Chapter 8:

Her hand was pressed against an ancient book as she opened her mouth, "I, Clarke Griffin—leader of the skypeople, agree to a cease-fire with Mount Weather's operation. Under the terms of said cease-fire, I offer my own life rather than the life of my co-leader for war crimes. I understand if I try to escape, I will be condemning my people to certain death." Her face was made of steel, her words were cold and strong.

If one of her people were with her, they would think the entire speech was fraudulent but it wasn't. Clarke meant every single word. Wallace wanted peace—a war was draining them of resources and preventing them from sustainability. Clarke recognized that her people were experiencing some of the same complications.

Wallace said someone had to pay the price for all that they've lost and Clarke was an eager volunteer when it came to Bellamy's life. Sure, she thought of their multiple touches and their steamy kisses when she thought of how she loved him but she also thought of Octavia.

Octavia, the girl who announced her brother's death to the camp because she had to be strong. Clarke had to give Octavia back her armor—she had to give Octavia her brother back. Clarke had a family, true. But Abby would grieve and move on, she'd lost her daughter a long time ago and Clarke was never coming back.

The people around her seemed satisfied with her oath and nodded. She turned to Wallace, "He won't walk out without me." Clarke insisted, "I have to make this look believable. I need Maya and I need a guarded escape route and I need…" She continued on with a list of things she needed to stage their "remarkable" escape long enough to get him out without a fight.

20 Minutes Later…

Electricity shot through Bellamy's body as she crashed into him. It was the most unexpected moment of his life. He only saw her blonde hair before her head was nuzzled underneath his chin and her arms were wrapped around her back. "Clarke…" He said in a broken voice, "How are you here?"

She stepped back, their eyes locking. "Maya helped me." She lied and fake a smile. He hadn't seen her smile in so long so he believed it. "I'm going to get you out of here." She assured him, "Let's go." She took his hand in hers and pulled him out of the white room. He didn't see the tears forming in her eyes as she led the way in a quick jog. She checked around corners, ducked when she saw guards and played the part as well as she could.

Maya greeted her with a smile at the end of a hallway, "At morning light, the shift changes. You can stay in room 201 until then." She seemed off to Bellamy but he told himself that it was because seeing them reminded her of Jasper and he knew that Jasper and Maya had a fling.

"How can we trust you?"

"You can't trust anyone." Maya said pointedly to Clarke before she looked at Bellamy, "But you will escape this place and return to your people. Clare noticed how her You's were emphasized. Clarke cleared her throat, "201 is at the end of the hallway to your right. It unoccupied and is under my rounds tonight. No one will know."

"Won't people notice I'm not in that god-awful white room?" Bellamy asked. Clarke looked at Maya, begging her to come up with a reasonable excuse. Maya opened her mouth for a brief second while she thought of something that made sense.

"The guards on the shift tonight are morons. They're young, all they do is play games." Maya said, "It'll be fine."

"Thank you." Clarke said before she started dragging Bellamy to Room 201. She wasn't going to give him the time to think—she wasn't going to let him ruin this. She pulled her head up and kissed him like she'd never kissed him before. Their clumsy bodies moved quickly as he backed against a wall, his hands reaching for the hem of her shirt instinctively. She moaned when he broke their kiss because she knew the louder she was—the happier he was. He pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it to the ground before he picked her up and placed her on the small hospital bed.

Moments passed before they were fully naked…but those moments were sweet and would haunt her until the day she died—she tried not to think about dying while Bellamy kissed down her bare skin, his hands gripping her hips hungrily as she tried to push up into him. She wanted to cry because this was the last time. She wanted to cry because it felt so good to be this close to him again. She felt him push into her, eliciting a small gasp from her as he slowly pulled in and out.

She hooked her leg around his waist, her eyes peering into his. They exchanged a soft smile before she moaned his name. He wrapped an arm behind her back as he brought her closer to him. She became louder until he put a hand over her mouth. "Princess…I probably can't think of better ways to die, but I don't really want to die right now."

The comment punched her in the gut but she didn't let it show, instead she closed her eyes and nodded. They continued to rapidly increase in pace and eventually, it was Bellamy who needed to quiet himself. He pressed their sweaty foreheads together when he finished. "I love you." She said, "…and I know I haven't let you know that in a long time, but I do…and I shouldn't have put everything on you. I shouldn't have let you think you started this war when it was me."

"It doesn't matter who started it if we saved our friends." Bellamy told her, reaching for his clothes. "I love you too." He finally replied, "I just don't think you should love me." She raised her body at his words, "I broke your heart, Clarke."

"Can we talk about that later? There's no need in bringing up our issues right now." Clarke didn't want to hear him apologize again. She couldn't hear him apologize again for what he did. She couldn't hear him say Jasper's name or talk about Monroe. It wasn't how she wanted to spend their last moments together…even though that's how she deserved to spend their last moments together. She stepped off the bed, her feet feeling the cold floor.

"Sure." Bellamy agreed with a smirk, "Maybe later we can not talk too…"

"Don't hold your breath." She said, a bitter laugh erupting from her chest. "It was almost 4:20 when I got you out…so it's almost go time."

XXX

Hand-in-hand they ran throughout the compound, desperately looking for an escape route. There was a second when she thought of escaping with Bellamy. She was a resourceful person, they could survive…but then what about a future? She could never promise him a future. She rounded a corner and it looked as if they were going to be captured when Clarke turned to Bellamy with her cerulean eyes and said, "I love you." She nodded as she wept. Bellamy's face distorted as he tried to comprehend what she was saying—why she was saying it. She pressed herself into him, wrapping her arms around his. Is she surrendering? Bellamy wrapped his arms around her…if they were going to die—he wanted to die with her. "Promise me you'll let me go...please." She said as a genuine tear rolled down her face, hitting his neck as she placed a small kiss over it. She slipped the sedative from her jacket pocket, plunging the needle into his back.

He looked so betrayed…then he looked sad. He looked sad as he realized what she was doing. "Clarke—no." He said, his eyes were beginning to tear up. "Please don't." He begged her in a rough, tearful voice. He was fighting the drug with every ounce of will-power he had but it wouldn't be enough.

"I've made my choice, baby…" She said, her tears reflecting his own. "Just close your eyes. Close your eyes, Bellamy and it'll be okay." Her hand reached to his face and floated over his eyes. She held him as he fell into her and crashed to her knees when all of his weight was on her. "I'm sorry." She kissed his lips before the guards grabbed her shoulders and arrested her. Men in haz-mat suits took a hold of Bellamy, dragging him towards the doors.

Wallace joined her, "You're doing the right thing." He assured her with a smile. "Dr. Tsing will see you now."