chapter thirty one |  hunter & finn
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Clarke, Hunter, Abby, and Bellamy stood united outside the Ark, their eyes fixed on the tense standoff before them.

"They're trying to scare us," Bellamy's voice cut through the tension.

"I think we should pull back and go inside the station," Abby suggested, her concern palpable.

"No. We need to prove we're not afraid," Clarke declared, determination etched across her face.

"What if I am?" Abby's voice wavered.

"Fake it," Hunter chimed in, her gaze steady ahead. "Hell, that's what I'm doing."

Abby gave Clarke's hand a reassuring squeeze and stepped forward toward the gates. Bellamy, Hunter, and Clarke followed her lead.

"Open the gates!" Abby called out.

A grounder's voice broke the silence, demanding to know where the boy was. Abby's response was unwavering: "We're not giving him up. We're ready to fight, if that's what it comes to."

In the distance, a horn sounded, and the two grounder riders retreated to their camp, momentarily easing the tension.

"Watch the woods! Watch for movement!" Bellamy's voice rang out, a reminder to remain vigilant.

Clarke, her brow furrowed in concentration, spotted a figure approaching the Ark. "Don't shoot!" The warning echoed, and the figure was revealed to be Marcus Kane.

Kane's unexpected appearance bought them some precious time, allowing them to contemplate their next move concerning Finn.

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Inside the Ark, Clarke, Finn, and Hunter awaited Bellamy's return. When he finally arrived, his expression was resolute.

"Finn, we need to get out of here," Bellamy declared.

Hunter, concerned for Finn's safety, tried to stop them. "No! You know this is the safest place for him right now."

Clarke joined in, reinforcing the idea. "She's right, Bellamy."

Bellamy, however, had a different plan in mind. "It isn't if they're turning on him. We can protect him at the dropship until we figure this thing out. Grab your gear and meet me at Raven's gate in five. She's already working on cutting the power to the fence."

As they began to move, Finn halted them, asserting, "Okay, but nobody's coming with me."

Bellamy didn't entertain the idea. "That isn't up for discussion."

Clarke interjected, reminding them of the imminent danger. "We are surrounded by Grounders."

Bellamy was undeterred, explaining his strategy. "If we split up, we take the low ground, we'll make it through. We'll meet at the dropship."

Amidst their preparations, an Arker confronted them, laying blame on Finn. "You are gonna get us killed," he accused, moving to attack Finn before Bellamy intervened.

As tensions flared, Bellamy called for a swift departure, and Hunter, realizing the Ark's people were turning against Finn, held onto his hand tightly as they followed Bellamy, making their way toward the dropship, the best hope for their survival.

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Finn trudged cautiously through the dense forest, his pistol gripped tightly in his hand, his senses on high alert for any signs of approaching Grounders. A rustling sound caught his attention, causing him to pivot sharply, only to find Hunter emerging from the underbrush, her breaths short and hurried.

"Hey, see anything?" she inquired, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

"I thought we were splitting up?" Finn responded, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Not a chance," Hunter replied, determination etched across her face as she clutched her own firearm. Her sling was conspicuously absent.

Finn couldn't help but notice her arm. "Your arm, are you okay?" he asked with genuine concern.

"I'm fine, Finn. Keep your eyes ahead of you," Hunter advised, directing his attention back to their path.

"What do we do after the dropship? Where do we go?" Finn inquired, searching for guidance.

Hunter turned to him, her expression troubled. "You think the Grounders will just leave when they find out I'm gone?" Silence hung in the air, Hunter unable to provide a reassuring answer.

Finn continued to press for a plan, his uncertainty palpable. "Is this the best way to help our friends inside Mount Weather?"

As they trudged on, Hunter halted abruptly and turned around to face Finn. "We will figure this out," she finally said, offering him a small, uneasy smile as a token of reassurance.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a snapping twig and a loud, guttural yell. A Grounder lunged at Hunter, wielding a weapon, and struck her forcefully in the head, rendering her unconscious. Finn sprang into action, defending himself against the Grounder's aggressive assault. After a fierce struggle, Finn managed to gain the upper hand and aimed his gun at the defeated Grounder.

