Love Waiting to Die

            "Um, Bellamy, I don't speak Grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means keep out," Finn says, stopping abruptly and pointing ahead of them at a dozen skeletons hanging and swaying ominously in the trees. Their search had been pretty uneventful since they found Octavia's belt.

            Ronnie smacks Finn on the back of the head, earning a small glare. She agrees, but saying it out loud feels like asking for trouble. Around them, some of the delinquents exchange uneasy glances, murmuring about turning back.

            "Go back if you want. My sister, my responsibility," Bellamy says, pushing forward. A handful of misfits hesitate, then peel away, heading back toward camp.

            "Pussies," Ronnie mutters under her breath, following close behind Bellamy. She glances over her shoulder- Jasper, Finn, Roma, and a few others remain. She doesn't miss the way Roma eyes the departing group, as if she was thinking about turning back also.

            Ronnie watches as Finn skillfully tracks the footprints and spots of blood, hopefully leading them to Octavia. She was glad someone paid attention in their Earth Skills class during school. Ronnie had paid attention enough to pass, but her mind would drift to the inner workings of the Ark when she became bored.

            Suddenly, Finn stops and sighs. "I got nothing; we lost the trail."

            "Keep looking." Bellamy demands. Ronnie watches him with concern, seeing him slowly start to unravel after every minute of not knowing where his little sister is.

            "Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister. We could backtrack." Finn suggests but Bellamy walks past him without a glance.

            "I'm not going back."

            "Hey, where's John?" Roma asks out of nowhere, her usual smugness replaced by genuine concern.

            "I just saw him a second ago," Jasper says, looking around.

            "Maybe he decided to head back?" Ronnie suggests, but Bellamy shakes his head.

            Roma scoffs. "No way. He wouldn't go alone."

            "Spread out. He couldn't have gotten that far," Bellamy orders, but before anyone moves, something drops from the trees with a sickening thud.

            Ronnie's stomach lurches as they turn around. John Mbege lies motionless, his throat slashed open, eyes frozen in terror. She swallows hard, scanning the canopy. Whoever did this is still out there, watching.

            A hand taps her arm. Finn. He gestures past the body. "There." Ronnie follows his gaze- dark figures move between the trees, closing in. "We should run," Finn whispers.

            They didn't need to be told twice.

            The search party bolts, weaving through trees, jumping over roots. Ronnie's breath burns in her throat, and then- her foot catches. She crashes to the ground, panic surging through her.

            "Got you!" Finn yanks her up before she can even register the fall. "You okay?" He asks between breathes.

            Ronnie nods, forcing herself forward. No time for mistakes. The others are slowing, gasping for breath.

            "I can't run much longer!" Jasper pants from the back.

            "I'm not stopping for him!" Diggs snaps, shoving past them.

            "I'm sick of running anyway," Bellamy growls, suddenly skidding to a stop. Ronnie barely has time to react before she crashes into his back.

            "What the hell are you doing, Bell?!" she hisses, heart hammering in her chest. "They're right behind us!"

            Bellamy's jaw tightens. "They know where she is."

            Before Ronnie can try and convince him to think clearly, Roma suddenly stiffens. "Wait- where's Diggs?"

            The group falls silent.

            "Roma, wait!" Ronnie calls as the girl takes off in the direction they saw him run off to. She swears under her breath and sprints after her. "Can people stop running away?" she grumbles and the others follow closely.

            Then, Ronnie sees it. With a strangled gasp, she skids to a halt. There in front of her is Diggs, impaled on a sharpened stake. His body twitches once, then goes still. Ronnie staggers back, bile rising in her throat.

            "They were leading us here," Jasper breathes. "It's the only direction we could run."

            "Hey... where'd they go?" Finn asks, scanning the trees. Ronnie glances around, also noticing the lack of grounders chasing them. The woods were eerily silent.

            "After Roma," Bellamy realizes grimly.

            Ronnie leads the way as they take off running again, tracking Roma's frantic footprints in the dirt. The moment Ronnie sees the girls shoulder peeking around the back of a tree, relief floods through her- until she notices the spear protruding from her chest.

            Roma gasps for air, her back pressed against a tree, blood seeping out around the edges of the spear. Her eyes dart to Ronnie, wide with panic. "I- I don't wanna die," she chokes out.

            Ronnie swallows hard. In this moment, Roma isn't the girl who flirted with Bellamy to mark her territory and get under Ronnie's skin- she's just a terrified kid, like the rest of them. But there's nothing they can do.

            Roma's chest rises one last time. Then she's gone.

            "They're playing with us," Finn mutters. "They can kill us whenever they want."

