A/N: Hi all! I'm very sorry for the months-long break between this chapter and the previous. I actually thought I'd posted this, but it came to my attention yesterday I did not. Oops! Here's the final chapter for this story. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you to everyone who was kind enough to favourite, follow and most of all, review the story! Your support means so much to me! It motivates me to keep posting, even when the writing gets harder :D

"Mom and Dad are back!"

Cheers of triumph erupted over the palisade at the announcement. The gate was hauled open and the group of wearied travellers was welcomed back in a manner of congratulations and relief. Bellamy got the feeling that the cheer had more to do with the fact that majority of their leadership team were not dead, rather than relief that the individuals themselves weren't so. Camp had proved before it could barely run itself without them for long.

It was only when Raven and Finn parted and Bellamy became visible that a hush quickly fell over the previously rejoicing teens. The back pats stopped, smiles stilled and almost a hundred pairs of eyes fell on the girl in Bellamy's arms. Clarke was only just awake, but it wasn't missed that both she, and Bellamy's arms were stained with dried blood.

Bellamy managed to part the crowd without a word as he headed for the dropship. Clarke gave a small groan and her transport fought down a smile. She was back home to her 'beloved' tower, but this time her being locked up was for her own good.

"Clarke!?"

"Oh my god, what's wrong with her?"

"Outta my way," Bellamy ordered when Jasper and Monty's faces loomed too close for his liking. "Give her some space."

He was glad when Raven took to the task of explaining what had happened as Finn made himself useful with crowd control outside. It wasn't something he'd been particularly relishing to do.

"She'd been coughing like crazy all morning and was having chest pains, so when she collapsed, we didn't know what to do. She couldn't breathe."

"Was the fatigue related?" Monty wanted to know with a hand on his chin.

"She was hit by lightning," Jasper explained in his usual wide eyed manner, throwing a hand in Clarke's direction as she lay on the makeshift pallet that only days ago she'd nursed Thalie's broken ankle on. "Of course she was going to be tired."

"No, I mean, it sounds like she-"

"Hey," Jasper lit up with excitement. "Did you get a cool scar or burn or something? I remember an electrician telling us once when he came to fix the sprinkler system on Agro about mad burns."

Clarke scoffed with a tired grin and pushed up her sleeve. Jasper and Monty crowded around to get a proper look before letting out similar exclamations of awe and giving each other their special high-five handshake.

"It's like a vine! That's cool." Monty said.

"It's kinda pretty," Jasper said with a nod.

"It looks like the bronchial tree," Clarke commented drily. "Yeah, so pretty."

"Look, when you're done gawking over Clarke's cool new tattoo, could someone please remember she needs medical attention?" Bellamy said, trying to hide his frustration. "Her arm will still be here tomorrow."

"Right!" Jasper and Monty snapped into attention.

"Clarke, what do you need?" Monty asked.

"I'm going to need some moonshine to make sure this doesn't get infected," Clarke said as she tried to get a look at the wound herself. All she managed to do was give herself a comical double chin as it pushed against her throat. "Any tea with soothing properties and some red meat."

"What's the meat for?" Bellamy asked with a furrowed brow.

Clarke shrugged. "I'm going to need to replenish my red blood count, keep up my energy. That and I'm hungry."

"Clarke?" Thalie had just pushed open the dropship curtain as she was helped inside by Harper. "Hey, I heard you were injured." She hobbled slowly across the small room to the bench.

"Yeowtch," was all Harper said with a wince when she got a full look at the dried blood caking Clarke's front.

"I'm not going to explain it again," Raven said as she wearily took a seat on the ladder to the upper levels. "You can find out what happened from one of the others. It'll be all over camp before dinnertime."

"Are you stuck in here for a while?" Thalie asked as she looked down on Clarke.

Clarke shifted, uncomfortable to be the patient in this role play reversal. "Probably. No point going to my tent if people get injured and need a doctor, right?" She gave a small smile.

"I'll stay with you then," Thalie announced, steering her walking crutch known as Harper to the nearest seat. "It's only fair after how nicely you looked after me the other day," she explained as she drew her leg up and gingerly placed her ankle on the next seat to keep it elevated. She locked serious eyes with Clarke. "I didn't forget it." Suddenly she brightened with a smile. "Besides, where else can I go?"

Over the next two days, Clarke saw a constant flurry of "visitors". That's what they called themselves at least, but really she knew what they were doing. Did they think she wouldn't notice that they were all taking shifts to look after her? Not that she needed looking after. All she needed was rest. The poison sumac teas that Monty frequently brought her were incredibly soothing however, so she couldn't even muster the annoyance at the idea she was being babysat.

After two days of imposed bedrest as ordered by "Dr Monty and Nurse Jasper", Clarke was feeling back to her usual self. Her throat still occasionally twinged, but was healing nicely. Luckily she'd been the only patient the dropship had seen during the past 48 hours. She had a feeling someone had been running interference outside. She had vague dreams of Bellamy's voice floating in and out of her half-drugged (thanks to Monty) conscious state.

