It had only been an hour since Clarke, Finn and the others had returned to camp with the news that Jasper had been taken by other people, survivors. Everyone was terrified as to what might happen to them, no one spared a thought for poor Jasper, no one except for Lydia Greystone and Clarke Griffin. Clarke had spent all afternoon gathering volunteers to form a search party, whilst Lyds had spent that time inside the dropship carving weapons, knives and spears, to be used in case they were attacked. Lydia had never been one to back down from a fight, especially when it came to the ones she cared about. Of course, she hadn't known Jasper or taken the time to talk to him, but Clarke and Finn had and they were her friends, so if saving Jasper was important to them then it was going to be important to her too.
"You ready to go?" Clarke asked, barely even taking a moment to step inside the dropship before hearing her friends answer.
"Ready!" the blonde called out before she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag full of weapons.
"You're coming too?" A boy approached Lyds, she'd seen him before but couldn't be sure of his name if she were asked, "Oh! I'm Monty, Jasper's best friend."
"To answer your question, yes I am, and I'm Lyds."
"Lydia, right. I know who you are. Kane's god daughter right?"
"Yeah I am, but I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone that Monty. Just keep it between you and me."
"Got it, your secrets safe with me."
"Thanks."
With a shared smile the pair headed outside to where Clarke waited at the gate with Wells, Bellamy and Murphy. Murphy's face seemed to drop at the sight of his friend.
"Monty I thought I told you to stay here!" Clarke called out, disappointment painted itself across her face, "We need you here."
"He's my best friend! I can't just leave him."
"Monty." Lyds hand fell to rest on the younger boys shoulder, "You need to stay here and take care of things, okay? You're an engineer, right?"
"Right."
"Then we need you to stay here, you're too important. I'll look for Jasper and as soon as I find anything i'll tell you okay?"
"Like hell you are!" Murphy outburst, "You are not coming with us Lyds."
"Why not? I want to look for Jasper just as much as any of you do."
"You'll get hurt, you're weak."
"I'll show you weak Murphy."
By that point the pair were so close to one another that their noses almost touched, it was a hilarious sight to see but to Lyds and John nothing had ever made them angrier.
"Alright, break it up." Bellamy let out a laugh, pushing the two delinquents apart, "Come on Doll, you're with me."
"But Bellamy-"
"She's coming with us." Clarke glared, "End of discussion Murphy."
"Don't worry Monty!" Lydia called over her shoulder as she was practically dragged away by Bellamy, "I got this!"
It was obvious that everyone had unknowingly paired up on their travels to find Jasper. Wells and Clarke walked ahead leading the group, trapped in a heated conversation whilst Murphy walked alone and Lyds and Bellamy trailed behind. It wasn't that she enjoyed the Blake boy's company or anything like that (which she did) it was that he was the only one with a gun (or at least that was what she told herself) and that somehow made her feel much much safer.
"So, why are you here?"
"Sorry?"
"Well, I don't think I ever saw you look in Jasper's direction, let alone talk to him."
"Have you been watching me bell?" there was a mischievous glint in her eye as she spoke and Bellamy couldn't help but think that for a split second she'd looked somewhat cute.
"In your dreams." he laughed, "But really, the truth?"
"Clarke and Finn care about him, and I care about them so here we are."
"Are you sure it wasn't so you could spend time with your favourite person?"
The girl could only roll her eyes, "Wells? Of course!"
"Could you two stop flirting? My ears are starting to bleed." Murphy hissed before he moved to fall in step with his best friend
Murphy had always seen Lyds as his younger sister, they'd grown up together, her family were his family, they were practically blood. That was why he was so harsh on her, so protective, he didn't want to lose all that he had left, her.
"Don't be jealous Murph'." she smiled her arms wrapped around his waist, "You'll always be my number one."
"Can we just focus please?" Clarke called out, "We need to find Jasper."
"Okay princess, calm down."
"Since when were we in the rescuing business?"
"The Ark already thinks the prince is dead, once they think the princess is too they'll never come down." Bellamy explained, his eyes set upon the Griffin girl, "I'm getting that wristband even if it means cutting of her hand to get it."
"Bell-"
"Don't try to talk me out of this Lyds, I'm letting you keep yours so this is the price that has to be paid."
"So if I let you take off my wristband, then Clarke gets to keep hers?"
"Well-"
"Then I want mine gone."
"What?" the men spoke in unison
"Clarke has family on the Ark, I have no one. If it means she gets to keep hers then I want you to take mine off."
"You heard her-" Murphy started but was brought to a halt when Bellamy held a hand up to quiet him.
"No. That's not how things are going to work, just you wait Doll, you'll see."
***
"Hey what's the rush? You don't survive a spear through the heart."
