02.
I'll bring him back to you, I promise.
The group, minus Jasper, took off running. Juliet was still in shock and could barely move, so Monty was pulling her along by her wrist. Juliet felt the pressure on her wrist disappear looking up too see Monty trip and fall to the floor. She immediately reached down to grab his arm. Octavia came to help her grabbing his other arm. They shared a look and Juliet could see the fear in her eyes.
"Come on Monty, get up." Octavia grunted out. Juliet noticed how he didn't seem to hear her and followed his line of vision. She stared eye wide at the human bones laid in front of them.
"Who are they?" Finn whispered staring between all the human remains scattered across the floor.
Juliet watched as Clarke picked up a human skull, or at least that's what she thought it was until she saw how disfigured it was. "What are they?" Clarke asked staring at the odd shape.
"We are so screwed." Octavia whispered from the other side of Monty with Juliet nodding in agreement.
At the sound of a scream everybody froze turning their heads. "Jasper." Clarke whispered at the same time Juliet took off sprinting in the direction of the scream. Clarke immediately followed causing everyone to rush after the two.
"Juliet! Clarke! Wait!" Finn yelled after them trying to catch up.
Clarke quickly caught up to the other blonde and held her hand letting her pull her along. Finn reached Clarke and pulled back, immediately stopping Juliet. "Wait, stay behind the trees." He whispered to them.
Juliet looked straight ahead noticing Jasper missing. She looked back to the others in confusion.
"He was just there." Finn whispered staring straight across.
"Where is he?" Monty asked in fear. Juliet stared at him and frowned seeing the look on his face.
"They took him." Clarke whispered and Juliet watched as Monty's shoulders slumped and his eyes glazed over. She reached out and grasped his wrist giving it a gentle squeeze. He didn't seem in any way reassured, but he didn't push her away either.
They started walking back the the drop sight in silence. Monty and Juliet helped Octavia walk. She was still hurt from the creature in the river yesterday.
"Wells, let him go." Juliet's head snapped up at Clarke's order. She stared at Wells in confusion as he held Murphy with a knife to his throat. They had made it back to camp, but there was more hostility than when they left.
Wells looked at Clarke and then to Juliet who was still holding up Octavia. He threw Murphy to the ground who immediately stood back up and went to charge him. Bellamy stepped in before he could do anything more.
"Octavia." Bellamy yelled noticing her limping form as they carried her back into camp. Juliet let go of her so he could take her. "Where's the food?" He asked looking at Clarke.
"We didn't make it to Mount Weather." Finn answered sitting down on a log.
"What the hell happened out there?" Bellamy asked staring at the group noticing the look of distraught resembling on all their faces.
"We were attacked." Clarke announced causing everyone in camp to freeze.
"Attacked by what?" Wells asked in worry staring at his two friends. Juliet just looked back out into the forest, not sure what to do.
"Not what, who." Finn explained running his hand through his hair. "Turns out when the last man from the ground died on the ark, he wasn't the last grounder."
"It's true. Everything we thought we knew about the ground was wrong. There are people here, survivors. The good news is that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us." Clarke spoke gaining everyone's attention.
"Bad news is the grounders will." Finn spoke his voice dropping, but by the looks on everyone's faces they heard him clearly.
"Where's the kid with the goggles." Wells asked finally taking a good look at the group.
"Jasper was hit. They took him." That caused the whispers among the camp to increase.
Juliet looked at Monty next to her, he was looking at the ground. She didn't know how to make him feel better, she wouldn't know what to do if it were Clarke or Wells out there.
"Where's your wrist band?" Clarke asked Wells, gripping his wrist.
"Ask him." He spoke glaring at Bellamy. Juliet turned and glared at the man next to Octavia. She knew he couldn't be trusted.
"How many?" Clarke asked angrily taking a step towards Bellamy. He glanced towards Octavia who was giving him a disapproving look.
"Twenty-four and counting." Murphy piped out smirking at his accomplishment. Juliet took an angry step towards him, but was held back. She glanced at Monty who was shaking his head softly.
"You idiots. Life support on the ark is failing. That's why they brought us down here. They need to know the ground is survivable again and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wrist bands you're not just killing them, you're killing us." Juliet noticed the doubt on everyone's faces, they weren't sure what to believe.
"We're stronger than you think. Don't listen to her, she's one of the privileged. If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same? We can take care of ourselves. That wrist band on your arm, it makes you a prisoner. We are not prisoners anymore. They say they'll forgive your crimes, I say you're not criminals." Juliet rolled her eyes at him, because some of them really are criminals. She knew that, they knew that. He probably just didn't want to be punished for whatever he did to get that guards uniform, she thought. "You're fighters, survivors. The grounders should be worried about us." He finished gaining a chorus of agreements.
