I finally managed a 4.500 words chapter! :)
There is a mechanic-doctor sort of steamy scene... if that's not your thing feel free to skip it, honestly I added it for fun.
Stop reading here: "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me"
Start again here: "Raven, Raven… are you alright?"
Raven was tapping her foot impatiently. Abby had promised to meet with her at eight, it was already half pass and the councilwoman still hadn't shown up. She rummaged her bag for a few random tools and started to tinker with a rusty-looking device, pretending to repair the old machine. Fairly confident that no one would suspect anything she let herself relax a bit and allowed her imagination to run wild.
Almost nine and still no sign of the blonde, maybe someone had found what they were planning and... no, that would be impossible, only her and Abby knew and they wouldn't say anything. Her heart started beating so fast she feared a heart attack, doubt and fear clouded her mind.
Raven knew she would take their secret to her grave but could she say the same from her co-conspirator?. If pressed would the doctor sell her out as a way to avoid punishment?. She shook her head, trying to dispel her apprehension, she could not afford that kind of thinking, she had to trust Abby.
They didn't know each other, all they had exchanged was a bit of basic information but they had a common goal, that was much was clear, and knowing Abby couldn't betray her without risking her own safety let her breathe a little easier.
Heavy footsteps could be heard in the eerily deserted hallway. Ragged pants and puffs of airs echoed loudly, whoever was coming was clearly in a hurry.
Instead of the woman she had been expecting a man showed up. He had a baby face that made it nearly impossible to pinpoint his age; he could have been anything between his early twenties to middle thirties. He had blonde hair and his beard was uneven, not that it was surprising, razors were used for months until you were given a replacement.
"Darling I'm so sorry I'm late for our date"
"I…"
"Don't be mad, sweetheart. I know I promised to be here at eight but the shifts in med-bay have been insane lately, I had to trade a food ration with Janice to get a break"
Instantly his message clicked and the pressure in her chest deflated until it was nothing, Abby's absence had not been by choice.
Raven cupped his face in her palm and slowly, deliberately ran her thumb across and down his cheek "trust me" she whispered against his lips before kissing him.
He grinned widely and gave her a practically imperceptible nod, thankful that she had caught on quickly.
They needed to sell their cover story so Raven deepened the kiss a little. When they pull apart, in need of oxygen, she forced herself to hold his hand in hers, bringing him closer.
"It's ok. I was just worried". She smiled, hoping to convey her real answer. Thank you for letting me know.
"I brought you a gift"
"You shouldn't have honey" the pet name felt so foreign, and frankly ridiculous, in her tongue that Raven felt the urge to laugh uncontrollably. Only the notion of the strict surveillance in the Ark kept her from committing such an act.
"I know, I know but I wanted you to have it"
"What is it?" Raven shook the box and pretended to guess, even if she knew exactly what was inside. Now they only needed to get a pressure regulator and the machine would be ready.
"Don't peak now sweetheart, you will ruin the surprise" There might be people watching us.
The man hugged her closely and bending over a little rested his head on her shoulders, he nuzzled her neck lightly and used the opportunity to bring his lips to her ear. "Do you have everything?"
The brunette disentangled herself and gave him an exaggerated smirk while biting her lips. "What do you say if we move this date somewhere a bit more private?"
He wiggled his eyebrows playfully "I like the way you think sweetheart".
Raven took his hand on hers and lead him to her room. She didn't like the idea of taking him to her private space but she didn't have a choice, they needed to hush out some details, and the only place devoid of cameras where the sleeping quarters.
If anyone had seen Abby on her chambers, they may have asked questions but bringing someone she had been caught on camera being sort of intimate with wouldn't raise suspicions.
Once in her room the blonde man introduced himself as Andrew, he was a doctor who worked with Abby.
"Do you even know what's going on?" Raven asked while gesturing at the box.
"No, not really, and honestly I rather not"
Raven raised her eyebrow questioningly; most people would have already tried to either peek inside the box or at least ask some questions, Andrew had done neither.
"The less I know the better, whatever it is I'm sure the council won't approve so I prefer to have plausible deniability"
"How can you be so sure? Abby could have sent me love letters and gifts for all you know. I mean have you seen me?" Raven's playful tone made the blonde laugh and shake his head in amusement.
