*Shout out to my French readers! Bonjour, hope you're all enjoying the story as much as I'm enjoying writing it – two updates in one day! I love the south of France, my family and I used to go there every year! Thanks for reading and please favourite/follow/review!*
Six grounders met Clarke on the outskirts of their camp and led her to their commander's tent. As they approached the fairly nondescript tent, made of red material, a huge, tattooed grounder walked toward Clarke, stopping in front of her and effectively blocking her path.
'If you so much as look at her the wrong way I will slit your throat.' His eyes were ferocious and his expression was fierce enough that Clarke didn't doubt it for a minute and she struggled to keep the fear from her face as she nodded. The grounder stepped aside and she ducked under the entrance to the tent.
A young woman, the commander, was sat on top a throne of sorts, wound together with branches and leather. Her long dark hair framed her striking face and her battle armour was both extravagantly ornate and attractive, and dangerous. Her eyes were lined with arresting black paint which appeared to drip down her face, making her blue eyes stand out even more on her tanned face. On her left was an older grounder woman, dark face scarred from countless battles, and the huge grounder from earlier took his place at the commander's right.
'So you are the one who killed 300 of my warriors.' Despite her young face, Lexa's voice carried with it an authority and wisdom that many could never achieve.
'You are the one who sent them there to kill my people.'
The commander nodded her head in acknowledgment and Clarke knew she had a chance. She told her about the reapers, about Lincoln, and although the older woman argued against it, the commander agreed to go with Clarke to Lincoln, demanding that Clarke prove her negotiations.
Bellamy's head shot up as the hatch to the second level of the drop ship opened, but he saw with dismay that it was only Finn. He had at least brought Abby with him, meaning Clarke had managed to pull off the first part of her plan, now he just had to worry about the second part.
'Where's Clarke?' Asked Octavia tightly. Now that she had Clarke's promise that she and Abby would save Lincoln she could focus on other problems again, such as the boy that stood between her brother's happiness with Clarke. Octavia had notices the hurt looks Finn shot Clarke at every available moment, trying to guilt her away from Bellamy and back into his arms. Although Octavia didn't doubt Clarke's feelings for her brother, she knew that Finn had broken her heart by returning to Raven, but continuing to string Clarke along as well. Maybe the boy had truly had no malicious intent, had merely been torn between loving two women, but people got hurt around him, and Octavia would not let that happen to her brother.
'She's trying to stop a war.' Said Finn, making Octavia's eyes narrow at his presumptuous tone.
Abby's face was serious as she assessed Lincoln, still shaking slightly in his bonds. Octavia returned to her position, crouching over him, eyes searching his face.
As Abby and the others fought to save Lincoln's life, Clarke led Lexa and a small guard of grounders to the drop ship. They arrived at the camp, walking past the bodies of the burnt grounders without a word, but Clarke hesitated outside the drop ship. It was silent inside.
Clarke climbed the ladder with an increasingly bad feeling and opened the drop ship to the sounds of Octavia's muffled sobbing. 'Come back.'
Clarke's heart sunk. They had failed. Lincoln had died, they had nothing to offer the grounders, now all their people would die, those at the camp, and those inside the mountain. Lexa followed Clarke up the ladder, as did the two grounders who had been in the tent with her. Her eyes took in the scene, Octavia's head on Lincoln's chest, weeping, and the other people in the drop ship, and finally settled on Clarke's. She knew they were too late.
Abby's gaze rested on Bellamy's as he searched for a solution, before resting on the taser that lay by his feet. Bellamy in turned looked at Clarke, reading her expression in an instant and reaching slowly for the rifle by his side. Clarke turned back to Lexa, who set her jaw and turned her head to nod once at the older grounder who reached for her sword, saying something lowly in Trigedasleng. The rest of the grounders and sky people in the drop ship reached to arm themselves, Bellamy and Finn pulled their rifles up and Clarke reached for the hand gun secured in her waist band, and Abby swooped on the taser, turning it on.
The two groups stood, staring each other down.
'Please,' Clarke stepped forward and Bellamy moved to flank her, 'you don't have to do this.'
'You lied.' Lexa's voice was hard. 'And you're out of time.'
Suddenly Abby dropped to the floor next to Lincoln, pushing Octavia out of the way she pressed the taser against Lincoln's chest. The shock going through his body didn't do anything, but Clarke understood, she replaced her gun in her waistband.
'Hit him again.'
'No.' Cried Octavia but Bellamy held out an arm, motioning her to stay put, he trusted the Clarke knew what he mum was doing, that was enough for him.
Abby shocked Lincoln again and he took a gasping breath. The current had restarted his heart.
Clarke sighed in relief, turning back to Lexa as Lincoln whispered 'Octavia.'
The commander sheathed her sword, motioning for the remaining grounders to do the same. Clarke placed her hand on Bellamy's arm and he lowered his gun.
Hours later, when Lincoln was ready to move, they returned to their respective camps, Lexa granting Clarke a truce, in return for Finn.
