Like Chicken

            After another half hour of tinkering with the wristbands, Ronnie and Monty hit a wall. If they wanted to turn one into a communication device, they needed to remove an active band.

            Ronnie glanced at Monty, the unspoken dilemma hanging between them. She hadn't come down with a wristband, and Monty refused to take his off- he wanted his parents to know he was alive. Their eyes darted around the drop ship's upper level, where Atom had locked them in with Octavia to keep her from doing anything reckless while Bellamy was gone.

            Ronnie broke eye contact with Monty and scanned the room, searching for another option. A glint of metal caught her eye as Octavia ran a hand through her hair.

            "Octavia!" Ronnie blurted, making the girl jump.

            "Jesus, Ronnie- what?" Octavia clutched her chest, her heart racing from the sudden shout.

            Monty frowned. "Yeah, what was that about?"

            Ronnie didn't answer right away. Instead, she crossed the room and grabbed Octavia's arm, lifting it to reveal the silver wristband still clamped around her wrist. She gave the girl's arm a small shake, the metal on her wrist catching the dim light.

            "She still has a working wristband." Ronnie's voice brimmed with excitement. She turned to Octavia, her eyes hopeful. "Can we take it off?"

            Octavia blinked at her, then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

            Ronnie nearly jumped in excitement. If everything went right, they'd be in contact with the Ark by nightfall.

            Without wasting a second, she and Monty gathered their tools, strategizing the best way to pry the band off without damaging it- or Octavia's wrist too much. Soon enough, they stood over her arm, a crowbar in hand.

            "You sure about this?" Monty hesitated, glancing up at Octavia. "Your brother won't be thrilled you're helping us reach the Ark."

            Octavia scoffed. "He's not my keeper. Let's just do this." She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Let's do it."

            Ronnie held out a hand, and Octavia grabbed it with her free one, bracing herself. As Monty wedged the crowbar between her skin and the metal, Octavia squeezed Ronnie's hand- hard. Ronnie clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to react as Octavia's nails dug into her palm.

            With a sharp pop, the wristband came free.

            Octavia let out a pained cry, immediately releasing Ronnie's hand. Ronnie exhaled in relief, flexing her fingers as the pressure finally subsided. Monty flipped the wristband over, his expression hopeful- until the tiny lights flickered out.

            "Sorry," he muttered. "Dead."

            Ronnie groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Damn it." She should have accounted for this when designing them. They were meant for prisoners who wouldn't want to have any connection with the Ark- she should have known better. "This is never gonna work. If we can't take them off, we can't turn them into a radio."

            Octavia placed a comforting hand on Ronnie's shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" Her gaze flicked down to Ronnie's other hand, where she was absentmindedly rubbing her wrist- a nervous habit she'd picked up after injuring it.

            Ronnie immediately dropped her hands to her sides. "I'm fine."

            Octavia didn't believe her but let it slide. She offered a small smile, then glanced at the now open hatch in the floor. Someone must have opened it during the excitement of taking Octavia's wristband off. Ronnie caught the look and tilted her head toward it.

            "Go ahead," she said. "We'll be fine. Thanks for being our guinea pig."

            Octavia grinned. "Anytime." With one last nod, she slipped through the hatch and disappeared.

            Ronnie scooted closer to Monty, both of them refocusing on the dead wristband in front of them. They had work to do. If they could just get their hands on a functioning one, they might still have a shot.

~*~

            After spending most of the day hunched over the dead wristband, Ronnie and Monty finally stepped out of the drop ship for a much-needed break. The fresh air hit them just as a shout rang through camp.

            "They're back!"

            The rescue group emerged through the gathered crowd, carrying Jasper into camp. Ronnie smiled at the sight- against all odds, they'd brought him back alive. But before she could fully take in the moment, Clarke, Monty, and Finn rushed Jasper inside the drop ship for medical attention.

            Ronnie's gaze, however, locked onto Bellamy and his ever-present lackey, Murphy, as they dropped a tarp onto the ground. When they pulled it open, the dark, muscular body of a panther-like creature was revealed.

            "Who's hungry?" Bellamy's voice boomed over the camp.

