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They ran. It was like almost every nightmare Lynette had ever had. Except she wasn't alone. It wasn't dark. There were trees instead of walls. And she was fairly certain that whatever was chasing them weren't guards. Ahead of her she could see Monty and Octavia. Behind her she could hear Clarke and Finn. She didn't look back to make sure it was them. She wouldn't. Anytime she looked back in a nightmare, the big bad got in front of her. She couldn't afford that now.
So Lynette ran. She leapt over fallen trees and treaded swiftly over thick roots. Every now and then and surprise branch would roll under her foot, but she always managed to keep running. Falling would mean death. Or at least that's what her adrenaline addled brain kept screaming at her. She wasn't sure if it was fear that propelled her so deftly through the forest or if she was just a natural runner, but she knew somewhere inside that she would not fall.
Unlike Monty. He crashed face first into the dirt. They all skid to a halt to help him up, but he was focused on something buried in the moss before him. Finn and Octavia got him to his feet and it took everything in Lynette to wait for them. She knew her way back to the dropship. She could just keep running. No. Monty was her friend. A new one albeit, but a friend still. And Jasper was just lost to her. She couldn't leave Monty. When she looked to see what the holdup was with getting him going, she saw what held his attention so strongly. Bones. He had come face to ribcage with bones. At a glance they looked human, but it was as if her brain wasn't really letting her see. They needed to keep going, or they would be the bones on the ground.
"Who are they?" breathed Finn with some effort. It would appear that their lives were not as important as studying the old death at their feet. Lynette forced out a tight breath. Her lungs worked to keep her breathing, but otherwise she overall fine. They should worry about the bones when they weren't the ones in danger.
"What are they?" Clarke corrected holding up a misshapen skull. Begrudgingly, Lynette would have admitted that it was a good question. Even she, in her state of panic, was mildly curious about what kind of creature had a head shaped even remotely like that.
"We are so screwed," panted Octavia.
"Well can we be screwed back at the ship?" questioned Lynette, eager to get as far from the river as possible. A guttural cry ripped through the forest. Everyone turned to the direction that they had just come from.
"Jasper," spoke Clarke, giving voice to probably everyone's concluded thought. "He's alive!" With that she pushed through the group and started to run back towards the river. Finn called for her to wait and the rest hurried after. To go back right now was to die. But they went anyways. Lynette's eyes were wide as they retraced their steps, scanning for any sign of movement among the trees. Just before they were back to the water, Finn grabbed Clarke begging her to stay in the trees. At least someone was thinking clearly. Lynette wanted to save Jasper too, if they could, but right now they had an injured party member and no way to defend themselves. They needed to regroup.
"He was right there," said Finn. Lynette had been trailing slightly, keeping an eye on the entirety of the group. When she crept up behind him she saw what he meant. Jasper was gone. Dead or alive, he was gone. Monty asked where he was and Clarke gave answer.
"They took him." Whoever they were, they took him. And so they were up and running again. This time no one fell. They ran in a line damn near. Clarke was leading with Monty and Octavia behind them. Finn was after with Lynette bringing up the rear. She was forever aware of their surroundings. It didn't seem like there was anyone following, but she couldn't be sure. As they neared the ship, the sounds of shock and excitement could be heard. Clarke and Finn made it to the semi cleared area first. Lynette and Monty were helping Octavia. Clarke called for Wells and when Lynette eyed what was happening, she left Octavia and moved towards Wells and John. They were fighting.
Lynette stopped just at the edge as Clarke marched right up to the pair, demanding that Wells let John go. It was obvious that everyone had gathered to watch the fight. Would they have let them kill each other? Lynette thought with irritation. Wells pushed John to the ground as he let him go. Before Lynette could move, John was up and rushing Wells. Bellamy caught hold of him before he could get far.
