Ok, guys! New plan! I finally figured out what's been causing so much trouble. I hated where I was taking this story, and going the way I was I would never have finished! Now I've got a new perspective, and we're going to try a new route. This chapter is pretty much the same, but the ending is significantly different. So, I hope you guys don't just absolutely hate me for switching gears at this stage in the game, but I want to do my best for you and I really want this story to be something worth reading. So, without further ado, please enjoy!

Chapter 15

The months passed, and Clarke found herself enjoying the meadow more and more. Bellamy's leg had fully healed, and she'd proclaimed him free of the crutch about two and a half months ago. He'd been overjoyed and now he was out and about nearly every day hunting and scouting out new building sites.

Winter thawed into spring, bringing with it warmer temperatures and green grass. Bryce played outside all day every day, coming in dirty and tired in the waning afternoon light.

She spent her days doing laundry, cooking, and spending time with her sister-in-law. If the two young women had been close before, they were doubly close now. Octavia had been teaching her to sew, and she'd been teaching her about medicine.

The two couples had dinner together three nights a week, where they would chat and play games. When the snow had made it nearly impossible to do much else, they'd all huddled in one cabin or the other and listened to Bellamy's stories.

However, snow was no longer a worry as the skies cleared and flowers bloomed. The warm air drifted through the open windows at night, and all was peaceful.

Clarke woke the morning of her fourth month-iversary, stretching with a yawn. She opened one eye to find Bellamy staring at her. His dark eyes were sparkling with mirth and his black curls were wild.

"Morning handsome", she said with a sleepy smile.

"Morning. You sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Helping you break ground for Raven and Wick's cabin yesterday nearly did me in", Clarke said with a smile.

She watched as Bellamy's expression grew serious, "You need to take care of yourself. You're allowed to rest, Clarke, I'm no slave driver."

Clarke looked into his serious eyes, knowing that she didn't deserve this wonderful man. Before she could comprehend what she was doing, her lips captured his.

At first, the kiss was sweet but it soon turned passionate. Bellamy's hands sent a trail of fire down her arms, and she could feel herself losing control so she quickly pulled back.

"I can't", she said, her voice sounding hoarse and foreign to her ears.

She watched as Bellamy's gaze shuttered, and he quickly turned away from her. She pulled the coarse bedding up to her chest, trying to shield herself from the hurt she'd seen written in his gaze.

"Bell, I'm…"

"Don't say it, Clarke. I apologize, I should have known you weren't ready."

She watched as he dressed quickly, and then he was gone. The quiet thud of the front door closing thundered in Clarke's ears, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

The last thing she'd ever wanted to do was hurt her husband. She'd been so dead set on protecting her heart from losing him that she'd driven him away. That thought was a painful one, and in that moment she knew it was time.

It was time that she showed her husband how much she cared- time for them to take their relationship to the next level. The thought both excited her, and terrified her at the same time.

Clarke jumped from the bed, dressing quickly as she went over all of the things she wanted to have done before Bellamy came home that afternoon. She wanted to have the house clean, dinner cooked, and her apology prepared.

She pulled the sheets from the bed, and gathered the dirty clothes from the new wood plank floor, just one more reminder of how wonderful her husband was. She checked on Bryce, and then went out to the river.

Clarke found Octavia already kneeling beside the babbling stream, her baby bump already beginning to show.

"Good morning, O", Clarke said quietly as she knelt beside her friend.

"Alright, spill it. I already saw my brother march off to the building site like his tail was on fire. What's going on between you two?"

"We almost…"

"Clarke that's great", Octavia gushed.

"I didn't go through with it."

"Oops", O said with a cringe.

"I guess he thinks I don't trust him, but I do. I'm just terrified that the moment we get close that something will happen to him. He's not Finn, O. I can't live without Bellamy. That will be a tragedy I fear I'll never come back from", Clarke said, her head hung low.

Octavia stared at her friend, a soft smile playing across her lips.

