The music could be heard from three passages away. When they could clearly hear it, those around her gave a whoop and started jogging towards the assembly room. All of them were a far cry from the prim and proper citizens at the Unity Day celebration that morning.

Clarke hadn't been able to convince Wells to join her, even after presenting him with a full-face mask. He insisted he was too recognizable, and that his presence would only ruin the fun for others. Besides, he'd said, why did she want to spend time with these teenagers anyways?

Why indeed.

When she'd heard it was a masquerade, something inside of her sparked. The whispered comments, sneers, and general exclusion from her peers picked at her more than it did Wells. This was her chance for contact without her last name printed for all to see. Perhaps she'd even make a friend.

Or she'd be found out, made fun of, and left to run back to Wells who would never tell her he told her so, even though he did.

Clarke shook the thought off. She wasn't the Ark's princess tonight. She was just a teenager looking to have some fun and relax on Unity Day.

The dance was in full swing when she got there. Even with the masks, there were a couple familiar bodies dancing on the floor or eating by the food. They wouldn't recognize her; the work on her mask had taken all month.

She'd went for a simple white tank top and purple skirt. She didn't own a lot of fancy clothes despite her parent's status, so she'd worked with what she had for the outfit and gave it her all for the mask.

The edges and at the part that touched her face, she'd painted silver. In the corners, the silver moved into small swirls. The overall mask was a dark purple, darker than her skirt, and the left side dipped down lower. On the right, her favorite part, there was a large, purple feather. It was ratted, like everything on the Ark, and had cost her two months of saving. But, it was beautiful and worth it.

Not arriving with anyone didn't give Clarke the opportunity to join any conversations or dancing groups, but she was content to lean against the wall and watch. The lights were dimmed for the sole party offered to underaged members of the Ark and a beat was coming out of the speakers that wasn't accompanied by any voice but was enough to push the crowd into jumping and dancing. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Around the room, guards were posted to watch for any infractions. Clarke wasn't a fan of the Ark guards, having heard plenty of arguments between her parents. Their presence put a damper on her mood. Until she spotted a younger guard across the room simply beaming at the crowd.

Clarke wished she had brought her sketch pad. A smile like that, wide and open, matched with the dark guard uniform -he screamed to be painted. His black hair even created a nice contrast with his pale skin and shining teeth.

Instead of painting him, she approached him. Clarke was drawn to beautiful things, and his whole relaxed, blissful demeanor intrigued her. The rest of the guards scattered around the room were scowling or eyeing up girls. Clarke wanted to know what brought this young guard such joy.

"Enjoying the party?"

Clarke casually leaned against the wall next to him. From this vantage point, she could see more of the dancers, none of them were particularly talented.

"Not actually a part of it, but I guess." The guard pointed out. "Yourself?"

"As much as a bystander can." She shrugged, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, catching him doing the same. "Is this a preferable guard shift or on the more boring side?"

The guard's smile returned, eyes back to the crowd of dancers. "I'd have to say I prefer this to standing in an empty hallway."

"I've always wondered how guards pass the time on some shifts. Internal monologues? Daydreaming? Count the stars?"

The guard shook his head. "We're a hundred percent focused on the task at hand." They both chuckled. "Aren't you supposed to be dancing?"

"I prefer to watch. All the colors and lights are beautiful right now."

"You're an artist?"

"I'm a medic apprentice, but I draw when I can. Which feels like never, right now." Clarke shrugged, wondering if she'd just given herself away. He didn't seem fazed.

"So, you're drawing nasty cuts and bandages all the time then?" he teased, and Clarke lightly bumped him with her shoulder.

"No, I like painting people. Though, if I can get into a greenhouse, I'd love to draw some of their plants."

"I've heard a lot of people talk about breaking into the greenhouses, this would be the first time the intent was to draw what's in there." The guard continued to tease her.

"Aren't you supposed to be a hundred percent focused on the task at hand?" quipped Clarke.

He smiled at her. Clarke noticed his dimples, the creases by his eyes, everything she could. She'd draw him when she was home, just this happy, carefree smile. Her dad would never believe her when she told him she met a guard who enjoyed his work.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"What's yours?" she countered.

He presented his hand to shake. "Bellamy Blake." She took his hand, not offering her own name.

"It's nice to meet you, Bellamy Blake."

