A sick feeling has pooled into Grace's stomach, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She has a bad feeling about the mapping run in Sector Seven, happening fifteen minutes from now. Bellamy told her about it earlier this morning and she's been having trouble concentrating on her work ever since.
She strides into the garage late, mumbling apologies as she makes her way to Rover One. Bellamy is standing at the back of the vehicle, loading supplies alongside Miller. The redhead quickens her pace at the sight of him.
"I'm sorry," Grace sighs. "I got distracted."
"It's fine," Bellamy says, smiling down at his girlfriend. "We were just finishing loading up. We'll be leaving in a minute."
"Yeah, you're late," Miller retorts, grinning. Grace shoves the boy, who laughs and walks off to speak with Monty.
"Hey!" Gina taps the redhead on her shoulder, catching her attention. The redhead turns, smiling at the girl. "I got you what you wanted."
"Thank you." Gina passes the wrapped item to her with a small frown. Grace places a comforting hand over the girls, smiling gently. "I'm sorry. I know you hate that place."
"It's no problem," Gina replies, glancing back at the curly-haired man. He's speaking with Monty, loading up the last of the supplies. "I think he'll really like it."
Grace unwraps the cloth, revealing The Iliad, a book that Bellamy mentioned his mother sometimes read to him as a child. During her stay at Mount Weather, Isaac informed her that there were many classics on Greek mythology in the library, so of course Grace had to find something for Bellamy.
"Me too." Grace turns on her heel, stalking towards Bellamy who waits with a small smile, having finished his duties. She leans up to kiss him, slowly slipping the book into his hands. When she pulls away, he stares at the item with his brows drawn in recognition. "Isaac showed it to me in Mount Weather, and I remembered you saying your mom read it to you. I don't know— I thought you'd like it."
Bellamy smiles softly at her. "I do. Thank you."
"Of course," she replies, fighting a grin.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Raven calls from the front seat of the rover. "We're late enough as it is. Get a move on!"
"Alright, alright!" Grace says, backing away from the man with her hands raised in defence. "We're coming."
Grace pulls herself into the back of the rover, falling into the spot behind Raven's seat. Monty and Miller climb in, moving to sit across from Grace. Raven watches as Bellamy places his book in his pack for safe keeping, then climbs in.
"She's too good for you." Raven smirks at Bellamy, who sends her a slight grin.
"Shut up."
"Careful," Jasper mutters from the passenger seat. "Monty might melt her."
Grace's stomach twists at his appearance. He shaved his head a couple days after they returned from Mount Weather and spent most of his free time drinking alone at the bar. He barely sleeps and, when he does, he wakes up screaming Maya's name. She knows this because she checks up on him frequently, and manages to get him to his room before it gets too late— or before he gets alcohol poisoning.
Monty leans forward to say something in response when Bellamy orders them both to stop. "Enough," he barks. The two best friends have been at each other's throats for almost three months now. Enough was enough. "Raven," he says after a moment of silence. "Take us out."
Raven nods, turning in her seat to start the ignition. The rumbling of the vehicle signals for two workers to pull open the garage door to let them out.
Outside of the door is Octavia, saddled atop of her beloved horse and wearing a cocky smirk. She pulls the reigns, steadying him.
"Guess we found her," Miller mutters. Grace shakes her head in amusement. Octavia had told her previously that she was planning on taking the horse, so Grace wasn't surprised at all.
"Try and keep up!" Octavia shouts, grinning hard. She pulls hard on the right reign, directing the horse towards the front gates. Raven pushes down on the pedal to take them out.
Grace forces herself up on wobbly legs— she's still getting used to the moving vehicle— to peer through the slits in the window. Bellamy absentmindedly places his hands to her waist to steady her whilst sending Miller a bemused smile.
Grace grins when she catches sight of her sister sitting far away from the other children, holding multiple coloured flowers and different types of vines. Grace whistled loudly, catching her attention. "Ava!"
Avalon's head snaps up, irritation flitting across her face. She doesn't like to be interrupted— and she shows it when she lifts her hand to send her sister the finger.
Grace huffs a laugh, moving back to her seat. Raven smirks. "She flip you off again?"
"Yep."
Raven chuckles. "Knew it. You owe me your dessert for the next week, Miller."
Miller shakes his head. "Not fair. You probably bribed her doing that— she's your student!"
Raven gasps. "I would never!"
