She may contain the urge to run away but hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks.

— Breezeblocks, alt-J

━━━━━━ October 21, 2149

CASEY LAID ON THE top bunk in the room given to their people. Sometimes, she missed the seclusion of the Ark, even if she still shared her small home with her mom and brother. But, after living with everyone in the woods for two months, she found it comforting to hear the constant murmur of conversation or heavy breathing as she stayed awake, thinking.

⠀⠀⠀Mount Weather even had actual air conditioning. She hadn't sweated the whole time she'd been there and had taken multiple long showers. Her hair had never felt so clean. Especially since Mount Weather was good at rationing and being able to make more supplies. Up in space, their hygiene products were less than ideal as they had to use what they grew.

⠀⠀⠀Even with all the luxuries at her fingertips, Casey still had trouble sleeping. Between her running thoughts and nightmares, Casey hadn't gotten a full night's sleep. Dark circles and bags resided under her eyes as she read through a book. Keenan had shown her to the library between her session with Dr. Hassan and the dinner the night before. She had picked up a book on Greek Mythology wanting to know what Bellamy found so interesting about them.

⠀⠀⠀So, she laid in her bed, trying to read herself to sleep... even as dawn broke and the other delinquents were already getting ready for the day.

⠀⠀⠀"Miller!"

⠀⠀⠀Casey looked up to see him dressed in a clean, blue-collared dress shirt with Maya next to him. She smiled softly at Jasper and stayed in the background with an oversized bag thrown over her shoulder.

⠀⠀⠀"Look who finally got released," Jasper teased with a grin. He stood at the base of Clarke's bed, where she had been scribbling in her notebook for most of the morning.

⠀⠀⠀"Miller, I'm glad you're okay," Clarke said with a faint smile as she looked up from her work.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah. Only took, what? Three surgeries?" Miller joked with a shrug as he glanced at Maya. His attention focused back on Clarke as he said with a smirk, "I hear you're fitting right in."

⠀⠀⠀Clarke's face fell, unamused by the comment. She glared at Maya, who quickly looked away and reached into her bag to hand Miller a bottle of medicine.

⠀⠀⠀"Twice a day. Don't forget. You'll be okay in a few days. Here."

⠀⠀⠀"Thanks," Miller said, his expression softening.

⠀⠀⠀Maya nodded and approached Jasper as he greeted, "Maya, top of the morning... is a very dumb thing to say that I saw in an old movie once."

⠀⠀⠀Casey held back a laugh as the pair walked out of earshot.

⠀⠀⠀"This bunk taken?" Miller asked, leaning against the rails of Casey's bunk and smiled.

⠀⠀⠀"Bottom bunk's all yours," Casey said with a nod.

⠀⠀⠀"Sweet!" He set his things down on the bed and the medicine on the side table.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey," Casey called down to him. Miller perked up, raising a brow. "Thanks for saving my ass."

⠀⠀⠀If it wasn't for Miller, she'd be up in flames and burned to a crisp after Clarke detonated the bomb. Casey's hand tapped against the wood in fours. Dying by fire was not a way she'd like to go.

⠀⠀⠀"Anytime, Casey," he said with a cocky grin.

⠀⠀⠀Miller left to greet his other friends from camp as an alarm sounded. Maya rushed to leave, but Clarke quickly jumped in her way.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, what's going on?" Clarke asked, rather demanded.

⠀⠀⠀Casey set her book aside and stepped off the bunk—knowing that she wouldn't be getting any sleep soon—and joined the three in the middle of the room.

⠀⠀⠀"That signal means the surface patrol is back and someone needs medical attention. I have to go to quarantine," Maya explained before darting out of the room.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke followed her when Jasper caught her by the arm.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Clarke. What are you doing?" Jasper glanced back at Casey, noting her presence, as he tried to argue. "I'm pretty sure we shouldn't just go wa..." Clarke ignored him, walking out. Jasper grabbed Casey's hand and followed her. "Wandering around!" he finished.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke led the pair down a flight of stairs where Maya, along with a group of other medical staff, were dressing to enter the quarantine rooms.

⠀⠀⠀"What are we dealing with?" Maya asked.

