Chapter Text
The music was loud.
Too loud, for Lincoln’s taste.
He stood next to a wall, watching as people danced and had fun.
It was the annual Unity Day Masquerade Dance and his cadet unit had been assigned to watch the celebration. Reckless teens usually got in trouble when it came to partying…
Not that he was much older than said teens, but in his heart, Lincoln had always been an old soul.
After both of his parents had died, Lincoln had chosen to stay alone. He didn’t have, or want for that matter, any attachments. He focused on his work as a cadet and future guardsman and lived day to day in his quiet solitude.
Lincoln had always been the quiet and shy type. He liked his simple life. He was comforted by it, even. People tended to just leave him alone, which he preferred, most of the time.
He enjoyed the peace of his own quarters, drawing on his sketchbook, listening to soft music…
Unlike the song that was currently playing at this Masquerade. The song was loud and messy, and the lyrics talked about… a fire?
Lincoln groaned internally. He had no wish to be at this damned Dance. But he was here for duty, not entertainment.
Then, something caught his eye and he saw her.
A girl. Long dark hair caught in a ponytail, with bangs, and a dark blue mask adorning her beautiful face. Her slim frame moved as she danced like there was no tomorrow. She was so full of life, so vibrant. Like a spot of color in a black and white picture. Lincoln couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
He watched as a boy walked up to her and said something. The girl smiled and twirled once more.
Suddenly, the music was cut, the bright lights turned on, and the voice in the speakers informed them: “An x-class solar flare has begun on the starboard side of The Ark. All citizens must report to the nearest shelter zone immediately. This is not a test. This is a solar flare alert.”
Lieutenant Shumway and a small group of guards walked into the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you know the drill,” Shumway announced. “Masks off, I.D. chips out.”
Lincoln watched, concerned, as the girl panicked and ran. She looked lost, looking for a way out, away from the guards.
For a second, Lincoln lost sight of her and his heart stopped. Where had she gone?
Then, he saw her again. With Blake.
Did they know each other?
Blake guided her by the hand.
She looked terrified. And Bellamy looked scared and overwhelmed. Blake took out his shock baton and activated it.
What the hell was he doing?
Then, Shumway found them.
Lincoln couldn’t hear their conversation, but he could tell it wasn’t going well. Whatever was happening was going to end badly.
He slowly got closer, unsure what he could do to help.
Shumway harshly removed the mask that covered the girl’s face and demanded to see her ID.
Before Lincoln knew it, the girl took off running. The guards tried to grab for her, but she managed to escape.
He could tell that Shumway was about to bellow out orders to the other guards to go and find the girl, so Lincoln stepped up and said, “I'll go after her,” before rushing out of the room.
Lincoln knew, or at least hoped, the other guards would remain behind and continue the procedure of checking I.D.’s. They couldn’t afford someone else slipping away.
So he ran after her.
For someone so young, so seemingly weak, the girl sure could run fast.
When Lincoln finally caught up with her, he knew he couldn’t hesitate. As soon as the girl heard the sound of the guard’s boots chasing after her, she sped up, running for her life. Lincoln caught her and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her to face him.
“Hey! It’s okay.”
But she wasn’t listening. The girl was breathing heavily, scared out of her mind.
“No!” she screamed. “Let go!”
“Shhh…” Lincoln attempted to calm her. “It’s okay.”
When she saw that he was alone and that he wasn’t trying to hurt her, she stopped short, shock taking over.
She looked so lost, so scared… Lincoln felt the overwhelming urge to help her. She had stopped struggling against him and he decided to act. Before any of his fellow guardsmen decided to check up on his hunt.
Lincoln took one of the girl’s thin arms, grabbed her by the waist and half-dragged, half-carried her to his quarters.
When they got inside, Octavia looked around. It was twice the size of her small apartment. She supposed it was one of the perks of being a guard…
“You’ll be safe here,” Lincoln promised. “I’m going to go back and tell them I didn’t find you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She looked back at him, but said nothing.
