Hi guys! Please don't hate me for the absurd delay in my updating! I've been so busy that I just haven't had a second to sit down and let the words flow. Plus, I hate to admit it, I wasn't entirely sure where to take the story next. This chapter is a bit of a filler but at least it's something to read in the mean time! Since I'm currently suffering from extreme writer's block, please feel free to send over any ideas of what you guys would like to see happen next! Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Chapter 17

Every cell in Bellamy's body was awake before his eyes even opened. He could feel her body pressed tightly against his and he relished the warmth they shared between them. His chin was resting on the top of her head and her soft breaths tickled against his neck. Her hands were pressed between their stomachs in a clear attempt to keep them from freezing off.

His own hand slipped down and he laced his fingers with hers. He instantly shook his head and pulled his hand back before she could wake up. He wasn't the hand holding type, never had been, never will be. But he couldn't figure out why his hand ached for hers. It was just too intimate of a gesture, to hold someone's hand within your own.

Lina's forehead pressed deeper into his chest, sizzling against the soft fabric of his shirt. If she were to wake at that moment, would she push away? Would be she be disgusted that she let herself come so close to him? As these thoughts crossed his mind, she became more restless beside him. Her hands unknowingly sliding along his chest before they reached her face and rubbed at her sleep laden eyes.

He waited silently for her to gather her own thoughts; to become aware of her positioning. But to his surprise, she didn't jerk away when their eyes met. She looked up at him from under her lashes, a faint smile playing on her lips. It wasn't a smile of satisfactions, it was one of embarrassment.

But he would take it.

"Good morning." He said, his voice hoarse from sleep. Of all the times he'd laid in a bed with a girl, he had never once woken up next to them (they had a tendency to disappear during the night… or he would ask them to leave before falling asleep). He had no idea what to say or do. Lina didn't seem to know the right words because she stayed quiet for a long time, though neither of them moved. Bellamy wasn't sure what thoughts were racing through her mind, but he was more than reluctant to leave the warmth of the bed and face the frigid day that awaited them.

Their silence stretched on, creating an air of awkwardness around them. His mind became agonizingly attentive to all the places where their bodies touched; her head and neck resting on the inside of his bicep, their knees grazing each other's whenever they moved, her delicate hands brushing against his chest with nowhere else to go. He had brought his own arm back to his side before she'd woken up, but now he wished he'd left it draped over her middle so his hand could press against her back as it had all through the night.

"You had a nightmare." Lina's small voice broke the silence. He scrunched his face in concentration as he thought back to the dream she'd woken him from last night. Nightmares had been plaguing his sleep since before he could remember. Even on the Ark he'd woken with beads of sweat on his forehead and a racing heart. Although, on the Ark his biggest worry was someone finding out about Octavia.

That was the first nightmare to come true.

Once he was on the ground his dreams had changed settings. Instead of fearing the Guards in space, he now dreaded the monsters of Earth. The genetically mutated panthers and river snakes, Grounders wielding ancient yet savage weapons, the lethal yellow fog that crept up on you like a malicious predator stalking its prey. The more time he spent on Earth, the more vast his nightmares became.

The terror he'd experienced the night before had become a frequent flyer in Bellamy's mind. It was always the same. He would watch himself from above as he placed his hand over Clarke's. He'd try to scream at himself to stop, plead with Clarke to listen and see reason. But every time he opened his mouth, the sound was forced back down his throat and he had no choice but to watch the people of Mount Weather slump to the floor on the monitors in the control room. One by one they would fall, some crying for help, others clinging to the nearest person. A few tried to run for the doors, as though they could escape the ominous air that surrounded them.

The difference in his latest dreams was that in the corner of the screen, Bellamy could see one figure still sitting upright next to the long dining table. Black waves cascading over slender shoulders as the figure looked down at something in her lap. As he floated closer to the monitor, the figure turned, black eyes finding his. Tears spilled over her cheeks and fell to the floor. His heart stopped when the recognition hit. Although he couldn't hear her voice, he watched her mouth form one single word; Why. She looked back down at her hands and Bellamy realized that the head of a young girl was cradled in her lap.

That's when he had woken up. Just as he had seen the true innocence in the face of the dead girl, the girl who Lina wept over.

"My father used to have nightmares." Lina continued, pulling Bellamy from the dark depths of his memories. He gave her his full attention. It was the first time he'd heard her speak of her family since she'd told Abby about her little sister. "He used to tell me that if you faced your fears while you were awake, they wouldn't bother you while you slept. Then, after my mom died, I used to tell the same thing to Hannah."

He stared down at her, but her face was momentarily replaced by another's.

Charlotte.

