𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 · 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 ³

𝟑.𝟏𝟕

──── 「NOT A GAME」 ────

     We had made it back to the cave to let the rest know what exactly had happened. Once we got there, as we were discussing what to do, Jasper reached us through the radio, talking about a chip that was making everyone go insane back in Arkadia. I was sat with Sam who had been the last to make it back to the cave with Bellamy.

- "What happened back there?" –I finally asked once I managed to calm down slightly as I had felt furious when I saw them come in together- "You made up with him? You forgave him?"

- "No." –she opened her eyes since she had been lying against the rock with them closed- "I asked him why he did what he did, hoping he'd said it was the right thing to do but, mmm, well... he did it to save us. Which I appreciate, you know? I didn't really want to die and leave you alone but I'd rather him understanding why that had to be done. I just hope he'll see it at some point."

I carefully studied Sam's face; she was good at hiding her emotions but I knew she was tired and she wasn't even bothering to put on a façade anymore: she looked exhausted and sad, almost heartbroken, and that only made me feel worse.

- "I'm sorry."

- "For? You haven't done anything wrong, O."

- "I'm sorry for lashing out at you. Bellamy might still be alive but he's not who he used to be."

- "Don't worry about it."

- "Sam..."

- "I'll be fine. This can only go one of two ways, either we make up or we don't; we both know it. Personally, I'd like to make up because...well..." –she didn't have to finish, I knew well what she meant even as she drifted off.

- "You love him."

- "Yeah, but right now I don't see much of who he was when we landed or when we lived in Arkadia before and after Mount Weather..."

- "What are you going to do?"

- "About...?"

- "Bellamy, Sheda... after we end this..."

- "I think I'm gonna need time to be alone."

- "Oh."

- "No, I mean, alone as in single." –she gave me a soft smile- "I also don't think I could go back to Arkadia and see your brother every day, see him probably moving on with someone who does think like him, someone more similar and better for him..."

- "Sam, Bellamy didn't turn this way because of you."

- "I'm not so sure, O. He was fine until we got together."

- "And you were good for three months." -I reminded her, trying to make her see the truth.

- "I know, but with everything that's happened lately, I... I've been having... doubts to put it some way."

- "About your feelings for him?"

- "About him only having feelings for me."

- "What? Why? What happened?"

- "Maybe this is just me trying to find a reason to move on from him..."

- "You think you were a rebound?"

- "I don't know, O." -she sighed and I knew I had to be careful with what I said, feelings had always been a touchy topic for Sam- "These days I don't know anything."

- "Does this have to do anything with Clarke?"

- "Yeah. Listen, I don't blame them, I wouldn't choose me either. I'm just mad I'm seeing this now, maybe if I had before, things would have been different; maybe Bellamy would be okay."

- "Is this because of what happened with Roan?" –she looked at me confused- "Monty told me Bellamy was willing to let you go after them to save Clarke, even if Roan could kill you."

- "I mean, Clarke's always been there with him, they're co-leaders." –Sam shrugged her shoulders- "I know she doesn't feel anything for Bellamy, she was with Finn and then with Lexa and Bell keeps saying I'm the one for him but, I don't know... I mean, he only went rogue when she wasn't there; it's like she kept him sure of what he was doing. He might be in love with me but I think he's always trusted Clarke's judgment better than mine which is why I'm sure he'd manage to live without me and move on and why my 'death' didn't affect him as much as everything that happened with Clarke."

- "And he started dating you when she left..." –I added pensively and I understood Sam's skeptical undertone when we met Clarke after the massacre and before we went inside to convince Bellamy- "I've always known he had and has a thing for you, like he's so in love with you Sam... the day you got together I thought I'd need to move out grossed out by your nauseating love and PDA."-I smiled to myself.

- "Hey!" –Sam punched me lightly and smiled too- "To be fair I never expected your brother to be into PDA so..."

I looked at her as she smiled. This is the Sam I wanted to see.