"John!" called Lynette. Bellamy and John both looked in her direction, but it was Octavia and Monty that drew Bellamy's attention. He called to his sister and left John to his own devices. Lynette went to John and immediately began checking him over. His face was a mess. Looked like the prince did know how to take care of himself. She tugged at his jacket as she looked at him, searching for hidden wounds. He slapped at her hands and the look she gave him was not a friendly one. He sighed in defeat as she felt around inside his shirt. He was seemingly fine. It was really just his face that had been worked over. Pleased to see that he was at least relatively unharmed, she dropped her head on his chest with a long breath of relief.
"Where's the food?" A dark humor nearly possessed Lynette and she struggled not to laugh at Bellamy's question.
"We didn't make it to Mount Weather," answered Finn. Lynette turned from John and looked at Bellamy with a sad expression.
"What the hell happened out there?" he asked, obviously pissed off. Lynette looked to Octavia, figuring that her wounded state was the cause of his anger. Maybe he did care about his sister?
"We were attacked," Clarke responded. Her tone felt strained in Lynette's ears, though that might also have to do with the fact that they had just ran through the forest roughly three times. The fear was evident none-the-less.
"Attacked?" inquired Wells. "By what?" Lynette looked to him. He had a cut in his sleeve and a scratch on his brow, but he otherwise seemed fine. She then glanced back at John. Obviously, he wasn't as big and bad as he was trying to be. Lynette rolled her eyes.
"Something that can wield a spear with lethal accuracy," Lynette responded.
"Not 'what.' 'Who?'" corrected Finn. "Turns out when the last man from the ground died on the Arc, he wasn't the last grounder."
"It's true. Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong," announced Clarke. "There are people here. Survivors." Whispers started growing in the assembled crowd. "The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us."
"The bad news is, the Grounders will," Finn added a negative twist to Clarke's pretty speech.
"If we don't kill each other first," muttered Lynette, glowering between Wells and John. What was with these two? Why did John hate Wells so much? Or was it even Wells he saw when he attacked? Lynette was willing to bet that only a few people actually saw Wells. She was also willing to bet that most saw his father and all the wrong he had done them.
"Where's the kid with the goggles?" asked Wells. Lynette cast her gaze to her feet. She hadn't forgotten… She was just hoping that no one noticed. To notice was to admit that they had been forced to leave him behind.
"Jasper was hit," started Clarke. Lynette shuffled closer to John. It was a habit she had thought long lost. When she felt his hand at the small of her back, she tensed at first, unused to the feel of someone trying to comfort her instead of hurt her. She took a breath and relaxed. She didn't move closer, but she didn't step away. She wanted to be how she used to be. She would not let her past ruin her future. No matter how bleak it looked at the moment. "They took him."
Clarke looked down and just like that, the entire conversation shifted. Wells didn't have a wristband anymore. With a look to Bellamy, it was obvious he had forced it off. When Clarke asked how many had been removed, it was John that spoke up. They had taken twenty-four bracelets off with the intent for more. Lynette glanced her own metal clad wrist and found herself hoping that the rest of the Arc wouldn't come down. If the rest came down… Then certain people would be around her again and she wasn't sure she could handle that. John's hand slid up to the center of her back as if he were reading her thoughts. Lynette knew he was trying to be comforting and she was trying to let him.
Clarke called them all idiots and explained the true purpose of all of them having been sent to the ground. She let them all know about how the Arc was dying, just as she had told the others the day before. Lynette knew there would be some mingled in them that would see an error in what they had been doing. She knew that others still would want the bracelets off even more. Did Clarke know that not everyone cares what happens to the Arc? That a lot of the people surrounding her were wronged by the people there? Lynette knew that not all of them were guilty, but she knew even more that there were plenty who were not innocent.
Clarke did make one very important point, however. The Arc, and her people, could help fight back whoever attacked them in the woods. Fight whoever took Jasper. But the people who could fight… Would also try to control them all again. They would remember their crimes and shun them. Jaha was a liar. They would never be forgiven. So the real question for Lynette was whether or not they really needed the Arc or if they could handle this themselves? If the Arc came down…
"We're stronger than you think," Bellamy spoke now, addressing not just Clarke, but the entirety of the people around them. "Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same?" Not a damn one. Maybe Monty. He was smart. Maybe Jasper if he survived. If they got him back. But no one else. Not really. Definitely not Lynette. "We can take care of ourselves. That wristband on your arm, it makes you a prisoner. We are NOT prisoners anymore!" That got cheers from the crowd. Even got a smile out of Lynette. That's what people needed to hear. They needed to hear that they were all big kids now. The Arc definitely thought they could handle themselves. Or at least thought they were trash enough to discard them on a bid for survival. "They say they'll forgive your crimes. I say you're NOT criminals! You're fighters. Survivors! The Grounders should worry about us!"
