Hey everyone!

I'd like to thank whataliar, 12, changingdestiny40, strange Jenny, and Jacob Denness for their reviews!

Anyways, here's Chapter 15.

Chapter 15:

Clarke opened her eyes as light flickered in through the gap in the canvas walls. She stretched, enjoying the feeling of being in bed at a later hour, and allowed the ghost of a smile to pass across her lips for the first time in months. She yawned, pulling her arms over her head and interlocking her fingers, sighing softly as the tension temporarily left her aching muscles.

She pulled the thick fur blanket off of her body, the too-large tan shirt that she'd slept in falling off of her left shoulder with the movement. She had been sleeping in Bellamy's shirts at night, and as weird as it felt, they kept her nightmares mostly at bay.

Clarke quickly changed and stepped outside, gazing at the camp with a watchful eye. To her left, a group of kids was eating breakfast and chatting amicably around the ashes of the previous night's fire. To her right, a hunting patrol lead by Miller exited, heads held high as they left. After ensuring that all was good, she headed over to the haphazardly built medbay, poking her head inside and deciding to organize supplies and see what they still needed for winter. She slowly walked over to the shelves, and the monotonous work began.

Miller stood at the entrance, looking at the five kids with him. Four had been trained in basic gun skills and he expected each of them to bring back some game. The other, Monty, was tagging along to find some herbs and edible plants. All of them were leaving to prepare for the impending winter, and it loomed upon them with every dark cloud and cool breeze.

Miller glanced at Clarke and nodded to her as she walked by, though he was pretty sure she didn't notice, too enraptured in her own thoughts. She was doing well, but Miller missed Bellamy, and mourned the loss of a good friend.

He waved his hand and the five followed him, each constantly scanning the area. They walked, and soon, within sight of camp, he saw a small rabbit. He turned around, pressing his finger to his lips, but before he could fully turn around, one of the newer, less trained kids spoke, clearly not seeing his signal.

"What is that?" He asked curiously. The rabbit immediately ran, and Miller fired a missed shot in vain. He whirled around to the kid, irritation plastered upon his face.

"What the hell was... " He trailed off, following the kid's gaze and seeing a figure slumped against a tree. He glanced at Monty, who nodded, before slowly proceeding foward, closely followed by the rest of the group.

As he drew closer, he saw a small, dark pool of dried blood around the person, and his heart sank. This person was probably dead.

Before he could get in a good look, the figure stirred, groaning slightly as he stretched and stood up. Miller rushed forward, weapon held high just in case, before he dropped it with a look of disbelief. "Holy shit..." he muttered, looking into the man's eyes.

Monty slowly followed, a similar expression appearing upon his face as he took in a familiar face. "Bellamy?"

He nodded, the slightest smile tugging at his lips "Long time no see" He rasped, voice hoarse from disuse. He glanced at each of the kids there, leaning against the tree. Pain flowed through his shoulder, and he ghosted his fingers over the wound, before looking back at Miller.

"We thought you were dead." One of the kids said quietly, and the rest nodded in agreement as the smile disappeared from Bellamy's face.

Bellamy sighed, shaking his head. "Someone saved my life." He replied vaguely, replaying the events of the last few weeks over in his mind as his eyes glazed over with a distant look. Shaking his head, he focused on where he was, trying to block out the vivid memories of agony that coursed through his body.

Before anybody could comment, he began to walk towards the gate, picking up his jacket from the forest floor and putting it on to cover his injury. He had no limp in his gait, and his head was held high as he stopped, calling out for someone to open it.

Miller jogged after him, affirming the command with his more familiar voice, and the gates creaked as they were opened.

A few kids glanced at him, but the rest were working on different things, whether it was chopping wood or organizing food. The camp was busy, presumably preparing for the winter, which made Bellamy smile slightly, until a grimace passed across his lips when he realized it might not be Clarke who was leading them. She could easily be dead.

Shaking him from his thoughts was the small group gathering around him, shock written across each of their faces as whispers spread like wildfire. The crowd continued to grow, each person craning their neck, curious to see what the commotion was about.

Bellamy glanced at Miller and mouthed a name, an unspoken question lingering upon his lips.

Miller nodded. "Clarke's okay." As if on cue, she walked out of the medbay, clearly wondering what the commotion was all about.

Bellamy's face flooded with relief, and a slight smile crossed his face, a huge weight taken off of his shoulders. He followed Miller's gaze, and the small smile morphed into a grin as he saw Clarke.