“Promise you’ll stay here?” he asked.
She merely nodded and he left.
Octavia considered her options. Part of her feared that he had gone to call the other guards, to tell them where she was and she would be screwed. The other part of her knew that if she went out there right, she was sure to get caught and then she would definitely be screwed.
Still confused and scared, she decided to trust the word of a stranger.
***
Shumway had believed him when he’d told his little lie.
He’d tried to catch up with the girl but had never found her. She had escaped and was nowhere to be found.
He badly wanted to return to his quarters where she would still, hopefully, be waiting for him. But he couldn’t just abandon his unit, especially after what had just happened. Talk about suspicious.
A couple of hours later, his unit had gotten off duty and had been replaced with the next. And he was finally able to return home.
When he opened the door, the girl jumped up from his bed, terrified.
She looked behind, almost as if expecting to see more guards with him.
Had she thought he’d betrayed her?
Oh, of course she had. She didn’t know him… Why the hell would she trust him?
Lincoln closed the door.
“It’s okay,” he promised. “I told them I couldn’t find you anywhere. They believed me.”
The girl closed her eyes in relief.
“They’re still looking for you though,” he added and the panic returned to her eyes. The guards were still looking for their mystery girl and she would have to sit tight for a few hours at least until they got off her scent. “They will be for the next few hours.”
Hours? she thought in anguish.
“Since we have some time in our hands…” he began. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
The girl looked away and said nothing.
“What’s your name?” he pressed.
She just stared at him.
“It’s okay. You can trust me,” he swore. “I’m not gonna turn you in.”
Octavia eyed him suspiciously. She didn’t trust guards. In fact, with the exception of her brother, she hated them. But she was in trouble, serious trouble, trouble that could get her and her entire family killed, and this man just might be her only way out.
Speaking a low tone, she said, “Octavia.”
“Octavia,” he repeated, as if savoring her name. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Lincoln.”
“What were you doing at the Dance?”
Octavia looked down, ashamed. Stupid, stupid, stupid… She had no business getting out of their home. Now her whole family was in danger.
Lincoln studied the look on her face and it suddenly dawned on him.
“You’re a second child, aren’t you? That’s why you were hiding?”
He’d heard of cases of kids who were the second child in a family - something that was utterly forbidden on the Ark due to population policies - getting caught and floated, but he’d never actually met a second child in person.
She stared at him quietly. He continued, “I guess that explains it.”
Octavia frowned. “Explains what?”
At her confusion, Lincoln added, “I know almost every single person aboard this Ark and yet I’ve never seen you before today.”
She was silent for a moment.
“Why are you helping me?” Octavia whispered.
Why was he helping her? He was only putting himself in jeopardy as well. But he couldn’t explain it or help it. He just… wanted to help her.
Lincoln shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She had been selfish and now her family was going to pay for it.
Suddenly, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
“My family!” she jolted up from her seat in a panic. She was safe but her family didn’t know that. “They probably think I got caught, or worse. I have to find them!”
Lincoln put his hands up, trying to calm her.
“I’ll let them know,” he offered. “Where do they live?”
Octavia opened her mouth to speak, then realized she had no idea…
“I… I don’t know,” she murmured sadly.
“Let’s start simple. Do you know which Station you’re from?”
She nodded emphatically. That she knew!
“Factory. It’s Factory Station,” she explained. “My brother’s a Guard, like you. You can probably find him easily. His name is Bellamy.”
“Blake,” he completed.
She frowned slightly. “You know him?”
“Yeah, I know him,” Lincoln confirmed. That’s why he’d been trying to protect her. This was his little sister. Another mystery solved. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell your family that you’re okay.”
Octavia sighed, relieved.
But something else was bugging him. How the hell did a family of three survive on the meek rations of two? Even with Bellamy on the guard, the food distributed to them wouldn’t be enough…
Before Lincoln knew it, he had found a solution.
“Look, I have plenty of space, and I get extra rations,” he began.
Ah, yes. Another perk of being a Guard… Octavia thought sourly.
