CHAPTER 1X16

XVI. Warriors

"Sunshine..." Clarissa sat up alarmed. A hand was placed on her shoulder, "It's just me."

She looked to her right, still holding the blanket against her body, and saw Bellamy. She sighed relieved, a smile opening on her face. He was still as naked as was she.

"We should go back, right?" She wondered, not that she wanted to leave any time soon but people were counting on them, "Things are about to get crazy."

"We'll figure something out, Clary." Bellamy tranquilized her.

They both got dressed in silent, it wasn't like they had to talk about what happened the previous night. It was pretty clear. They liked each other, end of story. No need to make a big deal out of it, and both agreed on that.

Clarissa was the one walking ahead to the camp. Bellamy held her back, before she could cross the wall, which forced her to face him. He got closer, and kissed her.

"Tonight, my tent?"

Bellamy was surprised by her audacity but nodded right away, "Sure."

. . .

Hours. Clarissa had been carrying things from one side to the other for hours now. It was more of a distraction than an actual job. She needed to keep her mind off things.

"Hey, how are you?" Finn asked, stopping her on her way to the dropship.

"As fine as it gets." Clary shrugged, "Despite having a war to get ready to."

He didn't let her go, "You should take a break, Clary."

"And you should talk to Clarke."

"Don't turn it on me, pretty girl." Finn replied.

"I'm just trying to keep myself busy." Clarissa confessed.

"And why is that?" He asked, the curiosity taking the best of him.

Clarissa rolled her eyes, tired of all the questions, "Maybe I am just terrified of dying, Finn."

He was used to her sarcasm, after all they were best friends. She had been the first person to not blame him for the deaths on the first second they landed. So Finn just giggled and walked away from Clary, letting her get back to work.

Clarissa massaged her own neck when she placed the box down on the dropship table, trying to relieve the tension. She heard the wind get into the dropship, warning someone had got in.

"Clary?" Bellamy's voice called from behind her.

"Yes," She turned around, "is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine, for now." He walked over to her, his eyes wondering over her, "I just wanted to make sure you were doing ok."

"I'm fine." Clarissa told him, and she wasn't lying – it didn't matter how bad things were, she was ok as long as she was with him, "What about you?"

"I'm ok."

Bellamy took the risk, he leaned over. She was ok with him kissing her, she actually wanted it. So her hands went to his shoulders in anticipation. But before Bellamy's lips could touch hers, Clarke Griffin bursted through the dropship.

They pulled away from each other, right away.

"Um, I'm sorry... I just... I just wanted to talk to you, Clary. But I can come back later, I will –."

"No, no. It's fine." Clarissa coughed, "Bellamy was just leaving, right? We can talk."

Bellamy nodded, smirking down only at Clary.

It was fun for Clarke to watch both liders trying to hide their feelings when they both sucked at it. Of course, Clarke didn't like the fact that it was Bellamy Blake her sister was in love with, but as long as she was happy, Clarke was too.

. . .

"Seen anything?"

Clary looked over her shoulder at Bellamy, "No, nothing. Maybe the bomb scared them off once and for all. Let's hope so."

"Hope might actually be our best shot right now." He confessed; at least to him it was, "So keep hoping, Sunshine."

"It's getting harder."

Bellamy could see it, he didn't need her to tell him that. It was clear to his eyes than Clarissa was running out of optimism. He couldn't blame her.

He started walking ahead, and Clary quickly followed him.

"If it means anything, Jasper said he might be able to make more gunpowder if he finds sulfur. And Raven thinks she can make more mines, so... careful where you step, Clary"

Clarissa looked down at the ground, immediately. But when she looked up, Bellamy was smiling at her. She let out an innocent chuckle, and damn, it made his day. He wished he could see her smile like that every day, Clary deserved some happiness.

The thought of the grounders hurting her haunted him.

"I just wish we had enough bombs to burn all the grounders." She faced him in a quick movement, and he added, "I know you don't like it but that's what they did to us and they will keep doing, Clary."

"When I say we're worth saving, I don't mean just us, I mean everyone. Including the grounders. They're scared like us, Bellamy. We fell on their home." Clarissa reminded him, "Except we aren't warriors. We don't know how to fight, how to win. They do."

"We are warriors too now." He insisted, "And we will win."

She sighed, "I hope you're right."

"What about the Ark? Anything yet?" Bellamy wondered.

"No, nothing. I guess we're really on our own."

"Finally the oxigen ended up there." He spat, in bitterness.

"At least my mom died quickly." Clarissa swallowed, "She almost made it."

Part of Clarissa was thankful, at least she wouldn't have to face her mother disappointment in seeing what she had become, and the things she had to do. Worse, the things Clary was willing to do to save her people and the ones she loved.

But hadn't Abby Griffin done them all too?

. . .

Bad news never stopped coming. When they managed to fix one problem, another one was already lurking in. It was in times like that that it wasn't easy being in charge, when the hard choices needed to be made.

"Octavia, are you ok?" Clarissa ran to her best friend in urgency, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." Octavia managed to stand up with Clary's help, "I'm ok."

Murphy glanced over to the boy standing next to them, Clarissa saw it coming before it happened. When the first punch was thrown, she knew it would only get worse. It was Bellamy who seperated them, much to her relieve.

"What now?!" Octavia shouted, desesperated, "That was all the food we had!"

Bellamy and Alexis looked at each other, they knew Octavia was asking them. Everyone was looking at them in expectation, waiting for a decision.

. . .

"Do you know what happened, Clarke?" Clarissa bend down next to the place of the accident, "Murphy said Del fed the fire even tho Octavia said it was a bad idea."

"Do we believe him?"

It took Clary a while to think it through. She wanted to believe him, he was one of them. He used to be her people, he still was. She didn't want to turn her back on him, but she also knew Murphy was a lone wolf, at least he was used to being one. Maybe Clary could change that.

