I Will Never Let You Fall (Bellarke)

Part 4

The next day starts with the same routine: Bellamy and Clarke wake up, have breakfast and wash up. But this time, there is a sense of urgency in the air, but also a sense of adventure. It's the first time Bellamy feels excitement coursing through his veins; the last time he felt like that was when he first stepped off the dropship and his boots hit on the soft earth below him. He's anxious about this feeling, but he also welcomes it.

Soon, the camp is packed up, the fire is doused, and Bellamy and Clarke start to make their way to the east, where the Ocean Clan resides.

"Probably should've brought Lincoln's journal with me," Bellamy grumbles as they trudge their way through the forest. "Would've made this a whole lot easier." He curses as he trips over a fallen branch, but manages to retain his balance. Behind him, Clarke muffles her laughter, but not before a chuckle escapes her lips. Usually, Bellamy's pride would've taken a blow at the moment of humiliation, but he smiles when he sees Clarke's eyes sparkle. If it makes her smile, I'll trip over stupid branches more often.

"I'm pretty sure your big feet got in the way of the branch," Clarke says as she steps over the broken tree limb. Show off.

It goes like that for a while, Clarke teasing Bellamy as he tries to make his way over branches and tree roots. Bellamy thinks he would've been used to the earth by now, but Mother Nature obviously thinks differently. After their bout of teasing, a content silence fills the air. As they're walking, Bellamy starts to wonder about the mysterious Ocean Clan. To his knowledge, they had agreed to the alliance between the clans, but hadn't actively participated in the war. Maybe they subconsciously knew Lexa would make a deal with Wallace and break the alliance, Bellamy muses grimly. At that thought, Bellamy feels a weird sense of respect for the Ocean Clan leader who wisely made that decision. He hopes this second attempt at unity will not fail like the first try. Well you know what they say about success: if you don't succeed, try again. Obviously whoever thought of that never imagined trying to build an alliance with a group of sword-wielding, tree-climbing warriors who could easily break your neck with their bare hands. So much for optimism, Blake. Due to Bellamy's internal thoughts, he forgets about the girl beside him until she places her hand on his forearm, breaking Bellamy out of his reverie.

"You alright, Bellamy?" Clarke asks with a furrowed expression.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"Me too."

Bellamy looks at Clarke when he hears the tired voice. He squeezes the hand on his forearm, smiling softly as Clarke lifts her head to him. "What were you thinking about?"

Clarke breathes a sigh and replies, "How everyone is back at camp."

Bellamy nods. "They're fine," he says, almost too brightly. Clarke raises her eyebrow, looking at the boy beside her. At her expression, Bellamy heaves a sigh and says. "Your mum and Raven were pretty injured from the bone marrow extraction. And Jasper won't talk to Monty. But they're fine," he says again as Clarke closes her eyes, a stray tear sliding down her cheek. He quickly brushes it off and pulls Clarke into a side hug. For a moment, they cling to each other, breathing in each other's scent, until Clarke pulls away and starts walking ahead. Bellamy stares at her back, watching her walk with a straight back and high head, waiting for the moment when she would break down and he would catch her. Maybe not today, he thinks.

.............................................

After hours of walking through endless green, the sky eventually darkens, stars twinkling like white sparks of fire. Bellamy and Clarke sit by the fire, munching on berries and a rabbit Bellamy managed to catch during their hike. As they eat, Bellamy thinks about today. They had made progress, though it will be a few more days until they reach the ocean. At the thought of the expanse of blue water, Bellamy feels lightened and rejuvenated. He only heard about the sea when he was little, his mother spurring stories of wooden ships cutting across the water, of people with tails who lived in the deep blue and had seaweed in their hair. He suddenly muses on the thought that if everything between them and the Ocean Clan turned out alright, maybe, just maybe, the others could come. He imagines Octavia running along the sand, laughing as she tries to pull the stoic Lincoln towards the water, Monty and Jasper making their god-awful but strangely addictive moonshine next to a huge bonfire, Raven and Wick tinkering about and Bellamy smiles. He realises that that life, that imaginary, full-of-dreams-and-wishes life is something that he wants to make come true.