A/N: Sometimes I feel like I'm writing a soap opera.

"Um, okay." Clarke opened the door more and stepped aside, allowing Raven into the living room. "Uh, you can just sit over there," she pointed to the couch. "Do you want anything to drink? I have-"

"Do you have any beer?"

"Yeah, uh, sure. One second." Clarke walked to the kitchen, ignoring Octavia's questioning look from the couch.

"Hey Princess, can you tell O to tell the guys it will be about 30 minutes?" Bellamy had a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder. He stood at the stove pushing chicken around in the frying pan.

"Um, yeah, sure." Clarke grabbed a beer from the fridge. After a moments hesitation she grabbed a second one. Raven worried her. For some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

"You okay, Clarke?"

"Hmm?"

Bellamy put the spatula down and walked towards her, concern painted across his face. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine, sorry. I'll just tell Octavia." As she left the kitchen she could feel his questioning eyes on her back.

"Bellamy says to text the guys it will be thirty minutes."

"Clarke who is-" Clarke continued walking and ignored Octavia's questions.

Raven had chosen a seat in one of the armchairs. The dark haired woman was fiddling with her keys nervously.

"Here," Clarke handed her a beer before taking a seat on the couch. "So what is it?"

"Well, there isn't really any good way to put this." Her voice was cold and bitter but her eyes met Clarke's defiantly. "I was just down at Sacred Ground visiting my boyfriend of seven years. My high school sweetheart, the boy next door, you know, that type of thing." Clarke swallowed hard hoping that this wasn't going where she felt it was. "I couldn't find him in the his usual wing so naturally I asked one of the nurses on the floor. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when a nurse told me I could probably find him with Dr. Clarke Griffin who he had been dating for four months."

"Oh my God." Clarke was shocked. Beyond shocked. She was stunned. Finn, who had been begging to meet her family, who had been so open and vocal about how much he cared about her, who had fucking offered to let her move in with him, was in a relationship. She, Clarke Griffin, was the other woman. She was the mistress. He had strung her along for 4 months and she had bought every second of it.

"Yeah, I was a little shocked myself." Raven said resentfully, glaring at Clarke. "I mean here I was, returned from a year in a fucking submarine expecting to come home to the guy I love being only in love with me."

"Raven I-"

"I mean, its not like this guy has talked about marrying me time and time again. Its not like he has been my whole life for seven fucking years. More than seven fucking years." She paused, taking a long drink of her beer. Clarke used the opportunity to talk.

"Raven, I had no idea, I swear. If I had known I never would have- I promise you I would have said no- I am not-"

"So he didn't tell you then?" Raven searched her face as if to determine if Clarke was lying.

"I had no idea." Clarke tried desperately to keep her voice steady as a wave of emotion rocked over her. He had used her. She had been the other woman.

"Of fucking course." Raven downed the rest of her beer. She looked over at Clarke, no doubt seeing the emotional turmoil she felt inside splattered across her face. Raven seemed to deflate a little, sinking back into the chair with a weary sigh. "I wanted so bad to come here and be pissed at you. I wanted to fight you and curse you out for being a man-stealing whore. I so wanted to blame someone other than him. But he played you too, played you like he played me. "

"Raven, I am so sorry."

She shook her head. "You didn't know. He fucked both of us over."

The women sat in heavy silence, both lost in their thoughts. Clarke was torn between wanting to cry and wanting to yell. She hadn't felt so betrayed since… well since her father had died. Finally, Raven spoke. Her voice was shaky but there was strength to her words.

"Well, how would you like to go forget about this fucker with me at the closest bar?"

"I-"

"I'm really not pissed at you. I mean I am but I'm also smart enough to know that it's an irrational anger. Finn was really the only person I hung out with on a regular basis before leaving and it would just be really nice to bitch about him to someone."

"I'll get my purse."

Raven nodded and stood. Clarke quickly told Octavia she had to go without offering any details. She would tell her roommate eventually, but right now she understood Raven's desire to only spend time with someone who actually understood how she felt.

Three hours later the two women found themselves at a beat up, shady, old bar a few blocks from Clarke's house. Their conversation, which had initially been brutally awkward, had fallen into a comfortable banter about their mutual ex-boyfriend.

"He was all I had growing up," Raven slurred. "I was convinced I would marry him. Ever since I was seven and he helped me build a tree house, I knew. What a load of bullshit."

