CHAPTER ONE
PRISONERS OF THE ARK

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ONE YEAR LATER

     When the guards opened Aspen's cell door the day of her eighteenth birthday, Aspen thought it was to bring her to her hearing. Every juvenile delinquent on the Ark had their cases reviewed when they turned eighteen, so it was a fair assumption. That was why Aspen had remained calm. That was why she stood and faced the wall without complaint, why she didn't say a word when they cuffed her wrists together in front of her, took her arm, and started marching her out of her cell. She just focused all her energy on breathing evenly and trying not to panic. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be floated, but pretty sure wasn't positive, and being floated was a terrifying thing to think about. Being sent out into open space sounded like a horror show.

And then she saw every single other delinquent in the juvenile prison block also being marched out of their cells, and Aspen froze in her steps, because that wasn't normal. This had never happened before, not in the year she had been arrested, and now she couldn't move forward. A guard ended up shoving her between the shoulder blades, and she stumbled forward, catching herself on the railing that kept her from falling. Her cell was on the third story. She peered down, hoping that maybe this was a drill or something, only to see that the cells below her were also being emptied, and the Chancellor was nowhere in sight. He would be here to oversee things himself if it was some type of practice drill.

"What's happening?" Aspen demanded, her voice rising in her growing panic. She looked at the guard that had come to help her straighten herself, and was startled to see Miller's father, David, at her side. He looked absolutely devastated, his jaw clenched as he was forced to do his job, and Aspen's heart started racing. "What's going on, David? Where the hell are they taking us?"

"Everything's going to be okay," David reassured, squeezing her elbow gently, but his expression said the exact opposite. Whatever he knew, he clearly didn't like it. "Let's go."

"But—" Aspen started, wanting to argue or scream or do anything aside from follow the lines of delinquents being led out of the prison block. Before she could continue further, though, the other guard—someone Aspen didn't know the name of—grabbed her roughly by her other arm and jerked her back into the line. Her pause had caused everyone behind her to stop.

"Keep moving," the guard growled, shoving her forward once again. Aspen wanted to turn and kick him, maybe bring her leg up between his knees and watch his crumble and burst into tears, but she didn't. She just shot him one last glare, then raised her chin and stomped forward. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't. Whatever was going on, it couldn't have been a mass floating, right? Because they were all children, and mass floating a bunch of children was so evil that even the Chancellor wouldn't do that. Not because he wasn't evil, but because it would cause too many problems for him. Their parents would absolutely riot if he mass floated all of them, and if Chancellor Jaha cared about anything, it was his own career as Chancellor.

Aspen swallowed thickly as she cleared the prison block entryway, only to have to pause as all the different lines were forced into one very long and cramped single-file line instead. Aspen grunted as she was shoved back into something. The person in front of her then stepped on her toe, and she let out a loud shout of complaint. She wasn't the only one. Many of the delinquents were getting upset, and their upset and confusion was turning into annoyance and anger. Being shoved together so closely wasn't doing any of them any good. Fortunately, it didn't last long, because whatever they were waiting for opened, and the line started moving forward. Aspen shook out her foot, trying to get her toe to stop aching, and then she shuffled forward with the rest of them.

When she reached another entryway, she was surprised to see another guard there unlocking everyone's restraints. She held her hands out, blinking in confusion as he unlocked her cuffs, threw them into a plastic bin nearby, and then waved her forward. Not even five feet later, she was in front of yet another person—Dr. Griffin, she realized, or Abby, as she preferred to be called. Aspen's mother was a nurse, so she knew Abby recognized her—Aspen used to ask for treats when stuck inside the hospital wing of the Ark, and Abby had always indulged her—but now, Abby didn't even glance up from the tablet she was holding in her arms.

"Hold out your arm, please," Abby ordered. Completely bewildered, Aspen did, if only because she knew she didn't have much choice in the matter. Another guard came forward and snapped something around her wrist. Aspen gasped when something sharp, like needles, pierced the skin of her inner wrist. She immediately tried to remove it, but it didn't budge. It only blinked once, the lights turning from red to green. "Name?" Abby asked, typing something into the tablet. Aspen scowled at her.

"Aspen Carter," she said flatly, "but you'd know that if you looked up." Abby's head jerked up then, her eyes widening. She seemed to freeze for a moment, her mouth opening but no words coming out. Aspen looked down at the metal thing encasing her wrist. "What in the hell is this thing? Are you killing all of us with it? Because that's fucking evil. Even for Jaha."