"I don't wanna shoot you! Go! Get out of here," Finn commanded, his weapon poised for action. The Grounder, his threat now neutralized, swiftly retreated into the forest. With a heavy sigh of relief, Finn lowered his gun, his attention immediately drawn to Hunter, who lay unconscious, blood oozing from the wound on the side of her head.

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Finn dashed back to the dropship, Hunter's unconscious form cradled in his arms. Waiting for him were Bellamy, Raven, Clarke, and Murphy. As Murphy recognized Hunter, he rushed forward, concern etched across his face, and took her from Finn, gently laying her on the floor. Bellamy quickly moved to assist.

"What happened?" Murphy questioned urgently, his eyes fixed on Hunter.

Finn, still panting from the rush, explained, "A Grounder hit her on the head."

Clarke immediately took charge, her medical instincts kicking in. "I need a bandage, a wrap, anything," she demanded. Raven swiftly retrieved a rag, handing it over. "Got it, here."

"Hold her head," Clarke instructed, and Murphy complied, cradling Hunter's head on his lap as Clarke applied pressure to the wound. "Hunter, can you hear me?" she called to her injured friend. Hunter's eyes briefly fluttered open, offering a glimmer of hope, before closing again. "You're gonna be okay, you just need to rest," Clarke reassured her softly. With the immediate first aid administered, Clarke stepped back, leaving Murphy to tend to Hunter.

Finn, his emotions running high, angrily tossed his bag to the ground, frustrated with himself for letting this happen to Hunter. Raven, empathetic and concerned, quickly approached him. "Hey. It's just a bump on the head. Hunter will be okay; she's been through worse," she comforted him.

Finn, however, remained visibly upset with himself. "Are you?" Raven inquired, worried for both Hunter and Finn. He sighed heavily in response. "We'll figure this out."

"That's what she said, right before I almost got her killed," Finn admitted, his anger and guilt overwhelming him. "Again," He huffed in frustration and stormed out of the dropship, leaving a worried Raven behind.

Raven sighed and followed him, determined to offer support and find a way to help both Finn and Hunter through this ordeal.

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Bellamy led Murphy and Clarke outside to keep watch for any approaching Grounders, leaving Finn and Raven to care for Hunter. Raven gently wiped the blood from Hunter's face, her worry evident in her soft touches.

"Still nothing?" Finn inquired.

Raven replied in a hushed tone, "Just give her a little time." She then cast a concerned look at Hunter. Finn watched Raven, reflecting on the complicated situation between the three of them, especially the pain he had inadvertently caused Raven by developing feelings for Hunter.

"I never meant to hurt you," Finn confessed softly.

Raven slowly turned to face him, a mixture of understanding and acceptance in her eyes. "I know," she said gently, offering him a small smile. "Truth is, things change." Finn looked away, a sense of sadness washing over him. "Maybe it's for the best."

Finn turned back to her, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "Don't let me off the hook so easy," he urged.

Raven chuckled lightly before taking a deep breath. "We'll always be family," she reassured him, her smile warm. Finn nodded in agreement. "Always."

Just then, Hunter began to stir gently, her eyes fluttering open as she regained consciousness. She found herself greeted by a smiling Raven and a concerned Finn kneeling beside her.

"Hey," Raven greeted her with a smile before giving Finn a knowing look and stepping out of the dropship to give them some privacy.

Finn moved closer, observing as Hunter grunted in pain and held her head. "How's your head?"

Hunter replied with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh, just peachy." She winced slightly but met his gaze. "When you went down... I thought you were dead," he admitted, his voice tinged with guilt. "Because of me," he added, looking down and tears welling up in his eyes.

Hunter gently sat up, wincing a bit, and reached for his hand, offering reassurance. "I'm right here," she whispered comfortingly.

