Well, here we go again! Sorry for the mix up! I had two chapter sevens right next to each other and of course I grabbed the wrong one! lol Thanks for all of the reviews, follows, and faves! I think I've finally got a tentative outline for this monster, so hopefully I'll be able to rock and roll! Enjoy! :)
Chapter 7
It had been four days since Clarke had left med bay, scaring Bellamy to death. Her mother had finally given her the ok to leave, but the blonde had no idea where she would go.
"You and Bryce are more than welcome to move in with me", her mother had said.
Clarke balked. She didn't want to do that- didn't want to give up the freedom she'd enjoyed for so long. Sure, she'd been bogged down by life or death decisions but she'd still been free to chose her bedtime and if or when she ate.
"Thanks Mom, I'll think about it", she'd answered.
Now she and Bryce sat in the mess hall, the young mother watching her son inhale his food. She had to admit that he'd filled out since they'd been living here. His little cheeks were no longer hollow, and his body wasn't all bony edges.
She smiled as he stuffed a handful of berries in his mouth, juice dribbling down his chin. If it weren't for Bryce, Clarke didn't know where she would be. He was the reason she hadn't spiraled out of control- well him and a certain dark haired rebel.
"Momma these are good", the little boy gushed.
"I'm glad", Clarke answered with a smile.
She watched as Bryce's expression grew serious, his little brows drawing together in a thoughtful frown.
"Where are we going to live, Momma", he asked suddenly.
Clarke was taken aback, and for a moment she didn't know how to answer. When she'd finally formed a coherent answer, her son was talking again.
"We could live with Bewamy", he chirped.
Clarke nearly choked on her piece of bread, having to reach for her cup of water to wash down the offending crust. She stared at Bryce, taking in his innocent expression and trusting brown eyes.
"We can't live with Bellamy, sweetheart", she answered.
"Why not?"
The blonde jumped when the deep voice sounded behind her. She turned, nearly giving herself whiplash, to find Bellamy Blake standing behind her. His dark curls stuck out at odd angles like he'd just woken up and his shirt was wrinkled.
"Why not? Bellamy you don't have the room, plus I couldn't impose on you", Clarke answered.
"You wouldn't be imposing if I offered", he said as he sat down beside her.
"I can't let you do it."
"I'm not going to let you and Bryce live in one of the tents", Bellamy growled.
"I wasn't thinking of living in one of the tents. I was going to build a more permanent structure outside the wall. We don't have to worry about Grounders anymore, and I don't want Bryce to grow up in a cage."
Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, imploring him to see her side of things. She heard him sigh, his features etched in stone.
"I won't allow it. It's dangerous. You'll stay with me."
"My mom already offered", Clarke fired back.
"I'm not letting you stay there either, Princess", he said quietly, "We both know that your mother is a grade A control freak. She'd micromanage every part of your life and you would be miserable."
"Bellamy this is not up for discussion. I've made my decision", Clarke said firmly.
Clarke watched as his shoulders tensed, but then a slow smile curved his lips.
"Fine, Princess, two can play at this game. You wanna live outside the walls, then I'm volunteering to be your closest next door neighbor. I've been wanting to try my hand at cabin building anyway."
Clarke's mouth swung open in shock as she stared at him.
"Have you lost your mind? You can't move out of camp! What about the cadet training and your guard shifts?"
"I can commute", he said simply.
The blonde sighed. There was no convincing him not to go ahead with his idea, or rather the only other option was to live with him. She couldn't do that, not without her feelings getting in the way.
"Fine, but where do we build", she asked.
Bellamy seemed to think for a moment, and then his face broke into a huge grin.
"How about you and I go scouting for a good location. We can take a sack lunch and make a picnic out of it. Little man can spend the day with Linc and O, and you and I can make better time."
Clarke thought about it for a moment, so wanting to spend time with him that she finally found herself giving in.
"Ok, that would be nice", she said with a smile.
"Good, I'll see you in an hour."
Clarke watched him go before turning back to Bryce. The little boy had finished his breakfast, and was fiddling with the zipper on his jacket. She got his mess cleaned up, and then headed for Octavia's room.
"Hey, O", she called as she entered with Bryce in tow.
"Yeah", the other girl called back from where she sat sharpening her knife.
"Would you and Lincoln mind watching Bryce for the day", Clarke asked hesitantly.
"Sure, what's up", Octavia asked worriedly.
"Bellamy and I are going to go scout for a home site. I can't live with my mother, and even though your brother offered I can't impose on him. However, he refuses to let me live alone, so he's volunteered to be my closest neighbor."
O laughed, "That sounds like him. If you find a place with a bit more room tell me, Lincoln's getting a little claustrophobic in camp so we might need to find a place to build soon too."
"Alright, will do. Thanks, O. It really means a lot that you and Lincoln take such good care of Bryce", Clarke said gratefully.
"We love the little guy", Octavia said as she took Bryce onto her lap.
"Bye, little man", Clarke said as she leaned down to kiss the boy's cheek.
"Bye Momma", Bryce chirped, before whispering rather loudly to Octavia, "Momma's going on picnic with Bewamy."
