Fallout [The 100]

16

Three Months Later

I was standing in the dormitory. I was gripping my gun so tightly my hands were aching. Everything was moving in slow motion. The only sound I could hear was my own heavy breathing.

Then the door burst open. Everything suddenly sped up, everything except for me. As I raised my gun, my arm felt as if I was moving through cement. I watched as one of the guards pointed their weapon past me. I turned my head to see Shauna, just as a bullet hit her in the chest.

I gasped and sat up. I wasn't in Mount Weather anymore. I was in my bed. I was in Arkadia. I was safe. Bellamy pushed himself up on his elbows. "Nightmare?" He asked. I nodded. "Been a while since you had one of those."

"Every time I have to save someone," I mumbled. "And every time, I screw up."

"They're not real," he reminded me. "You need Abby to get you something to help you sleep?"

I shook my head. "That only makes them worse. And then I can't wake up."

He lay back down and extended his arm. I lay back down facing him, resting my head on his chest. I drew patterns on his shoulder with my finger. We were just quiet for a moment.

"Three months and I'm still not used to this."

I smiled. "Me either. This bed is way more comfortable than our bed on the Ark."

"You know that's not what I meant." He poked at me and I squirmed.

"I know, I know. No more almost dying, or at least no getting separated and almost dying. I'm not so sure the almost dying part can be helped. I'm going to go grey before I'm twenty at this rate."

"We're in this together. You're not going to lose me this time."

"I love you. But if you don't shut up and let me get back to sleep, I'm going to lose you on purpose."

He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I love you."

★ ★ ★ ★

I met the trucks returning from Mount Weather. I had volunteered to help catalogue the art and literature recovered from the mountain. It reminded me of my days as the librarian's assistant. Plus, I got first dibs on anything I wanted from the truck.

I saw Shauna's hair before I saw her face. She'd had her hair in box braids as long as I'd known her. But after we escaped the mountain, she'd decided she needed a change. It seemed like maintaining natural hair would be a lot easier than a million perfect braids. But then again, the best I could do with my hair was pull it up in a half-decent ponytail.

She hopped out the back and bounded over to me. "Hey, Maia!"

I shook my head. "I still don't know how you can go back to that place."

"They needed someone who knew the layout." She seemed casual, but I knew she had nightmares after our rescue just like me. But Shauna found her peace by confronting her nightmare in the flesh. "And they offered me some of the tech we recovered."

"Nerd," I teased. "What'd you bring me today?"

She stuck a hand into her bag. "Grabbed this one for your boyfriend, isn't your anniversary coming up soon?" I nodded. She handed me a copy of the Iliad. "You said he liked the Greeks."

"Yeah, Aurora taught Bell and Octavia a ton of Greek mythology growing up. He'll like this, thanks."

She reached back into the bag. "And this one is for you." She put the blue book in my hand. I turned it over.