"Solar Flare Alert. An X-Class solar flare has been spotted-"

Their hands still interlocked, Clarke felt Bellamy's body tense and go on alert. He dropped her hand and scanned the crowd. But it wasn't to calm the crowd, instill order, or even push the crowd to show their ID's. This was singular panic.

Clarke couldn't help but ask, "are you okay?"

But he didn't hear her. Clarke turned to where he had been looking all night, and saw a girl in a blue mask, a little younger than her, spinning in circles, utterly terrified. Bellamy moved before Clarke could say anything, reaching the frightened girl and taking her arm.

Clarke watched, entranced, as the girl relaxed upon seeing him, but Bellamy was still on a mission, moving quickly to an exit, only to abort when more guards made their way into the assembly room.

The girl whispered something to Bellamy. The younger girl's wide eyes seemed to be pleading with the floundering young guard.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you know the drill, masks off, ID chips out."

And it clicked.

Clarke pushed her way through the crowd. The two dark haired strangers were frantically talking in a corner now. Bellamy watched everything happening outside of their conversation. He pulled out his electric baton. Clarke spotted a guard making his way towards them before Bellamy did, but she doesn't stop her hurried steps towards the frightened girl.

"I'll create a distraction." The young guard was saying, his eyes sweeping the crowd as he hurried to put a plan together.

"Bell." Bellamy turned to the young girl with his brown eyes. "How do I get home?"

If her question hadn't solidified Clarke's resolve, the way Bellamy's face fell did.

"Cadet Blake."

Clarke reached them.

"There you are!" She exclaimed, tearing off her mask. "You left your ID chip in my room while we were getting ready, my dad just messaged me to let me know. He wants us home immediately just to be safe." Clarke gently grabbed a hold of the young girl's hand, trying to not spook the already scared girl.

"Miss Griffin," interrupted the guard. She finally turned her attention on him and on Bellamy as if only just realizing they were there.

"Lieutenant Shumway," recognizing the guard. "Can you please tell this guard it's alright? It was just our mistake. I'll have one of the guards on Alpha Station ID her once I'm home."

"There is a fine for not having your ID on you for checks, Miss Griffin."

"Really? Because I'm sure there are fines for switching shifts without authorization in order to acquire fancier shifts. But seeing as my father didn't write any such activity up, I don't see why forgetting an ID in the excitement of Unity Day needs to be as well. But then, all crimes are punishable the same way, are they not?"

The black-haired girl was staring at Clarke with her mouth hanging open. Thankfully, Bellamy had the sense to put his weapon away and pretend to be backing Shumway. Clarke didn't look at him close enough to see what he thought of her lies, but they were making progress, so she'd have to hope he had at least as many brains cells as she needed.

"Very well."

Shumway reluctantly stepped aside. Clarke and the girl walked calmly out of the dance. Bellamy's footsteps were not behind them. At the doorway, they glanced back to see Shumway pointing him towards where the rest of their peers were along the wall waiting to be ID. He glanced up when Shumway turned away, worried but no longer hopeless.

Clarke tugged the girl's hand before either of the two stranger's she'd stuck her neck out for turned away from each other, hurrying down the hall in the direction of Alpha Station, then taking a sharp left before reaching the transit that would take her to her home. They stopped at a sky deck, breathing deeply and looking down each hallway to see if anyone was coming. With a solar flare still threatening the ship, no one was coming near a sky deck.

"We can't stay here for long; we really do need to get somewhere safe during the flare."

"I don't know how to get home," the girl said hopelessly. She looked only a year or two younger than Clarke, maybe less, but her persona felt younger, less experienced.

"I know, is there anywhere on the Ark you do know how to get to? Or a name of your station you know?"

The girl covered her masked face with her hands. Clarke could hear the deep breaths she was trying to take and a whispered, "I am not afraid." She had to give the girl credit.

"Hey." Clarke pulled her hands away and lifted her mask. The face underneath was young and terrified. And so very like the face of the boy she'd wanted to paint a few minutes ago.

"It's okay, what's your name?"

"Octavia Blake." Clarke didn't react to the confirmation of what she already suspected.

"Okay, listen to me, Octavia, you've got to calm down. I'll keep you away from the guards, but we need to get you home. Has Bellamy ever mentioned a station, or a number?"

The girl nodded, taking a deep breath. "Factory Station"

Clarke kept a hold of one hand and headed down the hallway, "Okay, we'll start there."

