Chapter Text
Clarke knows exactly what Josephine felt the moment the doors open. All the memories not in this room simply fade from her mind in what she can only describe as a breeze, that too barely a remembered sensation. She’s not sure what’s missing but she notices the gaps. And what she has is not enough. Its like she doesn’t even know what to compare it to.
Just as quickly she feels Josephine take over once again. Feels her body suffering as its pulled out of something she can’t even see.
“Josephine?” she questions, taking the ax from where it fell.
Part of her wants to know what's happening, but another remains stunned. Keeping her locked in her cell yet again with nothing except her remaining memories. Drawings that line every surface in a permanent etching, no longer the dark chalk of charcoal.
At her touch they come to life, invade her conscious enough that she catches glimpses of the world beyond. Sees Bellamy with a gun, his sister clutched in his arms as someone else lifts her into theirs. Josephine’s familiarity with the person not as shocking when she touches the books scattered at her feet.
They don’t have long. At least Bellamy has a plan and send them on their way. Octavia follows before he does, as far as Clarke can tell. Josephine is lax in this stranger’s carry. Her emotions giddy and there’s slight burn of anger somewhere deep inside.
The journey is far from quick. No one thinks to take the motorbikes. Clarke would say so if she could.
Watching this all play out is the last thing she wants to do. However, she can see that this Gabriel shoulders the weight of what's to come. He talks with a shaky lithe to his voice that would give one pause if she didn’t notice his touch steady and firm. Medical, as he continues to hook up machines to her skull and spine. He doesn’t bother to restrain them and distantly that itself is familiar to Clarke.
A bolt of fear shockingly coming out as a twitch of her hand.
“She was right, you know,” her voice but not quiet right turns to Bellamy. “To trust you.”
When he doesn’t respond Josephine laughs, full of crazed misery. Doubt that Clarke can sense from within. Prompting her own terror as the needle is stuck into Clarke’s arm.
The mindspace around her quakes and a light so blinding she can’t even look away engulfs everything. Finally with the sound of something massive shattering Clarke is alone. Left in the quiet of her own mind that blurs around her.
But she’s not waking up. She feels how she’s not joined with her body quite yet.
Muffled voices echo through the halls.
“We need you! Clarke, please,” its Bellamy once again. “I won’t lose you, I can’t loose you again!”
Something collides with her, around her perhaps. Everything shaking as it continues to repeat.
“You have to keep fighting,” he demands. “You’re fight is not over, you hear me! Now wake up!”
With a huff, she turns to who know where and everything changes in an instant. Instead of the Ark walls she once called her only world, now an unfamiliar setting she could not recognize. All the pain that she thought she already knew came crashing down. Each hit, every fumble or nick of a blade, those damn shackles, even what saved her life. It forced the air out of her lungs as she gulped down each breath. Jerking to the side with a whimper from the strain in her muscles.
And warmth that held her close, kept her safe from the dangers she wasn’t prepared to face. Joy cracking the voice of her, her Bellamy.
“The head and the heart,” she muttered breezily.
“Yeah, the head and the heart,” he nodded above her. “Lets not do that again, princess. I can’t handle loosing you anymore.”
“Sorry,” she had more to say, so much more she wanted to get out but exhaustion made it all so heavy. “Please…”
“Get some rest, I’ll be here,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her temple. “I’m not letting you out of my sights, you know that? Sleep. I’ll wake you, I promise.”
Unwilling to simply obey she glared up at him for a moment, waiting for him to see. Miffed as he chuckled brushing her hair out of her face.
“Come on, you deserve it.”
“She needs to rest in order to recover,” Gabriel appears over Bellamy’s shoulder. “If she can’t I can administer a mild sedative to help-”
“No,” she growled in tandem with Bellamy’s own rumbling chest.
“Clarke,” he looks back down. “I promise you, I’ll be here and wake you the moment you’re cleared. But you need to get some sleep for me, okay?”
“Bell’my, sor-wry.” she knows there a lot she needed to apologize for to him, it felt like the most urgent thing. “So sor-rr-wy.”
“I-there’s nothing to apologize for that I haven’t already forgiven. If anyone should be sorry it me, Clarke. I didn’t protect you, let me do this, please,” he nearly begged.
“Fne,” she blinked.
Trying to keep him in her sights for as long as possible. Even the blurry shape that muttered soothing sounds above. Her head tucked against his body, grounding her as darkness took hold.