The next morning she was jolted awake by the feeling that something was wrong. Quickly grabbing her bag she scurried to the ladder and slid down like she had the day before. Before she got too far she ran into Clarke, that's when she knew something was most definitely wrong.
"Clarke? What's going on?" She questioned with genuine concern. Clarke looked at her with an expression filled with so much hate and sorrow, then it changed drastically to one of worry.
"What happened to your face?" Her eyes looking at the cuts and bruises on Rhea's cheeks.
"It doesn't matter, why do you look like you've been crying? Did something happen?" Rhea's mind automatically looking at the faces of the people around them to see if anyone important was missing. When she heard a slight sob escape the blonde girl's lip she returned her gaze to her.
"Clarke, what is going on." She demanded, she needed to know what made the usually strong willed Clarke break.
"The grounders killed Wells, I found him this morning." The tears started to fall freely out of her eyes. Rhea immediately pulled her in for a hug while she processed this new information. The boy that had promised to be in her corner was gone, she had been too focused on Bellamy to protect him. She wanted to cry, to scream and to shout but she knew that wouldn't bring him back so she just stood there, letting Clarke cry on her shoulder. She could feel herself becoming numb, which actually frightened her but she didn't care.
"Clarke, why don't you get some rest okay?" Rhea offered, but was shut down by the blonde.
"No, I need to clean up your face. Who did this too you?" Clarke quickly recovered and began leading Rhea towards a bucket of water that Clarke had recently boiled, most likely with the intent on using it on Jasper.
"That's not important. I'm fine." Rhea gave a weak smile as Clarke brought a wet rag to her face quickly getting to work.
"Are you going to be okay?" Rhea questioned Clarke, which made Clarke hesitate, but she recovered in a flash.
"I have to be." Was Clarke's response, earning a nod from Rhea. A nagging feeling started to cause knots in Rhea's stomach, she hadn't been the nicest to Clarke since the beginning and with Wells gone, she needed to clear the air.
"I think I misjudged you before." Rhea informed her, "You aren't the spoiled brat I pegged you for." She finished with a wink towards Clarke, which made her smile slightly. The smile looking almost foreign on her face.
Both girls sat in silence for a bit before Octavia came running into the drop ship, demanding for Clarke to follow her, Clarke gave Rhea a quick nod, placing the rag on the rim of the bucket and then ran off. Leaving Rhea to just sit there and wonder what would have caused such a rush. She didn't have to wait much longer before Octavia ran back in.
"Are you coming or what?" She questioned as if she was under the impression that Rhea would have followed originally. Nodding, she followed behind Octavia as she led her towards Bellamy's tent. She hesitated in front of the flap but she didn't have a chance to brace herself for coming face to face with Bellamy after last night before Octavia grabbed her arm and dragged her inside.
The only one that seemed to be stunned by her appearance was Bellamy, his eyes following her as she moved away from Octavia and in between Jasper and Clarke so she was as far away from him and possible.
"This knife was made from metal from the drop ship" Clarke stated as she held a knife in her hands. Rhea looked from the knife to what was on top of the table infront of them, fingers, Wells' fingers. Did that mean that someone in Camp had killed Wells?
"What do you mean?" Jasper looked like he was terrified by the thought that someone he knew could have done this to Wells.
"Who else knows about this?" Bellamy inquired as he looked at Octavia for an answer.
"No one" she simply stated still looking down at the table, "We brought it straight here."
Relief passed over his features, she knew what he was thinking, if everyone knew that someone in this camp had killed Wells, it would be chaos, it was best to keep it quiet.
"It means the grounders didn't kill Wells," Clarke confirmed everyones fears, "It was one of us."
Rhea looked from one face to the next to see their reactions. Jasper's fear clearly overwhelming him, causing him to begin to shake.
"So there is a murderer in the camp?" Rhea moved closer to him, resting her shoulder against his as a way to give him some support.
