So yeah I'm back again for the second time today and the last time. Hopefully the third chapter won't take too long.
Lot's of tension and kick ass Bellamy so yeah enjoy!
Disclaimer: Wait... wait... WAIT... nope still don't own it...
After everyone else left Raven got to work. Whilst Wick went to show Abbey, Clarke and Lexa his theory for the door, Octavia insisted on staying and helping Raven out. So far though Octavia had just sat there silently looking out of the window. Raven looked up from her diagram and rolled her eyes.
"You know you offered to help right?"
Octavia looked up and grimaced, "Oh right. Yeah, sorry… What do you need done?"
Shaking her head, Raven lifted up the diagram for her to look at, "When we blew up the first bridge we used gun powder and rocket fuel but we had to set it off by shooting it…"
She trailed off to see if Octavia understood then continued, "Basically I want to avoid that this time because once those things go off you really don't want to be in shooting range"
Octavia nodded and walked over to the first half-made explosive, "And you have more parts right?"
"Yeah that too and we'll need more explosives because those generators will be bigger and harder to handle"
Octavia didn't reply but she glanced towards the radio briefly before looking back at Raven. Now she knew why she offered to help.
"He hasn't radioed in yet but that doesn't mean he won't"
The Blake sibling nodded before indicating to the explosives, "Can he help from the inside?"
Raven thought for a moment before nodding, "If he could find out how many generators there are then yes he could"
Wick came back a few moments later and pointed to the back table where they had previously been working on the acid fog, "Explosives later Reyes. Melting skin fog now"
Raven gave Octavia a look before writing down a list on a separate piece of paper, "If you could find these then it would be a massive help"
She nodded and turned to leave before Raven's voice pulled her back, "I'm sorry" at her questioning gaze she added, "Lincoln"
Octavia smiled weakly and cocked her head, "Finn"
With that she left.
Lexa and Clarke had been going over the maps for hours. Lexa herself had retired to her bed having grown bored with the consistent repeating of questions. Clarke remained standing but she had lost focus on the plan a long time ago.
Her foot was tapping the floor insistently with nervous energy and it was starting to annoy her. She turned to the bed behind her to find that Lexa had fallen asleep. Rolling her eyes she turned back to the map. She unconsciously found TonDC and the guilt that had been almost dormant came roaring back. Her heartrate sped up as the guilt threatened to overtake her emotions completely and the overwhelming flood became too much. Suddenly she felt as though she was drowning in it. Drowning in the guilt, the bodies, the blood…
"Calm your mind Clarke"
Under the impression that the Commander was asleep, Clarke couldn't help but jump as a hand touched her shoulder. She turned her head to meet the other girl's gaze. Without her war paint Lexa looked so much younger than she ever did outside of this tent; it sent a shudder down her spine.
Their eyes watched each other for a few moments and Lexa never removed her hand from Clarke's shoulder. Seemingly realising their proximity Lexa removed her hand with a cough and took a step back. Her gaze lingering only a moment longer and this wasn't lost on Clarke.
"You need to keep your mind here and in the present for this to work"
Clarke swallowed and closed her eyes attempting to concentrate on anything other than Lexa's scent, "Do me a favour Lexa. No more lessons"
She kept her face blank, "I'm right Clarke and you know that"
"Just because you're right doesn't mean I want to hear it"
Lexa moved away to pour herself a drink and Clarke let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, "Often what we want and what we need are completely different things"
Now Clarke growled in response, "I said no more lessons. All it's done is get people I care about killed"
"This is war Clarke. People die"
She whipped round and glared at Lexa who was leaning on the table behind her taking a sip of her drink, "Well I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the death, I'm sick of the blood and I'm sick of worrying about who is going to be next"
Lexa pushed herself off the table, "That's what I've been telling you. Love is w-"
"Don't" She growled. Pushing forward so that they were almost touching, "I like having feelings. Love makes me human. I'm not weak for loving, I'm stronger for it, but what does that make you?"
"I care Clarke" She answered, unflinching, which just angered Clarke more.
"No you don't" She stepped forward forcing Lexa to take a step back, "You're a machine. You run through the motions but you don't think about the small parts of the war. TonDC meant nothing to you, all you could focus on was Mount Weather, If you really cared then you would have tried to save someone… Anyone!"
Lexa was up against the table now, her hands holding her up, leaning back away from Clarke as if she would burn her if they touched. For the first time Clarke watched an emotion spread across her face… only she couldn't place it.