"No," Abby said, no finding her voice until then. "No. Aspen, none of you are being killed. You're being sent to the ground." Aspen's eyes flew wide open, and she could do nothing but watch as Abby put her name into the tablet, probably connecting it to the bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet that had pushed needles into her skin, right along her pulse point. It was tracking her vitals.

"The ground?" Aspen stuttered out. "As in—Earth? But—but Earth is inhabitable, I don't understand—"

"Climb up to the second floor and find a seat," the other guard ordered. Thankfully, he wasn't rough like the other guard Aspen had been stuck with. He just nodded toward a ladder. Glancing around, Aspen realized that she was in the doorway of one of the Ark's emergency shuttles. All the seats on the first floor were already taken. The guard put a gentle hand on her upper back as he pushed her toward the ladder. "Make sure you buckle up."

"I know that," she muttered, putting her hand on one of the ladder steps. She wasn't even surprised to see that her hand was trembling. She paused to take a deep breath, glanced one more time around at the first floor, and then froze when she saw a familiar face. Her jaw dropped. "Murphy?" Murphy glanced up from where he was trying to buckle himself into the seat restraints, surprised. His jaw dropped when he saw her. "When did you get arrested?"

"When did you get arrested?" Murphy demanded.

"Aspen, go," Abby ordered. There were already two other delinquents waiting behind her. She cast a glance behind her at them, shot Murphy a look that told him this conversation wasn't over, and then she was climbing up the ladder. When she got to the second floor of the shuttle, she was mildly surprised to see that the seats hadn't been assigned. She found one at random, slumping down in the seat and scrambling for the seatbelts. Her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't even pull them around her chest and shoulders, much less push it into the clasp. She was still trying when a pair of hands appeared to do it for her. She glanced up, only to break into a bright smile when she saw Miller kneeling in front of her seat.

"This might sound really stupid, considering our circumstances right now, but I'm really glad you got caught right after I did," Aspen sighed. Miller laughed as she slumped down in the seat beside her, grinning from ear to ear. "It would suck if I died on earth alone."

"We're not gonna die," Miller decided as he buckled himself in. Around them, the second floor had quickly filled up—including one unconscious girl who had to be strapped in by two guards, who promptly left as quickly as they came—and now the last of the delinquents were being filed up onto the third floor. There were plenty of emergency shuttles on the Ark, all named differently, and she racked her brain until she remembered the one that could hold a hundred or less.

"Are we on the Exodus?" she asked. No one knew the answer, and she groaned, rolling her head back against her seat. "You know, it would've been cool if they had told us this was happening."

"They're keeping it a secret," someone said from nearby, and Aspen turned her head. She blinked in surprise when she saw it was Wells Jaha. The Chancellor's son. "They don't want our parents freaking out until they know whether the earth is habitable or not."

"Son of a bitch," Aspen gasped, leaning forward as much as she could in her seat. "Wells? What in the fuck are you doing here?" Wells ducked his head, then glanced at the girl sitting beside him. The unconscious girl. Aspen grew even more shocked to see that it was Clarke Griffin. She hadn't seen Clarke in a year, even before she had been arrested, but Abby had always just said that Clarke was grieving her father, who had been floated around the time Clarke had disappeared. Aspen had just assumed she was depressed in her living quarters. "Oh my god. Please tell me you didn't get yourself arrested for a girl."

"She's my family," Wells argued.

"Well, I would hope so," Miller muttered, "considering your own dad just sent you on a death ride to earth." Wells flinched, and Aspen threw her elbow into Miller's side, sending him a sharp look. She opened her mouth to tell him to be a little nicer about it, because having a father who would send his own son down to earth as a death subject must have hurt, but before she could, the Exodus ship seemed to shoot forward. Her stomach dropped through her feet, and she clutched desperately at Miller's arm as they were officially sent into space. The entire ship seemed to tremble around them, and for a terrifying moment, Aspen was sure the entire thing would fall apart. But then the ship jerked roughly, and she felt the fall to earth becoming much faster, harsher. They had crossed the atmosphere. At least they wouldn't be stranded in space, then. They would just be plummeting down to earth.

"I really wish I was high right now," she whispered, letting her head fall onto Miller's shoulder. He patted her hand comfortingly, murmuring something in agreement. "Where's Monty and Jasper with their mushrooms when you need them?"

"Over there," Miller said with a small laugh. He nodded ahead when Aspen raised her head and frowned at him. She followed his gaze, then huffed out a laugh when she saw Jasper and Monty strapped against the wall. They had been one of the extras unable to get an actual seat. Now they were forced to stand with handmade seats and restraints instead.

