somewhere | b.blake ✔️

2x05✔️

Gunshot, can't take it back
My heart cracked, really loved you bad
Gunshot, I'll never get you back

- Gunshot, Lykke Li

****

Later, when Ash returns to camp, she feels a surge of renewed energy.

Smith braids her hair into tight Dutch braids, making it much easier to manage with her injured shoulder. Afterward, he spends two hours sparring with her, using bamboo sticks, showing no mercy. Each hit reminds her of how far she has come—and how much further she still has to go.

The pain in her shoulder is sharp, but learning these techniques makes her feel in control again. She can fight, she can defend herself—and maybe even protect the people she cares about when it matters.

The words Smith whispers after one particularly brutal hit linger in her mind: "You're a fierce warrior, but remember, warriors can love, too."

It's strange to find comfort in the words of a Grounder, but she does.

As Ash limps back through the open gate of the Ark's camp, she flashes a sarcastic grin at the guards—many of whom she recognizes from her time in the Skybox. The look she gives them practically screams, "Ha, I'm free!"

Her eyes scan the area, unsure of where she's headed, until a familiar head of blonde hair catches her attention. She picks up speed when she spots Clarke standing next to Bellamy, both smiling. Relief floods through her—they've found someone.

"Well, I'll be damned," Ash calls out with a whistle as she approaches. "The leaders of the 100 actually liking each other."

Bellamy's eyes light up with that mischievous glint she's grown used to.

"Now there's something I never thought I'd see," Octavia chimes in, appearing from the side with a grin.

Ash immediately wraps her in a tight hug, careful of her own wounds but too happy to care much. "I'm so happy you're okay."

"You too," Octavia responds with a wide smile, her relief clear.

The moment is cut short when Clarke turns toward Ash, her face marred with bruises and dirt. Ash's smile falters as she notices just how battered Clarke looks. Clarke gives her a silent look that says, "I'll explain later," as Raven joins them, limping over with a brace on her knee.

Ash throws an arm around Raven's shoulders, grinning. "Well, look who it is! My limping twin!"

Raven manages a small, rueful smile in return, though it's clear the last few days have taken their toll.

"How many are with you?" Bellamy's voice is tense, cutting through the small reunion.

"None," Clarke says, shaking her head.

"But, uh, are they alive? Monty, Jasper, Miller?" Ash asks, her desperation evident. She doesn't think she could forgive herself if Monty died while she lived.

"All of them. For now," Clarke answers. Relief fills Ash but it quickly dissipates when she continues, "Where's Finn?"

"Out there," Bellamy says. "Looking for you."

And just like that, the fragile peace shatters as new worries take over.

*****

Inside the Ark's corridors, the council meeting is heated. Ash stands alongside Bellamy, Octavia, and Clarke as they confront Abby and the other adults. Their frustration is palpable.