So far, that last part was the only thing she didn't agree with. The Grounders had weapons and crazy accuracy and they knew the lay of the land. The hundred had nothing. Cheers erupted from the crowd anyways. It would seem that no one had the same thought process as Lynette when it came to the fact that they had no weapons. It was obvious that Clarke didn't agree at all as she walked off. What got Lynette's attention was Monty following after her. Curious as to if they would talk about rescue efforts for Jasper, Lynette turned to follow them. John grabbed her wrist before she could walk off, however.
"You're going with her?" he asked. Lynette cocked a brow up at his question. Then smiled.
"I don't want the Arc to come down, if that's what you're asking," she smirked. Lynette took a small inhale and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Baby steps. He seemed surprised by her action, but a smile spread quickly over his features. "Go wash your face." With that, she hurried off after Monty and Clarke.
Lynette found Clarke up the ladder in the dropship pulling together the safety straps. She didn't really know what to say to the blonde. She was sure that they stood on opposing sides of this civil dispute. Clarke grabbed the map and stuffed into a makeshift bag. She was out of breath.
"Breathe," Lynette said. Clarke looked up, she obviously wasn't expecting anyone else to be there. She didn't get a chance to say anything before Wells made himself known. He looked at Lynette with a sense of confusion, like he was wondering why she was there. He half joked about how his father had said they didn't leave them anything and meant it. There was an instant tension in Clarke that made Lynette want to leave the area. So she did. She knew the prince and the princess were on the outs, and would much rather not get involved.
"You came back for reinforcements, I'm gonna help," Wells said as he and Clarke came down the ladder. Lynette was standing near the door while Monty was much closer to the pair.
"Clarke, he's right," called Monty as she kept walking. Lynette looked at them and wondered what she was thinking. No one else was lining up to help. Yet she wanted to turn away a willing and able-bodied person because she was having a fight with them? Lynette rolled her eyes at Clarke's childishness. "We need him. So far, no one else has volunteered." Lynette was pleased that Monty had said it instead of her, because she probably wouldn't have been too nice about it.
"Sorry, Monty, but you're not going either." She was crazy. Did Clarke plan on just going by herself? Lynette hadn't had the chance to say that she was going with her.
"The hell I'm not," was Monty's answer. It was a good one, too. "Jasper's my best friend."
"You're too important," said Clarke with a very matter-of-fact tone. "You were raised on Farm Station and recruited by Engineering."
"So?" Seriously, what was Clarke's point.
"So, food and communication," Oh. Now Lynette understood. She even agreed. "What's up here," Clarke pressed a finger to the side of Monty's head, "is gonna save us all. You figure out how to talk to the Arc and I'll bring Jasper back."
"I will, too," said Lynette, finally announcing that she was going with. Clarke turned to her and gave her once over with her eyes before smiling in concurrence. It was then that Finn walked in.
"Hey. Are you ready?" Clarke asked him. His face said everything before he could even open his mouth.
"I'm not going anywhere. And neither should any of you. That spear was thrown with pinpoint accuracy from three hundred feet." Finn was scared. Lynette couldn't really hold it against him. She was, too. But Jasper was out there and in pain. She wouldn't leave him. She might have thought Clarke was crazy if she was going to go by herself, but Lynette would have done it, too.
"So what, we let Jasper die?" retorted Monty.
"No," responded Lynette with a quickness.