Grace smiles at their antics, glancing back at Jasper who sings under his breath. "But the day... after today—"
Monty yanks the earbud from Jasper's ear, stating, "No way. If you're gonna ride shotgun, you don't get to disappear."
Jasper doesn't respond, instead leaning forward to plug Maya's IPod into the AUX cord Raven installed with Avalon. When Monty moves to stop him, Bellamy places a comforting hand on his wrist. "Hey, it's okay. It's a long ride."
Monty leans back, eyes darting to the floor. Grace kicks his boot gently and when his eyes dart up, she smiles softly. She knows how hard it is to take Jasper's shit— you should hear the things he says to her when she drags him from the bar— but she also knows that they're best friends. They'll get through it.
Monty forces a smile and she sighs. It was a start.
"And I will start." The music flows through the speakers flawlessly, and Grace makes a mental note to congratulate her sister on the good job when she returned.
"Why can't I get just one kiss?" Jasper mumbles the lyrics. "Why can't I get just one kiss? Maybe some things I wouldn't miss," Jasper turns to Raven, "But I look at your pants, and I need a kiss."
"Why can't I get just one screw? Why can't I get just one screw?" Raven sings along, urging Jasper to do so louder and Miller and Monty to join in. Grace follows suit, nudging her boyfriend.
"Believe me I know what to do, but something won't let me make love to you," she sings, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Miller snuggles into Monty's side as he mouths the words, making Bellamy smile and shake his head in amusement.
"Day after day, I get angry, and I will say, that the day is in my sight, when I take a bow to say goodnight."
"Don't shoot, shoot, shoot, that thing at me," Grace sings loudly. This had to be her favourite part. "Don't shoot, shoot, shoot that thing at me."
Jasper springs up from his seat, stumbling past Grace and towards the hatch in the top of the rover. "You know you got my sympathy." He shoves the square door open, sticking his top half out. "WOOOO!"
Grace's stomach flip flops as she takes in his cheers. She hasn't seen him this happy in months. It was about damn time he felt something other than absolutely nothing.
A repetitive beeping from the radio in the front has Raven turning the music off. Everyone falls silent, staring at the device in shock.
"Tracking beacon from the Ark," Monty tells them, eyes wide. Grace bites her lip nervously. She should be ecstatic that there was a possibly another station made it to the ground and actually survived, but the possibly that it wasn't them was almost too much.
It's been months since the Ark crash landed on Earth. Anyone could have that beacon.
Monty slides into the passenger seat to check the radar as Raven slows them down to a stop.
"Hey, that was the best part." Jasper drops back into the rover, falling into the spot Monty was previously in.
"Who is it?" Bellamy asks, brows furrowed. Monty pauses, his fingers tapping at the keyboard attached to the device for a couple of seconds before FARM STATION displays itself across the screen in big, bold letters.
"Farm Station?" Grace lifts a brow. It couldn't be, could it? Had someone survived or had a Grounder found the beacon and kept it as a souvenir from Farm Station's graveyard, wherever that may be.
"What?" Miller glances at his best friend and she knows he is thinking about Bryan, his boyfriend. "After—after four months? How?"
"We'll find out. Where are they?" Bellamy demands.
The back of the door opens, revealing Octavia, her horse behind her. "Don't tell me I missed the party."
"You insisted on taking the horse," Grace retorts. Octavia sends her an irritated look, to which Grace shrugs innocently.
"Sector Eight," Monty informs the others, turning in his seat.
"That's Ice Nation," Grace says immediately, pursing her lips. Lincoln has told her many things about the clan, all of which were not pretty. If they got their hands on the beacon, trouble would surely ensue.
"What about it?" Octavia asks, quirking a brow.
"Protocol says we go home," Raven says, but her face says she wants to do anything but that. "Let the Chancellor decide what to do next."
"Screw protocol," Bellamy responds. Grace can't help but raise a brow at her boyfriend. When he sends her an unwavering look, she grins. "The Chancellor's not from Farm Station. Monty is. So is Miller's boyfriend."
"Yeah, Avalon's friend is from there, too," Grace tells them, nodding her head in agreement. She looks at Miller and Monty. "It's your call."
Monty stares at Miller for just a moment before nodding his head firmly. "Let's do this."
"You have to ask?" Miller nods his head, too. Grace leans forward to pat his arm. She hopes this isn't a misunderstanding and Bryan really is out there, waving a tracking device and searching for Miller.