"Oh please, if this was about seducing you, she wouldn't have sent a messenger or tried to engage in any type of subterfuge"
"I don't know, maybe she is the shy type"
"Would you, or anyone reject a woman like her?"
"No, I don't think so" Raven brushed her neck nervously "I mean I have never thought about it but… well, you know" she hoped the vague words were enough; she had never been shy about sex but thinking about the doctor would certainly lead to a distraction that she couldn't really afford right now.
"Yeah, I get it, she is a total MILF" Andrew nodded solemnly and leaned closer to her like he was about to tell her a grave secret "Please don't tell her I said this but sometimes I can't help but imagine what it would be like to have her barking orders at me… and I don't mean at work"
"Too much info dude, I really didn't need that image in my head"
They shared another hearty laugh before Raven spoke again "Anyway, how did you get roped into this?"
"I owned Abby a favor"
"It must be something big to risk your life for it"
"She saved my father's life"
His clipped tone was enough for Raven to know that he wouldn't share more, she acknowledged his reticence with a head tilt and didn't press for details.
"Do you have everything you need?"
"No. Could you please tell Abby I couldn't get the last piece we need?"
"Sure, I will pass along the message"
He was leaning against her door, ready to leave when Raven took hold of his jacket.
"Andrew, it's urgent"
"Don't worry, I will tell her as soon as I get back to work"
While watching him go the brunette sighed, if only all her meetings had been as productive as this one, they would already be on their way to earth.
================= FLASH BACK =================
When Harris, a mean-looking guard, stopped her at the door, reminding her it was not meal time yet, she easily got past him by saying that she wanted to trade with Nygel.
Raven wondered, not for the first time, how far Nygel's influence truly extended in the Ark. Guards were known for their corruption but they usually kept it in the house, so to speak, benefitting themselves and their superiors yet a simple code-word, little bird, was enough to make the man retreat to his place at the door without asking further questions.
"How long has it been, little bird?"
Raven felt a shudder through her spine, not nearly long enough. Knowing she couldn't show any weakness to a woman like Nygel she tried her best to project an aura of disinterest.
"I need a pressure regulator" The brunette mentally congratulated herself for the steadiness in her voice.
"What for?"
Nygel's faked confusedness may have fooled most people but Raven simply clicked her tongue in annoyance; the black woman was toying with her now, she wanted dirt on her that she could use for later, when she was the one who needed something from Raven, so with her best deadpan tone she said it was for regulating pressure.
"I see you got your mom's sense of humor"
Mentioning her mother was more than Raven was willing to tolerate but when she was ready to turn around and leave Abby's grief-stricken face flashed through her eyes. Your bleeding heart will be your demise one day,the long-ago spoken words resonated deep in her, ironically it had been Nygel who had told her that.
"What do you want for it?"
The older woman tried to give her the spiel of having gone sort-of-legit now; only dealing with moonshine and herbs because it had become too dangerous to move machine parts. Raven bristled at her conning act; she despised these kinds of mind games, why couldn't Nygel simply name a price and be done?.
"Save the act for someone who doesn't know better. Just tell me what it's gonna take".
Nygel was silent for a few seconds and Raven felt her heart starting to beat faster in her chest. Quietness usually was a terrible sign.
"I owe a favor to the chief of electrical, and he's got a thing for tough, pretty girls like you"
Raven briefly wondered if it was a test to see how far was she willing to go for what she needed but Nygel's serious face instantly dispelled that notion.
"You're joking, right?" She clenched her fists in anger, trying to keep herself from punching Nygel in the face.
"I never joke about business, Raven. Kane's watching my every move, so, if I'm gonna do this, you're gonna need to make it worth my while" The air of finality in her voice made it clear that there was nothing Raven could say or do that would make her change her mind.
"By screwing the chief of electrical?" The venom and disgust in her voice were unmistakable.
Nygel watched her impassibly like she had told her about something as boring and mundane as the night menu, nothing in her face betrayed that she had solicited the younger woman for prostitution.
"I can't do that" She could if she wanted, an old man like him would last what ten minutes max? she shook her head to dispel those thoughts. She could, yes, but she wouldn't, she had promised herself long ago that she would never trade her body to anyone, for anything.
