AN: Hi friends! Welcome back! I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews. Every single on gives me to motivation to keep going.

Chapter 35

Liam

Ask him.

As Liam left the Comms Center, Alex's cryptic words haunted his footsteps. Your dad, he won't listen. He made up his mind ages ago. After our conversation that night, I'm sure he was only too happy to get me out of the way… He had seen the sadness on her face, and pain. Ask him. He didn't understand! Why couldn't she just tell him? She and his dad had talked - about what? Had they fought? It couldn't be that bad… could it?

There was nothing he could think of that warranted them keeping him in the dark. The fact that they had left him with an uneasy feeling in his gut. He and his dad had always been close, and even though he knew his dad kept things from him about work, they had always been open with each other. Had his dad ever lied to him if he asked? No, he hadn't, Liam thought.

So why was Alex implying that his dad was hiding something from him - something about her, something about the attack?

None of this makes any sense!

Only one person could tell him the truth. He just needed to find his dad.

Finding his dad proved to be easy enough, but getting in contact with him was tougher than he had planned. His dad was in meetings for most of the day and likely wouldn't be out until the Unity Day ceremony later.

"Can I please talk to him?" Liam asked the guard again through gritted teeth. "This is important."

The guard just gave him a bored look. "Look kid, he'll be out when he's out. The Council was clear - no interruptions. So unless this is life or death..." the guard trailed off, giving him an expectant look. When Liam shook his head, the guard continued. "Then it'll have to wait."

Liam glowered at him, and contemplated making it about life and death when the guard made a 'shoo-ing' motion with his hand. It's pointless. Swallowing his anger, he turned on his heel, he stormed back the way he had come.

Why wouldn't anyone just listen to him?

Exhausted, with no other options and with nothing else to do, he made his way back home. At the very least his dad would have to come back to their living quarters at some point.

When the door slid open, Liam's heart jumped into his throat when he caught sight of someone standing in the middle of their living room. It took him a second to realize that it was his grandmother, Vera.

She must have heard the door open because she turned towards him, her hands clasped before her. Her face lit up in a brilliant smile when she caught sight of him. She looked older than he remembered, the defined laugh lines around her eyes, the eyes she shared with his dad, had become more pronounced while he had been asleep. "Oh! Liam!" she said, stepping forwards and wrapping him in a firm, warm hug.

"Grandma," he croaked in greeting, still shocked by her presence, but allowed himself to be swept up in her embrace. He swallowed the guilt that rose up within him. He hadn't made any effort to see her since he had woken up.

She and his dad had had a rocky relationship his entire life, having had a bitter fallout when he had been a child. Vera was the leader of the Followers of Eden, a church on the Ark which believed that when they died, they all returned to Earth. As part of their sermon, they watered the only tree left on the Ark, the Eden Tree, taking amounts from their own water rations to help keep the tree alive. His dad firmly believed that the whole thing was a ridiculous waste of time, and more importantly, a giant waste of their limited resources. The argument had come to head as a huge fight between his dad and his grandmother, with his dad ultimately refusing to have her in his life. Liam's contact with her had been limited ever since, his dad allowing supervised visits only, ones where Vera was never allowed to talk about her religion.

Except he had visited her, more often than his dad really knew. Alex and Nate had helped him sneak out more than a few times over the years, giving him the chance to get to know her. And while he had never seen the point of her religion, he had loved listening to the stories she would tell and she had loved listening to anything he had to say. If he had a problem that he wanted to talk through, she always listened with an open ear and gave him whatever honest guidance she could offer. And the one thing he loved about her most was that in all the years he knew her, she never lied to him. If she didn't know something, she would simply tell him so.

He gave her a squeeze in return, savouring the familiar feeling of her hug, before pulling away. "Does dad know you're here?" he asked cautiously, knowing that most likely his father didn't. And that he most likely wouldn't be happy about it.

She pulled back and gave him a warm smile. "We don't need to worry about that anymore. Your father and I, well, we managed to come to an understanding while you were… asleep." Her smile sobered. "Talking helped us both get through a very tough time."

Happiness filled him at the thought. "I'm glad you guys are talking again."

The wrinkles around her eyes deepened and there was nothing but happiness in her expression. "Our differences may have been what kept us apart. But we were both guilty of forgetting one thing… that no matter what we are still family. Nothing can change that." Her voice cracked and her eyes got teary as she studied his face. "Oh, Liam, I prayed to the Tree everyday for you to wake up. When I heard the news that you were awake, that my prayers were answered… you have no idea how it feels to see you back on your feet. And you're just in time for us to truly return to Earth!"

A small smile crossed his face, but her talk about prayers gave him an idea. His grandmother being the leader of Followers of Eden might work to his advantage. People talked to her and it was her job to listen. Maybe, just maybe she had heard something about what Alex and his dad had argued about. Maybe someone had mentioned something.

