Parameters of this AU: In order to keep both peace and population in control on the Ark, systems have been set up to test each person for a match that will ensure their child have the best traits genetically and that the family will be a happy one. (Relationship compatibility, love potential, genetics, parental compatibility to ensure happy homes, etc.) This is a normal part of the Ark, meant to ensure the best possible outcomes for the human race as a whole. No one is forced into the relationship chosen for them, but if you do not pick your match, you are not allowed to procreate at all. Octavia was never discovered. Jake was able to fix the problem with the air system and the Ark is just fine.

CHAPTER 1

"Your drawing is coming up." My mother's voice was calming and quiet behind me as she brushed out my golden locks. I didn't know why I loved this so much. I was an adult (in a month anyway) for goodness sake! However there was something so soothing about having someone else play with your hair. "Are you nervous?"

"Not particularly." I responded, picking a speck of lint off my pants."You're not nervous about the process that decides who you'll be spending the rest of your life with!?" She asked, indignantly. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm allowed to say no. If I get matched with someone I don't want to marry, I don't HAVE to marry them! What kind of society do you think this is, mother?" Her fingers began moving through my hair again, slowly, but moving.

"Yes, of course you can refuse, but if you do that, the likelihood of the Council allowing you to have a child is almost zero, Clarke! If you want a child at all you have to marry whomever they draw for you!"

"Mom. Everyone already knows who I'll draw with. It isn't some big secret."

"You can't ever know for sure, sweetie." I sighed. I was bored with this conversation. I did know for sure. I'd be drawn with Wells. We had been dating when we took the test, and yeah, we were currently on a break but he was one of my very best friends! We were completely compatible! Every pre-test we'd ever taken had paired us up. It was expected. Besides. It would be great for his dad's career. My parents were well respected, even liked by some of the middle stations, and right now, that was exactly what Jaha needed. Some of the further stations were evidently getting restless and upset over minute political practices that they didn't understand. It was ridiculous. I'd be paired with Wells. I'd marry Wells. I'd have Wells' child. These were the certainties of my life…they were good things. My child and I would always have enough food, we'd always live on first station, always be well off, I'd have a husband who loved me and my child, and I already knew that he would be a good man, always. So why wasn't I more excited about this?

"Whatever mom. I'm not 18 for another month. And for all we know, my pair won't be drawn for years yet. They may not find anyone on my age bracket. I may have to be rerun through the system for a decade before they find someone who can put up with me. Cougar. I'm telling you." She sighed.

"I've never understood that expression."

"It's an old Earth term. It's when a girl goes for a younger man."

"I'm a month and a half older than your father, does that make me a cougar?" She joked, provoking half a smile from me.

"Yeah mom. Just like that." She grinned as she moved to the kitchen to begin laying out our dinner rations. "Speaking of weddings, have you given any thought to attendants? Wells has that little friend-"

"Mom. Can we not talk about that now?" I thought for a moment about a topic she would like as much as this one that I wouldn't mind talking about do much. "I take my boards next week. If I pass I get to start my residency in your med bay."

"You don't know for sure you'll get assigned my med bay…" She trailed off far too innocently.

"Mom. If there's one thing I know for certain, it's that I'll get your med bay. You pick the assignments and you've been talking about having me as your resident since I chose medical. What are you going to do? Put me in the joke of a bay that's in twelfth station? They don't have any med supplies past bandages and pain killers! That's not practicing medicine."

"You be surprised what you can do with a few bandages and some pain killers. Don't get me started on the triage potentials once you get a knife thrown in." I smirked. My mother, ladies and gentlemen.

"How are the two most beautiful ladies in the sky?"

"I don't know," my mother said without looking up from the food she was preparing. "I can run down the hall to check on Miss LeFoe if you like?" My dad laughed, a gruff, comforting rumble and swept my mom up in his arms, kissing her soundly. See? I had nothing to worry about. The drawing matched my parents, two of the most in love people you could fine. It wasn't some random, genetic lottery, it found you true love. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about.

[Three Weeks Later]

"Mum!" I ran around our small apartment searching for at least one of my parents. "Dad! Where are you?"

"Clarke?" My mother's head poked out of her bedroom. "What's wrong?"

"Where's daddy? I've got news! I want to tell you both!" I was almost jumping up and down.

"He won't be back until tonight." I frowned.

"Fine. I'll tell him later. I can't hold this in." She was smiling. "You know, don't you?" My heart sank a bit.

"Tell me anyway." She assured me.

"I passed my boards. I'm going to be a doctor." She wrapped my in a hug.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so proud of you!"

"Where's daddy? I thought he had today off."

"He had to go in for Drawing Duty. On the test."

"What?"

"Someone who had been assigned for this week got sick and ended up in my med bay. They needed someone and since your father did it last year and wouldn't need to be trained on reading results and deciding in case of close calls, Jaha asked your father to fill in for a few days so they won't have to delay the ceremony."

