The Homestead.

Chapter One - Bellamy.

Bellamy strode with gentle purpose around the paddock border, as he had done every morning for the past three months. A small smile curled into the corner of his mouth as he suddenly realised - this had become his favourite part of the day.

He was alone, bar the sun waking slowly behind a haze of misty moisture and the birds chattering like excited children. The trees around him and green growth beneath his feet glistened with overnight dew. He lifted his face to the icy fresh breeze nipping across the field, welcoming the sting of it on his cheeks. It reminded him of the first time he had stepped off the dropship onto Earth.

So much had changed since then.

He surveyed the cultivated field before him and was filled with an immense sense of accomplishment and hope. Over the past few months he had learnt to accept these fleeting feelings and push away the niggling voice in the back of his head that constantly reminded him there was still work to be done.

It was important to pause and recognise what he had achieved - what they had all achieved.

And that, he decided, was why he enjoyed these moments so much. It was a chance to stop and reflect before the business of the day began - a chance to acknowledge everything that had already happened and accept everything that he was - before anticipating what came next, and being who they needed him to be.

It was a time of clarity and truth, and, he admitted to himself with a nod - it had become an essential ritual for his personal sanity.

His heart grew with gratitude as he headed back towards the homestead, reminding himself who he had to thank for assigning them here.

"They need a fresh mission Abby, a fresh location – somewhere away from the politics and infighting. Somewhere they can be at peace but still have purpose."

"At peace? Marcus you know that's not possible right now."

"You're right - things are not perfect, but this is the best it's been since we sent them down here. We need to take advantage of the current situation and start building our lives on Earth. It's time to redirect some of our resources."

"Redirect them where?" Despite her daughter's absence from the group, Abby still felt the same urge as Marcus to find a solution for the kids. She knew better than anybody the individual weights that they were all bearing – but she was doubtful they'd be open to anything other than a frontline mission.

"If we can just convince Bellamy it'd go a long way to getting the others on board." Marcus mused, as if reading Abby's thoughts.

"On board for what exactly?" Abby asked again. Marcus was getting distracted by his own idealism again.

"A proper settlement Abby! Not a military base like Arkadia but a ranch and farm plot to feed us all, Trikru included. Indra has already offered us the land and horses; Nyko can help us cultivate medicinal plants. We can set-up a homestead and quarters for the kids to inhabit as well as appropriate infrastructure for the propagating and processing of the produce and livestock. They'll have plenty of work to keep them…"

"They'll never go for it." Abby was often astounded by Marcus's naivety. But somehow, it didn't diminish him.

"Like I said, if we can just get Bellamy to…"

"Get Bellamy to what?" A gruff voice inquired from the doorway.

Abby narrowed her eyes at Marcus as Bellamy entered the command centre, his freshly wounded face searching theirs with indignant anticipation.

"Come in, come in," Marcus motioned for Bellamy to sit "thank-you for joining us." Given the events of the morning and the young man's subsequent demeanour, the Chancellor knew he had a hard sell ahead of him.

Bellamy winced at the memory, and instinctively touched the scar above his eyebrow that marked the jagged wound he had received in the scrap that morning, so long ago.

He had made a lot of stupid decisions in his life. Entering into that melee was one of them; eventually agreeing to assist with the co-ordination of the ranch was not.

The mission was not only proving productive for Skaikru and Trikru as separate clans, it was helping to further strengthen relations between them.

For Bellamy however, the ranch's greatest success was that it was helping to mend the individual suffering of his friends.

Of course, they had experienced set-backs. There had been colossal stuff-ups, conflict, forces of nature, frustration and failures. They were never safe - nothing was ever certain, and yet as long as they had each other they could keep on going.

Bellamy smiled at the sentiment as he walked through the homestead gate towards the quarters where his friends slept.

He could almost say, at this moment, that he felt content here - in this place, as he was, with his people. But as he stepped inside and transformed into the Bellamy they all relied on and looked to, he knew there was no denying that something was still missing from the equation, or rather – someone.