A/N: If you are reading this can you please vote or comment? :) I have 90% of this book written and I'm unsure if I should bother posting it!
*****
'You think they can see it up there?'
Brinley looked away from Raven's flares as Bellamy stood inbetween her and Clarke.
'I don't know. I hope so. Can you wish on this type of shooting star?'
Bellamy gave Clarke an odd look and she sighed. 'Forget it.'
'I wouldn't even know what to wish for.' Bellamy sighed. 'What about you?'
Both Brinley and Bellamy watched Clarke look towards Raven and Finn who were hugging as they watched Raven's handiwork. Raven caught Clarke's eye and smiled kindly at her.
Brinley could see the drama brewing from a mile away, she rolled her eyes and Bellamy smirked at her knowingly, shaking his head at her in amusement.
Brinley raised an eyebrow at him as she looked around, trying to find her brunette friend whom she hadn't seen since they had confronted Bellamy. She frowned, noticing she wasn't anywhere to be seen.
'What?' Bellamy asked her in confusion.
'Nothing.' Brinley forced a smile as she walked away, keeping her eyes peeled for any sight of Octavia as she searched tents and the drop ship.
'Shit, O.' Brinley muttered, noticing that everyone had dispersed after the flares had burnt out, knowing she had no choice but to find Bellamy. It didn't take her long as he was already seeking her out, a panicked look on his face.
'Have you seen Octavia?' He asked quickly as he stopped in front of her.
Brinley's stomach dropped and her voice shook slightly as she answered. 'I was about to ask you the same thing.'
'Damn it, O.' Bellamy muttered as he disappeared, Brinley heard him talking to Clarke as she waited for him to come back.
'Clarke's checking the tents, we'll check the drop ship.'
Brinley tugged on his jacket as he started to walk away. 'Bellamy, I looked everywhere while everyone was watching the flares. She's not here.'
Bellamy shook his head in desperation. 'Don't tell me that.'
Brinley watched him for a second. 'Let's check the drop ship again. Maybe I missed something.' He nodded.
She hadn't missed anything.
'Hey, everybody, gather round and grab a weapon. My sister's been out there alone for twelve hours. Arm up. We're not coming back without her.' Bellamy called as he rounded up the campers.
Brinley smiled softly at Jasper, who looked slightly terrified. Clarke came up beside him and spoke to him quietly.
'We need all the people we can get.' Bellamy spoke to Clarke, overhearing her conversation with Jasper. 'Finn, we're leaving!' He yelled in the direction of the tent Raven and Finn were currently occupying.
'Look up there! It's so beautiful!' Brinley looked up where the girl was pointing as did everyone who heard her statement. Brinley sighed deeply, making her way towards Bellamy knowing someone was bound to start something.
'They didn't work.' Raven whispered.
'A meteor shower tells you that?' Bellamy asked in confusion.
'It's not a meteor shower, it's a funeral. Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from the Ark. This is what it looks like from the other side. They didn't get our message.' Clarke said quietly, regret heavy in her voice.
'This is all because of you!' Raven yelled as Clarke and Finn grabbed her stopping her from attacking Bellamy.
'I helped you find the radio.'
'Yeah, after you jacked it from my pod and trashed it!'
'He knows, and now he has to live with it.' Clarke said firmly as she let Raven go.
'All I know, is that my sister is out there and I'm gonna find her.' He looked to Finn. 'You coming or what?'
'Yeah.'
'What are we waiting for? Move out!' Bellamy yelled to the group behind him.
Brinley looked as she walked, hyper aware of Bellamy walking beside her. They had been walking for a while when someone noticed something down a steep hill, caught in a bush.
'Is that Octavia's?'
'Rope.' Bellamy commanded.
"What are you doing?'
'We need the rope to get back up. Flashlight.'
Brinley waited, noting the look on Bellamy's face as he looked back at the group. 'It's hers, I'm going all the way down.'
Without a second thought, Brinley made her way down to where he was, stopping beside him. Brinley frowned as shot spotted an abnormality on a rock. Blood. Her fingers came away, stained crimson.