Only an hour had passed by and the entirety of the time Wells and Clark had walked ahead from the rest of the group. Despite her worry for Jasper, the boy who was attacked, Lyds had spent most of their hike messing around with Murphy and Bellamy. They'd played I Spy and ran around chasing one another, just like kids, and it felt good to be so care free, they'd spent all of their time on the ground worrying when the next fight would be so it was nice to have a little fun and mess around. Even if it did anger Clarke and Wells.
"Come on, Clarke we're just having a little fun." Lyds shrugged upon seeing the look on her friends face
"More than a little fun." Bell laughed, waving his gun in the air like a flag.
Murphy chuckled, and even Lyds found herself trying to fight a smile, but that smile faded the second she saw Wells pivot towards Bellamy.
"Bellamy, put the gun away!" Wells hissed, Lydia was in between the boys before she'd even realised what was going.
"Wells, back off." she glared, why was she protecting him?
"Why don't you do something about it huh?" Murphy spat
"Look if the spear pierced Jasper's heart he wouldn't have screamed when they moved him, that means he's still alive and we don't have any time to waste."
"Clarke's right." Lydia let out a sigh, "Jasper's life is at risk, we've gotta get going."
"We can go the second Princess takes off her wristband."
"You are going to leave 'the princess' alone. I told you Bell, my wristband comes off before Clarke's does."
"Hey!" Finn called out, the boy appeared from within the trees wearing a smile and Lyds could have sworn that in that moment she had never been happier to see Finn Collins smug face. "Get your own nickname, come on princess you're with me."
And just like that Finn dragged Clarke away to safety, leaving Wells, Lyds, Murphy and Bellamy to partner up.
"Well this just got a whole lot more interesting."
"Wells, you're with Murphy. Lyds, you come with me." Bellamy smirked to himself, "Let's get this shit show over with."
"I second that." Lyds smiled and walked away, Bell quickly followed
"If you even breathe in my direction-" Murphy began, glaring daggers at Jaha.
"You'll kill me? Got it."
***
"Hey do we know that this is even the right way? That Jasper's out here? Because right now i feel like we're in a wild goose chase."
"We don't know." Bellamy shook his head, "Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."
It was silent for a few sparing moments as Clarke and Finn crouched on the ground, inspecting what looked like tracks in the mud. It was obvious to everyone around them, to Lyds especially, that something was going on, there was some sort of connection, or a bond being built between her two friends. She was happy for them really, but something inside of her felt glum, she was worried that if her friends found happiness with one another that she would be all alone again. Even if she did have Murphy, it wouldn't be the same as things once were.
"Did you hear that?" John whispered, grasping his friends hand in desperation
"Bellamy? It might be a good time to use that gun of yours."
One by one the group ran through the trees, following the sounds that were similar to that of a dying animal, were they running towards safety? certain death? Jasper? There was no way of knowing, but they had to find out somehow and so that was how the group had found themselves running together, many hand in hand, towards uncertainty.
"Jasper!" The Greystone girl gasped upon seeing Jasper hung from a tree by his hands, covered in blood.
Immediately, Lyds sprang into action and ran out across the clearing ready to save the boy, leaving her friends trailing behind her. "Come on! He's over here!" She yelled
"Lyds, wait! It's not safe!" Bellamy called after her but it seemed the boy had spoken too soon because Lyds was brought to a stop when she heard what sounded like the pulling of a trigger beneath her feet.
With ice in her blood, Lydia Greystone swallowed the lump in her throat and finally looked down, only to find that she'd triggered what looked like an animal trap, and if she moved her foot that meant she'd most likely loose it.
"Guys, I think we have a problem..."
"Goddamit L, I told you to wait!"
"You guys go get Jasper. I can fix this don't worry-"
"Don't tell me not to worry right now Lyds, your foot is in a bear trap." Murphy fought to roll his eyes, "You're an idiot, you know that right?"
"Clarke, Finn, go save Jasper, Bell you go with them."
"I am not leaving you like this!"
"Go with them." she hissed, "You're more use to Jasper than to me."
"I said I was going to protect you, that was our deal." he narrows his eyes, a certain ferocity hidden behind them, "So take my fucking hands and let me save your ass."
"I hate you."
"On the count of three, you're going to jump towards me okay and I'm going to try to catch you."
"Try? You better catch me Blake."
"I will, you ready?"
"Ready."
"Okay, one, two, three..."
As quickly as possible Lyds surged forwards into Bellamy's arms, her hands found his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his in an attempt to save herself, thankfully their little plan seemed to work and the pair went tumbling to the ground like a pound of bricks.
Neither the Greystone girl or Blake boy spoke in those few moments after he saved her, all they could do was stare at one another, worry and admiration painted upon both of their faces like an abstract work of art. Even Murphy paused to watch the two, something was building between them, a friendship perhaps, maybe even feelings, he prayed to God it wasn't the latter.