They got all sorts of privileges. Better accommodations, better food… That had been part of the reason why her mother had insisted that Bellamy join.
“You can stay here, if you want,” he offered. The Council knew that it was just him living there and that he liked to keep to himself, so he wasn’t much of a risk. “They don’t perform inspections here. It can’t be nice having to hide all the time.”
“I appreciate the offer, Lincoln,” she told him hesitantly. “but I think it’s better if I just go home.”
He nodded and smiled. “As you wish.”
She smiled back. “Thanks anyway.”
Still, she considered it. Her mother wouldn’t have to sacrifice herself anymore for her sake. Her family could finally be free.
“You know, I just realized I haven’t actually thanked you for what you did. I can’t even image what would’ve happened if…” she stopped herself. There was no use in dwelling in what ifs. She looked Lincoln in the eye and told him earnestly, “Thank you.”
He smiled. “You’re very welcome, Octavia.”
***
Their mother paced up and down the small room, while Bellamy had this panicked look on his face.
What had he done?
Shumway had questioned him. Why had he defended the girl? But Bellamy had managed to successfully lie his way through it, saying the girl had seemed scared and he’d just been trying to help.
He was only a cadet and his punishment would be minimal.
The guard that had gone after her – Lincoln – had returned alone, saying he hadn’t found her…
Nobody had come for them yet. Which meant they hadn’t found Octavia. Not yet, anyway. It was only a matter of time.
He should get back out there, Bellamy decided, before it was too late.
“I’m gonna go look for her again,” he announced. His mother just nodded, her eyes filled with tears, as she continued to pace.
He searched the hallways for less than two minutes when Lincoln Hunter, a fellow cadet, approached him.
“Come with me,” he demanded.
Bellamy was taken aback by the man’s audacity. First, he’d gone after his sister, trying to capture her and now he was giving him orders?
“I know where your sister is hiding,” Lincoln explained quietly. “I’ll take you to her.”
***
Bellamy looked around at his surroundings.
Where was he taking him?
Was this some sort of trap?
Still, he had to take the chance. For Octavia.
He expected Lincoln to take him to the Council. Instead, the other man lead him to his quarters.
“What is this? What the hell is going on?”
Lincoln opened the door and nodded inside.
Bellamy stepped in cautiously.
Octavia had been looking down sorrowfully at the blue mask. When she heard the door open, the shot up for the bed.
When she saw him, she all but melted with relief.
“Bell!”
She dropped the mask and ran straight into her brother’s arms.
“Oh, thank God!” he exclaimed, holding his little sister tightly. “We were worried sick. Are you okay?” Bellamy pulled back to look her over. He scowled briefly at Lincoln. “Did he do something to you?”
“No!” Lincoln had been nothing but kind and gentle with her, yet she understood where her brother came from. Their distrust of guards came naturally.. “No, no. I’m okay. Lincoln found me and brought back here.” She frowned again. “Are you okay?”
“I was suspended for being out of line with a superior officer,” he told her. “But otherwise, I’m fine.”
“Suspended?”
“Yeah. I told the Council I didn’t know who you were, that I was just trying to help out someone in need…” he explained grimly. “They didn’t like it, but they believed it.”
Octavia didn’t know what to think. A suspension from the Guard would mean there would be no pay and no extra rations.
“For how long are you suspended?”
“Almost two months,” he told her.
The room was silent or a moment.
“I think…” she began, but hesitated. Octavia’s mind was racing. Her family would be under strong suspicion and even stronger watch from the Council. And now, Bellamy had been suspended from the Guard… a fact that had only reinforced her decision.
She didn’t want to impose herself on Lincoln, but it would be better for her family. And he had offered, right? “I think I’m going to take you up on your offer,” she declared with finality. Then, she frowned and looked at Lincoln uncertainly. “If it still stands.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
“What offer?” Bellamy demanded.
“Lincoln offered to let me stay here,” she told her brother. “The Guard doesn’t perform inspections here, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Not to mention how so much easier it would be for you and Mom.”
