Spring takes us by surprise – cuddled together in our warm little home, Bellamy and I hardly notice time passing. It's like our happiness is a bubble that exists outside of time, a place of healing and calm in a world of madness.
But I know we won't stay here forever – that neither of us can ever be truly at peace unless we know our people are. I know Bellamy misses Octavia, though he never mentions it. I'm the one to bring it up.
"Bellamy?"
"Princess?"
I take a deep breath. I've been thinking about this for a long time. "I think I'm ready to go back."
I don't get the reaction I expected. I'd been expecting him to jump for joy and start packing the bags. Instead he smiles, and though I can see his happiness, there's a tint of sadness to it as well.
"What is it?"
"I'll be glad to go back," he says, "but leaving this behind won't be easy." He gestures around our tiny living room; over the winter we've added touches to make it more personal, more of a home.
I nod. I know what he means. It'll be like leaving bliss behind to go back to reality. "We can create a new bliss," I say, mostly to myself.
"Wherever we go, so long as we're together, we'll be ok," Bellamy says, and his voice is saturated with such warmth and love that I can't help but go to him and snuggle into his chest, feeling his heart steady heartbeat.
"Let's stay here for a few more weeks," I say. Bellamy kisses my ear in response.
It's with mixed feelings that we make preparations to leave – I'm excited to see everyone again, but it'll be a big adjustment, not just being with Bellamy all the time. Over the months we've both healed a lot – the nightmares have gotten less, and we've learned to live with what we've done – and we've relied on each other. I'm not even sure I know how to act around anyone except Bellamy anymore.
I think about walking back through those gates and shiver. What will everyone say? Will they have forgiven me for what I did? I know Jasper certainly won't have. I close my eyes as I imagine my mum's face.
Our last days aren't the relaxed ones that the last few months have been. Nerves mount inside me and I find myself making excuses for why I'm actually not ready to go back. Finally, Bellamy and I set out. I know he's eager to see Octavia, but I'm having second thoughts.
On our second night of travel, I wake up from a nightmare full of accusing stares and harsh words. Holding my hand on my mouth to hold back a sob, I grab some clothes. I can't do this. I put my bag onto my back and slip off into the night, running as fast as I can.
I run for what seems like hours before tripping and falling to the ground into an exhausted sleep. I think it's the wind that wakes me… but after a few seconds I realise that it's what's being carried on the wind – a child's voice, crying out.
I stumble up without really thinking about, going towards the source of the noise. It's not far before I wander into what looks like the remains of an abandoned village – or one massacred by the Mountain Men. I can see skeletons peeking out from beneath the leaves.
A girl is crawling on the ground, dragging her leg behind her, clearly trying to reach a rundown little hut. "Hey," I call. She flinches and her crying shuts off at once. I walk slowly towards her and suppress a gasp as I get a sight of her leg. It was obviously broken and left untreated; now it is grossly infected and caught on a branch; it looks like she fell while trying to walk.
"It's ok," I say, kneeling down by her side. "I'm going to help you."
She snarls at me, bearing her teeth, though I can see the terror in her eyes.
"My name is Clarke," I say. "What's yours?"
She looks bewildered, as though it has been a long time since anyone has spoken to her. Glancing around at the skeletons, I wonder if she's been living here all alone since her village perished.
"Alhera," she says in a voice hoarse from disuse.
"Alhera, I'm going to take a look at your leg," I say, moving slowly towards her. She draws back as much as she is able, her eyes fixed on me. I carefully take hold of the branch, trying to move it as little as possible. I put one hand on her trembling leg. "This is going to hurt," I say. She flinches before I even do anything and I brace myself.
Her piercing scream does not last long – she passes out after a few seconds, and I set her leg as quickly as possible. I tear some strips off my top, and bandage the wound, biting my lip. The infection is bad. I don't know if I can look after her all by myself, out here in the middle of nowhere.
My heart sinks as I realise I'll have to go back to Bellamy – not because I'm not already aching to see him again, but because we'll have to go back to camp. We don't have a choice anymore, not if we want to save Alhera. I slowly gather her up and take her to one of the less dilapidated huts. I curl up next to her for warmth and try to sleep. Tomorrow, I'll have to go back to Bellamy and try to explain myself. The more I think about it, the less I can believe I left him like that, without so much as a goodbye. He's going to hate me now…
I only realise I'd been asleep when I jerk awake at the sound of someone moving around outside. I freeze, my arms tightening around Alhera, braced for an attack.
"Come on, Clarke, I've tracked you this far, you can give me a break, you know. Are you going to make me search every single house in the dark?"
"Bellamy!" before thinking I fly outside and into his arms. I'm speaking before he has a chance to draw breath. "I'm so sorry, I just panicked, I shouldn't have left like that – you must be really mad – I'll make it up to you…"
To my surprise, I see him smiling. "You would think," he says with a superior smirk, "that you'd have realised how well I've come to know you over the past months."
"What?" I say blankly.
"Clarke, I've known you've been going to do a runner for days," he says patiently. "I've been following you since you left – I arrived here about two hours after you did."
"You followed me?"
"We've established this," Bellamy says slowly, as though speaking to someone incredibly dim, but his eyes are twinkling. "I'll follow you anywhere."
He starts to say something else, but before the words can come out, I'm kissing him. "You don't hate me?" I say breathlessly, pulling back just enough to see his face.
"I love you," he says simply. Then he literally sweeps me off my feet and carries me back inside.
Looking back, the next few months were like a fast forwarded prologue to the rest of my happily ever after. Bellamy holding my hand as we walk into camp together. His joy at seeing Octavia again. My mother running to embrace me. That first night filled with fire and drink and the laughter of old friends. Bellamy carrying Alhera inside when the noise got too much for her. The look in his eyes when he said to me, "Welcome home."
Three years later
"Alhera, don't let your brother wander too far," I call over my shoulder, looking back to see her waving at me as Bellamy leads me deeper into the forest along the familiar path. "It's been so busy, I've hardly had you to myself at all," he says.
We don't need to talk as we walk towards our spot, the little home we had built while we were in hiding from the world. As always, Bellamy lifts me off my feet and carries me inside, setting me down as though I am the most precious treasure. I lie back on the soft fur, my hand absently trailing over my stomach.
"I think this one's a girl," Bellamy says. "Alhera would love a sister."
"Thank you," I say.
"For what?"
"For following me. For never giving up on me."
"Princess, you had me in your clutches from the first."
I smile as my fairy tale prince leans in for a kiss.
The End