Clarke left to the sound of Octavia's laughter, moving back to the mess hall to pack she and Bellamy's sack lunch. After she'd finished, she met the man in question at the gate, her pack slung over one shoulder and her pistol strapped to her leg.
"Ready, Princess", Bellamy asked.
Clarke simply nodded, and then followed him through the gate. Walking out in the open for the first time in over a week brought that feeling of freedom back. She inhaled; filling her lungs with the crisp, clean air.
They walked for about an hour, coming to a large meadow. It was shaded by a grove of tall trees and a winding stream gurgled along the edge. Bright colored flowers dotted the deep green grass, and birds sang in the trees.
"It's beautiful", Clarke breathed.
"And big enough for more cabins when the need arises", Bellamy answered logically.
They sat down near the stream, shucking their shoes and rolling up their pants' legs so they could dangle their feet in the cool water. Peaceful silence reigned around them, and both remained deep in thought.
Finally Bellamy spoke, "Well, what do you think?"
"I like it here", Clarke answered quietly.
"Me too. I think the kid would enjoy the flowers", Bellamy said with a chuckle.
"Yes, he would", the blonde readily agreed.
Clarke stared into the water, watching as a small school of fish swam by. This would be the perfect place to raise Bryce, away from camp but still close enough for safety.
She looked up suddenly when she felt Bellamy's hand grasp her own. Her gaze searched his brown eyes, and she knew she should look away but she couldn't.
"I know you think you don't deserve this, Clarke, but you do. You've sacrificed so much for the 100, and you deserve peace", he said with quiet conviction.
"Some days I feel like the darkness will consume me, steal what's left of my tattered soul and leave me to drown in nothingness. Then you and Bryce appear, my shining light in the obscurity", she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
"I want to help you through this. I'm not saying that every day will be easy, far from it, but I want us to do this together. I don't want you to be alone."
Clarke felt tears well in her eyes, and then she was in his arms. His calloused hands rubbed up and down her spin, tangling in her hair. His warm breath ghosted across her neck as he whispered words of comfort and assurance in her ear.
"I'm not going anywhere", Bellamy whispered
She pulled back, staring into his dark eyes. "Bellamy, if we do this, you have to promise that you won't wake up one day and hate me. I can handle everyone else's contempt, but I couldn't bare it if you grew to despise me."
"Princess", he whispered, his voice ringing with sincerity, "I could never hate you. Believe me, I tried, but I just couldn't."
Clarke saw that he was telling the truth, his dark eyes shining with his honest declaration. She pulled him to her, enjoying the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her.
They spent the rest of the day in the meadow, talking things out. One day wouldn't fix everything, but it started them out on the road to healing. They walked back to camp, hand in hand, a feeling of peace enveloping them.
They'd just entered the gates when Clarke noticed something was off. A large group of people gathered in the center of camp, loud voices echoing on the cool breeze. Then one voice stood out above the rest.
"Lexa", Clarke growled.
She made her way forward, stopping when she saw Bryce standing just feet from the woman who'd betrayed her. The group quieted, murmurs filtering through the throng at her appearance.
"Come here, Bryce", Clarke said, her voice edged with steel and her eyes never wavering from the traitor heda.
The little boy came quickly to her side, gripping her pants in one small fist as he hid behind her leg.
"Clarke", Lexa said in disbelief.
"What are you doing here, Lexa", the blonde asked coolly.
"We have come to trade", the Grounder heda answered.
"It didn't sound like it from where I'm standing."
"Clarke, may we speak in private", Lexa asked.
"No", Bellamy said stepping forward.
Clarke turned to stare at the dark haired man; his features etched in a dark and angry scowl. He looked very imposing, standing there with his hands on his hips and his eyes sparkling with defiance.
"I'm scared, Momma."
At Bryce's quiet declaration, Lexa stared at the woman before her. The child that clung to her was nearly a miniature of the Rebel. The commander felt a stab of pain, knowing that this would be what Bellamy and Clarke's children would look like.
"It's fine, Bellamy. Take Bryce, and I'll meet you in your quarters", Clarke said, placing a reassuring hand on his bicep.
She led Lexa to one of the meeting rooms, closing the door before turning to glare at the woman.
"What do you want", she demanded icily.
"You have to understand, Clarke. I only did what I thought was best for my people", Lexa pleaded.
"I don't have to do anything, Lexa. You left me and my people to die! Because of I could have lost him", Clarke practically screamed.
"I'm sorry, I…"
"No, Lexa, you're not sorry. You think love makes me weak, but you're the coward. Running from every emotion, and cowering beneath your cool façade!"
"I never meant…"
Clarke refused to let the Grounder get a word in, continuing on in a cold, quiet tone edged with steel.
"I used you, Lexa. You were my only hope to get my people out of Mt. Weather. You should be thankful that I got them out because if he had died, I would have hunted you down. You would have never known peace. I would haunt your dreams and your waking hours. You would pray for death after I was finished with you."
Lexa was taken aback, the truth of Clarke's word clearly written in her angry blue eyes. This wasn't just someone speaking out of anger, these were the blonde's true feelings.