- "Don't do that to yourself. You're always taking care of Bellamy and telling him people's actions are not on him; his actions and what he did... none are on you; you tried to help him, you still try because that's what you do, and I love you for that, but you have to get out of that situation before he actually hurts you too. Directly this time."

- "I..." –she looked away as she finally broke- "I love him, O. I know he's lost and fucked up, but I can't stop my feelings. He's been most of my firsts..." -she sighed, her eyes on Bellamy for just a second- "He's not the first person I've ever loved, but he's the only one I've ever fallen in love with."

- "We'll get through this, ogeda." [Together]

I moved closer to her and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes carefully; I hugged her and she hugged me back, sobbing lightly against me.

- "I must confess..." –Sam spoke quietly after she calmed down- "I love your brother, but you're my sister, and you need me more than he does now." -she looked at me- "Look at us, you're comforting me over what? Your brother being alive?" –Sam scoffed- "You've just lost the love of your life to a bullet, O, I should be the one comforting you."

- "I'm fine." –I was quick to brush it off.

- "You are not, don't act tough around me, strisis. I can't say I know how you're feeling, but I have an idea. You need more time and space than I do."

- "Meaning?"

- "We should leave."

- "We?"

- "You're my family, O, and no one can change that. You really are stuck with me, you've been since we landed, but I'm reminding you in case you forgot."

I smiled at her words, she made me feel better, at least for a moment; I was still broken but knowing Sam was there with me made things just that less hard. We remained in peaceful silence for a moment, until Monty started to talk about the chip Jaha was giving to everyone at camp. I had to go back, I couldn't stay put in there any longer; I rose from my place next to Sam as she eyed me and started to pack my things.

- "O, wait." –Bellamy walked towards me as soon as he landed eyes on me and realized what I was doing- "You can't just leave."

- "Watch me."

- "You heard what Jasper said on the radio, Arkadia is not safe."

- "What Jasper said sounds insane." –I glanced at him for a second- "Pike's gone. I can handle myself." -I heard Sam rise from behind me as she let out a small chuckle and I knew she was coming with me- "Grounders burn their dead."

- "I know that." –Bellamy was quick to answer me- "And then what? Where are you gonna go?"

- "You don't get to ask me that."

- "What more do I have to do to prove that I'm on your side?"

- "Bring Lincoln back." –I walked past him as the anger filled my voice- "Turning Pike in doesn't make you one of the good guys, Bellamy. You did that to save me, to save Sam; not because you thought what Pike was doing to the Grounders was wrong." –I spat, I knew Sam had had this conversation with him but I wanted to make sure he knew.

- "The Grounders were starving us out."

Sam had her things with her now too and was standing next to me; she scoffed at Bellamy's words and rolled her eyes. I knew I had to end the conversation before they could get into a fight and Sam did something she'd later regret. Sheda had been quick to move after her, but she asked him to let us deal with this on our own promising to let him know when we were done and he understood, going back to sit next to Harper with whom he had started a conversation.

- "Because you massacred an army that was sent to protect us." –I reproached Bellamy.

- "That army could have attacked us at any time and you know it."

- "But they didn't attack, you did that. You were hurting and you lashed out because that's what you do. There are consequences, Bell; people get hurt, people die... your people. Monroe's dead, Ion's dead, Lincoln's dead."

I ended and I left the cave, pulling Sam with me before the tears fell from my eyes and before she said everything I knew was crossing her mind. She stood in front of me as I let go of her, closing my eyes, forcing the tears to stay in place before Sam spoke.

- "Where do you wanna do it?"

- "I don't know, let's find his body first and then..."

- "They're here." –Miller spoke, cutting me as we heard the engine of the Rover.

Sam and I turned around to see what was happening; Bellamy had followed us and was looking now at the Rover too when a door opened and closed revealing Clarke, who stopped dead in her tracks as she landed her eyes on Bellamy. Huh.

- "Need your help!" –Jasper screamed, he was carrying Raven and Sam immediately ran up to him so I followed- "We have to get her inside before she wakes up!"

