SOLIDER; the 100 (1)

1.11

As Vivienne made her way back through the camp, a shrill scream pierced the air and all heads turned. In an instant, the joy Vivienne felt was replaced by dread, her stomach plummeting as she recognised the familiar sound. Without hesitation, she bolted toward the source, her urgency drawing the attention of everyone around her as she raced past.

"Charlotte!" Vivienne's voice cut through the tense air as she approached the tree she'd been resting at earlier. "Charlotte," she repeated, a mixture of relief and worry in her tone as she sank to her knees beside the trembling girl, enfolding her in a tight embrace.

Charlotte had flinched awake, a sharp cry escaping her lips as she woke from another tormenting nightmare. To make matters worse, Vivienne had been nowhere in sight, leaving the young girl alone for the first time in four years.

"It's okay," Vivienne whispered softly, her arms encircling Charlotte, rocking her gently to quell the tremors coursing through her body.

"Where were you?" Charlotte's voice quivered, tears tracing paths down her cheeks. "You weren't here." There was a hint of betrayal in her tone, a flicker of doubt clouding her trust in Vivienne.

"I'm sorry," Vivienne murmured, her voice tinged with remorse as she held Charlotte close. The weight of guilt hung heavy in her chest and her shoulders were weighed down with responsibility. "I'm so sorry," she repeated, hoping her sincerity would somehow alleviate the pain she sensed in Charlotte's trembling form.

"I've got you," Vivienne assured Charlotte, softly lifting her chin so their eyes locked. "I promise, Char, I'll always keep you safe." The weight of guilt bore down on Vivienne, tears gathering in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks, mingling with Charlotte's hair as she held her close.

•••

LAST night dragged on for Vivienne, denying her any sleep even after Charlotte had finally drifted off in her arms. Now, weary and burdened with guilt, she sat perched on a tree stump, her posture far from graceful, observing Bellamy and Murphy as they took turns practicing their knife throwing.

With a frustrated toss, Murphy's makeshift blade missed its mark once again, drawing a groan of annoyance from him. "It's that damn kid, alright. He's messing with my head," he grumbled to the older Blake, gesturing towards the dropship where Jasper's pained groans echoed loud enough for the entire camp and every living thing around it to hear.

"He's not gonna last much longer," Bellamy remarked, drawing Vivienne's attention. "Better think of a new excuse." With a flick of his wrist, the older boy tossed his axe at the same tree, the sharp point penetrating the bark effortlessly. "That's how it's done," he boasted, a prideful smirk on his lips, his confidence radiating.

As Vivienne rolled her eyes at Bellamy's cocky expression, Atom and Connor returned from their search in the surrounding woodlands for two other delinquents, Trina and Pascal. "We searched a half mile, all directions. No sign of Trina or Pascal," Atom informed the group, his tone carrying a note of disappointment, as he stood opposite Bellamy.

"You visit your special tree when you were out there?" Murphy teased as he passed Atom, a mischievous glint in his eyes, as he retrieved his knife from the floor. Vivienne furrowed her brows, her curiosity piqued about what had happened the previous night while she was comforting Charlotte.

"Atom took his punishment. Let it go," Bellamy said firmly, his deep voice carrying authority over Murphy's taunting.

"It could be Grounders," Atom suggested, his words sending a shiver down Vivienne's spine at the mere thought

"Yeah, or they could be in Pound Town," Murphy quipped, his voice laced with sarcasm as he casually returned to stand beside Bellamy, a wry grin playing on his lips. "Lot of that going around recently."

Bellamy shot a warning glance at the insolent boy, urging him to hold his tongue, while Atom remained unfazed, his attention fixed on the younger Blake girl standing behind Murphy. Following Atom's gaze, Bellamy cocked an eyebrow in a silent warning, ensuring that whatever transpired the previous night was adequate punishment.

"Look, Bellamy," Atom redirected his attention from Octavia to her brother, his tone earnest. "People are scared, and that dying kid, he's not helping the morale around here."

Feeling her stomach churn at Atom's words, Vivienne scoffed lightly. "That 'dying kid' is one of our own," she muttered, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and empathy. Her words were just loud enough for the group of boys to hear though none of them responded, merely passing her brief glances.

Murphy's gaze lingered on her, noting the slump of her shoulders and the dark circles forming under her eyes. An unfamiliar pang of concern washed over him, a sensation so foreign that it left him questioning himself internally.

"Morale will go up when I find them food," Bellamy asserted, redirecting his narrowed gaze from the over-tired Vivienne back to Atom, who stood in front of him.

"What do we say about Trina and Pascal?" Connor asked him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"For now, nothing. It's possible they're just lost. We'll keep an eye out for them when we go hunting later."

Murphy's head lifted at Bellamy's words. "Let's go kill something," he said, his tone brimming with eagerness to leave the camp and release his pent-up frustrations—not just about Jasper, but also the unfamiliar emotions that seemed to stir every time he was around Vivienne.

Placing his large hand on Murphy's chest, Bellamy halted him in his tracks. "You're not going," he stated firmly, leaving no room for debate. "I need you to stay. If Grounders are circling, I can't leave this place unprotected."

"Fine." Murphy folded his lips, less than pleased, and nodded. "But somebody better tell Goggle Boy to keep it shut."

"Kane," Bellamy then addressed, making Vivienne rise to her feet, standing as tall as she could beside the two boys. "You awake?" The eldest boy asked, his gaze scanning her figure up and down with furrowed brows.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Vivienne replied confidently.

"Good. You two are in charge," Bellamy instructed. With that, Vivienne and Murphy exchanged nods one final time before Bellamy departed to gather his hunting party and set out for the day.

Once the camp leader had left their sights, Murphy shifted his body to fully face the blonde girl beside him, concern still lingering in his usually cold demeanor. "Did you get any sleep last night?" he queried, attempting to maintain a nonchalant tone despite the nervous pounding against his chest.

Slowly, Vivienne shook her head as her swollen eyes met Murphy's stoic ones. "No. I was up all night with Charlotte." She confessed, a weariness in her tone.

"Why?" His question was gentle, laced with a genuine curiosity, reflecting the unexpected concern he felt for her.

Vivienne sighed softly, her shoulders slumping under the weight of exhaustion and guilt. "She had a nightmare, and I wasn't there when she woke up. After that, I just couldn't sleep." Her gaze shifted downwards, finding the worn leather of her boots far more interesting than the coldness of Murphy's stare. Despite this, though, Murphy couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for the girl sitting across from him, though a part of him couldn't fathom why she would sacrifice her own rest for someone else.

"You should try and get some rest." A light smile graced Murphy's lips, his voice surprisingly soft. "I've got things covered here for a while." His shoulder lightly bumped against hers, a subtle gesture of reassurance.

Vivienne gave an exhausted smile back. "Thanks," she replied, the weariness evident in her voice despite her attempt to sound grateful. She appreciated his concern, even if she couldn't fully accept it at the moment with her guilt still hanging heavy on her shoulders. "I'll be in the drop ship if you need me."

Finally, Vivienne turned away and made her way towards the ship,her steps heavy with exhaustion and her body begging for even just a short amount of rest.

As he watched her leave, Murphy silently scolded himself for the empathy and curiosity that the girl seemed to awaken within him.

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