They hurried down the halls, checking each corner before making a turn. Clarke knew there were cameras in the hallways, she just didn't know what kind of behavior would be reported. She hoped all the doors between here and Factory Station were opened. If her card had to be used it'll get noted.

They pass into Factory Station, and still had yet to come across any guards or citizens. Clarke was struggling to remember what sector of the Ark they said the Solar Flare was hitting.

Above them, flashing lights turned on, filling the hallway with a red glow. It didn't bode well for their proximity to the solar flare. While there would be no outward damage to the ship or themselves, Clarke knew flares led to a surge in electromagnetic radiation and that they would be safer in the protected quarters that were lined with more shielding than the hallways.

"Now what?" Octavia asked, gripping Clarke's hand tighter. "Where's Bellamy?"

"I don't know. Just let me think."

Clarke took a breath. They weren't in any immediate danger. They were warned of Solar Flares far in advanced, and any excess radiation from it shouldn't be too harmful after all the time they've spent in space. The most immediate issue was still hiding Octavia, then Clarke would figure out shelter from the flare.

"Do you remember anything else? When you left your quarters tonight, was there anything significant you passed?"

"Yes!" replied Octavia, relieved to have remembered something. "There was a huge window looking out to Earth. It was beautiful. The window took up the whole wall, that has to be something, right?"

Clarke didn't let her relieved smile drop, just nodded and said. "Yes, that's helpful." Though it wasn't. There was over a hundred such spots on the Ark. Even if being able to see Earth narrowed it down, they'd all been covered for the flare.

Clarke started walking deeper into Factory Station, trying to think of a plan. She'd never been to this station, at least not this far into it, and wouldn't know where to hide if they needed to.

"Why are you helping me?" Octavia broke the silence after a few silent, aimless steps. "Are you friends with Bellamy?"

"We just met at the Unity Day celebration."

"So why are you helping me?" She persisted, tugging Clarke to a stop. "You don't know either of us, if we were caught right now, you'd be in just as much trouble as me."

The two girls stared at each other, waiting for Clarke's reply, one she did not have. Octavia, despite having been frightened earlier, did not stand down. Clarke turned away when she heard someone running towards them, still not knowing how to reply.

They were in the middle of a hallway, with no rooms or exits to hurry down. Clarke looked behind them, but knew if they ran, whoever was running towards them would hear their steps as well and only pursue them.

"Quick put your mask back on," said Clarke, doing the same. Once Octavia's was secured, Clarke interlocked their arms and started walking in the direction of the running steps, moving to the side and walking casually to the next turn.

"Bellamy!" cried Octavia, letting go of Clarke's arm and rushing to her brother. Bellamy Blake had turned the corner, running towards them. It was charming to see his relief as the siblings embraced and Bellamy's body warped around his sister in a protective layer. Clarke hoped to never feel the fear he'd felt tonight.

"Come on, we've got to go. The alarm sounded late, and I've got to get you back home before the flare hits." Bellamy pulled away from Octavia, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall he'd run from.

"How soon will it hit?" Octavia glanced back at Clarke who was standing in the middle of the hallway, unsure.

"It was ten minutes out when they finally cleared the celebration. Probably less than five now."

Clarke bit her lip, glancing behind her in the direction of home. She wouldn't make it to Alpha Station in time. When she turned back to the Blake siblings, Bellamy was trying to get Octavia to walk, whispering about needing to leave.

"You've got to come with us." Octavia stared back at Clarke, reaching a hand for her just as the silent lights turned into blaring flashes. That was the two-minute signal.

Still, she didn't move. Bellamy was staring at his sister in shock and dismay, so obviously not agreeing with the statement. Octavia gave him a dirty look, letting go of his hand to run and take Clarke, pulling her towards the dark hair man and staring up at him expectantly. Bellamy scoffed, threw a glare at Clarke, then took Octavia's other hand and they started running again.

They weren't far from the Blake's quarters, their sole stroke of luck that night. Bellamy held the door open and ushered both girls in before closing it and locking it behind them. The two minutes was up. There was no loud boom of impact or signal that the glare had hit, but Clarke felt safer inside than she had in the hallway.

Except, there was a woman standing in the room, Octavia behind her and a dangerous expression aimed at Clarke.

"Who is this?" the woman asked, looking at Bellamy and trying to hide Octavia behind her back despite Clarke having walked in with the girl.