Another one of his victims. Another name on the growing list of those who died because of his actions.

"Slay your demons." He whispered, his voice suddenly heavy with an all-consuming sadness. The last time he had spoken that phrase, it had thrown their camp into a whirlwind of chaos.

"Something like that." She nodded.

Another long silence fell over them. Lina began to untangle herself from the blankets and Bellamy felt a sudden surge of panic as she pulled her body away from his. He clenched his fists to stop from reaching out and dragging her back into him.

"I guess I should go see Abby." She said as she slung her long legs over the side of the bed. She sat there for a moment with her back to him, taking in long deep breaths. Bellamy watched her shoulders rise and fall with each intake of air. Eventually his eyes travelled down to the spots of her back that would be forever scarred because of the Sky People; because of Robert. His heart broke at the thought of how much pain she had suffered because of them, emotional and physical.

"You kept apologizing to me last night." It was though she had read his mind, and for half a second he wondered if he had been thinking aloud.

"I did." He said, remembering all too clearly how close he had come to telling Lina the truth about the person, or people, who were responsible for the deaths of the entire Mount Weather population. "You've been through so much."

Slowly, he let his fingers graze over the material of her shirt to signify the wounds that lay beneath. Her body stiffened before a small tremor ran down her spine. Bellamy almost pulled away, but when her body finally relaxed, he let his hand continue to rest against her back.

"You didn't do that, Bellamy." She looked over her shoulder at him for a brief moment. "Robert did."

He propped himself up on his elbow and leaned closer to her. His hand slid to her arm. He gave a light squeeze that prompted her to look at him once more.

"Robert is an ass. But I should have never let you out of my sight."

"Well, it's over now." She breathed after a substantial pause. She thrust herself upright off the bed and out of his reach, and before he could think of a way to stop her, she threw a heavy coat over her shoulders and strode out of the tent. With a soft curse under his breath, Bellamy hopped to his feet and followed her out, terrified to let her go through camp alone.

The sun had just begun to rise behind the mountain line. The pink and orange hues collided with the earth, creating a warm glow that lingered over Camp Jaha. They must have only gotten five or so hours of sleep, but he was certain that it was the best sleep he'd gotten in a long time.

"You think Abby's awake yet?" she called over her shoulder as she continued walking. He let a small laugh bubbled to the surface.

"The real question is does Abby Griffin sleep?"

Another ghost of a smile crossed Lina's lips and Bellamy felt his heart pound faster at the sight.

He wasn't the least bit surprised to find both Abby and Kane hovering over the doctor's desk in Sick Bay when they arrived. The Chancellor gave Bellamy a meaningful nod when he saw Lina trail in behind him. Kane's approval and recognition made Bellamy's chest fill pride. It took Abby a few extra seconds to realize that the Mountain Girl had returned. Dark circles clung to the skin bellow her round eyes. Does Abby Griffin sleep? When he had said the words before, he'd been joking. But now he found himself wondering when the last time the woman actually laid down was. Judging by her slow reaction to seeing Lina and the sallowness of her normally olive skin, he bet it had been a while.

"Come here." The doctor demanded of Lina when she finally snapped to life. Lina obeyed and Bellamy hated to think of what would have happened if she didn't. Only a fool argued with Abby. "Leave us." She hissed at Kane and Bellamy. The last thing he wanted was to leave, but Kane put a heavy hand on his shoulder and all but shoved him out of the room, following directly behind him.

Only a fool argued with Abby, he thought again as he watched the Chancellor close the doors behind them. When he turned, Bellamy could see that Kane was sporting some dark circles of his own.

"She's been up all night working." He said, nodding back towards the room behind the now closed doors. "Wallace has been extremely helpful and she thinks she's close." Bellamy's mind wandered off to something that Octavia had mentioned to him a few weeks ago, before the mountain. She'd pointed out how much time the Chancellor and the doctor have been spending together, the small longing looks they sometimes shared when they thought no one else was watching. Once Bellamy had even caught Kane with his hand locked with Abby's. There was no doubt in his mind that Kane had spent the entire night sitting next to Abby as she worked on a cure for Lina.

"Good news." He smiled as he spoke. "Go get some sleep sir. You look like shit."

Kane laughed, but the sound was cut off quickly by a long and powerful yawn. He clapped Bellamy on the back and took off down the long hallway towards his office. With one final look at the door behind him, Bellamy steeled himself for the long day of work ahead of him. Lina was safe with Abby, and the camp was slowly running out of food. Their hunting strategies were useless in the winter months. He needed to talk to Lincoln and figure out more ways to bring in fresh game, otherwise no one would last until Spring.