A/N: Hello everyone! Not nearly as long a wait as the last chapter, although it's not my longest chapter. To tell the truth, I've had most of this one done for awhile, but my Grandad was suddenly hospitalized and passed away last week, putting a damper on me getting this chapter done. It was a sudden and painful loss that really threw my life for a loop, and it's been hard getting my feet back under me. But I knew I had to get this done. For me, for my Grandad.

Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed since the last chapter! It is blowing my mind how this story is catching on. So I'm sending everyone a big, warm hug!

Chapter 12

It was well into the night, Abby Griffins footsteps echoed eerily off the metal floor below her, the sound seeming to reverberate through the empty space, as if trying to show her how desolate the halls of the Ark truly were.

Showing her how alone she was.

Sleep hadn't been an easy thing lately. As tired as she was, the moment she closed her eyes, sleep seemed to evade her, staying just out of her grasp, her head instead filled with terrible visions of Clake - her beautiful baby girl- screaming and pleading as her skin slowly blistered and burnt, the radiation eventually consuming her. She woke up in a cold sweat most nights than naught, exhausted from watching her daughter unable to escape her inevitable death, which led to her late night wanderings. Drifting. Searching for something which would sooth her mind enough to give her a moment of peace.

She knew there were no signs of radiation in any of the children, and she tried to use that to rationalize her nightmares. But it didn't help sooth her completely. Her daughter was still thousands of miles away. And she couldn't protect her.

Sighing tiredly, she trudged along, making a turn which would ultimately lead her back towards the control room, wondering, not for the first time, if the Council had done the right thing.

She'd hated the idea of sending Clarke and the rest of the delinquent's down to Earth - down to their potential death - but she knew that there was a chance, however small, that they would survive. They could thrive, if they survived the fall, the radiation, and surviving on a foreign land, one they'd never been exposed to before.

It was Clarke's highest chance at staying alive. Up here, on the Ark, she was only guaranteed death. The Ark's systems were still failing. Their oxygen supply diminishing every day.

Their time was running out.

The delinquents had been the best choice. Everyone they had sent down was young, and strong; and if they survived the landing, if they survived the radiation, they would be the only thing ensuring their survival as a species.

They were are all going to die sooner than later. There was nothing they could do to stop it.

And things had been going so well. Everyone had been ecstatic when the kids had landed, surviving the drop, the radiation. And even after a few days, she washappy that they're only sign of discomfort were signs of hunger and thirst.

Then things had started going horribly wrong. Their wristbands flickering and dying. One by one. A spike of pain. Then nothing.

They'd all watched in stunned disbelief as the signals died completely. Their numbers were dropping so fast.

Something was killing their children and there was nothing they could do about it.

Pausing in front of the control room doors, the place where she'd been monitoring the wristband reading's for days on end -praying, praying, praying - that Clarke's wouldn't spike and fail like the rest, she ran her hands tiredly over her face.

She didn't want to think about the fact that she could walk through these doors and find out Clarke was simply - gone.

Steeling herself, she swiftly punched her code into the keypad, trying hard to stop from wincing as the door hissed open, although she knew she would be the only one around to witness her grief.

Everyone else was asleep.

She'd given Jackson the night off. Things would change whether they were here to watch them or not. She didn't expect to find anyone here so early. So when the door fully opened and she found someone already standing in front of the monitors, she paused in surprise.

"Kane," she said after a moment, her soft greeting feeling loud in the otherwise empty space. When he says nothing in return, she slowly moved up to stand beside him, her gaze automatically searching out Clarke's vital stats.

She couldn't help as her eyes slid closed in relief.

A pulse - steady and strong. No signs of pain or discomfort.

Her daughter was still alive.

Pride washed through her, a flicker of a smile dancing across her face when she realized that her daughter was no longer showed any signs of being hungry, and as her eyes moved across the rest of the screen, she noted the same for everyone else.

They'd found food. They've done it. They can do this.

For the moment, the weight of her daughter's well being faded from her mind and she allowed herself the check on the vitals for the remaining kids. But as her gaze landed on new failed transmissions, her heart sank at the realization that they'd lost more kids during the night.

Twenty. Twenty children gone, just like that.