The commander realized that Clarke Griffin loved one person, and if that man had died, Lexa would have paid dearly for it. She could see the rage and betrayal that flickered across Clarke's features, and knew that there was no coming back from what she'd done.
"So, I meant nothing to you", she asked quietly.
"You MEAN nothing to me", Clarke answered, her head held high and her shoulders straight, "You wanted me to be a leader, Lexa. Well, I will gladly oblige you. The alliance WILL stand because I think you know by now that I'm capable of anything. Our peoples will trade, and there will be no bad blood between our clans. However, our friendship is null and void. I owe you nothing, and you owe me everything. You are in my debt, Lexa, and I will never forget that."
Bellamy watched as the two women exited the counsel chamber. It was very clear who'd come out on top during their very loud discussion, as Lexa came forth with her head hung low.
Clarke, on the other hand, walked out into the sunlight like a warrior princess. Her blue eyes still sparked with rage, and her back was ramrod straight. Her stance spoke of her defiance, and he could tell that she'd fought and won.
"What happened", Abby asked of her daughter.
"Lexa gained an understanding of how our alliance will work in the future", Clarke answered.
"What do you mean, Clarke?"
"I mean that she owes me everything, her life and those of her people. I simply reminded her of this. She wanted me to be cold and unyielding, and now she's gotten her wish. She knows that I can and will make the hard choices in order to protect my people."
Abby watched her daughter go, a strange mixture of pride and unease swirling in her chest. She could tell that Clarke was grown, and any traces of the little girl she'd once been were long gone.
It saddened her that her daughter had been forced to grow up so quickly, but at the same time she was proud of the woman she'd become. No one was perfect, and Clarke would bear the scars of her actions, but her mother couldn't help but believe that the girl would do it all over again.
Clarke walked to Bellamy's chambers, her heart strangely light. It had felt good to see the uncertainty in Lexa's eyes- to see how her words hit their mark. The commander's betrayal had come as a painful shock, but not for the reasons many would assume.
Clarke had spoken the truth when she said Lexa meant nothing to her. She didn't care what happened to the Trikru heda as long as the alliance stood. Her betrayal had put Bellamy in danger, and that was something the blonde would never forgive her for.
She entered the room, finding Bellamy seated on the bed with Bryce sprawled on the mattress before him. They were deep in discussion about the new cabin, the older man telling the boy all about the meadow.
Suddenly the little boy's face grew thoughtful, and he sat up to stare at his hero.
"Bewamy, who was that lady that Momma was talking to?"
"That was the Grounder heda, Lexa", he answered.
"She's scary", the little boy said with a cringe.
"Not nearly as scary as your Momma. She would never let anyone hurt you, including Lexa."
"That's right, my little love, Momma won't let anything happen to you", Clarke said finally as she entered the room.
"Momma", the little boy cried excitedly as he wrapped his arms around her.
"How did it go", Bellamy asked.
Clarke turned to him, her gaze hard. "I think she knows where I stand."
"Good."
They spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Bryce and talking about the cabins. As they spoke, Clarke sketched out several plans. They'd decided to speak to Wick about dimensions and specifics to make sure that everything was just right.
"We'll have to see if Raven can make some hand saws. We'll need them when we start cutting down trees", Bellamy said from where he was sprawled on the floor next to Bryce.
"Yes, and we'll need furniture too. Beds, chairs, tables", Clarke supplied.
"That sounds doable. We can make mattresses out of hides, but we'll have to find something to stuff them with."
"That shouldn't be a problem. Do you think more people will start moving outside of camp", Clarke asked.
"The Arkers, no. The 100, I believe will get tired of living like teenage prisoners. They'll be ready to be on their own again before too long."
"O said that she and Lincoln are thinking about moving out there with us."
"It would be nice to have them close. That's three cabins so far", Bellamy mused.
"How long will it take to build them?"
"We'll need to start soon. It's already starting to drop down close to freezing at night and the days are becoming cooler too. Winter will be here before we know it."
"We start tomorrow then", Clarke said with a smile.
"Sounds good to me, Princess", Bellamy replied with an answering smile.
Thanks for reading! Please drop me a review if you've got time! I love hearing from y'all! :)
Wright: Thank you so much for the review! It's going to take a while for Clarke to start living in the present. I think I know someone who can help, and he's got gorgeous black curls and the most dashing freckles! lol Bellamy is going to take things slow. He's used to all the one-night stands, and he doesn't ever want Clarke to feel that she's just another conquest. He's also got Bryce to think about. If he comes into their lives, then it's going to affect his little mini-me too. I'm glad you thought the whole "carrots" thing was funny! I was giggling out loud while I wrote it, but I also had the image of one of my kiddos I babysit saying it and that made it so much funnier lol I'm thrilled you caught on to Monty's predicament! I figured that Jasper would be angry at his friend, but it would be easier for him to shove all of his anger and hatred onto Clarke. So poor Monty is stuck in the middle, but he may decide that he's tired of being the monkey in the middle! We'll just have to wait and see! ;) As always thank you so much for your kind words and your support! :)
