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6 Days After Praimfaya 

I blinked my eyes open to fluorescent lights. Taking a deep breath was more painful than I anticipated. My lungs burned. Pounding in my head like my skull was splitting open elicited a groan. Nausea twisted my stomach around. And my skin felt like it was on fire. Holy hell, I was not in good shape. 

But I was alive. I was alive! I was right. Clarke's nightblood synthesized into my system and metabolized the radiation for me. I was a nightblood now. 

I pushed up on the glass tube encasing me in a medical pod. Shakily, I stepped out. A wave of dizziness overcame me, and I fell to the floor, retching. Immediately, Clarke was at my side. 

"Hey, hey, take it easy," she murmured, helping me to my feet and steadying me. When I wasn't in danger of collapsing anymore, Clarke threw her arms around me. "I can't believe you're awake. I was so worried the blood didn't work." 

Tears stung my eyes. I hugged her back, tight. "I'm here."

My throat was scratchy, my voice hoarse. I was a little worse for wear, rough around the edges, but I was okay. Clarke was okay. And I had to believe everyone up in space was okay, because I couldn't bear the thought of losing Bellamy, without really saying goodbye. Gently, I touched my ring. We would meet again. Not for a few years. But we would, and everything would be right with the world. 

I buried my face into Clarke's shoulder, refusing to let go. For the next five years, it would be just her and me against the world. A barren, sustain-less world. 

28 Days After Praimfaya 

It had been nearly a month after the death wave struck the planet. I was still fearful to try going outside. I wanted to wait as long as possible before braving the irradiated air. Sure, I was immune now. But it wasn't any less terrifying. No one else was on the ground. They were above it or below it. 

Food was running low. By my guess we'd have to venture out in the next fifteen days to find something more of sustenance. Becca's lab was good for engineering genetics not cooking food. Everything here was already well past its expiration date. But food was food. 

"Do you think there's anything else you could play other than Green Day?" Clarke called from the lower floor of the lab. 

I turned up the radio in response. "Sorry, that's all there is on here! Besides, it's good!" 

"Hardly!" 

I smiled and rolled my eyes. I tapped my pencil against my teeth, trying to think. Amazing how much I missed writing. After all the insanity I'd been through since the first time I set foot on earth, I hadn't had a chance to embrace my creative nature. Storytelling brought me comfort, distracted me from my worry about everyone in space and in the bunker. It brought back fond memories of Charlotte. I hoped the afterlife was treating her well, that she was with her parents. I hoped my mother watched over her. And me too. 

I pressed my pencil to the paper and let my deep-set emotions take control of the words. I wasn't even registering what I was writing. All I knew was it felt like I'd found a missing part of myself. My smile grew as my pencil flew across the page, and I popped another stale potato chip in my mouth. 

42 Days After Praimfaya

I wrapped a large, ratty scarf around shoulders, ready to embrace the harsh world outside. Stuffing a pack full of the rest of our food and water, I headed up to the top of the lab, and pushed on the door. Rubble blocked the way. Grunting with effort, Clarke and I finally made our way out, into the bright light. My radiation burns were mostly healed now, but the intense heat of the sun beating down on me did nothing for my skin. 

Giving my hand to Clarke, I helped her up onto the top of the rubble. She pulled out a map from her pack and held it out in front of us. I scanned it, trying to keep up a positive attitude. Everything would turn out fine. 

Clarke sighed. "Two hundred and ten miles to Polis. At least we don't have to swim. We got this."

I stared out at the wasteland that was once a vast sea. Now, it was nothing but hot, dry sand. I swallowed nervously. "Yeah. We got this."

Together, we hiked down into the sand, away from the lab, past the lighthouse, all the way to the cairns where we'd called upon Luna's people so long ago. We dropped to our knees and pulled out shovels. I hoped to god that the rover was still functional, or this task would morph from difficult to pretty much impossible. It took hours, and I was drenched in sweat by the time we succeeded, but we did succeed. And thank god it still ran. 

Clarke hopped into the driver's seat so I could take a quick nap. I appreciated it. I knew she was just as tired as I was. Unfortunately, the rest was not satisfying. It was a sort of sleep that left me craving more as a heavier exhaustion weighed down my chest. 