"Clarke Griffin." Bellamy spit out Clarke's name like it was a curse. The woman, Mrs. Blake, Clarke assumed, stiffened at the last name, eyes widening.

"Bellamy, what did you do?"

"No, Mom, it wasn't Bell's fault. Clarke helped me! Really, she saved me."

Mrs. Blake turned away from her son to her daughter. Clarke was frozen in her spot, she'd never thought she'd be in a situation like this, or ever see a family like this. Maybe her father was right, she needed to start thinking about herself a little more and stop jumping to help others.

"Is that true?"

"In a way." Bellamy shrugged. He was still standing next to her by the door. He seemed less on edge now that his sister was home safe, and the curious look he gave her felt less hostile.

Mrs. Blake rubbed her face in a similar gesture to her daughter, turning around and telling Octavia to go change out of her dress. Octavia didn't seem to want to leave the conversation, but in the small quarters she'd be able to hear no matter where she went to change.

The quarters in Factory Station were the same grey, metal walls as Alpha, except shrunk. Where her parents had room to host friends, Mrs. Blake's front room tripled as office, dining, and living room. Clarke suspected the bedrooms would be smaller too.

Mrs. Blake turned back to Clarke and Bellamy, crossing her arms and lifting an eyebrow. Clarke thought all of the Blake's looked alike: skinny, black hair, a fierceness to them she'd only read about in books. And right now, Clarke was the immediate danger they were dealing with.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," blurted Clarke, feeling it needed to be addressed that she was now privy to quite a large family secret.

Her words didn't relax anyone.

"What happened?"

Bellamy started explaining, about the dance, the alarm, his plan to create a distraction, Clarke showing up and getting Octavia out of the room, and then finding them walking around Factory Station.

"How did you know we lived on Factory Station?" asked Mrs. Blake, still suspicious but her cool exterior was melting.

"It was the only thing Octavia could remember about her home."

"So, your plan was to just walk aimlessly around Factory Station until a guard found you and arrested you both?" scoffed Bellamy.

Clarke glared at him, "and what was your plan when you pulled out your weapon to cause a distraction? Let her wander around the whole Ark by herself in the hopes that she would remember the path home after walking outside one time?" Clarke turned away from Bellamy's hateful stare to look at his mother who seemed to finally accept Clarke's presence wasn't a threat.

"How'd you explain having your weapon out?" Mrs. Blake asked.

"That actually helped. To Shumway it looked like I was about to discipline O for not having her ID, which is good in his books. He commended me for my dedication to the rules."

"Shumway is an ass with too many friends on the council." Clarke scoffed, earning a dubious look from Bellamy.

"Says the daughter of two council members, Princess. How do we know you're not going to go home and tell them about O? Why did you even help her?"

Octavia walked back into the room, in grey sweatpants and a ratty white t-shirt, hearing the end of Bellamy's question. She looked at Clarke expectantly, once again waiting for an answer.

"I don't know." Clarke pulled on the end of her shirt nervously, looking away from Octavia to Bellamy. He was still watching her with narrowed eyes. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."

Bellamy shook his head and stepped away. Clarke looked at the floor when he broke eye contact.

"What do you need to stay quiet about it?" Mrs. Blake asked. They both looked around the meager quarters, wondering what could even be given.

"Nothing. I don't want anything."

"Everyone wants something," said Bellamy moving to stand next to Octavia.

"I didn't help to hold it over your heads," argued Clarke.

"No, you just did it because it was the right thing to do," mocked Bellamy.

"You know, you could thank me," countered Clarke, annoyed by his hostile manner towards her.

"She's right, stop being an ass, Bell." Octavia shoved her brother. "I don't see why we're still interrogating her like it's an issue. I'm back home, no one found out. So, what if one more person knows I'm alive? Clarke could get in just as much trouble as us now."

"Assured mutual destruction isn't something I would like to bet on. We've got a planet below us that's still recovering from the last time humans relied on it," pointed out Bellamy.

"Drop it, Bellamy," Mrs. Blake said. "Miss Griffin, I apologize for our manners after the deed you did. We're not used to relying on anyone outside our family. We are grateful for what you did for Octavia, if there is anything you need now or in the future, please let me know."

Bellamy rolled his eyes and left the room. Outside the door, the alarms still blared, and Clarke was still stuck in these tight quarters with a family resentful of her presence.

"Hosting me through the Solar Flare is all I need, Mrs. Blake, thank you."