"Grandma, I have a question for you."

"And I may have an answer," she replied with a smile.

"Before my… attack. Did Dad ever mention anything to you about my friend Alex? About them having a fight or - or something?

The expression on his Grandma's face faltered at the sound of Alex's name, telling him that she did know something. "Your father and Alex?" she murmured, turning away from him and dropping his hands. The smile lines around her eyes faded and her expression closed off, becoming distant.

"Yes, dad and Alex," he stressed. "Alex said that they'd talked the same day I was attacked. I want to know what they talked about. She won't tell me! Dad won't tell me! Nobody will tell me anything!" His last sentence rang out in frustration. The dismay that crossed his grandmother's face sent alarms off in his head. She knew. There was something she knew, and she didn't want to tell him either. "Please," he said, his voice cracking over the word. "Just tell me."

She bit her lips as she reached out and cupped his face gently with both hands. They were rough against his skin, speaking to the many years she had worked on the Ark as a fabricator. "Oh, honey. I can't. Your father is the only one who can answer those questions for you. He is the only one that should." She must have seen the hurt on his face because she added, "I'm sorry."

Liam withdrew from her, anger filling his chest, blinking away the tears that suddenly blurred his vision. He needed to leave. He didn't want to be here at all.'I'm sorry,' that's all anyone has to say. Dad, Alex, Grandma… All of them are liars. "I - I have to go."

"Okay," she said, looking resigned. "I'll see you at the Unity ceremony later on?"

He shrugged in response, turning to leave.

"Liam?" she called out softly to him and he found himself stopping despite the acidic taste in his mouth. "Maybe… maybe when we are on Earth, you could join me in planting the Tree?"

All he heard was an offered apology for her words instead of the answers he knew she had.

"You refuse to answer my questions, then you expect something from me? Forget it!" he snapped. As he marched out into the corridor, he saw the look of hurt on his grandmother's face.

She deserves it, he thought angrily, but couldn't stop the guilt welling up inside him as he remembered the look of hurt on her face. He only stormed half way down the corridor before slowing to a stop in the empty hallway. Taking a deep breath, he sighed. She didn't deserve that… For a second, he considered going back to apologize, knowing that she would probably still be there with that gut-wrenching look on her face. Instead, he winced and shook his head. Some grandson. She probably doesn't want to see you anyway. For a long moment he warred with himself, trying to decide if he should go back or not. I'll see her at the ceremony. I can apologize then, he told himself firmly.

Taking off at a more controlled pace, Liam made his way down the corridor and out into the main walkway. He walked for a long time, meandering the hallways and trying his best to stay away from anyone else. He had no particular destination in mind, just wanted somewhere he could be alone and think.

Except his feet had a mind of their own.

Before he knew it, he was deep in the maze of the maintenance hallways that ran the length of the Ark, their criss-crossing pattern providing access to every corner of the station. The halls were eerily quiet except for the constant comforting hum of the Ark around him.

Turning down a random hallway, he froze.

Staring at the space before him, his heart began beating loudly in his ears, pounding almost painfully behind his ribcage.

The hallway. The place where it had happened. The place his life had changed forever.

He wasn't sure how he knew that this was the particular hallway. It looked the same as any of the hundred other maintenance halls he had wandered by: the dim overhead lighting illuminated the warm metal walls, the metal grating that covered the floor protecting the piping and vents that ran along underneath it. There was no sign that anything had ever happened here. There were no bodies on the floor, no blood on the walls, no sign that a fight had ever taken place. No sign that he or Alex or the guards had ever even been there.

It was eerie, standing there. It was… not what he expected. And he wasn't sure what he expected.

Why had he come here? What had he been expecting? That this empty space would somehow provide answers?

It's just a hallway, and walls don't speak, he thought bitterly.

"You think you would have learned by now to not wander around on your own," a male voice came from behind him.

He inhaled sharply at the voice, but had no time to turn to face whoever it was behind him, no time to react at all, before something came down over his head and his arms were wrenched painfully behind his back.

The suffocating feeling of material around his head was the last thing he felt before his whole world went black.

Alex

From the safety of her campfire, Alex watched as Bellamy and Clarke distributed the guns they had found, moving through camp strategically. They had clearly discussed ahead of time who they were giving the guns out to. Alex considered approaching them, but found herself rooted to the spot, feeling strangely guilty about having helped Lincoln go free, while at the same time feeling relieved that Lincoln had managed to slip away before the guns had arrived.

Bellamy wouldn't understand any of her reasons. Grounders were their enemies and would be treated as such. There was no time for peace. The thought of him finding out she had helped Lincoln made her want to sink down into her seat and disappear. What would he think of you then? She knew that Bellamy would go back to looking at her the way he used to at the beginning, when they had been two people just trying to survive, not trusting anyone else. The mask that he had started to let down around her would return. She wouldn't be on his side anymore.