⠀⠀⠀"They were attacked. One dead. He's in room 2. The other took his gloves and mask to treat him. He's still in decon, but he'll need treatment as soon as he's processed through," the older man to Maya's right answered.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke stormed forward without a worry, not even giving Casey's warning of 'toe the line' a considerable thought, as she demanded, "Who attacked them?"

⠀⠀⠀"What are they doing here?" the doctor asked, turning to Maya.

⠀⠀⠀Casey could stress herself out into a whirlwind, but Clarke was on another level. Impatient as ever, Clarke snatched a key card from a doctor and went to the door.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, stop! It's not safe!"

⠀⠀⠀"It is for us," Clarke said. She unlocked the door and turned back to Casey and Jasper. "Let's go."

⠀⠀⠀Jasper looked back, nervous, and said, "Someone's got to keep her out of trouble."

⠀⠀⠀"I'm tired of keeping Clarke out of trouble," Casey said, groaning, then followed.

⠀⠀⠀They entered the quarantine rooms that they had initially been put into upon their arrival. It was ten times brighter than any other section of Mount Weather with pristine white walls. The only thing of color inside were the paintings decorating the length of the halls.

⠀⠀⠀Clarke looked quickly around and spotted room 2, the only place the doctor had mentioned out loud, before she rushed toward it.

⠀⠀⠀"Stop pushing so hard. These people are—" Jasper said, but stopped short as they entered the room. A man laid on the table in a clear plastic bag.

⠀⠀⠀"Are lying to us," Clarke finished for him. She pressed her hand against the bag to see the wound clearly. "That's a bullet wound. Grounders don't use guns."

⠀⠀⠀"Unless the Grounders got the guns from us," Jasper said, but his eyes were wide with disbelief, like he hardly believed his own words.

⠀⠀⠀"They could probably figure them out," Casey said, leaning forward to see the circular wound. "But I don't think this quickly with that much accuracy."

"I think our people are alive out there," Clarke said.

⠀⠀⠀The door opened, and a voice announced, "Get them out of here!"

⠀⠀⠀Casey, Clarke, and Jasper turned to see Dr. Tsing in a blue hazmat suit at the door. She scowled at them as two doctors escorted a man in behind her. The man hobbled inside, his skin red and blistered, his breathing ragged. Casey wanted to throw up at the sight. It was all too familiar and raged inside her body.

THE ARK HAD FALLEN from its orbit and landed in a heap of metal and wire on Earth. Alpha Station was surprisingly intact. Although half of it arrived in pieces of shrapnel on the ground surrounding the area. It was a miracle that anyone had survived. Dragged through the crowd, Bellamy's eyes scanning through the crowd outside for anyone who even looked remotely similar to Casey. When he saved her from the Grounders, he wanted to bring her the good news that her mom was still alive. But he had no such luck before the guard shoved him inside the ship.

⠀⠀⠀There were no cells, so they put him inside a room with a function lock. Wires hung from the ceiling and there was a hole in the ceiling and growth sprouting from the tree it had crashed into. The guards left him alone for the better half of the day. He paced, he sat, he carded through his hair, he tried to climb out to no use. Kane came in to interrogate, but Bellamy was too upset to comply, so he said he'd be back later.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy wondered what the hell happened to his friends. How would the Grounders have gotten enough distance to survive the fire and enough time to spirit them away? The only good thing in the mix was that Clarke was with them. The other half of their joint leadership could keep everyone in line, help them out of trouble. Nevertheless, something about all of this just didn't add up in Bellamy's head.

⠀⠀⠀The sun shifted to rest right outside, peering inside the room Bellamy was in. It warmed his skin and if he closed his eyes long enough, he could tell himself he was back at the dropship camp. Then, the door opened and Kane had returned as promised.

⠀⠀⠀"How long are you gonna keep me locked up in here?" Bellamy asked, glaring at the Chancellor Pro Tempore.

⠀⠀⠀"Until I'm confident you're no longer a threat to others," Kane said. He grabbed a fold-out chair that leaned against the wall and sat down. "Let's continue. Now, you said there were hundreds of Grounders attacking. Two hundred, three hundred?"

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy scowled. "I didn't count."

⠀⠀⠀"Why do you think they attacked? What provoked them?" Kane asked.

