Summary: Non-canon, Drama/Romance, hopefully with some Action/Adventure thrown in. Bellarke, Linctavia and probably more once I get going. :D
Rated M – for adult themes.
Disclaimer: Just borrowing The 100, not for profit!
A/N: As I've mentioned - this story is non-canon even though it's set in canon-verse. I thought I should make it clear that it doesn't include the AI arc at all, or the Clexa developments in season 3#, which you may or may not have already picked up on. Also a warning – this chapter has mention of a major character death (it's already happened in the show – it just happens differently in this story). There's also scenes where a major character is in a coma. I apologise for my lack of medical knowledge. I hope it's not too terrible and doesn't ruin the story for you. Also it's a little longer than intended but I just couldn't cut anything out. Let me know what you think… few more chapters and it should be complete!
The Homestead
Chapter 17 – Octavia.
The mornings became fresher and fresher and it got harder and harder for Octavia to drag herself away from the comforting warmth of Lincoln's strong body curled into hers, flip the furs off and make way for the day.
Working the market duty may have been less physical than some of the other details, but it was still incredibly tiring. On the days they headed to Polis to sell their goods, they had to rise earlier than most, load up the carts and begin the two day trek to the city. Then they would spend the next two days bartering and the last two heading back to camp. On the seventh day they were either granted a rest day or were tasked with preparing the goods and supplies for the following round trip.
Octavia liked all the action in between, but the trip itself made her restless. She was almost five months pregnant now and Lincoln wasn't keen on her riding long distances, so she was either had to sit on the cart to keep watch or drive the horses. She preferred to drive. Things were so quiet these days, keeping watch was unsatisfyingly uneventful.
This trip was making her even more restless, however.
Despite being on market detail since the rotation began, it was her first time actually going to market. She wondered if Abby had used her influence to manipulate the rosters slightly to ensure Octavia had all supply and prep duties the first three weeks. Not that she was complaining.
She needed this now though, needed something to break the monotony. The age old sensation of being trapped was starting to creep back into her life. It was an all too familiar feeling – but unwelcome.
Lincoln had improved after they received the results and she was grateful for the space and trust he allowed her, despite having to compromise on some things – like riding. Then there had been the general euphoria surrounding his proposal – something she truly hadn't expected.
The last couple of days though, she'd felt something niggling inside her. It was the same something she'd noticed right at the start, when they'd first suspected she was pregnant.
But that wasn't what was making her restless.
Once she was finished with her role at the market, Octavia was going to see Clarke to officially invite her to the wedding, and maybe get some advice. Well, that was her guise anyway. Really she was going to suss out her friend's intentions with her brother.
Octavia hadn't seen Clarke since the summer solstice and as far as she knew Bellamy hadn't either.
Something had happened though. Bellamy seemed happier, sure, but that could have been attributed to the success of the homestead - the new homestead that he was almost single-handedly responsible for rebuilding. She'd seen him driven before, like dangerously driven. After the fires though, it wasn't just raging determination it was soulful purpose.
But once the summer solstice festival finished there was something else - something more.
He had a look on his face that she'd never seen before.
It was like he had the answer to infinity. Like he'd tasted the future and held it on his tongue, savouring the flavour. Like he knew how the story ended but he still wanted to devour every word along the way.
Sitting on the cart, riding high through the forest, Octavia suddenly slapped herself on the forehead.
Of course!
How could she be so blind?
Bellamy and Clarke had kissed!
She giggled to herself and gently smoothed a hand over her growing baby belly.
"Silly me," she whispered softly to the small being inside her.
It was becoming more difficult to hide the bump. They'd told a few people but not really their friends yet.
Octavia couldn't explain why she was reluctant. It was that niggly feeling again. Maybe telling them all made it that much more real, and she just wasn't ready for real yet? Like she hadn't had time to adjust to the idea of… being a mum.
She shivered and tried to drag her thoughts back to more important matters.
Like Bellamy and Clarke.
If they had kissed – it was huge.
Octavia was well aware of the enormity of their feelings for each other. It was hard to ignore. Maybe it had started out simply as co-dependent leadership, but ever since Clarke had left after Mt Weather, Octavia had noticed something change in her brother, and Clarke too.
It was like that separation in particular, at that time in particular had worn cracks in their façade, exposing raw emotions that they hadn't dared explore.
There had been countless times since, where they'd come close.
Like the time Pike had tortured Bellamy and he was left comatose for three days.
Despite her own anguish, Octavia was attentive of Clarke's as well.
She'd felt her presence in the med bay, lingering by the door when she should have been at the council meetings trying to come up with a solution. She'd seen her face contort in horror as she tentatively touched the cold, pale skin of his forearm, shaking as she checked the needle feeding him fluids.
She'd heard Clarke say things to her brother, thinking that he couldn't hear her.
But Octavia knew Bellamy had heard them too, because she'd done the same thing and he'd since told her so.
As they prepared to leave the dropship, Clarke pulled Octavia aside.
"We need to get Lexa to camp too, I'll go back to the bunker, you stay with…"
"Don't bother."
Clarke began to protest but Octavia cut her off.
"Her fight is over Clarke," Octavia exhaled loudly. "That's why we came… to tell you. Nyko's taking Lexa's body back to TonDC. He'll send word to Indra. "
Clarke closed her eyes and looked down to the ground.
Everything was a mess.
Lexa was gone. The clans and Arkadia were leaderless. Bellamy was...
She shifted her eyes to his inert form, lying limp on the stretcher being lifted by Lincoln and Kane.
He had suffered for nothing.
Back at camp, Kane had work to do. Once they saw Pike's covered body and realised their chancellor was dead, the people became unsettled.