Bellamy turns to his sister. "Try and keep up," He says, smirking.
Octavia sends the man an annoyed look as she slams the back doors shut. Grace grins. "Feisty."
✧
Raven parks just outside of Sector Eight, behind a cluster of trees. Grace pushes the back door of the rover open, rifle in hand. She stalks towards Octavia who stands a few feet from the vehicle, staring into the trees.
"These woods must be the border," Bellamy says.
Jasper pops out from behind the man. "So where's all the ice?"
"Much further north," Octavia explains. Her, Grace, and Bellamy all walk ahead of the others. "Azgeda stretches for a thousand miles."
"Good thing we only have to go two hundred meters." Monty steps forward, eyes solely on the tracking device in his hands. If he was right, the holders of the beacon would be coming soon.
"Slow down." Grace holds out her arm, stopping Monty in his tracks. He looks up at her in confusion. "Remember, rules of engagement are non-lethal force."
Bellamy nods. "Tight formation on my command," he orders, then turns to Raven. "Raven, you stay in the rover."
Due to the bullet Murphy put in her, Raven lost all function in her right leg. She can't do much with it, and has to constantly wear a brace around her knee in order to walk at all, even though she still mostly drags it.
Raven scoffs. "Yeah, right."
"We need every gun we've got," Grace tells Bellamy, giving Raven the benefit of the doubt. Besides, if they had to retreat, Grace was sure someone would throw her into the back of the rover in time. No one would leave her there to die because of her disability.
Grace lifts her rifle, peering through the scope to see if she can see anyone. Nothing. Yet.
"They're coming," Monty informs them, determination written all over his face. He needs this to be Farm Station. He needs his parents back. "120 metres . . . 110." Bellamy lifts his rifle and Monty gapes at him. "They're our people. What are you doing?"
"We hope they're our people," Bellamy grumbles. Octavia unsheathes her sword and Grace tightens her grip on her rifle. "On my command."
When Grace looks again, she catches sight of a blear of white and black. Horses. More specifically, horses with riders on them. And judging by their attire, they're not Skaikru.
Bellamy glances up from his gun. "Ice nation?"
"Yes," Octavia answers. "White war paint."
The riders stop about fifteen feet from them. They look haunting with their white war paint coating their faces, and black around their eyes. Ghosts, Grace thinks. And with their matted locks, they look much more terrifying.
"Stay calm," Octavia whispers as she raises her arms in surrender. Grace and the others cautiously lower their guns.
"Chon you bilaik?" The one on the nearest horse demands. Grace isn't fluent in Trigedeslang but Octavia is teaching her and she knows most of the basics. She believes he asked who they are.
"Skaikru," Octavia responds. "Ste lufa osir kru au."
"Ste lufa Wanheda au," the other Azgeda warrior buts in. Grace's brows are drawn together in confusion. Looking for the Commander of Death?
Both Grace and Octavia share a look.
"They think we're looking for Wanheda," Octavia whispers to the others. Grace could feel Bellamy's gaze move to her.
"Who's that?"
"I don't know," both girls hiss in unison. The warrior who had spoken first climbs down from his horse and comes dangerously close. Grace can't help but tense and narrow her eyes at him, her grip tightening and her knuckles whitening. She knows she can't harm them without retaliation but something about the way he stared at her friends made her hands twitch with the need to pull the trigger.
"The light," Monty points out. "That's the beacon."
Grace's gaze drops to the thing attached to the mans hip, occasionally blinking red. She lifts her gaze again and squints at the man.
And then Jasper is stumbling past her and into the line of danger.
Grace's fingertips just barely brush against his collar as he walks away from them. What the hell was he thinking? He was going to get himself killed!
"Hey, get back here!"
"Jasper, what are you—"
"Jasper," Grace hisses after the boy. Her head whips in the direction of the warrior readying his bow and she can feel herself visibly pale. "Jasper, come back here!"
Octavia lunges forward and grabs onto his vest. "Jasper."
The boy shrugs her off and continues forward. "It's okay. I've got this."
"Tell them we observe the Commander's truce," Bellamy says quickly, eyes wide and terror on his features. Was Jasper trying to die? "Do it now."
"Osir gouba ogonzaun kom Heda in!" Octavia yells. The riders relax slightly, bow lowering.
Grace's attention snaps back to Jasper. He's standing in front of the first rider now, hand clasping the beacon around his neck. With a short tug, he takes it. The mans face contorts into anger as Jasper turns on his heel to leave. "This belongs to us."