"Are all of our friends here?" she demanded. Before Miller could respond, though, multiple screens plastered around the walls turned on, and Chancellor Jaha's face filled the screen. Aspen immediately scowled at the image.

"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now," Jaha said, and Aspen groaned again, letting her head fall back against Miller's shoulder. Miller continued to laugh, his shoulder shaking beneath Aspen's cheek. "You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but as a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself." Aspen muttered an insult under her breath. Miller snorted. "We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable."

"Glad to know stealing a few things and drinkin' moonshine makes my life expendable," Aspen muttered against Miller's shoulder.

"Your dad is a dick, Wells," someone else yelled. Aspen raised her head to see who it had been, but all she saw was Wells's saddened face. She suddenly felt very bad for him. She couldn't imagine hearing her own father call her life expendable. She felt even worse when laughter followed the words. She liked Wells. She didn't think he deserved this.

"If, by a miracle, you do survive, then those crimes will be forgiven," Jaha continued. "Your records will be wiped clean. The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain. It was to be stocked with enough nonperishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years." Aspen was listening intently until that moment, figuring hearing Jaha speak was better than knowing they were hurtling toward earth that very moment. Shouts of encouragement distracted her, and she looked over to see a boy floating through the space of the ship. Her eyebrows rose.

"Don't you dare do that," Miller said immediately, glaring at Aspen so hard that Aspen's mouth dropped in offense.

"I wasn't going to!" she argued. "Do you have any idea what we're doing right now? We are hurtling toward earth. Who knows how high in the sky we are. That's terrifying. Heights are terrifying." Right then, the electricity blew, and sparks flew into the air over their heads. The Exodus ship jerked harshly again, even worse than when they crossed the atmosphere, and Aspen clenched her eyes shut. They were falling. The parachutes must've deployed, but they were still falling. "Shit, shit, shit, shit," was all she could say as they twisted and turned and fell through the air. She was gripping Miller's hand so hard that her nails pierced his skin, and she heard him hiss at her, but she didn't let go.

"Aspen," Miller muttered a few minutes later. It was almost eerily quiet, but she still didn't open her eyes. Not until Miller hugged her into his side and said, "Aspen, it's over. We landed." She blinked her eyes opened. Miller had unbuckled both of them while her mind had gone somewhere else, and now half of the people on the second floor were already gone, on the first floor to get out. Aspen let out a trembling sighed and stood on shaky legs. She felt heavier, somehow, and it took her a moment to learn how to properly walk with the added weight.

"I never want to do that again," she whispered. Miller just grinned and tugged her toward the ladders.

When they climbed down, it was just in time to witness a girl Aspen's age hugging a man that was dressed like a guard. Aspen pushed through the crowded and ended up standing beside Clarke, watching the two of them curiously. Miller pressed close behind her, obviously planning not to let her out of his sight anytime soon.

"Where's your wristband?" Clarke demanded suddenly. Aspen looked at the guard's wrists and realized he wasn't wearing one, not like the rest of them. She frowned, then studied her own, while the girl whirled around to glare at Clarke.

"Do you mind?" she asked. "I haven't seen my brother in a year." Aspen's head snapped up, her eyes widening in alarm. The girl who had hid under the floor for the first sixteen years of her life was infamous at this point. Aspen had heard the stories. Octavia Blake was the illegal child of Aurora Blake, who was floated for having her, and the younger sister of Bellamy Blake, a guard who had been fired for keeping her a secret for so long. Aspen personally didn't know why Octavia had been arrested—it wasn't her fault for being born—but she was still something new. Aspen had never seen a pair of siblings before.

"No one has a brother," a very unhelpful boy pointed out.

"That's Octavia Blake!" another girl cried out. "The girl they found hidden in the floor." Octavia surged forward then, and Aspen jumped in surprise, not expecting the tiny girl to react so violently. Bellamy held her back.

"Octavia! Octavia, no," Bellamy ordered, pulling at her arm. "Let's give them something else to remember you by."

"Yeah? Like what?" Octavia demanded, pulling her arm out of his grip.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years," Bellamy said with a smirk. Octavia smiled slowly, and then stepped back, practically vibrating in excitement, as Bellamy reached for the lever of the ship door. He didn't hesitate, pulling it fast, and the door fell open quickly. Air rushed into the ship, looking like clouds of smoke, and then Aspen saw nothing but light. Not the artificial light she had seen on the Ark, but bright, natural light. For a moment, she couldn't see anything, just dots dancing in front of her vision. But when those cleared, she breathed in a deep breath—a breath that felt oddly clean—and then she peered past Octavia's shoulder and sucked in a sharp breath.

