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chapter fourteen.
come back, come back to me.
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        By the time June had sat down again, calming herself, Raven wasted no time in taunting Bellamy next. She could still hear her and fought the urge to put her hands over her ears. She already had her turn of being insulted and degraded. It was like ALIE was forcing Raven to do it so she could break them, maybe take a chip, maybe accidentally let something slip that could be useful. June didn't stop letting tears stream down her cheeks, but she choked down any sobs that threatened to break through as she tortured herself by repeating the cruel words in her mind.

You're only a killer. You're no protector. You're the one we need saving from.

I sure as hell don't need her around. Did you ever think I actually cared? Wells was the one who needed you. And now, Wells would be ashamed of you.

This time, June can't swallow the quiet cry as her head dropped into her hands, her body trembling. She loves Raven, and this isn't her. She missed Wells. She wished she could go back in time and do something differently, somehow change the decisions made and would have been able to save her people and Mount Weather's innocent ones all at once. June shut her eyes, squeezing them tight like it would somehow block out what Raven was saying to Bellamy alone.

"... You didn't get any credit for the Culling on The Ark, either. How many people suffocated when you threw away my radio?" Raven questioned. Bellamy didn't respond. "At least Clarke was saving her own people. You were just saving your own ass." She paused to bitterly laugh. "Of course, that's nothing compared to killing your own mom. You just had to take little sister to her first dance. You might as well have just shoved Aurora out the airlock yourself."

June can just imagine what Bellamy is doing now. He's somehow stronger than she and Jasper put together, able to bear whatever Raven had to throw at him. He's probably staring straight at the wall, hands clasped in front of him, refusing to give her any satisfaction by crying and lashing out like the rest had at her. June wants to join him again, help Bellamy in some way, but she can't. He ordered her to stay, and she has a hunch that her knees would give out if she tried to move.

"Do you think she'd be proud of you now? Of the kind of leader you've become?" Raven continued to push. "Or would she see the truth like the rest of us do? That you're a follower," she spat, her tone cold. "Clarke's back for one day and you're already taking orders. The good little knight by his queen's side." June glanced briefly to Clarke to see her friend looking away from the hanging sheet, tensed from what she overheard. "Too bad you were never that devoted to Gina."

Finally, Bellamy broke. June hardly heard the mumble from him, but it was there. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't worry," Raven talked over him. "You can ask your good friend June if you don't believe me since she's the one who took her gun and left Gina alone. She was already dead when Mount Weather blew up. And you avenged her, right? I mean, you picked up a gun and slaughtered an army that was sent to protect us." June realized this was the one piece of information used that could help ALIE when Niylah's head shot up, jaw dropping. "That had nothing to do with blowing sweet Gina to bits, but hey. A grounder's a grounder."

"Niylah, wait!" June exclaimed as the girl stormed to the room. Her plea goes ignored, but her and Clarke race to try and stop Niylah, too late as she exposed herself to Raven's sight, approaching Bellamy with a look of fury and betrayal.

"My father," Niylah snarled, in a fit of disbelief. "You..."

Slowly standing, Bellamy held his arms out in defense and his features full of remorse when he saw she figured out the truth. "Niylah - "

"You killed him!"

Niylah rose her hand and brought it down just as fast, striking Bellamy across the face so hard that June hears the noise when skin meets skin. His cheek turned red with the mark of her hand, but he doesn't make a move to defend himself as Clarke quickly tugged Niylah back. "Niylah, you can't be in here," she tells her, trying to lead her to the exit.

But it doesn't matter. June gazed to Raven, seeing her grin at the sight of Niylah. "It's no use," she echoed her thoughts.

Nodding from where he had joined them, Jasper added on. "Raven's already seen her." He sends them a grave look. "ALIE knows we're here."

It was over. Bellamy, seeing this, snatched his guard uniform's jacket from the back of the chair he was on, swinging it over his shoulders and putting his arms through the sleeves as he marched away. "Bell, hang on," June whispered, about to follow, but Clarke shook her head, releasing Niylah to put her arm out in front of her. They look at one another, their eyes speaking, Clarke silently telling her that Bellamy needs space to think alone.

But Niylah doesn't get the message, and heads after him, her shoulders hung in defeat. June can't imagine all the reasons why the grounder is upset with them, and she doesn't blame her. She lets Clarke lead her to the front of the trading post, the silence between them profound yet deafening. Jasper stayed with Raven, even though June supposed she didn't need a guard anymore. Then Clarke broke the quietness. "She'll be okay."