The warrior grabs the back of Jasper's shirt, pulling him backwards and against his chest. His knife falls against Jasper's neck as he puts him in a chokehold. "Weron Wanheda kamp raun!"
Everyone's guns are whip up. Grace's is immediately pointed at the man holding her friend hostage, laboured breaths passing her lips. Her heart was beginning to pound in her chest. Was she going to lose another friend right now? She can't do it again. Too soon, too soon, too soon.
"Breik em au!" Bellamy commands from behind her. Grace tenses and her sweaty hands grip onto her gun likes it is her lifeline, which it may very well be.
"Osir nou get in chon daunde bilaik!" Octavia shouts.
Slowly, a smile makes its way across Jasper's face. Grace's stomach drops. Her gun doesn't lower as the mild shock runs through her body. It was something she has seen coming for a while. He was getting worse and worse everyday. He no longer wanted to live.
The rest of their friends lower their guns in surprise.
The warrior holding Jasper tightens his grip on the knife. Thick, crimson blood begins trickling from his neck. "Yo vout in dison ste leyos?"
Grace grunts and, without a second second to process the repercussions of her decision, she pulls the trigger. The man holding Jasper releases him and slumps to the ground, right off of his horse. The others follow, being taken out by Raven or Miller.
"Hold your fire!" Bellamy shouts. The man Grace shot in the right side of his chest stands, Octavia immediately getting into action.
"Jasper, get down!" Jasper ducks and Octavia slings her weapon at the man behind him. Her sword sinks into his chest and he drops to his knees, hands wrapping around the weapon before he falls to the side. Dead.
"Rover one, come in." Kane's voice comes over the radio in the rover. Bellamy jogs over to answer it while Grace tears her eyes from the corpses now in front of her. "Repeat, rover one, come in now."
Grace drops her head and squeezes her eyes shut. Her heart races in her chest and her breathing comes out laboured. Her hands shake as she lowers her weapon. What had Jasper done? Sure, they got that beacon back but what did that matter if word got back to Azgeda that Skaikru killed three of their own? There would be another war! Another war where she or more of her friends will die.
She can't do it again.
"Grace, come here."
Grace's head whips up at the sound of his voice. She pushes her thoughts to the back of her head and walks towards him, raising a brow. What does Kane want?
Bellamy shakes his head, silently telling her he doesn't know yet. He clutches the radio tightly in his hands, peering over Grace's head at the dead Azgeda Scouts. "We had to shoot three Ice Nation scouts. Covert, Section Four. Copy. Can you tell me what's going on?"
"When you get here. Over and out."
"Sector Four? Why is Kane so far outside the wall?" Raven asks. Bellamy shoves past her with Grace in tow.
"Take him home!" Bellamy shouts, pointing a finger at Jasper. Grace sighs and turns away from the man to check Jasper's wound.
"I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Jasper mutters. Grace ignores him, lifting the cloth pressed against his neck slowly but immediately putting it back down upon seeing the deep gash.
"There's nothing I can do here. You have to bring him to Abby," Grace sighs, running a hand through her hair.
"Miller!" Bellamy shouts, making his way around the vehicle. Grace places a gentle hand on Octavia's bicep, nodding at her. Octavia nods back in acknowledgement to her friends worry.
"I'm fine, Grace."
"Right. Okay," Grace steps away from the two, moving towards Miller and Bellamy.
"Get one of their horses." Bellamy nods to Miller, then turns to Raven. "Since you can't ride, you're on the back. Monty, Grace, you're both with me. Let's go."
Both Grace and Monty nod absentmindedly, and follow Bellamy into the rover with dread in their stomachs. Whatever was happening, it couldn't be good.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Hey guys! I'm back, and I actually like this chapter a lot more than I did the original.
There are obviously a few minor and major changes, like Grace didn't sneak out and get attacked by a panther before going on the Mapping Run, and therefore is in pretty much perfect health. I figured there was no reason for the injury anyways, and decided to just remove it all together. My apologies if somewhere in the next two chapters I forget and Bellamy touches her and she winces.
It's actually good to be back! I've missed Grace and Bellamy and hers relationship and I can't wait to get into it. Even if it is all angst until like, late season four.
I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I'm also working on my sequel for my Ben Parish fanfiction so we'll see! I'm also back at school, so homework is an issue. I hope I can get one out soon though!