Clarke finished off her third rum and coke. "He asked me to move in with him."

"What!"

"We had only been dating for a month and he asked me to move in with him, I should have known something was up. He got way too attached way too fast."

"No that's just Finn. He is the sweetest person I know." Raven paused for a beat. "He is also a fucking bastard."

"He clearly didn't plan well, I mean imagine if you had come home and I was-"

"Living in his apartment, oh my God! I would have killed you!"

"I would have killed me too."

"I just don't get it," Raven sobered a bit, looking intensely at her shot glass. "Why wasn't I enough? I emailed him everyday and called when I could. We talked about it before I left, that when I came back we would get engaged. I just don't understand what you have that I don't."

Even in her drunken state Clarke could feel shame building in her gut. "I don't get it either, Raven. I would have picked you over me."

Raven rolled her eyes but there was a small smile on her lips. "Its 'cause you're blonde. He always had a thing for blondes."

"Its because he is a weak, lying, two-timing man."

"That too. You want to know the saddest part, Clarke? I still love him. Even after this I still love the bastard."

Clarke was silent for a moment. "Have you told him?"

"That I love him? Only a million times, lot of good that-"

"No, that you know about me. That I know about you."

"Oh. No, the first thing I did when the nurse told me about you was figure out where you lived. I wanted to beat the crap out of you."

"I'm glad you didn't."

"Me too. You aren't too bad Clarke Griffin. I can see why that bastard likes you."

"I can't see why he would want to cheat on you."

"Probably because he is a little asshole."

"You should tell him."

"We should do it together. Surprise him!" Raven gestured wildly as if to demonstrate the surprise.

"No, just you. I don't want to see him again."

"Understandable."

They sat in silence for a few moments as the bartender refilled their drinks with a pitying smile.

"So what are you going to do?" Clarke finally asked Raven.

"About what?"

"You said you still love him, are you going to stay with him?"

Raven's face fell and she sighed heavily. "I don't know. I know I shouldn't, it would be the stupid, weak thing to do. But… he is Finn." She said it like it was the most obvious thing she knew. "For seven years he has been my life. How do you just let go of your life?"

Octavia was waiting up for her when Clarke finally stumbled in at 1:00 in the morning.

"Clarke! Thank God! Where have you been? We have been worried sick! You didn't answer your phone and you didn't tell us where you were going or what was wrong! Bellamy has been freaking out and going all big brother over it. He is out looking for you now!"

Great, now she felt even guiltier. "I'm sorry, 'tavia."

"You're drunk."

"Yep."

"Clarke, are you going to tell me what happened?"

Clarke sighed and dropped down onto the couch next to Octavia. "I'm the other woman."

"What?"

Clarke stared at the wall, avoiding Octavia's eyes. "Finn has a girlfriend." Octavia gasped. "He has for seven years. She was abroad working as a submarine engineer for the navy. They were going to get engaged when she came back."

"He told you all of this?"

"No, she did."

"What? That's who was at the door?"

Clarke nodded ruefully. "She went to the hospital to surprise him, a nurse told her about us."

"Oh my God."

"Yep."

"But he seemed so nice, like the last person I would ever expect-"

"You are preaching to the choir. The bastard wanted to meet my mom, he asked me to move in with him once. I was so embarrassed that I didn't feel as strongly for him as he felt for me but then he does this? I mean, who the fuck does that to someone?"

"A jackass, that's who."

"I just feel so bad, Octavia. Raven is so sad and so confused and she was going to marry him. She has loved him since they were kids and I ruined it. I ruined everything."

Octavia grabbed her shoulders and forced Clarke to look at her face. "No, Clarke. This isn't your fault. You didn't know. That bastard did this to her and did this to you."

Clarke didn't respond. She finally gave into her tears and wept on Octavia's shoulder while the girl whispered words of comfort. When the tears finally subsided Octavia pulled Clarke to her feet.

"Come on, go to bed. Sleep will make you feel better and tomorrow we can face this, okay? I need to call Bellamy to let him know you are okay."

Clarke nodded and headed for the stairs.

"Its not your fault, Clarke."

She just nodded weakly in response. Though the rational part of her mind knew it wasn't her fault that Finn had cheated, she still felt responsible.

