20 - TIME

[ TIME ]

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"Got one of them," Sayah announced as they raced towards the two Mountain Men. One had been perfectly hit with an arrow while the other stood up, scrambling around in fear.

Indra put out a hand to stop Sayah and the archer from approaching. "No. Her kill." Indra ordered. Octavia sprinted from the other side of the path. The man was trapped.

Octavia fought him well, slicing his suit. A hiss was heard as the air whistled loudly. The man grunted and struggled, trying to close the rip. Octavia didn't hesitate, kicking the back of his knee, causing the man to lose balance.

"Finish it!" Indra ordered her second. Sayah watched with a tense jaw as Octavia lifted his head and held her sword at the man's throat. But before she could, Clarke's voice rang out.

"Octavia! No!" Clarke appeared, riding her horse alongside a guard. "He's from Mount Weather. We need to keep him alive. Check to see if he's got a patch kit. We've got to get him back to camp."

Indra nodded to Sayah who moved forward to hold the struggling man down as he cried out in pain from the radiation.

Octavia moved towards the man's bag and searched it, before finding something. "What is that?" Clarke questioned as Octavia pulled out some sort of pile of papers.

"Clarke," Octavia stood up and approached her, handing it to her. Sayah motioned for the archer to come over and handle the man. He did so, taking over her job as Sayah went to see what it was.

"You and Lexa were the targets." Octavia explained to Clarke as Sayah had a small glimpse of the papers before they were handed to Clarke. They were photos. Photos of Lexa and Clarke, their faces circled in pen.

"We have to warn the commander," Indra announced. "Send our fastest riders to Tondc," Indra ordered to the guard beside Clarke. He nodded before turning his horse around and leaving.

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It was silent as Sayah and Octavia watched the radio, waiting for any indication that Bellamy was inside Mount Weather and alive. Raven had asked Octavia to watch while she went and sorted out what's going on in medical.

Sayah eyed how Octavia kept playing with her fingers. "He'll get there." She reassured her. "Bellamy is strong, and smart. Plus Lincoln helped him so, everything should be going to plan."

Octavia simply nodded at her words, then her gaze flickered up to Sayah, who avoided looking at her. "Sayah," Octavia whispered.

"What?" Sayah replied, eyes not moving from the ground.

"Something's wrong with you. I can tell." Octavia spoke softly. "Is it because of me fighting that guy or being Indra's second? Because I thought we sorted that out—"

When Sayah had returned from the drop-ship and found Octavia in the medical ward, injured from her immature fight with one of the warriors, she had not been happy. There was a small speech and then she ended up staying with her for a bit. Octavia then admitted to her that she was Indra's second. Sayah had been wary about it but realised this was what Octavia had wanted, and she couldn't stop that.

"No, that's fine, Via." Sayah cut her off. "I told you, as long as you are happy and safe, that is all I want." Octavia pursed her lips and nodded.

That night when Sayah visited Octavia in the hospital, Octavia knew something was wrong. Sayah's eyes were slightly red and puffy and her eyes kept darting around, like she was trying to distract herself.

No matter how much Octavia wanted to ask her what was wrong in that moment, she didn't. But here they were now, and Octavia hated how broken the girl looked.

"Talk to me, Sayah." Octavia suddenly spoke. "I'm not stupid, okay? Something's up."

"I don't know what you mea—"

"Sayah."

Sayah's eyes snapped to Octavia's with a deadly glare. "Drop it, Octavia."

"No." Octavia stood her ground. "Not until you tell me what's got you so messed up. I saw it in the medical ward, I saw it today, I even see it now, while you're in here, trying to distract yourself—"

"He left." Sayah hissed, fists clenching. Octavia's lips parted.

"Who le—" She let out a slow breath. "Murphy?" She questioned gently. Sayah's gaze fell back down to the floor.

"Said he was off to the City of Light, left me," Her voice broke. "I couldn't leave with him." She shook her head. "I couldn't leave— Why didn't he understand that?" She met Octavia's sad eyes.

Octavia didn't reply, unsure of what to say. She never thought that Murphy and Sayah would ever. . . end. Everyone saw it— They were absolutely in love with each other. It made no sense that they would ever be apart.

Octavia never really understood what Sayah saw in Murphy. But then again, she had never spent the time with him like Sayah had.

Sayah wiped her eyes harshly before muttering something in Trigedasleng and standing up, leaving the room without another word.

Octavia didn't know what to say, she had never seen Sayah so upset; not even when they thought Lincoln died, she never saw Sayah mourn. She mourned alone.

Octavia didn't want her to go through this alone.

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Sayah found herself standing in front of the two chairs and pile of blankets behind the Ark.

Their spot.

Her jaw locked tight as she marched towards the chairs. She kicked one before dropping to the ground, head in her hands.

She sobbed, her body shaking. She wanted to mutter— No, to scream, the words out: "I hate you, John Murphy!" But she couldn't, because she would be lying. She could never hate him.

She only ever loved him. She'd always love him.

   The only person she hated was herself. How could she have let him leave her?

He was right. Every person besides her only ever treated him like dirt. He had been pardoned and yet they still held their grudges.

How could they not see what she saw? How could they not see who John Murphy was?

She scoffed internally. Because he had never let them.

Sayah hated herself. Sayah hated how even she wasn't enough to have him stay, because he believed there wasn't anything to stay for. She wasn't enough for him.

She wasn't enough.

