Authors note:
I'm back. Life hit me in the gut. I quit my toxic job and started another okay-ish job, so my mind has been scrambled. But I'm trying to write again, even though I'm no profesh or something like that. It's still fun. And honestly, I never thought I would get this far. Hell, the season is almost over. Let's get back to the story.
"Where should we lay this?" Harper asked, standing by the entrance to the dropship holding a large sack. Clarke only pointed up the shuttle before she rested her attention on a teen boy with a minor wound needing first aid. Clarke took some bandages from a steel box filled with clean cloths repurposed for wound tending and started wrapping them around the arm belonging to the boy sitting, trying not to cry.
"Put it up there so we can distribute the nuts fairly without stealing", Clarke answered, gaining a snort from Harper.
"Real funny, Harper. Now get on with it." Clarke rolled her eyes as Harper chuckled, climbing up the shuttle. Clarke looked at the teenage boy's face, and her eyes softened.
"Don't worry, the body is amazing at healing itself if we can help it along the way." She smiled. The boy looked at his wrapped arm and nodded, relief shining in his eyes.
"Thanks", He muttered and walked out, covering his bandaged arm with his jacket. Clarke sighed and started cleaning up, thinking of her conversation with Raven earlier.
-Flashback-
When Clarke approached Raven from behind, Raven worked up on the hatch to the roof, removing the worst wires on top of the shuttle. The only indication Raven noticed her was a slight turn of her head. Otherwise, she stood to put on the ladder, ignoring Clarke.
"Are you okay? You hardly said a word the whole way back from the Bunker…" Clarke shifted on her foot, unsure. Raven stopped her work and sighed. Some long seconds later, she climbed the ladder and pulled a metal two-headed deer from her pocket. Her face was almost like a look of disdain and hurt as
she looked at Clarke. Clarke looked at the metal deer, recognising it from when Finn made it for her, and she was about to explain.
"Raven, look, it's…" She tried before Raven interrupted her.
"Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me Finn didn't make this for you, " Raven said, knowing the answer. For the first time in Clarke's life, she was speechless. Raven's breath hitched, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Tell me you weren't screwing my boyfriend. As I was risking my ass to come down here."
"I can't tell you that." Clarke began wanting to cry herself. Raven approached and revealed a metal necklace resembling the deer, but this one depicted a raven. Clarke looked down at it in slight disbelief.
"He made one for me, too… Just In case you thought you were special." Raven said, turning around, about to climb up the ladder and continue working. Clarke, frustrated, stepped forward, stopping Raven.
"Do you think I wanted this? I didn't even know you existed…." Clarke said, making Raven turn back towards her, tears threatening to shed. Clarke took a small breath.
"Look, as far as he knew, you were dead, raven. Or you would have soon enough. My mom, too, and everyone we ever knew on the ark. And there was nothing we could do to stop it." Clarke explained bitterly, looking down at her feet for a moment. A look of understanding appeared on the raven's face, but the hurt remained.
"He could've waited more than ten days…" Raven said, her mouth thinning into a sad grimace, a tear rolling down her cheek. She climbed up the ladder and began working. Clarke was about to walk back out. Raven turned her head slightly.
"Do you love him?" She asked, stopping Clarke dead in her tracks. Clarke looked at Raven with a conflicted expression before shrugging.
"I hardly know him…" She answered before walking out.
-End flashback
Dax arrived at the camp with the grounder slouched over his shoulder, barely a sweat on him. Bellamy had sent him ahead in case the grounder woke up. But he didn't forget his order from Shumway to get rid of them both. It would be so easy for him to kill Johnson now that she's hurt; nobody would question it. He needs to drop off this grounder and return to the others.
Dax went behind the shuttle, making sure to avoid both Clarke and Raven. They are too far up his ass. Noticing a group of delinquents standing at the back of the shuttle, he nodded.
"Hey, so Bellamy wanted this grounder tied up in the shuttle. Can you take care of this real hush-hush?" Dax asked. One looked almost bored to death but nodded, not wanting to get at Blake's bad side.
"Right, let's ask Clarke where-"The boy began. Dax stopped them. Internally panicking, his whole plan would go shit if Clarke got word of Johnson and Finn.
"Bellamy asked it to be done quietly. Let's not panic the others with news of a grounder in the camp. Right?" Dax said, faking a slight smile.
"Fine, " he answered, nodding towards the other boys. The group took the grounder and carried him in, making sure not to gather attention.
"I'm going back to help Bellamy and the others; hide him upstairs," Dax ordered, jogging back to the others.
The Octavia's rescue team. (Octavia, Bellamy, Finn, Roma, Valerie, Connor, Myles and Dax)
The forest seemed quiet—too quiet. Bellamy scanned the environment for anything worth noticing. Bellamy had Valerie on his back, and for once, she was silent, taking only faint, deep breaths and barely answering. Strange, but not unwelcome.