"Then I guess you don't need to regulate pressure as badly as you thought you did," Nigel said as a smirk spread across her lips and Raven knew she had seen her flicker of hesitation.
"Go float yourself, Nygel" Raven tried to sound angry but her words came out as a halfhearted insult. However briefly she might have considered it nothing would erase the fact that there was a side of her that almost said yes.
Raven turned around and sighed quietly as she started to walk away. What was she going to do now? How were they going to get a hold of a pressure regulator?.
"You know, your mother would've taken that deal"
The brunette stopped abruptly; her feet rooted in their spot. She turned around slowly and fixed the older woman an icy stare.
"In fact, she did" Nygel added with a mocking smile. "Many times"
"Don't you dare talk about my mother that way!" Raven had to look down for a second and bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from doing something stupid. It didn't surprise her in the slightest that Nygel had brought up her mother's less than stellar behavior, as a fact she had expected it a lot sooner, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.
"You know it's true, little girl" Nygel's voice was soft and oddly caring, and for a second she was, once again, the woman who took care of her when her mother was blind drunk, the woman who slipped her an extra ration and helped her sneak into the kitchen so she could study in peace.
"he's got a thing for tough, pretty girls like you" The words brought her back to reality, if Nygel truly cared she wouldn't have tried to prostitute her. No, the Nygel who had cared once about her was long gone, beaten down by the Ark's cruel reality; eat or be eaten, predator or prey. Well, Nygel may be an apex predator but Raven was no one's prey.
The brunette kept the hard expression in place as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fuck you Nygel"
"Think about my offer, is the best you will get" Nygel's sweet voice broke Raven's resolve.
It was one thing to offer what she did, nothing was too low or too depraved for the woman, an occupational hazard Nygel called it once. Even the taunts about her mother had been expected but affecting the same tone of voice that she used to employ when comforting Raving in her childhood was the final stroke.
Raven was yelling now, circling her opponent like a seasoned boxer. She landed one punch to her face but Nygel was fast and before Raven could push her to the ground the woman had stepped aside, allowing Harris to take hold of the brunette.
Despite the disadvantage, Raven kept fighting but the guard simply tightened his grab, hoist her up in his broad shoulders, and carried her out of the dining hall.
"Bye, bye little bird"
Raven kept trashing in his arms, desperately trying to fight him off, but Harris didn't let his hold waiver and calmly carried her down the corridor, far away from the dining hall.
When she was finally free from his grasp, Raven turned towards him and spitted his face. Harris took hold of her wrist and brought him closer to his face, his minty breath made her shiver in fear, raising goosebumps all over her body.
"I like tough girls so I will give you a free pass, next time I won't be so generous"
Raven had to stop herself from running after him. She didn't need the trouble it could lead to, especially not now when she had to tell Abby that she couldn't get the pressure regulator.
Raven walked back to Mecha station; her plan had been to work on the pod until she had to leave for the meeting with Abby but she couldn't focus. Her hands were shaking and tears were threatening to fall but she willed her eyes to remain dry, she couldn't cry, not now when they were so close to their goal.
Raven sat down on the dirty floor with her back against the pod and her head between her knees. The plan had been simple; refurbish the pod and launch it to earth but in retrospect, there was nothing simple about it. She couldn't believe how naïve she had been.
When pressed to know why the urgency Abby had confided in her that the Ark was dying, there was almost no oxygen left. At first, they had estimated about four months but the failures were bigger than they had anticipated, they got three if they were lucky and a lot less if they were realistic.
People were dying left and right, and yes, she could evacuate the Ark in time but could she live knowing that more than 300 innocent people were about to be sacrificed for Kane's population reduction plan?. Could she selfishly leave without even trying to help?.
And what about her promise to Abby?. Could she stay in the Ark and deny Abby the chance to see her daughter, the only family she had left?. The doctor deserved a reprieve from all the suffering she had endured. Could she take that hope and crush it?.
And Finn… if she stayed she would never see him again. Raven had never wanted much from life, her only goals had been to become a zero-g mechanic and find a partner who loved her.
The first one she achieved with tenacity and dedication, becoming the youngest one in 52 years and as for the second, well, Finn was that person for her. He was the one who loved her the most; who gave her strength to endure her traumatic childhood, made her laugh with his silliness, and show her what unconditional love was. He was her first kiss, her first and only love… could she sacrifice her lover? Could she risk never seeing him again?.