When she woke for her shift the next morning, Clarke immediately regretted going out with Raven. Her head pounded and she felt like she had been run over by a truck. A shower didn't make her feel any better. After sulking down the stairs she went straight for the front door. Clarke didn't think her stomach would hold any food and she certainly didn't want to have to talk to Octavia or Bellamy about what had happened.

Clarke loved her job. She loved helping those in need, solving their bodies' problems like riddles, stitching their limbs back together like touching up a masterpiece. She loved the relief on parents' faces when she made their kids well again, the gratitude on her patients' faces when she eased their pain. She loved the rush and the constant action she faced everyday. Sure, she had originally gone to medical school to make her parents happy, but Clarke had quickly learned that she was born to be a doctor.

Clarke loved her job, but as she walked to work the morning after finding out Finn had been lying to her for months, the hospital was the last place Clarke wanted to go. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to be reminded constantly of their relationship.

Fortunately (though it wasn't that fortunate for those in the emergency room), Clarke had an extremely busy day. There had been a major shooting nearby causing Clarke to work through lunch helping police officers and gang members live through the day. She only saw Finn once as she passed by the cafeteria. He had looked up at her and begun to stand, but she quickly turned and let herself get lost in the throngs of patients and doctors.

By the end of the day, Clarke was no longer focused on how much he had hurt her, or how guilty she felt about what had happened. Now, Clarke was just angry. She was angry that he had used her, manipulated her into feeling so bad about not being at the same place as him emotionally. Yes, Finn didn't understand how fucked up her trust issues already were, but that didn't excuse him from only making matters worse.

She slammed the front door when she got home, immediately stalking up the stairs to her room before one of the Blakes could find her. Clarke had always been better at coping alone. She needed to think, to stew in her wrath and bitterness. As she flopped down onto her bed (the bed that she and Finn had shared, she thought resentfully) Clarke whipped out her phone to call Wells. She hesitated, however, over the call button. Part of Clarke wanted to vent to someone, to tell him all the thoughts raging in her mind, but at the same time she was still embarrassed. Wells had been so delighted that she was with Finn, with someone who treated her well and who made her happy, she couldn't break it to him. Not yet. She didn't want to tell him how naïve she had been and how much of a fool she had made of herself. Huffing in frustration, Clarke threw the phone down next to her. She lay on her bed staring at the ceiling until the sun began to disappear and the room grew dark. Below her, Clarke could hear a mumbled conversation taking place in the kitchen. Pots and pans clanged and chairs were scraped across the floor. Neither Bellamy nor Octavia bothered her; they seemed to sense that she needed to be alone.

At some point she must have dozed off because Clarke was woken by a crack of light falling right across her eyes. There was a tall, bulky shadow at her door.

"Clarke?"

"Bellamy?" Her eyes adjusted to the light. He was standing by the door, one hand holding a plate and the other scratching the back of his neck nervously

"I just… I thought you might be hungry so…" He stepped farther into the room and held the plate out to her. "It's a Rueben."

Clarke flicked on the light on and watched Bellamy blink at the sudden brightness. "Thanks, but I'm not very hungry. You can just put it on the table."

He nodded and put the plate down before turning to leave. Just before he crossed the threshold, however, Bellamy turned back to her. "You know he is asshole right? He doesn't deserve you, Clarke." His voice was gentle yet firm and Clarke could sense the anger underneath. She had the sudden urge to spill all of her secrets to Bellamy Blake.

"I just feel so stupid."

He looked at her for a hard moment before making up his mind to close the door and come sit next to her. Clarke continued speaking after a moment.

"I feel like I should have known or maybe I shouldn't have been so trusting. I don't know."

"Its not your fault, Princess."

She flinched at the name as Bellamy realized too late that Finn had used it too. Before he could apologize, however, Clarke spoke again.

"Everyone keeps saying that, but it is my fault. I shouldn't have been so stupid; I shouldn't have let myself stop thinking clearly. I should have picked it up when we visited his family and they all looked so surprised. The signs were there but I was just too blind to see them." She could hear her voice becoming higher pitched as she got more upset. Tear's burned in her eyes.

"He just made me so happy. For so long I have felt too overwhelmed and serious and like an adult but he made me feel like I was 15 again. After my dad died I didn't think I would ever feel that kind of freedom and innocence again." Clarke knew she was sharing things she always tried hard to contain, but she was just so angry and hurt and confused that her words kept tumbling out like a freight train. "I came here to try and feel that way. I wanted to get away from DC and my mother and everything because it all just reminded me of my dad and of losing my childhood. I wanted a fresh start and when I met Finn I just-"

Her voice broke as she finally released a long held sob. Although her watery gaze was focused on the carpet below her feet, she could feel Bellamy's eyes on her. His warm arm wrapped around her shoulder when she started crying and Clarke let herself lean into his half-embrace.