"You alive back there, red?" Bellamy asked, only gaining a muffled agreement. Her face dug into his neck, strangely warm.
"You need to hold on; you're dropping," Bellamy said, trying to hoist her. Myles ran up to the pair with a frantic edge to him.
"Have you seen Connor?" He asked, looking around the deep forest. Bellamy looked at the back, cursing.
"He was way at the back when I looked, but now he's gone," he said. Bellamy looked around the group. Almost everyone was there. He had sent Dax first with the grounder to reach the camp and secure him before he woke up, so he was obviously not here. But Finn was there unconscious, along with Octavia, Roma, Him, Valerie and Myles. But Connor was missing. Bellamy sat Valerie down carefully, resting her back against a tree.
"Roma, watch over her", Bellamy ordered, walking back towards where they last saw Connor. Roma only stomped in annoyance but wisely decided not to argue.
"Spread out. He couldn't have gone far," Bellamy ordered. As everyone was about to search, something fell from the trees. Not something, someone with a clearly slit throat.
"Connor!" Myles gasped. Everyone looked up at the trees. Bellamy scanned them, finding nothing.
"They use the trees." Bellamy looked around.
"We should never have crossed the border", Myles exclaimed fearfully.
"Now, can we go back?" Roma asked, beginning to tug at Valerie. Valerie only shook off her hand.
"Need sleep," she said, clearly out of it. Roma rolled her eyes in annoyance. She bent down, looked at Valerie and frowned.
"Get over yourself, where's the cut?" Roma asked, thinking Johnson lied to get Bellamy's attention.
"Heel" Valerie gasped. Roma glanced at her reflection, seeing the sweat and flushed skin.
"The cut isn't even that bad…" Roma began narrowing her eyes at Valerie. Octavia's deep breath interrupted her.
"Shit" Octavia exclaimed. Everyone turned to her and looked at a grounder standing not that far off. A few other grounders appeared, running along the trees towards them.
"We can't run with Valerie and Finn down," Roma yelled.
"And the grounders couldn't pick a better moment," Octavia said sarcastically. But fear encased her face.
"Well then, let's fight," Bellamy yelled loud enough for the whole forest to hear. Everyone drew their weapons as the grounders closed in. With his sword drawn, a grounder ran towards the group. Bellamy drew his blade and threw it at the grounder, falling dead in his tracks. He let out a surprised sigh and collected his blade in a hurry.
"Roma, Octavia, protect them. Myles on me!" Bellamy yelled and ran with Myles towards another grounder. Roma glanced down at Valerie and Finn on the ground before turning her attention to Octavia. Octavia got to her feet and surveyed the area, noting only three other grounders. Two grounders noticed this and immediately steered their course towards them.
"I'll distract them," Octavia said and ran away, drawing both grounders after her. A cough gained Romas's attention. Valerie, clearly delirious, tried to sit up, sweating profusely.
"Fuck my life", She choked out, her head spinning. Valerie saw one or two Romas sitting in front of her.
"You have a twin?" Valerie gasped. Roma rolled her eyes, but concern shone in her eyes, barely noticeable.
"You're a pain in the ass; you'll get through this." Roma began thinking Valerie couldn't possibly fake this. Valerie smirked.
"Glad to be of service." She smirked at Roma, and the pair shared a moment of a budding friendship. Maybe they could grow to be friends, Roma mused. Suddenly, a massive spear shoved its way between Roma's chest. Roma looked down at the spear and down at Valerie.
"Roma?" Valerie asked, her eyes widening. The spear slid off her as a gaping wound bled, and she collapsed next to Valerie, exposing a grounder poised to attack Valerie.
Valeries body felt heavier than ever, and she could barely keep conscious as the grounder knelt beside her. He looked at her leg and Finn beside her before muttering something in his language.
"Yu gonplei ste odon. » He said and drew a small knife and put it against her neck. Valerie could only watch as he was about to slit her throat. Before the grounder could end her life, hands snuck around the grounder's neck and twisted. Snapping the neck. Valerie was now in a state of disbelief.
"What the hell is happening?" Valerie exclaimed, her heart rate rising and skin dampening. Behind the dead grounder, a familiar face welcomed her.
"Alaric?" She asked before passing out.
-Wells Group—In an undisclosed old cabin.
Jasper, Murphy and Wells sat inside the mysterious old cabin with a map on the table. After their contact with the grounders, they had no idea where they were.
"We are lost." Wells frowned. Murphy leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"No shit, they fucking kidnapped us", Murphy answered sarcastically, fiddling with his knife.
"What if more grounders come for us?" Jasper asked, his eyes darting towards the open door. Wells followed his gaze towards the buried mounds.
"I doubt it; they would have already attacked us in that case", Wells reassured Jasper. Murphy snorted.
"And if we can't fucking find our way home, we're grounder meat either way," Murphy said, rolling his eyes. Although a hint of worry rested on his face.