When she returned to camp, Clarke walked blindly to Bellamy's quarters, not fully realising where she was going until she had knocked on the door, just knowing she needed him right now.
He pulled open the door and was glad to see Clarke until he saw how shaken she was. He wrapped an arm around her protectively and sat them on his bed, frantically trying to work out what was wrong and how he could fix it.
'What happened?' He asked her gently, voice laced with concern.
'Lexa.' Clarke's voice was faint, her eyes worryingly distant. Bellamy's armed wrapped tighter around her shoulders. 'She wants Finn.'
Bellamy frowned confused before he realised what she meant. 'Blood must have blood.' He intoned darkly. 'They want him to pay for what he did to the grounder village.'
Clarke closed her eyes as a tear fell down her cheek. Bellamy felt an icy fist close around his heart as Clarke cried for Finn, cried for the boy she fell in love with on the ground. He dropped his arm and stood up, running a hand through his hair roughly. He ached to comfort Clarke but couldn't deny who she was crying for, she wanted Finn to console her, not him.
Immediately missing his presence Clarke opened her eyes again, blinking away the tears in her eyes. His whole body was wracked with tension and his face was all hard lines and supressed emotion. It had been weeks since she'd seen him so on edge.
'Bellamy?' Clarke voice was uncertain as she looked up at him from where she sat. 'What is it?' It made sense for him to be upset about the impending death of their friend, just as she was, but this was something much more. Clarke flipped back over the immediate events, searching for a reason for his anger but could find nothing.
'I…' Bellamy trailed off, unable to even finish the sentence. He what? He didn't even know, all he knew was that he had to get away before he broke down. Without another word he turned and walked abruptly from the room, avoiding Clarke's eyes.
'Bellamy!' She called after him but he didn't turn. She moved to go after him, but she knew him, she knew he would want some time alone to handle his emotions. Returning to sit on the bed she felt the shock wash over her. Finn was going to die and now Bellamy was hurting too?
After an hour of waiting, Bellamy still hadn't returned to his room, so Clarke went in search of Octavia. She found her in the medical bay with Lincoln, but as she entered, Octavia glanced at her before looking away harshly. Bellamy had already been here it seemed.
'Octavia.' The girl ignored her. 'Octavia talk to me, what's wrong with Bellamy.'
Finally the girl turned to look up at Clarke, eyes narrowed. 'Do you care?'
'What kind of a question is that?' Clarke's voice was harsh with frustration. 'Of course I care, where is he?'
Octavia assessed the girl, taking in her dishevelled appearance and her eyes tight with worry. She knew Bellamy had to have been wrong.
'He's in my quarters.' Clarke turned immediately to go to him but froze at Octavia's shout. 'Wait. Clarke.'
She turned back around, frowning at the serious expression on Octavia's face. 'He thinks you're upset because you're still in love with Finn. He thinks he's lost you.' Octavia's voice was flat, 'I tried to reason with him but he's on the verge of being heartbroken.'
Clarke's expression was shocked, 'I don't, I'm not.' In that moment Clarke knew that what she was feeling was true, and she had to find Bellamy to let him know.
Running to Octavia's quarters she burst in the door without knocking, startling Bellamy where he sat at the table. He jumped up but stopped when he saw it was Clarke, pulling shutters across his face, hiding his emotions the way he hadn't done around Clarke in weeks. Even though she now understood, and knew she could make it right, it still hurt her to think that Bellamy no longer trusted her.
'That's why you're upset?' She exploded, throwing her arms out. 'You think I'm still in love with Finn?' Clarke asked exasperatedly.
Bellamy's face tightening, but he made no move to accept or deny what she said, merely stood, body rigid with the effort of controlling himself. Taking a breath to calm down she moved towards him gently, coming to a stop right in front of him, peering up into his face. Bellamy's fists were clenched as his expression was hard, jaw set fiercely, eyes burning into the ground. Slowly, Clarke reached up and placed her hands either side of Bellamy's face, forcing him to look at her, his dark eyes softening at the expression on her face, but it didn't stop the aching in his heart.
'Bellamy.' Her voice was soft, and her eyes pleaded with him to listen to her, to understand. 'I'm not still in love with Finn.' He searched her face desperately. 'I'm in love with you.'
Bellamy didn't move, but his eyes burned into hers. After a moment he crushed her to him and kissed her with a passion Clarke had never felt before. All at once she felt him let go of all the pain and hurt and anger he had been holding, she felt it leave, replaced with joy and relief and love.
After what seemed like an eternity but at the same time not even close to long enough, they broke apart, panting. Bellamy rested his forehead against hers, the same way he had done in the forest and sighed, his breath stroking across her cheek and down her neck, leaving a trail of goose bumps down her arms.
'I love you too Clarke.'
Her heart leapt at the words and she didn't even try and suppress the smile that tugged at her lips.
'I'm sorry.' She said quietly, still distressed for causing him so much pain.
'No I'm sorry, I should have trusted you, not let myself get so jealous. I never should have doubted you. I just got lost in my head.'
Clarke closed the distance between them and kissed him again, showing him how much she loved him again and again and again.