Um, this killed me. You're next, sorry xoxo 

Also, please read the note below for the info about what's next!!

𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓/ 𝟏.𝟐𝟑.
☆ WE ARE GROUNDERS ☆
"𝓢𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓸 𝔀𝓮 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼?"

☆꧁*꧂☆

   THE DEPARTURE FROM their home was approaching unrelentingly, with no other angle to avoid leaving the place raised by their own sweat and tears. Their safe haven was progressively morphing into a lethal snare, tumbling down the protection ensured by their territory, shielding them from the enemies lurking in the shadows. 

   In rush, delinquents packed what they were able to carry. Silently, with senses on a high alert, they began to march through the gates, hoping to discover a better life beyond the ocean, away from all the people who wished their death. 

They had to escape unless they were willing to fight. 

"You did good here, Bell." Allaia assured with gentleness among her ardent tone, conveying only the truth. 

Bellamy's eyes remained glued to the graveyard in reverie. "Eighteen dead." He countered outwardly within rigidity.

"Eighty two alive." Allaia retorted. "Don't be so harsh on yourself. You did good."

   Bellamy nodded, tossing a bucket of water into the fire. It extinguished instantly, the flames sizzled with a hiss of the dark smoke rising in the air above, fading into oblivion.  

   Absorbed by the contentious thoughts, entangling her mind like a ravel, Allaia looked around herself one last time. She was going to miss this camp. It was the first place where she has ever tasted freedom. No matter how bitter her sweet liberty turned out in reality, it was still the first place where she has ever felt free. Valuable friendships that will last forever, until the end of their lives, were made. Unbreakable bonds, brightening up her life like the sunshine. 

   And somewhere in between everything, Allaia found something unexpected. Something that she used to be afraid of, but now, this sense consumed her in an endearing way, accending her all over again. It ignited her heart, making her feel alive. It was intensely overwhelming and vivid, like a transcendent anthesis of her soul finding her destined half. In the intricacy of their story, this foreign feeling seemed to conquer above all the wrongs in the so world ill with cruelty and death.

Allaia couldn't deny it anymore. 

Love. She found love. Or at least something very close to it. 

"You ready, sweetheart?" Bellamy queried, pulling Allaia out of her trance.

"Yeah." Alle sent him a genuine smile. "Let's go."

And so they abandoned their home, only to run for their lives' sake. 

"I'm gonna go to the front." Allaia announced after a while of walking in silence.

"What? No." Bellamy snapped, catching the crook of her arm before she could wander off too far. 

Allaia glared at him inquiringly, slightly irritated. "Look, it's a smart move! Grounders worshiped Adaley. Maybe if they see me, they won't attack us." She naively suggested. 

"Maybe they worshiped her at some point, but they also killed her." Bellamy reminded her explicitly. "Your presence could piss them off even more."

"Okay, so it's fifty-fifty." Allaia shrugged innocently. "Still, worth a try."

"So, you're either a shield or a bait, just great." Bellamy concluded ragingly with gritted teeth. "How damn reckless can you possibly be, Allaia?" 

She stared at him stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Bellamy sighed exasperatedly, vaguely surrendering to her irresistible charm. "Be careful, love." Tenderly, he pressed a chaste kiss against her temple. 

"I'm always careful, Bell." Allaia scoffed in amusement. 

She grinned widely and quickly caught up with the group out front.

"You know the first thing I'll do when I get to the beach?" Miller asked.

"No, what?" Jasper inquired curiously.

"I'm gonna go surfing." Miller smirked.

"A friendly advice, you should probably learn how to swim first unless you wanna drown." Allaia snickered.

"Party pooper." Miller mumbled. 

"No, a friend who's concerned for your life." Allaia corrected in an obvious tone.

"Guys, be quiet." Jasper hissed from behind in a rigid voice. 

"No more woods. Just pale, blue water." Drew sighed dreamily. 

"Let's hope monsters don't live in oceans as well. Because they certainly do live in rivers." Allaia muttered. "What? I have a scar to prove it." 

   A distant whistle from the trees' crowns startled the teenagers. Octavia halted in her tracks, stopping abruptly and looking around to trace anything that would seem remotely suspicious. Allaia narrowed her eyes as well, tensely searching for possible danger lurking in the shadows. 

"What is it?" Jasper implied in a terrified voice when the eerie silence descended, sending chills down everyone's spine in anticipation. "I don't see anything."

