XX

[ PREVIOUSLY: Octavia and the other prisoners land safely on the ground and experience the wonders of Earth for the first time in generations ].

"WHOOOO!" I let my voice carry throughout the wings of the wind breezing around me. I pummelled down the tree-studded hill towards a river that was tinkling it's way over rocks and stones towards a lake cresting the forest. I had never felt so alive, so free; it was an amazing feeling and I didn't want a single thing to change.

I heard the hoots and yells of the other teens surrounding me as they all stampeded down the hill towards the water. I was one of the first to reach our destination.

Dropping to my knees beside the grassy bank, I cupped my hands together and filled them with water. I lifted the transparent substance to my lips and took a sip of it's refreshing coolness. I sighed with contentment as it slid down my parched throat.

Smiling, I turned and glanced at the others who were frolicking around and shouting gleeful conversations to each other. Slowly I got to my feet as I gazed around at all of them. I didn't know a single person here, except for Bellamy and Charlotte. It was time to make some new friends.

I skipped my way over the stones crossing the creek and jumped safely onto the opposite bank. I plonked myself down beside the nearest girl I could see and smiled at her. "Hi."

She glanced up and looked at me as if I were a stranger. Wait. I was a stranger ... to her anyway.

"Seriously?" she huffed as she scrambled up and walked away to join her friends.

I rolled my eyes as I flicked my dark brown hair back behind one shoulder. Why was everyone so damn rude?

"You good?"

I raised my eyebrows as I turned to face the speaker. Spacewalker.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? Do I look like I'm miserable?" I shot back, leaning down to pluck some moist green heads off some grass stalks nearby.

Finn chuckled softly as he settled himself down next to me. "Yeah, you do actually. Getting into a fist fight with someone, having others gossiping about you, not feeling wanted among your peers; that's not exactly ideal. I mean, seeing Earth for the first time is great, but it's better when you have friends to share your excitement with."

I snapped my head up and stared at him incredulously. "Oh, so you can read minds now, can you?"

Finn shrugged carelessly, averting my gaze. "Something like that."

"Oi, Spacewalker, come hang with us!" a pretty brunette waved from a group of people loitering nearby.

Finn's face broken into a broad smile. "I'll be back," he waggled his eyebrows at me as he leaped to his feet and sauntered over to the girl.

I got to my feet and scanned my surroundings once again. I couldn't believe I'd actually made it, that I'd actually survived, that I wasn't dead. It was a miracle to behold.

"O ..."

I turned to face my brother, Bellamy. He was standing a couple metres away, his arms crossed and a knowing look on his face. He jerked his head in Finn's direction and sighed.

I laughed as I walked over to him and slung an arm around his shoulder. "What? He's cute."

"He's a criminal," Bellamy reminded me.

"So what? They're all criminals," I returned sardonically, shoving him away playfully.

"Look, O, I came down here to protect you," Bellamy grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him, his expression one of seriousness.

"I don't need protecting!" I protested, jerking my arm away from him. "I've been locked up, one way or another, all of my life. I am done following orders. I need to have fun, Bell. I need to do something crazy just because I can and no one, including you, is gonna stop me."

"I - I can't stay with you, O," Bellamy's voice lowered considerably as he spoke.

"Now, what are you talking about?" I flung my hands confusedly up into the air.

Bellamy gently guided me away from the others as he explained, "I - I did something, okay? Something to get on the drop-ship; something they'll kill me for when they come down from the Ark."

My eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"

"I can't tell you what it is just yet but you have to trust me," Bellamy continued urgently. "You do still trust me, don't you?"

I sighed as I looked away from him. "Yeah."

Bellamy clapped a calloused hand onto my shoulder as he pulled me in for another hug.

"Hey, Blake," someone called out.

Both Bellamy and I turned around questioningly. Finn was standing nearby, holding a purple flower in his hand.

"Geez, I've gotta think up a better nickname for you, Octavia," he chuckled lightly. "Forgot that you two had the same last name."

Bellamy rolled his eyes but I couldn't help but grin as I accepted the flower from Finn's hand. "Thanks Spacewalker."

"So - uh - Clarke's back at the drop-ship. She's in a frenzy and wants to talk to me about something," Finn got out haltingly. "You - you wanna come with?"

I arched my eyebrows and smiled as I glanced over my shoulder at Bellamy. "Sorry, Bell, I gotta go."

I turned back to face Finn who was much closer to me than he had been before. He bit his lower lip as he reached down, plucked the flower from my hand and slipped it into the hair behind my ear. "Perfect," he whispered.

I nodded before brushing past him on my way back to the drop-ship. "C'mon, Spacewalker, catch up," I teased.

Finn grinned as he jogged after me.

I couldn't help but smile again as I inhaled the sweet scent of the flower he'd tucked into my hair. Maybe I'd been wrong about Finn. He wasn't such an asshole after all.

The two of us arrived back at the drop-ship a few minutes later. Clarke was bending down, a roll of bandages in her hand and an open box of medical supplies lying next to her. A tall African boy was sitting down and leaning up against the drop-ship, wincing in pain.

I gasped and came to a stand-still. "Is - is that ...?"

"Wells?" Finn finished my sentence. "Yes, it is."

"The Chancellor sent his own son down here?" I shook my head in disbelief. "He's more cold-hearted than I gave him credit for."

As we approached Clarke and Wells, Finn spoke up, "Clarke! What's wrong?"

Clarke straightened up and glanced at the two of us. "Wells hurt his leg in a fight with Murphy."

"Murphy?" I repeated.

"Let's just say that that guy is bad news," Finn retorted with an annoyed snort. "The asshole thinks he owns the place."

I scoffed. "Wow. Is Wells okay?"

Clarke nodded. "He will be. He just needs plenty of water and rest."

"Wait, where did you get all that medical stuff?" I questioned.

"Contrary to what everyone else is thinking, not everyone back in the Ark is completely heartless," Clarke responded. "They sent down enough supplies to last us at least a week."

"Oh, how generous," Finn mocked, his mimicking tone causing me to burst into peals of laughter.

"Hey, it's not funny, so cut it out," Clarke shot back. "They - they also sent down a map, a map pointing us to a place called Mount Weather."

Finn and I exchanged confused glances. "Why would they do that?" Finn asked.

"That's where the rest of our supplies are," Clarke explained hurriedly. "Before the nuclear bombs were set off, people, doubtful about the future, stocked loads and loads of bunkers with enough weapons and food to last them for years. All those bunkers are in Mount Weather. If we can reach those bunkers, there's a more probable chance we'll survival without reaching our limits."

"So, what's the problem?" I frowned. "Let's just go there and get the food."

"It's not that simple," Clarke sighed, her shoulders sagging. "The Ark was supposed to send the drop-ship to Mount Weather but they didn't," she pointed to something behind me.

I whirled around and gasped. A beautiful array of valleys and hills careened down to my left. An entire range of snow-capped mountains pierced the sky in the distance. The colourful hues of purple, brown, green, white, blue and red took my breath away.

"Wow," Finn took the words right out of my mouth. "Just - just wow."

"No, wait, don't you see?" Clarke cut in as she stepped forward. Unrolling a map that she had pulled out from her back pocket, she pointed to a chalk drawing of Mount Weather and then pointed to the majestic view in front of us. "That peak over there? That's Mount Weather. There's a whole radiation-soaked forest between us and our next meal. They dropped us on the wrong damn mountain."

Gif: Octavia in conversation with Finn and Clarke.

XX