Chapter Text

Chapter One:
Meet Me in the Woods

Birds chirped in the canopy above camp as Clarke stared up at the roof of her tent, bleary eyed and exhausted from yet another long, sleepless night of tending to her people. She liked helping them and taking care of their injuries, making sure they were fit enough to defend camp and hunt for food, but it certainly took a toll on her sanity. 

Dragging herself from her cot, she set to work preparing for the morning. She started with fetching some water; they had set up a catcher to retrieve rain water during storms, and it had proved to be quite useful. Clarke preferred to use that water to clean wounds, and saved the water from the creek for drinking, but Bellamy didn’t get the difference and told her to just get over it. She didn’t even bother trying to explain the filter system Monty and Jasper had rigged up: it would just be a waste of time to try.

The camp was full of tents and rugged builds made of scrap and scavenged materials they’d found around the crash site; clothes and belongings were strewn haphazardly between the already miniscule walkways that had formed between the structures and tents, just adding to the jagged, disorderly state of everything. If Clarke had the chance, she would take everything apart and rebuild it in a system, making everything nice and in its proper place.

As it was, Bellamy wouldn’t let her do that. Neither would anyone in camp.

The structures they did have were sufficiently functional, with little room for comfort. Closest comforts they did have were the tents, and the pelt blanket’s they’d thus far used to decorate beds and tent walls, adding warmth and insulation. It would be good come winter, she thought, as a cool breeze blew through camp and made her shiver.

She hadn’t put on her jacket before leaving her tent, and now she regrets it. Before long, she’d have to give up her thin blanket for her patients to add on to what they had already, so she could ensure their warmth in the night. She couldn’t have them catching hypothermia; then Bellamy would never let her be. She’d have to start wearing her jacket to bed. 

Carrying the small bucket of water back to her tent, she saw the man of the hour at the wall, surveying the defenses the group had managed to build in just a few days. They would need to expand soon, and make room for the people from the Ark, but for now, the walls were perfect.

No thanks to Bellamy on that one; Atom and Miller had done the majority of the planning for the wall, and the rest was up to the others on guard rotation, like Monroe, Murphy, and Mbege. Even Dax pitched in here and there on the plan, but he mostly did that through falling through the wall.

She’d had to care for several of his cuts after those falls.

Upon her exit from the water shed, she felt an undercurrent of tension ripple through the air as people glanced her way, acknowledging that her day had begun. Usually, her being awake meant that Bellamy would soon seek her out and they’d have another territorial fight over… Something. Honestly, she was sure he was intentionally wearing her down. Get her tired enough, and he could snatch the tiny rug of influence she did have out from under her, leaving her on bare ground again. 

While she understood the trepidation of most of the delinquents at first, she was the only girl from Alpha Station, after all, most of them at least respected her now. She was tough, and had proved it through and through. She was smart, and had more than once proved that she understood the more complex workings of radios and mechanical engineering. She was resourceful, as proven in their first encounter with the acid fog, where they learned that tents and tarps were just thick enough to prevent the fog from seeping through. Most importantly, though, she had proved that her priorities were based in the safety, the health, and the survival of their people.

Most of the group wouldn’t follow her into a battle, or into diplomatic hearings, whichever came first, but they respected her. Murphy and Bellamy? They’d rather cut her throat themselves before they ever showed her any semblance of respect. Then again, she’d thought that about Dax, and even he’d shown her more kindness since she’d taken care of his wounds from the wall.

Once back in her tent, Clarke walked over to the boy on the spare cot in her tent and fetched a rag, kneeling down and cleaning the area around his wound. His eyes snapped open and he hissed in pain, but didn’t flinch away. This was day 3 of this routine, so they were both getting used to it… What neither of them were getting used to, though, was the color around the wound, and the clear infection just under the skin. She could see his veins darkening already…

He needed medicine, medicine Clarke didn’t have access to at the moment. She’d run out last week, and hadn’t been allowed back out in order to get more. Stupid Bellamy and his stupid need to constantly be in control of everyone…

“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?” The boy croaked and Clarke nodded sadly. 

“Yeah… But don’t worry, you’re going to be fine. It’s going to take a lot more than an infection to kill you.” She said reassuringly, giving him a reassuring smile. 

