia asked her brother, who was still standing a few feet away. "She's not the strongest swimmer."

"She's made it back in." He felt the words stuck to his tongue as his mouth dried up.

He had seen Clarke's curves the night he arrive when she showed up in her party clothes, but this was a whole different ball game. There were beads of water rolling down her body, the emerald green bikini his sister had lent her made him want to scratch out the eyes of every guy insight so they couldn't look at her.

Bellamy watched her exchange her pile of wet clothes for the Frisbee disk, obviously not interested in playing anymore. Finn gawked openly at her as she retreated toward them, Bellamy didn't know his hands had balled up into fists until Miller bumped his shoulder on his way back to the blankets.

"Have a nice dip?" Bellamy found it in himself to tease.

Clarke glared, "That water is freezing." As if to prove his point she flipped her hair down, sending cold water droplets over his warm chest.

"You should hang you close on the tree over there so they don't get all sandy while they dry." Octavia pointed near the parking lot.

Following her friend's direction Clarke moved around the group, she was now well aware that she was wearing very little in front of two strangers and Finn, but walking quickly only made her boobs jiggle more.

"Want some help?" Bellamy offered having followed after her.

The lowest branch was well over her head, Clarke would have to jump or climb to hand her clothes over it.

"My hero." Clarke placed her wet clothes against Bellamy's bare chest and laughed when she pulled away like he'd been burned.

Bellamy looked over Clarke's shoulder seeing a silver car pull into the parking lot, his blood running cold when he noticed the lack of plate on the car.

"Get down!" He yelled as the car kept its speed and the passenger side window rolled down to reveal an automatic rifle, the man started shooting.

Pulling her to his chest, Bellamy fell into the sand, his arms keeping Clarke secured to his body he rolled them so he lay on top of her. Hearing more gunshots Bellamy looked up to see Miller had drawn his weapon and was firing back as the car sped onto the road and out of view.

Clarke's hands were shaking against Bellamy's chest, her head was turned into his shoulder and her eyes were squeezed shut. She had managed to hold back her screams but could now feel her throat becoming thick with saliva.

As soon as he was sure the driver wouldn't circle back, Bellamy lifted himself off of Clarke in time for her to roll over and throw up her breakfast. Bellamy reached for her damn gold strands, pulling them away from her face to keep them out of the line of fire.

"All clear," Miller called to Bellamy.

After the car drove off Miller started checking the other kids on the beach to make sure they'd managed to avoid the spray of bullets.

"What the hell happened? Why were they shooting at us?" Finn questioned.

"Oh my god, Clarke?" Octavia screeched seeing her friend bent over in the sand.

Bellamy helps his arm up to keep his sister from getting too close to the blonde.

"She's fine, she's been through a lot these past couple of days," Bellamy explained.

"She almost wasn't."

Bellamy looked over his shoulder to see why Miller sounded like he'd swallowed sand. The agent help Clarke's now bullet hole-riddled shirt in his hands.

Bellamy's heart dropped, "We need to call this in."

"I'll get my dad on the phone, you get her in the car," Miller said devising a plan.

Clarke had stopped throwing up but was still shaking violently under Bellamy's hands.

"Bell what is going on? Does this have something to do with Abby?"

Bellamy looked to his sister, she looked scared as she rubbed her friend's back soothingly.

"Listen closely, you 4 get into that car and drive down to the police station, Miller will ride with you. Clarke and I will meet you there."

"But-"

Bellamy shook his head. "Now O."

She hesitated for a minute but Jasper's hand on her shoulder put her into motion, Finn on the other hand needed Millers' firm shove toward the car to get him in motion.

Miller threw Bellamy the keys to his Truck. "Get there safe."

"You too. Alright Clarke we've got to move."

Bellamy helped Clarke stumble to her feet, the blonde moved on autopilot.

"Where are going to the station?" She asked, climbing into the passenger side of the truck.

"Here." Bellamy offered Clarke his shirt to cover herself up, it fell a couple of inches below her bum.

Clarke's hands shook as they fidgeted with the bottom of the shirt, "Thanks." Her voice uneasy.

Bellamy backed out of the parking spot and took off the opposite way Miller had gone, if the shooters were waiting to follow them they had a better chance at getting away if they were separate.

"You okay?" Bellamy asked her, his voice rough with adrenalin.

Clarke looked him in the eyes, "It's going to get a lot worse isn't it?"

Bellamy swallowed and looked away; they already knew the answer to that.