"He just made me laugh. Everything was simple and fun. He was like summer after a really, really long winter and I thought… it's so stupid, but I thought that maybe I was meant to meet him. Maybe he was the reason I had picked Chicago because if anyone was going to make me feel like I did before my dad died it would be Finn."

Bellamy said nothing. His hand was in her hair now, stroking it soothingly.

"And I have been so frustrated with myself for the past four months because here is this great guy who has done all these amazing things and who everyone loves and who has me meet his family only a month and a half in and asks me to move in with him and wants to meet my family," Clarke gasped for air as her words rambled out. "And I couldn't get myself to care about him as much as he obviously cared about me. I couldn't get myself to open up enough and to let myself just love him back. I have been trying so hard to be able to trust and to just let myself be more transparent to people and then this fucking happens." She let out a bitter, watery laugh.

"After my dad died… it was horrible. It was so messy and complicated and my mom… I got really distant from her because it was all just so… I just couldn't trust the people I thought I could anymore. For the longest time I even ignored Wells because I wasn't sure I could trust him. And slowly, so slowly I learned to trust people again and even though I still don't really talk to my mom anymore I want to. I want to open up to her again and I thought that Finn would help me do that. He made me feel so happy and like the world maybe isn't so shitty after all. I was working myself up to being able to trust him enough to tell him all about my fucked up family and I thought if I could do that I could talk to her again. The first time I called her in months was after our first date."

Clarke stood suddenly and began pacing angrily.

"I needed someone I could trust so that I could learn to trust and open up again but he just lied to me! He made me the other woman! He made himself seem like this perfect guy but the whole time he was stringing me along! I just feel so betrayed and so angry and just… How could he do this? How could he not tell me?"

Bellamy's dark eyes followed her from his seat on her bed.

"Why does everyone just end up being an asshole in the end?" She finally turned to him. Bellamy looked at her for a long moment before standing.

"Not everyone is an asshole in the end, Clarke."

Her scoff was quickly silenced when she felt Bellamy's big hands firmly grasp her shoulders. His face was serious, eyes intensely looking into hers.

"He is a piece of shit, Clarke. Don't let him change the way you think about yourself, don't let him have that. You don't need him to let yourself open up or be more trusting and don't you dare let him make you more afraid of caring about people."

Clarke could feel more tears slipping down her cheeks, but she couldn't break her eyes away from Bellamy's.

"He is an asshole for doing this to you. You aren't stupid; there is no way you could have known what this fucker was up to. You saw how everyone loved him, he had everyone fooled."

"Except you. You never liked him."

"Yeah I thought he was full of shit but I didn't think he was a fucking two-timing bastard."

She let out a sad, watery laugh and Bellamy pulled her into his chest. In the back of her mind Clarke thought hugging Bellamy should be awkward, but it wasn't. He was warm and big and smelled good. She let her arms wind around him and allowed herself to fall apart in his arms. He used one, strong arm to hold her close to him while the other cupped the back of her head, reassuringly.

"Don't let the bastard get you down, Clarke."

After a while Clarke's tears came to and end. She let herself stay in Bellamy's arms for a few extra seconds before pulling away. He gazed down at her with a strange look in his eyes. Sniffing, Clarke wiped her eyes. "Sorry for your shirt."

His dark green t-shirt had a huge wet spot near the shoulder. Bellamy laughed quietly. "I don't care about the shirt, Prin- Clarke."

"Its okay to call me that."

"What?"

"I want you to call me that." Bellamy looked down at her, utter shocked written across his face. "When you say it he doesn't win. You called me that before he did, I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of taking that away from you."

Although she could see him trying not to, Bellamy smiled. "That's the attitude, Princess. Now eat, it will make you feel better. Trust me, I'm a cop."

She laughed quietly, still wiping away tears. "Not yet you aren't." He smiled softly at her. "Thanks, Bellamy."

"Its just a sandwich."

"No, for letting me just vent like that."

"It's the least I could do, Princess." The amusement was gone from his eyes; instead they were serious and sincere. "That night," he seemed to grappled for words, "you saved me. Really."