            Jasper loses it. "Then they should get it over with! Come on! We know you're out there!"

            Ronnie slaps a hand over his mouth, trying to quiet him. Her heart races. "Are you trying to get us killed?" She hisses. Her attempt to quiet him was too late. Shadows move between the trees as the grounders close in on them once again.

            Ronnie stares at the nearest one, her pulse pounding so hard it drowns out everything else. This is it. This is how she dies. She squeezes her eyes shut. Then- a horn blasts through the woods.

            Ronnie's eyes fly open. the grounders freeze and, as if on cure, they turn and sprint away. "What the-" she breathes, her body shaking as the fear leaves her system.

           "They're leaving," Bellamy says, just as bewildered.

            "That horn," Jasper pants, "what does it mean?"

            Ronnie racks her brain, the sound triggering something deep in her memory.

            "Acid fog," Finn says grimly, making the connection first.

            At his words, she remembers. The horn, the sickly yellow mist rolling over the trees, the way it burned through Atom's skin at contact. Her gaze locks with Bellamy's. They survived the grounders- now they have to survive what comes next.

            "We have to run, find shelter." Ronnie says, already shifting on her feet.

            Finn grabs her arm before she can bolt. "There's no time." He pulls out a tarp and lays it on the ground in one swift motion. The group scrambles underneath, making sure there are no gaps to allow the acid through. They all press together in the dark, the air is thick with swear and fear. Silence stretches between them, only broken by the sound of heavy breathing.

            Ronnie tries to focus, tries to control the rising panic clawing up her throat, but the tarp feels like it's closing in on her. The air turns thin, suffocating. Her skin prickles with heat. Every breath feels too shallow. She clenches her fits, pressing her nails into her palms. It doesn't help. The muffled sound of breathing becomes overwhelming, pounding against her skull like a drum. Too loud. Too close.

            A hand finds hers. Ronnie flinches, startled, until she realizes it's Bellamy.

            "Ronnie, breathe," he says, his voice steady despite the panic swirling around the tarp.

           "I- I can't," she chokes out, her chest tightening like a vice.

            Bellamy shifts closer. "Okay, what are five things you can see?"

            Ronnie snaps her head toward him, eyes narrowed even through her panic. "What- kind- of- dumbass- question- is that?"

            Bellamy huffs but doesn't let go of her hand. "Just answer it."

            She glares at him but obeys. Anything to focus on something other than the crushing weight in her lungs. "I see- the orange tarp," she rasps.

            Bellamy nods. "Good. Keep going."

            "I see... Jasper." She glances to her left, spotting him fidgeting anxiously. "I see you."

            Bellamy holds her gaze. "What else?"

            Ronnie takes a deep, shaky breath. "I see your freckles," she admits before her eyes drop to their intertwined hands. "And I see... our hands."

            Bellamy blinks, momentarily thrown off. He swallows and quickly pulls his hand away, rubbing the back of his neck. "You good?" he asks, pretending he isn't affected.

            "Ronnie takes another deep breath. Her heart is still hammering, but the panic isn't as sharp now. "Yeah," she mutter, "I think so. Thanks."

            Bellamy doesn't respond, just gives a small nod.

            "We can't just sit here forever," Jasper grumbles.

            "Will this even work?" Ronnie asks.

            "We'll find out," Finn says.

            Ronnie rolls her eyes. "Great. Loving waiting to die."

            Bellamy huffs and rips the tarp off his head, scanning the forest. "There is no fog," he announces. Then one by one, they all crawl out. The air is humid, thick with the scent of damp earth, but no sign of the toxic mist.

            "Maybe it was a false alarm," Finn suggests.

            "Or a distraction," Ronnie mutters, stretching her tense muscles. She just wants to go back to camp. Between running for her life and the panic attack, she's spent.

            "They're coming back," Bellamy warns, pointing in the distance. Ronnie follows is gaze and spots a lone Grounder sprinting through the trees.

            "I think he's alone," Jasper points out.

            "Yeah, I don't see any others. Now can we run?" Ronnie asks, already exhausted.

            "He doesn't see us," Bellamy says, ignoring her. His jaw tightens. "I'm going after him."

            "And what? Ask to be best friends?"

            Bellamy shoots Ronnie a glare and shakes his head. "No. Catch him. Make him tell me where Octavia is- then kill him."

            "How do we know he's not leading us into another trap?" Jasper asks the obvious.

            Ronnie crosses her arms. "That's exactly what I was thinking." she points at him, nodding in agreement.

            Bellamy doesn't hesitate. "We don't." Then he takes off after the Grounder.

            Ronnie curses under her breath but follows. Because of course she does.