  The noise of steel ringing from afar caused Allaia to whirl around rapidly. An axe flew towards them in a menacing motion, eventually sinking itself into Drew's skull and almost slicing it in half. 

"O my God." Allaia gasped shakily, her instincts curling up into an undiluted mayhem and reversing in anxiety as she stared at the Drew's corpse in horror. 

"GROUNDERS!" Jasper screamed deafeningly.

  And then all hell broke loose. It was an absolute chaos — people aggressively shoved through the crowd in panic, trying to escape the fire line and their enemies' wrath. 

There was no other choice but to fight.

☆꧁*꧂☆

  WHEN EVERYONE WAS safe within the camp's boundaries, Miller quickly closed the gate, barricading them inside. Bellamy rushed towards Allaia, a sheer concern alight in his distressed cast, as he was lethally petrified by the mere thought of her being wounded in the slightest way. Vaguely, sensing his hands tremble a little, he cupped her face with delicacy, looking her ardently in the eyes. 

"Are you hurt anywhere, baby?" Bellamy demanded in a hoarse voice, tenderly caressing her cheek.

"No, I'm alright." Allaia assured shakily, clutching his hands that were stroking her features in affirmation. 

   As everyone rapidly dispersed from the crowd to their positions, Allaia and Bellamy joined Clarke's side at the guard post, frantically scanning the vicinity for any signs of the alternate strike.

"Where are they?" Bellamy asked nervously, peering over the walls with his gun raised in precaution. "Why aren't they attacking?" 

"Because we're doing exactly what they wanted us to do." Clarke realized. "Lincoln said the scouts would be the first to arrive."

"If it's just scouts, we can fight our way out." Octavia suggested with meager hope audible in her tone. "That's what Lincoln would do."

"We're done doing what that Grounder would do." Bellamy stated harshly, jumping off the platform. "We tried it and now Drew is dead. You wanna be next?" He snapped. 

"That Grounder saved our lives!" Finn protested. "I agree with Octavia. For all we know, there's one scout out there."

"One scout with insanely good aim." Allaia snorted skeptically. "Look, it doesn't matter if we trust Lincoln or not. Just for the record, I do, but that scout threw that axe with bloody perfect accuracy from God only knows how far away. I'm just trying to be realistic. What, you think I'm happy we're forced to fight for our lives and kill to survive? Fuck no! But the thing is, we're out of pacifistic options. We tried to make peace, we tried to escape. Didn't work. Now there's only war left, whether we like it or not. I mean, there's also death left, but I doubt you wanna choose that option." She mumbled the last sentence awkwardly. "Okay, I'll shut up now."

    Covertly, Bellamy stared at Allaia during her speech, watching her in reverie. Despite her constant claiming that she wasn't a leader material, he thought otherwise. Her personality allured people towards her like a magnet. It wasn't a surprise that he fell for her so quickly. 

"Looking at you, princess." Bellamy decided, innerly praying that Clarke would agree with him. "What's it gonna be? Run and get picked off out in the open, or stand and fight back?"

Clarke seemed to be torn apart, hesitant what strategy they should choose.

"Clarke, if we're still here when Tristan gets here—" Finn started in a hushed tone.

The blonde gazed at him, letting out a heavy sigh. "Lincoln said scouts. More than one. He said get home before the scouts arrive. Finn, they're already here!" Her quivering voice grew louder with every word. "Looks like you've got your fight." Clarke told Bellamy. 

"Okay, then. This is what we've been preparing for." Bellamy shouted. "Kill them before they kill us. Gunners, to your posts! Use the tunnels to get in and out. From now on, the gate stays closed." He instructed commandingly.

"So how the hell do we do this?"

☆꧁*꧂☆

   A FEW MINUTES later, they gathered inside the main tent to discuss the blueprint for the upcoming battle. 

"We've got twenty five rifles with twenty rounds each, give or take." Bellamy listed, folding his arms. "Roughly five hundred rounds of ammo. While you two were gone, we made some improvements. Thanks to Raven, the gully is mined."

"Partially mined, thanks to Murphy." Raven corrected bitterly in an exhausted voice leaking with pristine pain.

"Still, it's the main route in. If the Grounders use it, we'll know." Bellamy pointed out. "She also built grenades."

"That's not many." Clarke noticed sadly.