After delivering Bellamy to the clinic, Kane, Lincoln and Monty set about gathering their allies, releasing the prisoners and appeasing the crowd. Hannah was detained along with Gillmer and some of the other members of Farm Station who had vehemently supported Pike.
At the clinic Clarke rapidly relayed the details of Bellamy's torture to Abby as they transferred him to a cot and began to assess his consciousness.
Octavia stayed by his side the whole time, gripping his hand in hers.
She was vaguely aware of someone else in the room too, sitting in the corner, not moving, not speaking, just there.
"The good news is - he's breathing on his own, his vitals are stable and his pupils are responding normally." Abby was talking, but Octavia could barely absorb the information.
"And the bad news?"
"Without the proper equipment, I can't determine the extent of his injuries…" Abby trailed off. "If he comes out of this alive, Octavia, there's a possibility he could be brain damaged."
Octavia clenched her jaw and furrowed her brow, looking down at her brother lying helpless in front of her.
She was reminded of the time he got sick on the dropship and told her he was scared. She thought he'd looked vulnerable then – but it was nothing compared to now.
"Of course, he could also wake in minutes, without any lasting effects." Abby continued with her hand on Octavia's shoulder. "His body is trying to heal itself Octavia. We need to give him time."
Hours later, Lincoln entered with Indra.
He slipped his arms around her softly, kissed the hair on top of her head and held her silently.
"Tell me what to do," he said after minutes.
"There's nothing. We can only wait."
Lincoln cupped her chin in his hands and gripped one of her arms around the bicep.
"I have to do something."
"Help Clarke. Get her what she needs," Octavia gestured in her friend's direction. She knew that's what her brother would want.
Lincoln walked back towards the door where Indra stood beside Clarke.
Octavia listened intently to their conversation – her eyes lingering on Bellamy's lifeless frame.
"So, what did you want to tell me," Clarke drawled, her voice weary with the weight of unrest.
"There may be another way to stop the turmoil," Lincoln offered.
"Go on," Clarke prompted unenthusiastically.
Lincoln looked to Indra and she encouraged him with her eyes.
"There is another night blood," he said plainly. "One who can rightfully become Heda and prevent disorder among the clans."
Octavia's head snapped to the side. Another one? Lincoln had never mentioned another night blood.
Clarke was suddenly alert.
They told her about Luna and how she had fled the conclave before Lexa was ascended.
Octavia made no secret of the fact that she was eavesdropping.
"But Lincoln, you said she wasn't a warrior," she called out from beside Bellamy's bed.
"Do you think she'll agree to come back?" Clarke asked with care. If she were Luna, she would stay hidden, as far away as possible. Or would she?
"We have to find her first," Indra stated.
They agreed to keep it from the council for now, until Lincoln had a chance to at least make contact with Luna and her clan.
Octavia was reluctant to let him go, but he was their best chance at finding her.
"Be strong," he said before he left, kissing her on the forehead.
Lincoln had been gone for three days and Bellamy still hadn't woken.
They received news from Polis that the situation was getting worse. The city was descending into anarchy and some of the ambassadors had already met bloody deaths. The Ice Nation, under Prince Roan, called upon Skaikru and Wanheda to return to Polis and answer for the crimes they had committed.
Octavia snorted. Had they forgotten that their Satan spawned night blood Ontari started all of this? Who would answer to her crimes?
The council agreed they had to do something. Kane wanted to go but Clarke stopped him.
"It should be me," she said. She had left the med bay maybe twice for two important council meetings. Octavia was certain she hadn't slept.
"There's nothing I can do here anyway."
That night, after Abby had done her routine check and assured Octavia everything was still stable, she heard Jackson and the Doc in the corner having a quiet conversation.
"How long do we keep feeding him fluids, Abby?"
"As long as it takes," she heard the Doc say pointedly.
"He could be like this for weeks, months – we don't even know if he'll come out of it… and if he does..."
"That boy sacrificed himself for all of us Jackson. I'm not about to give up on him."
"Look at the good it did," Jackson muttered and Octavia sneered.
He was right. It had been for nothing.
After they left, the futility of it all flooded her and Octavia felt tears burning down her cheek. She wiped them away and grit her teeth.
"Please come back to me Bell. Please… wake up," despite her efforts, more tears escaped her eyes. "I know I told you that you were to dead me… but the truth is… I need you to live." She rested her forehead on his shoulder, her hair brushing his cheek. "I forgive you big brother. I forgive you."
Later, Clarke was ready to leave.
She stepped through the med bay door, a mournful shroud marring her usually bright eyes.
They hugged, almost emotionlessly, and Octavia could tell Clarke was teetering on the edge of the abyss, trying not to cave into the misery that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment.
"Can you… give me a minute," she sounded almost ashamed to ask Octavia to leave her brother's side.
Octavia stood by the door where Clarke had stayed almost the entire time since they had returned from the dropship. The two of them not talking, not touching, and barely looking at each other.
"I don't want to leave you… a-again," Clarke shuddered. "But this is kind of our thing… right?" She took his closest hand in hers and trying not to think about how cold it was, traced circles in the inside of his open palm. "We go backwards and forwards – building walls and breaking them down. Dancing around what we really…" she stopped then and her eyes wandered over his still form. "It can't end like this. I can't leave you like this…" she sniffled, stood up, ever so slowly curled her fingers through the first few strands of hair on his forehead and bent down to his ear to whisper something intimate.
Stunned by the sudden show of affection, Octavia stared from the doorway. She couldn't hear it, but she was certain she knew what Clarke had just said to her brother.
She watched with her mouth agape as Clarke raked her eyes over his restful face, waiting for a response, before she pressed her lips to Bellamy's forehead, turned on her feet and walked away, muttering a barely audible "may we meet again," as she marched out of the med bay without making eye contact with Octavia.
A few hours later, Bellamy woke up.