A/N: The original plot and characters, and some dialogue is from the tv show. Other parts of the dialogue are borrowed or derived from lyrics of the song "Running Up That Hill", by Placebo. No infringement intended. I love and respect the show and song writers. The twists are all mine, though! Hope you enjoy!
Bellarke Songfic
Chapter 5: RUNNING UP THAT HILL
... ...
(Clarke POV)
We drove in silence. I didn't know what to say because I didn't really know what to expect. I had to keep a level head for Madi's sake, but I was beyond thrilled over their return. There was a part of me - the nagging part - which reminded me that it had been much longer than any of us anticipated. Things could have changed for Bellamy up there. After all, things had changed for me down here. I was clueless as to what version of Bellamy or my friends I would be getting.
As we neared the clearing where their ship landed, I noticed that something wasn't right. My instincts told me to approach with caution. I had Madi to protect, no matter what.
"Madi, I don't recognize that ship. It looks nothing like the one they left on, and I don't believe there were any other ships left on the Ring. We must prepare for whomever comes out of that thing. Let's split up, okay? Go back to the church and hide all the guns like we've talked about."
"No, Mama. I want to stay with you." She told me, holding onto my hand.
"Madi, please do as I ask. We can't afford to lose our only advantage. Besides, I need you to stay safe." I hugged her to me, then urged her into the jeep. I was glad that despite her young age, I had taught her to drive.
I made my way towards the other side of the clearing, while remaining hidden by the trees. I wanted to see the opening of the ship and get a feel for whoever was getting off it. Once I reached a good spot, I watched the doors begin to open. A woman dressed in an armor like jumpsuit was the first to appear. She was followed by a couple of men with guns. That likely didn't bode well.
"Welcome home, Boys." The woman announced. "McCleary, get a couple of men to canvas the area. The woman from the radio must be around here somewhere. Keep your eyes open. We know she's not alone." She added.
Dread spread through my body at her words. I started to back up silently, hoping to catch up with Madi. Before I got far enough to turn my back on those people to run, a gunshot rang out. The bullet imbedded itself on a tree trunk about five feet from me and I gasped.
"Come on out, Sweetheart. We know you're there. Don't make us come looking for you, or you'll regret it." The man called McCleary yelled, almost as if he could see me hidden within the trees.
"Shit!" I grumbled to myself. I needed to formulate a plan that would keep Madi safe.
They'd follow me if I ran, and I couldn't lead them to Madi. I had no choice. 'Oxymoron', Bellamy's voice echoed in my head, but I shifted my thoughts away from Bellamy. Then, I remembered Lincoln. They might have heard me on the Radio, but they couldn't be sure it had been me. I would pretend I didn't understand them. I had to appear harmless and vulnerable. I figured that if I could manage that, I could learn more about those people and find their weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Then, I wondered if there was a chance that I could reach some sort of agreement with them. The valley was plenty big enough. With that thought in mind, I dropped my gun in the bushes, keeping only my hand made knives. I walked out slowly, making sure to exaggerate my fear.
... ...
(Bellamy POV)
"We can listen in on them, from here. They seem to be chasing after a woman. They don't believe she's alone." Raven told me as I came back into the control room.
"She's got to be from the bunker, right?" I asked, not letting myself hope for someone that couldn't be. They all stared at me, and I knew they wanted to make sure I wasn't gonna lose it over an impossibility.
"Where else could she be from? The entire planet was unlivable." Harper commented.
"Everywhere but the green patch of land. If it survived, anyone on it may have as well." Emori commented, not realizing that her words both thrilled and tore at me at the same time.
That small part of me wanted to hope that Clarke could have survived there. I was sure they all did too, but I also knew that chance of that was nearly impossible. That patch of land might have survived the Praimfaya, but it wasn't anywhere near the area we'd left Clarke - where I left her, my mind corrected.
"It could just be some grounder we've never met." Murphy chimed in.
"Maybe. But there's bigger chance that it's someone from the bunker. They would have gotten out years ago. Based on that possibility alone, I think we owe it to them to help against these maniacs." Monty spoke and I mentally agreed with him.
