vi. drastic measures
murphy's law

"Bring out the girl, Sawyer!"

SAWYER SQUEEZED her eyes shut as she leaned against the table in the meeting tent. The same one she stood in not a few dozen minutes earlier. She, along with Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn, gather in the parachute cloth structure, trying to come up with a solution to the problem the Ark Princess caused. Or more so, the little girl they discussed.

Charlotte confessed to killing Wells. She quite literally screamed it across the entire camp.

Sawyer steamed, staring at the depiction of their new home on the paper spread across the table in front of her. She did not know what to think in that moment. A thirteen-year-old girl stabbed Wells in the throat, sliced off his fingers, and watched him die a slow painful death. She then said nothing as she witnessed someone else take the blame for her. Murphy almost died because she neglected to speak up, because she decided to take matters into her own hands and kill someone in cold blood.

"Why Charlotte?" Bellamy asked the young girl.

"I was just trying to slay my demons, like you told me," Charlotte exclaimed.

Sawyer whipped toward the eldest Blake and away from the table. "What the hell is she talking about? Slaying her demons? You told her to kill Wells?" she questioned, her anger rising by the second.

Bellamy's eyes widened, glancing over at the brunette. "She – misunderstood me." He turned back to the young girl. "Charlotte, that is not what I meant."

"She knows that. She's, like, thirteen, Bellamy, not five," Sawyer snapped, setting her eyes on little blonde, who cowered before her. "She knew that murder was not the answer, you know, unless her parents taught her to be a killer."

"Bring the girl out – now!" Murphy shouted angrily from outside.

Charlotte's lip quivered as she stepped closer to the eldest Blake. "Please don't let them hurt me!"

Sawyer scoffed and kept her stare on the young girl. "You should have thought about that before you let someone bleed to death and also let someone else hang for your crime."

Bellamy glanced over at the closed flap of the tent and over each person around him. "If you guys have any bright ideas, speak up," he voiced, but he received no answer in return. "Now you stay quiet?"

"Those are yours and Sawyer's boys out there," Finn countered.

"Yes, and one of them just almost lost his life because of her." Sawyer jutted out her hand and pointed to the the young girl with a pout on her lips. "He has a right to be pissed. And anyway, Bellamy's the one that told her to," she turned to the older boy, "what was it you said? Ah, yeah. Slay her demons," she breathed the last part through gritted teeth.

Bellamy quickly looked toward the Wesley girl. "This is not my fault. If she had listened to me," he pointed toward Clarke, who had not said a word since they arrived to the tent, "those idiots would still be building the wall."

"Well, it's too late for that now," Sawyer voiced. "Someone has to take the fall for this. Charlotte can't go unpunished, and Murphy can't run around calling for people's heads."

"You want to build a society, sweet cheeks?" Murphy persisted from outside. "Let's build a society. Bring her out!"

Charlotte trembled in her spot, tears brimming her eyes. "No!" She set her watering gaze on the eldest Blake. "Please, Bellamy."

Bellamy gave into her act, crouching down to her level and places his hands on her upper arms. "Charlotte, hey, it's gonna be okay. Just stay with them." He looked over at Finn and Clarke, before he stood to his feet. "Come on, sweet cheeks," he said toward the Wesley girl and moved toward the tent flap.

Sawyer scrunched her nose at the nickname. "Okay, I don't like it when John uses it, and I certainly don't like it when you use it," she grumbled, following after him. She emerged from the tent to find that the sun started to set on the horizon, while almost all of the delinquents were gathered just a few yards away from the parachute cloth structure.

Sawyer glared at the sight of them all. They turned on her, on Murphy, in a time when they needed to band together the most. When everything was said and done, Sawyer was going to make their lives a living hell.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us," Murphy spoke when he spotted the two of them approaching him. His face and hair was still caked with mud and blood from his tumble on the ground and the beating from their peers.

Sawyer rolled her eyes. "Tone it down a notch, drama queen."

"And back off," Bellamy added from her side.

"Or what?" Murphy rivaled. "What are you gonna do about me? Hang me?"

Sawyer took a deep breath and stepped closer to him. "I didn't want that to happen in the first place. But I'm not going to let you kill someone. We're not on the Ark. We're not playing executioner."

Murphy pursed his lips, raising a hand to rub against the bottom of his nose. "Right. We don't get to play executioner, but you get to play leader."

"I don't play leader, John, I am the leader," Sawyer stated. "And I'm not going to sit back and let all my hard work be ruined because you want to satisfy your need, and your friends' needs, for violence."