"That's not going to happen," Clarke looked back at Monty as she spoke. It was a promise. Lynette knew one when she heard it. Clarke then turned back to Finn and insulted his nickname. He was more talk than walk and she made it known that, that's what she thought of him. Finn tried to defend himself, stating that this whole ordeal was a suicide mission. Lynette let out a breath and followed Clarke out as she left without another word. Wells was close behind. The three of them walked through the landing site and came upon Bellamy and Octavia. She was explaining what the others claimed the creature that attacked her looked like.
"You could have been killed," he said to her, a mixture of anger and concern threading though his voice.
"She would have been if Jasper didn't jump in to pull her out," Clarke interrupted the siblings. They both looked up at the group.
"Are you guys leaving?" questioned Octavia. She moved to straighten out her makeshift bandage and get to her feet. "I'm coming, too" Bellamy shut that idea down immediately, keeping her seated as he stood up instead. Lynette had to wonder why Clarke had lead them over here in the first place. Was it just to tell Octavia that they were going? Hopefully she wasn't here to recruit the injured girl for their mission.
"He's right," Clarke spoke in agreement. "Your leg's just gonna slow us down." Harsh, but true. Lynette noticed John standing nearby and gave a small smile. "I'm here for you." She was looking at Bellamy with a straight face. Oh! That was surprising. Wells questioned Clarke, and Lynette, not minding the attractive company, was simple amazed that the blonde would trust him at her back. "I hear you have a gun." He did? Lynette looked to John and he just smirked. Bellamy's answer was to lift the side of shirt enough to spot the black weapon tucked into the side of his pants. "Good. Follow me." Surely, Clarke didn't think it would be that simple?
"And why would I do that?" Lynette really liked the sound of Bellamy's voice. She blinked a few times, realizing what her thoughts were doing. She didn't like being touched by anyone. Not even John, who had seen her at her worst and kissed all the boo-boo's away. Yet, here she was liking how Bellamy looked in his cloud grey tee and the timber of voice. Apparently she was broken, but still alive and wanting. She ran a hand through her hair. This conversation was taking too long. Jasper was out there, and they were standing around dawdling. Or that was how she felt anyway.
"Because you want them to follow you," Clarke was implying that he wanted to lead the people. Considering his speech earlier, Lynette could see how that might be a thing. "And right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared." Lynette snorted quietly and her words. The princess has got her big girl panties on today. Perhaps they really could be friends. John shot her a glare, which Lynette returned three-fold. Lynette had seen the dark side of the Arc and it showed in her every look. John conceded defeat by lowering his gaze. Clarke also seemed to have won her small staring contest because she just walked off. Lynette followed.
"Murphy," Bellamy called John by his last name. Lynette stopped and turned to her favored friend with a smirk on her face. "Come with me." The smirk grew into a grin and she proceeded with her walk in Clarke's direction. Bellamy gave a few other commands before he and John followed after.
Lynette traveled between the two pairs. Not really wanting to walk with Clarke and Wells or being super comfortable with walking with Bellamy and John. Now, of the four of them, Lynette actually knew John quite well. They had kind of grown up together. Her mother died of an illness a few weeks before Johns father was floated. They had been neighbors. Around the time that her mother had gotten sick, john had come down with the flu. Of course due to all the restrictions on the Arc, neither of them were getting enough medication. Lynette's mother figured it was a better idea to put faith in in the young and passed all her meds to Johns family. She died without the medication, but Lynette never held any ill will towards John. It had been her mother's choice. She slowed her pace to walk with her one actual friend on the ground.
"I'm getting that wristband," Bellamy said. "Even if I have to cut off her hand to do it." Lynette's brows rose in question and Bellamy just shook his head and brushed passed her.
"Friendly," she whispered to John. He smiled at her and slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling her in close. Lynette was both surprised and relieved by his action. What was more surprising was that she hadn't tensed at all. She grabbed the hand draped over her shoulder and laced her fingers with his. She then spun out of his grasp. "This isn't a leisurely outing. Also, you can take my wristband whenever you want." She smiled as she moved faster. They were being left behind.