Raven sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. She felt cold so she rubbed her hands up and down her arms a few times, but no matter how much she did it the feeling wouldn't go away.
================= END FLASH BACK =================
Three days had passed since she had given Andrew the message for Abby. Three slow and torturous days of simply waiting for the doctor to contact her again.
The day after Andrew's visit she had gone to medical, she needed to talk to Abby, to know if everything was going according to plan.
The doctor had looked stressed and exhausted, tired lines show on her face like she hadn't slept in who knows how long. The braid her hair was in was coming loose and her clothes looked crumpled and stained.
Raven shifted on the balls of her feet, confused and irritable. She understood Abby was the primary caretaker of the Ark but the blonde didn't seem to care about their mission, she had even increased her usual workload and gave Raven no signs of having made any advances regarding their extra-curricular activities.
The brunet bit her lower lip impatiently as she waited for Abby to see her and approach her as another in-coming patient, it would look suspicious otherwise.
Raven felt her heart beating faster, what was she doing here? The blonde would contact her as soon as she had something substantial to share; there was no need to stalk her like a creep.
The brunette almost turned on her heel and run out of the room but before having the chance to do so Abby stood up straight and turned towards her, a smile spread across her lips.
The easy smile with which the doctor greeted her enraged the mechanic, how could she smile in perilous times like these?. Her frustration leaked in her voice, she said hello with a sharper tone than the one she usually used with the doctor, a lot more menacing and aggravated than anyone dared to be in Abby's presence.
Her frosty demeanor made the blonde frown slightly. Her eyes narrow in confusion and her lips pursed in concern.
Abby got a hold of Raven's hand and took her to one of the chairs in the corner, leaning closer to the brunette under the pretense of checking her vitals "Are you alright?"
"Perfect." Raven nodded but her clipped tone contradicted her words and made Abby more suspicious.
The blond smoothed Raven's hair behind her ear, caressing her skin lightly, and asked carefully "Darling are you ill?"
The concern in Abby's voice was so real and sweet that nearly caused Raven's heart to stop. The worry she heard almost made the brunette cry. How could she even though the doctor didn't care about their mission? Abby just cared too much about her patients and was doing her best to treat them before her departure.
"I'm sorry I doubted you" A defeated sigh left Raven's lips. Abby looked even more confused by that confession but the smile the mechanic gave her put all her questions to rest, whatever it was they would talk about it later.
Once she was able to snag some free time from med-bay, claiming to need a nap, Abby practically run to the room where Raven was finalizing the repairs on the pod; the brunette had, not so patiently, waited two days since visiting her at work, her good news couldn't wait for a second longer.
"I got it"
"You did?" Raven's tone was skeptical, it was not that she doubted Abby but she didn't want to let her hopes up in vain.
"Yes," The blonde repeated with a smile as she laid her hand on Raven's shoulder. Raven looked at the hand and then up at Abby's face and wonder what had she traded for it. When she asked exactly that the blonde pursed her lips and told her it was best if she didn't know.
"You will be able to finish it then?" The smile returned to Abby's face and grew even bigger. The doctor's face suddenly lit up; she didn't look worn-out or frazzled anymore, only hopeful and maybe even a little bit relieved.
"Yeah, I only need a few…" Raven didn't get to finish her sentence because Abby wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. The brunette didn't know how to react, she was not used to this kind of physical contact, no one but Finn had hugged her in years, so she just let her arms hang limply by her sides.
"I can't stay for long, my patients are getting worse" Abby looked on the verge of crying and Raven wished there was something she could do to ease her sadness.
"I know that there is nothing I can do for them but I will try to alleviate their suffering as much as possible before we leave" Despite her grim words Abby's voice held a new light to it.
The doctor took a step closer and leaned over Raven's body. One hand was firmly placed in the brunet's shoulder and the other in her stomach to steady herself while looking over the mechanic's shoulder.
"Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me" Abby whispered in her ear, her warm breath made Raven's spine tingle in delight. How long had it been since anyone had been this close?.
"Show me what you got so far".
Abby's slightly commanding tone only served to make her sudden arousal spike. Was this some kind of authority kink she had been unaware of before?.