Juliet walked off with Clarke in annoyance. She understood that they were angry at the ark, but she didn't understand why they were so blind to think they could survive on their own. They didn't even have food or proper shelter.
"What do we do now?" Monty asked following behind them.
"Now we go after Jasper." Clarke answered determined. Juliet smiled and walked behind her with Monty following closely.
➴ ➵ ➶
Juliet sat with her legs crossed watching Clarke as she put together supplies. They needed to move quick if they were to find Jasper in time. Clarke let out a frustrated breath and Juliet reached over to give her hand a gentle squeeze. They shared a look and Juliet nodded giving a small smile.
Clarke pulled the bag over her shoulder and stood when she heard the latch open and footsteps approaching. Juliet remained seated and watched as Wells approached them.
"When my father said they didn't leave us anything, he really meant it." Juliet wasn't sure if he was trying to be funny, but she wasn't amused. "It's just a scratch." Wells spoke trying to pull out of her grasp, but Clarke was gripping his arm hard. Juliet narrowed her eyes noticing the scratch as well. She frowned she didn't want him to be hurt, she didn't want anyone to be hurt.
"You're making friends fast. Keep it covered it could get infected." Juliet could tell Clarke didn't want to speak to him, but seeming as the other blonde didn't want to speak to him even more, she had no choice. "Nice pack."
"Yeah seat-belts and uhh insulation. I also packed part of the parachutes figured we could use it to carry back Jasper." He offered and Juliet couldn't help but agree with him. It was hard enough helping Octavia limp back to camp, but having to carry all of Jasper would be tricky.
"Good. Give it to Juliet." Clarke ordered and Juliet bit her lip knowing where Clarke was going with this. She didn't want Wells coming. "You're not coming with us." Juliet stood and started following the two towards the stairs.
"My ankles fine." Wells followed after her.
"It's not your ankle, Wells, it's you." Clarke called up to him as she reached the bottom.
"You came back for reinforcements. I'm going to help." He yelled down to her as he started climbing down.
"Clarke." Juliet rushed to get down the stairs when she heard Monty's voice. She figured he must be having a hard time, because it was his best friend out there. "He's right we need him." She stared at Monty in surprise at his order. "So far no one else has volunteered."
"I'm sorry Monty, but you're not going either." Clarke ordered looking between Juliet and Monty. Juliet didn't quite understand why he couldn't go. If it was Clarke out there, she would do anything to get her back.
"Like hell I'm not. Jasper is my best friend."
"You're too important. You were raised on farm station and recruited by engineering"
"Yeah, so?" Monty asked looking between the group clearly not understanding.
"So, food and communication. What's up here..." Clarke explained pointing to his head. "...it's going to save us all. You figure out how to talk to the ark and I'll bring Jasper back."
He looked to Juliet for help, but she just looked away. She didn't want to make him stay, but she agreed with Clarke. He was too important and they couldn't risk him getting hurt. Monty's shoulders slumped in defeat noticing he was outvoted.
"Hey, you ready?" Clarke asked Finn as he walked into the drop ship.
"I'm not going anywhere. And neither should any of you. That spear was thrown with pin point accuracy from 300 feet." Finn spoke looking at the whole group.
"So what? We just let Jasper die." Monty asked with panic in his voice.
"That's not going to happen." Clarke was determined to save him.
"Spacewalker? What a joke. You think you're such an adventurer, but you're just a coward." Juliet watched as Clarke walked out hurt, but determined not to show it.
"It's not an adventure Clarke. It's a suicide mission." Finn called out to her, but she ignored him.
"Build a wall. Use the fallen trees. I'll watch out for her." Wells ordered him following Clarke out.
"Jasper looked up to you." Monty's voice held obvious hurt and disappointment. She heard his footsteps as he walked away.
Juliet stared at Finn in a mix of disappointment and anger. She would like to think that she was angry because he hurt Clarke, because he disappointed Monty, because he would let Jasper die, but the truth is she started to believe in him as well. She was angry because she allowed herself to expect something from him and disappointed because he had let her down. She had never trusted someone other than her father, Clarke, and Wells; but she had begun to trust him.
"It's okay to be afraid, the trick is not fighting it." Juliet gave him a sad look and turned to walk away.
She went to look for Monty wanting to make sure he was ok before they left. She found him on the upper level of the drop ship. He didn't make a move until she was sitting right next to him. He looked up giving her a sad look. "Why don't you talk?" He asked her quietly hoping for a response, he didn't get one. He sighed and ran his hand through his dark fluffy hair. "Jasper's my best friend. When we were kids I would always get picked on and one day Jasper just stepped in, stopped them. He didn't care what would happen to him. You see he's always been there for me. I should be out there looking for him."
"I know." She whispered agreeing with him.