She nodded. "It was the least I could do."

Bellamy handed her the sandwich. "You okay, Princess?"

"I will be."

"I'm just down the hall if you need me."

"Goodnight, Bellamy."

"Night, Clarke."

The next morning she woke up early. Her shift at the hospital didn't start until 5:00 that evening but Clarke wanted to keep busy. It was easier to distract herself from her anger and bitterness over Finn when she had things to do. After cleaning her room, scrubbing the shower and toilet, trimming the bushes out front, going for a jog, and washing the dishes left in the sink, Clarke was left trying to figure out what else she could do.

Octavia came down the stairs at 11:00. She yawned and stretched before staring at Clarke who was moping on the couch. Before she could ask how Clarke was doing, Clarke said, "Don't ask. I don't want to talk about it." Octavia nodded and sat next to Clarke.

"So you are like Bell then, huh."

"What?"

"You like to just keep busy and ignore what's hurting you. He does the same thing, that's why he still hasn't told me about Iraq."

Clarke didn't say anything, opting to glare at the wall instead. She wasn't ignoring her feelings… she just… had stuff to do.

"I need to go run some errands, you want to come with me?"

Clarke knew that going with Octavia meant she would inevitably have to talk about Finn, but she agreed anyways. It would be worse to sit in the house all day with nothing to do. "Sure."

"Great, Lincoln is going to be here in a half an hour to pick me up."

Sure enough, Lincoln was right on time. Octavia slid into the passenger's seat while Clarke got into the backseat.

"Hey Clarke," Lincoln greeted her before giving Octavia a kiss on the cheek. Clarke said hello back and silently pleaded Octavia had not told her boyfriend about Finn. She couldn't stand any more pity. Clarke had always hated it when people pitied her.

She liked Lincoln. He treated Octavia well (practically worshipped the ground she walked on) and although he didn't speak much, he always seemed to know the right thing to say or do. That's why Clarke wasn't surprised when, while looking at plants at Lowes, Lincoln seemed to understand that the girls need alone time and wandered off to look at the drills.

Octavia let Clarke ignore the elephant in the room for a few minutes, choosing instead to comment on the flowers they passed. The girl told Clarke about how Lincoln had gotten flower boxes for his apartment balcony because Octavia spent so much time there.

Finally the brunette turned to Clarke. "I know you talked to Bell about it, Clarke."

"Octavia-"

"Its fine if you don't want to confide in me but just know that I am always here to listen if you want to tell me."

Clarke felt bad, Octavia was clearly hurt that Clarke didn't confide in her though she tried not to show it. After all, Octavia had opened up to Clarke about her past. Bellamy had told her the night before that she didn't need Finn to start opening up more to people, maybe now was her chance to start trying.

Octavia had turned back to admiring a small rose bush when Clarke touched her shoulder and began to explain her feelings.

"At this point, I think I'm more disappointed than anything. I was really sad at first, and I guess I still am. Then I was angry, which I definitely still am. But now… now I'm just disappointed. In him, and myself, and just the whole shitty situation."

"You have no reason to be disappointed in yourself, Clarke."

"I just feel like I should have known better. I mean, I'm Clarke. I think everything out. I have a plan for everything. All my decisions have to be rational and calculated, but with Finn I just let myself be guided by how I felt. I should have been more careful and picked up on the signs, because they were there. He got so attached so fast, and was so pushy to have me introduce him to my family, and just wanted to move really quick. I thought I was being too guarded and there was something wrong with me because I didn't feel the same, but now I see that it was just him being a dick."

"Everyone loved him Clarke, he had all of us fooled."

"I guess. I feel like an idiot."

"Its not your fault-"

"It just sucks, you know? I really liked him. I really thought we could be long term. I went through a lot of shit back in DC before I came here and when I was with him I felt like I could really, finally put it all behind me and just open up to someone completely. I know I have trust issues, I'm not blind to my own insecurities and faults, and its just fucked up that this happened."

"You don't need a guy to help you put your past behind you."

"That's what Bellamy said. And I agree, I know how strong I am and I know that I don't need to depend on others but I want someone. I want someone I can open up to in a way I haven't been able to since my dad died. I've always dealt with stuff by bottling it in but I'm sick of that. I don't want to be who I was in Washington. I want to grow and be new and I thought Finn could help me do that, help me open up both to others but also to new experiences. I just felt like a kid when I was with him. And I feel so bad about Raven. She seems to really love him and I can tell how much this has crushed her. I was, and still am, devastated but she has been with him for seven years. How can you do that to someone after seven years?"