⠀⠀⠀"We were here. That was enough," Bellamy said, bowing his head. Anya had said as much to Clarke. They had 'trespassed' into their lands, unknowingly, and started a war. Frustrated, Bellamy snapped, "We're wasting time. The others didn't just vanish into thin air. They were taken, and we need to go after them."

⠀⠀⠀"Search team is prepping to leave, but not before we've gotten the intel we need from you," Kane said.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy leaned over his needs, and pleaded, "I need to be on that team, please."

⠀⠀⠀"That's out of the question. You're not trained. It's too dangerous," Kane said, waving his hand dismissively.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy knew this was exactly how it was going to be. The people of the Ark came down to Earth, and now the teenagers who had fought so hard to survive considered incompetent children by the same people who sent them down. Their time and knowledge were useless to them. And Bellamy was just a worthless janitor once again.

⠀⠀⠀"Those are my people out there," Bellamy spat.

⠀⠀⠀Kane's eyes narrowed. "They're my people, too. You want to help them? Tell me what we're up against. Grounder tactics, their numbers, what kind of weapons they used."

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy shook his head, but he knew Kane wouldn't budge on the matter. He wanted to help, and for now, this was the only way he could.

⠀⠀⠀"Arrows and spears. Axes. Swords. Their teeth," he said.

⠀⠀⠀"No guns?" Kane asked.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy shook his head.

⠀⠀⠀"You had guns," Kane said.

⠀⠀⠀"The guns we found at the aid depot leveled the playing field," Bellamy said with a sigh. "And maybe... maybe if we had more bullets, we could have—"

⠀⠀⠀"There were more bullets," Kane said bluntly. "Search team just returned from the bunker. They found two more barrels full of rifles and a third filled with bullets."

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy's face fell as he looked down at his hands, clenching them in frustration. "We should have looked harder."

⠀⠀⠀Although, he had been a little preoccupied that day between the rancid, hallucinogenic nuts, Dax trying to kill him, and Casey unconscious and injured.

⠀⠀⠀The door behind Kane opened and guards escorted Murphy inside. His hands were zip-tied together as two guards held his arms between them.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy stood, his hands clenched into fists as he glared at the boy who had nearly ruined their chance of survival.

⠀⠀⠀"What's he doing here?" Bellamy asked.

⠀⠀⠀The blond guard didn't acknowledge him, turning to Kane as she reported, "Excuse me, sir. Dr. Griffin cleared Mr. Murphy out of medical."

⠀⠀⠀For a split second, Bellamy considered that the woman might be Casey's mother. Only because she had blond hair and a light complexion. But they looked nothing alike. The guard's features were sharp and angled with sharp blue eyes while Casey was softer around the edges and wide, amber eyes. Besides, Murphy didn't seem to acknowledge her more than the Guard who held him in custody.

⠀⠀⠀"Put him over there, Major Byrne," Kane said, standing.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy sat at the far wall while the other guard approached Bellamy. He raised his hands, not looking for a fight, and allowed himself to be tied to the wall opposite of Murphy. As soon as they tightened his restraints, gunshots echoed through the hull. Kane and his men quickly exited the room while Bellamy was stuck with Murphy in a small, enclosed space with nowhere else to go.

CASEY AND MONTY ENTERED the mess hall together. Jasper stayed behind in the dorms, left in a weird mood after their trip down to the quarantine ward, and opted out. Monty led the pair through the buffet line, then led them to a place to sit. Lack of sleep and Clarke's antics already scrambled Casey's head enough as it was, the change in her routine wasn't helping. Her eyes darted to the table they had sat at previously and paused in the middle of Monty's route to the table in the corner.

⠀⠀⠀"Can we sit over there?" Casey asked, her eyes unable to peel from the spot.

⠀⠀⠀Monty paused for a moment, furrowed his brow, then nodded. They settled at their table and Casey smiled awkwardly in thanks. Across the hall, her gaze caught Dr. Hassan's as he watched her closely. He removed his hand from where it rested on his jaw and sent her a kind wave, returning to his meal.

⠀⠀⠀Casey frowned. It felt like an ant colony had taken refuge under her skin, crawling through her veins and muscles. Her eyes skated over pale faces, wondering what laid under the surface of this ant bed. Dr. Hassan and Keenan were both kind to her, but she wondered if it was an act. If everything here was just an act.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell happened this morning?" Monty asked, noticing her uneasy expression, and leaned over his tray to catch her attention.