Her eyes fluttered across Clarke's face before she whispered, "I did"
If it wasn't for their close proximity then Clarke was sure she wouldn't have heard her, "What?"
"You" It was breathless and it took another questioning glance from Clarke for her to speak louder, "You… I got you out Clarke"
The only thing Clarke could focus on in that moment was their close proximity not for the first time that day. She wanted to look anywhere but at Lexa however there weren't many places to look… Her gaze unknowingly travelled down to her lips before quickly moving back up to her eyes.
Lexa swallowed and watched her attentively and Clarke realised she hadn't replied but she wasn't completely sure her voice would allow her too.
"I-I-"
They both moved at the same time. Clarke closed her eyes briefly and felt a pair of soft, tentative lips graze hers. She pulled back and put her hands against Lexa's arms but didn't meet the other girl's eyes when she spoke again.
"I can't I'm sorry"
Lexa nodded and cleared her throat before sidling out from Clarke and moving around to the entrance of the tent.
"I am going to check on Indra" she mumbled incoherently before leaving.
Clarke wasn't really listening but she nodded anyway, anxious for her to get out of the tent so she could at least clear her head for a moment and work out what that was. The only thing making any sense was the voice at the back of her mind screaming, she cares, repeatedly.
Clarke was alone in Lexa's tent when her mother entered. Abbey stood there silently watching her for a while before speaking.
"Why does it have to be you?"
Clarke didn't reply or turn around and face her. There was still a lot of tension between the two of them. Her father, the 100, Finn, the missile… they were both in the wrong but neither quite knew what to say or do.
"Clarke please"
She couldn't take much more of her begging.
"Clarke-"
Spinning round she silenced her with a glare, "Because you sent me down here! Because those kids see me as their leader and I don't have a choice!"
Abbey stepped forward and gripped her arms, "You do have a choice Clarke! We all have a choice, I am the Chancellor Clarke"
Clarke shook her head, "You still don't get it do you Mum? The 100 aren't yours to lead… They haven't been since you sent them down here to die"
Abbey stepped back as if burnt and she looked over Clarke's face as if she was trying to find some trace of the daughter she sent down here. Down to the ground. Down to die.
"Clarke, you are my daughter and I love you so much, this burden shouldn't be on your shoulders alone. Please" She stepped forward again but didn't raise a hand to Clarke, "Please Clarke. Put some of this on me, please share this burden with me"
All it took was the emotion swelling behind her mother's eyes for Clarke to break down. It reminded her too much of the look she had seen flash across Lexa's face just a few moments before. She did care. Next thing she knew they were both crying and clinging to each other for dear life. Clarke hadn't cried like this since her father was dragged away and once she started the tears just kept falling and each one burned just as much as the pain behind them.
It wasn't until Clarke had stopped gasping for breath that Abbey spoke, "Come on Clarke, what's on your mind? Please just tell me something"
That's the thing… Clarke didn't know what was running through her mind. People, thoughts, feelings… it was all just too much for her. But she knew what bothered her right now…
"She cares mum… I don't know why she acts like she doesn't but she does. I can't have… Not after Finn… What if she dies too?"
The hand that had been gently stroking her back ceased for a moment as her mum tried to make sense of the jumble that fell from her mouth.
"Clarke are you- are you talking about Lexa?"
It was all she could do to stop herself from crying again at the sound of the commander's name.
"Mum I- I couldn't but I- I wanted to"
Abbey hummed softly as she stroked her back, "What's happening Clarke?"
"I don't know" That was the only thing Clarke knew… that she didn't actually know anything. She didn't know how she was going to get her people safely out of mount weather and she certainly didn't know what this thing between her and Lexa was.
"She cares about me mum" She repeated again.
Abbey sighed, maybe the commander was more trouble than she was worth, "Do you care about her?"
It took a while for Clarke to reply but after a long pause she whispered, "I do… I really do" It was a quiet confession. As though she was afraid of admitting it to anyone; even herself.
Abbey leaned back and looked into her daughter's bloodshot eyes, "I don't know much about the commander. I think she's way too young for her role but then I suppose you both are and maybe that's what works between you two… Nobody else can possibly understand how you feel, not like Lexa can anyway" she sighed before adding, "We don't know what's going to happen in this war Clarke but if something is going to happen then it will no matter what you do now. So you can regret not do anything or be happy because you did"
"I'm scared mum" Her voice croaked with unshed tears, "Finn's dead… I can't take losing someone else"
She felt her mother's head nodding above her, "But Lexa's not Finn"
Raven had her head in her hands when Octavia came back. Her and Wick were around the radio and her heart leapt as Bellamy's voice sounded through. Wick turned at the sound of her entrance and grimaced at the unspoken question.