Bandages

She wrote the word on her growing list of supplies they were running low on and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. She sat down on the edge of their examination table, more of a slap of wood than anything, and took a deep breath, holding her head in her hands. She just needed a moment, a small break, and she'd be fine.

Clarke heard the creak of the gate opening, followed by voices, louder than usual. She ignored it, and they began to increase in volume, blending together as more people joined what she assumed was a crowd.

Shaking her head, she stood and left the medbay, confirming her suspicions when she saw a large crowd that consisted of the majority of the kids. They all talked at once, each drowing out the other in an attempt to be heard.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, standing on her toes to attempt to see, before giving up and shoving her way through the crowd. They parted for her, and when she got to the front, she stopped in her tracks. "Bellamy?" She asked hesitantly, unsure if this was real, or another one of her dreams.

A full-fledged grin spread across his face, and his chocolate eyes filled with warmth.

Disbelief written across her face, she sprinted the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head on his shoulder and breathing in the scent of pine and sweat that he always seemed to possess. She closed her eyes, pressing her cheek against his neck as a smile appeared upon her face. The dream she'd had before wasn't real, which perplexed her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, instead reveling in the joy that she felt upon seeing her best friend.

Bellamy enveloped his arms around her, one hand on the small of her back and the other touching her shoulder. A similar grin was plastered upon his mouth, and he held her close to him, ignoring the group of onlookers. "Hey Princess" he murmured, eyes closed.

They stayed like this for a moment before Clarke pulled away, giving the remaining onlookers a sharp glare. They quickly scattered, leaving the pair standing alone near the entrance

"As much as I'd love to sleep in my own tent right now, I have a bullet in my shoulder..."

She cut him off. "I'll get the stuff, just go to your own tent." She briskly walked into the medbay, leaving Bellamy to go back to his tent.

He lifted the flap, and was somewhat surprised to see most of his things still in the same place. Then, as he looked closer, he saw the signs of an inhabitant clothes stacked next to the pile he left, the fur blanket pulled slightly back, and a few belongings sitting on the miniature table. Taking his shoes off, he gazed at the items on the table again. Upon inspection, he saw that there was a backpack, a leather bound journal, some pencils, and one of his knives. Realization dawned on him as he looked around, and he glanced at the journal, curiousity burning in him.

He set the rifle that still hung across his shoulder next to her things and picked up the small book, running his fingers over the cover. Respecting her privacy, he moved to set it down, but dropped it when he heard the tent flap open.

He whirled around, part of him still skiddish, but relaxed when he saw who it was. He glanced down at the journal and smiled when he saw what it had fallen open to. It was a picture of them together on the Ark, sitting in front of the window that he had brought her to so long ago.

Clarke followed his gaze and blushed, setting down her supplies and quickly picking it up off of the floor. "Sorry, I didn't mean for you to see that." She mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"It's amazing." He replied, voice still raspy as he looked at her with warmth. Sensing her discomfort, he took off his jacket and sat down on the bed.

"Take off your shirt." She commanded quietly, opening the First Aid kit and pulling out disinfectant wipes, a needle, some thread, and bandages.

He obeyed, pulling it off and tossing it on the table next to his jacket. Closing his eyes, he waited, and sure enough, a gasp escaped her lips.

"Bellamy..." Clarke trailed off, eyes glued to his back. From his neck down to the small of his back, thin pink lines crisscrossed the skin. Long, healing cuts stretched across his shoulders, and pink, peeling burns added to the horror. Muscle bulged beneath and it was clear he was extremely in shape; how, she had no idea. Dried blood covered his left shoulder, and the bullet hole began to ooze out blood, nothing stopping it now that he'd lost the shirt. "What did they do to you?" She asked softly, more to herself. Pity was clear in her voice, and Bellamy tensed, all of his earlier happiness gone.

Images began to flash in his mind, every crack of the whip and sizzle of the flame upon flesh burning in his mind. He shuddered, shaking his head to clear it, without success. The memories blurred, until one in particular stood out to him, and he was forced to relive it.

He was tossed to the ground, waking up as his body landed against the rough dirt. A groan escaped his lips as pain spread like fire across his body, and he opened his eyes to see Roan standing above him, the tip of the sword touching his chest.

