Couldn't Stop Caring || Bellarke

Eight.

Clarke felt her heart racing as she stood on the podium in front of the crowd. All eyes were on her, and she couldn't tell if her nausea was from pregnancy or nerves. As promised, they had gathered the camp and the ark survivors after dinner and were preparing to take a vote. Clarke glanced over her shoulder to see Bellamy watching her intently. A simple look from Clarke told Bellamy that she needed him, and Bellamy was at her side immediately.

"You can do this. You're not forcing anyone out of their homes. You're giving them a choice," Bellamy said so only she could hear.

Clarke nodded and turned her attention to the crowd. She took a deep breath before she started speaking. "I know you're not happy about the idea of leaving camp." The crowd stopped talking and gave her their attention. "Bellamy and I have discussed this in great detail, and we think the best thing for everyone is to join Arkadia. They have people, supplies, shelter, everything we need to survive. There are more and more threats out there everyday. Threats we can't defeat on our own. We need to stick together if we're going to survive," Clarke said, finding her confidence. "Chancellor Jaha would like to say a few words."

She stepped aside, and Jaha took her place.

"Thank you, Clarke. Now, I know you're not keen on coming back under the protection of the ark. But your crimes have been pardoned. If you live by the rules of Arkadia, you will be treated the same as everyone else," Jaha said as he looked over the crowd. There was a sort of arrogance about Jaha that didn't sit right with Clarke.

"We don't follow your orders anymore!" Someone shouted from the crowd. Clarke suspected it was Murphy.

"Then you will be arrested," Jaha replied. The 100 started booing instantly.

"No!" Clarke said, stepping forward again. "No, we're not coming back for you to treat us like a bunch of delinquents again. We've survived the past four years without your rules."

"If you want to live at Arkadia, you follow Arkadia's rules," Jaha said.

"We're not in space anymore, Chancellor, things are different here," Bellamy said, stepping up behind Clarke.

"My camp, my rules," Jaha sneered.

"Our people, our rules," Bellamy said, squaring up to Jaha.

"We follow Bellamy and Clarke!" Murphy called out. This caused the 'delinquents' to cheer in agreement.

"See, they follow whoever they respect. They don't respect you anymore," Bellamy smirked.

Jaha's fists clenched and unclenched before he stormed off the podium. Clarke turned to Bellamy with a sigh.

"We still have to take a vote," Bellamy said to her. Clarke nodded and turned to the crowd once more. Before she could say anything, Murphy took her place. Clarke raised a brow at him before stepping back.

"We wanna win this war, right?" Murphy yelled, and the crowd cheered at him. "But we don't wanna go back under the command of Jaha to be treated like shit again!" The crowd cheered again. "So I say we go back to Arkadia, but we don't live by their rules. We live by the same rules that have kept us alive for the past four years! We don't answer to Jaha! Our leaders have kept us alive this long, and our leaders will carry on doing so!"

Clarke jumped at the sudden eruption of cheers. She turned to Bellamy, who was grinning at her. Murphy turned to them both and saluted with a wink. Clarke pulled him in for a hug.

"Thanks, Murphy," Clarke whispered.

Bellamy clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed. That was thanks enough for the two young men.