I Never Meant To Fall

12. Silhouettes

Clarke:

Everyone was generally on the road to recovery now, and Clarke had discharged most of her patients, including Octavia and herself.

Clarke had almost lost her voice so she had been trying not to speak. She'd sit with Raven, testing the radio as she needn't use her voice for that, Raven did most of the talking.

"It's close." Raven was saying and Clarke nodded, sighing with relief and hope. She missed her best friend Wells but most of all, she missed her mum. She'd never been given the chance to say goodbye. Clarke and her Dad had been ready to go public about the engineering fault they had found, they'd hoped it would help, but a guard found them in the council chambers and, soon after her dad was arrested, they siezed Clarke too. Her mother had known nothing about it. She'd come running to the airlock chamber, just as Jake was floated. Clarke was dragged from the room immediatly after, left with the image of her mum fighting back guards to help her, tears in her eyes as she screamed her daughters name.

It was hopeless dwelling on it now, it was too late. They just needed the Ark, they needed the supplies and the teenagers needed their families. They needed proper guidance.

"I just need to get the right frequency and then we have to hope someone hears us...hope that there's anyone left up there to listen..."

Clarke bit her lip and nodded, thanking her horsely and placing a grateful hand on her shoulder before leaving the dropship for some much needed fresh air.

When she saw Bellamy making his way towards her, a further sense of relief came over her and she smiled tiredly at him.

"Afternoon Princess, you still on 'vocal rest'? He grinned, folding his arms."

"I suppose. If I lose my voice, how will I boss everyone around?" Clarke said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and Bellamy laughed. His laugh was contagious and Clarke couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sure you'd manage, it's a natural talent." Bellamy shrugged and Clarke hit his shoulder.

"I see, just like your ability to be a total ass half the time!" Clarke smirked, before coughing at the catch in her raw throat. She thought she saw his smile falter but he was grinning again too quickly to be sure. It made her skin tingle and a comforting warmth washed over her at the thought of him worrying about her and she actually blushed, unable to help it. It was silly to care about something so small.

"Exactly like that." Bellamy agreed before starting to walk. Clarke fell into step beside him and they just wandered the camp. People seemed to feel more inclined to say hello to Clarke now, after everything she'd done during the sickness outbreak. She was glad for it because the isolation was getting to her. If it werent for Bellamy, she'd have completely broken under the pressure.

"Everyone's talking about what will happen when the others get here." Bellamy said and Clarke nodded. "Some people are worried they'll lock us all up the moment they get the chance."

"And others?" Clarke asked hopefully, if not a little desperately.

"Others are eager for more supplies and generally everyone is excited to be reunited with their families." Bellamy shrugged.

"And you?" Clarke asked quietly.

"Me what?" He asked, even though he knew exactly what she was asking and Clarke knew it.

"What are your thoughts on the arrival of the Ark?" Clarke asked patiently.

There was a moments silence before Bellamy sighed, "I'm not too sure."

...

Clarke was sat, the next day by the fire, her sketch book on her lap. It was early evening and she was using the last light of the sky to see by.

She was sketching roughly with some charcoal she'd managed to find, and drawing had a sort of freeing affect, as it had done in her prison cell on the Ark.

She happened to glance up and saw Bellamy approaching. He grinned and she closed her sketch pad, placing it to the side.

"I was foolish to think I could scare Clarke Griffin." Bellamy shrugged and Clarke frowned.

"Were you really going to try?" Clarke mused.

"I dont know, maybe, it was just so tempting. You were looking all cute and distracted, hunched over your drawings-"

Clarke jumped up and hit him with her sketch book. "Call me cute again and-"

He surprised her by gripping her waist and pulling her foward. He smirked at seeing her shock and brought his lips right up to her ear, his warm breath on her neck. "Cute" he whispered and Clarke wriggled free, giggling and pushing him away, bright red in the face.

"Stop messing around, what do you want?" Clarke asked, he was giddy, a bundle of energy and Clarke wondered if he'd been sampling some of Monty's moonshine.

"I wanted to show you something, but, if you're not interested I can take this elsewhere." Bellamy sighed dramatically, waving a small grey thing around which glinted in the light of the low sun.

Clarke reached foward, "what is that?" She exclaimed.

"It plays music." Bellamy laughed, passing the small device to her. "Did the princess not have such things in the palace?"

Clarke brushed over the comment, examining the object and it's buttons. "We rarely listened to music, when we did it was on my fathers record player, god was he snooty about it." Clarke said, giggling despite herself. Bellamy's expression seemed to brighten and soften all at once.

"Come on, what do you say we go down to the beach? I can show you some of my best dance moves." Bellamy grinned and though Clarke was shaking her head, when he began walking, she followed.

Her feet sank into the sand and she exhaled. When Bellamy had first brought her there, she'd felt so anxious and trapped, being there, in the open had calmed her, saved her. She'd forgotten how fresh it was there, how good the sea breeze felt on her face, and how soothing the sand was beneath her tired feet.

She and Bellamy instantly removed their shoes and discarded them. Clarke stood back up, watching as Bellamy walked over to a rock, placing his music player there.

Then her gaze shifted out to the sea, to the rocks where they had raced, where Bellamy had carried her on his back - how young and free she had felt then. She was reminded also of what came after....their near kiss. She didn't suppose it possible she still craved such a thing? No, it was probably just something that happened in the moment.

Clarke's attention was drawn back as a soft melody began to fill her ears. It was so gentle, the breeze itself seemed to be singing.

"How dreary" She joked, even though she liked it a lot.

"Well, my moves require a slow rhythm, and, a partner!" He gleamed and before Clarke new it, his hand was on her waist.

She tried to pull back but he held firm. "I do not dance." She said shyly, she hadn't danced since she was a little girl playing dress up. A princess with her prince.

"Come on princess, please." He pouted and Clarke blinked at him a moment. She waz dazed by him, each of his features seemingly glowing in the golden light of the evening sun. His eyes were creased at each corner from laughter and the way he was looking at her made her weak at the knees. She was so distracted, that she numbly allowed him to place one of her hands on his shoulder, slipping the other gently into his free hand.

Before she knew what was going on they were two idiots dancing on the beach, the sun setting behind them. They became two sillhouettes, strangers, unknown to anyone but each other.

A prince and his princess

AN: to be continued ;) and sorry for such a delayed update, got sidetracked with life annoyingly