She shook her head. It doesn't matter. I made my choice. This is bigger than us.

So instead of going to check on them to find out how their trip went, she watched from a distance as they distributed the guns. She sighed as she watched Bellamy move through camp. She hadn't been sure if he would actually come back, unsure if the consequences looming over him were enough to drive him away.

He's still here. For now.

It didn't surprise her when Bellamy approached Nate and handed him a gun, knowing that the other boy was well versed in how to handle the weapon properly. They talked for a moment before Bellamy gaze scanned the camp, looking for someone. Probably looking for Octavia. But her heart leapt in her chest when his gaze landed on her. Nope, he's looking for you! She thought as she swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks warm as he began making his way over. Ugh, stop acting like a love-struck teen.

She watched him approach, a frown crossing her face as she took in his appearance. She hadn't noticed it at first, but his movements were stiff like his whole body was sore, even though he did his best to hide it. He had the remaining rifles slung over one shoulder, but his other arm was braced around his middle, like he was bracing himself.

As he entered the light cast by the fire, alarm filled her. On top of the look of pure exhaustion, there was a new bruise around his eye and a gash across the bridge of his nose. He had been in a fight.

Were they attached? What the hell happened out there?

Before she could ask, he slung the remaining guns off of his shoulder and sank down onto the ground next to her with a deep sigh.

She watched the side of his face, worry flickering through her when he didn't immediately say something. She couldn't get a read on his mood, his expression strangely closed off, but she couldn't stop herself from reaching out, her fingers lightly touching above the fresh bruising across his eyebrow. "Are you okay? What happened out there?"

His hand reached up and grasped hers, pulling her hand away, but he didn't let go, his fingers lightly tracing her own.

The action caught her off guard; it wasn't something she would ever have expected him to do. The thought that he didn't seem himself worried her. Something is off. Something happened while they were out that spooked him.

Bellamy inhaled deeply before answering. "The depot was a dud," he said flatly, sidestepping her question.

"Not completely a dud if you got some guns," she said slowly, turning her hand around and sliding her fingers through his to grasp his hand tightly. If this was the comfort he needed, then this was what she would offer.

He shrugged, and a small, hollow smirk crossed his lips. "Minus the guns. We'll need them, especially now that the Grounder is free. There's a good chance that he'll come back. With friends."

She winced lightly at the reminder that she had been one of those who had helped said Grounder go free, then hoped he didn't notice. He still hadn't answered the question. "Bellamy…"

"I know," he said, exhaling heavily. "It was… just a rough trip."

Okay then. Doesn't want to talk about it. "It was a good choice to give Nate a gun." She decided to change the topic. He would talk to her if he wanted to. "He's had lots of training through his dad."

His dark eyes turned to her. "Did you?" he asked curiously.

"Did I - what?" she asked, perplexed.

"Use a gun? You were close with Miller and his dad, right?" he elaborated, before his gaze drifted around camp, taking in the other teens. "I want you to have one. I trust you more than I trust the rest of them."

She stared at him, taken off guard by his casual admission. Even though the flames flickered across his features, she could tell he was being serious. "Uh, I - Yeah. I mean, I've never actually fired one. But Lt. Miller and… and Kane taught all three of us about gun safety." She shrugged. "Nate actually fired his gun at the gun range though."

He nodded. "Good, we'll be doing training tomorrow morning."

They fell into a relatively easy silence, both of them staring at the fire in thought.

After a moment, she rocked to the side, nudging his shoulder with her own. When he looked back at her in question, she gave him a somber look. "I wasn't sure you were going to come back," she admitted softly.

He huffed, licking his lips before answering. "I won't deny thinking about it. But… I couldn't. There is too much going on, too much at stake. Octavia's here. And you… you were right, we can't keep running from our demons." His brown eyes found hers and he leaned in. "Besides, I have unfinished business here."

She stared at him, feeling herself redden under his gaze, and was thankful for the orange glow of the fire. "Really," she breathed past her suddenly dry throat, keenly aware of his proximity, and the sudden way her heart beat faster behind her ribs. There was only an inch or two between them. If she just leaned in… "What kind of unfinished business?"

His hand came up and curved around the back of her neck, pulling her closer as he leaned in, his soft lips lightly brushing hers once, then twice. Her eyes never left his, even as she inhaled sharply, her hand reaching up to grip his wrist tightly.

"The good kind," he mumbled, his lip brushing against her lips again.

His words ignited something within her and she allowed her eyes to flutter closed with a soft moan. Leaning into the kiss, she moved her lips against his, caressing and kneading gently. There was no hurry in their movements, no desperation.

This was a different kiss then their last. That kiss had been rough, desperate, their lips echoing the relief they felt at finding each other alive and in one piece. This kiss one was gentle in a way she couldn't explain. It was….

Nice... Very nice.

