Author's Note: I've been thinking that I might take a few days break from the story. Wait…was that the sounds of groans across the world that I just heard? LOL. Seriously guys, most writers seem to take a day or two before posting a new chapter while I'm submitting one every day. And it's not easy writing 1500-2500 words a day, every day of the week. And are you guys still going to want to read this when I'm like 50+ chapters in? 100+ chapters? You see my dilemma?

If you tell me that you'll stick with me, even when I'm that many chapters in…then I will keep writing at this pace for as long as I can. Promise!

(CLARKE)

"No, no, no, no, no" she kept chanting the word as the tears streamed down her face. All she could see was smoke and fire in her mind. That, and the image of her mother's broken and bloody corpse lying in the wreckage.

A sob tore through her body and she was shaking, trying to pull in enough air but there just wasn't enough. There wasn't enough air. She couldn't breathe.

Clarke recognized that she was going into shock and hyperventilating, but found that she just couldn't summon up the ability to care. Her mother was dead. She had died thinking Clarke hated her and now it was too late.

Everyone that Clarke loved died. Wells, her father, and now her mother. Bellamy was all that she had left now. It made her want to lock him someplace safe.

Strong hands encircled her and distantly she heard soothing words whispered in her ear, telling her that she would be okay and to just breathe. She knew it was Bellamy that held her but she just couldn't stop shaking and crying.

After a long moment, he scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She buried her head against his shoulder and wept into his new shirt. Clarke knew she needed to calm down before she passed out so she tried to concentrate on his heartbeat. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. It finally distracted her enough that her breathing returned to normal.

Someone opened the tent flap for Bellamy when they arrived and they moved inside, away from prying eyes. He sat on the bed and just held her in his lap, rocking her back and forth while she cried. Clarke knew that Bellamy was worried about her but she just couldn't offer any words of reassurance to him.

Logically, she knew that Bellamy needed to go calm the Hundred. People were no doubt awake and wondering what was going on. She was selfish enough to be glad that he was here with her instead.

Time seemed to stop as she held onto Bellamy. Eventually, Clarke remembered that there were others that would be upset about this new development. There were several others that had a parent in the Guard or were part of the support staff that was to be on that ship.

"You should go out there. Talk to them. Organize a recovery party."

Clarke didn't say a search and rescue because there was no way that anyone could've survived that crash. Bellamy seemed to realize what she wasn't saying and his arms grew tighter around her.

"Miller can handle it."

"They need you Bellamy."

"So do you." Bellamy leaned back to look down into her face and she gave him a small smile. Her heart was breaking but she needed to step up and be a leader. And sometimes that meant putting others before her own selfish needs and wants.

"Always. But I'm a survivor."

He sighed, knowing when he was defeated. "Fine, but I'm sending Octavia in here."

Clarke shrugged, not wanted to fight him on it. He moved her off his lap and onto their bed where she proceeded to curl up on her side. She felt him smooth her hair back from her face and press a kiss to her forehead.

She didn't see him leave but heard the swish of the cloth to indicate that she was now alone.

(BELLAMY)

He hated to leave Clarke but she was right. Not something he usually liked to admit.

There was a large crowd gathered outside and he could hear the fear in their voices as everyone tried to sort out what happened.

"Yo, quiet down!" he yelled to the crowd. They immediately knew to shut up or he wouldn't tell them anything. "Most of you know by now that there was a drop ship coming down and that it crashed. I need several people to help go look for supplies and…bodies."

Bellamy heard a girl cry out and he nodded to one of his lackeys to handle it. The boy grabbed her gently by the elbow and led her off away from the others. They didn't need panic right now and lost loved ones tended to have that effect.

He left Monroe in charge of getting volunteers and went in search of his sister. He saw Octavia standing near the fire and pulled her aside.

"O, I need you to go to my tent and stay with Clarke."

Octavia gave him a puzzled look. "Uh…sure. But what's she doing there?"

Apparently his know-it-all sister wasn't aware of his little….demonstration…with Clarke earlier in the evening. Normally he'd have smirked and made a smart ass comment but now wasn't the time. He needed to make sure Clarke was taken care of before he left.

"She's staying there now."

His sister's eyes widened at that announcement. She started to open her mouth, he was sure with a smart ass remark of her own when he cut her off.

"And O," he paused for effect, "her mom was on that ship."

