He laid her down to rest on the floor in an opening in the now cave-like tunnel. He had walked for what felt like hours but had probably been less. Clarke wasn't exactly heavy but the weight took its toll. Especially as he couldn't even remember the last time he ate or drank anything. He sat down agains the rock wall and lifted Clarke's head so it rested on his lap. He stroked her hair away from her face and examined her carefully. She was still breathing normally but she hadn't woken yet. He knew there was no point in worrying about it because there was nothing he could do. But somehow that was of no comfort to him.

He leant his head back agains the hard rock face. He should stay awake and be vigilant in case someone discovered them but he could barely keep his eyes open. He fought valiantly against the tidal wave of drowsiness that washed over him. But he fought in vain as his eyes closed and his mind faded into the peace of sleep.

When he woke with a start remembering where he was and what had happened the first thing he noticed was that Clarke had moved. She still seemed to be asleep and not moving but she had curled up more and was clutching a hand to his leg. He leant over her trying to see if her eyes were open without moving her too much.

"Clarke?" He whispered

"Mmmhhmm..."

Clarke didn't open her eyes but she was responding and that was enough for Bellamy to abandon caution. He lifted her by the shoulders into a seated position and crouched in front of her.

"Clarke are you alright?"

Clarke's eyes opened begrudgingly and she glared at him the cold blue of her eyes piercing through him.

"Well I was sleeping..."

Bellamy just chuckled and sat back against the wall letting her lean against his chest and wrapping an arm around shoulders.

"I... I thought you were dead."

"So did I."

"Me or you?"

"Well, both."

Bellamy smiled.

"I guess neither of us are that easy to kill."
"Or we're both to stubborn to die."

They stayed like that for a while. Neither of them wanting to move. She was safe as long as she was in his arms and that was enough for him, for now. But they couldn't stay there forever, they had to get out. They had to get home. If there was even a home left to get to. All he knew was they had to survive and keep on surviving. If he had lost everything else at least he would have Clarke.

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. I think we might have headed further into the mountain but I can't be certain."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

It was no use pretending, not with her.

So they decided to just walk and they kept walking hoping just to come across an exit. It was a stupid plan but it was all they had. He watched her walk in front of him slowing her pace with every wince and every deep breath causing her hand to drop to her hip.

"I could carry you again."

Clarke stopped and turned to look at him. He shrugged.

"Just, if it's hurting too much I can help."

She shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine I can see it."
"I don't need you to carry me Bellamy, I'll be fine."

"Fine."

It wasn't really fine but there was no sense in arguing with her. She was the most stubborn person he knew. And that included his sister.

He sensed the movement ahead before he really saw it. He pushed Clarke back against the wall shielding her behind his body. There were grounders ahead. No, they looked like grounders in their furs and markings but there was something different about them. Bellamy froze when he saw them look right at him with a savage hunger in their eyes, they were somehow less than human; they wanted blood.

"Run!"

It was meant to be a whisper meant only for Clarke but as the creatures began to charge towards them subtlety and silence was no longer necessary. Bellamy turned pushing Clarke in front of him but he could tell straight away by her limping gait that she was not going to be able to outrun the things pursuing them. He stopped abruptly whipping round and raising his gun. He fired off a few quick rounds back into the tunnel. The leaders of the pack dropped instantly and at least Bellamy knew they were human enough to be stopped by a bullet. But there were too many of them swarming around the tunnels for Bellamy to take down on his own. He kept firing into the darkness of the tunnel praying the ammunition would last. He just had to delay them enough for Clarke to get to safety.

He yelled as he kept firing but they were too close now and he felt the gun wrenched out of his hands and his whole body thrown backwards onto the hard rocky floor. The thing was on top of him , suffocating him, practically drooling on him looking at him like a starved man looks at a ham. He struggled but couldn't throw the man off him. He was sure this was finally it when he heard a low thud and the creature collapsed on top of him. Bellamy rolled throwing the thing off him and knocking his hip heavily on the rock face as he did so.

A shrill noise filled the tunnel and the creatures back away holding their hands to their ears writing in pain. Bellamy looked down at the guard's tool belt and took out the small machine making the noise. He looked back up at Clarke who hadn't run like he'd asked but had stayed to fight with nothing to defend herself but the rock still clutched in her delicate hand.

"Can you never just do what tell you Princess?"

Clarke's eyes narrowed but she offered him a hand to help him up.

"A simple thank you would do Bellamy."

Bellamy hesitated a moment staring back at her without his signature smirk.

"Thank you Clarke."

He dusted himself off and tried not to notice the incredulous look on Clarke's face.

"Let's go this way."

Bellamy pointed to the right fork of the tunnel ahead of them. The creatures had taken the left fork and even with the device to repel them he'd rather avoid future encounters if possible. What they did find was a dumpster full of discarded grounder furs. He pulled the first one out and handed it wordless to Clarke who wrapped it round her shoulders finally stopping shivering. He took one for himself and tucked it into the strap of the rifle.