'Bellamy, someone else was here.' Bellamy turned at her words, crouching down beside her, brushing his own hand over the sticky substance.
Finn bent down to a footprint in the mud as he landed, right after Jasper. 'The prints are going deeper that way.' Finn looked at Bellamy. 'He was carrying her.'
Bellamy looked uneasy and Brinley knew how he felt.
'If they took her, she's alive, like when they took me.' Jasper nodded, his eyes darting around constantly.
Bellamy took off walking again and it wasn't until the group came across skeletons, decaying flesh still stuck between the bones, that he stopped.
'I don't speak grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means keep out.' Finn was the first to break the tense silence.
People began freaking out, glancing at each other as they left.
'Go back if you want.' Bellamy called impatiently. 'My sister, my responsibility.' He muttered to himself, though Brinley caught the words.
'I'd walk into hell to find her.' Jasper commented.
'I think we just did.' Finn replied darkly.
The group continued to walk through the night, Bellamy not allowing them to stop, though none of them dared ask. The sun rose higher and higher in the sky and Brinley felt nervous about not having the cover of darkness to conceal them.
'I got nothing, we lost the trail.' Finn had been doing the tracking, and Brinley noticed how tired he seemed. Even Bellamy had slowed somewhat.
'Keep looking.'
'Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister, we should backtrack-'
'I'm not going back.'
'Hey! Where's John? A girl name Roma asked in confusion.
Brinley spun around, looking for the boy who had been right behind her only a second ago. 'What the...'
'I just saw him a second ago.' Jasper whispered.
'Spread out, he couldn't have gotten that far.'
The others began looking cautiously, but Brinley stopped Bellamy. 'I have a bad feeling about this. We would have heard him running away.'
Bellamy frowned, looking around. 'I know.'
There was a loud thump behind the pair and Brinley turned around in horror. 'Oh my god.' She stepped backwards and Bellamy automatically shoved her behind him.
'They use the trees.' Finn realised.
'We shouldn't have crossed the boundary-'
'Now can we go back?'
Grounders started appearing a few yards away. 'One, two, three – there's too many.' Brinley whispered.
'We should run.' Finn breathed.
Bellamy took off running and the others followed. Brinley's heart was pounding in fear, adrenaline coursing through her veins as her injured ankle throbbed.
'I can't run much longer!' Jasper panted and Brinley slowed beside him.
'I'm sick of running anyway.' Bellamy stopped.
'Hey what are you doing?'
'They know where she is.'
'Diggs! Where are you?' Roma called.
'Wait! Roma, there could be more, stop!' Finn called as they chased after the scared girl, halting as they noticed Diggs' body.
'They were leading us here.' Jasper realised. 'It's the only direction we could run in.'
'Where'd they go?' Finn panted.
'After Roma.' Bellamy realised.
It wasn't long until Monroe noticed Roma, hiding behind a tree. 'Roma!' She whispered.
Bellamy jogged up to her, Brinley following behind closely, freezing as she saw the spear hanging out of Roma's chest.
'They're playing with us. They can kill us whenever they want.'
'Then they should get it over with! Come on!' Jasper screamed and Brinley hurried to shut him up.
'Jasper, Jasper be quiet!' She begged as he continued to scream.
'They're coming!' Monroe panicked as the grounders advanced, the group of teenagers shrinking backwards in fear.
A loud horn stopped the grounders in their tracks before they began running again, this time away from the small group.
'They're leaving?' Bellamy questioned.
'That horn, what does it mean?'
'Acid fog.' Brinley watched as Finn began pulling something from his bag.
'We have to run.'
'There's no time.'
All of them bunched up under the parachute. Brinley was sandwiched between Finn and Bellamy, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
'How long are we supposed to wait?' Jasper asked, having calmed down from his outburst before.
'Will this even work?' Monroe questioned.
'We'll find out.' Finn uttered.
'No we won't, there's no fog.' Bellamy pulled the cover off of them.
'Maybe it was a false alarm?'