"There is more than one murderer in this camp, this isn't news." Bellamy stated, seemingly unfazed by the news. "We need to keep it quiet." This statement did not sit well with Clarke because instantly she tensed up and began to walk towards the entrance to the tent. Bellamy blocking her way out.
"Get out of my way Bellamy." She growled. Rhea didn't like where this was headed. She knew what this would cause and she wasn't sure it would end well for anyone.
"Clarke, be smart about this, look at what we've achieved." Bellamy reasoned, trying to prevent the fallout that would happen if the other members of the 100 knew the truth. "the wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us."
No matter what anyone said, Clarke was not going to see reason, not when her childhood best friend was murdered by someone in this camp.
"Oh, good for you, you mean. What… keep people afraid and they'll work for you? Is that it?" Clarke almost growled out, her voice getting increasingly louder.
"Yeah. That's it, but it's good for all of us, fear of the Grounders is building that wall." His reasoning made sense but Clarke wasn't having any of it. He still continued " And besides, what are you gonna do… just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife that is." Bellamy stated, still trying to prevent her from doing something stupid.
"Oh really? J.M" she stated as she showed Bellamy the initials carved into the handle of the knife. "John Murphy. The people have a right to know." With that she walked out of the tent, Rhea quickly followed behind her. Since she couldn't protect Wells, the least she could do was make sure his best friend was safe. Even if she was acting alittle crazy.
Well beyond crazy, Clarke had managed to pick a fight with the one that Rhea now knew to be John Murphy, the same boy that had lead the party that attacked her the night before.
"You son of a bitch!" Clarke shouted, shoving Murphy backwards.
"What's your problem?" Murphy asked, clearly oblivious as to why he was being attacked
"Recognize this?" Clarke held up his knife, that's when it hit Rhea, Murphy hadn't been the one to kill Wells. If he had, his body would be giving him away.
"Clarke," She started but Clarke shot her a look that instantly made her stop.
"That's my knife. Where'd you find it?" Recognition passed over Murphy's pale features.
"Where you dropped it after you kill Wells" Clarke's accusation seemed to get the attention of everyone around them. Rhea was started to get increasingly more nervous.
"Where I what? The grounders killed Wells, not me." Murphy leaned in to get closer to Clarke as an attempt at making the conversation a little more private.
"I know what you did and you are going to pay for it." Clarke was beyond understanding that the kids around her were starting to look hungry and she was ringing the dinner bell. Murphy must have noticed this too, he knew that the evidence was against him and that Clarke was not about to see reason.
"Really?" He asked Clarke before he turned his attention to the leader of the camp.
"Bellamy, you really believe this crap?" But this only made Clarke more upset.
"You threatened to kill him. We all heard you. You hated Wells." She spat, clearly wanting him to admit to his crimes. Even if he wasn't the one to commit them.
"Plenty of people hated Wells. His father was the Chancellor that locked us up." Murphy was still trying to get her to understand that he was not the one to kill Wells.
"Yeah, but you are the only one to get into a knife fight with him" Shouted Clarke.
"Yeah, I didn't kill him then either." Murphy pointed out. Octavia decided to get in on the action as well.
"Tried to kill Jasper, too." Rhea just shook her head the situation was escalating to a point where someone was going to get hurt. Looking around Murphy smirked and stepped away from Clarke, clearly done with her.
"Come on, this is ridiculous, I don't have to answer to you." He yelled, "I don't have to answer to anyone!"
"Come again?" Bellamy questioned, his arms folded over his chest, clearly not impressed with Murphy's slip up. Murphy's head spun around to look at the camp leader.
"Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this." He said as he weaseled his way to Bellamy's side.
"They found his fingers on the ground with your knife." Bellamy stated, trying to keep his voice low so the rest of the 100 didn't lose it.
Rhea went to take a step forward, but stopped when Clarke decided to address the crowd.
"Is this the kind of society we want?" Then she turned so she was looking right at Bellamy.