Thunder woke me. I looked out the window of the rover to see that a huge dust storm was closing in on us from the left, raging way too fast for us to outrun it if it came our way. Thankfully, it changed course and we avoided disaster. I rolled up my window just in case. 

After another hour or so, I began to bore of the driving. Engaging in a game of eye spy did not help liven things up. The answer was always, sand, sand, my jacket, or sand. I welcomed the change of scenery when we finally reached Polis, but that relief only lasted a moment. Polis hardly existed anymore. Everything had crumbled. Reduced to a bunch of debris. The structures that still stood were worse for wear, blackened, covered in dust. 

Clarke and I hopped out of the rover and headed for the remains of the tower, where the bunker was located. I heaved myself up through a crevice of jagged stones until I reached the top. I offered Clarke my hand and pulled her up beside me. I gripped tight to her hand as we took in the carnage together. Digging out the bunker was going to be a bitch.

We tried. And tried. And tried. But neither of us had super strength. We couldn't haul away forty tons of concrete. We could barely shift it and inch. Only with our combined strength and a makeshift crowbar could we pull away a huge chunk of rubble to reveal an opening. I climbed inside, picking up the smaller boulders and bringing them back out for Clarke to dispose of. It was daunting work. But I had to make sure that my dad could get out eventually. Maybe they would even open the door for us if they knew we were out here. 

Frustrated, I grabbed a large chunk of rock and pounded on the hatch to the bunker. "I'm here! We're here! Dad!" 

No response. Not that I was really expecting one. Only my stomach grumbling replied. I took a break in the rover to eat my granola bar. One remained. If we didn't find something other than wasteland soon, we'd die of starvation. And that was the absolute last way I wanted to go. 

With my hunger partially satiated, I curled up in the back of the rover to sleep. It was much more refreshing than before. Probably because I was exhausted. My limbs ached more than they ever had. As soon as I closed my eyes, I dropped into dreamless sleep. 

I awoke to whistling wind. Clarke was asleep beside me. For once, she looked peaceful. I decided to give her a much needed break. I could work on my own for a while. 

We'd cleared away most of the smaller rocks, leaving only big chunks to strain my muscles at. I managed to move one hell of a rock, but not without stumbling into another pile of concrete. I stayed on the ground, sighing in frustration. We needed a winch. Something more powerful than just our hands. 

Clarke came back a few minutes later to help. At least she was less bleary-eyed than normal. We worked in silence, until I found a cluster of wooden structures stuck in the ground. I pulled on one, hoping to dislodge several pounds of rocks without much grunt work. Unfortunately, it brought down everything. Dust showered on us as the earth shook. I exchanged a panicked glance with Clarke before running towards the rover. I tripped, and tumbled out of the way as everything collapsed in on top of the bunker door. A mushroom cloud of dust erupted into the sky. 

"No," I breathed. Tears stung at my eyes. "No!" 

I buried my head into my hands, choking back sobs. No way in hell would we be able to dig them out now. The bunker wasn't an option anymore. 

53 Days After Praimfaya 

I pressed the talk button in the radio, leaning my head against the window while Clarke wandered through the wreckage of Arkadia. "Where was I? Oh right, Polis. Up until that moment, I believed we'd live in the bunker with the others, with my dad. I can't bear the thought of leaving him down there, but the truth is we could dig for years and never reach that door. Clarke and I have been by ourselves for two months now. We've had each other, but this is the first time I feel alone. It's like we were never here. Maybe we never should have been. How the hell are we gonna make it five years? I hope you will. I hope Monty's algae isn't too horrible."

My throat tightened as I thought about Monty, all of my friends up in space. I missed them. 

I took a deep breath and continued. "We came to Arkadia looking for food or water, but all we found were ghosts."

Tears rolled down my face, hot and heavy as I picked up Jasper's goggles. He hadn't worn them in a long time. They carried all my happy memories of him, of the kid that never failed to brighten my day. Clarke found Maya's old iPod, and a letter Jasper left for Monty. Looking at it, she burst into tears, which only furthered my own sorrow. We were both pretty broken. 

"Part of me thinks that Jasper had the right idea. What's the point if all there is is pain and suffering?" I murmured. I sniffled and chuckled at myself. "Real cheerful, Y/N. I'm sorry. Ignore me, okay? I haven't had water in almost two days. We need to find some soon or I don't think we're gonna..." 

