Rescue Me || Bellarke AU

15. Everything is clear now.

Bellamy had hardly slept a wink that night. He had tossed and turned all night, the events of the night playing in his head over and over. He couldn't get the image of Clarke's beaten face out of his mind and it left Bellamy feeling troubled and uneasy. After only a few hours of restless sleep, Bellamy eventually gave up trying to sleep. Around eight thirty Bellamy decided to get up.

To his surprise, he wasn't the only one awake. Octavia sat at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee sitting between her hands. She looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep either. Bellamy poured himself some coffee and sat opposite his sister. He decided to stay quiet and let Octavia speak first. After her actions last night, he wasn't sure how she would react if he tried to talk to her. After about five minutes of sitting in silence, it was finally broken.

"I hardly slept at all last night." Octavia whispered.

"Me either." Bellamy sighed.

"I just kept picturing her face. All I could think about was what happened to her, I just kept imagining someone beating her." Octavia shook her head. Clearly she was upset.

"I know." Bellamy agreed. He didn't have to say much more. Octavia already blamed him.

"Why would she let someone like that in her life? And why did no one do anything to stop it?" Octavia whispered again.

"I don't know O." Bellamy said quietly. And he didn't. He had no idea how anyone, including Clarke, would let this happen.

"I don't know why I'm even talking to you about this, seeing as you don't care what happens to her." Octavia spat.

"I drove all that way last night to bring her home. Do you really think I would have done that if I didn't care?!" Bellamy said defensively.

"Or you felt guilty that you're to blame and didn't want that on your conscience." Octavia rolled her eyes.

"You're right. I did feel guilty, I still do. But this has nothing to do with my conscience. I was just doing what you said and tried to be a friend to her." Bellamy argued.

"Better late than never I suppose." Octavia said dryly.

"What do you want me to do? Go and find her ex?" Bellamy exclaimed.

"No." A quiet voice said sharply.

Bellamy and Octavia looked up sharply to see Clarke stood in the doorway. Her face looked even more bruised in the day light and Bellamy tried not to visibly cringe.

"Clarke! How long have you been up?" Octavia asked, rising to her feet.

"I don't know. I don't think I've slept." Clarke shrugged.

"That makes three of us." Octavia smiled softly. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"A little sore but I'll be fine. Thanks." Clarke tried to smile but Bellamy could see it was hurting her.

"Here, sit down and I'll get you some coffee." Octavia said, offering Clarke her seat at the table.

Clarke nodded and sat opposite Bellamy. Once again she tried to smile at him but only succeeding in grimacing slightly. Bellamy looked at her sympathetically as Octavia placed the steaming drink in front of her.

"You know you guys don't have to treat me like a china doll right? I don't need your sympathy." Clarke said.

"We're not trying to treat you like a china doll Clarke, we're just trying to be your friends and help you." Octavia said as she sat beside her.

"And I'm grateful, I really am. You guys have been great. But this is my fault, I brought it on myself." Clarke sighed.

"How did he find you?" Bellamy asked. He may have been pushing slightly, but he wanted answers.

"Bellamy!" Octavia hissed.

"No it's fine." Clarke said quickly. "He didn't find me, I called him."

"What?!" Octavia exclaimed.

"Why?" Bellamy asked at the same time.

"Because I didn't have the energy to run from him anymore. I knew it was only a matter of time before he did find me so why delay the inevitable?" Clarke shrugged like it was nothing.

"Yeah but Clarke, he could have killed you." Bellamy said pointedly.

Clarke stayed quiet at that and Bellamy began to worry. Had she gone there with the intention of letting her ex take her life? Had her life really come to the point where she felt that it had to end?

"How did you even meet this guy?" Octavia asked.

Clarke took a deep breath before speaking again. "I met him at a family party. My Mom had just been promoted and his Dad was head of the hospital she worked at. We were introduced and just got talking. At first he was the perfect gentleman. He was kind and sweet and he listened to me, like really listened. I remember thinking, this guy is great!"

"So what changed?" Bellamy asked. Both he and Octavia were hooked on Clarke's every word.

"My Mom started having an affair. Cage's father, Dante, found out and threatened to tell my father. My mom didn't want that to happen so she tried to make a deal with Dante. After that Cage started to change. He became possessive. He would constantly check on me, he wanted to know where I was, who i was with at all times. He never laid a finger on me though. Not until after my father was murdered." Clarke looked down at the table.

"What happened?" Octavia whispered.

"My mothers deal with Dante went sour when my dad found out. Turns out the deal she had made with Dante, involved me marrying Cage and becoming his. She was prepared to hand me over to Cage, in exchange for her secret being kept. My dad found out and demanded Dante cancel the deal. He could see that Cage was changing and becoming a bad man. But Dante refused. My dad tried to stop him and ended up getting killed instead. When Cage found out, he turned violent. He wasn't prepared to let anyone take me from him. So he crushed me until I believed that he was the only one who'd ever want me. He made me believe that I'd never be enough for anyone else or for anything in general." Clarke sniffled as tears spilled from her eyes.

Bellamy couldn't think of a single thing to say. He was shocked and outraged. He was even a little angry at Clarke's mother and he'd never even met her. His heart ached for Clarke.

"Oh Clarke, I'm so sorry." Octavia whispered.

"It's fine, it's not your fault." Clarke shook her head. She was tired of people apologising to her.

"You know you can stay here as long as you need. This is still your home and we're here for you." Octavia said seriously. "Right Bell?"

"Right." Bellamy nodded in agreement. There was no way he could let Clarke leave again. Not after hearing her story.

"I don't wanna make things difficult for you guys. I already put you in danger by lying to you." Clarke sniffled.

"We're not gonna let you leave. Not this time."

To Clarke's surprise, it was Bellamy who had said it. She looked up and Bellamy met her eyes, showing her he was genuinely serious.

Bellamy was overcome with even more guilt. He'd given that stranger Clarke's number for her mother to find her. Now he realised it was a mistake. He also began to wonder if the man he'd met was the very same man Clarke was running from. Cage was so hellbent on finding Clarke and Bellamy hadn't asked for the strangers name. It was too dark for Bellamy to see his face properly and he'd been wearing a hood. Panic began to set into Bellamy as he started to question just how much he was actually to blame. Sure Clarke had called him, but Bellamy had handed over her number and location.

He decided he'd speak to Clarke privately about it. Octavia already hated him for what he did. If she thought for even a second he was more involved than she realised, she'd never speak to him again. Then again, neither would Clarke if she found out.

And for some reason, Bellamy couldn't think of anything worse.