The sun was low in the sky by the time Finn returned to camp. He had taken the day to explore the woods and sort through his thoughts. Most of the morning was spent as far East from the hunting party as possible. He circled through what he thought might be the outer boundary of the grounders territory. Odd markings here and there hinted at something but he didn't want to get close enough to risk setting off traps.
He had enjoyed his time away from camp having received one too many hurt filled glances over the past few days from both Clarke and Raven. But he was at a loss for what he could do about it. He wanted to tell Clarke that everything he had said to her was still true. He wanted to tell her how he had never felt so connected to one person so quickly before. He wanted to say she was brave and beautiful. Mostly he knew he needed to say sorry.
Finn hadn't meant to deceive Clarke. He just was never one for sharing very much about himself. Everyone had someone back on the Arc, but rarely did they sit around and talk about it. Raven was a huge part of his world. A part he didn't realize he had grown away from until he met those blazing blue eyes and saw the sun kissed hair of Clarke Griffin.
And yet he wasn't ready to walk away from Raven either. She was bold, intelligent, and amazing in a hundred ways all her own. Finn had always prided himself on his ability to follow his heart. The only problem was that right now it was pulling him in too many different directions.
He pushed through the opening of the camp wall and was surprised when he didn't see the usual flurry of activity. Bellamy had divided everyone up with rather demanding workloads that they then spent most of the day trying to complete. There was an unspoken agreement that Finn was most needed outside of camp, getting a lay of the land.
He began to make his way to the drop ship figuring it to be the most likely location to find Raven or Clarke when a large group pushed through the West gate.
Guys and girls spread out through the camp handing out fruits and vegetables. Trailing behind the group were Clarke and Bellamy.
The two stopped walking shortly after passing through the gate and faced one another. It was clear that they were in the middle of one of their usual arguments. Arms alternated between being crossed and flying akimbo to make a point. At one particular remark from Clarke, Bellamy sighed deeply and raised his face towards the sky as if trying to call down patience. She continued with whatever she had to say, even poking him mid chest for emphasis. Bellamy then began to look around for something, his eyes falling on Finn from across the camp. Oddly enough, Bellamy's face split in triumph.
Finn could feel the superiority oozing from the man's very core as her turned back to Clarke. Whatever he said stopped the girl mid sentence. She too turned to face Finn, eyes wide, mouth hanging open in disbelief. Bellamy leaned over to whisper something in her ear for which he received the mother of all nasty looks. It only seemed to amuse Bellamy though.
Clarke said something then, her shoulders rising and falling in a mighty sigh. She turned to walk away only to be called back by Bellamy. He held out one of the sacks he was holding which Clarke took with what looked to be a muttered thanks. They turned their separate ways and Finn realized with a start that not only was the argument over, but that Bellamy had been carrying Clarke's bag.
Finn abandoned his thoughts of finding either girl and opted for a much needed nap instead. It was after nightfall when the Ark called down. Finn had still been resting in his tent but Raven was on hand. She told him afterwards that Bellamy had been pardoned with the rest of them and that he and Clarke were headed for a FEMA bunker at first light. Finn wasn't surprised Clarke was taking Bellamy; the two of them had worked out a fairly efficient system for distributing supplies. He was worried however that she might be putting too much trust into someone who has proven to be dangerous and self serving.
It was therefore very shocking when the first thing she said to him when he found her preparing to leave the next morning was to ask "Did Bellamy send you?".
Finn idly wondered how things had changed so quickly that he would need Bellamy's orders to talk to Clarke?
"No- what? Why would he send me?"
"He was trying to make a point earlier about me not talking to my mom and pretending to be mad at you over Kane when really it's just because-" Clarke stopped herself mid sentence. When she risked a look up into his eyes and took a deep breath that's when he knew. Clarke wasn't mad at him for being involved with Kane.
She was upset about his being involved with her and Raven. His mind tumbled over all the things he had planned on saying to her but none of them seemed quite right in this moment.
Clarke looked at him then, really looked for the first time since Raven had come down. Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she couldn't see or didn't understand what she was searching for. Then the clouds passed as if she was just too tired to think about it anymore.
"We need to make a map, something anyone in the camp could read. It needs to show where we are, what's around us, and most importantly any known grounder borders."
Clarke was back to all business. Finn decided it was for the best. If he didn't have the words yet, why should he expect her to.
He fell into his usual smile with ease. "How can I help?"
"You tell me about the terrain, the landmarks, and I draw the maps." She paused and Finn saw there was more to this than just identifying the local landscapes. "I need to know about everything you have seen that is evidence of life- before and after the war."