"What do you say, Bellamy?" Echo asked, coming to my side.
They all looked to me, expecting me to make the final decision. But that wasn't how we operated anymore. We made decisions as a group, and I reminded them of that. They could tell I was reluctant to put our group at risk. I'd been trying to use my head over my heart like Clarke had told me to do.
"I say we take what we can from this ship and get back to the ring." Murphy voiced his opinion, and it was no surprise to anyone.
"I say we take everything from this ship but help our friends. If things get dicey, we'll have what we need to come back." Raven gave her opinion.
"I think Raven is right. I don't particularly want to fight anymore. I don't miss a single second of that. But if we have the option to return, then why not try to help if we can?" Harper told us.
"I agree with Harper." Monty said, as expected.
"I also agree with Raven." Emori said, looking at Murphy. When he rolled his eyes, she looked at Echo.
"You know I'd never run from a fight. Besides, we have trained very well over the years. If we have the option to return, I don't see why we shouldn't offer our help." Echo told me and I could see hers and all their points. "I know you're not convinced we should put ourselves at risk, but just think for a moment. For all we know, it could be Octavia they're after. You would not be able to live with yourself if you don't at least find out." Echo told me and Murphy sighed, aware that would force me to take the risk.
"Then, I guess we'll go, but we need a plan. Let's find out exactly who we're dealing with. We will not go in half-cocked." I said and looked at Murphy apologetically, but he just shrugged at me.
It had only been a few minutes since we'd landed back on Earth when someone came running out of the nearest trees and bushes. Each of us pointed our guns, but I wanted to lower my gun as soon as I saw a little girl. She was visibly startled, and I wondered if she was the girl the prisoners were chasing. She looked over everyone in our group with her mouth slightly hanging open. I was about to ask how she'd managed to evade or escape them when she smiled widely as soon as her eyes landed on me.
"Bellamy!" She whispered my name, and that confused me.
"Who are you?" Raven asked before I could.
"And you're Raven. You're all here. Murphy, Monty, Harper. You're Echo and Emori too." The girl acknowledged each of us correctly, making me wonder how she knew us. "She drew you guys perfectly. She hoped you would come back, even when I could tell she thought you never would." The girl told us, and the air was sucked out of me.
"Who are you talking about? Who drew us?" Raven asked her with a slight edge to her voice, but I couldn't speak.
"My … Clarke, of course." The girl said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
She spoke as if her words didn't make my heart thunder in my chest and thud in my ears. I could barely feel the arms that were tugging on me. I vaguely realized they were pulling me up from the ground where I'd fallen to my knees. I looked up to see it was Raven and her eyes were watery.
"You with me, Blake?" She asked with a shaky smile, but I could only nod.
"Clarke? She's alive?" Monty asked the girl. I turned to him and saw a tear falling from his eye.
"Yeah." The girl spoke to us like we were crazy. "Didn't you know? She called you every day on the radio. Every single day." She told us while looking me in the eyes. Her words made me choke out what little air remained in my lungs.
"We didn't hear her... we couldn't receive any incoming messages on the Ring." Raven told the girl sadly and wiped her tears before looking at me worriedly.
I had watched everyone speak to the girl like I was watching one of those old movies on the Ark. None of it made sense or even felt real. I had wished so hard, then I had given up hope. I didn't understand.
"How?" That was all I managed to ask the little girl who didn't seem to have taken her eyes off me. I needed to know how she survived when we believed her dead.
"Night blood, right? Does that mean you're a night blood too?" Raven asked the girl, who finally tore her eyes from me in order to face Raven with a worried look.
"Yes. I was very little when Clarke found me. It's been just the two of us since as long as I can remember. There's been too much rubble for us to open the bunker." The girl told us.
I observed her wondering why something seemed off with what she'd said. I didn't know what it was, and I wondered if it may have been her tone. I hadn't asked any questions before Harper jumped in.
"You said 'just the two of you'. Have you both been alone all this time?" Harper asked, sadness emanating from every word she asked the girl.
