"We should take these back with us."

Bellamy wrenched his eyes from the floor and took stock of the heap of blankets on the bed.

"Ya we should," he agreed. "But there's not enough of them," he grumbled. "How are we going to distribute them."

"Distribute based on need like everything else," Clarke shrugged as she laced up her boots.

"Well sure but easier said than done," Bellamy contested. "Gut instinct is to just hand them out to the youngest kids but we need to keep our hunters healthy so that everyone can eat."

Clarke chewed on her lip and got to her feet. "You know, I would say we should just have people double up, share blankets and share body heat but I'm not sure I want to encourage that."

Bellamy looked up in surprise. "You think we're going to have a baby boom?" he grinned.

Clarke shrugged. "I know we can't afford one and I know we don't have a lot of contraceptives to spare."

"I'll add condoms to the foraging list," he rolled his eyes.

"Alright, let's say we'll try to get more fur pelts and for now everyone can double up with the blankets. I'll just have to give a family planning talk at some point this week."

"Great," Bellamy pulled a face and gathered the blankets in his arms.

"We should pull down the last of the tents and get them in the drop ship this week too," Clarke murmured.

"Would you give it a rest Clarke?"

"What?"

"You just recovered from falling in a half-frozen lake, maybe you should take it easy for the next couple of days. Jesus," he muttered darkly. "Spend half the day spooning the warmth back into you and you're already planning a crash course in sex-ed and a camp tear down."

"I'm just making a mental checklist of what needs to get done," Clarke explained, "it's not like I'm suggesting we go and give fishing another go."

Bellamy stared at her pointedly.

"Okay, I was going to bring it up later but ya I think that by the end of the week we should probably give fishing another go."

"Clarke, I swear to God. . ."

"We have a new supply of blankets but there's not enough to go around. Pick a partner to share a blanket with and set up in the drop ship. Don't be an asshole, if you're caught hoarding you're going to be back outside sleeping in the tents."

This announcement immediately set off a smattering of cheers, high fives, cat calls, and air kisses around the camp as the delinquents called to prospective sleeping partners.

"Remember," Clarke called out, "You're getting a bunk buddy so you can stay warm and survive this winter. But if you're going to get up to any extracurricular activities under your new shared blanket, make sure its nothing that will get anybody pregnant."

Laughter rang out from all around the camp.

"I mean it," Clarke shouted out firmly. "This is not the Ark. If you get pregnant, all I can do is haul you into the med bay and tell you to push. There's no medicine, no anesthesia, no surgeons on hand for a c-section; just you against the elements. This is Earth. People on earth die from childbirth. We don't have the resources to deliver a baby and we sure don't have the resources to raise one. So be safe."

That sobered everyone up considerably and it was with strained faces that the delinquents lined up to collect their new blankets.

Clarke turned away from the crowd to walk toward her tent.

"Way to go princess, you really know how to lighten the mood," Bellamy fell into step beside her.

Clarke shot him a sidelong glance. "You saw them after you announced the sleeping partner pitch, they thought it was seduction season."

"They've got so little to get excited about Clarke, just once can we make an announcement that raises morale?"

"Its hard enough to keep them alive much less keep them happy," Clarke sighed and trudged on through the snow. "Do you ever think we're being a little too. . . "

"What?" Bellamy demanded.

"I don't know, elitist?" Clarke asked.

"No."

"Not even a bit? You've never even thought about it?"

"Absolutely not," Bellamy insisted as they came to a halt outside of Clarke's tent.

"We think we're the most qualified people around so we think it's okay for us to make decisions for everyone," Clarke said exasperatedly. "That's basically the definition of elitism."

"Okay, so we're elitist," Bellamy shrugged his shoulders, "you asked if we were too elitist and I said no."

"Bellamy, come on-"

"No, you come on, what do you want me to say Clarke? I trust our decisions. I don't trust the mob."

"I don't either!" Clarke responded. "But there is a middle ground between groupthink decision making and total dictatorship! What if we had some public forum for open conversation, discourse- "

"This isn't Ancient Greece, Princess. This is a bunch of teenagers sleeping in the woods."