Those who remained showed slightly elevated heart beat, although nothing to be concerned about. They weren't afraid, they weren't panicked. They simply seemed...content.

None of this makes any sense. It's not the radiation - they would have started showing symptoms the moment they'd arrived. It's not an illness, or starvation, or disease. How can something be so stealthy. What's killing them?

At the worrying thoughts, her attention drifted to the man standing beside her, and she took a moment to study his outline. He was tense, shoulders rigid, arms crossed across his chest. Glancing up at his face, she found his expression cold, brown eyes focused on a single spot on the screen.

Following his gaze, her eyes landed on the screen which held his interest, just above eyelevel.

Oh.

Alexandra Evans' defiant grey eyes stared back at them, her vitals - dead.

Her transmission had been one of those lost during the night.

Abby frowned, feeling a pang of regret at the thought of the girl being dead. She'd only known her distantly, Alex having shared quite a few classes with Clarke during school, the two girls got along quite well. She'd always found the other blonde to be smart and kind, even though she'd been a bit of a troublemaker when she was younger - often caught out in the halls, up to no good, always with a cheeky grin and a witty excuse on her lips.

As nice as she'd thought the girl was, she knew that she'd also had her issues. Alex was a child of the system. Her mother had died at birth, her father's identity unknown. She'd been raised by caretakers, mostly by the elderly Mrs. Mallory, or Mrs. M. as everyone called her, the guardian for all the children of who lost both parents in some way or another. Abby knew that Alex's rebelliousness was a matter of trying to figure out who she was, trying to distance herself from her often smothering guardian.

Somewhere along the way, she'd become fast friends with Nathan Miller and Liam Kane, Marcus' son, the three of them were often out and about, causing mischief and creating chaos for the rest of the Ark. But they were good kids, knowing their boundaries, the rules and never causing any harm.

As a close friend of Marcus' son, Alex had spent plenty of time at their house, the elder Kane quickly becoming one of the only figures of authority the wild blonde would respond to. When she wasn't at the Kane's residence, she would only be found at Lieutenant Miller's residence, rarely returning to her bed at Mrs. M's.

She'd come to the Medbay once, when she'd been no older than nine. Kane had brought her in, shaken and crying after being accidentally locked into a small maintenance shaft during a hide and seek game gone-awry. The girl had been upset, understandably so, and after the incident, things seemed to change, and Alex calmed down, behaving better during school and spending less time looking for trouble, even influencing Liam and Nathan to do the same.

Things had been going so well, the young girl turning into a beautiful young woman, who'd spent plenty of time reading about anything she could get her hands on, had a surprising aptitude for building things. She'd even applied to the Engineer and Mech Sectors for apprenticeships, and had been set to join when she'd finished school.

Then a couple of years ago, out of the blue, things changed.

Alex killed two guards, and had attempted to kill Liam.

It had come to a shock to everyone who knew them. They had been so close. No one could figure out why she'd done it. The only 'witness' had only heard the commotion and arrived just in time to find Alex kneeling in a pool of blood, knife in one hand, leaning over the bleeding out Liam.

The attack was violent and bloody. Both guards had suffered multiple stab wounds. Liam with only two, one to the chest and one to the neck, as well as head trauma, but the wounds were serious and Abby had spent days on end keeping him alive. In the end he was alive, but in a come. He had yet to wake up. And she knew that it was a slim hope that he ever would.

When Alex had been taken into custody, she'd screamed and pleaded, saying that it had been set up, but in a cold fury, Marcus had determined reasonable cause and in the end she was locked away. She'd been set to be reviewed when she turned eighteen, however her punishment was guaranteed: flotation, the moment she turned eighteen.

Marcus had waited two years for justice to be had against her for trying to murder his son, but it never came. Not the way he'd wanted it.

Everyone locked up in the Skybox had been sent down to Earth - including Alex.

In his eyes, Alex had never paid for what she'd done. Instead, she had been pardoned. And so far, she'd survived, escaping the punishment she deserved.

Until now.

From the tense set of his jaw and the hard edges around his eyes, he was clearly unhappy with the outcome.

"Marcus," she hesitated. "I'm sorry."