⠀⠀⠀"Clarke stormed into the quarantine area and found one of theirs with a bullet wound in his chest," Casey said, running her hand through her hair.

⠀⠀⠀"A bullet?" Monty asked, intrigued.

⠀⠀⠀"Had to be someone," Casey said, shrugging. But she didn't know. They didn't know anything. She knew Mount Weather existed before. It was the first place they attempted to go to, but she had no idea anyone lived there.

⠀⠀⠀"One of ours," Monty said.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, one of ours. I just... I don't want to get my hopes up."

⠀⠀⠀"If I was still out there, I wouldn't trust these people were telling the truth," Monty said with a scoff as he scooped eggs into his mouth. "I mean, would you believe anyone that says their food tastes this good?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey chuckled, though she agreed. There wasn't any chance in hell that she'd believe the Mountain Men if they showed up one day in camp with their hands raised in surrender. They likely wouldn't get the chance, with Bellamy and Clarke leading them into a second war the moment they stepped into sight.

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy, Finn, and the others are likely out there looking for us. Hopefully, they won't be dumb enough to get themselves killed," Monty continued.

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy would be," Casey said, moving her eggs around on her plate.

⠀⠀⠀Monty chuckled and—with nothing else to do but mull about their friends or Mount Weather—they finished their food and talked about mindless things. Monty was good at talking, especially about his life on the Ark with his parents, and stealing pot from the pharmaceutical lab. His cool and collected demeanor helped soothe Casey's paranoia.

⠀⠀⠀As their plates emptied, Keenan stopped by their table with a wide smile. She waved excitedly at them and stopped a foot from the end of the table.

⠀⠀⠀"Hi, Casey! Monty," she said with a smile, looking between the pair.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Keenan. How are you?" Casey asked, smiling back. Despite her suspicions, it was hard to push the girl away. She was just too nice and bubbly to fear the evil creature lurking underneath.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm wonderful!" Keenan said, placing her hands behind her back. "I just wanted to let you guys know that the mess hall is closing soon to prepare for lunch. But we do have a common room where you can play games and just hang out, too!"

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, really?" Monty asked. He leaned forward with interest, resting his chin on his fist with a small smirk. "What kind of games?"

⠀⠀⠀"We don't have a lot of the modern games people used to play, both board and virtual, but the classics are all there since we had the sets and could make new ones," Keenan explained. Her face grew more serious as she ticked the names off on her fingers. "We have chess, backgammon, mahjong, cards, and, my favorite, go!"

⠀⠀⠀Casey turned to Monty, raising a brow. He looked at her, his face stoic as he mimicked her raised brow in a challenge. She smiled, and so did he.

⠀⠀⠀"Do you know how to play chess, Green?" Casey asked.

⠀⠀⠀"One of my favorites, King," he said with a smug nod. "Jasper and I used to play all the time. I won 101-32."

⠀⠀⠀Casey smirked. "Same here... but with John."

⠀⠀⠀"That doesn't tell me anything, Casey," Monty said, deadpanned. "Murphy's an idiot."

⠀⠀⠀"Well, you're not wrong." Casey rolled her eyes despite the pang in her chest at the reminder of her brother.

⠀⠀⠀Casey laughed, as did Monty. Then Keenan joined them, despite not understanding what they were talking about. When the laughed died, Keenan led them out of the mess hall and to Level 6, one floor below. A few people sat inside the room since a lot of the people within Mount Weather had routine jobs, like Dr. Hassan or Dr. Tsing. And since it was a weekday (apparently), the common room housed their friends from the dropship and no one else.

⠀⠀⠀"I'll leave you guys to it. I hope you have fun!" Keenan said sweetly as she left them at a chess table. She sent them both one last smile before exiting the room.

BELLAMY HAD TO PINCH his skin just to keep himself from saying something to Murphy. Bellamy knew that was exactly what he wanted. Murphy loved to talk, and more than that, he loved to get under someone's skin.

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy didn't need to say anything, though, for Murphy to talk.