She had seen pictures of earth, and had seen leaves on the Ark, but this was completely different. The air felt fresh in her lungs. The scent of dirt and leaves and trees filled her senses, and the color green was all she could really see. Green and brown, all around her. She took a slow step forward, eyes taking in the trees that stretched toward the sky. A sky that was so blue, full of fluffy white clouds. A breeze blew into the ship, and Aspen gasped in awe, because she could visualize trees and flowers and grass, but wind was something she could never had imagined until she had felt it for herself.

"It's so beautiful," Aspen whispered, inching closer. She wasn't going to step foot on the ground, wasn't going to take that away from Octavia, but she couldn't keep still any longer. She was vibrating in her own skin, her palms itching—but not to steal, for possibly the first time in her life. Her palms were itching to touch. To touch the grass growing around them, the bark of the trees, the leaves and ferns growing up from the ground. She wanted to touch everything.

There was a thump, along with a crunch of leaves, and she turned to see that Octavia had finally jumped from the door of the ship. She took a few steps forward, took in a deep breath, then threw her arms in the air and screamed, "We're back, bitches!" Aspen couldn't help laughing, the adrenaline from not dying but also seeing so many new and beautiful things making her feel a little dizzy. Without much thought to anyone else, she ran off the ship, straight toward the tree nearest to her. Around her, the delinquents were screaming in their excitement, doing the same thing as Aspen. Going to explore and touch, to make sure this was all real. Her boots skidded in the dirt, and she nearly tripped on some vines curling around the nearest tree trunk, but she made it. She pressed her palm against the tree trunk and marveled at the rough feeling of the bark, the scent of sap and leaves in the air around her.

"Unbelievable," Aspen whispered, and then she knelt down to touch the leaves around the base of the tree, her fingers finding the silky petals of a small blue flower. She wanted to pick it from the ground, and before she could think about that killing the flower, she was pulling at the stem. The broken stem left something damp on her fingers, water maybe, but she ignored that and wove the stem through the braid in her hair that pinned the front part of her hair back. She was trying to keep it there when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she grinned from ear to ear when she saw it was Monty. He'd been in her classes before they'd been arrested. Letting out a small squeal, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.

"We made it," Monty said into her hair, hugging her back.

"We made it," Aspen repeated, pulling back. Monty reached up to fix the flower in her hair, twisting the stem into her braid so it would stay. She beamed at him, her smile bright. "What kind of flower is it?"

"Centaurea cyanus," Monty recited, pressing the pad of his finger against the petals before he pulled his hand back. "Cornflower, or bachelor's button." Aspen grinned again, cupping Monty's face as she leaned forward. She planted a kiss against his forehead, having to rise on her tiptoes and pull his head down to reach.

"God bless you and your mind," Aspen said, kissing him again. "I missed you a lot. How did you and Jasper get caught?" She knew what they had did; they loved getting high using the rare herbs inside the Farm Station. Stealing herbs were certainly against the law on the Ark, even though the doctors rarely used the hallucinatory herbs anyway. "You didn't get high in the greenhouse, did you?" Judging from Monty's guilty grimace, that was precisely the case. Aspen groaned and tilted her head back to glare up at the blue sky. "God, Monty. I taught you better than that!"

"Says the girl who got caught because of moonshine," Monty said flatly. Aspen shot him a startled look, and he raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I heard! Everyone has heard. You're the moonshine girl now. Enjoy it." Monty turned on his heel and went back toward the Exodus ship, where all the other delinquents were all gathered, playing around with each other.

"Druggie," Aspen said to his back, following after him.

"Klepto," Monty said over his shoulder, and Aspen laughed, skipping forward to catch up with him. She locked their arms together and pressed a warm kiss against his cheek. They stumbled into Jasper on the way back to the ship, and he welcomed Aspen with a smacking kiss to the cheek. Aspen pretended to hate it, wrinkling her nose as she made a show of wiping at her cheek. He nudged her with his elbow. They had reached the ramp leading into the ship by then, and Aspen spied Wells and Clarke standing there, Clarke drawing something on a piece of paper. Craning her neck, Aspen saw that it was a map. Jasper surged forward.

"Ah, cool, a map," Jasper said as a greeting. Aspen circled around him to stand at Clarke's side, peering down at the map. Clarke had drawn a straight line from their destination to the next mountain over. Her eyebrows climbed up to her hairline.