Clarke checked her retina for messages once Octavia and Mrs. Blake went in the kitchen to make waters. She sent a message to her parents saying she was safe at a friend's house and would come straight home when the solar flare was over. Bellamy walked in after she sent the message, he stared at her in suspicion. She told him she'd only told her parents she was safe. He didn't reply, making his way into the kitchen.

They sat in the tight living room waiting for the sirens outside the door to cease, staring at each other or the floor. Mrs. Blake had picked up on working on a guard's uniform she'd been repairing when they'd walked in and Octavia was doing her best to recount every aspect of the dance for her mom up until the alarm had gone off. Bellamy continued to glare at Clarke while she ran her finger around the edge of her cup wondering when she'd be free of this stifling room. Some flares had lasted an hour, others she'd fallen asleep and woken up to it still going on.

"I think you've had quite an exciting night, Octavia, maybe you should go to sleep," Mrs. Blake suggested when Octavia's ramblings were interrupted by her second yawn.

"No, I wanted to stay up and talk to Clarke about the Ark." She turned to Clarke. "I have so many questions about your life."

"Oh," was all Clarke could say. She didn't think she had that much of an interesting life, she only had one friend and spent most of her time with him or with her parents. Bellamy probably had more interesting stories.

"Miss Griffin has had a long night as well. The lights will be going off soon anyways, we should prepare for sleep." Mrs. Blake stood up and went in search for a blanket for Clarke, ignoring her assurances that she was fine.

"Just give her mine, Mom, I know we don't have any extras and I won't be sleeping any time soon," said Bellamy. The offer was not out of generosity, but out of annoyance of his mother acting as though she wasn't about to strip her bed for Clarke.

"Really, I'm fine, I can- oh, thank you." Clarke caught the blanket Octavia threw her way, awkwardly breathing in Bellamy's musky scent.

"I'm staying up till the lights go off," declared Octavia, plopping down next to Clarke and shooting off questions. Clarke had a lot of questions of her own but didn't voice them. "What is Alpha station like? What do your parents do on the council? Do you have their hair color? Because I love how bright your hair is, all I've ever seen before tonight was black hair."

"O," chuckled Bellamy. "Breathe."

Octavia rolled her eyes then settled them on Clarke expectantly. "Both my parents are blonde, though my color is closer to my dad's."

"What's your dad like?" asked Octavia.

"He's-" Clarke pursed her lips. Her father meant so much to her, but she'd never had to put it in words. Saying he was the best didn't cover it. All dads are the best to their daughter, but Jake Griffin was different. "My dad is the reason I acted so quickly tonight to help you, even though I didn't know you. I knew he would have done the same."

"What does he do for the council? Does he help people?"

"No, that would be my mom actually. She is the Head Doctor on the Ark, my dad is Head Engineer. He works on the Ark and makes sure everything is functioning the right way."

Octavia nods, then moves on to a more interesting topic for her. "What do you and your friends do? Are there sleepovers? Or do you practice earth skills together?"

"Um, I really only hang out with Wells Jaha, none of the other council members have kids and none of the other teenagers on the ark want to hang out with council member's kids. We used to have sleepovers when we were really little, but now we just hangout and watch old Earth sporting games and play chess."

"What's chess?"

"A really boring game that smart people play to show their smarter than everyone else," quipped Bellamy. Despite the jab, it didn't feel hateful.

"So, you're super smart then?"

"I just have a lot of time on my hands to learn things."

"Bellamy's smart," declared Octavia, beaming at her brother who rolled his eyes.

"Having an uncommon amount of history knowledge would not constitute as intelligence on a spaceship, Octavia."

The lights were turned off before Octavia could plead her case. Clarke had forgotten that in some stations they couldn't choose when the lights were on and off. She wondered if she used less lights in her quarters, the Blake family would have a little more in theirs.

"Alright, O, go to bed." Octavia groaned at the instruction but went to the room her and Bellamy shared without a verbal complaint.

Clarke and Bellamy remained sitting on the couch in the dark, listening to the siren blaring outside the doors. She felt awkward having his blanket draped over her legs while he sat there without one but would feel more awkward if she offered part of it to him and they sat under it together.

Her thoughts ran in circles. Life had seemed so boring this morning, repetitive. Now she was a keeper of a deathly secret and had lied and run from guards. All because she wanted the chance to spend time with her peers without the judgement of her last name getting in the way.