Murphy nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea." He moved forward and faced the delinquents. "Why don't we do that right now? So, who here wants to see the real murderer hunt up? All in favor?" He raised his hand, hoping for the others to do the same, but not a single one lifts their hands from their sides. "I see." He dropped his arm. "So, it's okay to string me up for nothing, but when this little bitch confesses, you all let her walk? Cowards! All of you cowards!"

"Hey, Murphy!" Bellamy stormed forward and turned the boy to face him. "Murphy. It's over."

Murphy shook his head, backing away with his arms held out in a defeated manner. "Whatever you say," He then sent a look to the Wesley girl, "Queen."

Sawyer resisted the urge to pull her lips into a snarl at his clear mocking tone. She turned to the rest of the delinquents, her glare still set on her features. "For the rest of you, get back to work before I send your asses outside the wall with the Grounders." When no one moved, her stared hardened further, if that were possible, and she raised her voice into a sharp snap that made some flinch, "now!"

Many of the delinquents step away from the scene and began to trickle back to their designated tasks. Satisfied with their behavior, Sawyer turned to leave them be, and to get away from Murphy before she said something she should not, to go after Clarke and Finn to handle Charlotte. She made a move to leave with Bellamy at her side, until she heard a loud smack and a pain filled groan.

Sawyer whirled around to find Bellamy on the ground, his eyes fluttering as he raised a hand to the back of his head. She spun to see Murphy with a cut log in his hands, tossing it to the side. She immediately leapt into action and launched herself at him. Before she could make contact, something hard and fast smashed into the base of her skull. Sawyer tripped over her feet from the sudden shock of pain that flooded her mind and body, falling to the ground as her vision blurred and black dots swam in front of her.

Someone yelled, a scuffle started, and then multiple footsteps moved away from the scene of her and Bellamy's assault. Sawyer luckily caught herself with her arms, her hands and elbows digging into the soft soil as she tried to force her brain to concentrate on staying awake. She could not let Murphy get to Charlotte before her. He would not hesitate to kill the young girl, and although she was a killer, Sawyer was not about to let the girl be another victim of the harsh ways of the Ark. They were supposed to be better than them. Their lives were supposed to be different.

"Sawyer, Sawyer, are you okay?" someone called out to her.

Sawyer shook her head, hearing the voice sound as though it were submerged, or pulled through the vacuum of space. She blinked rapidly and managed to push herself into a seated position on the cool ground. She followed the voice and found Jasper staring back at her. He crouched next to her, reaching to place a hand on her shoulder to gain her attention.

Sawyer nodded slowly, her head still ringing and heavy from the sharp blow. "I'm good. I'm fine," she told him. She remained on the ground, looking over to where Bellamy was also moving quite sluggish with his sister next to him. Their gaze met from across the small space, Sawyer's gaze narrowing by the second. "I'm gonna kill him."

Bellamy raised a hand to rub against the back of his head. "You can kill him all you want to, but first, we have to make sure he doesn't kill Charlotte before you get the chance," he said, letting Octavia to help him to his feet.

Jasper did the same for Sawyer, making sure the girl was steady before he pulled away. She gave him an appreciative nod and set her attention on the eldest Blake. "Got any ideas?"

_______

Night fell faster than Sawyer thought when she and Bellamy set out to find Clarke, Finn, and Charlotte. She figured that it had to do with the sudden chill that fell over the camp when the sun was completely gone from the sky. Winter, or perhaps autumn, was what she remembered from Earth Skills class to be the coldest seasons that Earth cycled through. And considering they landed on the eastern side of what used to be the United States, she knew it was most likely the start of winter.

Sawyer crept low to the ground as she weaved through the towering trees and thick foliage. Bellamy was in front of her, scanning the immediate area for any sign of Charlotte. She froze when she heard movement behind her. She turned to see several orange glows make their way through the forest. Sawyer raced to Bellamy's side and grabbed ahold of his arm, yanking him to a stop and then down to the ground behind a large bush. He whirled toward her and opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand and placed a single finger against her lips.

"Charlotte! You can't hide forever!" Murphy called out from where he and a few of his loyal followers searched for the young girl.

Once they were a good few yards away, Sawyer let go of Bellamy and the two of them ramped up their hunt for Charlotte. They moved faster than before, raking their eyes over the dark landscape for any sign of life that was not Murphy and his group, or even Grounders. Sawyer moved to search near the caves Bellamy and others told her about, until a hand clamped down on her arm. She turned to the man next to her, only to see his gaze was set on a small figure racing through the trees.

Bellamy ran head, coming up behind the girl before she could get further away. He wrapped his arms around her tiny body and held her tight so she was not able to escape.

Charlotte thrashed in his grasp. "Let me go!" she yelled.

"I'm trying," Bellamy trailed off when the girl kicked and hit to get away from him. "Hey, hey. I'm trying to help you," he exclaimed, setting her on the ground so that she faced him.