"Clarke, life is always uncertain. We have to take the time we're given with those we love and make the most of it."

"I know, that's why I need you and Linc to keep Bryce tonight. I have some apologizing to do."

Octavia simply nodded, not wanting to embarrass her friend with her thoughts of"Finally!" and "It's about time!"

The two women went back to their washing, turning when they heard Bryce come tearing out of the house at a break neck pace.

"Morning, Momma! Morning Auntie O", the little boy called.

"Good morning, sweet boy", Clarke grinned as she hugged her son.

Then he was off again, skipping through the tall grass and swinging sticks like imaginary swords as he fought an invisible villain.

"Maybe if tonight goes well, you'll get another one of those", O said with a smirk.

Clarke's eyes grew round, "I didn't even think about that!"

"Yep, a kid with my brother's hair and your eyes would be the cutest thing ever. Well, except for the bun I've got in the oven", O grinned.

Clarke rolled her eyes, and then went back to her washing. As soon as they'd gotten everything clean, the two women hung the wet things on their shared line to dry.

The blonde then returned to her cottage, grabbing the broom her husband made for her a few short weeks ago and swept her nice plank floors. She dusted, cleaned the newly installed windows, and then began to plan what she would make for supper.

She'd just begun to gather her ingredients when a knock sounded on her door. She opened the portal, finding two burly Arkers standing on her doorstep.

"I'm sorry, but Bell's not here at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?"

Before she could move the two men grabbed her, and began to drag her across the yard and into the woods. Bryce saw the men taking his mother, and ran at them with a stick.

The men knocked the little boy aside, which immediately made Clarke fight harder. She got in two good kicks, and she knew she'd broken one of their noses with her thrashing.

"Bryce", she called, "Go home."

She watched as understanding lit in the little boy's eyes, and he quickly rose from the dirt and took off back to the cabins.

Octavia had heard the noise, and came out in enough time to see two men dragging Clarke away and Bryce running back from the woods. The little boy's features were etched in fright, and his breath was coming in quick little gasps.

She knelt before her nephew, placing a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Bryce, I need you to find Bellamy and Uncle Linc. Tell them what happened. Tell them I'm following the Arkers and I'll leave them a trail. Now run!"

Octavia didn't wait to see if Bryce took off, instead she started the way she'd seen the two men taking Clarke. She broke a branch here, turned over a rock there, knowing Lincoln would pick up on it.

All the while she ran, she worried. When she and Lincoln had left Camp Jaha, there had been some bad feelings towards Clarke but she'd never thought they would take it this far.

Raven told her when she last visited that Mel had been inciting the parents of the 100 against Clarke, saying that she would only lead their children to their deaths. Then when the kids had begun to talk of moving out to the meadow, and away from the safety of camp, this only seemed to fuel the fire of hatred.

Octavia felt guilt burning in the pit of her stomach, she should have told her brother about the unrest in Camp Jaha. She should have warned him of the possible danger. Instead, she'd kept quiet and now her best friend was in trouble.

Bellamy had worked hard all morning to forget Clarke's actions earlier that day. He could still see the fear in her eyes, and it sickened him to think that she was afraid of him.

He shook his head; bring himself back to the present. He was just about to show Jasper his home site when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned in just enough time to see Bryce run into the clearing.

Bellamy ran to intercept the little boy, taking in the scratches and scrapes littering his arms and face. His clothes were dirty, and his brown eyes were filled with fear.

"Momma…", the little boy cried.

"What's happened Bryce", Bellamy asked, his voice strained.

He heard Lincoln approaching, the other man worried for his own wife.

"They took her!"

Bellamy's blood froze in his veins, and he took off at a dead run back to the cabin he and Clarke shared. He found it empty, signs of a struggle marking the dirt that spread out before the doorway.

"Raven", Bellamy yelled.

The dark haired woman appeared, her features worried and her arms outstretched ready to take Bryce from him.

"Keep him safe. Men, you're with me!"