"Alright." June picked at one of the splinters sticking out of the wooden table, unable to look at the other or say much else.

A small, tired sigh came from Clarke as she moved around the table, sitting across from June. "Hey," she said softly, head tilting to try and catch June's eyes. "Please... Please, talk to me," she pleaded.

They used to be so close. June remembered the day Wells introduced her to Clarke, and the three became a close trio, despite sometimes being the third wheel between them. She loves Clarke like family, she does, but then again, June can't forget what she did. She left her and Bellamy after Mount Weather, taking off into the woods, not giving them any contact or hints that she was alright and alive. Now, there was a rift between them, one caused the day Clarke said "may we meet again", and turned her back on them.

June's voice cracked as she whispered. "Why did you leave?"

Pity and guilt is on Clarke's expression as she parted her cupid bows lips, struggling to find the right answer that wouldn't shatter June completely. But truth be told, there isn't one. "Because I had to," Clarke responded softly. She slid her hand across the tabletop, resting the palm of it on top of June's. "... I'm sorry."

"Not good enough." June frantically shook her head, ripping her hand back like the touch burned her skin. "You abandoned me. You left me to deal with it, alone." Her voice had risen with each word, wavering, as she blinked rapidly so her tears wouldn't spill. "I needed you more than ever," June admitted brokenly. "I would have bore it with you." Clarke says nothing, which only infuriated her more.

"You weren't the only one that wiped out an entire civilization, okay?! You aren't the only one who can't wipe the blood off your hands!"

June's voice was brought up to a painful wail of sorrow as she swiped her arm across the table, effectively knocking down the bowl of pink water she had tried to clean her hands off in and anything else in her way, sending all the objects clattering to the ground. Clarke flinched at the crash, biting her lower lip, stunned into silence again by the action. June is ready to bolt away and calm herself down, as she always did, but footsteps outside stopped them both. For a moment, she's on guard, but calmed when she saw it was only Monty and Octavia returned.

"Everyone, let's go!" Sinclair announced, the machine he had been working on with the new addition in his hands. "All we have to do is connect her and activate the electromagnet."

The group shifted back into the back room, and Raven's eyes widen when she sees the object. She started struggling immediately, even before Monty and Octavia were working on untying the knots around her arms. June rushed to Monty's side, helping him pin her arm down once she's freed, knowing her next move would be to hit anyone in her way. "Hold her still," Monty instructed as he turned, rushing to retrieve the wristband they needed.

But Raven isn't going to make it easy. She starts thrashing around, squirming to rip her arms out of her and Clarke's hold, trying to kick at the ones at her legs. "Raven, stop it!" Clarke shouted over the rest, all attempting to keep her pinned down with more desperate demands.

When Raven came to the realization that she wasn't getting free, she turned her head, looking at an empty space behind Clarke. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, grinding her teeth and growling loudly as she slammed her head back onto the bed's headboard, again and again, making the metal rattled. June's grip almost slipped, feeling sick at seeing a spot of blood appearing. "Stop it!" She exclaimed, pressing on Raven's shoulder, noticing it's no use.

"She's trying to kill herself. Raven, stop!" At Bellamy's declaration, his sister slapped her gloved palm over Raven's forehead, fighting to keep her head still.

Clarke's calm voice was somehow louder than all the shouts. "Stop. And I'll give you this." Everyone fell quiet, even Raven, turning to see her at the end of the bed. In between her two fingers is the Flame, an offering yet a distraction.

Seizing the moment, June snatched the metal bracelet out of Monty's paralyzed hands and clasped it around Raven's wrist. It made her snap out of her daze, and she returned to her violent tendency. "No, you lied! You lied!" She screeched at Clarke. Sinclair went to working on connecting her to the machine with the wires, making Raven turn more desperate.

"Please don't!" Raven pleaded. For a second, she sounded like her old self, like when she was begging June to help her when ALIE was bringing her pain. "June, the EMP will give me brain damage! Sinclair, tell her, you know it will!" She cried out. June's face pinched, her lower lip trembling as she tried to block it out. She kept telling herself that it won't hurt her, that Raven wanted this. "Please, don't do this!"

Seeing the look of despair on June's face, Octavia snapped her fingers. "Don't listen to her. She's trying to break you."

"Please!" Raven wailed over her. "Don't do this to me, June!" June knows she has to. She can't let Raven stay like this.