"You good?" Bellamy was the first to speak, his arms wrapped around her waist like a second skin
"I'm fine." she told him, her small hands upon his chest
And then the pair separated as if nothing had happened, Bellamy brushed himself off and moved in Jasper's direction while Lyds threw herself into Murphy's arms seemingly frantic to feel the safety of her best friend's touch once more.
"Oh god, are you okay? Are you hurt?" His hands came to rest in her hair and his lips upon her forehead
"I'm okay, Bellamy saved me... Everything's fine."
The young girl watched over her friends shoulder as Bellamy and the others worked to cut Jasper down from the tree, the hard set look on his face, the determination in his eyes, she had to admit she was beginning to warm up to the boy. Something about him made her feel secure and that was all she could ask for in a friend, just a friend.
"Guys, come on!" Wells called out, "We need your help!"
As a team, everyone used the knives they had and the weapons Lydia had made and tried as hard as they could to save Jasper, but it seemed they weren't so alone after all.
"What was that sound?"
"Come on Murphy, quickly!" Finn scalded, both of the boys picked up their pace.
"Grounders?"
Bellamy Blake had never been more wrong in all of his life, because the second those words left his mouth what looked like a puma emerged from the foliage and ran at them. Clarke had never looked more terrified in her whole life, Lyds looked exactly the same way.
"Bellamy, gun!"
The older boy hesitated before reaching for his gun but when he finally did his face paled upon realising that it was no longer there. Instead, Wells was the one who pulled out Bellamy's gun and began shooting at the creature.
He took shot after shot and finally one hit the animal, only for it to run into the bushes surrounding Lyds and Bellamy, almost out of sight.
Lydia grasped ahold of her knife, "Bellamy, get behind me."
Before either of the orphans could comprehend what was happening the cat dived out from within the trees and sprung at them, the blue eyed girl raised her knife with one hand and pushed Bellamy back with the other, ready to attack. But something stopped her, instead a bullet burst through the creatures body sending it to the ground and out of her reach.
"Now she sees you."
"And she sees you too."
***
The night went on and Lydia found herself sat inside the dropship watching over Jasper whilst Monty, Finn, Clarke and the others went to eat. It had been an eventful day and truthfully Lyds had never been happier to be alone able to work on her sketches and be at one with the silence.
The only sound in the air was the light scratches of the pencil against her page as she wrote about their day and everything that had happened, accompanied by a small sketch of the freckled boy who she'd grown close to and an image of the panther that they'd killed and brought back to camp to eat. She refused to touch a bite of it.
"Hungry?" a voice spoke and Octavia blake entered the room
The young girl sat down on the ground beside Lyds, her eyes never leaving Jasper's sleeping form as she spoke. "I heard you saved my brother today."
"He saved me too." Lydia half smiled and took the stick of meat from Octavia, "Thanks."
"He's making everyone take off their wristbands for those things. Murphy was gonna call you outside but Bell made me bring this to you instead."
"Why?"
"I don't know, I guess he has some sort of soft spot for you. After all you were he first person to treat us with respect in... ever. Thank you for that."
"You're welcome."
"Anyway, he's asking for you outside." she spoke, "I'll take Jasper watch."
"Thanks Octavia, I'll see you later."
"Oh and Lyds? I'd steer clear of Murphy if I were you, he's on the war path."
"When isn't he?"
And just like that the two girls parted ways, Lyds to find Bellamy and Octavia to watch over the boy who had saved her life.
"Hey Bell, what did you need me for?"
"I wanted to check you were okay after today."
"What do you mean?"
"Well first of all there was the whole getting your foot trapped in a bear trap, then there was the panther jumping at your face and you kinda saving my life."
"I'm fine Bellamy, honestly. I'm glad to see you are too."
With a gentle smile, Lydia reached out and pressed her wristband clad arm to touch Bellamy's shoulder, ready to bring him into a hug but the older boy seized her wrist in a moment of panic.
"I wouldn't." he breathed, "If Murphy sees you still have your wristband..."
"I don't care anymore Bell, take it off."
"Sorry?" he spluttered, "I thought-"
"I changed my mind. I have no one up there looking out for me, not even my god father, he's the one who sent me down here in the first place... So why keep it on?"
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into Lyds."
"I trust you Bellamy, so if you want it gone, then it's gone."
"You trust me?"
"Always." she beamed up at him, "You're my friend."
He couldn't even admit it to himself but hearing the girl he barely knew, the girl who was practically a child, who he'd spent most of his days on the ground with, call him her friend both stung and warmed his heart. She trusted him, she finally trusted him, but still he'd thought, even hoped that she would call him slightly more than a friend, whatever that was, whatever that may be.
"Friend, I like the sound of that... Now, let's get that thing off your wrist."