The fight that he always prided himself in left his gaze, and a look of defeat replaced it. There was no way out of this. He met Roan's pale eyes with his dark ones, the slighest bit of defiance coursing through him as the fierce warrior tensed, raised the sword, and then dropped it. The blade clattered to the ground, and a barely noticable sigh escaped him, relief at being spared for the moment

Bellamy felt himself being picked up and tied to the saddle once again, bouncing up and down with each step. After what felt like hours, Roan stopped, setting him down in soft grass. "They'll be able to heal you. I am sorry that I can't help you." With that he left, and Bellany laid there, staring at a familiar, looming stone structure as pain caused him to drift in and out of conciousness

Eventually, the massive doors creaked opened, and he was picked up by men in Hazmat suits. Once they were inside and the doors were shut, he felt the sharp pinprick of a needle in his neck, and the world went dark.

He felt someone shaking his shoulder, and jumped slightly. "Bellamy, Bellamy." Urgency filled her voice, and he looked at Clarke, watching as relief passed over her face.

"You okay?" She asked softly, laying a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

Her cool touch soothed him, and he nodded, cringing as she touched the throbbing area around the bullet wound.

Clarke ran her fingers along the skin, stopping when she found a lump. "The bullet is still in there, so I need to take it out first." She explained quietly, taking her hand away.

As she pulled out the tools, he nodded, tensing when she touched him again. "Make it quick." He said in a low, pained voice, not bothering to glance over his shoulder at her.

Without warning, she ripped it out, doing her best to ignore his poorly concealed gasp of agony.

"Jesus Clarke, a little warning?" He snapped, before muttered "Sorry", sincerity in his voice.

She didn't reply, instead gently stitching up the wound in silence. When she finished, she pressed a bandage against it, staring at the wounds on his back. She traced a finger lightly along one of the scars, causing Bellamy to flinch slightly before relaxing.

"I'm so sorry." Clarke mumbled, voice wavering. Bellamy turned around, opening his mouth to ask her why, but stopping when he saw a tear fall down her cheek. Her bright blue eyes watered, sorrow and self-loathing covering her features. "It's my fault you ended up with Ice Nation, I should've just stayed on the Ark."

Without a word, Bellamy moved so that he was next to her and draped his arm over her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "If you need forgiveness, you're forgiven." He repeated the words that she had spoken to him so long ago, so softly they almost couldn't be heard. "I forgive you Clarke." He murmured, voice thick with emotion. He tightened his grip on her, feeling this undeniable need to protect her, to ensure her happiness, even at the cost of his own.

She leaned into his chest, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder as silent tears streamed down her face. She wrapped her arm around his back and stayed there, the hint of a smile appearing on her face. Though she was weighed down with self-loathing, his words lifted some of the guilt from her, and she sighed contently, smiling as he laid his head on top of her's. In his arms, lying like this, she felt safe, and she closed her eyes, leaning more heavily on him.

Bellamy felt an urge to tell her everything she needed to know, especially about the Mountain Men, but that would have to wait. For now, they would just sit in a comfortable silence, finding consolation in each other's arms.

Clarke nuzzled her head into his neck as exhaustion slowly crept in, and she began to drift into a light sleep, only to be jarred awake by footsteps and the rustling of the tent flap as it was opened.

They both snapped their heads up, staring at whoever had come in.

Raven stood at the entrance, a curious look upon her face, before she frowned. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I can come back later..." She trailed off awkwardly, moving to leave, but Bellamy stopped her.

"Wait!" She turned around, stepping back inside. "What is it?" He asked, voice gravelly from exhaustion.

As Raven re-entered, Clarke disentangled herself from Bellamy, a slight hint of blush creeping up her neck when she realized how close they were.

Raven glanced at Bellamy before turning to Clarke. "I've been working on something for a while. I didn't want to bother you about it, so I went to the bunker we found before and used the supplies to make a radio. I wanted it to be a surprise, and now it's working, so we can contact the Ark!" She stated enthusiastically, a proud smile flashing upon her face. "I figured we could do it tomorrow morning, they'd probably want to speak to you two." She added quickly, glancing at her feet before watching the pair interact.

Clarke glanced at Bellamy, who's dark gaze was already fixated on her's. She raised one eyebrow slightly in question, and he gave a miniscule tip of his head before they both turned to Raven.

Clarke nodded, and began to speak, voice low from recent sleep. "Okay, we'll talk to the Ark."

So, what does everyone think?

Anyways, hope you enjoyed, please leave a review, and thanks for reading!