Sorry for what, she didn't know. That the girl was dead? That justice had finally been served? That it hadn't? Or that it hadn't made a difference to the outcome?

She didn't know.

After a moment, he took a deep breath. "I feel like I should be relieved. The person who tried to murder my son is finally dead," he said softly, his voice steely. "But I don't." He continued, motioning a hand towards her screen. "She finally gets what she deserved. But my son-" his voice cracked over the word and he cleared his throat before continuing to talk, "my son will never wake up."

Abby felt the need to reassure him in some way, knowing the pain of losing a loved one.

Reaching out she put a hand gently on his shoulder. "He could still wake up. His responses... have shown improvement. There's still a chance for him to make it out. As long as you keep talking to him, there's always a chance he could wake up."

It was true...to a point. The boy's responses had changed, but it was so minimal that it didn't mean anything. And it had been so long, Abby thought sadly. If he woke up, it would be a miracle.

Marcus pulled away from her, movements harsh as he met her eyes with a dark glare. "I don't need your false hopes. You've said so yourself, his chance of waking is minimal."

"There's always hope," she told him firmly, eyes flickering back to Clarke's picture. We just need to believe.

"Like your hope that the Earth would be survivable?" he asked scornfully, motioning to the number of dead screens with a shake of his head. "I don't need that kind of hope."

Abby flinched at the jab and opened her mouth, but couldn't find words to say. All she could do is watch as Marcus turned away and heading for the door.

Marcus stood in the doorway of the dimly lit room, hands tucked protectively under his arms, his eyesight almost unfocused as he stared down at the still figure lying in the bed across from him, ignoring the constant beeps which permeated the room around him

From his gentle breathing and relaxed expression, he could have nearly convinced himself that his son was only resting. Merely asleep. That at the change in the light from the open doorway, his grey eyes would flutter open, and that telltale mischievous grin would find it's way across his face.

He wished he could convince himself that that was the case.

But he knew better.

His son had been like this for a long time now. His body keeping his basic bodily functions going through instinct, his brain doing just enough to keep him alive, but that was it.

He barely showed any sign of responsiveness. Marcus had watched as Abby had tested his son, using various forms of stimulus to determine the degree of his coma. Other than slight eye movement and very slight reflexive withdrawal to pain stimulus, he showed very little reaction.

At first he had believed that these were good signs, showing that his son was coming back to him, but Abby had explained that the body can respond to pain and try to protect itself even when in a coma. She had then continued to explain, her voice lowering to a gentle tone, that the responses were very minimal, that this was most likely how he will remain.

Never to open his eyes. Never again to walk or speak or laugh.

The coma had been caused by a combination of blood loss from the gash on his neck, and the impact of his head against the floor when he'd fallen. The swelling had put his brain under great pressure, one which had only been relieved through several surgeries. It had stabilised nearly a year after, and there had been a small hope that as his vitals leveled out, he would slowly wake up.

But it never happened.

Stepping into the room, he allowed the door to slide shut behind him, and he sank down into the familiarly uncomfortable chair next to the bed, resting his arms on his knees, eyes never leaving the peaceful face, taking in all the details as if it were the first time.

Liam had lost weight over time. Slimming down, losing all his baby fat until he looked thin, sickly almost. But Abby had said that it could have been worse; they had the ability to counteract some of the effects of the coma, his muscle mass being maintained through neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and Marcus himself shared his own food ratios to keep him alive.

As his gaze landed on his son's hair, a small exasperated smile crossed his face as he gave a shake of his head.

Time for a haircut, he thought fondly, smoothing the sandy hair back and away from his forehead, the tone and feel so similar to his mother's, that it sent a pang of sadness through his chest, and he forced his thoughts in a different direction. He didn't know if his next train of thought was any better.

Alex…He sighed heavily.

He didn't know what to think. She'd been scheduled to be floated for a long time now, he'd even pushed for it himself, thinking in some ruthless way, that if she died it would make things better.

Now she was gone.

And nothing had changed.

His son was still lying here, his condition the same. Marcus' own chest ached something hollow at the thought.

Maybe it's time to let go, his mind told him somberly. If tomorrow, you are going to propose the Reduction Plan, the killing of innocent people, just so that a few survive, you need to be willing to let go.