"Hey. Hold up," called Bellamy. The two groups were strafing parallel to each other with Lynette trailing slightly behind. She didn't know if the spear wielder was still out there or not, but she was keeping an eye out just in case. Bellamy had drawn his gun at some point and Lynette couldn't remember seeing him do so. "What's the rush? Won't survive a spear through the heart."
"Put the gun away, Bellamy," said Wells, getting between him and Clarke.
"Why don't you do something about it?" John pushed him from Bellamy. If Wells and Clarke were the prince and the princess, then Bellamy was trying to become king. Lynette had to wonder what that made John. What did that make her in this strange power struggle? Obviously she was a bishop. It was her last name and it fit. She was currently zigzagging back and forth between the two groups like a bishop moving diagonally across the board. What bothered her was whether or not John was a pawn. He had knight like tendencies, but would Bellamy just discard him when his purpose was completed? What was his purpose? Lynette worried for her friend. And the people he kept close to him.
Yes, Lynette was sort of attracted to Bellamy, but did she trust him? No, she did not. But it looked like John did. She hoped that he was just clinging to the man and if she could get over her own issues and manage to get close to him again, there would be some semblance of the way things used to be between the two of them. Something about the look in John's eyes told her that was like hoping for snow in hell.
"Jasper screamed when they moved him," spoke up Clarke.
"It's true," Lynette said with a calm tone. It was more to reassure them that they were out there with a purpose than it was to defend anyone. How were they supposed to get anything done if they were fighting each other. This was stupid and Lynette was half tempted to just leave without them. The thought that she wouldn't be able to carry Jasper back kept her with the group. That and thinking that maybe whoever took him was guarding him.
"If the spear struck his heart he'd have died instantly," Clarke had a certainty to her tone that implied she knew what she was talking about. Though in retrospect in was kind of common sense. "Doesn't mean we have time to waist." Clarke made to turn and continue walking but Bellamy grabbed her wrist.
"Just as soon as you take this wristband off, we can go," he smiled smugly. Clarke jerked her arm from his grasp.
"The only way the Arc is gonna think I'm dead," she started, getting real close to Bellamy, "is if I'm dead. Got it?"
"Brave princess," was all Bellamy said.
"Why don't you find your own nickname?" Lynette spun at the sound of Finn's voice. He had joined them after all. "Call this a rescue party?"
"This is a shamble of a pissing contest," answered Lynette before anyone could say anything. The group looked at her for a moment before Finn spoke again.
"Gotta split up, cover more ground."
"Couldn't agree more," Lynette simply walked off with that. She was done standing around. She didn't wait to see if anyone else was in motion or not and just trudged off toward the river, sweeping to the right and away from the group. She was never too far. She could hear the murmurs of her group but she couldn't actually make out the words. She was mildly curious, but not enough to entrench herself with them again. She wanted to find Jasper. Needed to.
"Hey," A hand grazed her arm and she knew who it was before turning. John stepped into view and he looked… apologetic? "Sorry about earlier."
"Why are you apologizing? You have zero reason to do so," she said calmly. She wasn't mad at John. She wasn't even sure why he was apologizing. They had both been separated for so long. Of course he changed. She had. Possibly not for the better. "Everybody changes with time. I know that best of all. Just wasn't expecting… so much change." The two walked in silence for a while. Looking for any sign that Jasper had been through there.
It wasn't too long before Clarke found them. She looked alarmed, but with the slightest tinge of relief. She said the she and Finn had found something. The group converged at a waterfall. It was beautiful. Lynette wanted to just stay there and pretend that all the bad things that had ever happened in her life were all part of some twisted dream. But she knew that Jasper was out there and needed help. She couldn't stay.
Finn, apparently a tracker now, lead them around. At first, Lynette was skeptical, but she was starting to see what he did. Broken pieces here and there. A foot print every now and them. A single drop of blood. It was like some awkward trail for them to follow. How did the others not see it? Did they and just not recognize it for what it was? She wanted to ask, but she was positive it would spark some kind of argument within them. These people were just so volatile together.
"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" called John from the back of the group?
"We don't," responded Bellamy. Definitely not going to bring up all the semi-obvious markers that said it was. "Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."