Finn continued, his voice heavy with the weight of their actions. "The things I've done..." Before he could finish his thought, Hunter interrupted him.

"Finn, the things that we've done to survive - they don't define us," she assured him, resting her forehead against his. "What if you're wrong? What if this is who we are now?" Finn whispered in doubt. Hunter was about to lean in to kiss him when their moment was abruptly interrupted by Bellamy's urgent yell.

"We've got company! Get out here!"

Both Hunter and Finn hastily got up, grabbing their weapons, and rushed outside to join the others.

"Hey! Get down, Grounders," Bellamy commanded.

Finn and Hunter hurried to take cover behind a charred log, scanning the tree line for any signs of approaching Grounders. The camp around the dropship quickly became surrounded by them, and Hunter's expression turned grim as she realized the dire situation they were in. 

"We're surrounded,"

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They all gathered inside the dropship, with Bellamy and Murphy occasionally peering through makeshift curtains made from a parachute to observe the Grounders' movements.

"They're not moving any closer," Murphy whispered to Bellamy.

"They're staying out of range, waiting until it's dark," Bellamy replied as he moved away from the curtain, with Murphy following suit.

Hunter turned her gaze toward Finn, her worry evident as Murphy spoke, "If we hit them now, we could take them by surprise."

"We don't know how many of them are out there," she added, rubbing her head thoughtfully.

"I'm not hearing any better ideas, Hunter," Murphy chimed in.

Raven stepped forward, her pace slow and deliberate, deep in thought. "We'll give them something," she suggested.

"All they want is Finn," Clarke remarked.

"Finn wasn't the only one at the village," Raven reminded them.

Hunter lifted her head, her brow furrowing as she processed Raven's words. Murphy also realized what she was implying.

"What are you talking about?" Clarke inquired, with the others gradually grasping Raven's point.

"Raven, hold on," Bellamy interrupted, trying to stop her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Murphy added, seemingly in disbelief. "Raven, we came here to protect him. You even wanted me to come, you—" He suddenly stopped, comprehension dawning on him. He exchanged knowing glances with Hunter. "That's why you asked me to come along?"

"Enough Grounders saw him; they'd believe he was the shooter," Raven explained, her determination to protect Finn apparent in her eyes. Murphy's disbelief quickly turned to anger. Hunter remained quiet, her eyes darting between them all, torn and in disbelief at Raven's betrayal of Murphy.

"Raven, you don't mean this," Clarke interjected.

"You know what they do to people," Bellamy added.

"They want a murderer. We'll give them one," Raven declared, pointing her weapon at Murphy. "Drop your gun."

"Stop," Hunter whispered, her voice filled with anguish.

Murphy stood his ground, defiant. "Go to hell, Raven."

"Now!" Raven demanded, cocking her weapon.

"I'll do it," Hunter spoke aloud, leaving everyone stunned. "I shot one of their people, I caused Finn to do what he did," she confessed, tears welling up in her eyes. "All of this was because of me."

"Rylee," Clarke tried to reason.

"No. It should've been me at the village, just like it should be me now," Hunter stated, looking at Finn, her expression heavy with sorrow.

"Lee, no—" Finn attempted to protest but was interrupted.

"Hunter, I'm not letting you do this," Murphy said firmly, grabbing Raven's gun and moving it aside before approaching Hunter.

"It's done, Murphy," Hunter replied, looking him in the eyes.

"Please," Murphy pleaded desperately.

"They've got us surrounded," Hunter explained, looking past Murphy. He moved aside, reluctantly accepting the inevitability of her decision. "All of you, prepare to defend this place in case things go awry. Murphy, take the top floor; Finn and I will take the bottom. The rest of you go outside."

They all stared at Hunter, realizing she wouldn't back down, knowing that this was bound to happen one way or another. "Are you sure, Hunter?" Bellamy asked, concern etched on his face. She nodded, a hint of fear in her eyes before she pushed it aside.

"No one else can die for this, not anymore. This ends today," she declared with determination.