⠀⠀⠀A scream pierced through the room, Raven's to be exact, as Clarke's mother treated the bullet put in her back by Murphy.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, that was me at the Grounder camp," Murphy said casually, playing with his handcuffs. "You know, I did everything I could not to scream, but eventually—"

⠀⠀⠀"But, eventually, you broke and told them everything," Bellamy said, the words tumbling out of his mouth and spat at Murphy's feet.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy chuckled as he looked up. "And you wouldn't have because you're better than me."

⠀⠀⠀"Damn right. I'm not a traitor," Bellamy said, turning to glare at Murphy. "I didn't tell them where they could find us."

⠀⠀⠀"And I did," Murphy said. His face turned stoic as he stared back at Bellamy, unafraid to admit it. "Yeah, I did. After they tortured me in their prison camp for three days. But go ahead, you just keep believing... even if you are in here just like me."

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy didn't respond. Murphy's words cut deep as he considered his actions as he'd tortured Lincoln just weeks prior. It had only been an hour before he'd given up the information to save Octavia. He wondered how long he would last, especially if someone he cared for was there with him.

⠀⠀⠀"You act like you don't care." Bellamy scoffed, rolling his eyes. "But you haven't even asked if Raven was the only one down there trying to save me."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. "What?"

⠀⠀⠀"Casey was down there, too. You shot her when you shot Raven," Bellamy sneered. He stared at Murphy, watching his face fall, flinching away as Raven screamed again. "You're lucky you clipped her shoulder and not what you did to Raven."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy went quiet, and Bellamy hoped that shut him up long enough for him to think.

MONTY SETTLED BEHIND THE white pieces while Casey sat across from him, facing the black. She focused intently as she carefully lined up her pieces, straightening each one with meticulous precision. Her fingers tapped the tops of the pieces four times, each tap a little faster than the last. She paused, feeling like something was off, and reset one of the pawns. After rearranging the pieces several times until it finally clicked into place.

⠀⠀⠀Monty watched her with a puzzled expression, his brow furrowing slightly. "Hey, uh... everything good over there?"

⠀⠀⠀Casey looked up, almost startled, as if she'd forgotten he was there.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, sorry. Just... lining them up," she said with a hint of embarrassment rising into her cheeks.

⠀⠀⠀Monty nodded slowly. "Alright. Just—looked like you were about to tap them off the board."

⠀⠀⠀As she looked back at the board, Casey had a fleeting realization that maybe this was what Dr. Hassan had noticed in their conversation. She glanced over her pieces again and a familiar feeling settled—a strange urge she'd had for as long as she could remember. Casey would often find herself needing to count or check things in a certain way, as if the world would unravel if she didn't. It was an endless chain of 'what ifs'.

⠀⠀⠀If she didn't check the woods, Murphy would bleed out and die. If she didn't count just right, her mother would be floated. If she missed a step, Bellamy would find himself at the end of a dagger.

⠀⠀⠀Casey hadn't noticed it before, but she was definitely noticing the pattern now. She flexed her fingers, growing anxious as she realized she wouldn't get any answers until the following week. Her mouth twisted into a frown and—

⠀⠀⠀"I'll play the loser!" Jasper shouted, jolting her from her thoughts.

⠀⠀⠀Casey looked up to see him suddenly standing there, his hands on his hips as he looked over the board, while Maya stood beside him with a soft, somewhat shy smile.

⠀⠀⠀"Isn't it the winner?" Casey asked, pushing the thoughts to the back of her head, and raised a brow in amusement.

⠀⠀⠀"Nah, I'm not that good," Jasper said, sighing.

⠀⠀⠀Maya let out a laugh behind her hand, and Jasper lit up in response, flashing her a wide smile. He stepped away from the table to get them both chairs. Casey took the opportunity to study Maya. She had to be about their age, with raven black hair, brown eyes, and a delicate jawline. It was clear she'd caught Jasper's attention. A part of Casey was happy to see Jasper so happy with all he'd been through. But she couldn't shake the feeling that this newfound romance might not have the outcome Jasper hoped for.

⠀⠀⠀Monty tapped the board, bringing her focus back to the game. Casey quickly made her move, sliding her bishop forward into a Sicilian defense. Monty tsked quietly, noticing her strategy, and considered his next play.

⠀⠀⠀"Did Clarke talk to President Wallace?" Casey asked, glancing at Jasper.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper ran a hand over his face while Maya looked away, her expression unreadable.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, he let her go see the body again," Jasper said, leaning back with his arms crossed. "But when she went back, she said it was an arrow wound."

