Chapter 17
Author's note: thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews. Some more background info on Ari, don't read if you don't like.
They were hurrying back in the direction of the camp when Clarke caught up to them. "Hey!" Bellamy glanced at her but she ignored Clarke. "Where is it?" She was now walking alongside them, between the two partners in crime. "Hey, princess. You taking a walk in the woods?"
This only seemed to infuriate Clarke as her face wrinkled in disbelief. "They're getting ready to kill three hundred people up there to save oxygen. And I can guarantee you it won't be council members. It'll be working people, your people." Before either could respond Bellamy was roughly shoved by Finn, who as usual had shown up with perfect timing.
"Bellamy! Where's the radio?" Bellamy shoved him back just as hard if not harder. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Bellamy Blake? They're looking everywhere for you." Ari glanced at the unknown girl who had chimed in. "Shut up," Bellamy retorted. Ari moved closer, sensing a confrontation between the two.
"Looking for him, why?" Ari moved to stand by Bellamy, almost in front of him protectively. She may be small but she was mighty. "He shot Chancellor Jaha." They all turned to look at him except for Ari. She watched the trio in front of her warily. "That's why you took the wristbands," Clarke came to the realization.
Bellamy shifted nervously as the group moved in closer on them. "All that stuff about whatever the hell we want? You just care about saving your own skin." Ari saw red. "You need to back off. Now." She glared up at the puppy faced boy.
Finn rounded on her. "Why does it not surprise me you're in on this Ari? You follow him blindly, doesn't matter who gets hurt right?" He was shouting by the end and Bellamy was physically holding her back from hurting him. Before she could retort with some response, no doubt something witty and/or threatening, the unknown girl stepped in.
"Ari? As in Aria Winters? You're dad talks about you all the time in engineering. It doesn't surprise me all the stories about you are true. Once a murderer always a murderer right?" "Don't talk about my father. That man isn't worth the oxygen they're trying to save," she spat back at the olive skinned girl.
Bellamy grabbed Ari and led her away only to be cut off by the girl once more. "Hey shooter, where's my radio?" Bellamy stopped, "Get out of my damn way." "Where is it?" Ari rolled her eyes, "I should've let him kill you when I had the chance." Her brown eyes flickered to Ari. "Really? Well I'm right here."
Bellamy took the bait, grabbing the girl and slamming her into a tree nearby. The girl pulled a knife and pointed it directly at his face. "Where's my damn radio?" Clarke intervened, "Okay, stop it." Bellamy pushed away from her, beginning to walk once more.
"Jaha deserved to die, you all know that." "Yeah he's not my favorite person," the girl called out, "but he's not dead." Shock was clear on Bellamy's face, "What?" The girl scoffed, "You're a lousy shot."
Clarke strode forward her intent clear. "Bellamy don't you see what this means? You're not a murderer." But I am. "You've always done what you had to do to protect your sister. That's who you are. And you can do it again by protecting three hundred of your people. Where's the radio?"
Bellamy glanced at Clarke, remorse on his face. "It's too late."
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Ari straightened as Finn left after speaking with Clarke. "You slept with him." Clarke glanced at her in shock, checking to make sure no one heard. Then her eyes narrowed. "Don't talk to me as if we're friends Ari." Ari snorted, "Wasn't aware we ever were Clarke." The blonde girl shook her head vehemently. "You made me think we were. But you were acting the whole time, lying to us."
Annoyance surged through the small girl. "What the hell was I supposed to say, Clarke? Oh hey you know we can't be friends cause I murdered a guy when I was thirteen? Yeah that conversation would have gone real swell." Clarke pursed her lips, "Why?" Ari's brows crumpled. "What?"
"Why did you kill him?" She shook her head, "That's not your concern." Clarke stepped closer, "I'm not stupid. I've seen the way you care about everyone. The way you saved my life when we were rescuing Jasper. Or the way you saved Bellamy's or Octavia's. You didn't just decide to kill him one day. So what did he do to you?"
She glanced at the blonde for one long tense moment. "He violated me." She walked away before pity overcame the girl's features, before she said she was sorry. Words couldn't fix what he had done. Rape had never been a strong enough word. It was cold, unemotional. It didn't cover the aftermath, the shame that came with being a victim.
"Hey! I found it!" She followed the distant cries to where everyone was gathering around Raven. She plucked bits and pieces of plants from the radio and flicked them away. "Can you fix it?", Clarke asked anxiously. "I don't know. It'll take half the day to dry out the components and see what's broken." "Like I said, it's too late," Bellamy added.
"Do you have any idea what you did? Do you even care?" Clarke was in his face now, shouting up at him angrily. "You asked me to help. I helped," he told her calmly. "Three hundred people are going to die today because of you," she replied, glancing between Ari and Bellamy.
"Hold up," everyone glanced at Raven as she spoke up, "We don't have to talk to the Ark, we just have to let them know we're down here. Right?" Finn nodded, "Yeah, but how do we do that with no radio?" Raven only smiled.
[page break]
Some cheered as the rockets launched, others watched on in hopeful vigilance. Ari was silent from where she stood at the back, having done her best to build the rockets. She had had her reasons for not wanting the Ark to come down but she didn't want three hundred people to die. She could deal with her father herself.
She wasn't sure when Bellamy sidled up next to her but suddenly he was there. The lights of the flares lit his face up purple and red, once again she realized just how beautiful Bellamy was. "Think they can see it from up there?" "I hope so." He glanced at her, "I know why you did it, to keep your father from coming down. Just know if he does…and he tries anything, I'll protect you."
"It doesn't matter. If they don't see it, I'll be responsible for the death of 320 people." Bellamy shook his head sadly, "Your sins are mine Ari. I was there, you just helped me." She nodded, "Let's agree to disagree." She turned to face him only to find him much closer than before. She glanced up at the rockets, "Can you wish on this kind of shooting star?"
He shook his head, "I wouldn't even know what to wish for." He looked over at her, leaning against the wall near her. "You?" Gathering her courage she turned so she was standing in front of him. He was more eye level now that he was leaning against the wall. He raised a brow at her in question.
For a moment she just studied him, the light sheen of sweat across his forehead. The way his curly hair was pushed back some by his hands. The way the flares lit up his warm brown eyes in red and purple. Then hesitantly she moved forward so that their chests just barely brushed. Licking her lips nervously she leaned in, stopping just short of his own. "This..," she answered finally in a whisper before she pressed her lips to his.
Author's note: this was probably a bad moment for a kiss but I had too, it just came out while writing.