My vision was blurry at first, just a mixture of grey and red swirling in front of my eyes. I blinked several times until I could see clearly again. My eyes widened at the realization that I was on the drop ship, plummeting towards the ground again. I tried to sit up, but my restraints held me to the seat. A sharp pain shot through my wrist from the wristband and I grabbed it to try and remedy the sting. That was when I noticed that unlike the first time we came to Earth, Wells was not sitting beside me. The seat next to me was completely empty.
"Prisoners of the Ark, you've been given a second chance. And as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us. Indeed, for mankind itself." I turned my head to see Jaha on the screen above us. It felt like deja vu, and I couldn't help but feel a little light headed as he went on.
"We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds for survival were better, we would have sent others. Frankly, we are sending you because your crimes have made you expendable." He continued. Kids scoffed and cursed at the chancellor as he continued with his speech, but all I could do was try to wrap my brain around what was happening. We were going to the ground a year early, which meant it would be much more difficult for us to predict what was going to happen to us down there. Plus, there was no guarantee that the same 100 would be here and that almost frightened me more.
"However if you do survive, then those crimes will be forgiven, your records wiped clean."
I locked eyes with Octavia, who was sitting on the other side of the drop ship next to two boys. She didn't look terrified anymore, instead, she looked excited. She already knew that amazing things were going to happen to her on the ground. I would be excited too if I was her.
"Your drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a Mountain." I cringed the second I heard the chancellor say 'Mount Weather'. I remember my goal from the moment we landed last time was to get to Mount Weather, but all it brought us was suffering and death. We wouldn't be going anywhere near Mount Weather this time.
I glanced over at the kids on Octavia's side of the ship because they were hooting and hollering Finn's name. I'd almost forgotten that he floated around the drop ship before it hit the atmosphere and two kids died trying to follow him.
"It was to be stocked with enough non perishables to sustain 300 people for two years. No one, ever made it there." Jaha continued. I felt a twinge in my stomach again because that also was not true. People did survive in Mount Weather, until I killed them all.
"Hey Clarke!" Finn said as he laid down in front of me in the middle of the air. Octavia and the boys she was with were cheering for Finn as he floated.
"Finn, you need to strap back in before the parachutes deploy or else you're going to get hurt." I warned him.
"Oh calm down princess." Finn said smoothly as he floated around. I glanced over at the boys near Octavia, who were starting to unfasten their seat belts.
"Hey, you two! Stay put if you want to live!" I screamed, the words surprising me as they came out of my mouth. How did I remember that I'd said exactly that before?
The boys ignored me, still trying to get out of their seats like Finn. Octavia laughed, edging them on. She didn't know any better, but I sent her a look of disapproval and she shut up. Honestly, they probably couldn't hear my warning over the sound of the drop ship.
"Mount Weather is life, you must locate those supplies immediately. You have one responsibility, stay alive." The chancellor finished. I closed my eyes, bracing for the drop ship to start crashing any minute now.
"Finn, I'm begging you to please get back in your seat." I pleaded. Finn could hear the terror in my voice and almost looked like he was going to listen to me, but before he could make that decision, the dropship began to crash and he went flying into the back of it. Everyone began to scream, and I tried my best to calm them down, but no one would listen to me. We fell for another few minutes and I held on tightly to my seat. Then suddenly, everything became quiet and we were on the ground.
"Listen. No machine hum." Monty said.
"Woah, that's a first." Jasper replied. I felt relieved to see that both of them were safe. Octavia looked terrified as she stared at the two dead boys in front of her. Everyone started to unbuckle their seatbelts so I made my way over to Finn to make sure he was okay. Luckily he was fine, just like he had been the first time, but he looked upset about the dead boys that tried to follow him.
I was about to console him when I heard several kids starting to lift up the hatch to the lower level.
"The outer doors are on the lower level! Let's go!" A boy shouted. My head flung up, realizing what came next. Bellamy.
With shaky legs, I bypassed Octavia and Finn and headed for the ladder. I was so terrified that Bellamy wouldn't be down there that I couldn't even bring myself look. I stepped down four steps and paused. It was eerily quiet for a moment and it felt like the world stopped. Just when I thought I was never going to hear his voice again, there he was.
"Just back it up guys." Bellamy called over the crowd. I felt my heart burst inside my chest and instantly turned to look at him. He wasn't wearing a guard uniform this time, instead he was just in his regular Ark clothes. His hair was much longer now than it was when I left and he had stubble across his face. I could tell that he wasn't himself right now, he seemed distant with the crowd.