"Yes." The girl responded and none of us spoke for as long as it took that information sink in.
Clarke had been alive and alone for years. Well, she'd been nearly alone with just a little girl. If only I could, I'd make a deal with God. I'd get him to swap our places. I should have done more to get back. I'd done nothing after I accepted her death. Nothing except … suddenly, my eyes found Echo.
She was already looking at me with pained eyes. I wanted to say something to reassure her, but she shook her head at me. Echo wiped away a tear before it could fall from her eye. She knew. Of course, she knew. See how deep the bullet lies. I'm not unaware that I'm tearing you asunder. I thought to myself, hoping she could see in my eyes that I knew she knew. There's thunder in our hearts. Echo's eyes told me she understood.
"Where is Clarke now?" Murphy asked and I tore my eyes from Echo in time to watch him discretely wiping his eyes.
"She's in trouble. She turned herself in to keep me safe." The girl told us. Despite her dire words, I found myself smiling.
"Of course, she did." I answered, chuckling to myself despite the lack of humor in Clarke's actions. It was exactly the sort of thing my Princess would do. "What's your name?" I asked her.
"Madi." She told me, matching my smile. "I'm Madi and I'm very happy you're not dead. You have no idea how glad I am to finally meet you." She told me genuinely before she hugged me tightly.
It caught me off guard for a second, but I found myself returning her hug. There was something about Madi that reminded me of a younger Octavia. The girl also had very similar eyes to Clarke; eyes that I had missed more than I could express. It seemed that Clarke was of the utmost importance to Madi. It made sense because they only had each other for years. No doubt, Madi was just as important to Clarke. She was likely the most important person to her.
"Alright, Madi. Let's go get her back." I declared and Madi nodded emphatically.
We quickly jumped into planning. Raven had taken control over the prisoners' ship system through a linked connection on her computerized tablet. We made radio contact with the prisoners and offered them a trade they couldn't refuse. The lives of their sleeping crew, in exchange for Clarke. Raven and Monty had also discovered that many of them were sick. So, we planned to dangle the medical aid they desperately needed, in return for their help in getting the bunker open. We held the upper hand, and they'd have to comply with our requests. Otherwise, they'd be dead soon enough.
With the massive collection of guns that Clarke and Madi had collected, the rest of our group hid within the tree. They waited close enough to help, but far enough to get away, depending on the outcome. Madi drove the jeep towards the spot agreed upon. I remained in the passenger side, so Madi could pull away if things didn't go well.
I saw the woman who was clearly in charge and noticed several armed men around her. Even at a distance, I could also see a clump on the ground at her feet but couldn't make out what it was yet. Once we got closer, I realized it was Clarke. She was on all fours and hunched over. Her head on the ground and she was faced away from the jeep. I could never mistake that head of blonde hair, no matter how much shorter it was cropped.
C'mon baby, c'mon darling. I wish I could steal this moment from you now, I thought to myself. I couldn't stop wondering what hell they'd done to her before I got here. I wished I could take all of it away. If I only could, I'd make a deal with God. I'd get him to swap our places.
"Hang in there, Clarke. I'm here now. Just a bit longer." I whispered to her from inside the jeep, as if she could magically hear my words.
Almost as if she could, I watched Clarke struggle to lift her head towards the jeep. I noticed she was squinting her eyes and shaking her head. She looked defeated and her head fell to the ground again.
"She probably thinks I came alone. She tends to worry." Madi told me and I agreed before I jumped out. I didn't want to prolong anymore of Clarke's pain.
"How could you expect us to believe you boarded our ship and obtained control?" The woman called out to me.
Without saying a word, I held up the mug I'd brought down from their control room. That was proof enough that we'd been on their ship and cloned their link. She turned to a younger guy who also held a computer tablet in his hands. He looked up at the woman and nodded grimly. He must have confirmed Raven's hack and her continued efforts to lock them out of the system remotely.
"All our people, for one girl? She must be important." The woman commented while looking at Clarke shaking in pain on the ground.