"It's called 'cutting sign.' Fourth-year Earth Skills," explained Wells. "He's good." Lynette didn't remember that course. Must have been locked up before she could take it. She just went with what her gut was telling her.
"Want to keep it down or should I paint a target on our backs?" said Finn a bit terse. He was right. They already made enough noise with their movements. No need to make more.
"Seriously guys, quiet," Lynette spoke just loud enough for them to hear. Finn found another marker of sorts. Another broken plant limb. Lynette squatted beside the plant as he looked it over and found a yet another sign. Just a few drops of blood on a rock. Still warm. They couldn't be too far behind. As if to accentuate their closeness, a pained moan sounded in the distance. Now they had a sure direction.
"What the hell was that?" asked John, sounding a little tense. Lynette just looked towards the noise in silence. She knew exactly what it was. Who it was.
"Now would be a good time to take out that gun," was the only answer that anyone got. Clarke was right of course. If they were close to Jasper, they were close to his captors. They didn't run, but they jogged at a hunch, trying to stay low and move quickly. More moans lead the way, so there was no need to look for signs anymore. It was both helpful and terrifying. What they found was more so.
Jasper was tied up in a tree. He was barely awake and groaning in pain. The tree was leafless and covered in moss. Jasper was shirtless with blood streaked down his torso; the blood most likely his own. The oddest thing about the entire setup was the fact that there was something over the spot where his wound should have been.
"Oh, my god," Clarke breathed as she moved forward.
"Clarke, be careful," said Finn, close behind her. Lynette moved to one side of the tree, trying to scope out a semi-safe way up it. The rest moved straight towards him, right up the middle.
"What the hell is this?" queried Bellamy. To Lynette it looked like some kind of offering. Or a trap. As soon as she thought it, she turned from the tree and started scanning the woods. If it was a trap, they were all in it now. As soon as Lynette turned from the group, she heard Clarke cry out. She whipped back around to find her dangling in a pit with Bellamy the only reason she wasn't dead at the bottom. Lynette rushed to the two of them. Finn called to the pair, but it was like Bellamy went deaf. Lynette ended up directly behind Wells, helping in pulling Clarke back to safety. She felt Wells shift in front of her and assumed he was getting a better grip on Bellamy.
They pulled her up and Finn looked her over, but she was fine. Maybe rattled, but alive. Lynette shook her head and went back to where she had been looking for a better way up. This place was definitely a trap. Whether or not it was for them, had yet to be determined. Lynette found a seemingly safe route, and started up the tree. When she looked back at the group, she found that Finn and John were climbing up the other side. She nodded when they spotted her. John looked a bit on the worried side to see her up there, but she couldn't worry about that now.
The moss was thankfully dry, but very fragile. She scuttled over the tree limbs, mostly on all fours, keeping her center of gravity low. There came a moment where she had to jump to another branch to continue. She got to a point where she ended up somehow above Jasper and the other boys. She looked down on them with an awkward stare.
"Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?" questioned Wells. Clarke had mentioned the poultice on Jaspers chest and it was a good question.
"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing," responded Bellamy morbidly. Lynette hadn't thought of that. She had thought about it being a trap, but she hadn't actually thought about what the Grounders might be trying to trap besides them. She tensed on her little perch at the thought.
"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us," said Finn. That had been one of Lynette's original thoughts, but it still didn't bring her comfort to know that someone else was thinking it. Trying not to wonder about it, she started picking at the ropes holding Jaspers hands above his head. She was going to have to cut them. She didn't have anything to cut them with, however.
"I need a knife," she called. Lynette had expected for maybe Finn or John to have a spare on them and hand one up to her. What she had gotten was a knife hurled dangerously close to her head. There was a solid thud where the blade embedded itself in the tree directly over her head. Eyes wide, she looked down at Bellamy with a slight anger in her gaze. He could have killed her! He just smiled up at her before looking back out at their surroundings. Lynette huffed and wrenched the knife from the tree and set about cutting the vines around his hands. A low growl sounded from behind her in the brush.
"What the hell was that?" sounded John with alarm.
