Chapter 2: Old Wounds

Bellamy was walking at the back of the group in silence. Murphy had been trying to get his attention since they found them, but Bellamy wasn't sure he had forgiven him for what had happened with Finn. Or how the other boy had just left with Jaha without a second thought. But that wasn't what was really bothering him. Astrid Rolston had been floated six years ago. Or at least, that's what he had thought.

But she was walking ahead of him now with her long black hair in a braid down her back. The petite woman of Japanese descent didn't look a day over thirty, but Bellamy knew she was at least ten years older. Astrid had worked at the nursery on Factory Station where Bellamy had grown up. He had known her as Mrs. Rolston then. She had taken care of the children of the people of Factory Station since she was sixteen, but Bellamy couldn't remember what her maiden name had been. She had married and had her son before the age of twenty-one, but both her son and husband had died in a work related accident when Bellamy was twelve.

Bellamy hadn't thought about Astrid in a long time. But he remembered when she was floated seven years ago and how scared his mother had been. He also remembered how a cloud of sadness had settled over Factory Station for the next few weeks at the loss of someone who most people considered a wonderful person. But Bellamy had felt nothing. Because Bellamy considered his mother's death and Octavia's eventually imprisonment to be her fault.

"You're Aurora's son, right? Bellamy. Yes, Bellamy Blake. I remember you."

Of course she recognized him. The saintly Mrs. Rolston never forgot a face of a child that had once played in her nursery. Especially one whose mother had dared to have a second child. Bellamy couldn't believe his luck. After Bellamy had spent the last fifteen minutes pointedly ignoring Murphy, Astrid chose this moment to fall into step beside him.

"You're the first friendly face I've seen since Thelonious woke me up." White teeth peeked out from behind her pale lips as she graced him with a smile. Bellamy stared at her. He was probably the most unfriendly looking of the group. Except for maybe Kane and his beard. "How's your mother?"

"Dead." If she wanted to talk, fine. But he wasn't in the forgiving mood. In fact, it felt good to have someone else to blame for the moment. Maybe a good fight would take his mind off of Mount Weather and Clarke.

"I'm sorry to hear that." To her credit, Astrid did look sorry. "Did she not make it down on Factory Station? Thelonious had mentioned that he didn't know what had happened to it."

"She was floated a year ago." Bellamy glared at Jaha's back and added, "And apparently she wasn't important enough to have been sent to Earth. Just another woman who couldn't keep her legs closed."

He could tell his comment hurt Astrid, but she only nodded. "It was a risk, she knew that."

"But it wasn't just a risk for her. It was a risk for both me and Octavia. And you encouraged her!" His voice was raised a little louder than intended and Sgt. Miller looked back to check on him. Astrid waited to reply until Bellamy had nodded to assure the older officer that everything was alright.

"She came to me for advice and I couldn't turn her away. There have been so many women just like her."

"And people like you were the reason that people like Octavia and I became pariahs on the Ark. Do you know what happened to all the illegal children you had taken in after you were floated?" hissed Bellamy. Anger was burning in his eyes now and it all came flooding out; the hurt and pain when his mother was floated and the memory of Octavia's face every day when she had to go back under the floorboard. "The lucky ones, the babies, they were forced on couples that didn't have children yet. The rest, they spent their sad lives in lockup on the Ark. They never knew love or compassion or what it meant to be a part of the Ark. And if they were released when they were eighteen, they didn't know how to function in a community. Most of them were floated within six months for petty crimes!"

"And that is the fault of the government on the Ark. Not me or your mother. Certainly not those innocent children-"

"Do you even hear yourself? The rules were there for a reason. And because of overpopulation, the Council sent down one hundred kids to the Earth to die. And they killed another three hundred for oxygen. How would you have fixed that, hmm? Just have as many babies as you want? As long as there is love, then everything is fine?"

Astrid didn't reply to his outburst this time. Maybe she was beginning to notice that his frustration didn't solely stem from the life he and Octavia had suffered. Or maybe she actually felt guilty for the children she couldn't save. Her voice was soft when she spoke again. It was that soothing tone that she had used on the little babies hidden away in a secret cupboard in her nursery. "I fed them, Bellamy. I got them extra rations and told the mothers which guards to bribe. I just tried to help them."