I trailed off, and put the radio down. I knew Bellamy couldn't hear me. But I talked to him every day. Just in case he could. And it made me feel closer to him, kept the connection alive. 

I cleared my throat. "Anyway, I doubt you can hear me on this piece of crap radio. But in case this is the last time I get to do this, I just wanna say....please don't feel bad about leaving me here. You did what you had to do. I'm proud of you. I love you, Bel." 

I squeezed my eyes shut, and took a deep breath. Finding something to drink was the priority now. I tucked the radio into the back of the rover and hopped into the driver's seat. Clarke hooked up Maya's iPod to give us some music as I sped through the open wasteland. The forests still stood, but they were like graveyards. Tall, brown, broken trees swaying in the wind. 

After driving for several hours, I stopped the rover atop a cliff in the middle of the depressing woods. Darkness fell, and I curled up with Clarke in the back of the rover. Amazing how cold it got at night. 

Rumbling thunder and the pitter-patter of rain woke me in the middle of the night. I smiled. Excitement flooded my veins. Rain! 

"Clarke!" I nudged her awake. 

"Huh?" 

I opened the door of the rover. "It's raining!" 

Immediately, her eyes lit up. Both of us dashed out into the pouring rain. I turned my head to the sky, letting the cool, refreshing water wash away the dirt and grime on my face. I opened my mouth, relishing in the first drink of water I'd had in what felt like forever. I hugged Clarke, overwhelmed with joy. 

While she took in as much water as she could, I rummaged through the rover looking for anything I could use to collect the rain. Finally, a sliver of hope. 

56 Days After Praimfaya 

We'd run out of food completely. I held out with my granola bars as long as I possibly could, but eventually I had to finish it off. So when a huge bug hit our windshield, I had to stop. Clarke hopped out, and peeled it off the window. She split it in half, gooey guts and all, and shared it with me. Hardly enough, but it would give my body some sustenance. Besides, that bug was a good sign. Life existed here. Which meant we would be able to find more to eat. 

And, it wasn't that bad. Crunchy. Gooey. A little unsavory. But I could get used to it. 

Clarke waved me around front of the rover. "Here, look there's more." 

I snorted. "Feast's on." 

I pulled some crispy bugs from the grill of the rover and popped them in my mouth. Already used to it. Hunger really was a strange thing. 

Rumbling pulled me away from my meal. I looked up, hopeful, expecting another thunderstorm to bring more rain. Instead, I saw a huge yellow thundercloud roiling with sand, heading towards us. Both of us rushed back inside the rover to take cover, just in time for the storm to hit us. It shook the rover, tore at the windows. 

Clarke grabbed my arm, panicked. "The solar panels!" 

My eyes widened. "Shit. Stay here, I'll get them!" 

Pulling Jasper's goggles over my eyes and wrapping my head with a scarf, I hopped outside. I stumbled as the wind whipped around me. I pulled one of the solar panels off the side of the rover, but the wind ripped it from my hands before I could put it inside. I tried to make it to the other one, but I could barely take a step. As much as I hated to, I had to give up and take shelter in the rover. 

"I'm sorry," I said, when I clambered back inside, fighting to slam the door shut. I coughed out some sand. "I couldn't save them." 

Clarke shook her head. "It's fine. As long as you're okay." 

I smiled weakly at her and took a sip of water to clear out my throat. "Well, since we got the time, how about a game?" 

She shrugged. "Of what? Road games don't exactly work in the middle of a violent sandstorm." 

I rolled my eyes. "Have a little imagination." 

"You're the imaginative one. Always have been. I was jealous of that, you know. The way you have with words." 

"Like your drawings aren't something to be absolutely proud of. Look at that. We're both amazing, huh?" 

Clarke chuckled, and turned her attention out the window. "Yeah." 

We sat in comfortable silence for the next few minutes as we waited for the storm to pass. When it was gone, I jumped out to inspect the damage. Dread washed over me as I saw that all the solar panels were cracked, covered in sand, dislodged. Destroyed. The rover wouldn't work now. Not unless we could somehow find a way to make new panels. But the Solar Fields were hella far away. 

