*Shout out to my American readers - you're my most views by country! I've never been across the pond but I've met so many amazing Americans from Seattle to New York and I can't wait to visit them all! Thanks for reading and please review/favourite/follow!*

Clarke stormed into the council meeting, Bellamy at her heels. Her mother, the new Chancellor of what was left of the Ark, was refusing to send a search party to find Finn and Murphy, Clarke had to change that.

'I'm sorry, the decisions been made.' She told Clarke firmly, standing in front of her, trying to organise the guilt she felt at risking the lives of the two boys by sending them out in the first place.

'You're sorry?' Bellamy replied lowly, coming to stand behind Clarke, his dangerous tone making the hairs rise on her arms, 'Finn and Murphy are out there looking for your daughter, with guns you gave us, and now she's home, you're just going to abandon them. If you can't spare the guards, we know the terrain, we have a map, we can do it ourselves'.

Her mother refused immediately, and stood by what she thought was the right decision, but Clarke knew Bellamy, and as she turned to face him, he recognised the look in her eyes.

They were gone within an hour, accompanied by Octavia.

That night, miles from camp, as Clarke slept by the fire Bellamy's eyes slid away from where they rested on Octavia with a rush of love, before he found his eyes searching Clarke's face, his fingers itching to reach for her. As he was lost in thoughts of her and him, and their conversation that afternoon, mind racing over images of blonde hair and blue eyes, the stubborn set of her mouth, those very eyes flickered open and met his stare.

As Clarke lay there she could feel Bellamy watching her, could practically hear his thoughts racing, until she couldn't take it anymore, she looked up at him and lost herself in his dark eyes. With a small, sad smile Bellamy shifted his attention back to the fire. Clarke offered a smile too as he started to talk softly, deep voice making her heart catch as usual.

'The last time I saw you, you were closing the drop ship door.' He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he knew he needed to say this.

Clarke winced at the pain in her heart at his words, looking down in grief. She had worked so hard to block the memory that tormented her out after they found each other again.

'Had to be done' said Bellamy, firmly. He knew Clarke was racked with guilt, but he was a fighter, and he had fought to find her again. He meant what he said, she made the right decision for everyone, and even though he was reassured by her concern, he hated the thought of her tormenting herself over it.

Clarke lifted her eyes once more and met Bellamy's, she felt her eyes sting at the care in his eyes and she knew the answer to her questions just like that. She knew who she was more relieved to find alive, and she knew why it no longer upset her to think about Finn and Raven together. She was done pushing her feelings aside, she was done with being scared.

She sat up with a sigh, her jacket, which she had used as a blanket, falling off her and onto the floor, and moved to sit next to Bellamy on the log, taking his hand and threading their fingers together before resting her head on his shoulder gently. It had been so long since the last time they sat together next to a fire like this, the thought made tears prick at her eyes.

'Did you get any sleep?' She asked him after a few minutes, lifting her head and looking up at him. His heart warmed at the concern in her voice.

'It's ok, I'll sleep when we find Finn.' Bellamy searched Clarke's eyes as he mentioned Spacewalker, torturing himself, but he found none of the emotion the name used to bring out in Clarke, instead she stared clearly back at him. 'You haven't seen him Clarke,' Bellamy murmured, 'losing you, the others, the war, it changed him. He executed the grounder that drew us the map.' Clarke gasped quietly. 'Pulled the trigger without even blinking and walked away.'

Clarke couldn't disguise her shock, but one thought kept running through her mind. 'Bellamy would never do that.' Even right after they were dropped on the ground, before they grew so close, Bellamy had never been a murderer, Clarke thought back to finding Atom and Bellamy's shaking hands, back to Dax and Bellamy's pain when he killed him, back to the deaths upon deaths caused by the grounders.

'I saw what he was capable of and still I let him go with Murphy and two automatic rifles.' Guilt racked Bellamy's voice.

Clarke shifted so she faced Bellamy, their legs knocking together, and let go of his hand, instead reaching her right hand out and resting it on the side of Bellamy's face, fingertips brushing the hair at his temple.

Bellamy's breath caught in his throat and he watched Clarke search for the words she needed to say to him.

'I'm sure that had to be done too,' she looked at him from under her lashes, 'you can't keep blaming yourself for everything Bellamy. Everything you have done has been to protect others.' He looked down at her, centimetres between the two of them, and willed what she said to be true.

Seeing the pain and uncertainty in his eyes Clarke sank her hand further into Bellamy's dark curls and pressed her lips to his. Bellamy's left arm curled around her waist as their lips moved together, pulling the blonde closer against his side, feeling her left hand grip his right shoulder and then skate up to the side of his neck. Too quickly she pulled back and stood up from the log, she took a few shaky steps away, turning to look out to the trees behind them.

Clarke swallowed, trying to slow her racing heart, her shaking hand brushed the hair out of her face. She didn't realise he had risen from the log silently and was standing behind her until she felt his hand on her waist, fingers splayed, his thumb brushing against her back. Her breath hitched and she turned, Bellamy's hand running across her stomach as she moved, coming to rest on the other side of her waist, his thumb now against her midriff, palm warm through her shirt.

'Clarke,' he said thickly, she could barely make out his face, but her name was enough. She stepped closer to him and felt his other hand come up to brush the hair from her face, threading it into her soft, golden waves, before tilting her head up again and leaning down to capture her mouth.

Her hands came up automatically, one gripped his bicep and the other wound around the back of his neck, pulling them closer together as she stood on tiptoes, pressing herself into him, moulding their bodies together. She nipped at his lower lip and he groaned, the sound vibrating through the two of them and making Clarke shiver.

She ran her hands down Bellamy's chest, splaying her fingers against the defined muscle under his shirt. Her hands wound their way back up to his face as Bellamy wrapped his right arm around her waist tightly and lifted her off the ground. Clarke wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her hands in his hair, sliding her tongue into his mouth.

She revelled in the warmth of his body and the definition of his shoulders and his abs as they moved together. Bellamy stepped forward carefully until Clarke felt the rough bark of a tree against her back, they pulled apart breathing heavily and Bellamy dropped his forehead to rest against hers as Clarke slid her legs down to touch the grass again. His hand threaded into her hair again, making her stomach flutter.

'Clarke,' his breath brushed across her cheek gently, lifting her hair, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, marvelling at the hundreds of freckles dusting his face again. 'I…' Bellamy struggled to find the words to describe how he felt, thinking back to what he had told Finn before he shot the grounder 'there are some lines you can't uncross'. He was done waiting around, he was done pretending he didn't have feelings for Clarke. 'I understand if you…if you need some time. But you should know, this is about more than just tonight for me.'

Clarke reached out a hand and ran it across his shoulder. 'I don't need time Bellamy, this isn't a decision I need to make, I think I chose you a long time ago.'

Bellamy didn't even try and hide the smile on his face as he stepped away from Clarke, taking her hand and leading them back to the fire. 'First we find Finn and Murphy, then we rescue our friends in Mount Weather, together Princess.'

'Then let's go, I think we've slept long enough' said Octavia, leaving them wondering just how much she had heard, or seen.