Persphyni: I am Determined

35

"Can you tell me a story?" I looked across the fire towards Madi and Clarke, expected the younger one to be staring up at Clarke only to find she was looking at me. I smiled and glanced at Clarke who nodded eagerly as she wanted me to tell one too.

I figured we could all use it. It's been a while since I've told a story.

"Okay. What would you like to hear?" Madi paused for a moment. Thinking.

"Can you tell me about your scars?" Clarke inhaled sharply at the request as I froze. Processing.

"Madi," I stopped Clarke before she could scold the girl.

"No. Clarke. It's okay." I stared directly into her eyes and saw her relax. But I still could see her shoulders tensing

"Madi, I know I've told you stories before. But the stories about most of my scars are dark. I don't want you to have nightmares. What I went through is something I will never let anyone else go through." The young girl was silent for a moment.

"When I'm older. Will you tell me?" I smiled and nodded over the flames.

"When you're older. Yes, I'll tell you. But for now, how about a different story? Have I ever told you about the time Clarke forced me to dance even in the midst of a potential invasion?" I grinned as Madi shook her head excitedly while Clarke groaned.

"I was drunk!" I snorted.

"No. You got drunk. You were completely sober when we were talking to Bellamy." I laughed as Clarke hid her face.

"Seda." I was smiling as I looked at Madi. "I've heard you talk about Bellamy a lot. But who was he to you?"

My smile remained as I slowly looked up to the stars and sighed. A single tear welling in my eyes as I looked towards the stars.

I guess I was telling a different story tonight.

"Bellamy was Clarke's and I's co-leader when we first came down to earth."

"On the dropship right!" I chuckled at her eagerness.

"Yes, on the dropship." I confirmed.

"Yeah, Pers over here got drugged and dragged onto the dropship because she fought the guards who were trying to take her." Clarke bragged.

"Technically speaking, yes. But it's slightly more complicated. Anyways, Bellamy had snuck onto the dropship just before we were released from the Ark. He had gotten onto the dropship to save his sister, Octavia."

"And she's the one who had to sleep under the floor. Skairipa." I nodded at Madi's interruption. This was a common thing for her to do. But it was okay. It meant she was paying attention and asking question to confirm what she does or doesn't know.

"Yes. But at this time. She was just Octavia Blake, Bellamy's little sister. And he would do anything for her. She was his responsibility."

_______•*•*•*•_______

"Bellamy at first was a totally douche. I hated him. He was like this annoying bug I couldn't shake. And the feeling was mutual. But slowly, with our lovely mediator Clarke, the two of us managed to get along. Eventually, we got along so well that we even began to finish each other's train of thoughts. Oh yes. It was very scary. I never knew I could trust someone half as much as I began to trust him. Hell, I didn't even know it was trust until I let him nearly blow us up in the Mountain.

But eventually, as time went by, Bellamy and I became close. Very close. And like the classic Enemy to Lovers genre, after we had escaped from Mount Weather I kissed him."

"Eww." I laughed at Madi.

"Yeah. I know. Eww. Boys are soooo gross." I chuckled at my playful statement.

"But you still kissed him." I nodded.

"Yes. I still kissed him. But then I turned my back on my feelings. I turned my back on him. For months I sat back and watched as he tried to be happy again. He got a girlfriend who wasn't going to hurt him all while I sat on the sidelines playing ambassador. I focused myself away from him and towards work to the point that I barely slept and I made sure that I was never near him for too long.

But of course, that wasn't going to happen when we both joined the guard. I swear to this day that my dad knew. Because no matter how many missions I took to Polis, I'd come back and have some form of day long mapping trip with Bellamy. So eventually, I just put a fake face on and pretended like I was okay. Like everything was normal.

And then came Pike followed by Gina's death. Bellamy followed Pike like a dog. Because I wasn't there for him to reassure him that Gina's death wasn't his fault. But Pike was, and he played Bellamy like a fiddle.

We fought. I pretended I was on his side, playing a double agent as I tried to bring Pike alive back to Trikru after they massacred an army. But that ended with several casualties.

But by the end, Bellamy and I balanced out our differences. We slowly returned to being good friends and stayed close up until Alie. Once Alie arrived and we had a common enemy we could fight against, we began to return to the stage of potentially more.

Until eventually, we wound up in a rocket that had to be launched manually in order to escape Praimfaya 2. Then I kissed him goodbye before sending him up into space." I finished the summary up before Madi grew bored.

"Can you summarize? Please." I smiled at Madi as she stared confused towards me. My eyes drifting to the blonde who had a sad smile on her face as she played with the youth's hair.

"Bellamy is my other half. Through everything we've been through, Bellamy still is the only one who completes the puzzle in my life. He's a missing piece. One I hope will come back to me."

"That's sweet." Madi sighed dreamily. Before clearing her throat. "Now can you tell me the story of Clarke making you dance?"

I laughed. I laughed so hard I fell onto the floor. This kid is literally me.

Romance, it's sweet but please no thank you.

"Yes. Of course. Oh goodness." I wiped the tear that slipped from my eyes as I get off the ground and sit back onto my chair.

"Night had set on Unity day, Monty and Jasper had finally created their magical concoction that would eventually cause everyone to go loopy. And loopy they did become."

_______•*•*•*•_______

"When Hercules completed his last task-" I paused at the sound of light snoring. My eyes drifting over to Clarke and Madi both of whom had fallen asleep after the fifth story of the night. Madi wouldn't let me stop talking. Each time I finished a story she asked for another.

"He bid the lovely two fair maidens adieu as he returned then to their beds before leaving them alone to return to his." I softly laughed at my freestyle story ending. My feet standing as I stretched out from being stuck to the chair for over two hours. The fire was still alive but had dwindled down as the night continued.

I moved around the fire and gently slid Madi from Clarke's hold. Being careful to not use my left arm I lifted the young girl onto my hip. Setting her head in my neck as she snuggled into my warmth. I sighed as she stayed asleep. Relieved that the transfer was smooth enough.

I gently tapped Clarke awake. Her eyes opening slightly as she yawned. I gently told her she needs to head to bed and handed her my left hand for her to hold.

Carefully with Clarke holding my left and Madi hanging onto my right side, I maneuvered to their cabin. Gently leading Clarke up the stairs and to her bed before tucking Madi in hers in the other room.

When Madi was tucked in and Clarke's bedside light went out, I slipped from the cabin and extinguished the fire.

"Someday soon. I'm gonna find myself missing you." I hummed and sang a tune of my own making as I trudged through the dark forest up the cliff until I reached my tree where I looked down at the valley below. The dark village and the dark greenery being lit up by the moon's glow.

"And with the moon overhead,
all my worries have fled.
For I know I'll be seeing you-
Someday soon."