An electric warmth surged through her as his tongue caressed her bottom lip, and one of her hands dug themselves into his hair in response, trying to pull him closer.

Then Bellamy tensed and his lips left hers entirely. Alex opened her eyes in dazed puzzlement, wondering why he had pulled away, only to find his gaze locked on the side of her head, by her temple.

Where Myles had struck her with the stick.

His hand came to her chin and he slowly turned her head to the side, so that the light of the fire illuminated the injury. His other hand brushed her hair away from the wound. She allowed him to gently check it.

"What happened?" he asked, voice tight.

The reminder of the attack had her pulling back slightly, clearing her throat. For a moment, the kiss had allowed her to forget that it ever happened. Her gaze fell to the side. She didn't want to talk about it, not now. "Nothing."

"Alex…" Sensing her hesitation, Bellamy's hand tightened on her chin, pulling her back towards him until they were face to face, then he ducked down and caught her lips briefly. It was a swift and hard kiss. It wasn't long enough to reciprocate, but there was something in it that she couldn't name. When he pulled away again, he held her gaze firmly. "I can't help you if you don't let me. You don't have to hide things from me. Not… not anymore," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Alex stared at him with wide eyes, gaze roving across his face, looking for… something. There was sincerity in his voice that she hadn't expected and warmth surging through her at what his words could mean. You're not going anywhere. What are you saying? She wanted to demand an answer, but before she had a chance to ask, they were interrupted.

"Oh good, you're here," a familiar voice said, and Alex pulled away from Bellamy to see Nate approaching them, his new rifle slung over his shoulder, looking like it had always been a part of him. Clarke followed a few paces behind him, her gaze flickering between her and Bellamy, an unnamed expression on her face. Nate studied the two of them before a slow smirk crossed his lips. "Am I interrupting something?"

Bellamy let his hand slide away from her face, before leaning back against the log, crossing his arms before him. His expression shuttered, returning to something more passive.

Alex inhaled deeply, feeling disappointed that they had been interrupted, but also feeling relieved that she could put some distance between herself and whatever the conversation had been about to turn into. Either way, she shot Nate a dirty look. Yes, Nate! You are interrupting something and I'm not sure what it is! She knew that Nate knew there was something going on between her and Bellamy, and now that they were back on friendlier terms, he wasn't going to stop teasing her about it. Instead of adding fuel to the fire, she said: "No, Nate." Then scowled when his smirk only deepened in response. Jerk.

"Sure," Nate replied, his tone telling her he didn't believe her at all.

Bellamy sent her a questioning look, looking surprised that Nate had even addressed her at all. She shrugged. Right, he doesn't know about us… he doesn't know about Liam. It didn't seem like the appropriate time to bring it up.

Nate turned to Bellamy, his expression sobering. "Alex needs a gun."

"We were just discussing that. I was planning on giving her one," Bellamy replied, narrowing his gaze up at the other boy, then shooting her a look, like he knew he was about to get the answer he wanted. "Why?"

"It - " she tried to interject, but was cut off.

"Don't say it was nothing, Alex," Nate interrupted her with a glare, then turned to Bellamy. "She was attacked."

Bellamy's expression darkened and a muscle in his jaw twitched. His eyes flickered to the gash on her head. "The Grounder?"

"No…" she hesitated. "Myles."

Bellamy and Clarke looked taken aback by her answer.

"Myles?" Clarke demanded.

"Myles attacked you?" Bellamy said sharply at the same time, looking between her and Nate. Then his eyes narrowed at her and he suddenly leaned forward, reaching, his fingers gently finding her chin and turning her head back towards him again. He exhaled forcefully at the sight. "He did that to you?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but her mouth was suspiciously dry. "It wasn't that bad," she shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with the way everyone was staring at her.

"He had her pinned to the ground, his hands around her throat when I found them," Nate added, his tone clipped. "He lured her out of camp to do it. He was trying to kill her."

Bellamy turned to her, but this time his eyes were on her throat. His hand came up, his fingers light as he tilted her chin up, his eyes tracing what she could only assume was the bruising that was probably becoming more apparent. His eyes met hers with an incredulous look, "Not that bad?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" She grimaced, pulling away slightly, her hand coming up to her throat protectively.

Bellamy's eyes narrowed into a glare and he made a strangled sound of exasperation. "Your standards are way too low," he snapped back, before exhaling forcefully. He looked like he wanted to argue more, but she glared back.

I know I nearly died!

Instead, he sighed and turned towards Clarke. "That means…"

Alex didn't miss the meaningful look they shared. "What?" she frowned.

"Dax followed us out to the depot and attacked Bellamy…" Clarke spoke up.

"What?" she repeated, turning back to Bellamy. That explained why he looked so rough. Dax. The large boy who had been with Nate when he had found her in the forest. Nothing had struck her as off about him.