Brinley caught sight of a figure running through the trees. 'They're coming back.'
'I think he's alone.' Jasper whispered.
'Now can we run?' Brinley almost found herself agreeing with Monroe.
'He doesn't see us, I'm going after him.'
Brinley looked at Bellamy. 'Don't be stupid, Bellamy. He'll kill you.'
'Unless you kill him.' Finn supplied and Brinley narrowed her eyes at him.
Bellamy looked at Brinley. 'I have to catch him. Make him tell me where Octavia is, then kill him.'
Bellamy started walking away, determination written all over his face. Brinley swore as she hurried after him.
The two watched as the grounder glanced around, as though he knew he was being followed, before he entered a cave.
Brinley could hear the sound of a scuffle, before something hit the ground, hard. 'Oh my god.'
The group hurried, running into the cave, Bellamy glancing around as he assessed the situation.
'Bellamy?'
'Octavia!' As Brinley's eye adjusted she could see Octavia, huddled in a corner looking dirty, but for the most part, unscathed.
'Get the key.' Octavia breathed, panic in her voice.
'Monroe, watch the entrance!' Bellamy ordered as he unchained Octavia.
Octavia launched herself at Bellamy, who caught her tightly. 'It's okay, you're okay.'
'Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes.' Brinley smirked at Octavia, though relief was obvious in her expression.
Octavia wrapped her arms around Brinley. 'I'm so happy to see you guys.' Octavia glanced at Finn and Jasper over Brinley's shoulder, smiling at him slightly.
'Are you hurt?' Brinley questioned.
'No, not anymore. He – he fixed me.' She whispered, but before Brinley could reply Octavia had pulled away from her.
'How did you find me?' Octavia pulled Jasper into a hug, ignoring Brinley's gaze.
'Followed him.' He laughed, gesturing to the unconscious grounder.
'We should go, now, before he wakes up.'
'He's not going to wake up.' Bellamy's voice was low and dangerous.
'Bellamy, stop! He didn't hurt me, let's just go.' Octavia pleaded.
Brinley watched as Bellamy picked up one of the grounders spears, ignoring his sisters words.
'They started this. Finn. Move.'
Finn was crouched over the grounder, looking at something in confusion.
'Foghorn...'
As Brinley watched, the grounder moved, plunging a knife into Finn. Octavia dropped beside him, trying to figure out a way to help as Bellamy and the grounder fought.
The grounder quickly over powered Bellamy as he pushed the spear closer to Bellamy's throat.
'Stop! That's my brother!' Octavia screamed.
Brinley could see Bellamy losing; both her and Jasper seemed to have the same idea, knocking the grounder over the head.
Jasper quickly rushed back over to Octavia and Finn as Bellamy gasped in mouthfuls of air.
Brinley watched as Jasper's hand clutched the knife.
'Jasper! Stop!'
'What?' Jasper jumped at her loud exclamation.
'Leave the knife in there, if you pull it out any number of things could rupture and he'll be dead before we get him back to camp.'
Jasper nodded and Brinley turned to Bellamy. 'You okay hot shot?'
Bellamy coughed. 'Don't worry about me, sweetheart. C'mon, we have to get him back to camp.'
*****
'Clarke! Where's Clarke!?'
'Hey, I'm here, what's up?'
Brinley had been monitoring Finn the entire walk back, sticking by Bellamy's side as he carried Finn. From where they were behind the others, she could already hear Clarke.
Brinley watched Clarke's relief at seeing Octavia turn into panic as they stepped into view. 'Finn? Finn!'
'Oh my god, oh my god.'
Brinley caught Raven's eyes. The girl looked shocked and terrified.
Brinley looked back to Clarke. 'He's alive. '
'She wouldn't let me take the knife out.'
Clarke caught Brinley's eye. 'No, that was a good call. Get him in the drop ship now, go!'
Bellamy handed Finn to two other guys who carried him quickly, as Clarke had directed.
'Clarke! Can you save him?' Raven was panicking.
