Showing Him Something New

            "You've been watching us ever since we got here!" Bellamy yelled, His voice laced with fury. The Grounder didn't flinch. He just stared right back, unreadable, unbothered.

            Ronnie kept flipping through the journal, her fingers moving faster with every sketch she uncovered. Maps of the woods. A drawing of Octavia. Then- her breath caught in her throat.

            It was a sketch of her. She was sitting at the foot of Wells' grave, just like she had so many nights before. No one ever saw her when she went, or so she thought. But this Grounder had. He has watched her. Documented her grief in delicate, deliberate strokes. A sound snapped her back to the present- boots hitting the metal ladder. Clarke pulled herself up through the hatch, only to be blocked by Drew standing in her way.

            "Let her through, Drew," Ronnie said, her voice steady despite the unease twisting inside her. Drew hesitated, but when Bellamy gave a single nod, he stepped aside. "How's Finn?" Ronnie asked.

            Clarke looked drained, like the weight of the world was crushing her. "Alive."

            "And Raven?"

            "Very worried." Clarke's eyes flickered toward the bound Grounder. Her exhaustion shifted into something sharper. "Well, if he didn't hate us before, he does now."

            Bellamy scoffed. "Who cares?"

            Clarke turned on him. "His people will care! How long until they figure out where we're keeping him? What happens when they do? Because they will come looking, Bellamy."

            Ronnie nodded in agreement with Clarke, but Bellamy's stubbornness was as immovable as ever. Before the argument could escalate, Raven's voice rang out from below. "Clarke! He's seizing!"

            Panic shot through Ronnie as Clarke bolted for the hatch. The blonde disappeared in seconds, and Ronnie turned to Bellamy. "You know she 's right, don't you?"

            He refused to look at her.

            "Bellamy. Look at me." She grabbed his shoulders, feeling the tension in his frame. He was rigid, refusing to meet her eyes. She sighed, letting go. "Fine. You won't listen to Clarke. And you sure as hell aren't going to listen to me, so I won't waste my breath." She turned on her heel, moving toward the hatch.

            Bellamy felt both relieved and frustrated. He didn't want her to see what he was about to do- but he hated the way her disappointment made his stomach twist. "Ron."

            She glanced back. His eyes held something- regret? Guilt? But she didn't have time for whatever it was. Without another word, she dropped down to the lower level. On her way down, Clarke was already rushing back up. Ronnie's feet hit the ground, and she immediately spotted Raven, who looked seconds away from breaking.

            Ronnie opened her arms, and Raven all but collapsed into them. "What happened?" Ronnie asked, rubbing slow circles on her back.

            "We got the blade out and Clarke stitched him back up, but he started seizing and foaming at the mouth. Clarke says the dagger must have been poisoned." Raven spoke, her voice laced with panic.

            Ronnie's grip around Raven tightened. Anger boiled in her veins. The Grounder knew Finn would die. No matter what Clarke did, no matter how hard they fought to save him- he had already sealed Finn's fate.

            Raven pulled away when Finn started seizing again. "Clarke, he's getting worse!" Raven yelled up. The girls raced to his side to hold Finn in place as his body convulsed.

            Ronnie clenched her jaw. She didn't care about the grounder or his people anymore. She cared about Finn. About Raven. And she was done waiting. Once Finn's spell was over she locked eyes with Raven. "Stay here." She climbed back up with purpose, her frustration mounting with every step. "What is taking so long?" She snapped as she reached the stop.

            Just as she spoke, Bellamy drove a large, metal screw straight through the Grounder's hand. The Grounder let out a tortured scream. Ronnie averted her eyes, bile rising in her throat.

            "He stopped breathing!" Raven's frantic voice echoed from below.

            "What?" Clarke and Ronnie both gasped.

            "He started again, but next time, he might not!"

            Ronnie exhaled sharply. Clarke turned to her. "We think one of the vials he carries is the antidote but he won't tell us anything."

            Ronnie narrowed her eyes at the Grounder, whose body is shaking with uneven breathes. Her eyes move to the left of him and an idea pops into her head. "Wanna bet?" She moves to the side of the drop ship, grabbing at the bundle of exposed wires. They were still live, still carrying a current.

            "What are you doing?" Bellamy asked with concern as she yanked the wires free.

            "Showing him something new." She clicked the ends together, sending a burst of sparks into the air.

              Ronnie noticed a flicker of panic cross the Grounder's face and she hesitated. For a second, she saw herself from the outside- saw how far she was willing to go. Then she heard Raven crying below, and she pushed the doubt away. She tightened her grip around the wires.

            "Ever heard of electricity?" She snarled. She pressed the wires against the Grounder's skin. The shock jolted through him. His body tensed, his jaw clenched, but he still didn't speak. Ronnie gritted her teeth. "Come one!" She shocked him again. The Grounder groaned in pain but stayed silent.

            Her chest heaved. She didn't want to do this. She wasn't this. "Please," she whispered. "He's all she has." She raised the wires again, but before she could do it- Octavia shoved her back.

            "Stop it, Ronnie!"