Clarke continued on as if she hadn't heard her, the frown on her face telling them all she was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. "But he wasn't doing it for himself, he said he was there on Lt. Shumway's orders. It can't be a coincidence that you guys were both attacked at the same time?"

Alex's earlier thoughts about Myles being reluctant to attack her came back. Could it really be that they were both following the orders of… "Shumway?" she frowned, not recognizing the name.

"His one of the Guard," Nate said, looking startled by the information. "He works with my dad."

"Why would he tell Dax to attack you?" Alex asked Bellamy.

He hesitated before answering. "Shumway… he was the one who gave me the gun to shoot Jaha." Bellamy reluctantly admitted.

Alex stared at him, opening her mouth to ask one of the million questions floating around her head but not able to get any of them out. Her mind was racing - what did it all mean? What did her attack have to do with Bellamy's? Why would someone who had given Bellamy a gun to attack Jaha give the order to attack her as well? How were the two things connected?

Liam and Bellamy… are they connected?

"Wait, what does this mean?" Nate asked, looking perplexed, asking the question that was on everyone's mind. "Why attack you both? What does Alex have to do with Bellamy shooting Jaha?"

It's not about me. It's about Liam. The thought shot a spike of panic through her and she forced herself to her feet, suddenly hating the feeling of not being able to move. "Maybe… maybe they're tying up loose ends…" she said.

"You think this is all connected?" Bellamy shook his head in disbelief, following her lead and shoving himself to his feet. "That makes no sense! Your attack happened nearly two years before Shumway even thought of approaching me."

Alex followed his movement as he paced. "But it does make sense… if someone has been playing the long game," she explained, dragging in a deep breath. "Liam was running from the guards, if he overheard something he wasn't supposed to, something that put a target on his back… The attack… the guards…" she said her thoughts out loud, her mind in overdrive. It all lined up, it all made sense. But who was behind it all? Was Shumway responsible this whole time? "If Shumway is a guard, then maybe he has been in on this the whole time. Maybe - maybe the attack on Jaha was supposed to happen earlier. Two years earlier."

"You think someone was plotting against Jaha that far back?" Clarke asked doubtfully.

Bellamy continued to pace, running a hand through his hair. "Then why now?" he demanded.

She shared a look with Nate. "Liam's awake," she breathed out. The words should have been ones of happiness, but this time they filled her with dread. Had Liam waking up really triggered all this? Had he woken up only to be in trouble once again? And this time she wasn't close… Does he even know someone might be out to get him…? The thought that he was completely unaware of the danger made her feel sick.

Bellamy's gaze snapped to hers at her words. He studied her, his gaze sweeping across her face. Did she look as shocked and as worried as she felt? He knew what this meant to her. He knew that it meant more than anything. She couldn't say what he found in her expression, but his features softened. "He's awake…" he began almost gently. "And you think he has something to do with this? That they attacked us because he's awake?"

"I don't know," she said with uncertainty. "I sure as hell hope not…but it's too much of a coincidence to ignore."

"Wait, what? Liam Kane?" Clarke interrupted, her head darting between the three of them, looking completely confused. "What does he have to do with this?" She met Alex's gaze with a frown, her face filled with judgment. "Isn't that the kid you tried to kill?"

Alex swallowed hard, shrinking back. She forgot that even though Liam, Nate and Bellamy might have some understanding of what happened, everyone else still thought she was guilty. She licked her dry lips to respond, but before she could say anything, Bellamy stepped up next to her. Her eyebrows jumped in surprise when his hand landed on her shoulder and gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"It's not that simple," he told Clarke firmly. "Leave it at that."

The surprise on Clarke's face that he had defended her so easily mirrored what Alex was feeling inside. Everything between them had only been between them so far, she was surprised that he had leapt to her defense in front of someone else.

She reached over with her other hand and gripped his hand with her own. Warmth filled her when he gave her a small squeeze in return and didn't pull away. She turned back to Nate, to find him already watching her. "We need to warn him. Liam might not know he's in danger."

Nate lifted a hand, giving her a soft look. "I'll get in touch with him," he said.

Alex nodded in relief, knowing that Nate cared about Liam just as much as she did. It felt good to know they were on the same side again. If there was one thing they agreed on, it was that Liam's safety came first. "Thanks."

"Where's Myles now?" Bellamy asked.

"We tied him up and put him in the drop ship. We - we weren't sure what to do with him," She admitted with a shrug.

"I have some ideas…" Bellamy muttered darkly before turning to Nate. "Miller, you go and try to get through to the Ark. See if you can get a hold of Liam. Clarke -"

"I need to go check on Finn's injury," Clarke cut him off. "I'll leave you guys to figure out what to do with Myles. Just - please don't do anything stupid. No hanging people." She gave them all one last look, then nodded at Bellamy. "And remember, we still need to talk to Jaha. This might be worth mentioning." She gave him a pointed look, then turned and left.

