Author's Note: I got nothing witty or awesome to say this time. So you'll just have to start reading my story already.
Wait, why are you still reading this? I told you to read the story. Hmph. Fine. Let me help you...
(CLARKE)
The pain of losing her mother threatened to consume her. So Clarke did the only thing she could think of.
She put it in a box.
It wasn't a real box. Just a trick that her mom had taught her when she was growing up when anything became too much.
Abby told her to imagine a box in her head, something hard and sturdy with a lock on it. Take whatever it was that was bothering her and shove it in there. Close it up tight and lock it. Don't think of the box or what's in it until she was ready.
Today was a day for the box.
She put all her energy on focusing on the immediate concerns of the Grounders and the upcoming winter.
They had already set up a group of workers to start the planning of buildings that would help keep them warm. Someone had remembered reading about the different type of housing structures that were used by the Native Americans and after some debate, it was decided that the best one to make was something called a longhouse.
A longhouse was built out of a pole frame with elm bark for covering. They could be built to house up to 60 people in just one of them, which meant that the Hundred would have to build two to house everyone.
Right now, they were gathering supplies and making plans on where to put the buildings but construction would start soon.
Bellamy had taken over security and defense for the camp as he was the most qualified with his guard training. He had recently started training hand-to-hand combat to several members of the Hundred and there were still gun training sessions. Clarke knew that there would be causalities if Grounders attacked so she focused on having enough supplies to be able to save as many as she could.
Her morning was spent categorizing and listing supplies in her notebook. She wanted a list of each plant's medicinal purposes and how much to use for each ailment. In case something happened to her, the rest would need to know what to do.
She was thankful that her medical training included plants, for the Ark always had the hope that they would one day return to Earth and would need to know. Whatever she didn't know, then Monty helped her figure out. He was a godsend for Clarke as he had a fondness for knowledge and had spent a lot of his extra time reading books back on the Ark.
So far they had found several plants that helped to sedate patients, relieve pain, reduce fever and a host of common uses. They were still looking for a specific herb to help prevent or reduce fertility.
Back on the Ark, women were fitted with IUDs once they experienced menstruation. They lasted up to 5 years before a new one was put in. Clarke had hers put in when she was 12 but by the time she was due to have another implanted, she was locked up.
The Ark didn't waste resources on people they intended to float.
Clarke figured that at least half the females still had their IUDs in place but the other half...there was the potential for pregnancies in the very near future.
After the first few days of their carefree attitude, Clarke had managed to convince the girls to be more careful and track their menstrual cycles to avoid having sex during ovulation. It wasn't a perfect system but it was all they had.
Clarke was thankful to have had her period a few days after having sex with Finn so she didn't have to worry about that particular mistake haunting her for the rest of her life.
However, she did have legitimate concerns about her and Bellamy's late night activities. She'd been as careful as she could be but accidents happen.
Another thought to put in the box.
(BELLAMY)
By the time he left his tent, both Clarke and Octavia were already up and about. He didn't want to get up yet and have that talk with Clarke. She had ducked out of it before this morning but they needed to get it over with.
Then maybe she could start the process of picking up the pieces of her broken heart because he knew that's what it would be when they were done. He just hoped she would let him help put her heart back together.
When he got outside, he could see everyone was in full swing of the day's chores. Bellamy went on the hunt for Clarke, knowing that she would go where she felt the most comfortable. The med bay area of the drop ship.
Bellamy took a moment to watch her when he arrived.
Clarke was compiling a list, if the notebook and pencil in her hands were anything to go by. That and she kept checking and re-checking the supplies. Her mouth moved silently, as if she was counting and she then would make a note in the pad.
"Princess."
Clarke didn't look at him immediately but he saw her pause in her count. She put down the pad and pencil on the table with shaky hands.
She knew why he was there.
"Don't say it Bellamy."
"We don't know for sure that your mom..."
"Please? Just stop? I can't do this right now."
Bellamy could hear the tears in her voice and he walked over to her, turning her around to face him. She had a tear running down her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Then what do you need love?"
"I need...I need..." she looked around the room, "...more supplies."
"Uh...I thought you already had enough." he gestured towards the supplies she had just been counting.
"That's just our regular supply. If we are at war, then we'll need more. We don't know what the Grounders can or will do."
Bellamy sighed, knowing that Clarke needed this and that he wasn't going to deny her. Especially when it served the dual purpose of keeping people alive and helping her control a small portion of her life.
"Princess, get your shit together. We're leaving in 10."
(CLARKE)
She almost had laughed when Bellamy had told her to get her stuff. It was the exact same words he had used last time they went on a trip alone together.
And that trip was the start of them.
Clarke knew it was Bellamy's way of telling her that he had her back and that she would be okay.
They left shortly after, walking towards the river so that Clarke could gather more seaweed and several plants along the way. It was to be a short trip as Bellamy was worried about the Grounders attacking them.
She spent her time looking for a weed that she had remembered in an old plant guidebook called smartweed. The leaves were supposed to be able to help stop implantation and was considered a natural birth control method. They would just need to boil it in some water and the women would need to drink it after they had...relations...for several days following.
Clarke didn't find it but she still had hope. It supposedly grew everywhere so it was just a matter of time.
Bellamy didn't let her linger long along the trail and soon they were at the river. He was twitchy and nervous about being out in the open. Pacing back and forth, his eyes trying to watch all directions.
"Hurry it up Clarke."
"I'm trying but your pacing isn't helping."
"Well I'm sorry but it's too dangerous to be out in the open here. We need to go. Now."
Clarke wanted to get more seaweed but she didn't want to push her luck with Bellamy. The more time she took, the more pissy he got. It was was just how he ticked. She knew it was because he was trying to protect but it didn't mean that it didn't annoy her to a degree.
Soon enough, they were headed back and the closer they got to camp, the more relaxed Bellamy got.
That was until she saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye.
(BELLAMY)
When he saw Clarke's head suddenly whip to the side, he knew immediately that shit was about to go down. He just needed to make sure Clarke was safe first.
He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "You need to run now Princess. And don't look back, no matter what."
Bellamy could see the fear in her eyes and he wished he could erase it for her. Tell her that they would be okay but instead, he gave her a quick kiss and pushed her towards the camp.
"Run Clarke."
He saw her hesitate before she turned and started sprinting. He aimed his gun in the direction that she had seen movement. After a second, he caught a flash of black and red but it looked like it was still off in the distance.
Bellamy waited a few minutes and when he didn't see any Grounders bursting through the trees, ready to attack him, he started walking again. He still felt uneasy, almost like he was being watched but still, nothing happened.
He knew that some of the camp's guards would soon be arriving. Clarke would've called for them the moment she got back.
He saw a flash of color and turned to see one of the Hundred looking back at him but it wasn't someone from camp. It was a face he never thought he'd see again.
John Murphy.
I got serious writer's block on this chapter and I'm not sure how much I like this chapter or if any of you will either. Just remember that I tried. I did veer off from the tv show obviously but am still using their plot points to a degree so it was harder to mesh this time around. A huge thank you to my B-Sis BrookyV for being my brainstorm buddy and helping me out!
Also, I did do some research on this and longhouses were used in the New England area by the Iroquois tribe as there are elm trees present there. AND, there is such a thing called smartweed that does exactly what I said it does. So...yeah. Yay for being smart and shit. LOL.