            Ronnie shoved her right back. "He's letting Finn die!"

            Octavia's gaze hardened. Then, without warning, she grabbed the poisoned dagger and dragged it across her own forearm.

            "Octavia, what the hell?!" Ronnie's eyes widened in horror.

            "He won't let me die." The younger Blake murmurs, already moving. She spread the vials out in front of the Grounder, her breathes coming faster. "This one?" She held one up.

            The Grounder shook his head so she grabbed another. "This one?"

            Again, it was a no. Octavia clenched her jaw, trying to move quicker but her hands were shaking. "Come one, damn it." She began pointing to the different vials, finding it easier and quicker. Finally, the Grounder gave her a sharp nod. Octavia snatched the vial and tossed it to Clarke. "Go!"

            Clarke wasted no time, disappearing down the ladder.

            Silence fell between them all as they breathe in breathes of relief, calming them from the panic they were all feeling.

            Bellamy reached for his sister, his hands gentle. "O-"

            She flinched away. "Don't touch me." Her voice was cold. Detached.

            For the first time all night, no one had anything left to say.

~*~

            After Clarke gave Finn the antidote and cleaned Octavia up, everything started to settle down. The storm stopped, and the delinquents began to clean up the storm damage. Ronnie stands at the end on the ramp, just watching as a few prisoners carry heavy objects by. She breathes in slowly, taking in the fresh air. After being in the drop ship for hours, the smell of the post-storm air is amazing compared to the reek of blood, burned flesh, and wet delinquents.

            Raven walks out of the drop ship and takes the place next to her, lips pursed as she nudges Ronnie with her shoulder to catch her attention. "Hey, you good?" she asks, seeing that Ronnie has a dazed look in her eyes.

            "Sure," Ronnie replies, not lookin over at Raven, but she can feel the hard stare she is receiving from the other mechanic. "Not really." Ronnie speaks truthfully this time, and Raven nods in understanding. "I just tortured a person; never thought I would do that." Ronnie mumbles, horrified by what she's done in the name of survival. The ground has changed her- it has torn her apart. It has made her do things that never crossed her mind before.

            If she were on the Ark right now, she'd be making her way to a boy's bed to distract herself from her problems. Which wasn't a bad thought at the moment. She scans the delinquents looking for a boy who might take her up on that offer.

            "He would have let Finn die, Ron. Even through it wasn't a great thing to do, I think you did the right thing. I would have done the same thing for you if it was Wells." Raven tries to comfort the distracted girl, but her words don't help much. "I appreciate you trying to save Finn... but you know he's not the only person I have." Ronnie finally glances over to the younger mechanic and raises her eyebrows. She must have heard Ronnie say that to the grounder earlier.

            "I also have you." Raven smiles at Ronnie, and she returns it. "I'm gonna go back to check on Finn and get started on the video monitor, but I think someone might want to talk to you." She nods her head to the left at Bellamy looking in their direction. The girls share a small smile before Raven turns to walk back into the drop ship, and Ronnie sighs when she sees Bellamy moving in her direction.

            "I don't have anything to say to you," she says when he gets close enough to hear her. Ronnie walks past him, deciding to help with clean-up. She picks up a piece of scrap metal that detached from the ship during the storm and continues to walk away from Bellamy.

            "Ronnie, let me explain," he begs for her attention, but she ignores him. "Please listen to me, Ron-"

            "Listen to you!?" The fuming brunette raises her voice and stops in her spot, throwing the metal to the ground. "Why should I when you wouldn't give me the chance to try and talk you out of that today?" She snaps at him, and he just stands there once again, taking her verbal beating. "I'm so done with you Bellamy Blake. Every time it seems that we move forward, you push me ten steps back when doing something stupid! Take your head out of your ass and actually think for once! Yes, Finn is alive, but let's be honest- we had nothing to do with it. Octavia was the one to save him, not us. I'm so tired of you acting like you care about me when I-" Ronnie stops, not wanting to finish her sentence.

            "Ya know, you said quite a bit for not having anything to say to me." Bellamy snarks. Ronnie rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

            "I'm not in the mood for this," Ronnie mutters and turns around to walk away, but Bellamy starts to speak.

            "You don't think or listen to me either, Ronnie," Bellamy responds sternly. Ronnie continues to walk away. "Matter of fact, half the things you've gone through were because you didn't listen to me!" At his words, Ronnie stops in place but stays facing away from him. "Killing Atom, Charlotte dying, and now torturing the grounder! If you would have stayed put and kept your mouth shut, you wouldn't have these problems!" Bellamy finds his words and yells at the girl he has come to care about.

            Ronnie spins on her heel and takes a few steps back towards Bellamy.

            "We are in this together, Bellamy." Ronnie starts. "I meant it the first time I said it, and I mean it now. We have to work together to survive. It just scares me how far I am willing to go to try and protect the people I love." Ronnie pauses when she catches the look on Bellamy's face after her statement. Ronnie's chest tightens. She forces herself to look away, exhaling shakily before continuing. "Also, don't you ever say you have the guts to make hard decisions when you can't. I had to kill Atom because you were too weak to." She sticks a finger into his chest. She takes a step back from him and sighs. "So you can accept my help or just leave me alone. Your choice." She gives him an ultimatum, and he just looks at her. She can see the thoughts running through his head.

