❝ 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀,
𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀
𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 ❞
- 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝘃𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩

Clarke and I reach medical station where Lincoln is restrained but doing better. I smile at Octavia and Nova who smile back softly, both of them looking better now that Lincoln is okay.

"Hang on. He's not a Reaper anymore, he doesn't need to be restrained" Clarke tells her mother.

"Yes, I do" Lincoln states, looking a little worse for wear and I frown sympathetically.

"Just tell us. Is there a way to make peace?" Abby asks Lincoln a little snappily, which I don't appreciate.

"Did she leave riders behind?" He asks.

"Two just outside the gate" Abby answers.

"They're waiting for Finn. You don't have much time to decide" He replies.

"She can't expect us to just hand over one of our own people. Would she do that?" Octavia argues.

"She wouldn't let the rest of her people die to protect a murderer" Lincoln spits and I breathe out hopelessly.

"If you don't do this, she will kill everyone in this camp" Nova explains.

"There has to be something else that we can offer" Abby suggests.

"Finn took eighteen lives. The Commander's offering to take just one in return. Take the deal" Lincoln advises Abby.

"How can you say that? Finn was the first person to come to you to offer peace. He's your friend" Clarke snaps in anger and I look to Nova who shakes her head, making me frown.

"He massacred my village. Some of the dead were my friends too" Lincoln states sternly, causing my fists to clench in frustration.

"But that wasn't Finn. You know that's not who he is, Lincoln!" I argue.

"It is now. We've all got a monster inside of us, Ava, and we're all responsible for what it does when we let it out" Lincoln tells me like this is another of his lessons.

"What will they do to him?" Abby asks.

"Fire. Because he killed the innocent, it starts with fire" Nova speaks up.

"Starts?" Clarke questions in disbelief.

"They'll take his hands. His tongue, his eyes and anyone who grieves will have a turn with the knife. At sunrise the Commander will end it with her sword. But i've never known anyone to survive until the sword" Lincoln explains.

"He killed eighteen, he will suffer the pain of eighteen deaths. Then we can have peace" Nova adds.

"Like hell he will" I snap, storming out the room.

I realise the sun is coming up and the breeze blows through my hair as I walk through camp.

"Ava!" I hear a shout and turn to see Raven.

"They let you out!" I grin happily, throwing my arms around her.

"I'm too awesome to be locked up on your birthday" She smirks and I laugh, hitting her shoulder.

"Happy birthday" She grins widely.

"Thank you" I smile softly at the girl who is like a sister to me.

She opens her mouth to talk and I grab her wrist gently, causing her to look at me.

"Raven, there's something I need to talk about and it's awkward but I don't know who else to talk to" I warn her and she smiles.

"He told you, didn't he?" She guesses.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"Finn, he finally told you" She elaborates and I nod hesitantly.

"You knew? And you're not mad?" I question curiously.

"Of course I knew, have you seen the way he looks at you when you're not looking? He looks at you like you're the only one in the room. Yeah, I admit it hurts that he doesn't love me as much as I love him. But if he's going to fall in love with anyone, i'm glad that it's you" She speaks sincerely and my heart melts at her words.

"Raven, I love him so much" I say with tears in my eyes.

"But?" She asks.

"He's not Bellamy" I admit finally and she sighs.

She sits down on a chunk of metal and pats the space next to her. I sit down next to her and she wraps her arm around me.

"Tell me how you feel about Finn" She says.

"Finn makes me feel safe and loved. Next to him I feel like everything is going to be alright, like I can tell him anything and he'd make it better. He keeps me grounded and makes me secure" I explain without much thinking and she nods in understanding.

"And Bellamy?" She questions.

"Bellamy makes me feel alive and free. The whole world could be collapsing around me but as long as i'm in his arms I don't even care. He makes me feel like i'm flying and no matter what i've done, how bad of a person I become, he'd always be there" I tell her truthfully and she smiles at me knowingly, like she knows something I don't.

"I know you've got a lot of thinking to do, but it sounds like you've already made up your mind to me" Raven points out, standing up and ruffling my hair "You'll do the right thing. I believe in you"

"By the way, catch" She says throwing something at me before she walks off.

I catch it to see it's a silver locket in the shape of a heart, I open it to see photo of Raven and I as kids. My eyes well up with tears as I look down at it.

My five year old self grins toothily with my blonde curls in two ponytails and my arms wrapped around the seven year old Raven who has me on her back, her hair pulled into her signature ponytail and a happy smile on her face.

"What's that?" I hear Clarke ask as she sits down next to me.

"Birthday present from Raven" I tell her, showing her the photo.

"Happy birthday" She says in surprise and I smile at her gratefully.

"That's beautiful" She adds, looking down at the locket.

"It really is" I agree, closing it and pulling it over my head.

"What's up, blondie?" I chirp.

"I need you to talk to Finn. He's trying to run away" She reveals and I roll my eyes, standing up.

why are you such an idiot, Finn?

"Why me?" I ask curiously.

"He loves you, he'll listen to you" She answers.

"He loves you too" I shrug nonchalantly.

"Not the way he loves you" She sighs before walking away and I mentally kick myself for being so oblivious.

I pull myself to my feet, storming over to exactly where I know he'll be and I push open the tent flap, walking inside.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" I demand, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Nice locket" He comments, trying to avoid the subject.

"Finn!" I scold him and he sighs.

"I'm leaving, Ava. I won't put this camp in anymore danger" He states sternly.

"This place is swarming with grounders. They'll kill you!" I argue.

"Maybe that's what I deserve for what i've done" He retorts.

"No! You were trying to find our people! You were trying to save us, Finn!" I shout angrily.

"I was trying to save you, Ava!" He corrects and I shake my head at him, letting out a sigh.

"I'm in love with you. Everything that's happened, everything i've done. All that matters is that you're okay" He rants and my eyes tear up as I look at the ground, trying not to cry.

"That you forgive me" He breathes out

"Say something" He begs, lifting my head up with my chin.

"Please don't leave me" I choke out and he sighs.

Before he can even reply I hear loud chanting outside and worry sets inside me. I rush outside with Finn on my tail and see that it's the grounders chanting loudly.

"Blood must have blood!" They chant in their native language.

"This is it! We have to get you inside!" Clarke snaps, grabbing Finn and I.