"I'm not your sister!" Charlotte spat. "Just – stop helping me!" She raised her hands and shouted in the direction Murphy and his group disappeared. "I'm over here!"

Sawyer stood next to Bellamy in complete shock at the girl's actions. "What the hell are you trying to do?" she hissed, reaching out to rip the girl's arms back down to her sides. "Do you want to die?"

Charlotte scrunched her face as she said, "just go, okay? I'm the one they want."

Sawyer sighed. "Do you know what they're going to do when they find you? You're gonna end up like John. Strung up by your neck and gasping for air until you die. Is that what you want?"

Bellamy snapped toward the Wesley girl with a sharp glare. "Sawyer. She's a kid. Dial it down."

"Yes, but she's also a murderer," Sawyer said in a flat tone and set her eyes back on the girl. "But at least with us, she'll stay that way."

"Please, Sawyer, Bellamy," Charlotte pleaded, before she turned to where the glow of Murphy and his group's torches were still faintly visible. "Aah! Murphy! I'm over here!"

Bellamy launched forward and grabbed the girl, dragging her away from there. Sawyer looked in the direction of the burning light to watch it grow larger and approach faster. She cursed Charlotte aloud and ran after the young man, who fought the young girl with every step.

"Come on out, Charlotte! Come on out!"

"No, no!" Charlotte proceeded to kick and hit Bellamy as he dragged her through the forest. "Murphy!" she screeched.

"Oh, if John doesn't kill you, I'm going to," Sawyer grumbled under her breath, pushing branches aside so she could evade Murphy and keep up with Bellamy.

_______

They weaved through the trees, the young girl yelling and shouting the entire way. Murphy called out to Charlotte several times, but Bellamy kept his hold on her tight so she could not escape and run to her death. Sawyer made her way in front of them, making sure that they did not run into any of Murphy's followers or into one of the infamous Grounders. They rushed forward and emerged through the bushes to a clearing. Sawyer stopped short when she noticed the lack of land that extended passed it. A cliff face.

"Shit," Sawyer hissed at the sight.

Bellamy finally released his hold on Charlotte when he realized the same thing. "Damn it."

"Sawyer! Bellamy!"

Sawyer closed her eyes when she heard Murphy's voice directly behind them. She opened them and turned to see the bruised boy and the others that insisted on going through with stalking a young girl with the intent to kill her crowd around him. The flaming torches in their hands illuminated the clearing, each of them staring at Sawyer and Bellamy, daring them to make any sudden moves.

"You two can't fight all of us," Murphy spoke, holding his knife tightly in his grasp, while the others had some kind of large branch or knives of their own. "Give her up." His gaze drifted to Charlotte cowering behind the eldest Blake.

Sawyer shrugged. "Eh, I don't know. I think we can take you." She voiced, lifting her arms to link her hands together, before she popped her fingers.

Bellamy nodded. "And if not, I guarantee we'll take a few of you with us." He made a move toward the other boys, until another voice stopped him.

"Bellamy! Sawyer! Stop!" Clarke shoved her way into the clearing, Finn right behind her. She maneuvered around the line of boys and their torches to stand in between the opposing sides. She glanced over at Sawyer and Bellamy, before she set her attention on Murphy. "This has gone too far. Just calm down. We'll talk about this."

Before Sawyer could blink, Murphy lunged forward and grabbed ahold of Clarke. He had one arm over the girl's upper chest, while the other held his knife to her throat. "I'm sick of listening to you talk," he sneered in her ear.

Sawyer ground her teeth together and took a step in their direction. "Let her go, John." She tried to move closer, but he simply tightened his grip and pressed the blade harder against her skin.

"I will slit her throat," Murphy stated, his eyes dead set on the Wesley girl.

Sawyer stepped back with her hands held in the air. "Okay. Okay."

"No, please," Charlotte pleaded, darting around Bellamy, but he held out his arm so she could not go any further than beside him. "Please don't hurt her."

Murphy scoffed. "Don't hurt her?" He patted Clarke's shoulder as he spoke. "Okay, I'll make you a deal. You come with me right now, I'll let her go."

Bellamy immediately began to protest. "Don't do it, Charlotte." The young girl appeared to be considering the notion, before she attempted to move around him, again. "Don't do it, Charlotte!" he exclaimed, holding her back from throwing herself at someone who wanted her dead.

"No! No, I have to!" Charlotte beat against Bellamy's arm to have him let go of her.

Sawyer shook her head and set her gaze on Murphy. Yes, Charlotte was a murderer and not longer deserved to be treated like an innocent child, but she was not about to let Murphy take her. She knew what the boy was capable of. He had set a guard's cabin on fire on the Ark when they were hardly fifteen years old and almost killed the man inside. And now that Charlotte almost led to his death, there was no stopping him from killing her himself.