The blonde molded herself to Raven's back; her hands tighten against the mechanic's body and brought her closer.
Abby placed butterfly kisses all along her neck, paying special attention to the sensitive spot behind Raven's ear, before whispering "Tell me you want this"
"I…" The brunette couldn't focus; one of Abby's hands was inside her pants, trailing the waistband of her underwear while the other drew nonsensical patterns on her hip.
"Tell me or I stop" Raven couldn't help the moan that erupted from her. There it was again, the tone that started this whole mess in the first place.
"I want it"
The blonde turned her around and grabbed the mechanic's face, crashing their lips together. Abby used her tongue to coerce Raven's mouth open. The younger woman tangled her fingers in the blonde's hair tugging lightly as tongues danced together in a battle for dominance.
The doctor pulled back slightly and placed her hands on Raven's shoulders, pressing her down.
"On your knees"
Raven simply smirked at the order; the idea of disobeying never even crossed her mind.
The brunette hastily pulled down Abby's scrub pants and threw them to the side, laughing at the blonde's surprised face.
"Someone is eager tonight" The doctor mocked lightly but all traces of humor left her face when Raven used her thumb to brush against her soaked panties, causing the blonde to press her thighs together tightly.
"Take them off now"
The brunette hooked her fingers on the pantie's elastic band, ready to pull them down when…
"Raven, Raven… are you alright?"
The apprehension in the older woman's voice allowed her lust-addled brain to shift from its fantasy land and focus on reality.
"Stupid Andrew and his stupid lewd comments!" Raven muttered heatedly
"Did you say something?"
"No, no I just... doesn't matter" God, I need to get laid
The brunette shook her head to get rid of her thoughts and proceed to explain to Abby how the pod worked.
"So, it's done?"
"All I have to do now is install the pressure regulator. I will need about an hour, hopefully I will finish sooner"
Abby smiled and let her hands fall from Raven's body "We leave tonight then"
Raven nodded "Tonight"
"I will go and pack"
Abby's telecommunication device started to beep, seeing it was Jackson the blonde decided to take the call; maybe there was something wrong with one of their patients.
"Did you steal the morphine?"
"I…"
"Abby, did you do it?"
"Yes"
"Kane is on the way to arrest you"
"What?! How did…"
Abby hanged up the call and turn to Raven "Nygel sold me out to Kane, we need to launch now"
"I wanted to do a final checkup but I just need a few seconds to hook the regulator" The mechanic assembled a few wires and turned around with a flourish "and voila it's…" before Raven could finish her sentence the whole thing went up in flames.
"Motherfucker!. It was broken"
"Launch now!. I will distract Kane"
"You are not coming?"
"There is only one suit and without the pressure regulator…"
"Whoever is not wearing it will die" Raven finished for her.
"Please, tell Clarke I love her"
"What will happen to you?"
"I don't know"
Abby walked to the hallway to wait for her fellow council representative, she needed to distract him to buy Raven time to make all necessary adjustments.
Kane showed up a few minutes later, flanked by two guards. They were about to detain her when Kane gave the order to stop.
"Why did you do it Abby?"
"Do what?"
Marcus pursed his lips in annoyance "Steal morphine and trade it in the black market"
"What evidence do you have Marcus?"
"The vials have your prints all over it"
"Of course it has my prints! I'm the chief of med-bay"
"Nygel sold you out"
"So it's my word against hers?"
"Nygel has no reason to lie about this; she makes her living by dealing in the black market"
"Shouldn't you prosecute her for illegal trading then?"
"You think I haven't tried that for years?"
"Well, apparently you haven't tried hard enough" her mocking tone made Kane seethe with rage.
"I will ask you again, why did you do it?"
"For Clarke"
"What are you talking about? How will a pressure regulator be of any help to Clarke?"
Abby remained impassive at Marcus's increasing volume tone, she only needed to stall him for a few more seconds, just a bit more and their mission would be complete.
"Why did you need it for?"
Unconsciously Abby turned her gaze to the door, thankfully by the time Marcus realized what was happening Raven had already begun the launch sequence and was well on her way to earth.
"Abigail Griffin you are under arrest"
"We need to know the truth, Marcus. I need to know the truth"