"Grounders?" there was concern in Bellamy's voice. A tinge of fear. A shiver ran down Lynette's spine as she cast her gaze over the trees. If that was a Grounder, she did not want to meet it. Then she saw it. In a small clearing, too close for comfort, was a large black cat. She knew it wasn't actually a cat, but she couldn't place which feline it was from history at the moment. All she knew was that it could kill them. All of them.
The large cat crouched for a moment, looking like it was about to pounce. Then it charged at them. It snarled and adrenaline flooded through Lynette. Clarke called for Bellamy to use the gun he had, but the feline was closing fast. Lynette was not going to watch someone she knew get mauled by some sleek toothy creature. She bunched on herself, ready to propel herself out of the tree. The sound of a gunshot stopped her, and she nearly fell from her perch instead. Wells had the gun and was firing at the cat. He wasn't a bad shot, but he wasn't good either. One bullet caught the creature in the leg, but it kept coming. It took a sharp right and vanished into the trees.
They could still hear it and Lynette was glaring into the foliage. She did not want to be taken by surprise. The plants rustled here and there, indicating where the cat was and Wells tried to aim through the green. Bellamy looked out into the woods as well, trying to figure out where it would come from next. The growls and snarls were so varied, that Lynette was starting to think there might be more than one. One thing she did remember from her history lessons was that cats were not pack hunters. Or at least not most of the time. She really hoped there as only one feline out there…
It was quiet suddenly. Too quiet. Lynette could feel the adrenaline seeping out of her and her body began to hurt with how tense she was. She was not ready to believe that it was over. There was no way. It got shot in the leg. That is not how things die. Though a second thought flittered through her head and she realized that if the bullet had hit a major artery… Maybe it did die? It hadn't. The black feline leapt out of the foliage at Bellamy and before Lynette could think, she was air born. A gunshot sounded at the same time, but she couldn't worry about that now. She hit Bellamy, taking him to the ground and the cat dropped beside them. Lynette looked at the still growling creature and cursed her stupidity. Though, the cat didn't move. It was dying. She heard some strange clicking noise and realized that Wells was still trying to shoot it, but he was out of bullets. The feline died while she and Bellamy stared at it.
"Are you okay?" she breathed, looking down at Bellamy. The look he gave her was one of sheer surprise, but he still nodded. She couldn't say she wasn't expecting that. She was surprised with herself really. She had just launched herself out of a tree to save someone she didn't really know, or trust. Yes, she was attracted to him, but that was about it. She could have been killed, by either the cat or the bullet had Wells missed. And she still did it.
"Are you?" whispered Bellamy. She nodded her head and proceeded to get off of him. She managed to roll off of his body, but standing was seemingly out of the question. When she tried to get to her feet, her knees gave out. Shock and adrenaline had won over her body. She couldn't walk. She looked up at Bellamy with a half-smile and just shook her head. Without any words, he scooped her up in his arms. She thought she would have tensed at his touch, but her body was just too dead to do anything but slump into him. He turned toward Clarke and Wells in time to see him drop the now empty handgun to the ground. "Now she sees you." Lynette didn't know what he was talking about, but she didn't care. Whatever it was, was between the two of them. And maybe Clarke.
Finn and John got Jasper cut down while Clarke and Wells put together a makeshift gurney. The gurney wasn't working out so they were going to have to carry him. Bellamy held Lynette probably longer than necessary, but she was fine with that. Right now he was like a warm security blanket with arms, and at the moment those arms were keeping her world upright. She had tried to save him, though Wells had made that irrelevant, which she was thankful for, but still the thought was there. She eventually tapped him on the shoulder and he let her down and she was able to stand for herself. She gestured down to the cat—panther—and suggested taking it back to the ship. It wasn't pretty, but it was food. She helped him gather up the chute that Wells had brought to carry Jasper back. Since it wasn't working out the way it had been intended, Lynette suggested wrapping the cat in it instead.