Clarke and I pulled out out packs filled with the essentials and set off. I glared at the horizon of the barren world, filled with determination. I would not be brought down so easily. Neither of us would. 

"You think you can kill us?" I whispered. "Have at it."

We walked without hardly stopping. Barren trees morphed into golden dunes with no end in sight. Wind blew the hot sand around us, threatening to blind me. We took shifts wearing Jasper's googles, otherwise the scarves would just have to be enough. 

By the fourth full day of walking across the endless desert, I finally couldn't take it anymore. Drenched in sweat, parched, exhausted beyond all belief, I collapsed into the sand. There was no more water in my canteen. No more food in my bag. And in no world would I force Clarke to share hers with me. This was it. Salvation wasn't going to appear. Death was fast approaching. 

Clarke knelt in the sand beside me, coaxing me to keep going. "We'll find something. We just have to keep pushing." 

I shook my head, crying without any tears. "I can't do it. I can't do it, Clarke!" 

Clarke's lip trembled. She pulled off her bag, her protective layers, everything, and collapsed. "I can't either." 

Overwhelmed by the heat of the beating sun, and the lack of water, I slipped into unconsciousness. 

A pinching in my arm awoke me god knows how long later. Groggily, I shook the sleep from my mind and glanced over to see a vulture tugging at my arm. I screamed, and shook it away. It hopped away from me, heading for Clarke instead. 

I smiled in spite of everything. A vulture here meant that something more arable had to be nearby. "Wait, show me where you live." 

I woke up Clarke and pulled my pack back on. Together, we chased after the flying bird. Panting, surging with hope, I raced up a huge dune, only to get to the top and find another endless expanse of sand. 

"No," I breathed. Dismay filled me. The sand beneath my foot dislodged, and I lost my footing. I tumbled back down the hill, taking down Clarke with me. At the bottom, frustration overwhelmed me. I screamed to the arid land. This truly was hopeless. "I'm done! Do you hear me? I've lost everything! I lost my friends! My mother! My father! I've got nothing left!" 

I broke down, sobbing. I barely registered Clarke's arms around me, but I leaned into her, cried into her shirt. I was done. I couldn't walk anymore. I couldn't do this anymore. We were all each other had, and both of us were going to die here in the desert. 

I really had seen Bellamy for the last time. 

I sniffled, and thought about the gun in the holster around my thigh. Right now, I could end it. Clarke would have more of a chance at survival without me to worry about. I pulled away from her, and put my hand on the holster. 

Before I could pull it out, seriously consider killing myself, a bird squawked above me. Clarke and I ran after it. I knew it could just be a mirage, that I could be giving myself false hope. But it was either follow it or die a miserable death in the sand. 

Propelling myself upwards, clawing my way through the sand, I finally reached the top. I almost cried. This time not in desperation, frustration, sorrow. But joy. In the valley below, a garden of Eden. Lush green trees stretched for miles. 

I smiled, and then I turned and shot the vulture that lead us here. Together, we hauled it down into the expanse of greenery, and set up a fire over which we roasted the bird. I licked my lips, relishing in the savory meat. It felt like forever since I'd have something so good. 

I used to think life was about more than just surviving, but I'm not sure anymore. Animals don't feel guilty when they kill. They just do it. They kill, or they get killed. I tell myself that every life I took was for a reason. But the truth is, the other side had reasons too. The Grounders, the Mountain Men, even Alie. Their reasons to want us dead were the same as ours. It was us or them. Kill or be killed. Simple as that. So what now? What becomes of a warrior and the Commander of death when there's no one left to kill? I guess we'll find out. Because our fight is over. The question is, who are we now?

I put my pencil down and tucked my loose papers back into my pack. It wasn't the same as a journal, but I had to put my feelings down on something. And now that we had a place in which we could survive, where we could live, I had the luxury of substantial time to actually address my emotions. And man, did that feel good.

Clarke and I took the liberty to explore the valley. There was a gurgling river of clear fresh water that we happily took a swim in. It was a refreshing change. And I actually had a bit of fun, splashing her. Both of us were smiling. Genuinely. For the first time since Praimfaya. 

After feeling clean, we changed back into our clothes and hiked to the center of the valley where a colorful village still stood. There were houses, wicker chairs, beautiful tapestries woven between the trunks of trees. But it was just the memories of humanity. There was no living person here. All dead from radiation. 

