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Grace for half this chapter: where the fuck are my kids?
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✦
Grace Parker didn't move from her spot for the next ten minutes. She ignores the goosebumps that form from the low temperature and the classical music that drifts through the air like some sick final song. She's terrified that if she looks away from the window for even a second that Harper would disappear and she would be left alone again.
The blonde is still pacing. Grace slams her palm against the door another time, one last attempt at getting her attention. Much to her surprise, Harper turns around.
"Grace?" Harper asks. It is muffled and incredibly hard to figure out, but Grace nods her head. The blonde starts hitting the door, throwing her side into it.
"It's okay," Grace shouts through the door, desperate for the girl to just cease her excessive slamming on the door. If someone was around and they heard her, they might try and hurt her. "I need you to calm down, okay? Just calm down!"
Harper stops her assault against the door, something to her right making her freeze. Someone in a blue hazmat suit steps in front of Grace's door, the redhead's eyes widening in surprise. Her mouth drops open slightly and she steps back from the door.
A sharp beeping sound echoes around the room.
"Grace Parker, if you want me to explain what is going on, I'm going to need you to step away from the door."
Grace is surprised when she hears the kind but firm tone the girl inside the suit uses. She doesn't really know what she was expecting exactly, but that wasn't it.
Grace clenches her fists tightly by her side to refrain from asking any questions, and then takes another step back. The sound of air leaving the room as the door opens makes Grace think back to what it sounded like when the dropship door first opened. A pang is sent through her at the thought. She would likely never see that place again.
The girl steps into the room slowly and cautiously, which Grace is thankful for. She wasn't sure what she would do if he girl had made any quick movements, not in this moment of panic for her friends and for herself. The girl moves her hand towards her face and Grace tenses, one hand flying out as if it would stop her.
"Sorry," the girl apologizes. "I'm just going to take off my helmet, okay?"
Grace nods her head. She would've felt embarrassed but the fear that was filling her with every passing second had failed her from doing so. The girl moves slower this time, reaching up to pull her helmet off. She has dark, frizzy hair and kind brown eyes. Her eyebrows are thick and her lips are plump. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
"It says your name on your chart," the girl explains. "My name is Maya."
"Where are my friends? What chart? Where the hell am I?" Question after question spewed from the redheads mouth. She was desperate for some answers. She deserved them.
"Your friends are perfectly fine," Maya says, smiling softly. "Your chart is just filled with the injuries you have experienced on the ground and we have taken care of so they don't get worse."
"Is that so?" Grace asks, her eyes searching the girl for any telltale sign that she was lying to her. "Where am I, then?"
"Well, you're in quarantine," seeing Grace's confused expression, Maya explains further. "Our immune systems are very low here. So, when we brought you into the mountain, we had to bring all of you to quarantine to make sure you did not bring anything with you that could harm us."
Grace's brows furrow slightly, her arms crossing over her chest. All? How many people had they found? Was she referring to Mount Weather? Was that where they were? And how the hell had they survived?
"I'm sorry I can't answer all of your questions right now. They should all be answered in the briefing, anyways. I can bring you to your friends now, if you would like."
Grace steps forward wearily, peering past Maya to see that Harper was still standing in front of the door. She watches the two with a fearful expression on her face. "What about Harper? What will happen to her? Can she come with us?"
"I'm sorry," Maya frowns. "She's not cleared yet."
Grace frowns, her eyes never leaving her blonde friend across the room from her. She sends her a small nod, pressing her lips into a firm line. "How much longer will she be in here?"
"It shouldn't be another fifteen-twenty minutes," Maya informs her. Grace nods, stepping away from Maya again.
"Then I will wait for her," Grace says, her voice firm. There was no way in hell she was going to leave Harper on her own, not like this. Not when Grace didn't know exactly where they were or what would happen to the girl if she left her here.
"Grace," Maya says quietly. "I can't do that."
"You can't or you won't?" Grace asks, catching Maya's eye. "I can't leave her here. I can wait."
Maya nods her head at the redhead, deciding to just go with it. "Okay. Fine, I guess I will be back again soon," Maya's gaze drifts to Grace's bloodied and bruised hands, then the stitches on her wrists. "I can bring you some pain relief pills as well, if you would like."
Grace tenses. "I'm fine."