            The chase leads them deeper into the trees. The Grounder moves like he knows the terrain better than they ever could, slipping between trunks, ducking under low-hanging branches. But then- he vanishes.

            "Where the hell-" Ronnie starts, but then she see it. A hole in the ground. "So you think she's down there?" She asks Bellamy.

            His lips press into a firm line. "We'll see." And with that he jumps down.

            Ronnie follows, landing in a dimly lit space. The moment she see Octavia chained to the wall, she exhales in relief. She's alive. then she notices the grounder they had followed on the floor. He was unconscious.

            Bellamy rushes forward to his sister, fumbling with the chains. "We got you, O. We got you." When the shackles finally clatter to the ground, Octavia throws her arms around him.

            "How did you find me?" she breathes, pulling back, sending a smile at the rest of the search party filing into the small space.

            Bellamy nods toward the unconscious Grounder. "Followed hi."

            "We need to go," Octavia urges. "Before he wakes up."

            Bellamy grabs a weapon. "He's not going to wake up. They started this."

            Octavia freezes. "Bell, no-"

            Before he can strike, Finn stops him. "Wait."

            Bellamy scowls. "Finn, move."

            Finn ignores him, his gaze locked on something wrapped around the Grounder's waist. "Foghorn," Finn realizes. Then- too fast to react- the Grounder springs up, knife flashing in the dim light. Finn gasps, the blade sinking into his lower abdomen.

            "Finn!" Ronnie cries, catching him as he staggers backward. Blood spills between her fingers as she presses down around the blade. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay."

            A struggle breaks out beside her. Bellamy grunts, pinned beneath the Grounder. Ronnie's heart lurches. "Bellamy!" she yells, helpless as the Grounder moves to strike.

            "Stop! That's my brother!" Octavia screams.

            A sickening thud echos through the room. The Grounder collapses. Jasper stands behind him, gripping a pole with shaking hands. Silence falls, heavy and tense. Their breathes are the only sound in the room.

            Ronnie doesn't relax though. Her hands are pressed firmly against Finn's stomach, and her eyes lock onto Finn's panicked ones. The Grounder may be out of the equation, but this isn't over. Not by a long shot.

~*~

            From then on, everything was a blur to Ronnie. The exhaustion, the storm, the chaos- it all blurred together until Clarke's sharp voice cut through it like a knife. "Ronnie! Fix it!"

            She snapped out of her daze just as Raven pulled her into the drop ship. While she had been out searching for Octavia, Clarke and Raven had discovered a small bunker housing a transmitter inside a remote-controlled toy car. Now, it was up to them to make it work. Ronnie's fingers moved on autopilot as she helped Raven reassemble the radio, twisting wires into place, tightening screws, and checking connections. When static crackled through the speaker, both girls exchanged a glance. Hope was creeping in, fragile but real.

            Raven adjusted the dials and spoke into the radio. "This is Raven Reyes. Calling Ark Station. Come in, Ark Station. This is Raven Reyes, calling Ark Station. Please, can anybody hear me?"

            The girls waited with anticipation but all that came back was silence.

            Ronnie watched as Raven's expression darkened, hope slipping through her fingers like sand. "Are you sure you're on the right frequency?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

            Raven's head snapped toward her. "Yeah, I'm sure. The storm's just messing with the signal."

             Ronnie held up her hands, she forgot Raven didn't like it when she was doubted. "Let me try." She gently nudged Raven aside and adjusted the frequency- just a slight shift, but enough to matter. Without a word, she started repeating Raven's call.

            Clarke and Raven paced behind her, their nervous energy pressing against her skin. "Guys, stop pacing. You're making me nervous."

            She was about to give up when- "This is a restricted station. Identify yourself." The voice crackled through the radio, and all three of them froze.

            Ronnie's heart leaped. They'd made contact. "This is Ronnie Sinclair, from Alpha Station. Daughter of Jacapo Sinclair. I'm transmitting from the ground. The hundred are alive. We need Dr. Abby Griffin, like right now!"

            Raven and Clarke practically vibrated with relief. Then another voice came through- one that made Ronnie's breath hitch. "Baby girl."

            Her father.

            Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. "Dad."

            "I'm so proud of you," Sinclair said, his voice thick with emotion. "Hang on, we're boosting the signal. I'll talk to you soon." Ronnie stepped back, letting Clarke take over so she could speak to her mother and figure out how to save Finn. But before she could catch her breath, Chancellor Jaha's voice came through, making her stomach twist.

            "Ronnie? Is my son with you?"

            The hope in his voice shattered her. She opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat. "I'm so sorry, sir, but Wells is-" The grief hit her like a punch, and she couldn't finish.