Once they were all set to carry Jasper and their meal back to the dropship they set off. The sun was setting and Finn was leading them back through the forest, though his arms were full of Jasper, so he was actually directing Clarke and she was physically leading. Discernable signs of their recent passing were a bit hard for Lynette to see, but she was certain in Finns ability to find the way back. It was good that she didn't have to lead either, because Jasper would moan every now and then. Not wanting to attract unwanted attention to them, Lynette walked behind Jasper and sang softly. It seemed to quiet him and that made her smile. Now the real test would be whether Clarke could save him or not. She was the only one with any medical background; her mother being the head doctor on the Arc.
The trek back was long and slightly cumbersome, with Jasper and panther, but they were getting close. Everyone seemed a bit antsy and Lynette wondered if she sang louder if it would help them out, too. It worked for Jasper, so maybe it would help soothe the rest of the group? She thought hard about what to sing, going through all the old songs she could remember. Some of them were over a thousand years old, but they were her favorites. Finally, she picked one that she thought would soothe them the most.
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?"
The tense air around the group dispersed a little as she sang. She was glad that she was able to do something for all of them. The relationship between them as a group might be caustic, but at least for now, no one was trying to kill anyone. Lynette hoped that they could work passed the coarse landing and get along. They were going to need to be able to if they planned on surviving for very long.
Fire could be seen through the trees. They were finally back. Once they passed into the camp, Monty and Octavia were on them. Monty wanted to know if Jasper was alive, which he was. Clarke gave out a requisition order for boiled water and cloth. Lynette stopped outside the ship, knowing there was nothing further she could do and hoped that Doctor Clarke could do this. Instead she looked back and watched John and Bellamy dumped their prize in front of the others. People were both amazed and disgusted by the sight of it.
"Who's hungry?!" shouted Bellamy to the crowd. Cheers resounded throughout the area. Everyone was happy at the thought of food. Lynette smiled and moved closer to the two men she had just spent the day with. It was nice knowing that at least this day hadn't ended in terror. No one was dead and now they had food. They could do this. They had to.
The panther was taken away to be skinned and cleaned and sticks were procured to cook the meat on. Bellamy then had the idea, that if you wanted to eat, you had to give up your bracelet. A few people were against it, which was understandable given Clarkes earlier speech. Others were happy to get rid of theirs. Lynette gave her wrist over happily to John and he pried her wristband off. It hurt, but once the metal band was free, Bellamy handed her and John some meat with a smile. Of course, Finn and Clarke were against removing theirs and Finn simply walked up to the fire and took some meat. John tried to stop him, but Finn responded with Bellamy's words, stating that there were no rules. Lynette watched him walk off and knew that things were only going to get worse before they got better.
"Can I talk to you?" John whispered in her ear. She looked at him with a mouthful of meat and just nodded. He took her by the elbow and lead her away from the others. She swallowed her food and was about to ask what he wanted to talk about when he turned and took her face in hands. She had no time to react before his mouth was on hers. Her past, their past, came flooding to the forefront of her mind and she kissed him back. One of his hands left her face and pulled her closer, holding her to him. She broke the kiss for air and stepped back from him, eyelids fluttering.
"What was that?" she breathed. All he did was grab on to her wrist and shake his head.
"Don't ever do that again?" he whispered.
"What are you talking about?" she was honestly confused. He looked her in the eye and the moonlight showed fear.
"You jumped out of a tree," he started, "to save Bellamy from a panther. Don't ever put yourself in danger like that again." Oh. So that's what this was about. "Promise me." Lynette looked at her feet. She wanted to promise, but she had a feeling deep in her gut that if she did, she wouldn't be able to keep it. John took her chin in his free hand, and gently made her look him in the eye.
"I can't," was all she said. Before John could respond, Bellamy came from around a tree.
"Murphy, we got first watch," he said. His eyes flicked between John and Lynette. John just nodded and walked off toward Bellamy. He didn't look back, but Bellamy kept looking at her. Lynette nibbled at her meat and walked away. She didn't know what to do or what to say. So she just left. She wandered out into the forest and ate her meat. She sang quietly to herself and eventually just plopped down at the base of a large tree and stared up through the canopy. She squinted into the dark, wishing the moon were brighter.