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“I agree with Bellamy,” Clarke said, sitting down on a crate that was laying around. “If we’re gonna move, we have to do it now.”
Abby was shaking her head even before Clarke had finished. “Out of the question. We’re not going to leave this camp, it’s where we’re safest.”
“For now,” Bellamy said. “We don’t know what else is out there, if they’re as bad as the Mountain Men or the Grounders. Or if they’re worse. Just because we destroyed Mount Weather and made allies with the Grounders doesn’t mean we’re safe.”
“We also don’t know how things with the Grounders are going to be now that Mount Weather is gone,” Clarke added. “Lexa said that they’ll remain our allies, but she isn’t the only commander out there. There are other Grounder tribes, other commanders. Who knows what else is waiting for us out there.”
It isn’t that simple, Clarke. We can’t just pack everything up and leave, traveling aimlessly through parts of Earth we’ve never experienced before.”
“We wouldn’t be traveling aimlessly,” Bellamy supplied, crossing his arms over his chest. “Octavia said that Lincoln knows a place with peaceful Grounders, near water. Lincoln knows the way to get there.”
Abby looked skeptical. “And you want to trust the Grounder?”
Bellamy’s dark eyes narrowed. He wasn’t Lincoln’s biggest fan, never had been really, but he had proved himself worthy. At Mount Weather he had broken free of the hold that they had on him, even if he had fallen victim to it in the first place. He helped Bellamy rescue the 47 and destroy Mount Weather. He also cared about Octavia, having proven his love for her on countless occasions. If anything, his trust was the easiest thing to give Lincoln.
“It’s not a question of want. Lincoln has given up practically everything for us. He’s earned my trust. He’s earned your trust.”
Abby shrugged, still looking doubtful. “He didn’t do it for us, Bellamy. He didn’t do it for the Sky People, or the 100. He did it for Octavia.”
Bellamy clenched his jaw. He didn’t like where he thought she was taking the conversation, what she was implying. He felt himself tense up, but couldn’t relax despite trying to calm down his anger. “What are you saying, Abby?”
“You have a biased opinion. He doesn’t care about our safety, he cares about Octavia’s. Everything he’s done has been for her. That’s how he earned your trust. Octavia is your weak point, Bellamy.”
“She’s my sister. Obviously that’s going to be a weak point for me. But he’s done more than protect my sister, Abby. He’s protected our camp, your daughter,” he said, pointing to where Clarke was silently sitting on the crate.
“I don’t think you’re really thinking about everyone in this camp, Bellamy,” Abby said, as if he hadn’t spoken. “I think -”
“You think he’s selfish,” Clarke muttered, her blue eyes trained on Abby.
Abby and Bellamy both turned to look at Clarke, noticing her body was tense and still. Her face looked calculating, but frozen. Then all of a sudden her eyes narrowed and she rose from her seat on the crate, glaring at Abby.
“Are you serious?!” she burst out.
They continued to stare at her in surprise. Her outburst was unexpected, not just for the moment, but in general. Clarke rarely had outbursts, of any kind.
Clarke’s face was scrunched tight and her lips were pulled down at the corners. What drew Bellamy in was the look in her eyes. It was like looking into a blazing blue fire, all passion and no control over the raging heat held inside her. He was so entranced with staring at her eyes that he didn’t she had strided up to both Abby and him. When he finally did notice, Clarke stood next to him, facing Abby, and began speaking.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. Of course he cares most about Octavia, that’s his sister. And that means something to other people, if not to you,” Clarke said, seething. “That doesn’t make him selfish, that makes him human. Bellamy has been trying to help us survive on the ground as best we can, the ground you all decided to send us down to. What we’ve gone through, what we’ve all gone through, it’s not something to look down upon. Without Bellamy we would’ve gone through so much worse. He’s our grounding force, mom. He encourages all these kids, looks out for every single one of them, puts our lives before his own. Did you forget everything he did at Mount Weather? He laid his life on the line for us. And not just with Mount Weather, but every day, for everything. Do you even care? About the 100 or the remaining 47? About Bellamy or Octavia? About me?”
“Clarke, don’t be ridiculous,” Abby said, although her face was still slack with shock. “Of course I care about all of you.”
“Do you?” Clarke asked, tilting her head. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t have sent us all down here to die.”
With that, Clarke grabbed a stunned Bellamy’s arm, dragging him out of the room behind her. She was huffing angrily, storming past everyone in their way, despite the looks they were given. Finally, she let go of him when they stopped in front of their tents, which were side by side. As soon as she let go of him, she was yelling.
“Can you believe her?! The audacity!”
Bellamy stood there silently, still in shock about what had happened. He kept trying to wrap his mind around it as Clarke continued to pace in front of him, throwing her hands up and around, not waiting for an answer. She wouldn’t have gotten one anyway.
“She’s so judgemental sometimes, I can’t stand it. After everything you’ve done for us, everything she’s seen you do, how can she even think to doubt you? To doubt that you’re looking out for us?”
Bellamy opened his mouth, wanting to say something, just unsure of what to say. She continued talking over him anyway.
“Sure, sometimes you’re too impulsive or emotionally driven. But who isn’t? Sometimes I’m like that too. But there’s no one I trust more with the lives of our people, with my life.”
Finally, Clarke stopped pacing and stood in front of him. Her head was turned towards the med bay area, where she knew her mother had immediately gone. Abby always went there to clear her head. Just like Clarke did when they were living at the dropship.
She was scowling, her blue eyes dark with whatever thoughts she was having. Her breathing was harsh, chest rising and falling rapidly. Her hands trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. It had been a long time since Bellamy had seen her this angry.
All of a sudden Clarke turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
Bellamy stared at her for a moment. “Um… what?”
Clarke rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “You haven’t said a word since we were in there. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he answered, shrugging. Unfortunately for him, although he had managed to keep his voice neutral and unwavering, he felt a slow blush make its way up his face, giving him away.
Now Clark raised both eyebrows, but her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Her lips pulled up at the corners on one side, not trying to hide her smirk. “Bellamy Blake, are you blushing?”
Bellamy scoffed, but said nothing, unsure if his voice would come out as strongly as before. He still felt the blush on his face.
Clarke laughed loudly, unable to contain herself. As she laughed, the blush receded from Bellamy’s face, leaving a frown behind. She looked up at him as she finished laughing, her eyes bright as they stared into his. Despite his frown, he was glad that this was the happiest he had seen her since before leaving for Mount Weather. So he finally caved.
“Hearing you say all those things to your mom was weird,” he said gruffly. But then he smirked, “I guess you don’t hate me as much as you think you do, princess.”
Clarke rolled her eyes, pushing his shoulder playfully. “I don’t hate you, Bellamy. Never did. That’s why I said all those things to my mom.”
They both stood there in comfortable silence, looking at each other with soft smiles and warm eyes. Bellamy tried to convey to her through his eyes that he was grateful for the words she had said. By the look in her eyes, he assumed she understood.
After a few minutes in calm silence, but what felt like hours, Clarke shoved Bellamy’s arm with her own. She grinned as she moved away from him and towards her tent.
“Don’t get used to it, asshole. It was a once in a lifetime thing.”
Bellamy grinned back at her. “Wouldn’t dream of it, princess.”