Together, we hauled the dead bodies to the edge of the village and gave them a proper funeral, burned them. I hoped they all found peace in the afterlife. 

58 Days After Praimfaya

"Wait till you see this place. It's like the death wave jumped over the entire valley. Unfortunately, the radiation didn't," I said, speaking into the radio again, sitting at a table while Clarke went to gather berries. "I've lost track of how many bodies we've burned since we've been to the ground. God this would be so much easier if I knew you were alive. If I knew I was gonna see you again. Positive thoughts, Y/N. It's been fifty-eight days. By now, Monty should have the algae farm producing. How bad does it suck? No offense, Monty. And we found berries. A whole field of them! Not very sweet, but beautiful. Clarke's getting some more right now, probably so she can paint so-" 

I stopped abruptly when I movement in my peripherals caught my eye. I turned over my shoulder to see a small dark hair child standing between two of the houses, staring at me. I put down the radio and stood up so fast spots danced in my eyes. I held up my hands to show I was unarmed. 

"Hey, it's okay," I called out to the girl. At the sound of my voice, she took off. I bolted after her. "Wait! It's okay!" 

Clarke would be perfectly fine without me at the encampment for a while. Hopefully it wouldn't worry her too much when she got back to find me gone. But I had to know who this child was, how she survived. I followed her down into a gorge before I lost sight of her. 

"Beja!" I shouted to the wind. "Ai jus gava chit yu op!" 

Please! I just want to talk to you. 

I wandered a little further and saw her again hiding behind some bushes. I offered her a small smile, and kept my hands up. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. Are you alone?" 

The girl studied be for another moment before taking off into the brush again. I groaned, and chased after her. 

"Are there others?" I called out, knowing full well she probably wouldn't respond. Didn't seem like the talkative type. I kept looking around, searching the trees for her. No sign of the kid until she appeared right in front of me, a few yards away. "Yu laik natblida, ya?" 

You're nightblood, right? 

The girl didn't respond, only stared at me like she was waiting for something to happen. I kept reassuring her it was okay, cautiously stepping closer to her. One more, and indescribable pain shot through my leg. I screamed, and looked down to see my calf impaled by a bear trap. Holy fuck. Searing hot pain enveloped the wound, and I could barely register it when the girl tackled me to the ground, knife in hand, screaming at me to die in Trig. She thought I was a Flamekeeper! I guess it made sense why she didn't want to be around me. 

I held up my arm to protect my face as she drove the blade towards me. The pain in my arm barely registered compared to the bear trap. But the fact that her dagger came away coated in black blood seemed to intrigue her. She clambered off of me, and stared inquisitively. 

"Natblida," She said, and then turned and raced into the woods. 

Sweat trickled down my collarbone as I tugged at the trap. Tears rained down my face as I pulled the trap open. Strangely, that made it hurt all the worse. With the pressure gone, the blood flowed faster, staining my pants, soaking my boot. It was a bitch to make it back home. I couldn't so much as touch my toes to the ground without a nauseating wave of pain washing over me. 

I finally made it back, to find Clarke just returning with some berries. I didn't even greet her. I figured my clearly unwell state would alert her that I needed help. I pushed the door open to one of the houses where I'd made myself at home. I shoved everything off the table on one side of the room and jumped on it. Groaning, I tore open my pant leg and took in the deep wounds. My breaths quickened as I realized I'd have to stitch it up. Or Clarke would. Either way it was going to hurt like hell. 

I opened Clarke's bag and pulled out some twine and a hook. Gritting my teeth, I stuck the hook through the top of my wound and began the excruciatingly painful process of sewing myself up. Thankfully, Clarke came in to relieve my shaking hands. I gripped the edge of the table as I screamed through the pain. Sweat drenched my clothes all the way through. I didn't even have time to tell Clarke what happened, because as soon as she finished dressing the wound, I passed out.

When I awoke, it was dark. My back ached from lying on the uncomfortable table. A sheen of sweat covered my face, and I wiped it away with the sleeve of my jacket. Beside me, a bowl brimming with berries was set out. I smiled. Just like Clarke. Always taking care of me. That smile faltered when dull pain in my leg caught my attention. In the dim light, I looked down at the wound to see that it was swollen, and the skin read and warm to the touch. Super not good. I had to fix it up, reduce the infection as soon as possible. 