"I do." Clarissa took the leap of faith.

"Well, we have nuts." Clarke remembered.

"For what? A week? Two at most?"

Bellamy approached them, and without even thinking about it, he placed a hand on Clarissa's shoulder. She reached for his hand with hers.

"Nothing left?" He wondered, not hopeful at all.

"It's all gone." Clarke told him.

"So we have to hunt." Bellamy replied.

"Are you sure?" Clary stood up in urgency, she was worried about that idea, "Is it safe to have people going out there with the grounders wanting to have their war?"

"It's the only option we have." He let her know, adding something else to calm her down, "Besides, there is no sign of grounders near here. Not yet."

Clarke crossed her arms over her chest, sighing, "Let's hope it stays that way."

. . .

"Each group has someone armed! It is to kill grounders, not food! We don't have enough ammo! Use the spares to hunt! Get what you can and come back until dark!"

Bellamy turned to Clarissa once he finished, both with worried features. That night on her tent wasn't happening anytime soon, and that wasn't their biggest concern.

"We'll get through this." It was her turn to tranquilize him, "We will."

"I hope you're right, Sunshine."

Clary smiled up at him, sadly. She then turned her back on him and walked up to Clarke and Finn, standing a few feet away.

"Are you coming with us?"

"As long as you let me take the gun." She shrugged.

Clarke chuckled, "No way."

Clarissa was ok with that, she trusted her sister with the gun. She had never seen Clarke shoot at a walking target, just at the sky but still. Clarke had many skills, maybe shooting was one of them. It couldn't hurt to give her a chance.

"I will get my knife. Meet you on the gate."

Bellamy was watching over everyone, making sure each group takes one gun only. People when scared do all kinds of stupid stuff, and Bellamy didn't want that.

He was worried with the grounders waiting for them to get out of their fort but it was a decision that had to be made. But when he saw the flash of blonde hair flying out of the drop ship and heading to the gate, Bellamy was ready to pull off the whole thing.

He ran to her instead.

"Whoa, Sunshine. Where do you think you're going?"

She looked at him confused, "Hunt? With Clarke and Finn."

"You're not going! It's too dangerous." Bellamy argued, "You're not replaceable."

"We can't expect our people to go risk themselves out there when we are staying hidden here liked cowards!" Clary told him, "You're sounding a lot like a priviledge person right now, Bellamy."

"I'm not worried about me, I'll go. But you have to stay."

"No!" She refused to let him win, "I need to do this!"

"We both know it's dangerous, Clary!" He was about to tell her he couldn't lose her, he almost did. But changed his words at the last minute, "What if something happens to you?! You are not going, end of story!"

"I'm not them, Bellamy! You can't tell me what to do!"

"Sunshine –."

"Don't Sunshine me! I'm not a child!" Clary's voice raised, calling a little too much of unwanted attention. That was when he saw how serious she was about that, "I can take care of myself! You need to understand that!"

Bellamy tried, "Clarissa -."

"We are done here, Bellamy." Her voice sounded harsh and cold, and he never thought she could say something that way, that was what broke him, "Actually, we are done. Whatever we were. Whatever you thought it was. I'm not your puppet, I'm your equal. Put that in your head, Bellamy."

Clarissa turned her back on him, not looking back once. 

She was determined to prove she could do just fine without him around. Her world didn't stop turning just because of Bellamy Blake. She was her own person. Besides, it's not like they were a couple or something, for all she knew it had all been just sex. 

. . .

"Panthers with scales?" Clarissa ironized, "I have never seen one. Well, I haven't seen –."

"I love how you get talky when you are nervous." Finn glanced at her, "And no, it's a boar."

Clarke took the chance, "What are you even nervous about, Clary?"

"Nothing..."

She saw the looks her sister and Finn exchanged, wasn't sure why they were doing that. But both Clarke and Finn were aware of the fight Bellamy and she had had, they had seen it from the gate. It didn't look pretty, so they were curious.

"What's going on with you and Bellamy?" It was Finn who asked the question.

"Really, guys?" Clarissa faced them, "We're in a middle of a hunt with freaking grounders wanting to kill us and that's what you're worried about?"

"Are you gonna answer?" Clarke arched her eyebrow at her sister.

"Is this some kind of interrogation?" She replied, "It's sounding a lot like one."

"No." Finn shrugged, "It's just a question. Simple."

"We just had an argument." Clary finally told them, "It's Bellamy, it's kind of his thing to piss people off. No big deal. He'll get over it."

"Sure?" Clarke asked, she could see it had bothered her sister a lot.

Clarissa nodded, not wanting to talk about Bellamy anymore. It wasn't like she was mad at him, she wasn't. Not that much, but she still needed some time without him.

They kept walking, Finn was ahead of them, looking down at footprints on the dirt. There were a lot, which made Clary hopeful of finding some animals to hunt. It was the whole point of that, right? They were starving back at the camp.

"What's wrong?" Clarke question when Finn stopped abruptly.

"They're perfect."

"Shit." Clarissa cursed, her eyes searching with urgency around them, her voice lowering a bit, "We are the hunt, guys. They are here."

Clarke pointed her gun in a quick movement, alert.

"We need to run!" Finn warned, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Now!"

A scream sounded right at Clary's ears, and she turned around. Her eyes widened at the image, Clarke was lying down on the ground, unconscious. Now she wasn't running, she wouldn't leave her sister behind. No matter what.

"No,"

Another scream echoed, and Clarissa was forced to take her eyes from Clarke. It was Finn she found next. She was all alone, her eyes searching desesperately around for grounders. Until she finally felt a hit on her head, and that was when Clarissa fell to the ground too.

If only she had actually listened to Bellamy.