"You've got to be kidding me," Aspen muttered, sharing a glance with Clarke, who looked grim. "Did they drop us in the wrong location?" There was, after all, only one reason as to why Clarke was currently drawing a line between the mountain they were on and the other one. Clarke nodded without a word, and Aspen groaned, tilting her head back to glare up at the sky. To wherever the Ark was up there in space. If the Ark was going to sacrifice them to test earth, the least they could've done was drop them on the correct mountain. Behind her, Jasper kept going, unaware of how serious the situation had abruptly became. "They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you a beer." Wells immediately pushed him away, grabbing his arm hard.

"Do you mind?" Wells asked.

"Whoa," Jasper gasped, wincing at the grip. Aspen turned on her heel immediately and rushed toward them, putting a hand against Wells's chest and pushing him away.

"Watch it," she snapped, standing in front of Jasper protectively. "No one manhandles my boy but me." She poked Wells's chest for emphasis. Wells opened his mouth to argue, probably to share what Aspen had already figured out about the location, but he was cut off by another voice. Aspen peeked over his shoulder and found Murphy coming toward them, a group of other boys following behind.

"They're with us," Murphy announced, nodding toward Aspen and Jasper. Monty wasn't included, but that was probably because he was keeping his distance.

"Relax," Wells said, glancing between Murphy and Aspen before he raised his hands, palms forward, and took a few steps back. Aspen crept back as well, regaining her spot next to Monty, who released a relieved breath. "We're just trying to figure out where we are."

"We're on the ground," a new voice said. Aspen turned her head to see Bellamy and Octavia. They were gaining a crowd by that point, everyone hearing Bellamy's voice and turning to look. He was the only adult with them, and despite their newfound freedom, old habits died hard. He was an adult, so therefore they were looking to him for guidance. Aspen thought it was silly. Bellamy was only there for Octavia; she thought that was fairly clear. "That not good enough for you?" There was a moment of silence, and then Wells was moving forward, raising his voice so everyone could hear him.

"We need to find Mount Weather," Wells pointed out, glancing around him for support. Aspen followed him as he walked closer to Bellamy and Octavia, though she linked her arm with Monty's, keeping him close. She'd been in the Sky Box long enough to recognize a growing power struggle when she saw one, no matter how petty. The kids in prison liked having control over things, so power struggles happened often, despite how silly they were. "You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority."

"Screw your father," Octavia said flatly. "What, you think you're in charge here? You and your little princess?" Octavia's eyes moved to Clarke then, and a small smile curled at her lips.

"Do you think we care who's in charge?" Clarke snapped. "We need to get to Mount Weather, not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies?" Aspen nodded, more to herself than anyone else, but her small movement seemed to gain some attention. She didn't realize she and Monty were practically in the middle of the fight until she felt eyes on her. She raised her eyes from the ground and met Bellamy's stare, then Octavia's.

"What?" Aspen asked sharply, before she could convince herself not to. She dropped Monty's arm and crossed her own arms over her chest. "Clarke and Wells are right. Do any of you know how to cook? How to hunt? How about building a fire? Because it's already pretty chilly out here." She looked around, not even mildly surprised to see many of the delinquents shaking their heads and starting to look uneasy. "No? Okay, how about shelter? The ship could work for now, but what happens if a wire blows, or gas starts leaking somewhere? We have no idea how to survive down here. We need those supplies." Aspen glanced around again, then caught Clarke's eye. Clarke looked relieved, and she gave Aspen a small nod in thanks. Aspen offered a small smile.

"We're looking at a twenty-mile trek, okay?" Clarke said, taking over after Aspen's small rant. It seemed Aspen's words had done enough to lower the animosity in the air. "So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave. Now."

"I got a better idea," Bellamy cut in. "You three go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change." Aspen looked around in disbelief as others shouted their agreement. There was no way three people could carry all the supplies they would need. The smarter thing to do was to have all of them travel to Mount Weather and set up camp there.

"You're not listening!" Wells said, frustrated. "We all need to—" He cut off, and there was a grunt. Aspen whirled on her heel, eyes widening when she saw that Murphy had shoved Wells from behind. Wells hadn't fallen, merely stumbled, but it was a very bad direction to be heading.

"Look at this, everybody," Murphy drawled mocking. "The Chancellor of Earth."

"Murphy, what the hell are you doing?" Aspen demanded, starting forward. Monty followed after her, asking her not to get involved, but it was Clarke who grabbed Aspen's arm to stop her.