- "Were you followed?" –Bellamy quickly asked and moved to them to get Raven.

- "I don't know? Maybe?"

As Miller started giving orders to everyone, Sam looked at me.

- "Your call, O."

- "Octavia!" –Clarke called me before I could answer Sam- "We need you!" –I glanced at Sam and she rolled her eyes.

- "I could always go first with Sheda to check what's going on there..."

- "Sam!" –Clarke called- "You too."

- "I guess we are staying." –I sighed and Sam nodded.

- "Clear some space!" –Clarke was quick to demand as she went inside.

- "It's a cave, there's nothing but space in there."

Sam whispered and I smiled; I was glad she was somewhat back to her usual self after what had been going on lately.

- "What the hell happened to her?" –Sinclair was quick to move towards Raven.

- "I've told you, Raven is not Raven anymore." –Jasper was answering as Sam and I made it next to him, Bellamy's eyes landing on us or more so on me as Sam chose to start avoiding him again- "Jaha's been chipping everyone."

- "Jasper's right, I've seen it with my own eyes."

- "I don't need your help, alright?" –Jasper was quick to cut Clarke.

- "Hey, J." –Sam moved beside him and he relaxed as he heard her, turning to face her- "Can you explain to me what exactly is happening?" –Sam's voice was soft and calm.

- "Jaha's using the chips to control everyone, you swallow it and it changes you. You forget who you are and then you see this thing, A.L.I.E; only she's not really there."

- "So, like a ghost or a vision?" –Sam asked him and Jasper nodded.

- "She made Raven slit her own wrists."

- "What!" –Sam spat turning to look at Raven and this time it was Jasper trying to calm her down as he grabbed her arm carefully so that she'd face him- "She was trying to get her out of her head." –Jasper eyed Sam carefully- "That's not how Jaha put it, right?"

- "No, now it sounds even less appealing than the first time."

- "I was trying to help her but..." –Jasper mumbled as he looked at Raven.

- "Let's help her now." –Sinclair rose from next to Raven and walked up to them- "Did she say how?"

- "She was working on building something, she needed one of the old wristbands but Jaha destroyed all of them."

- "Wait a second." –Clarke spoke, taking a small box out of her coat and a small chip from it- "Does it look like this?"

- "Not exactly." –Jasper answered as Sam shook her head.

Out of nowhere, Raven was up on her feet and running out of the cave as we all followed her. She started to speak as she looked around as if she were talking to someone else, but it wasn't any of us.

- "If Raven finds out where we are, so will A.L.I.E; she'll come for her." –Jasper explained as Bellamy, Sam and I tried to control Raven without hurting her- "Reaper stick." –Jasper injected Raven's neck- "Last dose."

- "We have to go." –Clarke spoke from next to us.

- "Why?" –Bellamy was quick to speak- "A.L.I.E doesn't know where we are.

- "Because I know where we can get a wristband."

Sam crossed glances with me but I had no clue what Clarke was talking about either, so I simply shrugged my shoulders as everyone agreed to go. I walked out with Sam, who stood next to Selene, petting her and smiling, hearing someone coming after us and seeing Sheda there. I offered to gon on the rover and Sam asked Shed to go on Selene with him. We didn't have time to waste, so we all moved fast. I saw my brother's eyes follow Sam as she jumped on Selene and offered Sheda her hand, his arms moving around her torso and laughing at something he said. I looked at my hands before I closed the Rover's door, smiling to myself. I knew, whatever happened, Sam would be alright. 

Bellamy started the Rover and followed Clarke's directions, hearing Selene riding behind us, Jasper's head moving in the direction of the horse's weighing from time to time. I could only imagine everything that had been going through his head during the fast month, knowing how close he was with Sam and how close the wound on her shoulder had gotten to ending her life. I took his hand in mine and squeezed it, a smile on his lips as an answer.

- "There!"

