*Shout out to my reader 'bellarke and linctavia' I love your reviews thank you so much! This chapter's for you*

Clarke woke to Bellamy's strong arm still wrapped around her waist, holding her close, his face pressed into the crook of her neck, breath brushing across her shoulder blade. Their legs were entwined and as she felt the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back she knew there was nowhere else she'd rather be. If she had dreamt at all, she didn't remember it.

Too soon, everything came rushing back, shattering Clarke's peace. Sitting up with a sigh, she swung her legs over the bed, smiling at the groan of protest Bellamy let out as the rush of cold air hit his body. He rolled onto his back without opening his eyes.

'What time is it?' His deep voice was roughened with sleep, the sound sending a shiver of desire skipping down Clarke's spine.

She leant back down and pressed her lips against his softly. He opened one eye sleepily as she spoke, 'it's early, but we have to go with the grounders soon.'

Bellamy let out a huge sigh, throwing his arm over his eyes before sitting up behind Clarke. Resting his legs either side of Clarke's he ran his thumb over the strap of her top before pressing a kiss to the bare skin of her shoulder, making Clarke shiver.

'How do you feel?' His tone was gentle.

'Worried.' She replied honestly.

'It'll be fine, we'll work this out.'

Clarke lay her hand on his leg gratefully before rising and grabbing her jacket, 'I'll go get ready, meet you by the mess hall in half an hour?'

'Sounds like a plan.' Bellamy smiled, tugging a hand through his messy curls and Clarke felt her heart warm at the sight.

Catching her gaze Bellamy smiled lopsidedly, 'I know Princess, I'm gorgeous in the mornings, you don't have to stare.'

Clarke didn't fight it as her mouth stretched into a grin. 'Half an hour.' She repeated, stepping out of his quarters into the deserted corridor.

As soon as she was away from him, her cheerful ease slipped away, and she felt guilty for smiling when Raven was so heartbroken, when Finn was dead.

She packed with a heavy heart and made her way sombrely to the mess hall, she was early but Abby was already there. Clarke slid onto the stool next to her mother wordlessly, nodding as Abby squeezed her leg in reassurance.

'The grounders will be here in a few minutes, riders just arrived at the gates.'

Too nervous to eat, Clarke just sat, wrapped up in her thoughts, until she felt a warm body sit next to her, their knees knocking together.

'Bellamy' Abby acknowledged warmly.

'Good morning.' His deep voice soothed her fraught nerves and Clarke found herself automatically relaxing. It didn't last long though, as Lexa arrived on horseback, surrounded by a dozen grounders.

Sighing, they got to their feet and, joined by Marcus, Raven, Octavia and Lincoln, they left the camp, walking uneasily through the forest with the grounders.

Lost in her thoughts, Clarke didn't realise she had walked off ahead whilst Bellamy talked to Kane, until heard his footsteps behind her. Before he could reach her side a flash of colour in the trees caught her eye. Her heart stopped and she gasped in shock as she saw Finn standing amongst the trees, staring at her with the same cold, dead look as she had seen on his face as his body was taken away by the grounders. She blinked, hard. It wasn't real.

'Hey' Bellamy's voice stole her concentration and when she looked back at the trees, Finn was gone, 'you doing alright?'

'Yeah.' She lied, and Bellamy pursed his lips.

'You did the right thing.' His voice was assured. Clarke looked at him, praying that he meant it, and he met her gaze unwaveringly.

'Now I get to live with it.' She said sadly, and his mouth twisted in displeasure. 'You still think this truce is a bad idea don't you.' Bellamy blinked, he shouldn't have been surprised, but he had reasoned that, with so much going on, Clarke wouldn't have noticed his apprehension.

'I think we're wasting time with politics while our friends are in trouble.' Bellamy said firmly but gently, he didn't want Clarke to think that he wasn't supporting her. It was just that, in his experience, you couldn't put your trust in politics, especially not when lives were on the line.

'We need their army to get to Mount Weather Bellamy, and you know it.' True the army amassed hundreds, and the stronger their force the better, but Mount Weather had been built to endure a nuclear war, poorly armed grounders would be little match for it.