"It's my fault-" he continued, but cut himself off and turned to stare at her. His eyes were wide not believing his ears. "Did you just?"
"I'll bring him back to you, I promise." She glanced at him, giving him a small smile. He returned it with a huge grin still not believing she spoke to him.
"Thank you." He wasn't sure if it was for her promise or for actually speaking to him. She nodded and stood walking to the stairs. She have him one last glance before going in search of Clarke.
➴ ➵ ➶
When Juliet caught sight of Clarke and Wells at the edge of camp she was confused at the increased hostility between the two.
"Those guys aren't just bullies Clarke." Wells rushed out and Juliet raced to catch up to them. "They're dangerous criminals."
"I'm counting on it." She said determined. Juliet wasn't sure what was going on, but she kept walking. She was determined to keep her promise to Monty.
"Hey, hold up. What's the rush? You don't survive a spear through the heart." Bellamy called to the three while waving a gun around. Juliet was alarmed, no one had told her about a gun. No one had told her they were coming in the first place.
"Put the gun away, Bellamy." Wells said taking a step towards him.
Murphy jumped in and pushed Wells back. Juliet leaned against a tree starting to become really annoyed with Murphy. "Well why don't you do something about it?" He was taunting Wells and she didn't like it one bit.
"Jasper screamed when they moved him, if the spear had struck his heart he would have died instantly. Doesn't mean we have time to waste." Clarke explained, she moved to begin walking again, but Bellamy pulled her back.
He was gripping her wrist and smirking down at her. "Why don't you take this wrist band off and we can go. " Juliet took a step away from the tree in their direction. She didn't trust him at all.
Clarke pulled her wrist back. "The only way the ark is going to think I'm dead, is if I'm dead. Got it?"
"Brave, princess." Bellamy taunted smirking down at Clarke.
"Hey why don't you find your own nickname." Juliet grinned as she saw Finn walk up to the group. "Call this a rescue party? Gotta split up, cover more ground. Clarke come with me." As he reached her he gave her a small smile and a nod.
Juliet found herself walking next to Murphy, well more like leading him. She refused to speak one word to him, so he just kept following her like a puppy dog. Calling out her name every few seconds without any response back.
"Come on, Juliet." She just rolled her eyes at him and kept walking. She felt a tug of her wrist and was pulled back. She didn't like being this close to him and tried to pull her arm out of his grasp. She looked up at him and gave him a hard look. "I'll leave you alone, if you take the wrist band off." He was smirking at her, knowing he was stronger.
"Hey, leave her alone." Wells yelled coming up to the two. He moved to shove Murphy off, but Bellamy stopped him.
"Murphy, let her go." Bellamy ordered. Juliet wasn't sure why he was helping her, but she was grateful.
Murphy stared at Juliet contemplating his next move. He eventually let her go, but not before whispering in her ear. "Just a matter of time, princess."
Juliet scoffed and watched as Bellamy shoved him forward and they kept walking. She rubbed at her wrist as she started down the same path she watched them go.
"Are you okay?" Wells asked, but she didn't respond pretending to not have heard him. "I know you hear me, Jules."
She turned so fast that it caught him off guard. "You don't get to call me that." There was so much anger and pain in her voice that he almost fell over.
"Look I know messed up, but let me explain." He pleaded putting has hands up.
"Why?" She whispered staring at him with dull blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before he had the chance. "I trusted you and you betrayed me. Then you come back and you don't even care enough to apologize to me." She was trying hard not to let the tears escape. He watched her internal battle in pain, not being able to help. "I know you love Clarke, I've always known. I just thought I was important too." By the end her voice was barely a whisper. Her throat was tight from holding back the tears.
He didn't say anything as she turned to walk away, he didn't try to follow. She kept her head down as she walked away. Juliet walked in silence for a little, until Finn and Clarke found her. Explaining that they found Jasper's blood and a trail. She noticed the goggles in Clarke's hands and frowned.
"Hey how do we know this is the right way?" Murphy called up to the rest of the group.
"We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker." Juliet rolled her yes at the amusing tone in Bellamy's voice.
"It's called cutting sign. Fourth year Earth skills- he's good." Wells explained, she could tell he was still upset from their talk earlier.
"You wanna keep it down or should I paint a target on your backs?" Finn spoke from the front. Juliet walked silently in the back. She saw Finn bend down to stare at something in the rocks and Clarke follow suit.
"See? You're invisible." Juliet narrowed her eyes at Bellamy's comment to Wells. They weren't on the best terms, but that doesn't mean she will let anyone mess with his head. She moved forward to reach Clarke and Finn, but made sure to purposely bump her shoulder into Bellamy.
She smiled to herself, but it was wiped off when a loud moan echoed through the woods. "Now would be a good time to take out that gun." Clarke instructed Bellamy, who was glaring at the back of Juliet.