"You say there should be no rules. Does that mean that we can kill each other without… without punishment?"
"I already told you, I didn't kill anyone" Murphy responded to Clarke.
"I say we float him." One of the boys from the camp yelled. The expression on Clarke's face showed that she had not intended for him to be killed. Everyone else around her began to agree with the suggestion.
"That's not what I am saying" Clarke tried to tell them. Rhea felt the need to say something by now, things were getting way too out of hand.
"We aren't doing that." She stated, looking from face to face.
"Why not?" The boy sounded astonded, "He deserves to float, it's justice. He would have been floated in a heartbeat on the ARK, and you," He said as he pointed towards Rhea, "Would have been his escort."
"Revenge isn't justice" Clarke tried to reason with him, choosing to disregard his comment towards Rhea, but the damage was already done. Before Rhea could step forward to cut off the 100s route to Murphy two people from behind her grabbed her arms preventing her from moving forward. One of them whispering into her ear,
"Mind your business, guard. This has nothing to do with you." Rhea could only watch as the crowd descended upon him, viciously attacking him. Rhea tried so hard to fight against the two boys that were restraining her but to no avail. They just made her follow along with the crowd, to watch everything that she couldn't stop. She noticed the rope and knew exactly what they were intending on doing, her fight increasing, no one deserved to die by hanging. Clarke was screaming frantically for Bellamy to make it all stop, even Finn began begging after he appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but it didn't stop. Rhea became almost animalistic as Bellamy kicked the box out from underneath Murphy. The boys holding her couldn't keep a grip on her as she thrashed around. When they did let her go she had intended on running and cutting Murphy loose. Before she could do anything she heard the small voice of Charlotte break through the crowd,
"Stop! Okay? Murphy didn't kill Wells, I did!" Rhea felt her heart jump to the pit of her stomach, the words that had come out of Charlotte's mouth making her fall to the ground. The poor girl had just sentenced herself to death, without even knowing it.
Rhea recovered quickly, running to Charlotte and getting her out of there before the crowd woke up from the blow that Charlotte's confession had caused. She knew where to go, straight to Bellamy's tent, where no one would dare set foot. Pulling her inside she looked her in the eye hoping for a hint that she might have lied to save Murphy, but she found nothing. Before she could ask why Charlotte did it, Bellamy came storming in with Clarke and Finn hot on his tail.
"Why Charlotte?" He demanded. His face one of pure fear, he knew the Murphy was going to be out for blood and he was genuinely afraid for the little girl in front of him.
"Because I was just trying to slay my demons, like you told me" She snapped. Rhea frowned and put her hands to her head. She could hear Murphy growling outside, demanding for Bellamy to bring him Charlotte, and she honestly didn't know what to do to stop him from barging into the tent and taking her off to her death.
"What the hell is she talking about?" Clarke questioned, venom dripping off of each word.
"Sh.. She misunderstood me," Bellamy informed Clarke, "Charlotte that is not what I meant."
Murphy's shouts of anger getting increasingly more persistant, he wanted Charlotte's head on a pike and if they didn't think of something soon, he would damn well get it.
"Please don't let them hurt me." Charlotte looked to Rhea and then Bellamy, her face full of fear. Rhea nodded, determined to protect her. Pulling her gun out of it's holster she loaded a bullet into the chamber and turned the safety off, she was ready for a fight.
"Okay, if you guys have any bright ideas speak up." He seemed almost frantic at this point, his eyes flicking from the gun in her hands to Finn and Clarke's face hoping for something but neither Finn nor Clarke had anything.
"Oh, now you stay quiet" he roared.
"Those are your boys out there!" Finn snapped, he was clearly not impressed with the situation at hand.
"This is not my fault, if she had listened to me, those idiots would still be building the wall." Bellamy pointed blame but it was clear on Clarke's face that she already blamed herself.
Murphy began shouting again, which made Charlotte stiffen and Rhea's rage intensify.
