A/N: I'm baaaaack. This chapter took longer than I hoped it would, but I've recently started working full time and been restricted to only writing on weekend, which actually seems to make me more productive? *shrugs*

I wanted to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and any of the ones before it. Your comments and opinions make me so, so happy.

And finally, I'd like to give a shout out to Inspiredsightxo and her 100 story 'Earth'. I recommend you guys go check it out!

Read and enjoy! xoxo

Chapter 25

Darkness.

Heavy and profound, it smothered him in its embrace, trapping him in a perpetual limbo somewhere between dreams and reality.

It should have been pleasant. The comfort of simple oblivion. It called to him with the promise of an endless, peaceful sleep.

No dreams. No pain. Nothing.

If he simply...let go.

It should have been welcoming. But something about its pull scared him in ways he couldn't explain. It's lure felt too good, too simple to be true. Like the soft caressing tendrils of nothingness that tugged at him would suddenly sharpen to claws and drag him into the deep. The comforting feeling just a mask which hid the monsters just out of sight.

He knew - he knew if he allowed him to sink into its depths, it would be the end.

He would never return.

And the thought terrified him.

He couldn't leave! Not now! He had to tell them...he had to...

Fear and adrenaline flooded him like water from a broken dam. With it, a spike of awareness, one that drew out a primal desire to keep going. To fight. To survive.

So he did.

He fought. And fought.

Time held no meaning as he struggled, clawing from the depths, tearing himself from tendrils that gripped him.

But slowly, almost too faintly to be noticed, the dark began to lighten as its clutched slid away.

His mind began to clear.

Then in one final burst of clarity, it all fell away. And for the first time in a long time he was aware.

Where...am I?

Confusion sifted through him, muddled by the exhaustion that seemed to permeate every cell of his being.

As he drifted, he wasn't sure how much time passed. Hours? Days? Weeks? Time didn't seem to have any meaning, until he heard the voices.

At first, they were nothing more than faint whispers, indecipherable words that drifted his way. They murmured and mumbled, tumbling over one another as they chatted. And though he searched for the source, there was no one to be found.

"Hello!" he struggled to call out. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing changed. The voices maintained their drone.

Frustration welled up inside him. "Who are you?!" he demanded. "What are you saying?!"

Suddenly, a crystal clear voice shattered the haze. "Liam…"

The familiar voice stunned him.

"Dad…? Dad!"

"Please, son. Please come back to me…"

The desperation in his father's voice sent a wave of panic through him. What was he talking about? He was right here!

"Dad! I'm here - I'm right here!" he cried, desperately trying to reach out to him.

But he couldn't see. He couldn't move.

"Liam…"

"Dad! Please!" he screamed into the void. "I'm here!"

There was no answer.

Though he begged and pleaded, his dad's voice never replied back.

"I'm here…" he choked, despair overwhelming him. Why couldn't he hear him?

Realization struck him. He needed to get out of this hell-hole. His dad needed him.

"Did you know?"

This time it wasn't his dad. Excitement shot through him; if anyone could help him out of this darkness, it was her.

Her voice was soft, though deeper and rougher than some of the other girls their age, something that she used to be embarrassed about until she realized she could use it to keep him and Nate in line. Her words were rarely anything but playful and teasing, often accompanied by the soft grin that tugged at her lips.

Except for this time.

The warmth in his chest faded to confusion at the tone in her voice. The harshness in her voice surprised him. It was a tone that had never been directed at him.

"Liam - did you know!?" she repeated, voice rising into a shout.

But the anger he heard in her voice was masking something else. There was pain there. One that she was desperate not to show.

He felt a pang in his chest. His best friend was hurting and she had never hid it from him before. What had caused it? What did she thing he'd done?

"Al, I don't understand," he replied softly, using the nickname that only he and Nate had ever been allowed to get away with. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you know he lied to me?!" Her voice cracked, the hurt breaking through in her words. She was crying.

"Please. I don't - I don't know what you're talking about. Who lied to you?" he asked her desperation clinging to his words. The conversation was suddenly giving him the strange feeling that this had all happened before.

"Liar!"

The echo of rage in her words triggered a feeling deep inside him, shooting pain piercing his mind. There was something he was missing...something he had forgotten.

A hallway. A flash of angry blue eyes as Alex leapt towards him. The knife. The guards.

The pain.

Then he was disappearing, the world turning white around him as he faded away.

