Final Journey to the Ground: A Bellarke Reunion

XI. Losing Hope

Tiberius's POV

Clarke was getting weaker.

I knew it. Madi knew it. Abba knew it. Clarke denied it, but worst of all Nero knew it. I tried to bolster her spirits, bringing in wildflowers from the fields but she barely glanced at them. I bribed a cook to concoct a small cake flavored chocolate as Madi suggested but my timing was off as that testing and torture made Clarke sick to her stomach that day. I had resorted to small jokes, told in the dim lit halls as I escorted her back to her room at the end of each day. These aroused a small smile, fleeting in length, but a smile nonetheless and I treasured each one I pulled from the depths of her sheltered mind.

I could feel myself caring more and more for Clarke each day, despite our limited time together. Madi, with Abba chiming in, had told me stories of Clarke's old life, of family living underground and friends who escaped to the sky, leaving Clarke to burn in what the girls called "Priamfaya". I tried explaining about the nuclear waste plants and all the scientific facts behind the event, but the girls had just shaken their heads, adamant about "Praimfaya". Madi retold Clarke's tales of death, betrayals, and love. She spoke of Bellamy, and how Clarke had called him every day for 2,199 days until our ship landed in their home and they became our prisoners. I grimaced as I recalled that day; it was hard to believe that we had landed on Earth five months ago and we all had somehow survived without murdering or seriously maiming each other, an impressive feat for a mining ship of criminals and killers.

Madi's POV

Clarke was getting weaker.

And everyone knew. 

I had to beg Tiberius to let me accompany him one evening when he escorted Clarke back from the torture chamber's in which she spent her days. 

Abba and I barely saw her anymore, not that Abba seemed to care all that much. She was to busy bullying guards into letting her use their weapons because "Gee mister your muscles are so big and this is such cool technology". Abba explained to me one night, giggling maniacally when she did, but she was just trying to gain their trust by acting all innocent so they wouldn't notice as she nipped their card keys or smuggled a few smaller guns into her baggy clothes. I would never admit that she was a genius out loud but we had a growing pile of guns and ammo hidden in our mattress and had unlimited access to the ship and other buildings after hours because of her antics. I was proud of her.

The day I went with Tiberius to pick up Clarke, I froze when she limped through the med bay doors. I was expecting my stoic and commanding Clarke, not a weathered and limp husk of a warrior with barely enough energy to lift her head. 

"What is she doing here?" hissed Clarke, her angry act doing nothing to hide the love in her eyes.

"She begged me," Tiberius said with a shrug before pushing me forward, closer to Clarke.

"Oh Madi," she had sobbed, lurching forward to wrap her frail arms around me, her body racked with sobs. 

"Oh no! Don't cry!" I plead as rub small circles on Clarke's bony back. "You know I hate it when you cry!"

Clarke gave a watery chuckle as she untangled herself from me. "When did you become so grown?" she gulped, as another sob threatened to overspill. She lifted a shaky hand to caress my cheek and I leaned into it.