"Right," Maya says, then nods her head. "Well, I will bring them to the dorm with the others once we finish up here. Just in case."
Grace nods her head at the girl, watching her curiously. Maya moves to pull her helmet back on, then pauses and stops for a moment. "You're safe here. I promise."
And then she pulls the helmet over her head and leaves the room.
✦
Maya had told her the truth about Harper's release time. It was approximately twenty minutes when Harper was stepping out of her own room, and Maya was opening Grace's door so they could both go together.
Almost immediately, Harper's arms were wrapped tightly around Grace's middle, her head shoved into Grace's neck. Grace wraps her arms around her, placing a small kiss on the girls temple. "Thank you for not leaving me alone."
"Of course," Grace pulls away from the girl with a small smile. The girl appeared to be okay. Her hair was down around her shoulders in small waves and she didn't appear to have stitches or bandages on anywhere visible. It seemed the only thing wrong with her was the few minor cuts layering her shoulder and forehead, and her busted open lip. "Now, let's go see our friends."
Harper nods and wraps her hand around Grace's for reassurance, something Grace found people do a lot with her. Mostly one person, but she couldn't think of him now. Not without breaking down.
"Ready?" Maya asks the two, watching them with a small smile. They both nod. Maya turns on her heel, beginning to move down the long white hallway. Was this entire place white? Grace hoped not. Her hair would stand out like a damn flame in a dark room.
"How many of us did you take?" Grace asks, trying to act nonchalant about the question. Her heart was beginning to pound at the thought of barely any of her friends having made it out alive. Had they gotten everyone from inside the dropship? Maybe even outside? Octavia, Jasper, Monroe, Sterling, Fox, Miller, Finn, Raven, Clarke, Bellamy?
"Forty-six, not including either of you," Maya tells them. Grace's heart flutters slightly. Forty six? That couldn't be it.
"Jasper?" Harper asks hopefully, her hand tightening her hold on Grace. Maya pauses in thought, then nods her head.
"Yes, I think so."
Hope flares in Grace's chest. "What about Bellamy or Finn? Clarke?"
Maya pauses, turning left down what appeared to be a stone hallway this time. Grace couldn't help but sigh in relief. If she saw anymore damn white she might scream.
"I don't think I saw Finn or Bellamy's charts," Maya's brows furrow slightly. "I might have seen a Clarke there somewhere."
"Her and Grace were our leaders back at camp," Harper buts in, her gaze drifting to Grace as she felt the girl tense. "Bellamy, too."
Maya nods her head, stopping in front of some sort of elevator and clicking the button. "We have to go to level two, first. Your friends are on level five, in the mess hall with a guide named Keenan."
"What's on level two?"
"There's a warehouse there filled with clothes. President Wallace figured you guys would want some clean clothes instead of those thin outfits you're wearing now," Maya explains. The elevator doors open and Maya steps inside and to the left, gesturing for the two girls to step inside as well. They both do as they're told.
"President Wallace?" Harper asks, curiously. Maya smiles at their buzzing curiosity.
"Yeah, he's in charge of everything in Mount Weather," Maya explains. Mount Weather? The old military base?
"Mount Weather?" Grace says to the girl, her brows furrowing in confusion. Maya hits the button with '2' on it and a dull glow comes from around the circular thing.
"Yeah. It used to be an old military base, I think. Some people got here before the bombs went off and here we are," Maya says with a smile. The elevator stops and the doors open again. "Follow me."
Grace shares a look with Harper, the ladder giving her an uneasy smile. They were beginning to trust the girl, but that didn't mean they should. They stay in silence as they walk down the hall. All three of them were full of unanswered questions, none of them sure if they could ask.
Finally, Maya stops in front of a door with the number 203 on it in big, bold letters. Grace bites her lip, nodding to Harper in reassurance.
"Okay, well, if one of you would like to go and get changed and the other can stay out here with me—" Harper cuts her off.
"No offence, but we barely even know you. We can go in together," Harper says. Grace smirks at the girl, feeling like a proud mom whose kid just stuck up for them self.
"I agree," Grace says, returning her gaze to Maya. "Sorry."
"It's fine, really. I get it, trust has to be earned," Maya nods her head in understanding. "I would let you take your time but I still have to bring you back to see your friends and then go and get the rest of them from quarantine."
"It's okay," Grace nods. "We'll be quick."