"Please, Alex….I'm sorry. So sorry."

Awareness was slow to return.

At first, there was only a soft beeping in the distance, it's constant pulsing rhythm filling every corner of his mind.

His first thought was how, oddly enough, the 'beep' seemed timed to match the thump of the heartbeat in his chest. Quickly followed by the increasing feeling of annoyance that grew in him as the beeping just didn't stop.

Someone...shut the damn thing off.

He just wanted to do back to sleep, exhaustion tugging his mind back into slumber.

But the beeping didn't stop. And his awareness of the sound only seemed to make it louder.

With a groan, his eyelids flickered before sliding open, hazel eyes blinking blearily at the unfamiliar metal ceiling above him. Then his brow furrowed in confusion.

He wasn't in his room - this room was bigger and the few picture he'd owned were missing. And he wasn't in his bed.

Where the hell am I?

He felt hung-over, like the one time he and Nate had traded some of their rations for a small flask of moonshine. A decision they direly regretted the next day.

He was exhausted. His head ached - scratch that - his whole body felt like absolute shit.

Plus he didn't remember getting to bed.

Turning his head towards the constant sound of annoyance - it took more effort than he would have liked - he blinked at the sight of a heart monitor.

What the hell? Definitely not hung-over then. Maybe I was sick...he thought, though he knew the only people on the Ark who were given access to heartbeat monitors were those that were extremely sick.

Must have been some flu. Hopefully Dad didn't have to tuck me into bed. He rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the feeling of embarrassment at the thought. Real manly there, Liam. Getting tucked into bed like a five-year old...Not like Dad doesn't have more important things to do...

He forcefully pushed the thought away. His dad must have used his influence as a Council member to get him the medicine and supplies he needed to get better. He should at least be thankful for that.

But even as he stared at the beeping machine, he realized that the idea of him being sick didn't quite sit right. Something else was wrong with him. His body felt heavy and weak, in a way that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

An idea that was only confirmed when he decided to push himself up into the sitting position. His arms strained and shook under the effort it took to force himself upright. His heart pounded in his chest, sweat dusting his brow.

Confusion swept over him as he slumped forward, chest heaving. The motion sent his hair brushing past his face. He froze.

What. The. HELL?

As a kid and a teenager, he had always kept his hair tidy and short. He'd found it easier to maintain and Dad said it made him look more responsible, as if it would somehow negate the trouble he got into with Nate and Alex.

Reaching up with a shaky hand, he gripped a lock of sandy hair that dangled in front of his eyes. Gave it a tug.

Wincing, he stared in disbelief.

He had never had hair this long. Ever.

Brushing it out of his face, he looked around the room in disbelief.

What the hell was going on? What had happened? How was it possible that his hair got so long? Unless….

His heart seized in his chest. No. Don't think about it. Go find Dad. Find out what happened.

Getting out of bed was a struggle. Not only did him limbs seems to fail to cooperate with him, but he had tubes and wires attached everywhere. It was only after painstakingly removing each one with shaky fingers - and viciously shoving them aside when he was done - that he managed to drag his legs over the side of the bed.

Panic boiled up inside him with the realization that something was wrong, very wrong.

He couldn't hear his gasping breaths over his heartbeat pounding in his ears, as he planted his sock clad feet on the cold floor and forced himself to stand.

The victory was short lived as he crashed to the ground, his weak arms doing little to break the fall, allowing his chin to crack against the metal floor beneath him.

Get up. Get up. Getupgetupgetup.

Gasping, he pressed his forehead to the floor, blinking away the moisture in his eyes.

"Get up, Liam," he gasped, voice hoarse. "Get up."

But before he could get his arms underneath himself, the door across the room slid open with a hiss, and light flooded the room.

Dragging his head up at the sound, he stared at the frozen figure in the doorway, a sob of relief nearly sliding past his lips.

For a long moment they stared at each other, neither moving. One simply unable to. The other in shock.

"Holy shit," the figure breathed in disbelief as he stared down at Liam's prone body. "You're awake."

Things were not going well for Eric Jackson, though he kept having to remind himself that it could be worse - much worse.

To begin with, they had absolutely no idea what was happening to the delinquents that had been sent down to Earth. One after another, their signals disappeared as their vitals went dead, until there were only a few left. And they had absolutely no idea what was happening to them. Was something interfering with the wristband signals? Or was the situation on Earth as bad as they tried to convince themselves it wasn't and they were all succumbing to radiation poisoning? It was hard to say, though Abby was desperate to believe that the delinquents were simply taking the wristbands off.

