King of the City (Bellarke Edition)

Chapter 4

"What's the problem?" Bellamy asked, hearing footsteps come towards him on the roof.

"You said you were taking it easy" Murphy's voice was low, but the anger evident.

Bellamy stood to face him.

"You want him safe right?, want him to be able to take care of himself?, stand up for himself?" Bellamy asked.

"Well yeah, but"

"No but anything, my newsies, my rules, my training, if you don't like it, then leave" he stated, walking past him to the ladder.

"It's not that simple"

"And why is that?" Bellamy looked to him, Murphy sighed pressing his lips together and walking to the bench Bellamy was just seated on.

"Oh, right, That's what I thought, the big secret, makes me think I'm going to regret my decision" Murphy just looked out over the lights of the city. He could hear Bellamy descend the ladder to the fire escape.

He wouldn't be the one to let her secret out, he would do whatever she needed to keep it hidden. Part of him felt like he owed it to Bellamy to tell him, the other part refused to agree. If needed they could always skip town.

The next morning came early as they all headed to buy their papers to sell. A few newsies excited over the headline.

"Hey Blake, we got a good one today!" Jasper yelled across the street.

"Oh yeah, whats that?"

"Senator Griffin's Daughter Missing, Runaway or Kidnapped?"

Bellamy let out a whistle, today the papers would sell good, he would take an extra fifty, should move without a problem.

Bellamy got up to the counter putting his order in and taking a look at the cover. "Ms. Clarke Griffin, Missing" the small caption below the picture read. He looked over the picture, she was beautiful, high class and probably a bitch. Oddly he felt like he had seen her before, there was something familiar about her.

Clarke looked over the cover of the paper. This was not good. Everyone on the look out made her nervous. Murphy walked with her, both selling papers along the way. By the time they reached the boarding house she had a few papers left. He pulled them from under her arm.

"I'll take these and grab us some food, go inside, don't need anyone recognizing you" he gave her a small push in the direction of the door. She nodded taking the steps two at a time and heading up to the bunk room. She thought about leaving, grabbing her bag and just disappearing, she didn't want Murphy, Bellamy or any of the others that have welcomed her in to be caught up in this. Only thing saving her was her face was still bruised, so it would be hard to recognize her right away.

She threw her bag on Murphy's bunk, ruffled around for a brush and headed up to the roof. She sat down stretching her legs out just as her duffle bag was thrown at her feet. Her eyes shot up locking with Bellamy's .

"Where does money like that come from?" his voice was low and dangerous. She had a few hundred dollars stashed in her bag, the bag she left open on the bunk...idiot.

"Family" she replied standing.

"Family? your family has money like this and you choose to live on the streets? Murphy choose's to live on the streets." he was skeptical.

"Yeah, I choose to gravitate away from my family. Murphy isn't really my cousin, but he's the only family I have." she replied honestly. Bellamy nodded understanding.

"Okay, explain, I know it's been only a few days but I don't have a lot of patience and you need to give me something, I'm finding it hard to trust the pair of you."

"The situation I came from is not ideal, Murphy saved me" she offered.

"How?" he pried.

"Assisted me in getting out of where I was" He glanced down at the brush at her feet.

"And where were you?" he asked stepping closer to her.

"At my house with my mother" she replied eyeing him.

"In New York?"

"New Jersey" she answered.

"Why do you have this?" he asked picking the brush up.

"It, uh, was my mothers" she stammered. His eyes were locked on hers and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Take your hat off" his voice turned into a growl. She stood there frozen in place.

"Hey I got lunch" Murphy's voice carried over the edge of the building as he made his way up the ladder.

"We are not finished, tomorrow you better be up here around this time with answers, and I'm talking the whole damn story" Bellamy left her standing there and passed Murphy near the edge of the building without as much as a look.

"What was that about?" Murphy asked.

"He want's answers, he found my bag" she sighed.

"It was bound to happen, ball's in your court, we can leave tonight and keep heading north or you can face him tomorrow"

"What do you think?" she asked Murphy.

"We can't run forever, and that's what will happen. If you want to stay stationary you are gonna need more than me on your side, but with each person that knows comes a greater risk of being found too."

"That's what I was afraid of. "

"I do trust Blake though, for what it's worth, don't be surprised though if he ask's us to leave, tell's us, is more like it"

"I trust you and your opinion so I guess we will see what happens" she replied biting into her roll. The next morning she was up super early to get a shower in before the guys invaded the bathroom. She was dressed and ready by the time the majority woke up.

She sat on the steps waiting for Murphy.

"Anyone seen Clarke?" she could hear Bellamy's voice echo down the hallway.

"Here" she replied standing and heading back up the steps.

"Good, I was afraid you split, up for more training? I have some frustration I'd like to work out" he stated. Clarke sighed, not really, her body still ached from last time.

"Yeah, sure" she replied, her response getting a laugh from some of the nearby newsies.

"Try not to sound so enthusiastic" Monty whispered. She smiled at the young boy.

"Work on his defense Blake, he can fight back but by the looks of it he can't stop a hit." Murphy replied, hoping to get her some reprieve.

"Yeah, that's a good idea" Bellamy stated, walking past her. Murphy sent her a sympathetic look.

"Let's go Clarke, Miller keep an eye on things." he called from the stairs.

"Got it" Miller's voice came from somewhere in the group. Clarke fell in step beside him once they hit the street. They were headed in the direction of the docks. Every newsboy that passed nodding or saying hello to Bellamy. It provided a good distraction from the beating she was about to take.