Maya nods her head, pulling out a keycard for the room. She places it on some sort of barcode thingy and waits for it to turn green before she pushes open the door and allows the two girls inside. They both shuffle in, eyes wide in surprise as they take in the area around them.
It's a fairly large room with dull lights. It has plain concrete walls and high shelves. They all hold multiple different sizes of clothes. They're all unique in their own way, and Grace watches as Harper heads straight towards where a row of beautiful dresses are.
"Wear a dress with me?" Harper asks, turning back to look at the girl. She seemed to be feeling the fabric of a cute blue one. Grace can't help it when the corners of her lips dip down. She's never even worn a dress before. Harper notices and her happy features fall. "Only if you want too."
"No, it's fine. I've just never worn one before," Grace admits softly. Harper smiles.
"Here, this blue one would look nice on you. We can match?" Harper grins when she finds a dress almost identical to hers a row down. Grace merely nods. What else could she say to her?
"I'll find some shoes," Grace says turning on her bare feet and starting down towards where some shoes were in racks. She honestly had no idea what the hell she was doing. On The Ark, the girl just grabbed whatever she thought Avalon would like to wear when it got handed down to her. She's never had to dress for herself before and now that she did, she had no idea what to do.
"Those would look cute," Harper's voice comes from beside her now. She's pointing at some flats or something. Grace didn't know. Grace turns around to stare at her in embarrassment. Harper sends her a small smile. "It's okay. I get it. Your sister, right? You never really had the time to dress up or anything?"
Grace nods, her eyes moving back to the different types of shoes before her. "Can you help me?"
"Yeah, just put on the dress. I'll pick the shoes," Harper says, handing her dress to her.
"Thanks," Grace mutters, moving behind the girl. Harper just nods her head as Grace moves across the room to find a fitting bra and a pair of clean underwear.
✦
The elevator ride to level five is quick and quiet. No one talks and Maya was already late to bring someone else down from quarantine so she had to run up and do that. Harper seems more comfortable now, as she hadn't grabbed Grace's hand yet, and Grace just held a brave facade. She hasn't seen her people yet, when she does, maybe she will trust them. Maybe.
Two Mount Weather guards were waiting for them when the elevator doors opened. Grace immediately tensed up, moving to stand in front of Harper with squinted eyes. The guards don't move until Maya lays a gentle hand on Grace's bicep. She turns to the girl, silently asking her what the hell was going on.
"They're just going to bring you to your friends," Maya explains. Grace relaxes slightly, though when her gaze returns to the guards she can't help but tense up just slightly. If the mess hall was just down the corridor, why the hell did they have to have guards with them? "You're safe here, girls."
Grace merely nods and steps towards the guards, gently pulling Harper out behind her. "Right. See you later, Maya."
Maya waves goodbye to the two, then presses the button leading to what Grace assumes is level three. That was where quarantine was— Grace had made sure to remember what levels contained what, just in case. She steps into the middle of the guards with Harper beside her. After sending the blonde a small smile, she tugged on the dress that barely reached her knee, and then nodded to the guards. "Show us our people."
The guard nods in return. He's a short man with cropped brown hair and hard blue eyes. He moves to stand beside Grace. The other man, the one with semi-long and a dimpled chin (kind of like Bellamy's. . . no, don't think about him. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't. Cry.), moved to stand beside Harper. Grace tries not to show how uncomfortable that made her.
They walk down the hall and take a turn, the guards stopping at the end of the hall and letting them walk forward. A sigh of relief left Harper's mouth when she got sight of the already large group. Some heads snapped towards them, others following lead when someone yelled their names.
"Grace! Harper! You're alive!"
Grace felt the arms wrap around her before she even had a chance to realize who it was. When they pull away, Grace stares shocked at the kind-eyed Asian. "Monty?!"
A large, toothy grin spread across Monty's face and Grace pulled him in for a longer, quicker hug. "Oh thank god," he mumbles into her fiery red hair.
"I'm so sorry I left you," she whispers into his neck, feeling her eyes begin to water. Monty pulls away, a stern but happy expression on his face.
"I told you to run, you just did what I said. It's not your fault. I'm okay, see?" Monty does a half-assed spin, showing her that he was indeed okay. "All good."