She was getting those herbs today. Even if Bellamy tried to stop her, she was going to get them.

Roughly an hour later, after completing the rest of her morning routine, Clarke gathered some supplies in a small bag; two little kives, ones for defense and one for digging up the herbs, a canteen of water, two days worth of rations (just in case she got stuck), a tarp to deal with any acid fog, and the sketchbook Finn had given her that she kept track of different medicinal herbs with. She also took some pieces of charcoal from last night’s fire and stashed it as well. Once everything was inside, she stashed the bag itself near the wall, hidden behind a rock about the size of Bellamy’s big fat head.

She was going to slip out during guard rotation, when nobody was looking, on Jasper’s side of the wall. She already tipped him off on the plan, and he knew to look away when she came over. Out of everyone in camp, he and Monty were the two she knew she could trust the most when it came to this stuff. They snuck out regularly after all to work on their moonshine distillery, and she covered for them regularly. If they didn’t pay back the favor once in a while, their cover would be blown instantly. 

Sure, Finn wasn’t likely to tell on her, but going alone was so much easier and faster than waiting for him. She already knew he couldn’t trek the terrain to the herbs as well as she could, it just made sense for him to stay behind. And as for Wells…. He may’ve hated Bellamy just as much as she did, but he’d tell on her instantly. ‘ For her own safety .’ 

Wells was a no-go.

That, and she was still kind of mad at him.

“Hey, princess!” Clarke stopped in place and sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. It was a good thing she’d left her tent early, or she might’ve been late for the rotation. She turned around to face John Murphy, who wore a smug smirk on his face. “I think I twisted my wrist-”

“The one you’re flipping a knife with, or the one currently holding up your pants?” Clarke asked, and he glanced down at himself. He lifted his hand from his waistband and held it out toward her. 

“This one, of course… Could you kiss it better?”

“Mm… Nah, I think I just have to cut it off. Let me get my knife and-”

“Whoa,” Bellamy’s voice boomed just behind Clarke and she gritted her teeth. She should’ve left sooner. Sheshould’veleftsooner! “I don’t think anyone needs to lose a hand.”

She whirled on him, “Then tell your idiots to leave me the fuck alone unless they actually have a serious injury, thank you.” She snapped. 

The disdain in his eyes was barely even enough to focus on her before he looked away, “Murphy, get back to work. And take Dax with you, I’m tired of you two standing around doing nothing.”

Murphy harrumphed, but Clarke heard his bootfalls as he stalked off. Clarke turned to push past Bellamy, preparing to come up with a detour, but he caught her arm and stopped her in her tracks. “Where are you going?”

“Getting water for my patient,” she snapped, jerking her arm free. “You won’t let me get the herbs I need, so I have to come up with a different solution.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“So it’s better to let a kid die?” She asked venomously, and saw something flicker in his eyes.

For all his faults, Bellamy genuinely did care about the people in camp. That was the one, and only , thing they had in common. His refusal to budge was done out of concern for their safety, but she wished he’d be a little less stubborn. Maybe if he’d listen to her more, he’d have to worry about their safety a lot less…

“I’m gonna go now.” She said bitterly and stepped past him. Her eyes scanned camp quickly, searching for an escape or an excuse to get near the wall. Then, as if he was sent by the heavens above, she saw Finn near the wall, near Jasper’s section of the wall in particular. Bellamy disliked Finn more than Wells, so it was unlikely he would come near her when she was with Finn. Before he could stop her, she marched in Finn’s direction and came to a stop near him, flashing him a smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He sighed, staring up at the sky. Clarke followed his gaze for a moment, before looking over at Jasper, who either hadn’t noticed them or was ignoring them. Correction, she realized as he tilted his head slightly to turn his ear toward them. He was pretending not to listen. She’d have to talk to him about eavesdropping later. 

“You okay?” Clarke asked and Finn shrugged.

“Could be better, could be worse.” He lowered his gaze and met her eyes, giving her a lighthearted grin. “You look upset.”

Her smile faltered and she groaned a little, making him laugh. “Bellamy and Murphy.”

“Mm… I see. Sounds like hell.”

“It is hell.” She whined, rubbing at her face. “I want to- They’re pissing me off. Dax, too, even after the bullshit with the wall. Did I tell you about when he pushed me to make me spill the water I was using to clean a kid’s shoulder? UGH!”

