AN: Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter! Last few months were quite intense with school and stuff and I was trying to put together a new project, which by the way I hope I'll be able to post soon, buuut I managed to finally finish this chapter.
As for this story, I have no clue how it's gonna go with updating and all, so we'll see.
Stay safe, until the next one ✌️
Ashley with the rest of the group made it back to the camp safely. Just as they got there, Clarke went to talk to the Commander, who's name was Lexa, as they learned later.
Lincoln was immediately put in the medical and Octavia, of course, was determined to stay by his side, so Ashley didn't really get a chance to talk to her about anything. Again. She felt that they were growing apart lately, but she didn't want to bother Octavia even more with talking about it, cause brunette had more important problems.
Blonde found Raven as soon as she got back and told her about everything that happened. They didn't have much time to talk though, because Ashley was asked by Bellamy to help protecting the camp with the members of the guard. She was one of the few people, that he knew he could trust with a gun.
When it became dark outside, Ashley and Bellamy with few other guards were near the gates, waiting for Clarke to come back.
"Funny, how we end up together with guns again" blonde turned to Bellamy, sliding the weapon onto her back, as they were walking around the camp. "I'm getting all kinds of flashbacks lately" she sighed.
Bellamy kept gazing ahead of him, with a worried expression on his face. "Let's hope it won't end like the last time" he said.
Ashley frowned and immediately looked at him. "Hey, it won't. I'm sure Clarke will talk everything out with their Commander and we'll deal with it without unnecessary bloodshed. If anyone can make that happen, it's her" she tried to comfort him. Bellamy glanced at his friend and nodded hesitantly.
Suddenly, they heard a commotion by the gates. They ran up to the entrance and saw Clarke, escorted by two Grounders on horses.
"Hold your fire! She's back" Bellamy called out to the guards. Clarke entered the gate and approached them at the same time Finn did.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Shut the gate!" she ignored his question and turned to him. "You can't be out here"
Meanwhile, Abby appeared next to them. She hugged her daughter and immediately asked for the results of conversation with the Commander. Before Clarke could answer, Raven approached them with the same question. "Is there any chance for a truce?" she looked expectantly at Clarke.
"Yes" blonde replied, but her face didn't said anything good. Finn caught up on that.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Clarke sighed and looked at him. "They want you" she said and turned to the rest of them. "If we want a truce, we have to give them Finn" she announced.
Ashley wasn't surprised. They could've predict that the Grounders won't let events from Tondc slide. But that was a price that none of them was ready to pay.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Raven exclaimed. "That's their offer" Clarke stated helpless. "That's not an offer" brunette crossed her arms on her chest.
"It's a punishment" Finn said, his eyes widening in fear at the realisation. "For what happened at the village. Blood for blood."
"That's insane, there has to be some other way" Ashley shook her head, not wanting to accept it.
Clarke looked at her with remorse and it was enough to tell Ashley that there wasn't any other way. Blonde didn't have a great relationship with Finn lately and was terrified and disappointed with what he did. But he saved her life one time and she didn't forget that. Ashley thought, that whatever fate the Grounders had prepared for him, he didn't deserve to die like that.
"If we refuse…" Abby trailed off, expecting answers from Clarke. "They attack" her daughter confirmed their suspicions.
Meanwhile, people who gathered around them, started loudly demanding to give Finn into Grounders' hands.
"Give him to the Grounders!" some man yelled, rushing in Finn's direction. He was immediately shoved away by Raven. "Back off!" she hissed.
Bellamy squeezed himself in between the two to prevent any further conflicts from happening. Clarke walked over to Raven and put her hand on her shoulder. "Raven. Listen to me. Nothing is gonna happen to him. I promise, okay?" she assured brunette.
"If we start fighting each other now, we're gonna be dead before the Grounders will come for us" Ashley stepped in, shaking her head.
"I'm not dying for him. Spacewalker burned three months of oxygen from The Ark. He should've floated a long time ago" some other man exclaimed. "Throw him out!" he demanded.
That made Raven launch herself at him again and suddenly, Major Byrne with a few guards emerged from the crowd to stop the fight, but it ended with Raven's arm flying straight into her face. The guards immediately arrested brunette and took her away to the lock up.
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The next morning, Ashley, Bellamy, Clarke and Abby were standing in front of the main entrance listening to the Grounders' chanting something in their language, what definitely didn't seem friendly.
"They're trying to scare us" Bellamy called out to the other guards, including Ashley, who was standing next to Clarke and Abby.
"I think we should pull back and go inside the station" Abby said concerned. "No" Clarke shook her head. "We need to prove we're not afraid."
Ashley felt like the Grounders knew most of them were actually afraid. They were on the Earth before them, they knew the area better, they had a big advantage over them in almost every field. The only thing Sky People had, that Grounders didn't, were guns. But considering their numbers, probably even guns wouldn't save the camp.
"What if I am?" Abby asked, looking at her daughter. "Fake it" Clarke replied shortly. Abby nodded and rushed forward in the riders' direction.
"Open the gate!" she ordered, approaching them. Bellamy and Ashley followed, walking at both sides of Clarke, with their guns loaded and ready to shoot, just in case.