They jogged silently through the woods as the moans increased. Once they reached the source, Juliet froze. Jasper was bare chested and tied to a tree with markings covering his body.
Juliet raced forward trying to get to Jasper quickly, with Clarke hot on her tail. Juliet was just a couple feet away from Jasper when the ground disappeared beneath her. Clarke reached out to try and hold her up, but she wasn't strong enough. The guys rushed forward to help Clarke pull her up. They successfully pulled her up and she gasped to breathe. Clarke pulled her into a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" Finn asked a little breathless when she pulled out of the tight embrace. She nodded yes a couple times, still in shock.
"We need to get him down." Clarke said staring up at Jasper.
Juliet stared up at him and winced at the moans of pain still emitting from him. She looked at the tree behind him trying to devise a plan.
"I'll climb up there and cut the vines."
"Yeah I'm with you." Wells agreed taking a step in the direction of the tree, but got cut off.
"No stay with Clarke, and watch him." Finn instructed tilting his head towards Bellamy. "Juliet, Murphy, you're with me. Let's go."
Juliet was already making her way to the tree. Finn knew that saving Jasper was important to her, important to Monty.
"There's a poultice on his wound." Clarke announced causing Juliet to stare at the green goo on his chest.
"Medicine. Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?" Wells asked looking between Clarke and Jasper.
"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes his dinner to be breathing." Bellamy offered.
"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us." At Finn's words everyone was silent.
Murphy offered to help Juliet up, she gave him a hard look. He just rolled his eyes at her offering her a leg up she agreed realizing she wasn't tall enough to reach the lower branch. Once she reached the top Finn handed her a knife. She was cutting the vines on Jasper's hands, while the other two were working on his stomach and legs.
"Hurry up Murphy." Finn ordered.
"Be careful." Clarke instructed paying close attention to the wound on Jasper's chest.
Juliet was moving quickly to cut the vines off his wrists. She froze when she heard a growl coming from in the forest.
"What the hell was that?" Murphy asked trying to get a good look at where it came from.
"Grounders?" Bellamy asked, but she doubted they made that sound.
Juliet saw a black figure coming out of the forests. It was running straight towards Clarke. "Bellamy gun." She heard Clarke yell, but when he reached for it he felt nothing.
Juliet jumped when she heard gun shots, her head snapping to Wells. Her eyes widened at the sight of her childhood friend firing a weapon. He succeeded in shooting it, but it came back and jumped for Bellamy. Juliet was frozen in fear. She didn't feel the best towards Bellamy and didn't like the way he treated her friends, but no one should die. Before the creature could sink it's teeth into Bellamy, Wells shot it one last time causing it to fall limp. Juliet let out a breath of relief and laid her head on a tree branch.
"Now she sees you." Bellamy spoke to Wells giving him a hard look and taking his gun back.
➴ ➵ ➶
"They're back." Someone yelled as soon as they stepped on the outskirts of camp. Juliet watched Monty rush out of the drop ship and straight towards her.
"Is he?" Monty asked as soon as his eyes laid upon his best friend. Juliet gave a small smile and nodded slightly.
"He's alive. I need boiled water and strips of cloth to make a bandage." Clarke instructed.
Monty ran in search of boiled water, while Finn and Wells took Jasper into the drop ship. Juliet followed after them with Clarke next to her. They didn't have extra strips of cloth on hand so Juliet decided to use her shirt. She took off her jacket and started pulling off her shirt just as Monty walked back in. He almost tripped at the sight in front of him. Juliet gave him a confused look and pulled the rest of her shirt over her head, leaving her in just a tank top. Clarke took the shirt and started tearing the cloth into strips. Juliet took the water from Monty, ignoring the look he was giving her, and went to the side of Jasper opposite Clarke.
Together they cleaned the wound and stabilized him as best they could. They both knew that without proper medicine it was no use. They kept those thoughts to themselves thinking of the other two in the room. Octavia refused to leave Jasper's side until she knew he was okay. Monty didn't take his eyes off his best friend. When they finished Clarke walked out in need of fresh air. Jasper was sound asleep the only sound to be heard was an occasional moan of pain.
Octavia looked between Monty and Juliet giving a small smile. "I'm going to go eat or something. " She got up and ran out of the drop ship.
Juliet watched her go with a confused smile not quite understanding. She turned her head at the sound of a cough to see Monty running his hand through his hair awkwardly. "Thank you." He spoke giving her a grateful smile. She smiled and gave him a small nod in return. He reached over and gave her hand a small squeeze. "No really, thank you."
"I always keep my promises." She spoke seriously and he didn't doubt it.
➴ ➵ ➶
I called Murphy a puppy dog. I regret nothing.