"I can do that" Finn agreed easily but Clarke's face was still closed off. "What else do you need Clarke?"
She softened then, "I need you to tell me about Councilman Kane." Finn felt himself getting tense but Clarke stepped forward and placed her hands on his forearms. "We need to know who is dangerous and who we can trust down here. I believe the drop ship landed off course on purpose. You might know something that will make the difference between death and survival. Please?"
Finn couldn't ignore her soft plea no matter how much he may have wanted to.
It was agreed they would talk when she got back leaving time for the remaining 100 to speak with their parents. Finn even agreed to help Raven monitor the transitions between kids to ensure that everyone was indeed talking to his or her parents.
Clark found Bellamy shortly after finishing her conversation with Finn. "You know this is a day trip right?" She questioned as he handed her a knife.
"You can never be too careful. Ready to go?" At her nod, Bellamy turned on his heel and headed toward the West gate, making sure to pass by Octavia on the way out. He stopped in front of her and cupped the back of her head in his hand, stooping to make sure she was looking him directly in the eyes. "Be careful little sister and stay put!"
Octavia rolled her eyes but smiled when she answered "Alright big brother, and be safe yourself."
Bellamy led the way out of camp then but soon had to drop back; Clarke was the one with the coordinates of the shelter. It irked him only slightly more than what was rational that he had to ask for directions. "So which way princess?"
"We need to head South- West, it should be near a small river about twenty miles from here."
The walk settled into a comfortable silence after that. Both parties were lost in their own thoughts. Bellamy's mind drifted to the conversation they had with Jaha the night before. They had bargained with Shumway's identity to help earn his pardon. Clarke had added that the camp needed him, that Jaha had sent them to die but Bellamy had ensured their survival. It was an unexpected vote of confidence and appreciation. And yet, 300 souls were dead because of him. Charlotte, Wells, Atom, all dead from his irresponsibility.
He was ripped from his self condemnation by the shout of alarm that tore from Clarke's throat as she suddenly fell from his line of sight. Acting quickly he reached out to grab her, but unlike the last time this had happened all his hand found was air. They had been walking along the ridge of a steep hill when the ground gave way beneath Clarke's feet. Bellamy watched helplessly as she slid down the long embankment.
Clarke managed to turn her body so that she was sliding down on her back with her feet out ahead of her. Dirt and mud from the recent rains tumbled down with her. The ground was too slick; nothing she tried would slow her descent. She did her best to keep her head from hitting the ground until finally coming to a stop at the base of a tree. Clarke rolled to her hands and knees before falling back on her butt and staring up to where she had been only moments before.
Bellamy was already trying to make his way down when she called up to him. "Stay there!" At his hesitation she raised both hands to show him to stop, but also that she was unhurt. "Stay there, we might not find a way back up."
They followed the ridge as it stretched southwards. This was away from the direction they had wanted to go but Clarke was confident the ground would level out soon; after all Bellamy didn't look quite so high up now as he did five minutes ago.
Bellamy on the other hand was cursing Clarke's stubbornness. 'Why won't she just let me climb down there and help?' Ten minutes had passed when decided that if she didn't start making her way up in the next five, he was going down after her.
An odd noise in the distance interrupted his thoughts. It was almost a clapping sound, but deeper and thicker. So much so that the ground almost shook with it.
He turned towards Clarke with a sharp whistle. Once her blue eyes locked on his he placed one finger briefly over his mouth before cupping his hear in his hand. Clarke's head tilted as she pressed her ear closer to the top of the ridge. It was no use. He had seen her "what the crap Bellamy?" face far too often before and knew she couldn't hear anything.
The sound was getting louder and suddenly Bellamy flashed onto the old westerns he had watched back on the Arc. The sound was coming from the direction they were heading in. "There is a rider coming! Stay out of sight!"
"You mean like a horse?" She sounded so damn excited he wanted to slap her.
Bellamy ran off his options: hide behind a tree, hide in a tree, go over the ledge towards Clarke like he had planned on doing any way. Right. That last one should work. Except 1,000 pounds of pure muscle just burst through the trees ahead of him.
Okay, so the horse was freaking awesome.
The rider pulled the horse to a stop noticing Bellamy instantly. The bulky furs and skeletal mask did little to hide the fact the rider was small in stature. This was of course little comfort to Bellamy whose eyes were caught between the horse's large hooves and the sharp spear in the rider's hands.
Around him the earth had suddenly gone quiet. He felt the prickling of adrenaline in the tips of his fingers.
The horse reared but Bellamy forced his body not to flee.