"Think that's funny?" Wells demanded. Murphy moved then, kicking out at Wells ankle and sending him sprawling on the forest floor. Aspen gasped as Clarke shouted Wells's name. Aspen jerked forward, fully prepared to step between them. Once again, Clarke stopped her. Wells and Murphy had started circling each other, and it was such a ridiculous sight that Aspen couldn't help shouting in frustration.

"You both look dumb as fuck," she exclaimed, bending down to pick up a small pebble. She threw it, and it hit Murphy on the side of the neck. He looked around wildly, then glared at her, giving her a rude gesture with his hand before he turned back toward Wells. The distraction had worked, though. Had prolonged the fight long enough for Finn, the guy who had floated through the dropship on the way down, to drop down between them. The crowd shouting encouragement quieted.

"Kid has one leg," Finn said with a smile. Murphy clenched his jaw. "Why don't you wait until it's a fair fight?" Murphy glared, then slowly backed off, realizing it wasn't a fight worth his time. Aspen threw another pebble at his retreating back. As soon as the fight was over, Clarke released Aspen's arm, and they both converged on Wells, helping him to a spot away from the crowd and helping him sit. Aspen flopped down beside him as Clarke looked over his ankle.

"Wells, stay away from Murphy, okay?" Aspen said as she waited for Clarke's diagnosis. It was probably nothing more than a twisted ankle. "He's my friend, but he's an ass, and he's got a grudge against your dad. Actually, everyone has a grudge against your dad." Wells gave her a flat look, and Aspen promptly realized her words weren't helping. Awkwardly, she patted at his arm and looked at Clarke, who was still testing his ankle.

"So, Mount Weather," Finn said as he approached. "When do we leave?"

"Right now," Clarke said with a sigh, rising to her feet. She looked down at Wells, then glanced at Aspen. "We'll be back tomorrow with food."

"I'll go with you," Aspen decided, getting up herself. She brushed the dirt and leaves from her pants, then dusted her hands. "It's twenty miles, and no doubt a shit load of food. You need more than four hands."

"Even then, how are three people going to bring back enough food for a hundred?" Wells pointed out. Behind Clarke, Finn looked around him, then swiftly turned, grabbed the back of two boys' jackets, and dragged them over. It was Jasper and Monty, both looking mildly confused. Monty was holding some sort of leaf.

"Five of us," Finn corrected, patting Monty and Jasper's shoulders in a friendly manner. Monty still looked mildly confused, but Jasper just seemed happy to be included. Aspen laughed at their expressions. "Can we go now?"

"Sounds like a party!" Octavia said from nearby, skipping forward and clapping her hands. "Make it six."

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Bellamy demanded, close behind her.

"Going for a walk," Octavia said simply, not even bothering to look at him. Aspen snorted, smiling wider.

"Don't worry, brother bear," Aspen said lightly, referencing her favorite childhood movie as she stepped forward and locked her arm with Octavia. The other girl seemed surprised at her friendliness, and a small blush formed across her cheeks. Aspen patted the back of her hand, then looked at Bellamy, who was glaring at the nickname. "I'll watch over Octavia, promise."

"And why should I believe you?" Bellamy challenged with an arched eyebrow. Aspen arched an eyebrow right back, jerking her chin up to look him in the eye.

"Because unlike you," she said sweetly, "I actually care about all of us surviving earth." He immediately scowled at her, while Octavia coughed to hide her laugh. Bellamy opened his mouth to argue with her, but stopped when Clarke spoke. They both turned their heads to watch as Clarke reached forward to grab Finn's wrist.

"Were you trying to take this off?" she demanded, looking at the wristband around Finn's wrist. Upon closer inspection, Aspen saw dark marks on the metal, like he'd tried hitting it with a rock.

"Yeah. So?"

"So this wristband transmits your vital signs to the Ark," Clarke pointed out with a frown. "Take it off and they'll think you're dead."

"Should I care?" Finn asked.

"Well, I don't know," Clarke said, exasperation in her voice. "Do you want the people you love to think you're dead?" Aspen blinked at that, then glanced down at her own wristband, thinking of her parents. She didn't have the best relationship with them, especially her mother, but she didn't want them to think she was dead. Just getting arrested had put them through enough grief. "Do you want them to follow you down here in two months? Because they won't if they think we're dying."

"Message received," Aspen said, breaking the tense silence that followed. She patted Clarke's shoulder. "Let's get going. We've got a long walk ahead of us."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so excited to be rewriting this, I've missed Aspen so much xoxo