sub rosa (Bellamy Blake x reader)

iii. earth kills (1.03)

(flashbacks are italicized)

The sound of the TV floats through the thin walls of the Ark, into the room you share with Clarke. Outside the bedroom, in the living room, sits the rest of your family, Clarke's best friend, and his father, the Chancellor.

In other words, make a sound, and you're screwed.

You're hidden in a closet, behind a false wall engineered by your father, in the play space you and Clarke used as kids. Now, it serves as your prison cell. Your parents rarely invite anyone over, and you don't have to stay in the space during the day anymore, like you used to when you were younger. But occasionally, the Jaha family comes over for dinner or to watch sports games. Your parents say it's unavoidable, and the best way to prevent any suspicion. So on the designated days, you crawl into the playspace and keep quiet, forever playing the role of the secret twin.

You're going through Clarke's schoolbooks, working on the same assignments she has to do. It's something your parents always insisted on; you may not be able to see the Ark, and live like the others, but you were going to get the same education Clarke got, no matter what.

You glance up from your work when you hear the creak of the front door open, and strain to listen.

"What'd I miss?"

You can hear her move further into the room, her voice growing more faint as she nears the TV. The chancellor's response barely reaches you in the confined space. "Your husband and daughter being obnoxious."

Daughter. Singular.

You try to push down the rising pang in your chest, closing your eyes and breathing in deeply, ignoring the sounds of the group just outside the door. You feel your breathing start to calm just as your dad's voice grows louder. "Just for a few minutes."

"Everything okay?"

The door scrapes open, and his voice starts to fade as he leaves. "You know this old boat. It's always something."

-

You wake with a start, the memory fading from your mind as someone's screams enter it.

"No! No!"

You sit up, and look down from the tree, eyes landing on a small girl sleeping at the base. You start to rise, preparing to climb down to wake her up, when Clarke steps into your line of vision, reaching for her. "Hey, wake up. It's okay. It's okay. It's just a dream." The girl sits up and looks around, fear written all over her face. "You're Charlotte, right? I'm Clarke. It's okay to be scared. Do you want to talk about it?"

Clarke settles down next to Charlotte, as the girl quietly answers, "It's...my parents. They were floated and they...and I see it in my dreams and I just..."

Clarke's voice is soft when she answers, "I understand. My dad was floated, too." You see her fingers brush against her wrist, touching the watch, and the bracelet she's worn since you were kids. She takes a deep breath, "So, how did you end up here?"

"Well...we were taking my parents' things to the redistribution center and...I kind of lost it. They said I assaulted a guard."

"I can't say I blame you." She smiles and looks up, past your tree to the clear night sky. She points a bright light in the sky, larger than the stars around it. "See that bright star up there? That's The Ark orbiting above us. I think whatever happened up there, you know, the pain," she glances at her wrist, "the loss...maybe we can move past that now. Maybe being on the ground is our second chance."