Hi everyone! This is the last chapter. Thank you all so much for your positive comments! I greatly appreciate them! I'm slowly working out an idea for another Bellarke fic in my head so if you're interested please stay tuned!

Chapter Seven

Clarke had been back at work for two weeks now. To say she'd been surprised to wake up in a hospital room with her gallbladder removed was an understatement. She was incredibly grateful to her friends for taking care of her. Octavia and Raven told her what Bellamy had told them in the waiting room and insisted she tell him how she felt. Octavia, despite how much she loved Clarke, was starting to get in protective sister mode about how she was treating Bell. That's what led Clarke to be at Grounders with the rest of their friends on Friday night chugging a beer to try and get the courage to talk to Bellamy. Just as she set the bottle down Bellamy came through the door and started to make his way back to their table.

"Hey Bell," Octavia greeted.

"Hey," Bellamy stood in front of the table. He seemed seemed distracted and didn't seem to be paying attention to any of them.

"What's goin' on big brother?" O asked.

"Huh? Nothing," Bellamy took the beer the waitress brought him and took a large sip. "Sarah told me she loved me."

And with that sentence, Clarke's heart broke into a million pieces. As the guys around the table congratulated him, Octavia and Raven both glanced at their best friend to find her struggling to settle her breathing and not cry. Finally Clarke seemed to come to a decision and subtly grabbed her bag that was sitting next to her.

"That's great Bell," She said as she stood up. "Congrats. I need to go. I forgot I have to work in the morning. See you all later."

"Hey wait! Clarke?" Bellamy watched her retreating back before turning back to the confused table. "I thought she had tomorrow off."

"You are a fucking idiot," Raven said as she too stood and looked at Octavia. The other girl nodded and Raven ran out the door to catch Clarke.

"What the hell just happened?" Bellamy turned to his sister to find her glaring daggers at him.

"You just broke my best friends' heart you asshole," She said also standing. "That's what happened."

Octavia left as well leaving a majority of the table, Lincoln and Wick excluded, confused. She caught up to Raven and Clarke not far from the bar. Raven was supporting Clarke who seemed to be having trouble walking. Octavia ran to catch up and put an arm around Clarke and together she and Raven helped get Clarke home. When they were safely inside their apartment Clarke collapsed on the couch and started sobbing. Over the next few days Bellamy smartly made himself scarce although he still seemed confused as to why Clarke was upset. Two days later Clarke sat in her boss' office and politely waited as he processed her rather abrupt and random request.

"You're sure this is what you want Clarke?" He asked.

"Yes it is," She replied.

"Well I'm going to insist you think about this for a couple days," He said much to Clarke's dismay. "If you still feel this way two days from now, I'll move forward with this request."

Clarke nodded knowing it would be no use arguing. She finished her shift and made her way to her car. As she drove home she started to think. Despite how sure she was when she went into her boss' office earlier, now that he'd forced her to think about the decision she was starting to doubt herself. Maybe she was making a sudden decision. By the time she opened the door to her apartment she wasn't as convinced as she'd been before that she was making the right decision. Her living room was currently occupied by all her friends including Bellamy who glanced nervously at her.

"Hey. I'm glad you're all here," She closed the door and hung her jacket up. All her friends were staring at her in confusion. Clarke pushed on despite the heavy beating of her heart. "I'm leaving. I'm going to a hospital in Chicago. They need someone in their Child Oncology Ward and I've offered to go. It's not final yet, but it will be soon."

"What?" Octavia exclaimed as tears started to trail down her cheeks.

"You can't leave," Raven, who was also beginning to cry, stated.

"I'll help you find another roommate I promise," Clarke said her resolve not to cry breaking when her best friends started to cry. "But I have to do this."

"This is because of me isn't it?" Bellamy asked from his place on the couch.

Clarke stared back at him and knew she couldn't lie to him anymore. She had to be honest about her feelings for him. And about how much her heart was broken.

"Yea it is," She quietly replied much to her friends' disbelief. She reached for his hand and dragged him to her bedroom, needing privacy for what she was about to do. When her bedroom door was closed behind them she took a deep breath and turned to find him staring at her with a hurt look on his face. She took both of his hands in hers and twisted their fingers together. "Bellamy I've had feelings for you for a long time. You were never a relationship guy and I didn't want to loose you as a friend because you're my best friend so I never said anything. I probably should have. I like Sarah. I truly do. But I can't stay here and watch you with someone else. It hurts too much."