With sad dark eyes, Astrid sped up to join the other two men who had come with Jaha, leaving Bellamy alone at the back of the group once again. He cursed Jaha and every chancellor before him for all the secrecy and rules. But Bellamy had learned a long time ago that life wasn't fair. The only positive thing to happen today was the appearance of Jake Griffin. Because maybe, just maybe, he could get word to Clarke and the thought of her father would bring her back to camp.

In the front of the group, someone else was thinking the opposite of seeing Jake Griffin again. Kane was struggling to accept what had just happened and what was to come. Jaha was a loose cannon as it was and now that he was literally bringing back the dead, he wasn't sure how it would affect the balance of peace that Kane and Abby had worked so hard to obtain.

But the ex-Chancellor was walking next to him now with an air of confidence that Kane remembered from his early days in office. Back then, Jaha had been so determined to do right by the people who elected him. But there had also been a sense of naivety, for he was convinced that he could solve all of the Ark's problems. Kane guessed at some point, they had all been so ambitious. But the facts of life on the Ark weren't going to change, no matter how hard Thelonious Jaha had tried.

Kane had thought that after his time as Chancellor, Jaha had grown bitter and hardened. Jaha, who's best friend had committed treason trying to warn the people of the Ark of the hardships to come; Jaha, who had made the decision to send one hundred delinquents to Earth and sealed the fate of his son; Jaha, who watched as his people sacrificed themselves for a few more days of oxygen; and Jaha, who had every intention of dying to see his people safely to Earth.

But the man walking next to him now wasn't the same ex-Chancellor who left Arkadia before all hell broke loose. He definitely wasn't the same man who had rebelled against Abby, calling for the Arkadians to flee the Grounders. No, this Jaha walked as if he knew all the secrets of the Earth and could deliver his people to a better world.

Sgt. Miller called for a full halt at the edge of the forest to scan the open area for any indication of danger. Kane heard the murmuring behind him as the five 'floaters' took in the image of the curve of metal that blocked the view of the horizon: the Ark, grounded. He had to admit, it looked both formidable and foreign. But it was home.

"Let me talk to Abby first to explain what's going on," said Kane. He had almost said 'to warn Abby', but had caught himself. He was the one who had needed a warning. But after all they had been through two weeks ago, he didn't want to her to be caught unaware of Jaha's return and the people he brought with him.

"We'll go together," said Jaha, putting his arm around Jake. The look of desperate love on Jake's face caused Kane to turn away. The empty feeling in his stomach had been growing ever since Jake had said hello and now it was trying to overtake him. Then came that feeling of guilt of not being happy to see his old friend. But Kane knew he had to be the one to tell Abby.

"Miller will take the others to the Council Chambers. You two will come with me. I'll talk to Abby first and then Jake can have a moment with her before she meets the others."

"Sounds good," agreed Jake with a nervous smile.

"Let's go."

The guards at the gate were already pulling it open for the group. Sgt. Miller and Bellamy led the rest of the floaters and Murphy into the Ark. They tried to be as surreptitious as possible, but the strangers were drawing stares and whispers. Kane looked around for Monty, but the kid had already disappeared into the crowd, presumably to find his friends.

Both Jaha and Jake were looking at him expectantly. Kane knew he had to get Jaha inside before the people started asking questions. He'd rather find out what the ex-chancellor was up to in a closed room then out here in the open. Especially with the uproar that he caused before he left. The three men pushed their way through to the medical tent.

Kane paused before he pulled back the tarp. "Why don't you two wait here? It won't take long to talk to Abby..."

"Sure. Sure." Kane knew that Jake was ready to see his wife, but was glad of the respect that the other man had for him to talk to her first.

Taking a deep breath, Kane left Jake and Jaha in the hallway and proceeded past the tarp that hung over the entrance. The main room of the makeshift hospital was empty except for Jackson. He barely glanced away from whatever he was doing in the cabinet when he noticed Kane.

"Where's Abby?"