⠀⠀⠀Casey furrowed her brows as she captured Monty's pawn, her mind drifting back to the body. She tried to recall the details of the wound, but her memory blurred. Too much had happened too fast, but she was nearly certain the wound had been from a bullet.

⠀⠀⠀"What if they're lying?" Casey asked, watching as Monty moved his pawn into A6, creating a Najdorf variation. She stared at the pieces, half her mind with Jasper and the other with the board.

⠀⠀⠀"Lying? About what?" Jasper asked, words tinged with frustration.

⠀⠀⠀Casey glanced at Maya, hesitating for a moment. "I mean, not Maya specifically," she clarified, though the implication hung heavy in the air. "But just look at what Jaha did. He lied to everyone on the Ark about the lack of oxygen and sent us down here without telling our parents. Why should we trust any government to be honest and transparent when our own didn't do that?"

⠀⠀⠀Maya's face tightened, her fingers tapping as she looked away.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper slammed his hands on the table, causing the wooden pieces to rattle. Monty looked up, irritated.

⠀⠀⠀"Why is it so hard for you and Clarke to believe that we might be the only ones left?" Jasper asked, sounding exhausted. "Do you know the odds of the Ark surviving? Do you really think anyone else out there made it? If they did, why wouldn't the Mountain Men tell us?"

⠀⠀⠀"To keep us here," Casey said, her voice calm though her gaze sharpened.

⠀⠀⠀Jasper let out an exasperated huff, rolling his eyes before pushing his chair back and getting to his feet. He pointed a finger at her, eyes blazing. "You and Clarke are just the same," he spat. Then, without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room. Maya cast Casey a wary glance as she politely stood and followed him.

⠀⠀⠀"Dramatic, much?" Casey said under her breath, irritated that Jasper would insinuate that she and Clarke were anything alike.

⠀⠀⠀"This is the first time he's had someone really interested in him, Casey," Monty said gently, shaking his head. "He just wants us to be happy."

⠀⠀⠀"I get it, Monty. I do, but he's adapting too quickly. We don't know these people. Trust isn't something that's just given, it's earned," she whispered.

⠀⠀⠀Monty didn't respond, and they played in silence for a while. With each move, the board only got more complicated until Casey had no exits. Every move would end in her losing, landing herself in the dreaded zugzwang.

⠀⠀⠀As Casey contemplated where to go, Monty broke the silence.

⠀⠀⠀"Do you think you could... maybe give Maya a chance?" he asked hesitantly. "She's just trying to survive like the rest of us. And maybe she's trying to help."

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe," Casey said, her gaze softening. "But I can't just ignore my instincts. I don't think it's so black and white down here."

⠀⠀⠀"You and Clarke are probably right," Monty said, and Casey clicked her tongue at her affiliation to Clarke again. "But just consider Jasper, okay? He's finally finding something good here. Don't take that away from him."

⠀⠀⠀"You told me not to do this already when he was creating a false narrative about what happened at the bridge," Casey said, narrowing her eyes playfully at Monty.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, well, that was different," Monty said, rolling his eyes. "Remember what you said to Clarke."

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, I'm toeing the line," Casey said, raising her hands. "I'm just telling Jasper to keep his guard up. She's gonna get us all killed if she keeps pushing so hard."

⠀⠀⠀Monty leaned forward, her king in check, before he grinned, and said, "Checkmate."

"GET UP. WE'RE GOING after them." Finn's voice broke Bellamy from his light sleep. He kneeled beside him, pulling wire cutters from his bag while Monroe guarded the door.

⠀⠀⠀"It's about time," Bellamy muttered, standing and free from his restraints.

⠀⠀⠀They were about to leave when Murphy called out to them, "Hey, whoa, wait. What about me?"

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy glanced at Finn, who shook his head. Bellamy gnawed at the inside of his lip before bending down to pick up the wire cutters. With his jaw set, he stepped towards Murphy, who scrambled back in fear.

⠀⠀⠀"Wait, no! What are you doing?" Finn asked, pulling Bellamy back.

⠀⠀⠀He didn't answer, snapping the wire where it connected to the pole but didn't entirely free Murphy from his restraints.

