𝐒𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀 「 B. BLAKE¹」

⋅⋆ xxii.

   "It's okay, they'll find somewhere to ride it out." Clarke nodded like she was trying to reassure herself instead of them.

   "Look, look!" Raven appeared through the crowd. "One stitching needle."

   "Did you guys reach the ark?" Cleo asked the girl, eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

   Raven nodded, her face etched with worry. She hadn't spoken much since seeing Finn, only into the radio that she'd fixed with her magic fingers.

   "Is-" Cleo faltered. "Is my mom- you know, nevermind."

   "I still need to close his wound, I need something that'll close it, like a suture." Clarke grabbed the needle from Raven.

   "There's some wire on the top level, I used it to set up some tents," the youngest Blake said.

   Clarke nodded, "Great, let's see it."

   Cleo listened to Raven give Octavia some specific instructions and turned to the door, wondering why it was still open. The tarp covering the doors were flapping wildly like they'd be blown off any second and she was beginning to feel the chill.

   "Hey! They're back!" Monroe announced, just as she began to close the door.

   The crowd near the door parted and he walked through with an unbelievable amount of confidence. Two boys followed behind, carrying someone. Cleo wasn't sure if she was seeing things, but it almost looked like the grounder they had knocked out and left just the day before.

   "What the hell are you doing?" Octavia asked, appearing from the second level.

   "It's time to get some answers," he responded.

   "Oh, you mean revenge?"

   Cleo bit her lip, listening to him order the boys to bring him upstairs. Clarke spoke to him quickly before the radio began to speak, telling the leader that they were ready – for what Cleo assumed was surgery to help Finn.

   "Look, this is not who we are," Clarke said.

   "It is now," Bellamy replied after a moment, walking away.

   Cleo exchanged a nervous glance with Octavia and against her better judgment, chased after Bellamy.

   "Tell me you did not bring that grounder here to torture him," she pleaded, following him as he pushed through the crowd to get some water.

   "I can't."

   She pushed past one more person to watch him scoop up some water. In the corner they were alone and he looked over to her with the same stoic expression he always wore.

   They stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, not knowing what to say. Just last night she'd told him she forgave him and she was on her side, but he was making it so hard to support him. She inhaled deeply and chewed the inside of her cheek, averting her gaze.

   "Taking him was a mistake," she spoke slowly. "If the grounders found out we have one of theirs and we're torturing him? They're already mad enough at us, why would you want to piss them off even more?"

   "Because I'm doing this for us. He has information that could turn the tides and the only way we're going to get it is by force."

  "Don't become this person," she pleaded, looking him in the eyes.

   He inhaled unsteadily, looking away from her. "I have to."

   He pushed past her, leaving her staring into the corner at the remnant of a person. She took in a deep breath, shutting her eyes and recollecting her thoughts before turning back to the dropship. Bellamy had already made his way to the second floor, abandoning the delinquents on the main floor.