Well here's the update I promised! I hope y'all like it! :D

Chapter 23

Bellamy was sitting at his desk in his office, Murphy and Miller looking over equipment and taking inventory of what they had and what they would need before next season. He looked down at the potential roster for next season, grimacing at the list of upcoming freshman.

He allowed his mind to wander, for the thousandth time, to Clarke. He glanced at his phone, thinking about calling her. He couldn't do that, she'd only complain he was hovering. So, he did the next best thing and called Raven.

However, that had been at least thirty minutes ago and she should have made it to the house and called him back by now. He was reaching for his phone, having decided to just break down and call Clarke, when his office door banged open and Kyle Wick barged in.

"We need to go," Wick panted, his eyes wild.

"What's happened," Bellamy asked, grabbing his coat as Miller and Murphy did the same.

"Raven just called and Finn as at your place. She hung up before I could convince her to wait for us."

Bellamy didn't take time to answer, he just took off at a dead run for his truck- Wick on his heels. He peeled out of the parking lot, praying that he wouldn't be too late. He had no idea what he planned to do when he got there; all he knew was that he had to get to Clarke.

He pulled up to the house, barely getting the truck in park before he ran for the door. He had enough common sense to stop, and look inside before busting down the door. He needed to know what he was walking into.

Bellamy peered in the window, his heart falling to the pit of his stomach as white-hot rage coursed through his veins. He faintly heard Wick's truck pull into the drive, but he was already moving again.

He rushed into the living room, barreling into Finn- his ears ringing at the loud report of the pistol. He quickly found Clarke, making sure she was unhurt, before he did what he'd wanted to do for weeks.

Bellamy felt like he was in red haze. He didn't even feel the burn in his knuckles as his fists connected with Finn's face again and again. He blocked out every sound, his sole focus on the man who'd tried to hurt the woman he loved.

It felt like an eternity before a sound dragged him from his rage induced fog. He looked down, Finn's face bloodied and bruised. He looked around, his gaze coming to rest on Clarke where she stood sobbing, begging him to stop.

He jumped away from the man he was sure he'd just killed, scrambling backwards until his back hit the wall. He looked at his hands covered in blood, looking around the room to find Wick and Raven staring at him with wide eyes.

Bellamy felt his breathing accelerate, shaking his head as Clarke rushed towards him. She fell to her knees beside him, taking his face in her hands.

"Bellamy," she sobbed.

"What have I done," he breathed, "I'm a monster."

"No, don't say that," Clarke cried, "You saved me!"

Bellamy was about to answer when a deep searing pain in his stomach caught his attention. He looked down, mesmerized by the bright red staining his shirt.

"Princess," he whispered as he slumped over.

Clarke grabbed for the first thing she could find, which happened to be her sweatshirt, and applied pressure to his wound. She swiped at the tears on her cheeks, smearing blood across her skin, her breath coming in choppy gasps.

She had never felt more helpless. She looked up to find Raven and Wick standing a few feet away, Murphy and Miller standing in the doorway their mouths agape.

"Call 911," she ordered, trying to keep her voice even.

She watched as Raven pulled out her phone, beginning to pace as she spoke to the dispatcher.

"Looks like I ended him for you, Princess," Finn spat.

"Shut up, Finn," Clarke snarled, watching as his eyes widened.

Just then her mother came running into the house.

"Clarke, we heard-" Abby said, coming to a halt when she saw Bellamy.

"Please Mom, please help him," Clarke pled.

Abby displaced her, checking his vitals, "His pulse is thready, but he's going to pull through Clarke. I'll make sure he has the best care. Marcus, get my phone and call Dr. Donald Reynolds. Tell him to get here as quickly as possible."

A dark chuckle sounded from the other side of the room, "Fancy surgeon's not going to do him any good," Finn taunted.

Something in Clarke snapped, and before anyone knew what was happening she had scrambled to her feet and moved to stand over Finn. The pistol in her hands was cold, an unfamiliar weight that should have terrified her but she was too angry to feel fear.

"I thought I told you to shut up," Clarke said, her voice cold.

"You won't shoot me," Finn said with a broken smile.

"You shot him," she said, tears streaming anew down her cheeks, "You've taken so much from me, but you won't take him!"

"I've already done just that," Finn replied, "He's slipping away, Clarke."

Clarke felt like her whole world was crashing down around her. She looked over her shoulder at Bellamy, his blood everywhere. She could hear the faint sound of the ambulance sirens. Then she looked back at Finn.

She pulled back the hammer with a sickening click, watching as his eyes widened and the color drained from his cheeks.

"You never should have come back, Finn," Clarke whispered, "But I'm going to make sure you never hurt anyone ever again."

Raven didn't know what to do.

"Clarke don't do this," she begged.

This had no affect; Clarke still aimed the pistol at Finn- unwavering. Raven looked at Wick, begging him to do something.

"Clarke think about this," he said evenly, "the kids need you."

But Clarke didn't budge. She kept the gun trained on Finn.

"I need you too, Princess," Bellamy slurred, bringing her round, "He's not worth you going to prison. I don't think you'd look good in orange."

Clarke gave a gasping sob, the gun falling to her side. Wick rushed forward, taking it from her hand as she rushed to Bellamy's side- taking his hand in her own.

"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered.

"Are you kidding," Bellamy gasped, "A little bullet won't phase me."

"Shhh, don't talk," Clarke cooed, kissing him softly.