            Clarke stepped in. "Wells is no longer with us. I'm so sorry." She placed a comforting hand on Ronnie's back.

            Ronnie swallowed hard, blinking away the tears, and moved to sit against the wall. She needed a second- a moment to breathe. But the storm outside was only getting worse, and Clarke made the call. "Close the doors."

            "Monty and Jasper still aren't back. Neither is Bellamy." Octavia protested before disappearing up the ladder, double checking to see if they snuck in. As if he was on cue, Bellamy stormed into the drop ship, two boys dragging the unconscious Grounder from earlier behind him. "Bellamy!" Octavia scrambled back down the ladder, eyes darting to the Grounder. "What the hell are you doing?"

            "Getting answers," Bellamy said, his voice cold, his jaw set.

            Octavia's expression twisted. "You mean revenge?"

            Ronnie watched as Bellamy's hand clenched into fists, his patience wearing thin. "I mean intel. Get him upstairs."

            Ronnie stood up. "Bellamy, she's right. Don't give the Grounders another reason to hate us."

            His sharp gaze snapped to her, anger flickering in his eyes.

            "This isn't who you are," she pressed. "You don't want to do this." Before he could respond, his attention darted to the radio as voices from the ark scratched through the speakers. Ronnie saw fear flash across his face. "Bellamy-"

            "It is now." The betrayal in his eyes stopped her short. Then he climbed the ladder, and she followed without hesitation.

            "Stay down there," he ordered.

            Ronnie kept climbing. "If you're going to do this, I'm going to be there. We're in this together, remember?"

            He didn't argue, but she caught the muscle in his jaw tightening. At the top, the Grounder was tied up loosely, his breathing heavy but controlled. Bellamy's frustration flared. "Hey! Tie him up right. Last thing we need is this bastard escaping because you screwed up."

            Octavia stormed up behind them.

            "Octavia, get out of here," Bellamy barked.

            "I told you, he was protecting me!" she shot back. "You don't have to do this!"

            "This isn't about you," Bellamy snapped. "I'm doing this for all of us."

            "You did that for all of us?" Octavia gestured at the Grounder's wounds.

            "I did that for Finn, Jasper, John, Diggs, and Roma."

            Ronnie rolled her eyes and grumbled. "Roma ran off and got herself killed."

            "We need to know what we're up against- how many there are, why they're killing us. And he's gonna tell us. Right now."

            Octavia turned to Ronnie desperately, as if the mechanic could talk sense into Bellamy. "Ronnie?"

            Ronnie hesitated, but before she could speak, Bellamy demand, "Drew, Miller. Take them downstairs."

            Drew grabbed Octavia's arm who immediately tried to free herself. Miller took a step toward Ronnie. She shot him a death glare. "Don't even think about it."

            Miller hesitated. Octavia finally yanked herself free. "He doesn't even speak English! He won't understand you!" She yelled before storming down the hatch herself, but Bellamy wasn't listening.

            "Oh, I think he will."

            The storm raged on outside, the drop ship trembling with every thunderous crash. Bellamy kept pushing for answers, but the Grounder remained silent.

            A loud boom of thunder sounded and the drop ship shook violently. Everyone staggered.

            "What the hell was that?" Bellamy demanded. "Are we under attack?" Drew disappeared down the hatch to check it out and then popped back up minutes later revealing that it was just storm damage.

            Ronnie exhaled in relief that they were fine, but the tension in the room remained thick.

            Bellamy turned back to the Grounder. "One last time. What's your name? Where's your camp? How many of you are there?"

            He is once again met with silence from the Grounder. Ronnie shakes her head, this is going nowhere. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Bellamy's shoulder. "Maybe we should take a break."

            Before Bellamy could respond, Miller held up a small container filled with vials, catching everyone attention. "Hey, check this out." Everyone gathered around him, examining the contents. "What is all this stuff?"

            Bellamy scoffed. "Who the hell knows with these people?"

           Ronnie gently took the container, inspecting the contents. Next to her Bellamy unwrapped something else- the Grounder's journal. The moment Bellamy flipped it open, the Grounder began to pull at his restrained. Ronnie watched him warily, he didn't want them seeing what was inside.

            Ronnie took the book from Bellamy and scanned the pages. Many pages were filled with stunning sketches of the Earth and of his people. She flipped to the next page and froze, there on the page was a perfect drawing of their drop ship. On the page next to it were tallies.

            Her stomach dropped. "Bellamy." She turned the book toward him, pulling his attention from the vials. "This is our gamp. 103 tallies. And ten are crossed out." She watched him as the realization hit, his eyes darkened.

            "He's been watching us."