"I'm with you," Bellamy stated, pledging his support. Raven and Clarke both nodded in agreement. Murphy watched Hunter, tears in his eyes, afraid of losing her.

"Murphy?" Hunter inquired, walking over to him.

"Yeah?" he replied quietly, his face hidden.

Hunter gently lifted his face and met his gaze. "It'll be okay," she reassured him. They embraced softly, and he held her a little tighter before reluctantly letting her go. He then went upstairs, weapon in hand.

Clarke, Bellamy, and Raven hugged Hunter before assuming their positions, ready to defend the dropship if necessary. All that remained was for Finn and Hunter to speak.

Hunter looked at Finn and said, "It's time." She walked over to him.

"Hunter, I can't let you do this, not for me," he protested quietly. Hunter embraced him tightly before pulling back and holding his face in her hands.

"All this time, I've felt completely helpless, watching you go through all of this, all because of me," she began, her voice trembling. "This is my chance to make amends, to make things right. With this, we can finally have our peace. All of this bloodshed will be for something." She fought back her tears. "We need you, Finn. Our peacemaker," she said with a faint smile.

Finn held her even tighter and kissed her forehead. "You stay here; I'll go ahead," he told her, his voice filled with determination.

Hunter tilted her head slightly and watched him as he descended into the hatch beneath the dropship. It was time. She took one last deep breath, terrified of what lay ahead. She was giving her life to save everyone else, a sacrifice she had never imagined making. She had once believed they could conquer this world together, with Finn by her side. But now, her sacrifice wouldn't be in vain; they would finally achieve their peace.

Taking one last breath, she walked to the front of the dropship, unarmed, without a backpack, and with nothing else. She opened the curtains and stepped outside. Bellamy, Raven, and Clarke hid behind charred logs, gripping their weapons. She paused briefly before heading toward the front gate, where she heard movement ahead.

"Someone's coming," Raven whispered.

Before Hunter could reach the gate, she saw Finn in front of her, his hands raised in surrender.

"Finn?" Hunter exclaimed.

"No!" she yelled.

Finn turned to face the group one last time, and the Grounders rushed forward, quickly capturing him and taking him away. The silence was deafening as they witnessed him being taken. Hunter's heart sank, and tears streamed down her face. 

After everything they had tried, the Grounders would get their blood.

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Darkness shrouded the area as everyone had retreated to the Ark, their eyes fixed on the Grounder camp in the distance. Thousands of Grounders were gathered there, celebrating the news of Finn's capture. In the midst of the camp, a group of them was preparing a tree for something ominous. Clarke, Hunter, and Raven stood together, with Bellamy and Murphy nearby.

"What is that?" Raven asked, her voice quivering as she observed the ritualistic preparations around the tree.

"It's for Finn," Clarke replied solemnly. "They want us to watch." Raven's lip trembled with fear and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness.

"We're gonna get him," Bellamy asserted, trying to offer some hope. "We'll get in close, and we'll hit them hard."

"Son," Kane interjected, his voice filled with wisdom. "There are thousands of them. Even if we could kill hundreds, they'd still wipe out this camp, and your friend would still die."

"We have to try," Bellamy pleaded desperately.

"Abby," Raven implored, her voice trembling. "Abby, we have to do something," Raven's eyes were filled with tears.

"No, Raven," Abby responded quietly, her gaze unwavering as she looked at Raven. Raven met her eyes, tears streaming down her face. Hunter watched ahead of her, the desperation in her heart growing. It should've been her there, not Finn. She looked at Clarke and Bellamy with a knowing look, then turned and walked away, with them following her and Raven joining them.

"Take this," Hunter handed her pack to Bellamy.

"What are you doing?" Bellamy inquired, concerned.

"I'm going to talk to the commander," Hunter hurriedly explained.

"What else do you have to say?" Bellamy pressed.

"I don't know," she snapped as she slowed her pace. "I don't know. All I know is that I can't sit here and watch him die."

"Hunter," Clarke said, grabbing her wrist in an attempt to stop her.