That was the hard part. Marcus knew he was stubborn when he put his mind to something, whatever the consequences. But this decision couldn't be taken lightly. Sacrifice a few for the greater good. He would need to show his commitment to his plan.

Bowing his head, he ran his hand tiredly over his face, ignoring the way his hands shook at the thought.

The Ark was dying.

His breath caught in his throat as it suddenly hit him. His own son would be part of the Reduction Plan. Everything suddenly made complete sense. In his own way he'd been holding onto a distant hope that things would slowly get better. That there was light at the end of the tunnel. That life on the Ark would improve, that his son would suddenly wake up.

But now he knew, there was no hope, no light, only empty space. Only death.

What did Alex see before her death? The thought suddenly struck him, made him feel sick. Was Earth as green as it looked from here? Had she seen trees, flowers and animals? He shook his head. She didn't deserve it. The world around her should have been burning, should have been hell. He thought with a sneer, clenching his fists, the anger that usually simmered at the thought feeling hollow and raw.

She'd gotten the punishment for her crime. A life for a life. She'd killed two men and attempted to kill another. She'd attempted to kill Liam, he reminded himself, and his anger surged. Clenching his hands into fists, Marcus resisted the urge to punch something.

Did she even know what she'd left behind? The pain she had caused? He ran his hands through his hair, willing it to go away.

But you remember the way she'd pleaded, the way she looked at you, as if you betrayed her when she'd told you all her excuses, and you still sent her away. His mind reminded him.

It was true, she'd tried to excuse what she'd done. But the cold hard truth was that the death of two people, two guards, were on her hands. And now she'd paid for her crimes. Not that it mattered, he thought bitterly, nothing had come from her death. No comfort, no solace. Onlythe painful reminder that caring for anyone always guaranteed to hurt. Her death hadn't been the first.

And it wouldn't be the last. He thought morosely, his attention returning to his son.

He had allowed his son to live for too long, carrying with him a hope that it would change, that things would get better. He was being selfish, clinging to that hope with all his might.

But it was time to let go. It was time he focused on the things he could do with the little time that remained. He needed to steel his mind, to close his heart completely.

The Ark needed him, the people needed him to be a true leader, someone who could make the tough decisions. Someone who had no problem sacrificing their own child for the greater good.

Blinking away the sudden wetness in his eyes, he steeled himself. He couldn't be emotional. He couldn't be shaky. The Council would see it, pounce on it, say that his resolve wasn't certain, and they wouldn't even consider the matter. How could they expect to make some sacrifices, when he couldn't make any of his own?

It's time to say goodbye.

Leaning over, he smoothed back his son's hair, before planting a gentle kiss on his exposed forehead, knowing that soon his son would be gone.

"Goodbye, son."

Standing up, he cleared his throat, straightening his shoulders and hardening his expression.

No weakness. Be unmovable.

Taking one last look at his son, he turned away and headed toward the door, but as he turned movement from the bed caught his eye. Heart leaping to his throat, he whirled around to fully face the bed, looking for any further signs of what had caught his attention.

Unconsciously, he held his breath. Had it been merely been a figment of his imagination?

The constant sound of the beeped machines brought his mind back to reality. There was only one movement, and that was his son's steady breathing.

The momentary swell of hope was quick to die in his chest. Nothing but a hopeful thought. He thought bitterly, turning away once more and stepping through the door, not turning back again.

I don't need false hopes.

So what did you think? I know Alex wasn't in this one, but there were things that needed to be said in this chapter that I felt only Abby and Kane could do. Let me know if they were OOC?

Maybe this time we can make it to 60 reviews? Only 6 to go!

Reviews responses:

A-M: Thanks so much for your review! I know you wanted more Alex and Bellamy and didn't get that, but you did get some info on Alex's past! Let me know what you think about what you learned! :)

Bee-back: I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Alex definitely got dealt a heavy hand by Murphy. I think she definitely overestimated her abilities to deal with Murphy. Not so much Alex/Bell right now, but next chapter will more than make up for it! Let me know what you think of this one!

Oh! And I have a tumblr account if anyone is interested! It's katiebees1. tumblr (remove the spaces!)

Thanks for reading!