No one can blame her for that,Jackson sighed. Though I wish Abby's protectiveness of her daughter didn't lead to stupid decisions like this...she couldn't just break the laws once, but over and over...

First, she'd taken more than the allotted amount of medical supplies to save Chancellor Jaha's life. Then she'd stolen morphine from the Medical Bay - for what, he didn't know - and had gotten herself arrested in the process, leaving him to struggle to deal with the influx of patients needing treatment for oxygen deprivation.

Because the Ark is dying.

And now...Jackson's throat bobbed as he swallowed heavily, trying to push away the helplessness that threatened to consume him.

With Abby's release of Jake's video, the people of the Ark were suddenly facing the reality that not all of them could survive if they were to keep going as a species. There just wasn't enough.

Not enough air. Not enough time.

And there was no escape. Earth, from what it appeared, was still a deadzone.

With the dawning realization of their rapidly approaching end, tensions on the Ark were soaring. People were angry and afraid. And rightly so.

But it was that anger and fear that sparked worry of a revolt, resulting in the current Council imposed lockdown of most of the Ark main corridors. They were waiting. Waiting for the anger to turn into something deadly. Something worse. The thing that Jake Griffin had had his life taken for to avoid.

Instead, what had happened had taken them all by surprise. There was no anger. And while there was fear, it was mixed with a sad acceptance.

People had begun volunteering.

People he knew, people he cared about, were lining up to die. And all he could do was watch.

Because he was safe. His job placed him in a protective bubble, distancing him from everyone else, giving him life where anyone else would be asked to die. Would be allowed to die so that others could live.

He would never be asked to sacrifice himself - because he was a doctor.

The bitter feeling it brought him came hand-in-hand with the overwhelming feeling of resolve.

He was a doctor on the Ark. He would do his job to the best of his ability. No, he would do better. He would honour the people who were sacrificing their lives so that he and others could live. He would give his life in the only way he could. Serving those who remained.

So he did. While volunteers lined up to give their lives, he saw patient after patient after patient. Until hunger and exhaustion forced him to stop.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which way he looked at it, as the line for volunteers grew, the number of patients in the Medical Bay had slowed to a trickle. Then nothing at all.

And the entire day he'd been keenly aware of the silent radio in the back of the room. If by some miracle Raven called, if she told them that Earth was safe, if she only informed them that the delinquents had been stupidly taking off their wristbands instead of dying…

...maybe he could stop it all.

But overwhelming relief flooded through him when a guard walked through the medical bay doors and informed him that he had been sent by Councilman Kane to continue manning the radio.

It wasn't often that Jackson thought favourably about Kane, but this was probably one of those few moments. The responsibility of hearing Raven's call, or just endless profound silence on the radio, was no longer his.

It was with that lingering gratitude that Jackson stepped out into the hallway, his mind set on one last thing.

The one patient he hadn't seen today.

Liam Kane. The boy in the coma.

Abby had been in charge of his care since he'd been attacked, and though she said he'd shown no signs of getting worse, he was showing even less signs of getting better.

He simple was. Stuck in a limbo between life and death. Consuming resources, but never contributing..

Which left Jackson with a bitter taste and a sinking feeling that the boy would be one of the 'volunteers' for the culling.

Poor guy.

Turning down the quiet hallway where Liam had been set up, he made his way over to the familiar door, sliding it open and peering into the softly lit room.

And froze.

Several things crossed his mind at the same time. The first was - why the hell is the bed empty? Quickly followed by a panic inducing - Shit, the bed is empty!

Only to blink in shock as his gaze landed on the body on the floor.

Except the body had eyes, and those eyes were staring directly back at him.

The boy who was supposed to be in a coma was sprawled out on the floor next to his bed, his face flushed and sweaty.

For the first time in a long time, Jackson felt laughter bubble up his throat.

"Holy shit," he said, a huge smile spreading across his face. "You're awake."

He wasn't sure how he expected the prone boy to respond. But choking back a raw sob and pressing his head to the floor wasn't it.

It hadn't taken long for Liam to calm down, his breathing leveling out to something resembling normal as Jackson got him back into bed and began to checked him over.

"How are you feeling?" Jackson asked Liam, where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Taking his penlight out of his lab coat, he quickly shone it in one hazel eye, before doing the same with the other, checking his pupil responses.