"Again, thank you, Murphy." Raven spat sourly.

"Murphy really did pick the perfect time to go rogue." Allaia muttered sarcastically. 

"We'll make them count." Bellamy pressed firmly. "If the Grounders make it through the front gate, guns and grenades should force them back."

"And then?" Clarke queried.

"Then we close the door and pray." Raven stated darkly.

"And pray what? That the ship keeps them out?" Clarke implied incredulously. "Because it won't."

"They're gonna stand outside like idiots, waiting for us to either open the door or die out of starvation." Allaia said with skepticism exuding from her cynical tone. "Either way, we're dead, so let's make it our last option."

"My little sister is positive as usual." Finn mumbled acerbically.  

"I'm just stating facts." Allaia sighed shakily, briefly glancing at everyone with unwanted tension. "Someone had to say it." When her nerves were on the edge, sarcasm was like her defense mechanism, in a way distracting her from all the stress.

"Let's not let them get through the gate." He uttered, lifting the radio towards his mouth. "All foxholes, listen up! Keep your eyes and ears open. Inflict casualties. As many as possible. You can hold them off long enough to make them turn back. That's the plan."

"That's always your plan." Finn scoffed. "Just like the bomb on the bridge." 

"Damn right." Bellamy seemed unfazed by Finn's disapproval. "You got a better idea?"

"It can't be that simple." Clarke whispered in reverie and abruptly spun around to face Raven. "You said there's fuel in those rockets, right? Enough to build a hundred bombs."

"I also said we got no gunpowder left." Raven replied.

"I don't wanna build a bomb." Clarke denied with a dangerous spark shining in her eyes. "I wanna blast off."

Raven smirked. "Draw them in close. Fire the rockets—"

"A ring of fire." Allaia grinned.

"Barbecued Grounders." Bellamy realized with a slight smile. "I like it."

"Will it work?" Finn asked in a dubious voice.

"The wiring's a mess down there, but yeah." Raven confirmed. "You give me enough time, I'll cook them real good."

☆꧁*꧂☆

WHEN EVERYONE LEFT the room, only Allaia and Bellamy remained inside.

"I hope you're not thinking about being a gunner." He implied nervously, gazing at her with uneasiness emanating from his glimpse. "I'm sure you know I don't want you to risk your life, no matter what."

"No, I'll stay here." Allaia admitted, causing Bellamy to sigh in relief, an invisible force stirring with his emotions fading away. "I want to go and help, but my aim is still shitty. I'd just waste our ammo. I'm willing to give up on my stubbornness for the greater good." She winked at him playfully. 

"Okay, good." Bellamy breathed, caressing her cheek. "Because I'd lose my fucking mind if something ever happened to you." 

   Bellamy looked at Allaia with such unconditional devotion that for a moment she forgot that there's the entire universe existing above and beyond them. The ardency flames shining in his eyes, combined with his soothing touch on her skin, made her feel lost, but alive in the whole another dimension. That's how ethereal the aura was when Allaia and Bellamy were together. It was simply out of this world. Every strand of bad emotion that tumbled through her mind seemed to wither whenever her heart sensed his. 

The love blooming between them was the ultimate answer to her healing. 

"Bell, promise me something." Allaia pleaded, seriousness breaking among her faint tone. "Promise me you'll come back to me. I— I can't lose you."

"Angel, this isn't a goodbye." Bellamy assured gently, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "I will find my way back to you, okay? I always will. But in case anything happens to me out there, I just want you to know that you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I knew you were going to turn my world upside down ever since our eyes met. I fell for you without even realizing it. That's how damn natural it felt. Like I was meant to fall for you." 

    Spheres of Allaia's amber eyes started to burst at his  loving words. Her dark eyelashes brimmed heavy with tears of undiluted agitation.

"I love you, Allaia." Bellamy confessed in a whisper, looking her deeply in the eyes. 

   He leaned closer, placing an alight kiss on her cheek. It was an innocent gesture, yet felt extremely intimate. His lips fondly lingered on her skin for a few seconds before he pulled away, tracing the lineament of her jaw with his fingertips. Allaia's heart was racing erratically, throbbing in an uneven rhythm. She could feel the heat rising upon her features, the blooming shade almost setting her heart on fire. 

