014.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❃ ◦ ━━━━━━ 

     Octavia's strategy had worked. The coast was all clear, and Abby and Miller had met up with them. 

     As Maggie sat on one of the sets of bunkbeds, Miller had begun to undo her restraints speedily. "Thanks for saving my ass," she lowly spoke, brown eyes flooded with endearment. They were putting a lot at jeopardy by helping, and the brunette acknowledged that. 

     "Your ass— is worth saving," Miller winked jokingly, to which Maggie couldn't hold in a chuckle, "I'm completely serious though. Besides, I'm only returning the favor."

     "Okay S, come in," Harper's voice came through the radio, causing Octavia's brow to clearly furrow. 

     Also taking note of the nuance, Kane looked up at her, "What is it?"

     "This wasn't the plan. We used their frequencies so they could hear us," she raised the radio to her mouth, "Go ahead!"

     "Stay where you are," Harper cautioned, sounding as though she wasn't playing around, "Repeat, stay where you are. The exit is not clear."

     "How many guards?"

     "Too many. I said stay put," the girl reiterated, to which everyone's eyes darted to one another. 

     Before anybody could come up with a new plan, or some other measure to take, a new voice spoke through the radio. "Calling all guards. The prisoners are headed for the main gate. The prisoners are headed for the main gate, over." Monty.

     "He's on our side?" Maggie inquired, clearly out of the loop having been in lockup and under strict watch before that. 

     "We didn't believe him at first," Miller caught her up, "Guess he's with us after all."

     Kane chimed in, "Pike will find out."

     "We don't know that," Abby contradicted, but as far as Maggie was concerned, that was the least of their worries right now. They had a window of time now that Monty had provided it, and they needed to utilize what could be their last chance, "What we do know is that we have to move."

     Nodding once but surely in agreement, the eighteen year old agreed, "Abby's right. This might be our last opportunity."

     With that, everyone was in consensus. They stormed out of the room, careful to not make too much noise but also be quick on their feet. Truthfully, guards could be anywhere, so they needed to quickly go through the unmonitored corridors. 

     It didn't take long to meet up with Harper, where she paced back and forth nervously, but calmed down at the sight of everyone. She opened up a passageway in the wall, which Maggie didn't even know was there in the first place. It would've been useful on countless occasions, but it didn't matter anymore. 

    "Go, go, come on," Kane urged, trailing towards the back of the group. Magnolia hopped in first, with Miller and Harper, just as she heard a voice over the loudspeakers across Arkadia. 

     "Attention all citizens. Emergency lockdown is in effect. Return to your quarters immediately."

     Gray felt strange being one of the first out. She was used to looking after everyone first and caring about herself last. But, she was encouraged to get out as quick as possible and that everyone was capable of handling themselves as long as they hurried. She supposed they were right. 

     Focusing on making it out before anyone caught up to them, Maggie exhaled deeply upon seeing the light emanating at the end of the tunnel. Finally, she felt like she could breathe again, and it wasn't until then that she realized how much stress she was truly under. Greeting them through the secluded area was Octavia's horse, and they all gathered, waiting for everyone to catch up. 

     Slowly but surely, they watched as Bryan followed close behind, and Sinclair after him. A few brief seconds passed, and then Magnolia's eyes widened at the sight before her. Kane appeared with worry plaguing his face as he carried Octavia, unconscious and limply being cradled in his arms. 

     Nobody else came through the passage; she even peered back inside to check. No Abby, and more importantly, no Lincoln. 

     It didn't take long to put the puzzle pieces together, and Maggie truthfully wished she hadn't. "No—" her head shook, unable to accept the reality of the situation as tears pooled in her eyes, "We're just gonna leave him? We can't."

     The scenario was definitely nagging at his mind, too, and it was clear as crystal. He cared about him, just like Maggie did. "He insisted. We have to go."

     She attempted to blink the tears away, but instead, they fell. Her eyes were fixated on the ground in front of her as she slowly trudged through the weeds and overgrowth. 

     Lincoln had always been nice to her. When she thought of good people, she thought of Lincoln. Maggie Gray had had many encounters with the man, none of which being negative in any way, shape, or form. All he ever wanted and advocated for was peace, and the thought of his fate made her feel sick. 

     In a way, it didn't seem fair. She had way more blood on her hands, yet she escaped. How was that right?

     Octavia was sprawled across her horse as Kane guided it away from Arkadia. Nobody spoke for a while— everybody was at a loss for words. Maggie felt lost in her own head, especially considering the fact that they'd have to deal with the younger Blake soon. 