Shaking the sleep from my mind, I reached for the end of the table where I'd left the backpack, only to find it gone. At first I thought maybe Clarke had taken it with her into her own hut, but then I turned over my shoulder and saw the girl staring at me from outside my window. Instinctively, I went for my gun, but it was gone. That certainly wasn't Clarke's fault. She had her own. 

"No, no, no," I whispered, panic rising in my chest. I was completely defenseless and this deranged child that led me into a bear trap had my gun. As far as I was aware, she had no idea of Clarke's existence and I wasn't about to alert her to it. I slid off the table and grabbed the first thing I could find - a wrench. I gripped it tight for the rest of the night. I touched my ring, and suddenly felt much safer. It was like Bellamy was with me, telling me everything would be alright. 

59 Days After Praimfaya 

The sun shone bright the next day. I sat outside in the common area, eyes closed, letting the warm rays tickle my skin. I smiled, and popped a berry in my mouth. Still not very sweet, but strangely I liked the bitterness about it. But I could go for something a little more. Like fish. Or another vulture. 

"Hey," I said to Clarke, as she popped out of her hut. "Morning! I'm gonna head down to the river. Take a swim. Write a little. Try to keep my spirits up." 

She smiled and yawned. "Need me to come with you?" 

I shrugged. "Only if you want to. I think I can manage on my own." 

Clarke considered me for a while, clearly debating whether or not it was a risk for me to go alone. Finally, she nodded. "I'll be here if you need anything. I might join you later, after I make some paint. Just, try not to run into anymore bear traps, yeah?" 

I chuckled. "Yeah, as long as you keep a lookout for our little neighbor." 

Clarke smiled, and grabbed a handful of berries. "I will." 

She handed me a walking stick she must have crafted while I was passed out. I grimaced as I stood, but immediately hid my pain. I didn't want Clarke to worry too much about me. 

It was a long walk to the river with only one functional leg. Half the time, I stumbled or tripped and probably worsened my condition. But I got back up every time. Being in the water would be worth it. Being alone, talking to Bellamy without Clarke's silent pity would be good. Granted, I didn't bring the radio, but talking to the air was better than keeping it in. 

When I reached the shore of the river, I stopped in my tracks. The girl was there, ankle deep, spear in hand. I leaned against a large white rock and watched her work. She stared at the water, barely moving, until her weapon flicked in and out of the water like wooden lightening. Impaled on the end was a fish. I'll admit, I was impressed. 

"Ai tech aiyu pasae daun?" I asked. Can you teach me that? One look at me, and the girl took off. "Hodop!" Wait! "Kopof aikai lieron! Beja!" Give me back my things! 

She kept running. It wasn't like I could follow her. I sighed, and limped over to a rock close enough to the ground that I could sit on it and put my feet in the water. Grunting in pain, I pulled my boot off and rolled up my pants. The wound was not a pleasant sight. 

I huffed. "Last three people on earth, one of them happens to be a child from hell." 

I stuck my foot in the cool water, wincing as it lapped against my wound. After a while, it morphed to relief. I sighed, and rested my head against the rock. Despite the mishap with the child and the beartrap, I was actually, legitimately safe. For the first time in a long time. I just wished Bellamy was here to feel that too. 

After a while, I pulled some paper from my pack, and idly began to draw. I was never the best at it, but that didn't make it any less fun. When my mind wandered back to my pencil, I realized that I was drawing the girl. It wasn't great. I figured it would be a better tribute to her if I used my skills in words instead. So around the mess of my sketch, I began to tell a slightly embellished story of a wild little girl running around the woods, protecting her home against scary new strangers. I didn't quite know how to end it. I tapped my pencil against my teeth, thinking. 

I felt her watching me. Discreetly, I glanced over my shoulder in time to see her duck behind a tree. I smiled softly. I knew the ending of my little story now. 

Oso kik soulou, ba ogeda raun. Yu ste briek au nau, strik natblida. Klir. 

We live alone, but together as one. You're free now, little nightblood. Safe. 