Not meeting his gaze, Liam gave a half-hearted shrug. "Okay, I guess."

Jackson raised an eyebrow in response, knowing that 'I guess' wasn't something that healthy patients added to their description of how they were feeling. "You guess?"

This time Liam's gaze met his own. "Just tired," he replied with a sigh.

Jackson pursed his lips in thought.

For all intents and purposes, the kid was fine, if understandably upset. Heart rate and breathing were elevated, though within normal ranges. Pupil dilation was normal and reactive. Though he was weak, he had feeling and movement in all of his limbs, and clearly showed no signs of confusion about the questions being asked.

From the medicinal side of it, Liam's current state was a miracle. There should be signs of something, anything, that suggested he'd been in a coma for two years. But so far the only evidence Jackson could see was his general expected weakness and the scars on the boys neck and chest.

Nothing. No nerve or brain damage, Jackson thought in disbelief, standing upright and staring down at the boy.

A fucking miracle.

Years of automatic bedside manners had him subconsciously reaching out and pouring a glass of water, holding it out to the sandy haired boy.

Hardly a boy, Jackson thought, taking in the scruff on Liam's cheeks, as he took the cup from him. Not only that, but despite his very skinny and lanky build from lack of real food, Liam was tall, easily as tall as his father; he'd clearly still grown in his coma. With some food and time to recover, he'll put on some weight real fast.

Liam frowned down into his cup, before taking a small sip and clearing his throat. Then he turned hazel eyes on Jackson, giving him a piercing look that he could have only learned from his father.

"What happened? Why am I here?" he asked in a raspy voice. "Where's my dad?"

Jackson was slightly surprised that it had taken him this long to ask. Amnesia…It would make sense. Traumatic injury, plus nearly two years in a coma. "What do you remember last?" Jackson inquired cautiously. Did he remember the attack at all?

"I think...I was heading home from Nate's?" Liam answered hesitantly, his gaze falling away as he thought. "Then I…" For a moment he struggled to find words. "I -I don't know," he finally huffed in frustration.

He doesn't remember. Maybe that's a good thing. Jackson offered him a small sad smile. "I think your father will be the best person to give you some answers. But Liam, you've been out for a long time," he informed him cautiously.

Liam just stared at him. "What? How long?"

"You've been in a coma for nearly two years," Jackson replied as gently as he could, knowing the information would be a shock, but knowing that it wasn't something that could be avoided.

For a long moment, Liam stared at him, blinking in shock, before inhaling sharply and hunching over the empty cup he gripped in his hands. "No," he breathed out, staring at the floor with wide eyes. "That's not - how is that possible?"

"I know it's hard to wrap your mind around right now," Jackson replied, "and I know you have questions. But I think your dad would be the better person to answer them. Would you like me to get him? He'll be very happy to know you're awake."

Liam gave a shaky nod, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the far wall.

Jackson made his way over to the door, then hesitated, sending the boy a worried look. "If you need me….I'll be just outside."

Poor kid. I can only guess what's going through his head right about now. Waking up is only the first of his battles.

Hurrying down the hallway, Jackson headed for the first intercom he could find, knowing it would be the quickest way to contact Councilman Kane.

Punching in the correct code to the Council Chambers, he only had to wait a couple of seconds for a guard to address him.

"Yes?"

"This is Dr. Jackson. I need to speak to Councilman Kane, I have an important message for him."

"Councilman Kane is currently occupied, it's going to have to wait." The guards no nonsense voice replied.

Jackson pushed down the wave of irritation at the guard's clear dismissal, knowing that Kane probably had his hands full with the volunteers.

"Yes," he replied through gritted teeth. "This is important. I would like you to inform Councilman Kane...his son is awake and asking for him."

Earth

...brother...

The word hung heavily between them, carrying the weight of something that had only ever been said out loud once before.

A word that carried the meaning of something that no one was supposed to know.

No one was ever supposed to know.

The air felt frozen in her lungs, halting the words of denial that instinctively rose up inside her. She wanted to deny it, wanted to dismiss it as some stupid idea that Bellamy had come up with. But she couldn't, the words just wouldn't come.

Bellamy only stared at her, his dark eyes piercing; the anger that had clouded his face only moments ago having faded away entirely. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, anything, that would contradict him.

She didn't say anything at all.

She was so tired. Tired of keeping the secret to herself.