Bellamy followed Lincoln as the Grounder followed the trail O had left for them. They ran for what felt like forever, then a pain filled scream ripped through the air.

"Clarke", Bellamy whispered brokenly before running in the direction of the sound.

He burst through a clearing, stopping in his tracks at what he saw. A group of at least thirty Arkers stood around two tall pines. Tethered between the two trees was Clarke.

Bellamy rushed forward, taking in how her shirt barely covered her skin. The material was in shreds, bloody, and covered in dirt. Long bloody welts marred the skin of her back, and wrapped around her ribs. Her legs had long ago ceased to support her weight.

"Lincoln", came the Rebel's tortured cry.

He cut the ropes, and Clarke fell forward. He caught her, the moan that escaped her lips tearing at his heart. Before he had time to assess the extent of her wounds, his brother-in-law was there.

"Take her and get her back to our cabin. I need to deal with things here", Bellamy croaked.

However, a strangled moan from the woman he loved stopped him.

"Bellamy", she said, her voice filled with pain, "I…I…"

"Shhh", he soothed, smoothing her dirty blonde hair back from her face, "You're safe. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

He watched as Lincoln left, the Grounder's gaze searing all in its path. Then the Rebel turned to address the crowd. Before he could get a word out, Mel came sprinting towards him.

"Bellamy, thank goodness! Where's Clarke", she asked.

"She's safe. Do you know what happened here?"

"No, I have no idea", the girl said innocently.

"I heard otherwise", Bellamy growled.

"Look, Bellamy she's bewitched you! She's lied to all of us", Mel cried, her voice growing louder with each word.

"Clarke did not bewitch me! I love her!"

"You think you do, but she's manipulated you Bellamy. Just likes she's done to the 100. You all follow her blindly, and she's going to lead you to your deaths."

Bellamy stood, eyes wide and anger burning in his chest at the woman's words. Then he raised his voice, menace and rage dripping from each syllable.

"What happened here today is a disgrace to your children! They were sent here to die, but they survived all because of the woman whose life you so selfishly tried to take! She's saved more lives than any of you could imagine. The things she's done, she did simply to protect her people- your loved ones. You should be ashamed of yourselves, and so thankful that I love her enough to know that my making you suffer would not be what she would want. However, at the moment that's all I can fathom. So, go back home where you belong before I change my mind", he finished with a savage snarl.

He watched as the mob began to disperse, their heads hung low in shame. He caught sight of Mel trying to leave with them and caught her arm.

"You, on the other hand, are not going anywhere. I don't love you, never have and I never will. You were nearly the cause of my wife's murder and I won't be forgetting that any time soon. I suggest you run so far that I can't find you because if I ever do, there will be no second chances."

Bellamy put her away from him, watching her stagger at the force of his action. He didn't miss the look of rage in her eyes, but he knew that his own burned far brighter.

After she disappeared, he took off back towards his cabin. Worry assailed him and all he could think was that he would lose Clarke. He could hear the rest of the guys from the 100 close on his heels, but he just kept going.

When he finally made it back to the cabin, he ran for his and Clarke's room. Her moans filled the air, an occasional scream piercing the quiet as Lincoln cleaned her wounds.

She thrashed wildly, her pain taking her to a place of delusion and torment. Suddenly she grew still for a moment, and he gave a sigh of relief but then she was screaming again.

"Bellamy! No, please! Bellamy!"

Bellamy rushed forward, shoving past Lincoln where he fought to keep Clarke stabilized so she wouldn't harm herself. He sat down on the mattress beside her, taking her bruised hands and rubbing soothing circles on her palms.

She quieted immediately, her movements stilling at the sound of his voice.

"Shhh, sweetheart. I'm here", he soothed, "I'm here."

Bellamy stayed there, holding her hands as Lincoln worked. She would twitch or moan, but the screaming and thrashing had stopped. He looked at O and found his sister standing in the corner of the room with tears streaming down her cheeks.