"It's Octavia!" one of the guards on Watch by the gate called. It was customary to announce every person coming into camp, so that enough people could drag the gate open knowing full well who or what they were allowing in.

Clarke joined the small party that congregated by the gate. Moments later, Raven was by her side.

"O?" Bellamy's voice managed to travel across the camp from the war tent he was exiting. "Octavia?"

"Hey big brother," his fierce little sister greeted with a grin as he jogged to the gate, pushed through the crowd and grabbed her in a rough hug. "Wow, missed me so much already? It's only been a couple of days. Bro, you know you're starting to develop some serious separation anxiety or something."

"I'm too relieved you're back to ground you right now," Bellamy muttered into her hair.

"Don't you worry, that'll fade," Octavia told him. "Then you'll go back to your grumpy self and try to lock me in all over again." She released him and began searching for something. "Where's Clarke?"

Bellamy joined her in her search but Clarke was already breaking through the crowd to get to them.

"What's up, Octavia?" She felt rather than saw Raven sidle back up to her side. She fought the urge to grin.

"I've been with Lincoln," Octavia told her before being drowned out by a chorus of groans. The camp all knew what Bellamy's mood would be like for the rest of the day. "I asked him about the medicine for you."

"Oh right!" Clarke perked up. "And? Have they used it before?" She crossed her fingers, despite knowing the superstition ritual from childhood played no bearing on luck or wish fulfilment.

"Yeah, actually." Octavia's eyes lit up. "They use it for practically everything!"

"Really?" Clarke was dubious.

"I'll show you," Octavia said before looking around at the twenty or so eavesdroppers to their semi-public conversation. "Who's got an injury that we can disinfect?" She followed everyone's gazes back to Clarke. "Oh, you hurt?" she asked with a furrowed brow. For a moment, the resemblance between her and her brother was startling.

Clarke unzipped her jacket and pulled the neck of her shirt down to show the makeshift bandage. Really it was just a strip of cloth duck taped to her collarbone. Without breaking eye contact, she pulled the tape off, barely reacting to the pain of the tape pulling her skin half off with it.

Octavia stared at the puckered scar before remembering herself. "I need a clean cloth!" she yelled. Someone ran to the makeshift clothesline and pulled off a freshly washed bandage. "Thank you," Octavia said when it was placed into her waiting hand. She pulled a small vial out of her pocket and poured it over the cloth before slapping it onto Clarke's throat.

Clarke's eyes immediately began to water. "Wow, that's strong," she commented, referring to the smell. She wasn't about to admit the smell was only half the cause for tears. It also burned at her wound like moonshine, but worse.

"Yeah. It'll probably clear up your nose if you get a cold, too," Octavia said.

"So how do the Grounders make this?" Clarke asked.

"Oh, it's kinda complicated but Lincoln showed me how to rig up a system that will do all the hard work for us. You have to distil the leaves by steam and use it as an oil."

"Ahhhhhhhh," Monty and Jasper gave exaggerated nods of understanding. "Seems so obvious now," Monty said.

"Your family's in pharmaceuticals, not mine," Jasper told him, throwing his hands up in a 'beats me' gesture. "This is all on you."

"It should never be taken internally," Octavia continued, wagging a finger in Clarke's direction. "External use only. Got it?"

"Yeah. I got it. No ingesting the oil."

"Oh and look, Lincoln gave us his most of his personal supply until we can get a distillery going." Octavia dug into her pockets and pulled out more vials. They clinked together in her palm.

"Okay well how about you help set up John Smith's laboratory, O, instead of standing around and talking about it?" Bellamy began shooing off the various onlookers. "Don't you all have jobs to do?"

"Lincoln would be Pocahontas, Bel," Octavia rolled her eyes. "I'm the John Smith of our relationship."

Bellamy's jaw ticked at the word 'relationship', but Clarke was surprised to find him hold his tongue. They all knew how Bellamy felt about Octavia's special Grounder friend.

"What do we have here that could be used for a second distillery?" Octavia asked as she left with Monty and Jasper. Monty and Jasper could be heard excitedly explaining the camp's discovery that they could make glass as their voices faded into their tent. No doubt their amateur moonshine distillery would be industrialised too with the 'invention' of glass.

Bellamy crossed his arms and gave a pointed look at Clarke. "Mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I'm gonna go play with my radios," Raven announced, turning on her heel and exiting the conversation. She glanced over her shoulder before ducking into her work tent. Did Bellamy and Clarke realise how close they were standing? And come to think of it, their body language was nowhere near as tense (and sometimes downright hostile) as it used to be. Oh yeah, Raven thought, they definitely became closer on that trip. Too bad it took a couple of near misses with death to get themselves there.