'No, not me. I need my mother.' She admitted. 'I need to talk to her.'
'There's still no radio!'
'Raven, fix it. Go.'
Brinley hadn't moved from beside Bellamy who moved quickly as Octavia walked past them.
'Hey – hey!"
'Why were you defending him?'
'Because he saved my life. That spear that hit Roma was actually meant...'
'No, you're wrong. I saved your life. For all you know he was keeping you alive to use you as bait for one of their traps.'
'No, I don't think so.'
'You don't think, O. That's the problem! They killed 3 of our people today, and if you would've let me kill him when I had the chance, Finn wouldn't be in there dying right now!'
'Stop blaming me, for your mistakes!' Octavia screamed and Brinley flinched at the anger there. 'What happened to Finn, is not my fault. I wanted to leave, so if Finn dies in there, that's on you!' Bellamy paled at her words.
'Everything that's gone wrong, is because of you. You got me locked up on the Ark, you wanted me to go to that stupid dance, you got Mum killed!'
Brinley saw the look on Bellamy's face change and she knew straight away that whatever Bellamy was going to say wasn't going to be pleasant.
'You both need to calm down-' Brinley tried.
'Stay out of it sweetheart!.' Bellamy snapped.
'Don't talk to her like that, she doesn't deserve-'
'Says the one who stopped talking to her after she killed Atom.'
Octavia swallowed at the mention of Atom.
'I got our mother killed?' Bellamy laughed. 'Mum was floated, for having you. She's dead, because you're alive. That was her choice. I didn't have a choice. My life ended the day you were born.'
Brinley gasped as the words left Bellamy, and from the look on Octavia's face it was clear that she wouldn't forget him saying that any time soon, if ever.
Octavia went to leave through the still open gate. 'Where do you think you're going?' Bellamy's voice cracked slightly.
'You can't keep me locked up in here forever.' Octavia threatened, breaking Bellamy's hold on her as she walked back into camp, not looking at Brinley as she walked in the direction of the drop ship.
'Get inside! Go!' One of the wandering delinquents obeyed Bellamy's command.
Brinley came to stand beside Bellamy as he looked up at the sky. 'Storms coming.' He mumbled to himself as he shut the gate.
'You shouldn't have said that to her.'
'Don't start on me right now.'
'That was a low blow and you know it.' Brinley snapped at him.
Bellamy stepped forward threateningly, his eyes narrowing as Brinley stepped backwards, her back pressing against the gate gently.
'You don't get to talk to me about my sister. She was never like this until she started hanging around with you!'
Brinley scoffed, though her heart was pounding against her chest. 'That's your problem, you still see her as the scared fifteen year old girl at a dance. She grew up, Bellamy. She grew up without you and you hate it because it proves that she can survive without you!'
'Shut up.' Bellamy warned, stepping closer to her.
Brinley tried to back away further from him, but it was impossible.
'Truth is, she might be the only person who actually gives a damn about what happens to you down here-'
'Shut up before I –'
'And yet you treat her like crap, try to keep her locked up. She's been locked up her whole damn life. And guess what? Now she hates you too.'
Bellamy pushed his hand over her mouth. Brinley looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes.
'I thought I told you to shut up.' Bellamy's voice was so low, that only the two of them could hear it.
The two of them were breathing heavily, Bellamy staring down at her with an angry expression and Brinley staring up at him with narrowed eyes.
'Uh – Brinley?'
Brinley glanced behind Bellamy, who didn't turn around, noticing Miller standing there awkwardly.
'Clarke needs you in the drop ship.'
Bellamy removed his hand, stepping away from her.
'Tell her I'll be right there.' Miller nodded, looking at the two suspiciously before walking away.
'You can hate me all you want, but I'm not going to be nice to you, just because you consider yourself our leader. I won't sugar coat anything I say to you in fear of hurting your feelings - that's a promise.'
Bellamy stared at her, not reacting to her words.
'If you ever want Octavia to look at you again, don't do anything stupid.'
Brinley left him standing there, staring after her with an expression full of mixed emotions.