            A cheer erupted from the crowd. Within minutes, the carcass was being butchered and cooked over an open fire. The smell of sizzling meat filled the air, and a line quickly formed. But then, a metallic clatter cut through the noise.

            "The hell?" Ronnie muttered, stepping toward the front of the line.

            Her eyes landed on a growing pile of wristbands on the ground. Murphy, prying the bands off prisoners, smirked as Bellamy oversaw the operation. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut- Bellamy was making them trade their wristbands for food.

            Red clouded her vision.

            Before she fully processed it, Ronnie had shoved Murphy to the ground. The breath whooshed out of him as she landed on top, her fist drawn back, ready to give him the beating he deserved.

            But before she could strike, her wrist was caught midair.

            A firm grip yanked her off Murphy, dragging her away from the scene. Ronnie struggled, twisting against the hold, but then she caught sight of dark curls.

            Bellamy.

            "Let go of me," she growled, wrenching her arm free and shoving him back with her shoulder.

            "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Bellamy snapped once they were far enough from the others.

            Ronnie's nostrils flared. "What am I doing?" she echoed in disbelief. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She stepped closer, fire burning behind her eyes.

            Bellamy opened his mouth, ready to argue, but she cut him off.

            "Bellamy, I don't know how many times someone has to spell this out for you, but those wristbands are crucial to our survival. Hell, I created them, helped make this whole thing possible- I know their importance!"

            His expression darkened at that revelation, but Ronnie wasn't finished.

            "I don't know what you did before sneaking your way onto the drop ship, but I'm starting to think it must've been pretty damn bad, considering how desperate you are to keep the Ark from knowing we're alive." She jabbed a finger into his chest, and he flinched, eyes darting away. Bullseye.

            "I get that your family is down here, but mine isn't," she continued, her voice unwavering. "I want to see my father again. I want him to know I'm alive."

            Silence stretched between them.

            Ronnie studied his face, searching for any sign of remorse. "What happened to the guy who wrapped my wrist the other day? Because I'd like to see that version of you again."

            Bellamy's gaze snapped to her. His jaw tightened, but his eyes softened when he noticed her absentmindedly rubbing her wrist- a nervous habit she hadn't even realized she'd fallen into.

            "Does your wrist hurt?" he asked, his voice gentler now.

            Ronnie blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. Before she could react, he carefully took her hand, his touch unexpectedly warm.

            For the first time, she really looked at him. At the concern in his eyes. At how damn attractive he was up close.

            A strange warmth settled into her chest.

            Then reality snapped back into place.

            "It's fine," she muttered, snatching her hand away. "God, what the hell is wrong with you?"

            Before he could respond, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him standing there, speechless.

            Back at the fire, Ronnie reached for a piece of meat. But as she turned, she came face-to-face with Murphy.

            "You think you can just take that?" he snarled, his eyes flicking to the food in her hand.

            When he reached for it, Ronnie yanked it back. "Ah, ah, ah." She wiggled her fingers, drawing his attention to her bare wrist. "No wristband. According to you, that means I get to eat."

            Murphy's lip curled, but she wasn't done.

            "Try that again, and I'll finish what I started."

            His expression flickered with uncertainty. Ronnie smirked and shoved past him with her shoulder, striding toward the drop ship.

            Spotting Wells sitting on a log, she noted his wristband was still intact and felt a small flicker of hope. Maybe Bellamy wasn't all bad. Or maybe, she mused with a smirk, she'd just put the fear of God in him.

            She snorted at the thought and dropped onto the log beside Wells, tearing off a chunk of her meat and handing it to him.

            "I overheard you with Bellamy," Wells said between bites. "You really think you can change his mind?"

            Ronnie glanced at him, a slow smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe I'll crack him someday."

            Wells chuckled, knowing full well the effect she had on people. Their friendship had been an uphill battle- she'd found him boring, too by-the-book, while he'd found her relentless and annoying. But over time, they'd worn each other down, and now she couldn't imagine life without him.

            "What does it taste like?" she asked suddenly, staring at the meat in her hands.

            Wells took another bite, then smirked. "Like chicken."

            Ronnie laughed, nudging him playfully. She'd heard enough old stories to know that everything apparently tasted like chicken.