As the massive beast crashed back to the earth the spear came flying.
Bellamy hit the dirt. A whoosh of air passed over his shoulder as he rolled to the left.
He didn't even take a full breath before pushing back to stand.
The horse surged forward. Bellamy's chest rumbled with the sound but he held his ground.
He cursed at how sweaty his palm felt as it wrapped tightly around the knife holstered at his waist. Bellamy counted softly to three then sent the knife flying. There was the sound of metal hitting flesh and the rider fell, tipping backwards over the horse.
But it was too late for the horse to slow.
It was like hitting the earth's atmosphere all over again; only worse. Bellamy was pushed back and there was a deafening crack as the horse passed over him. His side exploded in pain. Spots ran before his eyes and Bellamy briefly wondered if he was going to pass out.
The horse continued running, seemingly as eager for escape as Bellamy was to see him go.
Bellamy crawled towards the prone figure of the grounder. He was genuinely surprised to find he had hit his mark. Staring at his knife protruding from the neck of the person before him, Bellamy suddenly felt sick.
The person seemed even smaller now.
For his own justification Bellamy reached forward and pulled away the mask.
It was a young girl. She couldn't have been but a year older than Charlotte.
"No...No, no no" Bellamy scrambled backwards away from the fallen girl. One hand clutched at his ribs while the other scraped through the dirt to pull himself away.
Bellamy was so lost in his own horror that he didn't see the other grounder until it was too late.
A boot came down hard across the side of his face. Again his vision swam.
He tried to stand but his knees gave way. A girl's scream echoed from below and his blood ran cold. It was Clarke.
With all the force he could muster Bellamy ran forward.
The two men went flying over the ledge of the slope.
Bellamy held tight and the other man hit the ground first. They tumbled down the steep embankment arms and legs flying.
Dirt and rocks followed down after them and Bellamy's side felt like fire. He didn't wait for them to come to a complete stop before stretching out his hand to grab a large rock. He raised it above his head but then paused. The other man wasn't moving.
Clarke screamed again and he was stumbling towards the sound without a second thought.
A grounder had her pushed against a tree, choking the life from her lungs.
He brought the rock down hard against the man's head. The man didn't fall.
It was only then that Bellamy saw that he had some sort of helmet on.
Bellamy cringed at the resounding crack made by back of the man's hand landing against the side of Clarke's face.
Her knees buckled and she crumpled to the ground.
The man turned towards Bellamy. He looked as though he had a hundred pound advantage. And Bellamy had already dropped his rock.
The man lunged forward and they went tumbling across the ground. The grounder easily gained the advantage over Bellamy. There was a hard punch to his face quickly followed by two more. Bellamy's mouth filled with blood. Choking on it, he turned his head to spit it out.
Then suddenly there was Clarke. He saw a flash of blond hair then the flash of metal.
She sunk her knife deep into back of the grounder's knee. The man turned to see what had happened and there were two more flashes. He dropped to the ground, dead.
Clarke had slit the man's throat.
She held her own neck and looked Bellamy over carefully. The air was silent. It would seem there had only been three the grounders. "You're Okay." She assured him- or herself. It was hard to tell.
"No, I'm not." He countered. What just happened should not have happened. He looked back up the hill towards the body of the dead girl. Not the first, and with the way things were going, not the last either. "My mother, if she knew what I had done, who I am? She raised me to better; to be good." He could feel tears gathering in the corner of his eyes.
Clarke fell to the ground beside him. "They were going to kill you. Us. We had no choice."
Bellamy sat up carefully. He looked over at her but he shook his head in denial. "All I do is hurt people."
"Hey! You saved my life today! You may be a total ass half the time but I need you, we all need you. I meant what I had said earlier, none of us would have survived this place if it wasn't for you".
He wanted to believe her- to sink into her words but- "She was just a girl Clarke. That grounder up there was just some fourteen year old girl."
"And she tried to kill you, like he tried to kill me. We did what we had to do to survive."
Something about what she said resonated inside him. He looked closer at her then. The horror of the moment was still etched in her soft features. He felt selfish for not realizing sooner how hard this had been on her as well.
"Who we are and who we need to be to survive might not always be the same thing."
Clarke stared at him for a long while as if she needed that truth to be said aloud. She gave a small nod in agreement.
"We need to head back to camp and cover our tracks before more of them show up."
Bellamy stood slowly, deliberately putting most his weight on his good side. Clarke still noticed.
"Once we get a safe distance away, you need to let me take a look at that."
Bellamy just nodded his head, too worn out to argue.