     A voice croaked, "Lincoln."

     Okay, sooner than she thought.

     It seemed as though no one else had heard it, and a moment later, Octavia clumsily fell off of the horse, seeing Arkadia in the distance. Maggie did a double-take, and a horrifying sight was about a hundred feet away from her: Lincoln was about to be executed, then and there, live-time. 

     And even worse, his lover was going to be there to see everything. 

     Everyone stopped at the thud, and it seemed as though many of them were frozen in their tracks. But Maggie shuffled up behind the girl, as did Kane. 

     Both of the guards at Lincoln's side abandoned him, leaving him standing alone in a puddle of rain and mud. Pike, about a foot away from him, seemed as though he was having a short conversation with him. 

     "No," Octavia muttered to herself, and Maggie was ready to be there as support her since there was nothing else she could do at that point. It felt like the Raven-Finn situation all over again, and she mentally thought about how she was sick of seeing people she cared about die. Not only that, but she was sick of watching the people she loved grieve. 

     They watched in horror as he fell to his knees, and Pike backed up a few feet. A few seconds passed, and the man pulled out the gun, aiming it. 

     Maggie couldn't help but wince as the gunshot rang through the air and in their ears. Lincoln's body toppled over into the water, and none of them could even see him anymore. The cries from the girl in front of her weren't too loud, and Maggie was shocked. She watched Octavia's petite frame stiffen up after a few moments, and her cries dulled. 

     Choking back a sob of her own, the girl murmured under her breath, "May we meet again."

     Kane copied her, "May we meet again."

———

     Bellamy was arguably the last person Maggie wanted to see at the moment, even after Pike. Because if she saw Pike, she'd have zero troubles in killing him on the spot if the chance arose. 

     But Bell? 

     She had no idea what to do as far as he went. 

     Only the bare minimum was spoken on the trek to the cave; directions here and there, or making sure everyone was alright. Despite the noiselessness between the two girls, Maggie stood alongside Octavia the entire way anyway.

     By the time they made it, her hair was clinging to her face, drenched, and it was challenging to decipher if rainwater was on her face, or tears. 

     They were the last to enter the cave, and Gray could at least appreciate the fact that Bellamy was chained up. The silence's purpose was to speak for itself, and it certainly did that. Among the tenseness that had suddenly built up, the freckled boy's eyes darted, searching for answers to the elephant in the room— the missing person. 

     He didn't even attempt to meet eyes with Maggie— she didn't let him, with her gaze cast downwards or to the others. 

     "Where's Lincoln?" the dreaded question, spoken in sheer panic. 

     None of them believed it was possible, but with two words, he had proven them all wrong: the tension could get thicker than it already was. 

     Being the first full sentence she had probably spoken in hours, Octavia answered while facing away from him, "Pike put a bullet in his brain." Something about her actually saying it out loud finally made her break down. Her body raked in sobs, and her chin quivered. 

     "O— O, I'm so sorry."

     But then, something that none of them were expecting happened. Whipping around herself, Octavia's hand was sent flying into Bellamy's left cheek. While some of them might've believed that'd be all, she went for it again after meeting eyes with him for a second. Perhaps that was what truly ignited that fire within her. 

     "Octavia, that's enough," Kane attempted to advise. 

     Eyes wide, Bellamy's bloodied face raised. "Kane, stay out of this."

     Without hesitation, her fist struck his face again, and with her adrenaline and anger combined with the fact that he was defenseless, she broke his skin with every single punch. 

     Maggie didn't know if she wanted to continue to watch. She felt conflicted and uncertain of how to feel. 

     She could relate to Octavia's seething anger and even feel it in herself. In a way, Gray wanted to scream at him and shove him back, like he had done to her. She wanted to give him a huge piece of her mind and get everything off of her chest so it was out in the open. He had just stood off to the side as she got sent to lockup, and he didn't even protest it, or try and talk the other guards out of it. He didn't visit her while she was being held in a cell, sentenced to death for standing up for what she believed in. And even more importantly, he wasn't there for her when she had to intake some of the most heart-wrenching news one could bear alone; he was too focused on Pike's agenda.

     Now that bothered her. 

     But she knew damn well he felt as though he deserved it— maybe not for being on Pike's side, but for everything else he had done. Mount Weather, the culling on the Ark— all of it. Guilt weighed down his shoulders every single day, and that was a huge part as to why Magnolia tried so hard to get him to stop. She knew this would stay with him, just like all of his other mistakes did.