When her denial never came, confusion and doubt flickered across Bellamy's face as he frowned, exhaling sharply as he ran a hand through his hair.

"He's your brother…?" he finally said, voice deep with confusion. "But...how is that even possible? How does no one else know?"

She shook her head, licking her suddenly dry lips, pulling her hands into her sleeves and tucking them under her arms.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered, voice low, uncomfortable by the questions. Questions that she could only wish she had answers to.

"What?" Bellamy asked, looking taken aback by her response. "How can this not matter? This means… this means Marcus Kane is your fa-"

"He's not my father," she cut him off. Her words were icy, opposite of the hot fury that flared through her at the word. "He's nothing to me."

The way I am nothing to him.

Bellamy stared at her with a look she had never seen on his face, almost like something had clicked in his head. It was a look of realization, of understanding. He was looking at her like he'd never seen her before, but now knew her deepest secret.

She didn't know what she felt about it.

She could only wonder what he was thinking.

When he opened his mouth to ask the question that she knew must have been burning the tip of his tongue, the sound of cracking branches - of someone walking towards them - had both of their heads snapping up towards the sound.

Although still some ways away, Clarke was weaving her way towards them, Finn and Raven barely visible through the trees behind her.

Panic rushed through Alex at the sight and she stepped towards Bellamy, looking up at him, drawing his gaze to her own.

"You can't say anything," she whispered hurriedly, keeping her voice soft. At the flicker of doubt that crossed his features, she reached out and grabbed his hand, the rough skin warm against her own. "Bellamy, please, you can't say anything."

At her touch, he paused, though he didn't pull his hand away. Expression serious, his gaze roved across her face and he must have been able to see her worry because his expression changed to something agreeable. "Okay," he answered slowly with a nod. Alex let out a relieved breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Then he continued. "But I have one condition."

Suspicion flowed through her, and she narrowed her eyes up at him. Of course he's going to use this as something to hold over me. But when she tried to drop his hand and pull away, he turned his hand over and grasped her fingers with his own. She paused at the touch. "What?" she asked, unable to keep the defensiveness out of her voice.

"I want you to tell me the truth," he said firmly, though he also kept his voice low. "No more lies, no more bullshit. There's more to how you got locked up in the Skybox….about Kane...and I want to know what happened."

Startled at the unexpected request, she blinked up at him. Her immediate response was a 'hell no'. Telling him what she knew would be a bad idea, it was a bag of worms that she never wanted to reopen. She'd had years to think about it and let the old wounds close, so why should she tear open old scars for him? Talking about the past wouldn't change a thing.

But even as she opened her mouth to say 'no', she hesitated.

Why shouldn't you tell him, or anyone else, for that matter? She was no longer on the Ark, the person who would dole out the repercussions if she talked was hundreds of kilometers away in space. What could he do if she talked? It's not like he can throw me back into the Skybox again.

This was her secret to keep. It should be hers to tell.

But could she trust the man in front of her with it?

"The truth…" she trailed off with a bitter laugh. "You say it like it's something small. Like it's a single detail that will somehow fill in all the blanks." She shook her head. "It's not. It's - It's my entire life. How can you expect me to trust you with that?"

He didn't hesitate with his answer, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Alex," he said softly, leaning down to catch her gaze, his eyes serious. "I can't - won't - force you to tell me. Believe it or not, I understand protecting the truth," he said, and for a second his gaze went distant, like he was thinking back to old memories. Alex realized he must have been thinking about all the years he kept the truth about Octavia a secret.

She was startled to realize that maybe they weren't so different after all.

Pasts woven with lies.

But could she trust him?

Yes, she thought, staring up into his dark eyes. I don't know why but I do.

She chewed on her lip, then gave a small nod. "Okay," she breathed out. "I can't promise to tell you everything. I don't even have all the answers. But I'll answer what I can…on one condition of my own."

His eyes narrowed down at her questioningly.

"I want the radio, Bellamy," she told him firmly.

At the question, Bellamy pulled away, expression closing off as he let her fingers slip from his own.

She glared at him, disappointed. Her brief second of trust fading away. "Oh, I see how it is. You get to protect who you care for, but screw everyone else, right?" she scoffed, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

Bellamy's flinch in response told her she'd hit the right nerve.

"You want me to trust you," Alex continued more softly. "This is how you do it."

"Bellamy!" Clarke shouted as she arrived. For a split second, she glanced between the two of them before settling her glare on Bellamy. "Where's the radio?"