Finn reached out and squeezed her forearm reassuringly, “Don’t let them get under your skin too much. They’re trying to chase you off, or piss you off so much that you do something stupid.”

“I know… ” she whined, “But gods above, slapping Murphy would be so worth it .”

He laughed and straightened up, “I don’t doubt it would be satisfying too. I gotta go. Hunting party. See you at dinner.”

“Catch me a rabbit?”

“You got it.” He saluted her, before turning to walk off toward the gate. Clarke glanced around for a long moment, before walking along the outside of the dropship to the little space in the wall where she could slip out undetected. She snatched her bag as she went, sliding out the hatch and closing it behind her. She pulled her pack on and crouched down behind a fallen tree log they’d had yet to scavenge and use. She waited until she saw the torches from Finn’s hunting party disappear in the opposite direction before she made her way towards Mt Weather and the herbs she needed. 

In comparison to the camp, the forest was soothing and relaxing. It was nearing midday, so the sun was high above, peeking through the thick canopy overhead. It smelled earthy, and sweet, with the occasional musk of rain or moss, warning of a storm to come. For now, the sunlight cast intricate designs across the forest floor, which was speckled with fallen leaves, sticks and bushes. 

There were a few berry bushes near the dropship that they’d had to strip down after a kid ate some and started having seizures. He was fine now, thanks to Clarke and Wells’ quick thinking, but they swore to never eat a berry without checking it first ever again. 

The underbrush was a mesmerizing tapestry of emerald green, adorned with an array of wild flowers in shades of white, purple and gold, adding a touch of delicacy to the landscape. Vibrant mosses and lichens clung to tree trunks in every direction, masking the deep brown bark underneath. Every once in a while, Clarke spotted the tracks of a deer or a rabbit across her path, reminding her that she was far from alone out here. 

As she climbed up a small shale shelf and hauled herself onto the next part of the path, she spotted the antlers of a massive buck just ahead. Keeping low to the ground, she crept closer, tilting her head to admire it. It’s muscles were defined, coat a soft brown that contrasted against the greens of the forest. He turned his face toward her, and for a moment, their eyes met in a silent understanding. Neither one was there to hurt the other.

Clarke wasn’t the first one to move, letting the buck turn around to walk back the way it came before she straightened up and looked around. Maybe if she weren’t alone, she would’ve taken the chance to bring home dinner and shove it in Bellamy’s face, but honestly, she kind of preferred just admiring the wildlife, rather than hunting it. 

She continued her trek, soon finding the river she needed to follow to reach the patch of herbs. She looked around while at the treeline, to check that nobody was nearby, Grounder or not, before she stepped out onto the river bank.

The bank itself dipped down, under a small cliff of rock and earth that gave ample shade and protection. It was under that cliff that the herb grew, sunlight refracting off the river water in the evening and shining directly on them in the morning. She’d attempted to mimic the conditions and grow them herself, with the help of Monty and Jasper, but to no avail. The plants wouldn’t take to the soil, and when one did, it died as soon as it sprouted. So, her only option was to visit this patch every few weeks and take just a few plants until she had to return. Thankfully, there was enough that she could cycle through without killing the plant completely.

As Clarke began to carefully dig up the roots of the herbs, the roots were the most important part, she could hear the cacophony of birds around her, their song accompanied by the gentle rush of water just behind her. The rustling of leaves and creaking of branches, joined with the chitter of squirrels and the whisper of wind came together with the rest to form a symphony that put Clarke at peace, and washed away her concerns. Thoughts of Bellamy, Wells, Murphy, all of it was whisked away with the river water.

Once she’d gathered enough to last her a few more weeks, she resettled the dirt, sprinkled a few of the seeds from the plants in, and stood up. She had to be careful not to hit her head as she stood, but she walked away with ease. 

As she neared the end of the cliff overlooking the bank, she fell still, hearing voices somewhere nearby. Cautiously, she peeked around the edge of the cliff, and instantly retracted her head back, pressing her back to the rock. 

Grounders. At least 5 of them, wandering through the treeline with their weapons holstered.

