Author's Note: I apologize my dearest friends for taking over a week to update! I was struggling with writer's block about how I wanted to proceed now that the season is over. There have been some small plot changes in this chapter versus the tv show and you will continue to see more changes in order to keep this story going during the hiatus. I have yet to decide when and where this story will finally end up but it's always in the back of my mind but I don't see it happening any time soon so fear not! Again, please forgive me for taking so long to update with this chapter and know that your support means the world to me!

(CLARKE)

She ran as if her life depended on it, which it did as the Grounders would surely kill her now that she had taken the life of one of theirs'. It was night and the trees overhead covered the moonlight making it difficult to see where she was headed. More than once, Clarke stumbled over tree roots and she felt clumsy in her own body.

Clarke knew she needed to be careful but there was a panicked feeling crawling up into her throat that pushed her harder and harder until she was running purely on fear and not the usually logic and reason that sustained her.

Bellamy.

She had to get back to Bellamy.

That Grounder said that her friends would be killed in the morning and she would never see them again. She had to hurry and warn them before it was too late. Before she lost anyone else that she loved.

The thought pushed her harder and she felt like she was flying through the forest as she ran. If she hadn't been so focused on saving her dysfunctional family, maybe she would have seen it.

Clarke found herself hanging upside down from the trap before she knew what had hit her.

"No, no!" she found herself crying, the tears fell with gravity towards the ground, wetting her forehead and hair as they leaked from her eyes.

She had failed her people. She had failed to save them all.

Each of the remaining Hundred's faces flashed before her eyes before settling on the one that meant the most to her. Bellamy's freckled one appeared foremost in her mind, smirking with his arrogance as his eyes flashed with love for her.

Clarke would give her life, the very air from her lungs, to save him.

His words from earlier in the day haunted her.

Watch where you step.

(BELLAMY)

Bellamy was losing it, slowly but inevitably.

He could feel the camp's fear pressing down on him while his sanity and temper were suffering for it. The Grounders could attack at any moment and the woman he loved had been taken. On top of that, Monty went missing on his watch.

He never felt like such a failure as he did in that moment.

Raven and Jasper were working on burying their newly created landmines as the rest of the camp was building structures that would allow for better coverage during the upcoming battle. It had been a hard night for everyone, knowing that they had lost more people but Bellamy knew that if they slacked off, the Grounders would level this place to ashes.

It didn't stop him from worrying about Clarke and her well-being, wondering if he was making the right decision by not going after her. Bellamy could only hope that she was still alive since Grounders didn't kill her on sight yesterday. It was a slimmer of hope that he held on to in his darkest moments.

It didn't stop him from feeling like a ticking bomb though, slowly counting down before it blew up in everyone's face.

"Come on. These foxholes aren't gonna build themselves. Better hope those landmines work. All the gunpowder we're wasting, we could be making more grenades." He growled at Raven, still pissed at her for distracting him when they should have looked for their missing people. For Clarke.

"You want to come over here and test one?" she snapped back at him.

"Cute. I need this entire section mined by morning. Then you finish the south field."

Raven stood up abruptly at this announcement and stormed over to him, getting into his face, "Hey…I told you, we're going after Finn, Clarke, and Monty in the morning."

His fists clenched in pain at the sound of Clarke's name coming from this girl's lips, "And I told you, nobody leaves this camp."

Bellamy turned his back on her and was about to walk off when Raven grabbed his arm and swung him back around to face her.

"I'm talking to you. We can't just abandon our people. You want to lead them, show them you give a damn." She sneered at him as if disgusted by his lack of concern for the others.

He wanted to tell her that of course he cared and that it was killing him to not go after their missing. Bellamy would give anything to save Clarke, but he had responsibilities to the camp and the remaining group. He felt like a piece of him had broken inside and his sanity was slipping out through the crack.

Before he could say any of that, a gunshot sounded off behind him and he whirled around to find Tim, a guard, fumbling with his rifle. "Hey...What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I'm sorry, man. I fell asleep. I've been on watch all day." Tim stumbled over his words in the face of Bellamy's thunderous expression.