"Where’s the boy?" one of the riders asked. "We're not giving him up. We're ready to fight, if that's what it comes to" Abby stated firmly, taking Clarke's advice and remaining calm the whole time. Hearing that, the Grounders took off without another word.
"Watch the woods! Watch for movement!" Bellamy called out to all guards. Ashley pointed her gun in the forest's direction and looked through the viewfinder.
Suddenly, they all noticed something.
"Movement on tree line!" one of the guards exclaimed.
From the woods emerged a familiar figure. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot."
"What the hell? Kane?" Ashley lowered her gun and exchanged shocked glances with Clarke and Bellamy.
Kane was walking towards them with his hands put up in surrender. He approached Abby first and they greeted each other.
"It's good to see this place again" the man smiled at Bellamy, Clarke and Ashley, who rushed in his direction.
"You can't be out in the open" Bellamy said. "We need to get somewhere safe."
Kane chuckled softly, hearing that. "It's safe, for the moment" he informed. Then, he turned to Abby. "Come on, we need to talk. I managed to buy us a bit of time."
The two walked past Ashley and her friends, and into the station. "I don't know about you, but I don't have a good feeling about this" she said, glancing at Bellamy and Clarke.
"Yeah, me neither. It's best if we find out soon, come on" Bellamy replied and motioned for the girls to follow him.
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"Anything new? I heard that Kane's back, is that true?" Raven ran into the hallway Ashley and Bellamy were waiting in for Abby and Kane to come out.
"Yeah, he came and said that he bought us some time. Obviously, didn't say how. He's in there with Abby and Jaha for quite a while now" Ashley filled Raven in on what was going on.
"How long?" brunette asked. "I don't know. Half an hour?" blonde shrugged.
"Shit" Raven cursed under her breath and started nervously pacing back and forth.
Suddenly, the door opened and Abby rushed out of the room. "What's happening?" Raven immediately asked. "In there a long time" Bellamy said.
"There was a lot to talk about" Abby announced indifferently and continued walking. "What's going on?" Raven wasn't giving up. "There was a lot to talk about" the older woman repeated.
"Hey" Bellamy stopped her. "We are not turning him over to the Grounders."
"Step aside, now" Abby said sternly. "We're all trying to find a way out of this" she said and left.
"Damn it, Kane" Ashley cursed, running her hand through her hair. She already knew what that means.
"What the hell is going on?" Raven asked. "They're gonna give him up" Bellamy told her. "We need to get him outta here. We need a plan."
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The only place that Finn could hide in was the dropship. Bellamy, Ashley, Clarke, Finn and Raven decided to split up and get there separately. Ashley, Bellamy and Raven were already there and were starting to worry, cause the rest was nowhere to be found.
"I checked again. Still no sight of them" Raven said, visibly stressed about the absence of Clarke and Finn.
"Maybe they were followed and had to take a way around" Ashley threw in her idea, which sounded almost optimistic, compared to other possible options of what was happening with their friends right now.
"We shouldn't have split up" Raven shook her head. Suddenly they heard footsteps outside.
"Someone's coming" Bellamy said and glanced at Ashley, motioning for her to get her gun ready. From behind the curtains, came out Murphy.
"Hey, hey, hey" he put his hands up in surrender.
"Murphy?" Bellamy exclaimed surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I believe I was invited" Murphy replied in the same, bored tone as always.
"I thought we could use an extra gun" Raven explained. "But I'm already here…?" Ashley raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"You know what I mean" Raven rolled her eyes. "The more of us have a weapon, the better protection Finn can have."
"Right" Ashley sighed and looked away.
"Might be a good idea" Bellamy agreed. "Finn should've been right behind you" Raven turned to Murphy.
"Don't worry. The Spacewalker's gonna be fine" he said and sat down, leaning against the wall.
-------------------------------------------
A while later, Finn rushed into the dropship, carrying unconscious Clarke.
"What happened?" Bellamy asked, frightened, as they laid Clarke down on the floor. "A Grounder hit her on the head" Finn replied.
"I need a bandage, a wrap, anything" Bellamy announced. Ashley glanced at the wound on Clarke's head. It wasn't big, but it certainly needed stitches. She immediately took off her jacket and luckily, she had a shirt with long sleeves, so she ripped off one of them and handed it to Bellamy.
"Here" she said. Blake started to fumble with the material, trying to stop the bleeding, but he was too stressed and couldn't wrap it properly.
Ashley sensed his frustration and remembering what Clarke taught her, she kneeled next to him.
"Hey, can I try? Clarke taught me how to deal with things like that."
Bellamy looked at her hesitantly for a moment, but eventually let her into his place. "Okay, hold her head" blonde said to him and started to wrap the bandage around Clarke's head carefully. She finished, tying it up and backing away. "That should hold."
"Clarke, can you hear me?" Bellamy asked the girl, who was slowly waking up. Meanwhile, Raven and Finn were talking in the corner and it seemed like something was off. Suddenly, Finn rushed out of the dropship with Raven following, leaving Ashley, Bellamy and Murphy confused over half-conscious Clarke.