Bellamy stared at Clarke with complete surprise. If he thought that's what she was going to say he'd be wrong. It certainly explained her behavior the last few months. To Clarke's utter confusion Bellamy just smiled back at her. When she tried to step back he just tightened his grip on her fingers instead.

"Clarke did you ever hear me say I loved Sarah too?" Bellamy asked. When she scrunched her eyebrows and eventually shook her head Bellamy smiled at her. "I did like Sarah, but when she told me she loved me it made me realize that I didn't. I didn't love her and I honestly didn't really want to be with her. It wasn't fair to either one of us for me to keep pretending. Clarke I'm in love with you. Not Sarah or anyone else."

Clarke stared up at Bellamy in disbelief. He loved her. As a happy laugh tumbled out she smiled back. He wiped the tears that had slid down her cheeks. As his hands came up to frame her face, she rested her hands against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead then placed his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Clarke whispered.

"I'm sorry I've made you miserable the last few months," He replied as he pulled back to look in her eyes. "I liked Sarah, but I was just trying to get you out of my mind. I didn't think you cared about me the way I cared about you. Are you still going to Chicago?"

"No. Not if I have a chance to be with you," She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. "I do have that right?"

"Yes. Hell yes you do," Bellamy wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck. "I desperately want to kiss you, but technically I'm still dating Sarah. Will you still be here when I get back?"

Clarke nodded and smiled while accepting his kiss to her temple. With her hand tangled with his and her other hand gripping his bicep she walked him to the front door as their friends watched them in disbelief. When she closed the door she leaned back against it for a moment in disbelief. He loved her too. A loud throat clearing startled her out of her thoughts. Raven was staring knowingly at her with a smirk on her face.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She smiled.

"Please tell me Chicago is now off the table," Octavia said.

"It's off the table and out the window," Clarke smiled and only slightly winced when both girls screamed their delight. They both threw their arms around Clarke.

"I have no idea what's happening but I'm excited about it," Jasper said glancing at an equally confused Monty and Miller.

"We'll explain later," Wick smiled.

"Where's Bellamy going?" Miller asked.

"If I'm interpreting the situation correctly then he's on his way to break up with Sarah," Lincoln looked over to the girls for confirmation. "Am I right Clarke?"

Clarke nodded. Both girls squealed again and dragged Clarke to the kitchen where they gossiped until Wick and Lincoln dragged their girlfriends away for the rest of the evening. It took Bellamy a lot longer than anticipated to come back. When he finally returned most of their friends were gone and both Raven and Octavia had retreated to their boyfriends' apartments. Clarke was standing out on the balcony. She was wrapped up in a jacket that looked a lot like Bellamy's and her feet were bare. He quietly opened the door and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pacing a kiss on her temple.

"Hey," She leaned back against his chest gripping his biceps.

"Hey," He replied.

"I'm guessing that didn't go well," Clarke turned and leaned back against the railing. He looked exhausted and gripped her waist tightly in his hands.

"Yea. She was pissed. She accused me of cheating on her with you the whole time," Bellamy said. "Now that I think about it I don't think she ever did understand our friendship. I'm sure it came off to her like there was something more going on."

"I'm sorry about that. That's partly my fault," Clarke replied.

"I think we're equally to blame," Bellamy said as he rubbed his hands up and down her sides. Her deep blue eyes looked up at him and he was completely lost in them. How he'd never seen what was clearly there he'd never know. "I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. We've wasted so much time when we could have been together."

"Well let's not waste anymore time," Clarke said as she brought her hand up to his cheek.

Bellamy was happy to oblige and leaned forward to capture her lips with his for the first time. She wrapped her arms around his neck, still not fully able to believe that they were finally taking this step. When he pulled back he smiled at her and kissed her a few more times before pulling her to rest against his chest.

"Clarke will you go out with me tomorrow night?" He asked. She glanced up at him with her chin resting against his chest.

"Absolutely," She said as he leaned down to capture her lips.

"Good," He whispered. "I love you Princess."

"I love you too," She replied. She led him to her bedroom and after that night they were even more inseparable than ever before.