The paramedics came in then, and Clarke breathed a sigh of relief. She could hear her mother giving orders as Bellamy was gently transferred to a gurney. She kept hold of his hand as they put him in the ambulance, only letting go when her mother displaced her.

"We'll meet you at the hospital," Abby said as the doors shut.

"Come on, Clarke," Miller said behind her, "We'll drive you."

She hopped in his truck with he and Murphy, thankful when they were following in the ambulance's wake- their emergency flashers blinking.

When they got to the hospital Clarke didn't know what to do. She couldn't sit still, squirming in her seat until she finally got up to pace. Murphy brought her coffee, but she refused. She was jittery enough without the need for caffeine.

About an hour later Raven showed up with the kids. AJ clung to Wick, and Octavia looked like death warmed over. Her bright, expressive eyes were dull and rimmed in red.

Clarke opened her arms, holding the girl close as she sobbed.

"What if he dies," Octavia whispered, her hands fisted in Clarke's jacket.

"Shhh, that's not going to happen," Clarke assured her, stroking her hair.

"But what if it does, Clarke," Octavia asked, pulling back so they were face to face.

"You'll stay with me. We're family, O, and no matter what happens we'll get through this," Clarke said, hugging her again.

They stood there for what seemed like hours until both their tears were spent. Clarke turned to find Lincoln sitting by Raven, his hand clutching hers as he stared into space. She could tell he'd been crying.

She sat down beside him, Octavia taking the seat next to her as AJ crawled into her lap. Soon, O's head came to rest on her shoulder and her soft even breathing filled the quiet waiting room.

Clarke thought she was going to go crazy. It felt like it had been an eternity since Bellamy had been taken into surgery and she didn't know how much longer she could go without knowing.

She deposited AJ in Wick's lap, and quickly switched places with Lincoln so he could care for Octavia. She walked to the nurse's desk, the woman giving her a pitying look.

"Do you know anything," Clarke asked.

"No, I'm sorry, Mrs. Griffin. We won't know anything until the doctor comes from surgery."

Clarke nodded, walking back to where her family huddled together.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Clarke," Miller asked for the hundredth time.

"No thank you, Nate," she said as she began her pacing again.

"Clarke," Octavia said drowsily, "How is he?"

"We still don't know, sweetheart," Clarke replied.

"Momma, I'm hungry," AJ grumbled.

"I am too, Mom," Lincoln said.

"Why don't all of you go down and get something to eat. You can bring me something back," Clarke suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea," Wick said, rising from his seat with AJ's hand clasped in his.

Clarke watched all them go, finally sitting down. It was so much easier when they weren't there. She could manage her pain better if she felt like she didn't have to hide it.

She leaned forward, her face covered by her hands. She tried to convince herself that he would be alright, that this was somehow just a terrible dream and she would wake up tomorrow and he would be standing in the kitchen with the paper and his coffee like always.

The police had informed her three hours ago that Finn had been treated and taken into custody. They'd taken her and Raven's statements, and the attorney said the case was pretty open and shut. Finn wouldn't be able to hurt them anymore.

As Clarke sat in the silence she couldn't help the guilt that niggled at the back of her mind. After this part of her wished she'd never met Bellamy. If he'd never walked into her life then this wouldn't have happened.

She felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. If he died she didn't know how she was going to keep going. She didn't even know how she'd lived her life before him. The last six months he'd become so ingrained in her life that she could barely remember what her life was like before he walked into it.

"Family of Bellamy Blake!"

Clarke's head shot up, and she jumped to her feet and ran for the nurse's station.

"What's happened," Clarke asked, her voice quivering, "Is he ok?"

"The doctor will see you in the conference room," the nurse told her, pointing to a door off to the right.

Clarke nodded, asking the woman to tell her family where she was when they got back before dashing for the little conference room. She opened the door and found her mother standing with an older man who looked to be in his early 60's.

"Miss Griffin," he said, extending his hand.

Clarke ignored it, "How is he? Please, tell me about Bellamy."

The doctor took a deep breath, "His surgery was a success. He's lost a lot of blood and had extensive internal damage but we've taken care of all that. He's in recovery right now, and he'll be placed in a room in ICU in the next hour. I'll come for you and you can see him when he's been settled."

Clarke gave a sigh of relief, tears coursing down her cheeks, "Thank you so much."

"He's a very strong man. A lesser man would have died in the ambulance," Dr. Reynolds smiled.

"He's my miracle," Clarke smiled through her tears.

"That he is. I'll let you tell your family the good news, and I'll send a nurse for you when he's ready."

"Thank you again, Dr. Reynolds," Clarke grinned, extending her hand.

"You're welcome," the man said, shaking her hand and then leaving with a little wave.

Clarke hugged her mother, and then rushed back into the waiting room to find her family waiting for her. She couldn't contain her smile, her heart feeling so light she was sure she could fly.

"He's going to be fine. The surgery was a success and they'll let us see him after he's been settled in a room," Clarke cried.

"Thank goodness," Wick sighed, hugging Raven and AJ to him.

Octavia raced to Clarke, throwing her arms around her neck.

"I love you, Clarke," the girl whispered, "Thank you for loving my brother."

Thanks for reading! Please review! I love hearing from y'all! :)

Thanks to all of my guest reviewers! Y'all are awesome and so encouraging! Thanks for taking the time to read and review my story! It means the world to me! :)