Octavia shook her head. "And the dick had the nerve to say that Bellamy didn't treat women well. Are you going to confront him about it?"

Clarke sighed, "No. I don't know. I'm sure I'll see him at the hospital no matter how hard I try to ignore him. He keeps calling me but I haven't been answering. Raven said she was going to tell him that we both know."

"If it were me I would beat the shit out of him."

"Trust me, part of me wants to. But honestly at this point I just want to put it behind me and move forward."

Octavia nodded. "Well, whatever you decide I'll support you." She looked at Clarke for a moment and Clarke couldn't help but notice how similar she was to her brother. "And just so you know," Octavia added, turning back to the plants, "if you want someone to talk to, you have me. Bellamy too. I know you guys got off to a shitty start but he really respects you Clarke. You should have seen him yesterday when I told him what happened, I thought he was going to hunt down Finn there and then."

"So that's how he knew."

"Yeah, sorry if you didn't want me to tell. I just thought he should know." Clarke nodded. Octavia looked at her affectingly. "And I mean what I said, Clarke. You aren't alone here. You have Bellamy and me. And you have Jasper and Monty and Harper and Maya and Miller and maybe even Murphy. You are one of us now."

Clarke's throat felt thick with emotion. "Thanks, Octavia. Really."

Octavia just smiled at her before greeting Lincoln who was approaching the women.

When they got back to the house a few hours later, Lincoln helped Clarke and Octavia bring their purchases into the house. While Octavia was out back setting out the plants she had purchased, Lincoln put a steady hand on Clarke's shoulder.

"Like I tell Octavia, when you fall down, get back up. He isn't worth your time."

It was short and simple, and very Lincoln, but Clarke was thankful for his words. She nodded appreciatively before heading to the kitchen as Octavia came inside.

Clarke didn't see Finn at all during her shift that night and she thanked all that was holy for it. He called her four more times, but she let it all go to voicemail. On her way home, a text appeared from Raven.

'Told him. We should hang out sometime. I need new friends and you are good at getting drunk.'

Clarke smiled before replying with a simple, 'Sounds good. Tell me when and where.' She was grateful that Raven didn't blame her for what had happened.

The house was quiet when she slipped in and Clarke went right to bed. She fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Her shift the next morning was slow but ended early enough that Clarke could enjoy most of her day. Octavia got home shortly after her and told Clarke about her determination to successfully make a cake for Lincoln's birthday despite her utter lack of baking skills. The women spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to make the most complicated cake Octavia could have picked while watching Friends. They were arguing about whether or not Ross was really a dick (Clarke claimed he was, Octavia wasn't so sure) when the doorbell rang. Octavia's hands were covered in chocolate so Clarke ran to get the door.

Her stomach dropped as soon as she saw who it was.

Finn was holding a bouquet of daisies. His face looked sober and apologetic.

"Clarke-"

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was harsh.

"You haven't been answering my calls and I-"

"Yeah, I didn't want to talk to you so why would you think I want you to show up at my house."

"I just… Look Clarke I sorry. I really am. I just want to talk, to explain things to you."

"I think things are pretty clear. You had a girlfriend, a girlfriend of seven years who was expecting to come back and get engaged, yet you still fooled around with me."

"Please, Clarke. I'm only asking for a few minutes."

Clarke debated her options, but finally decided to let him in. He put the flowers on the living room table and sat on the couch. Clarke took a seat in an armchair.

"You wanted to talk, so talk."

"I-"

"Clarke who was it? I swear if it was one of those-" Octavia's stopped short when she saw who was sitting on her living room couch. Her eyes got wide. "Oh. I'll just be in the kitchen." She glared at Finn, nodded reassuringly at Clarke, and made her way back into the kitchen. Clarke turned back to Finn, lifting one eyebrow in question.

"Clarke, I did like you, I still do. None of what I told you was fake-"

"Except that you were single."

"She had been gone for a year, Clarke. I didn't know if she was going to want to still be together when she came back or even if she was going to come back, at one point she mentioned staying at sea for another year. I was so lonely and then I met you and you were just great. You are gorgeous and smart and witty and I just… I fell in love, Clarke."