Bellamy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Easier? What, being without you?”
“Yes!” she cried out, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
Knowing this was a family moment and one he was not invited to, Lincoln excused himself and left.
“You know it’s true,” Octavia continued.
“If you think I’m gonna leave you alone with a guy,” Bellamy said in a low tone. “you’re out of your damn mind.”
“Think about Mom,” she insisted. “She wouldn’t have to…”
She couldn’t go on. They both knew what their mother did to ensure their survival, selling herself to guard members in exchange for information and few measly extra rations.
“You know,” she finished. Octavia closed her eyes, a tear running down her cheek. “Mom wouldn’t have to do it anymore. She’d be free.”
Desperate to find the bright side of this deal, Octavia continued, “Besides, you guys could still see me all the time. You can visit.”
Bellamy struggled to find the words, to find a way to convince his little sister to come home… but he couldn’t. His most emotional, irrational side wanted to pick her up and drag her back home, but his most logical side knew she was right… even if it tore him up inside.
“You know it’s for the best,” she went on. “And you know Lincoln. He’s a good guy, right?”
He let out a small grunt in assent and nodded. Lincoln Hunter was as good and as honorable as they came. Still, he hated the idea of leaving his sister behind.
All of his life, Bellamy had been taught to protect his sister, that she was his responsibility… Today, he had failed. He didn’t want to fail again. She would be safe here – safer at least – and he would visit whenever he could.
“Mom’s not gonna like it,” he said.
Octavia chuckled grimly. “Yeah, no kidding.”
They stared at each other for a while. There were no words, but the feelings going on between them were loud enough.
Bellamy pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tightly.
“I love you.”
She held on to him just as desperately, trying to hold back tears. “I love you, too, big brother.”
Letting go felt like someone was ripping their hearts out of their chests.
“Go,” she told him half-heartedly. “You better visit soon.”
“You’re damn right I will.”
Before turning to leave, Bellamy looked at Lincoln with his most serious and determined expression. “Keep her safe.”
He hadn’t said the words, but the not so veiled threat was there and Lincoln had heard it loud and clear.
If you do anything to hurt her, I’ll kill you.
The other man nodded. “I will. I promise.”
***
Like her kids had anticipated, Aurora Blake was less than pleased with the current situation. The unexpected had happened. Her children had disobeyed her, Octavia had left their home and the worst had almost happened…
Almost.
Their present status was better than the alternative, she supposed. Still, she wanted her child by her side, where she could watch her, protect her.
It had been a couple of hours since Bellamy had returned with the news that her youngest child was safe and sound in Lincoln’s quarters, a cadet who had saved her and protected her.
Besides her horrid experience with certain members of the Guard, every bone in Aurora’s body told her to distrust him like any other guard, but Bellamy had assured her that he knew his fellow cadet and that he was one of the few good ones.
He’d also told her that Octavia planned to stay with him.
Aurora hated the idea and she had every intention to dissuade her of it.
As she walked toward Lincoln Hunter’s quarters, holding a stack of neatly folded clothes that served as her motive and plausible excuse for being there since everyone knew she was a seamstress, she thought of all the arguments she would present.
She knocked gently three times on the door.
The door opened to reveal a striking young black man. Lincoln was tall, with dark brown skin and well-defined muscles.
“Ms. Blake,” he greeted her and held the door open to let her in.
Aurora was tight-lipped, a grim expression in her face as she entered the room.
When she saw her daughter, the world tilted for a moment and then steadied.
“Oh, thank God!”
Dropping the stack of clothes on a nearby table, she hurried toward her youngest child. They held each other fiercely.
“Mom… Oh, Mom,” Octavia whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shhh, it’s okay,” she soothed. “Everything’s okay.”
Pulling back from the hug, Aurora went to the stack of clothes she’d left behind, retrieved a black hoodie and handed it out to Octavia.
“The guards are expanding their searches to other stations. The path is clear for now. Put this on and hide your face,” she ordered. “Let’s go.”