"So, the princess is close with the prince?" Clarke was shocked Bellamy had spoken at all, but not surprised by the question.

"Knowing the chancellor's son doesn't change my mind about keeping Octavia a secret," she snapped. "What's your issue with me anyway? I seem to remember you were totally fine with me before finding out I was Clarke Griffin."

"I didn't know that I was talking to the council's precious princess," Bellamy sneered.

Clarke wasn't fazed, she'd been sneered at, ridiculed, and held in contempt solely for who her parents were her whole life.

"And I didn't know that I was talking to a guard who was only smiling because he'd snuck out his illegal sister and was seeing her outside this room for the first time. I didn't know that by approaching you, I would become privy to a secret that could get me floated. But you don't see me regretting walking up to you just because of who your family is. Just because I come from Alpha Station doesn't make me less trust worthy or less of an overall person." Clarke seethed, standing up from the couch and moving to lean against the wall on the opposite side of the room, crossing her arms and daring Bellamy to keep arguing.

He didn't. Bellamy just stared at her from across the dark room. She wasn't sure if he could even see that her arms were crossed, because all she could see of him was that his head was pointed in her direction. She didn't want his words to get to her, wanted to brush them off as ignorance. But like always, the scorn of others pricked at her skin.

"Thank you," he finally said into the darkness. "I would have lost her tonight had you not stepped in."

"You're welcome."

"I just wanted her to have fun, you know? I was given the shift and thought this would be the only chance she would have to step outside these walls. I never thought she'd be in any danger, not while I was watching her."

"You couldn't have known a Solar Flare was approaching."

"She's my sister, and I put her in danger. It would have been my fault if she got caught."

Clarke watched his head turn away from her and hands come up to run through his hair. She returned to the couch, not to reach out a comforting hand, but offer her presence.

"She deserved to get out of here. You gave her a wonderful gift tonight, Bellamy," whispered Clarke.

"I gave her the curse of knowing what she is missing. She can never leave these quarters again, Clarke. Don't you get it? You think that girl, excitedly telling my mom all the wonderful things she saw outside the walls, will be able to live here, hidden, for the rest of her life?"

Clarke knew he was right. The fact that Octavia had stayed hidden for fifteen years was a testament to this family's determination to stay together. But the reality was Octavia would be found eventually. The average life span on the ark was sixty-five years. Even if she doesn't get discovered, sixty-five years is a long time to spend in three rooms.

"I'll help you."

"We don't need help."

"I know you can take care of her, but Octavia is inherently curious, that's obvious. She needs someone who isn't her brother or her mother to talk to, ask questions of. I could be that person." Clarke shrugged.

"No, no don't fucking shrug to that." Bellamy stood up angrily, pacing the room. Clarke tried to follow him with her eyes, but it was too dark in the room. The only light came from the flashing alarm out in the hallway, illuminating him every few steps. "You don't even understand what you're offering. It's not like the ark's princess can just come to Factory Station and hangout in a Cadet's room. People would ask questions, high up people. Your parents for instance."

"My parents wouldn't care if I said you and I were friends."

"Shumway would hear about it and he would care. Care enough to do surprise inspections."

"I can handle Shumway."

"And what about Jaha Jr? You think the prince is gonna let his princess mingle with the commoners?"

"Wells isn't like that," retorted Clarke, standing up.

"Yeah, but if he mentions it to his dad in passing, it will get looked into." Bellamy stopped pacing and faced Clarke. "God, you are, like, the worst person who could have found this out and then offered to help."

"Well, I'm sorry-" Clarke started heatedly.

"No, that's not how I meant it." Bellamy groaned, turned around and then turned back. "Look, I understand your offer is genuine, but you don't understand. Adding another person to the mix only makes things more complicated. I mean, fuck, Clarke, there are whispers of you being chancellor one day. You're too high profile to not be noticed entering and exiting Factory Station, and Octavia needs us to be low profile. The lowest of the low."

They stood in silence, thoughts on the girl in the next room and not on the foot of space between them. Clarke wanted to help. She didn't want to step out of the Blake's quarters and never hear from them again. It had been the most impactful night of her life, she didn't want to let go.

But Bellamy was right, it was safest if she let go. They'd survived this long. She didn't need to insert herself into this family's life.

The alarms went off in the hallway, agreeing with her decision. Without them, the room fell into complete darkness and Clarke no longer knew how far Bellamy stood from her.

