Bellarke One Shots Book 1

21) Nina

Bellamy's breath was hot on the side of Clarke's neck. "We need to get out of here. Now ."

"I know, just give me a second." They were speaking in rushed whispers, crouched in a prickly bush just outside one of the grounder villages. It wasn't one of Lexa's, so they were being cautious, taking turns peeking through Raven's binoculars. "I think... it looks like they're leaving?"

"What? Give me that." Without waiting for a response, Bellamy yanked the binoculars out of Clarke's hands and squinted through them. Clarke huffed out a sigh and sat down, her calves burning from crouching for so long. "Why are they leaving? Where are they going?"

"They could be an enemy tribe," Clarke answered. "Maybe they've heard that we're with Lexa's tribe now, and they want to run."

Bellamy hummed in agreement. "I think that's the last of them." He lowered the binoculars, giving her a crooked grin. "What do you say, Princess? Feel up to an adventure?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed herself to her feet. "You're so lame."

He followed her into the now abandoned village, just behind her shoulder as he always was. He was a calming presence, strong and solid and warm, and his hand came to rest on her waist. "Wait. What's that?"

She frowned, looking around at the village but seeing nothing out of the ordinary. "What's what?"

His head was cocked to the side, his face confused, and she craned around to look at him. "That sound. Is that... is that crying?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Clarke said, but she felt herself moving closer to him anyway, scanning the area for anything unusual. "They've all gone. Nothing's crying."

But something was. She could hear it, now that he'd pointed it out, and she whirled around, trying to find the source. Bellamy was right behind her, his hand on his gun. "What the hell is that?"

Clarke followed the sound, ignoring Bellamy's hisses of warning. The closer she got to the source, the more confused she felt. There was really only one thing it could be, but it just didn't make any sense. She stopped when she reached a wheelbarrow lying on its side in the dirt. With a growing sense of dread, she circled around to the front of it.

There was a baby.

In a wheelbarrow.

In the dirt.

Bellamy was behind her in a moment. "What the hell, Clarke? I said to stay back, I said it wasn't safe. What if one of them came back-"

"Bellamy," Clarke breathed. "Shut up."

He spluttered indignantly behind her, but she ignored him. She crouched down in the dirt, reaching out with careful hands to pick up the baby and cradle it in her arms. It had fallen quiet when it had seen her, its almond-shaped eyes wide with wonder.

Bellamy swore quietly behind her.

"I can't believe they left a baby," Clarke said, her voice hushed. Something about holding the child made her want to be quiet and soft. "I can't believe they left her behind."

"We should take her to Lexa," Bellamy suggested. He looked restless, like he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing. It was odd, Clarke thought, considering all the time he'd spent raising Octavia.

The walk to Lexa's village was quiet. The baby had fallen asleep in Clarke's arms, and by the time they reached Lexa's tent, her arms burned a little from carrying the child so far.

"They left her there, you say?"

"Yes."

"Then she is not ours," Lexa replied. "A child does not get left behind unless they are not expected to live. Our customs say that the child will then belong to those who find her."