"Bellamy!" I exclaimed. He was facing the lever, but the second he heard my voice, he turned his head to look at me. I felt like I couldn't move as we stayed staring at each other in disbelief.
"Clarke?" Was all he could say. Tears welled up in my eyes and his voice gave me the strength to climb down the rest of the ladder. Once I made it, I pushed past everyone and ran into his arms. He welcomed me by hoisting me up as I wrapped my legs around his waist and sent him stumbling backwards. Several awhs and coos erupted from the crowd as he kissed my cheek over and over again and held me against him. It felt like he was never going to let me go, and I was okay with that.
"I thought you were dead." I whimpered as I snuggled my head against his neck..
"I'm right here, Clarke. I'm not going anywhere. I'll explain everything to you later." He said as he pulled away. I wiped the tears from my eyes and threw my head back in relief as he set me down on the ground again.
"Bellamy?" Octavia said, interrupting us. I backed up to give them space while Bellamy watched as his little sister pushed past the crowd to run to him.
"Look at how big you are!" Bellamy exclaimed. Octavia smiled and pulled him in for a hug.
"I missed you big brother." She whispered. Bellamy pulled away and kissed her on the forehead.
"Do you want to be the first person from the Ark on the ground in 100 years?" He asked her. I felt a pang in my heart, realizing that he'd changed his previous response. He said the first time that she would be the first person on the ground in 100 years, but we both knew now that that wasn't the case.
"Bellamy, we came down a year early. The air could be toxic." I warned.
Bellamy smirked, "If the air's toxic, we're all dead anyway."
I gulped and stepped back, but he captured my hand in his and placed them on the lever.
"Let's pull this lever together. In honor of a fresh start." He said to me. I couldn't help but keep crying, he was taking a terrible memory and turning it into something full of life and hope.
"Bell wait," Octavia began. Bellamy turned around to face her, "I don't want to be the first person from the ark on the ground in 100 years. We are the 100. We were sent down here together, we were locked up together, and now we are going to run like hell onto this planet together!"
Everyone cheered for Octavia and inched forward as Bellamy and I began to pull the lever down. I could sense the excitement building in all of their chests as the door finally opened. In that moment, with the light of the sun finally touching my skin again, I felt my innocence return. A huge smile took over my face and I couldn't help but look at Bellamy, who was smiling too.
The 100 rushed past us in a huge clump of red, grey, and blue. They danced through the woods, swung around trees, and threw grass in the air. Octavia turned around as many kids rushed past her and smiled at Bellamy. She threw her head back, relishing in the smell of clean air for the first time.
"We're back bitches!" Octavia screamed into the open air. Jasper rushed up next to her and took her hand, pulling her away.
"Are you ready for this?" Bellamy asked me once we were the only ones left on the drop ship.
"I've never been more ready." I replied, taking his hand. Our hearts were beating like drums as we took off together down the drop ship door and back out into the forest.
Bellamy lifted me into the air and spun me around so I could see a swirl of green and blue from the trees and sky consume me. When he set me down, we both stared at each other for a moment, completely breathless. Bellamy moved the hair that was falling in my face back behind my ear.
"Whatever the hell we want!" He said with a wink. I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms.
"Within reason." He added. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek. Maybe being on the ground again was our second chance.
Unlike the first time when we went to the ground, I didn't worry about going to Mount Weather. Finn suggested that we send a team there to scout it out, but I told him we needed to secure this camp first in case any animals (or people) survived the apocalypse. The rest of the day was spent surveying the land near our drop site and building tents. Bellamy took a team out hunting while I stayed back and kept the camp together.
After the sun was down, Bellamy returned with John Mbege, Murphy, Atom, Sterling and Conner. They had two boars and one two headed deer strapped on their backs. Everyone sitting around the campfire cheered as the boys set down the food. I gave Bellamy a kiss on the cheek.
"I said be back before sundown." I scolded him.
"And I told you I'd be fine. I took the guys I knew I could trust." He replied, pulling me into his side as we watched the 100 prepare the meat.
"You trust Murphy, Mbege, and Conner?" I laughed.
Bellamy squeezed my side, "I think if I take them under my wing for the right reasons this time maybe things can be different."
"Bellamy! We need you help!" A group of boys called out. Bellamy gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before running over to help them put the boar over the fire. We still had a lot to talk about, like how the hell he got here, where was Wells, and what happened to my father, but the day just got away from us. However, I built us a tent today so hopefully I could talk to him about it then.