He grabbed the boy by his jacket and pushed him hard against the tree, "We've all been on watch all day! That bullet was one less dead Grounder."

"Bells, you're scaring people." Octavia called from over his shoulder, tension running through her voice.

He turned to face the crowd that had gathered around them. "They should be scared! The bomb on the bridge bought us some time to prepare, but that time is up! The Grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave and picking us off one by one when we do!"

Bellamy watched as the fear showed plainly and he knew that they were slowly starting to realized how perilous of a situation faced them. They were delinquents that would have been given an almost certain death sentence on the Ark and still, the idea of actually dying still scared them. He knew he needed to rally the troops so that they would fight like their life depended on it, because it did.

"Clarke..." his voice cracked on her name and he had to stop for a second to collect himself before continuing on, "Clarke, Finn, and Monty are gone. If you want to leave, I can't stop you, but no guns are leaving this camp! This camp is the only thing keeping us alive! Get back to work!"

He walked off towards the drop ship, his back straight and his head held high, presenting the strong leader image that they desperately needed to see in order to soldier on.

Yet, inside he was dying.

(CLARKE)

She didn't know how long she hung there, upside down from a tree, the breeze gently swaying her body back and forth. Clarke had tried to free herself, but she was unable to pull herself up enough to grasp her ankle and untie the knots holding her in place. There was also the danger, falling at such a high distance, that she would break a bone or crack her head.

Clarke debated calling out for help but finally decided to risk it, as the Grounders would just find her sooner or later. Maybe she would get lucky and one of her own people would be out searching for Finn and her.

Finn.

She choked up when she thought of him. He had done everything he could to protect her and she had failed to do the same in return. The image of Finn being dragged off to his death was forever burned into her mind.

Shoving that memory as deep in her mind as she could, she yelled for help till her throat burned and her voice cracked.

"He..lp. Ple..ase…"

Clarke started to get excited when a figure appeared in the distance. It was too dark to make out the details but there was definitely someone there, walking towards her.

She grew cold as the person drew closer and she realized she was staring down at a Grounder. The man was wearing a mask so she was unable to make out his face. However there was something oddly familiar about him, she just was unable to put her finger on it.

"Clarke."

That voice. She knew that voice!

Relief filled her and she gave a hesitant smile, "Lincoln."

(BELLAMY)

He stared down at his war map without really seeing it. The pieces placed just so to represent all the work that they had accomplished for their defenses. Nevertheless, Bellamy could only think about all that they had already lost. Who they had already lost.

Myles, the boy they did manage to rescue, was lying down inside, moaning with pain from his wounds. Octavia had done what she could for him but she wasn't the healer that Clarke was. All they could do was pray and wait.

Bellamy glanced at the boy, wondering why he was left behind but Clarke and Finn weren't. A small selfish part of him blamed the boy for what happened. He knew it wasn't fair and that Clarke would disapprove, but he couldn't help how he felt.

Jasper walked inside the drop ship, glaring at Bellamy with betrayal. It surprised him how much it hurt to see such a look on his friend's face. The fact that Jasper didn't trust his decisions made him feel sad and alone.

"Don't you think I want to go after them, too?" he asked Jasper, wanting him to understand.

"If it was you out there, you think Monty, Clarke, or Finn would hide behind these walls?"

He swallowed hard against the despair rising up. Bellamy knew that Clarke would go after him, no matter what the circumstances. He just didn't think that was the right choice as a leader. "No. They'd go after me. Then they'd be dead, too. I am doing what I think is right for the group."

"It's funny, you didn't think that way when Octavia went missing." Jasper retorted before he brushed past and set his gun down on the nearest surface.

"Where are you going?" he asked, knowing that there was still plenty of work that needed finishing before morning.

Jasper turned and mockingly saluted him, "More gunpowder for your minefield…Sir." With that, his friend turned and climbed the ladder and disappeared from sight.

"Water...please." muttered Myles, his voice weak.

"I'll get you some." Bellamy left the drop ship in search of water.