"So he may be reading my tests?" I asked, my stomach turning at the thought of my father seeing every part of me splayed out in a spreadsheet.

"No! No of course not!" Jaha said that they were almost finished, he will just be looking over reruns." I nodded, my chest tightening again. I'd already had my future decided for me. I'd marry Wells. If have Wells' child. It was all decided. It would happen. Just like we always knew. So why did I suddenly feel like vomiting?

When my father returned that night he seemed flustered, not at all himself. When I told him I'd passed my medical exams and was going to do a residency in Mom's Bay he half smiled and nodded at me, avoiding eye contact the whole time.

"Dad? Is something wrong?"

"Hmm? No, of course not. I'm just tired. 'Night Clarke." Clarke? Whenever he was proud of me, or excited or the like, he called me Cece. Was he upset I followed in Mom's career path instead of his? That must be it…his door slammed as he barricaded himself inside.

"Mom? What's going on with dad?" She shook her head, her brow furrowed.

"I don't know, sweetie. Must just be tired." She glanced at her bare wrist, not a watch in sight. "And no wonder! It's so late! You've better get to bed soon. Your drawing is next week, I thought maybe we'd go shopping for a new dress tomorrow."

"Mom, I don't need a new dress."

"Darling, we've been saving ration points for this for years! You're going to be a beautiful bride."

"Mom." I protested.

"Right. You don't want to talk about it. Dress shopping tomorrow, sleep tonight."

"Mom! What about dad! What's going on with dad?"

"Good night sweetie." I sighed. Great. Just great.

"You nervous?" My friend Hayley Fox asked, pinching my arm.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?!" I practically screamed.

"Because it's a perfectly logical question. You turn 18 the day of the drawing. You're the youngest in this age bracket. And unless there are reruns that find a partner, Wells will be the oldest. Isn't he turning 20 this year?"

"And we all know I'm going to be matched with Wells, is that what you're saying?"

"No," She made a face at my lack of social graces in this situation. "I'm just saying IF you end up matched with Wells, he'll want to get married and start a family soon. You won't get to wait a while or anything. You know he's said he wants a child by 21."

"Ridiculous notion." I muttered under my breath. Fox continued, ignoring me as usual.

"Not to mention you two broke up, that could be really awkward." I rolled my eyes.

"We didn't break up because we hate each other or anything. We broke up cause…" I didn't actually have a good reason to share. It was probably in bad taste to say 'we broke up because neither of us are really that attracted to each other on a physical level' right before we get engaged. "He's my best friend, Fox. If we get matched then we'll figure it out from there."

"Well I'm bloody nervous, thanks for asking!" She huffed. "What if they match me with someone ugly? Or from bloody farm station or something!"

"Nice to see you have your priorities in check."

"You know what I mean!"

"Then you don't marry them!"

"But then I can't have a kid!"

"It will all work out Fox. For all you know they'll match you with the love of your life who is also handsome, rich, and has an 8 inch-"

"Clarke!" Fox blushed and I finally found a reason to smile. All this week I'd had constant butterflies in my stomach. The reason I was so upset at people asking me if I was nervous is because, well, I was incredibly nervous. I loved Wells. He was my best friend. People had been joking about our pairing since we were in elementary school. But the idea of pledging to spend the rest of my life with him had my gut in knots and made my hands shake. The test looked into a myriad of factors, from overall future compatibility to similar backgrounds and genetic comparability. Then it went into a series of way too personal questions about your inner thoughts and feelings and then there was a psychological test, and it took into account shared life experiences and worldview and all kinds of stuff that I'd felt horridly awkward talking about in the test. It was incredibly rare for someone to get matched more than two stations away from where they came from so it was entirely ridiculous for Fox to worry she'd be matched to someone from farming.

Not, of course, that I had anything against Farming station. Farming was just as good as the other stations, only thing was, I could NOT see a girl like Fox trying to work a farm. Not that she would be forced to. She could absolutely keep her job at the shop in Second Station, but the image in itself? Amusing to say the least. She had been 18 for a few months now, and I knew she was anxious to figure out what the tests said. I didn't know which would be worse, having to wait over a year after testing, like Wells, to find out what the Ark wants your future to hold, or a situation like mine, where you have no time to figure out your job or how to be an adult on the Ark before everyone expects you to get married.

I had managed to convince mom to hold off on dress shopping, though I didn't know why. It was going to come no matter if I had a wedding dress or not. I sighed. She had the afternoon off and I got done with my resident's shift an hour before the shops closed, which would only give her an hour to force me to try on clothes I didn't want to buy in the first place. It was a good idea. I'd run it by her after my lunch shift.

Two days. Two days until I turned 18. Two days until I had to become an adult and start my life far too early.
"Yes Fox." She turned around to face me, confused.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes I'm nervous."

A/N: Thoughts?