"Fog still isn't down"
Raven looked up and waved her over, "Bellamy, Octavia is here"
"O!"
Just the sound of his voice filled her with hope and relief. She went over to the radio and sat down, "Bell!"
"I really would love for you two to have a long chat but Clarke needs the fog down now. They leave soon and the fog has to be gone by the time they do"
Wick gave her a knowing look before turning to his and Raven's notes. Raven sent her an apologetic look before talking her through the previous attempts they had made at taking down the fog. Octavia nodded and tried to understand but all she could register was the increasing danger this was putting Bellamy in.
"Why can't he just shoot it?"
"That's what I said!" Bellamy shot in.
Raven shook her head gravely, "I don't think that's the safest idea. He might not get out of there in time and they'll realise pretty quickly that the fog is down… what we really want is for them to be left completely unaware"
Octavia nodded, "Okay so what's the other plan?"
Wick turned around, "There is one thing we haven't tried" he leant over to the radio, "Bellamy is there a control panel near you?"
Silence and then, "Yeah I've got it"
Raven looked up at Wick, "What's the plan?"
"Not yours. Destroying the thing could cause more damage than necessary… My plan however is fool proof"
Octavia smiled slightly at Raven's eye roll. She stepped away next to Octavia to allow Wick full control.
"Thank you" She whispered.
Raven gave her a quizzical look, "For trying to keep Bell alive"
"We're in this together. All of us" They shared a smile before Wick brought them back.
"My plan is to neutralize the fog. Did you follow my instructions?"
Bellamy's voice crackled again, "Yeah but the pH is the same… Isn't it supposed to be going down?"
Raven stepped forward, "Yes but it might take a while give it a-"
"It's working!"
Wick jumped back and threw his arms up with a cry of relief. Octavia yelped and jumped on Raven hugging her from behind as Bellamy's laughter reached them through the radio.
But their moment was short lived as Bellamy suddenly cried out. Octavia snapped up the radio instantly, "Bell? What's happening? What's wrong?"
"It's going back up! Wick it didn't work. Raven what do I do?"
Wick's horrified look didn't fill Octavia with confidence and she turned to Raven hoping to see some reassurance but there was an equally horrific look waiting for her there. She turned back to the radio and realised that not one of them could help Bellamy. Octavia's heart began to ache at the thought of losing her brother and Raven seemed to realise this because she grabbed her hand and spoke through the radio.
"Bellamy leave it. Just get out of there while you still can"
He didn't reply straight away and she thought for one horrible moment that they had found him, "Wait I still have time. Raven, where do I shoot?"
"No!" All three of them cried at once and Raven pushed forward again, "Bellamy get out of there"
"No" He ignored the second round of cries, "I'll do this with or without your help Reyes. At least if I blow this up they can't restart it"
"Bell please…" her whimper would have made an impact once upon a time. A time when they weren't on the ground, when they hadn't watched their friends be killed, when they weren't trying to save the remaining few…
"I have to O… I love you"
"No! Bell!" she cried but it was too late because a second later the gunshot sounded.
Octavia had expected to hear nothing but the empty crackling of the radio was worse than the silence and emptiness that it suggested. She felt Raven hold her but her eyes never left the radio… she prayed and prayed that he would say something…
A laugh and then, "Good enough for you Reyes?"
He sounded pained and gasping for breath but alive. God he was alive. Now she allowed herself to cry with happiness and allowed the warm arms to envelop her fully as Wick and Raven's cheers finally registered. If she hadn't been so happy about her brother then she probably would have been more aware of the tension between her and Raven. If she had been looking then she would have seen the lingering gaze. If she had been fully aware of her surroundings then she would have noticed how the mechanic's arms tightened just a little bit. None of that registered though because Bellamy was alive. He was alive and the fog was down.
And they were going to war.
That's all it took to ground her.
So yeah obviously I wasn't going to give you Clexa on the first day this fic has been up but I'll give you something to tie you over with...
I actually love Raven and Octavia... so we shall see but obviously their parts are key at the moment to where this is going...
Does anyone else love Echo? Because I think she's brilliant and I had a sudden brain wave to include her so stay tuned on that one...
Please let me know what you think - Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows already guys. Means a lot :)