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"Any word from Bellamy?" Octavia questioned as her and Sayah rushed in to see Raven. Clarke stood by quietly.

"Nothing yet," Raven replied sadly.

"Lincoln's still missing too." Sayah spoke up. "He should be back by now."

"They'll be okay." Clarke reassured, resting a hand on Sayah's arm.

"They better be." Raven said as she played with the radio. "Your whole plan rests on Bellamy getting in."

   "He will." Clarke furrowed her brows, annoyance in her tone. Octavia and Sayah glanced between the two girls. There was obviously still some tension between them after the whole Finn thing.

   "Councilor Kane and Clarke Griffin," A voice called over the P.A. "Please report to the South air lock immediately."

   "That about the Mountain Man?" Sayah turned to Clarke.

   She nodded before turning away. "We'll finish this later."

   Raven let out a small sigh as Clarke left. Octavia swallowed before turning to Sayah. "Can we talk?"

   Sayah glanced between Raven and Octavia before sighing with a nod. Both girls went outside to speak in privacy.

   "You know you can talk to me." Octavia said gently, placing her hands on Sayah's arms.

   "I've never been one for talking, Via." Sayah avoided her gaze.

   "Sayah." Octavia's voice was stern.

   "I thought we'd be together forever." Sayah admitted, meeting Octavia's gaze. "We finally had each other and. . . he just left." She shook her head, voice breaking slightly. "I let him leave."

   "No, no." Octavia pulled her into her arms. "Listen to me. You are one of the strongest people I know. And I know how much you. . . loved him—"

   "Love." Sayah corrected, pulling away with a sniffle. "I could never stop loving him. I can't."

   Octavia nodded sadly as Sayah bit her lip. She wiped the tears that threatened to fall. "You'll get through this." Octavia told her.

   "Hey, look at me." She cupped Sayah's face. "You will."

   Sayah clenched her jaw but nodded in response.

   It was done.

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   "Get dressed." Clarke ordered the Mountain Man, Emerson, as he stood in the air lock chamber. Clarke was flanked by Indra, her guards, Octavia and Sayah. "You're coning with me."

   As we left the Ark and headed to the gates, Sayah spotted Abby and Kane stand up quickly and approach Clarke. "Clarke, what are you doing?" Kane questioned as he and Abby stood in front of her.

   "Clarke, stop." Abby held out a hand.

   "No." Clarke denied. "I'm letting the prisoner go."

   "Absolutely not." Abby argued.

   "He hasn't told us anything yet." Kane added in.

   "He doesn't have to." Clarke told the two. "He's gonna tell them something."

   Abby didn't budge. "Get the prisoner back to the air lock. Now." She ordered some guards.

   They complied, approaching Emerson. However as soon as they did, Indra's guards filed in, stopping them from interfering.

   "You may be Chancellor, but I'm in charge." Clarke simply told her mother. Abby stared back at Clarke in shock. Sayah's lip twitched up at the interaction.

   Abby and Clarke had a stare-off before Abby spoke again. "Indra, tell your people to stand down, before this gets out of hand."

   "No." Indra responded. It was silent for a moment. Sayah's hand clenched slightly for her sword.

   "People could get hurt." Abby stated.

   "Not if you get out of my way." Clarke replied to her mother. "You need to trust that I know what's right for us."

   Abby was silent for a moment before Kane shifted his weight onto his other foot and spoke to Abby: "The Grounders trust Clarke." He paused. "Maybe we should too."

   Abby was silent for a moment, pursing her lips before she turned to her guards. "Stand down." The guards listened and moved out of the way, creating a path.

   Everyone moved forward, following Clarke. As they reached the gate, she ordered: "Open the gate. Now."

   They did so, and Emerson was guided in front of Clarke. "Can you hear me alright? Because I need to make sure you get this." She told him.

   "Loud and clear." Emerson replied dryly.

   "I have a message for your leader." Clarke began. "We're coming for him. You're watching us, but you haven't seen a thing. The Grounder army is bigger than you think. And even if you could find it, your acid fog can't hurt them."

   She paused, holding up some humming machine and pressing it. "And now thanks to you," A loud high-pitched noise sounded. "Neither can the Reapers."

   "So you have one last chance," Clarke continued. "Let our people go, and we'll let you live. It's just that simple."

   Emerson nodded. "I got it."

   Clarke grabbed something from Emerson's suit. "That's an eight-hour walk back to Mount Weather?" She questioned. Then she pressed something, causing what looked like air to hiss out quickly.

   Sayah smirked. Clarke was indeed clever, lowering the hours of oxygen Emerson had.

   "You're gonna do it in six." Clarke stated.

   "Six hours. That's not enough, how am I supposed to deliver your message?" Emerson questioned.

   "That's your problem." Clarke told him. "Now go."

   Emerson turned without another word and ran into the forest. The gate began to close as Clarke turned around.

   "Clarke." Octavia grabbed her attention. "You wanna explain how this helps my brother?"

   "I just told them we have a secret army to worry about," Clarke answered. "The more they're looking at us, the less they're looking at him." Sayah watched to see Octavia let out a small breath.

   "Bellamy is the key to everything, Octavia." Clarke added. "If he dies, we die."

   Sayah and Octavia shared a look as Sayah let out a sigh.

   "Well then. Let's hope he gets it done."

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a/n

kind of just a filler yanno :0hope u enjoyed doe

^ sayah. just sayah