I finished the story, and set aside the paper, putting a rock over it to keep it from flying away. Acting as if I had no idea the girl was watching me, I pulled on my boot, and limped away, with a smile on my face. 

6 years later

From the top of a boulder, I scanned the clear, bubbling river. A flicker of silver beneath the surface caught my eye. I followed it carefully, raised my spear, and launched it with practiced skill. It impaled my third fish of the day. Took a little longer than the other two, but I caught it so that was all that mattered. Stringing it on some twine along with my other catches of the day, I headed back to the huts. 

At the same time I returned, Madi returned in the rover. I glanced around, searching for Clarke, and spotted her carrying a large basket of strawberries and pears against her hip. Funny how I never had them my entire life until after the apocalypse. Thank god we did though, because they were incredibly tasty. Especially the way Clarke prepared them. Magic with drawing and with cooking. 

"Hey," I said to Madi, smiling at her. "Wash up! Time for supper." 

Madi ran after me as I headed for the fire pit to skin and roast the fish. She had a handful of colorful berries in her hand. "Look! The berries are ripe." 

I nodded. "That's nice. Here, look what I caught." 

Madi frowned. "Y/N, you promised. Last season there weren't enough, but this year they're everywhere. Please? I'll cook for a week. And clean up."

I smiled, unable to resist her puppy dog eyes. "Two weeks." 

Madi beamed, and my heart soared. I wished I could see her smile like that everyday. I'd do anything. "Deal! Come on, I'll drive." 

I dropped my freshly caught fish in a bucket of clean water and turned to Clarke as Madi ran for the rover. "Wanna come with?" 

Clarke wrapped her arm around my back and gave me a loving squeeze. "You did such a good job with her." 

"Please, it wasn't all me. All of us are a family, Clarke. You know that," I said, hugging her back. 

"But you're the one with the deeper connection to her. I admire that about you, the way you're so in tune with everything. You're more of a mother to her than I ever could be. I'm proud of you." Clarke smiled at me. I used to think it was envious, but I know she loves Madi as much as I do. Neither of us would make her choose, or do anything to compromise her happiness. In that way, we were both her mother. 

I laughed. "You've gotten so sappy these last few years. I almost don't recognize you. So, you coming or not?" 

Clarke nodded. "Count me in." 

All three of us headed to the edges of our home to gather up a basket of colorful berries. I helped Madi pick out which ones would be the best, threw a few at Clarke, started a very messy war, and by the time we got back, it was dark. 

Clarke prepared roasted fish and pears while Madi and I chopped some firewood and set it up in the fire pit. After munching on dinner, exchanging a few jokes and stories, I mashed up the berries. Clarke and I dyed each other's hair before I used the rest to run through Madi's braids.  

"How could you not think she would win?" Madi exclaimed in Trig. 

I thickened the berry solution, rubbed it between my fingers. "English, Madi. Practice." 

Madi obliged. "I'm just saying, Skairipa's a beast! Of course she'd win the conclave."

I smiled, but felt something fall inside of me. I thought about my other family every day. Feared that I'd never see them again. The time period had passed for them to come to the ground. I hoped everything was alright. 

Madi put a hand on my arm. "Don't worry. She'll get them out of that bunker. I know she will." 

I tried to keep my smile up, but it faltered. I looked to Clarke for help, but she seemed to be even more depressed than I was. I knew she missed her mom a lot. 

"I'm sorry they left without you," Madi murmured to us. 

I swallowed over the lump forming in my throat. "Well, I'm not. Because if we were with them, we never would have met you." 

Madi smiled, and lay her head down on my lap. Clarke scooted closer to me, and rested her head on my shoulder. I loved our nights around the fire, when I could hold them close, lose myself in the flames. I turned my head to the starry sky, searching it for any sign of a rocket. Just like every other night, there was nothing. 

"What about them?" I whispered, fighting back tears. "Do you think they'll come back too?" 

Madi didn't respond. I glanced down to see she was already half asleep. I brushed some strands of hair away from her face and leaned into Clarke. 

"They'll be okay," Clarke assured me. "Bellamy will come back soon."

I sniffled. "I hope so."

6 years, 7 days after Praimfaya 

The ship that came down from the sky was not ours. A prison unit? I'd never even heard of something like that. They hadn't existed for several decades. This did not bode well for our happy little home. But I'd be damned if I let this scare me. Nothing was going to happen to Madi, not so long as there was breath in my body. 