Clarke's voice made me focus my eyes back on the road, feeling the Rover slowing down and Selen's gallop dying out, Bellamy lowering his window as she got to us.

- "Niylah has a wristband?" –Sam questioned- "Now this is unexpected."

- "How do you know her?" –Clarke looked at her through the window.

- "We came here looking for you and she was the one to point us in the right direction." –Sam answered as I opened the Rover's back door- "I still have a few questions for Roan now that I think about it."

- "I'll talk to her." –Clarke got out of the Rover.

- "I'll go with you." –Bellamy was quick to offer.

I stood next to Selene as Bellamy got out of the Rover, Clarke making her way to us as Shed got down from Selene, offering his hands to Sam who simply eyed him, but not refusing his help, allowing him to put her on the ground. My attention was soon grabbed by sounds of footsteps coming to us from the house, landing eyes on Nylah, who was carrying a sword.

- "I thought you said she was friendly." –I glanced at Clarke.

- "Well, last time we were here with this Rover" –Sam looked at me before facing Niylah again- "...Pike wasn't very nice to her." –I nodded in understanding.

- "Stay here, we'll handle it."

- "Try that again." –Sam spoke, forcing Clarke to move back- "Last time I let you both handle things, I lost or almost someone I cared about, so not a chance, princess."

- "This is not a game, Sam."

- "Did my words give you the impression it was?" –Sam scoffed getting rid of Clarke's grip on her wrist- "I know their language, do you?" –Clarke remained silent- "Yeah, that's what I thought. Besides, she knows me."

- "I'm going with you."

Sheda had moved next to Sam, her eyes landing on him and nodding before she glanced at me, so I nodded her way, choosing to stay back with Selene, wondering how this would go down. Clarke let out an annoyed breath, crossing her arms over her chest as if she were a child and her mom had just told her she couldn't go play with the rest.

- "She's going to kill us all." –Clarke whispered under her breath.

- "It's my fault." –Bellamy sighed.

- "Sam knows what she's doing, don't give yourself too much credit." –Jasper stuck his head out of the Rover- "So far, her hands are cleaner than yours. Let her be."

     Of course, Niylah would have a wristband, I mean, a trading post is where you'd expect things like this to end. I knew she didn't like Skaikru much, but I was hoping she'd remember me from last time; she had been nice to me.

- "Niylah." –Sheda spoke first- "Ai laik Sheda kom Trikru." [I am Sheda from Trikru]

- "En ai Samantha, dula op yu mema ai in? [And I am Samantha, do you remember me?]

- "Sha." –she nodded- "Ste hef kom las gou der?"- she pointed at the Rover. [Is the man from last time there?]

- "Nou, em na wan op gon em kripon gon Polis." -[No, he's going to pay for his crimes in Polis]- "Yu na sis yumi au?" [Can you help us?]

- "Ai na sis yu au, Jusheda." [I will help you, Jusheda] –she looked beside us- "Ba skaikru ste nou monin hir." [But Skaikru is not welcome here.]

- "Yeah, tell that to Clarke."

I turned around and moved my hand for Clarke to come next to us, Bellamy following her suit.

- "Ha dula op yu get in hashta 'Jusheda'?" –Sheda asked as they made their way next to us [How do you know about 'Jusheda'?] - "Ai jos get in kos em chich ai op." [I only know because she told me about it]

- "Diyo kom dison soujon snap." [Things like this travel fast.]

She looked at me and nodded when someone cleared their throat behind us.

- "Oso beda chich Inglis op." -[We should speak English] I smiled at Niylah before turning to Clarke and Bellamy- "Check this out, we're all still alive. You're welcome." –I gave them a side smile before Niylah spoke.

- "Skaikru is not welcome here, Wanheda."

- "Niylah, what's wrong?"

- "She's waking up, hurry!" –Sinclair yelled from the Rover.

- "Is your father here?" –Clarke's voice was higher this time as she began to panic.

- "My father is dead, he was part of an army killed by your people while trying to protect you."

- "Niylah, please."