"He was just about to tell me. Right, Bellamy?" Alex said, raising her eyebrows at him expectantly as Raven and Finn approached.

Bellamy shot her a sharp look in response and for a second she wondered if he would keep quiet about what he had learned. After all, neither of them had agreed to their conditions.

Clarke wasn't done. Marching towards Bellamy, she glared up at him. "They're getting ready to kill three hundred people up there to save oxygen! And I can guarantee you it won't be council members. It'll be working people." She jabbed a finger onto his chest. "Your people, Bellamy!"

Bellamy looked startled by the information, then he turned to glare at Alex. "You could have started with that information," he shot at her.

She replied with an unimpressed look of her own. "Oh, please. Don't blame this on me, Bellamy. You stole the radio, not me. You knew exactly what you were doing when you took it."

"Bellamy Blake?" Raven asked, perking up at the name, her eyes narrowing to glare at Bellamy. "They're looking everywhere for you."

The comment seemed to take everyone aback.

Bellamy's glare turned murderous. "Shut up," he said, fists clenched at his sides.

What - Why would they be looking for him?

"Looking for him, why?" Clarke asked, glancing between Raven and Bellamy, a deep frown on her face.

"He shot Chancellor Jaha," Raven said, dark eyes never leaving Bellamy.

All eyes snapped to Bellamy.

"You did what?" Alex demanded, stepping away from him as she stared at him in shock.

"The wristbands...you just want the Ark to think we're dead," Clarke stared at him.

"All this 'whatever the hell we want'? You just care about saving your own skin," Finn snapped, fury clouding his face as he moved towards Bellamy and shoved him back, aiming to send Bellamy stumbling.

But Bellamy held his ground and forcefully returned the shove, before turning and attempting to walk away.

Raven was having none of it. "Hey, Shooter!" she shouted at him as she jumped in his way, forcing him to stop. "Where the hell's my radio?"

"Get out of my way," Bellamy snapped, standing over her, clearly trying to intimidate her into getting out of his way.

"No," Raven didn't even blink at his aggressive posture. "Where is it?"

A sneer crossed Bellamy's lips as she challenged him. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Raven simply cocked her head. "Really?" she mocked. "Well, I'm right here."

In the blink of an eye, Bellamy had grabbed Raven by the throat, shoving her up against the tree. In response, and before anyone jump in to help, Raven had a flip blade open and dug into the soft flesh of his throat.

Everyone froze, Bellamy most of all, carefully tilting his head away from the sharp blade.

Alex marched forward and gently grabbed Raven's arm which held the blade and pulled it away from Bellamy's throat, at the same time that she grabbed the arm he was using to pin Raven to the tree.

"Stop it," she glared up at him.

After a second, Bellamy pulled away, yanking his arm out of her grip before beginning to pace. "Jaha deserved to die. You all know that!" he stressed his excuse.

Raven briefly rubbed her throat as she stepped away from the tree. "Yeah, he's not my favorite person either. But he isn't dead."

Bellamy froze to stare at her. "What?"

Raven snorted, looking unimpressed. "You're a lousy shot."

Clarke pounced on the opportunity, reaching out and gently grabbing his arm. "Bellamy, don't you see what this means? You're not a murderer. You always did what you could to protect your sister. That's who you are." She gave a small smile. "And you can do it again by protecting three hundred of your people. Where's the radio?"

Bellamy's face fell with uncertainty, before he glanced at Alex with remorse that she knew was sincere. "It's too late."

Once Bellamy led them to the area where he had tossed the radio into the river, it hadn't taken them long to get a group of delinquents organized and searching for the missing device.

Pants rolled up to her knees, Alex waded through the cold waters, eyes roving the rocky riverbed, all the while doing her absolute best to stay away from Bellamy Blake.

She didn't know what she was feeling. She was nervous. Angry. Worried. And she sure as hell didn't know what to do about Bellamy.

She'd caught him watching her more than once since their earlier conversation. Every time the expression on his face had been contemplative, but knowing, as if this revelation suddenly answered all his questions.

She didn't like it one bit.

Could she trust him not to tell? She regretted not denying his questions when she'd had the chance. Okay, think it through. What happens if he does tell someone? What happens if all the delinquents find out? Truth to be told, probably nothing. They might gossip a bit, but it's not like they can do much else. Shun me some more? Fine. Bully me? I can handle that.