"Give me your hand," Raven interjected from behind. She held a small knife, which Hunter noticed.

Hunter furrowed her brows and lifted her hand, allowing Raven to slide the knife under her jacket sleeve. "If she won't let him go, kill her," Hunter nodded in acknowledgment. "Things will go crazy, and then we'll grab you, Finn." Raven's desperation was palpable. "Hunter, you have to help him. I owe him my life," Raven pleaded, tears in her eyes.

Hunter's lips trembled as she contemplated Raven's request. She turned to leave, and Bellamy opened the gate to allow her passage.

Hunter cautiously approached the Grounder Commander's camp, where Grounders watched her with weapons in hand. Reluctantly, they allowed her to pass until she reached the General, Indra. Her spear was held menacingly in front of her, and Hunter approached until the blade gently touched her shirt.

"I'm here to talk to your commander," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness but trying to appear confident. Indra stood her ground, unyielding, and menacing, not uttering a word. Hunter stepped closer, and the spear grazed her skin as blood was drawn. "Let me through," she urged, but Indra remained obstinate.

Lexa emerged, "Let her pass." Indra reluctantly removed her spear, allowing Hunter to approach Lexa. "You bleed for nothing; you cannot stop this," Lexa said, shaking her head slowly.

"No. Only you can," Hunter insisted, as the Grounders around her cheered and sounded horns, revealing Finn in chains. They began to move him toward the prepared tree. Finn and Hunter locked eyes briefly before he continued to be led away. Hunter turned her gaze back to Lexa. "Show my people how powerful you are." The Grounder cheers and taunts grew louder. "Show them you can be merciful. Show them you're not a savage."

Lexa gazed into Hunter's eyes, her determination unwavering. "We are what we are."

Hunter turned to look at Finn, who was starting to be tied up, fear in his eyes. She then looked back at Lexa, desperation in her heart. "I started the massacre; he did this because of me." Tears filled her eyes. "For me," tears streamed down her face. "He did it for me."

"Then he dies for you," Lexa responded coldly.

The Grounders surrounded Finn, holding torches and taunting him. Finn looked at the camp ahead of him, terrified of what awaited him. Hunter watched his face, her hand clutching the blade hidden under her jacket. She looked back at Lexa, her thoughts fleeting as she briefly considered ending Lexa's life. However, when she looked back at Finn, her heart told her otherwise. She could ease his pain.

"Can I say goodbye?" Hunter pleaded. The Grounders around the Commander watched her, curious. Lexa nodded in agreement. Hunter felt a small sense of relief and walked over to Finn. She ran over to him and embraced him tightly, kissing him passionately. Her hands cupped his face, tears streaming down her face. She pulled away, "I love you too," through her tears.

"I'm scared," Finn whispered quietly. Hunter sobbed, embracing him again and holding him tightly. She gently moved the blade into her hand and softly pressed it into his heart. He grunted, and his head fell onto her shoulder. "You'll be okay," she reassured him, tears in her eyes. "I love you."

"Thanks, Lee," were his last words, whispered into her ear as he let go of his final breath.

Hunter let out a small cry as she moved away from him, his blood on her hands and the blade still in her grasp. The Grounders behind the Commander began to charge forward in anger, but Lexa stopped them. "It is done," she declared.

Hunter faced the Ark, her heart aching as she heard Raven's heart-wrenching cry for Finn. Tears flowed down her face as the only love she had ever known died by her hand. 

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- ya'll what the fuck i did it. I FINISHED THE CHAPTER. and holy fuck my HEART :((

i have edited all previous chapters cause my 17 year old self was shit at writing lmao, but will be continuing on with this book! ill be writing all the other chapters, then as i edited them one by one i'll release them, so give me some time. i'll try not to abandoned this book again, cause it is honestly my absolute FAV thing i have ever written. love you all, thank you for staying with me, and giving this book all the love <3 (also 3381 words?? longest chapter yet, and much deserved as finn & hunter are no more :< )