"Look, we're already there. Just a few steps, okay?" Aiden said, desperately trying to entice Jasper out of the wall that had been put under construction after Wells was killed last night. "One foot in front of the other- Hey, what's wrong?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I'm good." Jasper hummed.
"Jasper, it's been a week, okay? You've been given a second chance. You gotta use it." She screeched suddenly, being grabbed by someone from behind a tree.
"Aiden?.. Aiden? Aiden!" Jasper panicked, reluctantly went out to find her. "Aiden, are you okay?" She reappeared, pushing her hair from her face.
"Fine, this stupid asshole grabbed me." She groaned. Jasper shook his head, heading back for the wall. "Jaspee, come on. There's nothing to be afraid of-" Her sentence was cut short as she tripped over, the wind being knocked out of her as she hit the floor. She made to push herself up, but when she saw what was in front of her she screamed. A scream of genuine fear. On the ground in front of her was a knife, and three fingers. They belonged to Wells.
-----
"This knife was made of metal from the dropship." Clarke sighed, taking a good look at it.
"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.
"Who else knows about this?" She continued.
"No one." Aiden clarified. "We brought it straight here."
"Clarke?" Jasper asked again.
"It means the Grounders didn't kill Wells. It was one of us." She said.
"So, there's a murderer in the camp?"
"There's more than one murderer I this camp." Bellamy shrugged. "This isn't news. We need to keep it quiet."
"Get out of my way, Bellamy." Clarke hissed, presumably upset.
"Clarke, be smart about this. Look at what we’ve achieved… the wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us."
"Oh, good for you, you mean. What... keep people afraid and they'll work for you? Is that it?"
"Yeah. That's it. But it’s good for all of us. Fear of the Grounders is building that wall. And besides, what are you gonna do… just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don’t even know whose knife that is."
"I... could have a pretty good guess." Aiden spoke, taking the knife from Clarke, and locating the initials carved into the side. "J.M. John Murphy."
"The people have a right to know." Clarke made her way outside, heading right for Murphy. "You son of a bitch!"
"What's your problem?" Murphy hissed as they approached him.
"Recognise this?" Clarke asked, snatching the knife back from our of Aidens hands.
"It's my knife... where'd you find it?"
"Where you dropped it after you killed Wells."
"Where I what?" He scoffed. "The Grounders killed Wells, not me."
"I know what you did, and you're gonna pay for it."
"Really?" He turned his head. "Bellamy, you really believe this crap?"
"You threatened to kill him. We all heard you. You hated Wells." Clarke fumed.
"Pleanty of people hated Wells. His father was the Chancellor that locked us up."
"Yeah, but you're the only one who got in a knife fight with him."
"Yeah, I didn't kill him then, either."
"Tried to kill Jasper too." Octavia said.
"What?" Jasper squeaked, leaning towards Octavia.
"Come on. This is ridiculous. I don't have to answer to you. I don't have to answer to anyone." Murphy said cockily.
"Come again?" Bellamy questioned.
"Bellamy, look, I'm telling you, man. I didn't do this."
"Aiden found his fingers on the ground with your knife."
"She's just trying to stich me up!"
"Is this the kind of society that we want? You say there should be no rules. Does that mean that we can kill each other without… without punishment?” Clarke questioned.
"I already told you, I didn't kill anyone."
"I say we float him!" Someone yelled from in the back, and others started to cheer.
"That's not what I'm saying."
"Why not? He deserves to float. It's justice."
"Revenge isn't justice."
"It's justice. Float him!" Everyone suddenly grabbed Murphy, and now it was out of Clarke's control. It happend so fast. In the very next moment, Murphy was close to being hung. The only thing that was allowing him to breathe was a log that he was stood on. "Bellamy, you should do it!"
"I saw you in the woods with Atom." Clarke began. "I know you're not a killer. Bellamy, don't do this." Bellamy turned his head, Aiden meeting his eyes for a moment.
"What do you think?"
"Me? I think you should do what you want." She said, and he nodded, before kicking the log from under Murphy's feet.
"No! How could you?!" Clarke yelled.
"This is on you, princess." Bellamy said. "You should've kept your mouth shut."
"What the hell are you doing?" Finn called, making his way through the crowd. "Cut him down!"
"Stop! Okay?" A young girl, Charlotte, yelled in panic. "Murphy didn't kill Wells! I did!" The whole crowed dropped quiet, just as Finn cut down Murphy.
"Oh my god."
-----
"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!" Murphy practically scream from outside the tent.
"Why, Charlotte?" Bellamy asked the girl, who was clearly frightened.
"I was just trying to slay my demons, like you told me." She cried.
"What the hell is she talking about?" Clarke fumed.
"She misunderstood me." Bellamy said in his own defence. "Charlotte, that is not what I meant."
"Bring the girl out now!"
"Please don't let them hurt me." Aiden crouched in front of the girl, taking her in her arms.
"Nobody is gonna hurt you, okay." Aiden said, and she felt the girl nodding.
"If you guys have any bright ideas, speak up." Both Finn and Clarke dropped silent. "Now you stay quiet?"
"Those are your boys out there." Finn accused.
"This is not my fault. If she had listened to me, those idiots would still be building the wall."
