RED | Bellamy Blake

Grape Vine or Phone Line

I break through the doors of the Camp to find Jaha and a strange man in an altercation. Without hesitating, I break out in a run, but not before one of the guards shoots the man when he refuses to hand over his pack. 

I watch in silence as Jaha leans down to whisper something in his ear before leaning back and sending the guard an angry look. 

Then his eyes land on me. 

"Hailey Arrette Kane." He says, making my eyebrows raise. "I've heard you've made yourself into quite a leader." He says, making confusion cross my face. "Through the grape vine." He supposedly clarifies, but only confuses me more. 

"Thelonius?" Abby asks before he can say anything further as to how he knows anything about me. 

I didn't think I was anything short of unimportant in terms of Jaha's radar or so called grape vine. But, he's been gone. So, how did he hear anything about me?

I come back to reality when I hear Jaha say, "Don't be. Death is not the end." My eyebrows furrow as he walks past me with Abby at his side. 

A thought pops through my head after a minute of watching the guards pick up the strange man's body and carry him into the Ark. Or rather a person. 

My eyes widen before I break into a jog towards Jaha and Abby inside the Ark. 

"Murphy." I say when I come up on them in the med bay. "Where's Murphy?" I ask, my anxious state in stark contrast to his almost freakish calm one. 

His lips spread into a smile, making my unease grow. "Don't worry about John Murphy, that boy's a fighter." He says, not offering anything else before turning around to face Abby once again. 

Not thinking straight, I reach up and harshly spin him around by his shoulder to face me again. "I don't give a flying shit if he's a fighter." I seethe, getting closer to his face. "You and the rest of the council condemned my mother all those years ago, so don't give your bullshit reassurance." I say, pausing. "So, let me ask you again. Where is John?" 

"I do not know." He says after a moment, but something's off. His expression isn;t angered, nor annoyed. Instead, it's calculating. "I am truly sorry, Hailey." He says with fake remorse coating his words. 

I open my mouth to continue speaking, but my father walks in. They hug and offer pleasantries before Abby mutters a small, "Ask him where he's been." 

My eyes narrow as I catch her eye. She only offers a tick of her jaw before returning her gaze back to Jaha and my father. 

"I found the City of Light." He says, smiling. 

I take in a breath, watching my dad's reaction. 

"Well, that's great. Isn't it?" My dad offers, his eyes catching my cautious ones. 

Abby steps in. "Ask his friend Otan. Apparently, he's there right now." She says, gesturing to the strange man from earlier, or rather, Otan. 

Jaha offers Abby a smile, before glancing at me for a moment, making my skin crawl. "I don't blame you for doubting, Abby. I know how it sounds." He says, smiling. "But it is real and it is incredible. Everything that you worry about now, war, power, none of it matters in the City of Light." I raise a brow, almost mystified at his stupidity. 

Even if this was real, and that's a big if, there's no way that it's as good as it sounds. But what if it is real? What if there is peace? I clench my jaw, clearing my thoughts. 

"How do we know you're not just insane?" I ask, no longer filtering my thoughts, which earns a look from my father. "You have been out in the wilderness for months now." I shrug. "Who knows how dehydrated you are." 

He laughs a small, creepy chuckle. "Oh, Hailey. I admire your scepticism." His smile widens. "Maybe one of these days I'll show you how beautiful it really is there." He says, making my skin crawl. "Hopefully sooner rather than later." He says as Hannah walks in. 

My lips part as he glances away from me and walks off with Hannah to meet with Pike. "Jesus." I let out a breath as I sit down at the medical table. I run a hand down my face as I feel my dad lay a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

I glance up to find Abby gone. Instead of looking at my dad, I just return my head to my hands as he sits down next to me with his hand still on my shoulder. 

"I know I'm relatively new to this whole father thing with you," He says, bringing his hand away from my shoulder. "But just know that I've already lost one daughter to the hell on this Earth and I'm sure as hell not going to lose another." 

I bring my gaze up to his and for the first time in my life, I say, "Thank you, Dad." I say and I watch as his eyes widen and a smile begins to spread across his face. 

"That's the first time you've called me dad in a while." He says before I stand and hug him. "I'd love it if you'd continue that, Lee." He says, making tears begin to flood my eyes as I squeeze him tighter. "Is it okay if start calling you that again?" He asks. 

I nod my head immediately, making my tears fall. 

"Thank you for giving me a couple dozen second chances, Lee."

________

a/n

short one but this just solidifies the new era of Hailey and her dad <3333

anywayyyy vote and comment loves !!

- Abigail