Octavia's mouth snapped shut. They both knew what it was like to lose a mother. She nodded and turned in the direction of his tent. He knew she would be there for Clarke. That the two of them had become close, almost like sisters, even if such a thing never existed on the Ark.

With Clarke in good hands, he went to Raven and Finn's tent. He was still pissed at the Spacewalker for putting Clarke in danger the other day but he needed his help. The boy was the best tracker they had and if by some chance that Clarke's mom was still alive, Bellamy would need his help to find her.

"Spacewalker. You're coming with."

Finn stepped out and crossed his arms over his chest in defiance. Raven quickly followed him out of the tent and looked back and forth between the two males.

"Why? You don't trust me and I don't trust you."

Bellamy scowled. "This has nothing to do with you and me. This is about Clarke's mom being on that ship."

Finn dropped his defensive position and looked uncertainly at Raven. She looked worried and Bellamy suddenly remembered that she was only down here because of Abby Griffin.

(RAVEN)

Abby was on that crashed ship?

Raven had only spent a short time with Clarke's mom but she knew that she was a better mom than hers had been.

She didn't know what the deal was between Clarke and her mom but she could only imagine what she was going through right now. Her and Clarke may be at odds because of Finn but she would never wish this on anyone.

"I'm coming with."

Finn turned to look at her. "Raven, no. It's not safe."

"Abby should've been with me when I came down here but she wasn't. She held off the guards so that I could launch the shuttle. I owe her everything! So yes Finn, I am coming."

Raven pushed past him and went to the tent holding the weapons and ammo. She knew the danger and wasn't going unarmed. If Abby was alive by some miracle, Raven was going to find her and no one was going to stop her. She owed her that much.

Finn trailed after her, looking concerned.

"Raven...

"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it."

She started loading up on bullets and grabbing several weapons for the trip. Everyone needed to be armed now that they were at war with the Grounders.

Raven offered a loaded riffle to him but he refused to take it. She stared at him.

"Are you serious? Finn, take the damn weapon."

"No. Guns aren't the only answer."

She rolled her eyes, tired of this argument. "Whatever."

Raven didn't want to hear it anymore. She loved Finn. He was her entire world yet she was not his world anymore and it hurt. It hurt every time she saw him watching Clarke. When he confided in Clarke and not her.

She wished she could fix them but maybe it was too late for that.

Giving Finn a last look, she turned around and left to join the others waiting at the gate. They were going to look for supplies and the bodies of loved ones. Raven just had one mission though.

Find Abby Griffin.

(BELLAMY)

After Raven brought the guns, the group set off in the direction of the crash. There were a total of 7 volunteers, including himself, Raven and Finn. Not a large group but hopefully enough to be able to hold off any Grounders that they might encounter.

It took them a few hours to reach their destination and they had to stop several times to rest. Despite their young age, they were used to being cramped on a space station which didn't a lot for a lot of exercise and now they were eating even less. It caused everyone to tire out more quickly.

Bellamy knew it wasn't their fault but the slow progress was gyrating on his nerves. He knew that the likelihood of anyone or anything surviving was slim to none. The time it was taking to get there, along with the initial explosion, nearly guaranteed it.

Yet he had to do this for Clarke. To give her closure if nothing else.

He knew they were close when he could start feeling the smoke getting into his lungs. Everyone was soon coughing as they inhaled more and more smoke. He tried to remember what they were taught on the Ark about fires. They happened so rarely due to the restrictions on the space station that it took him a minute.

"Quick, everyone pull out a bandage and pour water on it . Use it to cover your mouth and nose."

The group pulled out various sized bandages that were brought along with medical supplies in case it was needed. He was thankful that someone remembered it otherwise this trip would be over a lot quicker than than expected.

When they broke through the tree line, they were assaulted with more dense smoke and an almost unbearable heat.

But that wasn't what made the group stop and stare.

It was the sight of twisted metal coming out of a large sized crater in the earth filled with flames rising higher and higher, almost as if to reach for the sky. They all knew then that there would be no recovery mission of any sort.

I honestly had no idea that I was going to include a Raven POV when I started this chapter. But when I got to the part about finding Abby, I just KNEW that I had to include Raven. She feels she owes Abby for getting her to Finn and Raven is the type of girl that pays back her debts.

And did any of y'all see how I used the "I need you, we all need you" again but in reverse? Clever? Why yes, I do think so. LOL.