"This is not happening, John," Sawyer said sternly, but the boy did not want to listen. He let the rage and anger consume him, and there was no turning back.

"I can't let any of you get hurt anymore." Charlotte backed away from Bellamy's arm and closer to the edge of the cliff that dropped off the clearing. "Not because of me. Not after what I did." She told them and then turned sharply on her heel, before she took off in a sprint for the sheer ledge.

Sawyer's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Charlotte, NO!" She raced forward to stop the young girl, but she was too late. She sprinted over to the edge of the cliff, dropping down to her knees to watch a tiny body shrink smaller and smaller into the darkness below. "No, no, no!" She growled, beating her hand against the ground.

Clarke screamed, somehow managing to free herself from Murphy's grasp and fall down beside Sawyer. "No, no, no! NO!" she cried as tears streamed down her face as Charlotte disappeared through the fogbank at the bottom of the ravine.

Bellamy had also moved next to the two girls. He saw Charlotte dive to her death, sacrificing herself to save them from Murphy's wrath.

Bellamy snapped away from the edge of the cliff, not giving it a second thought as he turned on a dime and raced across the clearing. He launched at Murphy, slamming his clenched fist into the side of the other boy's face. They both fell to the ground, Bellamy on top of Murphy, as the former repeatedly sent his knuckles into the boy's cheeks. Over and over and over again.

Sawyer pushed herself from the ground and shouted at them, "Stop! Bellamy! Bellamy, stop!" She ignored Clarke's own pleas and rushed to their sides, grabbing ahold of Bellamy's shoulders to pull him back. She fisted her hands into the fabric of his jacket, yanking on him so hard she removed him from Murphy and forced them both to the ground.

Sawyer landed on top of Bellamy, the man fuming under her as his anger rose to new heights. "Get off me!" He shoved against her, moving her away from him so they could both rise to their feet. He tried to go after him again, but Sawyer intercepted his path. He made a noise of irritation and exclaimed, "he deserves to die."

"No!" Sawyer shoved him back as he tried to move after Murphy, again. "You're not killing him. No one is killing anyone. You hear me." She pointed at him, her brown eyes blazing from recent events.

"We don't decide who lives and dies," Clarke spoke, stepping up to stand next to the Wesley girl. "Not down here."

Bellamy clenched his jaw. "So help me God, if you say the people have a right to decide..."

"No, I was wrong before, okay? You were right," Clarke stated and glanced from Bellamy to Sawyer. "Both of you. Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by whatever the hell we want. We need rules," she said, keeping her gaze on the brunette next to her. "Betterrules."

"And who makes those rules, huh? You?" Bellamy questioned, still breathing heavily from his attack on Murphy.

"We'll make the rules," Sawyer voiced, shifting her gaze between the two individuals next to her. "I can't do this alone. We're not on the Ark, anymore. I can't keep them contained and under control like I used to. The three of us can do better."

Bellamy took in her words, before his attention drifted back to Murphy, who still laid on the ground. "So, what, then? We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?"

Sawyer shook her head. "No." She turned away from Clarke and Bellamy and moved over to Murphy. The boy looked beyond awful. From the previous beating by the delinquents and then Bellamy, his face was discolored and blood dripped and caked to every crevice in his skin. She forced herself to ignore it as she faced him. "He's banished." When his eyes widened, Sawyer continued with her declaration. "I told you not to test me, John. You tried to kill Jasper, you peed on Conner, you attacked me and Bellamy, and now you pushed a young girl to kill herself. I don't care if she was a murderer, I would have dealt with her my way." She moved closer to the boy and crouched down until they were eye level with each other. "I so much as see you at the border of camp, and I'll ship you off to the Grounder's myself."

Sawyer pushed herself back up to stand and set her gaze on the boys the followed after Murphy on his pursuit. "Now, as for the rest of you, you either come back to camp and comply with the rules, or you stay with John and risk your lives. Your choice." She did not give anyone a second look as she strode out of the clearing and back in the direction of camp. She drew in a deep breath and blinked rapidly to hold back the tears gathering in her eyes.

Despite knowing it was the right thing to do, Sawyer could not help the burn that spread throughout her chest. Not only did she send one of her people off to die alone, she sent one of her best friends. Someone she knew for years and loved, once upon a time. Someone she would most likely never see again.

<August 7, 2019>

I know a lot of people still don't agree with how Bellamy and Clarke handled Murphy back in Season 1, but what else were they supposed to do? Lock him up? They weren't equipped for that back then. I mean, I love Murphy, but he was a royal dick up until Season 2.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

-Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter.