Is There Somewhere?

16: Why Did You Leave Us - NF

"Check."

"Fuck that," Clarke huffed, her hand carding through her hair nervously.

"You've grown rusty in your old age, Clarke," Wells smirked victoriously from across the table. He had his fingers intertwined and resting in front of him, in that overconfident, cocky way he always had as a kid. It succeeded in irking Clarke while she tried to look for a way to keep her King from being captured.

"Shut up, Wells," she growled, kicking at his wheelchair and sending him rolling backwards a bit before he caught himself with a bark of laughter. She finally made a move and settled back in her chair to breathe, hoping she would get herself out of this situation and win.

The two of them had always had competitive streaks, which made for very loud and aggressive yelling during any game. In the Griffin household, there had never been a dull moment when Wells and Clarke were together.

They sat in the dining room, opposite each other with an expensive, hand-carved chess set between them. A bag of Doritos sat to Clarke's left, halfway between the two of them and a bottle of Coke in front of her. A neat line of pawns, a knight, both bishops and queen sat in front of her, yet somehow she was still getting her ass handed to her.

It was easier for Clarke to sit there with Wells and ignore her mother, who was just over in the living room doing something on her laptop with her reading glasses propped up on her nose. She could just see the electronic glow around the corner and the back of the recliner through the entryway. Through being picked up at the airport, the funeral and every waking moment alone together in Clarke's childhood home the remaining Griffin women had been disconnected.

There was minimal communication, mostly because Clarke could hardly look at her mother without feeling searing betrayal that had settled deep into her stomach after learning about what had happened to her father. Abby's eyes followed her every move, filled with pity and a pain Clarke despised.

"Clarke?" Wells' voice drew her from her thoughts and she glanced back towards him.

"Yeah?"

"Are you with me?"

She shrugged and pushed a pawn forward, unknowingly opening her only knight left for the taking. At this point, she wasn't even paying enough attention to realize she was losing. Her eyes caught his across the table and dared him to bring up the subject that was glaringly obvious.

Wells glanced back down, and she thought she had won the staring contest until he spoke, "Clarke, you need to talk to her. I can leave."

"No," it came out harsher and louder than they both expected. Wells sat back in his chair, huffed and gave her one of his all-knowing Wells looks that made her feel like shit every time she snapped at him. Most of the time he knew what she was feeling even when she wasn't quite sure herself.

"Clarke, you can't go around hating her for the rest of your life. It won't make you feel any better. Right now, she needs you and you need her, no matter how much you think you don't," Wells continued, even though he wasn't sure if he should or even if Clarke was listening. "She loves you and your dad loved you. I know everything that happened and I know how hurt you've been in your life, but that doesn't mean you should disown the only family you have left."

"She's not my only family, I have you." Clarke finally noticed how open her knight was and moved it, eyes trained directly on the board in front of her.