⠀⠀⠀"He's coming with us," Bellamy said, helping Murphy to his feet.

⠀⠀⠀"No way," Finn snapped.

⠀⠀⠀"He's been to the Grounder prison camp."

⠀⠀⠀"He's right. Okay. I can bring you there," Murphy added. Finn still didn't look impressed. "Listen, man, I want to get Casey back as much as you want your girlfriend to live. Trust me, just this once."

⠀⠀⠀Finn's gaze hardened, but he complied with a curt nod. Then, the four rushed out of lockup and darted into the woods before anyone could notice.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't think anyone saw us," Bellamy said as they passed through the brush a way off from Camp Jaha's security detail.

⠀⠀⠀"Shh, keep it down," Finn called from the front, not wanting to risk anything.

⠀⠀⠀As they passed through the trees, a light shined on his face, making him squint, and raised his hands to block it out. "You're late," Abby Griffin scolded Finn with a stern, motherly stare.

⠀⠀⠀"Bellamy decided to bring company," Finn said, nodding back toward him and Murphy.

⠀⠀⠀"He's the only person that's been in their camp," Bellamy explained.

⠀⠀⠀Abby nodded. She handed a gun to Finn, then the magazine. The guard beside her removed his and handed it to Bellamy.

⠀⠀⠀"Here, find my son. His name is Nathan Miller," he asked, worry in his eyes. Bellamy's eyes widened, but nodded.

⠀⠀⠀"Bring them home," Abby said, giving them all a pointed look.

⠀⠀⠀They headed out when Murphy resisted and muttered, "Hold on, hold on." Abby turned to them sharply and Murphy rolled his eyes as he sent her a half-hearted salute. "Sorry, ma'am." He looked at Miller and asked, "Has anyone seen my mom, Rian?"

⠀⠀⠀"Rian King?" Mr. Miller asked, frowning. "She was in Farm Station when we broke apart."

⠀⠀⠀Murphy bowed his head and scoffed. "Just my luck, right?"

⠀⠀⠀"We're still looking for them. You find the kids," Miller instructed with a firm nod. They both had jobs to do, each reliant on the other to find their loved ones.

⠀⠀⠀Murphy moved but reared back as Bellamy stayed rooted in his spot, eyes wide, as he stared straight ahead.

⠀⠀⠀"Dude, what the—?" Murphy snapped, looking back at him in annoyance. Then, he rolled his eyes and asked, "Finally connect the dots?"

⠀⠀⠀Bellamy's mind raced, piecing it all together. Casey's initial hatred towards him, Charlotte saying her mom was a member of the Guard, Casey claiming that her mom would do everything she could to help them... The same woman who had helped hide Octavia after one close call. He should have known from the beginning, they looked just alike and he had missed it.

IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ

@aesflms is hosting a fanfic award and I'm nominated! If you love this fic and would like to vote for me, please head over to her page NOW! Voting ends on December 23rd, so be sure to do it before that date <3 The 100 category is near the very bottom so I suggest (if that's the only one you're voting for) scrolling all the way to the bottom and I think the category is 11 up from there :3

Thank you guys, I love you so much, and just be nominated is so cool <3 and please be respectful of @aesflms. She is doing so much by hosting this and has already had to deal with the stress of people doing bad things. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Despite adding in the Dr. Hassan scene last chapter, you can see that I've sprinkled in some extra scenes for Casey. I love Mount Weather but some of the scenes are TOO SHORT! Which, I understand, to be expected. But still, I need more for my babies. 

[SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED PAST SEASON 5] Also, rewatching season 6 and it's so devastating that Casey and Miller are the only ones left that survived Mount Weather at that time. 

Also, fucking finally Bellamy figuring out who Casey's mom is LMAO. I had the great idea of adding this here so it's not the dumb, stupid way I had incorporated it in the earlier versions. And, narratively, I think it makes sense and humanizes Murphy a little more before he has to deal with psycho Finn.

CHAPTER TIME FRAME: Season 2, Episode 2: Inclement Weather

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like, they keep me motivated! However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So, even if you ghost read or comment on every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come to spend your time in this fic ♡

NEXT TIME: Clarke has gone missing and Jasper is head over heels for Maya. Casey recruits Maya to find out some information for them.