"She's with a patient in the back. Shouldn't be much longer." Kane heard some clinking of glass as Jackson continued his task.

"When she comes in, I'd like a minute alone with her." Kane was paying more attention to the door that led to the back than Jackson, so he almost missed the look of panic when the young doctor turned around. In another situation, Kane might have smiled at the concern Jackson had for his mentor and friend, but today he was too preoccupied. Nevertheless, he reassured him, "It's nothing bad."

"Right..." Now smirking, Jackson winked at a bewildered Kane and walked out of the room. About five seconds passed and Jackson walked right back in, his eyes wide, and he stated, "That's Jake Griffin."

Kane sighed. "Yes it is. Now get out of here, Abby could be done any second."

"But he's dead."

"Apparently not."

Jackson pulled back the flap to look into the hall, presumably at Jake, and then back at Kane. "I'm not leaving."

"Jackson..."

"I should be here when you tell her-"

"Tell me what?" Abby walked into the room, drying her hands off with a towel. Upon seeing the look on both Kane and Jackson's faces, the blood drained from her cheeks and she dropped the towel. There was a shake in her voice when she whispered, "Clarke."

Kane practically jumped forward to grab her shoulders and rather forcefully exclaimed, "Clarke's fine. She's ok. This has nothing to do with Clarke!"

But the fear in Abby's eyes didn't subside. "Then who? Raven? Blake? Oh my gosh, Jasper!"

"No one is dead," said Kane slowly and squeezed her shoulders to reassure her. Abby didn't seem convinced but she nodded anyway and brought her hand up to grab his. Kane tried to ignore the feel of her fingers wrapping around his wrist.

"In fact...it's pretty much the opposite," muttered Jackson. Kane glared at him, but Abby had heard.

"Marcus, what's going on?"

For a few seconds, staring into her brown eyes, Kane considered telling her everything was fine. What would a few more hours of peace for Abby mean? He could handle Jaha and the floaters. She could have a few more moments before her whole world changed. But then he remembered how eager Jake was to see her and how desperate he had sounded when he asked about Clarke and Abby. He also remembered Abby's frantic pleas for Jaha to spare Jake's life and her haunted eyes when he had been floated.

"It's about Jake," he said as gently as possible.

"Jake?" Of course she was confused, Jake Griffin was supposed to be dead. He hated this. Abby was so confused and scared and she had every reason to be. He wasn't making himself clear.

Trying to clarify, Kane started at the beginning. "We found Jaha in the forest. He had some people with him, people who should have been dead."

"Jake? You mean my Jake?" Kane chose to ignore the feeling of being punched in the gut when she said 'my Jake'. Abby looked at Jackson for some sort of sign that Kane was under the influence of some sort of hallucinogen, but Jackson only nodded to confirm what the other man was saying.

Kane let go of her shoulders and took a step back. "I know this is a shock, it was for me too, but he's waiting outside with Thelonious."

Abby stared at the flap that separated her from the hallway and then back to Kane. "He's alive? Jake's alive? He's here?"

"Right here." Jake was holding up the tarp, waiting for a reaction from his wife. "Abby..."

She didn't move at first. It was if she was frozen in the moment; like it was too good to be true. But the tall man in front of her that was wrapped in rags and covered in dust was surely her husband. Jake walked tentatively toward her and the moment broke and Abby threw herself into her husband's arms.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," stuttered Abby into Jake's shoulder.

Jake kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I forgive you. I forgave you."

"I'm so sorry." Abby couldn't stop repeating herself and she was starting to shake in her husband's arms. Kane pulled Jackson by the arm out into the hallway.

Even from outside, Kane could hear Jake's question: "Where's Clarke?" And he could also hear the sobs from Abby as she finally broke down. Through her tears, she started to explain everything from the moment they decided to send Clarke and the other kids to Earth.

Knowing he couldn't stand here and listen to Abby recount the last few months, he started down the hallway to the Council Chamber. Jackson was looking at him with sympathy as he stood guard over the door to be sure the newly reunited couple wouldn't be interrupted. When they were ready, Abby and Jake would join them. But for now, Kane could start to take care of the floaters and Jaha.