     At the end of the day, he didn't accept her help. Not only that, but he didn't trust her, which rubbed the girl the wrong way. 

     Taking every punch his sister threw at him, he eventually fell to his knees. 

     Meeting her glossy eyes with Miller from the other side of the cave, the girl's expression seemed to speak volumes for him. "Alright stop, that's enough," he attempted to intervene, but Octavia used the palms of her hands to push him away, sending the boy flying into Bryan's frame. 

     "Miller, back off," Bellamy demanded, and the punches resumed, one after the next. After a fierce knee to the chin, he had fallen down from his knees, and there was an unsettling lack of movement from the boy's body. Regardless, Octavia still kicked her brother in the ribs, and it was a miracle he wasn't unconscious yet. 

     Maybe Maggie couldn't forgive him yet, but at this rate, she'd never get the chance. So, working up the courage to intervene, her arms quickly wrapped around the young girl's torso, hands clasping together tightly, "I know, Tavia. But stop— let him live with it."

     Seemingly taking the words in, she broke free from Maggie's grasp, sending one more hit to Bellamy, who was below both of them, merely looking up at them with blood completely covering his skin. "You're dead to me," furiously, she stared at the person who cared the most about her, with a look that had nothing but pure hatred in it. Turning on her heels, she looked straight ahead, storming out of the cave. 

     Magnolia glanced at her feet, and despite his sister being out of sight, his figure remained in the same position. She might've been livid at him in the moment, and she didn't want him to forget that, but the girl was just too good-hearted to leave him in such a state. So, her eyes travelled over to Miller, who had already been pulling stuff out of his backpack for his best friend to use. 

     Handing the girl a cloth and canteen of water, the corner of his mouth quirked up before she could even say a word, "You think I don't know you by now?"

     Her eyes thanked him by themselves, and she then knelt down to clean her boyfriend up. He was still in the same spot. After the few moments of silence, Maggie spoke in an emotionless whisper, "Can you move?"

     Wincing slightly, he used his chained-up hands to heave himself to an upright position. As he did so, she dampened the cloth with the water Miller had given her. Gently, she began with the boys cheeks, wiping away the blood so she could see how bad the damage to his face actually was. 

     "Why're you doing this, Mags?" Bellamy mumbled, and the two actually met eyes for the first time in forever. 

     Stewing in the uneasy silence, she sighed with her unspilled tears as she tried to formulate a truthful answer. "I don't know." 

     "Did you really think I was going to let you die?" he countered in a slightly smart-ass tone, catching her by surprise. Seriously, at a time like that? Biting her bottom lip, the brunette remained reticent. "I had a plan to get you guys out, to get you out," he emphasized the importance on the girl right in front of him, "And instead, I was chained up," he imparted, covering for himself. 

     Glowering but ignoring her rage, Magnolia huffed. It barely mattered to her, even if he was telling the truth about that. She didn't have any doubts about his words. But why try to fix something that could've been prevented in the first place? "We wouldn't of been in that situation in the first place if you didn't stop Kane. Lincoln would still be alive. Your sister wouldn't hate your guts."

     "He would've been alive still if my sister had heard me out," he insisted, groaning at the wet cloth meeting his chin. At this rate, it was no use; neither of their opinions would change. 

     "Maybe you're right," she snapped back, "But you can't blame her for not trusting you. Your track record recently doesn't exactly help your case."

     Perhaps Bellamy didn't take the hint that he should quit it— Maggie didn't lose arguments easily, especially in this scenario, but there he was, still advocating for his case, "Whether you believe it or not, I care about protecting you. And working with Pike, that's what I was doing. And you can hate me for it, for all I care."

     "Don't you dare associate me with being the reason why you killed all those people!" she hissed, still trying to keep her voice at a reasonable volume, due to the fact that the others were only a few feet away, "I don't need you to protect me— definitely not in that sick, twisted way. I did just fine without you... for sixteen years. And, I didn't kill a soul. So you know what? Go fuck yourself, Bellamy Blake," she stood up, sending him one last glare before walking away. 

★━━━━━━━━━━━━★     

in the wise words of taylor swift... 

Distance, timing
Breakdown, fighting
Silence, the train runs off its tracks
Kiss me, try to fix it
Could you just try to listen?

i needed to paste this in because this is so them rn. bellamy and maggie are really giving sad beautiful tragic and it breaks my heart... also rip lincoln ily and i wish i gave you a more complex relationship with maggie