- "I said no. Leave now."

- "We don't have time for this." –Bellamy rose his rifle and pointed it at Niylah- "Move!"

I'm so fucking done with this new Bellamy. I was quick to take my blade out and place it to his neck and he moved slightly back, surprised.

- "You've done enough, Blake." –he moved his face to look at me, startled eyes on mine- "Your actions have consequences, this" –I pointed at Niylah with my head- "is just one of them. Now put the rifle down before I do something we'll both regret." –I focused my attention back on Niylah- "You don't owe me anything, but I need your help to save my innocent friend; I'd be in debt with you. A favor from Jusheda has to count for something, right? Whatever you need, whenever you chose to call it."

- "Sam..." –Clarke started.

- "I'd even take a life if you ask me." –I removed my blade from Bellamy's neck- "You have my word, Niylah."

She looked at Clarke before facing me again and nodding, moving to the side so that we could move inside.

- "Get her inside."

- "Sheda, take Raven inside; fast."

He nodded at me and quickly took Raven from Sinclair's arms and ran inside the house so that Raven wouldn't know where we were. I followed him with everyone else behind me.

- "My mom was here." –Monty spoke and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the memory of that woman- "If she was chipped, A.L.I.E would know."

- "That's why we're putting her in the back." –Clarke quickly explained, clearly knowing the house- "Through there." -Sheda followed her indications; we soon found ourselves inside of a room with a bed, in which Sheda let go of Raven as she grunted, letting us all know she was awake- "Quick." –Clarke threw me a rope- "Tie her to the bed."

I started tying up her left arm to the bed's headboard while Sheda tied her left leg, Octavia her right one, and Jasper her right hand. She started fighting us all back, landing a fist to Jasper's stomach, making him fall to the ground. It took us several minutes, but we finally managed to get her immobilized on the bed. She was out of herself, I didn't recognize her, and it hurt me, seeing someone I loved so much so... different. I had to get out of there, and so I did after I made sure she couldn't escape. I got out of the room only to find Bellamy pointing his rifle at Niylah yet again.

- "We're already in her house, why the fuck are you still pointing that thing at her."

- "I don't trust her."

- "I know, you only trust Pike, blablabla." –I walked next to Niylah- "Leave her alone or deal with me."

- "Guys." –Clarke appeared from behind me- "Niylah, could you give us a second?"

Niylah looked at me and I nodded as she moved to the other side of the room.

- "Well, now that you're back together, I'll leave you both to discuss how to solve this new mess, Mr. and Mrs. Leader."

- "Why did you do that?" –Clarke faced me- "I had it under control."

- "Oh, so you want to talk to me? Cool."

- "Don't avoid the question."

- "Do what? Protect an innocent?"

- "The favor. I had it."

- "Your definition of 'having things under control' is quite funny, Clarke. Bellamy has already aided Pike in killing her father, do you think he wouldn't have shot if she had resisted?" –I scoffed as Bellamy tensed next to her- "Do you not remember what's been going on in Arkadia?"

- "I don't think he'd have shot her."

- "Well, I'm terribly glad we don't have to find out."

- "It's Bellamy we are talking about here, Sam." –she pointed at him- "Your boyfriend."

- "You and I are talking about different versions of Bellamy. My boyfriend got lost in the last update; the new version of Bellamy, let me remind you, is still on Pike's side." –I thought the parallel with a computer was appropriate since people were getting chipped by one now, apparently.

- "And what if she calls in that favor and asks you to kill someone?" –Bellamy asked, trying to move the focus of the conversation away from him.

- "Then let's hope it's not someone you know and you have to go through that process." –I eyed him up and down- "Because I gave her my word, and I do keep my promises." –I took a deep breath, looking down for a moment-  "I need fresh air, try not to kill anyone else while I'm out."

- "Sam..." –Bellamy tried to grab my arm to stop me.

- "Clarke's here now." –I pointed at her with my head- "I'm sure she'll appreciate your company. Have fun."