Her footsteps were a giant marching, but she took a hold of the door handle with little searching and pulled it open. There was dim light in the hallway, only enough to guide the way to the nearest main passage. Still, it was enough that she saw Bellamy clearly again, watching her.

"May we meet again," she said in farewell.

"We won't."


Bellamy was unable to relax after meeting Clarke Griffin.

Every time he looked at the doorway in his quarters, he saw her. She'd be back, standing in the low glow of the hallway lights, eyes locked with him. He let her turn and close the door on what she could have been for his family.

He was right to not allow contact with her. She was still Clarke Griffin, even though the well-known name suddenly meant both less and more to him. She wasn't some air-headed princess being primped to take control of the Ark when the council grows old, she was his sister's savior.

Something Octavia wouldn't shut up about.

His sister had picked up on the facts that their mom and Bellamy knew of Clarke, and wanted to know everything, pleading for every tidbit of gossip so she could get a better grasp on who Clarke Griffin was. Bellamy felt less and less like his little sister's hero.

Which was fair. He had put her in harm's way, something he couldn't forgive himself for. Everything he said to Clarke was right, Octavia was worse off knowing what she was missing. Her mood swings were 180s of the most extreme emotion. She went from vivacious to despondent to manic to exhausted. Bellamy now worried about what Octavia would do more than he worried about other's finding her.

He'd advanced in his guard training, moving from Cadet to Private. His promotion included standing in halls that were not so empty and having the weekend shift in the Sky Box where the juvenile delinquents waited to be old enough to be floated. Bellamy wanted to believe it was because of his advanced skills in shooting and earth skills, but he knew it was Shumway. He hadn't told Clarke, O, or his mom that night just how proud Shumway had been of Bellamy for pulling his weapon out. A bond Bellamy did not want and had accidentally initiated formed between him and the Lieutenant.

Most surprising out of this was not his promotion, but Shumway's loose lips. It seemed there was few groups in the Ark Shumway liked, but the one he hated the most was the council, especially the chancellor and Clarke's father.

With his promotion, he spent less time at home. His poor mother was doing her best to maintain Octavia and her moods, but she'd always been a frailer woman than she displayed. Bellamy worried when he was away yet was anxious to leave when he got home.

"Did you see anything interesting today on your shift?" Octavia asked as soon as Bellamy entered, before he was able to close the door and lock it. Their mother threw her a reprimanding look, but Bellamy only shook his head and refused to answer. It was a trick question. Any answer was replied with a "Sounds more interesting than anything I saw," or worse.

No one spoke while Bellamy got out of his uniform down to his ratty white shirt and pants. His mother continued her seamstress work and Octavia passed close to the door. Bellamy wondered if he would one day worry about her running out it.

"I want to write a letter to Clarke Griffin."

Bellamy had been passing his mother her scissors, but he dropped them at the name. His mom took in his obvious tension and discomfort, but didn't say anything to him or O, so he had to turn and look at his little sister.

She wasn't so little anymore. Where there had been innocence and wonder, was being replaced with bitterness. He'd always wondered the kind of woman she would grow up to be if she was given the chance, now he wondered at the woman being shaped by four walls.

"How would you get a letter to Clarke Griffin, O?"

"You, or maybe Mom if she ever drops off clothes in her station."

"Mom doesn't get commissioned for people on Alpha Station," Bellamy grumbled, cutting his mom's reply off. "And I don't get stationed there. Besides, I couldn't just deliver a letter to the Ark's princess without people being suspicious."

"There has to be a way, though, just one letter. I want to thank her for saving my life."

Bellamy gets cut off this time by his mother, stopping him from creating an argument out of a simple request.

"I think it is a wonderful idea."

"What?" Both Blake siblings asked.

"Wait, really?" continued Octavia, beaming and skipping over to her mom to give her a hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You cannot put your name on there, alright? Or your station. There are mailboxes around the Ark that I can slip it into, and it will be delivered to the Clarke Quarters without anyone knowing we sent it. But if her parents open it, you mustn't let it contain anything that will give you away? Alright?"

Octavia eagerly nodded throughout the instructions, rushing off to find a pencil and paper, returning and sitting next to where their mom was working, staring at the blank paper.

A letter. Why hadn't he or Clarke thought of that, that night? Had he been so set on pushing the stranger away that he hadn't considered all the ways to keep her around?