Alex's eyebrows raised as Clarke left, surprised that she would leave them to figure out what to do with Myles, while wondering what she meant about Bellamy talking to Jaha.

Nate turned to leave, then hesitated, his eyes flickering from her to Bellamy. "Keep an eye on her. We don't know if anyone else was asked to be part of your murder party."

Alex gave him an unimpressed look.

Bellamy studied him with narrowed eyes, and something unspoken seemed to go between them, before he nodded.

They both watched Nate make his way across the camp and around the drop ship to where the communications tent was located, neither saying a word.

Finally, Alex sighed. "I love that Nate is coming around, but now I'm going to have to deal with both of you, aren't I?"

Bellamy shrugged. "You're the one always getting into trouble, Evans."

Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she reached out and lightly brushed the now apparent bruise around his eye. "Speak for yourself, Blake." She sobered quickly, the acid-like worry that filled her gut not letting her forget. They weren't out of danger. Liam wasn't out of danger. And the feeling hung over her like an ominous cloud. "What are we going to do?" she asked softly, before biting her lips.

"We -" His fingers tightened around her own. "Are going to have a nice little chat with Myles."

—

Myles started crying the moment he saw her enter the drop ship, but his sobs turned to full blown panic when he caught sight of Bellamy and the gun slung over his shoulder. Even with his arms bound behind his back, he attempted to scramble away, only for Bellamy's boot to catch him in the stomach, flipping him onto his back.

Myles heaved and cried. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Instead of answering him, Bellamy grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket, and hauled him to his feet, slamming him back against the wall, Myles' head snapping back against the metal.

"You're sorry?" Bellamy snapped at him, looking furious. "Somehow I don't believe you."

Alex blinked as Myles whimpered, unable to find any sympathy for the younger boy; the feeling of his hands around her neck was not something she was going to forget any time soon. She approached them while Bellamy kept Myles pinned to the wall.

Myles' gaze fell on her. "Please, Alex. I'm sorry. Don't hurt me!"

Her jaw twitched. "You keep saying that. That you're sorry." She glared at him. "You said it even when you had your hands wrapped around my neck, so sorry if I don't believe you."

Bellamy's fists clenched tighter into the small boy's shirt, his knuckles digging into his neck. Myles' tear-filled eyes found her stoic stare.

"Please! I'll tell you anything you want to know!" He seemed to realize he had something useful to say.

"Oh, we know that much. So, start talking before I decide you are a waste of our time and get rid of you myself," Bellamy snapped at him.

"Please, I didn't have a choice," he begged, staring back at Bellamy with wide eyes before they drifted to the floor. He sank further against the wall, seeming to hunch into himself.

"You always have a choice," she answered tersely, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath and forced herself to soften her tone. "Myles. I want to believe you. I do. If someone forced you to do this, we can't help unless you tell us what's going on."

His tear-filled gaze found hers. "They - they bribed me," he whispered. "Earlier today, I was supposed to talk to my mom." He swallowed hard. "But when the screen came on, it wasn't her. It was a man. A - a guard on the Ark."

"Shumway?" Bellamy asked.

Myles blinked in surprise. "Uh - yeah. I think that's what his name was."

"Then what happened?" Alex prompted gently. "What did he say?"

His eyes were wide when they met hers. "He wanted me to kill you." He took a shuddering breath, searching her face desperately. "I didn't want to do it, I swear. I told him that. You have to believe me."

She met his gaze steadily. "Then why did you do it? What was in it for you if you killed me?"

"He told me… that if I didn't do it, then my parents wouldn't be given a spot on the drop ships. That they would die on the Ark."

Does he mean they would be floated? She tilted her head with a frown. "What do you mean?"

Myles licked his lips. "Yeah. I - I couldn't believe it either. But he said there wasn't enough space on the drop ships for everyone to come down to Earth. That some of them would have to stay up there. He said my parents would be safe if I did what he needed me to."

Not enough space on the drop ships. She stared at him trying to wrap her head around what he was saying.

"That's not possible," Bellamy snapped. "The drop ships are supposed to be able to carry everyone down."

Or that's just the nice lie they tell everyone to keep things calm… Somehow it wouldn't surprise her. The Chancellor would do everything he could to keep the peace on the Ark, even going as far as sending all the delinquents down to Earth, and then killing three hundred more just to give everyone else more oxygen. She wouldn't put it past him to keep the news that there weren't enough spaces on the drop ship for everyone quiet.

But there's nothing we can do about that from here. Nate is contacting Liam. That's all we can do on our end.

"Did he say anything else?" she asked. "Did you know about Dax? Are there any others down here that we need to know about?"

Myles blinked at her. "Dax? What about him?"

"He attacked me, like you attacked Alex." Bellamy offered, then added with a shrug. "He's dead. In case you were wondering."

