𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 [The 100]

𝟎𝟐𝟐.𝟐: 𝙈𝘼𝙔 𝙒𝙀 𝙈𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

[ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ ғɪɴᴀʟᴇ]

"What happened, Alicent? Did you have another nightmare?" he murmured softly, his voice as gentle as ever, as he brushed the long dark strands of hair from the little girl's face. She wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Yes, daddy," she whimpered before a short, choked sob shook her. Her brown, glassy eyes fell on the night lamp that stood on a white dresser across the small, rose-painted room. He followed her gaze intently, looking at the small table lamp as she did, before he rose from her bed, crossed the room and switched on the light. Immediately, the pitch-black darkness was broken by pleasant yellow rays. The crying girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"What was your nightmare about?" she heard her father ask as he sat down beside her again. The little six-year-old didn't answer right away. Instead, she reached for the white rabbit - a teddy bear her grandmother had given her for her birthday - and pressed it against her chest until she was sure nothing bad could happen to her.
"I dreamed of losing you. You and mommy. A-And I was so alone and scared. It felt so real, daddy."
"It's only a dream, Alice," he replied hastily, the brown in his eyes full of warmth as he brushed his thumb over the only tear left on her cheek. "Nothing can harm you there. But if you get too frightened, you can always wake up with this..." She jumped in surprise when he suddenly pinched her shoulder, so gently and playfully that it didn't take long for a big smile to appear on her lips.

"Good night, Alice. I'll see you tomorrow," he finally said as he planted a kiss on her forehead and finally pushed himself off the bed. But before he could switch off the small night light, the girl called him once more:

"Daddy," she said, drawing his hazel eyes to hers, "but what if I ever lose you?"
"You won't."
"How do you know?" She was still sitting up in her bed, the bunny pressed against her chest as she tilted her head curiously. Her father gave her a gentle smile.
"Because you'll always have me and your mother in here," he pointed to his chest, where his heart beat, "and no one will ever be able to take that away from you." He looked at her for a moment, watching the fear fade from her face, replaced by excitement. He pretended to look at his watch before saying:

"Now get some sleep, there's a lot to do tomorrow." She nodded eagerly.
"Good night. I love you, daddy!" She slipped under her thick blanket and buried her face in her pillow - the panic that had raged inside her before now completely gone.
"I love you too," her father had replied before turning off the light and stepping out of the room. But the girl had not fallen asleep that night. Instead, she had put her hand on her chest, right where her heart beat, and closed her eyes, trying to think of all the memories she had with her parents. Because that was something, she had proudly told her best friend Wells the next day, that no one could ever take away from her.

She was doing it again right now, her brown eyes fixed on the thick camp walls that were beginning to vibrate. One hand pressed to her chest, just as her father had shown her, while the other held the black handgun Bellamy had given her. And it did calm her, this simple gesture she had only practiced as a child. Her heart, she felt, stepped out of its long marathon for a moment, and her breathing became calm and regular.