More arms were thrown around her, then. This time she knew exactly who it was, mostly because of his willowy body. She tightens her arms around his body. "Hey, Jasp."
"You have no idea how happy I am that you're alive," Jasper mutters, kissing Grace's temple like he had done back at the dropship before Murphy had killed Myles and then tried to . . . tried to . . . She can't think about that now.
Jasper pulls away and Fox pulls her into a tight hug, followed by most of the others. "Do you know if anyone else is here?"
"I think the girl who came and got me said something about Miller still being in surgery. He should be out later," Fox informs her. Grace nods her head in understanding, looking around the group curiously. She felt her face drop when didn't see Bellamy, Finn, Clarke, or Octavia. She didn't even see Sterling or Monroe. She smiles at the others when a thin blonde haired girl stalked towards her with a binder in her hand.
"I'm Keenan," she smiles, passing Grace the book. That must've been the girl Maya was talking about earlier. Grace mumbles a quick thanks to her, frowning in confusion when she opens it up. A map of what she guessed was Mount Weather was the first page. Except, it had no exits. "If you have any questions, they should be answered in the briefing."
Grace nods her head, smiling at the blonde as she turned on her heel and walked back to some of the others. Grace turns back to Jasper and Monty, the smile widening. "I missed you guys so much."
"Right back at you, G," Monty grins, slinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her back to the others to talk before the briefing. They stop in front of Harper and a boy named Max.
"It's good to see you healthy again, Max," Grace says, nudging the boy. The last time she had seen him was back on the dropship before all this happened and she was pretty damn sure he had been beaten up by grounders.
"Feels good to be healthy again," Max grins, leaning to whisper the next few words. "Do you think we're really safe here?"
Grace's lips dip down slightly but she forces her smile to widen in case Keenan was watching. "I'll let you know."
"Everyone gather around so we can start the briefing and then get you back to your dorms," Keenan beckons everyone over to where she is standing in front of a table. Grace is surprised when everyone turns to her in question.
"You heard the girl," Grace sends them all reassuring smiles. She never realized how important she really was to her people until now. "Listen carefully. Respect them as they're your own . . . actually better than your own, no fist fights. Yes, I am looking at you Derek, Stiles," Grace jokes, knowing that the two were actually very close. A couple, actually. "Got it?"
Some muffled 'yeahs' and some joking 'yes ma'ams' come through the crowd. Grace smiles when it quiets down. She nods to Keenan to start talking again.
"Your packet contains everything you need to know about Mount Weather," Keenan starts. "Which I promise is not as confusing as the map on page one makes it up to look. You came from level three, which houses our medical facility including—" Keenan is cut off when Jasper shoves past Grace, saying along the lines of bark or lark or something.
Grace's eyes zero in on the familiar blonde who had just come in, her mouth dropping open. Oh, Clarke. Makes more sense.
Jasper wraps his arms around Clarke, Grace and Monty hurrying close behind. Grace wraps her arms around the girl when Jasper pulls away, not even loosening her hold on the girl when she uttered something about not being able to breathe. Didn't matter, she'd be fine. Clarke lets out a small laugh when she pulls away to stare at the girl. Her eyes begin to search the crowd. "Finn and Bellamy?"
Grace's heart drops. She could feel her eyes beginning to water as she looked at the girl in defeat, but she squeezes her eyes shut and forces them away. There was no time for that now.
Grace stepped away from the blonde and the others for a moment alone, not even listening in to see what Keenan had said to Clarke as she gave her her binder. The redhead lets out a few shaky breaths, only opening them when she feels Monty place a gentle hand on her forearm. She gives off a small, fake grin as she stepped back towards her best friends.
"What about Raven?" Clarke asks, trying to keep her gaze off of Grace. She might cry if she looked too long, too. Monty shakes his head. Keenan wakes over, giving Clarke a binder and the same speech she had given Grace. Grace sighs and turns away, throwing one last look back at Clarke as Keenan made her way back to the front.
"Well, just because Clarke is here doesn't mean we don't listen," Grace says, making everyone turn to listen to her. "Pay attention to Keenan. Apparently they're feeding us soon and I am starving. So listen up."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I seriously love Grace so much. Like, help.
Do you guys think Grace is handling the situation appropriately? Or do you think she should be acting more like Clarke?
Vote, comment, and may we meet again.
Gif | Grace when she sees Maya for the first time