So focused on the task, he didn't notice Murphy slip inside after he left.

(CLARKE)

Lincoln released her from the trap, slowly lowering her to the ground as he held on to the rope. She was still in shock that her rescue came in the form of this man.

Once her feet touched the ground, she turned to him, "What…I mean…how? How did you find me?"

Clarke felt dizzy and confused, most likely because of the blood rushing to her head from her little trip, but she knew it was no accident that this particular Grounder had found her.

Lincoln shrugged and looked over his shoulder.

Clarke followed his gaze, locking her eyes onto someone she thought she would never see again except in her nightmares. She gasped, "Finn. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!"

Finn gave her a hesitant smile and she ran over, throwing her arms around his waist and pulling him close. Clarke held him tightly to her body, afraid to let go and find out that it was all in her head. Tears streaked down her face and she buried her head in his chest. He smelled like sweat and woods, with a hint of a scent that was purely his own.

He cupped the back of her head as he returned the embrace and she felt his lips press against her hair. "I don't understand how-" she murmured, her face pressed against his shirt.

"Lincoln saved my life. He killed one of his own people to do it." Finn whispered in her ear.

She went still as that piece of information worked itself into her brain. Lincoln had betrayed his tribe to help them.

Clarke eased out of Finn's clasp and turned to Lincoln. "Thank you. Thank you for saving us both. But…why are you helping us?"

"This can't just be about Octavia." Finn added sounding just as confused.

He stared off quietly and for a minute Clarke didn't think he was going to answer, but then he turned to her. "What my people are doing to yours is wrong."

They all shared a look with one another, silently understanding that Lincoln had chosen a side and it was with the Hundred. He had turned his back on his own people to help them.

"We need to hurry, others will be coming soon."

It was all they needed to hear and were soon running after Lincoln into the forest.

(BELLAMY)

He was walking back to the ship with a cup of water for Myles when he heard Jasper over the walkie-talkie. It came across as muffled at first but he could make out Murphy's voice, which was odd because he was supposed to be working near the south wall on a foxhole.

"-happen to me if you tell Bellamy." Murphy's voice came over the radio and he sounded panicked.

"Tell Bellamy what?" he responded, hoping to get this resolved quickly so they could all return to work.

It was silent for a moment. In that second Bellamy got a bad feeling and started to walk faster. There was something off in Jasper's voice that made him want to hurry back. Murphy's voice drifted from the walkie again. "Give me the radio, Jasper."

"Murphy has a gun. He killed Myles." Jasper rushed the words and there were sounds of a scuffle that abruptly cut out.

Bellamy heard gasps rising from those nearby as others heard the words on their own walkies and he could feel their eyes on him as he ran. "Murphy, what the hell are you doing?"

Faintly at first, he heard a cranking sound and it jolted him when he realized that the door to the ship was closing. By the time he arrived, it had already reached the halfway point and there was no way he could get inside. "Murphy! Murphy! Open the damn door!"

"You try to be a hero, Jasper dies."

And with those parting words, the door slammed shut.

(CLARKE)

The trio traveled south for a few miles running as fast as their feet would carry them, while trying to stay ahead of the Grounder war party that was chasing them. Lincoln had been right when he told them that they would be followed, but they had been enough of a head start that it would buy them some time.

Lincoln lead them to an opening, nearly hidden by overgrowth. It had wooden beams supporting the frame and it reminded Clarke of the mines that she had seen pictures of in her history books.

"Come on. In here." Lincoln pointed to the entry.

"What is it?" she asked him, staring at the pitch black cavity as if it would give her the answers she craved.

"Someplace they won't follow." Lincoln sounded so sure of the fact that it made Clarke hesitate at the entrance. Why wouldn't they risk going after them? What was Lincoln not saying?

"Wait…where does it lead?"

"Everywhere. There's a tunnel to your camp. If we make it through, we should get there before them. Go. Go!" he waved his arms as he kept glancing over his shoulder.

It was then that she heard the hoof beats against the hard packed earth and she knew that they had been found. Clarke quickly entered the tunnel and she felt Finn behind her as they stumbled in the darkness to get further inside.