"Madi, load the rover. Get it out of sight, and load the guns!" I ordered. 

"All of them?" Madi asked.

I nodded. "All of them. Clarke, keep her safe." 

"You stay out of trouble," she warned. 

I flashed her a nervous smirk. "I always do." 

Dread seeped into my bones as I stared at the transport ship. Whoever these people were, I wasn't going to let them in here without a fight. This was my home, our home. And I wasn't going to let anyone hurt my family. No matter what the cost. 

I jumped into the rover, Madi between Clarke and I. Speeding through the woods, a plethora of terrifying scenarios raced across my mind, each worse than the last. I tried to keep my breathing under control by training my gaze straight ahead. 

Madi glanced between us. "Who are they? Why are you so scared?" 

I shook my head. "I will not let anything happen to you. Do you understand?" 

"Well, maybe they're friendly," Madi offered. Ah that childish optimism. I'd had that until I actually had a child to love, to care for. 

I pursed my lips. "Maybe. Look, until I can figure this out, I want you to hide in your secret spot. Clarke, you too. I'm going to handle this on my own. Nothing is going to happen to either of you." 

Both of them protested. Clarke on my behalf, though I knew she agreed about keeping Madi out of danger. 

"This is not up for discussion!" I snapped. "The Flamekeeper scouts never found you there. Neither will they." 

I stopped at the edge of our village and turned to them. "Promise me you'll stay in the hole. I need you to be safe." 

Grim resignation crossed Madi's face. "What about you?" 

"I'll be back as soon as I can," I promised, offering her a small smile. "Now promise me."

Madi nodded. "I promise."

I handed Clarke my gun. "Keep her safe. If you shoot, they'll hear you." 

Clarke nodded. "We'll make sure it's the only choice."

"Go," I whispered. 

Both of them jumped out of the rover. Clarke followed Madi to their secret spot, giving me one last pleading look. I knew she didn't want me to die. But if that's what it came to in order to protect them, I would. I stared at them until they were out of sight, and then backed up the rover. 

I drove all the way back to where the ship came down. I watched them through the scope of my rifle, assessing what I was up against. There were a lot of them. All pretty burly, clearly bad news, led by a woman with cold eyes. And guns. Too many guns. Huge things, that I hadn't ever seen the likes of before. I figured it might have to come to me taking them out before they could use those alien weapons on us. 

I headed back to the cave I'd parked the rover in, and counted out all the bullets I had. If I was careful, I could maybe take out all of them. Stain my hands with blood, but do it to protect those I love. I loaded my rifle, and tucked my seven year old familiar knife into my boot just in case. 

In the distance, a gunshot reverberated throughout the land. Panic spread through me. Madi! Clarke! 

Gripping tight to my rifle, I sprinted through the woods back to the village. As soon as they were in sight, I stopped, aimed, and took a shot. One man went down. Madi's terrified eyes searched the woods. But I couldn't find Clarke. I took a moment to search for her, and found her aiming a gun at the other stranger. Silently, I shook my head. We'd already drawn enough attention. I could take this guy down. Clarke just needed to get to safety. I'd send Madi after her. 

Reluctantly, she got my message and disappeared. I raced out of the woods and attacked the other man standing over Madi. I hit him in the groin with the butt of my rifle, and kicked him to the ground while he was disoriented. I leaped on top of him, pinned his arms down and pressed my rifle against his throat, unrelenting. 

The man I'd shot got back to his feet, wrapping a cord around my neck. I spluttered and gagged, fighting to throw him off of me as my lung burned for relief. 

"Y/N!" Madi cried.

A gunshot rang out, and the man choking me slumped to the ground, lifeless. Madi stood there, shock in her eyes, and smoking gun in her hands. 

Gently I took it from her, and stroked her hair. "Hey, it's okay." 

I aimed the gun at the man who I'd been suffocating before I was attacked, ready to pull the trigger. 

"Wait!" Madi protested. "He tried to help me. I think he might be a good guy." 

My grip tightened on the gun. "There are no good guys." 

I fired a head shot, despite telling Clarke not to. Whatever it took to keep Madi safe. 

Whatever the hell it took.