They walked side by side in silence their hands brushing passed each other occasionally as they kept their pace in sync. Bellamy's eyes searched the dark tunnels ahead for any sign of danger. The overhead lights became more sparse the further they walked and the pools of light were punctuated by long periods of complete darkness.

Clarke gasped and he could feel her begin to fall next to him, he reached out on instinct and grabbed at where he thought she should be. He managed to grab a hold of her clumsily and keep her from hitting the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just tripped... you can let go of me now."

He loosened his grip allowing her to regain her feet but he did not let go of her hand. She didn't fight him on it and he was glad. He felt safer knowing he had a hold of her. They walked like this in unison until suddenly he felt Clarke stop pulling on his hand yanking him backwards.

"What?"

"Look!"

Bellamy looked forwards again puzzling over what had caused Clarke to stop.

"There's light."

Bellamy peered into the blackness. It was such an obvious statement Bellamy wondered why he hand't noticed. There was a soft glow of natural light filtering into the tunnel from what appeared to be a bend to the right. This meant one thing and one thing only; they were nearly free.

They hurried the last few metres as the tunnel emerged into a cavernous opening. They checked nervously before stepping out of their tunnel and into the light, wide open cave. They were both giddy with relief and Bellamy swept Clarke up into a hug sweeping her off her feet. The giddiness didn't last long as they reached the mouth of the cave and saw where the opening lead. They were at the top of a sheer cliff face a waterfall cascading over them into a rock filled pool at the bottom. There were no hand holds or vines to climb. It was a straight drop to a likely death at the bottom. After all that, after they'd thought they were free, only to be trapped again. To be so close as to be able to taste the fresh air on their tongues only to have to turn around and head back into the suffocating mountain.

"Stop right there!"

Bellamy turned and saw a group of three men in big green plastic green suits pointing automatic rifles at them.

Bellamy took a step backwards feeling the edge of the cliff under his heel. He once again took Clarke's hand in his guiding her backwards. He squeezed her hand tight not daring to risk looking at her but hoping she understood his meaning.

"Drop your weapon!"

They hadn't moved any closer. They hadn't moved at all. He wondered what the green suits were for; they seemed to be wearing gas masks underneath. They looked like the containment suits workmen used to wear on the Ark when there was a radiation leak.

"Okay, okay, don't shoot, we'll surrender."

Bellamy slowly reached for his gun and made as if to lower it crouching low to the ground and hovering there. Without warning he threw the gun towards the men and sprung backwards launching himself off the cliff feeling Clarke coming with him. He heard the crack of machine gun fire and he could have sworn he felt the bullets rush by. He barely had time to think before he felt the crash of his body against the white water and Clarke's hand was wrenched from his as he was spun away underwater tossed and turned and thrown against the rocks. He was straining for breath looking up at the choppy surface shimmering above him. He pulled himself up willing himself to hold on feeling the strength sapping from his arms. He was on the brink of unconsciousness when he felt himself break through the surface and into the air taking a giant gasp and feeling his lungs fill with sweet air. He paddled around for a minute or two letting himself just breath and feel the air soothe the burning in his lungs. When he fully regained his sense he whipped his head round looking for Clarke. He could still see the cave from where they had jumped but he had been washed some way down the river. He couldn't see Clarke anywhere.

He swam to the side of the river fighting agains the current and pulled himself out and onto the bank. As if by habit he scanned the tree line for grounders lurking in the branches spears at the ready. But there was no one. Bellamy wandered back up the river bank towards the cave. Clarke was lighter than him so surely she wouldn't have come so far. Although her smaller frame might have put up less resistance so by that logic she could have been swept further out. Either way Bellamy had to exhaust all possibilities. He didn't have to go far before he saw a figure collapsed on the river bank. Rushing over he saw the grounder fur and the straggly blonde hair and knew it was Clarke.

"Clarke! Clarke!"

He dragged her fully out of the river and turned her on her back. Her skin was pale and her lips looked blue. He shook her shoulders but got no response. He felt for a pulse with shaky fingers but felt nothing, he lowered his right ear to her mouth to listen for breaths hoping to see her chest rising. But nothing. He tilted her head back and pulled the fur away from her chest. With both hands he desperately began compressions.

"Come on Clarke, don't give up on me now, please, I need you."

He kept going. He had no idea if he was really doing it right or if he was doing more harm than good. She had to wake up, she had to be okay. He couldn't do this without her. He could barely see as tears clouded his eyes but he kept going.

She spluttered finally turning on her side she coughed up the river water clogging her lungs. Bellamy collapsed beside her rubbing her back as she continued to retch. Clarke's breath was ragged and horse. Bellamy pulled her against him and they stayed like that huddled into each other with no words. They had survived so much as a group of delinquents, they had survived so much as co-leaders, as enemies and now they had survived the mountain together. Bellamy wasn't going to let go anytime soon and for once Clarke wasn't arguing.