   Bellamy Blake was in love with her. Allaia froze, not knowing how to react, even though she felt the same way. It just seemed so unreal. A sudden rush of warmth pervaded her entire body, uprearing her to an overwhelming level of intensity beyond reckoning. Allaia used to be afraid of love, but with Bellamy, it felt so natural, almost as essential as breathing. He proved to her that love isn't hard when it blooms between two people that are right for each other. After everything that has happened to her in the past, Allaia never expected that she would ever fall for somebody. But fate had other plans, setting on her path of life Bellamy Blake, like they were destined to be together. 

Before Allaia could reply, Bellamy interrupted her, pressing his forehead against hers. "Don't give me your answer now, baby. I need to find my way back to you and hear your reply. The unknown will drive me mad, but I'll have another reason to fight. Us." 

"Bell..." Allaia gasped shakily, wrapping her arms around his neck and staring at him with pure affection gleaming in her irises. Her lip was trembling out of unadulterated emotions bursting inside her heart. 

"Shh, don't say anything, angel." Bellamy silenced her, gently putting his finger on her lips. Vaguely, Alle shivered, a delicious bolt of electricity ran down her spine, swirling the reality into mayhem. 

"But what if—" Her fragile voice crumbled at the ominous thought. "Bell, I need to—"

"If you say what I want you to say, I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you senseless, and we both know we've got a war to win." Bellamy whispered, pressing a chaste kiss against her forehead. "Trust me, princess, I would much rather snatch you somewhere far away from here and kiss you for hours, but I can't."

Allaia chuckled quietly. "I know."

Bellamy's eyes strayed between her and the exit. "Baby, I have to go."

"No, not yet." Allaia rapidly shook her head, tightening her arms around him. 

"They need me out there, Alle." He stated in a frail voice. 

"I'm acting like a selfish brat, aren't I?" Allaia sighed heavily. "I just don't wanna let go." A lonely tear streamed down her cheek.

"I know, love. I don't want to let go either." Bellamy soothingly pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly. He stroked her long hair with the biggest tenderness, holding her in his protective embrace. 

"Be safe." Allaia begged, snuggling into him even more. 

"You too." Bellamy demanded in a weak tone. "We will survive this, Allaia." 

☆꧁*꧂☆

   AFTER BELLAMY STORMED outside to surveil bringing their tactics into life, Allaia stayed beside Raven. While Raven was tinkering with the wires, Allaia zoned out to the realm of her innermost thoughts. Only the tingling sensation invading her heart kept her in verity. She still couldn't believe that someone like Bellamy was in love with her. If not for the upcoming battle, Allaia would be the happiest person on Earth. But with death and threat creeping in the darkness, she was on edge, with her nerves completely shattered in anticipation for their unknown fate.

"Why are you so flushed?" Raven inquired curiously, pulling Alle from her trance.

Allaia blushed. "Bellamy told me he loves me." She revealed excitedly in a quiet voice. "Just don't tell Finn, he's gonna freak out."

"O my God, I'm so happy for you two!" Raven sent her a sincere smile. "I mean, it's not like it wasn't obvious, but I'm glad he finally said it. It's about time." She murmured. "Well, did you say it back?"

"He didn't let me reply." Allaia pouted. 

Clarke's voice echoed underneath the floor, interrupting their chattering. "Finn, do you see it over there?"

They were searching for the power source amongst the maze of wires.

"No." Finn yelled back in response.

Allaia frowned, noticing how Raven progressively ceased her tinkering. 

"Raven, we can't find the ignition system." Clarke informed her.

"Hey, Rae, what's wrong?" Allaia queried worriedly, seeing that the brunette was on the verge of crying.

"I can't feel my legs." Raven revealed in a trembling voice, causing Allaia to gasp and gaze at her with sheer concern. 

"Okay, hold on, we're coming." Clarke shouted.

   Allaia and Clarke kneeled on the opposite sides next to Raven, helping her to lean forwards, so Alle could examine her back. Raven let out painful groans, trying to push herself slightly onward. Gently, Allaia lifted Raven's shirt, only to unveil extensive purple bruising covering the skin on the base of her spine. Allaia's nervous cast flickered between Finn and Clarke in worry.

"That bad, huh?" Raven joked humorlessly, noticing their exchange of uneasy stares. 

Allaia helped Raven return to her previous position and looked her straight in the eyes. "Raven, the bullet is in your spine. You're bleeding internally." 

"We better do this fast then, huh?" Raven pretended to seem