Momentarily, she wondered if she’d be able to book it to the trees and outrun them, but she doubted it. Two of them looked to be about her build, while the other three were bigger, probably slower. The first two would easily catch up with her while the other three would take pot shots at her as she ran. She couldn’t risk it… She especially wouldn’t risk Bellamy getting to say “I told you so”.

She’d rather be dead than give him the satisfaction.

Of course, despite the clear threat and danger the scouting party posed, she couldn’t help but look around the edge of the bank and watch them. They didn’t know she was there, or they would have already killed or captured her. And sure, they had speared Jasper in the chest, but beyond that? They’d shown no signs of aggression.

Bellamy was convinced they only knew how to kill, but Clarke was sure there was more to them than that. They were people just like the rest of them, right? They certainly looked like it. So who was to say that they weren’t letting them be? Whose to say they weren’t just letting them exist in peace?

If they really didn’t want them there, surely they could have wiped them out by now… Maybe they didn’t care that they were there, or maybe they simply saw them as a mild inconvenience, therefore, not worth their time? Clarke hoped that was the case, and she also hoped that they worked out some kind of peace before they became worth their time.

She pulled her head back again and sighed, closing her eyes. The group had stopped after a few moments, and didn’t seem to have any plans to move. Maybe she could go back, head to the other side of the bank and head out that way? She didn’t have all day to wait. Bellamy or Wells would notice her absence soon, and would raise the alarms. 

Just as she was about to do exactly that, she heard one of them shouting something, and glanced back to see them walking back into the woods, heading North. As Clarke had to go West, she was perfectly fine with this.

The trek back to camp was a lot less scenic; with the sun teasing the horizon, she had to rush. She got back just as she heard Finn’s voice on the other side of camp. She slipped in through the hatch and glanced around. Jasper gave her a quick look, but didn’t acknowledge her at all, as per their deal. Once she was sure she was in the clear, she walked around the dropship, her bag hidden at her side as she walked. She made it back to her tent undisturbed and was startled to see Octavia on her cot.

“Whoa.” Clarke jumped, letting out a breath of surprise. “Holy shit…”

“Sorry.” She said, “You okay?”

“Fine…” Clarke shook her head, “Wasn’t expecting anyone else to be in here. What’s up?”

“I twisted my ankle, Bellamy’s a hover-parent.” Clarke snorted softly, setting her bag on the ground and reaching in to find a bandage wrap. She walked over to Octavia and knelt down, wrapping her ankle without a word. “Where were you?”

“Getting stuff.” Clarke shrugged.

“What kind of stuff?” Octavia prodded in a ‘i know what you were doing’ tone. Clarke sent her a look, and Octavia grinned. “I won’t tell my brother, ya know. Your secrets are safe with me.”

Clarke sighed, “I needed the pink roots again.” She said, not having any other name for the herb with a pinkish root and white flower. “They were gone, and Bellamy’s stubborn, so I snuck out.”

“Makes sense…” Octavia shrugged, tugging her shoe on with a wince. “Don’t worry, I wont’ tell him.”

“Won’t tell who?” Clarke’s head whipped toward the door, expecting Bellamy. She was instead relieved to find Finn, holding a rabbit in his hand. She smirked a little at the sight, and sighed, holding up the roots. 

“Bellamy. You know how he is about getting too close to the river.”

“Aww, man, you went without me?” Finn whined, pouting. “I love it over there, it’s so peaceful.”

“You also sprained your ankle climbing the shale cliff last time.” Clarke reminded him, setting the roots back where she stashed them in the small crate she had dedicated to medical supplies. “I was fine, anyway. I saw a Grounder scouting party, but they didn’t know I was there.”

They both fell silent, and she glanced up at them, “What?”

“Are you sure they didn’t see you?” Finn asked.

Clarke nodded, “I was under the bank when I saw them. They never even looked my way, and I was fully hidden.”

Octavia relaxed a little, but Finn was still on edge. She could see it on his face. “Anyway,” Octavia said, “Who's the rabbit for?”

“Clarke.” Finn said, “Though, it’s big enough for two.”

“I’m good,” Octavia wrinkled her nose, but pointed between Clarke and Finn, “You two can go nuts, though.” She winked at Clarke, and Clarke groaned softly, rolling her eyes as the girl disappeared. 

“Okay, seriously, how is she related to Bellamy?” Finn asked, and Clarke barked out a laugh.