'Their army has been getting their ass kicked by Mount Weather forever,' Bellamy paused, knowing Clarke was going to hate what he was suggesting. 'What we need is an inside man, someone to be our eyes and ears.'

'Forget it, it's too dangerous.' Her eyes flashed.

'Clarke, if you can make it out, I can make it in.' He knew he had to try.

'I said no' her voice was firm, but fear tinted her words, and her expression was tight.

'Clarke…'

'I can't lose you too, ok?' Bellamy sighed, knowing the discussion was over, for now.

He didn't push it, and for that Clarke was glad. She couldn't even contemplate Bellamy's life being in danger, or worse, Bellamy dying, and especially not because of her, she just wasn't strong enough.

They walked until night fell, stopping to make camp in a patch of the forest once the last of the light had faded. The grounders watched the sky people warily from one side of the clearing, the sky people returned their mistrust.

Clarke walked almost to the centre of the small camp and started preparing her bed for the night, smiling as she heard Bellamy walk next to her and start doing the same, sighing good naturedly at her stubbornness. He positioned his bed roll inbetween the grounders and Clarke, throwing a warning glance over his shoulder, and as Abby watched the scene, worried for Clarke, her heart was warmed by the sight of the man next to her daughter, supporting her.

As they lay on their sides, facing each other, Bellamy and Clarke listened to the quiet conversations around them. Abby and Kane talked in low serious voices about Jaha and the camp. Bellamy and Octavia and Lincoln spoke of Lincoln's village and how they had ostracised him, and, haltingly, of his time held captive in Mount Weather. He was slowly opening up about what had happened.

After a while Bellamy's concentration shifted to the girl in front of him, face illuminated by the soft firelight, blue eyes distant. He stretched his hand out, lazily brushing the hair from her face and she sighed fin contentment. Eventually the scattered conversations died out and the camp fell asleep, thoughts already on the day ahead.

When Clarke woke she was on her side, legs tangled with Bellamy's her head was on his chest and her arm was flung over his middle. He lay on his back, one arm curled around Clarke, holding her tighter against his side. Slowly she raised her head and at the sleeping man. He looked younger in his sleep, especially with his curls and freckles, and Clarke couldn't help but notice how much more carefree he looked, without the hard expression his face usually wore, without the tension and stress he put upon himself. Slowly, dark brown eyes were looking at her, and she couldn't help but blush.

'Morning Princess.' Bellamy's low voice was roughened by sleep and, just like the morning before, Clarke felt desire shoot through her. She leant up and pressed a kiss to his lips. Bellamy rolled onto his side, gripping Clarke's waist and deepening the kiss, as she ran her hand up his body, coming to rest in his messy hair, tugging at it gently. She felt him smile through their kiss and the corner of her mouth lifted too. Breaking apart she gave him a wry grin.

'Morning.'

The camp was packed and moving again within an hour, and by midday they had arrived at the grounder camp Tondc. At the gate, the grounders received the sky people coldly, and demanded that they surrender their weapons. As Gustus approached the two of them to collect, Bellamy caught Clarke's eye, letting her know how much he objected to it, but complied. As they walked in the gate she brushed their fingers together. 'Thank you.' She whispered, knowing how reluctant he was to give up his best hope at defending her.

Clarke and Bellamy avoided drawing too much attention to their relationship, knowing that there were more important things to be focusing on, so after a few seconds they drew apart again by a few feet, and continued to follow Lexa into the camp.

They hadn't gotten more than a few feet before the shouts and jeers started, and Clarke understood the word 'murderers' in Trigedasleng. A grounder intercepted Lexa's path and began talking loudly, although Clarke did not understand many of the words, it was clear that the man was objecting to their presence. At Lexa's nod, Gustus began to attack the man, raining punches on him as he lay on the floor. Bellamy and Clarke shared a look before Clarke stepped up to Lexa, asking her to stop it.

The commander complied, offering a warning to the rest of the grounders; object to her decision to include the sky people in her army, and pay with your life.

'Warm welcome.' Bellamy noted tersely as Clarke reclaimed her place by his side.