"She is." I replied. Although, that woman would never know just how important Clarke was to me.
At my words, Clarke raised her head enough to look at my face. I saw the shock register across her face as she mouthed my name. Against her body's obvious protests, she tried to move towards me. It took everything in me to remain where I stood. I had to use my head in that moment, and my heart later.
"There's another matter I'd like to bring to your attention." I told the woman. "We found the medical data on your ship. Your people are sick." I stated and two of the men pointed their guns at me.
"I'd watch what you say next." The woman warned.
"I doubt you failed to ask, judging by the way you've treated her." I told the women, nodding my head at Clarke's direction. Clarke tried to shake her head at me, but I knew what needed to be done. "Clarke is medically trained and as close to a doctor as you'd get in your current situation."
The woman's eyes widened and fell on Clarke's form. She made a move towards Clarke, but I wasn't about to let her think she could keep her from me.
"Easy, now! Don't forget I hold the lives of your people in my hands." I called out to stop her, and the woman stopped in her tracks. "Thing is, the doctor that trained her is also here on Earth, along with another. They are in an underground bunker with the rest of our people."
"What is it you want?" The woman asked, seemingly annoyed but also peeked by interest.
"There's a difference between want and need, isn't there?" I chuckled humorlessly, then went on. "I need your help to reopen that bunker to get my people out. And I want to achieve that without the loss of any lives. I'm not sure what you want, but I'd like to believe that it's to live in peace. I do know that what you need, is to be in our doctors' good graces so they'll help save you all." I told them, giving them just enough of the bait.
"And after your people are free and mine are awake?" The woman asked and I knew she was debating a fight, not having any idea that it would never come to that.
"This valley is plenty big enough to share, and then some. We'd all have what we want and what we need. We also have engineers and farmers in that bunker. I don't see why we couldn't rebuild the surrounding land for us all to use and cultivate in the future." I told her as genuinely as I could.
"Threatening hundreds of my people is not exactly the best way to start a friendship." She said.
"Neither is what you've done to one of ours…" I gestured to Clarke on the ground, "considering we haven't hurt any of you. Do we have a deal, or not?" I asked, beginning to get impatient.
The woman remained quiet for a few seconds, thinking through her options. Then, she signaled to the man beside her. He stepped towards Clarke and for a moment I thought he meant to hurt her. I took steps towards them too. Luckily, he was removing a device from around her neck as she groaned. Once it was off, I knelt at her side and helped her sit up.
"Hi, Princess." I said as we looked into each other's eyes.
"You're really here." She whispered with a smile before attempting to hug me. She fainted in my arms, and I picked her up easily enough. Then, I looked to the woman.
"I'll meet you here tomorrow morning. Then, we'll go open the bunker." I told her. It was more of a command than a simple comment. She narrowed her eyes at me but nodded anyway.
"You didn't give me your name … I'm Diyoza." The woman said before I turned away with Clarke.
"I'm Bellamy. I will trust that we won't be followed or harassed in any way. We'll see you tomorrow." I told her and waited for her nod before I turned and carried Clarke to the jeep.
I placed Clarke in the back and climbed in with her, then asked Madi to drive us towards the previously agreed area. Madi and I were silent while she drove so fast that it would take our friends a little while before they arrived on foot. I held Clarke's hand in mine but couldn't tear my eyes away from her. I was almost scared that she'd disappear if did.
Madi jumped in the back with us just as soon as she'd stopped the jeep. She used a rag to gently clean Clarke's face as best she could while trying to swallow her little sobs. Her tiny sounds broke me a little more than I could have expected. I wanted to help her with Clarke, but the girl seemed to need that moment, so I sat back and watched them. Madi held Clarke's other hand, kissed her cheek, and lay down beside her. Then, she finally seemed to let her tears fall freely and I wanted to help soothe her.
"She's okay, Madi. We're all gonna be okay now." I told her, making her look up at me.
"We'll finally be a family." She declared with a small but teary-eyed smile.