But it was a good plan. He'd have to proof read O's letter before sending it, make sure if it got in the wrong hands, no one would suspect it was from the Blake family on Factory Station. Maybe he'd even add something from himself.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

The three of them froze, staring at the door.

They never had visitors. Ever.

Bellamy's mom was the first one to move, shouting a calm, "Just a minute!" while she fell to the floor and silently tugged open Octavia's compartment.

Bellamy had to push Octavia to move, till she too sprang into action and began folding herself into the compartment, clutching her half-written letter to Clarke.

"I'm here to talk to Bellamy, Ma'am." It was Lieutenant Shumway.

Bellamy stepped closer to the door, waiting for his mom to close the compartment and move the table over it. He opened the door before she sat down, leaning against the doorframe with a lazy grin.

"Lieutenant Shumway," he greeted. "Is everything alright?"

The older guard was grinning, though it was less of a smile and more a curling of the lips. Bellamy had seen the expression often since the masquerade, particularly when Shumway had just floated someone or was going to.

"I just thought you would like to hear about what I got up to this afternoon," he looked past Bellamy to the living space but didn't seem to mind the meager quarters. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Of course, sir." Bellamy stepped out of the way, spotting his mom's feet casually resting on Octavia's hiding spot. "This is my mother, Aurora Blake. Mom, this is Lieutenant Shumway."

Aurora stood up slowly. Bellamy turned away when she started walking towards them in slow, hip-moving steps. "A pleasure, Lieutenant, would you like anything to drink." Her voice was an octave lower than usual.

"No, thank you, I just need a moment alone with your son. Ark business."

"Of course," said Aurora, sending a faux relaxed, proud smile at Bellamy before swaying herself out of the room.

"What business, Lieutenant?" asked Bellamy immediately. He needed to get Shumway out of there. It didn't matter that Shumway thought well of Bellamy right now, that wouldn't stop him from floating his family if he found O.

"Remember that girl at the Masquerade a month ago?"

"Not really, sir," answered Bellamy. He moved into a relaxed guard pose to hide his shaking hands behind his back.

"The blonde? Clarke Griffin? Come on, Blake, you almost shocked her friend with your baton," Shumway reminded Bellamy, irritated he wasn't following. Bellamy didn't relax.

"Of course, the Ark's princess. What a bitch." Shumway laughed.

"Not the Ark's princess anymore." Bellamy waited for the rest, but Shumway had suddenly become serious, looking towards his mom's room and lowering his voice. "You'll find out soon enough, but after she stole a good beating from you that night, thought I'd come and share the news with you first."

Bellamy's blood was rushing loudly in his ears, and he worried his control of his facial expression wasn't going to hold. That the sweat down his back was going to give him away. "What news, sir?"

"Jake Griffin has been arrested for treason, along with his daughter. I floated him before coming here. Well, actually I threw his daughter in solitary confinement in the Sky Box before coming here." Bellamy's heart constricted; he wasn't sure he was breathing.

Clarke was in solitary? Her father got floated?

Just when he wasn't sure he'd be able to react properly; an unmistakable sound of a sniffle came from below their feet. Shumway's malicious smile dropped.

"Good riddance," blurted Bellamy, scoffing and lifting a hand to smack down on Shumway's should in a comradery manner. "Congrats on the honor of floating that bastard, though I have to say I'm quite jealous."

Shumway chuckled, his shoulder tense under Bellamy's hand. The air had grown thick. "The princess's screams were like a lullaby. I'll sleep like a baby tonight." Bellamy choked out a laugh. "Well, despite the fun day, I've now got a mountain of paper work to go over and get to the chancellor. As you can imagine, he is being very particular about this case."

"Can I be of any help, sir?" asked Bellamy eagerly. He didn't fake his earnestness in the request, he needed to know why Clarke was in solitary. What had her and her father done in the past month? Was it related to O?

"Sorry, Blake, only the five guards that were a part of the arresting are allowed to work on this case. Too sensitive of information. You understand?"

"Of course, sir."

Shumway walked to the door, chuckling. "Don't look too sad, kid, you'll have plenty of opportunity to gloat when you're serving the chick her meals in the sky box next weekend." Shumway opened and closed the door with a parting laugh that did not feel as comradery as his entrance had been.

Bellamy locked the door behind him. Then slid down it and rested his head on his knees.

A few feet away, O's sniffles could still be heard.