            They spent the rest of the evening joking around, the fire crackling beside them, until exhaustion finally pulled them away to rest. Tomorrow would bring another fight, another battle of wills- but for tonight, Ronnie allowed herself to breathe.

~*~

            The next few days passed in a blur of frustration and hard work. Ronnie and Monty kept tinkering with the wristbands, searching for ways to remove them without killing the signal. Others focused on hunting and reinforcing the camp, working tirelessly to build a wall for protection against the unknown dangers lurking in the woods. She had to hand it to Bellamy, he knew how to inspire the delinquents to get things done.

            Jasper, however, wasn't improving. Clarke tended to him day and night, but without the right medical knowledge, she was running out of options. His fevered moans echoed through the camp, fraying the nerves and stealing sleep from the already restless delinquents.

            Ronnie jolted awake again, when one particularly agonized groan tore through the drop ship. She blinked the exhaustion from her eyes and turned to see Wells sitting against the wall, absently twirling a stick between his fingers.

            "Can't sleep either?" he asked.

            She shook her head. "I think I'm going to go for a walk."

            Pushing herself up, Ronnie winced when she accidentally put too much pressure on her right wrist. It was healing, but she still pushed it past its limits more often than she should.

            Wells caught the pained expression and moved to help her, but she waved him off. "I'm fine. It's getting better, I promise."

            He shot her a skeptical look- the same one her dad used to give her when he knew she was lying. Ronnie smiled and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before stepping out of the drop ship.

            The crisp night air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath. Stars stretched endlessly above her, the Ark glowing among them like a beacon. As she set off, her mind wandered. Was her dad working around the clock to reestablish communication, or was he too paralyzed with worry to function?

            And then there was Wick.

            Did he miss her? Did he wonder where she had gone when she hadn't shown back up after cooling off from their supposed breakup? Their last conversation had been heated, emotions running high, but she hadn't actually planned to leave things like that. Or did she? It was all too confusing.

            She huffed out a quiet breath, shaking her head.

            Lost in thought, she didn't see the log until it was too late.

            Her foot caught, and she tumbled forward, landing hard on her bad wrist. A sharp cry escaped her lips, and hot tears pricked at her eyes. The pain pulsed angrily, but instead of getting up, she stayed where she was, staring up at the vast sky.

            A voice cut through the quiet.

            "What are you doing up?"

            Ronnie turned her head to find Bellamy standing over her, his features softened with sleep and confusion.

            "Couldn't sleep," she muttered, pushing herself upright and brushing dirt from her clothes.

            His eyes flicked to her wrist.

            Before he could say anything, a voice whined from behind them.

           "Bellamy, come back."

            Ronnie glanced over her shoulder to see a girl peeking out from his tent, wrapped up in a jacket. She snorted and turned back to Bellamy with a skeptical look.

            "Well, that explains why you're awake," she teased. "Guess you just couldn't resist the urge."

            A small smirk ghosted his lips. "Like you haven't."

            Ronnie's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

            He shrugged, eyes gleaming with amusement. "I've heard some things about a certain Sinclair girl on the Ark."

            Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms. "Yeah? Well, I hate to break it to you, but I was a little too busy keeping things running to be sneaking around with guys."

            An easy silence settled between them, and for the first time since landing, Ronnie felt like she was talking to the Bellamy she met on the Ark- the one who wasn't trying to rule over everyone.

            Bellamy broke the silence first. "Can I check your wrist?"

            Surprised by the shift in conversation, she hesitated before holding it out to him. He unwrapped the bandage with careful hands, revealing the fading bruises.

            "You really need to stop falling on it," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head  as he rewrapped it tightly.

            Ronnie smirked. "Yeah, well, the day I stop being clumsy will be the day you stop getting on my nerves."

            He let out a soft laugh but didn't argue. They stood there for a moment, simply existing in the quiet, neither in a rush to leave.

            "Now go get some rest," he finally said, nudging her toward the drop ship.

            "You too." She winked before slipping inside, missing the rare, genuine smile that crossed Bellamy's face as he watched her go.

            Ronnie returned to find Wells lightly snoring. Smiling to herself, she curled up next to him, letting exhaustion pull her under as she waited for the sun to rise.