After the Grounder had finished, he left so that Octavia could help Bellamy change Clarke's clothes. After she was in a clean pair of his shorts, lying on her stomach with bandages wrapping around her torso, Bellamy hugged his sister.

"She's going to be fine, O", he whispered.

"How could they do this to her? Don't they understand?"

Bellamy held his sister close, his watchful gaze trained on his wife.

"People attack what they don't understand. Those people weren't here with us. They didn't see the sacrifices she made to keep us all alive. They didn't see the dark circles beneath her eyes, or the trembling of her hands. They didn't see the fear in her eyes, or hear the uncertainty in her voice. We did, O, and we have to make them understand."

Just then the door to the bedroom burst open and Abby came rushing in. The loud noise woke Clarke, a low moan tearing from her throat as she struggled to rise.

Bellamy glared at Abigail Griffin, moving immediately to comfort Clarke. He urged her to stay put, helping her to lie back down. She complied, her raspy voice drifting to his ears in a barely audible whisper.

"Bellamy", she slurred.

"Yeah, Princess. I'm here", he said as he smoothed the hair from her face.

"Sore", she croaked.

"I know, baby, just lie still", he crooned.

Then he turned to Abby, his soft tone a sharp contrast to his granite features.

"What are you doing here?"

"We heard, and…"

"Lincoln's seen to her, there's nothing more for you to do", Bellamy replied, cutting her off.

Abby's temper flared, "Don't you dare pin this on me, Bellamy Blake! This isn't my fault!"

She watched as the young man stood, his hand gently untangling from her daughters hair before wrapping almost painfully around her arm. He said nothing, simply dragged her from the room and out of the house. He finally stopped after the night surrounded them, whirling on her with anger filled eyes.

"Keep quiet! She's suffered enough without your screeching disturbing her. Yes I do and will blame you! You could have stopped this, chancellor", he spat.

The woman stared at him, his words sinking in.

"I didn't know this was what they were planning. Mel's been stirring the pot, but I thought surely they wouldn't go so far as to take justice into their own hands", she sighed.

"People are capable of any and all evils. I should have been notified of the disturbance so I could have taken precautions to keep my family safe. Instead my son had to watch his mother be dragged from our home, and now my wife will bear even more scars as a reminder of her choices. I'm going back to her. You go back and settle your people. Make sure they understand that any other threats will be severely punished. I will not show mercy next time."

Abby stared at her son-in-law, seeing for the first time why so many people feared him. As he walked away, a chill ran down her spin and his words echoed in her ears.

The young man looked like a roaring inferno, ready to burn through her camp. She didn't doubt his words, and she pitied anyone who crossed him. She watched as Marcus approached, his features stern and worried.

"You hear that", she asked.

"Yes, every word. If we're not careful Blake will start a war we won't be able to contain. He's an asset when he's fighting for us, but against us I fear he would bring Camp Jaha to its knees."

"We have to handle this carefully, Marcus, and I'm not just saying that because those fools harmed my daughter. I had no idea what my son-in-law was capable of, but I believe I got a glimpse of it. I don't want to see our home leveled because of the stupidity of a few."

"Let's do as he says and go back to camp. We'll call a meeting of the counsel and discuss how best to handle this. You can come back in a few days when Clarke is more rested and Bellamy has calmed."

Abby nodded, following Marcus back the way they'd come.

Bellamy entered the dim room, barely making out his sister's form where she stood near the bed.

"You should get some rest", he said quietly.

"This is my fault", Octavia answered, tears evident in her voice.

"No, Octavia. There is nothing…"

"I knew", she whispered.

"What do you mean you knew", Bellamy asked, his tone filled with confusion.

"I knew about the unrest at Camp Jaha. Things were already stirred up before Lincoln and I left. I should have told you, Bell, I'm sorry."

Bellamy stared at his sister. He wanted to be angry with her, wanted to blame someone for this terrible thing. However, he couldn't do that. He gripped her shoulders loosely, turning her to face him.