"I sent Octavia to see if the she could find out if the plant Monty and I found had the healing properties we suspected it did," Clarke explained "I was just hoping for even half the properties the Tea tree apparently has. It would be a solution to a lot of problems we'll eventually have to face. But we were also having trouble mashing it into a paste for poultices. Who knows how long it would've been until we thought to distill it. If we even thought of that at all. What?" she asked after realising Bellamy had not only not interrupted her long winded speech, but let her finish on her own.

"Shit," Bellamy sighed, throwing a hand into his hair. "Clarke - I – you -" he growled when he couldn't vocalise his thoughts properly. He was too busy marveling at her dedication to the camp. "I'm sorry – again – for what I said the other day. You are adapting. You even risked my wrath by risking my little sister's neck just to get the information you needed. That takes guts. I didn't give you enough credit. I won't doubt you again." They both knew that wasn't exactly true – their leadership depended on their opposing perspectives to duke it out until they'd reached a middle ground – but Clarke recognised it for the remorseful olive branch it was.

She reached over with the intention to pat his forearm, but found herself instead just holding it. "I know I still think like the Ark," she said. "But that's because I grew up in the knowledge of advanced medicine. This Earth stuff is new and hard and I feel majorly out of my depth not knowing even the basics of foraging for medicinal herbs." She sighed. "I just wish they'd sent down a real doctor, or real supplies, or even a book on what we would have needed to learn. The Ark truly did abandon us."

"Aw Princess," Bellamy smirked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She reached an arm around his waist. "You can take the girl out of Alpha, but you can't take Alpha out of the girl."

Clarke gave an exaggerated huff of annoyance and twisted out from under his arm. "And you can take Bellamy Blake out of Section B," she jokingly began before sobering again at the sudden awkward reference to his poorer, harsher upbringing. "But you can't take the survivor out of him," she whispered, staring into his eyes. She placed her hand on his chest. "The camp needs both brains and guts," she told him. "We've both got that in spades. Forget where we've come from. We're all here on the ground now."

Clarke found she couldn't look away. Bellamy's eyes were focused on hers and not for the first time she realised how deep and warm they could be (when he wanted them to be). His chest was hard beneath her palm, and she imagined she could feel his heart beating. When Bellamy reached up to brush some loose hair from her face, she let him. And when he slid his hand through her hair and cradled the back of her neck, she let him. And when he leaned down to kiss her, she let him.

In fact, she kissed him right back.

His lips were warm on hers as she closed the distance between them, sliding the hand that didn't rest on his chest, up his arm. She gently gripped his shoulder. She tilted her head, allowing him easier access as he poured more into the kiss. More desire, more urgency, more warmth. Clarke allowed Bellamy to lead her backwards until her back hit the camp gates. There, Bellamy brought his hands to cradle Clarke's face, forcing her to readjust her own hands. They roamed over his back until a cough nearby brought reality jumping back between them. Bellamy's lips left hers but didn't move from his current position. Their lips were inches apart, breaths mingling as they panted, each watching the other. Eventually, Bellamy gave his familiar lopsided grin before releasing her and stepping back.

Clarke hated how damsel-in-distress the sentiment was, but she was glad she had the support of the palisade to lean on. Her legs felt so loose, like she'd gone and sculled a vat of moonshine, that she was worried she'd fall over if she tried to walk.

"Maybe you might wanna take this 'argument' elsewhere," Miller suggested with only the hint of a smile. He jerked his head to the majority of the camp who all suddenly found something to do and dispersed.

"Maybe later," Clarke said with a smirk at Bellamy. In truth, she couldn't be sure of her feelings for Bellamy unless she had a minute to step away from him. Her hormones were all over the place and she knew she'd only end up making out with him – or more – if they went anywhere more private right then. "I've got to check on the plans for the distillery." She patted Bellamy's shoulder and planted a quick kiss at the corner of his mouth before stepping out from under him.

"I'm going to hold you to that 'later', Princess," Bellamy said as she began to leave. It was only by the time she'd reached Monty and Jasper's tent that she realised she hadn't walked across camp, she'd strutted. Like a self-satisfied morning-after girl. With a grin, she flipped up the tent flap and ducked inside. She couldn't even bring herself to feel embarrassed about it.

Little did she know, there would be many, many mornings ahead of her that would start with a self-satisfied strut. And she wouldn't be the only one sporting it.

Like I said in an earlier A/N, I used Story Cubes for the plot of this fic. Here are the pictures I rolled, all those months back! In rough order of their relevance to the story: a die, a plane, a tower, a padlock, a bee, an arrow, a fountain, a fish, a bolt of lightning. I hope you enjoyed the story and I'd love to hear your feedback! At the moment, I'm keeping fairly busy with NaNoWriMo, HOWEVER I look to start posting my next 100 fic in early December (the Story Cube dice have already been rolled and plotting has begun! Currently debating whether to have some Clexa in it or stick with just Bellarke. Thoughts? Which would you rather see? Or have both? I'm leaning toward both at the moment, but things may change.). See you folks then x