"Everyone listen up!" Bellamy said over the crowd. He was a natural leader, and it made me feel so proud watching everyone look up to him.
"Clarke and I want the best for all of you. Our number one goal and responsibility is to keep each and every one of you alive. You may think we are crazy now, but we've been here before." Everyone chuckled but Bellamy silenced them.
"There are dangers here that you will encounter that will prove that we are right. For instance, Mount Weather is full of people known as the Mountain Men. They are dangerous and they have a weapon called Acid Fog that they will deploy in the near future. The fog melts people and is yellow. If you see it, run to the nearest cave or get inside the drop ship. If you are stuck outside, hide in an airtight blanket or tent. Again, I know this sound crazy, but you just have to trust us." Bellamy continued. I was surprised that some people were actually taking him seriously.
"There are also grounders, and I'm sure they will come here soon, which is why we need to build a wall. Tomorrow we will divide you in groups; the hunters, scouters, guards, builders, and fishers. No one leaves camp after nightfall and if you see grounders you need to let Clarke and I know immediately." He said.
"Why should we believe you? This sounds like a load of bullshit just so you can be in charge." Murphy said. Bellamy grabbed Murphy by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air.
"Do you want to test my theory? Go ahead out there and meet the grounders, I won't stop you." Bellamy said as he threw Murphy on the ground.
"You all can believe what you want, but the truth is, we aren't alone. If we could find animals today, who's to say humans couldn't survive too? Enjoy the feast and get a good night's rest, tomorrow is going to be busy." Bellamy finished. Everyone pushed each other to get in line for a piece of meat.
"That was very bold." I said to him.
"They are going to think we are nuts for a couple days, but once everything comes true we will have complete control." He replied as he took a bite of meat.
"I got you a piece before the crowd showed." He said to me, as he held out a nice piece of meat. I took it and ate, knowing that our next meal could be a long way from now.
"We need to talk." I said through bites of food. Bellamy nodded and lead me away from the crowd. I took him across camp until we reached a quaint red tent.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Our home." I replied, opening the flap.
"Ours?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. I chuckled and pushed him inside. It was small, but it was perfect. I found some blankets on the drop ship and turned them into a bed. Bellamy smiled and admired the beginnings of our house.
"I love it." He whispered.
"Thank you, it's not done. I want to build a bed frame out of wood and a coat hanger or table but it's going to be awhile and-" Bellamy interrupted my ramble by kissing me and pulling me onto the blankets with him. I smiled into the kiss, but stopped myself before we got too carried away. I brought him in here to talk to him.
"Wait-" I panted. Bellamy pulled away.
"What's up?" He asked. I rolled off of him and sighed.
"You have a lot of explaining to do. Where is Wells? What happened to my father? How the hell did you get on the drop ship?" I asked. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
"Wells helped me get onto the drop ship without having to shoot his father. I offered to let him come too, but he didn't want to. He wasn't worried about coming down here to protect you this time because that was what I was here to do." He told me. I cuddled up next to him and smiled, relieved that we wouldn't have to worry about getting Bellamy pardoned this time.
"What about my dad?" I asked.
"That was much more complicated. I pretended that I found the issue before your dad could ever discover it. I went straight to Jaha and told him about the problem. I swore I wouldn't say anything and I convinced your dad to do the same. I told your father about how we were sent back here and he actually believed me, probably since someone like me could never discover that kind of an engineering flaw completely on their own. I told him about the plan to send the 100 and he loved the idea. We presented the idea to the council and they loved it too. Wells was there and he convinced them that the 100 needed some supervision, hence how I got to go down. I was the only person 'suicidal' enough to want to go. Your father promised to keep quiet for now so that he wouldn't get floated but I left him with the responsibility of preventing Kane from executing 300 innocent people. When Raven comes down with the radio, we can tell the Ark that it's safe to follow." He told me. I couldn't help but cry tears of joy. Bellamy did it, he found a way to save everyone.
"You're incredible." I said as I kissed him.
"I love you." He panted in response.
"Hey Bellamy?" I asked.
"Hmm?" He said in between kisses.
"We should go to the bunker tomorrow and get those supplies. You know the one from our day trip?" I said.
"Whatever the hell you want, princess." He said as he rolled on top of me and kissed me until we both fell asleep.
AN: I feel so overwhelmed and blessed by the response this story has been getting on AO3 and here on ff. I want to thank each and every one of you for reading my story and leaving such positive feedback for me to read. I get so excited reading your comments and suggestions! They motivate me to keep this story going and I can't thank you all enough for that.