“Mom, I–”
“I know what you’re going to say,” Aurora cut her off. “Your brother told me and you can forget about it. You’re coming home.”
Aurora pulled Octavia toward the door, but Octavia pulled back and steeled herself.
She straightened her shoulders.
“I’ve made my decision, Mom,” she said, her voice trembling just a bit. “I’m staying here with Lincoln.”
Her mother was in shock. Aurora couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Never, in seventeen years, had her daughter stood up to her or defied her.
Until today.
“It’s what’s best for everyone, you know it is,” Octavia continued. “You guys wouldn’t have to share your rations anymore. Lincoln gets a little extra for being a guard. And you wouldn’t have to… do it anymore.”
She feigned confusion. “What–”
Octavia gave her a sad smile. “Mom, come on.”
Though they all knew of it, her family had never spoken out loud of the sacrifice Aurora did to protect her children – selling her body to high-ranking members of the Guard, in exchange for various favors including the crucial knowledge of when the “random” inspections would take place.
The two women stared at each other for moment, in a stunned silence.
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” Octavia told her mother.
“This was my parents’ home, the home where I grew up in,” Lincoln explained softly, speaking for the first time. His eyes were filled with emotion. “The Council let me keep it.”
Octavia’s mother looked around at the spacious place. It was at least three times the size of their own single-room living unit.
“I have an extra room, just sitting there, empty,” he went on. “Octavia could stay there.”
Aurora thought of all the benefits this change could bring to her daughter. Octavia would have access to more food, she wouldn’t have to hide constantly. Not only would she not have to hide underneath the floor, but she would have her own room.
“I’ll protect her, Ms. Blake,” Lincoln promised earnestly. “You have my word.”
Her eyes began to fill with tears, she was actually considering leaving her daughter behind. Here, with a stranger.
Then, Aurora’s head snapped back to reality.
“Why the hell are you doing this? What exactly are you intentions?”
“Mom!” Octavia exclaimed in shock.
“It’s okay, Octavia,” he told her. Then, he turned his attention to Aurora. “I mean her no harm, Ms. Blake, I swear. I just… saw someone in need and I want to help. I have the means and I promise I want nothing in return. Only to help. She’ll be safe with me.”
Aurora considered for a minute, then nodded. “I believe you. I’m not sure I entirely trust you yet, but I believe you.”
She pulled Octavia into a tight hug.
“I’ll come visit you whenever I can,” she vowed. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too, Mama.”
Aurora half-sobbed, half-laughed. It had been year since her daughter had called her by that name.
Then, she fixed Lincoln with a death stare that echoed Bellamy’s threat.
Hurt her and you’re dead.
Octavia and Aurora said their final goodbyes and Aurora left.
Octavia watched her mother leave with a heavy heart. Even though it was the best for all of them, it hurt to see her family leave, not knowing when they were going to return…
“I’ve never been threatened so many times in a single day,” Lincoln joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Though the threats hadn’t been outwardly spoken, Octavia had noticed them as well. She smiled.
“They mean well,” she said. “They just want to protect me.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He knew the feeling all too well.
***
They set up meeting times with her family through Lincoln. He would talk to Bellamy discreetly whenever possible and arrange the family encounters. Something she was incredibly grateful for. She missed her family every day and every chance she got to see them again, to hug them meant the world to her.
“I’ll be gone for most of the day,” Lincoln informed her, bringing her out of her reverie.
He put on his Guard jacket. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone, but duty called and he couldn’t fail now. Not when so much was at stake…
“I’m used to it. I’ll be fine.”
“Just don’t open the door for anyone and don’t make any noise.”
Octavia gave him a tight smile.
“I know the drill by heart, Lincoln,” she told him, then repeated, “I’ll be fine.”
“Right. Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a smile.
He smiled back.
“Well, there’s plenty of food in there. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
She nodded, as looking forward to being without him as he was to be without her.
Lincoln gave her one last longing glance before turning away and leaving.
Octavia was his secret.
A secret he was very much falling in love with.