Clarke was shocked. "You have only known me for 4 months, Finn."

"That doesn't matter. How many times do I have to tell you time doesn't matter, all that matters is how we feel?"

"Well I feel pretty betrayed, Finn. I mean, what were you planning on doing? Dating me until she came home? Leading me on? You were asking to meet my family, Finn. You asked me to move in when you had another girl who loved you and who was under the impression you would get married."

"I don't take back anything I said. When I met you everything changed, Clarke. We are meant to be together. I know things seem complicated but they really aren't. You and me? We are good. We are right. I love you and I know that you feel the same. I will always love Raven in a way, but Clarke, I just couldn't help but fall in love with you."

"No, Finn. What happened-" Clarke was interrupted when the front door opened.

It took Bellamy a moment to notice who was in the room with her, but the second he saw Finn his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Is he bothering you, Princess?" His voice was cold and Clarke couldn't help but noticed how possessive the nickname sounded. Between his impressive height and build, the police cadet uniform he wore, and his habit of using his physicality to intimidate, Bellamy cut an imposing figure. Clarke could see him clenching his fists.

"No, its fine, Bellamy. Finn was just leaving."

"I'm not done, Clarke." Finn said, ignoring Bellamy. "I want you to understand. I need you."

Out of the corner of her eye Clarke could see Bellamy tensing, but he knew her well enough to know she could fight her own battles. Still, knowing he had her back was reassuring.

"I am done, Finn. I'm done with the conversation and I am done with you. Please go." She picked up the flowers and handed them to him. "Take these too."

"Clarke-"

"Just leave. Please."

Finn looked like he wanted to say more but he gave in. Grabbing the flowers he headed towards the door where Bellamy stood, still glaring at the other man.

"Stay the fuck away from my house, asshole." Bellamy opened the door and aggressively nodded at Finn to leave.

"Don't act like you actually give a shit about her and don't act like you understand what this is about."

"Finn," Clarke warned. She was pretty sure the only reason Bellamy hadn't hit him yet was because he knew Clarke could handle this on her own. Bellamy respected her too much to assume she needed his help.

"I think I understand perfectly well what is going on here," Bellamy replied coldly.

"Really, because I think what is between Clarke and I is none of your business."

"It is my business when shitheads like you treat women like Clarke the way you did."

Finn rolled his eyes, "Fuck you."

Bellamy looked ready to kill. Clarke quickly crossed over to where he stood and put a hand on his tensed shoulder. "He isn't worth it, Bell."

"Bell?" Finn asked, surprised. Then his eyes narrowed. "Clarke, don't tell me… you and this guy? Are you serious?"

Clarke didn't bother correcting his assumption; she honestly didn't care what he thought anymore. "Please leave, Finn. I'm not going to ask again."

Finn exhaled angrily but made no move to leave. "Clarke if you would just listen-"

"She said leave."

"I'm not talking to you, asshole, why don't you go find someone else to take your fucked up anger issues out on because-"

Finn didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before a fist connected with his jaw. Grabbing his wounded face, he stared shocked at Clarke who was wincing and holding her bruised knuckles. Bellamy looked down at her with a mixture of surprise and pride.

"What the hell, Clarke?"

"I asked you to leave. Now leave."

Finn finally walked out the door with one last wounded glance at Clarke. After the door shut, Clarke sank down to the ground cradling her hand. It felt like she had hit a stone.

"Holy shit, Princess," Bellamy said, kneeling down to examine her hand. "That was… that was…"

She never found out what it was because Octavia burst into the room with a million questions (and praises once she found out what Clarke had done). Although the Blakes seemed impressed, and Clarke did feel a bit better, she couldn't shake the queasy feeling in her stomach after her discussion with Finn.

No matter how much of an asshole he had turned out to be, she had cared about him once. She did have good memories of a boy who made her feel like a rebellious teenager testing her limits, even if it all did crash and burn in the end.

A/N: I know a lot of y'all wanted me to have Bellamy beat Finn up, but it just didn't feel right. I feel like Bellamy respects Clarke too much to fight her battles for her, even though I am sure he wanted to beat the shit out of Finn. I also feel like Clarke is too strong to let someone else fight her battles.

Hope y'all liked it. I now have the whole story mapped out. As of now there will be 7 more chapters. Now back to studying for my German exam (college sucks sometimes).

Also as a side note I'm totally on the Ross is an asshole side.