Bellamy's blunt words had Myles cringing further away from the older boy. "No. He didn't mention anybody else. I swear." His lip quivered. "Please, please don't hurt me. All I wanted to do was keep my family safe, I swear."

Alex studied him for a long moment, long enough to make him squirm. She believed him. "Fine," she finally said. "I believe you. But Myles, you caught me off guard once, and I won't make that mistake again. And if you attack anyone else here, if you threatenanyone else, I'll kill you myself. Understand?"

"Yes," he squeaked.

"Then you're free to go." Pushing herself to her feet, Alex stepped back, giving Bellamy some space to release Myles.

Bellamy hauled him up by the scruff of the shirt once more, bringing Myles nose to nose with him. "You heard her. You do any stupid shit and we'll be having a competition of who puts a bullet in your first. Got it?" he barked, before cutting the rope that bound his wrists. When Myles nodded vigorously in response, Bellamy continued, "then get out of here."

Myles didn't say another word as he sped out the door, his shoulders hunched like he was expecting to be hit from behind.

The two of them were quiet as they stared out after him, contemplating what Myles had said.

"You think he'll try something again?" Bellamy finally said, turning towards her.

She shook her head slowly. "No. I don't think so. I believe him. Besides," she continued softly. "We both would have done the same to protect our families." She didn't want the words to be a barb, but she felt like they needed to be said. "I would have done the same for Liam."

Bellamy opened his mouth to argue, then closed it with a sigh. "Fair. I would be lying if I said otherwise," he admitted.

What Myles had said about the drop ships still bothered her. "Do you think this is about the drop ships? About controlling who comes down to Earth?" she voiced her thoughts out loud, turning to Bellamy and crossing her arms across her chest.

"How could that be?" Bellamy shook his head. "It was always my understanding that there were enough seats for everyone on the Ark."

"But would they have really told us otherwise?" She looked away and ran a hand through her hair. "Nobody would have started questioning it until recently, when the Ark started failing and they sent us down here to see if Earth was livable. And now that it's nearly time…"

"Someone is trying to control who comes down to Earth," Bellamy finished for her. "But how does that involve you and Liam? How does that involve me attacking Jaha? It doesn't add up."

Alex sighed as she thought about the whole situation, shifting on her feet, only to wince as the wound on her side throbbed. She had forgotten that Myles had hit her pretty hard when they had fought. "Shumway, or whoever he's working for, set you up to kill Jaha for their benefit," she started off as she gently prodded her side. It didn't feel like it was bleeding.

Hands touching her own brought her gaze back towards Bellamy.

He nodded his head back towards the crate behind her. "Sit."

She eyed him but did as he asked, perching herself against the crates behind her. She watched as he grabbed clean gauze from their limited medical supplies and came back to kneel at her side. His eyes found hers as he slowly pulled her hands away from her side and tugged up the hem of her shirt. She swallowed, her mouth going dry as his fingers lightly grazed over the skin of her hip, mindful of her wound.

Bellamy's gaze dropped down to her wound as he began undoing her old dressing. "I did it for Octavia," he said, continuing their conversation like nothing had changed.

She licked her lips before responding. "I know," she said softly. "But they knew that you would do anything for her and they used that against you. They just wanted Jaha out of the way and you were just the easiest way for them to do that."

His jaw worked for a second while he thought, then he looked up at her, his hands pausing the motions, one resting on her belly just above the waist of her pants, the other on the skin of her lower back. She couldn't help the shaky breath that escaped her at the feeling of his hands on her. He continued, not seeming to notice the effect he was having on her. "I get what happened to me. I know what I did and why they would send someone after me to tie up those loose ends. I'm a threat. But why you? And why Liam?"

Her gaze fell to the side as she thought, trying to ignore his touch. "I don't know," she admitted, feeling frustrated at the lack of answers. "Maybe the two guards who attacked Liam were in on the plot against Jaha? Maybe there's no connection and he had nothing to do with it at all." She swallowed her frustration. "Only Liam knows the answers to those questions, and he doesn't even remember it." She couldn't help the bitter tone that entered her words.

They had more answers than they had ever had before, yet someone was still just outside their view, watching them from the shadows. The threat was still out there, and none of them knew where to look.

She winced as he pulled the old dressing off. Glancing down, she saw the ugly, raw and ragged skin that traveled a line above her hip bone, only covered by the balm Freya had put on it. She grimaced at the sight.

Bellamy examined the wound and hummed. "Doesn't look infected," he commented before starting to bandage her side up again. He didn't comment on how ugly it looked. "Do you know who the guards were?" he asked after a moment, his eyes finding hers. "The ones who attacked you guys? Maybe there's a connection there."

She swallowed, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. She could feel his heavy stare on the side of her face. "Um, yeah," she said after a moment. "Their names were Steve Bosco and Nadia Pike."