"We've only got one try, and this EMP will fry the wristband too," Sinclair shakily informed them.

"She wants it out," June says, looking away tearfully from Raven's wretched gaze. "Do it."

"Got it," Monty announced. "Go!" Sinclair reached past him, grabbing the lever of the machine and pushing it down, Raven shouting in protest again.

June waits for something to happen, anything, but Raven is still as if it didn't affect her one bit. "What's happening?" Jasper asked anxiously.

"Nothing." Sinclair shook his head frantically. "The batteries not strong enough."

"Then get one that is!" Clarke urged.

Exhausted and frustrated, June made her free hand into a fist and slammed it on the headboard in a fit of anger. "From where?!" She exclaimed.

Monty's eyes lit up as they darted to the exit. "The rover." Then he's gone, bolting to the outside with Bellamy swiping up his gun and running after him.

It takes a minute or two, all full of Raven screaming and fighting back with all of her strength again, but June is on edge when she hears a gunshot outside. She's prepared to hurry and help them, yet they're running back just as fast, this time with the battery in Monty's hand. "It's okay, I got it!" He reassured them, working with Sinclair to replace it.

"Guys we have to move!" Bellamy shouted from the open curtain.

"Got it!" Sinclair called in victory. June braced herself, flying away from where she had held her down as she watched him tug down the switch.

A humming sound of electricity filled the room at the same time Raven threw her head back and gave a blood-curdling scream, electricity buzzing from the machine to her head. June was horrified as she witnessed Raven fall silent, her eyes fluttering shut and her limbs becoming limp. Clarke hurried to press her fingers against her neck, checking for a pulse. "She's breathing," she breathed out in relief.

"She's still alive," June whispered determinedly. She gently put her hand on Raven's arm and shook it. "Raven, hey. Come on." Raven doesn't move, even when Octavia pitched in, calling her name, urging her to wake up softly and jostling her shoulder.  "Raven." June cried her name this time. "Raven, come back... Come back to me..." Regret filled her system as she cupped Raven's cheek, tears spilling now. She shouldn't have done this.

"She warned us," Jasper muttered from where he was pacing.

"No..." June shook her head, refusing to believe it. "She said it wouldn't damage the tissue. She said..." She can't finish, choking on her words that form a lump in her throat.

Suddenly, Jasper launched at Clarke, snatching the Flame. "What are you doing?!" She panicked, whirling around in time to see him pick up a crowbar and slam the chip on a table. "No, you can't!" She cried out.

"ALIE did that to Raven, she's never gonna get this!" Jasper hollered, raising the bar above his head in preparation to smash it. But Clarke desperately clawed at Jasper's arm, stopping him.

"No, stop! It's Lexa!"

The helpless cry made everyone stop. Clarke was crying now, and it made June think back to them in the rover, where she told her it was fine. She was grieving the loss of someone she loved. "Part of her is still in there." Clarke dropped her voice to a broken whisper. "I saw them take it out of her head, I'm not..." She trailed off, a light going off above her head.

"What is it?" Bellamy questioned.

"Both of the AIs were made by the same person," Clarke mused. "Both tap into human conciseness, they must work similarly right?" She asked Sinclair.

Sinclair tilted his head in thought before nodding. "There's a probability of one pathway into conciseness... So, yeah."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Octavia impatiently questioned, holding Raven's arm in her direction.

"I've seen an AI get removed before." Clarke rushed back to the other side of Raven's bed, more firm and put together compared to her outburst earlier. "Help me get her on her side," she ordered. Octavia counted to three, June positioning herself by putting her hands under Raven's forearm, aiding them in lifting and shifting the unconscious girl until she's settled on her side. "Get that medkit from my bag." Monty went to quickly comply, fetching Clarke's kit and handing it to her.

Clarke made room in the space behind Raven's neck, clearing wisps of her hair before she plopped the kit down and unrolled it, revealing a line of tools. She picked out a scalpel, making June nervous at the sight. "Hang on," she protested quietly, holding her hand out.

"It's okay." Clarke looked up, their eyes meeting, and all worry faded. June trusted her. She nodded, backing off. Once Clarke has her space, she pressed the blade to the nape of Raven's neck, dragging it down and making a perfect line. Blood bubbled up before pouring down, the crimson liquid caught with a cloth Clarke pressed to it. "This has to work..." She quietly mumbled to herself.

It's normal until a thick, substance with bumps in it began to trickle out. June swiped her finger under her nose, sniffling with her brows furrowed, lost. "What is that?" Bellamy voiced her own question, confused as well.