            Bellamy opens his mouth, then shuts it. His jaw clenches, but he says nothing. Ronnie takes his silence as an answer and walks away, leaving him in the middle of camp, fists at his sides.

            "That went well, huh?" Ronnie rolls her eyes at Raven's question as she ducks into the tent. Ronnie doesn't answer and walks to the other side of the small makeshift table to begin helping Raven with the monitor. "Hey, if you need to talk, I'm all ears." Raven sets her hand on top of Ronnie's grounding her.

            Ronnie swallows hard, then forces a small smile. "Thanks, Rey." And with that, they get to work.

~*~

            The two mechanics slave over the video monitor for a couple days. Everything they have to work with is old and broken, making their task harder than it should be. During that time, Ronnie has made a deliberate effort to avoid Bellamy. She knows exactly when he's guarding the grounder, timing her trips to the drop ship carefully to avoid him. The only Blake she runs into is Octavia, usually when searching for spare parts, but she keeps those interactions brief. At night, she falls back into old habits- finding comfort in fleeting distractions, something that doesn't go unnoticed by her friends.

            Finally, Ronnie attaches the last wire, and the monitor flickers to life. She grins, holding up a hand for a fist bump, but Raven just shakes her head with a smile. "I'm gonna get Clarke. You make the image clearer." Raven ducks out, leaving Ronnie to adjust the wires. Soon, the blurry display sharpens, and Chancellor Jaha's face fills the screen just as Raven and Clarke enter. Jaha sits in the council chamber, looking ready to discuss strategy.

            "Hi girls, could I speak to Ronnie privately first?" he asks. The others exchange a glance before stepping out, leaving Ronnie alone with the man she has spent days trying not to think about. She swallows hard and sinks down onto a crate.

            A tight knot forms in her stomach. This isn't just about strategy- she knows that much. The only thing he could want to discuss is Wells. And that is not a conversation she's ready for.

            "I've been wanting to speak with you since we got in contact," he says quietly.

            "I know," Ronnie replies, her voice guarded. "I was trying to avoid it."

            A beat of silence stretches between them.

            "I keep seeing him," she whispers. "Every time I close my eyes. Well-" Her throat tightens. "He was supposed to be safe. He was supposed to make it down and have a second chance. I forced you to put him on the ship."

            Jaha's expression falters, and he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "He looked up to you," he says, voice hoarse. "You were his best friend, Ronnie. He talked about you constantly."

            Ronnie shakes her head. "I should've stopped him that night. I was distracted, unsettled... if I had just told him to wait until the morning-"

            "No," Jaha says firmly, his tone cutting through her guilt. "This wasn't your fault. You were there for him in a way none of us could be. You kept him grounded."

            She presses the heel of her hand to her eyes, wiping away tears. "He kept me grounded." She shakes her head. "It just- it doesn't feel real. Sometimes I swear I hear his laugh. Or I'll turn around and think I see him for a second."

            Jaha nods slowly. "Grief has a cruel way of making time blur. I hear his voice too, sometimes. When I walk into my quarters. When I see someone his age... I expect him to be there."

            They sit in silence for a moment, sharing a grief that doesn't need any more words.

            "Thank you," Jaha says softly. "For loving him like you did. For standing by him. For being with him in his last days."

            Ronnie's lip trembles and a sob escapes. "I wish I could've done more."

            "You gave him the only thing that mattered," Jaha replies. "You gave him family."

            Clarke's head appears through the tent flap, eyes searching. "Hey... just checking in," she says gently. She must have heard Ronnie's sob. "Maybe we give Ronnie a breather and discuss the next steps for us and the Ark."

            Jaha nods in agreement. Ronnie nods also but doesn't move. Jaha gives her a soft look. "If you ever want to talk more... I'm here," he offers.

            Ronnie stands, brushing her palms against her thighs. "Thank you," she says quietly. "For sharing him with me."

            Jaha smiles- tired, but warm. "He always said you were the best thing about being on the Ark."

            Clarke smiles gently and then takes Ronnie's hand, guiding her out.

            Ronnie quickly wipes her tears and takes a deep breath, forcing herself to appear composed. The last thing she wants is to run into Bellamy looking like this.

            "Ronnie, hey, do you have a set of pliers?" Raven jogs over, breathless.

            "Yeah, somewhere around here. Why?" Ronnie asks, her mind still clouded with emotion.

            "Can I borrow them? I'm rigging a headset so people can have private conversations with their families." Raven gives her a hopeful smile.

           Ronnie exhales sharply. She knows exactly where the pliers are- on the top level of the drop ship. Where Bellamy is. "Fine. I'll get them." The words come out begrudgingly, and she trudges toward the ship. As she climbs the ladder, she pauses, gripping the rung tightly. It's been days since she's faced him, and now she has no choice.

            Bracing herself, she pounds on the locked hatch.