"You want to build a society, princess? Let's build a society. Bring her out!"
"No!" Charlotte whined. "Please."
"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Aiden said with a soft smile. "Just stay here with them, let me try and talk to him."
"I'll come with you." Bellamy said. "You can't face him on your own."
"Okay, just... don't rile him up." The two emerged outside, and Murphy finally stopped pacing.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us." He said with a smirk.
"Dial it down, and back off." She said.
"Or what? What are you gonna do about me? Hang me?"
"I was just giving the people what they wanted." Bellamu reasoned.
"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. Why don't we do that right now? So, who here wants to see the real murderer hung up? All in favour?" Barely anyone dared to move. "I see. So, it's okay to string me up for nothing, but when this little bitch confesses, you all let her walk? Cowards! All of you are cowards!"
"Hey, Murphy! Murphy, it's over." Aiden said.
"Since when did you become the boss? You're nothing but a little whore."
"I'm a whore, am I?" She smirked. "I guess you'd know, huh."
"The fuck did you just say to me?"
"Getting defensive. Must be true."
"I don't have time for this." He growled, pushing through them and into the tent, only to find Charlotte, Clarke and Finn had disappeared. "Charlotte! Charlotte, I know you can hear me! And when I find you, you're gonna pay!"
-----
Aiden felt a little like a stalker, following a few feet behind Murphy and his small gang on assholes in case they actually came across Charlotte. Bellamy had gone looking for Charlotte, hoping to get to her first. It was quickly getting dark, and Aiden was only armed with a sharp piece of metal. She could tell from here that Murphy wasn't going to let up on this anytime soon.
"Charlotte!" Murphy yelled. "You can't hide forever. Don't worry. We won't hurt you." From in the distance, Charlotte's voice could be heard.
"Let me go!"
"This way!" Aiden let out a breath, yet again having to chase after them. She caught up to them, and found they'd cornered Charlotte, Finn, Clarke and Bellamy on the edge of a high cliff.
"Damn it, Bellamy! You cannot fight all of us. Give her up." Murphy growled, and Aiden slowly made her way towards the front.
"Maybe not, but I guarantee I'll take a few of you with me." Bellamy responded.
"This has gone to far." Clarke sighed. "Just calm down. We'll talk about this."
"I'm sick of listening to you talk." Just as he said this, he saw Aiden in his peripherals. He grabbed her, pressing a blade to her neck. "I will slit her throat!"
"No, please. Please don't hurt her." Charlotte begged.
"Don't hurt her? Okay, I'll make you a deal. You come with me right now, I will let her go."
"Don't do it, Charlotte!" Aiden said quickly.
"No! No, I have to! Murphy, this is not happening. I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did."
"Charlotte, no!" Unexpectedly, Charlotte took a run and threw herself over the edge. "No!" In one swift motion, Aiden stabbed Murphy in the leg, and rushed towards the cliffs edge. Her body couldn't even be seen. Bellamy let out a yell, suddenly lunging at Murphy. He was blinded by rage, and even as his fist hut his face countless times, he couldn't seem to be calmed.
"Stop! You'll kill him!" Clarke shouted.
"He deserves to die!" Bellamy replied.
"No! We don't decide who lives and dies. Not down here."
"So help me God, if you say the people have a right to decide..."
"No, I was wrong before, okay? You were right. Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by whatever the hell we want. We need rules."
"And who makes those rules, huh? You?"
"For now, we make the rules. Okay?"
"So, what, then? We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?"
"We banish him." Aiden spoke suddenly.
"If I ever catch you near camp, we'll be back here. Understand?" Bellamy spat, standing over a beaten Murphy. "As for the four of you, you can can come back and follow me, or go off with him and die. Your choice." Unexpectedly, he took Aiden by the hand and lead her away, causing everyone else to follow him back to camp.
-----
All day, Monty had been working on a way to communicate to the Ark using the only writsband that remained active after removal. But it failed. It's safe to say, they were starting to lose hope. But, Aiden was simply enjoying the heat from the fire on her skin. Watching the flame dance around warmed her insides too, and that was something she hadn't ever really felt. She couldn't keep her eyes off of it.
"This seat taken?" She looked up with a hum, seeing Bellamy looking down at her.
"No, no. Sit." She smiled, and he perched beside her. "You okay?"
"I'm... managing." He admitted. "You really did good today, y'know."
"What do you mean?"
"Standing up to Murphy like that. I'm proud of you."
"Wow. That really means a lot."
"Y'know, I don't know what it is about you... but you just make me feel calm and, well, good. You make me feel good."
"Oh. Are you sure that's me? Maybe it's your sister being around that makes you feel good."
"No, I'm farely confident that it's you." He said with a faint laugh.
"Hmm."
"Why is that so hard for you to believe?"
"Haven't you heard? I'm an unlovable psycho that murdered an authorative figure." She shrugged. "How could someone like that make anyone feel good?"
"You're not any of those things." He said. "You did what you had to do. You're a fighter."
"I guess." She met his eyes for a moment. "I think I'm gonna get some sleep. And, hey, for the record, you make me feel good too." She smiled. "Goodnight, Bellamy."
"Sweet dreams, Aiden."