She heard Anya shouting Lincoln's name in the distance and the sound of an arrow flying through the air towards them. There was a grunt of pain and Clarke knew that it had hit its mark.

(BELLAMY)

Octavia came running up behind him, fear blatant in her eyes. "I just heard Murphy has Jasper."

"Yeah. South foxhole done?" he asked, his tone struggling to remain emotionless. Bellamy knew that this would be hard on his sister so he had tried to keep her busy and away from the drop ship. Apparently, the rumor mill worked faster than he had anticipated.

She stared at him in shock. "What? Bellamy, my friend's in there with a killer."

Bellamy pulled her off to the side, lowering his voice to a whisper, "O, look around. No one's working. If the Grounders attack us right now, we're all dead."

Octavia barreled past him and stood in front of the door to the drop ship, shouting "Murphy! Murphy, if you even touch Jasper, I swear to God, you're dead."

"O, I got this."

She turned to glare at him, "Really? Because it doesn't look like you're doing anything about it."

No sooner than the words had flown from her mouth when Raven appeared bringing him the news he had waited for.

"Bellamy, you were right. There's a loose panel on the back. If I can pop it, we can get in through the floor." Raven glanced over at Octavia for a brief second before returning her gaze to Bellamy, waiting for his approval.

He nodded, "Good. Do it."

Raven left them alone but he didn't turn back to his sister. He was hurt that she had so little faith in him even if a part of him understood her anger. O thought that he was abandoning Jasper. She thought he had given up on Clarke as well.

"Sorry." Octavia whispered before stepping away.

Bellamy took a deep breath, knowing he needed stay calm for this next part, then pressed down on the button for the walkie, "Murphy, I know you can hear me. All our ammo and food is in the middle level. You know that. You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack. I can't let that happen."

"Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now." Murphy retorted.

"Come on, Murphy. You don't want to hurt Jasper. You want to hurt me. So what do you say? How about you trade him for me?" Bellamy knew that this was a gamble, but he wouldn't let anyone else suffer for his mistakes. He could only hope that Raven was able get those door back open after he was inside.

Octavia had apparently not gone far because she appeared at his side, grabbing his elbow. "No."

"All you have to do is let him go, and I'll take his place." He ignored his sister as he continued to bait Murphy. Bellamy needed to do this and he would not be dissuaded.

There was no answer for several minutes and he started to wonder if Murphy was even listening to him anymore. He was going to try again when Murphy finally said, "How?"

"Bellamy, if you do this, he'll kill you." Octavia tried pleading with him again.

"If I don't, he'll kill Jasper." he told her, wanting O to understand. She stared at him, looking stricken. Bellamy knew that she felt torn between saving both her brother and her friend.

He contacted Murphy again. "Simple. You open the door, I walk in, he walks out."

The door started to drop again and Bellamy knew Murphy had accepted his terms.

"Just you , Bellamy, unarmed. 10 seconds, or I'll put one in Jasper's leg." Murphy shouted at him from behind the door flap.

Bellamy pulled out his axe and rifle to hand over to one of his guards before giving Octavia the walkie.

"One"

He turned to his sister and pulled her into a hug, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time he saw her again. She whispered in his ear, "Raven will find a way to get you out."

"Two."

"I can handle Murphy" he told her.

"Three."

"Get everyone back to work. The Grounders are still coming." Bellamy pulled away from her to stand at the top of the entrance, just before the flap.

"Four...Five..."

"I'm here." he called out to Murphy before stepping inside. Bellamy had a glimpse of Jasper before he saw Murphy push him outside, his friend falling as he went.

He heard the door close behind him and Bellamy just hoped that he didn't just make a big mistake.

REVIEWS! Give it to me folks. Yell at me for being a slacker of the worst kind. Rave about the newest chapter and what you liked about it. Tell me what you're hoping to see in the future for my story. Or even just rant about the finale. I love to hear from everyone. From those that review every chapter and those that I haven't heard from since the beginning (are you guys even still here?). Love you all!

XoXo ~ Becky