"This is not your fault. If anyone is responsible, it's Mel. She incited the mob, and she put it into their heads that Clarke was a threat. None of this is on you. This was their choice."

Bellamy felt his sister's arms wrap around his waist, and he pulled her close. He buried his face in her hair, trying to calm his fraying nerves. The door to the bedroom opened and Lincoln stepped inside.

He checked on Clarke, and then took Octavia into his arms.

"You need rest, my love", he spoke quietly.

The young woman nodded, tears still making slow tracks down her cheeks. Just as they were about to leave, Clarke groaned. She struggled to sit up, wincing at every movement.

"Bellamy", she whispered.

The room was dark, and her eyes fought to adjust. Fear settled upon her like a heavy blanket, and panic took over.

"Bellamy", she cried, fighting through the sheets, trying desperately to move from the bed.

What if something had happened to him? What if… She couldn't think about that. She had to get to him.

Clarke was just about to give in to the wave of panic that crashed over her when a pair of gentle hands settled on her arms. She knew those hands, had spent countless hours memorizing ever callous- every line.

"Bellamy", she said, her voice broken.

Her hands moved of their own accord to grasp the material of his shirt. Her back and sides felt like they were on fire, but she needed to know that he was safe and unharmed.

"Are you hurt?"

It was too dark for her too see the shocked expression that flitted across his features, but the warm tone of his voice soon settled her racing heart.

"No, Princess, I'm fine. Just lay back down. You took a nasty beating. Do you remember?"

Clarke nodded, moving to do as he'd asked. The minute her head hit the pillow another thought surfaced. Bryce!

"Bellamy, where is Bryce? Is he ok", she asked, fear once again gripping her heart.

"I'll go get him, you just rest."

Bellamy turned to go, leaving his wife in the capable hands of his sister and brother-in-law. He moved out into the main room, finding Raven sitting in the rocker and Wick sitting against the wall.

He looked to the dark haired woman and found his son nestled in her arms, his little face relaxed in sleep. He sighed, knowing things could have been so much worse that day. He'd nearly lost Clarke and that thought alone was enough to make his heart constrict painfully in his chest.

"Thanks for watching him", Bellamy whispered as he took the sleeping child from Raven's arms.

"He was no trouble", Raven replied with soft smile as she and Wick stood to leave.

Bellamy carried Bryce into the other room, watching as Clarke's bright gaze lit on their son. He could see the way her chest expanded at her sigh of relief. He placed the boy on the mattress between them, and then moved to ready for bed.

Clarke carded her hand through Bryce's hair, letting the silky curls slip through her fingers as she watched her husband. He seemed bone weary, just as weary as she felt.

When he finally climbed into bed, she moved her hand from Bryce's hair to Bellamy's. She massaged his scalp, smiling as he groaned appreciatively. He lay on his back, his eyes closed, with one hand lying on Bryce's back.

Clarke watched as his lashes fluttered, and his dark gaze roved over her features. The brown depths were serious, the fear and anger once again flaming to life.

"I could have lost you today", Bellamy growled.

"But you didn't", she whispered.

"Princess when I saw what they'd done to you, I don't know what kept me from slaughtering them all", he replied, his words harsh and self-deprecating.

"Bell, you're a good man. I know you, and I know that you aren't one to allow yourself to be governed simply by emotions."

"Clarke, I could have…"

"I know what you could have done, sweetheart, but you didn't. You remained in control like the amazing leader that I know you are."

Clarke felt his head turn beneath her fingers, his hand moving from Bryce's back to her cheek. His thumb stroked gently over her skin, the warmth of his palm making her feel safe and adored.

"Get some sleep, Princess", Bellamy said finally, "You've had a rough day."

"Night", Clarke said with a smile as she closed her eyes, Bellamy's warm hand enveloping her own the last thing she felt before sleep claimed her.

Thanks for reading! Please review! I hope you guys will like the new direction I'm taking us in! :) Another chapter will be up ASAP!