But what happens when the Ark comes down to Earth and Marcus Kane is with them?

The thought sent a cool shiver down her back, bile rising up the back of her throat.

She knew which option she hated most.

He'll be after you from the moment he arrives. Sure, Chancellor Jaha pardoned us our crimes. But he'll never let go of what happened to Liam. And he doesn't care to hear the truth. He'll wait and he'll watch for anything he can use as an excuse to have you locked away. Or worse - executed. He'll wait for you to screw up and use it against you to get what he wants.

You could leave, she realized. Leave the group and never come back, it's not like you owe them anything. She was unprepared for how much she disliked the idea. The thought of being out there, on her own - it terrified her. She honestly didn't know which was worse, leaving and fending for herself or having to face Marcus everyday and be reminded of Liam and what she had lost - what she could never have.

"Hey! I found it!" a voice shouted out, tearing her from her thoughts. Alex's head snapped up to stare at Jones, who was holding the missing radio above his head like a trophy.

Maybe Bellamy is right,, she considered, her thoughts distant as she watched as Raven, Clarke and Finn jogged through the river to Jones' side. If we can't contact the Ark, Kane will never come down to Earth. You'll never have to see him again. He won't be able to hurt you if he died on the Ark, she thought, then immediately felt sick to her stomach, having to turn away and pressing the heel of the palms against her clenched eyes.

What about Liam? Her mind raged at her, filled with self-loathing. Is it that easy to forget about him!? If they don't communicate with the Ark, he'll die!

Taking a shuddering breath, she willed herself to calm down. To not over think it. After all, she didn't know if he was even alive.

But Nate said he was, she reminded herself. He told you that Liam was still in a coma. He wouldn't lie to you about that.

The thought gave her the sliver of strength she needed. She needed to make sure they contacted the Ark. For Liam's sake if no one else's.

Marcus Kane could fuck himself for all she cared.

The Ark

When the message over the radio came for him, Marcus' feet were moving before he even knew he was out the door, shoving past the line of volunteers and dashing down the hallway.

He had only one thing on his mind - Liam was awake.

His son was awake!

Oh God, his son was awake! He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. Most of all he wanted to pull his son into his arms and never let go.

He ran the whole way to the room Liam had been in for the past two years, heart pounding, breathing ragged, sprinting past hallways and people that he barely took any notice of.

His shoulder slammed against the wall as he turned down into the familiar hallway, heading towards the familiar doorway - god, he had spent hours in that room - it was only then he slowed. Hesitated.

What if it's all a lie? A hoax?

The thought made him tremble inside. He knew he would kill those responsible if this was some nasty joke. He would do it.

But when he saw Jackson step out of the room he knew his son was in, a small smile on his face, he deflated.

Jackson would never do that to anyone.

"Councilman?"

Marcus jolted on the spot, seeing Jackson standing right in front of him, a concerned but reassuring looking on his face, and realized he'd frozen on the spot.

"He's waiting to see you," Jackson said gently, stepping to the side to allow him to pass.

Taking a deep shaky breath, Marcus forced his feet to move. One step. Then another.

Palms sweaty. Heart pounding all too loudly in his ears.

What if it's a lie? What if it's a lie, What if it's ALL a lie?

But then he was standing in front of the open doorway, and the floor dropped out from under him.

He could only stare at the man - his son, his boy - sitting up in bed, back supported by pillows, his eyes open. Awake. Alive.

"Dad?" Liam asked, his concern clear as he watched him with his familiar hazel eyes.

Eyes he never thought he would see open again.

His vision blurred as he stumbled the final few steps towards the bed, hands reaching and grasping until he felt the familiar soft strands of sandy hair under his fingertips.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, and slid his arms around Liam, tugging him into a hug, and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

It was only then he couldn't stop the ragged sobs that escaped him. He could only hold on to his son for dear life.

"Dad? Dad!" Liam said, panic clear in his voice. He returned the hug, arms clinging tightly, though Marcus could sense his confusion. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Marcus could only give a watery laugh into the crook of Liam's neck, unable to fully respond to his son's growing confusion at the state his father was in.

There were so, so many things going wrong in his life right now.

But this, this wasn't one of them.

A/N: A bit more information as we begin delving into Alex's (and Liam's) background. This is the beginning of a new arc which I'm super excited to write. Things will really start rolling now.

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Anons:

Thanks as always to Bee-back, Jag, Guest, Veruna and any others for your reviews! You guys rock!