Her words painted a pretty picture and her smile... there was something about it. The tone in which she spoke made something in my chest constrict. Before I could speak, Raven's voice reached us.
"Is she okay? Clarke!" Raven called as she neared the back of the jeep.
When I looked up, I saw them approaching. Raven, Monty, Harper, and Murphy all came right up to the jeep. Echo stayed several feet behind and I watched Emori take hold of her hand. I looked at Echo apologetically, but she shook her head at me and offered me a sad smile.
"I'll take first watch." Echo told the group. No one seemed to hear her as they were still focused on Clarke's sleeping form. I sent Echo what I hoped was a grateful smile.
"Madi?" Clarke's broken voice made me look down to her.
"I'm right here, Mama. Everything's fine now. We're all okay." Madi was quick to reassure Clarke despite her own tears. Madi even helped Clarke sit up.
Her words caught my attention. Mama? That started a slight nagging in my gut, but I rationalized that she probably called her that because Clarke had raised her.
"Shh, don't cry my little night blood. I'm okay and you're okay too." Clarke tried to soothe Madi in the most tender way I'd ever seen. She kissed the girl's brow and held her too herself.
"Bellamy came back, Mama. Your friends are all here too. We'll finally be a real family." Madi cried into Clarke's neck as they held each other.
There was that word again. Mama. Then, Clarke looked at me. I realized that I could still read her eyes like no one else. I saw it all - fear, hope, apology, sorrow, and relief. Clarke didn't need to say anything, especially since I factored in Madi, herself.
"She's ours?" I asked Clarke, hopeful and terrified of her answer.
"What?" Raven asked loudly but I couldn't move my eyes away from Clarke.
"Yes. Madi's our daughter." Clark confirmed with a sob and fresh tears fell from both of us.
"Oh, Clark!" I choked on her name as I hugged them both to me.
"When the hell did that happen?" I heard Raven ask incredulously, at the same time that our friends all reacted in their own ways.
"Holy shit!" Murphy exclaimed at the same time.
"Oh, wow!" Harper stated.
"But how?" Monty asked in shock.
"I think we all know the how, Monty." Murphy answered sarcastically.
Their mixed commentary made Clarke and I chuckle. I pulled away from our shared embrace to kiss Clarke for the first time since finding her again.
"Welcome home." Clarke said with a soft smile.
"Hi, Daddy." Madi's voice drew my eyes away from Clarke and I felt my eyes water again.
"Oh, Madi. Come here." I exclaimed, bringing her into my arms again. "I can't believe I'm a father. You're so beautiful. I hate that I wasn't here. I'm so sorry!" I told her and Clarke, both.
"Don't, Bellamy. Don't you dare. I knew you'd feel guilty for leaving, especially when you learned about Madi. Please don't. Baby, you did the right thing. It was the only thing you could have done. I was so proud, Bell. You used your head." Clarke chuckled softly before her smile faded. "If you had stayed, you would have died and Madi would never have met you." Clarke was right, but it would take a while for me to accept that. I might never be able to.
We spent the rest of the night catching up on the time we were apart. I couldn't believe Clarke had not only survived, but she had also brought life into the world. On top of that, she'd done it all on her own. I remembered being there for my mother when Octavia was born. I also remembered how scary that had been. I already knew the incredible person Clarke was, and that put her over the top.
Clarke had made me a father. I would never get enough of them, nor could I ever be apart from either of them again. They were my girls, my responsibility. They were mine to love and protect - no matter the cost. You and me, we won't be unhappy. I mentally promised as I hugged them to me.
I planned to get Octavia the next day, and then I'd finally feel complete. Of course, I had to make sure our plans would not backfire and bite us in the ass. I couldn't let that happen. I had far more to lose than I could ever have imagined. One look in Raven's direction told me everything I needed to know She was on board. I had been unable to save Clarke before, but she and Madi deserved a life free of worry or looking over their shoulders. The least I could do was make sure I gave that to them. I began to envision our future, and I knew I would eliminate any and every threat against it.
A/N: End of chapter five. Hope you're enjoying my story.