"It must be whatever's left of the chip," Sinclair guessed. June is hardly listening though, shooting like a rocket to Raven's side and waiting in desperation for her to show signs of life.

At last, she does. Raven gave a feeble cough first, her upper arms twitching. June gasped out a breath she was holding, crouching so she was closer, rubbing her thumb on Raven's shoulder in a loving motion. Raven's dark eyes blinked a few times, in a cloudy haze that must have cleared as she looked to her. "June?" She mumbled weakly.

"Yeah!" June is grinning, crying again but of happiness as she rapidly nods. "It's me, Raven."

A small groan of pain falls from Raven's lips. June leaned over, her and Sinclair helping raise her into a sitting position on the bed, making her wince. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see someone in pain," Octavia joked, smiling widely. Raven laughed back through her pain, resting her weight on June's side.

"You okay? Are you back?" June interrogated softly, bringing her hand up to brush pieces of her hair off her sweaty forehead, her questions only heard by Raven who nodded. June sighed again in relief, feeling a heavy weight lift off her shoulders, dropping her head to press a kiss on Raven's bare shoulder affectionately.

All of a sudden, Monty whipped around, swiping Jasper's hand who had tried to comfort him about something. "Get the hell away from me!" He snapped, causing everyone's eyes to land on him, following as he shoved his friend to the side and marched out of the room.

The air in the room is tense long after. But Bellamy cleared his throat, breaking it. "ALIE knows we're here. We gotta move," he informed them.

It doesn't take long gathering their supplies, June not leaving Raven's side once. She reassured Clarke that she had her, and once they're alone due to their friends loading the rover, Raven is wiping her mouth with the cloth Clarke gave her to clean it free of blood. "I didn't mean it," she said softly, eyes flickering up, speaking desperately in a plead for June to believe her. "Everything I said to you - I didn't mean a word of it," she swore.

"I know." June sat next to her, the bed creaking with the new weight. There's still a look of grief etched in her features as she tried to smile at Raven. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," Raven disagreed with a sigh. She shuddered like the memories of every cruel word she taunted June with hit her all at once. "I do need you. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have shut you out like I did. I just couldn't bear the pain of losing you if... If..." She trailed off, unable to finish.

"Hey," June stopped her softly. She ran her hand through Raven's ponytail comfortably. "We're alright. We're gonna be fine." Her forehead is warm when Raven pressed hers against it, eyes shut in content. June doesn't move, frozen in place when she feels their noses brush against one another.

Then Raven is kissing her, and June can taste the hint of blood dryly staining her lips but he doesn't pull away, too full of love to do so, her heart swelling. "I love you." Raven's voice was muffled, but the three words were clear enough for June to hear. Of their time together, no matter how close they got, the words never came out, even if it was all she felt. Raven was just the first to say it.

"I love you too." June doesn't try to stop herself from repeating it, knowing she couldn't if she tried.

Though, unfortunately, they both are fully aware of the situation. ALIE and her followers are still out there, the chipped army on their way to Niylah's trade post. They can't stay and bask in this light in the dark. So June helped Raven up, keeping an arm around her as they leave and join the rest outside, faint smiles on their faces. June nodded to Jasper who took over, guiding Raven to the rover, the back open so she could sit again while Clarke fit her for a sling.

June joined Bellamy in the front, leaning against the driver's door and greeting him through the open window. "Hey, Bell." He picked his head up, brown eyes gazing at her through the darkness. She noticed his hands, seeing fresh bruises and split open cuts like he had pounded on something that had a disagreement with him. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Bellamy was fast to dismiss her as if it didn't matter. June let it go though, figuring he didn't want to talk. She stepped back as he opened the door, stepping out when Clarke spoke up.

"Hey, there's one thing I don't understand." Clarke looked to Raven, slightly confused. "Why did ALIE want you to kill yourself?"

Pausing, Raven pushed herself off the rover's ledge, steadying herself on her feet. "Because I know why she wants the second AI," she confessed.

"Why?" Bellamy asked, him and June coming around the vehicle.

Raven gives the group a grave look. "It's the only thing that can stop her."

Clenching her sharp jaw, Octavia held her head up with a brave look of determination. "Then let's stop her," she stated boldly. June looked to her friend who seemed as if she appeared out of the shadows, sporting a different outfit than before, more than ready for whatever war ALIE had planned for them as she finished. "We survive together."