"Anyways, we won't be able to return to the camp before dark, so we have no choice but to stay here and travel in the morning," Wells said, ignoring Murphy and closing the door.
"What about the camp? They need to know the grounders can speak English." Jasper asked. Wells nodded.
«They're not in any hurry." He said. Hoping it to be true.
-The ark—
"This is a mistake, and you know it!" Sydney exclaimed.
"How is it a mistake? Please do tell, Sydney," Jaha asked, standing behind the pressurised doors. Only one button separated Sydney from space, and Jaha liked to remind her every time she exercised her right to be rude. Sydney paced around the room in apparent distress. Even though the ark had prison cells, especially now that the 100 delinquents holding cells were available, Jaha couldn't help but place Sydney in the airlock. In a messed up manner, Jaha enjoyed Sydney squirming; it was the least she deserved for everything.
"My people will never stand for this! You'll regret this!" she said and sat on the floor. Jaha placed his hand right by the button and tapped the wall beside it, redirecting Sydney's attention to him. Her eyes narrowed, but she remained silent.
"Your people? You'll do well to remember who the chancellor of this ark is. If you can provide me with useful intel, we can talk about a release. » Jaha lied, but she didn't need to know that. The door opened from behind, and Kane appeared with a tray of rations. And two guards armed with a rifle each. Jaha nodded to him and left.
"As you know. Get back when I open the door or deal with them," Kane pointed to the guards behind him. They remained silent but pointed their weapons at Sydney in compliance. Sydney scoffed but raised her eyebrows and hands. She got up and placed her back at the pressured door leading to space.
"That's Fine by me. I'm not here to start problems, " she said, her demeanour changing to friendly. Kane only raised his eyebrows but remained silent as he opened the door and placed the tray with food. Sydney held her hands upward but smiled slightly.
"Aren't you tired of being Jahas lapdog?" She asked. Kane narrowed his eyes as he closed the door, locking her in.
"Speak with respect when you're addressing me," Kane snapped. Sydney smirked at the pair, knowing she had struck a weak point. Kane waved his hands to the guards, signalling them to leave the room and wait outside.
"Right, I got confused. Clearly, you're a man of standing. Apologies." Sydney said and lowered her head slightly. Kane only nodded.
"That's fair," Kane replied and crossed his arms. Sydney stepped up the glass door and smiled.
"If you were with me, I'd let you oversee a whole lot more, you know. It's a shame Shumway failed, but you clearly can fill his shoes and even surpass him, " she said, bitterness passing her eyes. Sydney seemed to say something but stopped, triggering Kane's curiosity.
"What is it?" He asked. Sydney's eyes cast downward.
"No, I shouldn't tell you this. It isn't my place." She said, taking a step back and contemplating.
"No, tell me," He urged, not realising Sydney's hidden smirk. She masked her face and showed him what he thought were years of grief, tears shining in her eyes.
"It's just hard keeping this up all these years, Marcus. You didn't deserve any of this." Sydney let a tear roll down her cheek.
"Deserve what? Get to the point." He said impatiently. Sydney hid a smile, knowing this would turn Kane against Jaha once and for all.
"You remember Lucy Johnson, right?" Sydney said, grief apparent in her eyes. Kane smiled. Fond memories roamed his brain.
"How could one not remember that firecracker? I remember that she stormed our council meeting once, demanding trials for misdemeanours." He chuckled. Sydney smiled in return.
"Yes, the one who always stood up for the weak ones. It's a shame she got caught stealing antibiotics for that terminal baby. She mused, and Kane nodded, sorrow reaching his eyes.
"What about her?"
"You know she didn't die that day at her public execution," Sydney said.
"She's alive?!" Kane said, wanting nothing more than to find her again. Sydney shook her head.
"No, she needed to be contained nine months before her execution." She answered. Kane shook his head, not understanding.
"Why the wait?" He spoke. Sydney only looked at him expectantly.
"The child," she said, sitting down and leaning against the wall.
"Child…" Kane drawled. Adding the math in his head. And stared wide at Sydney. Lucy had a child? Kane thought bitterly.
"Yeah, Kenji ordered this to be kept from you. Jaha even wanted Lucy to be floated before the birth. I made sure the child could grow up."
"Why was it kept from me? Who is it, and why don't I know about this?" He repeated himself.
"Because Valerie Johnson is your daughter." She said. The world seemed to stop for Kane. Everything leading up to this moment could never prepare him for those words. His eyes darkened as his last remaining loyalty to Jaha disappeared.
"What do you need?"
OOhhh things are heating up. Turns out our dear val is kanes daughter and neither of them knows. Does Sydney tell the whole truth? I honestly enjoy sydneys moments, shes such a complex character. Alaric makes a appearance and where the hell is dax?! This chapter took me a week to write, i was sooo unsure on how and what i wanted for them. But hope you enjoy!