"Bel, I know. But we've got to start reinstating some semblance of civilized society at some point."

"Think about it Clarke, most of our 'citizens' are children. They're not even 18 yet, not even old enough to vote! And you want them involved in decision making? They're a bunch of kids!"

"We won't know what they're capable of if we don't give them a chance. You're only 23 and you're leading them."

"Ya well I'm exempt, I had to grow up quick."

"So have they!" Clark insisted. "Look, I'm not saying we hold an election or put every decision to a referendum. I still want us to have the final say. I'm just saying we should try to at least hear what they think sometimes before we go off plotting on our own."

Bellamy huffed and ground his boot into the snow.

"Whatever," Clarke said, "It's not like we have to decide anything now," she conceded. "Anyway, you're following me so you must need something- what is it?"

Bellamy scowled. "Nothing," he muttered. "Just try to get some rest, princess." He shook his head and stomped away.

Clarke entered her tent to find Finn lying on her cot.

"Finn," she said in a high voice. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you to get back," he sat up. "Wondering where you've been and when to send out the search party."

"You don't want to know. I forced Bel into being back up for me while I tried a hand at fishing and it turned into a bit of a fiasco," Clarke summed up.

"So what, he's Bel now?" Finn demanded. "What are you thinking, Clarke? Don't you remember when he had you dangling over a pit and stood there humming and hawing about whether or not he should let you fall?"

Clarke narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I do. And I remember his first instinct was to catch me. And I remember that he's saved me several times over since then."

"He's brutal, he's violent, he's unpredictable," Finn rhymed off on his fingers. "I just don't understand how can you trust him?"

"How can you not? He tortured someone for you Finn."

"Yeah, well, forgive me if I'm not ecstatic about that."

"None of us were but you're still alive and I am ecstatic about that."

"Me being alive doesn't excuse his behaviour. And don't say he tortured someone like it was some great feat that's tormented him since. He's used to bullying his way around and using aggression to maintain authority."

"Finn," Clarke took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, "I know you weren't there so you don't know, but just trust me on this one. Bellamy took no pleasure in swinging that belt."

"It doesn't matter!" Finn interjected. "Even when he means well, his methods are psychotic!"

"Look," Clarke was half-shouting at this point. "If you talked me a few weeks ago I would have said we'd be better off without him. And I would have been wrong because I could not have done any of this without him."

Finn stood there staring at her with his mouth gaping. The weight of her words hung heavy in the air.

"Clarke," a deep voice called from outside. "I need you take a look at- "Bellamy stopped talking the second he ducked through the tent flap, his eyes darting from Finn to Clarke and back again. "Uh," he coughed, "just an inventory list for the med bay, I can show you later if you're busy."

"No, its fine," Clarke said, shaking her head and beckoning him inside. "We were just talking," she gestured to Finn.

"Yeah," Finn nodded. "I was heading out anyway," he made towards the flap, "see you later."

Bellamy raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"Alright," Clarke crossed her arms. "Quit playing dumb, how much of that did you hear?"

"It's really none of my business."

Clarke rolled her eyes. "Yeah but you still listened in."

"Not my fault that Spacewalker's voice carries so well," Bellamy shrugged.

Clarke sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

"He'll come around," she affirmed with a nod, "he's just- "

"Jealous," Bellamy nodded back, arms crossed over his chest.

Clarke's mouth fell open for a fraction of a second but then she was stony and impassive again.

"That's not what I was going to say," she shook her head.

"But you know its true," he stated matter of factly. Clarke squinted and shook her head again.

"Oh come on Clarke," Bellamy huffed. "It's easy to see. He thinks he wound up with nothing and I ended up with the Princess."

Clarke stared at him but was silent.

"Little does he know, you only ever talk to me about business," Bellamy smiled and whipped a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Here's the med bay inventory, let me know if there's anything you need added to it, I'm sending a group out tomorrow."

And with that, he turned on his heel and disappeared out the tent flap.