At her answer, Bellamy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Pike? Like Earth Studies, Charles Pike?"

"Yeah, that Pike," she replied shortly, not wanting to talk about them more than she had to. "She was his wife."

The thought that she had killed her respected teacher's wife had always bothered her. She had loved her time in Earth Studies, and had learned so much as Charles Pike's student. She would even say that they had gotten along rather well. She had respected him and his straightforward personality and had enjoyed spending time with him after class learning about things that would keep them alive if they ever went to Earth. He hadn't known that any of his students would need the skills he taught, but he made sure they absorbed as much of the knowledge that he imparted. She was sure that he was the reason they had survived so far. Without Pike, without the lessons he taught them, they would all have been long dead.

Then why did his wife attack Liam? What does she have to do with anything? That's three guards on the Ark that are part of this - are there more of them? What if there are and Liam has no idea? And there's nothing you can do for him from here. The thought of Liam on the Ark surrounded by other people who might try to kill him sent her heart racing in her chest. Squeezing her eyes closed, she tried to get some control of her suddenly ragged breathing.

A warm hand on her arm drew her back to the present.

Bellamy was still kneeling at her side, but his eyes were warm as they focused on her face. He was watching her like he knew she had been stuck inside her own thoughts, that he knew she was spiraling.

"Deep breaths, right?" he said softly, echoing the words he had said to her long ago in the cave when she had been having a panic attack.

She sucked in a deep breath and nodded shakily, reaching over and gripping his hand tightly. She closed her eyes as she breathed, focused on the feeling of his skin under her fingers. She could feel the calluses on his palms and fingers from his life of hard work. She could feel their warmth and their strength and how steady he was. She focused on the feeling.

He grounded her.

When she felt more in control, she opened her eyes again.

"We'll figure this out," he said firmly, drawing her gaze. "Okay?"

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, taking in the sincerity on his face. He wanted to help. He wanted to help her. "Okay."

He nodded, then released her hand, turning her palm up before reaching behind himself.

She watched as he grabbed something from his back pocket and placed it in her hand. Her breath froze in her chest as she recognized the shape and weight in her palm. When Bellamy pulled his hand away, she stared down at the familiar object with dread.

Her knife.

Her hand trembled as she closed her eyes, trying to ward off the images of her hands covered in blood, the feel of the blade sinking into flesh.

Bellamy didn't immediately notice her distress. "I've been meaning to give this back to you but didn't have the chance. I - I should have done it sooner. If you'd had it when Myles attacked you…" he trailed off, looking angry with himself. "I'm sorry."

She opened her eyes to stare at him, taken off guard by his apology. She shook her head. "Bellamy, it wasn't you fault," she reassured him, voice hoarse. "I gave it to you for a reason and I'd do it again in a heartbeat." She held out the knife towards him, shaking her head. "But I don't want it back. I can't have it back." Her voice cracked.

Bellamy frowned, his eyes searched her face before his expression melted into one of understanding. He knew what the blade meant to her. Kneeling before her, he reached out, but instead of taking it from her, he wrapped his fingers around hers, folding them over the knife. "Alex, you don't kill people with it. You've protected yourself with it. You protect your people with it." He gave her a small smile. "From where I stand, you've done good with that blade. Hell, you saved my ass with it."

Even though he tried to reassure her, the image of blood wasn't so quick to fade. I've done good but at what cost? She licked her lips, staring down at their hands and the object they held. Three people died because of it. Because of me. But Bellamy is right. Does it really matter the cost was? Liam. Nate. Bellamy. Even the rest of the delinquents. You've bloodied your hands to keep them safe - to keep your people safe. The cost may be high, but the payoff has been worth it, she thought as she met Bellamy's dark eyes. You know you would do anything to save them.

Meeting Bellamy's dark eyes, she felt her resolve harden and her mind clear. "You're right," she told him softly, offering him a small smile. "Sometimes I forget why the blood is there. How the alternative is so much worst. She took a steadying breath, forcing her mind away from things she couldn't control. "Besides, what would everyone look at if I hadn't saved your ass?" she continued, giving him a smirk and a quick wink.

Bellamy's eyebrows jumped in surprise at her words, before his lips tugged into an exasperated grin as he shook his head.

Watching the way his face lit up, the crease between his brow eased, the way the corner of his eyes crinkled as he smiled warmed her from the inside. Her own smile deepened.

The blood on my hands is worth it.

AN: How was that? I would love to hear your thoughts, so drop me a review below! This chapter found them putting a lot of the puzzle pieces together, but there are a few pieces missing. Were the revelations what you expected? Or did they catch you off guard?

Also, if anyone is interested, a wrote a separate piece for this story. Alex has a steamy dream about Bellamy! It's rated M, so proceed with caution. Check it out on my profile and let me know what you think!

As always, thanks so much for reading. See you next time!