"You want to build a society, princess? Let's build a society. Bring her out." That was not about to happen, Rhea began pacing infront of the entrance like a caged animal. She knew that if they didn't figure something out first, she would have to go out there guns blazing.
"No! Please Bellamy." Charlotte was terrified, which made Rhea move towards her pulling her into a quick hug.
"Hey, hey don't worry. You know I won't let them hurt you." Rhea tried to comfort her but the only thing that would help Charlotte was getting her out of here, away from Murphy's fury.
"Charlotte, hey, it's gonna be okay. Just stay with them" Bellamy reassured her before exiting the tent. Rhea looked at Finn and Clarke,
"If you let anything happens to her, I will kill you." She snarled before following Bellamy.
She didn't like the sight in front of her, there was too many of them so shooting her way out was not a option, quickly she put her gun back in it's holster before anyone noticed she had it out.
"Oh well, look who decided to join us" Murphy snarled, his face covered with blood and there were bruises from the rope beginning to become darker on his neck.
"Dial it down and back off" Bellamy ordered, clearly not impressed with how Murphy was acting.
"Or what? What are you gonna do about me? Hang me?" Murphy pushed, his eyes drifting to Rhea's. "Or are you going to sick your guard dog on me?" Clearly not enjoying her presence. Bellamy chose to disregard the last question,
"I was just giving the people what they wanted." He stated firmly. This must have given Murphy an idea because he began to back away from Bellamy,
"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. Why don't we do that right now?" Looking towards the crowd he continued, "So, who here wants to see the real murderer hung up? All in favor?" Only a few raised their hands, which put Rhea's mind slightly at ease, but Murphy wasn't too impressed.
" I see. So, it's okay to string me up for nothing, but when this little bitch confesses, you all let her walk?" He waited a minute willing someone to explain to him why they thought it was alright, when no one spoke up, he started up again." Cowards! All of you are cowards!" By this point Bellamy had, had enough.
"Hey, Murphy! Murphy. It's over." Bellamy roared, Rhea staring at Murphy, daring him to try something, but he seemed to calm down.
"Whatever you say boss" He said with his hands up in mock surrender. Bellamy took this for what it appeared to be and put his back towards him. Before Rhea could even blink Bellamy was on the ground and one of Murphy's followers had her by the hair and pinned to the ground.
"Well, bitch, looks like you are gonna get what you deserve." He said as he wrapped rope around her hands. Once he was done, he pulled her up by the hair and threw her at the crowd.
"She's a member of the guard. Kill her." With that he ran after Murphy, trying to catch up so he could take part in whatever they were going to do to Charlotte.
People around her began to shove her back and forth, ripping at her hair, tugging at her clothes. She felt one of them kick her behind her knee cap so she would fall. Once she was down, they kept at her, everyone wanted to take their frustrations out on the one person that represented something they hated. She could hear someone screaming her name but the beating continued.
"Everyone back down, stop this!" The voice shouted, she felt her binds being cut and someone grab her by the arm to lift her up.
"She is not the enemy! She was sent down here to die just like the rest of you." By this point she realized that her savior was Octavia, with Jasper at her side.
"Now if anyone touches her again, you will have to go through me." Octavia snarled, making the people at the front of the mob step back. Rhea was starting to recover from the blinding pain that was coursing through her body, but she couldn't wait much longer, she had to go after Charlotte.
"You alright?" Octavia asked her, keeping her hand securely on her elbow. She looked to Octavia and tried to give her a small smile, but it must have looked like a wince because the look she got in return was one of worry.
The little moment they had was over when a groan escaped Bellamy's lips. He woke up rather quickly, jolting up as he remembered why he was on the ground to begin with, that's when he noticed the state Rhea was in, he went to go towards her clearly worried, but with one look from her he knew now was not time. Both of them quickly ran out of the entrance to the camp with hopes of finding Charlotte before Murphy.